The Relationship of Jewish and Gentile Believers to the Law Between A.D. 30 and 70 in the Scripture

115 by circumcision in the Church Age?" 164 The futurist time frame of the millennium is deter- mined by the utopian context of Amos' words and of James' addition of "after these things I will return" which are understood as a reference to the second coming of Christ. 165 The strengths of this are that it honors the meaning of the Old Testament prophets by looking forward to the Davidic kingdom, and it provides an answer for the present situation. Its only weaknesses are that the quotation is connected somewhat peripherally to the current situation (by the understanding of an analogy) and the understanding of "I will return" seem to be pressed. 166 Additionally, although this interpretation makes good sense of verse seventeen which speaks of the coming of Gentiles, it does not address the purpose of verse sixteen which focuses upon the restoration of Israel. If James' point was simply the Old Testament witness to the salvation of Gentiles a host of other passages come more readily to mind. 167 164 Toussaint, "Acts," 394. 165 "The verb return (anastrepso) used in Acts 15:16 means an actual return. Luke used it only in 5 :22 ('went back') and here (he did not use it in his Gospel) ; in both occur– rences it describes a literal, bodily return. Since God's Son has not yet returned bodily, thi rebuilding has not taken place." Ibid. Cf. also W. M. Aldrich , "The Interpretation of Act 15 :13-18," Bibliotheca Sacra 111 (1954): 322. 166 The words "After these things I will return" are understood to mean 'after the Church age Jesus will return." They, of course, are spoken by James but do not come from the Amo pa sage which begins simply "In that day I will raise up" (9: 11). Although Jame could simply be adding his own words ("I will return") to clarify that the promi e refer nl to that time after the econd coming, hi introductory formula ugge t otherwi e . Jam begins hi quotation with "the words of the prophet agree, ju t a it i writt n, ft r th thing I will return" ' ( a8wc; yi yparTTm , Mna Ta0Ta d aaTp i ljJw ) . The indi ation i that h i drawing upon the word of the prophet not hi own. If hi qu tati n i fr m J r miah 12: 15 , the promi e of 'after the e thing I will return" i a ref r n t th hang in d ' attitude from one of v ngeance to fa r toward the nati n aft r th il , n t r f r n t th cond oming of hri t. I he i imply p raphra ing th th u ht f m ( hi h m le Ii ely) th n th r f r nc t th hur h g nd J u ' cifi or th proph t. Whil m th 1 gi 1 hur h in the ld tam nt , di p n ti n Ii m d 1 ti 7 Br u h t f r , P 1 l 7; 1 :1 ; J r 47; 9: ; et al , B un , " J m ' m t th J un il , " 11 _ 1.