Part 5 of a Political Narrative of the New Testament
In the previous post we examined the main political principles and ideas in chapters 13-14 of Acts (and beginning of Acts 15), plus the Epistle of James. We observed the first journey of Paul and Barnabas as two social strategist emissaries. They confronted a pagan social strategist and won a Roman governor to God’s kingdom, and then used protest and flight as taught by Jesus to resist abusive government leaders in Galatian cities. Their main achievement was to raise up Senior Statesmen in citizen assemblies in new places. We learned from the Epistle of James the Just – leader of the Jerusalem citizen assembly – about the law of liberty, the condemnation of partiality in citizen assemblies, the problem of government over-reach, the corruption of business and justice by the rich, and the need to raise up (anoint) more social strategists.
[Note: This series of posts does not assert that politics is primary in the New Testament, however, there are often overlooked principles and ideas that are worthy of attention. For context we paraphrase certain Bible terms by how it was understood at the time. Modern concerns over ‘Christian Nationalism’ are often misplaced because modern readers of Scripture focus only on the religious activities. Christians were active in politics from the beginning.]
The Apostle Matthew had likely just finished writing his Gospel and the full Jewish context of the life of Jesus was becoming more known around 48AD. And with it came questions by Gentiles as to their own obligations. At this point in the Acts narrative the issue comes to a head. In Acts 15, delegates such as Paul and Barnabas from Antioch and some from other cities gathered in Jerusalem that winter of 48-49 to discuss the matter.
The debate was about personal salvation or eternal standing, but also important to note – about requirements for civil society – how life is to be lived on earth. Some Jewish believers insisted that the laws of Moses were required even of Gentile nations but Paul and James had emphasized the message of liberty for both Jewish and Gentile audiences. Something needed to be decided concerning these questions.
Acts 15 reports: “Now the emissaries and senior statesmen came together to consider this matter….” First Peter argued for latitude based on the obvious blessing of God he saw when the Holy Spirit was poured out on Gentiles (in Acts 10). Salvation is by faith and grace, and no other requirements.
James then said: “…the Social strategists agree…: [that] ‘the tabernacle of David,…[revealed] that the rest of mankind may seek the Sovereign Authority, Even all the Gentiles… ‘Therefore I judge (i.e. propose a policy) that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God.” By citing the tabernacle of David, he argues that clearly God allowed exceptions in worship, so they should also now.
Another reference to David’s tent is from Isaiah 16:5 which implied governance would also be done in a new way. James turns the focus of the discussion also to civil society, not just salvation or worship. James proposes we don’t “trouble” Gentiles with all the Jewish laws. Instead he proposes only require them “…to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood” (Acts 15:20,29).
This suggests that James was referring to the same standard that God set up after the flood for all nations under the jurisprudence of Noah – the first civic leader in history (Gen 9:4,5). It was the international standard of civil law that preceded the laws of Moses and applied to all nations. And it was the same law that Israel used beginning with Abraham for about 500 years before Moses.
Jewish Rabbinical tradition gives more information on this. The entry in Wikipedia for the Seven Laws of Noah states: “According to Jewish law, non-Jews (gentiles) are not obligated to convert to Judaism, but they are required to observe the Seven Laws of Noah to be assured of a place in the World to Come, the final reward of the righteous. The non-Jews that choose to follow the Seven Laws of Noah are regarded as ‘Righteous Gentiles.’”
The Jewish Virtual Library states: “The Noachide Laws are seven laws considered by rabbinic tradition as the minimal moral duties required by the Bible on all men. While Jews are obligated to observe the whole Torah – 613 commandments, every non-Jew is considered a “son of the covenant of Noah” and he who accepts these obligations is considered a righteous person who is guaranteed a place in the world to come.”
It continues: “The seven Noachide laws, as traditionally enumerated are:
Do Not Deny God [i.e. no worship of idols]
Do Not Blaspheme God
Do Not Murder
Do Not Engage in Incestuous, Adulterous or Homosexual Relationships.
Do Not Steal
Do Not Eat of a Live Animal
Establish Courts/Legal System to Ensure Law Obedience
Except for the seventh law, all are negative commands, and the last itself is usually interpreted as commanding the enforcement of the others. They are derived exegetically from divine demands addressed to Adam and Noah, the progenitors of all mankind, and are thus regarded as universal.”
Although extra-biblical sources regarding Noahide laws cannot be trusted on the same level as Scripture, and there are definitely some serious concerns about the what some modern groups promote using this information, still it is clear that James has some knowledge of the tradition evident in his argument. I do not think he argues here regarding eternal standing before God, but rather about earthly standards of law and justice. Again, James is a citizen assembly leader discussing law, not a pastor discussing religion.
The Jerusalem convention of citizen assembly leaders accepted James’ proposal and decided that only the Noah-Abrahamic legal standard would be what they required for all nations in civic life. Then “emissaries and senior statesmen, with the whole citizen assembly…” sent news out to all believers of their standard of international law.
It is also worth noting how they spread this message. It says they sent “elected men…with Paul and Barnabas… [Judas & Silas] being social strategists….” As is common in ekklesias of the time, this citizen assembly likely took a vote (similar to Acts 1 using lots or ballots) to choose these emissaries. And it important to note that Judas and Silas were specifically identified as being social strategists. This identity makes sense because their mission was mainly dealing with law, not religion.
These elected emissary social strategists went about “…strengthening the citizen assemblies…[reading the letter from the Jerusalem convention and giving] them the decrees to keep [i.e. the Noah-Abraham laws, not religious church doctrines].” Jewish believers in Israel still had more extensive legal requirements under their nation’s context that were not changed by this ruling. But this was a watershed. A strategic paradigm. Now Christianity could spread freely because all the laws of Moses were not required of all nations, but in essence, the transcendent ideas of the Ten Commandments were. [See my previous post giving a summary of ten ideas here]
[For paid subscribers below we add a little-known essay by Isaac Newton around 1700 that discussed the laws of Noah and how Acts 15 was connected.]
The content below was originally paywalled.
Irenicum or Ecclesiastical Polity tending to Peace
By Isaac Newton, c1700
[Note: This is a digest of a larger document about ten times longer. For sake of clarity I have substituted words that in our modern mind better conveys what Newton meant. These are marked by brackets with askerisk. Example: King is replaced by government. Church is replaced by Ekklesia or citizen assembly, etc]
….It is the character of his people that they keep his commandments (1 Iohn 2.3, 4 & 5.2, 3 & Apoc. 12.17) & that of their enemies that they change times & laws (Dan. 7.25.) Temporal laws may be made by men about the changeable circumstances of religion, & temporal Judges may be appointed to put the laws of both God & the [government*] in execution (Ezra 7.25, 26.)….
And since Christ set on foot the Christian religion by explaining to his Apostles the prophesies in Moses, the Prophets & the Psalms concerning himself, & sending them to teach his interpretations to all nations: if any question at any time arise concerning his interpretations, we are to have recourse to the old Testament & compare the places interpreted with the interpretations thereof in the new….
The Apostle Paul opposed the preaching of the law of Moses to the Gentiles, & called it another Gospel whereby the faith in Christ was made void, not because the Law was evil, (for the Apostle tells us that the Law is good;) but because it was not necessary to salvation & therefore not to be imposed as a fundamental Article of [fellowship*]….
The religion of loving God & our neighbour was the religion of Noah & his sons down to the days of Abraham, Melchisedeck, Job & Moses. For Noah was a just man & very righteous & perfect in his generation & walked with God (Gen. 6.19. Ezek XIV.14).…While mankind lived together in Chaldea under the government of Noah, they were all of his [system]….
In the primitive Church it was not lawful to impose any other article of religion as necessary to the remission of sins & salvation… For when some Christians of the circumcision would have imposed circumcision upon the gentiles saying that unless they were circumcised they could not be saved (Acts XV.1), the Apostle Paul in opposition to them tells the Galatians, If we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel then that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed (Gal. 1.8). It was lawful for the Christians of the circumcision to circumcise their own children; & the Apostle Paul himself circumcised Timothy because his mother was a Iew (Acts. XVI.1, 3). The Gentiles had revolted from the religion of Noah to worship false Gods.. And now by the preaching of the Gospel returned not to the religion of Moses by circumcision but to that of [Noah]….
The government…set up by Ezra was by Courts of Judicature composed of Elders, the highest Court being the Sanhedrim composed of 70 Elders originally instituted by Moses, & the second Court being composed of 23 Elders in the outward Gate of the Temple & the other Courts sitting in the Synagogues of the Cities & being composed of the Elders of the City not more in number then 23 nor fewer than three [See Mat. 10.17. & 23.34. Luke 12.11, & 21.12]. The government set up by Ezra continued till the days of Christ & was then extended over all the Roman Empire, & the Jews by the permission or connivance of the Romans erected Synagogues [religious congregations] where ever they were sufficiently numerous to do it. & the Elders of Cities were called Rulers of their Synagogues [religious congregations] (Act. 15.21. Mat. 10.17, & 23.34, & Luke 12.11, & 21.12).
The cities of Israel before the Babylonian captivity were governed by Elders, who sat in the Gate of the city, & put the laws of Moses in execution…(Deut 19.12 & 21.19, 20, 21 & 22.18, 19 & 25.7, 8. & Ruth 4.2 & Iosh. 20.4. & Psal. 74.8). And in this sense it is said that the Gates of Hell, that is the Magistrates in the Gates of Idolatrous Cities shall not prevail against the true [Ekklesia, or citizen assembly] of Christ. The same government continued among the converted Jews or Christians of the circumcision in the regions of Phœnicia, Syria & till the end of the fourth Century….
The same government was propagated from the Jews to the converted Gentiles, the name of Synagogues being changed to that of [Ekklesias, or citizen assemblies*]….But the name of [Ekklesias, or citizen assemblies*] was of a larger extent being given also to single assemblies in private houses & other places not attended with a board of elders, & collectively to all the [Ekklesias, or citizen assemblies*] in a kingdom or nation or in the whole world.
It is therefore the duty of [Overseers & Elders* of citizen councils] to govern the People according to the laws of God & the laws of the [government], & in their Councils to punish Offenders according to those Laws….The three thousand baptized by Peter were a christian [Ekklesia, or citizen assembly] though they had not yet an [Overseer or Elder]…or form of government….
All nations were originally of one religion & this religion consisted in the Precepts of the Sons of Noah, the heads of which were, To have one God,& not to alienate his worship nor prophane his name;; to abstain from murder, theft, fornication & all injuries; to be merciful even to bruit Beasts not to feed on the flesh or drink the blood of a living animal, & to set up courts of Justice in all cities & societies for putting these laws in execution. The Judges usually sat in the Gates of the ancient cities & are in Scripture called the elders of the cities, And having a judicial authority in things both sacred & civil. And in every family the father of the family was Elder of the family subordinate to the Elders of the city…. This religion descended to Melchizedek & Abraham & the Proselytes of the Gate & was propagated down by Isaac, Jacob & Moses to the Israelites….This religion may be therefore called the Moral Law of all nations.
To this religion Moses added many new Precepts writing them down in a Book & imposed the whole upon the people of Israel by the covenant of circumcision; but yet allowed strangers uncircumcised to live within their Gates provided they kept the Precepts of the sons of Noah: & those that were proselyted to these Precepts were called Proselytes of the Gate.
…The Law of Moses was founded upon the moral Law of the Sons of Noah. And for putting this Law in execution Moses also commanded that the people of Israel should make Judges & Officers in all their Gates (Jud 4.16, 18). These judges sat in the Gates of the cities & were called the elders of the cities….[and] continued in Judea till the Babylonian captivity….
When Christ was asked which was the great commandment of the Law he answered, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart & with all thy soul & with all thy mind. This is the first & great Commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self. On these two commandments hang all the law & the prophets. Mat. 22.36. For this was the religion of the sons of Noah, established by Moses & the Prophets & is still in force. And The God here spoken of is the God of Noach & the Patriarchs….
When there arose a question about imposing the Law of Moses upon the Gentiles & a Council of the Apostles & Elders was called at Jerusalem to consider of this matter, James the President of the Council…of Jerusalem said ‘My sentence is that we trouble not them who from among the GENTILES are turned unto God: but that we write unto them that they [the Gentiles] abstain from pollutions of Idols & from fornication & from things strangled & from blood. For [as for the Jews] Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the Synagogues every sabbath day’ (Act 15.19, 20, 21. & 21.24, 25). Which is as much as to say, that about the observation of the Law of Moses by the Jews there is no dispute, but as for those who from among the Gentiles are converted unto God, they are to be looked upon as Proselites of the Gate & nothing more is to be imposed upon them out of the Law than the Precepts of the sons of Noah….
Accordingly all the Church of Jerusalem kept the Law (Act. 21.20) & so did Paul himself (Act 18.18 & 21. 24). And because Timothy was born of a Jewish parent Paul circumcised him (Act 16.1, 3.) but would not suffer Titus to be circumcised because he was a Greek (Gal. 2.3)….And this distinction between the Churches of the circumcision & uncircumcision remained till the days of Irenæus who tells us: ‘The Christian religion therefore among the Gentiles is the ancient religion of the sons of Noah with this addition that we are to beleive that Jesus is the Christ or Messiah….’
Repentance & remission of sins relate to transgressions against the moral Religion of the sons of Noah, comprehended by Christ in the two great commandments…. Since Christ after his resurrection taught his disciples out of Moses & the Prophets & Psalms what he sent them to teach all nations, & the Apocalyps (a Prophesy given by himself) is full of references to the prophesies of the old Testament for explaining them: We are in studying the scriptures to compare the old Testament with the new, & explain each of them by the relation they have to one another….These two commandments always have & always will be the duty of all nations & The coming of Iesus Christ has made no alteration in them….