To address this with clarity and a strong biblical foundation, let’s break down the reasoning here.
Acts 2:38-45 describes the early church's practices following Yeshua’s ascension and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Peter instructed people to repent, be baptized, and join in a communal lifestyle focused on teaching, fellowship, sharing resources, and meeting each other's needs.
In response to your claim that Acts 2:38 is applicable today, it's important to understand what aspects of these verses carry a timeless principle and which may have been specific to that historical context. Here are some points you might consider addressing:
Repentance and Baptism (Acts 2:38): Repentance and baptism are foundational aspects of the faith. The command to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins remains relevant, as both Yeshua and His apostles emphasized these steps in entering a life of faith. It’s reasonable to say that these actions are still essential.
Community and Fellowship (Acts 2:42-45): The early believers shared all things in common and supported one another, not out of coercion but as an expression of their unity and love. While the exact practice of selling possessions is not a requirement today, the principle of generosity and caring for the needs of others remains a vital aspect of Christian fellowship.
Picking and Choosing: If you insist on Acts 2:38 while disregarding the communal support shown in Acts 2:42-45, you are again being selective. Either you acknowledge the passage as a whole or recognize that certain cultural aspects may vary over time, yet the underlying principles—repentance, baptism, devotion to teaching, fellowship, and caring for others—remain relevant.
Context and Application: While the early church’s practices in Acts may not be prescriptive in every detail for all believers across time, they offer a model of devotion, unity, and mutual support that we should aspire to. Emphasizing the Spirit of the law rather than the letter might help you see the importance of applying the principles of Acts 2 in a way that aligns with the needs and realities of believers today.
I hope this message reaches you because it's time to address an ongoing issue. You seem to pick bits and pieces of Scripture to back up your points, ignoring the full context of the message. This habit of selective quoting appears frequently when you rely almost exclusively on Paul, with constant references like "Where does Paul say this?" or "Paul didn’t teach that." It’s always Paul, Paul, Paul—yet you hardly mention our actual Messiah, Yeshua, who is the ultimate example we’re called to follow. Yeshua, not Paul, gave us the clearest instructions on how to live in this world, and everything we do should point back to Him.
Paul’s teachings are valuable, but they are a lesser light pointing to the greater light of Yeshua. If you continue taking things out of context, ignoring the broader message of Scripture, then maybe it’s time to focus on the rest of the Bible to prove your points. Something tells me you avoid this because Yeshua’s teachings are more direct and uncompromising.
Your selective reading also seems to lead you to disregard the law, embracing a form of lawlessness by misquoting and misapplying Scripture. If you truly want to follow Yeshua, then take His words and example to heart. Otherwise, you’re just building arguments on cherry-picked verses, rather than the whole message of Scripture. You stop this.
