Feasts, Festivals & Gentiles
Acts 15:1-4 ¶ Some men came down from Judea and taught the brothers {in Antioch( Ac14:26 )}, “Unless you are circumcised after the custom of Moses, you can’t be saved.”{an obvious reference to the act of circumcision} 2 Therefore when Paul and Barnabas had no small discord and discussion with them, they appointed Paul, Barnabas, and some others of them to go up to Jerusalem to the emissaries and elders about this question... 4 When they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the assembly and the emissaries and the elders, and they reported everything that God had done with them.
Acts 15:5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to {1)} circumcise them{obviously physical, especially because this =>}, and to command them to {2)}keep the Torah of Moses.”
- The demand was not just to 1)"circumcise them", but also to 2)"keep the Torah"! These are the same things mentioned later in Acts 21:21, as shown below...
Acts 15:6-11 The emissaries and the elders were gathered together to see about this matter. 7 When there had been much discussion, Peter rose up and said to them{"the Pharisees who believed"(vs.5)}, “Brothers, you know that a good while ago God made a choice among you that by my mouth the nations should hear the word of the Good News and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, testified about them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just like he did to us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. 10 Now therefore why do you{"the Pharisees who believed"} tempt God, that you should put a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11 But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Yeshua, just as they are.”
- So, according to Luke's remembrance of this encounter, what was the "yoke" that "the Pharisees, who believed", were attempting to put "on the neck of the disciples"? According to Luke, there were two things that "the Pharisees who believed" were demanding of the Gentile believers, in order to be saved(vs.1) =>
- They must be " circumcised after the custom of Moses" (vs.1,5).
- They must " keep the Torah of Moses" (vs.5).
- Obviously, Peter was not in favor of either of these demands. Otherwise, he would not have used such strong words of rebuke directed at the demanding "Pharisees who believed".
Acts 15:12-17 ¶ All the multitude kept silence, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul reporting what signs and wonders God had done among the nations through them. 13 After they were silent, Jacob{James} answered, “Brothers, listen to me. 14 Simeon{Peter in verses 7-9} has reported how God first visited the nations to take out of them a people for his name. 15 This agrees with the words of the prophets. As it is written, 16 ‘After these things I will return. I will again build the tabernacle of David, which has fallen. I will again build its ruins. I will set it up 17 that the rest of men may seek after the Lord: all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who does all these things.’
- The above quote is from Amos 9:11-12 "In that day I will raise up the tent of David who is fallen, and close up its breaches, and I will raise up its ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old; that they may possess the remnant of Edom, and all the nations who are called by my name," says Yahweh who does this."
Acts 15:18-21 ¶ All of God’s works are known to him from eternity. 19 Therefore my judgment is that we don’t trouble those from among the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 but that we write to them that they abstain from the pollution of idols, from sexual immorality, from what is strangled, and from blood. 21 For Moses from generations of old has in every city those who proclaim him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.
Acts 15:22-29 ¶ Then it seemed good to the emissaries and the elders, with the whole assembly, to choose men out of their company, and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judah called Barnabas, and Silas, chief men among the brothers. 23 They wrote these things by their hand: “The emissaries, the elders, and the brothers, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: greetings. 24 Because we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, ‘You must be circumcised and keep the Torah,’ to whom we gave no commandment; {The leaders of the Christian movement in Jerusalem gave no permission for Gentile converts to be coerced to 1) "be circumcised" or 2) "keep the Torah"} 25 it seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose out men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. 27 We have sent therefore Judah and Silas, who themselves will also tell you the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay no greater burden on you than these necessary things: 29 that you abstain from 1) things sacrificed to idols, 2) from blood, 3) from things strangled, and 4) from sexual immorality, from which if you keep yourselves, it will be well with you. Farewell.” {there were no other restrictions given to Gentile converts}
Galatians 5:1-6 ¶ Stand firm therefore in the liberty by which Messiah has made us free, and don’t be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. 2 ¶ Behold, I, Paul, tell you that if you receive circumcision, Messiah will profit you nothing. 3 Yes, I testify again to every man who receives circumcision that he is a debtor to do the whole law. 4 You are alienated from Messiah, you who desire to be justified by the law. You have fallen away from grace . 5 For we through the Spirit, by faith wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Messiah Yeshua neither circumcision nor uncircumcision amounts to anything, but faith working through love.
Acts 21:17 ¶ When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly. 18 The day following, Paul went in with us to Jacob; and all the elders were present. 19 When he had greeted them, he reported one by one the things which God had worked among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 They, when they heard it, glorified God. They said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Judeans of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Torah. 21 They{Judean believers} have been informed about you{Paul}, that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them {1)}not to circumcise their children and {2)}not to walk after the customs. 22 What then? The assembly must certainly meet, for they will hear that you have come. 23 Therefore do what we tell you. We have four men who have taken a vow. 24 Take them and purify yourself with them, and pay their expenses for them, that they may shave their heads. Then all will know that there is no truth in the things that they have been informed about you, but that you{Paul} yourself also walk keeping the Torah. 25 But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written our decision that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from food offered to idols, from blood, from strangled things, and from sexual immorality.”(quoted from Acts15:28-29 - According to Acts 15 and 21, there were no other general requirements given to Gentile converts)
Colossians 2:16-17
- (NLT) Colossians 2:17 For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality.
- 45 other Bible translations show the same understanding as NLT, as seen => https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Colossians2:17
Hebrews 10:1-10 For the Torah, having a shadow of the good to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Or else wouldn’t they have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having been once cleansed, would have had no more consciousness of sins? 3 But in those sacrifices there is a yearly reminder of sins. 4 For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. 5 Therefore when he{Yeshua} comes into the world, he says, “You didn’t desire sacrifice and offering, but you prepared a body for me. 6 You had no pleasure in whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin. 7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (in the scroll of the book it is written of me) to do your will, O God.’ ” 8 ¶ Previously saying, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you didn’t desire, neither had pleasure in them” (those which are offered according to the Torah), 9 then he has said, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He takes away the first, that he may establish the second, 10 by which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus the Messiah once for all.
| Hebrews 10:1-10 Quote | Original Old Testament Text |
|---|---|
| "But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance of sins every year." ( Hebrews 10:3 ) | Related to: "For on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you from all your sins; you will be clean before the Lord." ( Leviticus 16:30, also see Leviticus 16:22, 27, 34 ) |
| "Hence, when He came into the world, He said: 'Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure.'" ( Hebrews 10:5-6 ) | "Then I said, 'Behold, I have come; In the volume of the book it is written of Me; To do Your will, O God.'" "Sacrifice and burnt offering You did not desire; But my ears You have opened; Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require." ( Psalm 40:6-8 ) |
| "Then He said, 'Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.'" ( Hebrews 10:7 ) | "Then I said, 'Behold, I have come; In the volume of the book it is written of Me; To do Your will, O God.'" ( Psalm 40:8 ) |
Ephesians 2:13-16 ... now in Messiah Yeshua you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Messiah. 14 For He has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when , in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. 15 He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations . He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. 16 Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.
Desiring to live by every word that comes from the mouth of Jehovah ( Deut8:3; Matt4:4 )
-Sid Nash: 12/02/2025. Latest version: https://sidnash.org/FF/G_Heb10.html