Subject: The non-Jew keeping Passover Date: Thu, 23 Apr 1998 00:47:52 +0000 To: "Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup"<heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>,
To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com Subject: The non-Jew keeping Passover From: George Brooks
Regarding the idea that Gentiles SHOULD celebrate passover... what do we do with the Gentiles that are NOT circumcised? Shouldn't they either refrain from Passover or get a circumcision?
George Brooks
>From Eddie: ***************
The Bible is very clear what God requires of the non-Jewish believer. He MUST be circumcised in the HEART. But, God also requires that the Jew be circumcised in the HEART also.
In Deuteronomy 30:6 (in the TORAH) it is written:
"And the Lord thy God will CIRCUMCISE your HEART, and the HEART of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live"
In Deuteronomy 10:12, 16, (in the TORAH) it is written:
"And now, Israel, what does the Lord thy God REQUIRE of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul ... CIRCUMCISE therefore the foreskin of your HEART, and be no more stiffnecked"
What God desires above all is that those who are called by His name be circumcised in the heart. When we are circumcised in the heart, we can become a member of God's family, receive forgiveness of our sins and have the indwelling Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh to lead and guide us unto all truth.
Furthermore, in Romans 2:28-29, it is written:
"For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly: neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: but his is Jew, which is one inwardly: and CIRCUMCISION is that of the HEART, in the SPIRIT, and NOT in the LETTER: whose praise is not of men but of God"
In Romans 2:25-26, it is written:
"Therefore, if the uncircumcision (non-Jew) keep the righteousness of the law (keeps the Torah and obeys God's commandments ... Deuteronomy 6:4-6, 10:12-16, Mark 12:28-31, John 14:15) shall not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision?"
The Bible is very clear. If the non-Jew accepts Yeshua/Jesus as Messiah and loves God with all his heart, mind, soul and strength then his physical uncircumcision (in the flesh) is counted as circumcision (in the heart). God would rather you be circumcised in the heart if you are not circumcised in the flesh than to be circumcised in the flesh but not in the heart. For if you are circumcised in the flesh but not in the heart then your circumcision is counted as uncircumcision. But, if you are circumcised in the heart but not in the flesh then God counts your uncircumcision as circumcision.
In Acts 15, some of the Jews believed that non-Jews needed to FIRST be circumcised in order to be accepted by God and to be a part of His family. But in Acts 15:7-9, Peter declares:
"And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us that the GENTILES by my mouth should HEAR (SHEMA ... Deut 6:4-5 and Mark 12:28-31) the word of the gospel and BELIEVE. And God, which knoweth the HEARTS, bare them witness giving them the Holy Spirit even as he did unto us: and put NO DIFFERENCE between us and them (the circumcision vs the uncircumsion ... in the flesh) purifying their HEARTS by faith"
If the non-Jew has to be circumcised (in the flesh) to participate in a Passover Seder does that mean that a Jew cannot participate in a Passover Seder if they are NOT circumcised in the heart?
Regarding the non-Jew, in I Corinthians 7:18-20, it is written:
"Is any man called being circumcised? (The natural Jew) Let him not be uncircumcised (in the flesh). Is any called in uncircumcism? (the non-Jew in the flesh) Let him NOT be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God (including DOING a Passover Seder in REMEMBRANCE of what Yeshua/Jesus did for us during the Passover season at His first coming ... Luke 22:19, John 14:15). Let every man ABIDE (remain) in the SAME calling wherein he was called"
So, if you are a non-Jew and you are circumcised in the HEART, you can have a Passover Seder. This is the NT calling for the non-Jew who believes in Yeshua/Jesus as Messiah. Therefore, the non-Jew CAN have have a Passover Seder if you are circumcised in the Heart because in Luke 22:19, Yeshua/Jesus said, '... this DO (have a Passover Seder) in REMEMBRANCE of me'
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