One in Messiah Congregation
Gentiles learning a little at a time on the Sabbath
Acts.13
[1] Now there
were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas,
and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had
been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
[2] As they ministered to the
Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the
work whereunto I have called them.
[3] And when they had fasted
and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
[4] So they, being sent forth
by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.
[5] And when they were at Salamis,
they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also
John to their minister.
[6] And when they had gone through
the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew,
whose name was Bar-jesus:
[7] Which was with the deputy
of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and
Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.
[8] But Elymas the sorcerer
(for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away
the deputy from the faith.
[9] Then Saul, (who also is
called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,
[10] And said, O full of all
subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness,
wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?
[11] And now, behold, the hand
of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a
season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went
about seeking some to lead him by the hand.
[12] Then the deputy, when he
saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.
[13] Now when Paul and his company
loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from
them returned to Jerusalem.
[14] But when they departed from Perga, they came to
Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat
down.
[15] And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue
sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation
for the people, say on.
[16]
Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye
that fear God, give audience.
[17] The God of this people
of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers
in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought he them out of it.
[18] And about the time of forty
years suffered he their manners in the wilderness.
[19] And when he had destroyed
seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot.
[20] And after that he gave
unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel
the prophet.
[21] And afterward they desired
a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin,
by the space of forty years.
[22] And when he had removed
him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony,
and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart,
which shall fulfil all my will.
[23] Of this man's seed hath
God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:
[24] When John had first preached
before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
[25] And as John fulfilled his
course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh
one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.
[26] Men and brethren, children
of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the
word of this salvation sent.
[27] For they that dwell at
Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices
of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them
in condemning him.
[28] And though they found no
cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain.
[29] And when they had fulfilled
all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him
in a sepulchre.
[30] But God raised him from
the dead:
[31] And he was seen many days
of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses
unto the people.
[32] And we declare unto you
glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,
[33] God hath fulfilled the
same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is
also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten
thee.
[34] And as concerning that
he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said
on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.
[35] Wherefore he saith also
in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
[36] For David, after he had
served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto
his fathers, and saw corruption:
[37] But he, whom God raised
again, saw no corruption.
[38] Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren,
that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
[39] And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which
ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
[40]
Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets;
[41] Behold, ye despisers, and
wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in
no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.
[42] And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue,
the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.
[43]
Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious
proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
[44] And the next sabbath day came almost the whole
city together to hear the word of God.
[45]
But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake
against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.
[46] Then Paul and Barnabas
waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have
been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy
of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
[47] For so hath the Lord commanded
us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest
be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.
[48] And when the Gentiles heard
this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were
ordained to eternal life believed.
[49] And the word of the Lord
was published throughout all the region.
[50] But the Jews stirred up
the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised
persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.
[51] But they shook off the
dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium.
[52] And the disciples were
filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.
Acts.15
[1] And certain
men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be
circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
[2] When therefore Paul and
Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined
that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem
unto the apostles and elders about this question.
[3] And being brought on their
way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion
of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.
[4] And when they were come
to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders,
and they declared all things that God had done with them.
[5] But there rose up certain
of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to
circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.
[6] And the apostles and elders
came together for to consider of this matter.
[7] And when there had been
much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know
how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my
mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
[8] And God, which knoweth the
hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto
us;
[9] And put no difference between
us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
[10] Now therefore why tempt
ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers
nor we were able to bear?
[11] But we believe that through
the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
[12] Then all the multitude
kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles
and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.
[13] And after they had held
their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me:
[14] Simeon hath declared how
God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his
name.
[15] And to this agree the words
of the prophets; as it is written,
[16] After this I will return,
and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will
build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:
[17] That the residue of men
might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called,
saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.
[18] Known unto God are all
his works from the beginning of the world.
[19] Wherefore my sentence is,
that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:
[20] But that we write unto them, that they abstain
from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled,
and from blood.
[21] For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
Most people that argue the Sabbath use verse 20 above to prove that the gentiles only had to abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood; however, they never read the next verse which says,"For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day." This tells me two things: first, they will learn the commandments and scripture every week on the Sabbath, and second, again they learned ON THE SABBATH!, Yom Shabbat, the 7th day of the week, known as the pagan name Saturday, not the first day of the week, know as the pagan name Sunday ( sun worship ).
Isn't it ridiculous to think that gentiles wouldn't have to stop stealing, or stop killing, or stop committing adultary? Of course they have to keep all the commandments. Scripture says there in ONE law to the homeborn and to the stranger! They will learn all of this every week on the Sabbath at the reading of The Torah, the prophets, and the psalms.
[22] Then pleased
it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their
own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas,
and Silas, chief men among the brethren:
[23] And they wrote letters
by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting
unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia:
[24] Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:
(this law is pertaining to circumcision, animals sacrifices, priest and temple services)
Heb.7[11] If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,)
Acts.15[25
] It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one
accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
[26] Men that have hazarded
their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
[27] We have sent therefore
Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.
[28] For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
[29] That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.
[30] So when
they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude
together, they delivered the epistle:
[31]
Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation
.
[32] And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.