Questions, Discussions, Thoughts, Etc.
Here we would like to have some dialog going. We've posted a lot of info so far in this website and intend to add much more. We'd like to know your thoughts, ideas, questions, etc. We definitely do not have all the answers and, of course, anything anyone says needs to be researched by you personally so that you can make your own informed decisions on any given topic. Don't take our word for it. Yes, these are our thoughts and beliefs. We are and have been studying for a long time and will continue to grow in our walk with YHWH. But don't believe anything we say, please go find it out for yourself. I just hope we're challenging your thinking and encouraging you to do your own research to come to the conclusion that YHWH would have you come to, just as we hope you will challenge us, too.
We would like to post your comments anonymously with only the city and state if you include it in your note to us. All we ask is that we be respectful of each other's words and don't resort to personal attacks. Let's have some good dialog!
We would like to post your comments anonymously with only the city and state if you include it in your note to us. All we ask is that we be respectful of each other's words and don't resort to personal attacks. Let's have some good dialog!
Paul, Galatians, Faith and LawI have a quick question, and was wondering if you had any insight. I was reading in Galatians today, and got to chapters 3 and 4 and got pretty confused about what Paul was saying in regards to faith and the Law. I want to make sure that I am not interpreting the passages incorrectly or misunderstanding the context in which Paul is writing. I am curious as to if you have studied these verses and/or what you believe Paul is saying in regards to the importance (or lack-thereof) of the Law. I will continue praying and seeking out what these verses mean in the meantime.
Ypsilanti, MI FROM THE EDITOR: Regarding Galatians, here is a link to a video teaching from Rico Cortes who can say it much better than I could. http://www.waytozion.org (click on videos tab, scroll down to Rico Cortes and find "Hebrew Context of Galatians") OR you can download them to your computer via the links below. http://www.waytozion.org/video/Rico/Galations1.wmv http://www.waytozion.org/video/Rico/Galations2.wmv http://www.waytozion.org/video/Rico/Galations3.wmv Here are our thoughts.... The Galatians were former pagans and had learned of the Messiah. As pagans they had celebrated their pagan festivals (Gal 4:10) and had gone back to them. Paul said they “turn again to the weak and poor elemental matters”. They had been pagan, so they could not have “turned again” to the Torah, for they never knew it. They must have “turned again” to their pagan days, months, seasons and years”. They also, because of their former pagan mindsets, were perverting the Torah into something it never was. It was never intended to be salvation to them by keeping it. The “Promise” to Abraham came before the Torah was given (Gal. 3:17). The Torah does not negate the earlier promise, but is an addendum to it on how to live to be blessed and draw closer to YHWH. Think of it this way: You “believe” something so then you do it. You “believe” that YHWH is God, not the pagan false gods, so therefore His way of living must be what His will is for us, so we live it (Torah). The Promise is that we are saved by His grace via our Faith in Him, but just as Abraham, our Faith results in works that please Him. (Abraham followed through with taking Isaac to the Mountain of sacrifice, but knew that YHWH would provide a sacrifice in place of Isaac. His Faith was shown by his works. (See the book of James which is about this very subject. “You say you have faith without works, I will show you my faith by my works”.) We follow through on our faith in Him by following His directions for how to live so that we can be blessed.) The Torah lifestyle is evidence (Fruits) that we have Faith in Him, but not what saves us. Yeshua said “He who does the will of my Father in Heaven is my mother, my sister, my brother” and again John 14:21 “He who possesses My commands and guards them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I shall love him and manifest Myself to him.” (Remember, it was YHWH through Yeshua that the commandments in the Torah were given. In fact in Gal. 3:21 Paul says “Is the Torah then against the promises of Elohim? Let it not be!” Does this make sense? Always remember that we have to test all things with the Scripture (see 2Timothy 3:16) which was the old testament (Tanak), and of course use the New Testament (Apostolic Writings) as well. But the Apostolic Writings cannot contradict the Tanak, per the Bible itself. And Yeshua confirms this in Mathew 5:17. In 2 Peter, Peter talks about Paul’s writings sometimes being hard to understand, which the unlearned twist and pervert to their own destruction. So, just keep pressing on and learning and He WILL bless you. |
Why you think the early Christians kept the Jewish practices?
Battle Creek, MI
If we asked them that question in the days of the disciples they would not understand the question. Everything written in the Tanakh (Old Testament) was true in their eyes and applicable to life. Therefore, they kept all the Commands of YHWH (or attempted to anyway) because it was His Torah (Teaching) on how to live. They did not consider these as “Jewish” but just the Truth. “Do not commit adultery” is not “Jewish” it is just a true command of Yahweh. Same for all other things he commands us to do or not to do. These were not “Jewish” practices but Yahweh’s teachings on living. They were and continue to be Yahweh’s instruction for our lives. The thing Yeshua taught against was traditions that man added to or subtracted from His Word. Like washing hands before eating, fasting on days that were not commanded in the Scriptures, etc. which they condemned people for not keeping. Christianity today has similar traditions not commanded in the Bible and they fault those who don’t keep them, like celebrating Easter, Christmas, doing communion and attending church on Sunday, some of which are actually commanded NOT to do in the Bible. All throughout the 1st Writings (Old Testament) Yahweh is quoted as sharing His right-rulings. Nowhere does it ever call them Jewish practices. He could have chosen any culture, but He chose them. The first believers were Jewish which is historically factual. Scripture tells us that He came to the Jew first. Their culture is what was used throughout the writings, which is why it is so important for us to understand their culture and the context within which the scriptures were written. The disciples were mostly Jewish if not all. Paul was a very Torah-observant believer. Never would he have violated the Torah in his writings. Paul states in 1Tim 1:8, “And we know that the Torah is good IF one uses it legitimately.” In 1 John 3:4 it states, “Everyone doing sin also does lawlessness (Torahlessness), and sin is lawlessness (Torahlessness). So sin is violation of Torah. Everything spoken of in the 1st and 2nd Writings is “breathed out by Elohim and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for setting straight, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of Elohim might be fitted, equipped for every good work.”(2 Timothy 3) ***I don’t know if you have studied the word ‘law’ but our Bibles have missed the mark on correct interpretation. Most times the word ‘law’ is used it should have been written ‘teachings’. If you’ll look in the Strong’s concordance or any other lexicon you will find that the Hebrew word for ‘law’ is ‘Torah’ which means ‘teaching’. It really takes the negative connotation way from the word, ‘law’. So, keeping things which YHWH commanded is not Jewish but just right living. He specifically said “Do not add or subtract from My Words”. The historical truth is; the only reason “Christians” today do not follow the Torah is because of the pagan influence of the so called “church Fathers” and the Roman Catholic Church’s changing the laws commanded in Scripture and replacing them with pagan traditions which the first Believers nor any true Believer today would never follow knowingly. |