Noahide


The Noahide is law that proceeds the Ten Commandments. Ben Shapiro wrote about this code in two articles http://www.townhall.com/columnists/benshapiro/bs20031231.shtml His summary of these laws reminded me of the stories of Cornelius and the Centurion of Capernaum.

The motto of the Order is based on the words St. Peter, as he spoke of Cornelius the Centurion... Fear God and do what is Right” -- anyone who does so regardless of nationality is acceptable to God. Mr. Shapiro points out that Jews are not evangelical. A Gentile like Cornelius and the Centurion of Capernaum could hardly become Jews, especially as Roman officers. Yet they observed a way of life that was respected by the Jewish people. They were Godly men who supported the efforts of the local Jews in their worship, and as they were able, worshipped God also and contributed to the worship of God materially.

I believe that these two centurions may well have been regarded by the Jews of old as men who observed the laws of the Noahide, and both were recognized and saluted by Jesus and Peter, as well as the Jewish leaders of the Synagogue, as being devout and faithful.

CS Lewis in his book the Abolition of Man wrote that those who followed a code from God would see God in the end. I believe that too, for as Jesus said, many will come from the East and the West to sit with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In the parable of sorting the sheep and goats, it was clear that God accepts those who do right and show mercy regardless of whether they believed they had served Him. How can we expect less?

God’s ways are not man’s, and his mercy is not bounded by what we do or fail to do. We witness this great mystery on Calvary when Jesus spoke from the cross and asked God to forgive those who mocked, beat, and crucified him saying, “Forgive them, for they know not what they do.” The centurion who had guarded Jesus from the time of his arrest, through His trials and tribulations, glorified God that day on Calvary and said, Certainly this was a righteous man [Luke 23:47] He too was accepted for Jesus said,

Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:

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