How does one defend this futile position?

shnarkle

Well-known member
The bible prophetically points out that there will be this distinction between Jews and the Gentile world. History has validated this prophecy, but Paul points out that thinking like a Gentile is futile so how does a Gentile defend their way of thinking?

Here's what Paul says, "walk not as Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, " Ephesians 4:17

Paul is not a Gentile. He's a Jew who preaches to the Gentile world. Luke records him preaching on the Sabbath, and his Gentile audience asks him if he will be back to preach on the following Sabbath. They're not thinking like Gentiles. They're thinking like Jews and Paul does nothing to dissuade them of his way of thinking.
 
The bible prophetically points out that there will be this distinction between Jews and the Gentile world. History has validated this prophecy, but Paul points out that thinking like a Gentile is futile so how does a Gentile defend their way of thinking?

Here's what Paul says, "walk not as Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, " Ephesians 4:17

Paul is not a Gentile. He's a Jew who preaches to the Gentile world. Luke records him preaching on the Sabbath, and his Gentile audience asks him if he will be back to preach on the following Sabbath. They're not thinking like Gentiles. They're thinking like Jews and Paul does nothing to dissuade them of his way of thinking.
Paul does not preach when everyone is working. To preach to Jews he does so on the Sabbath when they are gathered together, and the Gentiles know this.
 
The bible prophetically points out that there will be this distinction between Jews and the Gentile world. History has validated this prophecy, but Paul points out that thinking like a Gentile is futile so how does a Gentile defend their way of thinking?

Here's what Paul says, "walk not as Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, " Ephesians 4:17

Paul is not a Gentile. He's a Jew who preaches to the Gentile world. Luke records him preaching on the Sabbath, and his Gentile audience asks him if he will be back to preach on the following Sabbath. They're not thinking like Gentiles. They're thinking like Jews and Paul does nothing to dissuade them of his way of thinking.
Completely fail to understand the question. Would you care to rephrase it?
 
The bible prophetically points out that there will be this distinction between Jews and the Gentile world. History has validated this prophecy, but Paul points out that thinking like a Gentile is futile so how does a Gentile defend their way of thinking?

Here's what Paul says, "walk not as Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, " Ephesians 4:17

Paul is not a Gentile. He's a Jew who preaches to the Gentile world. Luke records him preaching on the Sabbath, and his Gentile audience asks him if he will be back to preach on the following Sabbath. They're not thinking like Gentiles. They're thinking like Jews and Paul does nothing to dissuade them of his way of thinking.

Paul left Judaism and started new congregations that listened to Jesus. Acts 24:5= a new religion. Jesus started it. Jesus told the Israelite spiritual teachers off-Matt 23 and assured them their religion is cut off of being Gods chosen-verse 38) unless they do verse 39--to this day they have outright refused.
 
The bible prophetically points out that there will be this distinction between Jews and the Gentile world. History has validated this prophecy, but Paul points out that thinking like a Gentile is futile so how does a Gentile defend their way of thinking?

Here's what Paul says, "walk not as Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, " Ephesians 4:17

Paul is not a Gentile. He's a Jew who preaches to the Gentile world. Luke records him preaching on the Sabbath, and his Gentile audience asks him if he will be back to preach on the following Sabbath. They're not thinking like Gentiles. They're thinking like Jews and Paul does nothing to dissuade them of his way of thinking.

I see Paul's thinking changed a bit over time. Here's an example.

Here is imposing a dietary restriction on Gentiles:

Acts 15
29You must abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.

Then here there are no dietary restrictions:

1 Timothy 4
3They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from certain foods that God has created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4For every creation of God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected, 5because it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer

So what I see is Paul's thinking became less legalistic, step by step, after his conversion.
 
dietary restrictions:
I don't think that the following commandment to Gentile Christians “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell” (Acts 15:28-29) has anything to do with "diet" as such, or at least only indirectly.

To desist from eating the blood of the animal is a kind of natural law, and a sign of respect for the animal. God commands us to respect all living creatures (i.e. his creation), as far as we are able. Nature has a habit of repaying back those who don't respect natural law or the creation itself (cf. those who engage in unnatural relations Rom 1:27-31).

To abstain from things sacrificed to idols is important because, even if food is just food, the eating of idol sacrifices conveys a message to those who witness it, and especially to the uncoverted, that you are participating in their sacrifices. Appearances are important so as "to give the enemy no opportunity for slander" 1 Ti 5:14.

So I don't believe that Paul changed him mind on anything in Acts 15.

(With respect to the OP, he seems to be confusing allusions to unregenerate unbelieving Gentiles with allusions to a mixed church of believing Gentiles & Jews.)
 
I don't think that the following commandment to Gentile Christians “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell” (Acts 15:28-29) has anything to do with "diet" as such, or at least only indirectly.

To desist from eating the blood of the animal is a kind of natural law, and a sign of respect for the animal. God commands us to respect all living creatures (i.e. his creation), as far as we are able. Nature has a habit of repaying back those who don't respect natural law or the creation itself (cf. those who engage in unnatural relations Rom 1:27-31).

To abstain from things sacrificed to idols is important because, even if food is just food, the eating of idol sacrifices conveys a message to those who witness it, and especially to the uncoverted, that you are participating in their sacrifices. Appearances are important so as "to give the enemy no opportunity for slander" 1 Ti 5:14.

So I don't believe that Paul changed him mind on anything in Acts 15.

(With respect to the OP, he seems to be confusing allusions to unregenerate unbelieving Gentiles with allusions to a mixed church of believing Gentiles & Jews.)
Good point. Thanks for the additional insight and I can see that makes sense.
 
I see Paul's thinking changed a bit over time. Here's an example.

Here is imposing a dietary restriction on Gentiles:

Acts 15
29You must abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.
Agreed.
Then here there are no dietary restrictions:

1 Timothy 4
3They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from certain foods that God has created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4For every creation of God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected, 5because it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer

So what I see is Paul's thinking became less legalistic, step by step, after his conversion.
You're presenting a false assumption. You're assuming that what Paul has written allows for the annulment of the dietary laws, but there is nothing in that citation that negates the dietary laws. In fact, he's upholding them. The "They" isn't referring to Judaism or those who uphold the Mosaic law. That's just your assumption. We know it can't be due to the fact that he clarifies his claim with: "foods that God has created to be received...etc." God didn't create swine or shellfish to be received, and NOWHERE in the bible is food defined to include pork or shellfish. They are always defined as (Heb. "tame": unclean, filthy, polluted). That's the truth, and "those who believe and know the truth" are not going to be deceived by those who have a reading comprehension problem.
 
The bible prophetically points out that there will be this distinction between Jews and the Gentile world. History has validated this prophecy, but Paul points out that thinking like a Gentile is futile so how does a Gentile defend their way of thinking?

What?

26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Here's what Paul says, "walk not as Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, " Ephesians 4:17

It says "the rest of the Gentiles" or "the rest of the nations" because he had already said this in the same letter....

11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ....

Paul is not a Gentile. He's a Jew who preaches to the Gentile world. Luke records him preaching on the Sabbath,

And why wouldn't he?

and his Gentile audience asks him if he will be back to preach on the following Sabbath.

Because they went their separate ways and were working the rest of the week?

They're not thinking like Gentiles. They're thinking like Jews and Paul does nothing to dissuade them of his way of thinking.

They are thinking that they can actually gather together on the Jewish Sabbath and altogether hear him preach.

This isn't difficult.
 
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