Not Applicable
Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds. 2 Corinthians 11:15 NASB
According to their deeds – Paul was afraid that his readers would be led astray. He was afraid they would embrace “another Jesus,” one not found as leader of the Way, a sect of Jewish living (see Today’s Word for November 27). In fact, he suggests that men will come who will preach someone other than the Jewish Messiah. These men will disguise themselves as Yeshua’s emissaries, but they will actually be like Satan who disguises himself as an angel of light. Nevertheless, in the end they will be shown for who they really are. How? Why, by their doctrines, of course! Right? NO! Not right at all. In the end, they will be judged according to their deeds.
The Greek phrase Paul uses is estai kata ta erga auton. Literally this is, “to be according to the work of them.” In other words, they will be judged by what they do. But wait! I thought Paul was the paradigm proponent of grace! I thought we all agreed that men are no longer judged by what they do but rather by their confession of the saving power of Jesus. I thought we weren’t under the law anymore. If that’s true, then how is it that Paul says these men will be judged by their “works” (erga)? There is absolutely no circumstance under which that word can be read as “grace.” It is about action, work, deeds, human labor and righteous endeavor. These men, who claim to be servants of righteousness, are really workers of iniquity. And they will be judged accordingly. In fact, one of the basic tenets of Scripture is that God recompenses us according to our works. The idea that what we do doesn’t really matter after the advent of the Messiah is completely false. God’s justice presupposed reward and punishment based on obedience. Even deceivers are judged on the basis of their performance.
Now this raises a very important question. If these men pretend righteousness but are in fact working on behalf of Satan, how can we tell? The answer is given in the previous verses. If they proclaim a different Messiah, one who is not the Messiah Paul knew, who is not the man chosen by God to defeat the final enemy, rule the world on God’s behalf and bring the Kingdom to earth, then they are deceivers. If they proclaim a non-Jewish savior, an incarnate God who no longer comes for Israel, a logos fit for Greek philosophy but foreign to Jewish life, then they are leading astray. If they assert that the new assembly has replaced the Mosaic revelation, that God has abandoned profligate Israel, that the elect are no longer subject to the nationalistic God of the “Old Testament,” then Paul would consider them deceivers. They might even believe what they say. They themselves might be deceived. But it doesn’t matter. In the end they will be judged by what they do, not how carefully they can articulate the dogmas. And what they do will be measured by the same standard Paul preached all of his life—the standard of Torah.
We tend to misinterpret Paul’s designation of disguised servants. We think these men are base souls, in league with Satan, foisting unconscionable idiocy on the masses. I doubt that is what he has in mind. It’s simply too obvious. An angel of light does not appear in Halloween costume. If I think about what Paul faced in Corinth, I am much more likely to consider his deceivers as those who make only the smallest of twists on the message. Like the serpent in the garden, they agree with what God says. They only suggest that it can be altered ever so slightly just to fit what is more comfortable, more acceptable, more accommodating. If you and I are really under grace, then what’s all this fuss about meat, or the day of worship or sexual identification procedures? Does it really make any difference? After all, your heart is in the right place, isn’t it? Surely God, the God of love, can’t really expect you to be that strict? Didn’t Jesus die to save you from all these petty rules? An angel of light doesn’t demand. He suggests.
Paul was afraid for his readers. So am I. When I think about those who proclaim a Jesus the apostles wouldn’t know and a way of life foreign to the way of Paul, I can think of only one worldwide group suggesting subtle alterations. For the most part, I believe these men (and women) have also been deceived. But I’m afraid that ignorance is no excuse under the law.
Topical Index: deceivers, disguise, ergon, works, grace, Satan, 2 Corinthians 11:15
I honestly think we need to tread lightly here when we want to refer to this “worldwide group” as the ones who “disguise” themselves and will actually be “like Satan”. Especially if we’re talking about Christians as a whole.
If this isn’t about “doctrine” and more about “what we do”, then I personally know many many Christians that “do” a awful lot of good deeds. Like take care of the widow, homeless, fatherless and needy etc.
If we’re setting aside doctrine, then we need to set aside doctrine. Because the reality is, that many Christians walk out an amazing amount of Torah and good deeds, or works. If we’re talking about not keeping the Sabbath or not eating Kosher, then we should think about how much of that is just doctrine. I know far more Christians that do good deeds, for the above mentioned people, then I do Messianic Torah observant people or whatever we want to label ourselves.
When I look at myself, I think about the fact that before I came into a “whole bible” or Torah observant life, I didn’t even have a clue that Saturday was the 7th day. I never even gave a second thought to Monday not being the 1st day of the week. I’m just saying… I mean I’ve been keeping the Shabbat and feast days for so long now I don’t even consider that fact much anymore.
It just seems to me that we really like to take out a lot of our own issues on the Christian “Church”. I’m just not going to say, or even imply, that some how the “Christian church” carries out less of Torah or do less good deeds then I do just because I happen to have a little better doctrine based on a whole bible view today then I had 5 or 6 years ago.
I think we’re sadly mistaken to think that most, all or whatever of the Christian worldwide groups are disguising themselves and are some how by default not “doing good deeds” that will matter when our Messiah returns.
You know, having started out my Torah observant life with Hassidic Jews, I learned really quickly how most of them get into “mystical” things. Like Kabbalah, the Zohar etc. It’s pretty much a given when they hit about 30. I just wouldn’t want to think that some how by default they would be considered any less “disguised” as adversaries then those of the Christian “groups” that adamantly oppose Torah. I only say that because it just seems like we begin to place a higher relevance on our Jewish brothers and sister then we do our Christian brothers and sisters who at least confess Yeshua as Messiah.
Just some random thoughts after I read the post.
Your post illustrates the fact that our life is a journey. One does not stand idle while on a journey.
It is NOT about legalism at all and I do not believe that Christians are the only group who have “fakes” within them. The “fakes” are everywhere but truly, Y-H has given us His word and sent those who would live it out for us to see. The only one perfect was the Son-Jesus Christ but he is an awesome example of what can be depending on our choices.
Yes, it all shows in our choices and what our lives look like. “Just do the right thing” has become a self motto for me and something I frequently remind others of. Isn’t this what the Good Samaritan demonstrates for us?
Some get the opportunity to have a long journey while others journeys are short, sometimes very short. We all have choices to make and lives to live out. I don’t believe we can throw the baby out with the bath water but we don’t have to climb into the bath with the baby either! Lead by example and continue to learn and drink deeply of the Living Water. We must live fully the present day while remembering the past and everything Y-H has done. I sometimes tend to live in the future far to much and I miss what is right now in front me.
You raise good points here, Mark.
I appreciate your compassion for those who are doing their best in ignorance and I am quite sure YHVH knows them. But I was surprised to see you refer to Shabbat as “doctrine,” in a negative sense. Isn’t the keeping of Sabbath THE distinguishing mark of God’s people? Does God judge Israel for forsaking it? Don’t the prophets warn again and again about not honoring this COMMANDMENT, which I take to be eternal. It doesn’t seem like “doctrine” to me. Maybe you would care to respond.
Yes sorry about that. I surely don’t see the keeping of Shabbat as doctrine. What I was trying to get across, and I can see it didn’t come through correctly as intended, was that, like I tried to explain in my 4th paragraph, before I came into a “whole bible” understanding, and knew for certain that it all applied to me and all Israel, I always thought the 7th day was a Sunday and Monday would therefore be the 1st day.
So, when I get into this discussion of the 7th day Sabbath and how it always has and always will, apply to all of God’s chosen people, Israel, with some of my Christian brothers and sisters, I find that to be the case with many of them as well.
It’s been my opinion, that no matter which actual day on our current Gregorian calendar you think the Shabbat is(the 7th day), keep it as we’re told to do to honor the Sabbath day. I’m pretty certain it has to do with the culture we’ve been in for over a thousand or so years that we confuse the day of the week that Saturday is. And I’m not in anyway shape or form talking about the “changing of the Sabbath to Sunday” either. That’s a whole different topic.
In my saying the Shabbat is sometimes a doctrine, I’m referring to the reality of this culture in the understanding of which is the 7th day. I know, and I know friends that know, Christians that completely honor the Sabbath day on Sunday. Completely set it aside as we’re told too. So are we to say that they’re ignorant of fakes? And do we really think that in “That Day” when Yeshua Judges all our deeds, He’s going to say, “well since you didn’t get the 7th day figured out correctly, depart from me”? I don’t see that as representative of our Messiah.
And I also can’t help but keeping in my mind that Yeshua Himself said that there will be those in the Kingdom that taught against and didn’t keep the Torah. Who they are and in what capacity the context of that is, I’m not able to know or figure out completely, not without guessing. Hence, my comment that we need to really tread lightly when it comes to laying out a bunch of harsh words or judgments on our Christian brothers and sisters. And remember, that no matter what, the majority of them confess Yeshua/Jesus as Lord and Saviour. And will no doubt be in the world to come with Him.
It’s a huge tendency, once people come out of the so called “Pagan” Christian arena, and become all “Hebrew” high and mighty minded, that we start calling all the great scholarship and many Christian scholars that came before us, errant, deficient. ignorant, fakes, Pagans or whatever an end up tossing or writing off all that scholarship as wrong. I find the more I honestly study, that much of that scholarship has a great deal of basis and relevance and more then we sometimes like to admit too.
Hi Mark,
I hope this scenario works 🙂
A scrutineer will check over a race vehicle in accordance with a set of proscribed specifications. If the vehicle does not comply, there is no race for that driver.
Does it matter that the team engineer tried his best? Or that he tweaked this or that spec’ because he thought it was a good idea, hoping the scrutineer would see the merit of it and pass the vehicle?
Our yardstick, by which we will be measured, is the Torah is it not?
I am a newbie believer in “The Way”, an ex old school Christian. Can I compromise, can I tweak the Word to suit my own ends/comfort? If so, I guess it is business as usual; new name, and same old same old.
Hello Kevin
Sometimes those specifications have variances. And yes, leeway. We should keep in mind things like;
Isaiah 11:3-4 And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
I fully understand the zeal with which we approach Torah when Adonai sees fit, by His grace, mercy and compassion on us, to open our hearts and eyes to His Torah. And I fully admit, that for a good few years I was a terrible “Torah terrorist”. I said terrible things to my Christian brothers and sisters. God, convicted my heart and I had a lot of sucking it up and apologizing to do.
In the last couple years, my heart and mind has relaxed some and I’m able to more clearly see and understand the amazing compassion and mercy that my great God and redeemer, Yeshua Messiah has for me and all that are His. I have no doubt, when we enter into His rest, we’re seriously gonna be kicking ourselves in the rear when we see who all He saves. I just find it more and more to be a good policy to be very careful about who I place my walk above and who I speak harshly about.
Many things still are and always will be, at least until He returns, a mystery. Like for example the plurality and oneness of Yeshua/YHVH. Just sayin…
Blessings to you and your home kevin.
Thank you Mark,
You made me smile, I know I have, in my time, been a zealous (albeit ill informed) Christian and ardent Creationist. Maybe I need to take a step back and see the wood. Heaps of studying required.
Thanks again.
Blessings toyouand yours.
You are right. The standard is Torah. There is no way around that if we read the Scriptures in cultural context. But here’s the small caveat. The application of this standard comes first to me. While I can recommend, exhort, plead and instruct others, it is MY standard first. While I can warn, teach, demonstrate to others, they must choose even if I have made it clear that God expects Torah. So I hold myself accountable but I must show considerable grace for others. After all, I was once a slave in Egypt too.
And I too know lots and lots of Christians who do so many good works, love God and try to follow Him. I do not hold them accountable since they are living according to what they have been taught. But the teachers? Yes, they are accountable. They should have known. Augustine isn’t God. Neither is Calvin or Luther or the Pope. The history is there for anyone to understanding and investigate. The texts have context. Those who teach others that Torah doesn’t matter will be the ones who hear, “But Lord, didn’t we preach in Your name? Didn’t we cast out demons?”
1800 years of error does not make something true. But, on the other hand, I love and use material from Christian commentators and scholars all the time. There are men IN BOTH CAMPS who seek God, have insight into His words and offer very helpful scholarship. There are also men on both sides who are way off course. My evaluation depends on their ability to reveal WHAT THE TEXT SAYS. Sometimes I have to cull out of doctrine (e.g., even great works like TWOT have doctrinal ideas incorporated into the word studies. Ah, but SO DO I). I just have to be aware when I see it. But on the big paradigm issue (like replacement theology or original sin), 1800 years of scholarship doesn’t make it true.
Thank you Skip. You’re voice is certainly “As one crying in the Wilderness: ‘Make straight the paths of the Lord!'”
Mark,
My wife and I were having this same conversation last night, as Skip addressed this very thing you are saying in a post yesterday on his “Fair Warning” TW. I certainly see what you are saying and tend to agree except (and I am not sure how this plays out) I see Hollywood, superstars, billionaires, etc (those who we would call the world) taking care of orphans, the poor, the sick on a much grander scale then the church does. What is the difference? I don’t THINK we can just say because the church is doing these things that makes them followers of Torah….or can it? And if we do say that then we have to say of the rest of the world that they are being “Torah Observant” also…..Again I am just stating the tension in my own head.
Jesus said this is the way he would separate the “sheep nations from the goat nations” right? Feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and visiting those in prison. SO I COULD walk away from his statements and say, “that is the only factor that will determine entrance into the Kingdom.” (In fact what nation has done that better then America! We are always coming to the aide of those that need our help) But that would be taking one Scripture about the Kingdom out of the context of the rest of the scripture and in essence creating a “doctrine” out of that one scripture.
Also another one to think about: Matthew 7:15-20 Jesus says, “Beware of false prophets in sheep clothing but INWARDLY are ravenous wolves……You will know them by their fruit.” This is one of the scariest passages in the Bible to me (concluding with verses 21-22). Because if I read it correctly, then feeding, clothing, etc CANNOT be the ONLY determining factor. Because you will know them by their fruit. We would all list those things (charitable acts) as “sheep” fruit right? But those are things that are done outwardly! It seems to me that what we would normally CALL fruit COULD be a sheep suit! Its “inwardly” that they are wolves. What if outwardly they are doing the works that the church, the messianic movements, Buddhist, Hindus, and the rest of the world does but inwardly despise YHWH’s Torah/instruction…..Oh and if that’s not enough, a bad tree cannot bear good fruit and a good tree cannot bear bad fruit! YIKES! It seems to me here that if “inwardly they are wolves and you will know them by their fruits and a bad tree cannot…..” Then there MUST be only ONE standard for fruit bearing. It cannot, it must not be up to my personal interpretation as to what good fruit/bad fruit consists of. It must be determined by, “YHWH said…..”
Again just my inner tensions as I wade through this…..
David,
You wrote “What if outwardly they are doing the works that the church, the messianic movements, Buddhist, Hindus, and the rest of the world does but inwardly despise YHWH’s Torah/instruction…..” To this I would answer that we will then, ultimately, know them by their fruit. Yeshua’s statement that “you will know them by their fruit” is not qualified by any indication of “when” we will ultimately know them. Just know that you will, one day, know them, just as we will be fully known. No need to fear them. They will answer for their deeds and for their hearts. We will answer for ours. Do they hate YHWH and do good deeds to deceive or do they love YHWH and fail in good deeds because of their flesh? What about us? YHWH will get it right in the end. Aren’t we called to love, and thereby obey Torah, regardless of the actions or motives of others. If I love someone who loves me, well even the pagans do that!
Good points. And please understand that most of what I stated in my post is about me and if I am measuring up myself
In respone to the hate YHWH vs love YHWH, it’s very plain according to 1 John what loving God is. If that’s loving God then it follows that “hating” Him would be just the opposite. We can’t say motive is what matters and leave it at that. It’s not that simple. (I would highly reccommend Abraham Heschel’s “God In Search of Man” for more on this). There are very “good people” who want nothing to do with God or the church that do wonderful charitable things, with good motives, and vice versa. I know some very well. And honestly I would rather spend time with them then in would a lot of “church folks”. I know that sounds kinda blunt but I’m just being transparent.
I absolutley agree with “love covers and mercy first”. That’s the way I want to be treated after all. I will always try to err on the side of forgiveness and overlooking fault. I will admit, I’m not always as succesful as I want to be at it! At the same time I see how confronting mindsets, paradigms, and false beliefs can be very upsetting to some. And not just those who hold those beliefs but those who think that exposing them is not “walking in love”.
I am convinced we/I would not have been fond of the way Jesus, John, Paul, or the prophets handled false religion and the religious of their day.
This brings to mind “Love covers a multitude of sins”. I have read that two ways. First, if the love of God has been welcomed into my heart, then that transformation process is going to be working from WHEREVER I may be starting from (my sinful self), and moving forward from there. And I want to ask, what about those who have little to NO Scripture, or have been confused by doctrine to the point they have made a (wise) decision to just scrap doctrine, considering the circumstances? Second, I am supposed to be going around covering, instead of exposing, others in their sin. Like Mark Randall just did. He just covered a whole bunch of sin for a whole bunch of folks, thus giving them room to continue fellowship with him and time for the Holy Spirit to convict.
Now, what do we do about error? What if people are doing right for all the wrong reasons, like those who strained gnats and were swallowing camels, or those who gave for ostentation, or those who were white-washed sepulchres? But what if folks are doing wrong for all the right reasons? What if they set out to shed the love of God abroad from their hearts, even though they are eating, resting and celebrating all wrong?
God knows our hearts. That’s all I can say. I decided that, in regards to others, I am going to just have to love them all, give them the benefit of the doubt in my heart, let the Holy Spirit of God have the room God needs, and let God sort them out. There. I trust I have successfully separated people from their error. Including myself!
Now that we have error isolated over here in a corner, what to do with it? Error is that which works against love, and causes suffering. It prevents love from having its perfect work. If I regard sin (the lack of love) in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. That’s strong! Actions are a natural extension of the heart. There is no way for me to want to love another in my heart without it busting out somewhere! And, conversely, if I am trying to disguise a lack of love for someone else by ostentatious and overt action, will He not know it?
What is the Law? Is it not the best way to actually love God, self and others? The ONLY way, in fact? People have been brainwashed so long, I think even the best of us think that love can somehow happen outside that Law, but, really now, can it? If the bald statement that love is the perfection, expression, completion and full action of the Law, but we STILL read it, on the one side, as if we can throw away the Law now that we have love(!), but on the other hand, the rest of us are reading it as if it doesn’t matter if the motivation of the heart is not love as long as the actions are correct, then what are BOTH sides really saying about the Law? Are they not both agreeing that somehow, the Law is NOT LOVE?????? Or that Love is NOT LAW????? Then that would make everybody reading wrong, would it not? And the snake is just having another good day…….
To David F. and just regarding to your mentioning of the hollywood stars doing good deeds. The thing is why you do it? Are you doing it to hit front page news or because it is your duty? The rest don’t matter, But He who knows our hearts knows and will judge and reward accordingly. And don’t forget, even in the midst of the weed there is also wheat.
It seems Christianity as a whole seems good for food (well, not kosher food anyway), pleasing to the eye (well, it looks good on Sunday, anyway), and desirable to make wise (well, in a Greek, western kind of way anyway).
Havah was deceived. That deception convinced Adam to forsake YHWH’s word. Bam! The door opened. It’s not about YHWH overlooking it, it’s that they transgressed in to death, out of life, out of Torah instructions. YHWH’s grace was not about overlooking but rectifying the results of their actions. Halvah’s actions had good intentions and was heart felt for her man, however . . . it produced death. Adam simply shelved the direct instructions of YHWH from the simplest twists of words. They created a doctrine that opposed Torah and died. Bam! The door opened and they stepped in it.
The line is Torah. Crossing it produces death. We can’t change the line. All we can do as participants in this arena is engage in life within Torah and point our and warn of death outside of Torah, for ourselves and others. I see it that we are obligate in this.
I don’t see how error can be covered by pretending it is not there or not important. I don’t know how YHWH provided atonement, but he did. I do know how death was defeated though. It was defeated by living inside the boundary of Torah as lived by Yeshua. His fully compliant Torah life was the only thing that death was powerless against.
It seems to me we are obliged to study and master a Torah life if we are to reside in life. Atonement has been accomplished sometime, somehow before creation by YHWH. The death problem was resolved by
Yeshua’s life on earth through his death-killing crucifixion. It seems we remain in the saga of, generation by generation, figuring out and living out to completion and maturity the result of that atonement and end of death program that YHWH has orchestrated in reality.
YHWH has covered our lacking state. Yeshua opened the door permanently to life after we, as a people, stepped in to death. Life is life. Life is deliberate walking out of Torah, not our best rendition of what looks good, looks pleasing and looks wise, in other words, deception.
Someone please tell me where I’ve diminished this issue to the point of error.
Very well said Michael C.
I still think the real problem is the Greek, pagan attempt to insist that somehow mind, body and soul can be separate from each other, that somehow they can exist on their own, apart from each other, that, in fact, they can be ISOLATED from each other; that you can have something going down in one without it simultaneously going down in the others as well. In fact, if the Hebrew concept that we are not separate constituents, but are, in fact, one indivisible whole, then mind, body and soul are just simply different ways of saying “me”. I am no less me at any time in my body as in my heart or my mind, and if I am believing it or thinking it, then my body is doing it too. And vice versa. Now, it gets sticky. If my thoughts and my beliefs are going to reflect what my body is doing, then what am I saying? My body cannot do something that is not a directive from me (my spirit). If it is ill, or having a seizure (God forbid) or just slobbing around in the kitchen, or even doing good deeds, then is it not just a reflection of how my brain, and my HEART TOO, is operating? Ok, I am ducking, here!
I repeat, the body may be partly on automatic, but even though the autonomic nervous system lies outside our overt control, the body does not just do its ‘own’ thing; it still is a reflection of direction. if we go back to the Garden, we could conceive of a time in which the First People were in conscious directiveness of their every heart beat. But, that still does not mean the heartbeat I have today does not still reflect where I am at. When I am afraid, the CNS jacks up heart rate first, does it not? And what about those TIbetan monks sitting there in the snow, sweating away with no clothes on, just by thinking?
But what about being slaves to sin? Perhaps the part of my life that can be seen is also showing just how much I am under the hammer. And I still maintain that the curses are a blessing from God, Who uses even our enslavement to sin as a chastising tool to weed out rotten heart issues. Otherwise, if we were left to all the ways we are doing the works of death, I know for myself, at least, I would be instantly consumed at least several times a day! I am just a little kid in a VERY DANGEROUS PLACE. If I was not separated just a little from my heart rate, which my body has a lot of ways to try to keep steady, I would be killing myself with a heart attack a whole lot with fear! Fear shows up all over the body. When I am walking outside of faith, my body is in torment, not to mention my mind, which will be thinking insane thoughts simultaneously. I cannot separate fear from the rest of me. I think the curses associated with fear are all ways to slow down that death so that I can have a chance to look again at my choices, and, God willing, hopefully choose against fear next time. Praise Him for all His marvelous ways! Including His correction, lest I be instantly consumed!
Yes, we are all so sick these days. I wonder how much of it is because our forbears, and ourselves, did not consider the Biblical directives about health practices as important, because they were not about what we thought in our minds or believed in our heart? But what if what I ate directly influenced how well I operated spiritually and mentally? What if my stinkin’ thinkin’ showed up all over my body, mouth and behavior, even though I did a whole bunch of good deeds in an attempt to disguise it? What if even the little birds of the air could notice anyway? Who am I fooling? And we all know Who reads the heart….
I agree, you can’t use a Greek map to arrive at the Hebrew destination. A paradigm shift is imperative.
Wasn’t asking the woman at the well for a drink of water or telling the parable of the Good Samaritan a paradigm shift? Wasn’t almost everything He did and said a paradigm shift? The Messiah found a Way for East to meet West and those who were far off were brought near. The barrier of the dividing wall was broken down. The half Greek Stephen prayed much like the Messiah when the Hebrews stoned him for telling the truth. “Forgive them. Don’t hold this sin against them. They don’t know what they’re doing.” Wasn’t sharing a meal with someone pretty significant? Yeshua ate with sinners. He lived with sinners. He chose a betrayer as a disciple. He healed sinners. He loved sinners. He taught sinners. He wept over sinners. He gave His life for sinners. He prayed for sinners. He did all this in the flesh as a man on earth according to the Scriptures. Isn’t the “map” the Voice of the Spirit? That tongue is fiery in any language! I want to love. Maybe I don’t know exactly what healthy Biblical love looks like. I do know that I probably would not have picked Saul as the apostle to the Gentiles when he was persecuting followers of Yeshua. So, if I love everyone as best I can presently, I may just be loving the next Paul. If I will only love or accept those who believe as I do, I’m in for a lonely existence and a pretty miserable one too.
Do we love someone when we fail to tell them the truth? I’m not talking about bashing someone over the head with Torah, but can’t we be prepared to explain why we live the way we do, without feeling the need to be apologetic that the Torah way of life demands a change from typical Christian beliefs? Yeshua said if we love Him, we would follow His commandments. When our Christian family and friends say to us, “we live under grace, so we don’t need all those old commandments,” aren’t THEY the ones questioning OUR decision to live by Torah? We’re not attacking them when we respond with the truth about what the apostolic writers meant, and it is not unloving to take a firm stance in what we believe. I think it becomes a problem when we insist that others must believe the way we believe. I can’t make you believe anything, even the truth. Belief is a choice. Isn’t that the very foundation that God established when He placed the snake in the Garden? Ultimately, each of us has to choose for ourselves, act on our choice, and then be prepared for the results of our choice.
I have family and friends who won’t even consider anything other than traditional Christian doctrine. All I can do is continue to live out Torah in front of them, without apology, but with a willingness to discuss why I keep Shabbat; why I don’t eat pork or shellfish; and why I don’t participate in Christmas, Easter, etc. Most of the time, they don’t want to discuss it anymore, and I don’t bring it up. But it doesn’t change what I do, because what I do is my witness.
I agree. It’s the life you live that most people read. However, we should probably take every opportunity to demonstrate and explain the shift in paradigm. I think we are called to do that. This isn’t the typical evangelism. I am not going to knock on your door with a Torah handout. But I am going to raise questions for you when the circumstances are right. Oh, yes. And you cannot disciple a stranger.
Amein! I firmly believe in asking questions these days than answering them, and would seize/watch out for every opportunity to put in a word to challenge folks on why they do/believe in such and such a thing. I also believe we have an obligation to share what revelations/insights/lessons/testimonies that have come our way in the course of our walk with YHWH, doing our part in delivering others from ignorance/darkness, when ABBA has given us the wonderful opportunity/ies.
It should be a tremendous joy to see others being set free from oppressions.
That is our/your calling!
Keep up the excellent work, Skip! Blessings to you and Rosanne.
ABBA’s hand is continuously upon you in your TWs and ministry travels. Shalom!
Interesting quote from chabad-
” True growth means to be able to shed our belief systems and opinions in the light of still higher truth.”
I was just reading this section of Psalm 119 and it made me think of this TW and the comments. One line that stood out was “You reject all who stray from your laws, for what they deceive themselves with is false.” That is pretty much right to the point and I don’t see much room to wiggle around it.
Psalm 119:113-120 (CJB)
ם (Samekh)
I hate doubleminded people, but I love your Torah.
You are my hiding-place and shield; I put my hope in your word.
Leave me alone, you evildoers, so that I can keep my God’s mitzvot.
Uphold me, as you promised; and I will live; don’t disappoint me in my
hope.
Support me; and I will be saved, always putting my attention on your laws.
You reject all who stray from your laws, for what they deceive themselves with is false.
You discard the wicked of the earth like slag; this is why I love your instruction.
My body trembles for fear of you; your rulings make me afraid.