The Roots of Gentile Inclusion: Noahide Laws and the Jerusalem Council
In this article, we explore the Noahide laws. In addition, we'll take a unique look at these laws, their relevance to the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15, and their implications for Gentiles today.
As people begin to explore the Bible through a Jewish perspective, many are introduced to the Noahide laws¹. In this article, we'll take a look at these laws, their relevance to the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15 and why this was such a big debate for the Apostolic community, and the implications for Gentiles today.
What Are The Laws of Noah?
The laws of Noah are a set of commandments that the Creator assigned to Noah and his descendants after the flood. These commandments preceded the giving of the Torah at Sinai and are binding on all humankind to this day - specifically, non-Jews.
Though there are slight variations, they are²:
- Not to worship idols
- Not to curse G_D
- Not to commit murder
- Not to commit adultery or sexual immorality
- Not to steal
- Not to eat flesh torn from a living animal
- To establish courts of justice
Notice that the commands listed here are almost entirely prohibitive. This is a theme throughout the Bible; there is very little that Gentiles are commanded to do in the positive sense.
While some of these laws are designed to optimize human interactions, some are aimed at preventing spiritual impurity.
This precedent is found in the Torah, and it seems the Jerusalem Council follows the contours of this idea, though, adding additional prohibitions.
10 Commandments ≠ Noahide Laws
Though there is some overlap, the Noahide laws are not the same as the "10 Commandments."
The 10 Commandments are actually more like categories that are subdivided into 613 commandments. Among these, for example, are dietary laws (Kashrut); wearing tefillin, and tzitzit; various laws of purity; Shabbat/holiday observances; temple services, and more.
The Torah records that the 10 commandments were given to the Jewish people as a sign of their unique covenant with G_D³. This is not to say that the commandments can not provide inspiration and moral guidance for all people. Indeed they do.
While there is much discussion today about which commandments Gentiles can, should, or must observe - they key is recognizing the enduring covenantal responsibilities the Bible outlines for the Jewish people⁴.
Thus the world was divided into two categories; Jews who must uphold the 10 Commandments, and Gentiles who are to uphold the Noahide laws.
Therefore, it may be a useful starting point for a Gentile to ensure they are upholding the [Noahide] commandments incumbent upon them before exploring additional commandments. Incidentally, various opinions in the Talmud seem to open the door to the idea that there might be more worth exploring.
In fact, Jewish tradition teaches that Gentiles who observe the (7) Laws of Noah have a share in the World to Come⁵.
Thus, the Noahide Laws demonstrate that you don't have to be Jewish to have a path to righteousness and a solid relationship with G_D.
Ger Toshav
In the Biblical times, a Gentile who lived in the land of Israel, and observed the Noahide laws was known as a "Ger Toshav" (גר תושב)⁶. Often translated as "Resident Alien," this title indicated that they were not Jewish, nor a convert, yet agreed to these Torah prohibitions.
This status afforded Gentiles a degree of access to the Jewish community as these laws helped mitigate forms of impurity that might damage the community's spiritual integrity.
Cornelius, mentioned in Acts 10, is an important example of such a person.
Gentile Followers of Jesus
This brings us to the issue we see continually resurface throughout the New Testament - what standard shall Gentile followers of Jesus need to uphold to join the synagogue communities.
Ostensibly, two pathways existed; 1) Convert the Gentiles to Jews, or 2) allow them to remain as Noahides.
A few questions to explore;
Why was this a difficult question for the Apostles, causing so much disagreement? What was lacking with these two available options, and why did they seem to favor a third option?
Jerusalem Council
Traditional interpretations make an early mistake assuming the setting discussed was a church. Acts 15:21 describes that we're talking about Gentile integration into Jewish 'synagogues'.
The leadership convened, and debated this topic intensely. It's obvious some vied for the conversion option. The other side felt this was not sustainable. Both sides had valid eschatological, and practical points to consider.
In the end, their decision was to assign (4) prohibitions for the Gentiles to uphold:
to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. - Acts 15:20
If we assume a Gentile in the synagogue community would have at least observed the Noahide laws, we can begin to make sense of the Jerusalem Council.
Many have wondered why there is a glaring absence of the obvious commands, such as; murder, theft, adultery, lying, etc. The Noahide framework would have covered these.
Protecting Spiritual Purity
While on one hand, these (4) additional regulations would alleviate a lot of impurity issues involved with the cultic practices of the Roman Empire, these are also significant measures to preserve spiritual purity.
It seems one goal was to enable and preserve the Gentiles receiving the Divine Presence, or, "Holy Spirit"⁸. This revelation was a deciding factor in the argument:
And G_D, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us,...
- Acts 15:8
The ability to receive the Divine Presence, something many were uncertain the Gentiles could attain, had occurred. Thus, the Apostles sought to prevent the Gentile followers of Jesus from losing this ability through the addition of a few measures.
What Was The Confusion?
So, why weren't the Noahide laws enough for the Apostles? Why would they raise the bar on the new Gentile followers?
A few reasons come to mind for me.
1) A New Era. There is discussion in the Rabbinic literature as to how long the Noahide laws would extend to the Gentiles. It seems the Messianic era would serve to re-integrate Gentiles to a proper service of G_D alongside the Jewish people.
In the Talmud⁹, there is discussion as to what this means exactly. Would they simply be Gentiles who left paganism behind, or would they become converts? The Bible is actually not clear on these details, hence the discussions.
If, say, in the first century, you were under the impression that the transition to the Messianic Kingdom was at hand, you might have favored the option to prepare the Gentiles for the higher standards that were to arrive with the onset of the Messianic kingdom.
(Though, it is worth noting that then, as today, this is a debate as to whether conversion is part of the equation to this transformation. It is generally believed in the Messianic era, conversions will cease)
2) It's Not About "Salvation." This issue wasn't necessarily about 'salvation', but protecting and enabling spiritual access in the here and now.
Of course benefits beyond life exist for those who attain and maintain the Divine Presence, but there is a lot of life to live where this spiritual elevation can be applied for the restoration of the here and now.
Conclusion
It seems evident the Apostles chose not to mandate Jewish conversion, nor did they assign the full yoke of Torah upon their Gentile audience.
However, they did expect them to hold a higher standard for their time. If we read closely, this standard served as the bare minimum for participation in the community.
We can assume these Gentile followers would have been present in the synagogue for the major Jewish festivals, and weekly Shabbat, though not commanded to do so. It is likely some may have opted to observe more commandments over time, and others would have likely gone the full route of conversion.
Nevertheless, the Noahide laws are a Biblical first-step for non-Jews seeking a closer connection to the Creator. The additions added in Jerusalem may also serve as a spring board from which to grow into greater service through time.
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Notes:
² Sanhedrin 56a-b
³ Mitzvot and Misundertandings: Understanding the Biblical Commandments
⁵ Midrash on Psalm 4:14
⁶ Avodah Zara 64, Mishnah Bava Metzia 9
⁷ Paul's Audience in the New Testament
⁸ Holy Spirit vs. Ruach HaKodesh: Revealing the Essence of Divine Presence
⁹ Avodah Zara 24a
