Anglican Daily Fountain 23 October 2023 (Devotional Today)
Welcome to Today’s Daily Fountain Devotional of the Anglican Church of Nigeria. Daily Fountain is a daily reading devotional for all Anglicans and Non-Anglicans to read, study, share and discuss the Word of God on a daily basis.
TOPIC: THE CALL INTO THE KINGDOM
TEXT: Act 15:12-22(KJV)
15:12. Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.
15:13. And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me:
15:14. Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
15:15. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,
15:16. After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:
15:17. That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.
15:18. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.
15:19. Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:
15:20. But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
15:21. For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
15:22. Then pleased it the apostles and elders with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas and Silas, chief men among the brethren:
Anglican Daily Fountain 23rd October 2023 STUDY:
The Church Council in Jerusalem was considering the issue of the relationship of the gentile believer with the ceremonial law of Moses. The bottom line was: Was it necessary to become a Jew in order to be saved? This is exactly what the Jews had believed for years. Now that gentile believers were being saved through faith in Christ, was it necessary that they went through the ritual of circumcision and the other ceremonial requirements of the Mosaic Law in order to be saved. This was not an issue of keeping the moral laws of God; these were non-negotiable.
Peter had presented his arguments before the Council and his conclusion was that God had saved the gentiles by His grace, and that they should not try to put on them the yoke of bondage that neither they nor their fathers were able to bear. Peter had finished his arguments and the chair now recognised Paul and Barnabas. We must note that the kingdom is not for any tribe but to those who does the will of the father.
PRAYER: My Lord, may I never discredit anyone called into your kingdom service but work in faith with Christ, Amen
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