How would I answer that question? On the one hand, I didn’t dip the cats for fleas, but on the other hand, the cats would object. Violently. Hopefully, I misheard the question. Hopefully, I would make sure of what was said before I needlessly treat the cats to an experience that might scar them (and me) forever.
In Acts 15:1, some taught that Gentiles needed to be circumcised. While circumcision is an Old Testament practice, it is not a New Testament one. In fact, the remainder of chapter 15 and several other New Testament books teach just the opposite. It turns out the teachers of Acts 15:1 didn’t hear correctly, and they didn’t verify what they misheard. It went over about as well as dipping cats.
I doubt many today would advocate for religious circumcision of Christians, but there are other teachings that are touted as coming from the New Testament that just aren’t supported by the text. How do we ensure we are not guilty of mishearing the Bible? We start with the text. Then we determine what the text meant to the original readers. Finally, we apply that teaching to our own lives. It is difficult work, but failing to be careful with Scripture is as valuable as owning dripping dipped cats.
Photo by Belinda Fewings on Unsplash
