Noah’s Rules – Again

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

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 – It seems as though we need to be reminded every once in a while that the Messianic community of the first century did not revise the instructions of Moses in order to accommodate Christians.  The council of Jerusalem issued a decision concerning Gentiles who wanted to join the Jewish way of fellowship under the Messiah.  James lists four requirements.  A great number of commentators use his words to argue that the Gentiles were excused from 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:

  1. the prohibition against murder
  2. the prohibition against theft
  3. the prohibition against sexual immorality
  4. the prohibition against blasphemy
  5. the prohibition against eating flesh taken from an animal while it is alive
  6. the establishment of courts of law
  7. the prohibition against denying God (claiming 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 specifically does 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