But if I may trouble you one more time on this topic,
I asked if there were any New Testament instructions to believers that don't apply to us as Kat said the New Testament instructions for how to do church don't apply to us. You gave the building of the ark (Old Testament) as an example. I know there are a whole lot of commandments in the Old Testament that don't apply to us, but I am referring to New Testament instructions to believers that don't apply to us. This is the first time I've ever heard a believer say that something (in this case a LOT of something's) in the New Testament don't apply to believers today.
The Apostles continued to circumcise gentile men and they baptized those that converted, as the church does to this day.
Acts 10:48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.
Acts 16:14 Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.
v. 15 And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay." So she persuaded us.
Acts 2:41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
Acts 15:3 So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren.
v. 4 And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them.
v. 5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses."
But Paul stopped baptizing and circumcising later on, as he learned more about the truth.
1Co 1:17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.
http://bible-truths.com/email15.htm ------
[Ray Replies]
Dear Margaret:
Most people don't realize that there was a transition period from the end of Christ's ministry and the writing of Revelation. Most of the converts to Christianity continued to KEEP THE LAW OF MOSES as did the unbelievers. They were so zealous for the law of Moses, in fact, that they insisted that Paul and others force the Gentile converts to be law keepers as well. At the Jerusalem Conference mentioned in Acts 15 it is clear that the Apostles did not longer believe that Gentile converts had to be circumcised or follow any of the other laws of Moses. They were to live by a much higher spiritual law including the commandments to LOVE YOUR ENEMIES.
Paul baptized in the beginning of his ministry. Late he said, "The Lord has not called me to baptize." All the institutionalized churches of men know is the physical. Some have even said that, "The physical IS THE SPIRITUAL." What rank nonsense. All physical rituals (baptism is a physical ritual) are types and shadows of spiritual realities. When we have the reality, why should we still look to the type or shadow? Would you sooner have the "shadow" that a new house casts on the grown, the "new house" that casts the shadow?
Jesus Christ is the spiritual reality of ALL TYPES AND SHADOWS. "Jesus Christ is the END of the law."
http://bible-truths.com/email6.htm#nothing -----
If you are IN CHRIST, then CHRIST IS IN YOU, and Christ will live a NEW LIFE IN YOU THROUGH THE SPIRIT OF GOD, and not through the carnal minded flesh of man.
THERE IS NOTHING, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, THAT ONE CAN DO 'PHYSICALLY' TO GET SAVED 'SPIRITUALLY'!!
But what about all these 'physical things' of circumcision and baptism? Do we not have to be circumcised and baptized? YES WE DO! ABSOLUTELY. And here is how it is to be done:
"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy [theological doctrines] and vain DECEIT, after the TRADITION OF MEN, after the RUDIMENTS OF THE WORLD, and NOT AFTER CHRIST. For IN HIM dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And YOU ARE COMPLETE IN HIM, which is the Head of all principality and power: In Whom also ye ARE CIRCUMCISED [how so?] with the circumcision made WITHOUT HANDS [or knives], in putting off the BODY OF THE SINS OF THE FLESH by the CIRCUMCISION OF CHRIST: [notice, no period...] Buried WITH HIM [in 'WATER baptism?' No...] in baptism [how so? same way! 'WITHOUT HANDS; WITHOUT WATER, 'in putting off the body of the SINS OF THE FLESH by the BAPTISM OF CHRIST--there is but 'ONE BAPTISM,' Eph. 4:5!], wherein also you are risen WITH HIM through the faith of the operation of God Who has raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the UNcircumcision of your flesh, has He quickened together WITH HIM, having forgiven you ALL TRESPASSES
... Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon or of the sabbath days: Which are a SHADOW of things to come, but the body [the SUBSTANCE, the REALITY OF THE SHADOW, the BODY OF CHRIST WHICH WAS CASTING THE SHADOW] is of [or belongs to] CHRIST" (Col. 2:8-13 & 16-17)!!!
At the conference at Jerusalem spoken of in the 15th chapter of Acts, Christian Pharisees were demanding that newly converted Gentiles must BE CIRCUMCISED AND KEEP THE LAW OF MOSES. Did the Apostles, elders, disciples, and the whole church under the inspiration of God's Holy Spirit conclude that they should:
A. Be circumcised, but NOT to keep the law of Moses?
B. Keep the law of Moses, but NOT to be circumcised?
C. Be circumcised, AND keep the law of Moses?
D. NONE OF THE ABOVE?
It is, of course, NONE OF THE ABOVE. They ALL concluded in complete harmony with each other and the Spirit of God, that new Christian converts were not to be circumcised OR keep the law of Moses. Now everyone knows (don't they?) that the ritual of circumcision was the most important physical ritual in all the Old Covenant, and that that the Old Covenant itself WAS the 'Ten Commandments.'
"And He [GOD] declared unto you His [Old now] Covenant, which He commanded you to perform, EVEN TEN COMMANDMENTS; and He wrote them upon two tables of stone" (Deut. 4:13).
The TEN COMMANDMENTS were, in effect, THE OLD COVENANT! Read all of Acts 15 and see for yourself that the OLD covenant ten commandments and circumcision were NOT enforced upon NEW CHRISTIAN CONVERTS UNDER THE NEW COVENANT!
When we have JESUS CHRIST LIVING IN OUR VERY HEARTS AND MINDS AND SPIRITS, we don't need laws chiseled into hearts of STONY TABLETS! We must live a spiritual life FAR FAR ABOVE that of the legalistic Pharisaical hypocrites that thought that obeying physical laws makes a man SPIRITUAL.
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mercy, peace and love
Kat