OrthJBC - Acts - 15

15:1  And some men came down from Yehudah to Syrian Antioch and were teaching the Achim b'Moshiach that if you lack the Bris Milah as prescribed by Moshe Rabbenu, it is impossible for you to come to Yeshu'at Eloheinu.

15:2  Now this brought them into a dispute and a debate of no little proportion with Rav Sha'ul and Bar-Nabba, who were appointed to go up with some others from them to bring this sheilah (question) before the Moshiach's Shluchim and Zekenim in Yerushalayim.

15:3  Then having been sent on their way by the Kehillah, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Shomron telling in detail how the Nations were turning to Hashem and they were bringing great simcha to all the Achim b'Moshiach.

15:4  And having come to Yerushalayim, they were there received by Moshiach's Kehillah and the Moshiach's Shluchim and the Zekenim and they reported what things Hashem had done with them.

15:5  But some of the ma'aminim hemeshichiyim from the kat of the Perushim rose up, saying, "It is necessary to give the Goyim the Bris Milah and to command them to be shomer mitzvot, keeping the Torah of Moshe Rabbenu."

15:6  And the Moshiach's Shluchim and the Zekenim were gathered together as a council to consider this matter.

15:7  And after much deliberation had taken place, Moshiach's Shliach Shimon Kefa got up. Kefa said to them, "Anashim, Achim b'Moshiach, you have da'as that in the early days Hashem chose that among you I would be the one and through my mouth the Goyim would hear the dvar Hashem of the Besuras HaGeulah and would come to emunah [in the Orthodox Jewish faith]. IT IS THE TEVILAH OF THE RUACH HAKODESH THAT IS HASHEM'S WITNESS AS TO WHO, WHETHER BORN JEWISH OR NON-JEWISH, HAS IN FACT BECOME MEKABEL OF THE TRUE ORTHODOX JEWISH FAITH OF THE TRUE MOSHIACH

15:8  "And the One who has da'as of levavot, Hashem, bore solemn edut and stood as their witness, having given the non-Jews the tevilah in the Ruach Hakodesh just as Hashem did also to us Jews [Acts 2:4; 10:46].

15:9  "And in making tehorot their levavot by emunah, in this repect Hashem did not differentiate between us Jews and those non-Jews.

15:10  "Therefore, now why are you testing Hashem by laying an ol (yoke) upon the neck of the talmidim which neither Avoteinu nor we were able to bear? [Devarim 9:5-6]

15:11  "On the contrary, Anu Ma'aminim (We believe) that we Jews come to Yeshu'at Eloheinu by the Chen v'Chesed Hashem of the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu in the same Derech Hashem as those non-Jews do also." [Rom.3:9,30]

15:12  And then all the multitude was silent and they were listening to Bar-Nabba and Rav Sha'ul describing what otot and moftim Hashem did among the Nations through them.

15:13  And after Rav Sha'ul and Bar-Nabba fell silent, Moshiach's Shliach Ya'akov responded, saying, "Anashim, Achim b'Moshiach, listen to me." THE REPLY OF THE MOSHIACH'S BRIT CHADASHA "SANHEDRIN" TO SHIMON KEFA, RAV SHA'UL AND BAR-NABBA: TNOIM (STIPULATIONS) [A VARIANT ON THE SHEVA MITZVOS B'NAI NOACH WHICH HAD TO DO WITH 1) COURTS OF JUSTICE, 2) IDOL WORSHIP, 3) BLASPHEMY, 4) HUMAN BLOODSHED, 5) IMMORALITY, 6) ROBBERY, AND 7) EATING THE FLESH OF THE LIMB OF A LIVING ANIMAL] AND THE VARIANT TNOIM LISTED BELOW WERE NECESSARY --AND HERE IS THE IMPORTANT THING--THE PARTICULAR TNOIM LISTED BELOW 1) GILUI ARAYOT 2) SH'CHITAH 3) DAHM AND 4) AVODAH ZARAH WERE NECESSARY NOT MERELY FOR ONE OF THE YIREI ELOHIM (G-D-FEARERS) OR FOR ONE OF THE CHASIDEI UMOT HAOLAM (PIOUS IN THE GENTILE WORLD) BUT FOR--IN THE TURNING OF THE AGES IN THE NEW ORDER OF MOSHIACH'S TECHIYAS HAMESIM--A MESSIANIC GER (A FULL PROSELYTE) TO MESSIANIC ORTHODOX JUDAISM; THIS WAS SO IN ORDER FOR THERE TO BE CHAVURAH AT MOSHIACH'S TISH BETWEEN THE SHE'ARIT OF ORTHODOX LAW OBSERVANT JEWS WHO ARE MA'AMINIM HAMESHICHIYIM (SEE ACTS 21:20) AND THE SHE'ARIT OF THE NATIONS WHO ARE MA'AMINIM HAMESHICHIYIM; FOR THE MATTERS OF GILUI ARAYOT (SEXUAL IMMORALITY), SH'CHITAH, DAHM, AND AVODAH ZARAH (IDOLATRY), ALL HAVE TO DO WITH THE ISSUE OF THE RECEPTION BY THE ORTHODOX JUDAISM OF REBBE, MELECH HAMOSHIACH ADONEINU YEHOSHUA OF THE GER TZEDEK (THE SINCERE PROSELYTE) FROM THE NATIONS, A CRUCIAL QUESTION REQUIRING ACHDUS IN THE DECISION; MOSHIACH'S SHLIACH YA'AKOV ASSURES HIS FELLOW ORTHODOX JEWS THAT THEY NEED NOT BE THREATENED OR ALARMED BY RAV SHA'UL'S GROWING SHLICHUT TO THE GOYIM BECAUSE HASHEM IS IN FACT VERY MUCH IN THIS WORLD-WIDE ENTERPRISE, AND, BESIDES, NOTHING WILL BE LOST BY ORTHODOX JUDAISM, SINCE THERE WILL ALWAYS BE, THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, SHULS LIKE MOSHIACH'S SHLIACH RAV YA'AKOV'S OWN MESSIANIC ORTHODOX JEWISH SHUL IN YERUSHALAYIM WHERE ON SHABBOS THE TORAH IS READ AND PREACHED AND PRACTICED; THE DECISION OF THIS COUNCIL OF CHAREDIM IS PRIOR TO AND TAKES PRECEDENCE OVER ANY COUNCIL OF THE RABBIS OF YAVNEH OF YOCHANAN BEN ZAKKAI, A FACT TO WHICH HASHEM HIMSELF ATTESTS BY THE OTOT OF THE TEVILAH OF THE RUACH HAKODESH, FOR AT MOSHIACH'S TISH THE SHE'ARIT OF THE NATIONS ARE FULL MESSIANIC PROSELYTES WITH THE BRIS MILAH OF THE RUACH HAKODESH AND HITKHADESHUT AND EACH IS A GER TZEDEK IN MOSHIACH, AND THIS IS THE FINAL OUTCOME OF THE SHEILAH REGARDING TABLE FELLOWSHIP AT ANTIOCH (GAL.2:12; ACTS 15:1); THE "MECHITZAH" SITUATION OF THE ANTI-GENTILE SOREG (BARRIER FENCING OFF THE HOLY PRECINCT ON PAIN OF DEATH) IN THE BEIS HAMIKDASH (ACT.21:28) IS ABOLISHED IN THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BRIT CHADASHA AT THE MOSHIACH'S TISH (SEE EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO GROW A MESSIANIC YESHIVA)

15:14  "Shimon explained how Hashem rishonah (first) concerned himself to receive from the Nations a people for his Shem.

15:15  "And this is in agreement with the dvarim of the Nevi'im, just as it has been written,

15:16  `After these things I will return and V'AKIM ES SUKKAT DOVID HANOFELET VHARISOTAV AKIM U'VENITIHA ("I will rebuild the tabernacle of Dovid which has fallen and the things having been torn down of it I will rebuild and I will restore it"),

15:17  `so that the she'arit (remnant) of anashim might seek Hashem and all the GOYIM WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME,

15:18  SAYS THE L-RD, WHO MAKES THESE THINGS KNOWN FROM LONG AGO [Amos 9:11f TARGUM HASHIVIM, 12; Yirmeyah 12:15; Yeshayah 45:21]

15:19  "Therefore, it is my judgment not to trouble the ones from the Goyim turning in teshuva to Hashem,

15:20  "but to write to them to keep away from the pollution of elilim and of zenut and of the thing strangled and of dahm. [Vayikra 3:17; 7:26; 17:10-13; 19:26; Devarim 12:16,23]

15:21  "For Moshe Rabbenu from ancient dorot in every shtetl has his maggidim and in the shuls every Shabbos he has been read." THE REPLY OF THE MOSHIACH'S ORTHODOX JEWISH BRIT CHADASHA (MOSHIACH'S SHE'ARIT) "SANHEDRIN"

15:22  Then it was mekabel by the Moshiach's Shluchim and the Zekenim with the entire Kehillah to choose anashim from them to send to Syrian Antioch with Rav Sha'ul and Bar-Nabba, also Yehudah called Bar-Sabba, and Sila, all manhigim among the Achim b'Moshiach,

15:23  with the following iggeret: "From the Achim b'Moshiach, Moshiach's Shluchim and the Zekenim: to the Achim b'Moshiach throughout Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, to those from among the Nations, Shalom!

15:24  "Vi-bahlt (since) we heard that certain men had gone out from us, though not having any directives from us, and have given you mitzvot with dvarim unsettling your nefashot (souls),

15:25  "it was mekabel to us, having come to achdut in mind and having chosen anashim to send to you, along with our beloved chaverim Bar-Nabba and Sha'ul--

15:26  "anashim who have imperilled their lives for ha-Shem of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu Yehoshua--

15:27  "Therefore we have sent Yehudah and Sila, and they too will confirm us in person by word of mouth.

15:28  "For it was mekabel to the Ruach Hakodesh and to us to lay no heavier burden upon you who are from the Nations except these necessary things:

15:29  "that you non-Jewish ma'aminim hameshichiyim keep away from meat sacrificed to elilim, and dahm, and what is strangled, and zenut. If you are shomer to avoid these, you will do well. Shalom!" THE MOSHIACH'S SHLUCHIM TAKE THE IGGERET TO THE NON-JEWISH MA'AMINIM HAMESHICHIYIM AND DEPART

15:30  Therefore, having been dismissed, they went down to Syrian Antioch, and having gathered together the multitude, they delivered the iggeret.

15:31  And having read it, there was a response of simcha gedolah at the exhortation.

15:32  Both Yehudah and Sila, being themselves nevi'im hameshichiyim also, with many dvarim comforted the Achim b'Moshiach and gave them chizzuk.

15:33  And after they had spent considerable time, they were dismissed with shalom from the Achim b'Moshiach and sent back to the ones having dispatched them. [Shmuel Alef 1:17]

15:35  And Rav Sha'ul and Bar-Nabba were staying in Syrian Antioch saying shiurim and drashot with also many others, the content of these being the dvar Hashem. RAV SHA'UL AND BAR-NABBA BECOME BROIGEZ AND SEPARATE

15:36  And after some yamim Rav Sha'ul said to Bar-Nabba, "Let's return, then and visit the Achim b'Moshiach throughout every city in which we proclaimed the dvar Hashem to see how they are doing."

15:37  And Bar-Nabba was deciding to take along also Yochanan called Markos.

15:38  But Rav Sha'ul was insisting not to take along this one, the one having withdrawn from them from Pamphylia and not having gone with them to the avodas kodesh work of the Moshiach's Shlichut.

15:39  And there was a sharp disagreement so that they were separated from one another, and Bar-Nabba took Markos and sailed away to Cyprus.

15:40  And Rav Sha'ul chose Sila and departed, having been commended to the Chen v'Chesed Hashem by the Achim b'Moshiach.

15:41  And they were traveling through Syria and Cilicia strengthening the Moshiach's Kehillot.