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What The Seventh-Day Adventists Won’t Tell You About Their Teachings

Seventh-Day Adventists won’t tell you they are behind the “Revelation Seminars” they sponsor. They act all” interdenominational” if questioned. Watch out for these SDA outreaches as well: Voice of Prophecy, Faith for Today, It is Written, The Quiet Hour, Amazing Facts etc.

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“The official SDA position is that if you do not worship on Saturday you are not a Christian and will not go to Heaven. Sunday worship is the mark of the beast. They are clearly today a cult.”

Seventh-day Adventists won’t tell you they are behind the “Revelation Seminars” they sponsor. They attempt to pass themselves off as just another Christian denomination. Watch out for these SDA outreaches as well: Voice of Prophecy, Faith for Today, It is Written, The Quiet Hour, and Amazing Facts.

“And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” 2 Timothy 2:26 (KJV)

Click on any of those links and you will see the SDA attempt to hide their true doctrine and appear to be part of mainstream Christianity. They are not, you have been warned.

They also hide behind Health oriented shows on the networks, and sponsor stop-smoking clinics etc, all as introductions to Seventh-day Adventism. Often, the only tip-off that what you are reading originates with them is that it is published by “Pacific Press”. They produce bright and colorful Children’s books, often seen in medical and dental offices, and of course, unsuspecting Church libraries. They very much want to be perceived as Evangelical Christians, seeking a place on the ministerial fellowships. All this is good PR for them, but what do they really believe?

What facts won’t they tell you?

They won’t tell you that they consider themselves to be the only, true, remnant Church. Their prophetess, Ellen G. White, whom they revere and believe without question has told them that “…Satan has taken full possession of the Churches”. (Spiritual Gifts V.l,p.189-90)

They also believe our prayers are an “abomination” to God. (Spiritual Gifts, V1 p.190). That is what they think of you and your church, even if they won’t say it out loud in public, or to your face. They revere their founding prophetess, Ellen G. White, and made this statement in their “Ministry” Magazine of Oct. 1981 and have never retracted it:

“We believe the revelation and inspiration of both the Bible and Ellen White’s writings to be of equal quality. The superintendence of the Holy Spirit was just as careful and thorough in one case as in the other”.

They won’t tell you too much about Ellen G. White at their public seminars, but their goal is to bring the person attending to the point of conversion and baptism. Their 2000 baptismal certificate poses questions to which the candidate must answer “yes”.

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THE SDA CHURCH TRIES VERY HARD TO PASS THEMSELVES OFF AS A MAINSTREAM CHRISTIAN CHURCH WITH WEBSITES LIKE ‘AMAZING FACTS’. WHAT THEY TEACH YOU THERE IS NOT AMAZING AND THEY CERTAINLY ARE NOT FACTS.

Question 8 says, “Do you accept the biblical teaching of spiritual gifts and believe that the gift of prophecy is one of the identifying marks of the remnant church”. If the candidate says “yes” and is baptised, they soon learn that the “gift of prophecy” is Ellen G. White’s writings. Point 13 has them accepting that the SDA Church is the remnant church of Bible Prophecy. They have been baptized into an exclusive group, but they don’t know how exclusive it is, yet! No doubt they will be urged to avail themselves of a “Clear Word Bible”. This publication of theirs has inserted the words and doctrines of Ellen G. White right into the Bible text, insuring that the person studying it will have the mind of Ellen G. White. Slowly, but surely, the new SDA will come to believe these extra-biblical doctrines that set the SDA church apart from Evangelical Christianity.

The SDA Doctrines on Salvation

If you receive Christ as your Saviour through the SDA’s, only your past sins, up to that moment are forgiven. Now you must get to work to earn your salvation. Ellen G. White said in the Advent Review and Sabbath Herald of 10-26-1897 this statement, “…The terms of salvation for every son and daughter of Adam are here outlined. It is plainly stated that the condition of gaining eternal life is obedience to the commandments of God”. Of course, it is the fourth commandment that is stressed, since Ellen saw this one glowing in one of her visions. Salvation now becomes dependent on which day of the week one observes. Modern Adventists keep sundown Friday to sundown Saturday as the Sabbath, but earlier in their history they kept 6 p.m. Friday to 6 p.m. Saturday. The rest of us “Sunday keepers” are doomed to receive the “mark of the beast” and lose our eternal life. (The Spirit of Prophecy V. 4, p. 505).

Obviously, the SDA’s have never read in Acts 20 where the apostles meet on a Sunday, took up a collection on a Sunday, had communion together as a church on a Sunday, and listened to Bible preaching on a Sunday.

“And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together.” Acts 20:7,9 (KJV)

If Sunday worship is the “mark of the beast” as the SDA will try and tell you, then the apostle Paul himself is in Hell right now. See how silly and unbiblical the SDA doctrine is? The Sabbath Day was a command given only to the Jews, and never imposed on the Christian Church. In fact, Paul says we have the freedom in Christ to meet and worship any day of the week.

“Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” Colossians 2:16,17 (KJV)

When Jesus went to the Cross, and the veil of the Temple was ripped in two, the Temple system went down with it, never to be seen again until the Antichrist appears in the time of Jacob’s trouble.

Please read: Are Christians Required To Keep The Jewish Sabbath Day?

They sure don’t say this at their seminars

Christ exclaimed “It is finished” when He died for our sins, but it is not finished in Seventh-day Adventism. EGW wrote in “The Faith I Live By” p. 211, “At the time appointed for the judgement – the close of the 2300 days, in 1844 began the work of investigation and blotting out of sins…both the living and the dead are to be judged “out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works”. (Rev. 20:12″. People are never told at Seminars that if they become SDA’s and are baptized, a recording angel is watching their every move to determine their salvation eventually. EGW issues this warning in The Faith I Live By, page 210, “Every man’s work passes in review before God…Opposite each name in the books of heaven is entered, with terrible exactness, every wrong word, every selfish act, every unfulfilled duty, and every secret sin, with every artful dissembling. Heaven-sent warnings or reproofs neglected, wasted moments, unimproved opportunities, the influence exerted for good or for evil, with its far-reaching results, all are chronicled by the recording angel.” It’s not much fun being an Adventist and being watched constantly by that recording angel with his “terrible exactness”. Prepare to become very uptight. Christians will say, “sure we slip sometimes into sin, but we have a mediator in Christ Jesus”. No, you don’t in Seventh-day Adventism.

Be prepared for this SDA doctrine by Ellen G. White: “…Those who are living on the earth when the intercession of Christ shall cease in the sanctuary above are to stand in the sight of a holy God without a mediator. Their robes must be spotless, their characters must be purified from sin by the blood of sprinkling. Through the grace of God and their own diligent effort they must be conquerors in the battle with evil….”. (The Great Controversy p. 425). Obviously they have chosen EGW’s doctrine over that stated in the Bible in Hebrews 7:25, “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them”. Where would we all be without Christ as our mediator, EVER making intercession for us? Christ bore our own sins in his body on the tree according to the Bible. 1 Peter 2:24 says, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree…”.

Become a SDA, and it will be Satan who will eventually bear your sins! Ellen G. White wrote, “…so Christ will place all these sins upon Satan, the originator and instigator of sin…so Satan, bearing the guilt of all the sins which he has caused God’s people to commit, will be for a thousand years confined to the earth, which will then be desolate…”.(The Great Controversy p. 485). You won’t hear this one at the Seminars. They keep their radical teachings for later.

The false prophecies of the SDA

Seventh-day Adventism grew despite endorsing a false date for Christ’s return. What a dubious beginning! Ellen G. White endorsed a false prophecy by William Miller that Christ would return, first in 1843 and then 1844. Miller repented when Christ didn’t show up on his date but Ellen didn’t want to be viewed as a false prophetess for endorsing him through her visions. The idea was concocted by one of her followers that the date was right, but the event was wrong.

Ellen eagerly accepted this “out”, and this explanation was offered to explain away the false prophecy: Christ didn’t come visibly to earth, but He, invisibly, in heaven, changed compartments from the Holy to the Most Holy in 1844 and began the work of “investigative judgment” that we have discussed previously. This false date and its failure triggered other heresies on the atonement of Christ which continues to this day. Honest-hearted SDA’s who have pointed out the error of the 1844 investigative judgment have been shown the door by their Conference.

You sure won’t be told the true history behind the 1844 doctrine by SDA’s. Embarrassing false prophecies by EGW have been, altered, covered up, and locked up by the SDA’s. You won’t be told about them, but here are a couple. One false prophecy done in the name of the Lord marks that one as a false prophet (See Deut. chapter 18). Ellen G. White said people alive in 1856 would be translated at the 2nd coming of Jesus. (Testimonies, V1, p 131,132). She said in Testimonies for the Church, Volume 1, p. 259, that the United States would be “…humbled into the dust” by England during the Civil War. No wonder Jesus told us to “Beware of the false prophets”.

Time is their enemy. These false prophecies will never be mentioned by the SDA’s. And if they do talk about some of them, it is through the filter of revisionist history.

The cult links of the SDA

You won’t be told at the SDA Seminars about the things they have in common with the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons. SDA’s share their early history with the Jehovah’s Witnesses. An early Adventist, N. H. Barbour co-published with Charles Taze Russell. They had a falling out over (what else?) dates for the end of the world! (1844 and 1874), and parted company.

Both, however, kept heretical doctrines to this day like Jesus being Michael the Archangel, the denial of Hell, and both still advocate soul sleep. Both invented invisible occurrences in heaven for their failed dates for Christ’s visible return, investigative judgment for the SDA’s and Christ’s invisible “presence” for Jehovah’s Witnesses. There is Mormon link also for the SDA’s. It is a proven fact that Ellen G. White plagiarized most of her writings. The Church has been challenged by Walter Rea, author of the White Lie to prove that even 20% of her writings are original. They can’t. Their weak defense was that there were no copyright laws in Ellen’s day, so what she did was legal. You will never be told of her plagiarism by the SDA’s.

As Ellen was rising to prominence, Joseph Smith had just died. Her writings contain many phrases used by Joseph Smith. Mind you, he has also been accused of plagiarism. You will definitely not be told of her similarities to Joseph Smith at the Seminars. source

 


 

Cults

As Dying Serial Killer Charles Manson Waits For The Flames Of Hell, Could You Pray For His Salvation?

Charles Manson is a sinner, the worst of the worst, and guess what? Jesus shed His blood on the cross at Calvary for him, too. 

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Eight-months-pregnant Sharon Tate, who, despite pleading for the life of her unborn child, was mercilessly stabbed in the stomach by Susan Atkins. Kasabian told of Atkins’s chilling words to Tate before she stabbed her: “Look, b***h, I have no mercy for you.

Charles Manson is in the hospital and, as one source familiar with his situation tells TMZ, “it’s not going to get any better for him.” We’re told Manson was rushed to a Bakersfield hospital 3 days ago, and has been wheeled around on a gurney for various treatments … escorted by 5 uniformed cops.

“O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” Romans 7:24 (KJV)

We’re told the 83-year-old Manson, who lays still covered in blankets, looks ashen. Our sources say Manson’s health has been steadily deteriorating and, as it was put to us, “It’s just a matter of time.”

Hmm, this is a tough one, isn’t it? Most Christians would agree that Jesus Christ died to “save sinners”, but we have a funny habit of picking and choosing whom we think should be allowed to be saved. Don’t we? Could you pray for Charles Manson, who is right now on his deathbed, to get saved before he leaves this Earth and slips into the fiery flames of Hell?

Let’s pause for a moment and remember some of the horrific crimes of the Manson Family cult.

  • The Manson Family — including Charles Manson and his young, loyal disciples — is thought to have carried out some 35 killings. Most of their cases were never tried, either for lack of evidence or because the perpetrators were already sentenced to life for the Tate/La Bianca killings.
  • The first of Manson’s victims were murdered on August 9, 1969, at the home Roman Polanski had rented, located at 10050 Cielo Drive in Benedict Canyon, an area just north of Beverly Hills. While Manson himself took no part in the actual killings, he directed four of his most obedient followers — Charles “Tex” WatsonSusan AtkinsPatricia Krenwinkel and Linda Kasabian — to the address and directed them to kill everyone.
  • Eight-months-pregnant Sharon Tate, who, despite pleading for the life of her unborn child, was mercilessly stabbed in the stomach by Susan Atkins. Kasabian told of Atkins’s chilling words to Tate before she stabbed her: “Look, b***h, I have no mercy for you. You’re going to die, and you’d better get used to it.” Atkins then used Tate’s blood to write the word “pig” on the front door. Instead of this brutal massacre sating the pathological Manson, he instead criticized the murderers for being sloppy. source

I could go on, there’s a lot more, but I think you get the idea. Charles Manson is a bad person, a really, really, really bad person. And all these decades later he has shown little if any remorse for what he did and inspired others to do. But Manson is one of the people Jesus died to save.

Charles Manson is a sinner, the worst of the worst, and guess what? Jesus shed His blood on the cross at Calvary for him, too.

If you have ever read in the Bible about what Hell is really like, and how it never ends, and how the people who wind up there never get out, you wouldn’t want anyone to go there. Not Adolf Hitler, not murders, rapists or even pedophiles.

“And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” Revelation 14:11 (KJV)

“And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.” Luke 16:23,24 (KJV)

“Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.” Isaiah 5:14 (KJV)

It might shock you to know that when God looks at sin, He sees it the way you and I see Charles Manson. It’s ugly, it’s disgusting, it is trash that needs to be burned. It also might shock you to know that God puts little if any difference between the sin of Charles Manson, and your sin.

The rich man in Luke 16 was not a killer, rapist or otherwise criminal in nature as far as I can tell. He was probably well-liked by his friends and had standing in the community. But he died apart from the saving grace of God, and when that happens, Hell is your destination. If Charles Manson dies unsaved, he will absolutely go to Hell, and there he will see the rich man from Luke, and a whole lot of other “good people” who died with no one to pay for their sins.

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The mark of true Christianity is not and never has been how much Bible you can quote, how often you attend Church, or what Bible you use. True Christianity is displayed when you have compassion for the lost and dying who are headed for Hell, and you tell them about new life in Jesus Christ.

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (KJV)

UPDATE: Just days after this article was published, Charles Manson died

So, what kind of “christian” are you really? Can you pray for Charles Manson to get saved? Can you pray for the salvation of someone who has hurt you, used you, lied about you? Can you hand out gospel tracts in your hometown to warn the lost, even though people you know might make fun of  you?

“And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” Jude 1:22,23 (KJV)

Jesus Christ died for the worst of the worst, we call these people sinners. We are all equally guilty before God. Can you pray for Charles Manson right now to get saved and be spared the punishment of Hell that he so rightly deserves? Remember, if he does get saved, he will be in Heaven with me and you. Can you still pray for his salvation?

Now you know what type of Christian you are.

 


 

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Cults

Was End Times Deceiver Kenneth Hagin Possessed By The Devil? Watch This Video Of ‘Holy Laughter’ And Being ‘Drunk In The Spirit’ And Decide For Yourself

Kenneth Hagin died on September 19,2003. Where his soul is now is anyone’s guess. As a case in point, please watch as much of this video as you can stand to absorb which shows a typical “church” service at Hagin’s House of Rhema church.

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At the 8:00 mark, Kenneth Hagin actually starts speaking in complete sentences, but when he does nothing but lies and heresy proceed out of his mouth.

Nearly any Charismatic will tell you that Pastor Kenneth Hagin was a “good preacher”, and that the “anointing” was upon him and his ministry. He is considered by many to be a father of the “Word of Faith” and “Positive Confession” movements, otherwise known as “name it and claim it.” Bible believers, on the other hand, contend that he was a demon-possessed charismaniac preaching a false gospel and fleecing his flock. Kenneth Hagin died on September 19, 2003.

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;” 1 Timothy 4:1 (KJV)

Where his soul resides now is anyone’s guess. As a case in point, please watch as much of this video as you can stand to absorb which shows what a typical “church” service at Hagin’s House of Rhema church was like. At the 8:00 mark, he actually starts speaking in complete sentences, but when he does nothing but lies and heresy proceed out of his mouth.

Watch these services that have ‘holy laughter’, and you tell me if it’s from God or the Devil:

Even more disturbing, as Hagin wanders amongst his flock, he is shadowed by 3 or 4 hulking bodyguards. What purpose they might serve is beyond me. All through the video, demonic cackles and chilling laughter is emitted from people sitting in the seats. Amount of Bible he has to validate the truthfulness of his message? Zero. His entire service looks like it could have come from the mind of Wes Craven.

“Run!” Carter Conlon Times Square Church New York City:

After listening to the demonic vocal flatulence of what Kenneth Hagin calls preaching, cleanse your mind and soul with the stirring words preached by Carter Conlon at the Times Square Church in New York City, the first Sunday after 9/11.

If you are in either Kenneth Hagin’s church or any other church that conducts their worship service in this manner, you need to first RUN as fast and you can from it and then REPENT of this horrifically false teaching. The only “anointing” that Kenneth Hagin had was the anointing of his father, the Devil.

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;” 2 Thessalonians 2:3 (KJV)

Sadly, false doctrines and teachings like what you see here live on today in the heart of the modern Charismatic movement. It is not biblical, it is not from the Holy Spirit, and it is part of the end times prophecy of the great end times “falling away” prophesied in the Bible.

 


 

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The Doctrines And Origins Of The Hebrew Roots Movement Cult That You Should Know About

The Hebrew Roots cult movement usually hides their beliefs and presents itself as simply seeking to educate Christians concerning their “Jewish heritage.” But nothing could be further from the truth.

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The issue of how to treat the gentile believers is not a new question in our day, the Apostles themselves dealt with this issue on more than one occasion

In 1995, I purchased a Star of David which I have worn ever since, because I believe that the the follower of Jesus Christ has their roots smack dab in the middle of Israel and the Jewish people. You will do well to note that when Jesus started His Church, there were no gentile believers or converts. Every single one of them was a Jew.

“And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:29 (KJV)

As a result, I have a deep and abiding love for the Jewish people, and for the only piece of ground on this earth that God has ever called holy, and that is the literal, physical nation of Israel. This should be the mindset of every true follower of Jesus.

I shall build my church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it

Jesus came to this earth as the promised Messiah to the Jews. and in accordance with the Hebrew prophets, He was rejected and put to death. Speaking of the coming Messiah, the prophet Isaiah said this:

“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:3-5 (KJV)

So when He was rejected, and in accordance with Bible prophecy, He turned to the gentiles…and the gentiles received His word with gladness. Thus was born the Church, made up of both Jewish and Gentile believers, following not the Law of Moses, but rather the teaching of Jesus. Because of their rejection, God hit the “pause button” on the Jews, and did not allow the final week of Daniel’s prophecy of the 70 weeks to continue. Paul talks about this mystery in the book of Romans where he says this:

“I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.” Romans 11:11 (KJV)

Paul further goes on to say that the day would come when God would once again turn His full attention back to Israel, and redeem them:

“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:” Romans 11:25,26 (KJV)

These are the true roots of Christianity and the Christian’s relationship to the Jew. But there are those who seek to pervert that relationship, and add layers of law and works to it where none exists in the Scriptures. This new movement is called Hebrew Roots, and while it uses words and phrases from the bible and Jewish culture, there is nothing either Jewish or Christian about this group as you will see.

Why haven’t I heard about the Hebrew Roots movement?

As a rule, this spreading wave of false doctrine is not being addressed by the church. This is due to several reasons:

  • There is a fear of appearing anti-Semitic
  • The depth of the movement’s doctrinal heresies is not generally known
  • There is within the church in general a reluctance to address false doctrine

The movement usually hides their beliefs and presents itself as simply seeking to educate Christians concerning their Jewish heritage. As they become acclimated to the Jewish orientation the more aberrant doctrines are slowly introduced.

Some of the warning signs:

  • All Christians must adhere to a kosher diet
  • The Sabbath can only be observed on Saturdays
  • The Jewish festivals and holidays must still be observed today

The root of their symptomatic heresies is hermeneutic (having to do with the methodology used to interpret scripture) in nature. The Protestant Reformers used a grammatical-literal hermeneutic when interpreting scripture. In other words, it means what it says unless there is a significant reason to believe otherwise. This movement uses a grammatical-historical hermeneutic with a twist. Their underlying assumptions when approaching any scripture are:

Whatever God has ever commanded of those who seek Him (i.e., the Jews, their ancestors, their descendants, and Christians) is still in effect today (including the Levitical law) Gentile followers of Christ were “grafted into” the Jews which they interpret to mean that Gentiles must assume Jewish customs if they really want to mature and please God.

Based on those unquestionable assumptions, they then decide how they can best interpret a given scripture to support those beliefs. The farther down this rabbit hole they go, the more bizarre their doctrines become. Many see the New Testament as inferior to the Old (or a conspiracy by the Catholic church). More still say that Paul’s teachings are contrary to Christ (since they have trouble with his obvious statements against their beliefs) and, therefore, reject his epistles as scripture. Some say that the only reason we aren’t still sacrificing animals and stoning people for their sins is because there is no Temple and no Sanhedrin. But when they are restored then these will resume. Others go so far as to eventually reject Jesus as the Messiah and simply say that He was just a Rabbi. The inevitable outcome of following this train of thought is to put people back into bondage to the Law.

The proof is in the Scripture

“But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.” Acts 15:5 (KJV)

The issue of how to treat the gentile believers is not a new question in our day, the Apostles themselves dealt with this issue on more than one occasion. Acts 15 shines ample light on not only the question, but the answer as well. As we read in Acts 15, we see the bible “heavyweights” like Paul and Barnabas called on the carpet along with the rest of the apostles to figure this out. And as with most issues in the church, the whole problem started with a small handful of troublemakers:

“And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.” Acts 15:1 (KJV)

A few bad apples…

Now, we are not told who these troublemakers are, but it was sufficient to throw a monkeywrench into the whole deal:

“When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.” Acts 15:2 (KJV)

And deal with it they did…“And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.” Acts 15:7-9 (KJV)

They acknowledged that while a gentile does not become a Jew when believing on the Messiah, the line of division between them no longer exists. From God’s perspective then, there is no difference between a Jewish and Gentile believer in Christ. But they didn’t stop there, they continued on to answer this question in a most resolute and final way.

The Apostles settle this question once and for all

“Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon 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, even as they. Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.” Acts 15:10-12 (KJV)

Peter is so bold that he stuns them all into silence, and uses this time to allow Paul and Barnabas to recount all the awesome ‘miracles and wonders that God had wrought among the Gentiles by them’. Just when you think it can’t get any more intense that it already is, James steps in begins to wrap it up:

“And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.” Acts 15:13-18 (KJV)

Then, the knockout blow:

“Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.” Acts 15:19-21 (KJV)

In an amazing display, James through the Holy Spirit, tells us once and for all what God expects from Gentile believers…and it is not to be placed under the Law of Moses. There exists no evidence in the New Testament that mandates that any Gentile believer observe Jewish holidays, eat kosher foods or worship only on the Sabbath day. What was the reaction from the entire assembled group of elders? They said this:

“Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment: It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.” Acts 15:24-29 (KJV)

Did you catch that line? Go back and reread the Apostles themselves saying that they never gave any such commandment for Gentiles to be placed under the Law of Moses. Never. Ever. Do you believe the Bible? Don’t take my word for it, look it up and read it for yourself…

The believer in Christ is not called to law, but to freedom in Jesus. And for those who still need further proof, Paul provides it in Galatians 2:

“But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” Galatians 2:11-16 (KJV)

Conclusion

The roots of Christianity grow deep in Jewish culture, and it is highly recommended that all Christians learn about the Jewish feast days, holy days and other customs. They will only deepen our appreciation and understanding of our common ancestry that we have, Gentiles together with Jews. But to suggest that any Gentile believer who follows Jesus must be placed under Old Testament law is nothing but bondage, and it’s a bondage that the Bible speaks against not only in the verses quoted here, but in many other places as well. Regarding the freedom we have in Christ, let me leave you with this verse from the Master himself:

“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” John 8:36 (KJV)

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