During this time, the Jews were attacking Christianity from within and from without, and the apostles’ Peter and Paul were defending the faith. They were explaining that salvation is not based on works but on faith alone. This was the basis for their argument for the faith of the Gentiles. And, as Peter points out, it is the same faith that saved Israel.
Identifying with Israel to be saved
Identifying Israel to be saved by faith alone is a topic that is often debated. Some scholars attempt to make “Israel” the Church, while others use the term to refer to Gentiles. Regardless of which view is taken, the issue remains.
One argument is that verse 4 refers to the Gentiles. However, the KJV phrase means “non-Jewish peoples”. This does not refer to the non-Christian world.
Another argument is that the entire Israelite nation did not believe the gospel message. This would explain the majority of Israel’s rejection. However, there is evidence that Gentiles were included in salvation promises to Israel. The promise is not only for Israel but for the remnant of Jewish Christians as well.
Many Jewish people have served as great theologians and missionaries in the Church. Some of these Jews are still alive and will turn to Christ at the end of the age. It is possible that the full salvation of Israel will occur all at once. This will be a larger miracle in the working of salvation in the world.
God’s righteousness is a gift of his grace
Often, people use the word “righteousness” in a forensic way, but God’s righteousness is not earned, but a gift of his grace. When we think about God’s righteousness, we should think about the idea of freedom from sin. We should also think about the idea of God’s transforming power.
In the Old Testament, God’s righteousness often has parallels with mercy or truth. However, the New Testament does not have any such parallels.
God’s righteousness is a gift that is available to all people who put their trust in Jesus Christ. All Christians have received this gift, and it is not earned by their works.
Historically, God’s righteousness was only known in the Old Testament, but it was later revealed in the New Testament. In the New Testament, the term righteousness refers to the forgiveness of sins. Unlike the Jewish law, the New Testament teaching on righteousness is not a legal obligation. In fact, the New Testament has never used the phrase “righteousness” to refer to something that can be earned.
The attack on Christianity from without
UC Berkeley scholars have a lot to say about the latest iteration of America’s oldest religion, the evangelical Christian. Their findings reveal that the Christian faith is losing ground to a younger generation of evangelicals who ascribe to socially conservative views. These new believers are being wooed by a number of self-proclaimed evangelists with a penchant for the occult.
The biggest question is whether these faith-based zealots are still in it for the long haul. There’s a dark shadow looming over the future of the Christian faith. They are being propped up by an autocratic political establishment. This means that any individual pastor is in the doghouse.
The big question is how this trend will be resolved. One way to combat it is to create an umbrella group of like-minded evangelicals to work as a single unit. This might sound trite, but it’s a proven tactic. The most important challenge is to weed out those who are not.
Peter’s view of the Judaizers
During Peter’s visit to Antioch, he came into contact with Gentile Christians. These Gentile Christians observed that Peter lived like a Gentile. This made them hesitant to receive the gospel from Peter. When James arrived, Peter separated himself from them.
Peter was wrong in his actions. They violated the gospel in principle. His hypocrisy was based on a a belief that had been abandoned.
The Gentile Christians were hurt by the Jews who followed him. The Judaizers promoted the notion that Gentiles must be converted to the Law of Moses. This was strongly condemned in Galatians. Judaizer doctrine was a mixture of grace and works. It promoted that Gentile converts must keep the law of Moses to be saved. Judaizers also promoted the need for Gentiles to become Jewish proselytes before receiving Christ. This was an extreme position among the Gentilizers.
In Peter’s view, the Judaizers were wrong. God has the authority to make changes to laws. In the vision, Peter was instructed to open the gospel to non-Jews.
