Conflict and Courage
Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God. Psalm 68:31.
Throughout his ministry Isaiah bore a plain testimony concerning God's purpose for the heathen. Other prophets had made mention of the divine plan, but their language was not always understood. To Isaiah it was given to make very plain to Judah the truth that among the Israel of God were to be numbered many who were not descendants of Abraham after the flesh. This teaching was not in harmony with the theology of his age, yet he fearlessly proclaimed the messages given him of God and brought hope to many a longing heart reaching out after the spiritual blessings promised to the seed of Abraham....

Often the Israelites seemed unable or unwilling to understand God's purpose for the heathen. Yet it was this very purpose that had made them a separate people and had established them as an independent nation among the nations of the earth. Abraham, their father, to whom the covenant promise was first given, had been called to go forth from his kindred, to the regions beyond, that he might be a light bearer to the heathen. Although the promise to him included a posterity as numerous as the sand by the sea, yet it was for no selfish purpose that he was to become the founder of a great nation.... “I will bless thee,” Jehovah declared, “and make thy name great; ... in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” ...

No distinction on account of nationality, race, or caste, is recognized by God.... Christ came to demolish every wall of partition, to throw open every compartment of the temple courts, that every soul may have free access to God. His love is so broad, so deep, so full, that it penetrates everywhere. It lifts out of Satan's influence those who have been deluded by his deceptions, and places them within reach of the throne of God, the throne encircled by the rainbow of promise. In Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free.26Ibid., 367-370.

Acts 22:

"1 Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you.
2 (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)
3 I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.
4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.
5 As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.
6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.
7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.
9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.
10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.
11 And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.
12 And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,
13 Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.
14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.
15 For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
17 And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;
18 And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
19 And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:
20 And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.
21 And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.
22 And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.
23 And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air,
24 The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.
25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?
26 When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.
27 Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.
28 And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.
29 Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.
30 On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them."

Colossians 2:13-14 NASB
"And when you were dead in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings, [14] having 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 the 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 of debt 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘀 against us, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝘀; and He has taken it out of the way, having 𝗻𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱 it to the cross."

We believers were spiritually dead in sin and guilty of wrongdoings too, but Jesus washed that all away and made us spiritually alive! That born again spiritual life is "eternal life." We will never be judged again for our sins, because even the "𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲" "𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘀" "𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝘀" has been "𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱" and "𝗻𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱" to the cross.

What is this certificate consisting of decrees that are hostile to us?

Ephesians 2:15-16 NASB
"by abolishing in His flesh the hostility, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝘄 composed of commandments expressed in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two one new person, in this way establishing peace; [16] and that He might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the hostility."

Notice the answer. The thing hostile to us consisting of decrees, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀, is the law. It is NOT the ordinances themselves. It is the 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀.

The Amplified Bible puts it this way.

Ephesians 2:14-15 AMPC
"For He is [Himself] our peace (our bond of unity and harmony). He has made us both [Jew and Gentile] one [body], and has broken down (destroyed, abolished) the hostile dividing wall between us, [15] By abolishing in His [own crucified] flesh the enmity [caused by] 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝘄 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 [which He annulled]; that He from the two might create in Himself one new man [one new quality of humanity out of the two], so making peace."

How can the commandments be "𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗲" to us? Because to be subject to them, to be under them, we are held accountable to our performance at obeying them. If we disobey, if we break them, which we do, which we did, we were guilty of sin, and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).

The good news is that we are no longer under the law. We are under grace (Romans 6:14). How's that possible? Because, for the believer, the law has been "𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱," so we are no longer accountable to it. We are dead to it (Romans 7:4). We have been reborn as a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are born again, and we have eternal life.

Acts 21:

"1 And it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and had launched, we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara:
2 And finding a ship sailing over unto Phenicia, we went aboard, and set forth.
3 Now when we had discovered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, and sailed into Syria, and landed at Tyre: for there the ship was to unlade her burden.
4 And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.
5 And when we had accomplished those days, we departed and went our way; and they all brought us on our way, with wives and children, till we were out of the city: and we kneeled down on the shore, and prayed.
6 And when we had taken our leave one of another, we took ship; and they returned home again.
7 And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, and saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day.
8 And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him.
9 And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.
10 And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus.
11 And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.
12 And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.
13 Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
14 And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.
15 And after those days we took up our carriages, and went up to Jerusalem.
16 There went with us also certain of the disciples of Caesarea, and brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple, with whom we should lodge.
17 And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.
18 And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.
19 And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.
20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:
21 And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.
22 What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come.
23 Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;
24 Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.
25 As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.
26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.
27 And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him,
28 Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.
29 (For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)
30 And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut.
31 And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.
32 Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul.
33 Then the chief captain came near, and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and demanded who he was, and what he had done.
34 And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude: and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle.
35 And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the people.
36 For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, Away with him.
37 And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain, May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canst thou speak Greek?
38 Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers?
39 But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people.
40 And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,"

One New Man - A Jew's View - Bruce Oliver Ministries

#TalksForChrist #Podcast #BruceOliverMinistries #ChristianPodcast

Let's talk about it.
Peter’s Vision & God’s Dietary Laws: How Could the Churches Get This So Wrong?

There's a teaching in Christianity that totally contradicts what scripture itself says. It is more than just taking it out of context. They teach that when a sheet full of all kinds of animals came down from heaven and a voice told Peter to kill and eat, the ancient dietary laws were thrown out right then and there. According to the Church, the line between clean and unclean animals was erased, making all meat ok to eat. This is taught so much that people don't even question it. But Peter himself tells exactly what the vision meant, and his answer has nothing to do with food.

Long before Peter ever goes up on that roof to pray, it starts back in Caesarea with a man named Cornelius. Acts 10:1-2 introduces him as a Roman centurion, a devout man who feared God with his whole house, gave generously to the needy, and prayed to God all the time. The entire chapter is deliberately set up around this Gentile from the very first verse. This tells us the vision Peter has a little later wasn't random. Heaven is already moving to reconnect two worlds, and the focus is already on a non-Jewish believer.

While Cornelius's men were on the way, Peter went up on the housetop to pray around the sixth hour, and while they were preparing the meal, he became hungry and wanted to eat. Falling into a trance, he sees a great sheet come down filled with all kinds of four-footed animals, crawling things, and birds. In Acts 10:14, when the voice tells him to rise, kill, and eat, Peter refuses, saying, "Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean." Even with hunger pressing on him and a voice from heaven speaking directly to him three times, the man who is supposedly getting permission to eat whatever he wants still refuses to touch what God called unclean. If the dietary laws were being thrown out, this was the perfect moment for him to give in, but he treats the levitical dietary instructions as binding and never gives in.

After the vision Peter was confused about what it meant. He couldn't figure it out. But when the men sent by Cornelius show up at the gate, the Spirit speaks to Peter, telling him to go down and go with them without hesitating, because God sent them. The arrival of these Gentile visitors matches the timing of the vision on purpose. The Spirit intentionally links the unclean animals in the sheet with the "unclean" Gentiles standing at the gate.

When Peter gets to Cornelius's house, he finally explains the true meaning of the vision in his own words. Talking to the crowd gathered there in Acts 10:28, Peter said to them, "You yourselves know how it is an unlawful thing for a man who is a Jew to join himself or come to one of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean." This ties the whole account together. Peter doesn't say God showed him it's okay to eat pork and shellfish; he says straight out that God showed him not to call any human being unclean. Peter doesn't stop there. He keeps going in 34-35, saying, "Truly I perceive that God doesn't show favoritism; but in every nation he who fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him." This is Peter telling us in his own words what the vision was about. It wasn't about animals being acceptable to eat.

It was about people from every nation being acceptable to God. It is worth noting what kind of law Peter is talking about. When he calls it unlawful for a Jew to associate with a foreigner, he is not referring to anything written in the Torah. Nowhere in the Law of God did He ever forbid His people from entering the home of a Gentile or sharing a meal with one. This was a man-made tradition built up over centuries, an extra-biblical command. So the wall the vision tears down was never a wall God put up in the first place.

This explanation is reiterated in the very next chapter. When Peter goes back to Jerusalem in 11:1-3, the circumcision party confronts him, wanting to know why he went to uncircumcised men and ate with them. Peter responds by telling the whole story of the vision from start to finish, landing on the same conclusion. When the believers in Jerusalem hear this in 11:18, they glorify God, realizing that God has also granted the Gentiles repentance.

Two times the vision is explained in the text, and both times the conclusion is strictly about including the Gentiles. On top of that, the Jerusalem believers don't raise a single question or objection about food, proving they understood the matter was about fellowship with people as well.

Looking closely at the story makes it clear what the vision did and didn't change. It changed who Peter could walk into a house with, sit next to, and share a meal with, breaking down centuries of unbiblical man-made tradition. It did not change what YHVH defined as food in Leviticus 11. Years after this happened, the book of Acts still shows the believers keeping the Torah.

The foundation of clean and unclean animals goes back before the covenant at Sinai. We see this in Genesis 7:2 when God tells Noah, "You shall take seven pairs of every clean animal with you, the male and his female. Of the animals that are not clean, take two, the male and his female." Notice that no explanation is given to Noah at all. God speaks of clean and unclean animals as something Noah already understood, generations before Sinai and long before Israel existed as a nation. People often try to claim this difference was only for sacrificial purposes, but the text never states that.

Jesus says in Matthew 5:18, "For faithfully I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter or one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the Law, until all things are accomplished." As far as I can tell, heaven and earth are still here.

This is one of those things that honestly blows me away, how and why can Christians continue to defiantly and blindly say that the text means something other than what it plainly says?

Ultimately, the vision given to Peter was not a cancellation of God's instructions, but a powerful confirmation of His inclusive truth for all people

Acts 19:

"1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.
4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
7 And all the men were about twelve.
8 And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.
9 But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus.
10 And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
11 And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:
12 So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.
13 Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.
14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.
15 And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?
16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
17 And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
18 And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.
19 Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.
20 So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.
21 After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome.
22 So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season.
23 And the same time there arose no small stir about that way.
24 For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen;
25 Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.
26 Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:
27 So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.
28 And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
29 And the whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre.
30 And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not.
31 And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theatre.
32 Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.
33 And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defence unto the people.
34 But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
35 And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?
36 Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly.
37 For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess.
38 Wherefore if Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with him, have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are deputies: let them implead one another.
39 But if ye inquire any thing concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly.
40 For we are in danger to be called in question for this day's uproar, there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this concourse.
41 And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly."

Who are Israelites, to whom pertain … the giving of the law.

Romans 9:4 ɴᴋᴊᴠ

Israel was a nation and a people who were under the Law of God. It was given to them by God through Moses, who was their mediator, as well as through angelic mediation (Gal. 3:19; Ex. 19–20; 34:1–9). This was a privilege only they had. Other nations had their laws and national constitutions, but they were man-made. Not so for Israel! The apostle Paul mentioned this privilege earlier in the Epistle to the Romans when he wrote, “What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God” (Rom. 3:1–2). The “oracles of God” were the Old Testament Scriptures, and in particular, the books of Moses: the Law. Israel had an advantage over other nations in that they had written, inspired communications from the living God, a wonderful privilege. These oracles showed them how to conduct their nation and order their personal lives.

But herein lay the problem: “the carnal mind,” or the flesh, “is not subject to the law of God” (8:7). In fact, one of the purposes of the law was to show man that he is a sinner (4:15; 5:20; 7:7, 13; Gal. 3:19–24). Israel was the “test case” to prove this. Their history revealed continual insubjection to God’s law. Righteousness could not come through the law (Rom. 10:4), only through faith in God’s provision of grace in Christ.

This is important to understand because some teach we are under the law. It is said, “We are not under law for justification but are for sanctification.” However, we have died to the law and spiritual fruit comes, not through the law or legalism, but through the Spirit of God (6:14; 7:6; 2 Cor. 3:18). May we ever appreciate what Christ—who died under the curse of the law—has wrought for us who believe! Amen.

Brian Reynolds


https://gbv-online.org/calendar/773/date/2026-08-12

Acts 18:

"1 After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth;
2 And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.
3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.
4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
5 And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.
6 And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.
7 And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man's house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue.
8 And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.
9 Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:
10 For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.
11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
12 And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat,
13 Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law.
14 And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you:
15 But if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters.
16 And he drave them from the judgment seat.
17 Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things.
18 And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow.
19 And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.
20 When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not;
21 But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.
22 And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch.
23 And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.
24 And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.
25 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.
26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.
27 And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace:
28 For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ."

A Nugget of Truth.
WHO IS SPIRITUAL ISRAEL?

The Bible shows that being part of God’s true Israel was never based solely on physical ancestry. God’s covenant people have always been identified by faith, obedience and a surrendered heart.

Paul explains:
“For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel.”
Romans 9:6

“He is not a Jew, which is one outwardly… But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly.”
Romans 2:28–29

Jesus warned the Jewish leaders that their privileged position as God’s covenant nation would be removed if they rejected Him:
“The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.”
Matthew 21:43

This did not mean that individual Jews could no longer be saved. The apostles themselves were Jewish, and salvation remained open to every Jewish person who accepted Christ. What changed was that the Jewish nation was no longer the exclusive covenant nation through which God’s work would be carried forward.

That decisive rejection is seen in Acts 7, when Stephen gave his final appeal to the Jewish council. They rejected his testimony, stoned him and laid their garments at the feet of Saul.

Immediately after this, the gospel began to move more fully beyond the Jewish nation.

“They that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.”
Acts 8:4

God’s covenant people would now be formed from both Jews and Gentiles who accepted Christ by faith.

“There is neither Jew nor Greek… for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
Galatians 3:28–29

Gentile believers were not placed into a separate plan of salvation. They were grafted into the same spiritual olive tree through faith, while unbelieving branches were broken off.

“Because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith.”
Romans 11:20

Spiritual Israel does not replace faithful Jewish believers. Spiritual Israel includes every person, Jew or Gentile, who belongs to Christ.

The true Israel of God is not determined by bloodline, nationality or earthly borders, but by faith in Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart.