Tag Archives: Paul

Do You Have a Swiss Cheese Bible—a Holey Bible, not a Holy Bible?

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To many people have Swiss cheese Bible full of holes. The holes are from the pages they’ve ripped out deeming that these instructions in righteousness no longer apply to them.

In today’s mailbag, this blog received a nice comment from a very well-meaning individual who has a rather traditional churchianity view of the Torah. He was politely taking exception with my view that the biblical dietary laws are still in force today. He attempts to prove his point by making a distinction between the moral and ceremonial laws of Moses—or the spirit and the letter, while claiming that we are only subject to the latter,  but no longer subject to the former. Here’s is my instructive response to his comment.  Perhaps this will help you in addressing similar issues with your Christian brethren who believe similarly as this man.  Natan

The Bible equates the “Law of Moses” with the Hebrew word Torah, which is usually translated as “law” in our English Bibles, and is a word that means “instructions, precepts, teachings [of Elohim].” As such, they are a reflection of Elohim’s very character and nature. Yeshua summarized  YHVH’s Torah-laws when he stated that they show man how to love Elohim with his all and his neighbor as himself.

Are there any parts of Elohim’s precepts or instructions in righteousness that man has the right to nullify, do away with, or subdivided such that any parts of it are no longer applicable to man? If so, then who is man that he can instruct the Almighty Creator on which parts of his laws are for us today and which parts or not? Is this not extreme hubris and pride—a huge sin in itself—in fact the worst and most abominable sin of all (Prov 6:16-17)?

On the contrary, the Bible from Genesis to Revelation unquestionably presents the Torah as an indivisible whole, which stands and falls together. This includes the dietary laws, which are an aspect of being holy or set apart (from this world), even as Elohim is set apart or holy (Lev 11). James says that if you break one law, you’re guilty of breaking them all. John in his first epistle says that sin is the violation of the law. Yeshua in his Sermon on the Mount states that he didn’t come to destroys the law—not even one yud or tag of it. Paul in his epistle to the Romans says that the law is holy, just and good and grace in no way nullifies the law. None of these men of Elohim made distinctions between carnal or moral, physical or spiritual or ceremonial subdivisions of said Torah-law. This is an invention of the early church fathers because of their anti-semitic theological bias. Go read them. I can provide you with actual quotes and references—and not a few!

If the physical, letter aspects of the law, such as diet are no longer applicable, then some of Yeshua’s Sermon the Mount teachings are irrelevant and meaningless. In fact, Yeshua totally contradicts this notion. Who am I to believe? The teachings of Yeshua or the doctrines and traditions of man that make of none effect the word of Elohim? To wit, Yeshua in his sermon affirms that man is not only not to murder, but not to hate as wells; not to commit adultery as well as not to lust and so on. Here he affirms both the letter and the spirit of the law. The same can be said of the dietary laws. Both letter and spirit are applicable to man today. Since the dietary laws are about holiness and separation from the world, this means that we’re not to eat the world’s physical food as well as its spiritual food. By practicing the dietary laws, we  learn what true holiness is—both letter and spirit. To become holy, we must stay separate from the world both in practice and in heart and mind, even as Elohim is separate or holy, which is the main point of Lev 11. Oh, and did I mention that Elohim calls eating unclean meats an abomination? That means he detests it just like homosexuality, which he also calls an abomination. If the physical dietary laws are done away with, then likewise, it’s no longer a sin to have physical homo sex (the letter of the law) as long as you don’t lust while doing it (the spirit of the law)! Elohim forbid! May it never be so!

Some try to use 1 Cor 7:19 to prove that the Torah has been subdivided into moral and carnal laws. In reality, this verse  is not a statement proving that the indivisible Torah can be subdivided into moral and ceremonial laws. If you read everything that Paul says about circumcision, his main point is that circumcision is not a precondition for salvation. Period. He still practiced circumcision, and he wasn’t for or against it per se. The Pharisees were twisting and abusing the biblical truth of circumcision and making it into something the Torah never intends—a path to salvation and a way to keep Jews and Gentiles separate. This is the issue Paul is addressing. Because men pervert the laws of Elohim (as the Pharisees had done with the law of circumcision), does that mean we toss out the proverbial baby with the bath water? Of course not. Satan has perverted nearly every truth of Elohim. If we toss everything out because of Satan, we’ll have nothing left.

It’s time that Christians took off their colored glasses by which they read the Scriptures and stop viewing it through the lens of man-invented dogmas. Why is it that humans want to carve up the word of Elohim and toss out the parts they don’t like?  (The answer is  found in Jer 17:9 and Rom 8:7.)

Isn’t believing that certain parts of Elohim’s instructions in righteousness are no longer applicable to us today is ultimately succumbing to the lie of the serpent at the tree of knowledge who told the first humans that Elohim didn’t really mean what he said, and that man can have it his own way by creating his own pick-and-choose religion? There Satan told man that he could pick out the parts of Elohim’s word that he wants to follow, and then invent philosophies that justify his tossing out the parts he doesn’t like. Most Christians have bought into this lie of the serpent.

As a result of following the deceiver’s lies, too many people have what I call the Swiss Cheese Version of the Bible—one that’s full of holes (holes for all the pages they’ve ripped out of Elohim’s word that “are no longer applicable to them). They no longer have a Holy Bible, but instead a Holey Bible!

Finally, Yeshua states in Matt 5:17–19,

Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Please notice the last sentence. Torah obedience will determine one’s level of rewards in the world to come. Those who are saying that certain aspects of Elohim’s law were abrogated and are no longer applicable are consigning themselves to a lower position, a lower reward status in Elohim’s everlasting kingdom—so says Yeshua. Ultimately, it’s up to each individual whether they want to be the least or the greatest in his kingdom. I’m going for the highest reward, which means I’ll continue to follow the biblical dietary laws both letter and spirit. Amein!

 

New Video: Galatians 3:19–25 & Colossians 2:16–17 Explained

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Is Galatians chapter three saying that all the laws of Elohim were added only until Jesus/Yeshua, and that Christians are now free from them? What law was added, who/what is the tutor to lead us to Messiah and how does the Torah-law of Elohim affect us today?

Is Colossians 2:16–17 speaking for or against the biblical feasts and dietary laws?

This video explains these difficult passages of Paul the apostle.

 

1 Corinthians and Head Coverings—What Is Paul Really Saying Here?

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1 Corinthians 11:1–16, On head coverings for men and women. In Hebraic biblical culture, it was common for a married (or betrothed) woman to wear a veil or head covering to indicate that she was taken sexually or belonged to a man, even as a wedding ring now publicly telegraphs this idea.

At the same time, the Bible nowhere forbids men from wearing hats. It was common in biblical times for men and women to wear head coverings to protect themselves from the weather, since many of their activities occurred outdoors. In fact, the Torah commands the Levites to wear head coverings (like turbans) while ministering in the tabernacle. The Levitical priesthood no longer exists, and the Melchizedek priesthood is now in operational and includes both male and female saints, so the Levitical dress requirements are no longer applicable. Whether a man wears a head covering now while ministering is a matter of personal choice, for the Bible neither commands or prohibits it. So why does Paul instruct women to wear a head covering while ministering?

Similarly, the Bible nowhere prohibits men from having long hair.  If this were true, then the Nazirites with the Torah-prescribed long hair would have been in violation of Elohim’s laws.

To properly understand Paul’s comments in this passage, we must understand some cultural and historical context. First, Corinth was an extremely libertine and licentious city sexually, since it housed a pagan temple dedicated to the goddess of fertility whose worship involved ritual or cultic prostitution and various sex acts. This was socially acceptable and even a social requirement, and a source of revenue for the temple. Second, the Torah and Hebraic biblical culture were very strict about maintaining the distinction between the genders. Any blurring of the lines was forbidden. This is why the Torah forbids crossdressing or one gender wearing the clothes pertaining to the other gender. These two contextual points must be considered when reading Paul’s instructions in this chapter. In other words, men were not to wear veils that covered their faces, while women were to either have long hair or to have head coverings as expressions of their feminity. A study of the Greek words in this chapter bear out this explanation.

With the cultural context in view, Paul was likely prescribing dictums for the Corinthians saints that would help to clearly maintain the distinctions between male and female in accordance with the Torah light and in light of the sexual immorality occurring in the city. For example, temple prostitutes would cross dress to snare people unwittingly into same sex liaisons.

There may be some other spiritual issues that Paul was addressing as well as Dr. Michael Heiser points out in his book, Reversing Hermon. There is historical evidence that the ancient Greek medical experts associated a woman’s hair with her genitalia and her ability to conceive children, and that her hair was viewed as the counterpart to a man’s testicles. At the same time, the Bible is very clear that genitalia is to be covered while one is ministering to Elohim (Exod 20:26; 28:42–43 cp. Isa 6:2), and bodily discharges that proceeded from that area of the human anatomy was considered unclean thus making one unacceptable to YHVH (Lev 15:2, 19; Ibid. page 133). Modesty and cleanliness were the operative issues here when coming into the presence of Elohim. As such, a woman wearing a head covering while engaged in ministry (praying and prophesying or preaching) in the congregation was an issue of modesty and propriety (Ibid. p 135). Heiser goes on to address the meaning of Paul’s curious statement in 1 Cor 11:10, that a woman’s head needs to be covered “because of the angels.” What on earth is Paul talking about here? What piece of information are we missing to help us to understand this enigmatic statement? Heiser explains,

Paul wanted women to have their heads covered as a sign that they were sexually taken, that they belonged to a man, their husbands. Why? Because of the angels. Apparently, Paul was concerned  that if women didn’t show this sign of sexual fidelity and “ownership,” a woman could be at risk of sexual violation by angels. After all, it happened before (Gen 6:1–4). Paul didn’t want to see such a violation of cosmic order happen again (Ibid. page 135).

Biblical author, Gary Wayne, in his book The Genesis 6 Conspiracy, approaches the issue of woman and head coverings from a slightly different angle, while at the same time keeping Heiser’s view in mind. He suggests that since in the context of women’s head coverings, Paul makes the point that the woman came from man and not man from woman (1 Cor 11:8–9), for this reason and because of the angels women need to have a sign of authority on her head (v. 10). “The New Testament is recognizing that without a seal of authority, women are fair game for angels, at least for the misguided fallen angels [or demons].” This was the opinion of the early church father Tertullianus (A.D. 160–230)  who instructed women  to wear veils not to entice the dark angels who loved women because of their beautiful hair (Ibid. p. 18). If this is correct, then a woman who wears a head covering will be less likely to suffer from spiritual demonic attacks that one who doesn’t.

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New Video: The Old & New Covenants Compared—The Letter & Spirit of the Law Explained

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YHVH Elohim is calling His saints to be spiritual mountain climbers. In their spiritual journey upward, His people started at sea level in Egypt, then He called them to meet Him at Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, then to come up closer to Him at Mount Zion, then higher still to receive the Set-Apart Spirit and the Torah-law written on their hearts on the Day of Pentecost, and higher still to the New Jerusalem from above, which is coming to the earth soon at the second coming of the Messiah.

The study notes to this teaching are available at https://hoshanarabbah.org/blog/2017/06/03/happy-shavuot-2017/

 

Happy Shavuot 2017—Sunday, June 4! Enjoy this fresh manna from heaven!

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Attaining Spiritual Maturity in the New Covenant—On Being a Spiritual Mountain Climber

(This manna from heaven was revealed and downloaded to Natan in the back country of Alaska while sitting, Bible in hand, prayerfully, overlooking Little Port Walter on Baronov Island (75 miles SE of Sitka), and while on a boat in the Pacific Ocean in the Chatham Straights between Baronov and Admiralty islands.)

On Being Spiritual Mountain Climbers

From the time that YHVH revealed himself to the children of Israel while they were enslaved in Egypt, he has been calling his people to be spiritual mountain climbers. He first called the Israelites out of Egypt and up to Mount Sinai, and then up to Mount Zion in Jerusalem. He then called his people to come even higher yet to the upper room on the day of Pentecost, and he is now calling his people to come up even higher to the New Jerusalem that is above us and is the mother of us all. This highest mountain of YHVH is the ultimate source of our spiritual sustenance, the source of the river of life along which the trees of life are situated. From this spiritual wellspring comes all divine revelation and ultimately immortal life as children of the Most High.

The beginning of the upward spiritual journey of YHVH’s people is memorialized in the counting of the omer, which starts on First Fruits Day occurring during the Feast of Unleavened Bread and culminates fifty days later with the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost (Heb. Shavuot; Lev 23:4–16). Each new step in this journey is a stepping stone or a launch pad to the next. For the Israelites, the journey started at sea level in the flat-land river delta of Egypt (a metaphor for this world, Satan and death) and then continues climbing higher and higher until it reaches heaven itself—the abode of Elohim.

The problem is that most people only climb so far in their spiritual journey and then stop, or they grow weary along the way or become comfortably complacent at the level they have thus far attained and never move past that spot. This is dangerous!

To not move forward spiritually is to stagnate and to die. YHVH wants a people that are on the move, who will obediently follow him wherever he leads, and not stop and park along the way only to construct their religious monuments with their fossilized customs, rituals and traditions. Heaven is a long way above the earthly plane, and YHVH wants children who will seek him no matter what, who have a heart to follow him no matter where, and no matter the cost. Although eternal life is a free gift from heaven, it won’t be given easily. It costs nothing, but, at the same time, it costs everything! Man must be willing to sacrifice his all—to lose his earthly life—to gain eternal life. YHVH refuses to give out his priceless gift of eternal life willy-nilly to anyone and everyone! YHVH requires that his saints be determined, tough and gritty mountain climbers who refuse to give up until that summit is reached. He has no pleasure in those who turn back, or refuse to go on. Only those who doggedly overcome the world, the flesh and the devil remaining lovingly loyal and obedient to him will receive the highest reward he has to offer.

The Spirit Versus the a Letter of the Law—the Two Covenants

Let’s now explore what it is to climb the mountains that YHVH has placed before us to ascertain where we are at on the journey and how far we have to go to reach the ultimate summit.

In 2 Corinthians 3:1–18 we read,

1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? 2 You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; 3 clearly you are an epistle of the Messiah, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living Elohim, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. 4 And we have such trust through the Messiah toward Elohim. 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from Elohim, 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 7 But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away [brought to an end, ESV; Gr. katargeo], 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. 10 For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. 11 For if what is passing away [Gr. katargeo] was glorious, what remains is much more glorious. 12 Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech­ — 13 unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away [Gr. katargeo]. 14 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in the Messiah. 15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Let’s now explain this passage to understand better the transition between the “old” and “new” covenants and the differences between the two.

Verse 7, Was passing away [NKJV]/brought to and end [ESV], This phrase is the Greek word katargeo meaning “to render idle or useless, to vanish, to abolish, to put away, Continue reading →

 

Dividing and Conquering the Torah—Was the Torah Fulfilled (or Abrogated) By the Messiah?

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Divide-and-conquer the enemy is a well known and often used offensive military strategy. The enemy may be too large and powerful for a direct frontal assault, so the idea is to break up the enemy’s army or defenses into bite-sized pieces and then to conquer the enemy one smaller piece at a time. This same tactic is employed wittingly or unwittingly by those who don’t want to follow all of the Torah.

Perhaps you’ve seen this tactic used, but haven’t identified it for what it really is; it is a satanic method to undermine or to destroy the validity of the whole counsel of YHVH Elohim’s word. Why do I call it satanic? Because this is the same strategy Satan the serpent used at the tree of knowledge to undermine the clear instructions of Elohim to the first humans. Satan called Elohim’s word into question when he asked Adam and Eve, “Hath Elohim [really] said…?” He caused the first humans to question the word of Elohim, and then from this false narrative platform of doubt and unbelief, he launched his attack against the word of Elohim, and he lured Adam and Eve into committing humanity’s first sin. And, as the saying goes, the rest is history. All of the problems in the world from then till now can be traced back to this one incident.

From that time until now, rebellious and sin-prone men have been trying to find a way around obeying the clear words and instructions of Elohim. Man’s nefarious strategies and philosophies to accomplish this are endless. This human proclivity, however, can be explained by two terse verses in the Bible.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? Jer 17:9)

Because the carnal mind is enmity against Elohim; for it is not subject to the Torah-law of Elohim, nor indeed can be. (Rom 8:7)

For nearly 50 years I have been observing and studying this phenomenon to parse the Torah along artificial and ungodly lines. It’s nothing more than a carnal attempt by rebellious men to divide and conquer the Torah, so men can justify themselves in not having to obey it.  At one point in my spiritual journey, for a brief period of time—about six years—I even fell prey to this same false divide-and-conquer concept that mainstream Christianity has subscribed to for some 1900 years to diminish the validity of YHVH’s Torah-law. So I know this tactic well from personal experience. I had to repent of the sin of allowing myself to be duped into questioning the Creator and his Word.

First we must know the truth. What does the Word of Elohim really say? As a bank teller must know what real money looks like before they can identify counterfeit money, the same is true with the truth of the Bible. The righteous and dutiful disciple of Yeshua must know the Word of Elohim to be able to identify the counterfeit. This only occurs through personal and copious study. As such, one will discover that nowhere does the Bible divide Continue reading →

 

What are “Jewish fables?”

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Many people in churchianity are content to dismiss the Torah merely as Jewish fables having little or no relevance to Christians. Yet, the same preachers will passionately promote Christmas trees, Santa Claus and Easter bunnies. So what’s wrong with this picture?

Titus 1:14, Jewish fables. Many Bible teachers in the mainstream church teach that this verse refers to the Torah. They use it in attempting to prove that the commandments of the Torah are no longer valid for believers. Is this correct? In reality, Paul can’t be referring to the Torah here without contradicting himself elsewhere. In numerous places, he strongly upholds and defends obedience to the Torah (Rom 3:31; 7:7, 12, 14; 13:8–10; 1 Cor 7:19; 9:21; Gal 3:10; 6:2; 2 Tim 6:14; Tit 2:14) and even claims to follow it himself (Acts 21:24; 24:1425:8; 28:17; 1 Cor 9:21). He must be talking about the Jewish traditions of men, which Yeshua said in Matthew 15:3–9 and Mark 7:7–9 make of non-effect the word of Elohim.

In fact, this is exactly what Paul is referring to here in this verse when he says “Jewish fables and commandments of men.” This is not a reference to the Torah the commandments of which came from YHVH Elohim, and not from men. In the same verse, Paul contrasts these commandments of men with “the truth” from which men have turned away. What is this truth? The Bible defines its own terms. Elohim is the source of truth (Deut 32:4 cp. Pss 86:11; 89:14; 117:2), he is truth (Ps 25:10; 31:5; 33:4), and his Torah is truth (Ps 119:142, 151).

One example of a Jewish fable and a commandment of men would be the idea that one can’t be saved unless they’re first circumcised, which was the subject of the Acts 15 council. Paul vehemently fought this Jewish fable, and the whole Book of Galatians, for example, largely deals with this issue. If Paul had meant the Torah when mentioning “Jewish fables” then this makes Paul into a schizophrenic liar (since he promotes and lauds the Torah and claims to follow it elsewhere), and it makes the word of Elohim contradict itself, and it puts Paul at odds with Yeshua who upheld the Torah (Matt 5:17–19) and with himself when he said to imitate Yeshua the Torah-keeper as he himself did (1 Cor 11:1).