Session One: Day Five- Listen To Me!

After they stopped speaking, James responded: 'Brothers, listen to me!' - Acts 15:13

Lisa: Alright.  I talked with Emily this morning before I did my study.  So, I knew there would be questionable issues in this lesson.  Please don't think that I think I'm any kind of Biblical scholar - I'm so far from that.  But, I'm not sure I completely agree with Beth Moore's insinuations.  I am going to write a separate post, not because I'm so amazing, but because there's a lot that I want to say.  There's so much information, and I want to get it out in a concise fashion.  Perhaps by the end of the post, I'll completely agree with her, so you will be along for my thoughtful dive into the Scriptures!  I'll be back to comment on here after I'm done ranting and raving.

Lisa: A few hours later, I'm back to reality.  I'm not sure I really uncovered anything.  I think one of the reasons I doubted today is because she first claims that these verses align with the verses in Galatians that we referenced yesterday.  But according to a time-line, if this is all true, then Saul's (Paul's) conversion, which happened 14 years earlier, would have occurred in the year 30, the probable year of Christ's crucifixion, which seems too early.  But, again, sorry for that crazy post.
 
Okay girls.  I don't know about you, but day five bowled. me. over. Did either of you see the information regarding the Gentiles and the Jews being of the same people coming?  Jill:  I think there is your answer in regards to whether Paul was somehow being punished by leading the Gentiles.

Jill:  Yes there was my answer about Paul and the Gentiles. 

From the beginning God had called both the Jews and the Gentiles to Him.  When we read Acts 15:14 and see that James says God first intervened to take from the Gentiles a people for His name.

Lisa: Did God call both to Him from the beginning, or did He choose the Jews, knowing that at some point along the way, after Jesus died, that He would then open up the Kingdom to those who would listen and hear and believe and accept?

This verse STUNNED me and I am not exaggerating.  I literally had to stop and take several minutes to rethink all I have ever been taught about the differences between the Jewish people and the Gentiles, who are us.  And then, to read Deuteronomy 14:2 where God says he chose a the Jews out of all the people on the earth...it was almost to much.

I honestly wondered why this had never been taught to me before.  If I am reading this right, we are all the same chosen people.  It was always God's plan for the Jews and the Gentiles to be he chosen people and when James quotes the Old Testament Prophet Amos about this scenario, what I think he is doing, is using words that all Jewish people would have been familiar with in order to calm everyone down about the Gentiles as Christians.

Jill:  I had a difficult time with this day.  I wasn't sure why we are reading about this.  Is it because we are seeing that James was instrumental in getting the Jews to understand that Gentiles didn't need to become Jewish in order to become Christian?   It must have been very difficult for some Jews to accept the Gentiles as God's Chosen people also.  The Gentiles were thought of as "unclean" as they didn't have to follow the rules about what food to eat or how to prepare it, etc.  And now the Jews and the Gentiles could be breaking bread together.  Talk about awkward for the Jews.  I guess that is why James sent that letter which also included a few dietary restrictions, to make the Jews happy and not offend anyone during this period of intermingling. 

Emily:  Jill, I do think that the bulk of this lesson was to show us how James was instrumental in getting the Jews to understand the Gentiles didn't need to do it the way the Jews did to be Christian.  Absolutely.  Today's lesson seemed more information focused than perhaps heart/personal revelation focused, and I suppose we'll have some days where she is just trying to get information down, maybe to prime us for things that are coming up, or putting things in context, but I do think you nailed what today was about!

Lisa: I read the verse in Deuteronomy as saying that out of all of the people on the earth, all created by God, He chose one group, the Israelites, to be His Chosen People.  I do agree that James used Peter's Hebrew name, as well as referencing Amos two-fold. 1) He wanted to be credible to the Jewish Christian Converts (the Pharisees) and speak "their language" and 2) James seemed to hang on to a few of the "old-school" Jewish rules.  The reason James gave 4 out of 613 Jewish laws is because "these were areas in which the Gentiles had particular weaknesses and where the Jews were particularly repulsed by Gentile violations.  It would help both the individual and the relationship between Gentile and Jew if these requirements were observed.  They involved divine directives that the Jews believed were given before the Mosaic laws." - NIV Study Bible

I do love how the Gentiles, when the rules were brought back to them, embraced them, and were "glad for the encouraging message." - Acts 15: 31.  Instead of becoming angry and defensive, they seemed to embrace what the council had written, and were just relieved to know that they could actually be followers of Christ, and were accepted by the "others".
 
In verse 10 of Acts 15, where we listed out the things that Peter claimed I wrote this:

• God CHOSE the Gentiles
• God CHOSE Peter to teach
• God KNOWS their (the Gentiles) hearts
• God ACCEPTS them
• God makes NO DISTINCTION between the Gentiles and the Jews.

Jill:  I didnt have anything, as I couldnt understand what she was after.  I thought Peter was saying that no one had to follow the Law any more and it was too difficult to follow anyway and was a yoke around all of there necks.

Emily:  Yep.  That too.  

Lisa:

• God made no distinction between Jews and Gentiles (but I took this to mean after Christ's death and resurrection)
• He purified the hearts of the hearts of the Gentiles by faith
• God chose the Gentiles to hear the Gospel and to believe it (from Peter)
• He accepted the Gentiles and gave them the Holy Spirit 

I found day five to be overwhelming in discovering this information.  It just speaks to me again that as believers not one of us should be working against another church denomination or critical of other Christians.  Someone who believes that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior simply belongs to the family of God.

Jill:  Emily I am so glad to read your insight into day 5 as I really ended today just feeling confused.  I cant wait to read what Lisa has to say, then I think I will re-do day 5 and see if it affects me differently.  I left question marks in almost every spot today. 

For instance on page 35 where we are to write the inferred characteristics of James I put "he was really jewish"  As I didnt take anything away from the previous paragraph. I have no idea what FF Bruce was trying to say.  Anyone have any input on this for me? 

Emily:  For the characteristics of James I wrote:  Jewish, reserved, ascetic, traditional and prayerful.

Lisa: A Jewish "law-follower" and could completely understand why the Pharisees were having a difficult time with the Gentiles - I didn't really follow her instructions.  Not a rule follower myself, apparently...

On page 37 where she asks " how have you personally experienced this"  I have nothing.  I am not feeling any thing after today, which saddens me,

Emily:  I didn't have a personal revelation for that, either.  But I do want to encourage you that some days you are going to get so much out of that days lesson that it will be overwhelming and some days you might not get anything from it at all.  At least this is how it has been for me after doing several studies. It doesn't mean you don't get anything from it that day, because there is always a nugget somewhere, just that tomorrow might have a bigger impact.  Don't let it get you down :)  You might come back to this day in several weeks and have it speak to you on a totally different level!

Lisa: I have experienced this peace on several occasions, and I think you are both familiar with this example, but when we thought Catherine was going to have to have open heart surgery after she was born (two days after she was born...), I felt a peace like I had never experienced in my entire life.  It was overwhelming and amazing!  I wish you could have been there with us, just watching Anthony and I.  It was almost like all of a sudden, it just hit me like a ton of bricks.  I could feel an awesome presence, and then was calm.  I even slept for a few hours.  Absolutely amazing!

Jill: Thanks for the encouragement, I needed that. 

At the end of today's lesson, we read Ephesians 2:14-18 which talks about God making the perfect peace between the Jews and the Gentiles because He sent His Son to do so.  How awesome is it that God chose the Jews from among the Gentiles and then brought it full circle by sending a Jewish man to save the Gentiles?

Wow.

Lisa: Even at the beginning of this lesson, Beth says that this one is full of info.  She must be setting us up for something.  I peeked at Day One from the next Session, and we're heading into James, so now we'll get into the "good" stuff - as if this week hasn't been amazing already!  I know today was tough and full of a lot of confusing stuff, especially since we weren't quite sure what the entire purpose of it was, and part of me wonders if this was included because Melissa was completely obsessed with Acts 15, but whatever the reason, we definitely flew around the Scriptures, and there is always benefit from that.

I love you, my friends.