Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? Acts 15:10
Try to imagine the burdensome problem of an Israelite in the Old Testament days trying to keep up with making atonement for sins. Every time such an Israelite or a member of his family committed a sin, a sacrifice had to be made. This involved travelling all the way to the temple in Jerusalem, regardless of where they lived. When they arrived, they had to complete the rituals of ceremonial washings, and then present a lamb to the priests to be offered. Considering the great cost in terms of both time and money, the poor people could not possibly hope to satisfy all of this, and the rich would be in a constant state of frustration if they tried. In addition, the many other requirements of the ceremonial law were impossible, too. So were the mountains of additional rules and regulations which the Jewish leaders had compiled and had sought to enforce among the people. Is it any wonder that Peter, in our text today, could refer to the ceremonial law of Judaism as being a yoke that the people were unable to bear? We have no ceremonial law today.
It was through Peter that God had introduced the Gospel to the Gentiles, when He sent him to preach to the Roman centurion Cornelius. Peter had first-hand knowledge of the proof of salvation as Cornelius and his household received the Holy Spirit. So he could fully accept the account of Paul and Barnabas concerning the many Gentiles who had been saved during their recent missionary journey. Peter understood that the circumcision that the misguided teachers were insisting on was just one of the elements of the ceremonial law of the Old Testament. And now, for both Jew and Gentile, that ceremonial law has been laid aside. It no longer has a purpose to serve. Various religious groups around us today will have their insistence on the keeping of various ordinances and rituals and requirements. But these serve only to confuse and pollute the clear and simple message of the Gospel. And we must avoid them.
Only two ordinances have been given to us in this day of grace, and they are totally distinct from the Old Testament ordinances. Are these ordinances necessary? Yes they are, but not for salvation. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are both essential if a believer is to be obedient to the Lord and is to enjoy the blessings of fellowship with the Lord and with His people. Whether either of these two ordinances is mentioned during Gospel preaching is immaterial. Some people will declare that Christians in our Assemblies observe other rituals and requirements. For example, we have heard some speak of a ‘dress code’ that is enforced in our meetings. No, we have no ‘dress code’ requirement, although we dress in accordance with the reverence and modesty that is due to the One into Whose presence we come.
The yoke of Christ is easy and light. Let us bear it with joy and appreciation. -Jim MacIntosh