Read the Bible in a Year This evening read Acts 21:18--40 Christianity and Your Nation Some Jews accused Paul of teaching the Jewish nation that they should forsake the things that made them a nation. James and the elders in Jerusalem told Paul, 21 ...but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs (Act. 21:21). Paul was not doing as his accusers charged, and James and the elders knew it. Therefore, they encouraged him to do something that would show the truth of the matter. What is wrong with Jews following the teachings of Moses, circumcising their children, and walking according to their customs? There is nothing wrong with it. It is the same as Americans following George Washington and the Constitution. The problem was when the Jews required Gentiles to follow Moses as a matter of salvation. The Jew should follow Moses, remembering him, keeping their Passover, and other things as simply part of their national heritage. Americans cannot expect non-Americans to follow George Washington, saying that it is necessary to be a Christian nation. To do so is to say more than what the Bible says. Keep your nation's marks of identity, but do not elevate them above the teachings of Christ or above other nations. Don Ruhl Church of Christ 220 NE Savage Street Grants Pass, Oregon 97526-1310 541-476-3100 http://www.plymouth-church.com/dons_corner2.html http://associate.com/groups/emaildevotionals/