(Galatians 2:9 KJV) "And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision."

(Galatians 2:10 KJV) "Only they would that we should remember (mnemoneuo, Present Active Subjunctive, keep in mind, idiom for caring for, gathering funds for) the poor; the same which I also was forward (spoudazo, Aorist Active Indicative, was eager) to do."

Does our God sponsor division in the Body of Christ? When the early Church first started the leaders of the Church believed that the Gospel was for just a select few. Though Jesus told the leaders, the Apostles, that the message of salvation by the Blood of the Lamb was for all peoples, regardless as to race, and told them:

(Matthew 28:19-20 KJV) "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: {20} Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

That the Gospel was for all nations, not just Israel, but all nations. The Apostles heard these words and, I am sure in their heart of hearts, they acted with the best of intentions. But they failed to reach out to all nations. They stayed around Jerusalem, teaching the Gospel to God's first chosen, to Israel. In fact, the Apostles stayed in Jerusalem so long that they built a mega-Church in that area.

There's a problem with failing to obey the Lord. When we fail to obey the Lord and move from our place of comfort, it seems like things just start to happen to us. Calamities come. Trials befall us. Our day just doesn't seem to go right. The Apostles were told to go out and preach the Gospel to all nations, but instead they stayed in Jerusalem. Do you know what other religious organization was stationed in Jerusalem? A powerful organization, the ruling council of the nation of Israel, called by one name: the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin was the same organization that worked to get our Lord crucified. The Sanhedrin was packed with Pharisees, and Scribes, and Sadducees, with all high level religious people, and all of these people HATED the name of Jesus.

Nothing happens by chance, Beloved. Nothing comes by accident. Our Great God, Who desires only the best for us, told the Apostles Whom He called and loved to move outward from Israel, to go to all nations with the Gospel message. When they failed to do this and the Church grew in one spot, stagnant, bloated, in Jerusalem, its existence began to irritate then to outrage the Sanhedrin. Jerusalem was the City of David. Jerusalem was the capital city of Israel. How dare these Christians come in and lead people away from Judaism? Why, these people were even having Church services right on Solomon's Porch, a part of the Temple itself:

(John 10:23 KJV) "And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch."

(Acts 5:12 KJV) "And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch."

Well, we just couldn't have this! So the Sanhedrin looked around and saw a zealous young man by the name of Saul of Tarsus. Saul was one hundred percent in favor of Judaism, and hated all things Christian. The Sanhedrin looked at this young man and said, "Saul, will you go out and tear up this Church, these Christians? Will you persecute these people and drive them out of business? Will you disrupt their services, and run them away from our Temple?" Saul looked these old men right in the eye and said, "You bet", and began a reign of terror.

(Acts 7:60 KJV) "And he [Stephen the deacon] kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep."

(Acts 8:1-3 KJV) "And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. {2} And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. {3} As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and haling [dragging] men and women committed them to prison."

This Saul of Tarsus was like one of those fancy military missiles they have nowadays, something like a cruise missile. The Sanhedrin fired Saul at the Church in Jerusalem and, without need of further guidance, Saul went out and did his job. He persecuted the Church, went into people's homes and dragged Christians out to meet judgment in front of the Sanhedrin. Where Saul went, people went to prison for being Christian. His name was whispered in the night for a curse and a bogey man to be feared. The Church at Jerusalem, that mighty mega-Church, that Tower of Babel collapsed like a house of cards. This didn't happen by chance, Beloved. God is in control, and there is no chance. Saul was fired at the Church and he did his job. He scattered the Church at Jerusalem. Though this outwardly seemed bad, it wasn't bad, but it was good - for this scattering scattered the Gospel Message, the Message of Salvation through the Blood of Christ, out among the nations. That was where our Great God, Jesus Christ, demanded that it be spread in the first place.

It's always easier to do what God asks. The Potter will have control over the clay, and the Lord will have control over His people. From the beginning the Church was designed to be an institution that gathered the saved together. The Church was designed to spread the Gospel Message to all nations. The Church has never had a goal of building great buildings, great sanctuaries, great temples to meet in. In fact, it was not until after 300 AD that any Church ever had a great building. There is nothing wrong with buildings, nor the Church building, nor even great sanctuaries, but we must remember what the Church is about. The Church was given a clear mission to tell others about Jesus regardless as to their race. The Church is given a clear mission to NOT BE DIVISIVE in spreading the Gospel Message.

It is no coincidence that Saul was given the mission of persecuting the Church by the Sanhedrin. God is in control, and He allowed the persecution that His people might do what He told them to do in the first place. It is also no coincidence that God would strike Saul down on Damascus Road, and lead this zealous Jew, this tormentor of the Church, to salvation by faith in Him:

(Acts 9:1-6 KJV) "And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, {2} And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. {3} And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: {4} And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? {5} And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. {6} And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do."

This moment on Damascus Road was a key point in Saul's life. Saul had no idea that one day he would become Paul, a great Apostle of Christ. Not all ministers enter the ministry with the bang that Paul did. Not all Christians accept a calling from God like Paul did. But in each of our lives we are called to obediently do that which God has called us to do. The Scripture tells us that that is our "reasonable service". Paul began to grow in Christ, and, in a strange twist, Paul became one of the greatest witnesses the Lord ever had. Paul began by preaching the Gospel message to not the Jews, but to the Gentiles, and had a fantastic ministry among us. At first the other Apostles were suspicious of Paul, then eventually saw that Paul was doing Jesus' work. Where the other Apostles had stayed preaching in one spot, Paul moved outward and went to "all nations". Where the Apostles had preached just to Jews and stayed in the Temple, Paul went where there was no Gospel and established new Churches.

In time the Apostles recognized Paul as an Apostle, their equal, and gave Him a specific mission. Since the other Apostles seemed stuck on preaching in and among the Jews, they asked Paul to preach among the Gentiles. Since they failed to do as Jesus asked, they asked Paul to "fill in the gaps", to preach to the "heathen". Paul did as they asked because He knew that was where Jesus wanted him. You see, Jesus wanted us all to be offered the Gospel, and it took Paul to do it. The other Apostles gave Paul that ministry with one restriction: he was to continue to take up a collection for the poor, and send it periodically to Jerusalem where this charity was administered.

Paul did what was was required of him. He remembered the poor, and often sent collections to the poor saints in Jerusalem.

(Acts 24:17 KJV) "Now after many years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings."

(Romans 15:25-28 KJV) "But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints. {26} For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem. {27} It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things. {28} When therefore I have performed this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will come by you into Spain."

(1 Corinthians 16:1-4 KJV) "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. {2} Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. {3} And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem. {4} And if it be meet that I go also, they shall go with me."

(2 Corinthians 8:1-4 KJV) "Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; {2} How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. {3} For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; {4} Praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints."

(Galatians 2:11 KJV) "But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood (anthistemi:G436 Aorist Indicative Active, braced, opposed, stood up against, resisted) him to the face, because he was to be blamed."(kataginosko:G2607 Perfect Passive, he stood condemned with the result that he continued in condemnation, as long as this attitude remained)

Do you know what happens when you do what the Lord asks you to do? There is life in Jesus! There is power in Jesus! Jesus said:

(John 7:37-39 KJV) "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. {38} He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. {39} (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)"

There is power in the name of Jesus!

(Ephesians 1:20-23 KJV) "Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, {21} Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: {22} And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, {23} Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all."

Paul did what Jesus told him to do. He preached the Gospel message to all who would hear it. He preached that message to everyone, regardless as to race, regardless as to position, regardless as to status. Paul did what he was told to do and, as he preached, the Church at Antioch, where Paul was headquartered, began to grow while the Church at Jerusalem, where Peter was headquartered, began to shrink. Paul was doing what Jesus said, preaching the Gospel, preaching the Blood to all nations. Peter, along with the other Apostles, was staying in one place, preaching to the Jews.

Just because God finds someone to take your place because you are too hardheaded to do what He says, this "replacement" does not relieve you of your responsibilities to Jesus. Peter found that out. The Church he spent so much time building not only started to shrink, but it began to merge religiously with Judaism. Since the Church at Jerusalem was predominantly Jewish the Jews, raised in the things and rituals of the Temple, brought their Jewishness into the Church. This is not necessarily a bad thing, for as Paul said:

(1 Timothy 1:8 KJV) "But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;"

As long as the Jews realized that the Law was only a shadow of the Christ Who has now come:

(Colossians 2:16-17 KJV) "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days: {17} Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ."

(Hebrews 8:4-5 KJV) "For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: {5} Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount."

(Hebrews 10:1-4 KJV) "For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. {2} For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. {3} But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. {4} For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins."

Realizing this, the Jews could keep their feasts and their special days. They just needed to realize that these things were shadows, teaching aids, that God gave Israel until the Messiah came. These things were never given to the Gentiles, never given to the Church, but to Israel.

Peter forgot that. He allowed the Church to segregate by refusing to reach outside of Jerusalem, to preach only to the Jews. Then, having flooded the Church with Jews and only Jews, the Jews began to teach that the rituals that God gave to Israel were also the rituals of the Church. The Jews began to teach that, if any Gentiles came to Christ, then these Gentiles, in order to be saved, would have to take on the rituals that God gave only the Jews. The Gentiles would have to be circumcised, would have to submit to the same standards that God put on the Jews.

Beloved, God has not blessed separation and division in the Church. God has not promoted racism. God has not restricted the Gospel message to only one people. This was a lie that has been in humanity as long as we have been on this earth. Israel lived in the shadow of Christ. God used the Law to teach them that He was going to one day come and save them from their sins. He used feasts and special days as training aids to tell Israel about Jesus. He used sacrifices to tell Israel that they needed Jesus to pay for their sins. God never placed these shadows, these teaching aids on the Gentiles. He told Abraham and his seed to be circumcised as a sign of their covenant with Him, but never levied circumcision on the Gentiles.

(Galatians 2:11 KJV) "But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood (anthistemi:G436 Aorist Indicative Active, braced, opposed, stood up against, resisted) him to the face, because he was to be blamed."(kataginosko:G2607 Perfect Passive, he stood condemned with the result that he continued in condemnation, as long as this attitude remained)

(Galatians 2:12 KJV) "For before that certain came from James, he did eat (Imperfect Indicative Active, sunesthio:G4906, kept on dining) with the Gentiles: but when they [the Jews from Jerusalem] were come, he withdrew (hupostello:G5288, Imperfect Active Indicative, make a strategic withdrawal) and separated himself, fearing (phobeo, Present Middle Participle, Linear Aktionsart, kept on fearing) them which were of the circumcision."

The Bible tells us that:

(Proverbs 29:25 KJV) "The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe."

Peter had allowed the Churches that he preached in to be filled with Jews only. These Jews, I am certain many of whom were saved, brought their Jewish ritual into the Church with them. But because these Churches were associated with Jews only they became closed societies proud of their Jewish heritage. This is the problem with segregation in the Church. Peter was afraid of the Jewish delegation, so like a good Jew he refused to fellowship with the Gentiles in public. In private Peter was pro-Gentile, but in public he was Jewish Christian only. Do you want to know what this is called? It is called "being a hypocrite", or "being two faced". Segregation in the Church brings with it a separatist attitude that is counterproductive to the Gospel. God will not bless division. God does not bless separation. God only blesses the Church that does as He has said, for He purchased that Church with His own blood.

(Galatians 2:13 KJV) "And the other Jews dissembled (sunupokrinomai:G4942,Aorist Passive, to be an actor in a Greek play with other actors) likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation." (hupokrisis:G5272,instrumental, by means of being a hypocrite, an actor in a Greek Play, wear a mask, speak from under a mask)

There is a problem with segregation and hypocrisy in the Church, and that is that it spreads like a disease. Barnabas was a great believer in Grace. Barnabas often accompanied Paul in his missionary journeys among the Gentiles. He was well aware that Jesus died for all people. But when legalism crept into the Church at Antioch it infected the whole Body like poison, dragging Barnabas into its trap. Once in its maw, legalism did that which it does best: divide and conquer, condemn and segregate. Paul had his failure of Grace in Acts 15, but Barnabas his failure of Grace in Galatians 2.

(Galatians 2:14 KJV) "But when I saw that they walked not uprightly (Present Linear Actionsart, orthopodeo:G3716, habitually they do not walk in a straight line) according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being (ginomai, came into existence, being born) a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest (anagkazo, Present Linear Aktionsart, why do you keep on compelling) thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?"

(Galatians 2:15 KJV) "We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,"

(Galatians 2:16 KJV) "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."

Failure to reach out to all the world by the Church's leaders led the early Church to a perversion of the Gospel Message. When the Church gets off track, it requires that strong believers stand up and be counted. Paul asked Peter in front of everyone a critical question. You see, Paul didn't "stand up for the other nations" in private. He stood up in public. He was clear, to the point, without hypocrisy. God has never introduced division in His Church, yet for some reason certain people keep trying to insert that which God rejects. We need Christians who are truly Christians to stand up and say, "No, I'm not going to tolerate it anymore. The Gospel is for all nations. I will no longer just witness to those of my race, my sex, my age .... I will tell all that I meet of Jesus. I will not let fear of other cultures pervert my preaching of the Gospel. I will stand up, like Paul, and tell of that Free Gift to all who will accept it!"

Evil cannot fester and grow in a Church where good Christian people, Godly people, bring sin to light. Evil festers in the cracks, in the crevasses, in the dark corners. Evil and prejudice, one in the same, gain power only when we forget Who Jesus was and for Whom He died. The Gentiles (that's us) had their own culture and customs that they brought to the Church, just as the Jews had their own culture and customs. When we come together in that One Salvation wrought by Jesus, not levying our customs on the other group, God blesses our union.

Peter was wrong and in hypocrisy when he hid from the Gentiles while the Jews were present. Believer, you are wrong when you disassociate yourself from good Christians of other races, other cultures, because of prejudice. Each of us are precious to God. Jesus Christ our Lord died for us all, regardless as to our custom. It is true that God gave the Jew a requirement under Abraham to be circumcised. It is also true that God gave Israel a rigid set of rules, sacrifices, and feasts under Moses. These things were given to Israel as customs, but not as a means of salvation. These were training aids that taught Israel that (1) they could not earn nor deserve their salvation, (2) that they had to rely on God for salvation, and (3) that Messiah was coming, Jesus Christ, to save them from their sins. When Messiah came, the Church, first founded in Jerusalem and of the Jews, was to spread out and, like oil on water, touch every nation of this great world.

Prejudice and isolationism prevented the spread of the Gospel. And, once the Gospel spread under the preaching of Paul, prejudice threatened to destroy the Gospel message, so lovingly given by Jesus Christ our Lord.

God does not honor division in His Church. God does not praise failure to teach the Gospel to every man, regardless as to their culture. We must, like Paul, stand up and reject anything, any racism, any isolationism, that is counterproductive to the Cross of our Savior. A great price was paid by Jesus for us all. We must offer that free Gift to everyone, for His Blood was shed for everyone on that terrible tree. Stand up, believer, and refuse to allow prejudice to destroy the work of God. Stand up, stand up for Jesus!

I find it interesting the number and types of controversies that spring up as a result of religious thought in America today. One of the more interesting controversies is the ongoing battle of "separation of Church and State", and in particular the ongoing battle concerning the posting of the Ten Commandments in public. From the site http ten-commandment.com we read:

"On February 25, 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to review a lower court's ban on displaying the Ten Commandments on government property, leaving states confused over whether such monuments are constitutional.

The court declined to hear an appeal by Indiana Governor Frank O'Bannon. The governor had asked the court to overturn rulings that prevented his office from placing a 7-foot stone monument of the Ten Commandments on the capitol lawn in Indianapolis. Petitioners from a number of states had urged the Supreme Court to hear the case to help settle at least nine conflicting court opinions around the country. Lower courts in Indiana, Wisconsin and Illinois have prohibited the display of the Ten Commandments on public property, while courts in Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Utah have allowed them.

This same issue came before the U.S. Supreme Court in May 2001. At that time, the justices were sharply divided over the court’s decision not to take the case. Three justices -- Rehnquist, Scalia and Thomas -- spoke out and said the court not only should have taken the case, but that it should have decided in favor of displaying the Ten Commandments. In Monday's case, these same three justices were silent. Procedurally, it takes at least four justices to vote to accept a case, and five to decide it."

This controversy started when Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, a Christian, had a 5,300-pound granite monument to the Ten Commandments installed in the state building. Suddenly the Anti-Defamation League, the American Civil Liberties Union, and other groups advocating the separation of Church and State came out with lawsuits demanding the monument be removed. Other groups that consider America a Christian society fought back, declaring that the Ten Commandments were central to the established laws of our country.

Who is right and who is wrong in this debate? Myself, I see no reason to remove the Ten Commandments. If you regard the Commandments as written, and compare them with every system of philosophy and religion that exists in our world today, you will see that the truths sets forth are not specific to religion at all. The Ten Commandments are codes of proper behavior. Though God wrote them on stone tablets and gave them to Israel, these same Commandments are reflected in the hearts and minds of every person everywhere as civilized behavior. The only ones who reject the statues established by the Commandments are those without conscience: the dictators who consider human life cheap, the serial killers who consider their fellow man game which they may hunt. All others, regardless as to whether they believe or disbelieve in God, subscribe to the same statutes that the Commandments list. And yes, we can truly say that not just America, but every civilized country in the world today has its laws based on the Ten Commandments or a reflection of the same. I can think of no civilized country where violation of the sixth Commandment, "Thou shalt not do murder", is not a punishable offense. I can think of no person who, if they were in a marriage relationship with another, would not consider themselves wronged if their partner went out and had sexual relations with another person (violation of the Seventh Commandment). A thief may consider violation of the Eighth Commandment perfectly acceptable; that is, until you stole something from him. At that point he'd likely demand your punishment. Even the first three Commandments, which demand homage and respect toward the Creator, are recognized by all, even the atheists. It is for this reason that even the most debased of heathen will take the name of God in vain. If God does not exist, why curse His name? Why not say "Disney Damn" or some other silly derivative, rather than take the name of God in vain? Because all people know that there is a Creator, and His Commandments are encoded into their very souls.

But I digress. The controversy of the day is the Ten Commandments, but few people truly understand that the Ten Commandments are but a small part of that which we call the "Mosaic Law". The Ten Commandments, found in Exodus 20:1-17, are the foundation of all law. As I said before, the statutes of these Commandments are encoded into the very soul of man, even those who reject God as Savior. The Ten Commandments existed before Law was written in stone, or on paper. They are as old as God's creation. This can be seen when we look at the case of Cain and Abel, the two warring brothers mentioned in Genesis 4. Cain allowed jealousy of his brother to lead him to murder Abel (Genesis 4:8). When God discovered Cain's horrible act He punished him severely (Genesis 4:11-15), though He did not take Cain's life. Cain knew he did wrong, and tried to hide his evil act from God, though no Ten Commandments were written in stone for him to see. The Ten Commandments, Codex 1 of the Law of God, is a reflection of the moral Law that God has instilled in all of mankind from the beginning.

Why did God give Moses the Ten Commandments on stone tablets? If these commandments are already encoded into man, then why write them down? Because, as we have discovered from the terrible tragedies that have occurred among our school aged children, though the moral Law is written in the conscience of man, man can, by repeated violations, twist or harden his conscience. It is said that the first time a person takes a life is the hardest. If the murderer persists, killing becomes easier and easier. Imagine the act of taking a life, if you can. I had a cat once who had been struck by a car. The poor thing was in agony, and I was a long way from any veterinarian, so I felt the best thing was to compassionately put the animal down. The animal could not be made whole - it's spine was damaged. But the action I took in humanely taking that animal's life stayed in my mind forever. I will not share that with you, but it marked me because I was lovingly acquainted with the animal. Imagine taking the life of another human! I am told that there is something in man that naturally rebels against that first act of killing. Even in wartime, the first person you kill sickens you, but those who die at your hand later become almost, in your mind, things to be stopped. No one wants to kill, but your conscience can be twisted till it becomes nothing at all to take life. The horror of Columbine proved that. The evil that Ted Bundy did showed us. The mass murders that Hitler and the German nation participated in shows us what happens when the conscience is twisted. God wrote these Commandments, the Moral Law, Codex 1, on stone first to emphasize that these were the bedrock, the foundation for all civilized society. When a nation or a people forget these Laws, they have so far modified their encoding as to be animalistic, inhuman, something to be removed from creation before they infect all of creation. It was for this reason that God told Israel to drive out the inhabitants of the land of Canaan:

(Numbers 33:51-53 KJV) "Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan; {52} Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places: {53} And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it."

And in many instances God allowed Israel to completely destroy whole societies because they had fallen so far into moral decay. Some societies sacrificed their children to pagan gods, and made musical instruments out of the skin and bone of their offspring. These people, terrible and uncivilized, were completely eradicated:

(Deuteronomy 3:6 KJV) "And we utterly destroyed them, as we did unto Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women, and children, of every city."

(Judges 21:10-11 KJV) "And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children. {11} And this is the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man."

Sometimes you can only cure cancer by cutting out the infected parts. It is terrible, but when the conscience so far twists away from the Divine encoding of the Ten Commandments, what is left is not truly human.

Exodus 20:1-17 embodies the Ten Commandments, the foundation of the Law, but that certainly is not the whole of the Law. The Jews considered the first five books of the Bible to be the "Books of the Law", or the Pentateuch. The Ten Commandments are the foundation. Codex 2 of the Law taught Israel about the coming Messiah: it was a shadow of Jesus Christ who was to come. All of the holy days, festivals, feasts, sacrifices, things of the Temple, establishment of the priests with the Levites: every ritual, every holiday told a story about the coming Jesus. The animals that were sacrificed on the altar, the animal without blemish offered as an atonement for sin:

(Leviticus 1:2-4 KJV) "Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock. {3} If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD. {4} And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him."

This was a shadow, a teaching lesson that the Messiah, when He came, would be offered for our sins. He would be without blemish, sinless, offered for us - the innocent for the guilty:

(1 Peter 1:18-19 KJV) "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; {19} But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:"

If you are interested in studying the various Laws in Codex 2 I highly suggest Dr. Mike Willmouth's study series in Deuteronomy. Codex 2 laws taught every facet of the coming Messiah's life and ministry. The foundation of Codex 2 is found in Exodus 25-31, and in the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy.

Codex 3 of the Law was the social code for Israel. It's foundation can be found in Exodus 21-23, and in the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy. The social code for Israel encompassed dietary restrictions, sanitation standards, and medical quarantine requirements. Under Codex 3, for instance, those with leprosy, a contagious disease, were not allowed personal contact with healthy people.

(Leviticus 13:45-46 KJV) "And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean. {46} All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be."

This was to prevent the spread of infectious disease in Israel. Once healed of leprosy the individual was allowed to return to normal society as long as the priests examined him and declared him clean. Codex 3 established what foods could be eaten, and which were unclean and to be avoided. On examination it can be medically proven that all the foods declared "unclean" were unfit for nomads traveling in the harsh climate of Egypt and Arabia. Those foods that were considered "clean" have the highest energy output, with little of the fat and cholesterol that could sicken these Israelites. Though Law, the statutes of Codex 3 were given to Israel because God loved them, and wanted the best for His people.

(Galatians 2:17-19 KJV) "But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. {18} For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. {19} For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God."

Though the Ten Commandments are encoded into all of God's creation, the written Law of Moses was never given to any nation other than Israel. I have heard well meaning Gentile Christians proclaim "God gave us the Law to keep, and I plan on keeping all of the Law of God". I am certain that such people are well meaning, but such statements come from a misunderstanding of who the Law was given to. Following these precepts certain cults have popped up around Christianity. When I was growing up, Garner Ted Armstrong and the Worldwide Church of God taught that Christians had to keep the feasts and sacrifices of Israel. I don't believe that's the case anymore, but it was a teaching of that body at one time.

(Exodus 19:3-5 KJV) "And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; {4} Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. {5} Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:"

Though I have nothing but admiration for Israel as the covenant people of God, the Law of Moses was never given to me or my kind. The Law was a part of a covenant that God made with Israel. It was a conditional covenant, that is, if Israel expected to be blessed then her children had to keep or try to keep the Law. As long as Israel obeyed all of the Law; not just the Ten Commandments of Codex 1, but the shadow teachings of Codex 2 and the social customs of Codex 3; Then God would bless the nation. Our Creator, Who owns the world and all that is in it, promised to treat Israel as a peculiar treasure, a cegullah (Hebrew, pronounced seg-ool-law’), a valued property. Israel would be like a rare jewel, loved and protected, if they kept this Covenant Law with God.

(Leviticus 26:46 KJV) "These are the statutes and judgments and laws, which the LORD made between him and the children of Israel in mount Sinai by the hand of Moses."

The Mosaic Law, with its statutes (choq [pronounced [khoke], prescribed tasks), and judgments (mishpat [pronounced mish-pawt’], that which is just, sentencing guidelines), and laws (towrah [pronounced to-raw’], body of prophetic teaching, laws, priestly instruction) embodied a covenant enacted between God and the children of Israel. As a conditional covenant Israel would break its boundaries repeatedly. But that was the point. It is important to note that the Law was not introduced to Israel until that nation repeatedly failed to believe in the provision of their Savior. When Israel was led from Egypt by pillar of fire and pillar of cloud, though they had God clearly manifested before them they ignored their Savior and focused on the coming Egyptian army:

(Exodus 14:10-12 KJV) "And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD. {11} And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? {12} Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness."

Though God our Savior provided Israel salvation at the Red Sea, those people refused to accept and believe in Him by faith. When they ran short of water in their travels from the Red Sea to Marah, they again failed to believe in God:

(Exodus 15:22-24 KJV) "So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. {23} And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. {24} And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?"

At the Red Sea they had their eyes on Pharaoh, now they had their eyes on Moses. They were like many Christians who look at their Pastor rather than looking at Christ. Rather than lift their eyes Heavenward and ask God for sustenance - which He would have amply given - they looked at Moses and blamed him. Once more God gave Israel His blessing, though they were totally undeserving of that blessing. Many Churches in our era grow or stay in business under the same principle of God's graciousness. Though He is not considered, nor His Plan consulted; though He, in many cases, is not honored in what they do ... God still blesses. So it is with us, so it was with Israel.

(Exodus 17:1-4 KJV) "And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. {2} Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD? {3} And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? {4} And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me."

Here is a third time where Israel, that nation whom God loves dearly, that nation which He drew out of Egypt refused to believe that God will provide. This is a nation packed with unbelievers, just as many of our Churches are packed with unbelievers. If this nation had believers in it, then all but Joshua and Caleb would not have died in the wilderness. God saved Israel with a mighty hand, then asked that they believe ... and they refused. At the slightest provocation they murmured against God and cursed His Prophet Moses.

I am convinced that history repeats itself because man is prone to the same stumblings in each generation. The Israel that Joseph planted in Egypt was a seed of belief. Joseph was a mount of belief. When unjustly cast from his family, he could have taken punishment on his brothers when he sat as reagent to Pharaoh - but he didn't. Joseph believed in God, and trusted that God was able to save. His response to his brothers was:

(Genesis 45:5-8 KJV) "Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. {6} For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. {7} And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. {8} So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt."

(Genesis 50:20-21 KJV) "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. {21} Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them."

Joseph was a believer, and the seed he planted in Egypt was the seed of belief. But Israel, just like any institution can do, grew away from God, so that at its time of rescue from Egypt under Moses this nation was packed with unbelievers. Be careful, Church of God, lest you become as Israel was. Be careful, professing believers, to judge yourself lest you be judged under the awful hand of God. Just being under the title "Israel" has no more unction with God than just being under the title "Church" or "Christian". Unless you believe, you may become as Israel.

(Numbers 20:1-5 KJV) "Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there. {2} And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. {3} And the people chided with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD! {4} And why have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there? {5} And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink."

The Covenant of the Law was given to Israel, a nation largely composed of unbelieving people. These people were entirely focused on self and on their own comfort. These people, though God showed His provision and mighty arm of salvation again and again, rejected His salvation. They refused to believe in God, preferring instead their own abilities, their own works, their own way. This is the people to whom the Covenant of the Law was given to. This nation was not given the Law to save them, but to condemn them. This nation was not given the Law because they were believers, but was given the Law because there were so few believers present. Salvation has always, even from the beginning, been by faith in the provision of God. Salvation comes by believing in God, accepting Christ as Savior. The Law cannot, and does not, save.

(Romans 3:19-20 KJV) "Now we know that what things so ever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. {20} Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin."

Did you get that? "by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin". The Law CANNOT save. The Law WAS NOT DESIGNED to save. The Law was designed to convict Israel, to make them realize that they could not work their way to God. The Law was given to an unbelieving people to try and convince them to believe in God for salvation rather than the works of their hands. The entire first generation of Israel died in the desert, their rotting corpses mute testimony to their unbelief. The Law was given to ISRAEL alone to prepare that nation for the greatest act of salvation that God would ever make: the eternal life and salvation that He would offer through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

(Romans 9:4-5 KJV) "Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; {5} Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen."

(Deuteronomy 4:8 KJV) "And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?"

Israel was a nation under judgment, a nation under the Mosaic Law. The Gentiles were not judged by the Law, for they were not given the Law. I cannot go out on our highways and drive my car 100 miles per hour. If I do, I will be stopped and fined, and possibly imprisoned. I cannot, if stopped, point out that Germany has the autobahn, and the autobahn has no imposed speed limit - and I was following that law. NO! I am under the laws of this nation, and am judged by the laws of this nation if I break the laws. If I want to go 100 miles per hour in my car I have to go to Germany, get a license to drive there, and drive under their laws. What I can do in Germany I cannot do in America, but while I am in America the laws of a foreign power have no effect on my life.

(Romans 2:12-14 KJV) "For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; {13} (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. {14} For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:"

The Gentiles were never given the Law of Moses. Only Israel, and only when that nation refused to accept God as Savior. It is good for Christians to have a day where they rest and worship God; it is good for Christians to give to the ministry of God, to give of what they own to God's Church. But we do not give because it is a part of the Law. We who are Gentiles are under no part of the Mosaic Code, for that code was given to Israel after it proved itself to be a nation of unbelievers. The Bible makes it plain that Christians, believers in God, are SPECIFICALLY NOT under the Law. This is a requirement that some Pharisees, upon entering the Church, levied on the Christian community:

(Acts 15:5 KJV) "But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses."

(Acts 15:24-27 KJV) "Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment: {25} It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, {26} Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. {27} We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth."

The message that the Pharisee believers injected into the Gospel of Christ subverted the souls of many believers. It was a yoke and a bondage that neither Christ nor the Apostles placed on the Church of God. Christ fulfilled the Law of Moses by paying the penalty for sin on the Cross. His atonement relieved us from the yoke of the Law. You see, as I said before, the Law was given to an unbelieving Israel as a tool to convict of sin. The Law exposed the Israelites for what they were - an ungodly people, largely without relationship with their Savior. The first generation of Israel did not enter the Promised land. Not because they failed in keeping the Law, but because they were unbelievers:

(Jude 1:5 KJV) "I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not."

(Hebrews 3:8-12 KJV) "Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: {9} When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. {10} Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do always err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. {11} So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) {12} Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God."

You can be born an Israelite, keep the Law, but if you have a heart of unbelief then you are an unbeliever and God can do nothing with you but judge you. The Law exposed post-exodus Israel as a largely unbelieving nation, but their unbelief led to their condemnation and deaths in the wilderness. The Law was an exposer, a magnifying glass, a teacher, but not a Savior. God was and will always be the Savior, and belief in His provision was and will always be the only way to salvation.

(Romans 6:14 KJV) "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace."

(Galatians 2:19 KJV) "For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God."

Christians are NOT under the Law. Gentiles were NEVER under the Law. Christians are NOT under the Law because Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law for us (Matthew 5:17-18). As Jesus told Peter in a vision, "What I have made clean, do not call in unclean" (Acts 10:14-16). One of the central statutes of the Mosaic Law, the list of clean and unclean animals, was eradicated by the Cross of Christ. Christ made it all clean by living a perfect and sin free life, then by being the ultimate clean sacrifice before God the Father for us. The Jewish Christian no longer need worry about clean and unclean foods by God's Word. The Gentile was NEVER under the Mosaic Law at all (though the foundation, the Ten Commandments, are encoded into both Jew and Gentile soul), so it has no effect on him one way or the other. Both Jew and Gentile Christian entered into a relationship with God the Father THROUGH our Lord Jesus Christ, and we can now sit at a common table and fellowship as one.

(Romans 10:4 KJV) "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."

(Romans 8:2-4 KJV) "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. {3} For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: {4} That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

What purpose does the Mosaic Law have in this post-Cross era? The same purpose that it has always had! The Law exists and will exist as a tool of God to convict man of sin. Just as the Law was given to unbelieving Israel to highlight her unbelief, the Law still looms over unbelieving Israel, even today. The Law convicts the unbelieving Israelite with its feasts and restrictions and regulations that they have fallen far short of God's ideal. The Law shows the Israelite that they still need a Savior, and the shadows of the Law still point out that Jesus Christ was and will always be the Messiah that Israel so desperately needs. The Law brings out the knowledge of sin, but still has no ability to produce righteousness in its participants. The Law is still a schoolmaster, rebuking Israel, spanking her as a recalcitrant child, pointing to Jesus, Jesus, Jesus ...

(Romans 3:20-21 KJV) "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. {21} But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;"

(1 Timothy 1:9-10 KJV) "Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, {10} For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for men stealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;"

(Galatians 3:23-24 KJV) "But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. {24} Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith."

As for the Gentiles, that portion of the Law that is encoded in every person's soul, the Ten Commandments, can be used to convict of sin. Ray Comfort of Living Waters Ministries often uses the Ten Commandments as a tool to convict sinners of their current state. I have used this method many times, and am convinced that this is a Biblical and God ordained way to lead people to Christ. The Ten Commandments, the foundation of the Law, are a very effective way of leading others to Christ. The Law itself, though, cannot justify (Galatians 2:16), cannot give eternal life (Galatians 3:21), cannot provide the Holy Ghost to anyone (Galatians 3:2), and cannot produce miracles (Galatians 3:5). If you are trying to be saved by following the Law, or are trying to maintain your salvation by keeping the Law, then you misunderstand its purpose and its ability. Accept Jesus Christ as your Savior! Once you accept Him as the only way to God, God the Holy Spirit will come and indwell you and lead you into a deeper normal Christian walk. If you are yet unsaved but under the Law, realize that the Law is your accuser, pointing out your every flaw in righteousness. Your only hope is to realize that:

(2 Corinthians 6:2 KJV) "(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)"

If you are a believer, a Christian by faith in Jesus Christ, then you are no longer under the Law. Use the Ten Commandments to convict others of their sinful state. Witness Christ as Savior to all men. Study the Word of God, including the Mosaic Law, and learn more of God our Savior by studying the shadows and teachings of the Law. But do not promote the Law as a means of achieving or attaining salvation. It has never had this ability, and never will. God alone saves. Jesus Christ alone is our Savior!

• The Gospel is for all nations. Did the early Church vigorously preach the Gospel to all nations?
  • What was the effect of building a "headquarters" for the Church in Jerusalem?
• Was Saul's persecution of the Church just a coincidence? Was Saul's calling as Apostle just a coincidence? Why did these things happen?
• Why did Paul stand up against Peter at the Jerusalem Conference?
  • Was Paul justified in bringing charges against Peter?
  • Was Paul wrong in making these charges public?
  • Why do people often fail to stand up to wrongs in the Church and address them in the light of the Scripture?
  • Prejudice and isolationism _____ the spread of the Gospel. Are prejudice and isolationism evident in my Church? Is there anything I can do to correct this situation?
• When I say "Mosaic Law", am I just referring to the Ten Commandments?
  • To whom was the Mosaic Law given to?
  • Is the Mosaic Law also a covenant? What does this imply?
  • The Law was given to Israel after they failed to ______ in God.
  • Can the Mosaic Law save a soul or give eternal life? How were people saved in the Old Testament era?
  • Was The Mosaic Law ever given to the Gentiles? Who levied the Law on the Gentiles?
  • Is the Church of Christ under the Mosaic Law?
  • How should I, a Christian, use the Mosaic Law today?