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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | One of the Heresies that Refuses to Die | Acts 15:10 | DocTrinsograce | 197073 | ||
"The relationship of Christianity to the law of Moses has always posed some very difficult problems. A heretical brand of legalism, practiced by the Judaizers, posed a major and continual threat to the New Testament church even while Scripture was still being written. The apostles' war with legalism permeates the book of Acts and most of the epistles. "The Judaizers claimed that in order to become a Christian, Gentile converts needed to be circumcised and obey all the ceremonial and civil laws of Moses. This was a very compelling system for people who had grown up in Judaism, because they were conditioned from their infancy to view Gentile practices as unholy, unclean, and morally abhorrent. "The culmination of the legalism controversy, and the first major defeat for the Judaizers, took place in Acts 15. Notice what transpires here: 'The apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter' (v6). There was much disputing (v7), and then Peter rose up and recounted what had occurred at the conversion of Cornelius (vv7-10). And Peter very clearly takes Paul's side (vv10-11): '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.' "Peter has honed in on the crucial issue: salvation by the grace of God. This is what was at stake. This first great controversy was a soteriological conflict. The issue was the gospel, and the doctrine of justification by faith in particular. That's why the apostle Paul wrote and preached so earnestly against the doctrines of the Judaizers: they were nullifying the very heart of the gospel message. If a person had to be circumcised in order to become a Christian, then that ritual work was a prerequisite for justification, and justification would not be by faith alone. "Scripture clearly teaches that we don't have to perform any religious ceremonies or legal obedience as a prerequisite to our justification. None of the works of the law can earn us any merit in God's eyes. All the merit that is necessary has been acquired for us by Christ. It is freely imputed to all who believe. As Roman 4:5-6 says, 'To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness... God imputeth righteousness without works.' That's the gospel in a single statement. That's what the legalism of the Judaizers obscured. And that's why the apostle Paul fought this heresy with every ounce of energy he had." --Phil Johnson |
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