Things that are hard to understand - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Things that are hard to understand

2 Peter 3;16-17Slide2

Things that are hard to understand ...

For a Jew

of the Acts PeriodSlide3

Hard to understand

3

Genesis 12:1-3 (Read)

1. The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.

2. "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.

3. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.“ Slide4

Hard to understand

4

Genesis 17:9-14 (Read)

9. Then God said to Abraham, "As for you, you must keep my

covenant

, you and your descendants after you

for the generations to come

.

10. This is my

covenant

with you and your descendants after you, the

covenant

you are to keep:

Every male among you shall be circumcised

.

11. You are to undergo

circumcision,

and it will be the sign of the

covenant

between me and you. Slide5

Hard to understand

5

12. For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised,

including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner--those who are not your offspring.

13.

Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be

circumcised

.

My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting [

age-long

] covenant.

14. Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant." Slide6

Hard to understand

6

Exodus 12:37-38

37. The Israelites journeyed from

Rameses

to Succoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children.

38. Many

other people [a mixed multitude, KJV]

went up with them, as well as large droves of livestock, both flocks and herds. Slide7

Hard to understand

7

Exodus 12:43-45 (Read)

43. The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "These are the regulations for the Passover: "No foreigner is to eat of it.

44. Any slave you have bought may eat of it

after you have

circumcised

him,

45. but a temporary resident and a hired worker may not eat of it. Slide8

Hard to understand

8

Exodus 12:48-49 (Read)

48. "An

alien

living among you who wants to celebrate the LORD's Passover

must have all the males in his household

circumcised

;

then he may take part like one born in the land. No uncircumcised male may eat of it.

49. The same law applies to the native-born and to the alien living among you." Slide9

Hard to understand

9

Numbers 9:14.

"`An alien living among you who wants to celebrate the LORD's Passover must do so in accordance with its rules and regulations. You must have

the same regulations

for

the alien

and the native-born.'“ Slide10

Hard to understand

10

Joshua 5:2-8 (read)

2. At that time the LORD said to Joshua, "Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again."

4-5. Now this is why he did so: All those who came out of Egypt--all the men of military age--died in the desert on the way after leaving Egypt. All the people that came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the desert during the journey from Egypt had not.

7-8. So he raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua circumcised. They were still uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way. And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed.

Question:

What about the mixed multitude?Slide11

Hard to understand

11

Isaiah 56:

4. For this is what the LORD says: "To the eunuchs who keep

my Sabbaths

, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to

my covenant–

[

of circumcision

]

5. to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off.

Note

: the Ethiopian EunuchSlide12

Hard to understand

12

6. And

foreigners

who bind themselves to the LORD to serve him, to love the name of the LORD, and to worship him, all who keep

the Sabbath

without desecrating it and who hold fast to

my

covenant- [of circumcision]

-

7. these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer.

Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my

house will be called a house of prayer for all nations." Slide13

Hard to understand

13

Exodus 20:

9. Six days you shall labour and do all your work,

10. but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor

the alien

within your gates. Slide14

Hard to understand

14

Luke

1:59-60:

On the eighth day they came to

circumcise

the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, "No! He is to be called John.“

Luke 2:21: On the eighth day, when it was time to

circumcise

him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived. Slide15

Hard to understand

15

Peter and Cornelius: Acts 10

Peter; vision – three times – the Spirit ‘Go!’

10:28. "You are well aware that it is against

our law

for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean.”

Note ’our’ law, not

‘the

’ law; Law –

themitos

(custom; not

nomos

– law; i.e. Mosaic Law)

Question

: But who / what was Cornelius? (later)Slide16

Hard to understand

16

Climax of Peter’s speech: Acts 10:43;

All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.

The result

: Acts 10:44;

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.

Question

: What were the reactions to this?Slide17

Hard to understand

17

Reaction 1;

Acts 10:45. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were

astonished

that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the

Gentiles

.

Reaction 2:

Acts 11:1-3: The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers

criticized

him and said, "You went into the house of

uncircumcised

men and ate with them." Slide18

Hard to understand

18

A little later;

Acts 11:20-22; Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to

Greeks

also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

Reaction?

News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. Slide19

Hard to understand

19

Some time later; Acts 15:1-2:

Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: "

Unless you are

circumcised

, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved

.“ This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.

Note;

Paul & Barnabas did not win the debate! Why not? [Later]Slide20

Hard to understand

20

Question:

What has been going on?

Acts 2:11; both Jews and converts to Judaism (Proselytes – Isaiah 56:6-7)

But there was another group; Acts 10:1-2:

At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and

God-fearing

; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. Slide21

Hard to understand

21

Acts 10: 22-23: The men replied, "We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and

God-fearing

man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to have you come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.

Note

: We have seen such God-fearing Gentiles before.

Mark 7:24-29; The Greek woman

Luke 7:1-9: The Roman centurion

John 12:20-21; Some Greeks – Court of the Gentiles

Note:

And we will come across more of themSlide22

Hard to understand

22

Paul in the synagogue at Antioch in

Pisidia

Acts 13:26: "Brothers, children of Abraham, and you

God-fearing Gentiles

, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent ...

13: 50. But the Jews incited the

God-fearing women

of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. Slide23

Hard to understand

23

The end of Paul’s first missionary journey

Acts 14:26-28. From

Attalia

they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.

Question

: What happened there?

Chaos!Slide24

Hard to understand

24

What happened in Antioch?

1. Bad news from Galatia!

2. Problems with Peter and Barnabas!

3. Problems with Christian Jews from Jerusalem who said they had come from James!Slide25

Hard to understand

25

1. Bad news from Galatia

Galatians 1:6-9; (Read) another gospel: faith in Christ necessary but not sufficient

A group of

Christian

Jews – the

Judaisers

: the circumcision group (Galatians 2:12) – Gentiles must be circumcised to be saved

Galatians 2:1-3 (Read;) Titus not compelled to be circumcised ... These

men

added nothing

to my message

2. Problems with Peter and Barnabas

Galatians 2:11-16 (Read)Slide26

Hard to understand

26

3

. problems with certain Christian Jews who said they come from James

.

Note

; they had

not

been sent by James – see Acts 15:23-24 (Read)

Note verse 23: Gentile believers

Note verse 24:

without our authorisation

... Troubling your mind by what they said.

Question

: what were they saying?

The Gentiles had to be circumcised to be saved.Slide27

Hard to understand

27

Acts 15:1-2: Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: "Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.”This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.

Note:

Paul & Barnabas did not win the debate?

Question

: Why not?Slide28

Hard to understand

28

Why didn’t Paul and Barnabas will the argument?

From the Exodus – through the Law – to Isaiah 56:6-8: Foreigners ... Sabbath & circumcision

Pax

Romana

Judaism as ‘registered’ religion of the Roman Empire

Many ‘Thinking’ Gentiles attracted to Judaism

Jewish proselytising

Galatians 5:11: Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted?Slide29

Hard to understand

29

So Paul & Barnabas did not win the debate ... And could not win the debate ... So ...

Acts 15:2 ... Off to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this questions

And at Jerusalem?

Acts 15:5: Then some of the

believers

who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The Gentiles

must be circumcised

and required to obey the law of Moses."

Note:

believers

even though ...Slide30

Hard to understand

30

Believers

even though they ...

Taught faith in Christ was necessary but not sufficient

They did not see the all sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice for sin

But people are saved by grace through faith even if they do not believe they are saved by grace through faith. If they have faith in Christ they are saved by that faith (by grace) even if they think their faith is insufficient and they have to perform some ritual or ceremonies. Not saved by faith in the gospel of salvation by grace; saved by faith in Christ. Slide31

Hard to understand

31

That was hard for the Jews of the Acts period to accept.

So what happened?Slide32

Hard to understand

32

That was hard for the Jews of the Acts period.

The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:6-29)

Peter spoke and totally supported Paul

Paul & Barnabas spoke

No doubt the opposition spoke

What did they, the opposition, say?

Abraham ... Exodus ... Law of Moses ... Isaiah 56 ... Recent Proselytising Slide33

Hard to understand

33

How much did Paul elaborate his case? [Later]

James announced the decision.

Decisions in a letter - Acts 15:22-29 (Read)

Copies made no doubt

The letter ... Antioch, Syria, Cilicia ...

Galatia? (v 36) Slide34

Hard to understand

34

In Galatia ... In

Lystra

...

Acts 16:3: Paul wanted to take him [Timothy] along on the journey, so he

circumcised

him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

Why?

Let’s return to the question: How did Paul elaborate his case to the Jerusalem Council?Slide35

Hard to understand

35

1 Corinthians

7:18:

Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised.

Vs 19.

Circumcision is nothing

and

uncircumcision

is nothing. Keeping God's commands is what counts.

Question:

How well would that go down with some of the Christian Jews? Hard to swallow!

Nothing else about circumcision in 1 Corinthians or 2 Corinthians or in any of the letters of the Acts period other than Galatians and RomansSlide36

Hard to understand

36

Circumcision in Galatians

2:3-4. Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. [This matter arose] because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves.

False brothers – unbelievers or incorrect believers (spurious brothers) Slide37

Hard to understand

37

Galatians 5:2-6: (Read)

2-3. ... if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all ... every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.

4. You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.

6. For in Christ

Jesus neither circumcision nor

uncircumcision

has any value

. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

Questions:

(1) How would that go down with Jewish Christians?

(2) Why, later, circumcise Timothy?Slide38

Hard to understand

38

Galatians 6:11-15 (Read)

12. Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. [Persecution by whom?]

13. Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh. May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. [Boast to whom?]Slide39

Hard to understand

39

Galatians 6:15

Neither

circumcision

nor

uncircumcision

means anything; what counts is a new creation.

Question:

How well would this, and the whole of this section, go down with Christian Jews?Slide40

Hard to understand

40

Romans 2:25-29 (Read)

How well would these words go down with Christian Jews?

Romans 3:1-2: (Read)

How well would these words go down with the Christian Jews?

Roman 3:29-31 (Read)

What would have been the reaction of Christian Jews to these words? How does this uphold the Law?Slide41

Hard to understand

41

Romans 4:1-3: (read); note v 3

4:4-9: (read); note the question in v 9 and then the statement

4:10; note the question in v 10 and then the statement

4:11-12 (read): the climax of the argument

Note in v 12: ... Not only ... But also

Question

: how well would that have gone down with Jewish Christians?

And verse 13 may have rubbed salt in the wound.Slide42

Hard to understand

42

S0 Romans was Paul’s last letter written during the Acts period – from Corinth in Acts 20:3.

So when was 2 Peter written?

Later Slide43

Hard to understand

43

Acts 21:18-21 (Read)

Misunderstanding or malicious lies?

Did James and the elders believe this? No!

Acts 21:22-24 (Read)

The real trouble makers were ...

Acts 21:26-32 (Read)

The trouble makers were Jews from AsiaSlide44

Hard to understand

44

S0 what did Peter write?

2 Peter 3:15-17: Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

Question:

Why did he write this?Slide45

Hard to understand

45

To what is Peter referring?

The nearness of Christ’s return?

Not likely, as James and John and Jude (and Peter himself) all wrote about this.

The place of circumcision (for the Jewish Christian) and the non-circumcision of Gentiles is much more likely as none of James, John, Jude or Peter even mention the word – and neither does Hebrews.

When did Peter write 2 Peter?Slide46

Hard to understand

46

Peter wrote to the Jewish dispersion in ... Pontus ...Galatia ... Cappadocia ... Asia ... Bithynia (

1

Peter

1:1; 2 Peter 3:1)

When did Peter write his second letter?

After Paul wrote Galatians.

But note 2 Peter 3:16: “in all his letters”. To which ones is Peter referring.

Galatians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians; 1 & 2 Corinthians; Romans [other letters not inspired / preserved?]Slide47

Hard to understand

47

What in 1 & 2 Thessalonians would be hard for Jewish Christians to understand?

What in 1 & 2 Corinthians would be hard for Jewish Christians to understand?

1 Corinthians 7:18-19 (Read)

1 Corinthians 10:24-31 (Read)

Did the people to whom Peter wrote have access to the Corinthians Letters?

Was 2 Peter written after Paul wrote to the Corinthians?Slide48

Hard to understand

48

And what about Romans? What is hard in Romans for the Jewish Christians of the Acts period to understand?

Romans 3:28-31 (Read); 4:11-12 (Read)

Romans 11:11-15 (Read)

11. Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.

13-14. I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. Slide49

Hard to understand

49

So when did Peter write his second letter?

Why did he write ... 2 Peter 3:15-16. Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our

dear brother Paul

also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.

16. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some

things that are hard to understand

,

which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do

the other Scriptures

, to their own destruction.Slide50

Hard to understand

50

Why did he write ... 2 Peter 3:15-16.

To support and defend Paul, just as he did at the Jerusalem Council.

Peter may have been impulsive and, on the spur of the moment said the wrong thing and under pressure did the wrong thing but ... Whenever he had time to consider the situation he said and did the right thing.

A lesson in that for us? Slide51

Hard to understand

51

Let us now leave Peter and go on and look at two related subjects.

How many of the ‘circumcision group’ of Jewish Christians listened to the decision of the Jerusalem council?

What effect did Paul’s later ministry have on the Jewish Christian world? [Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon]

Let’s look at ‘circumcision’ in those later letters.Slide52

Hard to understand

52

Colossians 2:11: In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ. [cp Ephesians 2:11]

Colossians 3:11: Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but

Christ

is all, and

is in all.

Note:

this saying more that Galatians 3:28: There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are

all one in Christ Jesus

. Slide53

Hard to understand

53

Philippians 3:2-3: Watch out for those

dogs

, those

men who do evil

, those

mutilators of the flesh

. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh.

Question

: Has Paul finally lost patience with the remnant of the circumcision group of Christian Jews?Slide54

Hard to understand

54

Titus 1:10-11: For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the

circumcision group

. They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach--and that for the sake of dishonest gain.

Note 1:

15-20 years after the Jerusalem Council!

Note 2:

Their motives had changed, from genuine misunderstanding to making money!Slide55

Hard to understand

55

What happened to the Jewish Christians after the end of the Acts Period?

During the Acts period the Jewish Christians ...

They had the gospel first (Romans 1:16)

They had the blessings first, and also the judgments (Romans 2:9-10)

They had the advantages, the first place (Romans 3:1-2)

They had the privileges (Romans 9:1-5)

The Gentiles were blessed through them (Romans 11:17-18)Slide56

Hard to understand

56

But things were to change!

Jewish & Gentile equal (Ephesians 3:6; Colossians 3:11)

The two (Jewish Christian and Gentile Christian) made one – fellow citizens (Ephesians 2:11-19)

The Greek Titus left in charge of Crete.

Man made physical circumcision replaced by a spiritual circumcisions performed by Christ. (Colossians 2:11)

And the Law abolished (Ephesians 2:14-15; Colossians 2:13-17 )Slide57

Hard to understand

57

Question

: What effect did this have on the Jewish world? That is the Christian Jews?

Colossians 4:10-11: These are the only Jews among my fellow workers. [What happened to all the Christian Jews in Rome?]

2 Timothy 1:15: You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me.

Note Acts 21:17: Some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him. Slide58

Hard to understand

58

But there were already problems in the churches of Asia – see Revelation chapter 2 & 3.

But note Acts 28:25-28 and note verse 28;

"Therefore I want you to know that God's salvation has been sent to the

Gentiles

, and

they will listen

!“

And listen they did ... And are still doing so ... But what about the Jewish world of today?

And what about the Jews sometime in the future? Slide59

Hard to understand

59

Hebrews 8:10-12 (quoting from Jeremiah 31:31-34)

This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

No longer will a man teach his neighbour

, or a man his brother, saying, `Know the Lord,' because

they will all know me

, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." Slide60

Hard to understand

60

Romans 11:26-27:

And so

all Israel will be saved

, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins."

Question

: When will this be?

Answer

: When Christ returns!

Question

: And when will that be?

Answer