Tag Archives: Paul

The Foundation for the New Covenant: The Covenants of Salvation

Posted on by
Reply

The Apostle Paul makes a very interesting, and often overlooked statement in Ephesians 2:12. For ­context we will quote the surrounding verses:

Wherefore remember, that you being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; that at that time ye were without Messiah, being aliens from the commonwealth [citizenship] of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without Elohim in the world: but now in Messiah Yeshua ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Messiah. (emphasis added)

Paul, talking to the redeemed believers in Ephesus, states that they had been (past tense) Gentiles (comprised of various ethnic or people groups) without Elohim and without hope, but now, through the work of Yeshua at the cross, provision had been made for these alienated people-groups to become citizens of the nation of Israel. Elsewhere Paul refers to these (former) Gentiles as now being Israelites and defines them as heirs to the promises YHVH made to Abraham and calls them “seed” or descendants of Abraham (Rom. 4:15; 9:8,11; Gal. 3:7,14,29).

Paul further says that these same people had been aliens from YHVH’s “covenants of promise” and relates this to the “Gentile” Believers at Ephesus. We know that the principles laid out in this teaching apply to all the redeemed believers down through the ages. So what covenants of promise were these Believers strangers to in times past prior to their conversion? Most in the church have been taught that the New Covenant is the only covenant that pertains to them, yet Paul spoke of covenants (plural) of promise. To what was he referring? The two main covenants of the Tanakh (the Old Testament) affecting the nation of Israel were the Abrahamic Covenant and the Mosaic or Sinaitic Covenant. Additionally, Jeremiah prophetically speaks of a New (Renewed) Covenant that YHVH would make with the two houses of Israel (Jer 31:31-33); that is, a refreshed version of a former (marital) covenantal agreement which Israel broke with YHVH (verse 32). These are the three principal covenants that the Scriptures reveals affect YHVH’s people. Clearly, Paul is referencing these three covenants in Ephesians 2:12 (see the Jewish New Testament Commentary, by David Stern, p. 583).

Which of the three covenants forms the bedrock upon which the others are based, and upon which Elohim predicated his glorious plan of redemption for mankind? In Romans four, Paul references the Abrahamic Covenant in discussing the means by which one is saved. In his discussion of the Abrahamic Covenant, Paul gives us no indications that the provisions of the Abrahamic Covenant are passé or invalid as pertaining to believers in Yeshua as relating to the New Covenant. He clearly shows us that this covenant forms the basis for man’s redemption (salvation) and subsequent relationship with his Creator. With this thought in mind, let us proceed into a study of the Abrahamic Covenant and learn how it relates to the New Covenant.

In my next blog post, we will explore this subject further. Please stay tuned!

 

Paul Equates Torah With Yeshua

Posted on by
Reply

Deuteronomy 30:11–14, Does YHVH’s Torah set an impossible standard by which we are to live? If so, we are logically compelled to ask ourselves this question: Would a righteous and just Creator and a loving Heavenly Father give to his chosen people and children a set of standards that were humanly impossible to perform, then curse them for their inability to meet these standards? If so, then we must face the fact that Elohim is an unjust and a wicked tyrant!

If Torah isn’t an impossible standard to follow, then what is the Torah’s purpose in our lives, and why does the Creator impose the Torah upon his people?

We believe that the Torah sets a standard of faith, trusting in Elohim, and that if followed it provides a system of repentance and sacrifice for obtaining forgiveness from Elohim and restoring a condition of being considered righteous in his sight. The Torah also teaches man how to achieve peace on earth and good will toward men by showing humans how to love Elohim with all their heart, soul, mind and strength and their neighbor as themselves.

Paul quotes this same Deuteronomy passage in Romans 10:6–8 where he relates the Written Torah to Yeshua, the Living Torah or Word of Elohim incarnate (in the flesh). (Compare with John 1:1, 14.) He shows that they are one in the same and that Messiah Yeshua, through his life, came to reveal to man the righteousness of the Torah-law. This righteousness is available to us if we will but have a heartfelt faith in him (Rom 10:4, 9–10) and allow him to live out his righteousness in us through the empowering work of the Spirit of Elohim. In verses 11 through 21, Paul goes on to relate this very truth to being the central message of the gospel that Isaiah prophesied (Isa 52:7) would be preached to redeem both houses of Israel to Yeshua their Messiah. Furthermore, in Romans 10:4 Paul reveals that Yeshua is the end goal, target of or the full flowering or embodiment of the Written Torah in human form.

 

Who Are the Gentiles?

Posted on by
Reply

Are Believers in Yeshua Gentiles or Jews (or Israelites)?

The Scriptures Call the Israelites Gentiles. Isaiah 1:4 calls Israel a sinful nation. The word nation is the Hebrew word goy (Strong’s H1471) meaning “gentile” or, in a spiritual sense, “worldly or secular.” 

This is one of a number of passages in the Scriptures where Israel itself is referred to as being gentile. A quick study of the Hebrew word goy will bear this fact out. This word is translated in the Tanakh (Old Testament) as nation 374 times, as heathen 143 times, as Gentiles 30 times, and people 11 times. Whenever the word gentile is used in the KJV Bible it is the word goy. According to Strong’s Concordance, the meaning of  goy or gowy is “a foreign nation; hence a Gentile; also (fig.) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts.” According to Gesenius Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon, the word goy means “a people, a confluence of men,” and “contextually in Holy Scripture it is used to refer to the other nations besides Israel, the foes of Israel, and strangers to the true religion of Israel.”

There are times when this word refers specifically to Israel (e.g., the descendants of Joseph in general: Gen 48:19; to the southern kingdom of Judah when it forsook Elohim and its covenant with him and became like the surrounding heathen nations: Isa 1:4; to the southern kingdom: Isa 9:1; to Israel in general: Isa 26:2; 49:7; Ps 33:12; Gen 12:2; 35:11).

There are numerous other instances in the Scriptures where the words goy or goyim (the plural of goy) are applied to the descendants of Abraham. The Scriptures’ use of the term is unbiased and lacks any of the pejorative implications that have been applied to the term subsequently (e.g., Gen 17:4,5,6,16; 18:18; 25:23; 46:3; Exod 19:6; 33:13; Deut 4:6,7,8,34; Ezek 37:22). As already noted, goy simply means “people or ethnic group.” The Greek word ethnos (Strong’s G1484) as found in the Testimony of Yeshua (New Testament) is equivalent in meaning to the Hebrew word goyim. Our English word ethnic derives from this Greek word.

The Apostle Paul on the Subject. Now consider this. The Apostle Paul says in a number of places that those who come to Yeshua are no longer Gentiles but are the children or seed (literally “sperm,” which is the meaning of the Greek word) of Abraham (Eph 2:11–19; Rom 4:16; 9:8–11; Gal 3:7,9,14,28–29). The word gentiles as used in the Scriptures simply means “ethnic groups or nations.” As already noted, there are many places in the Scriptures where Jews and Israelites are referred to as “Gentiles.” There is no class of people called “gentiles” in the spiritual body of Yeshua, however. Rather, the Scriptures use the such terms for the redeemed of YHVH as the saints, the called out ones, or the one new man. Any attempt by anyone to keep the Jew—Gentile division alive within the body of Yeshua is in effect keeping up the middle wall of partition that the Apostle Paul gave his ministry life and eventually his physical life to tearing down (see Eph 2:11–19).

There Is No Gentile Gate. We must also keep in mind that there are only twelve gates through which one can enter the New Jerusalem, and these gates are named after the twelve tribes of Israel (Rev 21:12). There is no gentile gate! The only way that one will be able to enter the New Jerusalem will be through spiritually identifying with the tribes of Israel. So which tribe are you?

No Covenants Made With the Gentile Nations . Finally, YHVH, the God of the Bible, never made any salvational covenants with non-Israelite nations, but only with the nation of Israel. To be in covenantal relationship with YHVH one has to accept the Jewish Messiah, and be grafted into the Israelite olive tree through the Messiah and become an Israelite—PERIOD! For example, the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews clearly states that the New Covenant is made with the two houses of Israel—not, and the Gentile nations (see Heb 8:8 and Jer 31:31,33). This may come as a shock to some people reading this, but this is the truth of the Scriptures!

One New Man In Messiah Yeshua . The Scriptures reveals that there are only two classifications of people: Israelites and non-Israelites or Gentiles. Individuals in the former group can obtain eternal life by virtue of one’s individual spiritual relationship with the Elohim of Israel through the Messiah of Israel. The latter group, unless they repent of their sins (i.e., lawlessness or Torahlessness, see 1 John 3:4), will burn in the lake of fire (Rev 20:15).

Whenever Paul uses the term “gentile,” he is either referring to ethnicity, and not using the term as a spiritual designation, or he is using the term gentile to mean “worldly.” In this case, it is a moniker referring to those who are carnal in that they act like gentiles (heathens) who are “without God and without hope” (Eph 2:12). The term gentile is not a spiritual designation for a redeemed believer, for they have been called out of the world and have become a member of a special group called “the called out ones” or “church” (Greek: ecclesia meaning “the church or an assembly of people who have been called out of another group of people”). The Scriptures also call redeemed believers “saints,”  a word simply meaning “holy” or “set-apart” as opposed to Gentiles who are without Elohim and without hope. The Scriptures teach that those who are redeemed or who are “in Messiah” are no longer Gentiles, for they have been grafted into and become part of the nation of Israel (Rom 11:13–24 and Eph 2:11–19). They have become the one new man which Paul speaks about in Ephesians 2:15.

What Do We Do Now? Now that we know that we are really part of a people-group called “Redeemed Israel” what does one do with this information? That is up to you. Pray and ask your Father in heaven to help you to live out your new identity as an Israelite.

Many believers in Yeshua the Messiah upon finding out that the Scriptures actually define them as Israelites and not as Gentiles, begin to sense a need to begin acting more like Israelites in their lifestyle and beliefs. They become interested in the biblical feasts of Israel and in the seventh day Sabbath resulting in their life takes on a more biblical or Hebraic flavor as they see themselves more in light of the Book of Acts believers instead of churchianity. This is a path that you will need to begin to explore. As you go down this journey, please keep in mind the words of Yeshua in Matthew 5:17–19; John 15:15 and the words of the apostles in 1 Corinthians 11:1 and 1 John 2:3–6 along with Romans 7:12,14 and 3:31.

 

 

 

Can We Trust Paul?

Posted on by
2
Recently, I received an email from a gentleman who had come across a website claiming that the Apostle Paul was an anti-Torah heretic, and that all of Paul’s books should be eviscerated from the Testimony of Yeshua (NT). The letter-writer wanted me to read this man’s arguments against Paul, and then respond to them.
Like this letter-writer, many folks who are coming to a Hebraic and pro-Torah
understanding of the NT are finding themselves questioning many once cherished belief systems that they learned in the church. What should be our approach as we separate the wheat from the chaff? Here is how I answered the letter:

Continue reading →

 

To Tithe or Not to Tithe … That Is the Question

Posted on by
Reply

Leviticus 10:13, Because it is due. In the days before coinage, a man’s wages were weighed out in silver bullion or bartering occurred. In the case of the Levites (including the priests), they were given a portion of the offerings and sacrifices as their wages for serving the people. It is often the attitude of those in congregations that ministers should serve the people for free—without pay, and they therefore refuse to give. This is contrary to the Torah, which commands the Israelites to remunerate the Levites for their services (see Lev 27:30, 32). YHVH even calls the tithe to his ministers “their inheritance” (Num 18:21, 26).

Although the Testimony of Yeshua doesn’t uphold the concept of tithing per se, it does enforce the Torah principle of giving to the ministry. For example, Paul instructed the believers in Philippi about giving. He addresses the issue of supporting his ministry and that by their faithfulness in giving to him it is in effect giving an offering (a sacrifice) to YHVH, and that the Philippians would be blessed for this (Phil 4:16–19). He goes on to say that we are to give to those who spiritually feed us (1 Tim 5:17–18). Paul backs up this assertion by quoting a Torah principle here.

Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. For the Scripture says, “You shalt not muzzle the ox that treads out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.”

What’s more, the Scriptures tell us that great blessings from heaven accrue to those who tithe to YHVH’s spiritual work on earth (Mal 3:10–11).

To not tithe, according to the Scriptures is called “robbing Elohim” (Mal 3:8–9). Those who refuse to tithe bring a curse upon themselves (Mal 3:9). Paul rebukes the congregation in Corinth for not supporting him financially, and states that he has “robbed” other churches who did support him, thus forcing him to use their offerings to pay his ministry expenses in Corinth (2 Cor 11:8–9). Corinth was not the only stingy congregation in the first century. The problem seemed to be widespread then (Phil 4:15) as it is today.