“It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.
Acts 15:19,20
Dr. Feingold and Dr. Bergsma have clarified a question I’d had regarding why the Church did not dogmatize their very first council ruling in Acts 15. Particularly that the Gentiles, excused from Circumcision, should refrain from strangled meat and blood. Dr. Bergsma deftly explains the command was given to Gentiles so they could share table with the Jewish Christians and there would be no scandal.
We know from Peter’s vision of the animals in the sheet (tablecloth) that he and the Jewish believers were being told by God to share table with Gentiles regardless of the pagan food that would be considered repulsive to Jews. Jesus’ command was being enacted: to love one another. And this great love now included Gentiles.
Likewise, when the Gentile believers were being “grafted onto the olive tree” with baptism taking the covenantal place of circumcision, they too were being gently asked to make a complementary food accommodation to what the Jewish Christians were making for the Gentiles.
It should be noted that technically a Gentile eating non-Kosher meat such as pork would not be offensive to a Jew. What would be offensive to a Jew is seeing a Gentile violate their own particular Noahidic commands from God. Namely eating blood and strangled meat which was a command to Noah for all mankind. Jew and Gentile sharing table while still adhering to their divinely commanded diets would have been theologically agreeable to the Jewish Christians. Thus we can now clearly understand how the Churches of the Circumcision and the Uncircumcision were to eat together.
You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.
Acts 15:29
Dr. Bergsma and Dr. Feingold masterfully explain how this teaching was allowed to be loosened as the character of the Church became gradually less Jewish and eventually there were no Jews left in the Church to ostensibly “scandalize” with prohibited foods. Unfortunately The body of Christ had become separated. This was only the first of the major schisms in the Church.
I can’t help but read the ending remark of the council’s letter as prophetic. “You (the Gentile church) will do well to avoid these things.” Did they/we do well? Are we doing well?
Dr. Feingold wisely understands it is good that Kosher/Noahide food laws are not mandated by the Church. His explanation is primarily concerned that coming together at table be an easy endeavor. Since the early church was majority Jewish, making things easy for the Gentiles to come into communion was the top priority. Ironically we are in a reverse situation where it appears that it is now easy for all except Kosher Observant Jews to come to the food diverse table of Peter’s vision.
If we apply Dr. Bergsma’s connection, we see that through the act of love of neighbor—by willingly observing food laws of abstaining from strangled meat and blood we are not obliged to—we symbolically prepare the table for the Jews to return.
I believe we may have rediscovered one of the most essential missing pieces of the reconciliation of the Jewish and Gentile Church. Certainly Hebrew Catholics, who I believe are the bridge of this “teshuvah”, could now keep kosher with a higher purpose even beyond culture and identity preservation.
In the apostolic age, abandoning the Mosaic ceremonial law would have been beyond conception for a Jewish Christian. There could have been no evangelization “to the Jew first” if they were flagrantly distinguishing themselves from their brethren by abandoning Mitzvot.
This is likely a reason Paul circumcised Timothy. His father was Gentile but his mother was Jewish effectively making him totally Jewish in the eyes of the other Jews. The Jews would be unwilling to hear out a non-Jewish evangelist. It would be even more ridiculous for a Jew of that time to heed the words of a flagrantly non-observant Jewish missionary.
Dr. Feingold says our age is very much like the Apostolic age where the gospel is far from sufficiently promulgated. The correct Hebrew Catholic evangelization approach to Jews could now be like that of the first apostles. We would connect to our ethnic family not only with the good news, but through respectful like manner.
We might also reflect on other Jewish observances as points of bonding, particularly Shabbat. If some Hebrew Catholics are able to properly observe both Catholic obligations and Jewish Mitzvot we will create an electrified connection that will reunite the Church.
I’ve written elsewhere that I believe the “natural branches” of a unified Jewish and Gentile Church may actually be the Messianic Jews. Particularly those Messianic Jews who uphold a rigorous Jewish life of observance. It is my belief that it is the Observant Messianic Jews coming into communion with The Church that will ignite a new awakening in the spiritual and corporal body of Christ.
Certainly we should hope and pray for the healing of the Eastern/Western Catholic schism, the return of the Protestants and reconciliation with Rabbinic Jews. As the facts stand it may require direct intervention of the Lord or the Blessed Mother themselves to make this an immediate reality. But in my naive estimation, Catholic Messianic Observant Jews en masse is a much greater potentiality that Hebrew Catholics could direct their evangelical efforts towards.
The gospel’s fundamental message is the breaking of bread with and for all men as the New Covenant/Testament. All Catholics can find relevance in the first Church council’s non-binding ruling for Gentiles to avoid strangled meat and blood. We can now understand that we were given the secret of how to love or Jewish neighbors.
The invitation back to the banquet has always been open. The Council of Jerusalem’s ruling shows us what the Catholic should do, out of pure love and not obligation, so that some observing Christ believing Jews might be more disposed to accept that invitation and join us at the table.
This gesture might be all that is required for the reconciliation of Judaism and Christianity to commence. It is simple and within the capability of every Catholic. The Church has not bound the Council of Jerusalem’s ruling giving Catholics a unique and Biblically supported free will devotion of neighborly love. It is an opportunity to fulfill the two greatest commandments, to love God and love neighbor. Love of neighbor is how Jesus taught us to show our love for God.
