The Noachide Laws

The problem arose as the incorrect word got out that Paul was teaching Jews to forsake the Law and not circumcise their children. The point was that Gentile converts were not required to keep the Jewish ritual Laws, and James was not critical of that, but he objected to anyone teaching Jews not to keep their identification covenant and traditions. Unfortunately, today many theologians still believe this misconception about Paul and the Law.
After the flood, mankind no longer looked to Adam as father, but now looked to Noah. Noah according to the Biblical records was basically a righteous man, pious in his generation, and walked with G-d. G-d reaffirmed the original seven commandments He had taught Adam and established a covenant with Noah (Gen. 9:8). The sign of the covenant was the rainbow which has come to serve as a permanent symbol of Divine compassion. The seven colors of the rainbow represent the seven Noachide commands given to all the children of Noah. Remember concerning the children of Noah that Shem was the father of the Semite people, Ham was the father of the dark skinned people, and Japheth was the father of the European people.
According to the Jewish records, the grandson of Shem named Eber, establish the House of study (Bet Midrashim). Eber was considered one of the first preachers of righteousness and in his school both Abraham and Jacob studied.
Gentiles got a different standard in that they did not need to identify with a covenant as the Chosen People. They were believers in the Jewish Messiah and had to respect the so-called Noachide precepts stressed at the Jerusalem Council by avoiding pagan beliefs (Acts 21:25; 15:28-29).
According to the Talmud there were seven Noachide Laws:
1. Not to worship idols.
2. Not to curse G-d.
3. Not to kill.
4. Not to steal.
5. Not to engage in sexual immorality.
6. Not to eat the limb of a living animal.
7. To establish a court of Law and to enforce these Laws.
Let’s examine each of the seven in some detail. The essence of the total Seven Universal Laws is the prohibition against idolatry.
1. Idolatry – there were four forms of worship in the Temple that were not allowed to be done towards an idol.
Prostrating, Sprinkling, Sacrificing, Pouring out.
2. Blasphemy - this is the only one of the seven that one can do through the faculty of speech alone. Blaspheme falls into the category of revenge. When someone is harmed by a person and shouts or curses him.
In extreme cases when the vengeful person is not satisfies he resorts to striking physically or even to kill.
Between G-d and man this sin is different since the ultimate revenge man can take against G-d is to curse Him. Blasphemy is man’s attempt to hurt the Father.
A blasphemer was put under a ban of excommunication. This excommunication means that the person has no rights as a member of the community and that all are forbidden to speak to him.
Blasphemy is an expression of incomplete faith in G-d coming from the false notion of dualism. This assumption holds that there are two powers acting as G-d, and two kingdoms, G-d’s and Satan’s. This theology denies that G-d alone is Master of all. The only type blasphemy that cannot be forgiven is against the Holy Spirit.
3. Murder – the very basis of this is found in Gen. 9:6. Whoever sheds the blood of man; by death shall his blood be shed, for he is made in the image of G-d. A Noachide who kills a human being, even a baby in the womb of its mother, received the death penalty. This was interpreted even to mean one who strikes a pregnant woman, killing the fetus, also incurred the death penalty. This act must have been done at least 40 days after conception. If it occurred before 40 days, the act fell in the category of destruction of man’s seed, and the transgression was liable for punishment from heaven, not by a court on earth.
If a person killed a terminally ill person, he was liable for punishments by the courts. This judgment places the acts of mercy killing or euthanasia in the category of murder.
There is much discussion among the Rabbis concerning whether it permissible for a person to kill a fetus in order to save the life of the mother. Some permit this to save the mother’s life and some do not agree. But all agree that the taking of the mother’s life to save a fetus is murder and punishable by the courts.
Suicide is forbidden under the Seven Laws of Noah and Jewish Law. Gen. 9:5.
If the killing was accidental it was manslaughter and the ancient Jewish system permitted such a person to flee to a City of Refuge until his trial. If the court ruled that he did it then he had to reside in the City of Refuge until the death of the present high priest. This was a picture, according to Jewish interpretation, of the concept of the death of the Righteous as an atonement for that unrighteous of that generation. This is part of the Jewish concept by which Y’Shua HaMashiach died for all. After the death of the high priest the individual could return to his home.
There is also a Jewish concept that believers are the light of the world and if anyone tries to kill you, you must kill him first. In ancient times one who took the pacifist idea and would not protect his family against an intruder was considered worse than an infidel. This protection of oneself falls under the justified homicide code.
4. Sexual Relations – This is primarily based on the Jewish interpretation of Gen. 2:24.
You are forbidden to have sexual relationships with certain relatives including:
Mother, Father, Daughter, Father’s sister, Mother’s sister.
Other forbidden relationships: A man with another’s man’s wife,
Of the same sex, only homosexuality is described as an abomination!
With an animal.
5. Theft – A thief that is not an armed robber, but sneaks in ad steals had to repay the object stolen with two of the same item, or repay with money twice the valve of the idem stolen.
A thief is sold as a slave in the instance where he is unable to repay the stolen items. This Law only applies when the Jubilee years were in effect so that the Israelite, even the thief, is not abused.
The prohibition against theft appears to be the hardest to obey because of the constant opportunities and the act is so simple. Children must be punished before it becomes a habit.
6. Not eating the limb of a living animal – the vitalizing force of the animal is the blood therefore we see the wording you shall not eat the blood in Gen. 9:3-4. What this verse and other similar references mean is that as long as the blood remains in the animal, its flesh is forbidden to man as food in Lev. 17:14.
This basically stated related to the pagan practices of idolatry where their activities incorporated the consuming of blood. To refrain from this and the other six Noachide Laws as required by gentile converts to Judaism simple was a proclamation that the individual had forsaken idolatry.
7. Established Court – of Law. In Gen. 34:25, we see that two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, slew every male in the city of Shechem. The prince of the community, Shechem, son of Hamor, had raped their sister, Dinah, and the city failed to execute justice by bringing him to a court of Law. According to Jewish Law the city was therefore guilty of transgressing the seventh of the Noachide Laws, and every citizen was liable for punishment.
Although the Noachide court system was not required to follow the standards of the Jewish Bet Din, they were acquainted with them and often used them as points of reference. Here are a few of these standards:
Every Judge should possess the following seven attributes:
Wisdom, Humility, Fear of G-d, Fear of sin, Contempt for money, Love of truth., and Good reputations.
There are nine classifications that are disqualified as witnesses or as judges in a court of Law: Relative, Slaves, Children, Fools – insane, Deaf, Blind, Sinners, Misbehavior and
Benefit from the case
[20] But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
That we write unto them - Expressing our judgment, or our views of the case. That they refrain from these things, or wholly avoid them.
Pollutions of idols - The word rendered pollutions means any kind of defilement. But here it is evidently used to denote the flesh of those animals that were offered in sacrifice to idols. That flesh, after being offered in sacrifice, was often exposed for sale in the markets, or was served up at feasts, 1 Corinthians 10:25-29. It became a very important question whether it was right for Gentiles to partake of it. The Jews would contend that it was, in fact, partaking of idolatry. The Gentile converts would allege that they did not eat it as a sacrifice to idols, or lend their countenance in any way to the idolatrous worship where it had been offered. See this subject discussed at length in 1 Corinthians 8:4-13. As idolatry was forbidden to the Jews in every form, and as partaking even of the sacrifices to idols, in their feasts, might seem to countenance idolatry, the Jews would be utterly opposed to it; and for the sake of peace, James advised that they be recommended to abstain from this. To partake of that food might not be morally wrong, but it would give occasion for scandal and offence; and, therefore, as a matter of expediency, it was advised that they should abstain from it.
And from fornication - This is primarily based on the Jewish interpretation of Gen. 2:24. The word used here is applicable to all illicit intercourse; and may refer to adultery, incest, and licentiousness in any form.
This crime was connected with religion. It was the practice not only to introduce indecent pictures and emblems into their worship, but also for females to devote themselves to the service of particular temples, and to devote the avails of indiscriminate prostitution to the service of the god, or the goddess. The vice was connected with no small part of the pagan worship; and the images, the emblems, and the customs of idolatry, everywhere tended to approve and promote it. As this vice was almost universal; as it was practiced without shame or disgrace; as there were no laws among the heathen to prevent it; as it was connected with all their views of idol worship and of religion, it, was important for the early Believers to frown upon and to oppose it, and to set a peculiar guard against it in all the churches. It was the sin to which, of all others, they were the most exposed, and which was most likely to bring scandal on the Messianic religion. It is for this cause that it is so often and so pointedly forbidden in the New Testament, Romans 1:29; 1 Corinthians 6:13, 18; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 5:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:3.
And from things strangled - That is, from animals or birds that were killed without shedding their brood. The reason why these were considered by the Jews unlawful to be eaten was that thus they would be under a necessity of eating blood, which was positively forbidden by the Law. Hence it was commanded in the Law, that when any beast or fowl was taken in a snare, the blood should be poured out before it was lawful to be eaten, Leviticus 17:13.
And from blood - The eating of blood was strictly forbidden to the Jews. The reason of this was that it contained the life, Leviticus 17:11, 14. The use of blood was common among the Gentiles. They drank it often at their sacrifices, and in making covenants or compacts. To separate the Jews from them in this respect was one design of the prohibition. The primary reason of the prohibition was that it was thus used in the feasts and compacts of idolaters. That blood was thus drunk by the heathens, particularly by the Sabians, in their sacrifices. But the prohibition specifies a higher reason, that the life is in the blood, and that therefore it should not be eaten. This reason existed before any ceremonial Law; is founded in the nature of things; has no particular reference to any custom of the Jews; and therefore is as forcible in any other circumstances as in theirs. It was proper, therefore, to forbid it to the early Christian converts; and for the same reason its use should be abstained from everywhere. It adds to the force of these remarks, when we remember that the same principle was settled before the laws of Moses were given; and that God regarded the fact that the life was in the blood as of so much importance as to make the shedding of it worthy of death, Genesis 9:4-6. It is supposed, therefore, that this Law is still mandatory. Perhaps also there is no food more unwholesome than blood; and it is a further circumstance of some moment that all men naturally revolt from it as an article of food.
[29] That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.
The strongest point of the letter is the reference to avoid idolatrous worship. These were known as the Noachide Laws. There were seven such laws, the earliest reference to these commandments makes mention of three: idolatry, shedding of blood or murder, and unchasity. G-d Fearers were expected to keep these seven, since they had rejected the idolatry of the ancient Greco-Roman world. Because they had abandoned the idolatrous practices of their secular environment, confessed the one true G-d of Israel, and committed themselves to a moral lifestyle, the G-d fearers were welcomed into the Synagogue. The Jerusalem council did not encourage circumcision for the non-Jew. For an uninitiated person, observance of all the Jewish customs would be too burdensome. For Paul, the observance of Torah was integrated into every aspect of daily life and was not a burden, but rather, a delight.