You Know:
Since you are defending the extraordinary position that asks people to die you ought to do better
than such a pharisaical position. If you read the scriptures around this verse it says NOTHING
that goes into a person as food defiles a person. It doesn’t make the exception for blood.
NOTHING means that even blood taken as nourishment is permitted. Do you understand that
without qualifying words NOTHING means simply NOTHING. By the way, Jesus cleared the
way for people to also eat fat. Fat was one of those things Jews weren’t supposed to eat. Lev
3:17 “This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live: You must not eat
any FAT or any BLOOD.”
And you still ignorantly invoke the Noachian covenant. A covenant involves an agreement
between at least two parties. That’s why Jewish boys are Bar Mitzvahed. They become “sons of
the covenant” by expressing their desire to be subject to the national covenant. I never agreed to
some Noachian covenant. To say that some covenant that preceded another covenant is
automatically in effect is quite a bit like the Pharisaical Jewish Christians requiring circumcision
before they could benefit from the New Covenant. This is where FredFranzism really starts to
show. Franzism is fascinated with all those intricate rules and regulations the Jews had. His
obsessive compulsive disorder just couldn’t let such detail go to waste. By the way, when did you
sign onto the Noachian covenant? What kind of ceremony was it? Did you have to stand out on
the front lawn under a mist sprinkler with the sun shining at the right angle to produce a rainbow?
Now as to the matter of Acts 15. There are two accounts of what happened there. Did “YOU
KNOW” that? Open your Bible to Galatians chapter 2. Verse 1 says “then after fourteen years I
again went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas taking also Titus along with me.” The cross reference
(a) refers you to Acts 15. Notice that the letter was sent NOT to ALL congregations but
specifically to the congregation where the problem arose - Antioch, Syria, Cilicia. Paul was not
impressed with the content of the letter. In fact the only thing Paul mentions from this visit to the
older men in Jerusalem is summed up in verse Galatians 2:9,10 “the ones who seemed to be
pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of sharing together that we should go to the nations
but they to those who are circumcised. Only we should keep the poor in mind.”
Please remember that Galatians chapter 2 reports on the situation in Antioch AFTER the
circumcision discussion in Jerusalem. Speaking about the arrival of certain men from James
(probably Judas and Silas) “he (Cephas) used to eat with people of the nations; but when they
arrived, he went withdrawing and separating himself in fear of those of the circumcised class. The
rest of the Jews also joined him in putting on this pretense, so that even Barnabas was led along
with them in their pretense.” Paul rebuked Peter and the others including Barnabas for their
hypocrisy. So it appears that the problems of a Kosher table persisted even after the letter from
the Jerusalem congregation was delivered. Officially, gentiles didn’t have to get circumcised but
they were encouraged to be Kosher so they could have fellow ship with their Jewish brothers.
This was only important in areas where there were a lot of Jewish Christians. Acts 15:21
Paul was quite willing to explain away the idea that there is something wrong in the eating of food
that is sacrificed to idols. He makes it clear in 1 Corinthians chapter 8 that it is a matter of
respecting the conscience of others.
No, You Know, you have not made an argument that indicates you have much understanding of
the broader issues involved. You, like other Franzians would compell people to live according to
Jewish pracitce Gal. 2:14...21 Christ died for nothing!
