Answering Melanie’s Question II

Today I want to continue with my answer to a question that was on the comment section of the last blog post “Repaying with affliction those who afflict you” I think that this is a very important question and, if we are ever to get our theology right this question must be answered.  You can find the first post on this topic here: Answering Melanie’s Question

Melanie asks this question

“just finished reading the unraveling of revelation by Patrick Stone. Have you read it? It's along this same line. If we are past revelation, then where does that leave us?”

A while back I wrote a post entitled Heaven and earth must have passed; Jots and tittles have disappeared!. It is quite short, and it may be good to re-read it as we progress on in answering Melanie’s question. As I mentioned in the last post, Paul took a vow and sacrificed in the temple in Acts chapter 21 which was at the very end of his ministry. At that time *all* had not yet been fulfilled. While it is true that Jesus had arisen from the dead, was seated at the right hand of glory awaiting his enemies to be made his footstool, the judgment of the Jews and Jerusalem still had to be accomplished; the veil being rent was a sign of what was to come which was the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem. When that happened… then… all would be fulfilled which was written. The day of the Lord would have come. So then, when Paul took the vow and sacrificed in the temple, the Old Covenant still had some force. If he did not sacrifice then he would have been defying Jesus words in Matthew 5:17-19. Paul did not relax one of the jots or tittles. He did not want to be least in the kingdom so therefore, he sacrificed and took a vow.

Is there anyone in Christianity today that would say that a Christian *MUST* eat the Passover or be circumcised?  The answer is possibly some Messianic Jews, but certainly no one else. However, if heaven and earth did not pass then all of the Jews whether believers or not would be required to be circumcised and partake of the Passover. And, further as the above referenced post explained non Jewish Christians would also have to be circumcised and partake of the Passover.

So then, there must be a way in which heaven and earth passed and all was fulfilled. If not, then Christianity is in trouble right now. We are not following the law. Here is where the transitional aspect of the New Testament comes into play. Gentiles were *NOT* to be circumcised, in fact Paul states in Galatians that if they were to become circumcised, Christ would be of no value to them(Gal 5:1-4.) Why were Gentiles not to be circumcised? It was because soon the transition period would end, the judgment of the Jews would come, the temple and Jerusalem would be destroyed and ALL would be fulfilled.

We will continue on with these thoughts in the next blog post.