The Gospel According to the Apostle Paul

Our New Challenging Pauline Passage–Romans 2:16–A Seemingly Bold and Curt Statement From the Apostle. 

 

Our focus passage, or more precisely, our focus verse today is Romans 2:16. And we find when we read this verse a rather bold and seemingly curt statement from Paul. Knowing what we know about him, this what I call a seemingly bold and curt statement coming from the great apostle to the Gentiles, is not at all surprising nor mysterious. The phrase of interest in this verse is “…according to MY gospel.”

Indeed the man is renown for making what appears to our 21st century Western sensibilities to be arrogant and curt statements from time-to-time in his writings. Unfortunately, it tends to be somewhat difficult, at best, to ascertain whether or not Shaul was being arrogant, facetious, rude, angry, uncaring; exercising some form of tough-love; hard or harsh; or simply trying to get his point across on the issue at hand in a way that would grab his readers’ attention and prompt positive action on their part. And so trying to determine the why’s and what’s and wherefore’s of the apostle and his writings is the burden that we as students of the bible are forced to contend with on a frequent basis.

Consequently, this is, in great part, the reason for this Paul and Hebrew Roots Series.

And don’t worry, we’ll certainly proffer a likely reason for the apostle’s use of the phrase “according to MY gospel” as we contextually unpack this passage.

How Must We Take Shaul’s Statement “According to MY Gospel?”

Now, depending upon one’s personal disposition or understanding of Shaul the man and Apostle, his naming the “Gospel” as “my gospel” can be taken any one of a number of ways: 

  1. The gospel that Shaul proclaimed and taught was specific to him and his commission as an apostle by Master Yahoshua. Thus the apostle took ownership of the good news that he was given by Yeshua HaMashiyach to preach and teach.  
  1. Shaul’s gospel was different from the gospel that was proclaimed and taught by Yeshua, Yochanan (John) the Immerser and Yeshua’s inner-core of disciples turned apostles. 
  1. The “Gospel” message was a monolith or a constant among all those who proclaimed it. However, that monolithic, constant “Gospel,” if you will, competed with or against other messages or gospels. And so the apostle was trying to articulate, in no uncertain terms, a separation of the Gospel that he and His Master taught from all the other gospels being peddled or surreptitiously infused into many of the Messianic Assemblies of the Greco-Roman world of Shaul’s day.  
  1. Shaul was a complex soul whose personality often came across in his writings as someone who may have been arrogant and ambitious. Or maybe, this claiming of the gospel as “my gospel” on the part of the Apostle was simply his blunt way of asserting himself as his readers’ sanctioned overseer.

 We Can’t Always Tell What the Apostle Meant

We cannot be fully certain as to what the apostle meant by calling the gospel “my gospel.”  

As 21st century readers of the apostle’s letters, we are always at a significant disadvantage. We can, with somewhat ease, ascertain in most cases that Shaul was addressing or reacting to specific influential issues and events transpiring within and around the assemblies he oversaw. However, we 21st century western readers are often not privy to the specifics of those events and issues. Shaul knew his readers; his readers knew him; and both he and his readers knew of the particulars of those issues and events of which he was writing. Therefore, it would not be at all necessary, nor expected, that the apostle would waste valuable parchment space rehashing the particulars of those influential events and issues of which he was responding to in written form.

 Missing Information

So there’s a lot of relevant information that is left out of the apostle’s letters that would otherwise be most useful to our overall understanding of his writings and teachings.  

So this lack of important information that often stands in our way of having a clear understanding of what Shaul is writing about, especially in many of his hard to comprehend passages, is actually a good thing. It’s a good thing because it forces us to dig deeper into the apostle’s writings and even the whole of the bible in order that we may uncover some of those essential pearls of wisdom the apostle has become renown for.

 Why Are the Hard to Understand Pauline Passages Important For Us to Study? 

Why is it important or beneficial that we flesh out the meaning of such an obscure passage of the bible, especially after my making the statement that we may never be able to, with certainty, determine what the apostle meant  by such hard to understand phrase as the one we’re looking at today.

Next to Torah, the Gospel is the most important revelation of the Almighty to His human creation. For I contend that the Gospel was and is the framework by which the Torah was delivered to us in it’s fulfilled state through the example and teachings of our Master Yahoshua Messiah.

Yeshua’s Drop the Mic Statement

Of His ministry and of the Torah, Master gave the following “drop the mic” statement that the vast majority of self-professing orthodox, fundamental and evangelical Christians have tragically misrepresented and misunderstood for centuries:

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. (Last time I looked out the window, heaven and earth seem to still be in existence: neither has passed away to date. Continuing: Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (If Torah is something that believers in Yeshua Messiah are not supposed to keep, and folks are out there teaching and preaching this as a mainstay of their religion/church/what have you, are they not insinuating that Yeshua is a liar? Continuing:)  For I say unto you, that except your righteousnesses shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Mat. 5:17-20). 

Yeshua’s Commission to Proclaim the Gospel

Our Master had a number of commissions that His Father placed upon Him during His brief earthly ministry. And one of the least taught or talked about of those commissions was the Gospel: that is, the good news about His Father’s coming Kingdom here on earth. 

This gospel that Yeshua proclaimed and taught—this good news about the Kingdom of Heaven that was about to drop upon the doorstep of humanity—was in great part a fulfillment and a clarification of Torah. Among so many things, the Gospel revealed the nature and Person of our Father YHVH. It explained the workings of Yah’s government, especially as it pertained to Yah’s human creation. And it revealed Yah’s righteous judgments and condemnation that will come upon Yah’s disobedient human creation (I.e., Torah’s curses) and Yah’s glorious rewards and benefits to be lavished upon Yah’s called-out one: His elect (I.e., Torah’s blessings). 

So let’s now unpack our focus passage and allow scripture to interpret for us what Shaul meant by the phrase “my gospel?”

 The Focus Passage of Romans 2:16 in Context

 

But glory, honour, and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile. For there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law…in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel (Romans 2:10-12, 16; KJV).

 

Contextual Analysis of Romans 2:16–Parenthetical Insertions 

Romans 2:13-15 is a parenthetical insertion into the body of Shaul’s letter to the Roman Assemblies.

 Parenthetical additions to the Greek texts of scripture were added to assist readers in their understanding of the previous verse(s) of that passage by long forgotten scribes and or translators. 

The problem I find with such parenthetical insertions is that they carry with them the potential of advancing the personal dogma of the translators. I personally see these parenthetical insertions as mini-commentaries that unnamed translators and or scribes added to bring a degree of clarity to the previous verse or verses. The form in which these clarifying comments or statements take are pretty much subjective. Interestingly, apart from just a very small number of English translations that are primarily headed by the KJV, the vast majority of English translations on the market have completely dropped the parentheses, making the statements and comments that were once enclosed in the parentheses appear as original portions of the passage. In other words, these inserted statements or comments have over the centuries, for the most part, are today viewed as inspired scripture by virtue of the various English translators and editors purposely leaving out the parentheses. 

There’s a ton of stuff going on in this content-rich chapter and the parenthetical statements of verses 13-15 only serve to muddy the waters of understanding. 

 Teasing Out the Elements of Romans 2:16 

So one of the things I often do when examining such challenging passages is to tease out the major elements of those passages. And we essentially find 2-primary elements to our focus passage: 

(A) A judgment that has already come or will come at some time in the future of the secrets of all people ; and 

(B) That judgment (whether it is a present judgment or a future judgment) is part and parcel of the gospel that Shaul names or identifies as “my gospel.” 

The Judgment Mentioned in 2:16 is Tied Contextually to the Previous 15-Verses 

Let’s first examine the “judgment” aspect of this verse. 

This judgment that Shaul writes about that is set to come upon humanity seems to be synonymous with the Day of Judgment that is described in Isaiah 13:5, 9; Joel 1:15; 2:1, 11, 31

Shaul makes mention of a “judging of the secret thoughts of people” (vs. 16). 

Now, I’ve made note throughout this series that Yah is a judge of hearts. In the Hebraic paradigm, the thoughts and or intentions of humans are directly linked to their hearts: that is, they are essentially synonymous. 

You see, when we bypass verses 13 through 15, and connect verse 12 to 16, we find the apostle does in fact make a cogent and complete statement on the issue of this impending judgment. If we add verses 13-15 (I.e., the parenthetical statements) to 12 and 16, the apostle’s line of thinking regarding this impending judgment is greatly diminished and muddied. 

The JFB (Jamieson-Faucett-Brown Commentary confirms my contention here by noting that “In the day” is the unfinished statement of Romans 2:12, the thought of which is resumed and then brought to a close. 

And what we ultimately have here in this verse is the apostle asserting that the gospel he preached and taught contains or addresses this judgment of the secret thoughts of all humanity.

God’s Coming Judgment was Part and Parcel of Paul’s Gospel

The issue of “judgment” is not the focus of our post here today. And the only reason we’re even discussing it is because the apostle made the emphatic statement that this impending judgment of the hearts of people is tied to his gospel. 

So we know at the outset of our examination of Shaul’s gospel that a big part or element of it is judgment.

 The Competing Gospels of Paul’s Day

Now, the thing we must not overlook here is that the gospel that was given to Shaul by the glorified Yeshua, competed with a number of pseudo-gospels that were being preached and taught (openly and in secret) by various and sundry entities: 

  1. The burgeoning and nascent Gnostics and Jewish mysticism (early forerunners of Kabballah). (Recall that Shaul had run-ins with these folks and their false teachings during his time in Ephesus.) The Gnostics and Jewish mystics were renown for twisting the content of scripture and syncretizing it with Greek and Roman mythology. 
  1. The orthodox Messianic Jews (popularly referred to in Christian circles as Judaizers) putting forth a gospel that required all who came in to the true Faith conform to Judaistic legalism and traditions (e.g., circumcision).

 Shaul’s Gospel in a number of respects is often referred to as the Gospel of Christ (otherwise referred to as the “Gospel about Christ (2 Cor. 10:14) [Christou as the objective genetive makes “with the gospel about Christ” a more accurate rendering]. According to Shaul, this Gospel about Christ (I.e., Messiah) was not known nor understood by the lost of this world because hasatan has blinded the minds of the unbelieving souls of this world (2 Cor. 4:1-5).  Nevertheless, as word of Yeshua and His teachings and sacrifice spread throughout the Roman Empire, his notoriety became infused into a number of competing belief systems that mixed a little bit of facts about our Master and His ministry, with a great deal more Greek and Roman-based philosophy and mythology. We see evidence of this today in the so-called Nag Hammadi scriptures or Gnostic Gospels that are believed to have formed the basis of Gnostic Christianity.

 The Competing Gnostic Gospel

Now, we previously addressed some of the false teachings and works of the gnostics in our series within a series that dealt with Shaul’s treatment and view of women in ministry. In that series, if you recall, we spent quite a bit of time discussing the influences the Gnostics and their gospels had on the Ephesian assemblies . And we learned that Shaul referred to those purveyors of such false teachings within the Ephesian assemblies as “those that trouble you and pervert the gospel of Christ” (Gal. 1:7); as well as “those that disturb you and seek to distort the gospel of Messiah” (Gal. 1:7).

 The Competing Legalistic Gospel

 The other prominent teaching that competed with Shaul’s gospel, which I’ve classified as “a gospel,” is that which was formed or created around Jewish legalism—the oral traditions and laws. This false gospel in many respects kept some of the truths about Yeshua and his earthly ministry intact, but added to it the requirement that any who sought entry into the Way Movement or the True Faith once delivered, were required to convert to Judaism and keep many of its oral traditions and laws. And the thought behind this false gospel goes right back to the erroneous belief that one’s Jewishness bought them salvation and entry into the Kingdom of God.

 Paul Versus the Perveyors of Competing Gospels

 In Shaul’s mind and in accordance with the gospel that he taught and preached, those who would enter the assemblies he oversaw and teach these contrary gospels to his readers, the apostle instructed that they be condemned—in the KJV, “accursed.” Recall also that we briefly touched upon the concept of curses—that biblically-based curses hold power that is aligned with YHVH’s direct intervention and judgment (Gal. 1:8; ). And it is within this context of competing gospels that Shaul reiterates that his gospel came to him via revelation from Yeshua HaMashiyach (Gal. 1:11-12) and that he had not received his gospel from any man. In other words, these erroneous, competing gospels were manmade gospels. And those that would attempt to bring these manmade teachings into the assemblies of Messiah would be condemned. The only Yah-sanctioned teaching or gospel was that which he had brought them. 

We’ll touch upon this a little more in just a moment. 

Comparing and Contrasting Yeshua’s Gospel with Paul’s Gospel 

Shaul uses the phrase “according to my gospel” in several other places in his writings that include Romans 16:25; 2 Timothy 2:8; cf. 2 Corinthians 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 1:5; 2 Thessalonians 2:14

Was Paul’s Gospel different from the Gospel that Yeshua, John the Immerser and the other 11 Apostles proclaimed and taught? 

The Gospel that Paul claimed as his own was essentially the same gospel that his Master Yeshua taught, but from a slightly different angle. (And I’ll talk more on this in my summary.) 

Shaul’s gospel was one that proclaimed salvation had come to humanity—all of humanity in fact. Not just to the Jew, although because of the covenant that YHVH had established with Avraham and his seed. The gospel would be offered to the Jew first—but salvation was available to all who would seek to have a true and substantive relationship with the Creator of the Universe and be grafted in to the commonwealth—the promises—given to Yisrael by the Eternal. 

Messianic Commentator Tim Hegg of torahresource.com points out that Shaul’s gospel features a singular salvation for both Jew and Gentile alike. There is no two-ways to Elohim as some have erroneously postulated over the centuries. Thus, Shaul’s gospel introduced a unified salvation as well as a unified judgment that will befall both classes of people. The standard by which this judgment will be based is Torah. And this was alluded to by the apostle earlier on in this same 2nd chapter when he wrote: 

“For all who have sinned without the Torah will also perish without the Torah; and all who have sinned under the Torah will be judged by the Torah” (2:12).

 Specifics of Paul’s Gospel Message

Scripturally speaking, what does Shaul’s Gospel consist of or what does it look like? Well, Shaul believed that he had been entrusted with this sacred thing—this gospel (1 Timothy 1:11) that he boldly named as “my gospel.” And clearly the apostle believed wholeheartedly that this gospel was not something created or made up by any human, but was something that was passed down to him by His Master Yeshua Messiah and he, Shaul, was specifically commissioned to deliver it to the nation-peoples of the 1st-century Greco-Roman world (Galatians 1:11-12; Acts 20:24; Romans 1:1). And Shaul was emphatic in the belief that Yeshua Himself passed down to him this gospel that formed the foundation of his evangelistic ministry. This central truth of the origin of his gospel coming from the glorified Yeshua Himself legitimized, not only his teachings and writings, but also his authority as a bonafide, Yeshua-commissioned apostle of the first order. 

Digging deeper, we find that Shaul’s gospel was one of God’s grace being made available to the whole of Yah’s human creation through the work of Yeshua Messiah, not just to those of Jewish descent (Acts 20:24b; Romans 1:9)

We also learn from Shaul that his gospel reveals a central truth that the Creator of the Universe has appointed His risen and glorified Son, Yeshua Messiah, to be the righteous judge of the quick and the dead (Acts 10:42; 17:31). And every work and every secret thing, be it good or evil, will be revealed and judged accordingly by Him (Ecclessiastes 12:14; 2 Timothy 2:8). 

Shaul’s gospel asserts that Yeshua was raised from the dead. And His resurrection foreshadowed the resurrection that every true Child of Yah who falls asleep (that is, who enters into physical death) prior to Yeshua’s return, will experience (2 Timothy 2:8). Thus the resurrection of the dead in Messiah factors greatly into Shaul’s gospel. 

Despite Shaul being raised an orthodox Jew and having received extensive training as a Rabbi, we find that Jewish Legalism found no home in his gospel as it served only to diminish the intrinsic power of the gospel message, divide the body and detract from the grace that the Creator has lavished upon His human creation (Acts. 15). 

Most importantly, we find that Shaul’s gospel carried with it the power to save any who would believe in the atoning work and ministry of Yeshua Messiah (Romans 1:16; I Cor. 15:2). Thus, a highlight of Shaul’s gospel was the foundational truth that Yeshua Messiah died for sins the humanity. He was buried and resurrected by His Father 3-days later (1 Cor. 15:3-4). In like manner, the dead in Messiah will be resurrected when Yeshua returns (1 Cor. 15:13-23). 

Shaul’s gospel spanned the history of his people. For his gospel was founded upon Torah which he lamented, not all his people obeyed (Romans 10:16). The burden of teaching and preaching the gospel that Shaul received by virtue of his apostleship brought with it a spiritual fatherhood over his readers (1 Corinthians 4:15). Consequently, the administration of the gospel was Shaul’s full-time occupation. He believed, in accordance with Torah, it was more than fitting for a worker of the gospel to receive financial and or material support from the flock they served; reminiscent of the Levitical Priests of old who were not given an inheritance by YHVH, but received their sustenance and support from the tithes, offerings and gifts of the people (Num. 18:20-24; Deuteronomy 25:4; 1 Timothy 5:18; 1 Corinthians 9:9-14). 

Lastly, Shaul’s gospel was “gentile-focused” (in many respects) as well as it was “anti-legalistic” as we previously discussed (Gal. 2:1-7). The apostle shared the framework of his gospel ministry with the Jerusalem Council who–seeing the results of Shaul’s work bolstered by Kefa’s (Peter’s) testimony that the Gentiles were indeed being called into an obedience of Faith as evidenced by their receiving the gift of the Ruach HaKodesh upon those entering into covenant with YHVH through faith in Yeshua Messiah—the Council placed no restraints upon Shaul and his evangelitic team’s work. Ultimately, this favorable agreement between Shaul and the Jerusalem Council led to Shaul and his partner Barnabas receiving from the council the right-hand of fellowship and an official endorsement of their ministry to the Gentiles (I Cor. 15:6-14; Act. 15).

Yeshua’s Gospel Make-Up 

On the other hand, the Gospel that Yeshua brought and taught was quite simply that of His Father’s Kingdom was at hand—it was imminent—and in many respects, it was in their midst. Consequently it fell upon His Palestinian brethren to repent and believe this good news about the Kingdom of Yah. It was not a gospel of Himself, per se, although the gospel that He brought and taught was based in great part upon His role in the renewed covenant and the great work of redemption that would take place because of His ministry. But all in all, Yeshua’s gospel was that of the good news about the Kingdom of Yah coming to the earth. In His proclaiming and teaching of the gospel given to Him by His Father, Yeshua was essentially proclaiming and declaring that His Father was getting the band back together again. That which was once a foregone reality—such that the Kingdom of Yah that was once present in the Garden and then in much lesser form during the time the Tent of Meeting/Tabernacle and then the Temple were in operation, but because of the fall and then Yisrael’s transgressions and breaking of the covenant, these iterations of the Kingdom of Yah here on earth faded away—well, that which was once a foregone reality according to Yeshua’s gospel this time would not be halted nor stopped by humanity’s failures. The Kingdom of Yah that was imminently upon humanity could not be stopped. In fact, Yeshua’s gospel asserted that even the gates of hades would not be able to defend against it (Mat. 16:18). 

Yeshua prophesied that the gospel He preached and taught would be proclaimed to the entire world (that is, to all creatures) just before the end would come (Mat. 24:14; Mar. 13:10). Consequently, Yeshua’s gospel was a message that often ran afoul of the teachings and rulings of the Jewish leaders (I.e., the leaven of the Scribes and Pharisees) and the Herodian government (I.e., the leaven of Herod) of His day. It was a message of freedom and salvation that often got confused in the minds of Yeshua’s 1st century Palestinian audience who sought desperately to be freed from Rome’s brutal rule, which the Jewish conventional wisdom contended would be replaced by a Messianic government. Yeshua was seen by many early on during his proclaiming of the gospel as the one who would lead a successful revolt against Rome and install this Messianic Kingdom that would be headquartered in Yerushalayim. But to the disappointment of so many of Yeshua’s followers, their version of the Kingdom of God did not come to fruition. 

Indeed, the gospel of the Kingdom that Yeshua preached and taught did in fact include the establishment of a Messianic Kingdom that would consume, devour and replace all earthly kingdoms and free God’s people from the evil rule of men (Dan. 2:44; 7:14, 27; Rev. 11:15; 12:10). But the confusion surrounding the errant Jewish thinking of the coming Kingdom of Yah in Yeshua’s day seemed to be founded in its timing. The Kingdom depicted in Yeshua’s gospel was not that of this conquering Messianic Kingdom, but that which was not seen by the eyes of men; that dwelled within Yah’s people; that brought Yah’s people into covenant relationship with Himself through Torah-living. 

Indeed, the Kingdom of Yah that Yeshua’s gospel depicted, in every respect was spiritual and it had manifested in the midst of those who had eyes to see and ears to hear the good news. Consequently, this Gospel of the Kingdom  was accompanied by great power and miracles (Mat. 15:31; Luk. 7:22). It was a gospel  that provided the would-be citizen of Yah’s Kingdom freedom from the rule of religion and the evil in their lives, all in the here and now. It offered salvation from eternal damnation and a relationship with the Creator of the Universe. It offered healing and deliverance; light and Truth. It offered hope to the once lost and the forgotten of that ancient society. It was in all respects good news; joyous news. 

Indeed, Yeshua’s gospel can best be summed up by the Master Himself who, when called to read the Torah Portion/Reading for that particular Shabbat in which He had attended the synagogue in His childhood town of Nazareth, read only the first half of the Isaiah prophecy that foretold of Mashiyach and that which would form the basis of His Gospel (Luk. 4:18-21; Isaiah 61)

18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. 

It should be mentioned, all that happened to Yeshua during His earthly ministry would be attached to the  Kingdom message in future tellings of the gospel message (Mat. 26:13; Mar. 14:9).

 A Personal Perspective on Paul’s Gospel in Comparison to Yeshua’s Gospel

So we have before us two versions of the Gospel: the Gospel that Yeshua preached and taught which was primarily the good news about the Kingdom of Yah; and the Gospel that Shaul preached and taught which was primarily the good news about Yeshua HaMashiyach. 

Here’s a way to look at Shaul’s gospel in light of Yeshua’s gospel:

It would appear that Shaul’s gospel was somewhat different from that of Yeshua’s gospel while at the same time, both gospels were one and the same. Yet when we look at both gospels side-by-side, we find each gospel to be somewhat nuanced and each served a unique purpose for a unique time to be delivered to a unique audience.

What do I mean? Well, starting with John the Immerser’s gospel, it served to prepare the pious Jews residing in Judea to receive Yeshua and the spiritual kingdom that would accompany Him. And the primary message was one of repentance for the Kingdom of Yah was at hand—to bring the people of the Land to a place of repentance whereby they’d be ready to shema their coming Messiah.

Then Yeshua’s gospel served to bring to the hearts and minds of the lost sheep of the House of Yisrael  to a place to receive, enter and live out the Kingdom of Yah that was in their midst, through the advent of the renewed covenant and Yah’s Plan of Salvation, Restoration and Redemption. Yeshua’s audience, being with rare exception, Jews who lived under the framework of Torah, would have known the rudimentary elements of living a life devoid of sin and walking in a covenant relationship with the Almighty. Granted, the vast majority of them may not have been walking in covenant with the Eternal at the time, but at the very least they had the basic knowledge of what walking in covenant with the Almighty should look like through Torah Living. The only thing that was missing from Yeshua’s audience was their coming in to a saving Faith in Yahoshua HaMashiyach and following Yeshua’s example of a fulfilled and clarified life of Torah-keeping, as opposed to living under the burden of the Oral Traditions and Laws of the Rabbis. Yeshua’s gospel involved  bringing Yah’s spiritual government and way of life to His people so that they would walk out Torah the way the Creator always intended His human creation to do so.

Shaul’s gospel served at least two purposes: (1) to wake the spiritually slumbering orthodox Jews from their life of dependency on their Jewishness (recall we discussed in the last 2-posts that the Jews of Shaul’s day placed their eternal destiny in their Jewishness which they believed provided them a free ticket to eternal life and entry into the Kingdom of Yah and the True Faith once delivered. And (2) to bring the Gentiles into an obedience of Faith through Yeshua Messiah. (Please refer to our discussion on what Shaul meant by the phrase “an obedience of Faith”–https://www.themessianictorahobserver.org/2020/06/24/obedience-versus-faith-paul-and-the-book-of-romans-series/). Shaul recognized right off the bat that any non-Jewish person coming to Faith would have little to no understanding of Torah and what walking in covenant with the Almighty looked like. And thus Shaul’s gospel was specifically tailored to both Jew and Goyim (I.e., Gentile) alike so that both would come to an obedience of Faith through Yeshua Messiah and the work of Ruach of HaKodesh operating within them. Regardless how you choose to view Shaul’s gospel, it involved a message and ministry that was specific to Shaul. And Shaul’s gospel in no way excluded nor contradicted the Gospel that Yeshua proclaimed and taught. They were in fact one and the same Gospel. It’s just that Shaul’s version of the gospel was nuanced in such a way as to address the unique station in life that the Goyim (I.e., the Gentiles) and the diaspora orthodox Jew of the apostle’s day found themselves as they entered into the True Faith once delivered.

Possible Reason For Paul’s Bluntness

So hopefully at this point, we are able to understand why Shaul was so blunt in his naming of the gospel: “my Gospel.” The apostle certainly took ownership of the gospel that was given to him by His Master Yeshua. And it goes without saying that the apostle had absolutely no patience for any who would come along and attempt to subvert it or displace it with a gospel that originated from the minds of mischievous men or from hasatan himself. His wording may come across as brash when filtered through our 21st century Western sensibilities, but it stands to reason that Shaul’s readers understood what the apostle meant by “my gospel” and they likely knew where he was coming from in making such a bold claim.

 What Paul Likely Meant by “According to MY Gospel” in Romans 2:16

So it stands to reason that Romans 2:16 is not indicative of Shaul being rude, conceited, arrogant or even drunk with power. It seems safe to conclude that the apostle was simply stating a critical fact to his Roman assembly readers that YHVH was going to judge the hearts of his human creation, be it they were of Jewish descent or Goyim (Gentile). All humanity would be judged justly. There was one standard for judgment for all. And just because some of his readers were Messianic Jews, they would not be immune to the coming judgment, in particular those who possessed Torah but refused to obey Torah. For Yah was no respecter of person. And this critical understanding of a coming judgment formed the basis of Shaul’s gospel message. His gospel message was different from the false manmande teachings and messages (or false gospels) that were being taught by unsavory men in some of the assemblies that he oversaw. For Shaul’s gospel came directly from His Master Yeshua Messiah. Thus, he and his ministry and his teachings were legitimate and endorsed by Yahoshua HaMashiyach. Shaul possessed ownership of the gospel he preached and taught because it was given to him personally by his Master, the glorified Yahoshua Messiah. 

So in every respect, Shaul could rightly name the Gospel and all that it contained: “According to my Gospel.”

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Are You Under the Law? Part 4 of the Paul on Being Under the Law Series

A Culmination of the Previous 3-Installments 

Today’s discussion is a culmination of the previous 3-installments of this series within a series where we’ll finally answer the question: What did Paul mean by one who is under the Law as mentioned in Romans 6:14-15. And along with that, we’ll briefly touch upon the other 5 or 6 passages where the apostle uses the phrase “hupo nomos” or “under the Law.”

 A Quick Recap of Parts 1-3

 In installment 1 we addressed what Shaul meant by one who sins “with Torah” or “with the Law” (“en nomos”) being judged by Torah or the Law versus one who sins “without the Law” or “without Torah” being judged without Torah (Rom. 2:12). And we determined that Shaul was using this phrase to describe 2-classes of individuals who will experience Yah’s righteous judgment: (1) Those who possess or have knowledge of Torah will be judged within the framework of Torah. (2) Those who are ignorant of or who for whatever reason do not possess Torah (that is knowledge of Torah) will be judged outside the framework of Torah. And when we talk about being judged outside the framework of Torah, we’re talking about there being no excuse for rational people knowing or recognizing that Yah exists and He is sovereign: For evidence of His existence is seen throughout the whole of His creation. Not to mention, rational souls have the inherent capacity to recognize the difference between right and wrong. So when it comes time for judgment, they will have no excuse when they are made to give an account of how they lived and walked out their lives. 

In installment 2 we began our work-up towards defining what Shaul meant by the phrase “under the Law” by contextually discussing how Torah and Grace work hand-in-hand in the life of Yah’s covenant people and we dispelled any erroneous beliefs or teachings that Yah’s grace excludes the keeping and honoring of Torah by Yah’s people. 

Then in our last installment, Part 3, we discussed what it means, biblically, for Yah’s people to be sin conscious. And we went against the grain of the traditionalists-fundamentalists-orthodoxy, who see the concept of sin consciousness as one being enticed to sin because of their keeping of Yah’s Torah or when one takes assessment of the sin that exists in their lives. We concluded that true biblical sin consciousness is coming to terms and recognizing that which Yah loves and that which Yah hates. And that which Yah hates is of course sin.

 And it came to me this past weekend when I was reflecting on Part-3’s posting–still trying to come to terms with the thinking by orthodoxy and fundamentalists that sin consciousness is something to be avoided and tossed to the side in order to make room for their perverted version of grace–I recalled Yeshua emphasizing to those He healed or delivered during His earthly ministry that they sin no more. In other words, part and parcel of the Gospel message and ministry that Master brought to this world involved His emphasizing to those who would follow and be blessed by Him that they take on sin-consciousness and sin no more. And Yeshua told those he healed and delivered not to sin anymore because sin brings horrendous problems to every humans’ life. Sin is the root of all evils and misfortune in every person’s life, whether they choose to believe and accept this realization or not. If we resist hasatan’s temptations, James the Just certifies that he will flee from us (Jas. 4:7). In so doing, that is, resisting hasatan, we open the door for Yah’s wondrous grace and blessings and His Holy Spirit to operate and manifest in our lives.

 

Also within that last installment, we discussed the prophetic shadow pictures embedded in the Spring Feasts of Yah, which seemed to fit quite well into our series discussion on being “under the Law.”

 

So today, we want to simply bring our discussion on the subject of what it means for one to be “under the Law” to a much deserved end by contextually interpreting it within the framework of the things we discussed in the previous three-posts.

Need

So, in order for us to bring our understanding of what it means for one to be under the Law home, we must:

 

  1. Recognize and accept the role that Torah plays in the life of a Covenant-keeping disciple of Yeshua Messiah: Whereby Torah identifies or defines what sin is and the penalties that are associated with sin; in revealing that which Father approves of and that which Father does not approve of. Torah reveals the mark or standards that Father established for his human creation in order for them to have a true and substantive relationship with Him. And seeing that standard as being primarily unattainable for any who would be a child of Yah, Torah in effect points the child of Yah to Yeshua as the only means by which they may receive the opportunity for a true relationship with Him. Torah also highlights for all to see the penalties and condemnation that is associated with sin. And this whole concept of the penalties and condemnation that is associated with sin will factor heavily in our understanding of the phrase “under the Law.” 
  1. Sin came to humanity with a great cost associated with it. In other words, when Adam violated His Creator’s Torah–His instructions not to eat of the popularly labeled forbidden fruit–there was literally “hell to pay,” not just for Adam and Eve, but all of humanity–Adam and Eve’s seed. The debt or penalty and condemnation that sin brought upon Adam and Eve and their seed can be summed up as death: both physical and spiritual death that includes eternal separation from the Creator. This curse–the death penalty that comes upon every human being–is the fulfillment and reality of what YHVH warned Adam he’d face if He violated His instructions: 

“For in the day that thou eatest thereof (speaking of the forbidden fruit) thou shalt surely die” (Gen. 2:17; cf. 3:1).

 

And of course, many have noted and pointed out over the centuries that Adam didn’t fall over dead after eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. But the reality of this particular situation is, as Messianic Teacher Robert Bills pointed out in Part 1 of his teaching on the “Afterlife,” in the Eternal’s reckoning of time, Adam certainly died “within the day he ate the forbidden fruit.” That being said, we should all be familiar with 2 Peter 3:8 which reads:

 

“But beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”

 

And the next verse is very important to this central understanding of Yah’s people as well:

 

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9).

 

Scripture records that Adam died 70-years shy of a single day in Yah’s [one-day is a 1,000-years–1,000-years is a day] reckoning of time. Thus the Creator didn’t lie or exaggerate as some might muse. For in order to round off this understanding of dying as a result of violating Yah’s Torah, the Apostle Shaul explained to his Roman readers in 6:23 the effect sin has on Yah’s human creation:

 

“For the wages of sin is death [physical and spiritual death]; but the gift of Yah is eternal life through Yeshua Messiah our Master.”

 

James, the half-brother of our Master, wrote concerning the same effect sin has on humanity:

 

“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which Yah hath promised to them that love Him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of Yah: for Yah cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of His own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (1:15).

 

So as far as sin is concerned–sin being the transgression of Torah (1 Joh. 3:4; 5:17)–it comes with penalties and condemnation (Rom. 6:23; Jas. 1:15)–unless one enters into covenant relationship with the Creator through the sacrificial ministry of Yeshua Messiah (Rom. 8:1). In other words, those who are in Messiah Yeshua are exempt from the eternal condemnation and penalties that is associated with sin. 

Now those of us who come into covenant relationship with the Eternal are not exempt from physical death: every soul who breaths air, regardless if they are a redeemed child of Yah or not, is subject to physical death. This death is part-and-parcel of the sinful human condition. Yah’s exemption from eternal-spiritual death, however, is a gift from Yah through Yeshua’s atoning sacrifice and ministry. The spiritual death man naturally experiences as a result of sin, which includes being separated from their Creator, is fixed (the breach is repaired) and he/she receives eternal life and is brought into covenant relationship with the Almighty. 

(Again, I would refer you to Messianic Teacher Robert Bills’ teaching entitled “The Afterlife” Parts 1 and 2 for an excellent foundational, biblically-based teaching on what happens to both the redeemed and unredeemed soul at death. We won’t go into that subject here today for obvious reasons–in other words, we’d be here for close to an eternity, knowing how verbose I can be.

 

Continuing:

 

  1. The penalties and condemnation that is incurred by humanity as a result of sin were nailed to the execution stake along with Yahoshua our Master (Col. 2:14). And as most of you no doubt know, orthodox and fundamentalists have used Colossians 2:14–that being the nailing of the handwriting of ordinances that was against us and which were contrary to us–the certificate of indebtedness–the record of debt that stood against us–as one of their anti-Torah proof passages. For these contend that Shaul, in this passage, is stating that Torah was nailed to the execution stake along with Yeshua. Why would YHVH nail Torah, the perfect Torah (Jas. 1:25); the holy Torah (Rom. 7:12), to the execution stake with Yeshua? I’ll tell you my opinion why: Because Torah in great part stands in opposition to orthodoxy’s and fundamentalists’ “grace” perversion doctrine. And because their grace doctrine is the most appealing thing to them and their followers because it affords them opportunities to live according to the way they desire. According to these, Torah’s got to go. For regardless what the fundamentalists and orthodox may say in opposition to the keeping of Torah by Yah’s people, they know deep down within their souls–recall that natural instinct every human has as it relates to Yah’s existence and the knowledge all rational folks have regarding the difference between right and wrong, that Torah serves to direct Yah’s people in the Way Yah requires them to go. And Yah’s Ways are not humankind’s ways: Yah’s ways tend to be diametrically opposite the ways of His Human creation. Yah, through His anointed prophet Isaiah stated as such: 

“…My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways…” (Isa. 55:8).

 

And of course, over the course of the last 3-parts of this series within a series–Paul on Being Under the Law–we discussed the extensive teaching of Shaul to his Roman readers regarding the manner in which Yah’s covenant–set-apart people are to walk and how they are to react to the lure of sin in their lives (ie., being dead to sin; new lumps of dough devoid of leaven; their abhorrence of sin; the everyday goal and purpose of imitating Yeshua in every way as He is the splitting image of His and our Father–He is the 2nd Adam–the model of who and what and how of any who would be a child of the Most High.

 

And lastly 4. When looking at the odd phrase “being under the Law,” knowing all that we’ve discussed on this subject, I pray that we have now begun to rationalize in our brains that the apostle’s use of the phrase has nothing to do with Torah-keeping by Yah’s covenant-set-apart people. For when we read the various passages in which “under the Law” (ie., hupo nomos) is used, it should become readily apparent to us that one is either “under grace” (hupo kharis) or “under the law” (hupo nomos) and that one cannot be under both. The term “hupo,” which in English is under, denotes being subject to the power of something or someone. And in this case, one is either under the power of the Law (ie., Torah) or under the power of Yah’s grace.

 

And I would ask that you refer back to Part 2 of this series within a series on Paul on Being Under the Law, in which we discussed the fundamental fact that Torah and grace were not mutually exclusive concepts. In fact, the exact opposite applies to grace and the Law. Grace and the Law work hand-in-hand in the redeemed, set-apart, covenant keeping Child of Yah’s life. So to erroneously think the apostle is contrasting and separating Yah’s elect who are Torah-honoring and Torah-keeping from those who are strictly under Yah’s grace and who do not keep Yah’s Torah is a catastrophic error. Any who go down that route of reasoning are sadly misled and are missing out on the True Gospel Message–the Gospel Message that Yeshua and His apostles taught. 

 

Satisfaction

When we lend a little focus on the term “hupo” or “under” and recognize that it is referring to one being subject to the power that a certain person, place or thing holds over one, then we are on our way towards understanding what the apostle meant by one being “under the law.” And also recall along with factoring in this understanding of one being subject to the power that a certain person, place or thing holds over one, that the apostle sprinkles within his writings on this subject the concept of one who is in covenant with the Eternal no longer being a slave to sin and sin no longer having dominion over them and their lives. 

And with all this in mind, we start to see emerge before us an understanding that those individuals who find themselves under the law are most likely the very ones whose lives are dominated by sin and who are slaves to sin. The whole idea that Shaul is talking about Yah’s people abandoning Torah because of Yah’s grace, or because of the Church Triumphant’s perverted understanding of grace, should now start to be doubtful in our minds. 

So let’s finally pull the sheets or covers off of “under the Law” phrase and see what the apostle really meant by the phrase in each of the 6-passages that it is mentioned.

 

Roman 6:14-15

 

“For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. What then? Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means” (ESV)!

 

The context of Shaul’s phrase “under the law” statement here and in the other 5 or so passages where it is written, is that sin ruled over the lives of humanity. Torah comes along and condemns not just sin but also the sinner. The power that sin has over humanity is that it not only causes people to transgress Yah’s instructions in righteousness, but more so, sin leads to condemnation and penalties, the primary penalty being death—both physical and spiritual-eternal death. And Torah calls this reality out.

Nevertheless, it should be understood by now from our studies that Shaul is not forcing a conflict between Torah and grace. On the contrary, Shaul attempts to highlight for his Roman readers the reality of their calling in Yeshua Messiah. And that reality was that they (and by extension us today) are no longer (better, should no longer be) slaves to sin, but rather they were now made alive unto Yah.

 

Thus, the penalty that Torah levels at Yah’s human creation, just and righteous as Torah is, was placed upon Yahoshua. Therefore, the would be Child of the Most High is no longer under Torah’s condemnation. And just to reiterate, that condemnation is death. Therefore, because of the vicarious sacrifice of our Master Yeshua, forgiveness and imputed grace have displaced the condemnation that every human would have to face. In other words, the debt that was leveled against us because of sin, was paid in full by the ministry of our Master Yahoshua.

 

This being all said, Shaul was by no means saying that Torah had been done away with, even for Yah’s elect. Nor was he saying Torah was replaced or superseded by grace. Such an erroneous interpretation of the phrase “you are no longer under the law but under grace,” cannot stand when interpreted within its proper context.

 

Thus, here in this and other similar Pauline passages where the phrase is used, “Hupo nomon” (that is under law) is contrasted with that of “hupo karin” (that being under grace). So then, we should be able to conclude that Shaul’s focus is not on Torah or Torah-keeping by Yah’s people. Instead, Shaul seems to be focused on Torah’s condemnation of sinners. And so, Yah’s undeserved/unmerited favor (that being Yah’s grace) is opposite to Yah’s condemnation or Yah’s disfavor.

 

Now, this is all confirmed in 8:1 where the apostle writes to his same Roman Assembly members:”

 

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Mashiyach Yeshua” (ESV).

 

Shaul is teaching the Romans that they’ve been freed from condemnation, but are now recipient’s of Yah’s grace (that is, Yah’s unmerited favor).

 

What’s more, Shaul here was in great part dismissing any idea on the part of the Roman Jews of the assembly, that their labouring in Torah (that is, their circumcision and their obedience to Jewish traditions and laws) would be viewed as righteousness before their holy Creator. Recall from previous discussions that a common misperception and misunderstanding on the part of orthodox Jews and not so few Messianic Jews, was that they were automatically deemed righteous by the Almighty and would receive eternal life simply by virtue of their Jewishness and their lineage having been entrusted with the oracles of Yah. So Shaul was, among other things, dispelling this destructive myth, which was apparently creating so much division and confusion within and without the mixed assemblies of Rome. 

We are compelled to answer 2-questions here:

 

(1) Who are those that are under the Law; and

 

(2) Who are those that are under grace? 

We are compelled to conclude at this point of our discussion that those who have not received forgiveness of their sins through their receiving of the  gospel message and who have not entered into a set-apart, covenant relationship with the Almighty facilitated by the work of Yeshua HaMashiyach, would be “hupo nomon” (aka under law). For we’ve already established that the unsaved soul is subject to Torah’s penalties and condemnation. Rejection of and disobedience to Torah is sin:

 

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of Yah (that is, that which is born of grace) is eternal life through Mashiyach Yahoshua” (1 John 3:23).

 

Conversely, those who are converted and have their sins forgiven and who have entered into covenant relationship with the Almighty are “under grace” (aka hupo charin). The way it’s supposed to work is that those who are “hupo charin” (that is, under grace) are no longer subject or slaves to sin. In fact, Yahoshua has become the converted ones’ Master.

 

The Ruach HaKodesh is also given to the one who is “under grace” for the purpose, among so many other purposes, of convicting and compelling him or her to obey Yah’s commandments. When the true redeemed of Yah do falter and sin, they are not severely punished because they have the wherewithal and means to receive immediate forgiveness simply by confessing their sins and turning from their wicked ways. It cannot be overlooked, however, that the ‘under grace” status the redeemed ones of Yah enjoys is not a license to sin. Shaul confirms this himself in verse 15 of our focus passage:

 

“What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law (I.e., under Torah’s strict condemnation and penalties for sin) but under grace? Absolutely not” (NLT).

 

 

David H. Stern, translator of the popular Complete Jewish Bible and its companion book, “The Jewish New Testament Commentary,” suggests the apostle is actually focusing on legalism (legalism being Rabbinic Jewish traditions and laws that are in addition to Torah). His reasoning for such thinking is that the word twice translated “under” or “‘upo” means “controlled by” or “in subjection to.'” In other words, Stern is suggesting that the Messianic Jews of the Roman Assemblies advocated that any who would come into the true Faith once delivered and be saved would be required to conform and walk-out certain Rabbinic traditions and laws (eg., circumcision), whether you were a goyim convert or a Messianic Jew. But according to Stern, Shaul is pushing back on this disastrous line of thinking (remember we spoke on this earlier in this discussion) as some of the Roman Messianic Jews, like their orthodox brethren, were relying exclusively on their Jewishness for their salvation. Thus Stern’s understanding of one being under the law/Torah is the Rabbinic, legalistic line of thinking that stands in utter opposition to being under grace. 

Indeed, I agree with Stern’s general line of thinking as it relates to the fallacies associated with legalistic-based salvation. I do differ from him in that I don’t get the sense that the apostle was renaming or re-branding legalistic-based salvation with the phrase or notion of one being “under the Law/Torah.” The context simply doesn’t support this line of thinking in my mind. 

 

Now, another well known Messianic thinker and commentator, J.K. McKee (author of “The New Testament Validates Torah”) goes on to assert that being “under the law” appears to be more directly tied to the question of Yah’s elect being potentially “subject to Torah’s condemnation and penalties upon Law breakers.” And McKee uses the contrast of being “under grace” as his support for this contention. And he goes on to assert that being subject to Torah’s condemnation and penalties upon Law breakers better supports the “locational nature of the preposition ‘hupo’.” McKee asserts that this definition of being “under the law” in contrast with being “under grace” is more suitable. 

Now, I will give Stern credit  and acknowledge that he hasn’t entirely gone off the rails of this track to understanding what it means to be under the Law. For he makes it clear that Shaul’s use of “upo nomon” does not denote being “subject to the legal parts of Torah.” This, according to Stern, is simply because the legal portions of Torah were not, contrary to Christian conventional wisdom, done away with or in Stern’s eloquent way of stating it, “it is not abrogated by the Messiah’s coming” as stated by Master Himself in Matthew 5:17:

 

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill” (KJV).

 

 

But, again, I do not agree with Stern’s line of thinking that Shaul is referring to Rabbinic-legalistic-based salvation when he wrote that his Roman readers were not under the Law/Torah. And here’s my primary reason for disagreeing with this respected Messianic author and teacher. 

By taking the stance that Shaul was referring to Rabbinic-legalistic-based salvation when he wrote that his Roman readers were no longer under the Law/Torah but now under grace, Stern would appear to be legitimizing the Oral Torah/Law or Rabbinic Judaism as a Yah sanctioned wall around the Written Torah, or even an addition to the Yah’s Torah. The so-called Oral Law, as you no doubt realize, is a system of man-made laws and traditions that the sages contended would create a protective wall or fence around Yah’s written Torah. 

But legitimizing the Oral Tradition is fraught with problems. The greatest problem associated with legitimizing the Oral Law is that the Oral Law is a violation of Yah’s written Torah. For Yah was emphatic in his commandment that His people not add to or take away from His established Torah–the very Words that He rendered unto Moshe and the prophets and other inspired writers of the Tanakh. 

The Oral Law, either by itself or as part of a dual system of sacred writings, serves to diminish and pervert Torah. Essentially, it is by definition legalism. Stern is saying that Yeshua’s sacrifice did away with this perverted system. But the truth of the matter is that the legalism that Stern is referring to–that which is part and parcel of Rabbinic Judaism–was rejected by Father from the beginning, and the Apostolic record clearly shows that Yeshua and His disciples turned apostles railed against it and what it stood for. For according to Master:

 

“Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you (speaking to and of the Jewish leaders of His day), saying: “This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoureth Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me. But in vain they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Mat. 15:7-9; KJV).

 

Stern continues on that Yah’s people are to live “en nomos” or “within the framework of Torah” as mentioned in Romans 2:12, but they are not subject to or to be under subjection to legalism. Torah is an act of grace, just as Yah’s sending Yeshua to atone for our sins was an act of grace. That being said, Stern concludes that Yah’s elect have always been under both grace and Torah. But the “under Torah” that Stern references is a “gracious subjection” when contrasted with legalism, which Stern describes as a “harsh subjection.” 

Were his Roman readers under the constraints of Jewish legalism? Absolutely not. And with that in mind, I would agree with Stern that Yah’s covenant people are not subject to the elements of the Oral Law or Rabbinic Judaism. Nor are we today. However, the bigger picture I believe that Shaul is attempting to get his Roman readers to realize, and by extension us today, is that we are not under legal constraints that sin places over the human race. With the Plan of Salvation, Restoration and Redemption in place, under the auspices of the Renewed Covenant, the dominion that sin has over Yah’s human creation has been broken. Therefore, we who are the redeemed of Yah, have the wherewithal, through the work of Yeshua Messiah and the help of Yah’s Ruach HaKodesh, to reject sin and flourish under the dominion and rule of Yah’s grace. 

Despite my differences with Stern in his interpretation of under the Law here in Romans 6:14-15, we are by no means done with Stern. In fact, I believe Stern’s “legalism” interpretation of “hupo nomos” is best applied in our next verse of study, for it trumps the penalties and condemnation interpretation we find applicable here in Romans 6:14-15 and judgment within and without the framework of Torah as seen in Romans 2:12.

 

 1 Corinthians 9:20

 

“To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law” (1 Corinthians 9:20; ESV).

Here Shaul describes Jews as being under Torah. These are essentially orthodox Jews Shaul is describing–these were essentially targets for evangelism. And the primary source for Rabbinic Jewish converts to the Way Movement or the true faith once delivered through Shaul’s ministry was the local synagogue. The first place Shaul would always target when evangelizing a new city within the Roman Empire was the synagogue-remember: “To the Jew first and also the non-Jew” (Rom. 1:16; 2:10).

Torah (both the written and oral tradition) to these first-century Jews was a primary marker of their Jewishness. Verses 21 and 22 speaks to Gentiles, described by Shaul as being “outside Torah”. Orthodox Jews saw these, even first century Messianics, as weak since they were not of any legal Jewish status. Thus, these were seen as not being able to stand before the righteous Creator. Rabbinic thinking at that time (probably still today) held that only Jews hold legal status as Yah’s set-apart people. These contend that only the native born or proselyte Jew possessed the legal status to stand as righteous before the Creator (Sanhedrin 10:1f; cp. Isa. 60:21).

 

Shaul says that he put himself “as under Torah” although he was not actually under Torah. In other words, Shaul suggests that he submitted himself to Rabbinic authority in order that he might maintain a connection with the orthodox community and continue to preach and teach the Gospel in that community. For Shaul to be an effective witness of the Gospel within the targeted Rabbinic Jewish community, he subjected himself to Rabbinic authority–the oral law–if not but for a period of time necessary for him to “gain those that were under the law” (1 Cor. 9:20).

So it is here, in this key passage, that I believe Stern’s view of being “under the Law” has everything to do with legalism.

Messianic Commentator and Teacher, Tim Hegg, interprets Shaul’s use of the phrase “under the Law” in this case as one who is under the penalties and condemnation that Torah stipulates as a result of sin. I don’t necessarily agree with Hegg’s interpretation here. However, I will not go so far as to entirely reject his interpretation of “hupo nomos” in this specific passage. Thus, I go with David H. Stern’s interpretation of “hupo nomos” pertaining to legalism.

Again: context-context-context.

 

Galatians 3.23

 

“Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed” (Galatians 3:23; ESV).

Shaul testifies here that knowing the truth about Torah was something that was a far-off thing for his ancestors. Thus living under Torah, absent Mashiyach, Torah served as a sign post pointing the way to Mashiyach. And we saw Mashiyach and His impending ministries foreshadowed in Torah’s various sacrifices and festivals and purity laws. Thus, Torah served as a teacher–a pedagogue–a corrector–and on many occasions as a condemner. Ultimately, Torah served to dampen or mitigate His people’s natural sinful tendencies and direct their hearts  and minds to an abiding faith in Yeshua Messiah within a discipleship paradigm. Once faith in Yeshua is realized, Torah need no longer function in such a convicting, condemning manner, such as would be common to a pedagogue (or a schoolmaster) for an immature, often unruly child. Torah, as Shaul viewed it, serves as a mentor; it shed understanding and enlightened Yah’s people as to the mind of YHVH. Torah is supposed to lead the sinner to Mashiyach, assuming Yah is drawing the would be believer to faith in Mashiyach.

 

Being “under Torah” in this context is being under the rule of a pedagogue. The goal of the pedagogue is to take the child to his/her graduation. However, without Mashiyach, graduation for that child is simply unattainable.

 

Let’s engage in a brief contextual analysis of Galatians 3:21-25:

 

“Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Yeshua Messiah might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Messiah, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.”

 

Here Shaul outlines for the Galatian legalists the true purpose of Torah, which had nothing to do with the proselytizing  and circumcision of non-Jewish converts. For according to the Galatian legalists, the only human beings who Yah recognized as His elect were ethnic Jews. And for these Galatian influencers or legalists, Torah and or their manmade “works of law” formed the foundation or basis of their identity as a people of God.

 

Shaul, however, intended for the influencers or legalists to understand that it was faith in Mashiyach and in His sacrifice for the sins of humanity that made one a redeemed soul and child of the Most High. Torah then, serves a condemnatory role–“under the law” meaning one who is under the condemnatory weight of Torah’s penalties. According to Tim Hegg, in such, Torah exposes the “law breaker” “with the guilt that they carry; naturally guiding and directing them to the salvation and freedom that is [marvelously] available in Mashiyach” (Commentary on The Book of Romans by Tim Hegg of Torah Resources).

Now, I would add to the commentary on this passage that there’s a lot to unpack with this verse and I will not do it justice by simply commenting on the phrase “under the Law” here. Given the depth of content here, I’ll likely, Abba willing, conduct a whole discussion on this passage once we get to our discussion on Paul and the Book of Galatians later this year. But I do want to mention that understanding of this passage remains all the more relevant today as it was in the Apostle’s day. For we see so many Messianic fellowships and congregations place so much emphasis on the traditions, ordinances and practices of both the Oral and Written Laws, while Yah’s Grace and Yeshua’s sacrificial ministry is completely overlooked in the thoughts, worship and overall focus of these assemblies or gatherings. I’ve referred to this excessive practice as Torah-Torah-Torah-focused. Not saying that Torah is done away with (Yah no!), nor am I saying that Torah is irrelevant. What I’m saying is there must be perspective when we walk out this Faith of ours. And our eyes must always be on our Master, Yeshua Messiah and our actions must be controlled by the Ruach HaKodesh.

One of the themes or sub-headings for this podcast ministry is: Yeshua-focused Torah-living. Yeshua came, not only to atone for our sins and repair the breach that existed between Yah and His human creation. He also came to clarify and model Torah for us. He was, in every respects, the walking-talking Torah and He is our Yah-given example as to how we are to walk out this Faith.

Sorry: but no Rabbi nor Torah Teacher nor congregation nor synagogue should ever become our focus. Our relationship with the Most High should always be our focus, with Yeshua as our example for achieving and maintaining that relationship. Torah is our constitution and Father’s house-rules that we as Yah’s redeemed are most happy to abide by, so that we may walk in accordance with Yah’s established Ways. But Torah must not be the end-all-be-all of our lives in Mashiyach. Instead, our relationship–the integrity and depth of our relationship with YHVH our Elohim should always take center stage. Torah helps us maintain that relationship.

All I’m saying here is perspective and balance is critical to our walk in and with Messiah.

 

Galatians 4:4-5

 

“But when the fullness of time had come, Yah sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”

 

It is an established fact that Torah condemns both the sin and its sinner. So with that understanding in mind, is it reasonable to conclude, based upon a baseline read of this verse, that Yeshua was born and lived under the condemnation of Torah? No. Why? Because Yeshua was without sin as Shaul writes in Romans 5:12:

 

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned…”

 

The conventional wisdom that is tied to Galatians 4:4, which mentions YHVH’s Son being “born of a woman born under the law” is simply the understanding that our Master was born a Jew and being born a Jew was expected to keep the written and oral Laws.

 

But let’s circle back and reaffirm the meaning of being “under the Law.” We determined that being “under the Law” in Romans 6:14-15, contextually-speaking, means to be subject to the penalties and condemnation that Torah places upon the unredeemed–sinners. Those, on the other hand who are redeemed of Messiah, do not face the penalties and condemnation that Torah requires for sin. The adopted, covenant sons and daughters of the Most High are redeemed and saved from Torah’s condemnation.

 

Does the understanding of “under the Law” that we arrived in back in Romans 6:14-15 apply to Galatians 4:4? Is Shaul also telling his Galatian readers that Yeshua was subject to the penalties and condemnation of Torah like the rest of unredeemed humanity?

 

The answer to this question is found in 2 Corinthians 5:21 where Shaul wrote:

 

“For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (ASV).

 

So it should be apparent that despite Yeshua being the only sinless human to have ever walked this planet, Father placed upon Him the penalties and condemnation of the whole of humankind’s sin. His taking on the condemnation and penalties of humankind’s sin, because He Himself was sinless, canceled out or nullified debt that every human being has incurred upon themselves because of sin. This was Yah’s grace in action. And that grace is extended to those who trust in Yeshua’s sacrifice and who have entered into and established a covenant relationship with the Almighty.

Torah was never meant to save humanity from their sins. Yet when Yeshua had come on the scene and had completed His sacrificial work, and His Gospel message was proclaimed to the masses, beginning primarily with the Jews, most rejected Yeshua and His sacrifice. They could not get around the thinking that their eternal life rested upon their ties and adherence to the written and oral Torahs. These were incapable of recognizing that their continued dependence upon the Law as opposed to the sacrificial work of Messiah done on their behalf, kept them in a condemnatory and penalty-laden way of life without any chance of escape. For with Torah alone, there is no eternal life to be had. And any true relationship with the Most High can only be had within the framework of Torah itself. In such a person’s life, there exists a perpetual cycle of sacrifices and ordinances processes that must be followed precisely according to the instructions that the Creator gave. Failure to maintain that high-level, precise way of life makes one at odds with YHVH. And no one can realistically maintain that precise level of adherence to Torah without Yah’s help, which came through the ministry of His Son, under the auspices of Father’s renewed covenant, and facilitated by the work of the Holy Spirit operating in the life of the would-be child of the Most High.

Unfortunately even today, Orthodox Jews who reject Yeshua as their Messiah, find themselves in a most dire spiritual situation. They are indeed under a curse because they’ve chosen to rely on their religion–their sages and their oral traditions and laws and a watered down version of the written Law as the means by which they would receive eternal life and be in relationship with the Almighty.

Shaul echoes this reality to his Galatian readers in 3:10:

“For as many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse: for it is written, ‘Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them'”ASV–cf. Deuteronomy 27:26–“Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to do them…” KJV).

 

It can be safely understood that although Yahoshua was born “hupo nomon” (that is, “under the Law”), He remained free from sin and thus was not “hupo hamartian” or “under sin.”

So the best way to understand this passage of Galatians 4:4-5 is to recognize that Yeshua, the sinless man that He was, was “under the Law,” not just because He was born a Jew who was born into a life that was subject to the ways and things of Torah, but Yeshua was more so “under the Law” by virtue of the fact that the condemnation and penalty that Torah levels upon all humanity because of sin, would ultimately be placed upon Him on our behalf. And because of what He chose to endure on our behalf (that being “under the Law”), we who are the redeemed of the Most High are no longer “under the Law” but “under grace.” Praise Yah!

 

Galatians 4:21

“Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law.”

Those who rely upon their ethnic status for their salvation and relationship with the Eternal are as slaves and are under condemnation of Torah. Thus, in this case, ultimately being under Torah means being “under condemnation of Torah”. However, contextually speaking, Shaul seems to be pointing to those Judaizers who insisted that the only Way to be reconciled unto YHVH and be deemed righteous before a Holy and Just Creator is to subject themselves to the lifestyle and ways of Rabbinic Judaism. Again, this seems to go straight back to the understanding that one’s salvation and redemption and restoration came exclusively to the Jew through their Jewishness and possession of both the Oral and Written laws. The problem with placing one’s trust in either set of laws (ie., desiring to be under the law) for purposes of being redeemed of and restored unto YHVH cannot–can never–work. Such redemption and restoration and salvation comes only through the grace of Yah that was manifested through Yeshua’s ministries. Depending upon the keeping of the Jewish law for one’s salvation and restoration and redemption leads only to condemnation because of the penalties associated with sin that, with their rejection of Yeshua and His sacrifice, have NOT been answered to.

 

And finally 6. Galatians 5:18

 

“But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

 

Here Shaul contrasts the leading of the Ruach HaKodesh to being under Torah. To be under Torah in this case is for one to rely upon Torah (written and oral Torah) as the sole means of establishing a covenant relationship with the Almighty through one’s ethnic status. Native born and proselyte.

 

Therefore, being “under Torah” in this sense means:

 

  1. One is under the condemnation of Torah. And:
  2. It defines those who are reliant upon Torah to provide them their “Jewish or elect status”, which they believe will afford them entry into the Kingdom of Yah.

 

Being under Torah is contrasted here with being under grace as we saw back in Romans 6:14-15. Those who are under Torah are reliant upon Torah to under-gird their Jewish righteous status and make them righteous before a Just and Holy God. In so doing, they remain under the condemnation and penalties of Torah. Those who are “under grace” however, are reliant upon Yah’s gift of eternal life and inputted righteousness and forgiveness of sin. These do not keep Torah for purposes of achieving salvation or establishing and maintaining a covenant relationship with the Most High. Instead, these keep Torah for the purposes of obeying Yah; pleasing YHVH; and because it is the right thing to do in the sight of the One who gave Torah to us in the first place.

 

So in conclusion: In a general sense, one who is “under the Law” (ie., hupo nomos) is one who is subject to the penalties and condemnation that Torah levels upon those who are not walking in covenant with YHVH our Elohim, which is made possible through Yah’s grace which includes the sacrificial ministry of Yeshua and the work of Holy Spirit operating in their respective lives. “Hupo nomos” or “under the Law” is in no way a prohibition against keeping Torah by Yah’s set-apart, covenant-keeping and walking people. In fact, one is released from the dominion and power that sin has over them as a result of Yeshua’s sacrifice, the power of Yah’s Holy Spirit operating in their lives and walking in Yah’s holy and righteous ways. Those who choose to walk in covenant with the Eternal are under Yah’s grace (ie., hupo kharis).

 

Being “under the Law,” depending on the context of the Pauline passage being read, can refer to Rabbinic legalism. This form of being “under the Law” is essentially a refusal by some to walk out their faith in Spirit and Truth, under Yah’s umbrella of grace. Instead, these steadfastly hold on to the false hope that the keeping of the Jewish or Rabbinic traditions and laws will save them and bring them into right relationship or covenant relationship with the Almighty. But the truth of the matter is that legalistic-based salvation only leads to one having to answer to the penalties and condemnation that Torah levels upon humankind because of sin.

 

And lastly, depending upon which English translation you may be using, “under the Law” may refer to one being judged by the holy and righteous Creator within the framework of Torah.  

Action 

 

So with all that’s been said on the subject of being “under the Law” as written by the Apostle Shaul in this series within a series, I pray that you don’t simply take my word on this subject and base your understanding on this phrase solely upon our discussion here. For that matter, I pray that you don’t simply reject what we’ve discussed either. Instead, I would humbly encourage you to take all that we’ve discussed over the course of this 4-part series and conduct your own study on this subject. And don’t just focus on the expressed meaning or interpretation of “under the Law,” but use the apostle’s teaching and mention of the phrase to enhance your overall understanding of Yah’s great plan of salvation, restoration and redemption; the sanctification process; and how you and I are to properly walk in covenant with our Creator and do so in Spirit and in Truth. This is the ultimate point behind our series on Paul and Hebrew Roots Series.

And the ultimate take-away I pray you receive from this discussion is that you are NOT under Torah if you are truly walking in covenant with YHVH our Elohim. You are not subject to the penalties and condemnation that Torah levels upon unrepentant humanity. Additionally, you are not subject to, nor should you subject yourself to legalism. Yeshua bore the penalties and condemnation that Torah leveled upon unrepentant humanity. And because we worship our Elohim and walk in covenant relationship with the Creator of the Universe, and we do so in Spirit and in Truth, all of which was made possible through the sacrificial ministry of Yeshua Messiah, we do not in any way, shape or form need to subject ourselves nor trust in a legalistic system that will never free you from the condemnation and penalties of Torah in the first place. It only keeps us in bondage and subjugates us to manmade rules and traditions that have little to nothing to do with YHVH and His Ways. We are in fact operating under grace. And if we stay in obedient covenant relationship with the Eternal, our salvation is sure. And that my friend, is the greatest thing anyone could every imagine and receive in this life.

 

So with that, we’ll bring not only this installment of TMTO to a close, but also this 4-part series to a close as well.

 

Thank you for sticking it out with me. Thank you for your support and continued listenership.

 

Abba willing, we’ll be back next week with another installment of TMTO. Until then, and as always, may you be most blessed fellow saints in training.

 

Shalom

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Paul on Being Under the Law Part 3–Keeping Passover 2021 and Sin Consciousness

1 Corinthians 5:7-Get rid of the old hametz, so that you can be a new batch of dough, because in reality you are unleavened. For our Pesach lamb, the Messiah, has been sacrificed (CJB).

 Yeshua is our Pesach

How appropriate for this time of year wouldn’t you say. And this of course fits right within our discussion series on being “under the Law/Torah.” So in the interest of continuing along in our series within a series so that we can ultimately answer the question of what Paul meant when he wrote that sin no longer had dominion over his Roman readers as they were no longer under the Law but under grace, I want to touch upon the concept of “sin consciousness” and give you my thoughts and reflections on the Spring Feasts of YHVH which begins this weekend for most of us.

 

So let’s begin our discussion by conducting a brief contextual overview of 1 Corinthians 5:

 

Paul Receives Bad News from the Corinthians

 

We learn from verse 1 of this chapter that Shaul had received word from a member of the Corinthian Assemblies that a male member of their assemblies was engaged in a most inappropriate sexual relationship with his father’s wife (5:1b). And based upon the apostle’s response to this situation it would seem that he was taken aback by the exceptionally disgusting nature of this man’s sin. (I find it interesting, as an aside, that the apostle only makes mention of the male who was involved in this sinful relationship; making no mention of this man’s mother-in-law. Is it possible that this man’s mother-in-law was not a member of the Corinthian Assemblies, but only this man? Just throwing that out there.)

 Paul Shocked Over the News

Continuing: For what we know about Shaul is that he was a well-traveled soul who by virtue of his apostleship to the Gentiles or “goyim,” would have no doubt been exposed to a vast array of cultures and social practices. And his response to this situation, based upon his own travel-experiences, compelled him to inform his readers that such disgusting sinful behavior was not even practiced by the peoples of heathen nations. Shaul’s direct accusative statement here causes me to believe that the transgressor in this case was a Messianic Jew for the simple reason that the apostle comments that not even heathens behave in so vile a manner as this.

 Corinthian Man’s Sin a Serious Violation of Torah

The apostle, of course, would have immediately recognized that such shocking behavior was in violation of Torah, specifically Leviticus 18: 8 and Deuteronomy 22:30, which reads:

 

“The nakedness of thy father’s wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father’s nakedness.” 

 

Shaul would have also realized that the punishment to be had for such an exceptional violation of Torah was divine judgment (I.e., a curse) as indicated in Deuteronomy 27:20, which reads:

 

“Cursed be he that lieth with his father’s wife; because he uncovereth his father’s skirt” (KJV).

 

(And the phrase “uncovereth his father’s skirt” is a circumlocution or vague way of saying, “he dishonors his father” because of what he is doing. I also believe that the use of this vague manner of speaking, which is seen throughout the scriptures, is the ancient writers’ method of exercising decorum by not giving any more attention to the heinous act than already is readily is known.)

 The 12-Sins that Bring About Curses Chapter of Torah

Deuteronomy 27 is recognized by some as the “12-Curses” chapter of Torah. The curses mentioned in this chapter are directly attached to certain behaviors or actions by people that fall into a class of sins the Almighty has deemed particularly troubling. These sins include:

 

  • Idolatry
  • Exercising dishonor of or disrespecting one’s parents
  • Moving property boundary lines with the intent of absconding a portion of another’s rightful property
  • Intentionally harming the blind
  • Causing injustices or harm to come upon the helpless of one’s community
  • Incest and other forms of sexual immorality
  • Murder
  • Bribery, especially for purposes of perverting justice
  • And outright disobedience of Torah.

 

The Eternal Himself would mete out His righteous judgment upon those who commit these transgressions. Thus the use of the term “curseth” to describe what is to happen to these particular transgressors.

 Curses in the Hebrew Mindset

The Hebraic understanding of one being cursed goes well beyond mere wishing that some form of ill-will or bad fortune would overtake the transgressor. In fact, the curse itself carried with it power to bring about a negative effect. A sin that Yah has deemed worthy of a curse signifies that at some point He would intercede in the situation and render judgment Himself, which would most likely result in the transgressors’ death. The harshness of the judgment was intended to bring an end to that evil which has the negative spiritual capacity, if you will, of tainting the Land. (What did Shaul write: “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump”? In other words, when such transgressions are allowed to go un-addressed and unpunished, that sin acts as though it were a contagion. And that contagion has the great potential of spreading and infecting other members of the community. Thus, such transgressions must be immediately addressed and purged from the community before it spreads to the rest of the community.)

Action Needed to be Taken

So Shaul recognized that he had to put an immediate stop to this disgusting affair before its effects would spread throughout the assemblies, or Yah Himself brought down judgment upon the whole of the community.

 

This situation was made all the more tragic and troublesome to Shaul in that the assembly members were aware of this cursed-relationship. The Corinthians, in particular the leadership, were in fact tolerating and allowing the cursed-behavior to go on in their midst unabated (5:2). (Obviously, at least one person–the soul who reported the transgression, was as troubled about the problem as Shaul was.) Thus the apostle took those who either turned a blind eye to the transgression, or who encouraged it (I.e., those proud or puffed up over the situation), and shamed them for their lack of righteous responsibility in dealing with the situation. The community, Shaul chided, was responsible for removing the fornicator–the transgressor–from their midst.

 That Heart-Thing Again

Thus the supposed-renewed hearts of the community and her leaders (that is their attitudes), according to Shaul, should have been diametrically opposite to the permissive heart or attitude they were displaying in response to this situation, which essentially favored the transgressor and his transgression to persist in their midst. The renewed heart of the people of the assembly should been one that mourned over the occurrence of this situation in their midst (verse 2). According to the apostle, it should have been all the more apparent to them upon their learning of and confirming the existence of this evil, that they would have to immediately expel the individual from their midst. In fact, Shaul in verse 3 inserts himself in the equation by stating that he was outraged by this situation and he had already formed judgment in his heart and mind as to how this situation should have been handled by them. Shaul, in effect, was shaming the assembly members by saying that he himself did not need to be there to know what needed to be done (5:3-4). Instead of proudly permitting such evil to transpire in their midst, they should have acted in accordance to Yah’s word.

 

It is obvious to me that there were at the very least some Jewish Messianic members of the assemblies who would know better and who should have been the first to step forward and speak out against this situation. 

 Paul Rules on the Issue

Thus the apostle directs the assembly members to imagine him being in their midst when they meet together to address the issue. Knowing the apostle’s mind and heart on this issue, they  had no other choice but to expel the sinner from their midst, leaving him to the consequences of his sin. The ultimate goal of such an action on the part of the community leaders was not so much to render harsh judgment upon the offender. Indeed, as we noted just previously, such transgressions according to Torah had the potential of being directly addressed by the Almighty Himself. So righteous judgment would at some point be rendered or meted out upon the offender by Yah. The ultimate purpose in expelling that member from the Corinthian assemblies was to purge out the evil that had occurred within their Faith Community and stem any spread of sin amongst the membership. Furthermore, the expulsion could potentially serve as a wake-up call for this individual that he had to turn from his evil ways and seek forgiveness from a forgiving God. In so doing, the gentleman might, at some point, be restored to the Body and his salvation (5:5).

 Paul Chides His Readers for their Inaction and Tolerance of Sin in Their Midst

So Shaul again chides the assembly members for their permissive and grossly negligent mishandling of this situation. And he provides the members of the assembly a reason why their lack of spiritual responsiveness and irresponsibility in dealing with this situation was as troubling and dangerous as the fornicator’s sin. Shaul reminds the assembly leaders that their permissiveness (I.e., their boasting) of this situation was shameful (I.e., not good). And he reminds them that it only takes a little leaven–the fermenting agent that makes dough rise–to cause the whole batch of dough to rise. The use of the concept and term leaven here by Shaul is brilliant. For the apostle’s metaphoric use of the concept and term leaven was effective in relaying how sin–corruption and evil within the Body or Community–although at times starting off with or involving just one or two individuals, can quite easily in time spread and pervert others within the community (5:6). That’s why, in great part, Abba did not tolerate “unresolved” or “un-addressed” sin to exist among His people. For Abba clearly recognized that if sin is permitted to go un-addressed among a people, that sin would spread throughout the community and cause that community to turn away from Him and His ways (Deu. 13:5; 19:19; 24:7; 17:7; 21:21). And so the Eternal sees or views such a situation as was described in our discussion here today from the perspective of sin being contagious in nature. Thus He established that His set-apart community has the potential of being defiled as long as the transgressor, along with their sin, is allowed to operate in the community’s midst (Num. 35:33; Deu. 19:10). In other words: There must be an immediate reckoning of the situation and righteous actions taken to expel that evil from their midst.

 Purge Out the Old Leaven

So Shaul instructs his Corinthian readers to “purge out” (I.e., ekkathairo; which means to cleanse out; to clean thoroughly) the old hametz from their lives (5:7). In other words, the apostle was metaphorically instructing his readers to clean out–get rid of–remove from their lives that which has the potential of corrupting them and leading them to sin. The apostle instructed them to root out sin from their lives and in effect, become “sin-conscious” in their walk with Mashiyach because when that metaphorical leaven is allowed to fester in their lives, it has the very real potential of spreading and causing systemic and organizational breakdown; corruption; and a community-wide turning away from the Ways of Yah.

 

I mentioned “sin-consciousness” here. Let me take a brief moment to explain what I mean by this term.

 Sin Consciousness–Torah Gives us Understanding of What the Creator Hates and Approves Of

We know that Torah was given to us so that we would have knowledge of that which Yah disapproves of and considers to be sin. Thus, Torah serves to inform of that which Yah hates and of those things that we must avoid as His chosen ones.

 Sin Consciousness–A Twisted Definition and Explanation

According to some in fundamental Christianity, there is an inherent danger that is tied to one being focused on whether or not they are walking in covenant with Yah and His Ways and whether or not they are pleasing Father and not sinning. For some, it is believed that when one dwells too much on their sin that they become “sin-conscious.” Sin-Consciousness, according to some, is “an attitude or state of mind wherein we tend to focus on sin’s power, magnifying IT instead of God’s grace in Christ Jesus.” In other words, constantly thinking about sin “makes us want to do it” (J.B. Cachila, 11/19/2016, Christian Today).  

 

The author concludes his rather lengthy article on the subject of being “sin conscious” by admonishing his readers to be “grace-conscious” instead; meaning that they should always be filling their hearts and minds with gratitude for what Messiah has done for them. Others also support this same thinking or a similar understanding that sin increases with knowledge of Torah. These contend that the Law actually “provokes sin” as some, in my opinion, understand or interpret Romans 7:8 which reads:

 

“But sin, finding opportunity in the commandment [to express itself], got a hold on me and aroused and stimulated all kinds of forbidden desires (lust, covetousness). For without the Law sin is dead [the sense of it is inactive and a lifeless thing] (Amp).

 Opposition to the Twisted Understanding of Sin Consciousness

Now, I’m not entirely opposed to the entirety of J. B. Cachila’s premise and understanding of “sin consciousness.” The problem I have with his/her explanation of this concept, however, is that it misses the fact that we who are Yah’s elect, have by virtue of our redeemed status as Yah’s covenant-keeping people, inherited the power and wherewithal to say “NO” to sin through the power and agency of Yah’s Ruach HaKodesh.

The other thing I want to mention that is in opposition to the traditionalists’ understanding of “sin-consciousness” is that the introduction or gifting of Torah to Yah’s chosen-ones, caused the knowledge of or understanding of what Yah considers as sin to increase. And because of this reality, the very same introduction of Torah coupled with the work of Yahoshua Messiah also caused grace to abound all the more. We, through Torah, learned that we were in a desperate situation and in need of a savior.

 Sin Consciousness Not Something to Shy Away From

My view of “sin consciousness” is diametrically opposite of that of most fundamentalists. For I see sin consciousness, not as a thing to avoid or fear or marginalize, but as something that every child of the Most High must possess.

 

Knowing how Yah views certain behaviors and what Yah identifies as sin is paramount to the child of Yah maintaining a substantive covenant relationship with the Eternal. And in order for the child of Yah to be scripturally sin conscious, he or she must know and understand Torah; he or she must live Torah; he or she must study Torah to the point that he or she recognizes what behaviors Yah approves of and what He does not approve of.

 Orthodoxy’s Rejection of Torah Influencing Their Understanding of Biblical Sin Consciousness

You see, orthodoxy, fundamentalists and evangelicals, in their rejection of Torah, demand their adherents focus on their version of God’s grace. They don’t want their people keeping Torah nor do they really want them having a relationship with the Almighty. Instead, they want their people to have a true and substantive relationship with the Church Triumphant and they want them keeping their Laws–their organization’s torah if you will. Thus the organizations’ leaders have encouraged their adherents to not study their bibles and learn what “thus saith Yah.” Instead, these organizations have underhandedly taught their followers to study and learn and follow the teachings and ways of the Church Triumphant. For the Church Triumphant tells the people what to believe; how to act; how to live; what to do and not do; what to focus on in their lives and what not; etc.

 Orthodoxy’s Refusal to Address the Sin Issue

If you notice, when you turn on Christian television shows today, there is rarely, if any, mention or teachings given by church leaders directly from scripture. Church pastors, teachers, preachers and what have you, are not interested in teaching their followers to abstain from sin and resist taking the broad pathway that leads to destruction (Mat. 7:13). You’ll rarely, if ever, hear these leaders demand that their followers enter the strait gate and walk the narrow way that leads to life. No. The only concern they have for their followers is their entering the broad gate and walking the smooth and wide pathways of their organizations. (I remember a song we used to sing in the Baptist Church of my youth: “It’s a highway to heaven…”) And maybe, it is hoped, in the process of their followers walking out that highway to heaven, that their followers will kick down some money to them and advance their organization’s goals.

 

There is no true sense of sin consciousness in the hearts and minds and souls of most would-be believers. There’s no sense of abhorring evil and sin; recognizing that they’ve fallen short of Yah’s established principles and Way of life and that they are in desperate need of a redeemer (Rom. 3:23-25).

 

 Torah Does Not Cause One To Sin–We Sin Because of our Stubbornness  to Conform to God’s Ways

 

Frankly, I don’t understand the thinking that one who possesses sin consciousness is prone to commit sin. So then, in other words, according to the fundamentalists–anti-Torah crowd–when one focuses on their sinful state or their propensity to violate Yah’s Torah, he or she will be prone to violate Yah’s Torah.

 

I don’t know about you, but when the scales were dropped from my eyes, my heart was softened and my ears were opened to Yah’s Truth and Way of Life, and I studied Yah’s Word and learned that I was in error and in sin for not keeping His instructions throughout my whole life. Thus, I did not seek to, nor was I enticed to continue, violating Yah’s Torah. In fact, I was mournful and sorrowful and anxious to make things right with Yah. I sought vigorously to change my ways and do what “thus saith YHVH.” I had no thought to return to my old ways. When I studied and found the error of my ways, I sought forgiveness for my sinful life from the Eternal through Yeshua my Master and I changed my ways to Yah’s Ways. I believe I, like many of you, ultimately became sin conscious as I studied Yah’s Word. I in fact became conscious of my missing YHVH’s established marks as outlined in His Torah. And I learned that I was in desperate need of a savior and redeemer that would rescue me from the penalties associated with my violations of Yah’s Torah and that would ultimately open the door to my having a true and substantive relationship with the Eternal.

 

True, biblical sin consciousness leads to life. A lack of sin consciousness leads to destruction 

 

This concept of sin consciousness, I feel, is very timely as we enter into the Pesach season. For it is through this sacred 8-day period that we rehearse the sacrificial-atoning ministry of our Master Yahoshua; the sanctification process that all Yah’s chosen-ones must participate in; and the prophetic significance of Yahoshua, our Master, being the Firstfruits of all who will enter into life eternal through a true and substantive relationship with the Almighty. And throughout this whole spring feast season we are reminded to be sin conscious so that we may walk in covenant with our heavenly Father  through the help and inspiration of Yah’s precious Ruach HaKodesh (cf. Gen. 17:1; Mat. 5:48; 2 Cor. 7:1). Our model for walking in covenant with the Almighty is our Master Yeshua.

 God’s Set-Apart People as New Lumps of Dough Devoid of Leaven

Still touching upon the concept of the true Child of the Most High being dead to sin (which we discussed in great detail last installment–Part-2–Torah Meets Grace), Shaul reminds the Corinthian Messianics that they are supposed to be without corruption and sin. They in fact were supposed to be new creatures in Mashiyach; or in Shaul’s metaphorical framework here, they were supposed to be new lumps of dough that is absent any leavening agent (I.e., absent corruption and evil). Yah’s people are receiving a “start-over;” a new beginning; a make-over; a clean slate that would allow Yah’s Ruach (I.e., Yah’s Spirit) to be infused into their beings.

 Paul’s Brilliant Merging of the Corinthian’s Problem with the Significance of Passover

And Shaul brings this metaphor of that which is leavened versus that which is unleavened  home by infusing into his discussion here the underlying, prophetic meaning of Pesach (I.e., Passover). The apostle brilliantly acknowledges that all of this–this purging out or cleaning out of his readers’ old, corrupt ways and bringing them to the place of being new lumps of dough, was made possible by the vicarious sacrifice of Mashiyach. As Shaul states it, Yahoshua HaMashiyach is our Pesach (I.e., our Passover) (5:7).

 

And maybe, as evident by the wording of verse 8, this letter of 1 Corinthians was written sometime close to Pesach (5:8). For Shaul encourages the Corinthian Messianics to keep Pesach (which includes the Feast of Unleavened Bread) with a spirit and mindset of them being new lumps of dough devoid of any leavening (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15).

 The Apostle Demands the Corinthians Purge Leaven From Their Midst

So Shaul essentially instructs his readers that all the foolishness that the Apostle was hearing related to their corrupt ways needed to be removed/purged from their midst and from their respective lives (5:8). As individuals they would be required to stop sinning. Equally important, they were not to tolerate nor entertain sin in their assemblies (5:9). In particular Shaul brings the original issue that prompted this discussion back to their attention; that being the fornication issue he wrote about in verses 1 and 2. But the apostle goes on to include all manner of sin that if left unchecked by them as a community, would bring shame and destruction upon the assembly (5:10-12). These and all such transgressions, Shaul commands, are to be purged from their midst, as they ultimately would end up doing to the fornicator mentioned at the start of this chapter. And what happens to those that they purged from their midst because of sinful behavior would be up to Yah and His righteous judgment (5:13).

 Spring Feast Discussion

So having looked at this issue of sin-consciousness using the story of the Corinthian assembly and their failure to properly address the fornicator in their midst as a backdrop, I want to spend the remainder of our time here today discussing the upcoming Spring Feasts of Yah, which we all know includes Pesach or Passover; Unleavened Bread or the Feast of Matzah; and the Day of First Fruits. And we also know that the feasts of Yah, which are embedded in His holy Torah (Rom. 7:12), are shadows of good things to come (Heb. 10:1). And the spiritual relevance and substance of these set-apart days can never be overstated nor honored enough in my humble opinion.

 Yeshua Would Be Crucified on a Set-Date on the Creator’s Calendar

Father appointed that our Master would die for our sins at an appointed time (Rom. 5:6). Thus, it should not be a stretch for any who walk in covenant with the Almighty, that Yahoshua was appointed to die specifically on Pesach or during the Spring feasts. Whichever date Pesach/Passover fell on the day Yahoshua was crucified–some say 27 CE; others 30 CE/AD; still others 33 AD/CE–Pesach ranks as one of the most important set-apart days on Abba’s sacred calendar. The prophetic shadow-picture that was embedded in Pesach and the Spring Feasts of Yah was indeed brought to its fullest realization during the days in which our Master was crucified, buried and resurrected.

 Pesach Foreshadows the Sanctification Process

And we’ve already seen that the apostle Shaul makes a poignant correlation between Yeshua’s sacrifice and Pesach in 1 Corinthians 5:7:

 

“Clean out the old yeast (I.e., leaven) so that you may be a new batch of dough–you are, in fact, without yeast (I.e., leaven). For Christ (I.e., Messiah/Mashiyach), our Passover (I.e., our Pesach) has been sacrificed” (1 Cor. 5:7; NET).

 

Shaul here is touching upon the sanctification process that every would be covenant walking child of the Most High is committed to undergo. The purging of sin from our lives and then walking out our Faith as new creatures, or as Shaul mentions, new lumps of dough,  is prophetically pictured in the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

 The Brilliance and Wisdom of our Creator

Yah, in His brilliance (and I can’t imagine how He pulled it off but He did in the greatest fashion) pulled together 2-set-apart dates on His calendar, separated by at least a millennium and a half, to usher in His great Plan of Salvation, Restoration and Redemption.

 

In the process of redeeming His chosen people Yisrael from Egyptian bondage, YHVH commanded they select for themselves a perfect yearling-lamb or goat on the 10th day of the first month, otherwise known as the month of the Aviv (Exo. 12:5). And then on a specific day at a specific time of that day (sound familiar), slay the creature and apply its blood on to the door posts and lintels of their homes (which was the 14th-day of the month of the Aviv). And soon after this was done, they would prepare the slaughtered lamb to be consumed with other elements as Yah instructed. The women would prepare bread without leaven in anticipation of a rapid departure from Mitsrayim/Egypt the next morning. As their meal, they would consume the roasted lamb or goat as the death angel passed through Mitsrayim; passing over the homes of those who’s doors were marked with the blood of the lamb or goat. The 1st born of those households that were not marked by the blood of the lamb/goat, succumbed to the death angel.

 

This of course foreshadowed the sacrificial ministry of our Master Yahoshua. In prophetic-shadow likeness as our Pesach–our Passover Lamb–our Master was perfect and without sin. Thus, as Shaul stated, the man who was without sin, died for those with sin–the realization of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (2 Cor. 5:21). And then, our Master’s resurrection was prophetically foreshadowed by the Day of First Fruits or the Wave Sheaf Offering.

 Passover Can Never Be Replaced by Easter

It can never be overstated: Yeshua’s death, burial and resurrection can never be tied to pagan horror days such as lent; good Friday and Easter while denying the Truth of the only wise Elohim, His Word and His Son. Everything about our Master and His ministries are intricately tied to and foreshadowed by Yah’s glorious feasts (I.e., Yah’s set-apart days). As the writer of the Cepher of Hebrews wrote regarding the set-apart elements of worship of YHVH, which include Yah’s set-apart days or Feast Days:

 

“They serve as shadows of good things to come” (Heb. 10:1). Praise Yah!

 Passover is About Repairing the Breach Between YHVH and Humankind

As our Pesach, the breach that existed between YHVH and humankind since the Garden incident was repaired. The blood of our Pesach, Yeshua, covers us from all unrighteousness. In so doing, we escape eternal death, which is a natural byproduct of sin. Upon entering in covenant with the Almighty, we become sin conscious–biblically speaking–not consumed over the sins we’ve committed in our lives as orthodoxy has defined sin-consciousness. But we’ve become conscious of the fact that we are called and chosen to be new creatures in Mashiyach. As new creatures in Mashiyach, we are as a corpse to sin. Sin is supposed to be a foreign entity to us; even an enemy if you will. And anything that hints of sin in our walk with Mashiyach, especially during our time of being sanctified or set-apart unto YHVh, we are to purge it from our lives; we are to turn away from it with the ever-present help of Yah’s Ruach HaKodesh.

 Why Can’t Orthodoxy See This Truth?

And the thing that drives me uber crazy is that orthodoxy and fundamentalists reject the significance of Yah’s set-apart days, and they even marginalize the spiritually-charged historical significance Pesach and Unleavened Bread must play in the life of Yah’s set-apart people.

 

No, these choose to hang their spiritual hats on a set of pagan holidays instead; attaching to what I like to call horror-days, the death, burial and resurrection of our Master Yahoshua. As honorable and well-meaning as the orthodox and fundamentalists may appear to some related to their keeping of Easter in lieu of Yah’s Spring Feasts, these are sincerely wrong and mistaken in their understanding and beliefs. There’s is a willful disobedience that will ultimately lead to their being judged by a holy and righteous Elohim.

 We Have Been Called to Image YHVH on this Planet

But we, on the other hand, who have been called and chosen to image YHVH Elohim on this earth, in particular image Him within the confines of communities and spheres of influence He’s placed each of us into, we recognize and cherish which side our spiritual bread is buttered. We recognize that the Feasts are not the Feasts of the Jews, but of YHVH, He who gifted them to us. And because we’ve chosen to walk in covenant with Him and to love Him with our whole being, dying to self-in the process and walking in the newness of life, we keep and walk-out (I.e., halach) His commandments, which include His annual feasts. And we keep and walk-out these feasts in Spirit and in Truth, knowing that each set-apart day on the Eternal’s calendar serves as a reminder of that which He has, is and will be doing for us in His great plan of redemption, restoration and salvation.

 We Must Prepare to Receive the Spring Feasts of Yah

So as the Spring Feasts of Pesach, Unleavened Bread and First Fruits approach this coming week, we prayerfully, and meditatively prepare to receive the days. If you’re like me, I love re-reading, studying and meditating on The Exodus and our Master’s Passion stories. Some of you may also benefit from listening to or watching teachings on various aspects of Pesach, as well as attending fellowship gatherings and services during this time. However the Ruach leads you, do it with joy and passion.

 Honoring and Keeping Yeshua’s Last Supper

Then the night before Pesach–Erev Pesach–3/27/21, I would encourage you to honor the occasion of the last meal our Master had with His inner core of disciples (famously referred to as the Last Supper). And many of you will attend special services that not only mark this most solemn historic event on a true Messianic’s annual calendar, but also delve into the spiritual meaning and applications associated with the various elements of that sacred gathering. I’ve personally attended a number of services and gatherings on this most solemn night of the Month of the Aviv, and I’ve always been blessed by those experiences.

 

Generally speaking, bread and wine is shared and consumed by attendees of these gatherings in solemn memory of, as Shaul wrote to the Corinthian Messianics, “the Master’s death till He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26). This is popularly referred to of course as communion. And many Messianics actually overlook this beautiful ritual since it is not part and parcel of the Exodus Story. But, again, in my humble opinion, ignoring or intentionally failing to honor this spiritually rich and poignant historic event would be in violation of our Master’s instruction to perform this beautiful ritual in solemn remembrance of Him and what He has, is and will do for us (Luk. 22:19).

 

There is, in fact, historical precedence that the early first-century Messianic Assemblies kept this solemn ritual, with some assemblies going so far as to keep this ritual and instruction of our Master each Sabbath.

 

Some groups, in addition to honoring our Master’s last meal, partake in a foot-washing ritual to imitate our Master’s washing His disciples’ feet. This is done in response to Master’s instructions to His disciples: “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another’s feet” (Joh. 13:14; KJV).

 

Now, many in our Faith Community today reject and decline to participate in foot washing ceremonies, citing that this was done by and passed on by our Master as part of a common, hygienic practice of first-century Middle Easterners and is not applicable or necessary for today’s Messianics to keep or practice. These set aside any relevant spiritual application that Yeshua may have been attempting to convey to His disciples at the time.

 Convocations–Gathering Together to Keep the Spring Feasts of God

I’ve participated in a number of foot-washing ceremonies throughout my walk in this Faith of ours. And I understand where those who reject foot washing ceremonies for today’s Messianics are coming from. However, I find such reverential practices as foot washing ceremonies to be an individual, Ruach-Spirit-led choice that each Messianic must come to terms with. I will say also that any who would be led to participate in such a ritual or ceremony, Yah bless you and may you find rich meaning in your honoring of Yahoshua’s example. Regardless which side you go with on the issue of foot washing, to use Shaul’s vernacular, let no one judge you in your keeping of the foot washing tradition or not; especially as it relates to your doing that which the Ruach HaKodesh leads you to do. Obviously, if you are not privy to being a part of a fellowship or Messianic group that honors our Master’s Last Meal ceremony, earnestly seek Yah’s will for you in that respect. And if He leads you to keep this honoring ceremony of the Master’s Last Meal alone, then keep it alone with as much reverence, Truth and joy that you can muster. But it is always preferable that we be in convocation with other like-minded brethren as Yah makes those opportunities available to us. The writer of Hebrews actually addressed this concern when he wrote:

 

“And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works (I.e., good deeds), not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near” (10:24-25; NET).

 

The point of covocating with other like-minded brethren, especially during this set-apart season, is to not only facilitate our personal growth in Mashiyach, but also to encourage one another in these last and evil days.

 Keeping Passover–Pesach

Moving on: Pesach of course, falls on the next evening at sundown, 3/28, which by the way, dovetails seamlessly into the start of the 7-day Feast of Unleavened Bread; also referred to by some as the Feast of Matzah. As Torah-honoring people of Yah, we keep this night to the best of our ability as Yah’s Ruach so leads. Hilary and I generally read the applicable Exodus passages as we partake in a modest meal consisting of roasted lamb and bitter herbs. And we also begin our week-long eating of Unleavened Bread at this juncture.

 

A couple things come to mind in my discussing our keeping of Pesach and Unleavened Bread:

 

At the very least, prior to our having the Pesach meal, Hilary and I will have saw to it that all leaven and leaven-type products have been discarded from our home in obedience to Exodus 12:19; 13:7.

 

Secondly, it should be noted that Pesach Day itself is not a so-called “high-holy day.” That being said, one is certainly permitted to work if it is necessary for them to do so. However, once sundown hits, and as we go directly into our Pesach meal and the Feast of Unleavened Bread commences, we will enter into a “high holy day” whereby we are to convene/proclaim a holy convocation and we are to do no servile work during that 24-hour period. Our focus must then be upon Yah and what He’s done, is doing and will do for us. And we are encouraged to keep this set-apart time as Shaul instructed his Corinthian readers: “…with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Cor. 5:8). 

 

Now, as a Faith Community, we are all over the place as it pertains to our keeping Pesach. For instance, many Messianics choose to go the route of the traditional Jewish Seder. Hilary and I, on the other hand, do not participate in Seders, so to speak.

 Partaking of the Orthodox Passover Seder

The reason we do not participate in Orthodox Jewish-type Passover Seders is because they are highly regulated by Rabbinic traditions, and unfortunately, over the centuries, paganism has seeped into and tainted Yah’s commanded Passover meal. Torah outlines what the actual Passover meal is supposed to consist of. The orthodox Passover Seder, on the other hand, includes elements and traditions that Yah never told us to include in His meal. Abba commanded us not to add to nor diminish from that which He has commanded us to do.

 

Nevertheless, I recognize that a sizable chunk of the members of our Faith Community are drawn to and are loyal to many such Jewish traditions. And of course, it falls to each of us to walk out our Faith, as Shaul wrote to His Philippian readers, “…with fear and trembling.”

 

So I would only advise caution when choosing how you will keep, observe and honor Pesach  and the Passover meal. Let Yah’s Ruach properly lead you this respect.

 The Feast of Unleavened Bread

The 7-days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is similar to Sukkot (I.e., the Feast of Tabernacles) in that we are to proclaim and convene holy convocations as well as do no servile work on the first and last days of both these week-long feasts (Lev. 23). However, the days that fall between the first and the last days we are free to go about our day-to-day affairs. The thing that sets both these week-long festivals apart from some of the other set-apart days of Yah is that they were originally “pilgrimage” feasts.

 Feast of Unleavened Bread a Pilgrimage Feast

Of the 7-mandated Feasts or set-apart days of Yah’s sacred calendar year, Father appointed 3 of them as pilgrimage feasts: Pesach-Unleavened Bread; Shavuot or Pentecost; and Sukkot or Feast of Tabernacles (Exo. 23:14-17; Deu. 16:16). It is not coincidence that these 3-pilgrimage feasts take place during our ancient cousins’ 3 major harvest seasons: Pesach-Unleavened Bread during the spring harvest; Shavuot or Pentecost during the summer harvest; and Sukkot or Tabernacles during the fall harvest. As pilgrimage feasts, our ancient cousins were required to leave their homes and journey to the place where Yah placed His Name over in response to these harvest seasons. The ultimate and most well-known of those sacred places was of course Jerusalem. And it was at these sacred places–the place where the Ark of the Covenant rested within the Tabernacle/Tent of Meeting and ultimately the Temple in Yerushalayim–that Yah’s people would gather and joyously worship the Almighty in their giving of tithes and offerings that were based upon the proceeds and increase they received from their harvests. Additionally, the pilgrims would receive teachings of Yah’s Word; they would undergo various washings and purifications or mikvehs; and there would of course be recitations of prayers and scripture at these gatherings.

 

With Yah’s temple and or tabernacle no longer in operation at Yerusalayim, we really can’t keep these 3 pilgrimage feasts as Torah puts forth. However, there’s nothing stopping us from keeping these pilgrimage feasts in Spirit and in Truth. As long as we keep the basic elements of the feasts, and do so in Spirit and in Truth, Yah will work individually with us to direct us in the ways He wants us to worship Him and keep His appointed times.

 

Now, I don’t in any way mean to suggest that you keep the pilgrimage feast of Unleavened Bread as I am led to do. You see, this is an issue between you and YHVH. I’m simply giving you here that which Hilary and I have been led to do over the many years we’ve walked in covenant with the Eternal. I’m simply sharing with you what we do.

 

On these 3-pilgrimage, set-apart days, we would traditionally arrange taking the time off from our day-to-day lives and if possible and available, travel to assemblies where like-minded brethren were keeping these feasts days. When those opportunities were not available to us, such as this year, we will set-aside the week of Unleavened Bread as holy and special and honor the time with focused studies, prayers, celebration and the like. You see, upon our coming into covenant with YHVH and walking in this Faith, we chose to abandon yearly secular vacations in exchange for the pilgrimage feasts. The pilgrimage feasts were, I guess you could say, our vacation-times away from our secular lives. And because we’ve fully incorporated the Feasts of Yah into our lives to such a degree, we have been enormously blessed and our walk with Mashiyach has been notably enhanced.

 

Again, this is not in any way to suggest that you do the same. The only thing I would suggest to you is that you seek Yah’s perfect will for your life in Messiah and then walk out that will with reverence, joy and peace in the Ruach Hakodesh. If you seek Him and ask Him to lead you, He will do it. As long as your heart is where it’s supposed to be. Regardless, we must keep the Feasts of Yah in Spirit and in Truth. The particulars of how we  keep them is between Yah and you.

 Recommended Teaching on Passover

Recommend you check out Brother Robert Bills recent teaching on Pesach. (Messianic Teacher Robert Bills High Pursuit Ministry–Spirit and Truth Podcast and Webcast Program

 The Commandment to Consume Unleavened Bread

So getting back to the Feast of Unleavened Bread (which hits at sundown on 3/28 and runs to sundown on 4/4 this year), we are actually commanded to consume unleavened bread or matzah during these 7-days (Exo. 12:8-20; 13:6; 23:15; 34:18; Lev. 6:16; 23:6). Now, by this time of the holy week, we should have purged all leavened products from our homes before the Pesach meal hits. In so doing, our meals for the remainder of that holy week are to consist, in part, of unleavened bread, popularly known as matzah. Last week, I purchased a large box of matzah, and as we do each year during Unleavened Bread week, we incorporate into each meal during that week, matzah–in fact we consume matzah during that week for every meal in honor and in obedience to Yah’s commandments to do so.

 The Feast of Unleavened Bread an Opportunity for Self-Assessment and Spiritual Growth

And during this week of Unleavened Bread, we assess our walk with Mashiyach and ask Yah to reveal to us areas of our lives where sin besets us. The writer of Hebrews instructed his readers to “…strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us” (12:1). Indeed, the week of Unleavened Bread is a perfect time and opportunity to take assessment of the state of our walk in Messiah and seek, with the help of the Ruach HaKodesh, to do the very thing that the writer of Hebrews instructs.

 Keeping the Day of Firstfruits or Wave Sheaf Offering

Last, but not least, we have the rather obscure Day of First Fruits (Lev. 23:9-14). Shaul described Yahoshua as “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor. 15:20). The firstfruits or wavesheaf offering was to take place within the week of Pesach-Unleavened Bread. It was a day intended for Yah’s people to offer unto YHVH the first of their spring harvest. Until they presented unto the Levitical Priests at the Tabernacle or Temple the first of their spring harvest in the form of a sheaf of barley to be waved before Yah in solemn acknowledgment of Yah’s sovereignty over our lives and over the work of their hands and their increase/income. They would not be permitted to consume any of their harvested grain or produce until after they’d presented an offering consisting of the firstfruits of their harvest to the Levitical Priests who would wave that offering before Yah on their behalf.

 We Begin the 50-Day Count to Pentecost–Shavuot

The other important aspect of the Day of Firstfruits which cannot be overlooked is that it is the day that we begin the 49-day count towards Shavuot or Pentecost. And the thing about Firstfruits is that the day on which it is kept by Yah’s people must always be correct and spot-on, otherwise Shauvout will be miscalculated and fall upon the wrong day on the calendar. And so it becomes important for Yah’s people to be fully aware of the days upon which Yah’s spring feasts occur in order that they keep Shavuot/Pentecost at its appointed time.

 

As it relates to us today, we honor the day of firstfruits, which depending on the calendar you follow, falls on the last day of Unleavened Bread this year, which is 4/4; doing good works and many of us will bless ministries that feed and nourish us with freewill offerings and such.

 Personal Reflections and Thoughts on the Spring Feasts

Now, I literally just scratched the surface as it relates to the Spring Feasts. I will tell you that there are a ton of excellent teachings out there that go into much greater detail than I have here. My intention was not to provide a thorough study of the Spring Feast; but rather, to give you somewhat of a broad brush overview and share with you some insights that I’ve gained in my years of keeping Yah’s feasts.

 

I simply love the feasts of Yah. I love everything about them. And I look forward each calendar year to not only keeping them and seeing what Yah wants me to do in keeping them, but also I look forward to the spiritual growth that naturally comes when we throw our whole selves into keeping these appointed, sacred times of Yah’s calendar year.

 As Yah’s Set-Apart People We Must Keep His Feasts

There’s no doubt about it friends: We are compelled to keep these feasts. We can try as we may to reason around not keeping them. And in our working around and trying to make up excuses why we can’t keep Yah’s set-apart days, we ultimately end up finding ourselves at odds with the Creator who from the beginning stipulated that His set-apart people must hear His voice, keep His Torah and His ways, which of course includes keeping His moedim–His set-apart days.

 

So let us keep Pesach-Unleavened Bread-Firstfruits with all the joy and reverence and anticipation we can muster and not let the world influence us otherwise. Like our ancient Hebrew cousins, we have been redeemed from those entities and things that have kept us in bondage. We no longer answer to those entities and things. For we have been redeemed and bought with a price; and oh what a price that was paid on our behalf (1 Cor. 6:20; 7:23).

 We Have Been Purchased with a Steep Price

Shaul instructed his readers, knowing the steep price that was paid on our behalf for our redemption, to glorify YHVH with our bodies. For our bodies have replaced the Temple and Tabernacle of old as Yah’s dwelling place (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19)! Therefore, we have no excuse when it comes to our keeping Yah’s feasts. So, let’s keep His feasts with righteousness, peace and joy in the Ruach HaKodesh as we purge out the leaven and the old man and old woman, and walk in the newness of life.

 Looking Forward to Part 4 of the Paul on Being Under the Law Series

Yah willing, we’ll bring this series within a series to a much deserved close in our next installment. We will finally get to the point of interpreting and defining what Shaul meant by the phrase “under the Law.”

Have a blessed and meaningful Pesach-Unleavened Bread-and Firstfruits beloved.

The Fall Feasts of Yah-Trumpets-Yom Teruah

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Paul on Being Under the Law-Part 2-Torah Meets Grace

Goal

What I would like to do in today’s installment of TMTO is to lay the ground-work or set-the table if you will in our gaining as complete an understanding of what the Apostle Shaul (aka the Apostle Paul) meant when he wrote to his Roman Messianic readers that “sin would not have dominion over them since they were not under law but under grace.” Specifically, we are looking to clarify what Shaul meant by one being “under grace” or in the Greek, “hupo nomon/nomos.”

 

Attention

Now, in part one of this series within a series, we looked at this very Pauline concept of one being “in the law” versus one being “without the law.” And we looked at this from the perspective that every person who has every sinned “without the law” (I.e., anomos) would perish without the law; and every individual who has sinned in or having or under the law (I.e., in this case en nomos) would be judged by the law (Romans 2:12). And the best way to understand what Shaul meant by one being “in the law” (I.e., en nomos) versus being “without law” (I.e., anomos) is to read or study the Romans 2:12 passage within the context of its surrounding verses (I.e., the verses before and after it). And what we found was that Shaul was simply stating that every human who has ever lived will face judgment: those who possessed Torah/Law (e.g., the Hebrews and Jews) will be judged within or by the framework of Torah, while those who’d never received Torah will be judged outside the framework of Torah. Those who never received Torah would be judged by our Holy and Righteous God through the natural laws of creation that testify of YHVH and His Ways.

 

As it relates to this essential/fundamental fact, Shaul wrote:

 

“For in it (I.e, the Gospel) the righteousness of YHVH is revealed from  faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’ For the wrath of YHVH is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth (I.e., their sinful ways and insistence upon sinning finds ways and means to justify their behavior and rejection of Yah and His Ways). For what can be known about Yah is plain to them (I.e., Yah’s existence is inherently known to humanity and humans inherently know the difference between right and wrong) because YHVH has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made (I.e., Yah’s creation; nature). So they are without excuse” (Romans 1:17-20; ESV).

 

Yah will not compromise His holiness and righteousness. Therefore, He is no respecter of person (verse 2:11). All have sinned and fallen short of the glory (I.e., doxa or standards established by the Almighty) of YHVH.

 

Now, I went over this Pauline phrase of being “in Law” or “en nomos” versus being “without Law” or “anomos” in Part 1 of this discussion on being “under the law.” And those of you who listened to that post will hopefully recall that Shaul brought all this up in his letter to the Roman Messianics for a couple reasons: (1) Some of the Messianic Jews of the assembly held on to the erroneous belief that because they were of Jewish descent or heritage or conversion, they inherently received a “free pass” or “get out of jail pass” from the Almighty as it pertained to their salvation or eternal life.

 

As it turns out, many Jews of Shaul’s day (be they orthodox or messianic) believed that their culture and heritage (often referred to as their circumcision) was the basis for their salvation. Why? Because they held to the accurate understanding that YHVH entrusted them with His oracles: His Torah (Rom. 3:2). However, their understanding was flawed, for they added to this understanding of the Jew being the entrusted keepers of the oracles of Yah the erroneous understanding that Jews were therefore saved by virtue of their circumcision or cultural status in the world.

 

(2) Some of the non-Jews of the Roman Messianic assemblies believed that they could continue living as they did in their former, pagan lives because of Yah’s grace: that they could freely violate Yah’s Ways and commandments as they once did in their past lives and still be saved. Why did they believe this foolishness? Because they willfully bought into a nascent form of hyper-grace (which we’ll talk about a little bit later on in our discussion). And this perverted understanding of grace to these non-Jews of the Roman Assembly served as a license to sin or live any way they desired. To these individuals, it was so much more satisfying to live as they did before they came to Faith in Mashiyach. And it is not uncommon for some who come to knowledge of our Faith, as well as those who convert to Christianity to reject most if not all of Yah’s instructions simply because they refuse to be told what to do: be it by YHVH through His Torah/Word, or the organized Church. For these individuals pervert what Shaul meant by there being “freedom in Christ?”

 

But we who are of the True Faith once delivered–who are in a covenant relationship with the Eternal–know that that’s not the way the Eternal works. For we know that Yah does not tolerate sin, be it the unwitting or willful brand. And at some point in Yah’s set apart peoples’ journey, they must stop sinning.

 

In fact, Shaul had to get his non-Jewish audience’s attention as it relates to this subject, and he did so by asking them: “Should we [as Yah’s set apart people] continue in sin so that grace may multiply” or abound (Rom. 6:1; NET)? And the apostle answered his own question with a resounding “Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it” (6:2; NET)?

 

In other words, Yah’s grace is not a license to sin.

 

Regardless, the sinner will be judged. For “…the wages of sin  is death…” (6:23; ESV).

 

Need

So, with all that being said, I would ask you to listen or read Part 1 of “Paul on Being Under the Law” where I went into greater detail as to what Shaul meant in his use of the phrase “under the law” in Romans 2:12. And the reason I’m asking you to refer back to that post is because what we are going to find in this and in succeeding installments of this series as it relates to one “being under the law” in Romans 6:14-15; 1 Corinthians 9:20; Galatians 3:23; 4:4-5, 21; and 5:18 than in 2:12 is different than the meaning of one being “in the Law” or “being without the Law” in Romans 2:12.

 

It is important that you have full understanding of this phrase “under the Law” or “in the Law” because it is one of Shaul’s hard to understand concepts that many twist and pervert to their own destruction. And if we fail to grasp contextually, historically, culturally, etc., what the Apostle is actually saying in many of his challenging passages, we will not be prepared to provide an accurate explanation for the hope that we have in Mashiyach and as Yah’s covenant people (1 Pet. 3:15).

 

And why are we doing this whole study of Paul on Being Under the Law in the first place. Again, it is included in the list of writings and teachings that is challenging or difficult to understand and have been twisted in many cases by Orthodox Christianity to mean something contrary to its original meaning.

 

The other reason we’re doing this, among so many other reasons, is to prepare each of us to be in a position to give every man, woman or child an answer to their questions regarding why we do what we do and believe what we believe.

 

Satisfaction

So then: By the time we complete this series within a series on “Being Under the Law,” you will have an understanding of not just the Pauline concept of one who finds him/herself “under the law,” but a better understanding of how the concepts of grace and sin-consciousness ties into one being “under grace” (hupo karis) or “under the law” (hupo nomos).

 

I can tell you at this juncture that the true understanding of one being “under the law” is different than the orthodox Christian understanding of being “under the law.”

 

You see, the orthodox understanding of one being “under the law” carries with it significant anti-Law/anti-Torah sentiments. But we will, in our discussions over the next few posts, discover that the true understanding of one being “under the law” really has nothing to do with Torah-keeping by Yah’s covenant people. Instead, the phrase is intricately linked to Torah’s treatment of the “sin issue.”

 

So let’s begin our examination of the phrase “under the Law” by first discussing the relationship that exists between Yah’s Torah, Yah’s grace, and sin.

Putting Our Focus Passage into its Proper Context 

In order that we arrive at the most accurate or likely understanding of what it means for one to be “under the law,” we must examine the phrase within its proper context. And within its proper context I mean we must attempt to interpret the phrase based upon its use within the verse that its mentioned (our focus passage) in relation to the content that is written in the surrounding verses and chapters.

 

As I previously mentioned, there are at least 7-places in Shaul’s writings where he uses  the phrase “under the law” (depending upon which English translation you’re using). And each mention of the phrase must be examined within the particular context in which it is recorded.

 

Mention #1 of “Under the Law”

 

Now, we discussed the first mention of the phrase in Part 1 of this series within a series. Recall that it is found in Romans 2:12 and that it has to do with one being judged by the Almighty either within or outside the “framework” of the Law or Torah. In fact, we just reviewed this in our opening discussion.

 

An Overview of the Surrounding Passages

 

Moving on to the 2nd iteration of “under the Law,” which is found in 6:14-15, I want to first conduct an overview of the surrounding verses of this passage so as to lay the ground work for a proper and accurate contextual understanding of “under the Law” in this passage.

 

Promises Made by Yah

 

In 5:1-11, Shaul writes about the promises Yah’s covenant people may claim as a result of them being justified through Yahoshua HaMashiyach: that is Yah’s covenant people are immensely blessed and deemed righteous before a holy (I.e., qodosh) and righteous Elohim through the atoning sacrifice of Yeshua HaMashiyach.

 

The promises Yah’s people are entitled to receive as a result of their entering into a covenant relationship with Him through the agency of Yeshua include the following:

 

(1) Shalom with YHVH as a result of their trusting faith (vs. 1).

 

(2) Access to Yah’s grace (I.e., Yah’s unmerited favor along with the spiritual resources to walk out their Faith as Yah requires; despite them dwelling in such an evil and perverted  world (vs. 2).

 

(3) Endurance that comes about as a result of our knowledge of the hope that dwells in us. Therefore, we rejoice in the midst of our sufferings, knowing that the arrows and slings that life may throw at us produces endurance and character (vs. 3-4; cf. Luke 21:19; Jas. 1:3). Master instructed His disciples to “…rejoice and be exceeding glad: for great is their reward in heaven…” (Mat. 5:12).

 

(4) Character, which the KJV interprets as experience; the ASV approvedness; the DRA trial (vs. 4). This experience or character of course leads to “…the crown of life which Yeshua promised them that love Him” (Jas. 1:2). 

 

(5) Hope (I.e., “elpis” or expectation) which is intricately tied to the Ruach HaKodesh (I.e., the Holy Spirit) that works with the spirits and within the souls and bodies of Yah’s set-apart people (vss. 4-6).

 

(6) Salvation from Yah’s wrath, which we addressed in Part 1 of this series within a series (ref. Rom. 1:18). This salvation comes exclusively to those who have been justified by Yahoshua’s blood (vs. 9).

 

(7) Most importantly in my opinion, Reconciliation with Yah (vss. 10-11). You see, prior to Yahoshua’s sacrifice that came about as a result of Yah’s loving grace that He lavished upon us, we were as enemies of YHVH. With Yeshua’s sacrifice we receive the promise of reconciliation with the Creator of the Universe that was lost in the Garden of Eden.

 

Torah-Sin-Justification in Comparison Between Adam and Yeshua

 

In 5:12-21, Shaul compares and contrasts Adam and Yeshua as it relates to the issues of Torah, justification and sin.

 

Within these verses we learn that sin came to humankind through Adam and death came as a result of sin. Therefore, from the time of Adam up through the time that Torah was gifted unto us at Sinai, every soul that ever lived up to that time sinned. And despite the claims of some that believe that sin could not have existed prior to the Sinai Revelation and the gifting of Torah to us (since Torah defines what sin is as mentioned by Yochanan in 1 Joh. 3:4), I see Shaul pushing back somewhat on such thinking. For the truth of the matter is that we find in Genesis 26:5 mention that Avraham followed Yah’s “laws.” So Torah existed prior to it being codified by the pen of Moshe at Sinai. Furthermore, death, the manifested byproduct of sin, reigned over all of humankind from Adam to Moshe. Thus, sin absolutely, positively reigned supreme within humanity before the Sinai Revelation (vss. 12-14).

 

Some of the confusion surrounding the absence of Torah and thus there being no sin up to the time of the Sinai Revelation seems to be related to 5:13 which reads:

 

“For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law…”

 

Many have misinterpreted and misrepresented this passage to help foster an erroneous belief that sin could not have existed within humanity from Creation to the Sinai Revelation since Torah, which was given to us at Sinai, had not been written. And this is based in turn on the understanding that Torah defines sin, which is the transgression of Torah.

 

Now, I don’t want to spend time delving into this issue at this point in our series as it will take us away from our focus which is to lay the groundwork for understanding what Shaul meant by one “being under the Law/Torah.” But suffice to say, any understanding of 5:13-17 must be weighed from the perspective that these verses were added to Shaul’s original manuscript by an unnamed scribe or translator. For this is evident in some English translations such as the KJV, which added parentheses to those words and verses not found by their translators in the oldest existing manuscripts at the time the KJV was being translated and edited.

 

Certainly a lot can be said about these 5-verses of chapter 5, but at this point we’ll bypass them and possibly revisit them in upcoming installments of our overall Paul and Hebrew Roots Series.

 

The Giving of Torah Most Pivotal Juncture in all of Human History

 

The point Shaul seems to be making in verse 13 of chapter 5, at least in part, was that the giving of Torah by YHVH was one of the most pivotal junctures in all of human history. For it was through Torah that YHVH officially codified what constitutes sin. And within that same document, Father provided a process for dealing with that sin (that being the Levitical Laws). And that process for dealing with sin would stand as the only means given to us by the Eternal for positively dealing with humanity’s sin issue until such time Mashiyach would come and execute the once and for all Plan of Salvation, Redemption and Restoration.

 

Sin Must Be Dealt With

 

Remember in Part 1 of this Paul on Being Under the Law series we talked about Shaul making the case that all rational humans have no excuse for sinning since all humans inherently know the difference between right and wrong. It doesn’t matter whether or not one has knowledge of or embraces Torah (that being those that live within or without the framework of Torah), all humans are and will be held accountable for their sins.

 

At least one Messianic Torah teacher I came across in my research for this post suggested that those who live their lives outside the framework of Torah operate in or live out their days as if they were in a slumber or daze (Tim Hegg). These are inherently aware that YHVH exists and they know the difference between right and wrong. However, these have essentially deluded themselves into a false sense of security that the life they’re living is somehow okay and all will somehow work out in their favor. I guess still others recognize the sinful life they live is not okay with the Creator of the Universe and they’ve settled within themselves that they will “burn in hell” for all eternity.

 

Indeed, it is what it is. Every rational human who has ever lived knows which side their bread is buttered and they know at some point there’s got to be some form of reckoning with their Creator, despite the stories they’ve told themselves to the contrary.

 

Torah’s arrival on the human-scene served to definitively spotlight and identify sin and then provide a Yah-directed means for dealing with sin.

 

Adam Brought Sin Into the World While Yeshua Brought Righteousness and Salvation Into the World

 

Then in verses 15-18 Shaul makes one of the most poignant contrasting observations in the whole of the Apostolic writings regarding the role Adam and Yahoshua Messiah respectively played in the existence of sin in the world. For Shaul notes:

 

“Through one man’s disobedience (that being Adam), many became sinners, but through the obedience of the one (that being Yahoshua HaMashiyach) many are made righteous (vs. 19).”

 

So what we see unpacked here as we close our chapter 5 and move on into chapter 6 is an in-depth treatment on the sin issue by Shaul, no doubt in response to either a question that was posed to him related to certain members of the Roman Assembly acting on their erroneous belief that it was okay for them to live a life a sin as they lived in their pre-covenant lives.

 

A Question of Yah’s People Living Their Lives as They So Choose

 

Moving on now to chapter 6, we find Shaul commenting on the foolishness and existential dangers associated with his readers choosing to live or return to the sinful life of their former pre-covenant lives while hanging on to their present profession of Faith in Messiah. Seems this issue came to Shaul’s attention either through a report sent to him by an assembly member or someone in the know of the happenings in and around the assemblies. Or Shaul was simply responding to a question sent to him from an assembly member or two.

 

Now these Roman syncretizers (as I choose to call them) who sought to live double lives: a portion of their life in the True Faith once delivered; and the other portion of their lives as they formerly lived it in sin. These deluded individuals believed  they could legitimately get away with such foolishness, and they seemed to cite Yah’s grace as their license to continue living in their sin despite professing, adopting and supposedly walking out the True Faith once delivered (6:1, 14,15).

 

Calling Out the Ridiculousness of Syncretizing One’s Faith

 

In looking at this thing from a fundamental, spiritually-sensible or pragmatic-perspective, Shaul appears to take these hyper-grace proponents (or syncretizers) to task by informing them of their spiritual responsibilities as the redeemed of Mashiyach. For the truth of the matter, according to Shaul, was that every one of them should be dead or entirely unresponsive to the tugs and pulls of their former or past lives of sin. So as redeemed of the Most High, they should be functioning/living as though they were new creatures or beings that were naturally and diametrically opposed to sin in every form (6:2-4). In fact, according to the apostle, his readers must be like (that is, imitate) his and their Master Yahoshua in every aspect of their redeemed lives (6:5). The apostle further asserted that the Roman Messianics’ old sinful existence must be put to death as their Master Yahoshua was once put to death. And if they did this very thing, they would no longer be slaves to sin (6:6-7). That is, they would have no desire for the paganistic and sinful things that made-up their former lives.

 

Yah’s People Vicariously Raised From the Dead with Messiah

 

And because Shaul’s Roman readers were vicariously raised with Mashiyach from the dead, the sin that would naturally lead to their death would no longer have authority over them. In other words, Yeshua having been raised from the dead by His Father’s powerful Ruach HaKodesh, viewed His Roman Messianic readers as also having been raised from the dead with His Son. And just as Yahoshua was raised from the dead to begin a new existence in the service of His Father without the natural impediments of His former human existence, Shaul’s readers, upon transitioning into covenant relationship with the Almighty, were also raised/resurrected to a new life of service and worship of YHVH. In that newness of life that each Roman Messianic should have experienced, Shaul attempted to reason with them that their old existence should no longer be a part of them; it should be alien to them; foreign to them; they should be dead to that previous existence.

 

Additionally, like their Master Yeshua Messiah, they would live forever more for the glory of YHVH (6:8-10).

 

And of course, by extension, all that Shaul wrote regarding his Roman Messianic readers being dead to sin, by extension, fully applies to each and every one of us, even today. For you and I must become dead to sin AND alive to YHVH in Mashiyach Yahoshua our Master (6:11). For each of us who have willfully given ourselves over to the Creator of the Universe–to serve and worship Him alone–have entered into a legally-binding covenant relationship with the Eternal. That covenant relationship excludes all other endeavors, spiritual relationship, lifestyles and such. In fact, we are not our own person, nor do we belong to or answer to any created entity–be that entity human or angelic or demigod in nature. Thus, when the question arises of us engaging in sinful acts or lifestyles that are not of our Father in Heaven; that is not in alignment with the katuba (that is the marriage agreement we entered into when we entered into the covenant relationship with YHVH–just like our ancient Hebrew ancestors did back in the day–we enter into a marriage agreement with our New Master and that marriage agreement does not in any way, form or fashion make provisions or allowances for syncretism, period. We, like the Roman Messianics who Shaul addressed this letter to, are no longer slaves to our former masters of sin and the things and beings of this world; but slaves of the Holy and Righteous Creator of the Universe.

 

The Irony of Paul’s Teachings on Willfully Sinning

 

And you know the irony in this dangerous, nasty business of syncretizing the True Faith once delivered with pagan-based, sin-filled lifestyles that so many justify through a perverted understanding of grace is the very thing we see transpiring in much of today’s denominational Christianity. And of course, the primary reason members of denominational Christianity give for trading a Yeshua-centric-covenant-relationship-based life for that of living anyway the so-called believer chooses to live their life is because the sinful heart and mind of man and the controlling interests of organized religion decided to give in to their anti-semitic sensibilities and reject Torah. They rejected Torah because it was linked to Jews and Judaism. They also rejected Torah because they wanted to continue living the life of sin they enjoyed in their former lives: they want to continue eating whatever they desired; keeping the holidays they desired and enjoyed keeping; worshiping for a couple-three hours each Day of the Sun. They wanted to live life the way that was pleasing to them. Thus the leaders of these organizations have led generations down a path towards destruction. And they were able to justify their satanic-inspired action through their twisting of Yah’s grace.

 

The Foundation of our Covenant Life

 

Friends, this is the foundation of our covenant life and relationship with the Eternal. As Yah’s set-apart people, we are compelled to live our lives as though we are dead to sin. We are, instead, to be as new creatures–new beings–walking  out our Faith as though the world about us has no true part or hold on us. We are to conform to the splitting image of Yeshua our Master.

 

The apostle drives this whole discussion of being dead to sin home by instructing his Messianic readers to not allow sin to have any foothold in their lives; to not give into sinful desires; to not allow sinful passions to reign or have dominion over their lives (6:12). In fact, Yah’s set-apart people, according to Shaul, must not permit any members of their bodies to become instruments of evil or unrighteousness that would lead them to sin. What was it that Master instructed His followers to do related to allowing the members of their bodies to be instruments of sin?

 

“Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away….And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out (exaireo–that is, root it out)…” (Mat. 18:7-9).

 

 

Sin Consciousness: An Essential Principle

 

 Here in our text, Shaul was essentially echoing the very principles of “sin-consciousness” that Master Yahoshua taught His disciples several years prior to this teaching he was giving to the Messianic Assemblies in Rome. (And we’re going to get into this issue of sin-consciousness in our next installment to this series. Understanding this principle of “sin consciousness” is important to understanding what Shaul meant by one being “under the Law/Torah.”)

 

So Shaul exhorts his readers to present themselves to Yah as those who have been resurrected to a new life; a new existence, with their whole bodies being instruments of righteousness for Yah’s glory (6:13; cf. Colossians 3:5; 1 Peter 2:24).

 

Then the apostle informs the Roman Messianics that sin no longer has mastery or dominion over them, as they are no longer “under the law” but “under grace“. And thus, we’ve arrived at our focus passage of 6:14-15:

 

You Are Not Under Law But Under Grace: Viewed Through Untethered Scriptural Soundbite

 

“For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. What then? Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means” (Romans 6:14-15; ESV)!

 

I think you would all agree that if we read this passage as a scriptural sound-bite, untethered from its surrounding verses, we just might get the wrong impression of what Shaul was attempting to convey to the Assembly of Roman Messianics. And unfortunately, orthodox Christianity has for the most part interpreted this passage in a way that sheds a negative light on the Law or Torah. These go so far as to suggest that those individuals who claim Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, but keep Torah in any way, have effectively fallen from grace. In other words, any born again believer or Christian who keeps Torah or even select portions of Torah are committing sin because in their keeping of Torah, they are denying and rejecting God’s grace in their lives. Therefore, according to orthodox thinking, Torah is a bad thing that was nailed to the cross along with Jesus and it is to be viewed on par with that of sin. 

 

Somehow, according to orthodox Christianity, Torah or the Law makes one susceptible to sin (imagine that if you will). Thus, Torah and Grace have become enemies; they are viewed as being diametrically opposed to one another.

 

Orthodoxy Not in Alignment With Scriptural Authority and Understanding

 

But does orthodox-fundamental Christianity align itself with Scripture as it relates to the relevancy of the Law or Torah in the life of Yah’s covenant people? And the answer to this loaded question is a resounding no. For we’ve seen throughout this series on Paul and Hebrew Roots that the apostle constantly taught and wrote in complete support of Yah’s people keeping and walking out Torah in their day-to-day lives. And this of course remains true, despite Shaul’s extensive teachings and writings on Yah’s grace and the renewed covenant. Yes, according to the wrongly accused Apostle Paul, Torah and Grace work hand-in-hand with the other; not the other way around such as orthodoxy has taught for so many centuries. For it is here in our focus passage that the writings of Shaul have been grossly twisted/perverted to the detriment of countless numbers of the faithful.

 

This is NOT About Choosing Grace Over Torah

 

My friends, what we have here [with hupo nomon/nomos and hupo karis] is not about one having to choose between keeping Torah versus embracing Yah’s grace. Such thinking is a lie from the pit of hades itself. And this is why we are here today, in part, discussing this phrase: we are here to set the record straight and vindicate the Apostle from the slanders that have been foisted upon him over the centuries by the Church Triumphant as being anti-Torah and hyper-grace. So we intend to clarify what the apostle meant by one being “hupo nomon/nomos” or “under [the] Law/Torah.” We already should know what it means to be under grace. And we should already know that being under [Yah’s] grace does not give anyone who belongs to YHVH a pass on keeping Yah’s Torah in Spirit and in Truth. For among so many other things, Yah’s grace provides Yah’s people the wherewithal to victoriously walkout His Torah in the midst of an “unbelieving and perverted generation” (Matthew 17:17).

 

A Comparison and Constrasting of Two Mutually Exclusive Concepts

 

When we contextually analyze this passage, while resisting any and all denominational influences that might sully our understanding of the passage, we see introduced here into our discussion a contrasting and comparison between two different spiritual concepts: (1) an individual who is under [the] law (that is hupo nomon/nomos), and (2) an individual who is under grace (that is, “hupo karis”: Yah’s goodwill; favor; gift; benefaction). In this context, the two concepts are indeed mutually exclusive. In other words: within the confines of this passage of Scripture there are two classes of individuals in existence today: One who is “under the Law/Torah” or one who is “under grace.”

 

Now, we can argue for days that there are a number of other classes or groups that individuals fall under as it relates to spiritual matters these days. But what we’re talking about here contextually is specifically a contrasting or comparison between those who are “under Torah” and those who are “under grace.” And we find that the apostle is quite clear here in what he is saying to the Roman Messianics: “You [Roman Messianics] are NOT “under the Law” but you are “under grace.” And frankly, this is where orthodoxy has tragically fallen into the trap described by the Apostle Peter in his second epistle (3:15-16):

 

15And account that the longsuffering of our Master is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16As 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 (that is twist or pervert), as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

Orthodoxy’s Advancement of the Hyper-Grace Concept

You see, orthodoxy has foolishly wrested (I.e., twisted) the apostle’s writings, such as this one we’re discussing here today, in order that they may advance their perverted hyper-grace doctrine among their adherents.

Now the premise of their hyper-grace doctrine is that one is saved simply by saying the “sinner’s prayer” and inviting Jesus Christ into one’s heart to be their Lord and Savior. Once that is done, the convert is free to live as he or she chooses because from that point moving forward in the life of the believer, he or she is saved by grace. Period. There’s no need to keep the Creator’s instructions/laws/commandments because Jesus kept the Law in the believer’s stead perfectly because the depraved human soul is inherently incapable of keeping Yah’s impossible to keep Torah/Law.

Interestingly, orthodoxy completely dismisses the purpose and work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer that makes the impossible very possible. Sure, keeping Torah with a heart and mind that is acceptable to the Almighty is extremely difficult for most people to achieve. And Father recognized this from the very beginning and made provision for this challenging reality by gifting His set-apart people His Ruach HaKodesh that makes keeping Torah and resisting sin perfectly, just like His Son did, a very real possibility.

Unfortunately the Church Triumphant can’t see or reconcile this simple Truth for a variety of reasons that we won’t go into here today. As they see it, any who would even think about keeping the Creator’s instructions is essentially committing sin in their eyes, again, wresting/perverting/twisting the apostle’s writings and alleging that those who would keep the Creator’s instructions in righteousness have fallen from grace (Gal. 5:4).

And of course the church’s grace-perversion doctrine is inherently designed to completely cancel out the crucial role that Torah is suppose o play in the hearts and minds of their followers.

But again, so we are clear, as it relates to our focus passage, the apostle is NOT writing about the conflict that orthodoxy has erroneously created between Torah and Grace. Shaul is not even making a distinction between the applicability of Torah in the lives of Yah’s people versus the universal application of Yah’s grace that is extended to Yah’s people through Yahoshua HaMashiyach.

The Role Torah Plays in the Life of Yah’s People

You see, in order to gain a true understanding of what the apostle meant by one being “under the Law” in this and in similar passages, we must first gain an understanding of the role Torah plays in defining and addressing the issue of “sin.” It is virtually impossible for one to fully grasp what Shaul meant by one being “under the Law/Torah” without understanding the purpose of Torah; the relationship that exists between Torah and sin; and Yah’s Plan of Salvation, Restoration and Redemption through our Master Yahoshua HaMashiyach.

Now, I wouldn’t dare go so far as to say that Orthodox-Fundamentalists-Evangelicals haven’t figured out the relationship that exists between Torah, sin and the Plan of Salvation, Redemption and Restoration. For I believe they have at least a baseline understanding of the relationship. I think, however, the problem that exist with their understanding is a doctrinal one or a religious one: They’ve chosen to reject the fundamental covenant lifestyle and relationship that Father requires of all His children and replace that lifestyle and relationship with their perverted/twisted version of “grace” because it best suits their organizational purposes and goals.

Christianity Finally Starting to Come to Terms With Their Erroneous Stance on Grace

Interestingly, fundamentalist and evangelical organizations and teachers are beginning to recognize the inherent dangers associated with the church’s gross emphasis on grace today. According to GotQuestions.org:

 

The termhyper-gracehas been used to describe a new wave of teaching that emphasizes the grace of God to the exclusion of other vital teachings such as repentance and confession of sin. Hyper-grace teachers maintain that all sin, past, present, and future, has already been forgiven, so there is no need for a believer to ever confess it. Hyper-grace teaching says that, when God looks at us, He sees only a holy and righteous people. The conclusion of hyper-grace teaching is that we are not bound by Jesus’ teaching, even as we are not under the Law; that believers are not responsible for their sin; and that anyone who disagrees is a pharisaical legalist. In short, hyper-grace teachers “pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality” (Jude 1:4) and flirt withantinomianism.   (https://www.gotquestions.org/hyper-grace.html)

 

Is this hyper-grace perversion that gotquestions.org described not the very thing that Shaul was attempting to squash in the Roman Assemblies: the grace of Yah being used as a license for his readers to live lives of sin despite their profession of Faith in Messiah? It is.

 

There Are No Free Lunches

 

As I’ve said many times on this program: There are truly no free lunches. Someone has to pay for one’s supposed free lunch. And to think that the hyper-grace of today’s Christianity is all about getting for one’s self that free lunch of eternal life with having no responsibility whatsoever–no vested skin in the game, so to speak–but instead living as one sees fit is not in the least biblical. A covenant relationship, which we’ve all been called into, requires both parties to agree to the terms of the katuba or the marriage agreement: If we give ourselves completely over to the Eternal and do as He commands and we image Him in the world through our living the Way He requires His set-apart people to live, He will in turn be our God and in the process, we will be His people and receive all the promises He gave to His chosen ones–both in this life as well as in the world tomorrow (reference Exo. 19:5-6). Six

Action

The True Faith is not a One-Side Thing

 

This thing that Yah put into operation–the Renewed Covenant and the Plan of Salvation–is not a one-sided thing where Yah removes all responsibility for establishing and maintaining covenant relationship from His people. As we saw brilliantly illustrated in Exodus 19, Yah requires His would-be set-apart people to “obey His voice and keep His covenant.” Nothing has changed from that time, even up to today, despite the hyper-grace foolishness that the church has foisted upon a blind and ignorant world. There’s always a price that must be paid on both sides of the covenant relationship: Yah will be our God–our “all-in-all.” He puts in the work of redeeming us; protecting and delivering us from the evil one; cleaning us up so that we may walk before Him uprightly and perfectly; teaching us His Ways and dwelling with us.

 

We, on the other hand, must fulfill our end of the covenant by obeying Him and keeping the tenets of the covenant. We have to die to self and become His slave as we are no longer beholden to our former masters. So we have to obey His house-rules which is essentially His Torah and we must worship Him and Him alone in Spirit and in Truth.

 

We Receive Salvation as a Side-Benefit of Entering into Covenant Relationship

 

As a benefit of the true covenant relationship we enter into with the Almighty, we receive His free gift of eternal life-of salvation. We cannot earn that gift. Our keeping covenant with the Eternal, contrary to the lies that have been spread about our Faith Community by the church, is not a futile attempt to purchase our salvation. We keep Yah’s Torah and image Him in the world because Yah commanded us to do so. And we do these things because we love our Father and we want to please Him; and because it’s just the right thing to do.

 

Unfortunately, the church has yet to recognize this crucial reality.

 

The Moving Parts of YHVH’s Grace

 

All of this my friends is part and parcel of YHVH’s grace. His grace has many moving parts. In fact, Yah’s grace entails so much more than Yah extending salvation to any who would accept the atoning sacrifice of Yahoshua. It’s also Yah opening the door to His human creation having a true and substantive relationship with Him through the ministry of His Wonderful Son–our older brother–Yahoshua Messiah. This is about Yah not abandoning His human creation to damnation or turning His back on it. It’s about creating a way for that relationship when there was no other true, righteous and holy means to do so.

 

The Intersection of Grace and the Law/Torah

 

So where does Yah’s grace and Torah intersect? Yah’s grace meets Torah at the place where Yah’s Ruach haKodesh provides the means by which Yah’s people may embrace and walk out His way of life–His Torah–despite them existing in a perverse and wicked generation and world. It should be of no surprise to anyone to learn that Yah’s grace extends beyond Yahoshua and His sacrifice. In fact, second only to Yahoshua and His divine ministry, Yah’s gifting of Torah to His covenant people was one of the greatest iterations of grace to ever be lavished upon humanity. You see, the Eternal could have simply abandoned His human creation to face complete and certain destruction at the hands of the fallen ones. But He didn’t. For He aimed to redeem humanity from the clutches of the evil ones through His plan of salvation, restoration and redemption. And the first place He established that plan was back in the Garden when He prophetically announced the work of Mashiyach to Adam, Eve and the serpent (Gen. 3:15). And from there, He established a lineage of humans–Enoch-Noah-Avraham-Yishak-Yisrael-Moshe-the judges and prophets-through whom He would entrust His Word–His Ways–His Torah. And Torah would be the means by which humanity could begin to establish a relationship with Him until such time that Yah’s Right Arm (I.e., Yahoshua) would come and permanently remove the veil–the wall–that beforehand blocked and hindered such a true covenant relationship.

 

Torah Remains Relevant For Yah’s People Today

 

Torah remains a requirement for all Yah’s people to embrace and walk out today. But like our ancient Hebrew cousins experienced throughout their lifetime, our hardened hearts get in the way and hinder our ability to have a true and substantive relationship with the Creator of the Universe. And Yah recognized from the beginning that the problem associated with His set-apart people not being able to keep Torah to the extent He requires of them is not the Torah itself. For Torah is perfect, holy, spiritual; it is good (Rom. 7:12, 14, 16; 1 Tim. 1:8). The problem, in fact, is the hardened hearts of Yah’s human creation.

 

The Heart of Man is the Problem

 

First and foremost, the heart of humans is inherently deceitful. Secondarily, the human heart is desperately sick or evil (Jeremiah 17:9). And the one thing that must be understood about our heavenly Father is that He searches every heart and tests every mind or soul to determine whether they are true to the calling He has put forth to them. Unfortunately, our ancient Hebrew cousins possessed such deceitful and sick hearts that caused them to break covenant with the Almighty on a recurring basis. And Yah made note of this when He stated the following to Moshe:

 

And YHVH heard your words, when you spoke to me. And YHVH said to me, “I have heard the words of this people, which they have spoken to you. They are right in all that they have spoken. Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear Me and to keep all My commandments, that it might go well with them and their descendants forever” (Deuteronomy 5:28-29; ESV)!

 

The Bad Heart of Man is Universal

 

Yah recognized from the beginning that this poor heart condition wasn’t just limited to the Israelites. In fact, this heart condition was typical of all peoples of the world. And in Yah’s immense wisdom, He provided or embedded within His renewed covenant, the wherewithal for any who would be called His child to possess a heart that would be conducive to having that true and substantive relationship with Him.

 

Ezekiel 11:19; Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10 (The Renewed Covenant)

 

Thus, it is through Yah’s grace that He incorporated into His renewed covenant “fixes” that would address the very faults inherent in humanity that make any covenant relationship with the Him a very real possibility:

 

  • A purpose and will that is in alignment with that of YHVH
  • A spirit that is loving towards YHVH and towards one’s fellow man
  • Replacing the naturally stony heart of humans with one that is pliable and loving and obedient to the Will and Instructions of YHVH
  • Yah’s Torah will no longer be written on tablets of stone or other mediums. Instead, YHVH will write His Torah on the hearts and into the minds of His children. Torah-living will not be second nature in Yah’s people, but become their only nature.
  • And because Yah’s people will live out their lives the way YHVH always intended for them to live it, they will become true children/people of YHVH, and YHVH will be their Elohim.

 

Again, this is Yah’s Grace in action.

 

Nowhere do we see any mention of Torah being eliminated or done away with in the lives of YHVH’s children. We will become like our Master Yahoshua who is the splitting image of His Father. And we know that Yeshua was the walking-talking Torah. What then, does that say about our lives and our amazing future in Yahoshua?

 

 

Torah and grace work hand-in-hand. And grace does not exclude or negate the need for Torah. And despite the black-eye that orthodoxy has given Torah as a result of grossly misunderstood Pauline verses such as our focus-passage here, Shaul was in no way disavowing or rejecting Torah at the expense of grace. In fact, what we will find out in our next installment of this series, that one who finds themselves “under Torah” or “hupo nomon/nomos is in a bad place NOT because they keep Torah or walk in covenant relationship with the Almighty. We will instead learn that being “under Torah” is something completely different than keeping or walking out Torah. It is a condition that leads to one’s condemnation.

 

Until next time, may you be most blessed fellow saints in Training.

 

Shalom

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Torah Readings and Studies-Deuteronomy 13–Beware of False Prophets

Prophets That Enticed Departure From Covenant 

A most timely Torah Reading this past Sabbath I must say: Deuteronomy 13:1-5, which addressed the issue of false prophets amongst Yah’s set-apart people. This mitzvah (or commandment) was not so much against those who would deliver “forth-telling” messages to Yah’s covenant people, but rather those false prophets who would deliver “forth-telling messages” that entice Yah’s people to break and depart from the covenant relationship they had with the Almighty. 

I described this reading as timely because we are witnessing a proliferation of self-proclaimed prophets out and about on various platforms fleecing Yah’s people and enticing them to abandon their covenant relationship with the Eternal. What do I mean by such a statement. I’ll explain a little later on in this write-up. 

What is the Hebraic Understanding and Definition of a Prophet?

The popular secular and religious understanding of a “prophet” these days is that of someone who claims they’ve received a message from “God.” That received message is typically related to some relevant future event that the so-called prophet declares will affect the lives of their followers and supporters. However, is this understanding consistent with the Bible’s or the Hebrew explanation of a prophet?  

When we do a little digging using some extra-Biblical resources, we can gain a more precise understanding of what a prophet–or rather a false prophet–truly is. 

The Hebraic Understanding of a Prophet

The English term “prophet” in the Hebrew is “nabiy‘ .” 

According to the Gesenius Lexicon (ed. Tregelles), “nabiy” is derived from the verb n¹ba± which means to “bubble up, ” “boil forth,” hence, “to pour forth words, like those who speak with fervour of mind or under divine inspiration, as prophets and poets.” to utter revelations from God’s spirit (ecstatic speech) which is the function of the n¹bî°. The mood is said to be active. 

Other writers describe “nabi” in a passive sense. These writers describe the would be prophet as one who receives God’s speech and then proclaims it to an intended audience. 

Still other writers reject the ecstatic nature of the prophets which naturally suggests that true prophets of God simply receive their message from God and deliver their message possessing complete control of their faculties. 

Four Prevailing Scholarly Views of “Nabiy”

There appear to be 4-prevailing views or thoughts related to the Hebrew term “nabiy”:  

1) The term is derived from an Arabic root, naba°a which means “to announce, ” hence to be a “spokesman” (Comill, Koenig, Eiselen, G. A. Smith).  

2) From a Hebrew root, n¹b¹° softened from n¹ba± “to bubble up, ” hence to pour forth words (Gesenius, von Orelli, Kuenen, Girdlestone, Oehler). 

3) From an Akkadian root nabû  which means “to call, ” hence one who is called [by God] (Albright, Rowley, Meek, Scott), or one who felt called of God. 

4) And from an unknown Semitic root (A. B. Davidson, Koehier and Baumgartner, BDB, E. J. Young, Heinisch.) The essential idea in the word is that of an authorized spokesman. 

The prevailing Interpretation then seems to have settled upon the basic thought that is not derived from the term’s etymology, which most agree has been lost to antiquity, but in the general usage of the word. 

 Three Biblical Examples Where Nabiy Was Employed Giving Us a Definition of the Term Prophet

The first example is found in Exodus 6:28-30: 

And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee as God to Pharaoh; and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. Thou shalt speak all that I command thee; and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh” (cf. Exodus 7:1, 2).

Whatever the origin of the word, therefore, a n¹bî° is a person authorized to speak for another. As it related specifically for Aharon, speaking in Moshe’s place to Pharaoh, he was Moshe’s “n¹bî°.” 

The second example is found in the story of where Aharon and Miriam questioned Moshe as being YHVH’s chosen man over the Hebrew nation in Numbers 12:1-2. Of course YHVH Himself intervened in the descension by declaring Moshe to be His chosen man of the hour (so to speak) and that He communicated face-to-face His Will over the nation to Moshe. Yah further informed the pair that he would communicate with prophets via dreams and visions (Numbers 12:4-8)

The third examples occurs just before Moshe’s death. We find in what could be considered as a formal announcement of the office of n¹bî° that would be enacted on a continuing basis in Deuteronomy 18:9-22. Within this passage YHVH prohibits the Hebrews from learning any of the ways of the Canaanites (Deuteronomy 18:9-14). And then Yah declares that a line of prophets would speak (or write) with the same authority that Moshe had spoken (and written). The nation would then be required to obey the words of His chosen nabi (Deuteronomy 18:15, 18, 19).

(There was a time when I thought this last passage was a prophetic declaration given to the nation by YHVH foreshadowing the greatest of all prophets: Yahoshua HaMashiyach. I thought this declaration solely applied to Yeshua. I have since come to accept that this passage most likely applied to all those future spokesmen of the Most High who would represent and deliver YHVH’s Word to the nation, including Yeshua Messiah.)

Fiver Certifying Signs of a Prophet

Scripture provides us with at least 5-certifying signs of a prophet (cf. Psa 74:9; cf. Mt 12:38; Acts 2:22) were announced as follows:

1) The prophet had to be an Israelite. Scripture describes them as being “of thy (the Hebrews’) brethren” (Deuteronomy 18:15, 18).

2) All true prophets must speak in YHVH’s Name: “voice of Jehovah” (Deuteronomy 18:16); “he shall speak in my name” (Deuteronomy 18:19; cf Deuteronomy 18:20). Any who would falsely prophesy, especially in Yah’s Name (i.e., Yah’s authority) would be subject to death (Deuteronomy 18:20; cf Deut 18:1ff; 1Kings 18:20-40).

3) True prophets of YHVH would possess supernatural knowledge of future events as authenticity of their divinely appointmented office (Deuteronomy 18:21-22; cf. 1Kings 22; ; Jer 28, , esp. v. 17).

4) The true prophet of Yah might on divinely appointed occasions perform some other miraculous sign (see Deut 13:1 ff; cf. 1Kings 18:24; and esp. v. 12 36).

5) And lastly, the final test is strict conformity to and agreement with the whole of Torah and other divinely appointed prophets of YHVH (Deuteronomy 13:1-18).

 Exposition of Deuteronomy 13:1-5

In this 13th chapter of Deuteronomy, YHVH addresses the issue of false ones who would proclaim themselves to be prophets and who would attempt to lead those who would hearken unto their words away from YHVH and follow other elohim (that being false-pagan gods) utilizing signs and wonders that would come to pass. Yah commands us not to “shama” these so-called prophets as YHVH would used them to test whether we actually love Him or not (vss. 2-3). We are, instead:

(1) “yalak” (or follow) after YHVH.

(2) “yare” (or fear or reverence Yah).

(3) “shamar” (or keep or guard) Yah’s mitzvot (i.e., Yah’s commandments).

(4) “shama” (or hear, listen and obey) His voice.

(5) ” ‘abad” (or serve) Yah. And

(6) “dabak” (or stay close to) Yah (vs. 4).

 The Ultimate Test of a Nabiy or Prophet

The ultimate test of a prophet is whether or not his/her words are in alignment with Yah’s Word. Regardless whether or not a prophet’s prophesies turn out to be true and or accurate, we are commanded to not follow after the words and teachings of those prophets whose words are not in alignment with Yah’s Words, or better, words that are not in alignment with Scripture.

Father commanded His people to execute those false prophets that entice Yah’s people to break covenant with Him, despite his/her prophesy coming to pass. These false prophets’ works are to be considered evil in our sight and in our lives and they and their evil are to be expunged from our midst.

The So-Called Prophets of Today

We have seen a flurry of self-proclaimed prophets taking center-stage on various communications of late. Many of these would be “spokesmen/spokeswomen” of God have amassed a great many followers and significant financial support from the Christian Community. These self-proclaimed prophets fervently contend that they received their messages from God Himself. Many of their prophesies are of a political nature.

Now, most if not all of these false prophets have delivered prophesies to their constituents that have failed in one or more ways to be true. So their claims of being prophets of God (or Jesus Christ) cannot be true, leaving many of them terribly discredited and abandoned by their countless followers.

The Most Egregious Problem of Today’s False Prophets

From my perspective, the fact that their prophesies did not turn out to be true is not their biggest problem. Not by a long shot. My friends, these false prophets’ most egregious problems rests in their efforts to entice Yah’s people to turn away from their Creator and follow after false gods. How is that even possible you might ask. Well, quite simply this: most if not all of these present day false prophets have not and are not imploring their followers to Teshuvah (ie., turn away from their sinful, lawless lives and turn to the Elohim of Avraham, Yishak and Ya’achov and the Father of our Master Yahoshua HaMashiyach) and establish a true, substantive, covenant relationship with Yehovah, the Creator of the Universe. They’ve encouraged their follow after another gospel that is not the Gospel that our Master and His anointed and chosen Apostles preached and taught us through Yah’s sacred Word.

Instead, these “jack-legged” preachers–these false prophets–have pushed and coerced their followers to seek after the false gospels and faiths of conservatism, patriotism, nationalism and Trumpism. Neither of these concepts is of YHVH. Indeed, they may contain some of the ideals of the True Faith once delivered and some so-called Christian principles for purposes of eliciting the full support of so-called Christians. However, Yah’s covenant people were never instructed to pledge their allegiance to these concepts and principles. In fact, the only concept and principle, if you will, that Father instructed His children to adhere to are those of the Kingdom of YHVH. Yeshua instructed His disciples and by extension us today, to “seek first His (YHVH’s) Kingdom and His righteousness…” (Matthew 6:33). Outside of our Master’s instructions, Yah’s covenant people have no business barking up the trees of conservatism, patriotism and any other ism’s.

The Future Punishment for Today’s False Prophets

Torah instructs that individuals who seek to lead Yah’s people away from a covenant relationship with the Almighty be summarily executed. Surely we who are YHVH’s do not presently live in a “Theocracy,” so to speak–that being a society or nation or community that is governed strictly by YHVH; where Yah’s Torah is the only Law of the land. Simply put: we are then just sojourners in this nation and society and are subject to this nation’s laws and regulations. Thus, we cannot execute false prophets that are among us.

But we can turn a blind eye to them–those false prophets that is. We can also encourage others who would belong to YHVH not to succumb to their false messages. Instead, we must adhere only to those whose messages are in lockstep with the whole of Scripture and who live lives that imitate the life of our Master Yeshua Messiah.

As for the punishment these false prophets will receive, they will have to contend with Yahoshua’s judgments against them. Many of these false prophets may end up hearing those terrible words from our Master: “…I never knew you. Depart from Me, you that work iniquity (i.e., you that work lawlessness) (Matthew 7:23).

Faithfully

Rod Thomas

The Messianic Torah Observer

 

 

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ESV Deuteronomy 13:1 “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder,
2 and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’
3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
4 You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him.
5 But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, to make you leave the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
(Deu 13:1-5 ESV)