As Peter continues his address to the people gathered at the Jerusalem council, he warns those who would “put God to the test.” This was Peter’s assessment of what would happen if they forced gentile believers to be circumcised and keep the law of Moses. Testing God is something that is addressed in both the Old and New Testaments.

We show that requiring circumcision is testing God because the real need was for a circumcised heart. OT Israel was commanded to circumcise their hearts, but that was something only God could do. However, God promised that He would circumcise the hearts and that they result would be a love for God with the whole heart. Since the gentile believers in Acts had believed in Christ, had their sins forgiven, and had the joy of the Holy Spirit, God had circumcised their hearts. it would be tempting God to then command them to be circumcised according to the law of Moses. That would be to reject God’s promise and despise His provision. There is an accompanying warning in passages that discuss tempting God against grumbling. We cover various passages in the Old and New Testaments where people grumbled at God’s provision. There are serious warnings against this. God promised salvation for gentiles and when He does so, we must not put some “yoke” on them that would bring them into bondage. We point to the gospel of grace.