Posted by Ray Kidder on 9/26/2009, 9:03 am, in reply to "Purification of the Flesh"
98.204.216.96
Searcher,
I agree that the law is weak through the flesh, such that those who are in the flesh cannot please God. However, if someone has been renewed by the Holy Spirit such that Christ works within that person, they can please God. this passage from I Corinthians 15 (NKJV) comes to mind:
46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.
47 The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven.
48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly.
49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
Being born in the flesh, we (except for Jesus) are born weak such that we sin, even though sinning is contrary to the image of God and the inward man who delights in the law of God.
This is from Romans 8 (NKJV):
5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
Doesn't this verse apply to Christians who have become spiritually minded, even though they still have their fleshy bodies here on earth, such that they do works that are pleasing to God?
You mentioned Acts 21:23,24. I read over this story and at first it seemed odd that St. Paul participated in cleansing rituals. This is from Acts 21 (NKJV):
17 And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.
18 On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.
19 When he had greeted them, he told in detail those things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law;
21 but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs.
22 What then? The assembly must certainly meet, for they will hear that you have come.
23 Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have taken a vow.
24 Take them and be purified with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads, and that all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you are nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the law.
25 But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written and decided that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality.”
26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, entered the temple to announce the expiration of the days of purification, at which time an offering should be made for each one of them.
27 Now when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him,
28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.”
How is it true that St. Paul taught Christians that OT purification rites were not part of the Christian religion (as he wrote in the Epistle to the Galatians), and yet he participated in these purification rites, and said that an offering should be made for these 4 men (in verse 26)?
My explanation is that since the 4 men had taken a vow, St. Paul recognized the inportance of not taking God's name in vain, such that he wanted them to participate in these rites on the basis on this vow. Had they not taken such a vow, I do not thinkk St. Paul would have participated. This reminds me of this passage from Romans 14 (NKJV):
14 I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
15 Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died.
16 Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil;
This concept of not causing your Christians brothers to fall on the basis of his mistaken beliefs about food extends to other things (such as Holy days as per verse 5). This is how this chapter ends:
23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.
If these 4 men broke their vow, then they would have sinned; right?
Ray Kidder
Message Thread:
« Back to thread