The biggest scandal in the New Testament, after the fact that a crucified man is God – is that unclean gentiles are accepted into God’s family without first becoming Jews.
PICTURE: Aaron Burden/Unsplash
We’re so used to the idea we don’t see the scandal, even though it’s a central theme of Acts and Paul’s letters.
There is so much Scripture that says this can’t happen. Circumcision was an eternal covenant – yet the early church realised that a Gospel of grace had to include any repentant soul. Any, without recourse to rules. If God had called and gifted them, who were we to reject them?
Why is this important? The church has a clear blueprint in this, on who’s in, how God’s grace works – yet we have struggled to follow that – for woman, slaves, Indigenous people – for centuries.
Let’s welcome others as Christ has welcomed us.
Paul Clark’s musings can be heard on radio across Australia and at atthetop.org.au.
