Legal Issues in the Book of Acts (That No One Talks About)

Discover the book of Acts from a different perspective, where we focus on what was pertinent to believers at the time: legal issues surrounding faith in the Messiah! The question of who could worship in what way was central to the response of people when they heard the Gospel. Examining the book of Acts through this lens will also help us to make sense of why Paul and other members of the early church were frequently in trouble with civic and religious leaders, often for conflicting reasons. Here we will mostly focus on events in Acts 16, 17, and 18 but this issue runs throughout the book of Acts and is imperative to understanding the New Testament and the world of the early church.

How do we know there were legal problems in Acts?

"These men are advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice." -Acts 16:2

"They are all defying Caesar's decrees, saying there is another king, one called Jesus." -Acts 17:7

"This man is teaching people to worship God in illegal ways." -Acts 18:13

While many of us take religious freedom for granted today that was not the situation the early church found itself in amidst the Roman Empire. In the culture of the time, worshiping the approved gods was considered a mandatory civic duty. Most citizens were legally obligated to make sacrifices and observe other religious customs. This observance was thought to appease the local gods, who in turn would provide good harvests, military success, temperate weather and so on.

This means that if famine struck your area, or if your soldiers didn't fare too well in battle, everyone thought the problem was that not enough had been done to appease the gods. Anyone not participating in local religious customs was believed to be to blame. Imagine the pressure you would be under if all your neighbors thought it was your fault every time there was economic hardship or a fire or a battle was lost!

However, one group had legal exemption from participating in the state religion of Rome. That group was the Judeans - people from the tribes of Israel who worshiped YHWH. They were allowed to worship God and participate in their own customs in place of Rome's. Other people groups generally did not have the option to not participate in the Roman religion or to pick a religion for themselves. 

And this is what so much of the fuss is about in Acts.

Two main debates raged:

1. Should worship of the Messiah be legally granted if it fell under worship of YHWH?

2. Who should be allowed to worship the Messiah? Could members of the northern tribes of Israel be included, along with those with no physical ancestry in Israel?

There was a huge amount of concern throughout the book of Acts that these things would not be permitted, which is why we see verses like:

"These men are advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice." -Acts 16:21

The illegal 'customs' would have been the new practice of non-Judeans or non-Israelites worshiping the God of Israel through the name Yahusha or Jesus. Roman citizens could not just decide to worship a 'new' god, because of their civic duties to local deities. They were worried they would be persecuted, or even killed, for worshiping the Messiah.

A huge portion of the events in Acts have to do with Paul explaining, or attempting to explain, that it was not illegal for anyone (even non-Israelites) to worship Jesus, because he was the goal that God's plan was getting at all along.

Why were religious leaders upset with Paul?

I used to assume that religious leaders just didn't accept Jesus, and that's why they were so mad at Paul. But that's not what was going on. Sure many people at that time did not believe Yahusha was the promised Messiah, but different sects disagreed all the time...we see that many times in the Gospel where the Sadducees and Pharisees argue about issues such as eternal life. That's not why they cared about what Paul was up to.

They cared because they believed it would cause them to lose their official permission to practice their religion. Let's take a look at what's going on...

In Acts 17, Paul and Silas had gone to Thessalonica where they preached and caused "certain Jews to become angry." These religious individuals were so upset, they leveled a serious accusation.

"These men have caused troubled all over the world have now come here, and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar's decrees, saying there is another king, one called Jesus." -Acts 17:6b-7

The religious leaders here are angry that Paul's teaching goes against...what? Scripture? No. They are angry he is teaching against Caesar's decrees. In fact, they charged them with what was known as heteron basileia - the declaration of there being another king. Which was not just having an obscure idea, but something considered to be treason. 

While sometimes Paul is accused of breaking religious rules, the concern here is that he's acting against Caesar's decrees. Scholars note that the implication of this is the above exemption we talked about above...that this specific group of people were permitted to to practice their own religious customs instead of the Roman way. While they had permission, they seemed concerned that the attempts of Paul to include others in this could land them in trouble with the authorities. Verse 8 tells us that the crowd and the authorities were greatly agitated by this, so it seems fair to say that Paul and Silas were pushing everyone's limits.

Then while in Corinth in Acts 18:12 a group of Jews made a 'united attack on Paul' and brought him to Gallio, the Roman proconsul, or provincial governor, in the Roman Empire. They told him that Paul was persuading people to worship God in illegal ways.

What is Gallio's response? Scripture tells us he blew them off before Paul could even start to defend himself.

Gallio said to them, "If you were making a complaint about a misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. But since it involved questions and words and names and your own law - settle it yourselves. I will not judge this." -Acts 18:14-15

Gallio saw the argument as one that involved the intricacies of a religious sect that was already approved. He really didn't care what they did or said - they were exempt from taking part in the state Roman religion. This is a viewpoint Paul shares, believing since it was legally acceptable to worship YHWH, it was also legally acceptable to worship YHWH in the form of the Messiah, and to thus abstain from idol worship. 

Rome agreed with Paul when Gallio declared this had nothing to do with him. This was transformative for the people of Corinth at the time. Paul saw this as official permission that it was legal to worship the Messiah there.

What's wild about this is that this is the last of the persecution of the early church that we see in Corinth! In every other letter Paul writes to churches, he mentions recipients being persecuted. But not in 1 or 2 Corinthians. Having established legal precedent through the Gallio the proconsul, citizens of Corinth were not persecuted for worshiping the Messiah.

We see something similar happen not terribly far away in Athens, though this time it is not fellow worshippers of YHWH who are upset with Paul. This time he was disputing with "Epicurean and Stoic philosophers," (Acts 17:1). Paul is arrested and brought to trial at Mars Hill. There he is accused of advocating foreign gods. This was an issue not of xenophobia, but of genuine concern for what would happen if the official local deities like Athena and Zeus were not worshiped. We expect Paul to explain the importance of worshiping Jesus, because only he can forgive sins and grant eternal life. But Paul's defense is that YHWH is already being worshiped in the form of the unknown god, therefore he is not advocating for anything against the law.

We see Paul continue to insist throughout Acts that he "hasn't offended Biblical law, Temple law, or Caesar's law," (Acts 25:8). This isn't him crying that he should be left alone because he's not breaking the law, but an attempt at explaining there is no legal problem anywhere with worshiping the Messiah. I believe that is why he appeals to Caesar in Acts 25:11...his goal wasn't to get out of prison as quickly as he could, but to make the legality of worshiping Jesus known as widely as possible.

This helps us to see that spreading the Gospel was not just about sharing a strange new idea or trying to convince people to accept the Messiah. We can see better the challenges the disciples and adopters of the faith were facing when they chose to serve the Messiah.

Related posts:
Paul's Legal Defense at Mars Hill in Acts 17
The Two Houses: Israel and Judah in Scripture
Does God Offer a Covenant of Vocation or a Works Contract?

Understanding the Meaning of Colossians 2:16-17 - Shadow of Things to Come

This post is going to take a look at Colossians 2:16-17, which is a Bible passage that is frequently misunderstood or taken out of context. We will see that this is not a license to take part in any holiday of our choice, but a reminder to those under religious oppression that they are able to take part in the Biblical holidays like Passover because of the work of the Messiah.

"Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a new moon celebration or a Sabbath day, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ." -Colossians 2:16-17

Many people believe that this verse is a license to essentially do whatever you want, not only with food, but when it comes to holidays. They believe it's up to each of us to decide what holidays to take part in and we are given a free pass to avoid judgment. This is the verse that is most frequently used whenever anyone raises objections to certain Christmas customs or Easter practices. People are quick to say whatever they are doing is okay because this verse says not to let anyone judge you.

But you can only view this verse from that perspective if you are looking through some very dirty lenses.

On this blog, we have discussed time and again why the New Testament does not teach or permit eating animals that God said were off limits. I'll link to those posts below for anyone not familiar with why that is.  

Many Christians today think Paul's phrasing here in Colossians gives them license to trade in the Biblical holidays that God commanded his people celebrate, for manmade religious holidays like Christmas, Easter, Lent and so on. Some take it to mean it's okay to celebrate anything and everything from Oscar Night to Halloween. 

But let's look at the phrasing. Colossians doesn't say, "Don't let anyone judge you for taking part in cultural holidays." God's word says, "Don't let anyone judge you for taking part in Sabbath days."

It specifically lists feast days, new moons, and the Sabbath. What's significant about this? These are all holidays and markers found in the Bible. Scripture doesn't say don't let anyone judge you for taking part in the world's holidays, it says don't worry if people condemn you for taking part in God's.

And while many translations use something like 'religous festival' we know this is referencing the Biblical holidays of Passover, Unleavened Bread, Shavuot, Trumpets, the Day of Cleansing, and Tabernacles, and not any manmade holiday that happens to be religious, such as Christmas. We know this because of verse 17. These holidays are a shadow of the things to come! 

God's Biblical holidays were designed to tell the Gospel story and speak of his promises. All of these holidays point to things yet to come and still be fulfilled. While manmade holidays can be fun and even have spiritual signficance, these were not designed by the Creator to be shadows of the ultimate story of his work.

So what Paul is saying is not to let anyone judge you for the Bible holidays you keep or for honoring the Sabbath. And doesn't this fit better with what we see today? Believers who keep the Sabbath or celebrate Passover and Unleavened Bread instead of Easter are routinely criticized by other believers. That is not a surprise to God.

This also fits better with the rest of the text and the world that Paul lived in at the time of this writing. In ancient Rome, worshipping certain gods and goddesses was considered a civic duty, and those not taking part in the customs and celebrations were often blamed for any great or small calamity in the area. So would it make more sense for Paul to encourage people to not fear condemnation from others for skipping those festivities, or for him to say, 'Don't worry what other believers tell you - God's Sabbaths and holidays don't matter'? Keep in mind, much of the New Testament shows us how hard Paul worked to set a legal precedent that believers didn't have to take part in the worship of Roman gods.

If we back up to verse 15 we can see that this fits with this understanding of what Paul is getting at, because he's talking about principalities and powers being disarmed and the Messiah having made a public spectacle over them. Paul doesn't think it's fine to ignore the Sabbath and the rest of God's calendar because ungodly principalities have been disarmed, he thinks all can now celebrate God's holy days because they are no longer held in the clutches of those powerful entities that would keep them away. 

So what are we supposed to not have people judge us about? Doing things God's way. We know that this passage is refering to both Biblical dietary commands, and the holidays and Sabbaths created by God. We see this because Paul said they are shadows of things still to come and that the substance of these things belongs to the Messiah. So don't let anyone judge you for living out your faith in the Messiah!

To recap, we know that while many pastors and Christians believe that this passage means you can ignore God's holidays and replace them with anything you want, that's not what the Bible teaches and is not what Paul intends to say here.

Colossians 2:16-17 is not about celebrating Christmas or Easter because:

1. Because it's talking about God's holidays and Sabbaths! 

2. Paul told believers elsewhere to keep the feasts, and worked to do so himself.

3. Paul worked to establish legal precedent for believers in the Messiah to not take part in Roman holidays and worship.

Related posts:
Mars Hill and Paul's Legal Precedent to Worship Jesus
The Beginner's Guide to the Biblical Holidays
Understanding Mark 7:19 and the Messiah Declaring All Foods Clean

5 Things Christians Should Know about the Sabbath

Discover powerful Biblical truths about the Sabbath day in this post. Here we examine a few tenets of God's Sabbath day that are often overlooked by Christians. This is not everything there is to know about God's day of rest, but basics that every believer should know and learn from.

Here's what all Christians should know about the Sabbath day:

1. Sabbath is the seventh day of the week. We first see this in Genesis 2:2, "On the seventh day God rested." Verse 3 goes on to say that then "God blessed the seventh day and set it apart."

2. Nowhere in the Bible does the Sabbath get changed to Sunday. Look through the Old and New Testaments, and you will see there is no part of Scripture that says the Sabbath was switched to Sundays or that the disciples or early church did or approved of this.

3. Keeping the Sabbath holy means not working on it, not causing someone else to work, and not doing ordinary household chores. Instructions for this are in the ten commandments, and we see Jesus and the disciples honoring Biblical Sabbath laws throughout the New Testament.

4. Scripture instructs all believers to keep the Sabbath, no matter their ancestry, family traditions, or when they were born. This is consistent throughout Scripture. We have New Testament passages telling us that we are all one in the Messiah, so why would he give different instructions? Additionally, verses like Ezekiel 46:3, Isaiah 56:6 expressly say that foreigners should take part in worshiping God on the Sabbath and honoring this day.

5. The Bible says that people who keep the Sabbath are happy! Isaiah 56:2 tells us this truth and most people who have started keeping the Sabbath day will attest to the joy and peace that intentionally setting apart God's holy day to rest and worship him brings!

More posts about the Sabbath:
Did Jesus Break the Sabbath?
Why I Still Keep the Sabbath After 15 Years
What To Do on the Sabbath

What is the Curse of the Law? (Galatians 3:13 Meaning)

Here we are going to address the famous phrase, "curse of the law," from Galatians 3:13. We will look at common misunderstandings about this passage, and find out what Paul was really getting at when he used these words. We will see this from a 'covenant of vocation' perspective instead of the more common 'works contract' view of God's plan for humanity - as explained by N.T. Wright. 

"The Messiah redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse on our behalf." -Galatians 3:13

Most of Christianity teaches that the curse of the law is eternal condemnation when we fail to follow God's instructions in the tiniest way. Any slip up, whether intentional or not, cuts us off from God and sends us to hell. Within this framework, God's law is believed to be so complex that we can't even know what it consists of. Therefore, many of us sin without realizing it and becoming "cursed by the law."

Tradition tells us that the curse of the law is being sent to hell when we are imperfect.

But if that was what Paul was getting at, it would make more sense for him to follow that up with something like, "so that we might be freed from sin and go to heaven." But he doesn't say anything like this. He also doesn't say that this brings us back into fellowship with God. Those are important topics, but not what Paul is addressing here.

What does Paul go on to say?

"He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to all people through the Messiah, so that by faith we would receive the promise of the Spirit." -Galatians 3:14

This ties into God's promises to Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3, Genesis 18:18, Genesis 26:4, etc.). Having a worldwide family of his people was always part of the Creator's plan, and the Messiah's death makes that possible. Not because certain ethnicities or nations weren't 'allowed' into God's family before - but because the curse of the law had cut off many people.

The Messiah bore the curse of the law so that the blessing given to Abraham would go to all people.

Why is Paul bringing up promises made to Abraham and Sarah when he's talking about the curse of the law?

Because according to N.T. Wright the "Biblical view of what was achieved through Jesus's death has to do with the restoration of the human vocation, and Israel's larger divine purpose for the world."

The curse of the law was that human idolatry kept YHWH's people from participating in his covenant!

When we participate in covenant with YHWH we get to bear his image to the world. It becomes our job to reflect God's love and truth to the world and to care for people and steward creation. The curse of the law was that humans were unable to do this properly because of idolatry.

Wright says, "Jesus's death got rid of the roadblock between the divine promises and the nations for whom they were intended. And it opened the way for the Spirit to be poured out to equip God's people for their tasks." This understanding fits with Romans 8:28 - "God works all things together for good with those who love him." We were created to impact the world by being in covenant with YHWH. 

This understanding means that the law was not a threatening moral code that cursed us. Human idolatry - the failure to worship only YHWH - kept God's people from participating in his covenant. Breaking the law was a sign that idolatry was happening. Biblical law is given as a guideline to help us to stay away from idolatry.

What does it mean when it says Jesus became a curse?

This can be a very confusing verse. Paul is not saying the Messiah is somehow a bad thing or connected to cursing. Rather, the Messiah bore the penalty for mankind not holding up their end of the covenant. When humans broke the covenant by worshipping gods that were not YHWH, they were not punished. Jesus died in their place, even though he had not broken the covenant.

In Galatians Paul is celebrating that the reconciling death of the Messiah sets people free to take up their true vocation, and be part of the divine plan for the world.

More posts like this:
God Offers Us a Covenant of Vocation - Not a Works Contract
What Romans 8:28 Actually Means
The Three Types of Law in the Bible