Dear Editor,
Torah means instruction, teaching, usually referring to the first five books of the Scriptures. Torah also refers to expressions like “command,” “law,” “word,” “right-rulings,” “statutes,” etc. and are used in the singular or plural.
These relate to a properly constituted society, such as that under Mosheh or the sovereigns of Yisra’el.
English versions do not distinguish between “Torah” and “law.” Sha’ul often referred to “law” as Rabbinic/Pharisaical law.
Quote from the Institute for Scripture Research: “As such, laws which clearly apply within a civil or national context are not to be misapplied by individuals living in a society that is not totally subject to the Torah as its constitution and legal code.”
For example, you may “NOT” decide to stone someone to death for violating the Sabbath. That decision must come from a judge within the framework of a Torah-based nation.
Although these laws are still applicable the context in which they are to be applied is lacking at present. They can only be applied when a Torah-true nation comes into existence, such as when Messiah returns to set up His reign. Yisra’el was still a Torah based nation when Psalms was written.
Psalm 119:1-2: “Blessed are the perfect in the way, who walk in the ‘Torah of Yahuah’! Blessed are those who observe His witnesses, who seek Him with all the heart!”
43-44: “… do not take away from my mouth ‘the word of truth’ entirely, for I have waited for ‘Your right-rulings’; that I might ‘guard your ‘Torah’ continually, FOREVER AND EVER.”
We are not a Torah-based nation but as individuals who love Messiah we can choose to observe and love His Torah. Only the Torah-observant can look forward to His return when He will set up His reign.
Ernest Andrews
Charlotte
Why should I answer your question when you have already stated that "the Bible you are quoting from is error ridden?" It seems you have "sat in judgment" on the Word of God rather than allowing the Word of God to be the final authority in all matters of faith and practice. Cults have followed similar practices, stating that the Bible we have cannot be trusted they have placed themselves as the sole possessors of truth.
I see that you have a problem with the KJV and other translations. Noteworthy is the fact that the Lord Jesus did not have a problem with the Greek translation of the Old Testament. He quoted from the Septuagint on several occasions and referred to it as "Scripture." If a translation was good enough for Him, should they not be good enough for us today?
I will state, however, that if one cannot see the difference between the "Sermon on the Mount" and the "Upper Room Discourse"; between the " Olivet Discourse" and the "letters of Paul”; between the "Mosaic Covenant" and the "New Covenant", between the "promises to Israel" and the "promises to the body of Christ”, well, they are having and will continue to have a great deal of trouble seeing anything clearly in the Word of God.
Something to think about, is it not?
Sincerely,Brett Jones
Has not the death, burial and resurrection of the LORD Jesus Christ accomplished anything? Is not the believer in the Lord Jesus a "new creation?" Are not "old things passed away?" Are we not "risen with Christ" and told to seek the "things that are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God?" Has not the Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit into the world? Did He not come on the Day of Pentecost? Does He not indwell the believer in Christ, seal and empower the Child of God. Are we not told to "walk in the Spirit," to "be strong in the LORD and in the power of His might?" Are we not to "love His appearing" and "love oneanother as He has loved us." Have we not been saved by His grace? Are we not now the "Sons of God" and have we not already "been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ." Have we not been commissioned to "preach the Gospel (Good News) to every creature and have we not been given the "ministry of reconciliation" by which we share with others the great things God has done for them in sending His Son into the world. Are we not told that "all foods are good and to be received with thanksgiving" or must we never again eat BBQ, shrimp and lobster? Did not the Apostle state that we should not allow anyone to judge us concerning "food or drinks, or in the matter of a feast, new moon or sabbath days?" Did not James, Paul, Peter and the other Apostles state that the Law of Moses was a "yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear?" Does not John tell us in John 1:17 that "the Law came by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." Are we not saved by God's grace? Have we not been told to "be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage? Does not the Scripture state "For freedom Christ has set us free, stand firm then and do not be subject to the yoke of slavery."
Did not the Lord Jesus state in Matthew 16 that He would build His church? Is not the church said to be "a mystery" in that it was never once mentioned in the Old Testament scriptures. Is not the church a distinct group as stated by Paul, "give no offence either to the Greek, the Jew, or the Church of God. Do we not have three groups in this statement, the gentiles, the Jew, and the church? Does not a failure to see that the church is not Israel and Israel is not the church always lead to great confusion and heresy.
Is it not simple common sense then to understand that while all the Scripture was written for our benefit it most surely was not all written to us directly. Has not the LORD dealt differently with Adam, Noah, Abraham and Moses? Has not the tremendous events of our Savior's death and resurrection changed anything in the lives of those who believe on Him to salvation? Did Paul not state that "for him, to live was Christ." Did he not say that "the life he lived he lived by faith in the Son of God who loved him and died for him?" Does not the Scripture declare that "the just shall live by faith and the Law is not of faith."
Does not the Scripture tell us to "grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ?" Did not Paul state that he would trade absolutely nothing for the great joy of knowing Jesus? Did he not say that the things he could brag about in the flesh he counted as "dung"? Is it not true that only ONE person deserves the glory, praise and honor for all things, our Savior and God, Jesus Christ. Does not the Scripture state that "Let those who boast, boast in the LORD? Are we not to "proclaim the praises of Him who saved us?" I know then you will not mind if I continue to brag about the LORD JESUS rather than talk about the importance of the Mosaic Law given to Israel and in regard to which it is stated that "Christ is the end of the Law with the result that there is righteousness for everyone that believes (Romans 10:1-4)".
Sincerely, Brett Jones
Where in the Bible does it state that "only the Torah observant can look forward to His return when He will set up His Kingdom?"
Where in the Bible does it state that a believer in Christ Jesus is to "keep the Sabbath" or that New Testament believers are under obligation to keep the Mosaic Covenant given to Israel?
The Apostle Paul told the believers at Thessalonica in chapter one "We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come."
In 2 Thessalonians 1:10 Paul stated that when Christ returns to Jerusalem that "He shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day." Not because they tried to keep the Mosaic Law but because they believed the Gospel Paul proclaimed to them, the fact that Christ died for their sins, was buried, and arose from the dead. (1 Corinthians 15:1-3)
Do not the words of the LORD Jesus Christ mean anything? " For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:16-18
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." John 5:24 (KJV)
Even Israel will be saved by God's grace when Jesus returns to Jerusalem as foretold by the Prophet Zechariah in chapter 12. "And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn."
The basis for Israel's deliverance and salvation is the New Covenant instituted by the LORD Jesus Christ at His death not the Mosaic Covenant.
"Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. Jeremiah 31:31-34
How more clearly could Paul have stated it than in Galatians 3 where he said "we are no longer under a schoolmaster."
"Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
Friends, the good news is that Christ died for our sins, He paid our penalty, the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Salvation is by God's grace, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, given freely to all who call on His Name by faith. This is what John stated in John 20:30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
There is a reason they call it the Good Book and the Gospel of Christ, the good news! Christ came to save sinners, that is why He died for you and me, why not ask Him to be your Savior, He is able to save completely.
Sincerely, Brett Jones
Did you notice what is missing in this article? There is no mention of God's grace, the Holy Spirit, the finished work of Christ or the glorious Gospel of Christ. Has not the author ever heard of the NEW COVENANT as foretold by the LORD in Jeremiah 31:31-33 and instituted by the Lord Jesus at His death (Hebrews 9)?
Again we see the result of not "rightly dividing the Word of God" as Paul warned in 2 Timothy 2:15. Those who cannot see the difference between the Law of Moses and the Grace of God are truly blind indeed.
John stated in John 1:14 "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."
Though God became a man without ceasing to be God, died on a cross for the sins of the world, was raised from the dead, sent His Holy Spirit to seal and indwell believers in Christ, commissioned them to "preach the Gospel to every creature" and promised to "prepare a place for us and return to receive us unto Himself forever, the author above makes no mention of these monumental events but seeks rather to place us back under the Law of Moses.
The Apostle Paul described his Christian life with the words "Christ liveth in me." Note his words in plain English from Galatians 2:15 "We Jews know that we have no advantage of birth over "non-Jewish sinners."We know very well that we are not set right with God by rule-keeping but only through personal faith in Jesus Christ. How do we know? We tried it—and we had the best system of rules the world has ever seen! Convinced that no human being can please God by self-improvement, we believed in Jesus as the Messiah so that we might be set right before God by trusting in the Messiah, not by trying to be good. Have some of you noticed that we are not yet perfect? (No great surprise, right?) And are you ready to make the accusation that since people like me, who go through Christ in order to get things right with God, aren't perfectly virtuous, Christ must therefore be an accessory to sin? The accusation is frivolous. If I was "trying to be good," I would be rebuilding the same old barn that I tore down. I would be acting as a charlatan. What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn't work. So I quit being a "law man" so that I could be God's man. Christ's life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine," but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that. Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God's grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily.You crazy Galatians! Did someone put a hex on you? Have you taken leave of your senses? Something crazy has happened, for it's obvious that you no longer have the crucified Jesus in clear focus in your lives. His sacrifice on the Cross was certainly set before you clearly enough. Let me put this question to you: How did your new life begin? Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God's Message to you? Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren't smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it?"
Yes, "how do you suppose you could perfect it?"
Sincerely, Brett Jones