Yes — Paul's Gentile converts came out of a pagan, idolatrous past and immediately faced the challenge of breaking with their old lifestyle while also resisting Judaizers who insisted on circumcision and law-keeping.
Les Feldick shows that Paul's converts were steeped in paganism and had just stepped out of darkness into the light of the gospel. They were still dipping back into their old lifestyle and were plagued by common temptations. At the same time, Jewish believers were upset, and men came from Judea insisting that circumcision was necessary for salvation.
Romans 6:19 — Paul directly describes the pre-conversion life of these believers as yielding their members to uncleanness and iniquity.
Galatians 4:8 — Paul reminds Gentile believers that before knowing God they served idols.
Acts 15:20 — The Jerusalem church instructed Gentile believers to abstain from pollutions of idols.
Paul reminded the Roman believers that before they believed they had been servants of sin. In Romans 6:17–19, he writes that God be thanked that they had obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered to them, and that, being made free from sin, they became the servants of righteousness. He describes their former condition as yielding their members to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity. In Galatians 4:8, Paul reminds Gentile believers that when they knew not God, they did service unto them which by nature are no gods. The book of Acts also shows the Jerusalem church instructing these converts to abstain from pollutions of idols (Acts 15:20), while certain men from Judea taught that unless they were circumcised after Moses they could not be saved (Acts 15:1).
Les Feldick stresses that Paul's converts came out of rank paganism and idolatry. They had been steeped in paganism, mythology, and idol worship, and had just come out of darkness into the light of Paul's gospel. Because they did not have the Old Testament background like Israel did, they were still dipping back into their old lifestyle and needed time to change. In addition to the pull of their old environment, these believers faced pressure from Jewish believers who were upset that Gentiles were being saved without becoming proselytes of Judaism. False brethren came to spy out their liberty from the law, and men from Judea taught that unless they were circumcised after Moses they could not be saved.
Les explains that every one of Paul's Gentile converts came from paganism and idol worship. Before hearing the gospel, they had yielded their members to uncleanness and to iniquity. After conversion, they were still dipping back into their old lifestyle because they did not have the Old Testament background that Israel had. Paul's converts were also plagued by temptations and testings that were common to man in their pagan environment.
Les notes that when word reached Jerusalem that Gentiles were being brought into a relationship with Israel's God, the Jewish believers were upset. They questioned whether Paul had the right to permit Gentiles to claim salvation without becoming proselytes of Judaism. Men from Judea taught that except these believers were circumcised after the manner of Moses, they could not be saved. False brethren also came in privately to spy out the believers' liberty from the law.
According to Les, the Jewish leaders at Jerusalem agreed to recognize that Gentiles could be saved by Paul's gospel apart from Judaism, but they asked that these Gentile believers be taught to abstain from pollution of idols. In Paul's day, the world was full of pagan temples and idolatrous sacrifices, so this instruction was directly related to the temptations these converts faced every day.
Former Servants of Uncleanness
Les explains that Paul's Gentile converts had yielded their members to uncleanness and iniquity, showing the difficult past they had to leave behind.
Converts Came From Paganism
Les teaches that all of Paul's converts came from paganism, mythology, and idol worship, and had recently stepped out of darkness into the light of the gospel.
Jewish Opposition to Gentiles
Les shows that Jewish believers were upset that Paul was going to pagan Gentiles, and even Peter struggled to accept table fellowship with them.
Struggling With Old Lifestyle
Les says these converts did not have the Old Testament background like Israel and were still dipping back into their old lifestyle, so change would take time.
Temptations Common to Man
Les notes that these Corinthian converts were plagued with temptations and testings that were common to man in a deeply pagan city.
Judaizers Spied Out Liberty
Les teaches that false brethren came in secretly to spy out the Gentile believers' liberty from the law, which threatened their new faith.
Warning Against Idol Pollution
Les explains that the Jerusalem church asked Gentile believers to abstain from pollutions of idols because rank idolatry was everywhere in Paul's day.
Circumcision Controversy
Les recounts that Jewish believers were shocked that Gentiles were saved without becoming proselytes, and men from Judea demanded circumcision after Moses.
Romans 6:17: But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Paul reminds Gentile believers of their former slavery to sin and their response to the gospel.
Romans 6:18: Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
This verse shows the change that took place when these converts believed Paul's gospel.
Romans 6:19: I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
Paul directly describes the Gentile believers' past life of uncleanness and iniquity.
Galatians 4:8: Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
Paul reminds Gentile converts that before knowing God they served idols.
Acts 15:1: And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
This verse records the Judaizing pressure that threatened the Gentile converts' freedom in Christ.
Acts 15:20: But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
The Jerusalem council instructed Gentile believers to avoid idol pollution in a world saturated with paganism.
No. Les explains that all of Paul's converts came from paganism and idolatry. They were steeped in mythology and idol worship before Paul preached the gospel to them.
They did not have the Old Testament background that Israel had, and they were still dipping back into their old lifestyle. Les says Paul understood that these believers could not all of a sudden live like Peter, James, and John.
The Jerusalem church asked them to abstain from pollutions of idols. Les notes that in Paul's day, the world was full of pagan temples and idolatrous sacrifices, so this was a direct challenge to their old environment.
Men from Judea taught that unless they were circumcised after the manner of Moses, they could not be saved. Les also notes that false brethren came in to spy out the believers' liberty from the law.
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