Tag: proselytes

  • Letters from Proselytes of Galatia to Paul 

    Letters from Proselytes of Galatia to Paul 

    Premise: The Apostle Paul likely received one or several letters to which the Apostle responds with Epistles to several churches and certain important persons.

    Who wrote to the Apostle Paul?

    Think about this —

    Paul and other Apostles come into your town or city, proclaim some Good News, build a church of Christ followers, establish some local leaders. AND then after some time these missionaries leave to go somewhere else into all the world.

    ACTS of the Apostles details some of these encounters which occur after numerous encouraging visits of various apostles sent out to them.

    Many apostles and letters communicate Good News of one faith in Christ for all the world.

    Although we have no preserved documentation of any messages or letters delivered to the Apostle from the Gentiles, I suspect that Paul perceives a crisis of faith in the churches of Galatia — a crisis conveyed to him by faithful disciples of the risen Christ and perhaps even believers considering IF they should abandon The Way of the Lord for a more prevalent cultural Judaism.

    WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

    The Apostles, including the Twelve and Paul, James and other church leaders communicate in person and by messenger by the Spirit who has sent them out into each mission.

    Major Roman Provinces of the Aegean including: Achaia, Greece, Macedonia, Asia Minor, Galatia, Cypress and Syria including major cities of Paul's first missions.

    Who are the Galatians?

    In Paul’s day, the word Galatia had two distinct meanings. In a strict ethnic sense, Galatia was the region of central Asia Minor (modern Turkiye) .. a Celtic people who had migrated to that region from Gaul (modern France) .. (in) 25 B.C. when Galatia became a Roman province, incorporating some regions not inhabited by ethnic Galatians (e.g., parts of Lycaonia, Phrygia, and Pisidia). In a political sense, Galatia came to describe the entire Roman province, not merely the region inhabited by the ethnic Galatians.

    Paul founded churches in the southern Galatian cities of Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe (Acts 13:14–14:23).

    Commentary of John MacArthur – BlueLetterBible.org
    You will recognize these Galatian cities from Paul's early missions into all the world.
    Lystra and Derbe in the Taurus Mountains of Turkey

    WHY did Paul write to the Galatians?

    Regardless of who founded any of the Galatian cities in the A.D. first century Roman Empire, every town had an ethnic challenge common to all churches established by the apostles in every Roman province.

    Proselytes – Judaizers fleeing Persecution for the Cross of Christ

    The covenantal culture of the Jews opposed the pagan practices of peoples of other cultures. SO the Jews insisted on certain traditional identifications of Jewish men such as circumcision.

    Who are these proselytes?

    Even as Paul, Barnabas, Silas and other apostles had encountered opposition from Jews seeking their own disciples, so had the Lord Jesus.

    “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

    Gospel of Matthew 23: 15 LSB
    The Lord Jesus Christ describes the culture of Judaizers rejecting their own Messiah

    An Apostolic Urgency to Write to the Galatians

    PAUL must urgently address the concerns of those men in Galatia struggling in the faith

    AND like all Christians, pursued by the Jews.

    TWO QUESTIONS HERE:

    • WHO represents the earthly authority of GOD?
    • IF it is CHRIST, what is PAUL’s authority over the JEW and non-Jew?
    Later, I will get to a Twenty-first century C.E. challenge
    of this AUTHORITY in Christ which has now challenged the Church for some 500 years.

    How will the Apostle answer?

    “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.”

    Galatians 5:1 KJV

    Galatians 1 – Paul’s Authority

    The Apostle begins his Epistle to the Galatians by firmly establishing his authority and leadership of the churches.
    

    Paul, an apostlenot sent from men

    • nor through man,
    • but through Jesus Christ
    • and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead
    • and all the brothers who are with me,
    Pretty convincing.
    
    Paul opens fire against familiar enemies of Christ (Judaizers).

    6 I marvel that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ for a different gospel, which is really not another, only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

    • Paul clearly states that the Galatians must choose:
      • – between him as a representative of God the Father and Christ Jesus OR
      • – teachers of a false and distorted gospel
        • (which is not good news but a Jewish tradition chained to the Law and regulations of the flesh).

    Paul defends not only his credentials and calling by Christ, but once more presents his case of Christ’s freedom to these gentile believers caught between the Gospel and the yoke of the Judaizers.

    2:17 But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be!

    I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.

    Galatians 2:21 LSB
    PAUL goes straight to the QUESTION of deceitful men claiming a GOSPEL other than Christ crucified and risen -- Judaizers seeking to lure these Galatian Christ-followers back to a Law of social Judaism. 

    3 O foolish Galatians, who bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?

    THEN the Apostle clearly asks these men of the church a key QUESTION of their calling.

    2 This is the only thing I want to learn from you:

    Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law,

    or by hearing with faith?

    “The righteous shall live by faith.”

    What does Paul seek to prove here refuting Judaizers requiring circumcision of gentile proselytes?

    And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying,

    “All the nations will be blessed in you.”

    Galatians 3:8 LSB

    The Apostle QUOTES Hebrew SCRIPTURE from BEFORE the LAW.

    From Genesis 22:

    22:18  וְהִתְבָּרֲכוּ בְזַרְעֲךָ כֹּל גּוֹיֵי הָאָרֶץ עֵקֶב אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְתָּ בְּקֹלִי׃

     “By Myself I have sworn, declares Yahweh, because you have done this thing and have not spared your son, your only one, indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of his enemies.
    
    “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have listened to My voice.”
    

    LATER comes THE LAW of Moses by which the Christ was crucified on a Cross as a redemptive Sacrifice for our sins. (It was NOT ONLY for the Jews, but for ALL the seed of Abraham — every sinner.

    The Apostle makes further legal arguments and adds an allegory comparing:

    The Apostle’s closing argument

    1. 5:4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are being justified by law; you have fallen from grace!
    2. For we through the Spirit, by faith, are eagerly waiting for the hope of righteousness.
    3. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.

    Faith Reformed in Fact

    Jewish faith — to Christian faith — to Scriptural faith informed in the Good News of the Word of God…

    The Galatians and every other culture encountered by the Apostles —


    ~ ano Domini 49 – 50

    ~ A.D. 49 Paul has just written to the Galatians out of the Apostle’s concern for their failing faith being replaced by a false gospel.


    WHERE could other gospels lead these Christian flocks of the Empires?

    A fall of Rome, a division with an Orthodox New Rome (Constantinople) and Western father of Bishops and Princes competing for pawns of populace.

    New temples built as CATHEDRALS for poor pilgrims to look up to God and well-mannered robed men who could actually READ the Holy Bible of God…

    And then printing presses and challenges by Reformers pointing to Scripture in place of the yoke of Law and even Church law.

    In my heart reigns this one article, faith in my dear Lord Christ, the beginning, middle and end of whatever spiritual and divine thoughts I may have, whether by day or by night.

    From Luther’s Introduction, ano domini 1538

    THEN what should happen in yet another 500 years once common men and women of the Common Era COULD (yet did not) actually READ the BIBLE?

    a brief application …

    Talk of JESUS .com

    Comment on Scripture + Share the Gospel

  • Sons of Abraham’s Family – Saul’s Conclusion in the Synagogue

    Sons of Abraham’s Family – Saul’s Conclusion in the Synagogue

    Proselytes, Sojourners and Jewish visitors

    “Men of Israel, and you who fear God..” Paul begins his sermon to his brothers.
    • Who are we preaching to? (Paul knew.)
    • Everyone, of course; but mostly to proselytes, the faithful souls seeking God.

    Keep in mind that Joseph of Cypress (Barnabas) and Saul of Tarsus (Paulos to his Greek friends) are visiting Jews to the synagogues of Antioch Pisidia and Jewish towns and cities where they will continue to travel from here.

    So as Paulos continues his sermon pointing to the Messiah Jesus he begins:

    Abraham believed the LORD and left Ur of the Chaldeans for a land of milk and honey for the sons of his seed.

    “Brothers, sons of Abraham’s family..

    Gatherings of Jews in the synagogues of Judea, Samaria, Galilee, Galatia and other communities of Jews throughout the Roman world of the first century commonly included practicing Jews of the local town or city like Antioch, visiting Jews from Jerusalem and other Jewish communities and a third category of worshiper you may well recognize in many worshipers at your local church.

    These proselytes were practicing Jews not yet fully accepted into the culture of Judaism until all the requirements of membership of the archisynagōgos have been met. [see intro to Saul’s sermon]

    Paul includes these proselytes defined by Scripture, perhaps even from the Law just read in the Torah, which refers to their Jewish brothers calling them sojourners’ or ‘strangers.’

    (Think of the implication of this in Jesus' parables.)

    12:48 וְכִֽי־יָגוּר אִתְּךָ גֵּר וְעָשָׂה פֶסַח לַיהוָה הִמּוֹל לוֹ כָל־זָכָר וְאָז יִקְרַב לַעֲשֹׂתוֹ וְהָיָה כְּאֶזְרַח הָאָרֶץ וְכָל־עָרֵל לֹֽא־יֹאכַל בּֽוֹ׃

    Masoretic Text

    The Error of Jerusalem’s Jews

    The largest divide of Jewish worship of the first century may have been that between Hellenists and the Temple of Herod and its politically appointed officials in Jerusalem. Variations of Jewish worship were not only a point of contention between Judeans and Samaritans, but between several parties of worshipers from congregations throughout the Roman Empire.

    “The preaching of the gospel was preceded and prepared for by the dispersion of the Jews, and a world-wide propagandism of Judaism.

    • In the 5th century BC the Jews had a temple of their own at Syene.
    • Alexander the Great settled 8,000 Jews in the Thebais, and Jews formed a third of the population of Alexandria.
    • Large numbers were brought from Palestine by Ptolemy I (320 BC), and they gradually spread from Egypt along the whole Mediterranean coast of Africa.
    • After the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes (170 BC) they scattered themselves in every direction, and, in the words of the Sibylline Oracles (circa 160 BC), “crowded with their numbers every ocean and country.” – source
    map of Roman Empire - Augustus organization of Legions

    There was hardly a seaport or a commercial center in Asia Minor, Macedonia, Greece, or the Islands of the Aegean, in which Jewish communities were not to be found. Josephus (Ant., XIV, vii, 2) quotes Strabo as saying: “It is hard to find a place in the habitable earth that hath not admitted this tribe of men, and is not possessed by them.” – source: BlueLetterBible.org – Proselyte

    Saul of Tarsus, a leading Pharisee of Jerusalem had just preached [ACTS 13:23-24]:
    

    “From the seed of this man [King David], according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, after John had preached before the face of His entering a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

    Acts 13:26

    “Brothers, sons of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God, to us the word of this salvation was sent.

    “For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning Him. And though they found no ground for death, they asked Pilate that He be executed.

    As a REMINDER: Paul preaches this in about A.D. 47 or 48.
    The events of the crucifixion and resurrection took place about fourteen years ago in ~A.D. 33.
    Luke records this gospel preached by Paul in Acts and published for the church of persecuted Christians, both gentile and Jew a few years later in the A.D. 60's.

    “And when they had finished all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb.

     ὁ δὲ θεὸς ἤγειρεν αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν

    “But God raised Him from the dead

    Jew, Hellenist, Roman — Muslim or polytheist Taoist, Buddhist or Hindu; mortal man or woman of the first century AD or 21st century AD: this is NO ordinary event in history!

    Paul proclaims the Gospel, providing proof (intentionally ignored by those whom God rejects) and preaches to the Jews in Pisidian Antioch how God’s grace has gone out into the world beyond Jerusalem.

    But God raised him from the dead, and he was seen for many days by those who came up with him from the Galil to Yerushalayim, who are his witnesses to the people.

    Those who 'came up with him from Galilee' of course were the Apostles AND many disciples who entered Jerusalem with their Messiah for  the feast of matzah, which is called the Pesach.

    Gospel Good NEWS!

    Up to this point Saul’s exhortation has reasonably laid out the facts to this Shabbat assembly of mostly Hellenist Jews in Πισιδία Ἀντιόχεια [Pisidian Antioch] mentioning God – that is, θεός theos.

    Paul has not confused any of his Greek audience of ‘Jews and God seekers’ by referring to ‘the LORD,’ or ‘YaHWeH‘ or ‘Y’HoVeH’ so familiar to the Jews from Hebrew Scripture only God or Theos.

    But now in introducing the Gospel the Apostle mentions Jesus by name — Ἰησοῦςiēsous or Yeshua [yᵊhôšûaʿ in Hebrew; “LORD Savior”]– and immediately provides proofs of fulfillment of God’s promise to Avraham from Hebrew Scripture.

    We bring you good news of the promise made to the fathers, that God has fulfilled the same to us, their children, in that he raised up Yeshua. As it is also written in the second psalm,

    ‘You are my Son. Today I have become your father.’

    Scripture of ACTS 13 from the Hebrew Names Bible

    The Resurrection of Christ

    “Concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he has spoken thus:

    ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’

    Therefore he says also in another psalm, ‘You will not allow your Holy One to see decay.’


    From horaō diaphthora, some English versions graphicly illustrate the DEATH of mankind’s MORTAL flesh: ‘YOU WILL NOT ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY.’

    Psalm 16:10  כִּי לֹא־תַעֲזֹב נַפְשִׁי לִשְׁאוֹל לֹֽא־תִתֵּן חֲסִידְךָ לִרְאוֹת שָֽׁחַת׃

    For you will not leave my soul in She’ol,

    Neither will you allow your holy one to see corruption.

    Psalm 16:10 Hebrew Names Version
    NOTE the reference to She'ol, the place of the dead, as it relates not only to the decaying body which will most certainly see corruption, but its Scriptural connection of DEATH as a penalty of abandonment by GOD of the SOUL of the sinful.
    

    שְׁאוֹל

    Son of David + :בֶּן־דָּוִד

    But he whom God raised up saw no decay.

    Be it known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man is proclaimed to you remission of sins,

    and by him everyone who believes is justified from all things,

    from which you could not be justified by the law of Moshe.

    Beware! Therefore:

    • Thank you  “Men of Yisra’el, and you who fear God..” for asking me for a word of exhortation today.
    • God chose our fathers, exalted them, led them from Mitzrayim and for about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness.
    • He destroyed seven nations in Kana`an, which our fathers possessed for about 450 years.
      • Acts 13:19
    • Our fathers had Judges until Shemu’el the Prophet, but our fathers asked for a King, Sha’ul ben Kish, replaced by David the son of Yishai whom the LORD chose as, ‘a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’
      • Acts 13:20-23

    From Avraham’s seed:

    • salvation according to God’s promise when Yochanan had first preached the immersion of repentance to Yisra’el.
      • Acts 13:24-25
    • children of the stock of Avraham who fear God, the word of this salvation is sent out to you.
      • Acts 13:26
    • Yerushalayim, and their rulers found no cause for death and fulfilled all things that were written about him..
      • Acts 13:27-29
    • Resurrection: good news of the promise made to the fathers, fulfilled to us, their children, in that he raised up Yeshua.
      • Acts 13:30-37
    • therefore, brothers, that through this man is proclaimed to you remission of sins, justification for those who believe.
      • Acts 13:38-39

    Beware therefore, lest that come on you which is spoken in the prophets:

    'Behold, you scoffers, and wonder, and perish; 
    For I work a work in your days, 
    A work which you will in no way believe, 
    if one declares it to you.'"
    
    

    Some Wisdom for Proselytes & the Unrepentant

    Proverbs 1:23 תָּשׁוּבוּ לְֽתוֹכַחְתִּי הִנֵּה אַבִּיעָה לָכֶם רוּחִי אוֹדִיעָה דְבָרַי אֶתְכֶֽם׃

    esile to babylon
    Turn at my reproof. 
    Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you. 
    I will make known my words to you.
    
    Because I have called, and you have refused; 
    I have stretched out my hand, and no one has paid attention;
    
    But you have ignored all my counsel, 
    And wanted none of my reproof;
    I also will laugh at your disaster. 
    I will mock when calamity overtakes you;
    When calamity overtakes you like a storm, 
    When your disaster comes on like a whirlwind; 
    When distress and anguish come on you..
    
    Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their own way, 
    And be filled with their own schemes.
    For the backsliding of the simple will kill them. 
    The careless ease of fools will destroy them.
    
    But whoever listens to me will dwell securely, 
    And will be at ease, without fear of harm."
    
    
    excerpt from מִשְׁלֵי (Proverbs) 1 ::

    Come back and continue..

    So when the Yehudim went out of the synagogue, the Goyim begged that these words might be preached to them the next Shabbat.

    Now when the synagogue broke up, many of the Yehudim and of the devout proselytes followed Sha’ul [Paulos] and Bar-Nabba [Barnabas]; who, speaking to them, urged them to continue in the grace of God.

    ACTS of the Apostles Paul and Barnabas 13:43 – Hebrew Names Version

    The next Shabbat almost the whole city was gathered together to hear the word of God.


    The Missionary Journey of Paul and Barnabas into all the world.. TO BE CONTINUED...
    God-willing...