“Paul’s definition of kinship with Abraham and belonging to the line of promise eventually wins in this debate. Looking back on this argument, Luke presents the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15 as a decisive turning point in the construction of the ‘family of God’ and ‘family of Abraham.’ In Acts 15:23, a clear note is sounded as the Jewish brothers send greetings to the believers of Gentile origin with the report of the Jerusalem Council about circumcision. This is an incredibly significant step in the Christian movement since it has at least been decided that a believer does not have to join the ‘house of Israel’ through circumcision and proselytization in order to join the “household of God” these two houses being one and the same for the not-Christian Jew.”
David A. deSilva, Honor Patronage, Kinship & Purity: Unlocking New Testament Culture (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2000), 283.
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