Jesus, the Jubilee, and Prozbul: Understanding the Financial World of the New Testament and Why the Savior Clashed with the Pharisees

This post examines why Jesus often disagreed with the Pharisees - specifically on financial issues, such as debt forgiveness. Here we discover the Prozbul clause which was one of the main points of contention between the Savior and the religious leaders of the day. This clause defied biblical law about the the seventh year and Jubilee cycle and undermined God's social welfare programs. It completely altered the financial workings of the New Testament world, making it easy for the rich to prey on the poor. Learning about this clause will help us to understand the context of the Messiah's words throughout the Gospels. 

In Jesus's first sermon, recorded in Luke 4:16-20, he quoted Isaiah 61 announcing the Jubilee year. While Christians today read that as an innocuous declaration of how great things are with the Messiah on the scene, many of the religious leaders and powerful financiers of that time found that reference to be offensive and even threatening.

If you read through the Gospels, it doesn't take long to see that the Jesus and the Pharisees didn't see eye to eye and often clashed on issues of the day. But it's not always clear to us why that was. A lot of people believe that Jesus was more about the 'spirit' of things and religious leaders were often obsessed with the 'letter of the law,' but there's more to these standoffs than the Savior thinking these guys were annoyingly focused on small details.

Something to keep in mind about the Pharisee movement at the time of the Gospels was that it had been strongly influenced by a man named Hillel. Also known as Hillel the Elder, he is remembered for playing a leading part in developing and recording the Mishnah and Talmud - two books on Jewish oral law and tradition. While these writings offer invaluable historic and cultural insight, it's important to recognize that these are considered different than Scripture. Hillel lived until the year 10CE, so his teachings and ideas were very much still present and influential in the days of the Messiah.

Hillel's most famous influential act was his endorsement of what is known as the Prozbul clause. 

What that clause did was create loans that were not eligible for forgiveness during the Jubilee, or Shmita years - something that is in direct contrast to biblical law. Deuteronomy 15:1 tells us that every seventh year we must cancel the debts of anyone that owes us money. (Jesus's prayer "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors," was not a parable.) The Prozbul clause disregarded this law, making debts lifelong and making it nearly impossible for anyone in debt to get free of that.

The Prozbul clause was an absolute economic bombshell in the New Testament world! It touched every aspect of life. It made the poor poorer and created substantial opportunities for the well-off to exploit those of lesser means. Most of us are familiar with the burden of debts that follow you throughout your life. Imagine going from a world where every seven years those debts were erased to suddenly being weighed down with them - in many cases by religious leaders. It also created a precedent for setting aside God's laws in favor of what men decide is more expedient.

There are many arguments made that the Prozbul clause was not created to stoke greed and let the wealthy gain more control of regular people, but rather it was intended to ensure that the poor would always find a willing lender to provide them with lifesaving loans so they could buy food for their families. The logic being that lenders would not be incentivized to give money if they didn't think it would be repaid before the seventh year. It could very well be that Hillel was well-intended when he made this clause, but of course this suggests that lenders were acting in ways that directly contradict Scriptures such as Leviticus 25:37 that says no one should lend money to the poor at interest or sell them food at a profit. 

Jesus comments on this issue directly in Luke 6:35 when he says to lend without expecting to repaid. His words are literally the opposite of Hillel's Prozbul clause. 

Note that this idea was not new to Jesus, and that the forgiveness of debts is at the core of biblical law. Scripture is filled with protections for the poor and those in debt...protections that benefited not just individual debtors but the economic and spiritual health of society. One of the main criticisms of kings of Israel and Judah had to do with them letting oligarchies control the land, and we see Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, and Micah denounce kings for refusing to protect the poor from creditors. Jeremiah and Ezekiel in particular were major advocates of debt forgiveness, because they recognized forfeitures of land and personal liberty were violations of the Jubilee covenant that YHWH created.

The New Testament world was filled with men ignoring and breaking that covenant. Unethical money lenders were entrapping the people in debt, in direct opposition to God's directives. This was offensive to the Savior who placed so much importance on the Passover story and remembering how God redeemed his people from bondage. Of course he would have been angry with religious leaders for working to ensnare his people in debt! 

When we realize much of the Old Testament has to do with the conflict between debtors and creditors, it only makes sense that this issue would continue to come up in the Messiah's day. This is why Jesus was angry with the money lenders in the Temple, why he encouraged people to sell their possessions and give to the poor, why he told parables about debt relief (Matthew 18:21), why he believed it was hard for a rich man to enter God's kingdom (Matthew 19:23), why he was against wage labor (Matthew 20), and why he did not believe YHWH and money could be served simultaneously. 

This means the Savior didn't think the Pharisees were too focused on God's laws - he was angry that they disregarded them. Understanding the Prozbul clause is a key to seeing the words of Jesus as he truly meant them.

Related posts:
How Did John the Baptist Prepare the Way for Jesus?
What Jesus Meant by the Poor Will Always Be With You
What the Laws and Rulings of Ezekiel 25 Mean

The Forgotten Lesson of Rhoda in Acts 12

This post takes a look at the life of Rhoda, a servant girl in the house of Mary, mother of John Mark, as glimpsed in Acts 12:13-16. Though the mention of her going to the door when Peter knocked after a divine prison breakout is brief, we have a significant lesson to learn from this woman of faith.

Who is Rhoda in the Bible?

We are told that Rhoda is a female servant, likely a young one, in the home of Mary. While Scripture doesn't overtly say she was a follower of the Messiah, we have reason to believe that she was based on her actions in this story. We also know that she was able to recognize Peter's voice, which meant she was in the thick of the action of the early church and had heard people preach and discuss the Gospel. The story we have of her takes place during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, where she was working in a home that was hosting gatherings of believers.

Rhoda comes up in Acts 12:13-16 and is usually treated like an amusing anecdote. 

This passage of Scripture immediately follows the miraculous escape from prison that Peter had after he was awoken by an angel who distracted the guards, released his chains, walked past soldiers and through a gate that opened by itself. It was such a dramatic scene that Peter didn't think it was actually happening. He presumed it to be a vision or dream according to Acts 12:9. Once the angel mysteriously disappeared and Peter found himself outside the city did he realize it was a divine rescue-mission so he could avoid whatever Herod and the religious leaders planned to do to him at his trial the next day. It's such a wild and exciting part of the Bible that it's easy to gloss over the next detail.

Peter decided to head to the house of a woman named Mary. She was the mother John Mark, who wrote the gospel of Mark. She had apparently been using her home as some sort of base or gathering place for the Disciples and followers of the Messiah. Peter knew he would be welcomed and sheltered there, and that he could reconnect with other believers. Sure enough, many of Jesus's followers had come together there to pray, despite the late hour. 

Peter knocked on the gate, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer. When she heard Peter's voice, she was too excited to open the gate. She ran back into the house and said Peter was standing there. "You are crazy!" everyone told her. But she kept saying it was Peter. -Acts 12:13-15

In the past, I have consistently heard this story told in a way that highlights the shock of the disciples, in order to emphasize just how impossible this prison breakout was. It only happened because of divine intervention. It was so unlikely that Rhoda's joy at the surprise of Peter's presence was so encompassing that she was too excited to open the gate. 

But what's really noteworthy here isn't just the joy at Peter's safe return. Rhoda usually gets treated by pastors like she's fan-girling over Peter and is such an airhead that she doesn't even think to let him in. But she doesn't forget to let him in, she can't let him in. This isn't a matter of opening an unlocked screen door. Believers at this point are facing heavy persecution. Peter is in prison. James has already been killed. It seems likely that they are taking security precautions, especially given that it's the middle of the night during a Biblical holiday. The gate would have been large and heavy. It would have been tricky and cumbersome to open under the best circumstances, but the joy and surprise Rhoda experienced kept her from being able to open up the gate for him. 

What stands out is that no one listened to her. No one took her at her word that Peter was there. No one offered to help her open the gate so they could check. They came up with elaborate explanations about what she had heard. They actually insisted to her that she was crazy!

But she kept saying it was Peter!

This isn't the first time that the Bible tells a story about a woman who is not believed. The same thing happens to Mary Magdalene when she follows the instruction of Jesus to go and tell his brothers what he's said to her.

It's interesting that the Bible records this happening. More than once. We have a lesson to learn here, and it's a simple one: it's okay to believe women and it's okay to hear them talk about the Gospel.

Scripture literally puts this detail in: a woman knew the truth, a woman shared the truth, and she wasn't believed.

Many women continue to be treated this way today. Having their words, devotionals, teachings, and insights be disregarded and then being verbally abused for talking about truth. The inclusion of this detail of Rhoda's life highlights that not believing women has backfired on people and the church in general. Her story reminds these women to keep saying it. 

Rhoda's story teaches us that we can keep speaking the truth of Scripture even when we don't have the support of the people around us. We see from her story that all of God's children deserve to be treated with respect and care, regardless of their gender, societal rank, or socioeconomic status. 

Before calling someone crazy, go check the gate.

More posts about women in Scripture:
The Significance of Sarah in the Bible
Who Was Phoebe in Romans 16?
What the Mary and Martha Story Actually Means

The Poor Will Always Be With You - What Jesus Meant (Matthew 25:11)

Here we take a closer look at the words of Jesus when he said that the poor would always be with us in Matthew 26:11. We will see that Jesus was not showing a callous disregard for those who lacked financial and physical provision and he certainly didn't ignore the many parts of Scripture that call for the poor to be cared for. We will see that his words come from the book of Deuteronomy and take a look at what that means for our understanding of this passage. We will also learn a handy tip for studying the Bible!

In Matthew 26:11, Jesus defended the choice of a woman to anoint him with a very expensive oil, even though the cost of the oil could have done much to help the poor. The words he chose were, "The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me."

This verse has been really misapplied and it's caused many believers to think that any sort of anti-poverty initiatives are just a waste of time, because Jesus said there would always be poor people, so there's just no fixing that. Many people use that as their reason for not giving more or not paying their employees better, or for not advocating for government and workplace policies that would help alleviate poverty. I mean, it can't be fixed...Jesus said so, right?

But viewing the Messiah's statement this way means it doesn't fit with what the rest of what the Bible says.

Blessed is he who is generous to the poor. -Proverbs 14:21

Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but who is generous to the needy honors him. -Proverbs 14:31

Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, he himself said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." -Acts 20:35

From this handful of verses alone, it would make absolutely no sense that the Messiah would suddenly go against these Biblical tenets, and say to ignore the poor.

So why did Jesus make this statement?

He is referencing a Bible verse! It's not so much that he's making a blanket statement about the poor, and he's certainly not rolling his eyes to say, 'there will always be poor people, so who cares?' By saying "the poor will always be with you," he's agreeing with the disciples, that yes, the poor should be taken care of.

When he spoke he was referencing this verse from Deuteronomy.

"There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to open wide your hand to your brother, to the poor and the needy." -Deuteronomy 15:11

In his culture the disciples and many of the people he was around would have been very familiar with Scripture. Several times Jesus brings up a phrase from the Scripture but does not complete it. Not because he's cherry picking to make a point, but because those around him would have immediately understood what he was talking about.

This is similar to phrases we hear today such as, "We the people." Most of us don't need that phrase to be completed to know that is a reference to the US Declaration of Independence, and have at least some idea of the historic and symbolic significance of that. 

When his audience heard him briefly reference the Bible it immediately brought to mind the entire passage of that verse and what it stood for, as well as the cultural and personal customs they had around this. Jesus validated their work in giving.

So rather than disregarding the needs of the poor, Jesus is actually reminding us that we should be helping them! In fact, when you look at the rest of that verse, it says "Open your hand wide to the poor." I think part of the point is that I am called to be generous, even if those around me are not or if I think someone should be spending their money differently.

The Messiah believed in caring for the poor. 

This is a great Bible study tool in general. When you see a quote from elsewhere in Scripture, take a moment and flip to that verse and see the rest of what it says because the authors of the Bible knew! 

Related posts:

Misconceptions about the Bible
How John the Baptist Prepared the Way for Jesus
Fifty Ways to Love Your Neighbor

Passover: The Meal that Tells the Gospel Story

This post highlights the deep symbolism and rich meaning of the foods in the Passover meal. When Jesus needed to let his Disciples know the meaning of his fast approaching death, he didn't give them a sermon or write them a book. He gave them a meal. And this meal tells the Gospel story. If you've ever wondered about the foods of the last supper or why the Savior compared himself to a certain kind of bread, this post is for you!

Where do we see the Passover meal in Scripture?

The first so named Passover meal that appears in the Bible happens in the book of Exodus, just before the Israelites are suddenly, finally expelled from slavery in Egypt.

"That same night they are to eat the meat of the lamb roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast." -Exodus 12:8 

Roasted lamb. Bitter herbs. Unleavened bread.

What are the significance of these foods?

The roasted lamb was slain and it's blood painted around the doors of the homes of God's people, which kept them safe from death.

The bread was unleavened which means it was not naturally fermented like sourdough bread or raised with a leavening agent like yeast or baking soda. The bread would have been flat or close to it. The reason for this was that things changed so quickly for the Israelites that they did not have time to prepare their bread in the normal way. This reminds us that God provides, even if it's not exactly in the way we expect.

What about the herbs? The reason for the bitter herbs is not expressly stated in Scripture and the Bible also uses a fairly vague word for them so we don't know exactly what vegetable or herbs may have accompanied the first Passover meal. I believe that highlights YHWH's intention to be inclusive to all people around the world, since there are many vegetables that could be described as bitter. It also shows that God provides for us since many of these herbs are wild or perennial.

Scripture calls us to "eat to remember all the days of your life" when God quickly lead his people out of slavery. By eating these foods and taking part in this meal, we remember the miracles and how the Living God came through for his people.

These foods speak of God's promises! 

Jesus and the last supper:

Many, many years after the first Passover meal, the Savior gathered his followers for a meal the night of his arrest.

Most scholars believe this was a Passover meal. And it seems obvious that it would be. Here Jesus is connecting this meal to the Exodus. It's not a coincidence that the Messiah died on the very same day that God's people were freed from slavery. God planned this.

We have reason to believe the menu was similar to the original. This was practical, of course. Jerusalem bakeries wouldn't have been selling leavened bread at this time of year, and bitter herbs and greens are abundant in the springtime. But that wasn't the only reason. This would have been an important custom to the Disciples, to follow Scripture's instructions for this meal. Eating the same meal or at least a similar one is a way to connect to the original event.

N.T. Wright points out that, "when Jesus wanted to explain to his followers what his forthcoming death was all about, he did not give them a theory, a model, a metaphor, or any other such thing; he gave them a meal, a Passover meal." 

Of course, when Jesus serves this meal, the climax isn't on the roasted lamb. The New Testament insists that Jesus is the worthy lamb who was slain, and his connection to the Passover lamb whose blood stopped the angel of death is not one to be missed.

The bread and wine were the highlight of the last supper. Jesus literally likens them to himself.  

Why would the Messiah opt for a Passover meal in his final moments with his Disciples? Because that was the context he saw his death in.

Jesus did not face the cross and look at it like he was getting punished instead of us because God had set an impossible standard for humans to live up to and was angry when we didn't.

Jesus looked at his death the way he looked at the Exodus story. God's people were enslaved and they needed to be freed so that they would be free to worship him and to bear his image while representing his truth to the world. 

The foods he served indicated this. The roasted lamb stood for the Messiah and how his blood would stop other powers from controlling our lives, something that Jesus also chose to highlight when he served wine and called it his blood. The bread of life wasn't just provision, it was also broken for our benefit. The green herbs speak of new beginnings and that God provides for us, even amidst bitterness.  

The foods of the Passover meal speak of God's promises and when we take part in these meal we remember that we are not enslaved, but set free of by the Messiah so that we can worship him and show his love and truth to the people around us.

Related posts: 

The Spiritual Meaning of Unleavened Bread
What are the Differences Between Passover and Easter?
What Scripture Says about Passover 

How Churches Can Celebrate Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits

Here are ways that churches, whether large or small, can celebrate the Biblical holidays of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits. These activities work for individuals and families as well as youth groups.

At this time of year there are many church events that are focused on Easter. With a few small shifts, your church and community can start collectively taking part in the Biblical holidays - including the days that the Savior actually died (Passover) and rose from the grave (First Fruits - during the week of Unleavened Bread). Making this change will help people to better understand God's word, by having first hand experience with the celebrations it calls for. We will also honor the Creator by doing what he said!

Many of us have heard that taking part in the Biblical holidays is difficult or boring, but that's not the case! Scripture gives a few instructions (the largest of which is avoiding yeasted or raised breads during Unleavened Bread), but leaves plenty of room for creativity in our celebrations! Worship and the word are at the center of festivities but there are plenty of opportunities for connecting with others, playing games, and having a joyful time in this holiday season. 

If your church has worship nights, fellowship meals, or youth retreats on random days, you can certainly schedule things like that during the Biblical holidays as a way to worship God. Ditch the Easter bunny and celebrate the holidays that Jesus took part in!

How churches can observe Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits:

-Host a Passover meal. 

-Hand out recipes for unleavened bread.

-Have a class or demonstration on making unleavened bread - for adults or children! 

-Drive for a food pantry.  

-Children's recital or play. Choose songs related to the Messiah's resurrection, or Bible passages about the Exodus or Last Supper for them to act out.

-Worship night.

-Celebrate the Messiah's resurrection on First Fruits. Leave out the bunnies and eggs. 

-Make an Exodus themed escape room or obstacle course.

-Movie night.

-Fundraiser or drive to support refugees.  

-Prayer service.

-Fellowship meals during Unleavened Bread. 

More posts about celebrating these holidays:
How to host a Passover Meal as a Believer in Messiah
The Beginner's Guide to the Feast of Unleavened Bread
Passover Crafts for Kids

Here's When the Biblical Holiday Dates Are in 2027

This is when the Biblical holidays happen in 2027.

If you're looking for next year's dates for Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Shavuot, the Feast of Trumpets, Yom Kippur, and the Feast of Tabernacles you have come to the right place. These holidays have historic and prophetic meaning in Scripture and believers today can take part in that by adding these dates to their calendars!

While the Bible gives specific dates for each holiday, the Gregorian calendar doesn't match up with the Creator's calendar so the dates land a little bit differently each year on our modern calendar. There are also a few different ways to calculate the start of the year and because of that some groups will observe them at slightly different times. What I'm sharing here is the most commonly used set of dates. Whether you go by this calendar or another, mark your calendars for these set apart times!

When do the Biblical holidays happen in 2027?

Passover - April 21-22

Unleavened Bread - April 22-29

First Fruits - April 24-25

Shavuot - June 10-11

Feast of Trumpets - October 1-2

Yom Kippur - October 10-11

Feast of Tabernacles - October 15-22

A couple of things about this: according to this calendar, days start in the evening at sundown. This means that Passover starts on the evening of April 21 and goes through the evening of the 22nd. If you do not observe days as starting in the evening, then celebrating Passover the day of April 22nd would be appropriate. 

In the Bible, the Feast of Trumpets and Shavuot are both one day holidays. Some traditions today celebrate those for two days each, so certain sects will add an extra day after the dates given here.

There are also some different schools of thought for when First Fruits should be celebrated. Some people will celebrate it the first Sunday after Passover (which would be April 24/25th this year), while others will observe it fifty days before Shavuot, which puts it on the first day of Unleavened Bread.

It's also important to note that while all of these are special times, some of these days are considered Sabbaths which means we shouldn't work on them. These Sabbath days are the first and last days of Unleavened Bread, Shavuot, the Feast of Trumpets, Yom Kippur, and the first and last days of Tabernacles. This means that believers should request off from work or arrange to be away from their business on those days, as well as refrain from shopping, errands, and yard or household projects and chores. 

Sabbath days for 2027:

First Day of Unleavened Bread - April 22-23
Last Day of Unleavened Bread - April 28-29
Shavuot - June 10-11
Trumpets - October 1-2
Yom Kippur - October 10-11
First Day of Tabernacles - October 15-16
Last Day of Tabernacles (The Eighth Great Day) - October 21-22

As well as all weekly Sabbaths, of course.

You have the opportunity to celebrate what God has done by joining in on the Biblical holidays this year! 

Related posts:
The Beginner's Guide to the Biblical Holidays
Why the Biblical Holidays Are for All Believers
Six Reasons Believers Should Keep the Bible's Holidays Today

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