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

121 "ceremonial" 180 interpretation of the text, but the Alexandrian text is preferred not only because of the sheer numbers which favor it but also because the development from the cultic to the ethical is easier to understand on the grounds of the more difficult reading. 181 Wilson argues as well that the demands of the Western text are so widely accepted as to be superflu– ous. 182 This does not mean, however, that some who favor the Alexandrian reading do not prefer the ethical understanding of the text. The Ethical Understanding Bruce attempts to describe the occasion of the council (and thus the decree) as a concern on the part of Jews about the ethics and morality of prospective Gentile converts . "The Jewish Christians feared that the influx of so many Gentile believers would bring about a weakening of Christian moral standards . . . . How was this new situation to be con– trolled?" 183~ Although his explanation sounds reasonable, it is not found in the text of Acts and in fact is contrary to the record. The only concern which is stated in the text (besides keeping decidedly heightened anti-Judaic attitude" Charles H. Talbert , "Luke-Acts," in The New Testament and its Modern Interpreters, eds. Eldon Jay Epp and George W. MacRae , (Philadelphia: Fortress Press , 1989) , 300. 180 These terms are used as convenient categories to distinguish between the two view , although the two concepts were intimately related in early Judaism and Chri tianity. B "ethical" we mean basically those regulations which are inherently incumbent upon all peopl rather than "ceremonial" or "cultic" which are incumbent becau e they are decreed b religiou law (in this context Mosaic legislation). 181 Wil on ay , "Despite manu cript variation , modern cholar ar unanim u in their acceptance of the o-called ' neutral ' text of the d cree," Wil n, The Gentile and the entile Mi ion, 188 . 182 Ibid . In a later work, Luke and the Law, Wil on pt t r th W t rn t t table alt rnativ to th Ale andrian t t, . Wil on, Luke and the Law, Mono raph erie 50 ( ambrid mbridg ni r it Pr , 1 I 3 B u ' A t , 01.