#lord bless italians and jews for their contributions here

[thornsent]

I am slowly learning how to make deli food at home because it is my favorite

[double-m1nd]

Salvation by Charity

The hope of the New Covenant with Christ is Salvation, but how do we enter into that covenant?

For gentiles, you enter the covenant through charity towards Jews. Meaning without charity, one is also without salvation.

Let's look at Cornelius, Jesus, the law, Paul, and the first Gentile Christians for sound understanding of this.

Acts 10:1-2 Now there was a certain man at Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually.

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Peter's Vision

Acts 10:10-15

He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”

“Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”

The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

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What made Cornelius' state change from unclean to clean??

The High Priest Law

Numbers 18:14-16

 “Everything in Israel that is devoted to the Lord is yours. The first offspring of every womb, both human and animal, that is offered to the Lord is yours. But you must redeem every firstborn son and every firstborn male of unclean animals. When they are a month old, you must redeem them at the redemption price set at five shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs."

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An unclean animal is redeemed monetarily. So Cornelius redeemed himself by offering monetary alms to the Jews. Then he receives the baptism of the Holy Spirit as evidence of his acceptance into the New Covenant.

Paul also understood this charity was a necessity.

1 Corinthians 16:1-3

Now regarding your question about the money being collected for God’s people in Jerusalem. You should follow the same procedure I gave to the churches in Galatia. On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once. When I come, I will write letters of recommendation for the messengers you choose to deliver your gift to Jerusalem. 

2 Corinthians 8:1-4

Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem.

2 Corinthians 9:1-2

I really don’t need to write to you about this ministry of giving for the believers in Jerusalem. For I know how eager you are to help, and I have been boasting to the churches in Macedonia that you in Greece were ready to send an offering a year ago. In fact, it was your enthusiasm that stirred up many of the Macedonian believers to begin giving.

Romans 15:25-28

Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the Lord’s people there. For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the Lord’s people in Jerusalem. They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. 

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Paul makes it clear that a gentile's spiritual blessings are tied to the material blessings they give out.

As does Jesus when states how he will decide who will receive the promise of salvation and who will not

Matthew 25:31-40

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations (this is the word "ethne" which is the same word that is translated "Gentiles". It means a nation/nations distinct from Israel) will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

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And those who did not have charitable acts are not allowed to enter Heaven. Salvation will be dependant on charitable deeds.