The Law: Questions, 24of25

~ Did The Law Cause Issues For The Apostles? ~

Scripture  ~  “And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’  Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question.  …  But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, ‘It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.’  Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter.  And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: ‘Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.  So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.  Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?  But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.’ …

They wrote this, letter by them:  The apostles, the elders, and the brethren,

To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:

Greetings.

Since 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 law’—to whom we gave no such commandment—it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth.  For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality.  If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.  Farewell” (Acts 15:1-2, 5-11, 23-29).

Comments  ~  Yes, the Law caused division and issues for the Apostles, and it still causes issues in Christianity today.

Reference  ~  You may be interested in a previous “Abundant Life Now” 14 post series entitled “10 Commandments Today” (from March 1 to June 28, 2018).  “Abundant Life Now” also posted a 12 post series entitled “Law vs. Grace” (from January 22 to December 24, 2013).  The Key Passage in this series is: “Do not think that I [Jesus Christ] came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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O.T. Shepherds, 5of6

~ David: A Royal Reigning Shepherd ~

Series Prologue  ~  There are at least five Old Testament shepherds who were clear “types” of Jesus Christ—our shepherd.  A type is like a faint image or shadow of the true item.  In each of these cases we can see parallels to our Great Shepherd. 

Sample Scripture  ~  “Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, ‘Send me your son David, who is with the sheep’” (1 Samuel 16:19).

“But David occasionally went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem” (1 Samuel 17:15).

“And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months” (2 Samuel 2:11).

“Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and spoke, saying, ‘Indeed we are your bone and your flesh.  Also, in time past, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in; and the Lord said to you, “You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over Israel.”’  Therefore all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord.  And they anointed David king over Israel.  David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.  In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah” (2 Samuel 5:1-5). 

Hints Of The Coming Messiah  ~  David was a shepherd who took on royalty and reigned over his kingdom. 

David was a shepherd who was later anointed king.

David was rejected by his own.

David was forced to flee from his home into the land of the Philistines.
David received a Gentile bride. 

David later returned home (after the death of Saul).

In the end David was accepted by his own nation—Israel. 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

Be an insider!  Sign up for his author NEWSLETTER and receive occasional news and special offers.  His books have won national and international literary awards.  Subscribe today and receive a welcome gift.  Your email will never be sold, given, or used in any other way.  You can easily unsubscribe at any time. 

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .