BEMA Episode Link: 140: Not to Burden You
Episode Length: 44:55
Published Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2019 01:00:00 -0700
Session 4
About this episode:

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine how the early church community handled applying the gospel to a major cultural problem, seeking to learn from their methods and seeing what we might be able to take into our own unique settings.

Addendum on James — Marty Solomon, YouTube

Discussion Video for BEMA 140

Latest Information on BEMA Trips

In Search of Paul by John Dominic Crossan and Jonathan L. Reed

Books by N. T. Wright

Books by E. P. Sanders

Books by James D. G. Dunn

Books by Mark D. Nanos

Transcript for BEMA 140

Notes

*Note: The following notes are handwritten by me, Adam, and I reserve the right to be wrong.

BEMA Episode 140: Not to Burden You - Study Notes

Title & Source Summary

Episode: BEMA 140 - “Not to Burden You”
Topic: The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) and the early church’s approach to applying the Gospel to major cultural problems, specifically whether Gentile believers needed to become Jewish to be fully accepted into God’s household.

This episode examines how the early Christian community used principles of binding and loosing to navigate the inclusion of Gentiles, drawing parallels to modern church decision-making and cultural tensions.

Key Takeaways

• The early church faced a major cultural crisis about Gentile inclusion that mirrors modern diversity and inclusion challenges • Second Temple Judaism divided the law into three categories: cultic law (temple-based), ethical law (universally true), and works of the law (miqsat ma’asay haTorah - what makes you Jewish) • The Jerusalem Council exemplified healthy community decision-making through binding and loosing • Peter, James, and Paul each represented different perspectives but worked toward unity • The Noahic covenant provided the framework for Gentile behavioral expectations • Even apostolic leaders like Paul and Barnabas struggled with implementation despite theological agreement • The phrase “it seemed good to the Holy Spirit” suggests God participates in community discernment rather than dictating absolute positions on gray areas

Main Concepts & Theories

The Three Categories of Jewish Law (Second Temple Period)

1. Cultic Law:

  • Requirements needing temple/altar participation
  • Includes sacrificial system, priesthood, liturgical worship
  • Christians believe Jesus fulfills this category as our daily sin offering

2. Ethical Law:

  • Universally true principles regardless of culture or context
  • True because of how God designed the universe to function
  • Examples: Ten Commandments, Sabbath principle (predating Judaism)
  • Applies to all people, not just Jews

3. Miqsat Ma’asay haTorah (Works of the Law):

  • Practices that make you distinctly Jewish
  • Includes circumcision, kosher eating, wearing tassels, cleanliness laws
  • Given to make Israel “a kingdom of priests” - different from surrounding nations
  • The central debate: Are these required for justification?
The Shammai vs. Hillel Debate
  • Shammai’s position: Gentiles must convert to Judaism (carry full Torah) to be justified
  • Hillel’s position: Justification comes by faith, like Abraham in Genesis 15
  • The Jerusalem Council sided with Hillel but went even further toward full inclusion
Binding and Loosing
  • Ancient Jewish process for community decision-making on “gray areas”
  • Binding: Restricting or requiring certain practices
  • Loosing: Permitting or releasing from certain requirements
  • Applied to issues where Scripture doesn’t give explicit direction
  • Community decisions were understood to have divine backing
  • Jesus endorsed this process in Matthew 16: “Whatever you bind/loose on earth will be bound/loosed in heaven”
The Noahic Covenant Framework

James’s three requirements for Gentiles were based on the Noahic covenant:

  1. No idolatry (food sacrificed to idols)
  2. Sexual purity (avoiding sexual immorality)
  3. Sanctity of life (no blood, no strangled animals)

This covenant applied to all humanity, making it appropriate for Gentiles without requiring Jewish conversion.

Examples & Applications

Historical Context
  • The Dead Sea Scrolls (discovered mid-20th century) revolutionized understanding of Second Temple Judaism and Paul’s writings
  • The “New Perspective on Paul” scholarship corrected centuries of misreading Paul through later Western theological lenses
Modern Parallels
  • Churches facing demographic and cultural changes today mirror the early church’s inclusion struggles
  • Denominational splits often result from poor binding and loosing practices - decisions made “out of ignorance”
  • Healthy disagreement requires respecting community decisions while maintaining dialogue
Leadership Examples
  • Peter: Led with personal experience (Cornelius), spoke first at the council
  • James: Represented the most Jewish perspective but championed inclusion, found middle ground through Noahic covenant
  • Paul: Surprisingly quiet during the council, let established leaders guide the discussion despite being the issue’s catalyst
Contemporary Application
  • Modern churches could benefit from intentional binding and loosing processes
  • Distinguishing between absolute biblical truths and interpretive/applicational issues
  • Learning to disagree while maintaining unity and fellowship

Potential Areas for Further Exploration

New Perspective on Paul Authors:

  • N.T. Wright (various accessibility levels - price indicates academic depth)
  • E.P. Sanders
  • James Dunn
  • Mark D. Nanos

Contextual Studies:

  • “In Search of Paul” by Crossan and Reed (archaeological focus, read critically)
  • Dead Sea Scrolls scholarship
  • Second Temple Judaism studies
Research Topics
  • The development of the seven Noahic laws in later Talmudic literature
  • Paul’s relationship with Mark and their eventual reconciliation
  • The role of the Jerusalem church vs. diaspora churches in early Christianity
  • How binding and loosing practices developed in different Jewish communities
  • The connection between Acts 15 and Paul’s letter to the Galatians
Theological Questions
  • How should modern churches distinguish between ethical law and cultural practices?
  • What role should archaeology and historical context play in biblical interpretation?
  • How can communities maintain unity while navigating significant disagreements?

Comprehension Questions

  1. Analytical: How did the three categories of Jewish law (cultic, ethical, and miqsat ma’asay haTorah) help the Jerusalem Council frame their decision about Gentile inclusion? What would have happened if they had required Gentiles to observe all three categories?

  2. Application: Marty suggests that modern American churches face similar inclusion challenges as the Jerusalem Council. Identify a contemporary church issue that might benefit from a binding and loosing process. How would you facilitate such a discussion?

  3. Comparison: Contrast the positions of Shammai and Hillel regarding Gentile justification. How did the Jerusalem Council’s final decision relate to both perspectives, and why was this significant for the future of Christianity?

  4. Critical Thinking: The phrase “it seemed good to the Holy Spirit” suggests God participates in rather than dictates community decisions on gray areas. How does this challenge or support your understanding of divine guidance in church decision-making?

  5. Synthesis: Despite reaching theological agreement at the Jerusalem Council, Paul and Barnabas still had a “sharp disagreement” about Mark’s participation in ministry. What does this reveal about the relationship between theological unity and practical ministry decisions?

Brief Personalized Summary

The Jerusalem Council represents one of Christianity’s most crucial early decisions - determining whether the Gospel required cultural conversion or transcended cultural boundaries. By examining this through the lens of Second Temple Judaism’s legal categories and decision-making processes, we see that the early church didn’t simply “wing it” but used established frameworks (like the Noahic covenant) to navigate unprecedented questions.

The episode challenges modern assumptions about biblical interpretation and church decision-making. Rather than viewing disagreement as division-worthy, the binding and loosing process suggests God invites communities into collaborative discernment on issues where Scripture doesn’t provide explicit direction. The council’s process - listening to experience (Peter’s Cornelius encounter), examining Scripture (James’s Amos quotation), and considering practical implications - offers a model for contemporary church leadership.

Perhaps most importantly, the episode humanizes the apostles. Even after reaching theological consensus, Paul and Barnabas couldn’t agree on personnel decisions. This reminds us that faithful people can disagree on implementation while maintaining shared core commitments. The key is learning to disagree well - something our modern church desperately needs to recover.

The ultimate message is both challenging and hopeful: God’s kingdom is more inclusive than we often imagine, but learning to live that inclusion requires ongoing community discernment, humble leadership, and the courage to choose grace over comfort.

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