What Is the Gospel?
Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, Romans 1:1 NASB
Gospel– Yesterday we learned that euangélion, the Greek word usually translated “gospel” is the good news of Yeshua’s enthronement. It is not primarily about our personal salvation. Matthew Bates convincingly argues that a “gospel” that focuses on personal rescue and entry to heaven is grossly mistaken and creates serious theological misdirection. Bates writes: “. . . final salvation is not primarily about the individual soul going to heaven, but about embodied transformation as the individual participates alongside others in the holistic restoration of the entire cosmos . . .”[1] But when Bates attempts to answer the question, “What is the euangélion?” things seem to go awry.
Bates argues that the real gospel must include all of the following:
Jesus the king
1) preexisted with the Father,
2) took on human flesh, fulfilling God’s promises to David,
3) died for sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
4) was buried,
5) was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
6) appeared to many,
7) is seated at the right hand of God as Lord, and
8) will come again as judge.[2]
According to Bates, denying any of these eight propositions means that the person is not a citizen of the Kingdom and is not “saved.” Consequently, Bates goes to great lengths to prove from the Scriptures that Jesus is the second person of the Godhead, divine and human at that same time, and that he existed eternally as God before and after the incarnation. Bates claims that all the apostles believed this to be true. He uses the standard Trinitarian arguments from the text (which are quite familiar). It never seems to occur to him that Paul and the apostles never deny any of their Jewish heritage or Jewish monotheism. In fact, they claim to maintain the orthodoxy of their Jewish heritage.
We could investigate Bates’ Trinitarian arguments, but since they are no different than ones we have seen before, there is little point in continuing the debate here. However, Bates’ claims about the true euangélion (the eight propositions above) lead him to an interesting and difficult dilemma. If Jesus is king, then he expects his subjects to live according to the rules of the Kingdom, just as any monarch would. Those rules seem to be the Mosaic law (the Torah), as clearly indicated by Yeshua’s own words. But this contradicts Bates’ claim that Paul and the apostles left behind the rule-oriented behavior of the Jews when they adopted the true euangélion, based on God’s grace demonstrated in the Son. In other words, Bates wants to show that Christianity is not Jewish, that it surpasses the Jewish idea of obedience to Torah, but, at the same time, requires an appropriate obedience to the new “rules” of the Kingdom of Christ. With this in mind, Bates juggles constant references to Torah in the writings of the apostles. He has to show that Torah is not obligatory for Kingdom citizens, but he cannot dismiss all expectations of the king. The Kingdom is not anarchy. “. . . for Paul, acceptance of the Christ gift demands embodied allegiance (obedience) as an obligatory return.”[3] But Bates quickly dismisses Paul’s own proclamation of Torah obedience: “Paul’s pistis-not-works polemic seeks to undercut any rule-based system—and the law of Moses is Paul’s premier example . . .”[4] Apparently Bates can ignore Paul’s definitive demonstration that he was Torah observant (Acts 21:24)[5]and a host of texts from his writings about the place of Torah in the Kingdom. Bates has painted himself into a corner. He cannot argue that the Kingdom of the Christ is without any rules for living, yet he must deny that the Kingdom is Jewish for no orthodox Jew would accept his Trinitarian position. As a result, he constantly equivocates about what it means to be obedient. He wants a Christian moral base without a Jewish God. He wants required obedience to the King without the Torah. Unfortunately, he isn’t alone. The majority of Christian thought is based on this attempt to have a morality without Torah. Otherwise Christianity would be Jewish and the Messiah, the King, would be Jewish. Bates’ argument is one more (sophisticated) example of replacement theology. He might be right that the Church has truncated the gospel, but until he accepts the fact that Yeshua is a Jewish Messiah, he will simply end up in the corner of the painted floor.
Topical Index: gospel, euangélion, kingdom, rules, Torah, Paul, Romans 1:1
[1]Matthew Bates, Salvation by Allegiance Alone, p.131 (italics in the original)
[2]Ibid., p.52 (italics in the original)
[5]for further texts showing Paul as entirely Jewish in his lifestyle, see http://www.fogwhistle.ca/acts/follow.html
Hello. Skip and anyone else who joins in. This explains a lot of questions I have had that if you could answer period and not even come close. I will speak of an article that a person that I have followed closely. Dan juster. He may have some points that disagree. But the article he wrote was assimilation proof. The symbol was a red circle with a line through the middle in the center of the circle it said assimilation.. excellent article hope you can find it. It would seem to me that the standard continues to be. Completed Jew, should not be controversial. Not going into any of the false teachings of Christianity through Constantine. Too much debate there.
The words “cognitive disconnect” came to mind while reading T.W. I have been lead to walk the path of Torah. In so doing my mind has calmed, my spirit settled and my life becoming more fruitfull. I am finding peace within the shear insanity of this age. It takes alot of clarity and attention to recognize my own disconnects from reality and truth. Yet in finding reality, in simplicity one finds a presence, waiting with quiet assurance! Is this salvation?
After Niamia rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem (with a sword in one hand to keep the enamy at bay) He brought out The Torah after long years of neglect reading it out loudly he declared this is not to hard, a child could understand it.
Why have we complicated things so much, denying the simplicity and gracious gifts of our creator. It is a lot of work to sustain illusion, delusion and lies. We need to become like children agin.
Yes this is salvation ! I too have found shalom in the midst of this disconnected world. Your paragraph says it all so well..
I think if we want to cut to the skinny minny of the Protestants’ rejection of the Law it is because of what happened at the Council of Trent. Many in the church of Rome were tired of “the traditions of men” and sincerely wanted reform; aka Puritans. The Protestants, in fact, were holding the floor quite well until it came to the subject of the Sabbath. They were unwilling to embrace Sola Scriptura when it came to the “Jewish Sabbath”, and so they failed their case and were pronounced unruly daughters of the mother church who must be brought back into line. Thus, the Protest doomed itself when it fell (and failed) on the Rock it claimed to embrace.
There is no getting around the heritage of Christ – His lineage and the Law He claimed to come to “magnify and make honorable”. Yes, He did fulfill the secondary “law of types and shadows” “spoken by angels” to Moses only; which was the system that was put in place to be an object lesson of His ministry on earth (and heaven, too) “until He came whose right it is”, but the first Law – spoken by YHVH Himself on that mountain – is the manifestation of the very character of God and the “foundation of His throne”, which is His kingdom. I would hope so! Sure would hate to meet a murderer there!
August 28, 2018. What is the Gospel?
The Sabbath. One of the most life changing experiences in my life! April 13th of 2005. Needed to be obedient. Howard Morgan’s article about the Sabbath on the site created by the ‘It’s Supernatural’ guy (can’t think of his name) was so instrumental. Of course, I blamed Satan for everything in those days. I know now how deceived I was regarding that as well. Confusion causes problems. I don’t think I had ever rejected it but I hadn’t been brought up with it. How could I have understood it? I was born into a Catholic home because my mother was Catholic. My grandmother had been born in Poland! We could pick from masses even in the evening on Saturday to get our Sunday obligation out of the way. The brainwashing effect took a long time to get over. Did go to services on Sundays periodically after that. The Sabbath. It’s the day when you say it’s not all about you! I am thankful, so thankful that I was obedient. It is a bit lonely here in Japan because there is only one believer I know of that keeps the Sabbath in all of Japan (and not a Trinitarian) but he lives in Tokyo and I live in Kansai. Christians find the Sabbath very difficult to accept. Hard to change!
May I suggest the key part of the gospel (at least for me) which
I haven’t yet heard discussed.
If God’s kingdom is within us (as Yeshua said), then in order for
anyone to operate in it, a radical change must occur. Something, or
someone has to die. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Cor 5:17 The good news is
God has worked out a way for this “new” to happen before physical death so the
kingdom does become operable on earth. The way is the life of the Son of God
born anew in us. That life is Torah observant, as Yeshua and Paul were, and that life
is uniquely open to the Father in real time and dimension through the channel of communication
we know as prayer. This new life of the Son (counseled by the Spirit) thoroughly changes man, thus
allowing man to change and restore the earth according to God’s design and purpose. The burden is
light — even a little child can do it!
Well said, Rich!
Skip, of Bates, you say, “He wants a Christian moral base without a JEWISH God”. I say, he wants a Christian moral base without full acceptance of the whole Torah, and that in keeping with the apostles and prophets, with Yeshua the Messiah as the chief high priest, and that after the order of Melchizedek and not that of Aaron.
This promotion of “Jewishness” seems to be an over-reaction to the anti-Semitism of Christianity.
Is that what God wants us to want? That we would worship Him as JEWISH? Or that we would worship Him according to His Torah in Messiah Yeshua? I’m concerned that not only does Bates go awry in his attempts to answer the question, “What is the euangélion?”. But this idea that God is JEWISH, also muddies the water and can very potentially lend itself to a presentation of the gospel that is “grossly mistaken and creates serious theological misdirection”. We should embrace the Messiah and His Torah of Israel, but Jews are only part of Israel and they, too, have grossly mistaken and created serious theological misdirection as well.
Paul in Romans:
“For one is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision something visible in the flesh. Rather, the Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart—in Spirit not in letter. His praise is not from men, but from God. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all—richly generous to all who call on Him.”
Paul in Galatians:
“But when I saw that they were not walking in line with the truth of the Good News, I said to Peter in front of everyone, ‘If you—being a Jew—live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?’”
And when it comes to elevating females above what Christian doctrine and tradition have promoted you use the same verse you seem to negate in elevating being Jewish:
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female—for you are all one in Messiah Yeshua.” [Gal_3:28]
So, in Messiah Yeshua there is neither male nor female, but there IS Jew and Greek?
I say it is not anti-Semitic to say that the Jews have no special status greater than any other people, but that it verges on idolatry to elevate them to a status that says that they do! It is not their heritage that should be esteemed, but their Messiah and His Torah. Promote Messiah. Promote the Torah. But while esteeming Jews as of equal status to God as any other people, though having a unique calling, we must take care that we do not promote being JEWISH as though they and their heritage is equivalent to Messiah, the apostles and the prophets, and the Torah, the “good news”, and the Kingdom.
Hey, lighten up! The God of the Bible is Jewish, as understood by the text and the history of the text. Did I really need to explain that this isn’t quite the same as “Jewish” today? I might add that if we were Jewish, we would be a lot closer to the God of the Bible than Christians, but I am sure you already know that.
Humm …. I think it might be more accurate to say “The God of the Bible displayed himself through the Jews”. But then He did not just display himself through Judah=Jewish but also the 11 other tribes. But that is to split hairs . I agree with Jerry we need not exalt what Yah himself called “you worm Jacob”. But I also agree with Skip in that YaHoVaH clearly created the Hebrew culture as a womb to bring forth the Messiah. We can’t dismiss it or we through out the babby with the bathwater. I’m back round to keeping it simple, like a child and encuraging the children to play nice please. ..
Skip, no personal offense was intended, and none taken but, that’s very minimizing of the arguments being made here, as though these ideas are illegitimate and unworthy of any agreement, if not real consideration at least.
However, the fact is, many people are leaving the faith by denying Yeshua as the Messiah and making their allegiance to the religion of a Messiah-less Judaism. Meanwhile, other people, still claiming to have faith in Messiah Yeshua and the Torah, are promoting the Jewish traditions of man while repudiating the Christian traditions of man. Also, many Christians as well as others proclaiming the Messianic Hebrew faith are promoting the political Zionist agenda of man, including what may be considered an anti-Messianic work, the rebuilding of an Aaronic temple, another high priest (other than, or in addition to, Yeshua) and a Levitical vs a Melchizedek priesthood, along with its sacrifices, essentially denying the finished work of Yeshua, and all because of the promotion of, in large part, “Jewishness”.
So, to give the exhortation to lighten up about that while being so intense about other concerns shared here as being more legitimate, seems at least a bit amiss, I would say. And I can assure you, for me to put it THAT way IS “lightening up”, which I am glad to do in response to your exhortation, because I do appreciate and respect you and largely what you are trying to do in your ministry! Shalom.
This leads to another great issue that few wish to broach–the relevancy, applicability, and authority of some New Testament writings (such as Hebrews) to our understanding, and more importantly God’s understanding, of the Messianic Kingdom. As someone once said when I first started coming into this walk, “If the Apostle Paul contradicted Jesus, who should we follow?” I’m sure some here are still wedded to the inerrancy arguments of the Church (as most Messianic Judaism does) and posit that no writer/writing of the Bible is contradictory. However, the letter to the Hebrews presents, in the context of persecution by Zionist loyalists or other Jewish purists, some unique and what I would consider possible Platonic/Hellenistic arguments [i.e. propaganda at worst or a midrash at best] for not abandoning Messiah in the first century. Has the covenant with Aaron really been replaced? On whose authority? God’s or the writer of Hebrews? And why is it that a large portion of the first century writings that lend credibility to a Platonic/Hellenstic worldview end up enshrined as the “New Testament”? Remember, history is written by the winners. The winners were not the Nazarenes, Ebionites, or the Arians. Many churches in the far east had a different canon all-together. Are Paul’s writings to be elevated to the level of Torah? Would Paul have thought so? If Yeshua himself stated that he did not come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets, would or should any other New Testament writer?
So, do you disagree with this from Hebrews?
“Now if perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—for on this basis the people received the Law—what further need would there be to speak of appointing another kind of priest according to the order of Melchizedek, not one according to the order of Aaron? When a change in the priesthood takes place, there must also be a change in the Law.
First, let’s examine the premise that perfection was the goal of the Levitical priesthood. Please show me from the Torah where this is stated or implied.
Good point, Paul, as “perfection” is not a Torah concept, even for God.
Here, “perfection” is teleiōsis and the meaning is really more in keeping with “completion”, and not our western understanding of “perfection”. So, yes, of course, in that sense you and Skip are sort of both right. And so, yes, even more clearly then, that means that the goal of the Levitical priesthood was not “perfection”, or “completion”, and that is WHY there had to be a change in the priesthood and, therefore, the law.
After all, if we think about it, the Levitical priesthood itself was a change in the ORIGINAL Book of the Covenant with it’s laws and priesthood, that was given and established first in keeping with the original covenant. But because they broke it, YHVH had to impose the Book of the Law, with the TEMPORARY Aaronic (Levitical) priesthood until Messiah completed what he did, lawfully becoming the new high priest after the order of Melchizedek, and offering restoration to Israel as a royal priesthood in Messiah and to be a holy nation.
They went from being a nation OF priests to a nation WITH priests, until the time of reformation, now being able to be a nation OF priests again. So why would we want to continue the old, with what was incomplete, when Messiah has accomplished YHVH’s intended change in priesthood and law, and made all things new?
No, this is our new covenant, relationship, identity and role, wherein there is neither male nor female, Greek or Jew, right? So, with that understanding, we should rather esteem the name of “Israel”, not “Jew”. After all, that is the ultimate restored identity of the people of YHVH, right? Especially when we understand that “name” means authority, esteem and power, as “in the name of Yeshua”. That is not being anti-Jewish. That is being pro-Israel, including “completed” Jews (and I don’t mean the state of Israel, but the people who are true Israel, those in covenant with YHVH in Messiah Yeshua through faith, and in agreement with His covenant Torah.
That’s how I understand it too!
August 28, 2018 What is the Gospel?
One morning a number of years ago (over 10 years), I had a vision just as I was getting up in the morning. I saw REV 3:2 on a digital clock. I quickly ran down the stairs to the first floor to get a Bible as I was trying to remember the verse. ‘Strengthen that which is ready to die for I have not found your works perfect before God.’ What was ready to die? My marriage? Perfect? My works? Definitely not perfect. Alarming really. What does it mean? ‘Perfect’ really bothered me. I was relieved when I found out that perfect meant what Jerry and Lisa mentioned. Not completed. I asked a man in charge of a congregation in Hawaii what the verse meant. He said it had to do with a lack of love among believers. I am not sure why I was given the vision at the time. I have learned so much about so many things that I needed to learn. I marvel at it all. Still am learning. What next? How are all these things fitting together? What about other visions? Still waiting. With the REV 3:2 vision in mind, Evan Almighty is a movie that I can relate to! Good movie!
Skip, how dare you call the God of the Bible Jewish! That is so Jewish! How about using terms like non-Gentile, non-earthly, non-corporeal, or some other non-offensive word so that all those with anti-Jewish sentiments or those who are just plain English-challenged won’t be offended? However, for those who seem to be ignorant of what the term Jew/ish means, here we go:
Jew: a person belonging to a continuation through descent or conversion of the ancient Jewish [Hebrew] people. (Mirram-Webster)
Jewish: of, relating to, or characteristic of the Jews. (Mirram-Webster)
Also, just for clarity’s sake, when a modern scholar or writer refers to things “Jewish” in the context of Biblical history, he likely is referring to both the physical and spiritual descendants of Abraham (minus the Edomites and Arabs), otherwise known as Hebrews or Israelites.
Perhaps you better make that minus the Arabs, too.
Done.
Actually, didn’t you add “[Hebrew]” to the definition as well as leave out the some other definitions?
From Merriam-Webster:
Definition of Jew
1 : a person belonging to a continuation through descent or conversion of the ancient Jewish people
2 : one whose religion is Judaism
3 a : a member of the tribe of Judah, b : israelite
4 : a member of a nation existing in Palestine from the sixth century b.c. to the first century a.d.
Regardless, the important matters are faith in, allegiance to, and loving obedience to Messiah Yeshua and His Torah, not Jews or Gentiles or traditons or religions. Is that not so? We need a clear sounding shofar! And an emphasis on “Jewishness”, doesn’t sound clear, to me.
Oh boy. Do I really need to respond to this? The definition you cite includes “Israelite”. What more can I say? Well actually, quite a bit. So who gets to define what the important matters of faith in, allegiance to, and loving obedience to the Messiah and his Torah are? Have you ever heard of the 70 faces of Torah?
No, you really don’t need to respond, of course, but, since you did…..thank you.
“Jew” is a sub-category of “Israelite”. So, to be a Jew, more importantly, means to be an Israelite, but to be an Israelite does not necessarily mean that one is a Jew, right? There’s more to Israel than Jews. And, even to be a Jew in the bloodline of Judah, according to Paul, does not mean one is a TRUE Jew, in the sense of YHVH’s intentions, which includes having faith in His Jewish Messiah, and being in the new covenant through him.
So, there’s to be more to this Jewishness, in the true meaning of the name intended by YHVH, than all of their heritage and traditions. Their identity and purpose needs to go back to the original intentions of YHVH before the Aaronic priesthood even, and that is by accepting their Messiah, Yeshua, and his Melchizedek priesthood and living according to His covenant Torah. We should esteem Jews and much of their heritage, but not above being “Hebrew” or “Israelite” or maybe better yet, “a disciple of Yeshua the Messiah”.
Anyways, no, I haven’t heard of the 70 faces of Torah. I wonder, did Yeshua, his apostles, and the prophets hear of them? And, also, do you live by them and do they help you conform to Messiah?
Just wanted to let you know that I didn’t miss the irony there. ? it’s more than interesting to me that if you chose to become “Torah observant” in whatever understanding that entails, you will be accused of trying to be “Jewish” every time. It seems to be a defense position (no battle was ever won by being in the defensive position) to protect the belief system. Perhaps being more “Jewish” is really about being more Godly, as the Jews were given the knowledge of how to walk with God and the job of sharing that with the rest of the world. But, maybe that’s the whole problem, we were invited IN, but we insist that they come out. The last two Torah portions are entitled, when you go out and when you come in. Maybe we ought to read them.
Hey Robert. Do you really think encouraging the sarcastic irony is a good thing? Also, this is not about accusing someone of trying to be Jewish because of choosing to be “Torah observant”. Please! Why would someone who has also chosen to be Torah observant accuse someone of trying to be Jewish BECAUSE of THAT? And, of COURSE, being a true Jew IS about being more “Godly”. But not all Jews are more “Godly”, right? Being of Jewish heritage is not enough, we know. But I don’t think anyone here is wanting any Jews to “come out”. However, almost all of them are ALREADY “out” and need to be grafted back “IN”, right? And that by coming into Messiah by the help of those of us already IN Messiah and also in Torah, AND…..the Ruach HaKodesh! Shalom!
So , first of all I didn’t read it as sarcastic, only as ironic.,so no, I don’t think supporting sarcasm is a good thing nor was I engaging in it. Please don’t add to what I wrote. Further, I was simply making an observation that I have encountered personally and have watched occur as others have strived to become “Torah” observant in honoring and following the God of the Bible. But, it’s never those who are striving to do so that make those accusations but rather those who are committed to the traditions of mans religion. If you aren’t being a true Jew, are you really one anyway? I think that’s the point behind what Paul says in the first place, so it really doesn’t matter if they carry the “lineage” or not. A Jew isn’t one outwardly….? Ever wondered why no one can genetically trace the”Jewish” lineage? It’s a matter of the kingdom of heaven, not according to blood lineage. In the Torah one was to come with their first fruits and declare that “my father was an Armenian”……there’s your bloodline, Jewishness is an act of faith. They were invited in just like we are, but they are the first fruits. But it’s the first fruits that imparts holiness to the rest, isn’t it?
You don’t think that to say, “…..so that all those with anti-Jewish sentiments or those who are just plain English-challenged won’t be offended?” isn’t sarcastic? Maybe we need to move on to the Merriam-Webster definition of “sarcasm” which involves mockery and contempt, and is not just lighthearted humor. Also, there were no anti-Jewish sentiments. despite my pro-Jewish statements. There does seem to be some pro-Jewish excessiveness and defensiveness, but everyone has blind-spots or maybe just disagree.
I don’t agree, as you say, that “it’s never those who are striving to do so (be ‘Torah’ observant) that make those accusations…” etc.. First of all, there was no accusation except to state that there is too much emphasis given to “Jewishness”. Also, as regards this thread, I am as UNcommitted to the traditions of man’s religion as I know how to be, and so your comments and implied accusations about that are not relevant to my comments here.
The rest of your comments support my point, I think, so thanks for emphasizing that.
No implied accusations toward you or anyone else on this site, my observance is not in regards to you or anything you stated. I have friends that I communicate with often that are both anti-Semitic and/or English challenged and what I’ve noticed is that it’s most usually a matter of trained behavior and most aren’t even aware that they are engaged in it. So, no I don’t think that fits the bill in regards to mocking and contempt, it just happens to be true of some. I’ve heard mocking and contempt before, from various avenues, one only has to listen to the current political exchanges to perceive that English challenged is becoming ever more common in that it’s not a matter of what one says as much as what the one who heard it thinks they said. Trained to hear and respond according to a platform instead of real communication. And no, that’s also not directed at you.
I think that cognitive dissonance must be a spiritual corruption in the clear lines of communication. I think I must have had a ‘scrambler’ assigned to me that caused me to mishear others, and to misunderstand them, but also caused them to misunderstand me, too. No matter how hard I tried to say something, I felt I was screaming under water. I repented for that evil packaging (desire for self exaltation opened the door for it, I am quite sure), and things started transmitting!.
I am convinced that it is not air waves that carry thoughts (and intents) it is spiritual waves, and that the two kingdoms have a monopoly on that transmission. Like Robert says, its not what we say as much as how it gets across.
When the demoniacs cried, their words (air transmission) did not match their hearts, but the righteous kingdom heard the heart just fine.
Nowadays I pray that my heart gets heard – not necessarily my words – and that my heart is His heart.
Spoken like a ‘seasoned’ warrior… there’s a real life, retired, navy seal who teaches courses on “extreme ownership”. Upon the recommendation of some young ones coming out of ‘cognitive dissonance’ (sick and tired of their lawless life, imagine that!) this is high ‘listen to’ on YT. It’s a yank back for many who do the “la-la-la-la” daily routine. Yes, he’s a warrior’s warrior yet when I listened to his story and a few episodes… it’s entrenched in biblical principles as in ancient days of battle. For some, it’s radical to admit you may be in need of self evaluation. Refreshing to take a look in the mirror before examining others… “take the log out of your eye…”! Then, no offense may occur… yep, how about that???
Did I say Armenian? 🙂 How bout Aramean. OOPS!
I’d like to start by making my own disclosure, English is my second language so please pardon my grammar and sintaxis errors. I am from Colombia and I was raised thinking that all people that were born here in the 50 states and that speak English are equal in terms of culture, customs even language; so we call you “gringos”. My husband is Texan, therefore all gringos speak, eat and live like him. Well, it was my surprise to realize that New Yorkers, Alaskans, Californians and Floridians are far from being like him. All Texans are North Americans but not all North Americans are Texans.
With Hebrews and Jews, culture over thousand of years made us believe that being a Jew equals to be Hebrew; when there are many Jews by ethinicity that do not follow Torah.
All that to say this. YWHW is Abraham , Isaac and Jacob’s Elohim, the one that I follow not as a Jewish but as a Hebrew God.
My husband’s Ex is Jew, he was expecting me to cook matzah ball soup… well I’m sorry I follow Torah, that does not make me Jew, cooking like Jew or praying long boring prayers does not make me equal or better than her. I follow the God revealed in the Bible manifested in earth by His prophets and His Messiah(anointed one).
Thank you!