UNDAILY Episode 124
After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. When they finished, James spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me. Simon has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written: “‘After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things’ - things known from long ago. “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead, we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”
ACTS 15, 7-21 (NIV)
Have you ever wondered what it's like to cross boundaries? Not just the physical ones, but primarily the invisible barriers of tradition, culture, or geographical extent? Today's discussion will focus on an event nearly two thousand years ago - the Council of Jerusalem. This pivotal event demonstrates how the early Church tackled the challenge of universalizing the Gospel message, transcending the barriers of law and tradition to bring every person closer to God. Looking at the scene described in the Acts of the Apostles, we witness a heated discussion about differences in interpreting Jesus' teachings, which threatened the unity of the Church. We encounter Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians grappling with whether circumcision and adherence to Jewish practices are necessary for salvation. The conclusions from this intense debate prompted Church leaders to reflect deeply on the essence of fidelity to the Gospel.
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