Can We Trade Sexual Morality for Church Growth?

[Garland-Green]

Can We Trade Sexual Morality for Church Growth?  

[real eyes realize]

Just a comment, because the following could be misinterpreted:

Quote:

There's little surprise then that the Jerusalem Council, while not placing the burden of the Mosaic ceremonial law on the new Gentile believers, did decree that the new brothers and sisters in Christ must flee sexual immorality (Acts 15:20).

I wish they'd cite up to verse 21 or else the message gets cut off and the meaning changes entirely:

Quote:

Acts 15:19-21 (NIV)

19 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. 21 For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”

They were going to learn the rest of the law of Moses eventually because the Gentiles did end up attending synagogue on Sabbath (Acts 13:14-16, 26-27, 42-44; 18:4) and the Corinthian Gentiles celebrated "ceremonial law"-type things like passover with Paul (1 Corinthians 5:7-8). As long as the temple was still up, and as much of Moses that they were aware of, they did keep those things alongside the Jews. The weightier matters were addressed via letter though.