Visible Belief
And Yeshua seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “My son, your sins are forgiven.” Mark 2:5 (Tim Hegg translation)
Seeing – “The very fact that Yeshua is described as ‘seeing their faith’ is indicative of how the Apostles defined faith. Faith simply could not exist as a hidden thought in the heart. Believing and the fruits of belief were so inextricably bound together that neither could exist apart from the other.”[1]
Today we have lost sight of this fundamental element of the Hebrew worldview. Today, under the influence of Greek philosophy, we routinely think of faith as cognitive. We translate the words with English concepts like “confident assurance” or “conviction” or “inner security.” We have internalized faith. As a result, faith is no longer primarily found in the realm of observable behavior. It is now a matter of the heart, so much so that the popular culture has allowed faith to become “whatever your heart tells you.” On that basis, what I believe is just fine for me but I have no “right” to require the same inner conviction of anyone else. Faith isn’t simply internal. It is now entirely private.
We must recover the meaning Yeshua attached to faith. To do that, we need to ask, “What did He see?” And the answer is obvious. He saw men who were willing to step forward simply on their hope and trust in this man of God. He saw one man stand up. He saw compassion for someone in need. He saw a willingness to go to any lengths in order to gain access to grace. He saw actions!
None of us would deny that Hebrew faith is found in demonstrable action. But we are still ambivalent about the further implication. Hegg puts it like this, “A life of obedience to the Torah is a life of faith, because obedience flows out of faith and is the only true proof of its existence. Genuine faith never remains as a thought in the soul or heart. It always manifests itself through obedient life-action.”[2] We agree (a cognitive endorsement?) that faith is about what we do, but we hesitate to take the next step: faith does not exist where there is no life transforming obedience. To claim to have faith and, at the same time, refuse to obey Torah is a sheer contradiction. From an Hebraic point of view, it is complete and utter nonsense. Faith is the actions of obedience, and in Hebrew thought, the actions of obedience are found in Torah. WYSIWYG – What You See Is What You Get. If you don’t see Torah-based living, then you don’t have Hebrew-based faith.
I know this bites! It bites me. It confronts me. It forces me to look once more at Torah and ask why I think that some of my actions are not subject to its standard. It forces me to ask if I really exhibit faith when I struggle to submit, when I act in opposition to what God has revealed in His instructions. It causes me to question my own estimation of my faith. God is gracious. He has still allowed me time to deal with all this. But do I not presume on His graciousness when I continue to demand my own ways? Am I not in peril for my life here and in the olam ha’ba if I do not face my own rebellion and forsake it? How can I claim that I have faith in the One true God of Israel if there are facets of my life that I will not, have not, cannot seem to submit to Him?
Hebrew faith scares me to death. It’s so much easier to be Greek.
Topical Index: faith, aman, Mark 2:5, pistis
Very challenging, Dr. Moen! “Hebrew faith scares me to death. It’s so much easier to be Greek.” The reality of that statement not only hit home, but was painful to even confront! Thanks for challenging me and giving me something to really think about.
I agree 100%; however, I do see this as a journey. I didnt at first. I have beaten myself severely about the head and neck for not following Torah. I was deeply ingrained in my religion. I find that as I live, I learn. My biggest struggle now is with the feasts. I dont see how we can keep the feasts as prescribed in Torah. There is no temple for sacrifice, and 3 times a year the men are supposed to go to Jerusalem for 3 of the feasts. My husband wants nothing to do with any of this, and we could not go to Jerusalem 3 times a year if he wanted to. I have to give notice to take days off of work and I dont even know which calendar to follow. If I go by what they call YHVH’s calendar, I cannot give notice and will probably lose my job. Is that what Torah requires? Many of the commands are for “when you enter the land.” We are not in the land yet. How does that affect us? It is scary, really scary. There is SO much I do not understand. I feel foolish calling myself a Torah follower except that in my heart of hearts I want to be. This time of year is really tough according to the teaching out there on Christmas and New Years. I feel like a scrooge. My family certainly does not get it and does not understand. I dont mind not celebrating Christmas, but they do. So much to learn, seems like too much sometimes.
Lori,
I totally understand what you are saying because I find myself in the same place. Right now I am trying to figure out what to do and not do on Sabbath. I’m not interested in trading my christian traditions for judaism traditions…I just want to be obedient to the best of my ability and it is confusing to know what is right.
yeah, Christmas is a tough time of year. I find I must compromise in order to keep peace…
Oh, my dear, it is by grace. Jesus did it all, so we could be free. The OT teaching was to show them who God was, His character, His nature, His ways. He is HOLY, HOLY, HOLY. We can never be God. He knew that. He gave us Jesus to take away the penalty of breaking his holy standard. He still is that standard, but He sees us now like Jesus, perfect, sinless, righteous. We are FREE!!! We respond to Him out of love for Him, and be like Him as much as possible. But it has nothing to do with working to keep the feasts, or any other thing. It is a work of grace by Jesus Christ, so that as He works that grace in me, I respond, becoming more like Him. We will never get there any other way, except by grace. I am so thankful for that grace. It does for me what I cannot ever do for myself. Because of His grace, I can walk in 100% authority without condemnation (because it is Jesus’ righteousness) and 100% dependency (because I am ever aware it is His grace–nothing I can do). Be free, there is nothing prohibited you (just a Paul said) but not all things are expedient. Religion kills, Jesus brings life–and life more abundantly. The Lord spoke to my husband a few years back something that changed his life. He said “Jim, when you read my Word, look through the eyes of love. If you don’t see love, you are looking at it wrong.” If we don’t find liberty in Christ, we are looking through the eyes of religion. He came to set us free. Free to love, live, and give life to others.
While the experience of grace certainly allows us to live in obedience, your idea of “free” isn’t in alignment with the Bible. According to Scripture, no man is “free.” We have been freed from the penalty of sin, but we are not “free.” We are now in service to the King, and as Yeshua said, “You will serve one master or the other.” He did not say that you are free of any master.
The rabbis note that the only man who is truly free is the man who adheres to Torah. Why? Because that man knows what he is supposed to do. Freedom (in Hebrew) is the experience of living without confusion about what is demanded of me.
But I am free. You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. He who is free, is free, indeed. I AM FREE!! I am free because I know I am the righteousness of Christ no matter what. I am free because it is His grace that works in me to accomplish His will. I am free because I am obligated to no law because I walk in love and love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, and mind. I am free because when I do sin (doesn’t affect my righteousness), I confess it and he cleanses me and gives my the power to overcome, making me victorious in this life. I am free because I am an overcomer. I am free because I am His, and He is mine. I am free because I abide in Him, and He abides in me. I am free becaue I walk in the 100% authority He gave me (without condemnation because the devil has no part in me) and 100% dependency, because without Him I am nothing. I possess Christ, and He possesses me. So much truth, so much life, I refuse to abide in death and religion. I know my God and He knows me!! I hear His voice and follow after Him….and that of a stranger, I will not hear.
I am inclined to simply let this go as I have written extensively on the issue but apparently you have not read much of it. But I must say this one thing: If you don’t understand the words of Scripture in the context, culture and time they were revealed, then you just don’t understand Scripture. If your exegesis can only make sense now, but would not make sense to the people who were first addressed by the text, then you simply do not understand the message. You might think you have the guidance of the Spirit, but in all likelihood what you have is the culture you grew up in transposed on to the text. This is just a basic principle of exegesis, vouched for by nearly all Christian scholars.
So I ask you, “Would the people who read Paul’s letters have understood your definition of freedom?” Would any first century Jewish believer in the Messiah have understood your concept that Torah doesn’t make them free? I understand your feelings on this matter, but your feelings are not in question here. They are your feelings, but your feelings do not make your exegesis certain. Read. Investigate. Listen to the words of the authors of the text. If Paul tells us that he has kept Torah all his life, are we to assume that he thinks keeping Torah is not important? Did Yeshua keep Torah? Is he our model? You must dig beneath all those comfortable Christian phrases based on a “religion” of feelings and ask serious questions about what the text means AS IT IS WRITTEN, not as it applies to you 20 centuries later.
Now, of course, you can disregard all this and simply assert that this is what it means to you. But then please do not tell me what it meant to Paul, or John, or Jesus.
P.S. When I speak of giving notice to take time off of work, I am referring the the High Holy Days of the Feasts.
Good morning ladies,
I totally get the confusion. I also have had to confront the job security issues. We keep the calender according to the actual sighting of the new moon in Jerusalem. I always know approximately when it will appear so I ask for an extra day off on both ends of the Holy Days well in advance of the sighting and then offer myself as an available fill in if anyone needs me after the month has been established. Federal law prohibits an employer to discriminate against people based on religion.
We are not in the land and we are not in the wilderness collecting manna and quail, with the tent of meeting ever before our eyes. We are in diaspora.
Looking to the Jews for guidance is great. They have been doing this for 2000 yrs. out of the land. Acquiring their obsessive behavior concerning many things is over the top IMO. But I still find inquiring of their traditions valuable in that they have studied and researched what needs to be kept outside the land. I have developed my own traditions over the years that appear more biblically Christ honoring to me.
The goyim that were coming into the fold in the first century weren’t expected to know everything. They were given instruction on idolatry, sex, and table fellowship. Keeping themselves clean in those areas allowed them entrance into the synagogue where they could be instructed in torah and grow. Grace covered ignorance and ineptness!
When my granddaughters pick me dandelions don’t take them and throw them out like they are nothing. I have a special little vase that I pull down and ceremoniously display them in. Every good work that is prescribed in torah that you make an effort to obey is the same thing to Him.
Sometimes I think this is a community full of obsessive compulsive type A personality’s who have put themselves on the holy treadmill to shape themselves up. That is not what he is after. He’s after a people who will follow His instructions to the best of their ability and understanding at that point in time. Torah makes provisions for the times when someone is confused, tired, and doesn’t know that they have transgressed. ……………..
As for Xmas and the sort, I give gifts to the little ones who can’t process what is going on. I also invite them over for chocolate and lighting the Hanukkah candles so mom and dad can go Xmas shopping without them. That seems to satisfy their parents and keeps the children out of the controversy. When they get older we explain things to them. Most of the older grandkids now continue on with Hanukkah.
It’s a walk ladies not a race. How can we delight in HIM if he is a hard task master ready to pounce on every unintentional error?
The goal is to delight in HIM and
be His delight!
Shalom shalom
Thank you Pam for that explanation. It helped alot! I understand what you are saying. I don’t want to go from one religious ditch into another. It is indeed a journey, a walk. I am learning as I go!
Dear sister,
I have tried sooooooo many things to fix myself over the last twenty + years since Avinu called us out of the land of the Chaldeas ahhhh Church. The one thing that has been 100% effective without fail has been to diligently read (not even really study) the annual Torah portions.
With Torah ever before your eyes you will always be reminded of His love, kindness, protection, concern for you, and how to co-operate with Him. Every week you will be gently convicted of a change that needs to be made in your life.
And you will always have the Big picture in mind because it forces you to move on and read the whole thing in that cycle. It closely follows the festival cycle and therefore keeps you in a natural flow with the Moedim. Weekly you will be reminded of what is coming up and learn to prepare.
I’m a very busy woman. I love to study deeply but don’t always have time. Sabbath affords me time enough to read the portions and contemplate What he is doing at that particular season not just with me but with all his people and worldwide.
The world is set to a clock and collectively goes through cycles. If you put yourself in the cycle and don’t try to run ahead or lag behind you will be amazed at how understandable, simple, doable, and gentle life with Him just becomes. Farmers are well aware of this.
The unnatural lack of cyclical life in our cities puts us out of touch with this reality. The annual Torah schedule will give you back a sense of that. We’ve tried other reading schedules and they are great for deeper study but they don’t follow the natural annual cycle set up by our Creator. Just my opinion!
Shabbat Shalom
PAM,
Thank you for your story. As a Gentile with Jewish history and a Jewish grandmother who did what you do with your grandchildren I want you to know that it was her example that lets me understand Yeshua in his Jewish context. As a grandmother of five, it is her example that I use to love my grandchildren. Her life lived is the greatest picture I have of who Yeshua is…
Thanks Cheryl,
I needed that! I’m off grid, out of cell range, out of state from the ones I love, and really struggling through this season this year. To top it off we are snowed in today. I’m so grateful for dish internet. 🙂
Skip, I know that you would have written this some time in advance but the timing is perfect. Only yesterday I wrote this on facebook:
“The very first time the word “Believe” occurs in the Bible is in Exodus:
Exd 4:5 YLT – “[5] `– so that they believe that Jehovah, God of their fathers, hath appeared unto thee, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob.'”
The Hebrew phrase is ‘לְמַעַן יַאֲמִינוּ’ (lma’an va’amiynu) “that they will believe”. The root for the word “believe” is aleph-mem-nun – aman.
The Hebrew word picture is:
mem – waters
nun – the quickening of life
aleph – strength.
Thus, “the strength of the living waters”
The qal (light, simple) form of the verb means “he supported, he confirmed, he upheld, he was faithful, he nourished”.
Note that it is a VERB, not a noun! Furthermore, it describes concrete actions, not abstract concepts or cognitive processes. Biblically, belief is about what you DO, NOT what you THINK.
How does one “Believe” in God? By supporting, confirming, being faithful, upholding, nourishing.
Supporting God by bringing His order to the world around us.
Confirming that He is faithful and true by how we live.
Being faithful to His instructions and His calling.
Upholding His statues, His commandments and His laws.
Nourishing our souls through the study of His word.
That is true, biblical belief. It is not assent to a series of propositions ABOUT God; it is about LIVING humbly before God, walking in His ways, living lives that bring glory to Him.
It is ACTIONS, not THOUGHTS, that demonstrate true belief.”
Another comment, too, from another facebook conversation (yes, maybe I spend a little too much time on facebook…), re what appears to be a parallel account in Matthew 9. Many details are similar, but Matthew omits the part about lowering down through the roof. I was comparing what the TR Greek, the Delitszch Hebrew Gospels (which are translated to Hebrew from Greek), George Howard’s Hebrew Matthew (which is most likely NOT a translation from Greek) and the Aramaic/English NT (I had someone else check that one) had to say. I discovered something very interesting about Matthew’s version of what Yeshua said to the paralytic person:
Matthew 9:2 says:
Now the Greek, the Aramaic and the Delitzsch Hebrew gospels all have the phrase “Take heart” as an imperative. Another English version says, “Be comforted, my son” (although the Greek apparently omits the possessive pronoun and says simply, “son”).
Howard’s Hebrew text, however, says something quite different. The phrase translated from Greek as “take heart” is not imperative – it is reflexive; the word titchazzek literally means “You have strengthened yourself”.
The word usually translated “forgiven” is also unusual. It is not the expected root samech-lamed-chet but instead the word is n’muchlu. The root is nun-mem-lamed which means “to tear away, to pluck”.
The third thing is the phrase “b’emunah ha’el” – by the faithfulness of God. The full transliteration of what Howard’s Hebrew text says is this:
Literally translated (only reversing a couple of words to make it readable in English);
Wow! That puts a slightly different slant on things, doesn’t it? It was through the faithfulness of his friends that “he strengthened himself”, but it was by the faithfulness of God that his iniquities were removed, and that seems to me to be entirely consistent with not only the teaching of a well-schooled, Torah observant Jewish rabbi, but the rest of the whole counsel of scripture.
How much we miss if we only “scratch the surface” in English and never go digging deeper for the nuggets and gemstones (or if we don’t have someone to help us dig). We are blessed to be walking this road with you, achi (my brother) Skip. Shalom.
THANK YOU! What a great little study. Why don’t we post this as a TW for everyone to read? OK?
Fine by me. 🙂
I’d appreciate it if you could just double check that my understanding of the Greek is correct- my knowledge of biblical Greek is a lot less than Hebrew (and even then, I’m still a relative beginner there too). Thanks.
Yes Thank you Rodney!
And YES!!!! We are truly Blessed of YHVH to be walking this road at all. Who are we that The Holy One of Israel should call any of us out of Thousands of years of darkness into His marvelous light!
“Hebrew faith scares me to death.” This sums it up – death to my culturally-based belief system, death to the facade of my righteous self-created belief in whatever feels good and is socially acceptable. Whoa is me, what rock can I hide under. I desperately need help to change, Yeshua. . ..
I’m with you, Bill. I’m a newbie to this site and the teachings presented here. I wasn’t raised in the church, but I have many friends that regularly attend one church or another. I firmly believe there is a line of truth that runs through all scripture and my growing convictions find me caught between a desire to be involved (adding volition to my faith) and a resistance to the conformity that church membership ultimately involves. I do, however, believe that Skip is right, that the universe is not a balance beam between good and evil; rather, it is a like a dart board with our Lord in the center. Keep running toward Him; hold Truth in highest regard; embody it with all your strength and we’ll hit the mark! Blessings to you.
I not buying what is being sold..- it is not the Greeks who are our enemy. What we have here is partial truth. We do need to return, not only to Torah living, but it is much broader than the first five books of the O.T. We need to return to the whole counsel of YHWH and what we need to remember, return to, and rejoice in is not only the written word, but the Incarnate LOGOS, Him who is the risen and Living Word of God.
The Bible, the entire sweep of it, reveals one Man. The purpose of God’s Book is for any man to “Behold the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world.” Salvation (deliverance) is (and always will be) to the Jew first, and also (praise His Name) to the Greek also. ~Whosoever will may come ~
We (do) have a Universal Savior and He is the ONE (we) crucified on Calvary’s tree. If a Jew wishes to remain Torah obedient – wonderful! But the question remains “why?” Because we have always done it that way? These are also (amazingly)- the seven last words of the church- “we’ve always done it that way before”. Traditions, both Greek and Hebrew- and aren’t we (all) creatures of habit?
Would we wish the Greeks to become Jews? We are the adopted ones, adopted through the new birth into all the covenant promises of God, but all of these promises are found in and through one Man, the second Adam, the Word made flesh, our LORD Jesus (who is the) Christ.
There is (according to the word of God) a circumcision made without hands. There are too many scriptures to affirm this: ~ A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical ~ No, a person is a Jew inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, brought about by the Spirit, not by a written law. That person’s praise will come from God, not from people ~ (Romans 2.29)
Again, there are many scriptures that speak to this “circumcision made without hands”~And you (also) are circumcised in Him by circumcision that is without hands, in the putting off of the body of sins by the circumcision of The Messiah ~ (Colossians 2.11)
Maybe we could get a clearer vision of what all this ‘fuss’ is about by hearing what YHWH said unto Peter: ~ Again the Voice came to him a second time, “You must stop calling unclean what God has made clean.” ~ but you are washed, you are sanctified and you are made righteous in the Name of our LORD Yeshua The Messiah and by The Spirit of our God ~ (1 Corinthians 6.11)
My question (to all) is this: May “any man” be saved? Or only the Jew? Are the Gentiles excluded or included in God’s plan of salvation? Was the veil of the Temple ripped from top to bottom? and Why? Did (or did not) Christ die for sinners?- and when our Bible clearly states “all” have sinned, does “all” really mean “all?” (oy!) And is “salvation/deliverance” personal? Is God concerned with my “person?” Does God love me? (bringing it closer to home).
And what can “wash away” my sins? ~ Sirs, what must I do to be saved? ~ Salvation is not “do” -it is “done!” Paid for in full. It is finished-final-full-complete. (Hallelujah!) What was the purpose of the birth, death, burial and resurrection of the Messiah? “Behold, – the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world.” God will provide (and did provide) Himself the sinless-spotless-sacrificial-saving-Sovereign Lamb. And the Child shall be called … “Pele-yoez-el-gibbor-Abi-ad-sar-shalom.” This is Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus (who the) Christ, King of (all) kings, and LORD of (all) lords, and “every knee” (Jews and Gentiles) shall bow and every tongue (from every nation, tribe, people and language) shall confess “He is the resurrected,ruling, reigning LORD of all.” “Both” the Jew and the Gentile, ~ for God So loved the world..~
Carl, your exposition is an eloquent display of a sweep across the biblical texts. There is a lot here to digest. And thematically much to commend. But I think perhaps the singular focus on Yeshua HaMashiach diverts us from a deeper issue. Yes, salvation is for all. Yes, we all are sinners. Yes, Gentiles and Jews stand before Him. But that isn’t the question. The inquiry is not about “salvation.” It is about living out what God has worked in. And my point is simply this: once we realize that “salvation” is not something I own, that it is not a possession of mine, we understand that redemption is found only in the relationship (and I don’t mean “relationship” as if I owned that either) and relationship exists only when there is interchange between the parties. For example, the fact that I have a marriage license is not the same as my being married. The piece of paper is what I possess, but the relationship is what I live out every day. The paper alone means nothing in the world of dynamic interaction. That’s why I have often said that the biblical view is BECOMING MARRIED – and marriage is the state of being AFTER years of practiced interaction. The same can be said for the Hebrew idea of being human. I don’t OWN the Spirit that animates me. It is YHWH’s spirit. He owns it and it returns to Him when I am through using it. But it was never mine, as if I had some ontological claim on life. Now, if i view salvation in this light, then my DOING what God demands is salvation, not my possession of some gate pass to heaven. So, without the DOING there is no SAVING.
The question of the day for any heart that is losing its ground because it is UNSAFE GROUND is WHERE are you .
That is the very question that the Almighty put to Adam after his fall.
It is required that every man and woman and boy and girl KNOW WHERE they are at before they can come to WHERE they should be.
Genesis 3:9
And the LORD called to man Adam as to the same call to you my reader….
And the LORD called to unto Adam and said unto Adam, WHERE ARE YOU .
If we KNOW the answer to this question as to our Standing or outstanding concerning HIM to whom we must come face to face with one day soon… HOW would you answer HIM is the question of the day. Once faced as sinners before a HOLY GOD.. yes, faith MUST be seen or it is dead. Anything that has life ………………moves..praise the LORD I am moving IN HIM , FOR HIM and it is OF HIM. Faith is my response to HIS HOLINESS.
— But it was never mine, as if I had some ontological claim on life. Now, if i view salvation in this light, then my DOING what God demands is salvation, not my possession of some gate pass to heaven. So, without the DOING there is no SAVING — Amein!!
It is the Gift of God, not of works- lest ‘any man’ (whether Jew or Greek) should boast. What do we have that we have not been given? – and the answer is? nothing. And it was Christ Himself who said, -“without Me- you (Carl or Skip or Sally or Sue) can do nothing.” ~ He that has the Son has life and he who does not have the Son does not have life..~
We are taking two different approaches, but with the same result- ~ whatever He says unto you, – do it! ~ Faith is our “right-response” to what God says (every word of God is pure) and our right-response would be? Obedience.
If (and it is a big “if”) we are to be followers of (the) Christ, then there is no way we could “opt out” of obedience in that He was the most obedient man ever to have lived! In His own words: ~ if you love me, keep my commandments ~ O.T. or N.T. ? He would be the Author of both! (before Abraham was, I AM).
Christ is (ever) the Center, the compass and the circumference. ~ Christ is all and in you all ~
~ and beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself ~ (Luke 24.27)
Jesus said two commandments. Love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, soul and mind, and love your neighbor as thyself. Isn’t this enough. Why do people insist on living by the law when Jesus came to set us free? Even in the OT, He gave them 10 commandments, but they wanted more, so He gave it to them. I can understand how a people that are not born again needs more guidlines of who God is to follow, but we are born again of the spirit of God, we have Him living in us. We also have the Word of God to renew our mind to line up with our spirit. Why can’t we listen to His voice, be obedient to that, abide in Him by staying in His word, praying and worshipping, fellowshipping other saints. Why the law keeping? I, for one, see this as nothing more than trying to earn salvation. No, it is faith by grace…what Jesus did. C’mon people, do you hear His voice? Follow that!!
YOu’ve missed the point about the two commandments by not continuing to read the rest of the statement. “On these all the law and the prophets hang.” In other words, these are a summary, not a simplification. Like most rabbis, Yeshua offers a summation of ALL the Torah commandments, but when it comes to practice, we need the amplification. Yeshua demonstrates that He keeps Torah. Paul says that he keeps Torah. That doesn’t mean 2 out of 613. Habakkuk reduced all the commandments in summary form to 1 verse. Does that mean Habakkuk thought all the rest were no longer needed? Hardly! Both of these commandment summaries come from familiar OT passages, and Yeshua could easily assume that his audience knew this. And they knew the technique of summarizing. We are the ones who think that this somehow replaces all the rest. But ask yourself if anyone in the first century would have thought that. Not a chance!
But I do consider the rest of the statement. If I keep the two commandments, I keep the whole law, but it is the spirit of the law, not the letter. The two don’t replace the rest, they emcompass the rest. Galatians 5 when speaking of the fruit of the spirit, says of which there is no law. I just know that when I move and abide in the spirit of God, there is joy and life, Concentrating on fulfilling law is death, cuts the spirit and His work of grace in my life. It is by faith, through grace that I am saved, and it is by faith, through grace that my faith is completed. It is by faith, through grace that I conform to the image of Christ. I do believe the Torah was grace…it kept the people from being destroyed because they did not have God living in them, they were not born again. But it would never save them, or perfect them. They could not keep it, only a holy God could. Only a sinless Christ could. But for His grace, I would not be saved, and but for His grace, I would go my own way. His amazing grace……I do not get my teaching from the preachers as you have alleged more than once. My teaching comes from the Holy Spirit. I do go to church, because I am obedient to the spirit of the Lord who instructs me to do so, but I learn on my own. Even if a man is preaching, it is the Holy Spirit I am listening to, to give me interpretation. I find deception is rampant in those that deny the churches place. Religion yes, has to go. Denominations, yes, has to go. But so does the spirit that rejects what God has instituted. Of course Augustine polluted the church, but so are those who are rejecting the churches place. The Holy Spirit is bigger than man’s interpretation of Greek and Hebrew.
Amen!! God wants our love and devotion. Of course that means being like Him, and following His ways. But through works?? It is a work of grace…what Jesus did, not what I can do. I respond to His love. I feel so bad for the bondage of religion people are under. Jesus is life, religion is death.
Unfortunately, you have adopted the classical, and mistaken, Christian replacement theology position that drives a wedge between grace and works. I have written a lot about this (which you can find on the web site) as have many, many other scholars. This idea was developed by Justin Martyr, Marcion, Augustine and other Church fathers, but it is NOT a position found in the NT authors unless to read it into the texts. The history of this false distinction is quite clear if you want to investigate it. It comes from later 2nd Century Gentile-Greek thought. Many of the books on my recommended reading list speak about this issue. Rather than listen to the preachers tell you what the text says, go investigate for yourself. Find the passages where Paul says he continued to be Torah observant all his life. Read the passages where James says Gentiles are learning Torah. Read about Peter’s confusion on the roof, knowing the Torah cannot be broken. And especially reconsider what Paul says about Abraham, whose relationship with YHWH depended on GRACE, not your idea of “works.” Get Mark Nanos, The Irony of Galatians, if you want to really understand the text.
No wonder the book of James was tucked waaaayyy in the back of the Bible – about the works of the faith.
This song by Neil Young about an Old Man who mends fences and takes care of cattle gives me faith
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=221mohEolWc
“Old Man”
Old man look at my life,
I’m a lot like you were.
Old man look at my life,
I’m a lot like you were.
Old man look at my life,
Twenty four
and there’s so much more
Live alone in a paradise
That makes me think of two.
Love lost, such a cost,
Give me things
that don’t get lost.
Like a coin that won’t get tossed
Rolling home to you.
Old man take a look at my life
I’m a lot like you
I need someone to love me
the whole day through
Ah, one look in my eyes
and you can tell that’s true.
Lullabies, look in your eyes,
Run around the same old town.
Doesn’t mean that much to me
To mean that much to you.
I’ve been first and last
Look at how the time goes past.
But I’m all alone at last.
Rolling home to you.
Old man take a look at my life
I’m a lot like you
I need someone to love me
the whole day through
Ah, one look in my eyes
and you can tell that’s true.
Old man look at my life,
I’m a lot like you were.
Old man look at my life,
I’m a lot like you were.
I found this very convicting, and shared it on my FB page. However, what concerns me often is that, though outwardly I am “doing” what it appears God wants me to, I am not sure if I always have the right heart attitude inwardly. Yeshua was also concerned with our thoughts and motivations, not just with our actions…….
Also, how do you distinguish between the traditions of the rabbis and the commandments of God with reference to celebrations and rituals? I was raised to keep kosher, but the Jewish version of kosher today is more like what Yeshua criticized the rabbis for, a loading of unnecessary burdens on the people.
And again, when Peter was told, as Carl has already noted, that nothing God makes clean is any longer unclean, what do you see that as encompassing – food, people…?
First, modern Judaism (since the 4th century) is not what Judaism was prior to the destruction of the second temple, so you will have some homework to do if you want to keep Torah as Yeshua did. It’s not impossible. Just work at it. But that certainly means leaving behind some of the “traditions” of contemporary Jews as well
Second, although I love Carl’s enthusiasm, he is dead wrong about his exegesis of Acts 10. It is NOT about food (or otherwise Peter would not have been “beside himself” with confusion). It is about PEOPLE – namely, Cornelius and the Gentiles. I have written on this and there is a great video lecture on the first Israel DVD series. There is NO confusion about this. Yeshua was Torah observant and that means kosher. Carl is merely reflecting the mistaken standard Christian position which ignores everything about the culture of the time.
It you don’t take the word literally, I’m not certain what you believe. Of course, it was about food, but also an analogy to people. Peter was confused, as undoubtedly Cornelius was also. They both were going into uncharted territory. Peter was used to following ALL the Jewish laws and traditions and suddenly all that was changing. We need to sit back, relax, and let the Holy Spirit do the interpreting of the Word. Studying Greek and Hebrew is fine, but when it takes the place of the Holy Spirit, you are right back to doing exactly what God knows man can’t do–do it yourself. Jesus did it ALL. Too much religion here, death, and working. My works are the evidence of my faith, of the grace Christ has accomplished in my life. And guess what–He did it, I didn’t. All I did was respond to His love. It’s easy to respond to a Father that loves me, there is no fear, just an eagerness to please him–FAITH…not works.
Unfortunately, you are simply wrong about this. Again, see my previous comment. Your view of the place of kashrut comes from Church theology from the 2nd and 3rd centuries. Read the history of the doctrine if you don’t believe me. No Jew, Messianic or otherwise, would have understood this story to suggest that the dietary laws were set aside. That is a pure invention of a much later age. Do the homework. Search for yourself. Don’t simply repeat what someone else told you in church. Start with Becker and Reed, The Ways that Never Parted
Skip
Didn’t Peter say later that his dream or vision was to let him know that Gentiles were not in and of themselves unclean? (Notice no commas)
I agree that by the time of Acts 10, Peter remained Torah observant, at least as far as food laws go. He says so in verse 14. His (Peter’s) confusion about the meaning of the vision, however, doesn’t convince me that it was about people. More convincing is the continuing text in verse 28.
And how do you reconcile the position that the food laws were never set aside with Jesus statement in Matthew 15:11 that what goes in a man’s mouth does not make him unclean?
The Matthew 15:11 passage is parallel to the Mark 7:19 passage. Reconciliation comes from understand the complexity of the Greek text, and its manipulation in translation. Refer to Tim Hegg’s technical note of Mark 7:19b. Here: http://www.torahresource.com/EnglishArticles/Mark7.19ShortNote.pdf
After you have read Hegg’s analysis, I don’t think you will find any conflict.
But obviously you need to read the entire story in order to see why Peter was confused. Then you realize, as he did, that it wasn’t about food.
Emily, Peter himself interprets the vision of Acts 10 for us (keep reading the rest of Acts 10 and 11). It was about people, not food, and there are 3 statuses mentioned; clean, unclean and common. Search this site for “Acts 10” for a more detailed examination of that passage.
Suffice to say that the definition of what is “food” and what is “not food” never changed. When we understand that clean=food and unclean=not food, even when the gospel writer says, “…and thus he declared all foods clean…” we understand that his can only be referring to what was already included in the definition of food. Nothing that was “not food” is included; it is still unclean.
But, yes, you’re right to question the difference between the traditions of the rabbis and the biblical instructions for living. The rabbis assert that the Torah is not exhaustive and does not cover every situation and, therefore, claim the right and authority to make rulings (halakhah) and interpretations when a new situation arises. Thus, the Talmud, which is an anthology of rabbinic debates, opinions and rulings (often conflicting) made by rabbis down through the centuries.
In my view, scripture is the final authority. Wisdom is needed in applying scripture, and we learn and grow as we walk day by day (and learning includes learning from others more mature in the faith). It’s OK to make mistakes, though; that is the whole point of grace. God is patient; he seeks a heart willing to obey, actively obeying and growing in maturity.
On the passage in Mark 7:19 (thus he declared all foods clean) see Tim Hegg’s technical note on the Greek construction. The verse actually doesn’t say this. It has been altered to provide an acceptable polemic against kashrut.
It’s what Jesus did, not what you can do. You are free….
Free from sin and death… Biblical freedom is a life lived according to Abbas’s instructions. Lawlessness is sin and death.
That is the freedom I am speaking of. I am free from sin and death. Because of what Christ did, and I am free in this life because I abide in Him, move and have my being in Him. I am not bound with sin, or even the threat of it. If satan accuses me to the Father, He would see no sin because I am covered with Jesus righteousness. I follow the two commandments Jesus gave (if I slip up, I confess and He forgives and cleanses me). I am free. He is my master, I do serve Him, I am a servant to righteousness. Not a law standpoint, not a sin standpoint, or having to keep the law. There is no law against love. Righteousness produces conduct–conduct will never produce righteousness. When I serve God by showing faith in my righteousness in Christ, I sin less and less. Not because I am “trying to follow the law”, but because faith pleases God, and His grace works in me.
Thank you for your openness and honesty in all of this searching and examining of scripture Skip. That it extends deeply into your own self is so significant. It confronts and mirrors my/our own daily struggles without diluting the demands of YHWH. It is by equal measure refreshing and terrifying. “Take every thought captive” becomes an inescapable reality. A bondservant – one Master, no wriggle room. Graham
I see no conradiction between the Torah (teaching) and the NT with the exception that Jesus Christ did what we could not do, keep the teaching (law), fulfilling it, absolving us of the penalty of the law. God does not change, however, so the teaching (Torah) of Him, who He is, His character, His Nature, His ways, are still the same. He has, however, covered us with the blood of Jesus so we are free from the condemnation of sin. The more I love God, the more I want to be like Him. That means I seek to know who He is, and conform to that as much as I can. But when I can’t, or don’t, I still have Christ’s blood covering me. Otherwise, I could never walk in the 100% authority, without condemnation he is calling me to. It is 100% authority without condemnation (because I am righteous in Christ) and 100% dependency (never forgetting where and how I have the authority, the righteousness). It is all a work of grace–through Christ. He did the work, I rest in that, and He completes the work. I respond to His love, His grace, obedient to His voice, moving and having by being in Him.
LaVerne,
We are free from our idols to worship G-d His way not ours. You are misunderstanding the idea of freedom by superimposing a 21st century view. It does not fit with the NT context, nor the Hebraic worldview that all the writers held.
God’s view is all I’m interested in. I have personal relationship with Him, and He walks with me, and talks with me. I hear His voice. He tells me He is free of all religion, all “worldview”, both Hebrew and Greek. He is God…He will have a people that love Him, and accepts by faith what He has done for us, what we could not do for ourselves. (and quit trying to, and rest in Him) I learned who He is by studying His Word, listening to the Holy Spirit and fellowshipping with Him. I exercised my senses to what is right and wrong until I knew God’s voice from satans’ deception. (I’m not saying I couldn’t be deceived, because we all could be) but I trust Him to keep me. My view of God does fit the NT context–and the OT context, as shown by the Holy Spirit.
As concerning “Law and Grace,” it is not “either/or”- it is both. ~ The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple ~
Maybe the “problem” is- the Law of the LORD is perfect, and we are not. There was (and is) only one “perfect” Man ever to have lived! Do we know Who this is, is the “better” answer to our problem,- that being we “all” (both natural born Jew and natural born Gentile) are sinners in need of a Savior.
~ Has God provided Himself the Lamb? ~ for God was in Christ (the Messiah) reconciling the world (the world, “both’ Jew and Gentile) to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
And how is (sinful) man reconciled with (thrice-holy) God?
By grace, through faith!!
Since reading this Word, I’ve been pondering, praying and processing with Holy Spirit, asking for His perspective. I’m by no means a scholar of the Scriptures, but I have spent a fair amount of time letting the Spirit of Truth teach me these past several years. Interestingly, I learned quickly that many doctrines that I was taught growing up, were not in there or even contradicted what is. With that said, I’ve learned more of His Ways through my daily interaction with my Lord, then I ever learned by study alone.
Of course I believe that the study of The Scripture in their Hebraic context is vital, important, and exciting. Even more imperative then that is what Holy Spirit has taught me as I’ve experienced Him….to BE who I was created to BE (knowing my identity as His daughter). He showed me that focus on the DOING before I grasp the BEING just leads to works & striving. Now, I’m learning to DO out of the overflow of BEING His daughter. I want to DO not out of fear of not measuring up, but out of wanting to demonstrate how much I love Him for who He is (My Father, Deliverer, Savior, Shield, Protector, Provider………..His names are endless 🙂
Religion = FEAR: “If I don’t… then He won’t….”
Relationship = LOVE “I will…..because He did….”
I’m all for practicing the Torah, but if it’s done out of a place of fear of not measuring up, then it’s nothing more then Religion (religion kills).
A few years ago I went all religious and nearly lost my marriage and family…..not wise, nor Biblical. The Spirit of Truth began to show me that what’s more important to Him is love and covenant keeping. Out of that love relationship, He has been healing my marriage and restoring me. I am a trailblazer, but Holy Spirit has taught me not to get so far ahead of my husband that I leave him behind or bring any condemnation on him. My prayer is that the day will come that we will practice the Feasts and enjoy living a Torah observant life together AS A FAMILY. That Covenant is very important to Him. Until that day I will be as observant as I can be in the context of my current family conditions.
Thank you Skip for digging in where many of us don’t have the intellectual capacity to go. I’m grateful for the depth of the mysteries coming forth from your labor of love. My challenge to you is to remember that we all were created for different destinies and most of humanity will never have that opportunity study the Scriptures like that and will never be Torah observant. However, God has made a way for them to be Restored to Himself because He wishes none to perish.
Many Blessings,
~amy
Dear Amy,
Thanks for your heartfelt response. Just a couple of things. Do you think God gave us Torah so that we COULDN’T keep it? Moses certainly suggests that we are able to and that God would never provide instructions that we were INCAPABLE of doing. We are to CHOOSE life. That implies we can be Torah observant. Of course, most of us are not perfectly observant. So we need a redeemer. We need atonement. We need a substitutionary sacrifice. But that doesn’t mean we are not able to keep God’s instructions. It means that we choose not to. Frankly, none of them are too difficult when you actually read them.
I am glad that the Spirit is showing you that DOING is BELIEVING, that faith is a function of your feet, not your head. Believe anything you want. Just do what He says. That’s the key. And I do hope your family joins you soon. But intellectual capacity is not necessary to understand this simple truth: If I do what God asks me to do, I will enjoy His presence and understand His will. Torah frees me from the agony of not knowing what God asks of me. That is the only sense of freedom found in Scripture. Torah is not rules. It is relief. I am no longer under the burden of trying to guess what God wants. For anyone living in the 16th century BC, this was radical and explosive. Our idea of freedom doesn’t come from Scripture. Maybe that’s why we chaff at the bit, a bit that was intended to keep us on God’s path.
Skip, do you believe, or are you baptized in the Holy Spirit?