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VERY FEW prophets of the New Testament. And James was here quoting
from the prophet Amos, to add his own approval to Peter's DECISION.
James is not making the decision--h� is making official Peter's de
cision!
Continue: "Wherefore, my sentence is, that we trouble not them,
wh.ich from among the Gentiles are turned to God: But that we write
unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from
fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood." (Verses
19-20). Pollutions of idols was related to idolatry, and idolatry
and fornication were violations of the SPIRITUAL law, eternally
binding. Eating blood or things strangled was NO PART of the
ceremonial law, but a law of health which was not substitutionary.
OBSERVE SPECIALLY: This was not a matter, as did happen at
Pasadena, of one of lower rank appointed by an Apostle, while the
Apostle was in another part of the world, calling together a con
ference of ministers of various ranks--all under that of Apostle-
and determining, or changing doctrine--watering down God's TRUTH-
and sending it out, as the STP was, claiming falsely and without
authority that it was an authoritative doctrinal pronouncement!
In this case, it was PETER, chief Apostle, who set the decision.
The letter they then sent to the Church at Antioch specified that
this decision was inspired by the HOLY SPIRIT. PETER set it, James,
local Pastor acting as chairman of the meeting, confirmed Peter's
decision, making it OFFICIAL, inspired by the HOLY SPIRIT.
Jesus Gave Peter Primacy
In all these successive instances, I have shown you, step by
step, that Peter was LEADER of the Apostles--and that the Church re
ceived its teachings and doctrines FROM THE APOSTLES!
But God has always worked primarily through ONE MAN at a time-
as Abraham, then Isaac, then Jacob, then Joseph--later Moses, then
Joshua, later Samuel, then David--and, in the New Testament Church,
PETER. But Peter was an Apostle--one sent forth proclaiming the
Message--not a resident pope over a political hierarchy.
Now notice how JESUS gave Peter primacy over Apostles:
Jesus had asked His Apostles-to-be whom they said Jesus really
was. "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the
Son of the living God. And Jesus said unto him"--UNTO PETER:
"Blessed art thou Simon Barjona, for flesh and bloodh°ath not re
vealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say
also unto thee"--UNTO PETER--"That thou art Peter, and upon this rock
I will build my church; and the gates of the grave shall not prevail
against it. And I will give unto THEE"--PETER, not the Church--
"the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou"--PETER-
"shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou"
--PETER--"shalt loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven."
There has been much discussion at Pasadena between certain
ministers of lower than Apostle rank, as to the CHURCH binding and
loosing.