Word to the Wise
Thursday, May 7, 2015 - 5th Week of Easter - Thurs
[Acts 15:7-21 and John 15:9-11]"Why, then, are you now putting God to the test by placing on the shoulders of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they." [Acts]
One of the pivotal moments in the history of Christianity was the gathering in Jerusalem (sometimes called "the Council of Jerusalem") to settle the issue of requirements to be a member of the Christian community. It was not simply a matter of the requirements but one of identity. The first believers did not see themselves apart from Jewish history and observances. When Paul and Barnabas began a mission to the Gentiles, some members of the community in Jerusalem insisted that new converts accept circumcision and the Mosaic observances. Paul and Barnabas saw this as a threat to all that they were trying to accomplish. Salvation for Paul did not come through observance of the Mosaic Law but through faith in Jesus Christ. Today's first scripture from the Acts of the Apostles reenacts Paul's argument to the meeting.
Some writers have referred to Paul as the "second founder" of Christianity because of the decision made to require only minimal observances of the Mosaic tradition. Any Christian who wishes may indeed accept and live according to the "kosher" observances (which are subject to varying interpretations). But it is not a requirement. The decision made in Jerusalem had the effect of cutting off the early Christian community from dependence on its Jewish roots. This took a long time to complete but we see it in the fact that we do not worship at a synagogue! And there is the very terrible history of anti-semitism which fills in the centuries since then.
The Second Vatican Council, in the document "Nostra Aetate," condemned anti-semitism and subsequent Church documents have celebrated the Jewish roots of Christianity. The "Old Testament" is the word of God and we share that with our Jewish brothers and sisters. The separation that came about centuries ago may have been necessary, but it does not have to make us enemies. AMEN
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