Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Paul 2.8

"Brothers," Judas began, "everyone here today is a son of Abraham. As the Law commands, we were all circumcised on the eighth day. Most of us here are from the tribes of Judah or Benjamin. We all know that Scripture cannot be broken. We keep the Law because God has commanded us to do so in the holy Scriptures.

"When God raised Jesus from the dead, He showed that Jesus' death was a pleasing sacrifice to Him for the sins of Israel. If we will renew our commitment to the covenant, Jesus faithful death will bring the wrath of God toward us to an end. Then Christ will return and restore the kingdom to Israel.

"But the message that Saul and others have been preaching to Gentiles is false. Salvation is of the Jews and unless they convert and become circumcised, they cannot escape God's coming wrath on the enemies of Israel. What is worse is that when Jews make themselves unclean by table fellowship with these idolatrous, sexually immoral pagans, they nullify Jesus' faithfulness and bring the wrath of God back on Israel all over again.

"The Gentiles can be saved. But only if they become sons of Abraham."

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