What are you trying to get at with this situation about the circumcision. Either you listen to the Prophets or the Apostles, its your choice at the end of the day. The Lord already made it clear in Ezekiel, how he feel about uncircumcised strangers. Its would behoove you to take heed to that.
Brother Tan, somehow you seem to believe that one group opposes the other...as if the whole word of God contains inconsistencies or contradictions, but we all know that cannot be. The passage you are arguing from Ezekiel pertains only to those of the covenant made at Horeb. Is that the covenant God has with you? The one He has made with "the church" the New Covenant which includes and is open to all peoples is not that covenant, just as how God's covenant with Noah, and the one with Abraham, are also not the same. Circumcision of the flesh (although I myself am circumcised) is not a requirement of the New Covenant. That aspect of the Mosaic Covenant has been fulfilled and the proper implication of it is now present (circumcision of the heart)...
The shedding of that blood is not longer necessary because the blood of His Lamb was only necessary once for all (and now He sits)...all of those Old Covenant bloods are no longer required so why do you insist on making this moot point? Are you a follower of the Covenant made at Sinai? Are you bound to keep the whole of the law? Do you think all should be so bound?
Simple answers would be most appreciated rather then long unrelated lists filled with personal judgments and accusations...Thank you for your patience!
In His love
brother Paul
Are you a follower of the Covenant made at Sinai? Are you bound to keep the whole of the law? Do you think all should be so bound?
Paul made it clear in Hebrews 13: 8
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Pat Attention:
"Hear this word that the Lord hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying,
you only have I known of all the families of the earth: Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities."
(Amos 3:1-2)
For what purpose did the Lord choose the children of Israel?
(Exodus 19: 1-6) Let's look at the 5th & 6th vs.; "Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be
a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the
earth is mine:
(6th vs.) and ye shall be unto me
a Kingdom of Priest, and a holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel."
What is the covenant that the Lord made with his people?
(Deuteronomy 29: 10-15) "Ye stand this day all of you before the Lord your God; your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, with all the men of Israel,
(11th vs.) your little ones, your wives and thy stranger that is in thy camp, from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water:
(12th vs.) That thou shouldest enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, and into his oath, which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day:
(13th vs.) That he may establish thee this day for a people unto himself, and
that he may be unto thee a God, as he hath said unto thee, and as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
(14th verse) Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath;
(15th vs.) but with him that standeth here with us this day before the Lord our God, and also with him that is not with us this day:
What is the law that the people of God are to observe?
(Exodus 20: 1-23) The Ten Commandments, God descended from heaven and spoke his commandments face to face with his people.
Is this law for the children of Israel only? No.
(Leviticus 24: 22) "
Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country: For I am the Lord your God."
How can one who is not of the lineage of Israel, become partakers of the covenant of God?
(Ephesians 2:11-22) Let's look at the 11th through 13th verses.
"Wherefore remember, that ye being in the time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands; (12th vs.) That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenant of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
(13th vs.) But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ."
Now, Paul said in Romans 2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 8 But unto them that are contentious,
and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the
Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the
Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11
For there is no respect of persons with God. 12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law:
and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; 13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God,
but the doers of the law shall be justified.
I understand how you feel when it comes to being obedient, and you should feel the way you do, because your doctrine is base off a day that Jesus didn't raise on (Sunday, first day of the week). Your hold foundation of understanding and knowledge is off and out of course, because you choose to think you can worship a day that the Lord didn't set a side (Sunday). On top of that you Sunday worshippers don't do wrong right, you guys do whatever you feel like on your so call day of worship, all your pleasure. Which amazes me, because you can't read it nowhere in the Bible, where the Sabbath day change, so you people have to make up something to say or find some kind of way to justified doing wrong, to make it seems like it’s right.
The Bible says... "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because, that in it, He had rested from all his work which God created and made." (Gen 2:1-3). The bible reveals that God blessed and set apart (sanctified) the seventh day. This day is holy unto God, and it is the only day of the week that we are commanded to honor.
"Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, an holy convocation: ye shall do no work therein: it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings." In (Lev 23:3). A
holy convocation is an assembly of the people of God, who come together to worship him.
Paul said in Ephesians 2: 18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19 Now therefore
ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 - And are
built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; Sunday doctrine has nothing to do with the apostles and prophets or Jesus Christ. The foundation of the church started in the wilderness on the seventh day of the week, Paul told you that in Acts 7:38 - This is he,
that was in the church in the wilderness with the
angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers:
who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
The oracles are still with Israel, the true Israelites, that's in captivity to this day.
We understand that Peter said in 2Peter 1:19
We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto
ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 1:21
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
Peter is letting us know that the Old Testament is more surer then the New Testament. Let see again, how Paul word it in Ephesians 2: 19 Now therefore
ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are
built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; So is Paul telling the Gentiles how important the old testament is, and how they have the same laws as Israel do. So lets go into the future again, in Ezekiel 44: 6 And thou shalt say to the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; O ye house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations,7
In that ye have brought into my sanctuary strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to pollute it, even my house, when ye offer my bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken my covenant because of all your abominations.8And ye have not kept the charge of mine holy things: but ye have set keepers of my charge in my sanctuary for yourselves.9Thus saith the Lord GOD;
No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel.
