How did the mainstream church come to believe that the law of Moses (or the Torah) was done away with?Anti-Torah theology in the Christian church goes back a long way largely to the influence of a heretic in the second century. In this video, learn how this church theologian helped to separate the early church from its pro-Torah Hebraice roots and how his influences are as strong as ever in the modern church.
A Wild and Crazy Place to Be
The spiritual Babylon of the church system is a warm and comfortable place in which to live. Within its comfort zones, it has fixed boundaries and clear delineations.
When one steps out of the mainstream church system, however, and into a more Hebraic and Torah-pursuant spiritual orientation, it can becomes the shooting gallery of the wild, wild west of doctrines and ideas. It’s a free-for-all wilderness of every man doing what’s right in his own eyes. In this wilderness outside of organized religion, one has to determine what beliefs to hold on to and which ones are lies and unbiblical traditions our spiritual fathers have passed on down to us. Here one must learn to separate the spiritual wheat from the chaff.
As one’s eyes are opened to the pro-Torah Hebrew roots of the Christian faith, there are many new ideas and doctrines to consider. When coming to a fuller knowledge of the truth, one must determine priorities without falling prey to more false doctrines and legalism. What biblical truths are the trunk of the tree issues, and which areas the twigs and the branches?
In the midst of this confusion, there are many winds of doctrines blowing Continue reading
Deuteronomy 28:1–68, Blessings and curses for Torah obedience.
Are the curses for Torah disobedience and the blessings for obedience still applicable in the life of the redeemed believer today, or because “we’re now under grace” are these blessings and curses irrelevant to us? Or, as some preachers teach, Christians now only receive the blessings, and not the curses regardless of whether they violate the Torah or not, since Yeshua took away the curse of the law. What is the answer to this question? The short answer is this: Is the law of gravity still in effect if you jump off a cliff? For a further explanation, see my notes at 2 Cor 3:7.
2 Corinthians 3:7, Ministry of death. Is this a reference to the Torah? If so, which aspects? Just previously in verse six, Paul is speaking about the new covenant and the letter bringing death and the spirit bringing life. What is he referring to here? Is the spirit of the Torah-law all that is applicable to the believer today, and not the letter? If so then why did Yeshua in his Sermon on the Mount excoriate the Jews for keeping the letter and not the spirit of the Torah? In fact, he strongly affirmed that his disciples must keep both the letter and the spirit. To keep only the spirit would be tantamount to saying it’s all right to murder as long as you don’t hate the person, commit adultery as you don’t lust in the process, and so on. It is plain to see that his notion is absurd. Yet this is what many Christians believe. We must keep the spirit, but don’t have to keep the letter of the law, and they will use this passage of Scripture to justify their belief. If this is not what Paul Continue reading
What is the bedrock foundation upon which the enitire Bible stands? What is the very heart, characateer, nature, mind and will of the Creator? What is man’s purpose and destiny? How does man enter into an everlasting spiritual relationship with the Creator? How can man experience a blessed and abundant life now and for eternity? The answers are in this video from the pages of the Bible.
Exodus 12: 49, One law. (Other “one law” passages include Lev 24:22; Num 9:14; 15:16, 29.) The context of this verse regards the observance of Passover (also Num 9:14). There was to be only one law pertaining to the observance of the Passover for both the native Israelite and for the stranger who sojourns with the Israelite. Leviticus 24:22 says that there is one law for the Israelite and the stranger in the areas of blasphemy, murder, slaying another man’s animal, and harming one’s neighbor in any way. Pertaining to the law about the various offerings for sin (i.e, despising the instructions or Torah of Elohim, verse 31), Numbers 15:15–16 and 29 states there is one law for both the Israelite and the sojourner forever throughout their generations.
Some will say that these “one Torah for everyone” passages pertain only to the specific Torah laws mentioned in these passages. In numerous places, Israel was to take the Torah (the whole Torah) to the nations of the world, not just parts of the Torah (e.g., Deut 4:6–8; Isa 60:1–3; Zech 8:22–23; Matt 28:18–20; Luke 24:47). Moreover, during the Messianic Age, the Torah will go forth to all the nations (Isa 2:3; Mic 4:2). What’s more, there are numerous places in the Testimony of Yeshua that speak of Torah as the standard of righteousness for all believers for all time (e.g., Matt 5:17–19; John 14:15; Rom 3:31; 7:12, 14, 22; 1 John 2:3–6; 3:4; Rev 22:14). Hundreds of more citations could be added to this list from the apostolic writings alone!
So the Torah was not for Israel only, but ultimately was to be for all the peoples of the earth. This includes you and me.