Your response here...
Brian I think you missed the point as to why Romans 2:26-29 was posted. I was not posting these scriptures as a reference to Gentiles but as a reference to what a true Jew represents in Gods new covenant and what true circumcision represents. Circumcision represents a change of heart. It represents a new heart to love and obey God. If you follow Romans 3:8-23 you will see that Paul is making the argument that both Jewish and Gentile believers are all sinners and in need of Gods salvation. So what you are posting here is not relevant to our discussion.
It is relevant to the discussion to point out that someone can keep the requirements of the Law even when they do not know what the Law says. But if you want to say that the 10 Commandments are not a part of the Law then that is for you to show.
If unbelieving gentiles can fulfill the requirements of the Law when they do not know the Law, how much more should a Christian Gentile with the Spirit of God and a new heart, be able to keep the requirements of the Law?
There is where you are in error. There is no scripture anywhere in the bible that says Gods 10 commandments are shadow laws. You are mixing up the old covenant laws for atonement and remission of sins with Gods moral laws that are included in both the old and the new covenant that give us the knowledge of good (moral right doing when obeyed) and evil (moral wrong doing when disobeyed); sin (breaking Gods law) and righteousness (obeying God's law) *see Romans 3:20; Romans 7:7 1 John 3:4; Psalms 119:172. According to James in James 2:10-11 if we break anyone of Gods 10 commandments including Gods seventh day Sabbath we stand guilty before God of sin and breaking all of Gods law. According to Hebrews 10:26-31 if we continue in known unrepentant sin after God gives us a knowledge of what His truth is then we are in danger of the judgement to come.
Where is "shadow law" defined in the Bible?
Isn't the whole law a shadow of Jesus and His sacrifice and the New Covenant which is God's Spirit in us and the Torah in our heart.
But it is not the letter of the law that is in our heart it is God's love and Spirit to help and direct us in life, so we can be led by that Spirit and be children of God. (see Romans 8) And the Torah in our heart does not mean just the Laws that came through the Mosaic Covenant, it means the whole of the Torah, the Word of God. God's Word lives in us. Love for God and our neighbour fulfills the requirements of the Law, and this is not just a feeling, this is love in action.
The giving on the Spirit at Pentecost happened on the feast of the giving of the 10 Commandments by Moses. (3000 died that day and 3000 were saved at the NT Pentecost).
The Law is based on love and the Royal Law in scripture is to love our neighbour as ourselves. (James 2:8)
No I have said no such thing and yes I can show everything that I have shared with you as part of the Gospel which if you notice I have been doing all through our discussion by providing scripture for everything I have been sharing with you. If you have been reading what I have been sharing here in this OP you would know that what I am saying is that Gods 10 commandments are all a part of the gospel. They lead us to Christ as sinners so that we can receive Gods forgiveness through faith in Christ (see Galatians 3:22-25). Gods new covenant promise is God writing His law on our hearts through love as we by faith choose to believe and follow what Gods Word says (see Hebrews 8:10-12 from Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Ezekiel 36:24-27). God writes His laws on the fleshly tables of our heart through His Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:3-11) so we can now be born again in the Spirit to be free to love and obey His law (see John 3:3-7; compare 1 John 3:4-10; Romans 6:1-23; Galatians 5:16; Romans 3:31; 1 John 2:3-4; 1 John 5:2-3; John 14:15; John 15:10. The new covenant promise results in Gods people obeying Gods law as a fruit of their faith not breaking Gods law (see James 2:13-16; 1 John 2:3-4; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 14:12; Revelation 22:14). Sin (breaking Gods law) and righteousness (obeying Gods law) is the difference between the children of the devil (sin) and the children of God (obedience) *see 1 John 3:6-10 and 1 John 2:3-4.
I have given my understanding of the New Covenant.
So explain why you see the 10 Commandments as not a part of the Law, and why we need to keep the Sabbath to be saved. (and don't deny that this is what you are teaching)
That is not true at all. Here is the reason given for the decision at Jerusalem.
ACTS 15
- [19], THEREFORE MY JUDGMENT IS THAT WE TROUBLE NOT THEM WHO FROM THE GENTILES ARE TURNED TO GOD:
- [20], BUT WRITE UNTO THEM THAT THEY ABSTAIN FROM THE DEFILEMENT OF IDOLS, FORNICATION AND THINGS STRANGLED AND FROM BLOOD.
NOTE: JAMES conclusion is that new Gentile believers should not be troubled with CIRCUMCISION as a requirement of salvation which was the matter being considered and the question being discussion as shown in *ACTS 15:1-2; ACTS 15:6 but asks them to abstain from idols, fornication and from things strangled and from blood.
- [21], FOR MOSES OF OLD TIME HAS IN EVERY CITY THEM THAT PREACH HIM, BEING READ IN THE SYNAGOGUES EVERY SABBATH.
NOTE: The reason why JAMES sends this letter to the new Gentile believers is that they would continue learning God's WORD EVERY SABBATH.
The above scriptures were posted in the very post you where quoting from the reason for the decision at Jerusalem was given in Acts of the Apostles 15:21 FOR MOSES OF OLD TIME HAS IN EVERY CITY THEM THAT PREACH HIM, BEING READ IN THE SYNAGOGUES
EVERY SABBATH.
The reason for the decision seems to be 2 fold.
1] They agreed that salvation is through grace and that the gentiles should not be told that they
must be circumcised
and keep the law.
Yes "and keep the law" was also what was being discussed.
Acts 15:5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The
Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.”
6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question.
2] The things mentioned in the letter sent out to the Gentiles allowed them to mix with the Jewish Christians who did not mix with or eat with Gentiles if possible.
And of course this would have enabled those Gentile Christians to come to the synagogue and hear the Hebrew Scriptures read on the Sabbaths.
Knowing those scriptures helps us to know God.
So you preach that keeping the Sabbath is necessary for salvation. If that is the case, and also keeping the other 10 commandments is necessary for salvation also of course, why bother about those Noahide laws, why not just say. "You must believe in Jesus and keep the 10 Commandments to be saved"?
You are blind to the fact that no where in Acts 15 does it say anywhere that it is talking about God's 10 commandments. Let me ask you again Brian, do you really believe that Acts 15 is saying that all Christians are now free to go our and lie, steal, murder, commit adultery? That teaching is a doctrine of devils and is not supported anywhere in the entire bible. I suggest that you re-evaluate what you believe if that is your view.
I have already asked you to justify your separation of the 10 Commandments from the Law of Moses.
You deny that Acts 15 is about keeping the Law of Moses, something that we are plainly told that it is about.
I have already answered that Acts 15 is about what is necessary to do for salvation and not what we God wants us to do as Christians. So no, I do not say that all Christians are now free to do what they want.