Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

To: Tzfat
So, don't eat the fruit in the Garden is acceptable to Christianity, but don't eat pig isn't.

Thank you for your thoughtful reply.

My response is that God in the OT never required gentiles to refrain from pork or to keep the other dietary laws. He did, however, require that they keep the Law of Noah. My point is that we gentiles are not required to do so by the Law of Moses.

The early Church was forced to confront the problem of the applicability of the Law of Moses in all its many details to the gentiles who converted to Christianity. This crisis was brought about in no small part by the amazing success of the mission of Saul of Tarsus (St. Paul), who converted gentiles left and right. Were gentiles required to be circumcised? Did they have to keep the dietary laws?

The answer, as set forth in the Acts of the Apostles, is that gentiles were not bound to keep the Law of Moses, but were, in keeping with Genesis, required to keep the law of Noah. This was the first authoritative ruling by a Church council. It was read aloud not by Peter, interestingly enough, but by St. James, who was the head of the Jewish Church at the time.

Once that is understood, I see no contradiction. Do you see my point?

113 posted on 07/27/2012 12:27:24 PM PDT by Gluteus Maximus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 98 | View Replies ]


To: Gluteus Maximus

Sounds theological excuses


116 posted on 07/27/2012 12:56:08 PM PDT by Tzfat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 113 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson