While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.
Circumcision is indeed a perpetual, “everlasting” command and requirement for Israel (Genesis 17). Jesus himself, a Jew through and through was circumcised on the eighth day, as the law required (Luke 2:21-40). Paul likewise (Philippians 3:1b-11).
Circumcision of the heart was what God wanted, the Old Testament along with Paul making that point (Deuteronomy 10:16; 30:6; Romans 2:25-29). But nowhere does Scripture say that circumcision of the flesh will no longer be required, in fact quite the contrary.
But enter the Spirit. The Spirit shocks the circumcised believers. How? Not through helping them see the truth through the Biblical text, but through experience. The Spirit is poured out on uncircumcised gentiles who hear the message of God’s good news in Jesus, evident in the manifestation of their speaking in tongues and praising God.
Fastforward to today. We see the same thing happening now with the LGBTQ community, not to say it wasn’t happening before, among or in such. Those who believe, who seek to follow, plainly evidence the Spirit in their lives through the fruit of the Spirit being manifest (Galatians 5:22-23), love for Jesus (1 Corinthians 16:22), and special interest in Scripture (2 Timothy 3:15).
And yet Scripture itself seems and according to Luke Timothy Johnson, does prohibit same sex activity. That’s this biblical scholar’s position (not universal among scholars who hold to LGBTQ inclusion in the church). And yet Johnson says that by experience we can know these people are fully accepted by God through the gift of the Spirit in their lives. To be clear, he doesn’t mean just those who are celibate.
Although Luke Timothy Johnson is widely regarded as certainly one of the foremost Bible scholars (Roman Catholic himself), there are other interpretations of the so-called clobber Scripture passages concerning LGBTQ+ people, which make sense too, challenging traditional interpretations.
But suffice it to say for this post, experience plays an important role in discerning God’s activity and blessing. To love God, love one another, love our neighbor, love even enemies, to believe in Jesus or God’s way which ultimately resides in Jesus seems to be what is required (1 John 3:23-24), the stamp of God’s people, the “amen” and proof of the pudding coming through the Spirit and known by experience.
Jesus community 