The Punisher

“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; . . .” Jonah 1:2 Cry Out Against It – Jonah knew the heart of God.  That’s why he ran in the opposite direction.  Jonah knew the power of God’s word.  That’s why he refused to preach the message.  But if you thought…

Implications, Implications

because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the Law of God, for it is not even able to do so; Romans 8:7 Does Not Subject Itself – The expression is strong in Greek: ouk hupotassetai.  The negative (ouk) is the unconditional kind.  It is…

Order-Takers

For not the hearers of the law are justified with God but the doers of the law shall be justified. Romans 2:13 Doers – This is a nearly impossible verse for Augustine and Luther (and those who follow their lead). It’s impossible because Paul unequivocally says that those who do the commandments of God are…

Graceland (1)

And it shall come to pass, if you carefully listen to my commandments which I command you today,  . . . Deuteronomy 11:13 Carefully Listen To –  Rabbi Joshua ben Karha said, “Why does the section, Hear, O Israel (Deut 6:4-9) precede the [section] and it shall come to pass if ye shall harken [diligently…

Law and Grace: Part 3

Baruch Levine emphasizes one of the most important characteristics of the Hebrew view of law when he says: . . . the laws of the Torah did not permit Israelites to expiate intentional or premeditated offenses by means of sacrifice.  There was no vicarious, ritual remedy – substitution of one’s property or wealth – for…

Law and Grace: Getting The Difference Straight

Today I received an passionate request to explain why my teaching about law and grace was causing such terrible consequences for a particular person.  Accompanying this request was an article by Dan Corner titled “Deadly Galatianism Reintroduced.”  With an English construction like that, I just had to take a look.  Unfortunately, Mr. Corner’s misunderstanding of…

The Heart Of The Matter

“Do not think that I came to annul the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to annul, but to fulfill.” Matthew 5:17 To Fulfill – In 144 AD the Church branded Marcion a heretic and rejected his truncated Bible. Marcion taught that Christians had no further use of the Hebrew Scriptures except as…

Principal Principles

For the law of the Spirit of life in Yeshua HaMashiach set me free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:2 Law – Sometimes it seems like Sha’ul could have written about Alice in Wonderland.  One pill makes you bigger (one law gives you life) and the other pill makes you small (one…

Taking A Stand

Do we nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law. Romans 3:31 Establish – Put yourself in Rome in the first century. You are part of a small group of believers. You have heard the good news of peace with God through Yeshua, the Messiah. How did…

Principle #3

by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, [which is] the Law of commandments [contained] in ordinances, that in Himself he might make the two into one new man, [thus] establishing peace. Ephesians 2:15 Two Into One – There are a host of issues with this verse, none of which are easily resolved without understanding principle…