Modern efforts to misuse Acts seem strange in two respects. Firstly, Acts is the very book that plainly states the apostolic ruling: “For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements ….” (Acts 15:28 cf. 21:25). Gentiles were not to be burdened beyond avoiding idols, immorality and blood (Acts 15:29). How, then, can Acts be used to burden people with additional rules? In Acts, Peter, Paul and others fought hard against “requiring” or “imposing” regulations from the law of Moses. Yet, ironically, modern groups try to use Acts to impose their selected parts of the law of Moses. They should be careful lest they prove to be enemies of true Christianity and call down on themselves the curses of Galatians 1:8-9 and Galatians 5:2-4.
Secondly, consider the difference between these two issues:
- In Acts, Jews were still using things of the law voluntarily in a period of change.
- Today, their example is used to require Gentiles, as a matter of necessity, to use parts of the law permanently.
Is it right to turn voluntary matters into requirements? Is it right to take things out of their transitional context, trying to make rigid, permanent rules, and to switch around the races to do it? In Acts, Jews were involved in the cases of temple use and synagogue use. No case involved purely Gentiles. In Acts, the first false teachers were Jews who wanted to force Gentiles to adopt Jewish ways. Today, nearly the opposite happens. Mainly Gentile groups try to make other Gentiles do Jewish things. Acts has no example of a Gentile becoming Jewish in any way, in order to become a Christian. For that matter, even when the law of Moses was in effect, it was never imposed on Gentiles nations. Why then, should we think it should be imposed today?