Jesus's Words

Four Gentile Requirements

back  |  next

James says, Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood.Acts 15:19, 20

And then the apostles and the elders sent Paul, Barnabas, Judas Barsabbas, and Silas to Antioch, with a letter of agreement regarding gentile converts, saying, For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.Acts 15:28, 29

So, Paul knew and agreed with these gentile requirements:

  1. Abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols.
  2. Abstain from blood.
  3. Abstain what what has been strangled.
  4. Abstain from sexual immorality.

And in case Paul did not know, James reacquainted him with these four commandments the next time they met. [The church elders speaking to Paul] Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them; them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law. As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication. Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.Acts 21:23-26

Nevertheless, when Paul writes to the church in Galatia, And when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.Galatians 2:9, 10

Paul wrote that three of the apostles told himself and Barnabas that the two of them should go to the gentiles. And apparently, this time the apostles did not care if Paul and company told the gentiles the four requirements Instead, they gave a different requirement: remember the poor!

Why is not Paul not teaching the other four requirements? He was there when they were discussed and decided on. If he did not like them, he should have voiced his disagreement at that time. Instead, Paul writes behind the church's back to the gentiles.


Value of this Evidence

This is decent evidence against Paul's case of being a true apostle. Paul is not listening to the church or its decisions, instead deciding to follow his own whims, especially when they are at odds with church elders.

back  |  next