Atos 7

Atos 7

Stedman writes "I will never forget the young man who came into my study one day, Bible in hand, and announced that he had been reading the Bible. He didn't know a lot about it, but he said, "Would you circumcise me?" I blinked three or four times, then said, "Why?" He said, "I've been reading in this Bible that if you want to know God you have to be circumcised. I want to know God, so I want to be circumcised." I had the joy of telling him what circumcision meant, that it was simply a sign of something that was already true by faith. That boy became a Christian and is still in our congregation and growing in the Lord." (Read full sermon text The Father of Faith) Here are some examples of the false belief of the Jews regarding circumcision - The Jewish apocryphal Book of Jubilees declares: This law is for all generations for ever, and there is no circumcision of the time, and no passing over one day out of the eight days; for it is an eternal ordinance, ordained and written on the heavenly tables. And every one that is born, the flesh of whose foreskin is not circumcised on the eighth day, belongs not to the children of the covenant which the Lord made with Abraham, for he belongs to the children of destruction; nor is there moreover any sign on him that he is the Lord’s but (he is destined) to be destroyed and slain from the earth. Many Jews believed that salvation was based on their obedience to God in being circumcised, and that, therefore, their eternal security rested in that rite. In his commentary on the Book of Moses, Rabbi Menachem wrote, “Our Rabbins [rabbis] have said that no circumcised man will ever see hell” Circumcision was considered such a mark of God’s favor that it was taught that if a Jew had practiced idolatry his circumcision must first be removed before he could go down to hell. Since it is humanly impossible to remove circumcision, presumably that would be accomplished by a direct act of God. The Jalkut Rubem taught that “Circumcision saves from hell” (num. 1), and the Midrash Millim that “God swore to Abraham that no one who was circumcised should be sent to hell” (fol. 7, col. 2). The book Akedath Jizehak taught that “Abraham sits before the gate of hell, and does not allow that any circumcised Israelite should enter there” (fol. 54, col. 2). LIFE APPLICATION - THE PROBLEM WITH RITUAL - The Jewish rite of circumcision, like Israel's regular sacrifices and annual feasts, was intended to be a very meaningful event. As with all religious rituals, circumcision was designed to serve as an outer symbol of an inner reality. Those who participated thoughtfully would be reminded of profound spiritual truths. But we know from our own experiences of repeating the church creeds, saying the Lord's Prayer, or celebrating ordinances like baptism and the Lord's Supper that it is difficult to avoid merely going through the motions. We are often guilty of participating passively and mindlessly in religious exercises. Make it your goal to give God your full attention (body, soul, and spirit) the next time you pray, take Communion, or take part in a church ceremony. (Life Application Bible Commentary – Acts) Are there supposed to be any rituals in Christianity? Acts 7:9 "The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt. Yet God was with him, (NASB: Lockman) KJV Acts 7:9 And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him, patriarchs became jealous of Joseph Ge 37:4-11; 49:23; Mt 27:18 sold Ge 37:18-29; 45:4; 50:15-20; Ps 105:17 yet Ge 39:2,5,21-23; 49:24; Isa 41:10; 43:2 Acts 7 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE EFFECT OF BEING FILLED WITH JEALOUSY The depiction above is "Joseph's Coat Brought to Jacob" by Giovanni Andrea de Ferrari (1640). The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt - Acts 7:8 ends with "the twelve patriarchs" which is interesting in that he did not call them 12 sons. Why call them patriarchs? (patriarches only Acts 2:29, 7:8, 9, Heb 7:4) What do they do? They reject their brother because of jealousy (Read Ge 37:11, 28). The Sanhedrin esteemed these men as their patriarchs and yet here Stephen says they mistreated their brother. As you consider this story, the parallels between Joseph and Jesus become very clear. Jesus was rejected by His brethren the Jews.