Noah’s Rules
but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood. Acts 15:20 NASB
Abstain – Can we finally put this one to bed? The council of Jerusalem issued this decision for Gentiles who wanted to join the Jewish way of fellowship under the Messiah. James lists four requirements. A great number of commentators use this edict to argue that the Gentiles were excused from the Sinai Torah. The Torah was for Jews. The Gentiles only had to follow these limited conditions. Many of these commentators suggest that this was James’ version of the Noahide laws, those laws which, according to Second Temple rabbinic teaching, applied to all men on the earth.
But has anyone ever actually looked at the Noahide laws to see if they match. The seven Noahide are:
- the prohibition against murder
- the prohibition against theft
- the prohibition against sexual immorality
- the prohibition against blasphemy
- the prohibition against eating flesh taken from an animal while it is alive
- the establishment of courts of law
- the prohibition against denying God (that there is no God)
In what way are James’ requirements similar to these seven universal laws of morality? There’s no prohibition for things contaminated by idols. There’s nothing about strangulation. There is only the implied relationship with flesh from an animal still alive. In fact, the only one that seems to be exactly the same is the one about sex. So are we to assume that murder, theft, blasphemy, denial of God and refusal to establish courts of law are acceptable to James? After all, he doesn’t mention them. And three of the four things he does specifically mention are not in the Noahide list.
Doesn’t it seem obvious that James is not talking about Noah’s rules? Acts 15 is not about the application of the Noahide laws (which all the disciples would have considered applicable without mentioning). James specifically targets pagan religious practices in the Roman world. He says something like this: “Yes, we agree that Gentiles who have come to God on the basis of the Messiah should not be excluded simply because they are not Jewish, but we do require them to give up pagan practices.” In the Roman world, it was quite common to simply adopt another god into your personal arsenal in hopes that one more god would give you more protection. But YHVH is not one more god. Worshipping Him means exclusivity. Those Gentile pagans who come into this fellowship must give up those things that characterize worshipping false gods. James names them. There are four—not seven. The case is settled. Nothing more to worry about. After all, “Moses is taught every week in synagogue.”
Topical Index: Acts 15:20, Noahide laws, pagan practices
Thanks for that, Skip. That perspective makes sense: the injunctions being targeted at specific widespread Gentile abominations.
So, if we are walking in the Spirit, we will not break the ten commandments given via Moses (e.g. by keeping every day holy we will automatically keep the seventh day holy), and we will keep the two great commandments from our Lord (i.e. we will love God fully and love our fellow human beings as ourselves). Beyond those universal characteristics we will be a highly variegated garden displaying God’s creative ingenuity.
God bless.
Paul Thomson
Second Temple Judaism Oral Law seems to be much about getting abstentions right and was probably what Yakob was clarifying and was much what Yeshua taught against.
Would you regard “things contaminated by idols” to refer to sacrifices and more specific, meat, pork, lamb boiled in mothers milk, etc.?
And where does that leave the spare-ribs?
Wonderful. Nice and sensible.
It is a sad amusement to me to see all the fervor that people continue to give any shred of anything that they think they can hide from the Sabbath behind. Because, at the end of every one of these days, isn’t that what they are ultimately trying to do?
Why? If you think about it, just about every other law out there, in some way, somewhere, has been proven practical, necessary, beneficial, or in some way universally correct. They all have. We don’t necessarily see it today, but in times past, every one of the other Nine Morals has had its turn. We see them today and think, “duh; of course that is so”, but they have not always been necessarily seen that way. We have been slowly progressing through that list. First, we had to slog through that No other Gods business, and some of it was truly messy, but today, what do we see? All of the ‘great religions’ of today pretty much can agree that there is One God (various flavors of that, of course) and that we shouldn’t try to represent Him. We apparently used to do a good deal of careless, and not so careless, swearing on His Name. Nowadays, it has been downgraded to vulgar status. We surely all agree on parental honor, though different systems still have made stabs at Plato’s ideal state where the kids get taken away from their parents and told never mind. And who wants to live anywhere where they can be cheated and stolen from, killed (even slandered, which would be murder-with-the-tongue), lied to in the public realm (well, we can talk about politics later), or have their wife or husband sleep around and still come home to marital benefits? And nobody really thinks lusting after another’s rightful claims or goods is cool (even though we seem to be encouraged to do so with every other advertisement out there).
Only the Sabbath, the Seal of the Ten, has yet to be established as universally ideal, applicable, and profitable for all. Can we expect to see fireworks on this one yet? For the record, Martin Luther did know that the Sabbath was commanded, and he did know that it should be on the table. We know, because we have the records of his acknowledgment. But he supposedly prayed about it and got told that there was no way anybody was ready to consider it, and it would have to wait to be fought about later. I have wondered also if it was also because Luther was a bloody man, because of all his vitriol against the Jews. But sometimes, when I have tried to put myself in his shoes, I have also wondered if at least part of that vitriol was out of frustration with the Jews somehow. I wonder that because it would have been fantastic if they could have stood shoulder to shoulder with the Reformation, fought down all the abuses and paganism, and helped the people who were looking for the truth into all Truth. It is getting abundantly clear to me that we are still considered part of that Jewish Body, as we have been grafted in (duh), and we are going to have to find a way to get together before the King can return and find us all united. What has the power to unite us? Would it not be the Seal of the living God: the Mark that distinguishes His Law as uniquely His? And what sign could that possibly be other than His Sabbath? Isn’t it high time that there is a complete Body that shows the world exactly what God should be obeyed? How else today could they possibly show it?
“Moses is taught every week in synagogue.”
Good News?
~ Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah ~ (Acts 5.42)
As For Us?
~ And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: “Jesus is the Messiah.”~
~ And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ [the Anointed] is Jesus ~
~ And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ ~
[the very Jewish] Simon Peter answered, – “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” And the Lamb said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in Heaven..
Rabbi Sha’ul, what is this you are you saying?
~For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile–the same LORD is LORD of all and richly blesses ALL who call on Him! ~
Say What?
Is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too! (Romans 3.29)
Have You Heard?
~God was in The Anointed, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And He has given unto us this wonderful message of reconciliation ~ (2 Corinthians 5.19)
Oh? – And how may God who has proven Himself to be [thrice] holy, and man who has proven himself to be a sinner..- be “reconciled?”
Who would be the Mediator between us?
House Rules
~ For God is One, and The Mediator of God and the sons of men is One: The Son of Man, – Yeshua The Messiah.. ~ (1 Timothy 2.5)
~ For The Law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Yeshua The Messiah ~
Tell Me More
~ Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world ~
Who is this King of Glory?
~none of the princes of this world knew [it either]: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the LORD of glory ~
~ In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” ~
~ And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the Book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation ~ (Revelation 5.9)
I found two of these prohibitions in Gen 9:3-6, but where are the rest stated?
The thing that’s always bothered me about the so-called “Noahide Laws” is:
exactly WHERE are they stated? Lisa found a couple in Genesis… where are the rest? They are IMPLIED, or extrapolated from Scripture. I guess they are written in the Talmud somewhere (which, no, I have not read). Yet they are quoted like there is a list somewhere in some Torah chapter or parsha. There is no such list. I do not disagree with any; I think they are great. They are just not Torah in the same sense as the Ten Words, or any other covenant that we quote
According to the rabbinic material (Tractate Sanhedrin 56b), all of the Noahide commandments can be exegetically derived from Genesis 2:16. This foundation is then expanded to articulate the 7 laws. So you are right. The specific prohibitions are not in the written Torah, except by inference (much like the Trinity). But since the rabbinic material was well known in the 1st century, it is important to point out that these 7 do NOT match up with James’ exhortation.
Thank you Skip for stating this firmly. I agree with you. Too many in the Hebraic/Jewish roots movement keep repeating this was a version of the Nohide laws.
Here is another insight I learned years ago about the Acts 15 council decision. (This is from memory and I can’t source at this time). One issue that was settled had to do with table fellowship. It seems that a common synagogue tradition/practice was to avoid table fellowship with God fearers & proselytes for a minimum period of one year untill they were schooled in Torah tumah and taharah (clean & unclean).
Here it seems that the council broke with that practice, by saying fully accept the new gentile believers (take them as they come except for idolotry) and they will eventually learn Moses (Torah). The restriction made where specific to stopping idolatry. (you can’t serve two masters).
If you can find the source, please let me know.
It may take some time to source. If I remember correctly the writer didn’t quote the original source. This is something I’ve been meaning to do for a long time. You just prompted me to follow through. Hopefully it isn’t someone passing another’s misinformation as is often the case.
But If I remember correctly it gives understanding of Peter’s treatment of gentiles when the Judeans were around.
Skip,
Genesis 2:16 reads… And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden.”
How could any average person possibly exegetically derive at all 7 of the Noahide laws from this verse?? What am I missing here?
What you are missing is a rabbinic mind–and four hundred years of speculation. 🙂
🙂
It boils down to, don’t defile your soul. Its what is written in Torah, in Leviticus. Amen
this is nuts! i’ve always assumed that the Noahide laws were concisely recorded somewhere that i just couldn’t recall!
Skip – Isn’t it also important to note that James took the four prohibitions directly from Torah (which is why the spirit of YHWH was in agreement with what they decided)? This chapter has been so butchered by Christianity over the centuries that it is frightening. I consistently heard preachers teach on this passage and every time they would leave out the statement that Moses is taught every sabbath day. Obviously, leaving it in could cause confusion regarding the doctrinally approved message.
Culture and Torah. The things James mentioned were all practiced by the polytheistic culture of Rome. I make a point of this in my lectures on Rome in the first century and the formation of the Christian Church. James is Jewish. Practices that belong to the world of idolatry cannot come into the community, as they did in the Roman conglomerate religions. No Noahide list fits what James says.
True, but what I find to be the other prevalent teaching of the church is that James came up with some new criteria which converts would need to adhere to, when he was merely referring back to instructions given in the Torah. Prohibition on pagan practices among the body was memorialized in the Torah and James was merely relaying what had already been established.