Peter was criticized for sharing the Gospel with Gentiles. A Gentile in the Bible is anyone who is not a Jew. The mark of a proper, “orthodox in practice” Jew was circumcision. In this week’s sermon text the believers who were critical of Peter were called the circumcised believers. Digging Deeper will look at what God wanted to do that had nothing to do with the legalism of the Law.
Exodus 19 and 20
From reading these texts, why might a Jewish person feel that God is only for the Jews? What was the difference between how God treated the Jews as compared to the Egyptians? What were they called in 19:5? What was special about Mount Sinai? What did the people construe from the fact that their leader Moses was called up to the mountain? What did he receive there? What is the purpose of the 10 Commandments? How can it be used for good? How can it be used for evil? Look at your own life today in the mirror of legalism. Is there anything that you see that shows a legalistic bent that pushes people away from God? Lay such attitudes at the foot of the cross today.
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