DID YOU KNOW that the differences in opinion about circumcision were not about whether a brother should or should not be circumcised, but disagreements arose because some were saying a male could not be saved unless he were circumcised first?

Acts 15:1, “And going down from Judea, some taught the brothers, ‘If you are not circumcised (according) to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.“

Then, in verse 5, they go even further: “But some of those rose up from the sect of the Pharisees who had believed, saying, ‘It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the Law of Moses.’”

Verse 10 is a key verse to understanding: “Now, then, why do you test Elohim by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we had strength to bear?”

He surely cannot be saying that it is too difficult to keep the Torah, because that would contradict 1 John 5:2-3, “By this we know that we love the children of Elohim; when we love Elohim and keep His commandments. For this is the love of Elohim, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not heavy.”

And if it were impossible to walk in the commandments of the Torah, as some people say, then how did Zacharias and Elizabeth

manage to do it? For Luke 1:6 says, “And they were both righteous before Elohim walking blameless in all the commandments and ordinances of YHVH.“

Now that we know it can be done, why did James say, “For this reason I judge not to trouble those from the nations turning to Elohim, but to write to them to hold back from the pollutions of idols, and fornication, and that strangled, and blood?”

These four requirements come from the Torah, but why only four? Verse 21 gives the answer: “For in every city from ancient generations Moses has those proclaiming him, having been read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.“

If they had given them everything at once, they would have been overwhelmed! But, as they heard and learned the Torah, Sabbath after Sabbath, they would see what was required of them and — if their hearts were willing — they would put into practice what they learned, as they learned, line upon line and precept upon precept.

Is this not what it says in Isaiah 28:9-10? “(To) whom shall He teach knowledge? And to whom shall He explain the message? (Those) weaned from milk, those moving from breasts? For precept (must be) on precept, precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little, there a little.”