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Has the Law Been Abolished?
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TORAH: All for One, and One for All
To say that the Torah (Law) is a bondage, as many Christians so readily and easily say, then what sense does it make for God to deliever Israel from physical Egyptian bondange only to put them into a spiritual type of bondage called the Law!? It makses absolutely no sense! That would make God out to be cruel and sadistic. It would be equally as cruel for God to lay upon them rules they in no conceivable way could keep. It would mean God set them up for failure. “I’m going to give you a set of Laws that is impossible for you to keep, and yet when you fail miserably, I will punish you for something you can’t help.” That’s insane and illogical. That’s not God. Again, that would make God out to be cruel, sadistic and twisted.
Deuteronomy 10:12-13 (KJV)12 And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
13 To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?
ADOANI told Israel that these Laws were good, not a bondage.
Deuteronomy 30:10-14 (KJV)10 If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.
11 For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off.
12 It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?
13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?
14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.
Nor did God say it was impossible for Israel to keep His Laws. Will they? No. Why? Because they, like us, are fallen human beings fallable and prone to sin. And what is sin? I John 3:4 tells us that sin is disobedience to the Law. Together all this simply means we will fail to always obey the Law, but it does not in any way mean it is impossible to keep and preform.
To say the Torah is only for the Jews is ridiculous. When the Torah was given, yes, it was given to the Children of Israel, but remember, there was the mixed multitude that went out with them during the Exodus. (Exd. 12:38) The mixed multitude was there when the Torah was given. And they, like Israel, agreed to obey and live by the Torah.
It is in my opinion (and some Sages will agree with me) that in the mixed multitude there was a representative from all seventy nations of the world at that time. For everyone present, even the mixed multitude, said, “Yes, we will obey!” (Exd. 19:8), Even BEFORE they heard all that was expected of
them! In essense, God said to the people, “I want you to become my Bride.” And before He could tell them what the marital vows were they said, “I do!” And this is exactly how Jews view the Torah, not as a burdomsome load of rules and regulations to follow, but as marital vows one is more than happy to keep because they love the Groom so much.
“…Christains said they loved their Husband, but yet they rejoiced at the thought that they had been set free from doing those things He had said would please Him.”- Norman B. Willis, Nazarene Israel: The Original Faith of the Apostles, pg.53
Marriage and its vows are founded and based on love, and so too the Torah, because they express God’s best for us physically, spiritually and mentally if we obey them. And like with any marriage we keep our vows because we love and are dedicated to our spouse. When one keeps ones marital vows and doesn’t sleep around they are considered “faithful” to their marriage. Likewise, when we obey the Torah we are being “faithful” to our God.
In Exodus 19:16 it speaks of “thunders” which comes from the Hebrew word “kol” which also means, “voice,” and the Rabbinic writtings say that the thunders was God speaking the Torah in the 70 voices or languages of the world so that all present, Israelite and mixed multitude could hear and understand and accept the Torah, His Laws, in their own language. Mankind agreed to obey the Torah through those ancestors who were at Sinai when the Torah was given.
One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation, and also for the stranger that sojourneth with you, an ordinance for ever in your generations: as ye are, so shall the stranger be before the Lord. One law and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you. – Numbers 15:15-16
It is said of the Torah in Scriptures (too numerous to mention) that it is forever, for all generations. Nowhere does it say that one day it will be done away with or annulled by the coming of the Messiah. On the contrary, Yeshua, our Messiah, said in Matthew 5:17-20 “Think not…” Some people stop there and fail to read on “…that I’ve come to destroy the Torah (Law) and the prophets, I didn’t come to abolish, but to fulfill.” The Greek and Hebrew word for fulfill does not mean to complete or stop, but to fill up, to bring it to full and complete meaning and understanding. Yeshua showed us how to live Torah appropriately. Some say that the “Law of Christ” supercedes the Law of ADONAI. When has it ever been proper for a son to tell a father what to do, or the command of a son to over rule the command of a father? Since when did sons make the rules to be followed and obeyed? What sense does it make for Yeshua, the Living manifestation of Torah and God in human form to say, “You know all the Rules my Father laid out for you to obey? Well, forget about ‘em. I’m calling the shots now; it’s a whole new ballgame.” That would make ADONAI:
Is our God a liar? Double minded? Unstable? If I may use an old catch phrase, “NOT!” ADOANI and Yeshua are “Echad” one in plurality (John 10:30, John 17) and Yeshua said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments (John 14:15).” He is referring to the Torah. Yeshua’s commandments are no different from the LORD’s. A couple of my personal mottos are, “If you don’t have Torah, you don’t have Messiah.” And, “A Messiah without Torah is no Messiah at all.” Yeshua the Messiah is the Living Torah, the Light of the world. A Messiah without the Torah is like a flashlight without batteries.
“The Christian doctrine that Yeshua was sent to abolish the Law is confusing, when one considers that it directly violates His own Words…
Ironically when confronted with Yeshua’s Words, many Christians will search through Shaul’s (Paul’s) letters, searching for something that can be used to explain Him away. When asked why they would use the words of a mere mortal to explain away the Words of the Son of Man, they don’t have an answer; but still they believe Shaul’s (Paul’s) words to be superior to Yeshua’s.” – Norman B. Willis, Nazarene Israel: The Original Faith of the Apostles, pg.46
Interesting, I’ve seen this very thing too; Christians using Paul to explain away the plain words of Messiah Himself. If Paul’s words contradict Messiah’s, either Paul is a heritic or we are misunderstanding Paul’s words, which Peter said that that is exactly what people do!
2 Peter 3:15-1715 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
The word “Torah” has been translated “Law”, and rightly so, but the root meaning is “Teachings” and “Instructions”. Therefore, does it make any sense to say that Yeshua came to do away with ADONAI’s Teachings and Instructions!? Absolutely not! If you went through survival training you would not get out there and say, “I’m not going to obey my survival instructor’s teachings, I’m going to pick and choose what I like that he taught and wing the rest.” NO! Survival instructions are as LAW to you, it is your life! You obey and live, or you ignore and die! Didn’t God say to Israel that the Torah was their life (Deut. 32:47)!?
Some may not be aware of there being a list of seven laws that Jews claim are the only ones that Gentiles must follow. They are called the Noahide Laws, claiming that God gave these laws to Noah after he departed from the ark but such a listing is not found anywhere in Cannonical Scripture. These laws are a Rabbinic invention to keep Gentiles away from keeping Torah too, because they, like Christians, claim that the Torah is only for the Jews, which we clearly established that it is for all mankind.
“The Torah (as explained in the Talmud - Sanhedrin 58b) presents seven mitzvot for non-Jews to observe. These seven laws are the pillars of human civilization, and are named the "Seven Laws of Noah," since all humans are descended from Noah. They are:
“There is ONE TORAH (LAW) for the native-born (Israelite) AND for the stranger (Gentile/Mixed Multitude) who sojourns among you.” (Exd. 12:49) (emphasis added)
There is a Christian in name only group who think that belief alone is enough. If I got bit by a venomous snake and held the vial with the antidote in my hand and yet didn’t use it, but I sincerely believed it would save me, I’d still die. Why? Because belief is not enough. I have to take the antidote in order to survive the poisonous snake bite, In other words, I have to back up my belief with actions that prove I believe.
These “in name only” Christians who claim they are Christians because they believe in Jesus, but do not live according to His teachings, which is what he heard from the Father (John 5:19, 12:49-50) and as we’ve established, God does no change and is the same yesterday today and forever (Mal. 3:6, Heb. 13:8) and that his Torah is forever and that He and the Father are One (John 17). This means Yeshua’s teachings are Torah. These “in name only” Christians who believe Jesus is the Christ but does not live obedient to His teachings (Torah) will hear those fateful words from this Jesus whom they claim to believer in.
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Didn’t we believe in You!?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
No, because you didn’t do what I said. – Matt. 7:21-23 (itallics mine)
To say that the Torah (Law) is a bondage, as many Christians so readily and easily say, then what sense does it make for God to deliever Israel from physical Egyptian bondange only to put them into a spiritual type of bondage called the Law!? It makses absolutely no sense! That would make God out to be cruel and sadistic. It would be equally as cruel for God to lay upon them rules they in no conceivable way could keep. It would mean God set them up for failure. “I’m going to give you a set of Laws that is impossible for you to keep, and yet when you fail miserably, I will punish you for something you can’t help.” That’s insane and illogical. That’s not God. Again, that would make God out to be cruel, sadistic and twisted.
Deuteronomy 10:12-13 (KJV)12 And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
13 To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?
ADOANI told Israel that these Laws were good, not a bondage.
Deuteronomy 30:10-14 (KJV)10 If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.
11 For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off.
12 It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?
13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?
14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.
Nor did God say it was impossible for Israel to keep His Laws. Will they? No. Why? Because they, like us, are fallen human beings fallable and prone to sin. And what is sin? I John 3:4 tells us that sin is disobedience to the Law. Together all this simply means we will fail to always obey the Law, but it does not in any way mean it is impossible to keep and preform.
To say the Torah is only for the Jews is ridiculous. When the Torah was given, yes, it was given to the Children of Israel, but remember, there was the mixed multitude that went out with them during the Exodus. (Exd. 12:38) The mixed multitude was there when the Torah was given. And they, like Israel, agreed to obey and live by the Torah.
It is in my opinion (and some Sages will agree with me) that in the mixed multitude there was a representative from all seventy nations of the world at that time. For everyone present, even the mixed multitude, said, “Yes, we will obey!” (Exd. 19:8), Even BEFORE they heard all that was expected of
them! In essense, God said to the people, “I want you to become my Bride.” And before He could tell them what the marital vows were they said, “I do!” And this is exactly how Jews view the Torah, not as a burdomsome load of rules and regulations to follow, but as marital vows one is more than happy to keep because they love the Groom so much.
“…Christains said they loved their Husband, but yet they rejoiced at the thought that they had been set free from doing those things He had said would please Him.”- Norman B. Willis, Nazarene Israel: The Original Faith of the Apostles, pg.53
Marriage and its vows are founded and based on love, and so too the Torah, because they express God’s best for us physically, spiritually and mentally if we obey them. And like with any marriage we keep our vows because we love and are dedicated to our spouse. When one keeps ones marital vows and doesn’t sleep around they are considered “faithful” to their marriage. Likewise, when we obey the Torah we are being “faithful” to our God.
In Exodus 19:16 it speaks of “thunders” which comes from the Hebrew word “kol” which also means, “voice,” and the Rabbinic writtings say that the thunders was God speaking the Torah in the 70 voices or languages of the world so that all present, Israelite and mixed multitude could hear and understand and accept the Torah, His Laws, in their own language. Mankind agreed to obey the Torah through those ancestors who were at Sinai when the Torah was given.
One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation, and also for the stranger that sojourneth with you, an ordinance for ever in your generations: as ye are, so shall the stranger be before the Lord. One law and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you. – Numbers 15:15-16
It is said of the Torah in Scriptures (too numerous to mention) that it is forever, for all generations. Nowhere does it say that one day it will be done away with or annulled by the coming of the Messiah. On the contrary, Yeshua, our Messiah, said in Matthew 5:17-20 “Think not…” Some people stop there and fail to read on “…that I’ve come to destroy the Torah (Law) and the prophets, I didn’t come to abolish, but to fulfill.” The Greek and Hebrew word for fulfill does not mean to complete or stop, but to fill up, to bring it to full and complete meaning and understanding. Yeshua showed us how to live Torah appropriately. Some say that the “Law of Christ” supercedes the Law of ADONAI. When has it ever been proper for a son to tell a father what to do, or the command of a son to over rule the command of a father? Since when did sons make the rules to be followed and obeyed? What sense does it make for Yeshua, the Living manifestation of Torah and God in human form to say, “You know all the Rules my Father laid out for you to obey? Well, forget about ‘em. I’m calling the shots now; it’s a whole new ballgame.” That would make ADONAI:
- A Liar – It is impossible for God to lie. (Num.23:19, Titus 1:2) He is always and forever the same. (Mal.3:6, Heb. 13:8)
- Double minded. The Scriptures talk about one who is double minded is unstable in all he does. (James 1:8)
Is our God a liar? Double minded? Unstable? If I may use an old catch phrase, “NOT!” ADOANI and Yeshua are “Echad” one in plurality (John 10:30, John 17) and Yeshua said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments (John 14:15).” He is referring to the Torah. Yeshua’s commandments are no different from the LORD’s. A couple of my personal mottos are, “If you don’t have Torah, you don’t have Messiah.” And, “A Messiah without Torah is no Messiah at all.” Yeshua the Messiah is the Living Torah, the Light of the world. A Messiah without the Torah is like a flashlight without batteries.
“The Christian doctrine that Yeshua was sent to abolish the Law is confusing, when one considers that it directly violates His own Words…
Ironically when confronted with Yeshua’s Words, many Christians will search through Shaul’s (Paul’s) letters, searching for something that can be used to explain Him away. When asked why they would use the words of a mere mortal to explain away the Words of the Son of Man, they don’t have an answer; but still they believe Shaul’s (Paul’s) words to be superior to Yeshua’s.” – Norman B. Willis, Nazarene Israel: The Original Faith of the Apostles, pg.46
Interesting, I’ve seen this very thing too; Christians using Paul to explain away the plain words of Messiah Himself. If Paul’s words contradict Messiah’s, either Paul is a heritic or we are misunderstanding Paul’s words, which Peter said that that is exactly what people do!
2 Peter 3:15-1715 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
The word “Torah” has been translated “Law”, and rightly so, but the root meaning is “Teachings” and “Instructions”. Therefore, does it make any sense to say that Yeshua came to do away with ADONAI’s Teachings and Instructions!? Absolutely not! If you went through survival training you would not get out there and say, “I’m not going to obey my survival instructor’s teachings, I’m going to pick and choose what I like that he taught and wing the rest.” NO! Survival instructions are as LAW to you, it is your life! You obey and live, or you ignore and die! Didn’t God say to Israel that the Torah was their life (Deut. 32:47)!?
Some may not be aware of there being a list of seven laws that Jews claim are the only ones that Gentiles must follow. They are called the Noahide Laws, claiming that God gave these laws to Noah after he departed from the ark but such a listing is not found anywhere in Cannonical Scripture. These laws are a Rabbinic invention to keep Gentiles away from keeping Torah too, because they, like Christians, claim that the Torah is only for the Jews, which we clearly established that it is for all mankind.
“The Torah (as explained in the Talmud - Sanhedrin 58b) presents seven mitzvot for non-Jews to observe. These seven laws are the pillars of human civilization, and are named the "Seven Laws of Noah," since all humans are descended from Noah. They are:
- Do not murder.
- Do not steal.
- Do not worship false gods.
- Do not be sexually immoral.
- Do not eat a limb removed from a live animal.
- Do not curse God.
- Set up courts and bring offenders to justice.”
“There is ONE TORAH (LAW) for the native-born (Israelite) AND for the stranger (Gentile/Mixed Multitude) who sojourns among you.” (Exd. 12:49) (emphasis added)
There is a Christian in name only group who think that belief alone is enough. If I got bit by a venomous snake and held the vial with the antidote in my hand and yet didn’t use it, but I sincerely believed it would save me, I’d still die. Why? Because belief is not enough. I have to take the antidote in order to survive the poisonous snake bite, In other words, I have to back up my belief with actions that prove I believe.
These “in name only” Christians who claim they are Christians because they believe in Jesus, but do not live according to His teachings, which is what he heard from the Father (John 5:19, 12:49-50) and as we’ve established, God does no change and is the same yesterday today and forever (Mal. 3:6, Heb. 13:8) and that his Torah is forever and that He and the Father are One (John 17). This means Yeshua’s teachings are Torah. These “in name only” Christians who believe Jesus is the Christ but does not live obedient to His teachings (Torah) will hear those fateful words from this Jesus whom they claim to believer in.
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Didn’t we believe in You!?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
No, because you didn’t do what I said. – Matt. 7:21-23 (itallics mine)
Free in Christ?
Free In Christ?
The Torah is not bondage. It is ADONAI’s handbook to keep us well physically, mentally and spiritually, and keep us in a right relationship with God and man.
It albsolutely makes no sense for God to take Israel out of Physical Egyptian bondage only to put them into a nother form of bondage, a Spirirtual bongage called the Torah (Law). That would make God out to be cruel and sadistic!
There are not just 10 commandments as most people think, but 613! There are 248 positive (commandments) that is said to correspond to our body, organs ans sinews. Positive commands that are ways to get closer to God, the “Thou shalts”, and 365 negative (commandments) which correspond to the days of the solar year, which alos are ways to get closer to God, the “Thou shalt nots”. Yet, not all 613 apply to one person. Some are for men, some are for women, some for kings, some for Levitical priests and the Temple, which currently is no longer standing, and some for farmers in Israel.
Our Sages (Talmud: Makkot 23b) explain that this verse also serves as the source, which teaches us the exact number of Mitzvot.
The numerical value of the Hebrew word Torah, is 611.
Moses conveyed 611, to the Jewish people.
The first two of the Ten Commandments - "I am the Lord, your God," and "You shall have no other gods before Me," we heard from God, Himself, at Mount Sinai.
Thus, there are a total of 613 mitzvot, which the Jewish people are commanded to observe.
Daniel Botkin, in his article; “Christians Keeping Old Testament Commandments? Not a Yes/No Question, but a Question of Which Ones” writes:
“So how many commandments are Christians still supposed to keep? Or we might ask, How many of the “613” commandments can we still keep? Years ago, Chafetz Chayim listed all the Torah commandments which can still be observed today…. The Chafetz Chayim lists 77 positive commandments (things we are still commanded to do), 194 negative commandments (prohibitions), and 26 commandments which apply only in the land of Israel. That makes a total of 271 for people outside Israel, and 297 for people living in Israel. That’s 316 less than 613. What happened to the other 316 commandments? These are, for the most part, commandments which pertain to the Tabernacle/Temple service and sacrifices which were administered by the Levitical priesthood.”
What is 6 + 1 + 3? 10. And what is 1+ 0? 1. So the 10 commandments sum up the 613 and the greatest 1 of the commandments and the second that is considered equal to the first: “Sh’ma Yisrael Adoani Eloheynu, Adoani Echad.” “Hear oh Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. You are to love Ythe LORD your God with all your heart…soul…mind…and strength…” (Deut. 6:4-9) “…and love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:36-40), Sum up the 10 and the 613 (Matt. 7:12).
You think 613 commandments are a lot? Dake’s Annotated Bible lists 1,050 commandments in the New Testament!
“The Issue is did Messiah Yeshua change Judaism to a new form of religion? Or, did He intensify the Judaism of the Torah? If one says as some of the Christians do that he replaced the Torah then He also created a new religion, if this is true then the God of Israel changed. If this is true then we are all in trouble.”
-- Anon. Nazarene Rabbi
The bondage spoken of in the Renewed Covenant is not talking about Torah, but about the additions to the Torah. The customs, traditions and doctrine of men (Pharisees) and of demons (Col.2:8, 1Tim. 13:9) which were added (Mk. 7:9-13, Deut. 4:2,12:32, Rev. 22:18,19) by men and raised to the level of authority of Torah itself, which in some cases nullifies the Torah.
Yeshua agreed with the Pharisees in all points except divorce (Mt. 19:19) and traditions elevated to Torah status (Mk. 7:1-13). Rav Sha'ul (Paul) whom many use out of context to say the Torah has been done away with said the Torah is good (Rom. 7:12). Moreover, regarding the terms “under the law”, and “curse of the law”, these refer to the penalty under the law that has been done away with and “nailed to the cross (Col.2:13-14).” That penalty is death. That is what grace is all about. Our sin debt is what has been nailed to the cross, not the Torah (Law). The Torah was never the problem, our hearts were. The Torah was not imperfect, our hearts were. Regarding the phrase, “works of the law” in the Renewed Covenant, this refers to one counting on their Torah observance, their works, to secure their salvation. Some know this as “Legalism”. This is the negative definition of that word. Nevertheless, when someone accuses me of being “Legalistic” I say, “I am guilty as charged!”, because I see, and use “Legalism” in the positive sense. In other words, I would rather be “Legal” than “Illegal”!
There is nothing we can do to earn our salvation; it is a free gift from God. Yet, it is our responsibility to maintain our salvation by obedience to Torah. It is like winning a car from someone by them simply pulling your name out of a hat. You in no way earned the car; it was a free gift to you. However, to keep the car, you cannot just drive and drive and drive and drive, and never check the oil, change the fluids, fill up with gas, air up the tires, get a tune up, etc. If you do not do these things you will lose the car, it will either blow up or break down. You need to MAINTAIN the car which you got by no merit of your own. It is the same with your salvation. As my Former Rebbetzin (Rabbi’s wife) has said, “We are saved by Grace, kept by Works.”
“It has been brought to my attention on more than one occasion that Christians are not under the law. This statement of Rav Shaul's is taken out of letters to various assemblies of the called out ones. The most amazing thing to me is that Christians rest on this out of context statement even when presented with the truth. The argument goes that, if we try to keep any part of the law then we have put ourselves back under its authority, and voided our salvation. Yet every time a Christian sins, they are admitting that they are indeed under the law. How and Why is as follows. If I stand on the principle that there is no law, believing that when Paul wrote 'for where there is no law there is no sin', then to confess that I have sinned is hypocritical. If I say that the Torah (wrongly translated Law) has ended, then there is no need to confess any so-called sin. However, (John) says very clearly that if we confess our 'sin' we are forgiven, and that if we say we have no sin we are liars. So, how do we reconcile this conundrum? First, we must look at what Christians are really trying to say. Second, we must look at what Ha Shem has really said. Thirdly, we must develop a peace and determination in ourselves about following the truth.
Having listened to and spoken with over a thousand learned Christians scholars this is the gist. What Christians are really trying to say is, that "Christ died for our sins and that this death removed not only our sins but also magically removed the cause of our sins the law. Now, we are set free from the control of the law and able to have peace with G-d, through the blood of Christ. You must understand it was the law itself that was weak and ineffective, and therefore had to be removed. Really, you are damned if you try to live by the law, and not by faith. For the Holy Spirit of God will come into you and change your heart so that no matter what you do, God can't see the sin in you, or the sins you commit. Most importantly anyone who tries to tell you to live a Torah obedient life or keep any part of the law is a Judaizer and is evil."
Okay, so obviously I do not agree with this view… Your mom says to you when you are a kid, "Don’t drink the chocolate milk before dinner." Being a kid, you drink it, and your mom catches you. However, after you beg not to be punished, and she extends mercy and does not punish you, does that mean that from now on you can get a glass of chocolate milk before dinner? Of course not! Unless she says, "Okay, from now on you can get a glass of chocolate milk before dinner," otherwise, the rule still applies.
There once was a man who had two sons; he wanted to give them joy, so he thought to do a magic trick for them. He placed a small soft red ball in his hand, made a motion, closed his hand and said some words, then swoosh opened his hand and it was gone. The shock and amazement on his sons’ faces as they looked and the wondrous joy they expressed was the reward he wanted, as the boys scurried off to tell their friends. The truth however is that the ball never went anywhere it is simply in the other hand.
This is Christianity in a nutshell. The law is the little red ball. The old man is the Catholic Church; the children are unlearned disciples. The illusion is that the law is gone, poof. The sons are none the wiser and tell others what the old man did.
Scripturally you cannot do away with the law anymore than the man could make the ball truly disappear, yet that is what they want you to believe, that they have made the law to disappear. For Yeshua Himself said 'heaven and earth will pass away before one yod (jot) or tageen (tittle) of the Torah would disappear.’
Very simply said, if there is no law, why would you confess to breaking it? I will not go into my scant on the book of Hebrews. Suffice it to say this is the book that is used and misused by so many to confuse and twist the truth. If as Christians claim the book of Hebrews teaches that the law was weak and ineffectual, then the Christian God is weak and imperfect. How and why would the true EL create a defective set of laws for us to follow, having then to send the Messiah to be slaughtered, just to be able then to remove it? This all-powerful, all-loving, all-knowing, all-just God would not be so powerful, loving, knowing, or just, huh? Could this be why so many people are now leaving the Catholic and Christian churches? Christians cannot understand why the Jews do not get it. I understand why, you see, you cannot have a perfect God, and then have him not so perfect. You cannot have the TeNaCK, and then have the works of Paul translated in a way that contradicts the TeNaCK. Unless something is lost in the translation, this may be why we supposedly only have Greek translations of the ReNewed Covenant texts.
Adonai's word however, never changes. How could a perfect EL (GOD) give something of Himself, and have it be weak and ineffectual? It is not the Torah that is weak, it is us; we are the defective part, made that way by original sin. Messiah Yeshua comes and shows us how to live the Torah, and then cleanses our hearts so that we would be able to have the Torah written on them. Then we will be able to live in the Way that HaShem intended, in a right way, in a right standing, righteous. The Torah is not the enemy of the Christian, but the Christian can be, and usually is, the enemy of the Torah. The Messiah did not come to give us a new Torah. No, He came to cleanse us, to give us a new heart so that we could keep the Torah. Yochanan did not say, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away that weak and ineffective Torah." No, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the SIN of the world.” Sin is what you get when you break the Torah, the evidence that the Torah remains in effect. Can you see the wind? No, but you see the effects of the wind blowing. The same is true of the Torah. You know it is still in effect because of sin. If there were no Torah, then there would be no sin; no wind, no breeze, it really is that simple. The Torah Remains, Baruch HaShem!
The only thing left is for you to determine where you will stand. Will you stand on the side of Torah or on the side without Torah? Anomia is the Greek word for “without or against law”. The word literally means against or without the Torah. It is from the word Anomia that the best translators derive the English word lawlessness. Lawlessness--let us break it down; Law+less+ness, lawless is pretty clear: less the law, or without the law, ness: meaning being in a state of. Therefore, lawlessness is to be in a state of, against or without the law. Yochanan (John) says that all sin is lawlessness. Putting it back in Hebraic thought, sin is being in a state against or without the Torah. There can be no lawlessness if there is no law. No law would therefore mean no 'man of lawlessness' as Paul predicted.
Therefore, where do you, or where will you stand. May His peace seek you out and overtake you, and may you grow in a deeper walk with Yeshua, and may the Ruach HaKodesh empower you for the walk.” – Anon. Nazarene Rabbi
The “legalism” Rav Sha’ul (Apostle Paul) and the other apostles were concerned about was the additions to the Torah, the fences around the law that were elevated to Torah status, or nullified a Torah command. The laws men made up which were imposed as bondage upon the common people, a heavy yoke, impossible to keep (even the Pharisees who made up many of these “fences” could not keep them) and the false notion that salvation is based on works and not faith (Lk. 11:45-46, Acts 15:10).
Christains have argued,
“Obviously no one can keep the whole Torah. No one is perfect. Therefore, we should not try to keep the Torah because it is too difficult.” Moses must have foreseen our faulty logic. Therefore, he insists in no uncertain terms that, “This commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach.” (Deuteronomy 30:11) The Apostle John agrees saying, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:3) It’s not about being perfect, it’s about loving God.” –FFOZ (First Fruits of Zion): Nitzavim: Choose Life, 2007
The LORD said this about the Torah: “You can do it!” (Deut. 30:14, Rom. 10:8) If you want to call following Torah legalism, or legalistic, call me a “Legal Eagle.” But, wouldn’t you rather be legal, than illegal?
We also must remember that in the Hebrew and Greek of Rav Sha’ul's day, there were not any words to express things like the negative idea we know of in religious circles as “legalism,” being saved or justified by ones works alone. Therefore, he had to use the same word in the Greek he used for Torah, that word is, “Nomos.” Thus, it is of the utmost importance when reading and interpreting the Scriptures dealing with Torah in the Renewed Covenant, that we look at the context and usage of the word “nomos” translated “law.” Is it talking about Torah, or a secular legal system, or a manmade legal system imposed upon the Torah? Is it talking about depending upon the Torah to obtain salvation? Torah is not bad (I Tim. 1:8, Rom. 7:12), man’s misuse and misunderstanding of it is the problem. The examples in the Renewed Covenant are too numerous to mention and it is not the purpose of this work to tackle and iron out misunderstood and misinterpreted passages of the Renewed Covenant. However, to help us in this area, it is always good to keep in mind again, that if our interpretation causes the Torah to be done away with, our interpretation is wrong! Period!
Not all of the “fences” around the Torah are bad, only those imposed upon people as if they were Torah commands themselves. Some people need “fences” so as not to break the actual commandments. For instance, a man may put extra software on this computer to keep him from accessing improper web sites. He knows that going to those certain sites is wrong, and has no desire to, and does not plan to visit those sites. But when tempted, why have an open door to it? So he erects a “fence” to keep himself from getting to those sites. Or, it is like a mother saying to her children, “No cookies before supper,” just as they come in from a hard day of playing. That is her “commandment.” They know it would be wrong to eat a cookie before supper, but they are so hungry, and the cookie jar is just in reach. So, Mom comes into the kitchen and puts the cookie jar on a high shelf, or in a cabinet to where they cannot get to it. Mom erected a “fence” for her children, to help them keep her “commandment.” An A.A. (Alcoholics Anonymous) sponsor can be seen as a type of “fence.” They can be called upon to help a person not to “fall of the wagon” and drink when a person is tempted.
The four laws given to the Goyim (Gentiles) in Acts 15 were not exhaustive or the only laws they were to keep. The purpose of these starter laws was to: 1) Help Gentiles make a clean break with the pagan world. 2) Enable Jews and Gentiles to fellowship and eat at the same table without making the Jews ritually unclean and unable to participate in Temple worship. And 3) Set them up to learn the rest of the Commandments as they attended Synagogue throught the year (Acts 15:19-21). These Laws were taken from Leviticus 17-18, called by the Rabbis, the “Heart of the Torah.” I often ask those who believe that these four laws are the only laws Gentiles are to keep,
“Do you buy beef at the store?”
“Yes.”
“It’s saturated with blood right?”
“Yes.”
“But you rinse it off and fry it up anyway, in direct opposition to Acts 15. If it were kosherly slaughtered, there would be no blood in it. So you don’t even keep the four laws in Acts 15.”
Most Christians do not even keep all of the 10 Commandments. We will cover that a little later.
Just because not all the 613 commandments are covered in the Brit Chadashah (New Testament) does not mean that the laws not mentioned have been done away with. The books of the Renewed Covenant (New Testament) were written with the idea that these 613 laws were a given, so there was no need to mention them again. The only things Yeshua and Rav Sha’ul (Apostle Paul) and others did were to clarify the priority of certain laws and bring them into a greater understanding.
The Nazarene Sanhedrin headed up by Ya’akov (“James,” Yeshua’s half- brother) knew the Goyim (Gentiles) would end up learning the whole Torah at the Synagogue every Sabbath, through the annual Torah reading cycle. (Acts 15:19-21) They would eventually learn and live all 613 mitzvot (commandments). This would culminate into the Gentile who learned Torah for a whole year to have the opportunity to convert officially to Natsarim Judaism by undergoing circumcision and a mikvah (baptism).
Daniel Botkin in the same article mentioned above states:
“For most Christians, the commandments which they have a problem with are commandments which deal with the Sabbath, Feasts, dietary laws, and miscellaneous things like tzitziyot (fringes), mezuzahs, beards, etc. These things are dismissed as “Jewish rituals, just for the Jews to do until Christ came.” Yet the Bible nowhere singles out these commandments from the rest of the Torah and says that they are just for the Jews. Nor does the Bible say that the coming of the Messiah would abolish these commandments. People think of these things as Jewish practices only because Christians abandoned them centuries ago, and the Jews have continued to practice them. But the Bible does not give one set of rules for Jews and a different set of rules for non-Jewish believers. “Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country: for I am YHVH your God.” (Lev.24:22).”
The Torah is not bondage. It is ADONAI’s handbook to keep us well physically, mentally and spiritually, and keep us in a right relationship with God and man.
It albsolutely makes no sense for God to take Israel out of Physical Egyptian bondage only to put them into a nother form of bondage, a Spirirtual bongage called the Torah (Law). That would make God out to be cruel and sadistic!
There are not just 10 commandments as most people think, but 613! There are 248 positive (commandments) that is said to correspond to our body, organs ans sinews. Positive commands that are ways to get closer to God, the “Thou shalts”, and 365 negative (commandments) which correspond to the days of the solar year, which alos are ways to get closer to God, the “Thou shalt nots”. Yet, not all 613 apply to one person. Some are for men, some are for women, some for kings, some for Levitical priests and the Temple, which currently is no longer standing, and some for farmers in Israel.
Our Sages (Talmud: Makkot 23b) explain that this verse also serves as the source, which teaches us the exact number of Mitzvot.
The numerical value of the Hebrew word Torah, is 611.
Moses conveyed 611, to the Jewish people.
The first two of the Ten Commandments - "I am the Lord, your God," and "You shall have no other gods before Me," we heard from God, Himself, at Mount Sinai.
Thus, there are a total of 613 mitzvot, which the Jewish people are commanded to observe.
Daniel Botkin, in his article; “Christians Keeping Old Testament Commandments? Not a Yes/No Question, but a Question of Which Ones” writes:
“So how many commandments are Christians still supposed to keep? Or we might ask, How many of the “613” commandments can we still keep? Years ago, Chafetz Chayim listed all the Torah commandments which can still be observed today…. The Chafetz Chayim lists 77 positive commandments (things we are still commanded to do), 194 negative commandments (prohibitions), and 26 commandments which apply only in the land of Israel. That makes a total of 271 for people outside Israel, and 297 for people living in Israel. That’s 316 less than 613. What happened to the other 316 commandments? These are, for the most part, commandments which pertain to the Tabernacle/Temple service and sacrifices which were administered by the Levitical priesthood.”
What is 6 + 1 + 3? 10. And what is 1+ 0? 1. So the 10 commandments sum up the 613 and the greatest 1 of the commandments and the second that is considered equal to the first: “Sh’ma Yisrael Adoani Eloheynu, Adoani Echad.” “Hear oh Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. You are to love Ythe LORD your God with all your heart…soul…mind…and strength…” (Deut. 6:4-9) “…and love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:36-40), Sum up the 10 and the 613 (Matt. 7:12).
You think 613 commandments are a lot? Dake’s Annotated Bible lists 1,050 commandments in the New Testament!
“The Issue is did Messiah Yeshua change Judaism to a new form of religion? Or, did He intensify the Judaism of the Torah? If one says as some of the Christians do that he replaced the Torah then He also created a new religion, if this is true then the God of Israel changed. If this is true then we are all in trouble.”
-- Anon. Nazarene Rabbi
The bondage spoken of in the Renewed Covenant is not talking about Torah, but about the additions to the Torah. The customs, traditions and doctrine of men (Pharisees) and of demons (Col.2:8, 1Tim. 13:9) which were added (Mk. 7:9-13, Deut. 4:2,12:32, Rev. 22:18,19) by men and raised to the level of authority of Torah itself, which in some cases nullifies the Torah.
Yeshua agreed with the Pharisees in all points except divorce (Mt. 19:19) and traditions elevated to Torah status (Mk. 7:1-13). Rav Sha'ul (Paul) whom many use out of context to say the Torah has been done away with said the Torah is good (Rom. 7:12). Moreover, regarding the terms “under the law”, and “curse of the law”, these refer to the penalty under the law that has been done away with and “nailed to the cross (Col.2:13-14).” That penalty is death. That is what grace is all about. Our sin debt is what has been nailed to the cross, not the Torah (Law). The Torah was never the problem, our hearts were. The Torah was not imperfect, our hearts were. Regarding the phrase, “works of the law” in the Renewed Covenant, this refers to one counting on their Torah observance, their works, to secure their salvation. Some know this as “Legalism”. This is the negative definition of that word. Nevertheless, when someone accuses me of being “Legalistic” I say, “I am guilty as charged!”, because I see, and use “Legalism” in the positive sense. In other words, I would rather be “Legal” than “Illegal”!
There is nothing we can do to earn our salvation; it is a free gift from God. Yet, it is our responsibility to maintain our salvation by obedience to Torah. It is like winning a car from someone by them simply pulling your name out of a hat. You in no way earned the car; it was a free gift to you. However, to keep the car, you cannot just drive and drive and drive and drive, and never check the oil, change the fluids, fill up with gas, air up the tires, get a tune up, etc. If you do not do these things you will lose the car, it will either blow up or break down. You need to MAINTAIN the car which you got by no merit of your own. It is the same with your salvation. As my Former Rebbetzin (Rabbi’s wife) has said, “We are saved by Grace, kept by Works.”
“It has been brought to my attention on more than one occasion that Christians are not under the law. This statement of Rav Shaul's is taken out of letters to various assemblies of the called out ones. The most amazing thing to me is that Christians rest on this out of context statement even when presented with the truth. The argument goes that, if we try to keep any part of the law then we have put ourselves back under its authority, and voided our salvation. Yet every time a Christian sins, they are admitting that they are indeed under the law. How and Why is as follows. If I stand on the principle that there is no law, believing that when Paul wrote 'for where there is no law there is no sin', then to confess that I have sinned is hypocritical. If I say that the Torah (wrongly translated Law) has ended, then there is no need to confess any so-called sin. However, (John) says very clearly that if we confess our 'sin' we are forgiven, and that if we say we have no sin we are liars. So, how do we reconcile this conundrum? First, we must look at what Christians are really trying to say. Second, we must look at what Ha Shem has really said. Thirdly, we must develop a peace and determination in ourselves about following the truth.
Having listened to and spoken with over a thousand learned Christians scholars this is the gist. What Christians are really trying to say is, that "Christ died for our sins and that this death removed not only our sins but also magically removed the cause of our sins the law. Now, we are set free from the control of the law and able to have peace with G-d, through the blood of Christ. You must understand it was the law itself that was weak and ineffective, and therefore had to be removed. Really, you are damned if you try to live by the law, and not by faith. For the Holy Spirit of God will come into you and change your heart so that no matter what you do, God can't see the sin in you, or the sins you commit. Most importantly anyone who tries to tell you to live a Torah obedient life or keep any part of the law is a Judaizer and is evil."
Okay, so obviously I do not agree with this view… Your mom says to you when you are a kid, "Don’t drink the chocolate milk before dinner." Being a kid, you drink it, and your mom catches you. However, after you beg not to be punished, and she extends mercy and does not punish you, does that mean that from now on you can get a glass of chocolate milk before dinner? Of course not! Unless she says, "Okay, from now on you can get a glass of chocolate milk before dinner," otherwise, the rule still applies.
There once was a man who had two sons; he wanted to give them joy, so he thought to do a magic trick for them. He placed a small soft red ball in his hand, made a motion, closed his hand and said some words, then swoosh opened his hand and it was gone. The shock and amazement on his sons’ faces as they looked and the wondrous joy they expressed was the reward he wanted, as the boys scurried off to tell their friends. The truth however is that the ball never went anywhere it is simply in the other hand.
This is Christianity in a nutshell. The law is the little red ball. The old man is the Catholic Church; the children are unlearned disciples. The illusion is that the law is gone, poof. The sons are none the wiser and tell others what the old man did.
Scripturally you cannot do away with the law anymore than the man could make the ball truly disappear, yet that is what they want you to believe, that they have made the law to disappear. For Yeshua Himself said 'heaven and earth will pass away before one yod (jot) or tageen (tittle) of the Torah would disappear.’
Very simply said, if there is no law, why would you confess to breaking it? I will not go into my scant on the book of Hebrews. Suffice it to say this is the book that is used and misused by so many to confuse and twist the truth. If as Christians claim the book of Hebrews teaches that the law was weak and ineffectual, then the Christian God is weak and imperfect. How and why would the true EL create a defective set of laws for us to follow, having then to send the Messiah to be slaughtered, just to be able then to remove it? This all-powerful, all-loving, all-knowing, all-just God would not be so powerful, loving, knowing, or just, huh? Could this be why so many people are now leaving the Catholic and Christian churches? Christians cannot understand why the Jews do not get it. I understand why, you see, you cannot have a perfect God, and then have him not so perfect. You cannot have the TeNaCK, and then have the works of Paul translated in a way that contradicts the TeNaCK. Unless something is lost in the translation, this may be why we supposedly only have Greek translations of the ReNewed Covenant texts.
Adonai's word however, never changes. How could a perfect EL (GOD) give something of Himself, and have it be weak and ineffectual? It is not the Torah that is weak, it is us; we are the defective part, made that way by original sin. Messiah Yeshua comes and shows us how to live the Torah, and then cleanses our hearts so that we would be able to have the Torah written on them. Then we will be able to live in the Way that HaShem intended, in a right way, in a right standing, righteous. The Torah is not the enemy of the Christian, but the Christian can be, and usually is, the enemy of the Torah. The Messiah did not come to give us a new Torah. No, He came to cleanse us, to give us a new heart so that we could keep the Torah. Yochanan did not say, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away that weak and ineffective Torah." No, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the SIN of the world.” Sin is what you get when you break the Torah, the evidence that the Torah remains in effect. Can you see the wind? No, but you see the effects of the wind blowing. The same is true of the Torah. You know it is still in effect because of sin. If there were no Torah, then there would be no sin; no wind, no breeze, it really is that simple. The Torah Remains, Baruch HaShem!
The only thing left is for you to determine where you will stand. Will you stand on the side of Torah or on the side without Torah? Anomia is the Greek word for “without or against law”. The word literally means against or without the Torah. It is from the word Anomia that the best translators derive the English word lawlessness. Lawlessness--let us break it down; Law+less+ness, lawless is pretty clear: less the law, or without the law, ness: meaning being in a state of. Therefore, lawlessness is to be in a state of, against or without the law. Yochanan (John) says that all sin is lawlessness. Putting it back in Hebraic thought, sin is being in a state against or without the Torah. There can be no lawlessness if there is no law. No law would therefore mean no 'man of lawlessness' as Paul predicted.
Therefore, where do you, or where will you stand. May His peace seek you out and overtake you, and may you grow in a deeper walk with Yeshua, and may the Ruach HaKodesh empower you for the walk.” – Anon. Nazarene Rabbi
The “legalism” Rav Sha’ul (Apostle Paul) and the other apostles were concerned about was the additions to the Torah, the fences around the law that were elevated to Torah status, or nullified a Torah command. The laws men made up which were imposed as bondage upon the common people, a heavy yoke, impossible to keep (even the Pharisees who made up many of these “fences” could not keep them) and the false notion that salvation is based on works and not faith (Lk. 11:45-46, Acts 15:10).
Christains have argued,
“Obviously no one can keep the whole Torah. No one is perfect. Therefore, we should not try to keep the Torah because it is too difficult.” Moses must have foreseen our faulty logic. Therefore, he insists in no uncertain terms that, “This commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach.” (Deuteronomy 30:11) The Apostle John agrees saying, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:3) It’s not about being perfect, it’s about loving God.” –FFOZ (First Fruits of Zion): Nitzavim: Choose Life, 2007
The LORD said this about the Torah: “You can do it!” (Deut. 30:14, Rom. 10:8) If you want to call following Torah legalism, or legalistic, call me a “Legal Eagle.” But, wouldn’t you rather be legal, than illegal?
We also must remember that in the Hebrew and Greek of Rav Sha’ul's day, there were not any words to express things like the negative idea we know of in religious circles as “legalism,” being saved or justified by ones works alone. Therefore, he had to use the same word in the Greek he used for Torah, that word is, “Nomos.” Thus, it is of the utmost importance when reading and interpreting the Scriptures dealing with Torah in the Renewed Covenant, that we look at the context and usage of the word “nomos” translated “law.” Is it talking about Torah, or a secular legal system, or a manmade legal system imposed upon the Torah? Is it talking about depending upon the Torah to obtain salvation? Torah is not bad (I Tim. 1:8, Rom. 7:12), man’s misuse and misunderstanding of it is the problem. The examples in the Renewed Covenant are too numerous to mention and it is not the purpose of this work to tackle and iron out misunderstood and misinterpreted passages of the Renewed Covenant. However, to help us in this area, it is always good to keep in mind again, that if our interpretation causes the Torah to be done away with, our interpretation is wrong! Period!
Not all of the “fences” around the Torah are bad, only those imposed upon people as if they were Torah commands themselves. Some people need “fences” so as not to break the actual commandments. For instance, a man may put extra software on this computer to keep him from accessing improper web sites. He knows that going to those certain sites is wrong, and has no desire to, and does not plan to visit those sites. But when tempted, why have an open door to it? So he erects a “fence” to keep himself from getting to those sites. Or, it is like a mother saying to her children, “No cookies before supper,” just as they come in from a hard day of playing. That is her “commandment.” They know it would be wrong to eat a cookie before supper, but they are so hungry, and the cookie jar is just in reach. So, Mom comes into the kitchen and puts the cookie jar on a high shelf, or in a cabinet to where they cannot get to it. Mom erected a “fence” for her children, to help them keep her “commandment.” An A.A. (Alcoholics Anonymous) sponsor can be seen as a type of “fence.” They can be called upon to help a person not to “fall of the wagon” and drink when a person is tempted.
The four laws given to the Goyim (Gentiles) in Acts 15 were not exhaustive or the only laws they were to keep. The purpose of these starter laws was to: 1) Help Gentiles make a clean break with the pagan world. 2) Enable Jews and Gentiles to fellowship and eat at the same table without making the Jews ritually unclean and unable to participate in Temple worship. And 3) Set them up to learn the rest of the Commandments as they attended Synagogue throught the year (Acts 15:19-21). These Laws were taken from Leviticus 17-18, called by the Rabbis, the “Heart of the Torah.” I often ask those who believe that these four laws are the only laws Gentiles are to keep,
“Do you buy beef at the store?”
“Yes.”
“It’s saturated with blood right?”
“Yes.”
“But you rinse it off and fry it up anyway, in direct opposition to Acts 15. If it were kosherly slaughtered, there would be no blood in it. So you don’t even keep the four laws in Acts 15.”
Most Christians do not even keep all of the 10 Commandments. We will cover that a little later.
Just because not all the 613 commandments are covered in the Brit Chadashah (New Testament) does not mean that the laws not mentioned have been done away with. The books of the Renewed Covenant (New Testament) were written with the idea that these 613 laws were a given, so there was no need to mention them again. The only things Yeshua and Rav Sha’ul (Apostle Paul) and others did were to clarify the priority of certain laws and bring them into a greater understanding.
The Nazarene Sanhedrin headed up by Ya’akov (“James,” Yeshua’s half- brother) knew the Goyim (Gentiles) would end up learning the whole Torah at the Synagogue every Sabbath, through the annual Torah reading cycle. (Acts 15:19-21) They would eventually learn and live all 613 mitzvot (commandments). This would culminate into the Gentile who learned Torah for a whole year to have the opportunity to convert officially to Natsarim Judaism by undergoing circumcision and a mikvah (baptism).
Daniel Botkin in the same article mentioned above states:
“For most Christians, the commandments which they have a problem with are commandments which deal with the Sabbath, Feasts, dietary laws, and miscellaneous things like tzitziyot (fringes), mezuzahs, beards, etc. These things are dismissed as “Jewish rituals, just for the Jews to do until Christ came.” Yet the Bible nowhere singles out these commandments from the rest of the Torah and says that they are just for the Jews. Nor does the Bible say that the coming of the Messiah would abolish these commandments. People think of these things as Jewish practices only because Christians abandoned them centuries ago, and the Jews have continued to practice them. But the Bible does not give one set of rules for Jews and a different set of rules for non-Jewish believers. “Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country: for I am YHVH your God.” (Lev.24:22).”
All of Nothing
All or Nothing
If one can excuse and explain away (Saturday) Sabbath, observance, the Feast of the LORD, circumcision, kosher eating, etc., what’s keeping one from using Scriptural acrobatics (taking Scripture out of context) to excuse oneself for not keeping any of the Commandments standing in ones way of fulfilling ones fleshly carnal desires? We have seen this done in our day with the ordianation of homosexual and lesbian clergy. After all, some of the commandments have no apparent reason such as eating kosher and not mixing cotton with wool (Deut.22:11). Laws like these are called Chukim, a law with no known logical reason. We keep them anyway because we trust, love and fear God supremely, and we recognize He is Infinite, His ways are above ours, and His reasoning beyond ours. It is just like being a parent. You ask a 4 year old to do something and they ask, “Why?” You know that since they are so little, even if you did take the time to explain it to them, they may not fully understand the reasoning behind your command. To save time, confusion and more questions, you say to the child, “Because I said so.” Knowing when they get older and become parents themselves they may understand why. It is the same with our Heavenly Father. “Father knows best” and we keep the Chukim because He said so. Even after the Chukim commands He says, “I am The LORD your God.” That is His way of saying, “Because I said so.” We cannot just pick and choose which Commandments to follow. We cannot just decide to follow only the ones with moral implications.
I have heard as of late many Christians attempt to defend themselves in regards to their non-compliance of the Torah when I purpose that they believe it has been done away with. “No, I never believed the Torah has been done away with. I believe it has been fulfilled (totally misunderstanding and taking out of context the words meaning in the Hebrew and Greek) in Messiah (meaning fulfilled so we don’t have to).” Hmmm, Okay, isn’t that another way of saying it has been done away with?
Or, they seem to think that God has one rulebook and or expectations for the Jews and another for the Gentiles. That is not what the Torah says (Exd. 12:49, Lev. 24:22, Num. 15:16. Acts 15:19-21).
I have also heard that because Yeshua did not bring up all 613 commandments within the Renewed Covenant (“New Testament”) it must mean we do not have to keep the commandments not mentioned, such as the Feasts of Leviticus 23 and so on. Or, that since He only really brought up the ten that that is the exhaustive version of the two laws they hang upon (Mt. 22:40). What!? As I have said before, the “New Testament” is not “new”; there is nothing new about it! It is simply renewed. In addition, why would Yeshua have to reemphasize an established what was taken and know as a given, since He did not come to change Judaism or start a new religion? He came to fulfill (bring into its fullness in meaning, understanding and practice) the old one. In addition, the commandments He did reemphasize, He only did so to bring greater clarity to them, to give His Halachah ruling (way of practicing them) on them because some of the Pharisees were trying to find loopholes in the commandments to justify their inner disobedience. It is as if you built a new model of a car and introduced it to the world. The body may look different, yet it still runs and operates for the most part like all the other cars before it, and showing it to an experienced driver, you would go over the “givens” about the car, such as, you put the key in the ignition, you press the gas peddle to make it go, etc. No, you would emphasize the deeper details to established ideas and standards. For example, on this new car you do not roll down the windows manually, they are not even power operated by a switch; now, it rolls up or down by voice command! The concept of the car has not changed, though greater detail and innovations have been made on a standard feature. The car has not been turned into something new; the car has just been renewed.
Granted, as I have established on many occasion, not all 613 commandments apply to one person, some apply to Levites, some to Israeli kings, some to farmers in the Land of Israel, some to only men, some to only women, etc. But still, many are universal that are not followed by Modern Christianity today, such as, kosher laws, the wearing of tzitzit, celebrating the Feasts mentioned in Leviticus Chapter 23, and the like.
I cannot seem to get Modern-day Christians to understand that keeping Torah (Law) is not a salvation issue, but an issue of love and obedience. Salvation is not and never has been the point of the Torah (Law); it is one of obedience out of love and holy living. I can’t seem to get them to see that God is the same yesterday, today and forever, I can’t seem to get them to see that Yeshua and God is One, and that Yeshua’s commandments are no different than that of God the Father’s. I cannot get them to see how they have been viewed and understood for 4000 years, that they are more than just “laws”, that they are more akin to marriage vows to a Holy God. Law is a loose translation of the word Torah; Instructions would fit more appropriately. So why would any one want to knowingly and purposely disobey God’s Instructions?
We are navigating through 2000 years of history, linguistics, western thought, culture and re-interpretation layered on the Scriptures to get back to the eternal meaning conveyed by its Jewish and Jewish Converted writers and followers of the 1st century.
How often I forget that I can only relay the message, and I cannot be the Holy Spirit to anyone. I cannot tug on their hearts, or convince them as the Ruach Ha Kodesh (Holy Spirit) can. I often forget that seeds take time to grow, and they might grow, be suffocated out or several other scenarios (Matt.13). All I can do is plant and walk away, and perhaps water every now and again. Ultimately, the choice lies with the individual receiving the message.
If one can excuse and explain away (Saturday) Sabbath, observance, the Feast of the LORD, circumcision, kosher eating, etc., what’s keeping one from using Scriptural acrobatics (taking Scripture out of context) to excuse oneself for not keeping any of the Commandments standing in ones way of fulfilling ones fleshly carnal desires? We have seen this done in our day with the ordianation of homosexual and lesbian clergy. After all, some of the commandments have no apparent reason such as eating kosher and not mixing cotton with wool (Deut.22:11). Laws like these are called Chukim, a law with no known logical reason. We keep them anyway because we trust, love and fear God supremely, and we recognize He is Infinite, His ways are above ours, and His reasoning beyond ours. It is just like being a parent. You ask a 4 year old to do something and they ask, “Why?” You know that since they are so little, even if you did take the time to explain it to them, they may not fully understand the reasoning behind your command. To save time, confusion and more questions, you say to the child, “Because I said so.” Knowing when they get older and become parents themselves they may understand why. It is the same with our Heavenly Father. “Father knows best” and we keep the Chukim because He said so. Even after the Chukim commands He says, “I am The LORD your God.” That is His way of saying, “Because I said so.” We cannot just pick and choose which Commandments to follow. We cannot just decide to follow only the ones with moral implications.
I have heard as of late many Christians attempt to defend themselves in regards to their non-compliance of the Torah when I purpose that they believe it has been done away with. “No, I never believed the Torah has been done away with. I believe it has been fulfilled (totally misunderstanding and taking out of context the words meaning in the Hebrew and Greek) in Messiah (meaning fulfilled so we don’t have to).” Hmmm, Okay, isn’t that another way of saying it has been done away with?
Or, they seem to think that God has one rulebook and or expectations for the Jews and another for the Gentiles. That is not what the Torah says (Exd. 12:49, Lev. 24:22, Num. 15:16. Acts 15:19-21).
I have also heard that because Yeshua did not bring up all 613 commandments within the Renewed Covenant (“New Testament”) it must mean we do not have to keep the commandments not mentioned, such as the Feasts of Leviticus 23 and so on. Or, that since He only really brought up the ten that that is the exhaustive version of the two laws they hang upon (Mt. 22:40). What!? As I have said before, the “New Testament” is not “new”; there is nothing new about it! It is simply renewed. In addition, why would Yeshua have to reemphasize an established what was taken and know as a given, since He did not come to change Judaism or start a new religion? He came to fulfill (bring into its fullness in meaning, understanding and practice) the old one. In addition, the commandments He did reemphasize, He only did so to bring greater clarity to them, to give His Halachah ruling (way of practicing them) on them because some of the Pharisees were trying to find loopholes in the commandments to justify their inner disobedience. It is as if you built a new model of a car and introduced it to the world. The body may look different, yet it still runs and operates for the most part like all the other cars before it, and showing it to an experienced driver, you would go over the “givens” about the car, such as, you put the key in the ignition, you press the gas peddle to make it go, etc. No, you would emphasize the deeper details to established ideas and standards. For example, on this new car you do not roll down the windows manually, they are not even power operated by a switch; now, it rolls up or down by voice command! The concept of the car has not changed, though greater detail and innovations have been made on a standard feature. The car has not been turned into something new; the car has just been renewed.
Granted, as I have established on many occasion, not all 613 commandments apply to one person, some apply to Levites, some to Israeli kings, some to farmers in the Land of Israel, some to only men, some to only women, etc. But still, many are universal that are not followed by Modern Christianity today, such as, kosher laws, the wearing of tzitzit, celebrating the Feasts mentioned in Leviticus Chapter 23, and the like.
I cannot seem to get Modern-day Christians to understand that keeping Torah (Law) is not a salvation issue, but an issue of love and obedience. Salvation is not and never has been the point of the Torah (Law); it is one of obedience out of love and holy living. I can’t seem to get them to see that God is the same yesterday, today and forever, I can’t seem to get them to see that Yeshua and God is One, and that Yeshua’s commandments are no different than that of God the Father’s. I cannot get them to see how they have been viewed and understood for 4000 years, that they are more than just “laws”, that they are more akin to marriage vows to a Holy God. Law is a loose translation of the word Torah; Instructions would fit more appropriately. So why would any one want to knowingly and purposely disobey God’s Instructions?
We are navigating through 2000 years of history, linguistics, western thought, culture and re-interpretation layered on the Scriptures to get back to the eternal meaning conveyed by its Jewish and Jewish Converted writers and followers of the 1st century.
How often I forget that I can only relay the message, and I cannot be the Holy Spirit to anyone. I cannot tug on their hearts, or convince them as the Ruach Ha Kodesh (Holy Spirit) can. I often forget that seeds take time to grow, and they might grow, be suffocated out or several other scenarios (Matt.13). All I can do is plant and walk away, and perhaps water every now and again. Ultimately, the choice lies with the individual receiving the message.
Tradition vs. Torah
Culture vs. Commandments
Tradition vs. Torah
There is a vast difference between the Commandments of Adoani and Hebraic culture that can’t help but get meshed together. To put it another way, there is a vast difference between God’s Torah (Law) and mans Traditions related to Torah.
Torah and Commandments are non-negotable Laws and Instructions from the Father Himself.
Culture and Tradition are mans ways to express obedience yto those non-negotable Commands.
You’ve heard the expression, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.”? Well, there is more than one way to keep a commandment. For example, the commandment of mezuzah, to write God’s Law on your doors. Judaism has come up with a tradition to write out certain passages of Torah on a parchment, rool it up and put it in a cylindrical container and affix it to your door frame. But equally as valid is one can paint, print with a Sharpie, chisel or burn God’s Word on ones door frame with a wood burning pen.
An example of culture would be the kippah, the “beanie” looking skull cap we Jews wear. That’s a custom or a tradition. Only the Levitical Priests were Commanded to cover their heads, but because God called Israel a nation of priests (Exd. 19:6) it was reasoned that we all could cover our heads and so it became a tradition (not a Command) to cover our heards. This happens to be a custom I choose to keep.
Tradition vs. Torah
There is a vast difference between the Commandments of Adoani and Hebraic culture that can’t help but get meshed together. To put it another way, there is a vast difference between God’s Torah (Law) and mans Traditions related to Torah.
Torah and Commandments are non-negotable Laws and Instructions from the Father Himself.
Culture and Tradition are mans ways to express obedience yto those non-negotable Commands.
You’ve heard the expression, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.”? Well, there is more than one way to keep a commandment. For example, the commandment of mezuzah, to write God’s Law on your doors. Judaism has come up with a tradition to write out certain passages of Torah on a parchment, rool it up and put it in a cylindrical container and affix it to your door frame. But equally as valid is one can paint, print with a Sharpie, chisel or burn God’s Word on ones door frame with a wood burning pen.
An example of culture would be the kippah, the “beanie” looking skull cap we Jews wear. That’s a custom or a tradition. Only the Levitical Priests were Commanded to cover their heads, but because God called Israel a nation of priests (Exd. 19:6) it was reasoned that we all could cover our heads and so it became a tradition (not a Command) to cover our heards. This happens to be a custom I choose to keep.