|  Article 5 – First Council of Jerusalemby Parishioner Ben CerimeleYear of St. Paul Article Links:The Year of St. Paul ArticlesArticle 5: First Council of JerusalemIntroduction Church history is punctuated by assemblies of Church authorities convoked to counter threats and resolve issues regarding doctrinal or pastoral concerns. These meetings may be regional or worldwide in scope. A worldwide assembly of the Church Magisterium (college of bishops in teaching capacity) is labeled an ecumenical council and has penultimate authoritative jurisdiction. With the exception of Vatican Council II, Church ecumenical councils (21 in all) have been held to settle disputes and expunge heresies that undermine Catholic teachings relative to faith or morals. In the Apostolic period Church leaders in Jerusalem convened a private, regional, and pastoral meeting around 50 AD to address the controversial missionary practices of St. Paul in excusing Gentile converts from circumcision and adherence to the Mosaic Law. This first Council of Jerusalem addressed the crucial issue concerning the eminence of the Old Testament Mosaic and the New Testament Christian covenants for converts to Christianity, particularly Gentile converts. The Mosaic Law In covenant theology Israel is recognized as a uniquely chosen people set apart by Yahweh and entrusted with a special vocation. The Jews were consecrated to serve as the exemplar of spirituality to all nations and to prepare the way for the promised redeemer who would reclaim fallen and sinful humanity's lost paradise. In this covenant Yahweh imparted various promises, gifts, and precepts to the Jews that were mediated through the prophets Abraham and Moses. In return the Jews pledged to remain faithful in worshipping the one true God and in abiding by the precepts of The Law. This law (know as the Law of Moses or Mosaic Law or simply The Law) is elaborated throughout the Torah — the first five books of the Old Testament Bible. It was promulgated at the Pentecost of the Exodus Jews on Mt. Sinai. The Law specified a detailed and elaborate proscriptive blueprint for conducting a virtue-seeking, Yahweh-worshipping, and social-serving life as the way of truth, freedom, and happiness. The Law became the constitutional determinant that defined the Jewish people as the people of God in a unique covenant relationship. Altogether 613 precepts are identified in the Torah, of which 365 are negative and 248 are positive. These precepts can be classified into three categories; viz., moral, ceremonial, and juridical. The moral category is grounded on the Decalogue which is a part of the natural law and so has a permanence that transcends The Law. The ceremonial category encompasses religious prescriptions for divine worship and sacred rituals that are specific to the Jewish milieu. The juridical category comprises regulations and corrections to secure and promote the communal welfare of the Jewish people. Whereas the moral laws are universal to humanity, the ceremonial and juridical laws are provisional and specific to Jewry. A further distinction is made relative to the written (Torah) and oral forms (later written in Midrash and Talmud) of The Law. The rabbis of the Pharisaic sect were the major advocates for elaborating, interpreting, and implementing The Law. As an ardent Pharisaical Jew, Paul personally adhered to the traditions of the Mosaic Law throughout his life. However with his acceptance of Jesus as the Son of God and as the Messianic redeemer for all humanity, Paul came to understand Jesus to be the final full revelation of The Law. Paul discerned that Jesus in his earthly ministry promulgated the final covenant which engendered fulfillment and perfection of the Mosaic covenant. Consequently, as expounded in the Letter to the Hebrews, the New Testament covenant as a revision of the Mosaic covenant merits a superior status. The revisions ware forged differently across the three categories of The Mosaic Law — with only the moral marked as an irreversible category. Jesus broadened and deepened the moral laws through the beatitudes, the joint primacy of Christ–like love commands inclusive of enemies, and the interiorizing of the Decalogue (Ten Commandments). The elaborate ceremonial laws were revamped and simplified into the condensed sacramental system inaugurated by Jesus. In particular circumcision yielded to baptism as the universal rite of initiation for the encompassing People of God. Guided by the natural law, juridical laws are instituted via the particular civic legislation of a society directed to promoting justice, security, and peace in its communal life. As the Apostle to the Gentiles, Paul advocated the Christian revised New Testament paradigm for Gentile converts. These covenant insights vindicated Paul's practice of baptizing rather than circumcising Gentile Christian converts. In the case of Jewish Christians, they could continue their observance of the Mosaic Law, but were expected to recognize the salvific efficacy of Spirit and grace characteristic of the Christian covenant. Jerusalem Perspective As the mission of Jesus was initially directed to the lost House of Israel, the earliest Christian Churches were composed mostly of Jews, particularly the Jerusalem Church that was the wellspring of Christendom. For the ardent Jew who held the Old Testament traditions in high esteem, the paradigm shift to a more expansive, more simplified, and more liberal covenant system was an unsettling transition. There were early Jewish Christian sects such as the Judaizers and Ebionites who insisted on universal adoption of Jewish religious laws and rituals for all Christian converts. They held that observance of the Mosaic Law was necessary for salvation and consequently bound the Gentile convert and still obliged the Jewish convert. Their position was expressed by the adage: "to be a good Christian one had to be a good Jew first." Christianity was faced with its first crisis that threatened to divide the Church between Jews and Gentiles. Jerusalem Council Proceedings The issue of covenant alliance was debated initially at Antioch where Paul defended his practice of dispensing with circumcision for Gentile converts. In response to this brewing controversy, the Jerusalem Church headed by James called for a private council to discuss the matter with Church leaders. The Council proceedings are reported in two scriptural sources. The first, and closer to the event, is the account of Paul in the Letter to the Galatians (2:1-10). The second and later account is given by Luke in Acts (15:1-35). Paul presents himself as taking the initiative at the Council, defending his interpretation of the gospel intention and, winning approval for his mission to the Gentiles. In turn Luke presents Peter as the primary Apostle to the Gentiles and the principal adjudicator at the Council. In either scenario the Council reached the fundamental decision about Christian freedom - aside from the moral laws, adherence to the Mosaic Law was not to be a condition for membership in the Christian community. This decision was formalized in an Apostolic Decree issued by James. With dismissal of parts of the Mosaic Law, the decree reverted to the standard of the fundamental, ante-Sinai, Noachian (or Noahide) injunctions which were taken to be primary and universal. The Noachian injunctions consist of seven moral imperatives that, according to the Talmud (Jewish authoritative religious writings) were given by God to Noah for all humanity. This moral charter is targeted to the Gentiles since the Jews abide by a higher standard in the Mosaic Law. Based on this source, the Decree explicitly condemned idolatry, illicit sexual unions, the eating of meat containing blood or meat of animals not properly slain and/or sacrificed to idols. The dietary restrictions were pastoral concerns that deferred to Jewish cultural repugnance at the consumption of blood which was considered sacred. Current Deliberations To this day the import and relationship of the two covenants, Mosaic and Christian, are still being studied. The theological tenet of supercessionism contends that the new covenant made with the universal People of God and mediated through the earthly revelation of Jesus supersedes (replaces) the old covenant made by Yahweh with the Jewish nation at Mt. Sinai — and consequently renders the Jewish traditions disposable. However the Mosaic covenant, as with all covenants, is binding and permanent. God has not rejected his Old Testament chosen people, and the singular privileges and gifts accorded to them are irrevocable. Yet The Law harbored a latent expectation in anticipating a Messiah who would amend and transform the provisional and specific Mosaic covenant into a universal and ultimate covenant. The Law attained its perfection and finality via Jesus who, as its author and goal, represents the authentic interpreter and determinant of its definitive constitution. This renewal from old to new covenant entailed some restrictions, some abrogations, and some enhancements as noted above. With this understanding, the New Testament covenant is properly considered a fulfillment, fruition, or perfection in and by Jesus of the Old Testament covenants — and not merely a replacement. Moreover in keeping with our call to discipleship, we Gentile Christians are enjoined to appreciate the foundational contribution of the Torah that has served as a "schoolmaster" for advancement into the New Testament covenant — a necessary, albeit insufficient, means for our salvation. Respectfully submitted, Ben Cerimele Contact InformationIf you wish to contact us on any articles, have any questions, you can initiate contact either by: |