The Grain Offering 

The grain offering was also called the meal offering or the cereal offering, because it was made from fine flour. The grain offering was a gift given to God much like the peace offering was given as a gift of thanks. The Hebrew word used was mincha, or korban. In Genesis 43 we see Jacob telling his sons to take a mincha (gift) to the governor of Egypt, which was Joseph, his long-lost son. So the grain offering should be called the gift offering. We also see this tribute given when Yeshua the King was born, and the three wise men each brought Him a mincha of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The ingredients of a grain offering were grain (usually wheat flour), frankincense, and olive oil. The offering was unleavened like the Passover matzah. It was baked or deep fried or even left uncooked. The grain offering was brought by those who were poor and could not bring other sacrifices. The grain offering was brought in conjunction with the burnt offering and peace offerings. It was like the bread that went along with the meal of the peace offering, and the mincha was a voluntary gift like the peace offering. To understand the meaning behind these offerings, we must first take a closer look at what they consisted of first. 

Different Types 

The three types of public grain offerings were the twelve loaves of bread that went on the table of showbread in the holy place of the temple, the omer of wheat that was waved on the second day of Passover which begins the fifty day counting of the omer to Pentecost, and the two loaves that are waved at Pentecost. All of these are offered by the priests. There are four types of private grain offerings recommended by the Torah: (1) the daily grain offering of the high priest according to Leviticus 6:14, (2) at the consecration of priests according to Leviticus 6:20, (3) those offered by the poor in substitution for a sin offering (Leviticus 5:11‐12), and (4) that of jealousy (Numbers 5:15). 

The Ritual of it All 

In all baked grain offerings, an omer of the flour was made into ten loaves, except when the high priest offered his offering, when it was made into twelve loaves, which represented the twelve tribes of Israel. The priest would bring the offering on a gold or silver dish in which it was prepared and then place it upon a holy vessel (a consecrated vessel of the temple) and put oil and frankincense on it. He would stand at the southeastern corner of the altar, and he would take a handful of the offering that was to be burned and place it on another vessel and place some of the frankincense on it. Then he would walk up the stairs to the top of the altar and salt it and then place it on the fire. The rest of the offering belonged to the priests, except with the grain offering of the high priest and at the consecration of a priest when the offering was totally burned. 

So why the salt? The salt was symbolic of the covenant. Every covenant was made with salt because salt was a preservative and represented the longevity of the covenant. Every grain offering was accompanied by a drink offering of wine. 

So What Does It All Mean? 

Everything in the temple represents the Messiah, even the sacrifices and the offerings. The grain offering was made without leaven because leaven represents sin. Yeshua was a sinless sacrifice and the grain offering represented that fact (1 Peter 2:21‐24, Hebrews 4:15). The portion that was thrown into the fire represents Yeshua and His testings, and even believers who are tested by fire (1 Peter 1:7, 4:12). The frankincense symbolizes the beauty of the Lord and the prayers of the saints; Revelation 5:8 speaks of the incense which was made from frankincense (Exodus 30:34). The oil represents the anointing oil of the Holy Spirit and Yeshua’s conception (Matthew 1:18, 3:13‐17, John 1:32). We too, as believers, are to live by the Spirit, and we are to offer ourselves as living sacrifices without spot or blemish. (1 Peter 2:5, Galatians 5:25, Romans 12:1)  

It starts with repentance, filled with the Holy Spirit, offering up our sacrifices of praise. But what about those who do not bring their freewill offering to God? They do not come and bow down and bring their gifts to Him. 

It’s Tradition! 

In Matthew 15:5‐9 it says:

But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,” he is not to honor his father with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. They worship in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.”

God does not want us to serve Him by just going through the motions. He does not want us just to keep a set of rules for the sake of keeping rules, but God wants our love. God loves a cheerful giver, and He wants us to joyfully serve Him. He wants us to give joyfully because He came into this world joyfully to give of Himself. He is our example, and we must follow in His footsteps. 

Let us bring our gifts to Him like the wise men who traveled a long distance to humbly give their gifts to the King. We too must bring our greatest gift to Him (and that is our lives), bring the sacrifice of praise which is the fruit of our lips, praise our redeemer joyfully, and willingly lay down our lives by crucifying our flesh so we may be resurrected as our Lord was. 

The grain offering, our Messiah, was unleavened, fragranced, and salted, and so too we must be. 

The Guilt Offering 

The guilt offering in Hebrew is called asham, and it means “reparation.” There were several types of guilt offerings for several different crimes. 

The first is called the variable; these were usually things done that were not known at first and then became known: 1) If a person did not offer testimony in a court of law and held back information, 2) ritual impurity, and 3) a forgotten oath which was not kept. All of these required the person to confess the sin and repent and seek God for forgiveness and offer the sacrifice. Why was this so important if in most cases the person did not know or remember? Because doing wrong is still sin no matter if we know it or not. If we are caught speeding, even if we did not know it when the officer stops us, we are still guilty. And so that person who sinned, even not knowing, entered into the sanctuary and defiled it. God’s sanctuary is holy and must be kept holy. 

The next is called the fixed guilt offering. This was for anyone who either misused the holy things of the Lord or took His name in vain by 1) committing sacrilege unintentionally by misusing the holy things, 2) committing sacrilege by attempting to use God’s name to conceal a financial misdealing, or 3) committing sacrilege by having relations with a married person. This person was guilty and was required to repent, repay the value of damages plus a fifth of the value, and then offer the sacrifice. The law of paying 120 percent applied to both Jews and God‐fearing Gentile believers in the land of Israel when the temple and Levitical system were in operation, but many believe that it still applies today, no matter if you are in Israel or not. 

The next guilt offering is called the uncertainty. This is when a person is uncertain whether he has sinned, and to be on the safe side, he offers a guilt offering of uncertainty, asham talui. They would call this sacrifice the “hanging guilt offering,” because the offense that might have been done would have required that person to be cut off from Israel. So instead of leaving the person hanging, it was better to offer the sacrifice. Yeshua tells the parable of the sheep and the goats, and when asked, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or naked or imprisoned or sick?” He replies, “When you do to one of these little ones you did to me” (Matthew 25:31‐46). So when we cheat or steal or unintentionally neglect or harm someone, we are also doing this to God. 

It was known among the Jewish people that Yeshua (Jesus) of Nazareth was called the Talui or ha Tului, “the Hanged One,” meaning “the Crucified One.” Anti‐Christian writings would use this description to imply “uncertainty” regarding Yeshua being the Messiah. Isaiah 53:10 says, “When His soul makes an offering for guilt (asham)….” Yeshua the crucified one (talui) hung on the cross as an asham. This is where we get the term a “Hung Jury,” because the jury is uncertain if the person is guilty or not. 

The guilt offering did not take away a person’s sins, it only averted the consequences of his sacrilege; he still needed to make restitution where it was needed to be made. A thief still was obligated to restore the stolen article. Again, this applied to both Jews and Gentiles, and it applies even today. We see this in the story of Zacchaeus. Yeshua was passing through Jericho when a chief tax collector named Zacchaeus climbed up a sycamore tree to get a glimpse of the Master, because Zacchaeus was small in stature. When Yeshua looked up and saw him, He called to him and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” Zacchaeus stopped and said to Yeshua, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back to him four times as much.” And Yeshua said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a Son of Abraham” (Luke 19:1-10).

Zacchaeus went above and beyond the required law, but when we love God by keeping His commandments, His Laws are not troubling to us, for we serve Him out of a thankful heart. 

The Burnt Offering 

Now we are going to look at the burnt offering. You could say that this is the love offering. We celebrate Valentine’s Day and we give valentines as tokens of our love for each other. Well, the burnt offering is just like that Valentine.

The burnt offering was called the korban olah, which means “the sacrifice that rises.” As we know, a sacrifice was for the purpose of drawing near to God, and the burnt offering was for the sole purpose of just that. Like every sacrifice, the animal was to be without defect or blemish. It had to be the best of the flock. This is why it was an outward sign of one’s love and devotion to God, because when a person offered a burnt offering, he offered it as an act of surrender to God. Unlike the other offerings, this offering was totally burnt up, and there was nothing for the offerer like there was with the peace offering or grain offering, which allowed the offeror to partake of the offering. So because of this, the smoke from the sacrifice went straight up, as to heaven, as a sweet sacrifice to the Lord. We give gifts to those we love, and we don’t mind what we spend for those gifts because we love them and we give to them with great joy, and we wait to see their faces when they receive them. So too the Jewish people came with songs of praise unto the house of the Lord. It was a time of communion, a time of worship, a time for one to not only give thanks but to act out his faith and trust in God that not only will his sacrifice be accepted, but that God would meet his needs; after all, he was giving God the best of his herd for no other reason than the fact that he loved God. 

This Can’t Be for Me 

It was known that God‐fearing Gentiles also offered such offerings to the God of Israel. So that leads us to today and to believers in the One true living God of Israel. How much do we love God? How do we show it? Well, Romans 12:1‐2, for one, tells us: 

“I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your service of worship; and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” 

1 Peter 2:5 tells us, “You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Messiah Yeshua (Jesus).” 

Hebrews 13:16 tells us, “And do not neglect doing good and sharing; for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” 

Yeshua tells us, “If you love me, then keep My commandments” (John 14:15, 21, 23, 1 John 5:3). 

These are just a few; so now ask yourself, “How much do I love God?” Is it enough to forsake all and follow him? Is it still fresh and new? Is it still binding and true? Maybe you need to bring the Lord a new burnt offering, renewing your commitment, love, and devotion. Maybe you need to get back on the altar and continue being that living sacrifice for the one you truly love. 

The Sin Offering

We have looked at the different types of sacrificial offerings, and we have seen that the thanksgiving, freewill, and Passover lamb were all peace offerings. The peace offering was never offered for sin, yet Scripture tells us that Yeshua (Jesus) is our Passover Lamb. So we must ask ourselves, “If Yeshua is our Passover Lamb, how is He our sin offering?” Let’s first look at sin to see exactly what it is. 

Sin 

“Sin” is a word that comes from the Greek which means to miss the mark, as in archery. Sin is a transgression of the Torah. Sin is Lawlessness (1 John 3:4). Whether committed knowingly or unknowingly, sin keeps us from having a proper relationship with God. Sacrifices were God’s way of bringing a person close or drawing him near. The sacrifice was for the sole purpose of worship. So when we become defiled by known or unknown sin, we too must offer up an offering to become right again with God. But you may say, “That is the Old Testament,” or, “That was done away with; we now have Yeshua (Jesus).” Well, let’s take a close look and gain some insight into all of this. 

The Sin Offering 

A person who brought the sin offering was not offering up his offering voluntarily as with the peace, grain, and burnt offerings. A sin offering was required when a person inadvertently committed a sin that would require him being “cut off” from the community. There was a sin offering for the nation and for the individual. The priest would offer a sin offering for the sins of the nation for different reasons. For example, if the priesthood declared that something was according to the Torah but then later realized that no, it was not, this would require a sin offering. Even though it may have been the sin of the priesthood, it was still carried out by the whole community. Then there was the sin of the individual. Maybe a person unintentionally broke a commandment of Torah; he would bring a sin offering when he realized his sin. Other types of sin offerings are for a woman who has given birth to a child, a leper after being cleansed, a nazarite who came into contact with a corpse, and a nazarite who has completed the term of his vow. 

These people are all required to offer up a chatat, or in English, a sin offering. Why are these people required to give a sin offering even when there is no sin committed? It is for the sole purpose of purification. You see, a sin offering was made to purify the Sanctuary from certain types of Levitical impurity and from the spiritual stain of sin. A person’s sins spiritually contaminated the Sanctuary, even if a sinful or unclean person entered into a holy place unknowingly. It would have to be purified, and the sin offering removed the stain. The sin offering was never made for atonement. A person did not bring an offering to clear his conscience or to acquire forgiveness. Hebrews 10:4 tells us, “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” Now if this sacrifice did not pertain to us, then why was Yeshua our sin offering?

You see, there is the cleansing of the flesh, and there is the cleansing of the spirit, the soul of man that lives on. Hebrews 9:13‐14 addresses this issue, telling us that the blood of bulls and goats may cleanse the flesh, but only the blood of Yeshua can cleanse our conscience from dead works so that we may serve the living God. Yeshua’s offering was done in the spiritual realm. How? 

A Mystery

Paul tells the Colossians in chapter 1:26-27, 

The mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations; but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God will make known what is the riches of glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Messiah in you, the hope of glory.

We want to look at one mystery of Messiah, and that is that He was slain before the foundation of the world.

Revelation 13:8b tells us, “Everyone whose name has not been recorded from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain (in sacrifice) from the foundation of the world…” (Amplified Bible).

Some other versions say it this way: “And all who dwell on the earth will worship Him, whose names have not been written in the book of Life of the Lamb slain from the creation of the world.” 

Revelation 5:6, 12 also tells us, “And I saw between the throne and the elders a lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.” 

We must understand that after Satan and all the rebellious angels who followed him fell, it made the sanctuary unclean, and so the heavenly temple needed to be cleansed. A sin offering had to be made. God in His sovereignty knew that the devil was coming down to earth, and man would also fall. Because we were also going to sin and needed to be cleansed, Yeshua prepared the way. It is because of this that when Adam and Eve sinned, God could sacrifice an animal; without the sacrifice of Yeshua first, any other sacrifice would not have been accepted because God always goes before man, not the other way around. Yeshua was the Lamb, the sacrifice that was made. Scripture tells us that He entered into the heavenly sanctuary, not with the blood of bulls and goats, but His own blood which was sprinkled on the altar. Now, Yeshua still had to die in the physical realm because the devil was the prince of this world, and he had come down to cause men to fall. Before Yeshua died on the cross, the innocent Lamb of God said, “It is finished.” In other words, it was finished in the spiritual realm and now completed in the physical realm and the veil could now be torn and the way for us to have access before the throne of God was now available. We were reconciled with God. 

This is a mystery, but the Bible does reveal to us that Yeshua was a sin offering before the foundation of the world. The Scriptures do tell us that the names were written in the Lamb’s book of life before the foundation of the world: “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him in love” (Ephesians 1:4).

Yeshua our Sin Offering 

No man can come to the Father except through Yeshua. 

2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us, “God made Him who knew no sin to be a sin offering on our behalf, so that we might become righteous (or in right standing) with God in Him.” Yeshua’s shed blood purified the altar in Heaven, and so it was done to cleanse us spiritually (Hebrews 9:22‐26). When we come to God in prayer, we come in the name of Yeshua (Jesus), and we draw near by His sacrifice, washed in His blood to cleanse us of our sins. This is why it is important for us as believers to understand the temple service and the duty of the priesthood; for we too are a royal priesthood serving at the altar of God. We must understand that God and purity go hand‐in‐hand. His sanctuary is holy, and we are to be holy before God, for we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. No offering, be it the sin offering, guilt offering, or the offering made on the Day of Atonement, can bring cleansing without repentance from one’s sin and, of course, all we do must be done in faith in Yeshua’s sacrifice for us. 

“Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in the time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). 

“Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience” (Hebrews 10:22).

“Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:19). 

Let us remember that Yeshua is our Passover lamb, our peace offering, and as Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 5:6‐8, 

Do you not know that a little leaven (sin) leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven (sin), that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened (without sin); for Messiah our Passover Lamb also has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Yes, believers can celebrate Passover, because Yeshua is our Passover lamb (peace offering), and He is our guilt offering, our burnt offering, and our grain offering. He is our sacrifice by which we draw near to God. 

Bronze Laver 

“The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Make a bronze basin, with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it.” 

Exodus 30:17-18

The next part of the tabernacle is the bronze laver. Unlike most of the other components of the tabernacle, we find that the exact dimensions and design of the laver are not specified. A laver is simply a washbasin or bowl designed to hold water. This laver was made of solid bronze and placed upon a base of some type, which would bring the laver up to a level where the priest could use it effectively. The bronze was acquired from the mirrors of the women: “Moreover, he made the laver of bronze with its base of bronze, from the mirrors of the serving women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting.” (Exodus 38:8). This was an act of great devotion, showing that they considered service to God of more worth than their own external appearances. Traditionally, it is said that God chose to honor their sacrifice by making the laver out of bronze when the temple was constructed as well, despite the ornateness of the rest of the temple.

From this point on, only the priests would continue. The priests bathed their entire bodies in the laver when they were first ordained, but after that the priest was required to wash only his hands and feet before entering into the tent of meeting. This was a symbol of purification. It may seem odd that the hands and feet were the only parts to be washed, but once put into the spiritual perspective, it all becomes clear. Feet represent our motives: “A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil” (Proverbs 6:18). Our hands are symbolic of our actions: “Concerning evil, both hands do it well” (Micah 7:3). By washing his hands and feet in the laver, the priest was going through a symbolic cleansing of the heart in preparation for further service to God. If the priest would forego this step and enter the tent of meeting without washing, he would die: “So they shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they will not die; and it shall be a perpetual statute for them, for Aaron and his descendants throughout their generations” (Exodus 30:21). It is not simply enough to accept the atonement brought by the sacrifice at the altar. Purification is required before the priest can come closer to God. 

The tabernacle was a place of holiness, and so the priests were to remain in a state of cleanliness when offering the sacrifices. Yeshua tells His disciples that they have already been made clean because of the Word (John 15:3), and only their feet needed to be washed (John 13:7-10). What did Yeshua mean by this? When we accept Yeshua’s sacrifice (the lamb for the sin offering) on our behalf, and we repent of our sins (that is, a heartfelt turning away from what is opposed to God’s Word), living by the whole Word of God’s counsel, we are totally washed by His blood, as if we ourselves went to the Bronze Laver. We are cleansed. But as we go day by day, we stumble, we fall, and we may drift away; so we need to be cleansed from our actions which are represented by our feet. Our feet can lead us to do good or to do bad, as it is written in Romans 3:15, “Their feet are swift to shed blood,” and again in Romans 10:15, “How beautiful are the feet of him who brings good news.” We are to make straight paths for our feet (Hebrews 12:12-13).

It is important to understand the process of purity. A person could become impure either by acting in an immoral way (sinning) or according to various ritual standards (for example, coming into contact with a dead body). Impurity does not necessarily imply a sin took place, yet it still comes between the people and God. In our natural state, we as human beings are impure, even without sin. But through the process of purification, God made a way for the people to draw near and have a relationship with Himself. 

The Laver represents water—the waters of life. John writes in 1 John 5:6-8, “This is the One who came by water and by blood, Yeshua the Messiah… For there are three that bear witness, the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.” We have seen that the outer court consists of the gate which leads to life and the altar which leads us to the wells of salvation. Why the wells of salvation? Because salvation is redemption, and when we repent of sin and turn from our ways, then we are redeemed based on Yeshua’s sacrifice and His shed blood, which cleanses us from our sin. The songwriter writes, “There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins, and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stain.” We see, then, that our duty as priests is first to be holy and righteous in Yeshua. Next, we must assist others as they draw near to God, leading them to repentance and accepting Yeshua’s sacrifice on their behalf. 

This is what the Bronze Laver represents: sanctification. Sanctification is an ongoing process. It is the process of being cleansed from sin initially when we accept Yeshua’s sacrifice for us, but then it is a continual cleansing of our sins when we confess them before God (Exodus 30:18-21). The laver was made of bronze and mounted on a base and lined with mirrors which the Israelite women donated to the building of the Tabernacle. Could this be what James meant when he said that we are to be doers of the Word and not just hearers? For anyone who just hears the Word and does not do it is like a man who looks into a mirror and then forgets what he looks like (James 1:22-25). When Yeshua prayed for His disciples He prayed, “Father sanctify them in the truth: Thy Word is truth” (John 17:17). It is by Yeshua’s blood we are cleansed initially, but it is in the keeping of His word that we remain clean. The sword of the Spirit, which is part of our defense against the evil one, is the Word of God, and Scripture tells us, “He saved us not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). We are to continually renew our minds through the Word of God. 

So we see the Laver represents the waters of baptism. Paul continues to write in Romans 6:2 after he says that we should not continue in sin:

How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Messiah Yeshua have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Messiah was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 

There is no other way to get into God’s presence unless we enter in through the gate (door), Yeshua, and then first stop at the altar, laying our lives down, crucifying the flesh, submitting to God’s will, not ours; and then off to the Laver to be washed and to drink from the wells of salvation. You see, our life—every moment that we live—is worship to God. True worship to God is not through ceremonial rituals. This was Paul’s main argument. True worship to God is from the heart that is totally surrendered to God, which leads to total devotion. So everything that we say or do must be done in the name of the Lord, giving glory to Him with praise and worship and adoration. This begins our path of worship. This begins our duties in serving God. 

Is your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life? If not, why not consider your deeds and repent? Give your life over to Yeshua and begin to walk in newness of life. Maybe you have already accepted Yeshua as your Lord and Savior, but you are not walking holy and blameless. Maybe Yeshua is not really the center of your life, or maybe you have not yet crucified the flesh; if so, then repent, consider your deeds, and turn for the good. We all need to stop at the laver daily and be cleansed by the blood of the Lamb. If we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us of our sins. Paul writes to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:20: 

Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if a man cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel of honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.

What were “these things” Paul was referring to? The things that are not confessed and repented of that keep a person impure and not holy, the things we need to cleanse ourselves from. 

The Holy Place

After repentance and cleansing and sacrifice, we are now ready to enter into the next section of the tabernacle: The Holy Place, the mikdash, also known as the sanctuary, which was the exact replica of Heaven’s sanctuary. God said in Exodus 25:8, “Let them construct a mikdash (Holy Place) for Me, that I may shachan (dwell) among them.”  This was the whole idea behind the Feast of Tabernacles, God dwelling with man. During this feast, the people were told to dwell in tabernacles or tents, which, along with representing God dwelling among man, is a symbol of trust and reliance on God. The feast also represents the coming age when God will permanently dwell with man, the Bridegroom and the Bride dwelling in the bridal chamber. Scripture tells us that we are being built into a mikdash so that God may shachan with us (Ephesians 2:22). Shachan is the root word in shachanah, as in God’s presence. This is why the feasts are so important for us believers to celebrate. They represent and speak of God’s plan for us. 

Upon entering the Holy Place, one would see the Menorah (the lamp stand) on the South, the Table of Showbread on the north, and the Altar of Incense on the west just in front of the veil into the Holy of Holies. 

The Menorah

“Then you shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand and its base and its shaft are to be made of hammered work; its cups, its bulbs and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side.” 

Exodus 23:31-32

After purifying himself at the laver, a priest could now enter the Holy Place. Here he would encounter the Golden Lampstand, or the menorah. This is not to be confused with the hanukkiyah, which is the menorah used during the festival of Hanukkah. The hanukkiyah has eight branches, while the temple menorah has six. 

The lampstand was made of solid gold—molded and hammered from a 75-pound ingot. It was to have a single shaft in the middle with three branches protruding from each side. The exact shape of these branches is disputed. Some say that they were curved (as is most commonly seen), while other scholars interpret the text literally—that they protruded straight out from the center shaft diagonally: “Six branches shall extend from its sides” (Exodus 25:32). On each of these branches, we are told of “its cups, its bulbs, and its flowers.” The cups were used to hold the oil of lighting and were to be shaped like almond blossoms, complete with bulb and flower. While some interpretations use the term “candlestick,” the lampstand did not use wax candles as we are accustomed to. Instead, the decorative cups mentioned above were filled with only the best olive oil—the first, most pure pressing: “Command the sons of Israel that they bring to you clear oil from beaten olives for the light, to make a lamp burn continually” (Leviticus 24:2). 

God commanded Moses to only use pure olive oil to light the menorah. That was its source. We want to take a closer look at this source. 

The Olive Tree

God told Moses in Leviticus 24:2 and Exodus 27:20, “Command the sons of Israel that they bring to you clear oil from beaten olives for the light, to make the lamp burn continually.” Olive trees have played a prominent role in Scripture, not only as the source of oil for the light in the tabernacle (temple), but the doors in the temple were made from olive trees, as were the carved cherubs which covered the Mercy Seat. It was at the Mount of Olives that Yeshua was taken up to Heaven and where He will one day return. We, Gentile believers, have been grafted into the olive tree (Israel). We see in the Book of Zechariah the two olive trees next to the menorah, which were the two anointed ones, who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth. These were specifically the two branches that dripped into the receptacle, the main source of the menorah. Yeshua is referred to as the Branch in Zechariah 3:8 and Zechariah 6:12: “Hear O Joshua, the high priest, you and your companions who sit before you, for they are a wondrous sign; for behold, I am bringing forth My Servant, the Branch,” the Branch dripping the oil for a light to the nations. “Then say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the LORD.”’”

The oil represents the Holy Spirit. The two offices of Messiah, as our High Priest and King, both were anointed with oil. The word Messiah means “anointed one.” In Revelation 11:4, we also see these two witnesses who are referred to as the two olive trees and the two menorahs that stand before the Lord of the earth. As disciples and priests, we must also be anointed with the Holy Spirit. So we are going to look at the significant relationship between the making of the oil used for the menorah and for anointing and being a disciple of Yeshua. 

Squeezing Out a Disciple

To start the process of extracting the oil, the olives were crushed under a stone for thirty to forty minutes. The crushed olives were then transferred to round baskets and were placed under high pressure to squeeze out all the oil. The first pressing was the purest, and only this could be used to light the menorah. The pressing and crushing of life is in our trials and tribulations. The Psalmist writes in Psalm 38:2, “For Your arrows have sunk deep into me, and Your hand has pressed down on me.” We see this when Paul, in Philippians 3:14, refers to all things as being lost and rubbish just to know Yeshua. He says, “I press on,” giving the allusion of the olives being pressed and everything being squeezed out. Again, he writes in 2 Corinthians 1:8, “For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even our lives.” Yeshua was crushed for our iniquities. It’s through this pressing and crushing that we are made pure and holy. It’s through this that the anointing flows throughout us. 

In Romans 5:3, Paul writes, “And not only this, but we also exalt in our tribulations knowing that tribulations bring about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope.” 

James writes, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:3). To be the true light to the nations, we must first be pressed and crushed and made holy and righteous, not putting confidence in the flesh, but letting God work through us. It is “not by power nor by might, but by the Holy Spirit” (Zechariah 4:6) that we can be the “Light of the World.” It is when we walk in the Spirit that we can be that true light (Galatians 5:16), for the Spirit is Truth, and He is never contrary to the Word. He is the light that dispels the darkness. He is the lamp to our feet and the light to our path (Psalm 119:105). He is the oil in the receptacle (the source) that lights our lamp, and as priests, we too must be that menorah. 

The utensils to be used with the lampstand, such as the snuffers and trays, were made out of pure gold as well. The complexities of all the designs of the utensils and the menorah are not laid out in the text, but rather God instructs Moses, “See that you make them [the menorah and its utensils] after the pattern for them, which was shown to you on the mountain” (Exodus 25:40). 

The lampstand was to give light to the Holy Place. Since it was enshrouded in a tent, this was how the priests would be able to properly see and execute the rest of their duties. The lampstand was also symbolic of the Spirit of God which was manifested to the people on Mount Sinai. The menorah represents the Tree of Life. The sages called the menorah the “Light of the World.”

The menorah represented God, who is light. Yeshua said that He was the “Light of the World” in John 9:5. When Yeshua returns, He will be the Light (the menorah) in the tabernacle, as it is said in Revelation 21:23, “The Lamb will be its light.” We are to be the light of the world. We are going to stop here for a moment and take a look at what it takes for us to be the “light of the world.” 

Matthew 5:14-16 says:

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under a bushel, but on a lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your righteous deeds, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

As priests, we must be filled with the Light so we can lead those who are in darkness to the truth. We do not want to overlook the command that the menorah is to remain lit at all times. The menorah, the ner tamid, which means “continual light,” hangs over the Ark which houses the Torah scrolls in the synagogue. God is ever present, and so His light never goes out; and we too as His priests should always let our light shine, always ready to give an answer for the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15). We must be ready to preach the Word in season and out of season 

(2 Timothy 4:2), never ashamed of the Gospel (Romans 1:16). We must remain sober and alert (1 Peter 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:6). 

We see that God takes it quite seriously that we be that light. In Revelation 1:12-20, John writes: And I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden menorahs; and in the middle of the menorah one like a Son of Man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden girdle. And His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire; and His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been caused to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of mighty waters. And in His right hand He held seven stars; and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength… As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden menorahs: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven menorahs are the seven churches. 

To the church of Ephesus He writes: The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden menorahs says this; I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot endure evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My Name’s sake, and have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and remove your menorah out of its place—unless you repent. (Revelation 2:1-7) 

As the assembly representing God, we must be holy and be the true light and not in any way misrepresent God, who is light. If we have let the light go out, or maybe our church just doesn’t have the oil any longer, then we must repent and once again light the menorah of our lives. Paul tells Timothy, “I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God (the Holy Spirit) which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (2 Timothy 1:6). We are to kindle the fire and keep it burning (through the Holy Spirit) as this was commanded to us by the True Light. Let’s be like the five wise virgins in Matthew 25, having our lamps ready and filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit. 

We have seen that the menorah is called the Light of the World, and of course, Yeshua said that He was the Light of the World, and as disciples of Yeshua, we too are the Light of the World. In Isaiah 49:6, the Temple is referred to as the Light of the World, and all the nations will come to it. In fact, during the time of the Feast of Tabernacles, they would light these giant menorahs and the whole temple area would light up so that you could see the light for miles. Like a lighthouse guides ships, these menorahs would guide the pilgrims coming into the city. And why were the temple and Jerusalem called the Light of the World? Because the Torah is called the Light of the World, and Scripture tells us: And many nations will come and say, “Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us His ways and that we may walk in His paths,” for from Zion will go forth the Torah, even the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem (Micah 4:2, Isaiah 2:3). 

Proverbs 6:23 tells us, “For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light.” 

Is your light shining today? Here is a little test found in 1 John 1:6: “If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice truth; but if we walk in the light as He Himself is light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Yeshua His Son cleanses us from all sin.” 

Verses 8-10 go on, “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and the Word is not in us.” 

1 John 2:4-6 continues with this thought: The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His Word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him; the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

Verses 9-10 continue to say: 

The one who says he is in the light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him, But the one who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Verse 15 finishes off, saying, “Do not love the world, or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 

Remember the sequence: thankfulness and praise, repentance and sacrifice, cleansing and light. Next on our path of worship, we will stop at the altar of showbread.

The Altar of Showbread

“You shall make a table of acacia wood, two cubits long and one cubit wide and one and a half cubits high. You shall overlay it with pure gold and make a gold border around it.” 

Exodus 25:23-24

Also inside the Holy Place was the Table of Showbread. It was a table made out of acacia wood and covered in gold. It was 3 feet long, 1.5 feet wide, and 2.25 feet tall. There were four rings attached, along with carrying poles and the utensils used for holding the bread. The poles were acacia wood overlaid with gold, while the utensils were made from solid gold. 

The purpose of the table was to hold the showbread, also called the bread of presence. The bread was to be made out of fine flour and baked into cakes each Sabbath. The amount used would come out to twelve loaves of bread, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. These loaves would be arranged in two rows, six loaves per row. Two small bowls of pure frankincense were laid on the table near the showbread. 

In those days, covenants were often sealed with a meal. The showbread fulfilled that role by commemorating the covenant between God and the people of Israel. The covenant terms were upheld by each party: Israel would obey God and keep His commandments, and God would protect them and bring them into the land as He promised. This is why Yeshua was so eager to eat the Passover seder meal with His disciples, because He was going to ratify the covenant. He would now be the mediator, and He would be the sacrifice, and His own blood would be poured out (Luke 22:15-20). Our family is also based on a covenant, and when we come to the table to eat, God is there, and it’s like a renewing of that covenant every time we get together. Our table becomes the table of the Lord, and it is to be holy with thought, word, and deed. Ephesians 5:19 tells us, “Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, sing and make melody with your heart to the Lord.” In the daily prayer of the shema, it says, “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” The covenantal relationship is most binding in the eating of a meal. And do not forget the importance of a fellowship meal that takes place with the family of God. 

The priests would take this showbread and eat it in the Holy Place. We as priests also eat in the Holy Place when we call on the Lord to bless our food. 

Bread is representative of life, since it has always been a main food staple. Having the showbread in the Holy Place was a symbol of God’s blessing over the food of the people. As long as they continued to serve Him, the people could trust God to take care of their physical needs. 

Now, the miracle of the showbread is that this bread was eaten by all the priests who were on duty that week, about 150 men, and yet even though there were so many men that ate of the twelve loaves, they ate and were satisfied. Sound familiar? Not only that, but the bread which was baked the week before was still hot and fresh as though it had just been baked. Yeshua said,

I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst… Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died… This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever, and the bread also which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh. (John 6:35, 49, 51)

What was Yeshua saying? He was not saying to actually eat His flesh; that was totally against Torah. But what He was saying was that He was the Bread of Life. He was comparing Himself to the manna that came down from heaven. Yeshua is the Word made flesh, and we are to eat of that Word. Isaiah writes in Isaiah 55:1-2: 

Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Come buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance.

Let’s stop at the table of the Lord and eat from His Word and delight in His ways as we walk in the light of His Word. He is our portion and our cup. Let us feast at His table and drink from the well of salvation (Psalm 16:5). Let our cup overflow (Psalm 23:5) and may God give us a double portion (Isaiah 61:7). This is the abundant life!

We have looked at the Menorah and the Table of Showbread, also known as the Table of the Bread of Presence. When confronted with the task of feeding the five thousand, Yeshua tells His disciples that they should feed the people. Yeshua tells Peter, “If you love Me, feed My sheep” (John 21:15). So we see that as priests we must be light in the darkness and lead the people to Yeshua, and we are to feed the sheep, not only with actual bread, but with the Bread of Life. So we want to continue on our path of worship.

The Altar of Incense

“You shall make an altar as a place for burning incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. Its length shall be a cubit, and its width a cubit; it shall be a square, and its horns shall be of one piece with it. And you shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding all around for it… And you shall put this altar in front of the veil that is near the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is over the ark of the testimony, where I will meet with you.” 

Exodus 30:1-3, 6

As we leave the Table of Showbread, after we have feasted at God’s table, and our hearts are well-satisfied, and we have drunk from the wells of salvation, cleansed and walking in the Light: now we can approach the Altar of Incense. The altar of incense was also in the Holy Place. As we have seen with the altar in the outer courtyard, it was made of acacia wood. Unlike the outer altar, the incense altar was overlaid with gold. It was 1.5 feet both long and wide (a square) and 3 feet tall. It had four horns at the four corners of its top face. On this altar, only incense was to be offered up. Incense was to be offered in the morning and the evening.

We see that the process surrounding the altar of incense is most holy. Only a particular mixture of spices, specifically instructed by God, could be offered up. This mixture could not be used for any other purpose than this offering: “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Take for yourself spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, spices with pure frankincense; there shall be an equal part of each. With it you shall make incense, a perfume, the work of a perfumer, salted, pure, and holy’” (Exodus 30:34-35). So that the people would not be tempted to make their own mixture for personal use, the spices and proportions used were kept secret, known only to one family. They took this responsibility very seriously, and as a result, we do not know the exact mixture today. 

Not only is the mixture sacred, but the altar is to be used for no other purpose: “You shall not offer any strange incense on this altar, or burnt offering or meal offering; and you shall not pour out a drink offering on it” (Exodus 30:9). 

Unfortunately, we see that this command was not heeded by Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu: 

Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. And fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. (Leviticus 10:1-2)

This is a tragic reminder that God is holy and He cannot accept anything contrary to what He has commanded. The actions of Nadab and Abihu were done carelessly and irreverently, which is possibly why a similar punishment is not issued upon Aaron’s other two sons when they (presumably) mistakenly burn up a sacrifice which they were supposed to eat.

The priest would take fiery coals from the Bronze Altar, the altar upon which the sacrifices were burned. They would take the fiery coals from the Tamid Sacrifices (the Morning and Afternoon sacrifices, which were the two continual sacrifices that burned on the altar), and then they would light the incense which was a special blend, according to God’s specification, upon the Incense Altar. Like all things with the tabernacle, it had to be done exactly as God had spoken. God’s ways must be kept; and remember, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. There is no new way with God. His tabernacle has not changed. 

We see that incense was one of the gifts of the Magi to the baby Yeshua. At the end of the Sabbath during the Havdalah Service, the spice jar is passed around, and as you smell the sweet aroma, it is a reminder to us believers of the sweet fragrance of Yeshua. Because there is no temple, the making of the anointing oil and the incense according to God’s specifications is forbidden. So if we can no longer anoint with the specific blend God requires and we can no longer offer up incense, then like the sacrifices, does everything come to a stop? No, because God’s tabernacle in Heaven still operates. We saw what replaced the sacrifices, and now we will look at what replaced the offering of the incense: prayer. 

Liturgical Prayer

Liturgical prayers come from the Siddur (prayer book) and were, and still are, the common prayers of the day. Yeshua and His disciples said these prayers, and even the early believers did up to about the 5th Century. Though we see in the Catholic Church that these types of prayers are still common, those are not the prayers that Yeshua said. We want to start with the Morning and Evening prayers (the evening prayers are said in the late afternoon). The Morning Prayer is called Shacharis and the Afternoon Prayer is called Minchah. We find in Genesis 19 that Abraham arose early in the morning and went to the place where he stood before the Lord. So we see Abraham starting the tradition of the Morning Prayer, the Shacharis, by going to the same spot early in the morning. The Afternoon Prayer, the Minchah, was traditionally started by Jacob. Genesis 24 tells us that Jacob went out to meditate in the field toward evening before sunset. We see in 1 Kings 18 that Elijah waited until right before the time of the evening sacrifice before he built the altar on Mt. Carmel; so when the time came for the evening sacrifice, he placed the offering upon the altar, and God so miraculously consumed the water and the sacrifice and the altar. We see Daniel praying the Afternoon Prayers on top of his roof (Daniel 6:10, 9:21). And most importantly, we see Yeshua placed upon the cross at the time of the morning sacrifice/morning prayer (Mark 15:25), and He died at the time of the afternoon sacrifice, the time of the afternoon prayer (Matthew 27:46-50). If we look at the lives of the Apostles and believers, we see them also continuing this tradition of meeting in the Temple for Evening Prayer (Acts 3:1). So let’s take a closer look at these two prayers that replaced the Tamid sacrifices, the continual burnt offering. 

Morning Prayer

The Morning Prayer starts with: 

How godly are Your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel. O Lord, through Your abounding faithful love I come into Your house, and reverently I worship You in Your holy sanctuary. I love being in Your house, the place where Your glory resides. Here I bow down to worship You, my Lord and my Maker. Accept my prayer, O Lord, and answer with Your great mercy and with Your saving truth. How lovely are Your tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! I long, yes, I pine for the courts of the Lord; my heart joyfully sings to the living God. One thing have I asked of the Lord, that I will pursue, That I may live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the graciousness of the Lord and to enter His sanctuary. Teach me Your ways, O Lord, and lead me in the right path. With You is the fountain of life, in Your light do we see light. 

We see here that the prayer is going through those steps of worship: entering the gates with thanksgiving and praise, stopping at the fountain of life, the Laver, and entering into the Holy Place and seeing God’s light, His truth. The prayer continues with the daily Scripture, which is the light. Upon hearing God’s Word, the Shema is said, which is a declaration that there is only one God and we will serve Him with all of our hearts and life and strength, and we will teach our children to do the same. After this, Kaddish is said; this is a declaration of God’s glory and holiness. And finally, the Amidah is said, which are the Eighteen Benedictions. (See handout “The Weekday Morning Service”)

The Afternoon Prayer

The afternoon prayer starts with Kaddish, blessing God’s Name, and then the Shema. On Mondays and Thursdays, part of the weekly Torah portion is read. Again the Eighteen Benedictions are recited, but then we pray for God’s protection as we lay down for the night. We end our prayer with Psalm 134 and Psalm 121, followed by the Aaronic Benediction: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.” We sing a song after the Morning and Afternoon prayer. We do not know how much of the Morning and Afternoon prayer, as said today, was said in the time of Yeshua, but we do know that parts of the Eighteen Benedictions go as far back as King David. (See handout “The Weekday Evening Service”)

Then there are the prayers said during the different feasts and Sabbaths; of course, there are liturgical prayers from Scripture like the Psalms, and we can not forget Yeshua’s prayer, which is a shortened form of the Amidah, The Eighteen Benedictions, which we call the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). But what about the prayers we say from the heart? 

Praying From the Heart

Praying from the heart is exactly that—from our hearts. Everything we say in prayer should be from the heart, whether it is traditional prayer or any other type of prayer. In fact, everything we do pertaining to God should be done wholeheartedly. God said that when we seek Him with all of our hearts, we will find Him (Deuteronomy 4:29, Jeremiah 29:12-14). We are to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). We are to pray with faith and never doubting (James 1:6), trusting God to hear us and answer us (John 5:15). The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much (James 1:6). 

Everything we say and do we are to do in the Name of the Lord Yeshua (Colossians 3:17), because it is our prayer, our priestly service before God. Paul writes to Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:1-8,  “I admonish and urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be offered on behalf of all men. For kings and all who are in positions of authority….”  

He goes on: 

For such praying is good and right and pleasing to God, who wishes all men to be saved and increasingly to perceive and recognize and discern and know precisely and correctly the divine truth: that there is only one God and only one Mediator between God and men, the man Yeshua the Messiah… Therefore I want men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.

We, as the Priesthood, have an obligation to pray for one another (Ephesians 6:18) and for those who are perishing (1 John 5:16), that all may be saved. We must pray for the Body of Yeshua, for when one suffers, we all suffer; and don’t forget that there are believers all over the world today who are suffering for the name of Yeshua. We must pray for our government not with hate and anger, but that we, as a nation, will live under the Divine Laws of the One True God (1 Timothy 2:1-2). 

All of our prayers are to be accompanied by thanksgiving 

(1 Thessalonians 5:18, Philippians 4:6, Psalm 100:4, 1 Timothy 4:4-5). Why? Because all of the burnt offerings were to be followed by a Thanksgiving Offering. When we receive God’s forgiveness, it should cause us to be thankful. Yeshua told a story in Luke 7:41-43 about two men who had debts which they owed the moneylender—one a large debt, the other a smaller debt. When they were unable to repay, he forgave them both. He asked His disciples which one will be more thankful, and they said the one with the larger debt; and so we should be thankful that Yeshua took our sins upon Himself, and when we repent of our sins, we are then forgiven. Remember, to light the Incense Altar, they took the coals from the morning and evening burnt offerings, the continual offerings, which should make us think of the time that Yeshua hung on the cross. 

Prayer and worship are so closely related to the tabernacle that it is hard to believe that as Christians we negate the laws that surround it. What we forget is that the heavenly Temple is still in operation, and the earthly one with all of its laws and regulations was taken from the heavenly Temple. God is a God of detail; He is not only concerned about detail regarding His Temple, but He is concerned about every detail of our lives. God is also Just and Righteous, and we see this in the fact that our prayers can be hindered because of our heart’s condition. 

Hindered Prayer

Now, if our prayers are associated with the Incense Altar, which is connected to the burnt offerings, then we see that if we have sin in our lives, our prayers can be hindered. For example, if a husband is not living in a right relationship with his wife, this could hinder his prayers (1 Peter 3:7). Yeshua tells us that if someone has a grievance against us we are to leave our offering at the altar and go make things right (Matthew 5:23). 

What altar was Yeshua talking about? Well, you may say the altar at the Temple, but would that then apply to us? If not, then the concept of forgiveness would not apply to us either. Or maybe it was for those believers at the time; but then, if Yeshua is our example, should we disregard the things He says? Or maybe the process of worship is the same yesterday, today and forever. One day the Temple will return, but for now, the heavenly Temple still is in operation, and before we can come to God with our sacrifice of praise or even our monetary offerings, we must first make things right between us and our neighbor. If we harbor bitterness or unforgiveness, our prayers will be hindered (Matthew 6:15, 2 Corinthians 2:10-11, Ephesians 4:26-27). 

We must first humble ourselves and see the need to repent, and stop at the altar, and lay that sin down. It is as though we are stopping at the cross of Calvary, for the altar and the cross are one and the same. Then we can go to the Laver and be washed by the blood of Yeshua; in so doing we are walking in the light of God’s Word; in other words, our lives must line up with God’s Word. Then we can have fellowship with Him, feasting at His table. From there, we can stop at the Incense Altar and bring our requests and prayers before God. This is a process that we must go through. There is only one path of worship, and this is it. Yes, Yeshua died for our sins, but we must still examine our hearts and go through the process. 1 Corinthians 11:28-31 tells us that a man should examine himself before communion. But it goes on to say, “But if we judge ourselves rightly, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord in order that we may not be condemned along with the world.” God is a holy God, and so we are to be holy (1 Peter 1:15-16), and when it comes to entering into God’s presence, we must be without sin, and if we deceive ourselves, that will only hinder our prayers. 

Trusting God

When we have done all that we can do, then the Bible tells us in Ephesians 6:13 to stand believing. Waiting on God is the essence to all prayer. Matthew 7:7 tells us to ask and keep on asking, and then you shall receive. It is in waiting on God that we grow in perseverance and in character (James 1:4). It is in this waiting and trusting God that the fragrance, the aroma of our prayers, becomes more pleasing to God (Psalm 141:2). The true worship of God is found in relying on our Father to be exactly that—our Father—knowing that He will never leave us or fail us. Now, does this mean that we will receive everything that we ask for? No. But this does mean that God will give us what we need and what will be good for us (James 1:17). Only a loving Father can do this. So when we lift up holy hands and praise the One True God, let us always remember that it is through Yeshua our Messiah that we are able to come and offer up our prayers and requests to God our Father. He made the way for us to be forgiven. 

Next we are going to look at the veil, which was torn on our behalf so that we can now come into the Holy of Holies. 

The Holy of Holies

The only time that the High Priest could enter the Most Holy Place, also called the Holy of Holies, was on the holiest day of the year—Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. He would come into this place to sprinkle blood on the mercy seat and make atonement for himself and the nation. 

The Temple Veil

The veil separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. Behind the veil sat the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat. The veil concealed the Presence of God. Exodus tells us that, “All the skilled women spun with their hands, and brought what they had spun, in blue and purple and scarlet material and in fine linen” (Exodus 35:25-26). Two cherubs were woven into the veil. 

Miriam and the Temple Veil

The following is a story about Miriam the mother of Yeshua. Now this story is taken from a non-canonical gospel, so we can only look at the following in the light of history, and even maybe as a fictional event. 

In the days before Yeshua’s birth, King Herod the Great was involved in remodeling the Temple. The craftsmen and builders completed the renovation inside and out without disrupting the Temple service. There is a reference in the Book of John where it tells us that it took forty-six years to build the Temple. That would place the beginning of the remodeling project about a decade before the birth of Yeshua. Part of the remodeling project required the creation of new fabrics for the curtains and veils (the front veil and the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies). According to the apocryphal gospel Protoevangelium of James, which was a third century pseudepigraphical gospel, Miriam (the mother of Yeshua) was one of the women chosen to work on the veils; and there was a council of priests, saying, “Let us make a veil for the Temple of the Lord.” And the priest said, “Call to me the undefiled virgins of the family of David.” And the officers went away, and sought, and found seven virgins. And the priest remembered the child Mary, that she was of the family of David and undefiled before God. And the officers went away and brought her. And they brought them all into the Temple of the Lord. And the priest said, “Choose for me by lot who shall spin the gold, and the white, and the scarlet, and the true purple.” And the true purple and the scarlet fell to the lot of Mary (Protoevangelium James 10). 

Within this same gospel is the story of the miraculous conception and miraculous birth of Mary, the girlhood of Mary, her betrothal to Joseph, and the miraculous conception and birth of Yeshua. The Orthodox Jewish scholar Samuel Safrai has suggested that Protoevangelium James might contain some historically based, non-canonical traditions about those events. Specifically, he points to the tradition of Miriam weaving the veil for the Temple. He deems it may possibly contain a kernel of historical truth because it has a direct parallel in the Tosefta Shekalim: “Women used to weave the veils of the Temple… and they were paid from monies donated to the Temple” (Tosefta Shekalim). Thanks to Protoevangelium James, church artwork depicts Mary, before the birth of Yeshua, almost always with a bolt of scarlet cloth. Miriam may have been employed to weave together the fabrics for the Temple at the same time God was choosing her to be used so that Yeshua the living Temple could become the veil; to quote the Psalmist, “Thou didst weave me in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13). In Hebrews 10:20 it says, “The veil, that is, His flesh….” Yeshua is the veil, and when He died, the very same veil that His mother may have woven was torn in half so that all who accepted Him may go in. 

Yeshua in the Holy of Holies

We are told that in the Garden of Eden, God dwelt with Adam and Eve, and He walked amongst them. How He exactly did that we are not sure. When Adam and Eve sinned, they were cast out from the Presence of God, but God would one day again walk among men. The Lord said to Moses in Exodus 25:8, “Let them construct a sanctuary (a Mikdash, a holy place) to My Name, and I will make My Shechinah (Presence) dwell among them.” The word for dwell, shachan, is also at the root of the word mishkan, tabernacle. Yeshua is the Tabernacle; He is the Shachan, the Presence. 

The Holy of Holies was the place where God’s Presence resided. Behind the veil in the Holy of Holies—or the Most Holy Place as it was also called—sat the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark of the Covenant was symbolic of the Throneroom of God. Yeshua is the Mikdash, the Holy Place, for He is the Holy One. The tabernacle was to be both a holy place and a dwelling place. As we have seen, the tabernacle teaches us about Messiah. God required a holy place to dwell among His people; so too Yeshua needed a holy place to dwell, and that place was a human body. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory (shechinah), as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). So, to literally translate this verse, it should read, “And the Word became flesh, and did tabernacle among us.” When God spoke to Moses to build the tabernacle, the Targum Yonaton on Exodus 24:22 says of the tabernacle, “I will appoint My Memra (Word) to meet you there.” Messiah fulfills these Scriptures literally. He dwelt among us in His physical body, a Sanctuary for God, a dwelling among man. Remember, Yeshua said, “Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up again” (John 2:19). The imagery of Yeshua being the tabernacle also carries over to the Feast of Tabernacles: one of God’s Appointed Times. As briefly mentioned before, this feast is a time where the people are commanded to dwell in tabernacles, or booths. There is strong evidence which indicates this feast is the time when Yeshua was born, thus giving us a rich connection between this Appointed Time, the service of the tabernacle, and our Messiah Yeshua.  

As the priesthood, we too are the Temple of the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit dwells within us, and we too must be holy. In 1 Corinthians 6:19, Paul reminds us of this. In 2 Corinthians 6:15-16, Paul says, 

Or what harmony has Yeshua with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the Temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God. And they shall be My people.” 

Holiness (to be set-apart) is mandated to have God dwell within us. James 4:4 writes, “Fellowship with the world is enmity toward God.” 

(See handout “Holiness”)

The Ark of the Covenant

“They shall construct an ark of acacia wood two and a half cubits long, and one and a half cubits wide, and one and a half cubits high. You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and out you shall overlay it, and you shall make a gold molding around it.” 

Exodus 25:10-11

The tabernacle was at the center of Israel, and the Ark of the Covenant was at the center of the Most Holy Place. It was built out of acacia wood and overlaid with gold. Golden rings and carrying poles were to be made for the ark. However, the poles were not to be removed from their place inside the rings. This has traditionally been understood to represent that the one who studies Torah must be always ready to transport it to one who thirsts for God. When God instructed Moses to build the tabernacle, this was the first thing to be built. 

The Ark was used as a container for three holy artifacts. The first was the stone tablets upon which the ten commandments were written. Just as the commandments were here in the heart of the Most Holy Place, so too the commandments are to be written in the hearts of the people. The second item was a jar of manna. This was to remind the people of how God provided for the Israelites for forty years in the wilderness. The final object in the ark was Aaron’s staff. This was to be a reminder of the irrevocable anointing of the priesthood. Outside of its place in the tabernacle, the Ark was carried into battle as a sign that the power of God was going before them. 

Atop the Ark was the Mercy Seat: “You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and one and a half cubits wide” (Exodus 25:17). This was like a lid or covering for the Ark. It functioned as a throne that the Presence of God would rest upon. It was made of solid gold and had two cherubim at either end of the Mercy Seat, facing each other. It was here where He met with Moses: “There I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel” (Exodus 25:22).

The Ark was so holy that only the tribe of Levi could carry it. After Aaron’s sons were struck down because they lit strange fire before the Lord, God told Moses that Aaron and his sons could only enter into the Most Holy Place once a year (Yom Kippur), and then they had to make atonement for themselves and the people (Leviticus 16:1-2, 15-17). Maintaining holiness requires boundaries. If a holy space is treated like normal space, it loses its sanctity. So on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest would enter into the Holy of Holies and he would sprinkle the blood of the sin offering upon it. 

The cover of the Ark is called Kaporet, which comes from the word Kaphar which means “to cover” or “to atone.” Upon the Ark sat the Mercy Seat. The Mercy Seat is the place of atonement. Two winged cherubim covered it with outstretched wings—again, a picture of Heaven with the two cherubim before the throne of God. Thank God through our Lord Yeshua that He has entered in behind the veil with His own blood as the sacrifice once and for all (Hebrews 9:12), and now He has become our Great High Priest who lives to make intercession on our behalf (Hebrews 7:25, Romans 8:34)!

Praying Through the Tabernacle 

So many times we just start praying and telling God our troubles, but there is a correct way to enter into prayer. I want to say that this is only a model; you can add to it, but I believe that God has a set order of things for everything in life and that includes our prayer life and coming into His presence. As priests, we must follow the order of the tabernacle. 

We start on pilgrimage to the House of the Lord. Here is where we sing and praise the Lord. We enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Yeshua is the door; we must come in the name of Yeshua. Then we must stop at the altar, bringing the sacrifice by which we draw near—that is, Yeshua. From there we go to the Laver and wash in the blood of the Lamb, repenting of our sins and asking for forgiveness. We then go and enter into the Holy Place. We stop at the table of the Lord, for Yeshua is our food and drink. We then go to the Menorah, for Yeshua is our Light, and there we ask the Holy Spirit to anoint us. Then we bring our prayers and supplications before God at the Altar of Incense. 

So to put this all together, I believe your prayer should sound something like this: After praise we would say, “Father, I come in the name of Yeshua and I draw near by His sacrifice. I thank You, Father, that You loved me so much that You sent Yeshua to die on my behalf so that I may have eternal life, and I thank You, Yeshua, for that sacrifice. I thank You, Yeshua, for Your shed blood, for there is power in that blood to wash me clean. Wash me of all my known and unknown sins and all that I have committed with my thoughts, words, and deeds. Take off my filthy garments and robe me in Your righteousness, for You are my righteousness. Father, let me come and feast at Your table in the light of Your Word, for Yeshua is the true manna from heaven. He is the finest of wheat. He is our food and drink, our portion, our cup overflows. He is our life, for Yeshua is the Bread of Life. He is the way, the truth, and the life; lead me in the path that leads to life and keep my foot from slipping, for Yeshua is the Light of the World. He is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Holy Spirit, anoint me in the oil of that light and impart to me Your wisdom, knowledge, understanding, discernment, your insight and Your foresight and Your truth. Let me not be deceived and pass on a deception, but give me truth. And Father, let my prayers and supplications and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You.” 

Now you can start to petition God. You can begin to praise and worship again if you choose, or sing/pray in the Spirit; but then it is here where you begin to be still and listen to what God has to say to you. 

Hush, God is Present

When we entered into the first veil or door of the tabernacle/temple, we entered with thanksgiving and praise, shouting and celebrating; but as we enter into the last veil, we enter in with silence. Entering into the Most Holy Place was done with awe and reverence. In fact, they would tie a rope around the priest on Yom Kippur so if he would die in the Presence of God, they could pull him out, because otherwise they would not be able to enter in to retrieve him. All that the priest would say at that time was God’s Most Holy Name. Scripture repeatedly says that we must enter in with a hush. Habakkuk 2:20 says, “But the Lord is in His Holy Temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him.” Zechariah 2:13 says, “Be silent all flesh before the Lord, for He is aroused from His Holy Habitation.” Zephaniah 1:7 says, “Be silent in the Presence of the Lord.” 

This is an element that we Christians miss. Scripture tells us that we may come into God’s presence with boldness, and so we think that we can just barge in on a Holy God. Yes, we can come before God with confidence because of the sacrifice of Yeshua; in other words, God will not strike us dead if we come before Him. But we must still enter in with a hush. 

If we go through the process of entering in with thanksgiving and praise, and we stop at the altar in which Yeshua laid down His life, and we too lay down ours by humbling ourselves, crucifying the flesh, and we confess our sins, then going to the Laver we are washed in the blood of Yeshua and receive forgiveness, we then can enter in and feast at the Table of the Lord and eat from the Bread of Life, letting the Word abide in us, placing the Word in our hearts so that we will not sin again, which will cause us to walk in the light of the Menorah, Yeshua, and bring our prayers to the Altar of Incense; then we can come into the Presence of God, quietly waiting for God to speak to us. All too often Christians do not wait on the Lord to speak to them. All too often our prayers are hindered because of sin and we never are allowed to enter in because of our sins. We forgot to stop and repent. Before we enter into Communion at church—which is fellowship with God—we must examine ourselves and repent of our sins; so why do we not do this every time we commune with God in prayer? 

There is a path to worship, and we must walk on the path that leads to God. As priests we must do our priestly duty as it is done in heaven. God spoke to Moses and told him to make the tabernacle exactly like Heaven, and the priests were to minister exactly like it is done in heaven. We can not say that the tabernacle/temple was just for the Jews. Ezekiel, Zechariah, and many of the prophets spoke of the end times, and they refer to the Temple in the Messianic Days.  So too we must follow all of God’s ways now, which includes coming into His Presence with holiness and a reverence. Just think, we wouldn’t come before royalty or even into a courtroom before a judge with outbursts, but with a quietness and respect. How much more so before God Almighty! 

Now We Are Ready!

When Moses saw the burning bush and went toward it, God called out to him and told him to take his sandals off, for the place where he was standing was holy (Exodus 3:5). Moses hid his face and was afraid to look upon God. Then God told him that He was sending him back to Egypt. When Joshua met the Captain of the Lord’s Army, he fell on his face (Joshua 5:15). Then the Angel of the Lord told him what he needed to do. In Isaiah 6:5-13, when Isaiah came into the Presence of God, he said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips.” The Angel of the Lord took a coal off the altar and touched his lips. After Isaiah comes into the Presence of God, he hears God say, “Whom shall I send?” And he responds, “Send me.” Time and time again when we come into God’s Presence and we are still before Him, God will speak to us and give us the answers that we need or the direction we must go. As we come before the Messiah, let us come with thanksgiving and praise, but then as we come to Him, let us come believing that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). Let us pause in silence and listen for that small, still voice telling us the deep truths of His Word as He calls us into His service. As priests before God, let us be holy as He is holy, ministering to Him, bringing our gifts before Him just like the wise men who brought their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, all of which were used in the tabernacle. Let us bring the best gift we have, our lives, and as a royal priesthood let us be used as vessels of honor in the hand of our King, Yeshua HaMashiach. 

The Jerusalem Council

The debate over how people were saved affected all of the varied sects and denominations of Judaism, especially the Way. In Acts 15, we find a debate which we have lost perspective on through the years. Unless we understand the worldviews of those who are debating, we cannot truly grasp the meaning of this decision and the implications it had on the early community of believers.

The chapter begins with an introduction to the council of Jerusalem. Some men have been going around saying that the Gentiles who are coming to belief in Yeshua can only be saved by undergoing the ritual conversion to Judaism:

Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue. (verses 1-2)

These men were of the opinion that Gentiles needed to renounce their nationality and become proselyte Jews in order to experience the blessings associated with the covenant. Previously, the Gentiles had not been a big factor, since all of the initial believers in Yeshua were Jewish (Matthew 10:5-6). After it was made clear that Gentiles were part of God’s plan, as evidenced through their reception of the Holy Spirit (Acts 10), and especially as Paul and Barnabas began preaching almost exclusively to the Gentiles, the issue of their place in the community of Israel was one that needed to be carefully thought and prayed about. 

The conversion process, which we introduced earlier, is not found anywhere in the Torah. There is no set of rules for how a Gentile can become Jewish, except as laid out in the oral traditions. The Pharisees believed that the oral traditions which had been passed down from previous generations had originally been taught to Moses on Mt. Sinai by God Himself. This is why the phrase “according to the custom of Moses” is used here in Acts 15, since it was not an issue of the written Torah of Moses, but rather the oral custom of conversion attributed to Moses. 

Instead of including instructions for conversion, the written Torah includes details about how a foreigner who wishes to reside among the Israelites and live among them is supposed to act and be treated (Leviticus 24:22, Numbers 9:14, Deuteronomy 31:11-12). Indeed, a mixed multitude came up out of Egypt among the people of Israel (Exodus 12:38). This group, containing both Jews and people from other nations, ceases to be known as a mixture of nations, but is continuously referred to solely as Israel. Those who had joined themselves to Israel in this way continued to reside among them, even partaking in the covenant at Mt. Sinai. Instead of a formal process of conversion, the Scriptures make it evident that faith in the God of Israel and submission to His will is what links a foreigner to the people of Israel, and that no conversion is required for this status to be achieved (Ruth 1:16, Isaiah 56:6-7). It is important to also note that the foreigner in this position does not become Jewish, but maintains his ethnic status as a “sojourner” even while participating in the covenant with Israel (Exodus 12:19, 20:10; Numbers 15:14-16, Deuteronomy 31:12).

Continuing on in Acts 15, we see that the council comes together to reach a conclusion about how the Gentiles are to be accepted into Israel and therefore receive the blessings associated with the covenant.

And the apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter. And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us; and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?” (verses 6-10)

Peter begins to speak, reminding the council that he had been sent to preach to some of the Gentiles. He tells them that God gave the Holy Spirit to the Gentile believers, just as He had done to the Jewish believers previously. If God had shown His acceptance of the Gentiles without them having been converted, then why should they have to be converted to be saved? In giving them the Holy Spirit, God had revealed that the heart of the one receiving had been circumcised. Peter’s argument is that since God had already shown His acceptance of the Gentiles while they were still of the nations by circumcising their hearts and giving them the Holy Spirit, therefore they did not need to be physically converted in order to receive the other gifts of God, most notably salvation. Further basis for this belief lies in the fact that Scriptures speak of Jews and Gentiles worshiping God (Isaiah 2:2-3, Micah 4:2, Acts 15:16-17), therefore it is necessary for Gentiles to retain their national identity even while becoming part of Israel.

From Peter’s words in verse 10 has arisen a stumbling block in Christian interpretation. The traditional understanding is that since Gentile believers are saved and grafted in by faith, we therefore are no longer saved by works and have no need to be under the “yoke” and the “burden” of the Torah. But we have already seen that the predominant view held by the Jews was not that salvation was obtained through keeping the Torah, so it wouldn’t make sense for him to be framing it that way. The issue, as is evident in the opening of chapter 15, is whether Gentiles are saved by undergoing ritual conversion to Judaism. Additionally, according to Scripture, the Torah is in fact not a burden (Deuteronomy 30:11-14, James 1:25, 1 John 5:2-3). 

If this is so, then what is the burden that the council and their fathers were not able to bear? We find the answer in the words of Yeshua: 

Then Yeshua spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them. They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. (Matthew 23:1-4)

These heavy burdens were the contrived oral commandments: not all of them, but the ones which missed the true purpose of the written command (Mark 7:9-12, Luke 11:42). Notice that even though He acknowledges that these oral traditions are burdensome, He does not tell the people to disobey the authority of the religious council, for this would have been against the Torah (Deuteronomy 17:9-11). He also makes reference to the yoke He brought, which is easy to bear (Matthew 11:29-30). If the Gentiles were going to be compelled to be circumcised, they would be placing themselves under the authority of the Sanhedrin, and would need to abide by all of the oral traditions as if they were written commandments except where these traditions contradicted the teachings of Yeshua. 

Yeshua grants His disciples with the power to make legal rulings. This system of ruling was not something new or recently devised. The rabbinic council would frequently meet together to determine a proper halakhah for a commandment. The word halakhah means “the way to walk,” and it is the instructions for how a particular commandment is supposed to be done. Yeshua gives His disciples the legal authority to make these types of rulings within the community of His followers in Matthew 18:18-20: “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” This terminology, “binding and loosing,” was used by the Pharisees to describe the authority they had to make rulings about commandments. The Jewish Encyclopedia entry on “Binding and Loosing” puts it this way: 

The power of binding and loosing was always claimed by the Pharisees… The various schools had the power “to bind and to loose”; that is, to forbid and to permit; and they could bind any day by declaring it a fast-day. This power and authority, vested in the rabbinical body of each age or in the Sanhedrin, received its ratification and final sanction from the celestial court of justice.

James, the head of the council, had a big decision to make. He makes his ruling on the issue of the Gentiles in Acts 15:19-20: “Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, but that we write to them that they abstain (1) from things contaminated by idols and (2) from fornication and (3) from what is strangled and (4) from blood.” He did not stop there, but goes on to explain in verse 21, “For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.” During the time of the Jerusalem council, Gentiles still went to the synagogue every Sabbath and worshiped alongside regular Jews who were not believers (Acts 14:1, 18:4). This was the way it was expected to be, and the council did not aim to change that. Their goal was a sustainable relationship between Jewish and Gentile believers. 

We see an example of the different classifications of people within the synagogue in Acts 13. In verse 26 Paul says to those in the synagogue, “Brethren, sons of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent.” These are three distinct groups of people. “Brethren” would refer to those who were Jewish by birth, like Saul (Romans 9:3). Sons of Abraham were those who had gone through the conversion process to Judaism. The last group is “those who fear God.” The term “God-fearer” in those days was a specific term which meant a Gentile who forsook other gods in order to worship the God of Israel. They would meet in the synagogues with the Jewish people and engage in some level of Torah-observance, but they did this without converting to Judaism. In most cases, they did this in preparation for conversion, as we discussed previously in regard to the learning period prior to conversion. Then if they did choose to go through the formal conversion process, including circumcision, they were then termed “proselytes” or “sons of Abraham.”

Getting back to the ruling in Jerusalem, we see that this is a short list of rules, and it contains some interesting choices. Why these four in particular? Obviously these were not the only commands that Gentiles were supposed to follow, so what was their purpose? The answer is that James and the Jerusalem council basically advocated observance of the laws that had been given to mankind from the beginning, like what we saw with the Noahide commands. These four commands also had the problem of idolatry in mind: consuming food offered to idols, temple prostitution, and participation in sacrificial rituals that were all associated with paganism. Notice that none of these commands directly come out and forbid idolatry, since that was already a commandment in the Torah (Exodus 20:3). Since the Jews had laws against associating with idolaters, these four rules would prove to Jewish believers that the Gentile believers had indeed forsaken their past pagan lifestyle so that they would be able to come together in fellowship. These four commands established a basic level of Torah-observance that allowed the Gentile to assimilate into the community of believers where he would begin to learn more about his role as a Gentile now grafted into the body of Israel. This is also similar to the concept of “elementary teachings” spoken of in Hebrews 6:1-2, which were a baseline to be built off of rather than a stopping point. 

So what bearing does the Jerusalem council have on us today? We generally do not have to worry about whether our markets are offering up their goods to idols, at least not here in America. But even the appearance of idolatry needs to be eliminated from our lives. Sexual immorality was forbidden, and today we should guard our hearts by not even watching programs or movies that promote such things. Eating meat which came from a strangled animal and blood are no longer associated with sacrifice, but have to do with a basic level of kosher observance, similar to that which we saw in the Noahide laws. Leviticus 17:13-14 explains the reason blood is not to be consumed:

So when any man from the sons of Israel, or from the aliens who sojourn among them, in hunting catches a beast or a bird which may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth. For as for the life of all flesh, its blood is identified with its life. Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, “You are not to eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood; whoever eats it shall be cut off.”

God here gives a universal reason not to consume blood. The life of all flesh is its blood, therefore neither the native-born Israelite nor the sojourner are to eat meat with the blood remaining in it.

Now it seems as if we no longer have regard for the decision of the council at Jerusalem. But Paul did, and so did the early Gentile believers who took this decision to heart. We read the letter that was sent to the Gentiles in verses 23-29 which tells us that the Holy Spirit led James in his decision. In verse 31, we read that the letter was read and received with great encouragement and rejoicing.

The Gentiles were now accepted and they could fellowship with the Jewish congregation because of the rules set in place to do so. We also see that Paul and the rest of the council did not start a new religion here. What he had previously believed about Gentiles, that they did not have to be circumcised to become a part of Israel, was now a part of the standard halakhah. It was still a given that the Gentiles would be in the synagogue every Sabbath, listening to the words of Moses within the framework of Judaism, supplementing the teaching they would receive there with the words of Yeshua as preached via the apostles and other believers. 

So what we see here is that James and the Jerusalem council basically advocated observance of the laws that had been given to mankind from the beginning, and were frequently violated in the cultural and religious customs which surrounded them. This ruling solidified the fact that Gentiles do not need to become Jewish to be grafted into Israel, but certain commandments should be placed on their shoulders initially to aid their acceptance into the Jewish community. The four commands for Gentiles do not explicitly include Sabbath observance, but it was implicitly understood that they would be honoring the seventh day, instituted at the time of creation, at least in part alongside the Jews in the synagogue. 

We have seen who Paul was, how he would have viewed the world, and what his mission field looked like. Now we want to look at Paul’s doctrine, especially some passages in the epistles which, as traditionally interpreted, might seem to contradict some important truths contained in Scripture. 

Paul’s Doctrine

As Paul has been misunderstood, so has his doctrine. Even in his own day this was the case, as we will see later on in his trials, and as Peter tells us in 2 Peter 3:15-16:

Just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. 

So we must come with an open mind and heart to look deep into the Scriptures to see the truth of God’s word, for often if something is found in Scripture in one place, it is affirmed by other scriptures as well.

Romans

Paul wrote the book of Romans to believers while in Corinth. We see in the first verse of chapter 1, Paul tells us that he is “a bondservant of Messiah Yeshua, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God.” Here Paul is telling us, as he did in most of his writings, that he was an apostle called by God. In Paul’s day, an apostle was like an ambassador who represented another party. They were sent out to act in the name of the party who sent them, and in all respects had the authority of that party. As we saw earlier going back to Philippians, Paul was distinguishing himself from any false apostles who were bringing teachings contrary to the truth, apostles who had not truly been sent out by God to preach the gospel of Yeshua. 

Paul tells us that he has been called for the sake of the gospel of God. Paul’s mission has some interesting parallels with the Teacher of Righteousness in the Qumran community. This figure is mentioned in the Dead Sea Scrolls as one who “announces good tidings… preaching the gospel to the humble… And all the nations shall know Thy truth and all the peoples, Thy glory.” He claims to have been entrusted with the mysteries contained in the Scriptures, and his message is preached to those who will pay attention to his words and thus return to God. This idea is similar to the calling of Paul to preach the gospel to the humble so that all of the nations who are willing might turn to God. This gospel is what Paul calls the “Mystery of the Messiah” (Ephesians 3:1-7), because the full depth of the message had not been recognized until His coming, although it had been present throughout Scripture all along.

The Greek word for “gospel” or “good news” is euangelion. In the prophets, we see the concept of good news is brought up in Isaiah 52:7, which aligns this term with salvation and restoration for the people of Israel. Isaiah 61:1-3 continues this alignment of good news and the restoration of Israel, bringing promise of the favorable year of the Lord, or the year of goodwill, in which Israel will dwell and prosper in the land. This period of time is spoken of throughout the prophets, and it all has to do with the Messiah in the Messianic age. The Messianic Age is the time when Yeshua will rule for one thousand years in the city of David, which is Jerusalem, and fulfill all of the prophecies which He didn’t fulfill during His first coming (Isaiah 62:8-9, Revelation 20:6). 

With these prophecies in mind, it is important to understand the correct gospel message. In Romans 1:16, Paul tells us, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek [the nations].” So what was this gospel that was to the Jews first and then to the nations that Paul was not ashamed of?

We want to take a closer look into the good news and we want to start with the announcement of Yeshua’s birth:

And the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths, and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” (Luke 2:10‐14)

So what was this good news that was to bring joy to these shepherds? It was the long awaited Savior, the Messiah, whom Israel had been waiting for. For Israel, this was surely good news. Luke tells us what the angel told Mary when he reveals God’s plan to her: “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His Kingdom will have no end” (Luke 1:32-33). Isaiah 9:1-7 speaks about the Messiah and the victory He will achieve over His enemies. 

What we have seen from Isaiah and the angels is that this child that was to come will be a mighty warrior and He will defeat His enemies and He will establish His Kingdom on the throne of David in Jerusalem (Jeremiah 23:5-6, Ezekiel 37:24-25). But what about the gospel message? When we read these passages, we do not see anything about Messiah dying for our sins and rising again on the third day. 

When we see the words “good news,” we must understand where we get that translation from. The words “good news” were translated into the Old English as “godspell,” which we interpret today as “gospel.” The gospel message is the good news, and it was this good news or gospel message that the people of Israel were waiting for. “How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation and says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!'” (Isaiah 52:7, Romans 10:15).

If Israel was waiting for their Messiah, then let’s look at what Yeshua Himself has to say about the good news: 

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the afflicted; He sent Me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, and freedom to prisoners, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, to grant those who mourn in Zion, giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord. Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins, they will raise up the former devastations, and they will repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.” (Isaiah 61:1-4, Luke 4:18-19, 21)

When John the Baptist sent his disciples to Yeshua to find out if He was truly the Messiah, Yeshua quoted part of this verse to them, and He added, “Blessed is he who keeps from stumbling over Me” (Luke 7:23). 

We will continue to look at the Messiah’s message, but first let’s see what John preached, for he was the one crying out in the wilderness to prepare for the Messiah. We see in Matthew 3:2 that John says, “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” Yeshua Himself called John the greatest prophet of His day, and this was his message. Matthew 4:17 tells us that Yeshua’s message was also, “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” When Yeshua sent out His disciples in Matthew 10:17, He told them to go out and preach saying, “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” 

Now if John the Baptist was going to teach the people the way of salvation, we see that the message of salvation, which is the gospel message (or the good news), starts with repentance. Yeshua’s name means “Salvation,” so we know that He was going to teach the people the way of salvation, and He preached the same message. Yeshua even tells the churches in Revelation to repent (Revelation 2:5, 16, 21; 3:3). So this is not just a Jewish matter, but a Gentile or Christian issue, and that issue is that the way of salvation comes through repentance, a coming back to the Word of God as a way of living. We also see in Acts 17:30 and 26:20 that Paul’s message was for those who had not yet believed. This message has to be important, because it is about Yeshua and the fulfillment of His job as the Messiah. Of course repentance has to be the first and foremost important issue. John writes in 1 John 1:5-10, “If we say we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.” To enter into the Kingdom, one must repent. That word, “repent,” means to make a complete turn around. It means to come back to the truth of God’s word. 

So if the angels and John, Yeshua, and His disciples preached the main message of the Kingdom, what happened to the message of the cross? We tend to confuse the Gospel message (Good News), which tells us about the fulfillment of Yeshua’s role as the Messiah, with the Salvation message. To receive the work of Messiah on the cross, we must come to the cross and be washed by the blood, but we must come in repentance of our sins, for God tells us that He will never turn away one who is contrite and humble, but He will resist the proud (James 4:6). Today we can live in newness of life. We can begin to live in the Kingdom and to taste and see that God is good.

But repentance is only the first part of the message. The second half is “for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” So what did John and Yeshua and the Apostles all mean by this phrase, “the Kingdom of God (or sometimes ‘of heaven’) is at hand”? 

The people of Yeshua’s day knew exactly what this phrase meant. You see, the people had been waiting for their Messiah to come and deliver them. They had been waiting for their King. All of this was promised through the prophets. So now they hear the words, “It is here, the Kingdom is here, it is at hand!” We see the Apostles ask Yeshua, “When will you set up Your Kingdom?” (Acts 1:6). John also sends his disciples to ask Yeshua, “Are you the One we have been expecting?” (Matthew 11:2-3), meaning, “Are you the one who will set up God’s Kingdom here on earth?” Yeshua asks His disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” (Matthew 16:13). Yeshua tells the people to believe in Him, or at least believe in the works that He did (John 14:11). You see, if we do not truly believe in Yeshua as the Messiah and as the coming King who will sit one day on the throne of David in Jerusalem, we will not believe that His Kingdom is here, right here, next to us. We will not take hold of it and become part of it, right now, today. We will not operate in Kingdom principles, nor will we live in the full victory of our King and the work He did on the cross for us. 

This is the full message of the gospel, the true good news of the Kingdom of God. Yet it is Yeshua’s final words to His apostles that set the tone for the rest of the Scriptures: 

It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority [that is, when He will fulfill the prophecies and establish His Kingdom in Jerusalem]; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. (Acts 1:7-8)

Before anyone could have the hope of an earthly Kingdom of God, it was necessary for them to take hold of the King and the spiritual blessings which were presently available because of His work on the cross. The sole responsibility for bringing about the earthly Kingdom rests on God, but while we wait for that day, our present calling is to work in the power of the Kingdom as it is among us today, “testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Yeshua the Messiah” (Acts 20:21). This is where the emphasis is placed throughout the Apostolic Writings, and likewise such is the case here in Romans 1, where Paul is speaking about the good news of salvation. Verse 17 goes on to say, “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘But the righteous shall live by faith.’”

What else can we learn about the gospel of salvation? Paul tells us that it is the power of God (verse 16). The power of God is proclaimed throughout Scripture, especially His power in accomplishing His will through wisdom. Proverbs speaks of wisdom as righteousness (Proverbs 8:8, 22-23), and the wisdom of God is revealed to us through the Torah: His word, teachings, oracles, statutes, and commandments (Deuteronomy 4:5-6, Psalm 19:7-14, Proverbs 7:2-4). Isaiah tells us that His word does not return void, but accomplishes what it was sent out to do (Isaiah 55:10-11). Paul was eager to preach the message of salvation. This power, this wisdom, this righteousness was and is our hope. It is Yeshua Himself, the wisdom of God, the Torah made flesh, the righteousness of God. 

God’s wisdom is His purpose to redeem the whole world through His people Israel (to the Jew first). From the beginning, the calling of Israel was to be a light to the nations (Deuteronomy 28:10, Isaiah 60:2-4, Micah 4:2). It is them to whom God revealed Himself in the past, and again will as the Messiah in the future:

To whom belongs the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Torah and the Temple service and the promises, whose are the fathers and from whom is Messiah. (Romans 9:4-5) 

This message of good news found its goal in Yeshua the Messiah. Preaching the gospel of salvation will bring hope to the nations and make them part of the commonwealth of Israel. We as the church do not, nor ever will we, replace Israel:

I say then, they (Israel) did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the nations, to make them jealous. Now if their transgression be riches for the nations, how much more will their fulfillment be… For if their rejection be the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead. (Romans 11:11-12, 15)

Isaiah also prophesied about the relationship between God and His chosen people: 

“For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion I will gather you. In an outburst of anger I hid My face from you for a moment; but with everlasting loving-kindness I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord your Redeemer… “In righteousness you will be established.” (Isaiah 54:7-8, 14a) 

Who is this righteousness but Yeshua the Messiah of Israel? Although they rejected Him for a time, God has not left His people to be abandoned. History has seemed cruel to the people of Israel, and some have misunderstood this to mean that God has rejected them completely, instead changing His graces to be upon the Christian church alone. But this ideology is directly addressed in Scripture: 

The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “Have you not noticed that these people are saying, ‘The Lord has rejected the two kingdoms he chose’? So they despise my people and no longer regard them as a nation. This is what the Lord says: ‘If I have not made my covenant with day and night and established the laws of heaven and earth, then I will reject the descendants of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his sons to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.’” (Jeremiah 33:23-26)

If all of these promises are for Israel, then what about the nations? How do we fit into the master plan? Well, Romans 11 continues:

But if some of the branches were broken off, and you being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partakers with the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant; remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. (verses 17-18)

With the influx of Gentile believers, it would have been easy for the movement to become overwhelmed until few ethnic Jews remained. This is indeed what has happened, for as time progressed, some influential people have ignored Paul’s warning to not become arrogant toward Israel, who is still God’s chosen. These teachers have rejected the tree they were grafted into and attempted to plant one of their own, ignorant of the fact that God yet stands with His chosen ones (Deuteronomy 4:30-31, 32:43; Isaiah 8:9-10).

So now that we have looked at God’s plan of salvation and know the gospel (good news) that Paul preached, let’s take a closer look at it.

Justification

The main theme of Romans is the justification of sinners. Justification is the way in which God accepts a sinful human being and sets them in a place of right-standing through Yeshua. In Classical Greek, the word interpreted as “justification” meant punishment or condemnation, like that in a legal system. In Scripture, however, it is used to indicate an acquittal or freedom from such condemnation or punishment. The Scriptures do not speak of anyone who was able to justify himself by paying the penalty for his own sin (Psalm 49:7-9). Scripture makes it clear that God punishes sin through discipline as a channel toward purification, but it is not through this judgment that the subject of punishment is made just before God. In other words, just because you have suffered the consequences of your sinful actions does not mean that your record is clean. We are justified only because of the sacrifice of Yeshua and the repentance which accompanies our faith in Him. 

In Hebrew, the word “sin” comes from the root word chata, which means “to miss,” mainly in regard to missing a goal. It is used in the context of an archer missing his target. The target which man aims at is the commandments of God, and sin is a failure to hit that target. Paul explains that although the Torah was given to the people of Israel at Mt. Sinai, God’s attributes were made known to the whole world so that no one has an excuse for having disobeyed Him: it is the duty of all mankind to obey God (Ecclesiastes 12:13). So how does the archer correct his sin? He examines himself to see where his form was incorrect, and adjusts accordingly so that he is able to hit the mark. This is the practice that is implied in Romans 2:13, “For not the hearers of the Torah are just before God, but the doers of the Torah shall be justified.”

The main criticism we see of the Pharisees in the Gospels is that they were guilty of hearing but not doing the Torah. They practiced many deeds, but these were according to their own standard of righteousness rather than the true heart of the commandments. Previously we have discussed some of the beliefs the Pharisees espoused and the fact that Christianity has continued in many of their interpretations of the Scriptures. While this is true, their position was not free of some glaring flaws. They had made their own target, and considered themselves righteous by being able to hit that mark, but in reality they had missed the true meaning and purpose of the Torah. 

In Luke 10:25-29, a lawyer came to Yeshua. This is not so much a lawyer as we are accustomed to, but it was a person whose profession was to study Torah. He came to Yeshua, basically seeking to justify himself:

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Torah? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

This commandment, to love the Lord and to love your neighbor, is found in Leviticus 19:18 and in Deuteronomy 6:5. Even before Yeshua came, these commands were already understood to be a summary of the whole Torah. The man talking to Yeshua was well-educated, and so he was aware of this fact. But knowledge does not always equal action, and sometimes we corrupt our knowledge to justify ourselves. Looking for a way to find a justification for himself, he asks, “And who is my neighbor?” Within Judaism, there has been some level of debate as to who exactly the neighbor of an Israelite was. Some have said it is all mankind, others have said that the command to love your neighbor only applies to fellow Jews. Perhaps the lawyer in this passage held a dislike for his Samaritan neighbors, and so Yeshua goes on to use an illustration to explain that loving our neighbor excludes no one.

The man’s question was about how to attain eternal life, or in other words, how to receive justification before God. Yeshua did not use this time to explain the death and resurrection that He would endure, or that belief in Him would merit the man eternal life. Rather, after the lawyer correctly asserts the motivation which should lie behind the keeping of the Torah, Yeshua tells the man, “Do this and you will live.” Does this mean we are saved by works?

In the first three chapters of Romans, Paul makes the argument that all have sinned, Jew and Gentile alike. Romans 3:10 tells us, “There is none righteous, not even one.” In the eyes of God, Gentiles and Jews are both under the same obligation, that being to walk rightly before Him: 

For when Gentiles who do not have the Torah do instinctively the things of the Torah, these, not having the Torah, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Torah written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Messiah Yeshua. (Romans 2:14-16)

Because of this fact, Paul says that there is no room for relying on one’s lineage for salvation. As we talked about in regard to Acts 15, some among the believers held the opinion that Gentiles needed to be circumcised in order to be grafted into Israel, and that was how they achieved salvation. But Paul says that not everyone who is circumcised outwardly has allowed God to change their heart through the power of the Holy Spirit.

So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Torah, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Torah, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Torah and circumcision are a transgressor of the Torah? (Romans 2:27).

So Paul is saying that God has a standard for behavior which He wants everyone to follow. Even though not everyone has ever read, or even heard of, the Torah, when they do the things which the Torah requires, they show that they have the Torah written on their hearts. Paul is explaining that Jewish lineage or external rituals such as circumcision do not affect any change within a person, and are insufficient for justification before God. 

Does this mean that circumcision or Jewish lineage have no value? In Romans 3:1-2, Paul declares, “What advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? Great in every respect! First of all, they were entrusted with the oracles of God.” Paul reminds us once again that the Jew is first and the nations are second (Romans 1:16). Being a descendant of Abraham is not alone sufficient for justification, but the descendants of Jacob are still especially blessed and chosen on account of God’s grace and His unchanging promises. Because of this, circumcision does have great value, for it is the sign of the covenant between God and Abraham, which is an everlasting covenant (Genesis 17:9-11, 19). Paul’s point is that even though the Jewish people are not justified before God by their lineage or by being circumcised, these things are nonetheless important and of value in God’s sight. The people of Israel have been specifically called from among the nations of the earth to serve Him in a special way (Deuteronomy 7:6, Amos 3:2).

Paul continues to say, “What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin” (Romans 3:9). Despite the special calling of the Israelites and God’s faithfulness to them, this does not grant them any special privileges in regard to salvation. No person is able to walk in the requirements of the Torah perfectly, so we are all equal in our indebtedness to God. Jews and Greeks alike are in need of God’s forgiveness and mercy.

So what is this all saying about justification? In order to answer the question of salvation by the works of the Torah, it is helpful to remember the covenant God made with Abraham. Romans 4:3 and Galatians 3:6 tell us that Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. This was more than just belief of the mind, but was a living faith evidenced by a complete submission of his will to God, as we see throughout his life. This same type of faith enables us to enter into covenant with God as well:

But now apart from the Torah the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Torah and the prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Yeshua the Messiah, for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is Messiah Yeshua; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Yeshua.” (Romans 3:21-26)

Who is the righteousness of God? Yeshua! Yeshua atones for our transgressions through His death and resurrection when we believe in Him. This belief is not stagnant, but is shown to be genuine as we repent and become faithful to God in Yeshua. In what way is this righteousness of God “apart from the Torah?” It is apart from the Torah in the sense that it is a justification that cannot be achieved through obedience to the Torah. There is no one who can be righteous in the sight of God, for as Paul tells us, all have sinned. The fact that our salvation is not achieved through obedience to the Torah does not mean that it is no longer God’s righteous standard, or that somehow faith is in opposition to the Torah: “Do we then overthrow the Torah by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the Torah” (verse 31). 

So what is this all saying about faith and works? About now we start quoting from what is seen as the other side of the faith vs. works argument in James 2:14-26. Verse 18 says, “But someone may well say, ‘You have faith, and I have works; show me your faith without works and I will show you my faith by my works.’” Can we have it both ways?

God has provided a source of righteousness independent of Torah, but not contrary to it. As we saw in Romans 3:21, we can achieve justification only because of Yeshua, who is called “the Lord our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:6). When we put our faith in the work of Yeshua and do not rely on anything we can do to achieve our own justification, He is faithful to forgive us of our sins and help us to grow in our faith. What we sometimes fail to remember is that this is the same standard of righteousness that has been established all along. As Scripture makes clear, the ancients were also justified by their faith rather than their works. Despite this, we see that they did not find any incompatibility between this faith and obedience toward God through keeping His commandments.

In other words, faith rests in belief but is proved by our actions. Even the demons believe in the authority of God and the power of His Son (Matthew 8:29, James 2:19). Clearly their belief is not the kind that saves, however. Scripture is clear that God will judge mankind and render to each one according to his deeds (Ecclesiastes 12:14, Matthew 16:27, Romans 2:5-8). He will judge based on our faithfulness to Yeshua (Matthew 25:34-40). Paul echoes the words of the prophet when he tells us that “the righteous shall live by faith” (Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 1:17). The ones who are considered righteous in the sight of God are those who rely on Yeshua for the forgiveness of sins, and then live and act in faithfulness, just as Yeshua walked in faithfulness to God, obeying His every command. Our hope in the Messiah is sure and forever secure, as He lives to make intercession for us before the Father. If we put our faith and trust in Him, then He will never forsake us as we seek to keep His commandments. “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

This part of justification, that of faithfulness, concerns all those who observe the Torah, the Jewish people. God will deliver them from the house of judgment because of their affliction and their faith in the true Teacher of Righteousness, the Messiah. Just as the patriarchs were justified by faith in the God of Israel, so too all those of the house of Israel who have kept faith, walking in the righteousness of God and yearning for the Messiah, will not be turned away.

An interesting perspective on faith arises when we closely examine Romans 3:22. Most often, this verse is translated to say that the righteousness of God is through “faith in Yeshua.” However, because of the ambiguity of the Greek word which is used, an alternative translation of the phrase is “faithfulness of Yeshua;” that is, the righteousness of God is through Yeshua’s faithfulness. Yeshua is the Lord our Righteousness, and it is He who showed complete faithfulness to the Father (John 5:30, Hebrews 3:6). It is Yeshua’s faithfulness to the Father which saves us. While it is still necessary for us to have faith in Yeshua, it was He who first walked in faithfulness, even giving up Himself as an atonement for our sins. 

Verse 22 continues to say that this faithfulness is “for all who believe; there is no distinction.” After previously showing Yeshua’s role, Paul switches the focus back onto man. God’s faithfulness was revealed in the fulfillment of His promise to send the seed of Abraham, His Messiah, in whom all the nations will be blessed. Yeshua’s faithfulness to God establishes His righteousness, which God places upon all those who are faithful to Yeshua. 

The opportunity to benefit from His faithfulness is “for all who believe,” yet it is to the Jew first and then to the nations. “There is no distinction,” for together we are of one flock:

For He is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 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 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by having put to death the enmity. (Ephesians 2:14-16) 

How is it that we are now one people? What is this enmity, this law of commandments contained in ordinances? Ask most people, and they will tell you that it is the Law of Moses, the Torah. They will say that the Torah was a dividing wall between the Jews and the nations, and now since Yeshua fulfilled the Torah, it is finally out of the way for good. But is this the correct interpretation? 

As we have previously discussed, there is a distinction between the written Torah and the oral Torah, also known as the “traditions.” In the written Torah, there is no commandment which would have created enmity between Jews and those from the nations who wished to worship the One True God. In fact, the Torah was supposed to be the opposite of a dividing wall: 

So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” (Deuteronomy 4:6)

The wisdom contained in God’s Torah was designed to attract the nations when they saw God’s people obeying them in true faith and love. If one of these people who recognized this wished to join Israel, the written Torah does not contain any instructions on how they are to be converted. Instead, there are rules set in place to ensure that a non-Jew who wishes to join Israel will be well-treated and take their place in the community. Those of the nations who saw the wisdom in God’s commandments and genuinely sought to obey them were encouraged to never feel as if there was a wall between them and Israel: 

Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, “The LORD will surely separate me from His people…” The foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to Him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants, every one who keeps from profaning the sabbath and holds fast My covenant; even those I will bring to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. (Isaiah 56:3, 6)

Further evidence that this wall is not the Torah is the Greek which is used in the phrase “law of commandments in ordinances.” The Greek word for “ordinances” is dogmasin, which is used to indicate man-made decrees: never the commandments of God (Luke 2:1, Acts 16:4). 

So if the wall was not the Torah, then what was it? As we spoke of earlier, some of the man-made commandments which had been established made things difficult for the Gentiles. They painted Gentiles as a lesser class of people, completely impure, unworthy of respect or inclusion. They said it was only by becoming a Jew through conversion that this miserable state could be remedied. Likewise, the Gentiles looked with scorn on the Jews, seeing them as elitist and snobby. In fact, in the temple at that time there existed a partition, a dividing wall, which forbade Gentiles from entering further into the temple on penalty of death. Paul explains that symbolically this wall is now torn down through Yeshua and the Gentiles who put their faith in Him are now also adopted as children of God in spite of the decrees of men and the enmity which was engendered between Jews and Gentiles.

After the Holy Spirit was given to the Gentiles in Acts 10, it was made clear that God had a much bigger plan than anyone had imagined. The walls of enmity that man had built up to separate between Jew and Gentile had now been torn down, and salvation was something which could be laid hold of by anyone who would choose to believe. 

Amid the people of God, there is no distinction because all are sinners who rely on the sacrifice of Yeshua to receive justification. Does this mean that we are all exactly the same? Of course not, for we all have special gifts, abilities, and individual traits which separate us from others. In the same way, there are undeniable differences between Jews and Gentiles, and yet all who believe are justified by faith without distinction. 

Just as man’s efforts had brought division between Jew and Gentile, so too man’s efforts were inadequate in obtaining justification: “No man can establish his steps, for their justification belongs to God, and from His hand comes the perfect way” (Qumran scrolls). Justification is a gift from God by His grace through the redemption which is in Messiah Yeshua (Romans 3:24). 

So if justification is the act of removing the guilt and penalty of sin, thus making one right with God, then redemption is the price paid for purchasing that justification. The idea of redemption is best illustrated in the purchasing of a slave. Yeshua redeemed us from slavery to our evil inclinations, our sinful nature (Romans 6:1-4). His death and resurrection frees man from the realm of darkness and brings us into His Kingdom of Light. Now we are free people, but not free to continue to sin (Galatians 5:13, 1 Peter 2:16, 1 John 3:9). Our liberty from slavery in Egypt (the kingdom of darkness) makes the way for us to become slaves in the Kingdom of God (Matthew 11:29, Romans 6:18). 

What have we seen so far in regard to justification? It is not based on lineage, it is not based on anything we have done or can do, but it requires faith in Yeshua and His redemptive work. The fact that the Torah has been written on our hearts is made evident when we walk in faithfulness to Yeshua, just as He also walked in complete faithfulness to the Father. Because Yeshua has redeemed us from slavery to sin, we must submit ourselves to the yoke of the Kingdom, following in the footsteps of Yeshua. 

As we continue into Romans 3:27-28, Paul tells it this way: “Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the Torah.” Paul is speaking to Jewish believers and saying plainly that neither they nor the Gentiles have to do the works of the Torah to receive justification. While it may be tempting to stop at this point and declare that the Torah is therefore completely unnecessary in the life of the believer, Paul himself refutes this argument as he goes on to say in verses 29-31:

Or is God the God of the Jews only? Is He not the God of the Gentiles also? Yes, of the Gentiles also, since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one. Do we then nullify the Torah through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Torah.

In verse 27 Paul mentions a law of faithfulness. What is the difference between the law of faithfulness and the law of works which Paul is contrasting against each other? We cannot immediately assume that the “law of works” is the Torah, for the Torah itself is a matter of faithfulness. Just when you thought you had the answer, Paul throws us a curve. Let’s analyze how verses 27-31 all fit together. 

Israel is not able to boast in the fact that they have the Torah, although it gives them the election. According to God’s plan, their possession of it made the way for the nations to be accepted into the people of God. The law of faith is that through belief in Yeshua, we receive justification, which allows us to walk in faithfulness. This law does not nullify the Torah, but it does stand against seeking to be saved by works of the Torah. If Israel cannot boast because of their possession of the Torah, neither can the Gentiles claim that Yeshua’s faithfulness annuls the Torah, thus also annulling Israel’s election. 

God’s faithfulness and righteousness are witnessed by the Torah (verse 21), and are the grounds of Israel’s election. Paul describes this witness in Galatians 3:8, where he says that this good news of justification for the Gentiles was revealed to Abraham. Here, the Torah itself preaches the good news of God’s promise to Abraham: that through his seed, all the nations of the earth will be blessed. The sons of Abraham are not just his physical descendants, but are all of those who are faithful to God’s promise to Abraham, to whom God imputed righteousness because of his faithfulness to God (Romans 4:3). Thus the Torah establishes that the “Sons of Abraham” are those who walk parallel with Abraham in faithfulness to God’s promises. Paul assures his Jewish readers that this faithfulness to Yeshua does not annul the Torah, but makes it stand as the standard of living which God has given to His people, both to the Jews and to the nations (Ecclesiastes 12:13, Isaiah 2:3). 

So we have seen that: 1. the church has not replaced Israel, and 2. Israel’s sin and rejection of the Messiah has not led to their own rejection by God, because of His grace which has been given to those who believe in the promises. Although they did not receive Yeshua corporately (as a nation), one of the biggest foundations of the Jewish faith is the belief that the promised Messiah will come. God’s eternal covenant with them justifies those who walk in faithfulness to the Torah and an expectation and belief in the Messiah, just as their father Abraham did. For the Scriptures tell us that all Israel shall be saved: not because of any deeds they have done, but because of their faith and God’s mercy (Isaiah 45:17, Jeremiah 33:16, Romans 11:26-32).

So what is the verdict on justification? According to Paul, all men are unrighteous and unable to stand pure before God, and are thus worthy of eternal punishment. But Yeshua was faithful to God, even to the point of death on the cross, so that He may become righteous to anyone who will believe. Even though justification cannot be achieved through obedience to the Torah or circumcision (that is, conversion to Judaism), these things are not abolished because of faith, but on the contrary, it is only in faith that the Torah can truly be lived out and that individuals remain members of Israel. The work of Yeshua has also allowed justification to be received by people of the nations by the same law of faith, apart from works of the law. This does not remove Israel from their place before God, and it does not mean that the Torah is done away with. It does mean that all of humankind is made righteous in the sight of God in the same way as they have from the beginning: through faith. When we believe in Yeshua and allow Him to circumcise our heart, our desire will be to live the way He has laid out for us in His word. This holds value for Israel, who shall be saved because of their faithfulness according to their knowledge of who the Messiah is supposed to be and what they expect Him to accomplish according to Scripture, and because of God’s faithfulness to redeem according to His promises revealed in the covenants He has made with them

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Dying to Our Sinful Nature

As we move on now to Romans 7, we see Paul speaking to his Jewish brethren at the congregation in Rome. The chapter begins, saying: “Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the Torah), that the Torah has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives?” (Romans 7:1). Paul refers to the Torah and specifically calls the attention of the Jews in the assembly at Rome. They are still under the jurisdiction of the Torah, but not for justification, as we explained earlier. In verses 2-4, Paul goes on to say:

For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is still living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning her husband. So then if, while her husband is living, she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress, though she is joined to another man. Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Torah through the body of Messiah, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.

What does it mean to die to the Torah? Some have attempted to explain Paul’s comparison here by saying that believers are no longer obligated to obey the commandments of God. Is this true, or is Paul saying something else?

First, we must understand that this passage is not isolated, but is a continuation of Paul’s message in chapter 6, which we are going to examine more closely so that we can understand chapter 7. He had been explaining that we who have believed in Yeshua have become one with Him in His crucifixion. How? He says in verses 6-7, “our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.” When we believe in Yeshua and accept His sacrifice on our behalf, it is as if our old self has died. 

As a result of this death, we are now able to rise to new life in Him, no longer slaves to sin, but slaves to righteousness. He charges his readers, “present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (verses 13-14). This verse is used by many to say that the Torah is no longer valid. When considered along with the rest of the passage, however, we see that this is far from the truth. So what does it mean to be under grace as opposed to under law? And how does not being under law allow us to present ourselves to God as instruments of righteousness? 

To answer this question, we must relate it to the passage it is contained within. Paul tells us that we have died with Messiah, and therefore sin no longer has power over us, “for he who has died is free from sin” (verse 7). How is it that we are free from sin? If we were truly free from sin, then we would never need to repent or change, because we would already be perfect. Aside from our own personal experiences, Scripture also testifies that even after our acceptance of Yeshua, we will still sin (James 3:2, 1 John 1:8). Therefore, being free from sin more accurately means we are free from the power of sin. The power of sin lies in the fact that all of mankind has sinned and is deserving of eternal death. Therefore, being free from sin means being free from the eternal wages of our sins (Romans 6:23). 

The phrase “under law” does not mean living in obedience to the Torah, but rather it means being under the power of sin, under the weight of our punishment which we have earned by disobeying God’s Torah. Because we are unable to perfectly walk in the ways of the Torah, we are held under the power of sin, for, “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Torah” (1 Corinthians 15:56). Those who are under law are those who are still bound to their own debt of sin. How can we be so confident that “under law” does not equate to obedience to the law? Well, let’s look at the verse which directly follows this phrase: “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be!” (Romans 6:14). Since sin is transgression of the Torah, we can be sure that Paul is not advocating forsaking the Torah. This point is further proved in verse 19, where Paul ties the old man who died with Messiah to transgression of the Torah: “For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to Torah-lessness, resulting in further Torah-lessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.” 

Because we are not bound by the power of sin and the wages of our transgressions as defined by the Torah, we are free to live under grace. This means that we are covered with the blood of the Lamb, and so we can be confident that our sins are forgiven when we come to the cross in repentance. This grace is given not so that we may further transgress the Torah, but so that we may live in the full resurrection power that is within us in order to walk more closely with God through the obedience of His commands, devoting our bodies as instruments of righteousness.

In order to more clearly explain this, Paul continues into chapter 7, comparing a believer to a married woman. According to the Torah, if a woman’s husband dies, then she may marry another man without being considered an adulteress. Therefore she is free from the punishment which the Torah prescribes for one who is an adulteress, which is stoning to death (Leviticus 20:10, Deuteronomy 22:21, John 8:1-5). Likewise, while we were sinners giving in to our evil inclinations, we were “married” to the punishment of our sin as a result of our disobedience to the Torah. But because of the death and resurrection of Yeshua, we are now considered dead to our sinful nature. Since we are dead, we are no longer bound to the punishment of our sin according to the Torah, which is death (Deuteronomy 30:19). We are now set free from slavery to sin and are free to join ourselves to another husband, who is Yeshua, our Bridegroom (John 3:29; 2 Corinthians 11:2). He bore the punishment for our transgressions on the cross so that we would be free to serve Him without fear of punishment. We were previously slaves to sin, but now we are slaves to righteousness.

Paul is not saying that the Torah has died or that it becomes obsolete because of Yeshua, but rather the penalty of eternal separation from God, which we have earned through disobeying God, has been paid on account of Yeshua’s death on the cross. When we put our faith in Him, it is as if we ourselves have died, and indeed our old self has been buried with Him in order that we might walk in God’s ways. He did not come to rescue us from serving Him, but to “rescue us from this present evil age” (Galatians 1:4) so that we may serve Him. It is this same point that Paul is making in Galatians 2: 

For through the Torah I died to the Torah, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Messiah; and it is no longer I who live, but Messiah lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. (Galatians 2:19-20)

Having put his evil inclination to death and dying to sin, the believer is now able to perform God’s will in keeping his commandments and to serve God in the newness of life (Romans 6:4).

On the one hand, you may choose to serve your own sinful desires; on the other hand you may serve God. If one chooses the latter, then he must die to sin and become alive to God (Romans 6:11, 1 Peter 2:24). Torah observance on its own does not free a person from his evil inclinations; in fact, it brings knowledge of the evil desires within him. Instead, he must first die to his evil inclinations, and then he will be free to obey the Torah in faith, obeying God. Yeshua Himself uses a similar analogy in Matthew 6:24 to illustrate that it cannot be both ways: you are either serving God or are in slavery to the flesh. Paul is going back to his argument in Romans 3:19-20, that through the Torah comes the knowledge of sin. When we see that our behavior does not line up with the righteous standard God has given us, we realize just how sinful we are. Not only that, but the punishment for sin in the Torah is death (Deuteronomy 11:26-28, 30:19). 

In Romans 7:4, Paul explains what this means for us in a practical sense: “Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Torah through the body of Messiah, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.” A person may only “live to God” by dying to the Torah through the Torah. This death takes place so that we may “bear fruit for God,” which is our good deeds which we do in the fullness of the Spirit (Luke 3:8, John 15:1-10, Galatians 5:22-23). Righteousness and salvation are the fruit which God gives to His children who have the inheritance of eternal life (Proverbs 11:30, Isaiah 3:10, 58:6-8). The fruit (rewards) of sinful deeds is death and destruction, whereas the righteous inherit eternal life. A person must be free to serve one master, either to serve his own flesh unto death or to serve the Creator unto eternal life. We crucify the flesh so that our death leads to the inheritance of eternal life by walking according to the Spirit of Truth (Romans 6:4-5). 

The Qumran community describes man’s total dependence on God’s grace as the only way to be justified: 

And I know that righteousness is not of man, nor of the sons of men perfection of way, to the Most High God belongs all the work of righteousness, whereas the way of man is not firm unless it be by the Spirit which God has created for him to make perfect a way for the sons of men… for it is thou who hast established them from before eternity and the work[…] they shall recount Thy glory in all thy dominion. For thou hast caused them to see what they had known {by bringing to an end} former [things] and by creating things that are new, by setting aside the former covenants and by {setting up that which shall remain for ever}… and thou hast cleansed man of sin because of thy glory that he may be made holy for thee from all unclean abomination and from (every) transgression of unfaithfulness… that this vermin that is man may be raised from the dust to [Thy] secret {of truth} and from the spirit of perversity to [thine] understanding… That he may be renewed with all [that is] [and] shall be and with them that know, in a common rejoicing.

In Romans 7:6, Paul goes on to explain that release from the Torah corresponds to dying to sin:

But now we have been released from the Torah, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

The newness of the Spirit is here placed in opposition with the oldness of the letter. This bears similar language to passages such as 2 Corinthians 3:3-6. A cursory reading of these verses might cause one to assume that the letter is the Torah itself. This does not make sense, however, especially considering Paul’s own words in Romans 7:14: “For we know that the Torah is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.” So the difference is not the Torah, but the place on which it was written. In the old covenant, the Torah had been written on tablets of stone and only pointed out man’s sin, but provided no way to overcome this (Exodus 32:16, 1 Corinthians 15:56). With the dawn of the new covenant, the Torah can now be written on our hearts (Ezekiel 36:26-27): not a different Torah, but the same Torah which has always existed, for in it is expressed the very character of God (Psalm 119:1-3, Isaiah 51:4). Since we have been released from the sinful nature, we can begin to obey God in the way which He has always desired (Deuteronomy 32:46, Psalm 37:30-31, Jeremiah 31:31-33). 

Dying to the Torah means dying to sin and the punishment which the Torah describes is necessary because of it. Paul uses many types of substitutionary words like “circumcision” for Jews and “uncircumcision” for Gentiles, and he is doing something similar here with the phrase “dying to the Torah.” He knows what these terms mean, and the people he was writing the epistles to knew what they meant. As people failed to recognize Paul’s background and the fact that he never gave up his Jewishness, it naturally follows that his theology has been misunderstood as well. It is not that Paul is ever saying that the Torah should not be kept, for he continues in verse 7: 

What shall we say then? Is the Torah sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Torah; for I would not have known about coveting if the Torah had not said “You shall not covet.” 

Paul knows that the Torah is good because it has shown us what sin is, it is in fact the opposite of sin. It reveals to us how we could be if we were the way God would have us: pure and holy, free from sin. When we see this righteous standard God wishes us to live by, we are reminded of our human weakness. Is the fault, then, with God for showing us His ways? Or is the problem with the Torah because it reveals God’s will? Of course not. A by-product of our knowledge of the right ways established in the Torah is the temptation to disobey, to rebel, to follow our own desires and the temptations of the enemy: “For apart from the Torah, sin is dead” (verse 8). If God had not given the Torah or revealed His will for mankind, then there would be no such thing as sin, since there would be no righteous standard to compare our behavior to. Since we do know God’s standard, however, we must join ourselves with Yeshua in His death in order to defeat sin in our lives.

Paul continues to entertain this thought in verse 9, where he begins to speak of himself in a simpler time: “I was once alive apart from the Torah; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died.” When was Paul alive apart from the Torah? For he had been raised in a Pharisaic household, learning the customs of his fathers from an early age. He is speaking of his youth, before he reached the age of responsibility. According to Jewish tradition, until a child reaches his Bar Mitzvah, he is not obligated to keep the full responsibilities of the covenant, because he is still a child. Once Paul reached this age of responsibility, the Torah came along and revealed to him his evil inclinations:

And this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. (verses 10-11)

Paul was able to so beautifully form the analogy comparing a woman and her husband to a person’s relationship with sin before coming to faith because he knew exactly how it felt. He, too, had found that his sinful nature had warranted him a death sentence because of the Torah. Paul is speaking like one who has been deceived by a friend—a friend who now becomes an enemy attempting to kill him. It is reminiscent of the serpent deceiving Eve in Genesis 3:13. 

He recognizes that the enemy is not the Torah, however: 

So then, the Torah is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful. (verses 12-13)

Paul is emphatic in explaining that the fault is not with the Torah, but that it is in fact the sinful nature within him that brought death. The Torah does not cause us to sin, but it requires perfection, which following our flesh does not allow us to reach. Sin becomes revealed for what it truly is when compared with the perfect Torah. 

When a person chooses to serve the God of Creation, the giver of the Torah, then he must die to himself. Paul tells us in Galatians 5:24, “Now those who belong to Messiah Yeshua have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Death is painful, and yet once we have died, we are free. Messiah came so that we may be free—free from the Torah? May it never be! Free from the sin that had us in bondage? Yes! We were slaves to sin (Romans 6), which is equated with leaven (1 Corinthians 5:6). We were members of the kingdom of darkness, or this world (2 Peter 2:19), which is equated with Egypt. And so we too as believers have our own Exodus and our own Passover, as Yeshua has taken us out of the kingdom of darkness into His Kingdom of Light (Colossians 1:13-14).

So what have we learned so far? Paul has been teaching about the relationship between a person and sin. When we come to belief in Yeshua, we become one with Him in His death. This metaphorical death frees us from the power of the sinful nature, which is death itself. Sin derives this power from the fact that we as fallen mankind are unable to perfectly adhere to the demands of the Torah. Therefore, since we are no longer under the power of sin, we are also no longer under the condemnation which the Torah dictates for one who violates it. Now, this does not mean that the Torah is no longer the righteous standard which God has given us to live by. On the contrary, now that Yeshua has set us free from the power of our sinful nature, we have been invigorated by the Holy Spirit and the circumcision of our hearts so that we are able to draw ever-nearer in relationship with God by keeping His commandments (John 14:15).

In Romans 7:14 Paul continues his discourse, going more in depth on the spiritual and physical battle that takes place within man. In verse 15 he says, “That which I am doing, I do not understand….” Here once again Paul speaks of having to choose between serving two masters. He finds himself doing that which he does not wish to do, and so he is in need of God’s grace.

The Qumran scrolls speak of God’s gift of wisdom, His sophia in Greek, as the source of man’s justification. In God’s grace, He gives man knowledge of His truths, His mysteries, by which the “sons of light” may walk according to the Spirit of holiness so that they may do what is right and good: 

All the judgments of chastisement are in Thy wrath and abundance of pardon in Thy goodness. And Thy mercy is obtained by all the sons of thy lovingkindness, for Thou has made known to them Thy secrets of truth and given them understanding of all thy marvelous Mysteries. (Qumran scrolls)

The Qumran community believed that God had given man the knowledge of how to walk according to the Spirit of holiness, truths which they called His “mysteries.” This Spirit of holiness which was revealed to them in part is what we know to be the Spirit of Yeshua, the Righteousness of God.

Paul goes on to describe his struggle between the two ways: the way of righteousness and the way of sin. Paul knows that the Torah is right and good. He also knows that his own will is powerless against his sinful nature, and that it cannot be overcome simply by observing the Torah. One can not put down his evil inclinations by sheer brute power of will. He may be able to overcome individual temptations or desires at particular times, but he is unable to change who he is on the inside. The flesh does not want to give up its rule. It is only through becoming dead to self that these desires can be overcome.

“For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Yeshua the Messiah, abound to the many” (Romans 5:15). Paul knows that he is totally dependent on God’s grace in Yeshua to cleanse his whole being through the Spirit of holiness. He expands on this thought in Titus 3:5-7: 

He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Yeshua, the Messiah our Savior, that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

In Romans 7:17-20, Paul says that it is no longer him doing the sinning, but the sin that dwells within him. He knew that nothing good dwelt in him, that is, in his flesh. Even though he wished he could do good, he did not do the good things he wished. In Second Temple Jewish thought, the word “flesh” was a specific term which was used to mean the part of a person which motivates him to do evil. This flesh was set in direct opposition to what was called the spirit. The spirit then was the part of man which was naturally inclined to obey God’s commandments. Therefore when Paul says that nothing good dwells in his flesh, he was not maligning God’s creation and claiming that matter itself was evil, nor was he attempting to excuse his behavior by saying it wasn’t really him who was sinning, but rather that sin itself was sinning through him. His point was that the evil part of him, symbolized by his flesh, is the wellspring of sin in his life. This idea of two natures within man was prevalent within both Qumran and the mainstream Judaism of the day, and the idea is also carried into the New Testament. Because of this inherent part of our nature, mankind becomes dependent on God for grace and forgiveness when we stray from His ways, but even more than that, we must long for Him to change us so that we will no longer sin (Psalm 119:33-40). Another way to understand the flesh is that it represents mankind outside of God’s grace. Our sinful nature is directly opposed to God, synonymous with sin, and thus spirit is the opposite of this sin/flesh. Since walking in the flesh means walking in sin, then walking in the spirit is done through obedience, which itself is only truly doable on account of God’s grace and mercy in our lives. 

Starting in verse 18 Paul talks about the battle between the “Spirit” and the “flesh.” Within us, we have the evil desires of the flesh, and these desires are at war with our desire to do good. If we desire to do good but continue to do evil, this is the flesh still having mastery over us. 

In verse 21 Paul says, “I find this law at work.” The Greek word for “law” is nomos, and Paul usually uses this word to refer to the Torah, although the word itself is not only used to refer to the Torah. Here in this phrase, his use implies a different meaning, one of a rule or principle. This rule, or law, is the root of our struggle with sin: “when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.” Paul’s struggle, like ours, is with the fallen, sinful nature of man. This is something that is within each one of us from the time we are born. Even a young child has within him from an early age this same struggle. He wants to do what is right, but something within him pulls at him, begging him to go the other way. Paul has found that this fact is like a law, something which cannot be argued against, but is simply the way it is. Although he wishes the sinful nature was gone, it seems to be a rule that these desires are not so easily quenched.

In verse 22, Paul says that in his inner being he delights in God’s Torah. He is showing us the conflict within. He knows that through the righteousness of Yeshua we have been renewed (2 Corinthians 4:16, Ephesians 3:16, 4:24). When we are baptized into the death and resurrection of Yeshua through death to the sinful nature and rebirth through the Holy Spirit, we receive this righteousness, which gives us the power to walk according to God’s righteous standard. Just like the Psalmist, Paul has found delight in the Torah in his innermost being, his soul (Psalm 1:1-2; 119:16, 77, 174). The inner man has been renewed in righteousness, and therefore it longs to obey God and to do His will.  

Humans are not purely spiritual, however, for we also have physical desires which are contrary to those of the spirit. Paul continues with the illustration of this secondary law, that of the sinful nature, to show the conflict that goes on in the life of the believer: “But I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members,” (verse 23). 

So this “other law,” the “law of sin,” is the very existence of these evil desires that rage within us and pit us against obeying God. When we give in to those desires, we are taken captive by them (2 Corinthians 10:5). So strong is Paul’s desire to obey, yet the flesh reacts, pulling him the opposite direction. We can feel the conflict and the pain he is feeling at this: “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24). Paul is acknowledging his miserable state, realizing that he cannot free himself, but is in desperate need of a Savior. It is a harrowing predicament Paul has found himself in, and he is not alone in it, for we all are in the same desperate position.

Only God can save through the power of Yeshua the Messiah! It is only through His atoning work that we can have the victory over the sinful nature. After describing the miserable state of man, Paul lifts us back up again by telling us how our place in the body of Yeshua changes all of that: “Thanks be to God through Yeshua the Messiah our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin” (verse 25). Paul says that in our “mind” or our will, we desire to obey God’s Torah, but in the “sinful nature” or our flesh, we are slaves. But thanks be to God that He has given us His Son to pay the penalty for our sin and set us free from the power of our sinful nature! This redeemed state is further explained in chapter 8.

What have we seen so far in regard to the law of sin? The law of sin is not the Torah of God, but is the fact, the law/rule, that we were previously slaves to sin. This law lies in opposition to the Torah, and it was this law which we were submitting ourselves to before we came to put our faith in Yeshua. There is an inner conflict within us, where we desire to obey God, and yet our sinful nature must be continually put to death so we may become slaves of righteousness. 

In chapter 8 Paul continues his thought from chapter 7. He starts by saying, “There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in the Messiah Yeshua.” The Greek word translated here as “condemnation” is katakrima, which doesn’t so much mean condemnation as it does mean the punishment which is a result of condemnation, or what we may call a judgment or sentence. Once we have received the righteousness of God through Yeshua, we are no longer bound to the death sentence which we merited because of our sinful nature. Being free from condemnation does not mean that we are free from any type of hard times or troubles (2 Corinthians 6:4-10), or free from experiencing discipline from the Lord when we stray (Job 5:17, Hebrews 12:4-13, Revelation 3:19). 

The reason there is no condemnation is because “through Messiah Yeshua the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2). This is the same point Paul was making in chapters 6-7: we have been freed from the eternal result of our transgressions because of the sacrifice of Yeshua. He also is continuing with the theme of a battle between the “Spirit” and the “flesh.” Once again Paul returns to his use of “law of sin and death” to mean the sinful human nature and our servitude to it, which results in spiritual death. We are no longer under that slavery, however, for we have been set free from the power of the sinful nature so that we may serve God (James 1:25). This also harks back to Deuteronomy 30:15+19 where God says, “See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction,” and then He goes on to say, “choose life that you may live”. 

So where does the problem come in? The problem is our human weakness which God has to deal with. The Torah brings man to the knowledge of sin. The problem was not the Torah in and of itself, but rather our sinful nature is the problem. Romans 8:3 says the Torah was “weakened by the sinful nature.” This does not mean that the Torah was made to be less than perfect, but that the power it gives to those who would walk in it was made void because of our inability to fulfill it. That is why God sent Yeshua in the likeness of sinful man, so that we may experience the fullness of the power of the Torah through the New Covenant.

The purpose of the New Covenant is explained in Jeremiah 31:33: “I will put my Torah in their minds and write it on their hearts.” So God sent His Son in the weakness of human limitation in order to set mankind free from the law of sin and death and to act as a sin offering. When Yeshua died on the cross, He did so willingly in order that He would become the “firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). Just as His “flesh” died on the cross, so too our “flesh” must die so that we may live with Him (Romans 8:13, 2 Corinthians 4:11). 

In verse 4, Paul explains that one of the reasons God sent Yeshua was “so that the requirement of the Torah might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” The requirement of the Torah is perfect obedience to God’s statutes, ordinances, and laws (Deuteronomy 6:25). Yeshua fulfilled the Torah without fault because He is “the Lord of Righteousness.” That is why He is the end (that is, the goal) of the Torah for all who believe (Romans 10:4). His perfect fulfillment of the Torah had been God’s plan all along, and it is through His righteousness that we are considered righteous. The Torah does not benefit us if there is no way for us to obey it, and so Yeshua died so that we may also die to sin. So when we are baptized into Yeshua’s death and resurrection, we are cleansed by the Holy Spirit, and when we are filled with the Spirit, we are then able to fulfill God’s righteous decrees (Ezekiel 36:27). Our obedience is not what saves us, but we rely on Yeshua to live and work through us so that we may grow closer to God through obedience to His commands. 

After discussing the battle between the flesh and the Spirit within an individual, Paul begins to show what this looks like by contrasting in verses 5-8 two different types of men: the sons of light and the sons of darkness, those who walk by the Spirit and those who walk by the flesh:

For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the Torah, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

So we see once again the idea that man cannot serve two masters. He either serves the Spirit or the flesh; if he serves the flesh through sin, then he is unable to obey and please God, but if he serves God through the Spirit, then God’s grace strengthens his hands in obedience. In verse 8 the word translated “please” is the Greek word areisai. The root of this word is aresko which is a verb that Strong’s Concordance defines this way: “to please, with the idea of willing service rendered to others; hence almost: I serve.” This is equivalent to the Hebrew word hithalekh, which means to walk, as before God. So when we please God we are making Him our master and serving Him, walking according to His commandments. 

The same hostility that exists between flesh and Spirit is the same as that which currently divides Israel from the Gentile nations. Just as Yeshua is the only one who can bring both the flesh and the spirit into service to God, so too He is the only one who makes the two groups into one new man. 

Now in Romans 8:9-11, Paul addresses those who walk by the Spirit, saying that when we are walking in the Spirit, it is because the Spirit of God dwells within us. This naturally evokes the imagery of the tabernacle and the temple, where the presence of God tangibly dwelt in a powerful way. This physical manifestation of God’s glory was referred to in Jewish literature as the shekhina, which means “the dwelling presence of God.” This term is not found in Scripture, but is used in other literature to describe the manifestation of the glory of God (Exodus 33:14, 1 Kings 8:10-11). 

Paul compares this dwelling presence of God to Yeshua, “in whom the fullness of the Godhead dwells” (Colossians 1:19, 2:9). Just as the tabernacle housed the presence of God, so too when we prepare our hearts and allow the Spirit of Messiah to dwell in us, we become as a temple which houses His presence (1 Corinthians 3:16; 2 Corinthians 6:16-18). By the power of the Holy Spirit, God’s dwelling presence, our hearts of stone are turned to hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 11:19). This “dwelling presence” is in the bodies of those who are faithful to Yeshua: “You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Messiah, he does not belong to Him” (Romans 8:9). The prophets spoke of this when they prophesied about the outpouring of the Spirit (Isaiah 32:15-17, Ezekiel 39:29, Joel 2:28-29). We do not have the fullness of this indwelling today, however, and that is the whole point of Paul’s message here in Romans 6-8. Although we have been inaugurated into the new covenant through the blood of Yeshua, the full promises of this new covenant have not been fulfilled (Jeremiah 31:33-34, 38-40; 32:37-41; 33:14-18). As a result, right now we are only able to experience the power of the Spirit in part of what it will be. We have only received a down payment as proof that we will one day receive the fullness and the fulfillment of these prophecies (2 Corinthians 1:20-22).

“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Yeshua from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Messiah Yeshua from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you” (Romans 8:11). Paul is continuing to contrast life and death. We know that Abraham’s body was “as good as dead,” and that the seed of Abraham, Isaac, was figuratively brought back to life when Abraham offered him on the mountain (Genesis 22). So also Yeshua, the promised seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:16), was raised from the dead by the power of God’s dwelling presence. In the same way, He will also give us new life through the indwelling of His presence. 

In verse 12, Paul explains how this newness of life is going to change the way we live our life: “So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.” The phrase “under obligation” comes from the Greek word opheiletes, Literally translated, it refers to one who is under service, as in a bond-servant, or one who is bound, as to a master. This definition can be seen in the King James Version translation of the verse: “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.” So, the way that we please (serve) God is by putting to death the flesh as our master and being released from defilement through the Holy Spirit to serve our Creator. 

Paul goes on to say that if we are led by the Spirit as described above, then we are sons of God (verses 14-17). He makes it clear that all who are led by the Spirit are God’s children, both Jew and Gentile (Romans 2:10-11). We can only walk in this way through the circumcision of our hearts by the Spirit of holiness (Romans 2:29). There was an idea in Jewish thought which was common in Paul’s day about the merits of a son over that of a servant. God refers to the people of Israel as both sons and servants (Deuteronomy 14:1, Leviticus 25:55), as is everyone else who follows God (Titus 1:1, Galatians 3:26). The status of a son is higher than that of a servant, and yet the role of each is used to illustrate a particular aspect of the life of a believer. We must be careful when interpreting Scripture to recognize where similar analogies differ so that we will not be confused by their meaning. 

In this particular passage, Paul uses the comparison between son and servant to represent love and fear. The son serves the father out of love and a desire to please his father, but the servant serves out of fear of punishment. So without God’s adoption, we are orphans, having no hope in the world (Galatians 4:5, Ephesians 2:12). Paul says that because we are now sons, we are no longer bound to serve him out of fear, but as sons out of love. 

As we continue with this thought, we should keep in mind that Paul is using these terms as an illustration, for elsewhere in Scripture the terminology of being a servant is used in a positive light (e.g. John 12:26, Revelation 22:9). The point he is making here is that the true sons of Abraham serve God out of love, not fear of His wrath, and have died to sin by being raised to newness of life with Yeshua (Romans 6:3, 7:1, 8:1). It is also important to note that the fear Paul mentions is not the fear/awe of the Lord, but is a fear of eternal punishment. What’s the difference? The first is vital to our relationship with God (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 1 Peter 2:17, Revelation 14:6-7), while the second shows a lack of faith in the atoning power of Yeshua (1 John 4:18). 

Prior to coming to faith in Yeshua, we were slaves to our sinful nature, following our own desires to our own spiritual harm, living in fear of death. Now that we have been freed through the sacrifice of Yeshua, we are not to serve God with a constant fear of not being good enough to receive justification, “For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons” (Romans 8:15). Where does Paul get this idea of adoption? The idea of a foster-father or a guardian is found in several Biblical texts. For example, in Psalm 27:10, David says “though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.” David reasoned that even if his parents abandoned him, the Lord would receive (adopt) him. Other references to guardians or foster-fathers are Ruth 4:16, 2 Kings 10:1, and Isaiah 49:23. Yeshua tells His disciples that He will not leave them as orphans, but that the Holy Spirit will be as a guardian to them (John 14:16-18). Bearing all of this in mind with his previous arguments, Paul concludes that by putting to death the flesh, we have now received this adoption as sons of God. 

Our adoption as God’s son is made legal by witnesses. Biblical law requires two witnesses (Deuteronomy 19:15, Matthew 18:16). Paul informs us that there are two witnesses which make our adoption “legal”: “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also.” (Romans 8:16-17). A slave does not inherit the father’s property, but rather the son does. Therefore when we receive our adoption as sons, we also receive the promises and blessings associated with being an heir. Paul began this idea of us being fellow-heirs with Israel in Romans 4. Abraham is the father of both Israel and the Gentiles because his faithfulness came prior to his act of circumcision. It is as if we become his children when we exhibit the same faith in God which carried him through his life. 

Not only are we now adopted as fellow heirs with the people of God, but Paul takes it a step further and calls us co-heirs with Yeshua (verse 17). How is this possible? Because of what he says in Galatians 3:16. There he says that Messiah is the promised “seed” of Abraham. So if we are adopted as sons of Abraham and Yeshua is also the seed of Abraham, then we are co-heirs with Yeshua. Yeshua’s death and resurrection made Him “the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). 

Paul says that we know we are co-heirs with Yeshua if we “share in His sufferings” (Romans 8:17). How is it that we do this? Are we supposed to intentionally cause ourselves physical harm? Obviously not, but rather when we crucify our sinful nature through Messiah, we join with Him in His death, which allows us to share in his resurrection (Romans 5:1-11, 12:1). We also experience various persecutions and trials, and when we patiently share in His suffering through these times, we can be confident that we will also share in His glory. 

Many Scriptures refer not only to Messiah’s suffering, but also of Him “coming on the clouds with power and glory” (Mark 13:26). The glory Paul tells us we shall partake of if we are indeed co-heirs with the Messiah is the coming Kingdom of God. We see in Matthew 5:3-12 that there is reward, or glory, based on endurance of persecution and faithfulness to God in Yeshua. 

To recap, Paul is instructing us about our relationship with God now that we have been set free from the sinful nature. Just as Yeshua’s body was resurrected, so too we have been resurrected to life in Him so that we may serve Him: not as slaves who work out of fear of losing their position, but as sons who lovingly work, knowing that they will receive their inheritance if they remain diligent and work out of love for their father. Because we have been brought to life with Yeshua, we must also go through the sufferings He went through: not necessarily scourging and crucifixion as He bore, but we must put to death the deeds of the flesh and expect that we will go through hard times of discipline and persecution. These times are proof that we will one day share in the glory of Yeshua. Because we are co-heirs with Him, we can expect to receive glorification and resurrection just as He did. 

This time of glorification is what the entire world looks ahead to: “For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God” (Romans 8:19). The word translated here as “anxious longing” is apokaradokia, and it is a word that is not observed in use much before the year 200 BC. It finds a suitable translation into Hebrew as the word ta’arog. This is from a root word found in Psalm 42:1, “My soul pants for Thee O God.” It also appears in Joel 1:20 where it says, “Even the beasts of the field pant for You.” The creation longs and even pants for the restoration which will take place in the Messianic Age. God will restore glory to the “sons of man” when he destroys darkness in the final, awful day of judgment, when the whole world will be liberated. When this happens, God will reveal the glory of his sons to the whole of creation when He clothes us in garments of honor, which are given to us through the victory of Yeshua, and our bodies are transformed into imperishable spiritual bodies. 

Not only will we, the children of Adam, be returned to our original state of glory, but Paul goes on to say in Romans 8:20-21 that God will restore nature, which in the present day lies under the curse because of man’s disobedience. All of creation hopes for rebirth. In order that every wrong may be made right, God promised that He would make a new heaven and a new earth (Isaiah 65:17, 66:22). In that day, Paul says that the freedom from sin and death that we experience through Yeshua will be extended to all of creation. Our victory over the evil inclination will eventually be extended to include every part of creation when the ruler of this world is finally destroyed at the end of times (Revelation 20:10, 20:1-3). 

Not only does creation “pant” and long for this day, but Paul continues in verse 22: “the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.” Several Scriptures allude to the fact that before the coming of the Messiah, there will be a time of suffering that will come, which the rabbis referred to as the “birth pangs of Messiah” (Isaiah 21:3, Jeremiah 4:31, 13:21, Mark 13:8). Birth does not come without distress, and in the same way we see that through the most difficult and lamentable of times comes the greatest fulfillment of hope. 

This is the idea Paul is presenting here concerning the pains of childbirth. It is not only creation that groans, but we who have been renewed through Yeshua also groan while we wait for this final redemption to come. In Jewish Biblical interpretation, there is a form of logic called kal v’chomer, which literally means “Light and heavy.” It’s a way of linking two ideas together by saying, “if a is true, then how much more is b true.” We can see examples of this in Proverbs 11:31, Luke 11:13, and 2 Corinthians 3:9, to name a few. Paul uses this method to compare the fact that if the whole of creation is groaning while it waits for redemption, how much more do we groan as we await physical redemption (2 Corinthians 5:1-10). 

“And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body” (Romans 7:23). The mention of first fruits here is an allusion to the first fruits which were offered at the festival of Shavuot, also called Pentecost. Shavuot is also the day when the Torah was given on Mt. Sinai. In Judaism, there is a tradition that in Exodus 20:18, when the people saw the thunder and lightning, that God’s words appeared like tongues of fire (Jeremiah 23:29). As we know, this is the same thing that happened on the day of Pentecost in the book of Acts (Acts 2:3). So at the first Shavuot the Torah was written on tablets of stone, and in Acts 2, the giving of the Spirit is like the writing of the Torah on the hearts of man (Ezekiel 36:27, Joel 2:28, 

1 Peter 1:1-2). Since God’s gift of the Holy Spirit cleanses us from the impurity of the flesh (sin) and brings us into eternal life, we become like a spiritual offering. But this is still only the first fruits: we have not received the fullness, and that is why we groan within ourselves (Ephesians 1:13-14, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, 5:5). 

Romans 8:25 says, “If we hope for what we do not have, we wait for it patiently.” Because we have died to sin and become sons of God through Yeshua, we have been sealed for the World to Come. As we wait patiently, Paul says we groan, just like the creation. But man’s groaning is linked to the Holy Spirit. Because of our weakness and inability to master our own evil inclination, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us by giving us the words to praise God (verse 26). God is the one who searches our hearts through His Spirit (Psalm 7:9, 1 Samuel 16:7). 

Proverbs 20:27 says, “The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the innermost parts of his being.” The traditional use of this verse in Judaism is that God’s Spirit searches out man’s intentions. The church father Clement of Alexandria used the same interpretation when he quotes this verse in his first letter to the Corinthians, replacing “lamp of the Lord” with “Spirit of the Lord.” It is also possible that this is the same thought behind Luke 2:35, where it says “so the thoughts of many will be revealed, and a sword will pierce your heart also.” This language is also similar to that in Hebrews 4:12, where it is said that the Word of God pierces as far as the division of soul and spirit, joint and marrow, and is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. So what Paul is saying here is that the Spirit of God searches and knows man’s thoughts, He intercedes for them, frees them from the evil inclination, and gives them knowledge according to His will. 

So even though we experience anguish alongside creation at the fact that we are not yet glorified and have not yet received the fullness of our inheritance, the Holy Spirit consoles us and gives us the ability to persevere. God discerns our emotions and desires and encourages us to continue doing good and seeking the Kingdom while convicting us of our sin and giving us wisdom in how to conduct ourselves in accord with righteousness.

Moving on in Romans, Paul continues his theme of redemption as he begins talking about God’s intervening power for those who love Him. God’s plan for those who follow and love Him is important for Paul to convey (1 Corinthians 2:9, 8:3). The saints are referred to as those who love God and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Jeremiah 29:11 says, “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” The plan and the good purpose in this verse was to send the Messiah to redeem His people and to one day bring them back to the land, as this prophetic word was spoken to them while they were in exile. Isaiah 61:1-2 also speaks of the favorable year of the Lord and the anointing of the elect for the purpose of bringing this about. Therefore Paul is trying to link the intercessory role of Yeshua with the election and redemption of Israel. 

All of this has to do with the theme of election (Romans 8:33). The term election means “a choosing or selecting of a person or group.” Paul has shown how this election is not only for the Jews, but for the Gentiles as well. As we observed earlier, the general belief of the Jewish people was that Israel alone was called and elected by God for the purpose of serving Him. In Romans 1-3, Paul explained that although the pagan nations were involved in idolatry, Israel also fell into this trap, as well as other sins. He showed that God renders to each man according to his deeds (Romans 2:12-29). In chapter 3:1, he spoke of God’s unbreakable covenant with Israel and the fact that all men are equal in God’s sight because all have sinned (Romans 3:9). 

Since we are all equal in God’s sight, the opportunity has been opened for all to be equal in faithfulness to Yeshua. Therefore the election is not based solely on nationality, but is set to include those who join themselves to Israel through faith in the God of Israel. The election of Israel is not negated, but rather we receive our election through faith based on the election and the Messiah of Israel. Although God has now brought the nations into His promises, He will still be faithful to His promises to the nation of Israel and work all things together for their good. He has not forsaken them and has assured them that the year of His good favor will come upon them. 

Paul uses many words to describe election such as “foreknew,” “predestined,” “called,” “justified,” and “glorified.” In Romans 8:29-30, he lists these in ascending order, like a series of acts. The result of election is that God glorifies his people through Yeshua and gives gifts of righteousness to all who are faithful to God through Yeshua, both Jew and Gentile. 

Paul has been making the argument that just because God has brought the Gentiles into the promises and Israel as a nation has been generally unfaithful in receiving the Messiah, this does not mean that God has forsaken the nation of Israel. Paul continues this argument through the rest of this chapter and through chapter 11. 

As if he were in a court of law, he refutes any possible objections when he says, “What shall we say then?” as if he is answering someone’s objection. His response is that “if God is for us, who can be against us?” (verse 31). The sign that God’s unconditional love for Israel is still intact is His son, Yeshua. Abraham was willing to offer his own son (Genesis 22), but God spared Abraham’s son Isaac in order to keep His promise to carry on Abraham’s seed. In response to Abraham’s faithfulness, God confirmed His continued election of His people Israel by not sparing his own Son (2 Corinthians 1:20). Both Israel and the Gentiles share in the work of Yeshua, but it is God’s faithfulness to His election of the nation of Israel that brought salvation to the whole world through His gift of righteousness in the Messiah Yeshua (Romans 9:4-5, Ephesians 2:12-13). 

Paul continues using these legal terms: “Who can bring a charge against God’s elect?” (Romans 8:33). Paul argues that because God, who is Judge of all creation (Psalm 96:13), is Israel’s “father” (Malachi 1:6), no one can bring charges against them because He has given them grace and favor through Yeshua’s righteousness. This grace is available to all who believe so that we can walk in the spirit of holiness. 

“Who is the one who condemns? Messiah Yeshua is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us” (verse 34). When Paul uses the word “intercession,” it is to be understood as in a legal sense. No one can bring a charge against God’s elect because Yeshua Himself is our justification, and He pleads our case for us. 

Paul is refuting the argument that because the collective nation of Israel rejected Yeshua, that God is no longer their justifier. The very fact that God sent his Son proves God’s love for His people. Yeshua’s death brings life to His people. He does not condemn, but intercedes on their behalf (John 3:16-18). It is through God’s faithfulness to Israel that we share in their blessings. 

Paul says that Yeshua is at God’s right hand making intercession on behalf of His people. Isaiah 9:6 calls one of the names of the Messiah “Wonderful Counselor.” This fits into Paul’s legal argument, as if Messiah serves as legal counsel for the people. Daniel 7:13-14 depicts the Messiah as interceding before God at the end of days. So if Yeshua is the one who intercedes on behalf of God’s chosen, then how can He condemn them? He cannot condemn them, because He is at the right hand of the Father, interceding on their behalf. 

God, like the loving Father He is, expressed that love for His people in sending the Messiah Yeshua (1 John 4:10). Paul says that nothing can separate Israel from the love of God, and by extension nothing can separate us of the nations from the love of God when we join ourselves to Israel through faith in Yeshua (Romans 8:38-39). Even their temporary rejection does not nullify their election, and their tribulations and distress do not show that God has forsaken them. Even those who receive Yeshua as their Messiah suffer these things (Matthew 5:11, Mark 13:9, 1 Corinthians 4:11-13). 

Even though we experience these trials and persecutions, these do not show that God has forsaken His people. In Romans 8:36, Paul quotes Psalm 44:22: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” This verse is used to describe a principle in Jewish thought called Kiddish HaShem, which means “the sanctification of God’s Name.” One of the ultimate ways that God’s Name is sanctified is through martyrdom. When a person chooses death over renouncing his beliefs or convictions, this act brings glory to God’s Name. Paul quotes this verse that depicts Israel as sheep to be slaughtered, as if the people are asking God, “If you love us so much, how come you kill us?” Paul is telling us that Israel is God’s chosen, and nothing can separate them from God’s love. The people of Israel, including those from the nations who come to God through Yeshua, can find themselves suffering even when they are walking in obedience. When this happens, we are being persecuted for bearing God’s name. 

In verse 35, Paul lists some things which some may perceive as able to come between us and God, but continuing into verses 37-39, he states that he is confident that nothing is able to separate us from the love of God in Yeshua. In speaking of our overwhelming victory over those things, he uses a rarely used compound form of the Greek root word nikao, which means to be victorious. The word he uses is hupernikomen which means to be more than a conqueror. The LXX uses the same word to translate a phrase in Psalm 51:4 that Paul quotes in Romans 3:4. The Hebrew of that verse says, “you shall be made blameless (justified) in your judgments,” and in the LXX it says, “you shall be victorious (hupernikomen) in your judgments.” So when Paul says that we have overcome tribulation, distress, and persecution, it means that we find our righteousness by God through these things, becoming one with Yeshua in His sufferings. 

Yeshua intercedes on the behalf of Israel and all of us who have joined with them in faithfulness to God. All who are the sons of God have victory over the evil inclination, over those who rebel against God, and over those who claim Israel is rejected as God’s people. Paul ends the chapter by restating his conviction that God has not rejected His people, and nothing can separate them from His love. There is nothing in all of creation that can separate God’s elect from Him: nothing from the past, in the present, nor in things to come. Nothing from Israel’s history, whether faithfulness or the lack thereof, can invalidate the promises God has made.

In concluding this section, we need to remember several things. Torah observance does not free a person from the evil inclination; that was never its purpose. First, we must die to the sinful nature through the righteousness of the Messiah Yeshua. Only then are we free from the penalty of sin and can experience regeneration so that we may obey God’s Torah in faith. As long as we are bound by the evil inclination, it is impossible for us to please, or serve, God. As far as the election of Israel goes, we need to remember that just because the children of Israel rejected Yeshua, that does not mean that God has rejected the whole nation or removed His blessing from them. The very fact that He sent His Son proves that He has not rejected them, and we become grafted in among them, becoming co-heirs with Israel and with Messiah as sons of Abraham through faith.

Matters of Conscience 

Another part of Romans which has been widely misunderstood is Romans 14. Many believers read this chapter and go away believing that through Yeshua, God has gotten rid of the dietary laws of Leviticus 11 and the Biblical Sabbath day. Many believe that these are just matters of conscience. We will take a deeper look at this and a few other similar passages to see if we can find out what Paul was actually saying.

In the chapters leading up to this one, Paul had been dealing with the issue of sincere love for our brother (Romans 12:9, 14-21; 13:8-10). Now he applies these to a specific situation that was going on in the community at Rome. Apparently there had arisen some type of dispute about certain eating habits and holy days. 

He begins by saying, “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions” (verse 1). In confronting this issue, his main point is that all things should be done with a commitment to love our neighbor and seek his good. When he refers to weakness and strength, he is referring to the measure of faith each believer possesses. It is important to note that this is not an issue of one group being right and another wrong, but it is a question of “opinion,” or as some translations put it, “disputable matters.” 

Now we arrive at the two sides of the debate in question: “One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only” (verse 2). Who are these two groups, and what are the reasons behind their diet choices? The traditional argument claims that this was an issue between those who still followed the kosher laws (the weak in faith who only ate vegetables) and those who realized that these laws were no longer important.

The two sides of the debate are not necessarily distinguished ethnically, that is, Jews on one side and Gentiles on the other. As we will see, the issue is more complex than that and is grounded in the culture and religion of both Jewish and Gentile believers in a pagan world. 

One thing that is worth reiteration as we proceed is that the topic of this debate is considered a matter of opinion. Surely a matter of following a commandment wouldn’t be considered simply a difference of opinion to Paul. One way or another, if this issue had some solid conclusion based on Scriptural fact, then Paul would have been much more firm in his language, as this is what he does throughout his epistles. In keeping with the traditional understanding of Paul, if he had indeed been adamant against believers keeping Torah, in this case kosher laws, then we would surely expect him to be much more severe in condemning anyone eating only vegetables in order to avoid breaking kosher, and while we have seen that this interpretation of Paul is incorrect, we must point out the inconsistent logic it applies to this passage. On the contrary, we have seen Paul tell us that those who follow God subject themselves to the Torah (Romans 3:31, 8:7). With this in mind, we can confidently assert that this dispute is not related to the kosher laws in the Torah. So what was the problem?

The problem, in short, was Rome itself. Idolatry filled every aspect of life to the point where even food sold in the marketplace was often offered to idols by dedicating a portion of the item to the idol, then selling the rest in the market. Judaism considered food sacrificed to idols “defiled,” as we see exemplified in Daniel 1:8-12. Daniel knew that portions of the meat and wine of the king would have been involved in pagan offerings, so he refused to partake of it, and God blessed him for it. This stance on food was passed on to the new Gentile believers in the Jerusalem council (Acts 15:20). Because of this, apparently some members of the community, whether Jew, Gentile, or a mix thereof, had become so afraid of accidentally consuming such food that they chose to refrain from meat entirely. The other group felt safe to eat “all things.” Being able to eat “all things” quite obviously does not actually mean all things, for example poisonous plants and animals. Extending this limitation to a Jew unkosher animals would not be considered food at all, thus believing they could eat all things would not include breaking kosher, as we previously established. What this phrase actually meant was that the man strong in faith felt free to eat any food from the marketplace or at someone’s house, unless it had been explicitly made known to him that the food in question had been sacrificed to an idol. This teaching is paralleled in 1 Corinthians 10:25-28. 

Not only had there been disagreement on this matter, but apparently it had led to some ill will between the two disagreeing parties: 

The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. (Romans 14:3-4) 

Matthew 7:1 says, “Do not judge, or you will be judged.” When our hearts are full of love for our brother, there is no room for us to judge them. Just as Paul spoke of in leading up to this point, “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love” (Romans 12:9-10). Since neither group is acting in violation to the Torah, their judgments and contempt for one another are not rooted in truth, but in the flesh. 

Paul says that each person is to respect the other and realize that God accepts both their convictions. Earlier in our study we talked about the two masters: the sinful nature and the Spirit. Paul applies this concept to loving our brother. Because we can serve only one master, we are accountable to Him alone. When we choose to serve God, He becomes our Master. This means we do not have the right to judge another brother, for in a sense this is setting yourself as master over him. But each person is responsible only to God. We all stand as individuals before Him, and Paul emphasizes that we each have the liberty to organize our priorities according to God’s will. We see a type of this example of God honoring personal conviction in Jeremiah 35:1-10, 18-19.  

Paul now turns his attention to special days: “One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind” (verse 5). Due to our theological assumptions, the first thing we think of when we hear this is the Sabbath, although this is not mentioned anywhere in the text. There are many types of days which this could be talking about, but the most likely is some type of fast days which were esteemed as holier or more distinct than other days. This is based on verse 6: “He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God.” This would seem to be contrasting one who eats against one who esteems the day and doesn’t eat. We see an example of the practice of regular fasting in Luke 18:11-12, and this practice carried over from Judaism into the early followers of Yeshua, for He assumed that they would be fasting after His death and resurrection (Matthew 6:16-18, Mark 2:18-20). In both Jewish and pagan circles, these fast days were not arbitrarily assigned, but were chosen for a special purpose according to a certain timetable, and therefore these fast days were chosen due to their holy status. While fasting was indeed part of the believer’s life, setting aside a fixed schedule of days which were better to fast on (outside of Biblically assigned fast days) because of a belief that these days had special holiness is not something that can be proved either way, and therefore is a matter of conscience, not worth arguing over.

The phrase, “Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind” must be carefully understood within its context so it will not be twisted to mean something it is not. It goes back to Romans 14:1 which indicates that both the dispute over diet and special days are not a matter of right or wrong, but a matter where neither side can be proven objectively correct. This is not to say that this applies to every disagreement between believers, for someone can be convinced in their own mind of something that is contrary to God’s truth, and in such cases it is not beneficial for them to continue in this thinking (Ephesians 5:11, Titus 2:15, 1 Timothy 5:20). Paul himself corrects people on their behavior all throughout his epistles, showing that he did not apply this idea of absolute freedom from doctrinal limits in most situations. 

He continues in verses 7-8: “For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” The wording Paul uses brings to mind a passage from the Jewish work “Chapters of the Fathers,” which is a compilation of rabbinic sayings with dates from 200 BC to 200 AD. In one place, it says, “Any dispute that is for the sake of Heaven is destined to endure; one that is not for the sake of Heaven is not destined to endure.” Paul would have been familiar with the rabbinic style of thinking, and so he most likely was trying to convey a similar thought. If both sides of the debate were doing their actions to please God, then in the end each group would be rewarded by God for holding to their personal service of Him, so long as they were able to disagree without resorting to contempt or judgment. 

Another tradition he would have been familiar with is that a blessing over a meal is a way a person may honor God (verse 6). The practice of blessing after a meal is traditionally considered to be commanded in Deuteronomy 6:10-12, but tradition also commanded that a blessing be given before eating as well. Yeshua sets an example of this in the story of the loaves and fish (Matthew 14:19, Mark 6:41). When a person devotes everything in his life to be sanctified by God, he becomes a living sacrifice to prove what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:1-2).

Because this is the case, then, Paul explains that it is not our place to judge anyone who walks out their convictions differently than we do (Romans 14:10-12). Since God has created everyone and we are all equal in His sight, we must respect our fellowman, knowing that we have the right to judge no one. Paul uses Isaiah 45:23 to show that all will stand before God and give account for their actions. If we compromise on something that God put in our hearts to do, then will He reward us for such an action (verse 23)? And will He reward someone who judged their brother, who was living the way they saw as right within the framework of God’s righteousness? 

In Romans 14:13, Paul says that instead of judging, we should be careful to not put a stumbling block or obstacle in someone’s way. We see the idea of a stumbling block first in Leviticus 19:14. Literally interpreted, this seems like a strange commandment, but underneath lies an important message. The standard Jewish interpretation of this verse equated a blind person to one who lacked knowledge, and therefore placing a stumbling block in front of them meant doing something which caused them to sin. We see Yeshua use the phrase this way as well in Matthew 18:6-7. What relevance does this have to the issue in Rome? Paul is trying to make the point that in judging someone else, you may cause them to sin by harboring resentment towards you. In this particular circumstance, it may also be that if the one weak in faith compromises on his beliefs about meat from the marketplace because of your judgment, he may mistakenly believe that other more fundamental beliefs are also susceptible to compromise (see also 1 Corinthians 8:9-11). 

Now we move on to verse 14. Since all people are created by God and will give an account to God, Paul’s main objective is to love his brethren and respect their convictions. Paul puts this belief in the importance of honoring the convictions of others into practice. Although he is convinced that “nothing is unclean in itself,” he acknowledges that if anyone is convinced that something is unclean, then to him that thing is unclean, and therefore it would be sinful for that one to partake of it. 

At first glance, most believers would be quick to say that Paul is here negating the kosher and purity laws in the Torah by saying that “nothing is unclean.” What did Paul actually mean by this? We must look at the Greek language to get our answer.

The Greek word used in this verse for “unclean” is koinos. This word means “common,” in the sense of something which is not holy. When used in reference to Jewish purity, koinos refers to otherwise holy/pure things which have become as if they were unholy, for example through defilement by touching an unclean thing. 

This word is contrasted against akathartos. This word means “unclean.” It is most often used in the New Testament in reference to unclean spirits, but is also used in Acts 10 as well as in the LXX to refer to food which God has called unclean. In Acts 10:14, the two words koinos and akathartos are both used, further signifying that there is a distinction between the two: “But Peter said, ‘By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common (koinon) or unclean (akatharton).’” 

We see a similar issue of ritual purity being dealt with in the first part of Mark 7. Yeshua and the Pharisees were having a debate over unwashed hands. This hand-washing wasn’t about getting rid of germs, but was because the Pharisees believed that to eat with unwashed hands was defiling their body, or making it “common,” koinos. Their discussion was not over unclean (akathartos) food, but rather about the tradition they had about the handling of food and if eating food with unwashed hands made a person “unclean” (koinos). So what was the issue? Yeshua tells us in verse 8: “Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.”

We have to remember whenever we are reading Scripture that we always have to look at the context: what happens before and after a verse, or even a chapter or book, of Scripture. So we need to understand that the discussion in Mark is not about kosher foods, but eating practices. Then, out of the blue in Mark 7:19, we see it says, “Thus He declared all foods clean.” Did Yeshua negate the commandments about dietary restrictions, thus “neglecting the commandment of God,” as He had just condemned these Pharisees for doing? Is this an accurate translation? 

Once again, looking at the Greek text is important to understanding the meaning of the verse. A literal reading of the Greek in Mark 7:19 says, “because not it enters of him into the heart, but into the belly, and into the draught goes out, purifying all the food.” The King James, among others, therefore translates the final phrase as part of Yeshua’s quote: “[Do ye not perceive that]… it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught [latrine, sewer], purging all meats [foods]?” According to these translations, Yeshua is not declaring all unkosher foods now fair game, but is saying that through the process of digestion any perceived defilement of already kosher food is lost and excreted with the other waste. This makes more sense considering the context, which is Yeshua arguing that eating with unwashed hands does not defile a person, but rather the actions that arise from a person’s heart are what defiles him. Even if we operate on the assumption that the translation “He declared all foods clean” is accurate, we still do not arrive at an abrogation of the Leviticus 11 food laws. When understood this way, the phrase effectively means the same thing: food that God has declared clean is not made unclean (koinos) by eating it without ritually washing the hands. This is the same point Paul is making in regard to food dedicated to idols. 

So let’s get back to Romans 14. We need to remember that Paul’s message is all about love for our brother in Yeshua: “For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Messiah died” (verse 15). The word “grieved” corresponds to the Hebrew word for “wrongdoing.” So just as there can be wrongdoing in words, so there can also be wrongdoing in eating. The big issue is how far we can take our “freedom” in the Lord. As the old saying goes, “My right to swing my fist ends where your nose begins.” When it comes to the body of Messiah, our right to do whatever we please ends where God’s commandments begin, which includes loving our neighbor and sacrificing our will. 

Paul has the understanding that not respecting another’s commitments is like saying that God does not respect them either. He also says that treating things that are forbidden as though they are permitted does not nullify these things. His idea is that no one should be forced to compromise: the only compromise that is permissible is when it is done voluntarily, out of love. The best way to serve God is by sanctifying all our thoughts and acts by walking in the Spirit in love. Sometimes, we need to go beyond a strict observance of our own perceptions of the law, which is right and good, in order to do what is right and good. How do we serve the Messiah in this way? By offering our bodies as living sacrifices in the sense of loving our fellow man, as in the golden rule (Luke 6:31). There is another principle in Jewish thought called “the paths of peace” (from Proverbs 3:17). This principle states that we should not judge our brother for his personal convictions and we should not do things that would cause him to stumble. 

Romans 14:20 goes on, “Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense.” The phrase “all things are clean” here is obviously not unlimited in its scope (Ephesians 5:5, 1 Thessalonians 4:7, Revelation 21:27). But keeping the rest of the chapter in mind, this verse is echoing the words of Yeshua in Mark 7, although Paul adds that if a man eats meat he feels is defiled, if it goes against his conscience, to him it is sin. 

He goes on to say we should not eat meat, drink wine, or do anything that causes our brother to stumble (verse 21). Here is more evidence for the theory that this passage is about food dedicated to idols. In Judaism, wine, being made of grapes, is not restricted through the Levitical food laws. However, wine was offered to idols ceremonially in the ancient world, and this could be considered a source of impurity for the wine that would make it appear unclean to some. Paul re-emphasizes his main point in bringing up this dispute, that we must wholeheartedly watch ourselves so as not to hurt our brethren through hypocritical attitudes. Even if the things we do are not sinful of themselves, if they cause someone else to sin, then we share partial responsibility for their guilt. We must be faithful not only to our convictions, but to our brother by loving him even if his convictions differ from ours (1 John 3:18-24).

“Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves” (Romans 14:22). Paul continues the theme of blessing/giving thanks from verse 6. If we want to be blessed, we need to know that the things we bless are acceptable in God’s sight. That is the only way we will prove God’s good, acceptable, and perfect will (Romans 12:2). 

Chapter 14 draws to a close with Paul saying, “But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.” The word “doubting” is the Greek word diakrino, which means to make a distinction, to distinguish, or to judge. If we act contrary to our convictions concerning what we eat, when we eat it, and with whom we eat it, we condemn ourselves. James 4:17 says “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” So Paul agrees that if we participate in things that are against our convictions, then it is sin, so long as our convictions are aligned with God’s will. We see that there are two sides to our convictions before the Lord: things we feel may be sanctified and things we consider unable to be sanctified. Both of these must be balanced with our ability and willingness to love our brother when the things he feels can be sanctified differ from ours. 

In summary of this chapter, we need to look back to verse 1. Remember, we always have to look at Scripture in context. Verse 1 says we should not pass judgment on “disputable matters.” I think we would all have to agree that God’s commands are not disputable. We need to acknowledge that what Paul is addressing are areas of personal conviction, not the commandments of God. This is the issue at hand here in Romans 14, in Mark 7, and in other such Scriptures. In matters of truth, let us be zealous; but in matters of preference, let us not be quick to pass judgment or criticism: “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17).  

Galatians

The next section of our study will focus on the book of Galatians. When we read this book, we must remember that even in his own day, Paul was being misunderstood 

(2 Peter 3:15-16). Why did Paul write the book of Galatians, and whom was he addressing? We know that Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles (1 Timothy 2:7). In Hebrew, the word for “apostle” is shaliach, which means “one sent.” In the first century, the majority of Jews lived outside of the land of Israel, so it was common for the Sanhedrin, the ruling body, to send out letters by a shaliach. This is how they would send out rulings and instructions to the synagogues in the diaspora. Paul, however, was not sent by man, but directly by Yeshua the Messiah. 

Previously we touched on the types of people in the synagogue: Jews, converts to Judaism, and God-fearers. The latter is the group which Paul is mainly addressing in this letter. So Paul tells us that he is an apostle: “not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Yeshua Messiah and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead” (Galatians 1:1), sent out to deliver truth to the Gentiles. Many scholars believe that Galatians is the first of Paul’s epistles and the oldest writing in the New Testament, pre-dating the writing of the gospels and the book of Acts. 

In Galatians 1, we are introduced to Paul’s gospel. Apparently there were some false teachers who had come to Galatia, challenging the message which Paul had brought: “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Messiah, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Messiah” (verses 6-7). Although the message which others brought is not explicit here, it can be gleaned from the book of Galatians and the arguments which Paul uses against the community there. This teaching was so contrary to truth that Paul went so far as to call a curse against those who taught it (verses 8-9).

Continuing in verses 11-24, Paul explains why he has authority to believe that his gospel is the truth. He explains that his, is not “man’s gospel” (verse 11), that is, not a message thought up or preached by himself or any other human being. Rather, he received his gospel directly from Yeshua (verse 12, see also Acts 22:17-18, 21). In Paul’s day, most believers were Jewish, including the apostles. Their task was to go around telling other Jews about their Messiah. This was a message preached and received by man, as is the conventional method. Paul, on the other hand, became a believer in a very unusual way: supernaturally (Acts 9:3-6). Because he had this assurance that his message was true, he didn’t feel the need to consort with any of the apostles about this gospel or try to seek approval from them before preaching it (Galatians 1:15-24). 

So what was Paul’s gospel, his good news? Paul and the other apostles all included the Gentiles in salvation through Yeshua. The distinguishing point of Paul’s gospel is that many of the other leaders expected the Gentile to eventually become legally Jewish. Paul did not, and this is what his gospel to the Gentiles hinges upon (Ephesians 3:4-7).

Some scholars believe that Galatians was actually written before the Jerusalem council in Acts 15. The passage in Galatians 2:1-10 speaks of a journey to Jerusalem, but due to conflicts of details, it is unsure if this is the trip where the council took place or if it is a separate occasion. Up until that decision, the common consensus was that Gentiles would become legally Jewish upon professing faith in Yeshua. Paul did not agree, and eventually, according to Acts 15, the rest followed suit. So then what is the “other gospel that is no gospel at all“? It is the message that Gentiles must become legally Jewish through circumcision in order to become part of Israel (Galatians 2:3-5). 

In Galatians 2:11-21, Paul and Peter have a confrontation related to this issue. Many read this passage and think that Peter had been living like a Gentile, that is, disregarding the Torah and rejecting his Jewish heritage and religious expression, but in the presence of some influential Jews “reverted” to Judaism. But is that what the Scripture says?

We need to remember that Peter was the first of the apostles to go to a Gentile. This event is recorded in Acts 10:9-11:18. It is a very lengthy passage, so we will only hit the main points. Peter receives a vision from the Lord: a sheet with all kinds of animals on it is lowered, and the Lord tells him to kill and eat. Peter replies, “Surely not, I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” This happens three times. The vision ends with God saying, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” Many say that this is God doing away with the kosher food laws. Let’s take a closer look.

First we need to look at the two words used: impure and unclean. Previously, we discussed how these are two words in Greek. One is something normally “clean” that is contaminated. The other is something that God has commanded as unclean. So in Acts 10:14 when Peter says “common,” he means the first definition, and when he says “unclean,” he means the second. The key to understanding this passage is Acts 10:28. According to Jewish law (not the written Torah, but traditional oral teaching), Jews were not even allowed to eat normally kosher food with a Gentile. This was because a Gentile, by nature, was considered contaminated by idolatry. Prior to this vision, Peter would have considered even a God-fearer unclean. So what was Peter’s interpretation of the vision? That he should call no man unclean. The issue was not food, but people. Peter doesn’t begin to eat pork after the vision, but instead he goes and ministers to a Gentile God-fearer. God shows him that he can enter a Gentile’s house and even eat with him without becoming unclean. Remember, a God-fearer was a Gentile who was not converted, but was attending the synagogue and participating in the basics of the Torah. He would never have thought of serving something contrary to the food laws of Leviticus.

Now we can return to Galatians with a proper understanding of the context of Paul’s issue with Peter. Peter had been the first of the apostles to accept Gentiles as uncircumcised, since he saw they had received the Holy Spirit without being converted. Due to this, he saw that eating with God-fearing Gentile believers in Yeshua was not an impure thing: “For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision” (Galatians 2:12). These false teachers, called the “party of the circumcision,” were those who believed that Gentiles needed to be circumcised (formally converted) in order to achieve salvation. This is the gospel which Paul is opposing all through Galatians. These men could have been Jews preaching circumcision for all, or they could have been proselytes themselves who were trying to convince other Gentiles to convert. Apparently Peter and others felt intimidated by them, and so they conceded to their beliefs (verse 13). 

Paul is not going to let this slide, so he calls Peter out in front of everyone: 

But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, “If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?” (verse 14)

He reiterates that this has to do with the “truth of the gospel.” Paul’s gospel had to do with the fact that Gentiles did not need to be formally circumcised and undergo conversion in order to share in reaping the blessings of Israel, including the Holy Spirit and the gift of salvation through Yeshua. Therefore those who were teaching a false gospel were preaching otherwise, sharing the opinion of those in Acts 15:1. Their position was that circumcision was the logical next step for Gentiles who were joining themselves to Israel. The truth of the gospel was that through Yeshua, the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile has been broken down, meaning both groups are united in the body of Yeshua while maintaining ethnic identity.

Paul asks Peter, “If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?” Is he saying that Peter is no longer living according to the Torah? The common interpretation of verse 14 is that Peter had indeed previously abandoned the Torah (Sabbath, dietary laws, etc.), but now he was trying to convince Gentiles to come under its heavy burden, and this is what Paul was coming against him for. This interpretation, however, does not make sense considering the catalyst of the argument, which was regarding table fellowship, which is a matter of oral interpretation rather than God’s commandments. So what does Paul mean?

Peter was previously living like a Gentile in the sense that he refused to accept the mainline Jewish practice regarding the ritual purity of Gentiles. He was talking with, worshiping with, and even eating with Gentile God-fearers, which was completely against the predominant Jewish views regarding Gentiles. This doesn’t mean he didn’t still keep Torah; on the contrary, he was living in the true heart of the commandments now that he was loving his Gentile brothers and sisters in Messiah. Peter recognized that Gentiles who believe in Yeshua do not need to be circumcised and convert to Judaism, as he demonstrates, for example, in Acts 15:7-11. But when he separates himself from eating with the Gentiles to appease those of the party of the circumcision, he is essentially agreeing with them in saying that the Gentile believers are impure before God until they become circumcised, thus “compelling the Gentiles to live like Jews.” The phrase “live like Jews” is from the Greek word Ioudaizein, which is sometimes translated as “Judaize.” In the LXX, this term is used to indicate conversion to Judaism through circumcision (Esther 8:17), and we see it is used the same way here in Galatians. Paul’s condemnation of Peter has nothing to do with teaching Gentiles to keep Torah, but is about falling back to a “salvation by works,” where salvation and inclusion into Israel is attained by being physically Jewish or converted to Judaism through circumcision.

Paul aligns this belief with justification through “works of the Torah” (Galatians 2:15-16). Some have been led to believe that the keeping of the commandments is itself justification through the “works of the Torah,” and therefore should be avoided. The Dead Sea Scrolls shed some light on this phrase. One of the scrolls is entitled “Selection on Works of the Torah.” Discussed within are various halakhic rulings, mostly regarding ceremonial purity. Paul may or may not have known about this document, and perhaps this phrase was used in other contexts as well. But bearing this in mind, we see that Paul was applying the term to mean specific rulings, particularly those related to becoming legally Jewish, and saying that a person is not justified by observing these. This fits with the overarching theme we have seen thus far, that being conversion and acceptance of the believing Gentiles. 

Paul continues to make the point that the wall of partition has been broken down between Jews and Gentiles, and this unity means that there is no need for the Gentiles to become Jewish through circumcision, “For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor” (verse 18). If, after recognizing that Gentile believers are sanctified through Yeshua, the walls were again built up between the two groups so that Gentiles must be circumcised, then they would be found to have fallen for the false gospel that Paul warns against.

Let’s continue to look at Paul’s dialogue against Peter in verse 19. Here Paul says that he died to the Torah to live to God. For most Christians, this is a simple verse. They would say Paul is contrasting his former life as a Jew and his new life as a Christian. There are some problems with this belief. If it is true, then Paul is a hypocrite (Acts 25:8, 28:17). We know that Paul was a faithful Jew. So when he says things like this, he does not mean he is forsaking his former ways of faithfulness.

He clarifies what he means by the phrase “I died to the Torah” in the next verse: “I have been crucified with Messiah; and it is no longer I who live, but Messiah lives in me.” This is similar language to that which he uses in Romans 7:1-12. As we learned there, Paul was making the point that Yeshua bore the punishment for our transgression of the Torah. It is as if we have already paid the price for our sin when we put our faith in Yeshua. This gives us freedom so that we may “live for God,” walking in faith and obedience to His commands, putting to death our sinful nature daily. For, since Yeshua obeyed the Torah without fault, if He is living through us then we will inevitably be doing those same deeds He did. As Paul was saying, this relationship is through faith, not by being from a certain ethnic background or observing certain ritual traditions.

His dialogue against Peter ends in verse 21: “I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Torah, then Messiah died needlessly.” If we achieved salvation by merely becoming circumcised, then there would have been no need for Messiah to die. But this is not how we are saved, and it is not how anyone was saved prior to Yeshua. Everyone who is righteous before God is not so on account of things they have done or their lineage, but because they have faith in God to forgive their transgressions when they earnestly repent (Ezekiel 33:12-16, Daniel 9:18-19, Hosea 14:1-4). Even before Yeshua was born, those who lived by faith were trusting in Him, even if they didn’t understand it fully (John 8:56, Hebrews 11:13). 

So to summarize, this passage says nothing of Peter turning from Judaism and living like a pagan. He had not turned from Judaism, but was living the way the vision of the sheet had revealed to him. After some men came who did not believe the same way, he changed his tune. Remember, if we consider the fact that Galatians may have been written before the events of Acts 15, there was still no hard and fast rule at the time of this event about how Gentiles should be included. And if in fact this happened soon after the Jerusalem council, then Peter and the others would be even more at fault. So what about the “false believers?” In order to be “false” believers, they must be claiming to be believers, so since they were trying to force the Gentiles to become legally Jewish, they could have been Jews, but more likely they were Gentiles who had already become legally Jewish. Paul was not anti-Torah, but he was bringing the teachings of the Judaism of his day that related to Gentiles forward and adapting them to his gospel as revealed by Yeshua Himself. This involved correcting those who taught that the only way for a Gentile to be justified was by legally becoming a Jew. 

Now let’s move on to Galatians 3. Here Paul seems to contrast the Spirit and faith against the Torah:

You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Yeshua the Messiah was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Torah, or by hearing with faith? 

What was the folly in Galatia that had Paul so upset? Somehow most Christians today believe that the Galatian believers who came to belief in Yeshua were keeping a form of modern Christianity until these men came along and turned them back to Judaism. We must remember that the first century Christians were a sect of Judaism and were functioning within the synagogue system (Acts 14:1, 18:4, 17:17). There was no Christianity as we know it today. The books in what we call the New Testament were letters written to individual communities, and had not been written until, at the earliest, around 50 AD. 

The problem in Galatia was that the Gentiles who had previously received the Spirit were now under theological attack from those who were trying to get them to become circumcised and go through the legal conversion to Judaism. Paul’s question in verse 2 is an attempt to get them to focus on the root of their belief. They did not receive the Spirit by converting to Judaism, but rather through faith in Yeshua. Though they were uncircumcised, the Holy Spirit was given to them as the sign of the New Covenant and of salvation. Since they received it while still a Gentile, then it is evident that conversion to Judaism is not a prerequisite for salvation. Peter and some other Jewish believers recognize this in Acts 11:1-18, and this is the issue which was addressed at the Jerusalem council in Acts 15. 

Paul continues this line of reasoning in Galatians 3:3: “Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” Flesh obviously refers to physical things. So he’s saying, “After beginning your walk with a spiritual transformation, are you now trying to be perfected through a physical transformation by becoming Jewish (through circumcision of the flesh)?” He can’t be referring to following the rules of the Torah, for the Torah itself is spiritual, and thus also lies in opposition to the flesh (Romans 7:14). 

Why does this seem to be such a big issue for Paul? Remember, Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles. He wanted to see what Scripture said about the justification of Gentiles, and he found his answer in Genesis: 

Even so Abraham ‘Believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,’ [Genesis 15:6]. Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.” (verses 6-8)

Even before the command of circumcision, Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. So Paul reasoned that since Abraham was declared righteous on the basis of faith prior to circumcision, circumcision and Jewish status cannot be a prerequisite for salvation (Romans 4:11-12, 16-18). Here we also see a succinct statement of Paul’s gospel: “All the nations will be blessed in you.”

So where does the big misunderstanding come in? It is based on wrong assumptions. To Paul, “works” refers to attempts at earning justification through conversion to Judaism and the various extra laws which necessarily rest upon a person once they go through such a conversion. He was not opposed to Gentiles being obedient to God according to the commandments within the Torah that apply to them as Gentiles. He was talking about Gentiles becoming Jewish in an attempt to be justified before God or accepted by men. In regard to this usage of works, there is no discrepancy between Paul and James. Paul, when writing to Gentiles about a very particular issue, used the term works to mean conversion, circumcision, and becoming Jewish. James wrote to Jewish believers, so when he referred to works he meant doing good deeds. The real faith vs. works question was this: “Can an uncircumcised Gentile be saved by faith, or does he need to undergo the works of circumcision and become Jewish?” And the real grace vs. law question was: “Can an uncircumcised Gentile be considered a son of Abraham and receive the same grace Abraham did, or does he have to keep the Torah first in order to receive it?” So we see that Paul and James were both right.

Paul continues to condemn the Gentiles’ behavior in Galatians 3:10: “For as many as are of the works of the Torah are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the Torah, to perform them.’” After reading this verse, many would see a Messianic Jew or a Christian who decides to honor the seventh-day Sabbath or eat kosher, and say to them, “Don’t you know that you are putting yourself under a curse?” Some versions of Scripture word this passage “those who rely” or “depend” on the works of the Torah. However, in the literal reading of the passage it says, “those who are of the works of the Torah.” 
Paul is quoting Deuteronomy 27:26, the phrase spoken during the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai. Everyone who tried to avoid that curse found themselves unable to meet the requirements necessary to do so. We could paraphrase Galatians 3:10 like this: If a person is legally Jewish, either through conversion or heritage, and they rely on these and other works for justification, they are under a curse, because the Torah says that anyone who does not keep the Torah is under a curse. In fact, all of mankind is under that same curse (Romans 3:19).

*The next verse in Galatians continues this thought: “Now that no one is justified by the Torah before God is evident; for, ‘The righteous man shall live by faith.’” Since nobody is able to perfectly obey the Torah, and are thus under a curse, it cannot be through obedience that we are justified, otherwise everyone who ever lived would be doomed. Instead, it is through faith that the righteous live. This does not mean that Torah observance out of love for God and His word invokes a curse. The curse is upon everyone, regardless of attempts to live up to God’s standard. The only way to be free of it is to live by faith in Yeshua. A side-effect of this faith is that it will cause us to want to always live the way God wants rather than following what is right in our own eyes. 

So how should we look at this situation? Let’s compare it to Christianity today. There are many different doctrines of faith within the Christian realm, each with their own doctrines. Some say that once you hold to that set of beliefs, you are “in.” Some even take this to the point of saying that once you are “in” you can never be “out” of that faith. It is a similar situation that was going on in Galatia that Paul was addressing. Gentiles were being encouraged to become legally Jewish by those who still held the belief that only someone who was legally Jewish could be justified. Paul was warning them that if they became legally Jewish, they would be held legally responsible to obey the whole Torah, because that’s what the Torah says, according to verse 10 above.

Paul goes on to say in Galatians 3:12 that the Torah is not of faith. He seems to contrast those who keep the Torah against those who live by faith. This has caused the majority of the church to shun even a hint of Torah observance. Did Paul really mean that faith and Torah observance are opposites? 

Let’s look at life and death. Deuteronomy 30:19 says, “I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life.” Paul looked at these two terms, life and death, with more than just the literal meaning. For Paul, “to live” is what some would call “saved:” in other words, to attain the right to participate in the resurrection and eternal life in the Kingdom and the World to Come. So then, to “die” is what some would call “unsaved” or “lost“: in other words, to face death without hope and with dread of the final judgment. Paul did not invent these definitions, rather they were common terminology and interpretations he would have learned as a Pharisee. An example is in Leviticus 18:5, which says, “Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I Am the Lord.” This verse was interpreted by the well-known Torah scholar Rashi to mean that resurrection into the World to Come was granted by obeying God. So to Paul the phrase “He who practices them shall live by them” would mean that the one who obeys the commands will find eternal life through them. Because of this, relying on obedience does not come from a heart of faith. Those who are expecting to receive their justification by converting to Judaism and becoming reliant upon outward acts rather than deeds borne out of love from the heart are not truly acting in faith.

So what Paul is saying is that no one is exonerated before God by becoming legally Jewish, because the righteous will enter the World to Come by faith. Becoming legally Jewish by works of the Torah is not of faith, but the one who as a result of his faith does the commands will receive a reward in the World to Come (Luke 12:33, John 14:15, 21; 1 John 2:3-6, Romans 2:11-13). 

Instead of presenting faith as against the keeping of Torah, Paul is clarifying the role that each of these things plays in the life of the believer. Since he was writing to a community that was falling into deception about how they received their justification, his goal was to bring the truth in relation to that practice. In letters to some of the other assemblies, he is more focused on their actions (Titus 2:14, 2 Thessalonians 1:8, Ephesians 5:11).   

The righteous man who lives by faith is the one who lives by God’s commands and does them (Romans 2:6-10). After he has been redeemed from the curse of the Torah, that is, he has put his faith in the death of Yeshua for his sins (Galatians 3:13), this faith will manifest itself in a desire to live the way God has established for mankind, Jew and Gentile alike (Ecclesiastes 12:13, Galatians 3:14). Even when our desire is to walk in this way, we will still slip up and sin. When this happens, we must show our faith by repentance, trusting in the blood of Yeshua to wash us clean so that we may turn from the impure and strive for holiness (Hebrews 12:14, 1 Peter 1:14-16, Revelation 22:11-12). Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Yeshua the Messiah for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” If we look at it this way, then there is no problem here: we are justified by faith, and we live out that faith and show our right standing before God by obedience. 

Now let’s move on to another of Paul’s interesting analogies. In Galatians 3:19-26, Paul compares the Torah and Jewish status to a paidagogos, a tutor. Because of the wording in this portion of scripture, the majority of the traditional church taught that the Torah was just a guardian until Messiah came, and that once He came, the Torah was canceled. Is this true? If it is, then we have a problem, because Yeshua said He did not come to cancel the Torah (Matthew 5:17-20, John 14:15-21). If Paul teaches contrary to Yeshua, he is a false teacher. Thankfully, we know that that is not true. 

God made the promise to Abraham that all nations would be blessed in His seed. Paul goes on to say that the Torah was added “because of transgressions… until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made” (Galatians 3:19).  The Torah was added to identify and define God’s righteous standard (Romans 5:20), as well as to provide a foreshadowing of how mankind could be cleansed from sin through redemption when sin works through us. In Galatians 3:20, Paul quotes Deuteronomy 6:4 to remind us that the revelation of God through the Torah is not separable from His being. The Torah serves to reveal God’s essence until the promised seed comes, His blessed Son, who is “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” (Hebrews 1:3). “Until” does not mean that now that Yeshua has come, the Torah does not reveal God’s nature. We see this term used similarly in Psalm 110:1: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” The word does not signify an ending of one thing and the beginning of another, but the state of the first looks toward the second. In other words, the verse could read something like, “Why the Torah then? It was added because of transgressions… looking toward the seed [who] would come to whom the promise had been made.”

After saying all of this, Paul wants to make sure we don’t think Torah contradicts the promise to Abraham of salvation through faithfulness/faith and all nations being blessed through the Messiah. Galatians 3:21-22 says, 

Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Messiah Yeshua might be given to those who believe.

The word “imprisoned” is not necessarily the best choice for the Greek word here. It actually means “to shut in, enclose, or confine.” In that sense, the verse means that we are all left without any other means of salvation but through Yeshua. Because of our inability to be perfect, the only way we can achieve justification is through Yeshua. We also see that the word translated as “believe” here is actually a form of the Greek word for “faith.” We don’t have a word in English for “faithing,” but the original word implies an active, ongoing, trusting, relational, obedient, confident exercise of faith in God’s promises. 

Verses 23-26 continue with his explanation of the role of the Torah. The phrase “held captive under the Torah, imprisoned” is an unfortunate translation. It makes the Torah sound like it was keeping people from faith, or somehow holding them back, when it is not the Torah, but our sinful nature that holds us back (Romans 7:16-17). The Greek word translated as “held captive” is more literally translated as “guarded,” and likewise the word for “imprisoned,” means “shut in” or “enclosed.” Thus the function of the Torah which Paul describes here is not to serve as a harsh prison warden, but as a protective guardian.

This concept is further developed in verse 24. In English, Bibles often translate the word paidagogos as “tutor” or “guardian.” This term is not synonymous with the modern English word pedagogue, which has a somewhat negative connotation, meaning “a dull, formal, or pedantic teacher.” Since Paul is using the analogy of a paidagogos, we need to understand exactly what this was in Paul’s day. Upper class families in the ancient Greco-Roman world would hire a person to serve as a warden for their children. This person, a paidagogos, was responsible for the conduct of the child. His full job was to be a caretaker, to supervise, and to direct the child’s conduct and moral behavior. He would also serve as a type of bodyguard, protecting the child from both outside forces and inward desires. 

Paul is saying that the job of the Torah was previously to do this same thing for the Jewish people, protecting them and leading them to the Messiah. Rather than enslaving them, it served as a source of protection and moral guidance. Because the Jewish people were under the care of the paidagogos, previously any Gentiles would need to come fully under the authority of the paidagogos by becoming Jewish. The job of the paidagogos, however, is to lead to the teacher, the Messiah. Now that He has come, the Gentiles are joined to Him and taken under His authority along with the Jewish people: “But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian” (verse 25). 

Does this mean that we no longer follow the instructions of that guardian? No, but the lessons which the guardian teaches us are learned more in depth as we mature. Once we have come to faith in Yeshua, we see the Torah in the light of His revelation. Every part of the Torah reveals Yeshua, for He is the Living Word, and therefore every “jot and tittle” within the Torah has something to teach us about Yeshua. Through the Torah, we learn that we are unable to keep it perfectly, which leads us to Yeshua. Nevertheless, the lessons it teaches us and the ways it expects us to behave are essential to growing closer to Him in holiness. We must remember that this is a metaphor, and thus has certain limitations. In order to understand this metaphor, we must understand its purpose: Paul is creatively articulating to the Gentiles why they do not need to become Jewish through circumcision. Now that the object of faith has come, the way has been opened for the Gentiles also to join to Him and learn, and thus the role of the Torah as a paidagogos is not applicable to them. This by no means negates the Torah as a lifestyle for the redeemed to walk in.

Paul goes on in Galatians 3:26-29 to explain that “in the Messiah Yeshua we are all sons of God through faith… There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Messiah Yeshua.” We also see this in other Scriptures (Colossians 3:10-11, Ephesians 2:15-16). In the broader Christian community, most say that these verses prove that after coming to faith, Jewish people are no longer really Jewish, but are now a new creation, no longer bound to their former religious expression. According to this “one new man” theology, Jewishness is erased by the Messiah. The problem with this is that instead of there no longer being any Jew or Greek in Messiah, everyone is Greek. 

What was Paul’s rule for the churches in this matter? He lays out his thoughts in 

1 Corinthians 7:17-24. This passage clarifies Paul’s intent in Galatians 3. When it comes to salvation and justification, all are made righteous through faith alone, which Paul is speaking of in Galatians. When it comes to living out that faith, what counts is following God’s commands, as he is speaking of in the passage in 1 Corinthians. There are different expressions of faith for different members in the body. 

Think about it this way: Paul says “there is neither male nor female” (Galatians 3:28). Does this mean that in Messiah there is no difference between men and women? Besides any obvious physical differences, Paul himself gives different instructions for different groups of people (Titus 2). This is not because there is a different standard of holiness for everyone, but because certain commands don’t apply to everyone the same way. This is true in the Torah as well, where different commandments apply only for certain groups of people. There are certain commandments only for Levites (Numbers 1:51), there are different times of purification for men and women (Leviticus 12:2, 5). and there are certain things foreigners are not able to do (Exodus 12:43), among many other distinctions. 

We see an example of what the body of Messiah should look like in Genesis 2:24. In marriage, a husband and wife become one, but they are still two different people, a man and a woman. The same is true in the body of Messiah. Both believing Jews and Gentiles are brought into Yeshua through faith, and each have a distinct way of living out their faith in accordance with the calling of God. Now let’s look at Acts 15:9. We all have the same access to salvation through Yeshua, but this does not eliminate distinct identities and roles (1 Corinthians 12:12-27, Romans 12:4-5). 

In Galatians 3:29, Paul said to the God-fearing Gentile believers, “If you are Messiah’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise.” As we see in Romans 11, Gentiles are grafted into the promises of Abraham. We know that Abraham is the father of many nations. Believers from the nations become the spiritual children of Abraham and become fellow heirs with the Jewish people when they put their faith in Messiah. The Gentile does not become Jewish; he keeps his nationality. If you were Italian, you remain Italian, or if you were Greek, you retain that nationality. If you were Jewish, you stay Jewish. This is why Abraham is called the father of MANY nations, not one nation.

So we see here that if a Jewish person receives the work done on the cross by Messiah, he is still a Jew, but what you would call a complete Jew, for our lives are complete in Yeshua. Many Jewish people who believe in Yeshua never call themselves Christian,  for a believing Jew is still a Jew. Remember, we have been grafted in and the roots support us, not the other way around (Romans 11:17-18).

Now we move on to chapter 4 of Galatians, starting with verses 1-12. The traditional interpretation of these verses claims that they show without a doubt that no one should be “enslaved,” which is true. The confusion arises over what the Galatians were being enslaved to. This interpretation also claims that Paul rebukes them for following the biblical calendar. Is this true? It is interesting to note that though this interpretation teaches that it is un-Christian to keep the biblical calendar and honor God’s holy days such as the sabbath, they see no conflict between Galatians 4:10 and the celebration of days as long as they are Sundays; months as long as they are not biblical months; seasons as long as they are Lent, Advent, Christmas and Easter. 

In Galatians 4:3, and 4:9, Paul addresses “elementary principles” of the world. In 4:3 he says, “in the same way we (the Jewish people) also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world.” And in 4:9 he says that the Gentile believers were also once slaves to these “weak and worthless principles of the world.” No one is exactly sure what Paul meant by this phrase, but he used it several times: in Colossians 2:20-21 in reference to ascetic practices, and here in Galatians. The Greek word he uses is stoicheion, which has to do with elements that comprise a series, essential parts, or members of a row. It was also a military term denoting a row, rank, or a line in a military formation. In Paul’s time it had several meanings, one of which was the basic elements of the cosmos (fire, earth, air, water), another being spiritual forces such as angels, or it could simply mean the basics of something, as in elementary teachings. As far as Paul’s use, two main categories are frequently accepted: elementary principles refer to Torah and Judaism or elementary principles refer to paganism and idolatry.

Let’s look at the first theory. We must ask ourselves, would Paul really put God’s commands in the same category with idolatry? Is it really possible that he would refer to the precepts of the Lord as “weak and worthless” or as “elementary principles of the world?” Psalm 19:7 says, “The Torah of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.” Paul himself says in Romans 7:12 and 14 that the Torah is holy, righteous, good, and spiritual. Do we believe that God changes? Is He untrustworthy? If He is unchanging, then how can He change His word?  Because of how Galatians has traditionally been interpreted, it is a logical succession from “the law is no longer important” to “the Biblical feast days are no longer important.” As we have seen in this study, the book of Galatians is not intended to dissuade anyone from keeping God’s Torah, but was a correction on false teachings that were going around about circumcision and how the Gentiles were to fit into the community of believers, which was at this time predominantly Jewish.

Let’s look at the second theory. Do the “elementary principles” refer to certain practices within paganism and idolatry? Again let’s look at Galatians 4:8: “Formerly, when you (Gentile believers) did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods.” Paul reminds his Gentile listeners of their previous life of idolatry. So, if they were raised in this idolatrous system, then it would make sense that the “weak and worthless elementary principles of the world” are not God’s ways, but the idolatrous rituals and false religion they had been raised in. So, if this is the case then he was not telling them to avoid God’s calendar, but rather to avoid falling back into the pagan calendar they had been raised in.

As we have worked our way through Galatians we have been straightening out common misconceptions. One question we should ask ourselves is, was Paul a hypocrite? You may wonder why I ask this. Let’s look at a few portions of scripture (Galatians 4:12, 1 Corinthians 9:19-23). Are these saying that Paul possibly used false pretenses to win people to the gospel, pretending he was something he was not? Some say these passages prove that Paul was only “appearing” to be Torah-observant, in the cases where we see him doing so, to win those “under the Torah.” But Paul himself asserts in 1 Thessalonians 2:3-4 that, “our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit; but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts.” Paul was bold in condemning Peter for behaving differently when different people were present, so we can hardly expect him to behave this way as well.

What’s really going on here? Let’s break down 1 Corinthians 9 to help us understand Paul’s unique way of becoming “all things to all people.” To help us, we need to remember the three types of people that would have been found in a first century synagogue, which we learned earlier: Jews, proselytes, and God-fearers. When Paul says, “to the Jew, I became like a Jew,” he was obviously talking about native born Jews. So when he reached out to his fellow Jews he used that common heritage in presenting the gospel. When he says, “to those under the Torah,” he adds, “though I myself, not being under the Torah.” Being “under the Torah” does not equate to obeying God’s commandments. It is a state where one has not yet accepted the sacrifice of Yeshua for atonement, thus being under the curse of the Torah, the penalty for disobeying it. When Paul preached to those who don’t have Yeshua, he presents himself in a way that will be accessible to them without compromising his own beliefs. Paul goes on to the next group of people: “To those outside the Torah I became as one outside the Torah (not being outside the Torah of God, but under the Torah of Messiah) that I might win those outside the Torah” (1 Corinthians 9:21). He is referring to Gentiles who have no true knowledge of the Torah, though they are not free from the consequences of disobeying it (Romans 3:23). Paul made certain social sacrifices to associate with the God-fearing Gentiles, sacrifices which cost him much. This is what Galatians 4:12 is about. Paul was asking the Gentile Galatians to also bear the weight of social ostracization for the sake of the gospel. By not becoming circumcised, these Gentiles would be in a sort of no-man’s land. Their Roman neighbors would not accept them because of their refusal to partake in idolatry, and the Jewish believers may be hesitant to accept them because they were not circumcised. In all of Paul’s becoming all things to all men, he never compromised in the area of his Torah observance. 

Based on what we have discussed thus far, we have seen that the “other gospel that is no gospel” that was being presented by these influencers was that the God-fearing Gentiles could not remain a part of the Kingdom unless they became legally Jewish. This was Paul’s concern that he addresses through the entire letter to the Galatians. So he, being their spiritual father, was deeply concerned for them until “Messiah is formed” in them (Galatians 4:19). What does it mean that “Messiah is formed” in us? Let’s look at Luke 6:40. What does it mean to be a disciple of Yeshua? In first-century Judaism, a disciple would emulate every area of his teacher’s life. This is our job as disciples of Yeshua, and this is what Paul meant when he said “until Messiah is formed in you.” So what we should think about is that Paul’s harsh words were not because he was worried that the God-fearing Gentiles would be observing God’s calendar and obeying His commands, but that they would take their reliance off of Yeshua by becoming legally Jewish.

So one of Paul’s biggest concerns was discipleship, and it should concern us too. In Paul’s day, being a disciple of Yeshua required a radical all-or-nothing commitment. Today, especially in this country where we live in relative ease, many follow a lukewarm, casual, taken-for-granted religious experience that requires no social discomfort. The average believer has no idea what it truly means to become like our Master. Think about what Paul says: he feels like a woman in birth pains for a child that has already been born (Galatians 4:19). This bears some resemblance to Hosea 13:13 which says, “The pangs of childbirth come for him, but he is an unwise son, for at the right time he does not present himself at the opening of the womb.” It’s like the opposite of John 3:3, “I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom.”

So this was Paul’s concern, that all would become like our Master, as it says in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Messiah. It is no longer I that live, but Messiah who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Galatians 5:1 says, “It is for freedom that Messiah has set you free; stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” The question is, how can a Gentile who was never under the full weight of the Torah be set free from that which he was never yoked to in the first place? Paul urged Gentiles not to undergo circumcision and become legally Jewish because this would be taking on another yoke. This would be taking their faith off of Yeshua and putting it in the flesh. They were already grafted in by faith, so they did not need to be circumcised and become “physical” sons of Abraham. Paul’s understanding was that Gentile believers were grafted in by faith and were already “sons of Abraham,” and therefore already justified (Romans 3:28-31, 4:11).

In Galatians 5:4, Paul says, “You have been severed from Messiah, you who are seeking to be justified by Torah; you have fallen from grace.” How so? Because of what it says in Ephesians 2:8-9: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not of yourself, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” Through the atoning work of the Messiah Yeshua, we have all been justified by grace, through faith, no work needed. Remember that this has to do only with justification. However, we must not assume this means there is no work required at all, for Paul also says in Philippians 2:12, “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” 1 Corinthians 7:19 also says, “Neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commands of God.” This sounds very similar to Galatians 5:6. So we see that there is a place for obedience—not for salvation, but as a part of our loving relationship with God.

Now let’s read Galatians 5:13-14. Paul starts to drive the point home here. He wants to make sure that we don’t use our freedom in the wrong way. We must not indulge the flesh, but rather serve out of love. And how do we do this? By living the truly Spirit led life. Remember, earlier we discussed the evil inclination, which is the fleshly desires. Paul goes back to this idea here in verses 16-17. Our old sinful nature, the flesh, does not desire to do the things of God. Paul explains this in Romans 8:7-8, saying, “The mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the Torah of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” We also see this idea in Ephesians 5:3-7 and James 4:4. But if we are led by the Spirit of God, we are not under the condemnation of the Torah (Romans 8:1), and therefore, by the power of the Spirit, we will no longer be hostile toward God. Whereas before, because of the sinful nature, we could not submit to God’s Torah, now by the spirit we will be able to. 

In verses 19-21, Paul gives a list of the acts of the sinful nature. This should not be looked at as an exhaustive list. Paul ends the list with the words, “and the like.” He uses very harsh words, as he says at the end of verse 21, “I warn you, as I did before, those who live like this will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” Where did Paul get this list from? Did he make it up? The fact is that Paul takes them from the prohibitions in the Torah. Leviticus 18 deals with unlawful sexual relations; chapter 19, things like idolatry and how to treat our fellow man; and chapter 20, various laws. This should not surprise us, because at the time Paul was writing there was no New Testament canon. Paul wrote, in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.” At the time he wrote this, the Scriptures we call the “Old Testament” were the only Scripture they had.

Now Paul moves on to the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-26). Maybe we could call it the evidence of the Spirit of God in a person’s life. He says there is no law against these, or better yet, maybe he is saying that when we walk in these, we will not come under the condemnation of the Torah (verse 18). Since we have crucified the sinful nature, we are now able to walk in the way which is pleasing to God. Ephesians 4:1-2 says, “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love.” If we have truly crucified the flesh with all its passions and desires, it will be the natural outflow of that process that we walk according to the morality spelled out in God’s Torah. This is how we “walk” by the spirit, walking being an action (Colossians 1:10).

A major theme here is love for our brother. Paul continues in chapter 6 by telling us how to deal with fellow believers. Let’s read verses 1-5. Who is the one who is “spiritual?” Since there were no chapter divisions in Paul’s original letter, we should look at what he was previously talking about. Those who are leading Godly lives with the evidence of the fruit of the spirit are to correct those who stumble, doing so with love. This command of Paul is also directly from the Torah (Leviticus 19:17). We should not assume that Paul means this in regard to issues of personality or personal shortcomings, but rather, serious transgressions, as he goes on to say, “Bear each other’s burdens.” Paul says that when we do this, we are “fulfilling the Torah of the Messiah” (verse 2). 

Many assume that the Torah of Messiah replaces the “Torah of Moses.” First, we must remember that they are God’s commands, not Moses’. Second, we must remember that Yeshua did not come to do away with the Torah (Matthew 5:17-20). What Yeshua did was re-prioritize the Torah under the two greatest commands (Matthew 22:34-40). And just so we don’t think these are new commandments, these are also taken directly from the Torah. Deuteronomy 6:5 says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” And Leviticus 19:18 says, “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I Am the Lord.” So love is the defining principle of Yeshua’s approach to Torah. James was the brother of Yeshua, and he refers to this commandment as the “Royal Torah” (James 2:8).

Paul says in Galatians 6:3-5 that instead of judging others, we should look at ourselves first. This works together with what he was saying in verse 1, and also echoes what Yeshua said in Matthew 7:5. It is good for us believers to correct each other when the Spirit leads us to do so, but this should be done in love, with the recognition that we have our own flaws and faults that others could come to us about as well. We shouldn’t let a fear of being perceived as judgmental hinder us from bringing sin to light, so long as it is done through the right motives and in a Godly manner (1 Timothy 5:1-2, Hebrews 3:13, 10:24, James 4:11-12).

Paul now starts to wrap up his letter. He must have known that some would twist his words, that they would take his declarations of “not under the Torah” as a license to sin. So he says in Galatians 6:7, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” This reaping is what is spoken of in 2 Corinthians 5:9-10. If we do not crucify the sinful nature, we will continue in the ways that are contrary to God’s ways. The sinful nature is hostile to God’s ways, and it is impossible for such a person to please God. They will only reap destruction. They are the same people written about in James 4:4-10. But those who crucify the sinful nature and plant the fruit of the spirit in their lives will reap eternal life. 

Paul knew that life is hard. We don’t always see the rewards for our faithfulness right away. So in verse 9 he encouraged the faithful believers saying, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” We see similar messages of encouragement throughout Scripture (1 Corinthians 15:58, James 1:12, Matthew 25:21). 

Paul closes his letter to the Galatians with his autograph, his way of letting them know the letter is actually from him (Galatians 6:11). This was the way he ended all his letters (Colossians 4:18, Philemon 1:19). As the letter draws to a close, we see he summarizes the main point of his letter. Was it to do away with God’s Torah? Were God’s holy commands now null and void? He says:

Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Messiah. For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Torah themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh. (verses 12-13)

He sums up the issue by again exhorting the Galatian Gentiles to not allow themselves to be circumcised. Those who were bringing pressure on the Gentiles were not actually concerned with their spiritual growth, but were seeking to avoid being persecuted by the larger Jewish community by conforming to their idea of salvation. He presents their failure to live according to the Torah as hypocritical and a negative. So what Paul was really teaching against was a “once-saved-always-saved” type of cheap grace. When religious systems form, eventually people tend to replace actual obedience to God with institutional status. The Christian may say, “I’m a Christian, I’m saved. I have nothing to worry about.” Maybe in Paul’s day, it would have been called “once-circumcised-always-saved.” This is what he was teaching against. Paul’s gospel was that the Gentiles were justified by faith, just like the Israelites who had remained faithful, and were heirs to the promise by faith. This was the offense of the cross. In Acts 22 Paul gives a lengthy account of his experience on the road to Damascus and his revelation of the risen Messiah. There are no complaints until he mentions the inclusion of the Gentiles (Acts 22:21-22). This is the case for Paul throughout his life as he preaches that the message of Yeshua the Messiah is received by Jew and Gentile alike.

Paul states this succinctly in Galatians 6:15: “For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.” This is his whole point. Gentile believers are sons of Abraham by faith and not excluded because of their uncircumcised status, just as the Jewish believer is also a son of Abraham by faith. Remember in Romans 11:17-24 Paul refers to the Gentile believers as grafted into Israel and fellow heirs of the covenant. Never in any of his letters does Paul ever mention that Israel is no longer God’s chosen people or that they have been replaced with the Gentiles. In fact, Romans 11 tells us that those branches of Israel that were removed can be grafted back in and that the Gentile branches that were grafted in can also be cut off. 

Paul continues in verse 16: “And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.” As we mentioned earlier, in Hebrew the word for “walk” is halakhah. This word refers to God’s commands and how we practically apply them in our lives. An example of this would be Matthew 5:21-22. Yeshua discusses the command not to murder, then gives the halakhah, the practical application, on how to live it out. Another example is Ephesians 4:28. Here Paul tells the thief how to walk out his new life and leave that former way behind. So what is Paul’s ruling to the God-fearing Gentile and Jewish believers? That all are justified through faith in the atoning work of Yeshua the Messiah. But we must remember that being justified and how we then live out that new life are two separate things (James 2:14-26, 1 John 2:6, 1 Corinthians 11:1).

In this verse, Paul refers to God-fearing Gentile believers as spiritually part of the “Israel of God” along with Jewish believers (Galatians 6:16), which belongs to the realm of faith. Some have used this verse as a proof text for replacement theology. According to this line of thinking, the Jews are no longer the Israel of God; now the church is. This is not what Paul is saying. This “Israel of God” includes both Jewish and God-fearing Gentile believers in Yeshua who have crucified the sinful nature and are walking out their salvation with the evidence of God’s fruit in their lives.

In conclusion, we have seen that the letter to the Galatians was primarily concerned with addressing the false teachings of a group of people who had come to the Gentile believers there and compelled them to be circumcised. This group was of the opinion that the Gentiles could only receive salvation and access to the promises of Israel through legal conversion. Paul’s argument throughout is that the Gentiles as well as the Jews are saved through faith in Yeshua and the obedience to His commandments which this faith inevitably leads to. By becoming circumcised, the Gentiles would be in a sense asserting that faith alone is not sufficient to be grafted into the promises of Israel, including that of entrance into eternal life. These promises were never achieved through obedience to the commandments, but were always through faith and the grace of God. 

Paul Under Fire

The last thing we are going to look at in this study is the trials of Paul. As Paul spread the good news around the known world, he experienced the joy of fellowship as well as the bitterness of persecution. We can learn a lot about Paul by examining the stories surrounding his trials and testimonies before the religious and secular ruling bodies, from Jerusalem to Rome. 

We will start in Acts 21, where Paul is going to Jerusalem. His plan was to get there in time for Pentecost (Acts 20:16), which is the Greek name for the Biblical Appointed Time of Shavuot. This was one of the “pilgrimage feasts,” that is, one of the appointed times which God said every male from Israel needed to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem on (Deuteronomy 16:16). It was not a coincidence that Paul wanted to be in Jerusalem on Shavuot. First of all, as an observant Jew he would have felt an obligation to observe the commandment to make pilgrimage. Second of all, it would provide an opportunity to spread the message of Yeshua and the in-grafting of the Gentiles to people who would be gathered to Jerusalem from all over the world. Foreshadowed in the verses leading up to his arrival at Jerusalem is the fact that Paul will be undergoing some type of persecution, such as he has not yet endured (Acts 20:22-24, 21:4, 10-13).

Upon arrival in Jerusalem, Paul meets with the believing community there, sharing that his missions have brought many Gentiles to belief: “The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry” (Acts 21:18-19). Responding to Paul’s testimony about the Gentiles, the elders in Jerusalem share how God has granted them success among the Jewish people: “Then they said to Paul: ‘You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the Torah’” (verse 20). The word “zeal” implies a fiery desire for a particular cause or object (Psalm 119:139, Isaiah 37:32, Ezekiel 38:19). One can have improper zeal when it is directed on a cause or object which is displeasing to God, but being zealous for the Torah is not presented here in Acts, or anywhere else in Scripture, as a negative. On the contrary, zeal for the things of God is something that we are all called to be driven by (John 2:17, Titus 2:14). 

Combined with the zeal of the Jewish believers, however, are rumors which have followed Paul as he spreads the gospel to the Gentiles: “They have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs” (verse 21). These would be very serious claims if it was true that Paul was preaching these things. As he went around preaching to the Gentiles, evidently some people had twisted his message to mean that circumcision, the Torah, and the oral customs had all been canceled and done away with. As we have seen, and will continue to discover, this was never Paul’s message or his goal. According to Paul, Gentiles were not required to be circumcised or keep certain oral traditions, and by nature some Torah commandments did not apply to the Gentiles. But this did not change the relationship between the Jewish people and the Torah (Galatians 5:3). It is easy to see how some could deliberately or unintentionally confuse Paul’s words. 

In order to prove to everyone that these are just lies and rumors, the elders come up with a plan: “Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; take them and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads; and all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Torah” (Acts 21:23-24). The first thing we should notice is the purpose for this plan. It is not a deceptive plot to trick the Jews into thinking Paul is something he is not. If Paul was indeed preaching to his fellow Jews that “they should not circumcise their children or walk according to the customs,” then this would have been a wonderful opportunity for him to hold fast in his convictions and boldly preach that to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. But on the contrary, we see that this plan is a way to prove that there is no merit to these claims that Paul is teaching Jewish people not to keep Torah, for by going through with the plan they will see that he himself is a Torah-keeping Jew. The elders did not question Paul’s Torah-observance, because they knew him personally and they knew his message. They did not believe the rumors, and neither should we. 

What exactly was this purification ritual, and how would it prove the false rumors as incorrect? The phrase “so that they may shave their heads” gives it away. There is only one vow in the Torah which requires the shaving of the head to complete it, and that is the Nazirite vow. Note that there is a difference between Nazirite (type of vow) and Nazarene (name for the followers of Yeshua). The Nazirite vow is detailed in Numbers 6. According to tradition, a typical vow lasted thirty days, but some were longer, even up to a lifetime (Judges 13:2-5). 

From the passage in Acts, it is obvious that believers were accustomed to taking this type of vow at the time. Paul himself had taken a Nazirite vow at one point (Acts 18:18), and some have suggested that he was completing another one here with these four men. Another possibility is that after having his head shaved outside of Jerusalem in chapter 18, he was now going up with the others to go through with the rest of the requirements of completing the vow, which included the sacrifices. So according to the plan, Paul would pay for these men’s sacrifices, which could be quite expensive, in addition to purifying himself (Acts 21:26). All of this would show that Paul did not believe that the Torah was done away with, but that he himself was living according to it, even going so far as to take on voluntary vows that required heightened levels of obedience. One could even say that he was zealous for the Torah. 

Not everyone realized this, however, and when they see him, they begin to stir up trouble: 

When the seven days were almost over, the Jews from Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, began to stir up all the crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, “Men of Israel, come to our aid! This is the man who preaches to all men everywhere against our people and the Torah and this place; and besides he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. (Acts 21:27-29)

Recognizing Paul from his travels abroad, some men who had been opposed to him start a ruckus. The time of Shavuot was now at hand, and Jews from all different countries had gathered, some who had likely heard of Paul, others perhaps not. When they hear the fervent plea of the false accusers, they act in one accord, laying hold of Paul and dragging him away (verse 30). The plan to show that Paul did not “preach to all men everywhere against our people (the Jews) and the Torah and this place (the Temple),” had backfired. In fact, a new accusation is added: the false accusers had seen Paul with a Gentile earlier, and assumed that he was one of the men who Paul had accompanied to the Temple. Whether they actually thought this or it was just an excuse is immaterial. 

Because of the commotion, the Roman guards come down on the crowds as they are beating Paul (verses 31-36). The Romans were especially watchful around the pilgrimage festivals because of the large numbers of people, many of whom were strongly opposed to the heavy-handed Roman governance and military presence in Israel. Paul’s arrest here is partially for his own safety and partially to prevent chaos from breaking out. The Romans didn’t even know if he had done anything wrong at this point. Many in the crowd were not aware whether Paul had done anything wrong either, but had joined in due to a mob mentality. 

Paul doesn’t want this uproar to continue, and I’m sure he recognized that the Romans only wanted to end the commotion as soon as possible as well. The commander permits him to speak to the crowd, and he begins to defend himself. He addresses them in his and their own native tongue, Hebrew or Aramaic, at which the people quiet down (Acts 21:40-22:2). Perhaps the crowds had assumed that Paul was only some foreign troublemaker, but when they heard him speaking in their language, it gave them pause so that he may speak. 

Beginning to address his accusers, he first asserts his credentials: “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today” (Acts 22:3). The original goal of Paul was to show that he was not acting blasphemously, and so the first words he speaks to the crowd are meant to prove that in no uncertain terms. He then goes on to speak of how he persecuted the Way, and begins to speak of his experience on the road to Damascus. He mainly keeps to the facts, except for his brief description of Ananias as “a man who was devout by the standard of the Torah, and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there” (Acts 22:12). The reason he included this was again to show that neither he nor the Way were teaching against “our people and the Torah.” He also addressed the accusations that he was speaking against the Temple: “It happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance” (verse 17). Just like our Master Yeshua, the apostles were zealous for their Father’s house (Luke 24:52-53, John 2:14-17).

Through all of this, the people are listening attentively. His defenses had successfully addressed the false claims levelled against him. All is well until this point, but things would not stay that way for long, as he continues to share what God told him as he prayed in the Temple:

And He said to me, “Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.” They listened to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!” (verses 21-22)

So we see that the message that Yeshua was the Messiah was not enough to trigger their anger, but the fact that He had sent Paul to the Gentiles was enough to send them into a rage. 

Through all of this, the Roman commander was standing by, unable to understand what Paul was saying, since Paul was speaking in Hebrew. As soon as the crowd starts getting riled back up again, the guards haul Paul inside and plan to scourge him in order to get some answers (verses 23-24). Here is where Paul’s citizenship comes in handy: “But when they stretched him out with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, ‘Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?’” We learned earlier that a Roman citizen could not be scourged, and so they released him immediately (verses 26-29). The commander still wants answers, however, and so he arranges for Paul to appear before the Sanhedrin (verse 30). 

Before the Sanhedrin, Paul now needs to defend himself again. His opening words again tell us about what he believed: “Paul, looking intently at the Council, said, ‘Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day’” (Acts 23:1). The literal Greek of Paul’s words says, “I in all good conscience have lived as a citizen to God.” The word translated as “to live as a citizen” is politeuomai, which in Jewish contexts has been used to imply obedience to a set of laws (as a citizen would do), namely the Torah. Paul is asserting that this trial is unjust on the basis that the purpose of the Sanhedrin was to litigate on matters of Torah, and Paul is letting them know that he is innocent, for he has not transgressed the Torah in any way worthy of a legal trial.

The high priest, Ananias, orders Paul to be struck on the mouth for this comment (verse 2). It is hard to say exactly why he ordered this, but we know that this high priest was not a righteous man. Ananias was a member of the Sadducees, and had been appointed to his position by Rome. He was greedy and corrupt, and generally despised by the common Jewish people and the Pharisees. After war broke out in Israel preceding the destruction of Jerusalem, a group of Jewish assassins killed him, although he was no longer the high priest at that time. 

Paul knew that this punishment was against the rules which the court had bound itself by, and he chides the one who struck him: “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to try me according to the Torah, and in violation of the Torah order me to be struck?” (verse 3). His language is severe, and Paul has to put his foot in his mouth: “But the bystanders said, ‘Do you revile God’s high priest?’ And Paul said, ‘I was not aware, brethren, that he was high priest; for it is written, “You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people”’” (verses 4-5). 

A question arises: why didn’t Paul recognize the high priest? The most widely accepted response is that the priesthood had changed since Paul was last made aware. The high priest did not wear any distinguishing clothes while seated in the Council, so it is likely that he truly didn’t know that he was the high priest. Another claim is that Paul had vision problems and thus couldn’t see who was speaking to him. People back up this claim with verses like Galatians 4:13-15 and 6:11. Regardless, we can be sure that Paul would not intentionally curse the high priest, for his goal was to prove that he himself was not walking in opposition to the Torah or his brothers the Jewish people. 

Realizing that he has not made a good impression, Paul needs to change the focus of the proceedings: “But perceiving that one group were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, Paul began crying out in the Council, ‘Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead!’” (Acts 23:6). Some have said that this was Paul just playing the crowd to his advantage. And that is partially true, but it is not a deceptive act. The Sanhedrin was composed of both Pharisees and Sadducees. Some of the Pharisees had likely been old peers of Paul, and he relies on them here to get out of a difficult situation. Notice that he says, “I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees.” We discussed earlier the importance of this quote. If he was simply trying to stir up the Sanhedrin, he would not need to preface the fact that he was on trial for his belief in the resurrection with this bold claim of identity. It was the truth: Paul still considered himself a Pharisee who was on trial because of his belief in the resurrection of Yeshua and the implications it brought for the Gentiles. 

While a fuller testimony is not recorded here, some have asserted that this claim about the resurrection was part of a longer testimony that is not recorded. They point to verse 9: “And there occurred a great uproar; and some of the scribes of the Pharisaic party stood up and began to argue heatedly, saying, ‘We find nothing wrong with this man; suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?’” The only way they would know that an angel or spirit had spoken to him was if they had heard Paul speaking about his experience on the road to Damascus or his calling in the Temple, similar to what he had spoken of in the previous chapter. These Pharisees, after hearing Paul’s testimony, realize that he is not acting in disobedience to the Torah, but that the main issue is whether his experience with Yeshua was genuine, which had no bearing on Paul’s relationship with Torah and was therefore beyond the arm of the Sanhedrin. Another verse which points to the idea that Paul had made a more drawn-out testimony during this council hearing is verse 11.

These events were not what Paul’s enemies were hoping would happen. Since they discovered that Paul was innocent in regard to the Torah, they realize they will have to kill him outside of the legal arena. Verses 12-15 detail the actors and the plot. Forty of the Jews had bound themselves to the idea, and they came to the chief priests and elders with their plan. It is likely that the priests and elders mentioned here were the Sadducees, who Paul had most angered during his trial. The allegiance of the forty men is not stated, but some have ascertained that they were a political group called the Zealots, that is, Jews who were strongly opposed to Rome. Since Paul was a Roman citizen in the custody of the Roman army, they perhaps wanted to send a message. 

Paul’s nephew somehow discovers the plot and informs the Roman commander (verses 16-22). The commander wisely decides to send Paul away to avoid any more disorder. He sends him to the governor of the region, Antonius Felix, who was living in Caesarea (verses 25-30). The governor houses Paul for five days until his accusers arrive. The entourage of his accusers includes Ananias, some of his trusted elders, and a Roman lawyer named Tertullus, who was likely hired by Ananias to bring the case before the governor (Acts 24:1). They did not want to bother the governor with what seemed like only a matter of the Torah, which he would not likely be interested in, so they needed to make the case something Felix would have to involve himself with, something political (verses 2-9). They accuse Paul before Felix of stirring up trouble all over the world, being the ringleader of the Nazarenes, and of desecrating the Temple, all of which were very serious crimes. 

Felix gives Paul an opportunity to speak in order to defend himself. Paul’s goal in his defense is to prove that he was not stirring up trouble, that being of the Nazarenes was not a danger, and that he had not desecrated the Temple. He begins refuting their claims by saying, “No more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. Neither in the temple, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city itself did they find me carrying on a discussion with anyone or causing a riot. Nor can they prove to you the charges of which they now accuse me” (verses 10-13). Here he addresses the first and last point brought against him, in regard to stirring up trouble and desecrating the temple. Next he tackles his opponents’ claims about the Nazarenes: 

“But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Torah and that is written in the Prophets; having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. In view of this, I also do my best to always maintain a blameless conscience both before God and before men.” (Acts 24:14-16)

Paul’s point to Felix is that the Jewish sect known as the Way or the Nazarenes is not a subversive group, but one that is not very different from mainstream Judaism in practice. Saying that his opponents also cherish a hope in the resurrection may be a jab, because as we have mentioned, Ananias was a Sadducee, and it is likely that his close companions he brought with him were Sadducees as well. It may have also been an attempt to prod them into arguing with Paul about the resurrection, delegitimizing their case in the eyes of Felix as merely a religious quarrel. 

The remainder of his defense before Felix consists of how he got to this point, and why the case had been brought here, reiterating that he regarded the temple and the customs of his people with reverence and obedience (verses 17-21). 

Upon hearing both sides of the story, Felix can tell that Paul is not in the wrong. Verse 22 tells us that he had “a more exact knowledge about the Way.” Since he was governor of the region, it was his responsibility to know what was going on among the civilians, and so he was familiar with this sect. He would have known that they were peaceful and law-abiding and that they had been unjustly persecuted by some of the religious rulers. Instead of releasing Paul, possibly back into another trap, he decides to keep him in custody, although with a certain measure of freedom (verses 22-23).

While in custody, Paul is summoned before Felix on many occasions to discuss his faith in the Way (verses 24-26). When the touchy topic of “righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come” is brought up, Felix is less interested. In this regard, not much has changed from then until today. For two years Paul is kept in custody under Felix in Caesarea. Then he loses his position as governor due to claims that he used a certain conflict for personal gain. About twenty years later, his wife Drusilla, mentioned in Acts 23:24, along with their son Marcus Antonius Agrippa, died in the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.

Felix is succeeded by Porcius Festus. Immediately the religious leaders who had been opposed to Paul want to know what he is going to do with him. They request a hearing in Jerusalem, but plan to kill Paul as he is on the way there (Acts 25:1-3). Festus decides to hear a preliminary trial at Caesarea in order to determine what the best course of action will be. The tactics of Paul’s enemies have not changed: “After Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him which they could not prove” (Acts 25:7). It is likely that the charges remained the same as they had been previously, as we can tell by Paul’s response: “Paul said in his own defense, ‘I have committed no offense either against the Torah of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar’” (verse 8). His message was clear and straightforward, declaring that he had not transgressed the Torah nor any civil laws worthy of punishment, and his accusers had no proof saying otherwise. 

Since Festus was very new to his position, however, he wanted to solidify good relationships with the influential religious leaders, so he encouraged Paul to go back to Jerusalem to stand trial before his accusers (verse 9). It is likely that Paul remembered what happened the last time he was supposed to be sent back for trial in Jerusalem, so he is not quick to go along with them. He again proclaims that he has done nothing wrong according to the Torah, but he adds that if he has done something wrong against Roman law, he is willing to be tried. In closing, he appeals to Caesar (verses 10-11). 

The appeal to Caesar was a right of a Roman citizen. Just as in our own justice system a person can appeal to a higher court if they feel they are being treated unjustly, it was a similar case in Rome at that time. Perhaps Paul saw it as the only way to keep from being on the wrong end of an injustice, or perhaps he recognized that this was his opportunity to fulfill the words that Yeshua had spoken to him in Acts 23:11. 

He did not get his request right away, however. Festus is visited by King Agrippa and his sister Bernice, most likely coming to congratulate him on his new position and to discuss some of the political and diplomatic issues that Festus may face as governor (Acts 25:13). Festus takes advantage of this opportunity and brings up the case with Paul (verses 14-22). Agrippa is intrigued, and so Festus arranges for Paul to give testimony before him amid much celebration and grandeur (verse 23). This would not be a legal trial, but was simply a way for Agrippa to hear Paul and give his opinion on the case. Since Paul had already appealed to Caesar, that was where he was going to go. But for now, he had the audience of a high-ranking Roman leader.

His testimony begins, 

In regard to all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that I am about to make my defense before you today; especially because you are an expert in all customs and questions among the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently. (Acts 26:2-3)

As part of his duties, Agrippa was in charge of the temple in Jerusalem. He was the one who chose who the high priest would be, as well as handling any managerial issues regarding the temple. Because of this and his other leadership roles in the region, he would have been familiar with many of the intricacies of the Torah. 

Paul continues on to explain that he has a history of following the Torah and being a prominent figure within Judaism, “according to the strictest sect of our religion” (verse 5). He again reiterates that the reason he is on trial is because of his hope in the resurrection from the dead, the same hope which he says all of Israel maintain: “The promise to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God night and day. And for this hope, O King, I am being accused by Jews” (verses 6-7). Paul is pointing out the irony of his situation, in that the very hope all of faithful Israel professes is the reason Paul is now being accused by his own countrymen. He wants Agrippa to see that any claims saying he was walking contrary to the Torah or the people of Israel were false. Since Agrippa was familiar with the sectarian conflicts within Judaism, he would have understood where Paul was coming from. 

He continues to describe his earlier ways of persecuting the believers: 

Not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them. And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme. (verses 10-11)

Paul painfully recounts how he used to go through the synagogues rooting out the believers, casting his vote to put some to the death, torturing others until they blasphemed the name of Yeshua. He goes on to tell of his vision on the road to Damascus and how afterward, he began preaching all throughout the world that Jews and Gentiles alike should “repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance” (verses 19-20). These words are reminiscent of John’s words in Matthew 3:8: “Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance,” as well as the good news that Yeshua and his disciples brought (Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:15, Luke 8:1). 

“For this reason some Jews seized me in the temple and tried to put me to death” (Acts 26:21). This reason is twofold: first, that he was preaching repentance (John 3:20), and second, that he was preaching repentance even to Gentiles (Acts 22:21-22). But Paul knows the truth as revealed to him through the Scriptures, “that the Messiah was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles” (Acts 26:22-23). 

Festus ridicules Paul and all his talk about resurrection from the dead. But Paul was primarily directing his testimony toward Agrippa, who had more knowledge of the Scriptures. Paul’s words through the Holy Spirit are so convincing that Agrippa has to balk at his questioning (verses 24-30). Because of his knowledge on these types of matters, he knows that Paul was not teaching anything contrary to the Torah, let alone the government of Rome, and declares that if Paul had not appealed to Caesar he would be a free man (verses 31-32). It was all part of God’s plan, however, so that the message of the Kingdom might spread even further. 

Because of his appeal, the Romans need to send Paul to Rome so that he can stand trial before Caesar. On the way there, he experiences many problems and life-threatening situations, but God brings him through it all, saying, “‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar” (Acts 27:24). Paul finally arrives in Rome and is confined by himself. 

Three days go by, and Paul is evidently tired of waiting for things to happen. The journey to Rome had taken much longer than Paul had anticipated, and who knows when he would get a chance to testify before Caesar. He takes this opportunity to bring his case before the Jewish community in Rome (Acts 28:17-20). If he can get them on his side, his case may go easier. It turns out that they haven’t heard of him or about the case the religious leaders in Jerusalem had brought against him (verse 21), giving Paul the opportunity to make his own first impression. The only thing they know is that he is a member of the sect known as the Way, and so they are curious what he actually believes (verse 22). 

So the Jewish leaders in Rome set a date for people to come hear what Paul has to say. Large crowds come to hear him speak, and Paul boldly proclaims his belief that Yeshua is the Messiah, backing it up with Scripture. This wasn’t just a meet and greet: Paul speaks “from morning until evening” (verse 23). How many of us could debate Yeshua’s Messiahship for twelve hours straight against a crowd of learned scholars using only the Old Testament as proof, which was the only canonized Scripture during Paul’s time? All of his time spent locked away had not been squandered, but he spent it diving deep into the Torah and the Prophets, finding Yeshua in every verse. This is what is meant when it is said that Yeshua fulfilled the Torah (Matthew 5:17). The Torah is the very word of God, his will and desire, and Yeshua not only perfectly obeyed the legal requirements of the Torah, but He was the Word made flesh (John 1:14).

As with in any case, some of the people believe him, but others do not. They begin to discuss among one another and debate whether the things Paul was saying were true. Could it truly be that the Messiah has already come? Due to their disagreement, they begin to file out of Paul’s presence (verses 24-25). It was getting late, and Paul’s arguments had given them much to think about. The exit flow increases after Paul quotes Isaiah 6:9-10, applying it to them for not believing after all of his arguments. 

In the other places Paul went to, he began preaching to the Jewish people, and then when he was rejected by the majority, he announced that he was now going to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46). He does the same thing here (Acts 28:28). Now, this is not to say that none of the Jews believed, and it does not indicate that the Jewish people as a whole were now rejected in favor of the Gentiles. But Paul could tell that all who were willing to believe in that place had believed, and anyone who hadn’t was too hardened to accept his message regardless of how convincing his arguments were. One can only believe in Yeshua whose heart is soft and open. Reason alone will not convince anyone, but the Holy Spirit is the one who convicts (John 20:29, 1 Peter 1:8). 

The Jews in Rome do not respond quite so harshly to Paul going to the Gentiles as those in Jerusalem did: “When he had spoken these words, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves” (Acts 28:29). The corrupt religious leaders in Jerusalem were not willing to hear anything of what Paul was saying, but the Jews in Rome were more split on the issue. Those who believed were likely reasoning from where Paul left off, but others were having none of it. Even those who disagree with him evidently don’t believe he is saying anything heretical or opposed to their own expression of Judaism, since they don’t try to make it difficult for him to spread his message: “And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, preaching the Kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Yeshua the Messiah with all openness, unhindered” (verse 30-31). 

It is likely that some of those from among the crowds who had come to hear Paul speak returned to hear more about this Yeshua and the mystery of the Gentiles. The book of Acts ends with Paul preaching the message of the Kingdom, urging Jew and Gentile alike to repent from wickedness and put their faith in Yeshua the Messiah.

But what about Caesar? Even though Paul’s reason for going to Rome was to testify before Caesar, nothing of that trial is spoken of here in Acts. It is clear that he did testify before Caesar, as Acts 27:24 tells us. If his mission was only to go to Rome and testify before the Jewish community there, the angel would not have specifically said that Paul must stand trial before Caesar. Regardless of when or how that took place, it was all spoken of beforehand (Matthew 10:18). 

In conclusion, we have seen Paul’s trials tell us a lot about him and his beliefs. We have seen that those who were spreading lies about Paul tried to paint a picture of him as one who broke Torah, abhorred the Temple, and encouraged Jews to forsake these things as well. Paul is clear that this is not who he was, but asserted that he prayed and offered sacrifices in the Temple, lived according to the Torah according to the Pharisaic beliefs, and encouraged both Jews and Gentiles to repent and trust in Yeshua the Messiah. That last point is the reason many of the Jews were opposed to Paul: not because he was actually preaching against Torah-observance, but because he condemned their lawlessness and was teaching that Gentiles could join themselves to Israel without becoming Jewish. 

Conclusion

In this study, we have tried to realign who Paul was with our perception of him today. Because of how Paul has been interpreted over the years, his words have also been shifted to mean something he never meant. By examining the most frequently misunderstood passages in their correct context, we feel that a much closer image to the true Paul has been clarified. The Paul so often portrayed in Christianity is one who fought hard against Torah observance and the Jewish people, but as we have seen he was actually a proud observant Jew himself, yearning for the day his countrymen would know the truth. In the meantime, he brought his message to the Gentiles just as God had instructed him. 

The message he brought to the Gentiles was a different message than the one he brought to the Jews in regard to things like circumcision, the reason being that Paul wanted to make sure they didn’t place their faith in their race. This didn’t mean that he wanted Gentiles to be Torah illiterate, but he expected that they would learn their role as grafted into Israel alongside the Jewish believers in Yeshua as they studied Torah and worshiped together. Today in Christianity, too often Jews who recognize that Yeshua is the Messiah are forced to give up their beliefs about the Torah in order to be accepted. It would do us well to remember that we as Gentiles are grafted into Israel through the Messiah Yeshua, not the other way around. 

While it is true that Gentiles and Jews have different roles in the body of Messiah, we are one body of believers, all saved by faith in Yeshua when we put our trust in Him. The same message applies to each person, regardless of time, location, or ethnicity: “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). While Paul’s words are often misapplied in order to proclaim a cheap, easy form of following Yeshua, we see that instead he spread this same message of self-sacrificing repentance (Acts 17:30-31, 26:19-20, Philippians 2:12, 2 Timothy 2:19). 

Just as in our time, during Paul’s day some people misunderstood him to mean that Jewish people should forsake circumcision and that the Torah was done away with. Paul proved himself time and again through his testimonies in Jerusalem and Rome that he himself was a Torah-observant Jew, zealous for God and His Torah. Some have claimed that this was just Paul being “all things to all men,” but if this was the case then we would also expect to see Paul engaging in pagan rituals when he went to the Gentiles. We see throughout the New Testament that Paul is not afraid to speak his mind, and we would hardly expect him to compromise on such a key issue as Torah or worshiping at the Temple if he was as adamant against them as some claim. 

This study is by no means exhaustive, and the variety of controversies and various beliefs arising from Paul’s teachings would take many volumes to fully address. In these few brief pages, our goal is to bring to light not just a few misapplied verses, but a dangerous worldview that undermines the election and calling of God’s chosen people Israel and the place we as Gentiles share with them in the Messiah. As you further dive into the Scriptures, may your eyes be opened as the Spirit leads and guides you in all truth. 

Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Yeshua the Messiah. Grace be with all those who love our Lord Yeshua the Messiah with incorruptible love. (Ephesians 6:23-24)

Repentance From Dead Works

The first principle in the list contained in Hebrews 6:1-2 is repentance, and this should be no surprise. Repentance is one of the constants in Scripture, one of the foundational elements of our faith. But what exactly is repentance? How are we to understand it and apply it in our lives?

In the Hebrew Scriptures, the word translated “repentance” comes from the root word shuv, which literally means to turn around or return. When used in the context of sin and forgiveness, repentance thus means to return to God. This involves an acknowledgment that we have sinned and strayed from Him by going the wrong way, followed by a real commitment to turn back to the right path which God wants us to walk on. 

Anyone familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures will recognize that the call to repentance is constant and urgent. Sin forms a barrier between God and His people, leading them down a path to destruction. God continually issues warnings to His people in order to draw their attention away from false gods and back to Him. When it becomes evident that their hearts have become exceedingly hardened, God sends the people away into exile. From this place of despair, the people finally are forced to look at their situation and realize that they are in exile due to their failure to heed God’s words and return to Him with all of their heart.

But what about the New Testament? Sometimes we hear preachers point out the fact that in the New Testament the Greek word which is used for repent, metanoeo, literally means, “to change one’s mind.” They take this to mean that no longer does repentance have anything to do with behavior, but rather means only to change your mind and accept the work of Yeshua. Some also then take this to mean that repentance only happens once upon the initial decision to accept Yeshua’s work on the cross. Any further sins after this mental event do not indicate a need for repentance, but nevertheless many teach that one ought to confess and be washed of this sin. The implication of this, however, is that so long as one has “changed their mind” (a phrase too ambiguous to do much good) they have done all they need to do regardless of whether their behavior is being sanctified.

Has God’s will for repentance been altered so drastically from the Old to the New Testament? Whereas before it required a change of behavior, now does the change solely take place in the mind? 

Let’s look at a few examples of repentance in the New Testament. In Acts 3:19, Peter charges the crowd of people gathered in Jerusalem, “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” In this verse, repentance is intrinsically linked with returning, just as we see in the Old Testament. Change of mind void of action is not truly repentance. Only when the attitude of our heart is reflected by the physical act of returning to God have we truly changed our mind. Because repentance is thus contingent on behavior, repentance is an ongoing process, not just a one-time event (Matthew 3:8, Acts 26:20;
2 Timothy 2:24-26, Revelation 2:5,20-22).

Another example is found in the words of Yeshua Himself. A report is brought that Pilate has killed some of the Jews as they brought sacrifices to God, which is seen by some as a sign of personal judgment for the wickedness of those individuals. Yeshua responds, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:2-3). A lack of belief is not indicated here in these verses, but rather a failure to turn from sin and produce good fruit. Further evidence for this definition of repentance is given as Yeshua continues to tell a parable, giving the people the following lesson about repentance:

And He began telling this parable: “A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’ And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.’” (Luke 13:6-9)

After warning the people to repent, He tells this parable likening unrepentance to a tree which bears no fruit. Bearing fruit in the literal sense is most definitely an ongoing action. One cannot simply decide in their mind to plant a seed in the ground but then neglect to care for the plant and expect to receive any produce. Only with constant care and effort can the plant yield a productive harvest. If the tree in the vineyard fails to respond to the vineyard-keeper’s pruning and affection, then it is not fulfilling its purpose, which is to produce good fruit. The same is true spiritually. If one has “changed their mind” but nevertheless has ceased to bear spiritual fruit due to complacency or sluggishness in regard to sin, then repentance, an active, continuous response to the urging of the Spirit, is necessary to begin the process of growth.

Saying all of this is not to diminish the importance of the mental aspect of repentance. True obedience and repentance are not deeds done for their own sake, but must originate in a heart that is full of love for God, from a mind that believes in and relies on Him alone. As Mark 1:15 says, “Repent and believe.” It is impossible to truly turn to God unless we first believe that He is the only source for forgiveness and salvation, and that we can do nothing without His Spirit within us. The error arises when we replace the whole of repentance with only one of its steps. The mind is deceitful and self-justifying, easily capable of truly believing it has changed when in fact it has not. Thus to repent is an external response to an internal conviction.

Dead Works

In the book of Malachi, God is warning the people of Israel and exhorting them to come back to Him in repentance. He says, “’From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘But you say, “How shall we return?”’” (Malachi 3:7). Throughout the book of Malachi the people claim to be ignorant of their sins, and therefore do not see how they need to repent and return to God since they don’t think they have turned away from Him. Unable to see that their relationship with God was injured because they had turned away, they remain steadfast in their sins. Mercifully, God points out the faults of the people so that they may amend their ways.

One lesson this teaches us about repentance is that in order to repent we must first understand God’s ways. If we don’t, then we will not see any need to repent. If we are ignorant of the sin in our lives, then in our own eyes we have nothing to repent of: we are already walking in truth. If we are likewise confronted while in this mindset, then we too will confusedly ask, “How shall we return?” 

The writer of Hebrews, well aware of this truth, signifies that the elementary teaching on repentance is coupled with what to repent of: “dead works.” What are these dead works?

Some commentators have attempted to explain that dead works are works of Torah-obedience. For example:

The meaning cannot be “works that bring death,” as some have supposed; rather, works in which there is no principle of life… The law, indeed, promised that the man who should do “its statutes and judgments” should find life in them (Leviticus 18:5, quoted in Galatians 3:12); but even these works are “dead,” for no man can show more than partial obedience, and the law exacts the whole. The first step toward Christianity involved the acknowledgment of this truth, and the separation by repentance from all “dead works.” (Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers)

The logic here is flawed because it is based on a false understanding both of Torah and of the context of the passage we are looking at. The commentator sees in the Scripture that obedience to the Torah cannot merit us life (in the context of eternity). Because this is the case, he comes to the conclusion that the Torah itself is devoid of life and therefore obedience to its commandments is a form of dead works. One of the reasons this interpretation fails is because the commentator confuses the role of Torah in an unbeliever’s life with its true essence (Romans 7:12-13). If we indeed have been redeemed by the blood of Yeshua, and if our faith is indeed only in the Lord, then the Torah is no longer a source of death for us (Galatians 3:13-14, Ezekiel 36:27). The price has been paid for our disobedience, and as a result we are called to obey. As the commentator acknowledges, the Torah contains life for those who obey (Psalm 119:40, 93, Proverbs 6:23): not life established because of our own merit through deeds, but rather as a result of our faith and our new nature in Messiah. The nature of the Torah and its association with life remains, and now we are able to walk in that life as we allow Yeshua to live through us. 

One could possibly argue that dead works are here meant to indicate the opposite of this redeemed spiritual mindset, that is, keeping the commandments without faith. These deeds are dead in that they are of no benefit because they are done out of improper motives. While indeed it is true that such works are dead, we must remember the context of the passage. The elementary principles which are given in our passage in Hebrews 6 would be what make up the first steps of faith for a new believer, where the priority is repenting of blatant sin and establishing the necessity of frequent repentance in the process of sanctification. In the case of works done without faith, however, the issue is not the works themselves but that the heart of the individual is not right. If this verse did indeed mean works done without faith, then the phrase “repentance from dead works” the author used would be incorrectly putting the emphasis on the actions instead of the heart.

So what are these dead works that one must repent of? The clearest and most obvious reading of the verse indicates that dead works are sin. Interpreting it this way meshes well with what Scripture as a whole has to say about sin and its connection to death. 

If this is the case, then first of all we must know what sin is. 1 John 4:3 provides us with a concise definition: “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.” So to sin is to transgress God’s commandments, His Torah. An interesting picture becomes clear when we look into the original language of the Hebrew Scriptures. The word for sin in Hebrew, chata, in its simplest form means “to miss,” as one might miss a target they were aiming at. The word we translate as law, Torah, is formed off of the root word yarah, which means “to shoot” as with an arrow. This gives us a clear mental image of sin. We aim to obey the commandments of God. When we miss this target by failing to obey, we sin. 

From the very beginning disobedience and sin are equated with death. Contrary to the popular belief, God does not sit up in heaven waiting for people to sin so He can strike them with lightning. Our actions do have consequences, however, and the consequences of disobeying God are not good at all. Adam’s sin led to an expulsion from Eden and the promise of a difficult life, and through the following generations the disastrous consequences of sin became evident and spread throughout the earth.

When God gave the Torah to the people of Israel, He emphasized that to obey is to live and to disobey is to die (Deuteronomy 30:19-20). He did not make this statement as a harsh master attempting to frighten his servants into obedience, but as a concerned parent warning His children to avoid the behaviors that will inevitably be to their harm. Frequently we see God warning His people of the inevitable end their sinful behavior is leading them to because of His mercy and love for them. This is why discipline and rebuke are held in such high esteem throughout Scripture: they keep God’s people on the paths of life.

Sin’s deadly effects have not changed. Some have succumbed to the temptation to trivialize the presence of sin, excusing wrongful behavior by saying that all of our sins have been payed for by Yeshua. Indeed it is true that Yeshua has paid for our sins, and we can be confident that when we come to Him with a truly remorseful heart and ask for forgiveness that He will be merciful and forgive our sins (1 John 1:9). But this does not excuse us if we continue to sin blatantly and frequently, thus deceiving ourselves into believing that God will turn a blind eye to constant disobedience and silently allow us to destroy ourselves. Paul gives the following warning:

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)

The same Paul who had just said, “It was for freedom that Messiah set us free,” now makes a statement that some would consider to be putting his readers under a yoke of bondage. Clearly he is not giving this warning to the world, but makes the bold statement that those who make a practice out of walking in these forms of wickedness, even if they believe they are forgiven of these sins and claim to have fellowship with Messiah, will not inherit the kingdom of God. 

Works that are dead can only bring death. Scripture is constant in the teaching of this truth (Proverbs 11:19, Ephesians 5:3-10, James 1:15). Paul expands this thought in Romans where he develops the idea that we have been crucified along with Yeshua, and therefore our old sinful self must die along with Him. If we have been crucified with Him and united with Him in death to sin, then how can we still walk in the sinful ways of the unlawful (Romans 6:2)? 

Despite our redeemed status and efforts to walk in the Spirit, we inevitably will sin. We still inhabit a physical body which is guided by its passions and desires. Subduing these desires by dying to the flesh guards us within God’s commandments on the path of life. In the moments when we fail to do this, we inevitably find ourselves following our sinful nature. “We all stumble in many ways” (James 3:2), and “if we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). This is not stated in order to excuse sin, but to point us in the right direction: toward repentance, turning back to God.

Repentance and the Way of Life

This lifestyle of repentance and sanctification is exactly what the Didache seeks to form in the life of the one who follows it. By establishing two distinct paths, the possibility of morally gray areas is reduced. The opening statement of the Didache sets this tone for the rest of the document: “There are two ways: one of life and one of death; however, there is a great difference between the two ways” (Didache 1.1). Each thought of our heart and deed of our hands is either refining our walk of holiness with God or leading us into unfruitful patterns. The difference between the two is clearly defined in Scripture. The Didache and other similar extra-Biblical works do not attempt to replace the instructions of the Bible, but rather to explain and organize the teachings of Scripture in a simple format. 

This opening statement of the Didache establishes the centrality of repentance in the believer’s life. Whenever a standard of behavior is accepted by an individual or a group, the necessity arises for a system to be put in place for when that standard is not upheld. If, God forbid, a believer should find that their behavior lines up with the way of death rather than the way of life, then the way to amend that is through confession to God, and the evidence that this confession is sincere is that an effort is made to walk in the Spirit, which results in the forsaking of those old sinful ways to walk in obedience and newness of life. 

So if you were to summarize the way of life in one sentence, what would it be? What concise statement could sum up all of the commandments, the entire spectrum of holy living? The Didache, reflecting the words of Yeshua, does it this way:

Now the Way of Life is this: First, you shall love God who made you; second, you shall love your fellow as yourself. Whatever you do not want to happen to you, do not do to one another. (Didache 1.2)

Here we find the familiar teaching of Yeshua that the whole Torah really boils down to two seemingly simple commands: love God and love your neighbor (Mark 12:28-31, quoted from Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and Leviticus 19:18). Meeting these two requirements ensures that you stay on the way of life. Many passages in the New Testament reiterate this teaching, and even when it is not explicitly stated it is obvious that loving God and loving neighbor are at the heart of what is being said (Romans 13:10, Galatians 5:14, James 2:8). Nothing has changed here, for this was also the standard in the Old Testament (Leviticus 19:14, Deuteronomy 10:18-19, Job 29:11-17).

Love in this context is not an emotion that stays bottled up inside, but is a driving force that results in visible, concrete actions. While love’s role in motivating us to do good is not to be minimized, the outward action is what is of the greatest benefit to our neighbor. Scripture doesn’t indicate that loving our neighbor could be restated as, “It’s the thought that counts,” but on the contrary we find it said, “Let us do good to all people” (Galatians 6:10), and “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves” (Romans 12:10). 

Rather than replacing the Torah with two commandments, Yeshua and His apostles understood these two as being a summary of the Torah and what the motivation for our actions ought to be. This is obvious from Scripture, for we are told what it means to love God: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Again we read, “And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments” (2 John 1:6). Again, this is nothing new, for we see throughout the Old Testament that loving God is inseparable from keeping His commandments (Deuteronomy 7:9, 11:1, Nehemiah 1:5).

Since these two commandments are therefore understood as the perfect representation of the rest of the commandments, we see that unless the two greatest commandments are understood properly, they could easily lead to error. How exactly do we love God and our neighbor? On the surface this seems like an easy question, but if we define love outside the context of God’s commandments then we will inevitably run into problems. Often we think of repentance as being necessary when a wrongful action has been done. This is correct but incomplete. James 4:17 says, “Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.” If we know that God has commanded us to do something and we refuse to do it, then to us that is sin. If we have an opportunity to love God or our neighbor and we pass it by, then that is sin. Education in God’s commandments and the ways of life are necessary if we are going to obey God and thus love Him. 

Therefore we see that the two greatest commandments cannot be separated from the Torah. They form the very backbone of the commandments, but a backbone without a body is not of much use. One without knowledge could act sinfully and genuinely feel as if they did it because of their love for God. Far be it from us to fall into deceit so that the Scripture speaks of us when it says, “They have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge” (Romans 10:2). In other words, emotion without correct doctrine can lead us down a dangerous road.

After introducing the fact that the two great commandments are the fullness of the way of life, the Didache makes it clear that it understands the concept we have just explained. The third verse begins by saying, “This is the teaching about these matters;” that is, these are some of the instructions that the two aforementioned commandments mean in a practical sense. For the next five chapters it goes on to list teachings of Yeshua as recorded in the Gospels, positive and negative commandments (do _____, do not _____), and exhortations based on Scriptural principles. Without laying out this framework for behavior, the concept of repentance would be meaningless.

Interpersonal Repentance

So far we have been talking a lot about repentance in our relationship with God. One aspect of repentance which we do not always think about is the act of repenting of sins done to others. Often when we sin, it is not only against God or our own selves, but there may also be some negative effect on those we are close to, whether it be our families, co-workers, or our fellow believers. When we sin through anger, our anger usually has an effect on those around us. When we sin through lying or deceit, these actions also effect those who were on the receiving end of our sin. When our actions do not reveal love and light to our neighbor, then they at best reveal indifference, which is itself darkness in that it is the absence of love. 

When we sin in this manner, we are not only to ask forgiveness from God, but we must, if at all possible, make things right with the person or people we sinned against. An example of this is seen in the Torah in the context of one who has sinned by stealing: “If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it, he shall pay five oxen for the ox and four sheep for the sheep” (Exodus 22:1). While this command is about legal restitution, it reveals God’s will for reestablishing good will between people in a community relationship. The restitution made for a stolen item is not one-for-one, but the command is to restore above and beyond what had been taken. 

When we do sin against our neighbor, feeling sorry about those harmful actions is only the first step in making things right. We must not only change our mind by recognizing that what we did was wrong, but we must turn aside from our wickedness and determine never to do anything that might hurt them again. Additionally, as we saw with the stolen animal, we ought to go above and beyond in doing good to our neighbor after we realize the harm we have caused them. Acknowledge that harm was done and then move forward by repaying your debt with love. 

An example of this in the New Testament is the story of Zaccheus the tax collector (Luke 19:2-8). Experiencing Yeshua changes the heart of Zaccheus, and he recognizes the sinfulness of his behavior. Love of money had led him to abuse his position as tax collector as he heaped up wealth for himself to the harm of those who were charged with these taxes. Immediately he admits the need to make amends for these sins by paying back what he had extorted plus more. 

The Jewish work known as the Mishnah also indicates the importance of repenting to your neighbor: “Yom Kippur atones for transgressions between a person and God, but for a transgression against one’s neighbor, Yom Kippur cannot atone, until he appeases his neighbor” (m. Yoma 8:9). Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the day God set apart for atonement to be made between God and His people. The rabbis said that this was only the case between God and man, but mankind still needed to make any wrongs right between himself and his neighbor. That is one of the reasons why it is traditional in Judaism to ask forgiveness of others for any wrongs done during the year in the days leading up to Yom Kippur. 

Repentance for wrongs done to others is based on this principle of restitution, as has been made clear. The Didache, although it doesn’t provide any specific rules for this process, establishes that it is a necessity for the believer who sins against another to repent:

Do not rebuke one another in anger but rather in peace, just as you have been taught in the good news. And if anyone has wronged another person, let no one speak to him nor let him hear from you until he repents. (Didache 15.3)

Here we see that the members of the community were supposed to keep each other in check while yet remaining under the authority of the religious council. While the statement here is general about rebuking a brother, the context seems to indicate that this is specifically for a case where one believer has sinned against another. 

The authority to rebuke one another in the family of God is established throughout Scripture (Leviticus 19:17, Luke 17:3). Rebuke and exhortation are not the same as judgment or condemnation. Rather than putting our brother down, they seek to lift him up from sin. The Didache echoes the sentiment of Scripture when it commands that a rebuke be done not with anger, but with peace (Proverbs 25:15, Ecclesiastes 9:17). 

An example in Yeshua’s words seems to be the basis for these instructions in this part of the Didache. He says:

If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. (Matthew 18:15-17)

If a believer wrongs another, it is not beneficial to either party for this wrongdoing to be ignored, but it should not become an issue of the assembly before it is brought up in private. The reason for the progression in these verses, from private to witnesses to the assembly, is to act as a funnel. Somewhere along this process, hopefully the one who sinned will see his need for repentance. If he will not repent, then he is to be considered an outsider until the time when he repents. This may be seen as a cruel punishment, but it is the natural outcome of the sin. Social, interpersonal sins affect the way we relate to others in the body of Messiah, and if there is an issue that refuses to be addressed then it is harmful for it to fester and possibly lead to other or greater sins. 

What if you are on the receiving end of such a sin? You are not free from responsibility either. In Matthew 5:23-24 Yeshua tells us, 

Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. 

Note that the command is not given to one who has something against his brother, but one whose brother has something against him. If we draw near to worship God but there is ongoing strife and conflict in our relationships, God’s desire is for us to love our neighbor before coming into His presence. Although the other person may still hold resentment towards us even when we extend love toward them, the point is that we must take the first step toward the one who has wronged us. If you truly love your neighbor, then you will long to see him come to repentance. If he has sinned against you, go the extra mile and try to make it easier for him to make amends with you and with God. Forgive him without hesitation just as our Heavenly Father forgives us when we repent. 

According to the Didache, conflict and failure to repent among ourselves is a source of spiritual defilement. As we mentioned in the introduction, communal meals were a holy event which were not to be participated in unless certain conditions were met: “But do not let anyone who has a quarrel with his fellow come together with you until they have reconciled, so that your sacrifice may not be impure” (Didache 14.2). If there is discord in our midst, how can God honor the worship we give Him? Paul dealt with this same issue in Corinth: “For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?” (1 Corinthians 3:3). 

Therefore it is essential for us to pay attention to our actions and the attitudes of our hearts. Our actions impact others whether we are aware of it or not. Needless to say, it is better to be aware of our actions than ignorant so that we may repent if we stumble and sin against God or against man.

The Gospel of Repentance

So far we have defined repentance and examined some practical instructions about it as found in Scripture, the Didache, and Jewish literature. There is much more that could be said on this matter, but for the sake of brevity in this study we will only examine one more theme relating to repentance in brief, and that is the gospel message. Often we define the gospel message as something like, “Believe in Yeshua for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive eternal life.” While this is a true statement, this is not the gospel message we see Yeshua teaching. 

First of all, we ought to remember that John the Baptist was the forerunner of Messiah. He was to bear witness of His coming and he was to prepare the way of the Lord. We see in Luke 1:76-77 that Zechariah, speaking about his son John, says, “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give to His people the knowledge of salvation (Yeshua) by the forgiveness of their sins.”

So how did John do this? We see in Matthew 3:2 that he cries out, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” He tells the people to repent of their sins and be baptized. When some unrighteous Pharisees and Sadducees approach him, he, knowing the true state of their hearts, rebukes them and says, “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (verse 8). In other words, he was making the statement that if anyone was truly to experience the blessing of God, they must bear the fruits of repentance, that is, produce deeds as evidence of their transformed hearts. 

We see that Yeshua, when He began to preach in Matthew 4:17, also cries out, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” When Yeshua sent out His disciples, He told them in Matthew 10:7, “As you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of God is at hand,’” which, as we have seen from John’s and Yeshua’s proclamations, indicates a need for repentance. All throughout the book of Acts we see the disciples telling the people to repent (Acts 2:38, 3:19, 8:22, 17:30, 26:20). 

If John the Baptist was supposed to teach the people the way of salvation, and surely he did, then we see that the message of salvation, which is the gospel message (or the good news), starts with repentance. The way of salvation comes through repentance, returning to the God who created you and bearing the fruit which is consistent with such a return. This message is consistent with the message of the apostles and the preceding Scriptures contained in the Old Testament. 

Believing in Yeshua and accepting His atoning work is indeed the only way for salvation to be grasped. But Yeshua did not die so that we may continue to serve our own desires and behave according to the pattern of this decaying world. He died so that we may know Him and become more and more transformed into His image through His Spirit which dwells in us. If that is not our desire, then can we truly call ourselves His disciples? If we do not bear the fruit of repentance, then have we really changed our mind? 

Conclusion

Leading the list in Hebrews 6:1, we find the teaching on repentance. Perhaps this placement is due to the central role of repentance in the believer’s life. The definition of repentance is turning away from sin and unbelief in order to move forward toward God according to the instructions for behavior which He has given us. Without repentance, there can be no salvation, as is clear from Scripture. Sin is itself representative of death, and so when we partake in the resurrection of Yeshua, we experience freedom from sin’s reign in our lives. When we do sin due to our human weakness and failure to walk in the Spirit, God’s desire is for us to return to His ways through Yeshua and to increase in holiness, purity, and love.

Once one has repented by believing in Yeshua and forsaking the ways of the world, a continued attention to thoughts and behaviors is necessary in promoting growth as we are led by the Spirit of God. Even though we are redeemed from sin and the power of the grave, nevertheless we experience weakness. So long as we hold true to our faith in Yeshua, God will accept us when we confess and turn to Him with a contrite heart. If we have brought harm to others, we must make that human relationship right and make every effort to show love for all of God’s creation. 

Never be afraid to fall upon the mercies of God. He is the One who searches and knows our hearts, and His compassion never fails for those who love Him. He waits to pardon and wash you clean from your sin. Don’t hide from Him, but confess, for, “He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion” (Proverbs 28:13). 

May we never lose sight of our need for repentance and the price that was paid so that we may grow in knowledge of and conformance with His ways.

Faith Toward God

After mentioning the doctrine of repentance, the next item in the list contained in Hebrews 6:1-2 is “faith toward God.” We as believers are a people of faith. Our faith is what defines us. In order to apply the previous lesson’s discussion on repentance, we must have faith in God, believing that He exists and rewards those who seek Him. 

Generally speaking, faith is not necessarily a purely religious experience. Secular uses of the word may imply a sense of trust based on prior experience, e.g., “I have faith that you will accomplish this task I have given you.” Others may put faith in various political or ethical systems, moral ideals, or deities. In these contexts, faith is a belief and trust in something greater than the individual which in some way or another impacts the way they conduct their lives. Faith according to this definition is something everyone exercises, whether they are aware of it or not. So the question is, what makes our faith different?

Faith, by definition, must be placed upon something. While everyone exercises faith in one way or another, different groups of people put faith in different things. As believers, our faith is established in the Only True God, the one who created all things and who has caused us to know Him through His Only Begotten Son. Rather than putting our faith in a system of lofty ideals or an idol we ourselves have created, our faith is in the God who made us and has revealed Himself to us. 

Faith placed in anything but God is insufficient for sustaining life. Political and ethical systems are bound to fail due to the inability and often unwillingness for people to behave morally all of the time. Even those who put their faith in ideals such as compassion and lovingkindness cannot understand these ideals in their fullness until recognizing the source of these ideals, the One who is wholly compassionate and whose lovingkindness is everlasting. Thus secular faith, in ignoring God, fundamentally bases itself in ignorance rather than truth. 

Believers may assume that since they believe in God they have automatically removed faith in everything else. This may not be the case, and we must examine ourselves to see where we are really putting our trust in each area of our lives. Do we feel independently capable of providing for ourselves because of what we can accomplish, or do we trust God to provide for our daily needs, recognizing that He is the one who gives us the ability to acquire food and shelter? Have we put our trust in a political leader or system, investing more time and effort into the kingdom of Caesar than the kingdom of God? These are the questions we must ask ourselves free from any presuppositions or assumptions, comparing our lives to the Word of God. 

Contrasting secular faith with a believer’s faith can show us what our faith is not, but in order to understand what our faith is we must examine what the Scriptures tell us. There is no shortage of passages which instruct us about faith, and in fact every Scripture in some way teaches us about our faith. Defining faith in its modern English context can be useful, as we have examined above, but what do the languages of Scripture teach us about faith?

Hebrew, as a general rule, tends to put more emphasis on the actions that result from belief than the belief itself. This is noticed in the word we translate as “believe” in our English translations. In Hebrew the word is aman, and its most literal meaning is “to confirm or support.” Believing therefore could be understood as an internal confirmation or support of an idea or conviction. The word translated as “faith” is based in the same root word aman. Specifically, the form used is emunah, which is defined as faithfulness, firmness, or steadfastness.

Based on these definitions alone, we can understand a few things about faith. Faith and belief are both founded on the same principles. They are intrinsically connected and unable to be separated. True belief is an inner confirmation of something revealed or recognized. In the context of our relationship with God, belief could be understood as confirming in our hearts and minds that what God has said is truth. 

Belief is associated with firmness, and thus true belief involves holding unswervingly to truth as time moves on. Based on what God has said, we respond with action. We remain firm in our conviction, and this causes us to act according to what God has revealed as truth. Remaining convinced that God’s words are true and continuing to act upon them is what we may call steadfastness or faithfulness. 

In this context, then, faith and belief are defined by the action they cause. Belief will cause us to have faith, and faith will usher us into faithfulness. All these ideas are inseparable. We cannot have faith without first believing, and we do not really believe something unless we have known it as truth and responded accordingly.

In Greek, the word for faith is pistis. This word is based off the root word peitho, meaning “to persuade.” Similar to what we saw in Hebrew, the word for “belief” and the word for “faith” are based in the same root word. The fact that the root means “persuasion” is also fairly similar to the Hebrew root which we saw means “confirmation.” In both cases it implies a strong belief or conviction.

Modern conceptions of the term “belief” tend to portray it as potentially weak or transient. Beliefs are often placed in distinction against facts or knowledge. A belief may be seen as something we are emotionally inclined to hold as true but are willing to reconsider. Scripture, on the other hand, seems to describe belief of a different kind. It is not mentally accepting something as truth because of ignorance or self-deceit, but is rather being persuaded based on the knowledge of God. Rather than holding to any idea that sounds good to the ears, on the contrary it is trusting in the words of God to be true despite what we may experience. 

Perhaps the most well-known passage in the Old Testament which speaks of belief is Genesis 15:6, which says, “Then he [i.e., Abram] believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.” This verse formed a critical piece of Paul’s theology of salvation through faith in Yeshua. For now we want to examine it in its immediate context to see what this verse tells us about Abram’s belief. 

Preceding this chapter, we see Abram has a very close relationship with God. Shortly after our first introduction to Abram, we see in Genesis 12 that he hears God’s voice and responds accordingly, implying that Abram already believes in God and is walking in that belief with faithfulness. Before we arrive at Genesis 15:6, God has already been present in his life in a powerful way. Abram’s belief in the context of this particular verse is not about belief in God’s existence, as that has already been established. Exactly what was it that Abram believed? “And He took him outside and said, ‘Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be’” (Genesis 15:5). 

Abram’s belief was in God’s ability to fulfill His promise that Abram would become the father of a great multitude. Even though there was no evidence in favor of what God was telling him, for he had no children and his wife had been barren, Abram yet believed. He affirmed in his heart that God’s promise would truly come to pass. This is the type of belief that God accounts as righteousness. His desire is for us to know Him and rely upon Him alone. 

Righteousness is usually defined as living according to a certain standard of behavior which is considered good or moral, but belief generally does not play a role in this definition. In the context of our relationship with God, we understand righteousness as living according to God’s will, not our own. When we submit our will to God’s commands, we are trusting that He has given us these commandments in order to know Him more. Our standard of righteousness, therefore, is not a list of boxes to be checked off, but is a relationship with God and a knowledge of Him. Righteousness is to love God, and that requires trust and obedience. This is why belief in God’s promises can be considered righteousness, because it is the foundation of everything we do, evidence that we do know Him and love Him.

The aspect of faith being emphasized in this verse, then, is not belief in the existence of God. Although it operates on this essential first principle, it goes deeper into an actual relationship with Him. Once we believe that God exists, we come to know His voice. We read His words and we learn of the promises He has made, and this inspires us to believe that these words are true and have importance for us both individually and corporately as God’s people. In this sense, faith is a sustained response to revelation.

Not only is this evident in Genesis, but Hebrews gives the following definition of faith: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). What is this hope, these things unseen? First of all, it is the many and varied promises of God as the remainder of Hebrews 11 goes on to explain. In particular, however, our hope is in Yeshua: that He has come so that we might have eternal life:

And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:8-9)

The object of our faith, Yeshua, is not tangible or seen. He is not someone we can physically look at to know that He indeed is here with us and will fulfill His promises to us. Testifying to the truth, however, are the words of God and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Although we do not see Him in the flesh, we know Him and are therefore convinced that just as every promise pertaining to the Messiah and the redemption He would bring to all mankind was fulfilled, so too will every remaining promise be fulfilled in Him. Fully persuaded that He has purchased our salvation, we rest assured that if we hold fast in our faith we will be raised with Him into the resurrection of life.

God showed His love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Messiah died for us (Romans 5:8). Everything else that we may ask or wait upon God for pales in comparison to that act of love. We can have the assurance that God hears our prayers and that He can be trusted to answer us (1 John 5:14-15). Our faith rests now on God—not just that He exists, but that He loved us first and so we can trust Him because He loved us. He made the way for us and we don’t need to make a way for ourselves. 

Usually we think in terms of the faith that we exercise in sustaining our relationship with God. Our faith, however, would be wasted if God was not also faithful, and indeed He is exceedingly more faithful than we could hope to be. When we have faith in God, it is because we trust Him to be reliable, a sure foundation. We trust Him to be faithful according to all that He has done and said He will do. 

The Holy Spirit revealed this to the Psalmist, who writes much about God’s faithfulness despite our own shortcomings: “If they violate My statutes and do not keep My commandments, then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes. But I will not break off My loving kindness from him, nor deal falsely in My faithfulness” (Psalm 89:31-33). He also speaks of God’s faithfulness in sustaining creation: “Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations; You established the earth, and it stands” (Psalm 119:90).

As God is faithful to sustain all of those who rely on Him, so too we ought to be faithful to God in doing all of those things He has told us are good. His faithfulness never fails or falters, and therefore we also should do our best to please Him and imitate His faithfulness. Being faithful to God includes being faithful to our neighbors. Just as God is faithful to uphold nature despite the wickedness of man, so too we ought to do acts of kindness and love for our enemies and those who are wicked, praying that they will repent and be blessed (Matthew 5:44-48).

Faith in the Didache

As we would expect, we find that faith is an important part of the Didache. There are no explicit commandments in the Didache to put faith in Yeshua, because if one was following the Didache and preparing for baptism it is obvious that they would have a belief in Him. Such teaching would be better suited for instruction that was more theologically focused. The Didache is centered more around practicing faith, seeking to answer the question, “After coming to belief in Yeshua and putting faith in Him, how do I then live out that faith?”

In this sense, the entirety of the Didache could be categorized as teaching about faith, that is, how we as believers are to walk out our faith.  Behaving righteously is not an end in itself. Those who obey God and walk in His ways do so because they know what God has said concerning those who love and obey Him. God’s word tells us that He rewards obedience and punishes disobedience. If we believe this and put our faith in God that His word is accurate, then we will gladly obey God knowing that this is His will for our lives and that He will bless us. 

One practical example of exercising this kind of faith is found in the teaching that God is the ultimate judge. Even though injustice may happen in this world, God will call everything into account. Because of this fact, we are to be patient and long-suffering, which brings glory to God.

Restrain yourself from natural and physical inclinations: if someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him, and you will be complete. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. If someone takes away your cloak, give him your tunic also. If someone takes away what is yours, do not demand it back, for you are not even able to get it back. (Didache 1.4)

These words should be familiar, for they are almost identical to what Yeshua teaches on this matter (Matthew 5:38-42). How could this be considered a teaching about faith? It is our natural instinct to seek immediate justice for wrongdoing. Our physical inclination is to avenge wrongs that have been done against us. In waiving our right to seek revenge, we admit that we do not look to justify ourselves, but that God is the one who justifies us. There are very few good excuses according to our physical, natural reasoning to submit ourselves to the persecution of others. Faith in God changes our outlook, causing us to acknowledge that if we have been treated unjustly, it is God who will defend us (Romans 12:19). 

Another teaching that is related to faith, although it may not generally be recognized as such, is that of giving. The type of giving that God desires is that which is from the heart. It involves self-sacrifice and a truly heartfelt motivation to see the sustenance which God has provided to us be used in meeting the needs of others. 

Taking from our own possessions and giving to others indicates that we have faith in God to take care of us. Nothing we have acquired unto ourselves is truly owned by us (Psalm 24:1, Job 41:11). Even our own lives are not within our power. Recognizing this, we are called to distribute to others from what God has abundantly given to us. Scripture is full of examples of the mighty provision of God for those who put their faith not in what money or sustenance they are able to supply for themselves, but in His power (1 Kings 17:2-6, Matthew 6:31-33, Mark 12:43-44). 

Therefore the Didache says:

Do not hesitate to give, and do not complain when giving, for you will find out who is the good payer of wages. Do not turn away someone who is in need; rather, share all things in common with your brother. Do not claim ownership, for if you are common partners in what is immortal, how much more so in what is mortal! (Didache 4.7-8)

Giving is to be done with the assurance that even if we were to give away all of our possessions to the poor in accordance with God’s will, He would provide for us, because He is “the good payer of wages” (cf., Proverbs 19:17, Luke 6:38). We may not all be called to physically renounce the entirety of our worldly possessions, but we ought to be willing to provide for the poor, the widow, and the orphan even when it causes us temporary discomfort, having faith in God that He will provide for our own needs as we seek to love those around us. 

In the same spirit of this command, we see the Apostolic Constitutions state the following about giving to those who are in prison because of their testimony of Messiah:

For this cause, all ye of the faithful, by your Bishop, minister to the saints from your substance and from your labor. But if any one hath not, let him fast a day, and set apart what is thus saved, and order it for the saints. If, however, any one hath abundance, let him minister more to them, according to the proportion of his ability. But, if he can possibly sell all his livelihood, and redeem them out of prison, he will be blessed, and a friend of Christ. (Apos. Con. V, 1)

In another place, speaking of fasting in general, it says again, “What is saved by your fasting is bestowed upon the needy” (Apos. Con. V, 10). While there doesn’t seem to be a precedent for this in Scripture, the motivation seems to be in line with the heart of God’s commandments to love our neighbor and put their needs above our own (2 Corinthians 8:1-3, Philippians 2:3-4). If we believe that God sustains us and that He rewards those who prioritize the poor and needy, then it is natural to conclude that fasting would provide an excellent opportunity to do good for others rather than being a practice of individual devotion alone.

Remaining Faithful

One last section of the Didache which we will look at explicitly mentions faithfulness and our relationship with it. 

Gather together often, seeking what is appropriate for your lives, because your entire time of faithfulness will be of no benefit to you if you will not have been made complete at the end of time. For in the end of days, false prophets and those who cause corruption will increase in number, and the sheep will be changed into wolves, and love will be changed into hate… Those who endure in their faithfulness will be saved by the very one who is cursed [i.e., Yeshua, see Galatians 3:13] (Didache 16.2-3, 5)

Towards the end of the Didache, after explaining how a believer is to conduct themselves in faith, the teaching comes to a close by exhorting the new believer to remain steadfast while awaiting the Day of the Lord which will come like a thief in the night. 

Concluding the discussion of how to demonstrate faith through daily living, the final lesson is to continue to grow in faith, remembering that this world and the impurities it contains will pass away. Therefore we ought to forsake the world and be faithful in all that God has called us to do as we await the return of our Messiah Yeshua.

Finishing up a catechism with a description of the afterlife or an end-times scenario is present in other Jewish literature, both early and late. One example of this is seen in the description of initiating a convert according to the Talmud. After the convert-to-be is instructed about various commandments and the legal responsibility he will be under after conversion, he is told:

Be aware that the World-to-Come is made only for the righteous, and if you observe the mitzvot [commandments] you will merit it, and be aware that the Jewish people, at the present time, are unable to receive their full reward in this world; they are not able to receive either an abundance of good nor an abundance of calamities, since the primary place for reward and punishment is in the World-to-Come. (b.Yevamot 47a-b)

The Didache, following this traditional pattern, concludes its catechism with a description of the events that will take place before the return of the Son of Man. It makes sense to arrange the teachings this way, as it leaves the learner with a purpose for continuing in faithfulness and remaining persistent in allowing God to work in them toward holiness and purification. Instead of seeing conversion as the last step one must take, this pattern instead presents it as the first step in a process that will culminate either in the end of the individual’s life or the end of the age. 

Yeshua similarly warns and encourages His disciples about those days: “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved” (Matthew 24:12-13). Despite the fading conditions of the world around us, if we remain steadfast in our faith and our faithfulness we can be assured of our salvation. Readiness and preparedness for Yeshua’s return is a frequently reiterated lesson (Mark 13:33-37, Luke 12:35-40, Hebrews 10:36-39). The importance of remaining faithful despite outside forces as we await our Master’s return can not be overemphasized.

As we saw above, the Didache says, “Your entire time of faithfulness will be of no benefit to you if you will not have been made complete at the end of time.” Being made complete likely refers to coming to the end of the journey on the path of life. If the believer remains faithful to God by following the way of life, then their faith will have been made complete. On the contrary, if one who formerly believed falls away by denying Messiah or behaving in a way that implicitly denies Him, their initial belief will not be of any use in the end (2 Timothy 2:11-13, Hebrews 10:23-27, Revelation 14:9-13). 

This lesson is what the writer of Hebrews was attempting to teach in chapters 5-6 as we saw in our first lesson. Faithfulness requires us to lay aside earthly pursuits and the passions of the flesh in order to serve God and neighbor. If we are truly in Him and He in us, then we ought to walk according to His ways without growing weary of doing good. Then we will bear fruit in accordance with His will as He tends to our hearts, molding us into His own image.

While it is true we are to always be prepared for Messiah’s return, we are not to be overly concerned with times or dates. In the teachings of Yeshua and the apostles, the focus is always on how we are to guard our behavior in preparation for the end times rather than trying to figure out when He is going to return. The verse we looked at in the Didache above is also stated in the Apostolic Constitutions, but altered to reflect that it is not only the end times which may cause our journey to end:

Watch, therefore, and pray, that ye do not sleep unto death. For your former good deeds will not profit you, if at the last part of your life ye go astray from the true faith. (Apos. Con. VII, 31)

Focusing on being prepared for the end of days is not meant to be a morbid enthrallment with gloom and death. On the contrary, it is meant to inspire us to walk with a renewed urgency to do all we can to be faithful all of the time, for any moment could be the last opportunity you have to do good in this life. “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16).

Conclusion

As believers, we are defined by what, or perhaps more accurately, who we believe in. People have been designed in such a way that our beliefs on important day-to-day issues directly influence where we put our trust. If we believe that money is a reliable source of safety, then we will put our faith in whatever system or behavior allows us to acquire more of it. If we believe that the answer to humanity’s problems will be answered by adhering to a particular political or ethical framework, then we will have faith in that framework and devote our lives to increasing its acceptance by the majority. Our faith or trust in these things is the direct cause of certain actions we then take because of our trust in these areas.

In English, the word faith is for the most part synonymous with trust. In the Scriptures, it takes on additional meaning. Faith in the context of our relationship with God is intrinsically connected with the actions it results in. In fact, these actions are what distinguish true from false faith. If we believe that God exists and that He loves us beyond measure, what other response can we have but to love Him wholeheartedly in return and give ourselves to Him unquestioningly? 

Our faith is a result of God’s faithfulness. He has spoken, and He will perform. We have put our faith in Yeshua for the forgiveness of our sins, and if we remain steadfast in our hope and belief, then He will usher us into His Kingdom. While we wait for our Messiah to return, He has taught us to seek first His Kingdom as we leave behind our trust in comfort, prestige, and the fulfillment of our daily needs in order to bring glory to His name. Putting faith in God over every area of our lives in fact only requires us to let go of the illusion of control. 

Faith and works are connected in such a way that they cannot be separated. This being said, faith must come first and continue to be the common thread connecting all the actions we find ourselves doing, for “whatever is not from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23). It is easy to make an outward show of faith while remaining unchanged in the heart, but these actions are not truly a result of faith. 

Scriptures are full of examples of men and women whose faith propelled them to obey God’s voice both in their day-to-day lives and in exceptional circumstances. It may be God’s will for us to be a great leader who inspires faith in many crowds, or it may be His will for us to go about our business obeying His commands and sharing His love with all we encounter. Whatever the case may be, let the motive force of every thought and deed be faith. 

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Yeshua, the author and perfecter of faith. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Instruction About Washings

The previous lessons have attempted to explain the first two principles listed in Hebrews 6:1-2. Both, as we saw, were fairly obvious personal characteristics a believer must be educated in upon accepting belief in Yeshua as the Messiah. If we sat down and came up with a list of necessary principles a believer must understand, these two would definitely top the list. If we expected this trend to continue in our passage, then we might be surprised to find that the next elementary teaching is “instruction about washings.” 

The phrase itself is somewhat cryptic. Is this about baptism? If so, then why is the word plural here? And what instruction is really necessary about baptism other than simply telling a person to immerse? Since this is one of the elementary teachings all believers should know according to the author of Hebrews, we want to try to understand this phrase and what application it may have in our walk.

In Greek, the phrase used in this verse is baptismon didachen. Didachen, as you may have noticed, is based on the root didache, which as we saw in our introduction to this study is translated as “instruction” or “teaching.” The first word, baptismon, is based on the root baptizo, which is where we get our English word “baptism” from. Despite this connection, baptizo does not exclusively mean baptism as one would undergo on entrance into Christianity. Literally translated, the root merely speaks of dipping or submerging. Specifically the form used in our verse in Hebrews can be used to speak of ceremonial washing (Mark 7:4) or baptism (Colossians 2:12). 

Before we look at the second, more familiar definition of baptismon, we will investigate the first, and perhaps we will discover that there is some connection between the two.

Ceremonial Washing

Ritual purity is generally not something we are too interested in hearing about in Christianity today. The concept itself seems archaic, a shadow which was necessary only for a more primitive era. Internal cleanliness, that is, of the heart, becomes the sole focus rather than the external body, which although being a spiritual temple apparently does not require the same attention to potential sources of physical defilement. Thus we feel safe in generalizing the immensity of the purity laws with the simple doctrine, that they were a type and a representation of the spiritual cleansing our hearts would receive when we put our faith in Yeshua. 

Upon closer examination of these purity laws, however, it becomes difficult to stand by this generalization. The detail and breadth of these laws were applied to people’s lives in a literal sense, just as God commanded must be done. In losing sight of the context we are blinded to what we may have learned had we approached the subject with an empathetic mind. Before explaining ceremonial washing, then, it is important to briefly go over the tabernacle in order to understand the system this washing was a part of and why it became a necessary action. 

When God indicated to Moses that He wanted a tabernacle to be built among the children of Israel, its purpose was explicitly stated: “Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8). All of the details required for the design and operation of the tabernacle were to this end, that God might dwell among His people. Several times in previous generations God had manifested His presence on the earth so that individuals may experience Him visually. With the building of this sanctuary, God would allow His presence to reside among the people on a more permanent basis (Exodus 40:33-35, Numbers 7:89). 

One of the difficulties this concept needed to overcome was the contrast between the holiness of God and the commonness or uncleanness of man. God, by His very nature, could not tolerate sin or uncleanness. Therefore it was necessary for a system to be established where man’s nature could be covered in order that God could physically dwell among the people. This is the role which some of the sacrifices and the ceremonial washing played. Despite the complexity and the necessary separation between God and man even inside this system, God’s motivation was His love as represented by a longing to be as close as possible to His people. 

Cleansing was necessary on multiple occasions. Without delving into the topic of sin, we see that various physical circumstances which were not necessarily sinful caused one to be ceremonially unclean (Leviticus 12:2, Numbers 19:11). This unclean status is not about germs or bacteria, but seems to be a physical state one could temporarily enter which prevented them from physically drawing near to God and engaging in certain modes of worship associated with the tabernacle.

Washing was part of God’s prescribed remedy for when such ceremonial uncleanness was contracted. For example, we read that after coming in contact with a dead body, a person would be unclean for seven days:

Then the clean person shall sprinkle on the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day; and on the seventh day he shall purify him from uncleanness, and he shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and shall be clean by evening. (Numbers 19:19)

The bathing mentioned here is the ritual immersion which we are speaking of. The same chapter indicates that not just any water ought to be used for this washing, but rather the water one should immerse in was “flowing water” (Numbers 19:17). What this means exactly is not explicitly stated in Scripture. While an ocean, lake, or river seems to be the most obvious form of flowing water (2 Kings 5:10), the rabbis also discerned that rainwater could be considered flowing water where no larger bodies of water were available to immerse in. 

Because of the need for such ritual immersion, many Jewish communities around the world built baths, called mikva’ot, into their synagogues in order to ensure that water was collected in the proper way and to facilitate ease of immersion. Eventually the practice of regular immersion, even while not in a status of ceremonial uncleanness, became a mark of piety. Men would immerse daily before morning prayers as a spiritual act to signify that they had purified their hearts before coming into worship. After the destruction of the temple, this emphasis on immersion as signifying internal cleansing became more prominent since the necessity of ceremonial cleanness is only in effect while the temple or tabernacle worship exists. Today it is customary in some Jewish traditions to immerse before holy days. It is also common for women to immerse before marriage. 

The nature of immersion and its post-temple application is described by Maimonides, one of the most famous Jewish sages of the Middle Ages. On the topic of the true purpose and essence of ceremonial washings he says:

The immersion is a Scriptural decree and requires the focusing of the intent of one’s heart. Therefore our Sages said: “When one immersed, but did not intend to purify himself,” it is as if he did not immerse. Although it is a Scriptural decree, there is an allusion involved: One who focuses his heart on purifying himself becomes purified once he immerses, even though there was no change in his body. Similarly, one who focuses his heart on purifying his soul from the impurities of the soul, which are wicked thoughts and bad character traits, becomes purified when he resolves within his heart to distance himself from such counsel and immerse his soul in the waters of knowledge. (Sefer Tahara, Mikvaot 11:12)

According to this interpretation, if one who immersed did not purpose in his heart to cleanse his soul along with his body, then his physical immersion was invalid. Following from this logic, then, he states that this act of immersion is mirrored in repentance and the purification of the heart. Truly the focus of both immersion and repentance, therefore, is for the heart to be changed more into the likeness of God.

Perhaps the most striking example of the beliefs regarding the connection between ceremonial purity and spiritual purity was in the Essene community. Although the Essenes separated themselves from the worship of the temple, they did not disassociate from the concepts of ceremonial purity and immersion, and in fact took on a more extreme view regarding purity. The Essenes emphasized what they saw as the two essential parts of man, i.e., flesh and spirit. A person’s physical nature, his flesh, was inherently sinful and corrupt, while his spirit could be influenced for either good or evil. Despite this, man was not so much considered a duality but a unity, where flesh and spirit became one in forming a person. Therefore impurities and deformities of the flesh were directly connected with impurities of the soul. Sin of the heart made the body ritually impure and ritual impurity in the body defiled the heart. Repentance and immersion were therefore inseparable:

For it is through the spirit of true counsel concerning the ways of man that all his sins shall be expiated that he may contemplate the light of life. He shall be cleansed from all his sins by the spirit of holiness uniting him to His truth, and his iniquity shall be expiated by the spirit of uprightness and humility. And when his flesh is sprinkled with purifying water and sanctified by cleansing water, it shall be made clean by the humble submission of his soul to all the precepts of God. (1QS III, 6-10)

In addition to the requirements of ceremonial purity, immersion, as we have seen, was undertaken for other purposes as well. Different types of immersion existed outside of what was directly commanded in the Torah, and different corresponding interpretations of what immersion meant arose with them. Another type of ceremonial washing that was widely recognized was immersion upon converting to Judaism. In fact, even today a person who wishes to convert to Judaism does so through circumcision (if they are a male) and immersion in a mikvah. 

In an earlier lesson we touched on how a convert to Judaism would be instructed in various things about the religion prior to conversion. After these instructions were given, and in the case of a male after circumcision took place, the final step in conversion was to immerse. This immersion sealed the convert within their new identity:

Once he has immersed and emerged, he is like a born Jew in every sense… The procedure applies for both a convert and an emancipated slave who, upon immersion at the time of his emancipation, becomes a Jew in every sense. (b. Yevamot 47b)

In each of the various types of washings we have looked at, it has been observed that immersion itself is an important symbol and a type of transformation. Outward washing of the flesh was required in certain circumstances, but this was not to be done without understanding the spiritual significance of the act. As time progressed, this emphasis on the inward aspects of immersion led to its acceptance as a sign of devotion or personal piety outside of or parallel to the Levitical purity laws.

New Testament Immersion

Now that we have established a little bit of a context, we can begin looking at baptism and immersion as we see it in the New Testament. The practice of immersion which was established by John the Baptist and later Yeshua and the apostles was not new in form. We have already looked at the various circumstances which might be a motivation to immerse within Judaism, and the outward practices associated with immersion in the New Testament appear to be another form of these washings. The main difference between baptism and the other washings was the purpose and motivation for immersion and what it signified for a person’s life.

John the Baptist, who obviously gets this name from the practice which he has become famous for, nevertheless did not invent the practice of baptism or immersion. His task was to proclaim the coming King, Yeshua the Messiah, and prepare the people for His coming. To this end, his primary task was to preach a message of repentance (Matthew 3:1-3, Luke 3:10-14). In an earlier lesson we saw that repentance involves turning away from sin and aligning oneself toward God and His ways. John’s immersion was not one of conversion, but of restoration from spiritual impurity. 

Unlike some other forms of immersion, the baptism of John seems to be one that was not to be repeatedly received. Its purpose was to mark a significant one-time event in a person’s life as they committed to repentance in preparation for the coming of the Messiah and His Kingdom. This immersion was not a replacement, but a component within the various washings in Judaism, established during that particular time and place to indicate that those who were immersed had repented and been cleansed in preparation for the coming of Messiah (Luke 3:3). 

Repentance in the heart was necessary before the physical immersion could be exercised, and John would not baptize those who he knew had not really been affected by his message (Matthew 3:7-8). The purpose of baptism in all of this was to serve as a physical symbol of internal purification brought about by repentance. If no repentance was present, then the immersion would be in vain. The people came to him, were changed, and reflected that change by immersing as a sign of a new beginning. They understood the process and what it signified.

Baptism took on a similar form for the followers of Yeshua. Once again, this immersion was a one-time event that could not be repeated. It was an immersion into Messiah’s death, and to repeat it would be to symbolically crucify Him again (Romans 6:3-4). 

When the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost, Peter’s words, like John’s before, cut directly to the soul of those who were listening. According to Yeshua’s command in Matthew 28:19, Peter tells the crowds, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Yeshua the Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). A few verses later we are told that around three thousand people believed and were baptized that very day. The command to baptize is given without introduction or instruction, because the people already knew what this baptism meant. What was new was that this immersion would serve as a one-time initiatory act declaring their faith in Yeshua the Messiah, the Son of God. Archaeological discoveries within the last century have made it evident that mikva’ot were not in short supply in Jerusalem during that time, so it is not difficult to believe that such a large group of people were able to be baptized through full-body water immersion on that day.

About or Before?

While our discussion thus far has given us valuable insight into immersion and baptism during the Judaism and Christianity practiced during the first century, we are still left with the question, what does “instruction about washings” mean in our Hebrews 6 passage? Was it about how to conduct immersions for personal piety/ceremonial cleanliness or for initiatory baptisms? 

Most believers today would outrightly reject the first option. The early believers would not have seen it this way, however. Baptismal immersion was not seen as a negation of the other forms of immersion and purification. Evidence of this can be seen in the fact that throughout the book of Acts, the temple acts as the main hub of worship, even after Pentecost (Acts 2:46, 3:1, 21:26, 22:17). This fact alone necessitates the practice of ceremonial immersion for the cleansing of physical impurities according to the Levitical commandments. To enter the temple while ceremonially impure would be a transgression of the Torah and a legally punishable offense. 

That being said, it is not likely that the passage in Hebrews is implying these types of ceremonial washings. Jews who came to believe in Yeshua would have already known the instructions regarding washings, and Gentiles were not allowed into the temple. Gentiles sometimes carried out these types of commandments in their own way according to their ability; for example, we see Cornelius praying in his own home during the time of sacrifice (Acts 10:3-4, 30-31). Although this is the case, this is not likely what the passage in Hebrews is talking about.

If this phrase speaks of baptism, then our initial questions we asked still remain: what instructions are necessary when speaking of baptism, and why is the plural form of baptizo used? Perhaps our answers can be found in the Didache. 

After describing the ways of life and death in chapters one through six, the Didache begins this way: “Concerning immersion, immerse in this way: Having first said all these things, immerse in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit in living water” (Didache 7.1). There are several things to unpack from this first verse. First of all, we find that this is quite possibly just what we are looking for: instruction about immersion. This chapter gives us specific instructions for how immersions are to be conducted and prepared for, thus possibly fulfilling the role we are attempting to fill from Hebrews 6. 

Immersion was only to take place after “having first said all these things.” There are two main possibilities for what this could mean. It could mean that before immersing a person, the words of the Didache were to be read aloud to the one being immersed. This would provide a final reminder of what this baptism would result in for the believer. It is very likely that this was accompanied by the second possibility: that the one being baptized was only to undergo immersion after being thoroughly instructed in the ways a believer should walk. 

In this second case, instead of instruction about washing, it could be thought of as instruction about what washing means, that is, what your life will look like after undergoing the training and being immersed into Messiah. If this is what is being spoken of in Hebrews, then this instruction before washing could be understood as a catechism or education in how a believer walks, e.g., the Didache.

Some may argue that baptism in Scripture, for example throughout Acts,  doesn’t seem to follow this formula. Instead, baptism seems to be the result of an instantaneous conviction and therefore any education in the faith would take place after immersion. A counter-argument to this would be to explain that these examples from Scripture were exceptional circumstances rather than a sustainable general practice. In many of the situations observed in Acts, the ones being immersed already had a religious education and understood the Scriptures. Additionally, it is justifiable to believe that if baptism is a decision to follow Yeshua, then it is necessary to know what this requires prior to being immersed so that a lasting, educated decision can be made rather than a transient, emotional one (Matthew 28:19-20, Luke 14:25-33). 

The question of whether baptism should be before or after a period of catechism essentially rests on our position regarding the purpose and meaning of baptism. If it is a symbol of a changed heart, then we would be more inclined to baptize as soon as the heart changes. If it is rather the result of making a conscious, informed decision to become a disciple of Messiah after having such a change of heart, then we would likely agree that some period of education about the faith is necessary before baptism. If we compare baptism into Messiah with John’s immersions, where the people were educated on how to behave upon coming to John to be immersed, we would probably be more prone to accept the latter opinion (Luke 3:10-14). 

Returning to our verse in the Didache, we see the familiar command to immerse “in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Likewise, a couple of verses later we read that if sufficient water is not available to fully immerse, then the proper procedure is as follows: “Pour water on the head three times in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Didache 7.3). The command to immerse according to this formula is found in Matthew 28:19. Yet in Acts we see on the contrary the disciples declaring to the people that they should immerse “in the name of Yeshua the Messiah” (Acts 2:38). Which are we supposed to use, the formula recorded in Matthew or one of the several variations recorded in Acts? Do they contradict each other?

It may be helpful to recognize that the phrase “in the name of” is somewhat common in early Jewish literature. In this context it usually means “for the sake of.” With this in mind, immersing in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit would not necessarily mean vocalizing these names as the immersion took place, although it wouldn’t preclude these words from being spoken either. Instead, it indicated the purpose of the immersion and the intention one ought to have upon immersing. For example, we read the following in the Talmud:

In the case of a Jew who purchased a slave from a gentile, and before he managed to immerse him for the sake of [lit. “in the name of”] slavery the slave preempted him and immersed for the sake of conversion to render himself a freeman, he thereby acquired himself and becomes a freeman, i.e., his immersion effects a full conversion and he is no longer a slave. (b. Yevamot 45b)

Without delving into the meaning of this passage itself and instead focusing on the relevant phrases, we can see that the different types of immersion were classified as being done “in the name of” the reason for immersion. In the example above, we see that one being immersed in the name of slavery was immersing because they were immersing prior to becoming a slave. Likewise one who was immersing to be freed from slavery was said to be immersing in the name of freedom. The difference was not between words spoken at immersion, but of the purpose for the immersion. Applying this to our baptism resolves the discrepancy between Yeshua’s command in Matthew 28 and the apostles’ description of immersing in Yeshua’s name. These were not necessarily binding phrases that were used during immersion, but the phrases used in describing immersion were fluid and not yet bound to any specific formula. What these phrases indicates was that the immersion placed one under the authority of Yeshua and brought one into unity with Him. 

The Didache does seem to indicate here that the phrase was spoken aloud, as we noted above that water was poured on the head three times in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Others who support using the Trinitarian formula in baptism have argued that when the disciples spoke of being baptized in the name of Yeshua, they used that phrase to mean in the manner which He prescribed to them as recorded at the end of Matthew’s gospel. After the Didache, the next earliest document mentioning baptism also indicates that the phrase was spoken aloud at the immersion: “There is pronounced over him who chooses to be born again, and has repented of his sins, the name of God the Father… And in the name of Jesus Christ… and in the name of the Holy Ghost” (Justin Martyr, First Apology 61). 

Moving on in our first verse of the baptismal section of the Didache we see that the immersion is to take place “in living water.” This is followed by the conditional statement, “But if you do not have living water, immerse in other water; and if you cannot immerse in cold water, then immerse in warm water” (Didache 7.2). What is this living water, and why make these types of distinctions? 

Interestingly, the language used here is very similar to that used in the Jewish legal code called the Mishnah in the tractate which speaks of rules for immersion. Here, “living water,” mayim chayim in Hebrew, is categorized as the preferred type of water to be immersed in, described as “pure, potable spring waters” (m. Mikva’ot 1:8). Considered as less preferred but still acceptable for immersion are waters which flow but are not drinkable; a small amount of spring water mixed with a large amount of drawn water (e.g., from a well); water collected in a mikva; rainwater not collected; and least preferred, water collected in shallow pools in the ground. 

Although these distinctions are not described in the Didache, it does seem to be alluding to some already known categories of immersion water by making a distinction between “living water” and “other water.” The reason for distinguishing between different forms of water for immersion is the perceived ritual purity of the waters themselves. While the type of water used to baptize may not make the immersion any less effective spiritually, still in keeping with the symbolism of immersion it is best to use the purest type of water available to fully represent the cleansing nature of baptism into this faith.

The final verse in chapter 7 of the Didache concludes the teaching about immersion in the following manner: 

Prior to the immersion, the one performing the immersion and the one being immersed should fast beforehand, and also any others if they can. Require the one being immersed to fast one or two days prior to the immersion. (Didache 7.4)

From this we can gather that after the student has gone through a sufficient period so that they have completed their catechism, they are then to partake of a fast for at least one day in preparation for their immersion. Different opinions exist today as to what a fast ought to consist of, but Scripture indicates that it was abstinence from eating as well as drinking (Esther 4:16). Not only the one being immersed was to fast, but also the one who led them into baptism. Although it may not immediately come to mind that the immerser plays such a role that he must fast beforehand, we see once again the thought-patterns behind the purity laws showing themselves in this early form of baptism. If the one immersing must fast as a sign of purity, then how much more ought the one who is leading them into immersion and connecting them to their washing be pure in this sense also.

This practice of fasting in conjunction with baptism indicates the solemnity and sanctity that was associated with the practice. Fasts were taken up for various reasons in Judaism and early Christianity. One practice was to fast as an outward sign of penitence or mourning over sins committed. We see several examples of nationwide fasts being declared in this fashion in order to show remorse and to avert God’s judgment (Joel 2:12-14, Jonah 3:4-5, 7-10). This nature of fasting was understood to be applicable in the same manner on an individual basis when sin was committed. Of course the fast itself was not of any use if it was not accompanied by repentance and a changed heart (Isaiah 58:3-8). We also see examples of fasts being taken in order to entreat God’s favor or guidance in some particular area, as we saw in Esther above and as we also see for example in Ezra 8:21 and 2 Chronicles 20:2-4.

We may understand, then, that fasting as associated with baptism was for a couple of reasons. First it was meant to indicate remorse for the believer’s past life of sin. Scripture teaches that fasting is a valid expression of remorse for sinful behaviors, and it is fitting that such a practice would be involved as a final reminder of the sin which the new believer will be leaving behind. Fasting is often associated with prayer and introspection, and these practices combined would serve as a positive reinforcement that this immersion and what it represents was not to be entered into lightly or without thought.

Also partially represented by this practice is another expression of dying to self. Humans obviously need food and water to survive. Abstaining from food and drink leading up to immersion serves to make that mental picture of the “old man” dying all the more vivid before descending into the waters of immersion. 

Examining “instruction about washings” in light of the Didache provides us with an interesting perspective on immersion and illuminates some concepts which may not have entered into much of our discussion about baptism before. It is possible that the phrase “instruction about washings” in our Hebrews passage refers to a similar body of instruction about how to conduct immersions.

Conclusion

Several questions initially arose when we encountered the phrase “instruction about washings” in Hebrews 6. In order to more fully understand what types of washings were being discussed, we began with the purity laws in the Torah and learned how different types of immersion arose from out of these commandments, including immersion as a mode of conversion. As such, early Christian modes of baptism were seen to bear many similarities to what our records of Jewish baptisms indicate.

After all has been examined, there are two main perspectives on what “instruction about washings” might mean. First, it could mean instructions about how to immerse and what the process of baptism entails, as we saw in Didache 7. Another possibility is that “instruction about washings” actually implies a catechism or instruction which is given prior to washing, in our example the Didache itself or some other similar oral or written instruction which is no longer existent. 

Doctrines surrounding baptism are not generally a topic which we tend to invest too much thought in during our daily walk, but the importance of baptism for the new believer should not be underestimated and it should not be rushed into. While dipping in water itself does not change a person, immersion as an outward manifestation of a death and submission to God’s will through Messiah is a serious, life-altering event. The example of the Scriptures is to not allow a person to be baptized unless they fully comprehend the weight of what they are about to do and what this road may require of them. Therefore we ought to keep all of these things in mind in our evangelistic methods and in the way we prepare new believers for acceptance into the body of Messiah.

Laying on of Hands

Now we have come to the fourth element in our list of six foundational principles. The phrase “laying on of hands” may conjure drastically different images in the minds of various groups within Christianity. Some upon hearing these words immediately turn their thoughts to laying hands on an individual for divine healing or the baptism in the Spirit. Others may think solely of the sacramental practice of the laying on of hands associated with ordaining priests and bishops. How is it meant to be understood in the context of Hebrews 6, speaking of elementary principles of the faith? Does it mean an education in the entire spectrum of how the laying on of hands was to be applied, or does it speak of a specific subset of this practice?

Before we can answer these questions, we must look at what Scripture teaches us about laying on of hands and what its various purposes are. “Laying on of hands” used as a phrase usually invokes thoughts of some ceremony or practice in which laying hands on a person is the cornerstone. Because this is the case, when this phrase is used it becomes difficult to consider its base meaning outside of the context of our experiences with the practice. In order to figure out what the phrase means in the verse in Hebrews, we must try our best to remove any obstacles in our thinking and strip this phrase of any preconceived contextual definitions. 

Not every place in Scripture where the laying on of hands takes place uses this particular phrase to indicate the practice. We will look at several such examples as we continue. In examining the various uses of the practice in Scripture, the fundamental question arises, why is placing hands on another person significant? We can observe that as a general statement about human nature, physically touching someone creates a deeper emotional and spiritual bond/connection than could be made only verbally. Doubtless this is part of the purpose for the Scriptural practice of laying hands on someone, but much emphasis seems to be placed on the ritual or ceremonial aspects of this practice as well. Certainly there is symbolism involved, and this symbolism gets its power and meaning from the unity which it externally conveys. As we look at some Scriptural examples, the answer to this question will hopefully become clearer. 

For the purposes of our study, we will examine the practice of laying on of hands according to three different contexts or categories: blessing, substitution, and ordination. It could be argued whether this is an accurate categorization, and some overlap may be seen between the categories, but nevertheless this division will provide a good framework for studying the act of hand-laying in Scripture.

Blessing

The first category of the laying on of hands which we will look at is in regard to giving blessings. It is fitting to put this type first, as the first example we find of hands-laying is in this context of giving a blessing. In the book of Genesis, the concept of blessing is introduced. First we see God bless His creation, and for our part mankind begins to bless as well. Noah appears to be the first to bless his sons (Genesis 9:25-27). This blessing and the similar blessings of the patriarchs which will follow have a certain prophetic air. These are not merely hopeful wishes, but are prayers to God and in some cases could be said to be based on prophetic foresight. 

No mention is made initially of blessing being accompanied by laying on of hands. Perhaps the earliest indication for a form of this practice is in Genesis 27:27-29. Here we see Isaac blessing his son Jacob, but before he gives the blessing Isaac asks his son to approach and kiss him. After catching the scent of his clothing, Isaac’s spirit is apparently stirred and he blesses his son while seemingly yet embracing him.

The first explicit mention of laying on of hands as associated with blessing takes place in the next generation as Jacob proceeds to now bless his sons as he prepares to leave this life. Part of his closing affairs involved blessing Joseph’s sons Ephraim and Manasseh as if they were his own. The older son, Manasseh, is brought to Jacob’s right hand side, and the younger son, Ephraim, is taken to his left hand side. 

But Israel (Jacob) stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, crossing his hands, although Manasseh was the firstborn. (Genesis 48:14)

Joseph notices this and attempts to correct his father, saying that he ought to place his right hand on the firstborn’s head. This tells us that the practice here of laying hands on a child and blessing them is not new or innovated by Jacob, but that Joseph and Jacob alike understood that there was a proper order and ceremony which this blessing was normally done with. Jacob proceeds: “He blessed them that day, saying, ‘By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying, “May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!’”’ Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh” (verse 20). Thus this seems to be the first example in Scripture of laying hands on a person and blessing them. 

This verse has been the foundation for the traditional practice in Judaism of blessing children. On the eve of the Sabbath and other Appointed Times, the father will have his sons approach and, laying his hands on each of their heads individually, will bless them saying, “May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.” Likewise, the daughters are also blessed in the same way, saying, “May God make you like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah.”

Why is blessing, according to these verses and their traditional practice, associated with the practice of laying on of hands? As we mentioned earlier, touching someone is often an act of love. Visually and emotionally it creates a connection between two bodies, symbolizing how close they are not only in physical proximity, but in the heart. Laying hands on a person who you care for while you are blessing them increases the emotional bond between the one blessing and the recipient and makes it more real, more personal.

Another explanation could be found by examining the symbolism involved. In the example of Jacob, the hand of the giver of the blessing is laid on the head of the one receiving the blessing. The head is representative of the whole person, being the center of consciousness and the seat of four of the five senses. If a blessing is a gift given from one person to another through the agency of God, then placing your hand on a person’s head while blessing them is symbolic of that transfer.

Obviously physical contact is not necessary for a blessing to be effective, because the laying on of hands is not the means through which the person is actually blessed. It is a useful symbol and is presented as valid by Scripture, but nevertheless is not the cause of the blessing. This idea is demonstrated in that not every blessing in Scripture is associated with the laying on of hands.

Another example of a variant of laying hands on a person for blessing is found in Leviticus 9:22. After offering up sacrifices, we are told that the high priest Aaron “lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them.” Understandably, Aaron was not able to lay his hands on the whole congregation and bless them. In order to continue the symbolism, however, he lifts his hands towards them while proclaiming the blessing according to God’s instruction in Numbers 6:23-27. It is interesting how the action of lifting up the hands to bless ties in with God’s words about the blessing. He says, “So they [i.e., the high priest] shall invoke My name on the sons of Israel, and I then will bless them” (verse 27). The blessing is done by God as His name is spoken over the congregation. Aaron lifts his hands up towards God and out towards the people, thus symbolically reflecting His goodwill onto the congregation.

The association between laying hands and blessing is continued into the New Testament. One obvious case where this is quite common is seen in the healings which take place throughout the ministries of Yeshua and the apostles (Mark 5:23, Luke 4:40, Acts 28:8). While it may not appear so on first glance, healing is indeed a form of blessing. Definitely the one on the receiving end of the healing would consider it a blessing.

We do witness Yeshua laying His hands and blessing outside of the context of healing as well. In Mark 10:13 we read, “And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them,” and a few verses later it says, “And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them” (verse 16). Emphasized in this verse is the connection between individuals which is associated with physical contact. Rather than simply laying his hands on the children but otherwise staying aloof and ceremonial, Yeshua takes them up in His arms, bringing them closer to Himself and giving them a gift from the fullness of His love.

The last example we will look at in regard to blessing is found in Luke 24:50 where we see that Yeshua, after spending time with His disciples, is preparing to ascend into heaven: “And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.” Some have noted the similarities between the lifting of hands to bless here and the priestly blessing which we mentioned earlier. According to this interpretation, Yeshua was here emphasizing His role as the high priest in the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 5:9-10). While this is indeed possible, there are also practical reasons for lifting His hands as opposed to laying them on His disciples. Yeshua could have lifted His hands to bless for the same reason the physical high priest did. Verse 51 says, “While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven.” This indicates that He was ascending as He was blessing them, thus making it very difficult for Him to bless them with His hands laid upon them. 

So far, we have examined the practice of laying on of hands in the context of giving blessings. If we look at it very generally, many of the other cases where hands are laid could be construed as being blessings, but the primary focus is not itself on blessing. 

Substitution

The second context we will look at in which the laying on of hands was a central act is in the role of substitution. Mainly this use is seen only in the context of the sacrificial system and Levitical priesthood. Because of this limited scope, there is not much to be said outside of explaining a couple of examples. Though the substitutionary role of laying hands is not one which we find many examples of in Scripture, we will see that it is both unique and foundational and thus deserves its own category in our study of the laying on of hands. In order to understand this, we must briefly discuss the sacrifices and offerings. 

When God gave Moses the instructions for the sacrifices and offerings, it was clear that it would form the basis for how the people related to God. As we mentioned in the previous lesson, the purpose of the tabernacle was so that God Himself could dwell in the midst of the congregation of Israel. In order for this to happen, there needed to be a way for the people to be purified from both spiritual and physical impurities so that God’s holiness would not be to their immediate destruction. 

Often we think of the sacrifices only in terms of their atoning purpose. While atonement was indeed one of the prominent purposes for the sacrifices, we find that there were different types of sacrifices and offerings that were to be offered in different circumstances. This can be understood the most clearly from examining the word we translate as “offer” or “offering.” In Hebrew the root word is qarab, meaning to approach or come near. Thus the offerings could be understood as a means by which the people could draw near to God, or in other words, to worship. 

Atonement and worship are thus connected to each other very prominently in the sacrificial system. In Hebrew, the word we translate as “atonement” is based on the root word kaphar, which seems to have the meaning of covering (Genesis 6:14). At the same time, it does not mean, especially when speaking of sin, that atoned sin is merely covered over while yet existing under the surface. When speaking of sin this word seems to mean a removal or taking away (Isaiah 6:7). 

When atonement is spoken of in regard to the sacrifices, the meaning which we are most familiar with, that of purification of the soul from sin, is not intended. It is clear that the blood of the sacrifices and offerings were not themselves the means by which God and man were reconciled, even while the sacrificial system was in use. If the intent of the one bringing the offering was not pure, the sacrifice was of no use to him (Psalm 50:7-9, 16-21; Isaiah 1:11, 15-17). The blood of these sacrifices was not capable of bringing salvation or purifying the conscience of the sinner because that was not its purpose (Hebrews 9:13-14, 10:4). Its purpose was to atone for the sin of the genuine worshiper so that they could draw near to God. We must keep in mind the distinction between the atonement of sins for the purposes of the tabernacle and the atonement of sins in a personal relationship with God. A penitent heart will be esteemed as cleansed from sin not because of the offering of many sacrifices, but because of faith in God and trust in His forgiveness (Psalm 32:1-5). Yeshua has come and shed His blood so that our consciences could be cleansed from deeds that lead to death. 

Now that we understand a little bit about sacrificial atonement, we can ask the question, where does the laying on of hands come into all of this? The first instance which indicates that laying on of hands was essential in the sacrificial system can be found in Leviticus 1:4. After introducing the burnt offering and describing what type of animal is acceptable, God tells Moses what the one who offers is supposed to do: “He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, that it may be accepted for him to make atonement on his behalf.” Similar statements are made about other sacrifices and offerings as well (Leviticus 3:1-2, 4:27-29). 

The laying on of hands in this context is about the transfer of identity. One who would come to offer a sacrifice would lay his hands on the animal’s head, in a symbolic sense placing himself upon the animal in order for that animal to take his place in its death. In our discussion on repentance, we saw that the natural outcome of sin is death. In the sacrifices was a clear picture of this fact. The blood of the animal was counted as the man’s own blood in making atonement for him, and the process that transferred that identity, or allowed for this substitution to be considered valid, was the laying on of hands. 

A similar sentiment is present in the passage which speaks of the instituting of the Levites. We are told in Numbers 8:

So you shall present the Levites before the tent of meeting. You shall also assemble the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, and present the Levites before the LORD; and the sons of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites. (verses 9-10)

In laying their hands on the Levites, the children of Israel were investing their identity into the Levitical priests. Instead of every member of the community serving in the tabernacle, the Levites would serve continually as a substitution, representing the rest of the nation. God specifically designated this tribe for the work of sustaining His tabernacle, but the symbolic transfer through the laying on of hands, signaling that this substitution had taken place, still needed to be acted out (Numbers 8:11, 17-19). 

Now that we have looked at the second type of laying on of hands, we can move on to the final category. This second category may in some ways help us understand part of the next and final category of hands-laying which we will examine.

Ordination

When we speak of ordination, what we mean is the process where authority or status is transferred from one person or group to another, usually in regard to leadership. Perhaps you have heard of or known someone who acted in the position of ordained minister (i.e., a minister who has been through the process of ordination). A person with this title may have authority to perform weddings, funerals, or perhaps lead a congregation. This authority or status cannot simply be claimed or asserted, but must be granted from some outside group or body which itself has recognized authority. 

With this definition in mind, it is easy to see how this category is related to the previous one. As authority is passed on to another, in a sense identity is passed along as well. The one on the receiving end receives their status according to the identity of the one who has granted them that status. For example, one who is ordained as a minister in a specific denomination receives his status and authority within that denomination and as a result of the identity of the denomination who ordained him.

Because of this connection, it should not surprise us that we find Scriptural examples where ordination or commissioning of an individual  is done through the laying on of hands. Even today in some religious circles, this authority is still granted by the laying on of hands based on this Scriptural precedent. Symbolically, this practice represents a continuity from the one granting authority to the one receiving it. It asserts that just as the one laying hands has authority and respect, now the same status is given to the one the hands are being laid upon.

A clear example of this is found in Numbers 27:18-20. Moses has just been told by God that he will not enter the Promised Land with the children of Israel. In response, he prays that God will raise up a capable leader for the people in his place because he has seen their tendency to wander. Moses was the established leader, and despite many mutinies and rebellions the people in the end respected him and realized that his authority was given to him by God. If Moses simply passed away without any clear indication who would take over, there would inevitably be chaos, as we see happens later on throughout the book of Judges. 

God instructs Moses to “commission” Joshua and to “put some of [his] authority on him” in the sight of all the people of Israel. In doing this, the people would see that the place that Moses had previously held was now transferred to Joshua, and he would become like Moses to them. A little piece of Moses would be passed on to Joshua so that he would be able to lead the people according to God’s will. 

Moses did just as the LORD commanded him; and he took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, just as the LORD had spoken through Moses. (verses 22-23)

It is clear that the laying on of hands is presented as symbolically establishing a succession of leadership. Something else also seems to happen when Moses lays his hands on Joshua, however: 

Now Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; and the sons of Israel listened to him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses. (Deuteronomy 34:9)

Implied in this verse is that in laying his hands on Joshua, the spirit of wisdom which God had given Moses was transferred to Joshua. Although we are told that Joshua already had some access to the Spirit before this inauguration (Numbers 27:18), the laying on of hands and transfer of authority increased this as the spirit and authority which Moses had was given now to his successor.

This fact points us to another event which takes place in the book of Numbers which deals with the transfer of authority in regard to the imparting of God’s Spirit. God had recently been blessing the people by sending manna, bread from heaven, for the people to eat while they wandered in the wilderness. Eventually the people get tired of eating the same old manna day after day, and they begin to weep and complain to Moses that he ought to provide them with some meat. Their incessant complaining infuriates Moses, and he pleads before God, “I alone am not able to carry all these people, because it is too burdensome for me” (Numbers 11:14). 

God responds by commanding Moses to bring seventy elders with him to the tent of meeting, where God will take some of the Spirit which was on Moses and put it on these other men. After this is done, these seventy men will be able to help Moses bear the burden of leadership (verses 16-17). No mention is made of Moses laying his hands on the elders, but the process seems very similar to what we saw with Joshua in that it deals with the transfer of authority, which is centered around God’s Spirit which assisted the people in leading with wisdom (cf. 2 Kings 2:9, 14-15).

When we come into the New Testament, the laying on of hands continues to be used in this role of ordination. At times hands are laid on a person so they may receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (spiritual authority), and at other times in order to grant physical leadership positions. 

For example, in Acts 6 we find the apostles having to deal with an administrative problem which was detracting from time they should have been spending teaching the Word of God. Therefore, they decided that seven men should be appointed who would deal with these types of tasks. “And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them” (verse 6). In some respects this seems to mirror the event where Moses’s authority was divested onto the seventy elders. The apostles were being burdened with the people’s complaints that their needs weren’t being met. They could not effectively lead, teach, serve, and mediate these disputes. So they designate seven men and lay their hands on them, thus granting them a certain level of leadership authority, what would become known as deacons. 

As this movement known as the Way continued to grow, the need for these types of leadership positions became more and more essential. The easiest way for them to quickly and easily establish a system where these types of positions could be filled was to continue with the type of authority structure already present in Judaism. Judaism based its authority structure off of passages such as Deuteronomy 16:18. A small group of individuals of high character were appointed in each city in order to decide on smaller matters and to serve as the spiritual leaders in the community. These roles were known as elders or judges. While we may not initially think that this role of judging was necessary in the community of the early believers, Scripture indicates that this role also was continued in the early years of the faith (1 Corinthians 6:1-2).

Because of the importance of these positions, it was necessary that those who filled them met certain standards. Paul speaks to Timothy concerning various rules about elders, and concludes by instructing him about the importance of not transferring the role of elder or deacon onto anyone before correctly determining whether their conduct will suit them to the position (1 Timothy 5:17-22). In another place, Paul instructs Titus to “set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city” (Titus 1:5-9). From reading these verses, it seems as if at times some of the terms used to refer to different leadership roles are interchangeable. For example, in the verses we just looked at in Titus, the same role seems to be referred to both as “elder” and “overseer/bishop.” As time went on, these roles would be separated and differentiated from each other.

Laying on of Hands in the Didache

We have examined the practice of laying on of hands in three different contexts: blessing, substitution, and ordination. We could try to determine which of these is most likely meant in our Hebrews 6 passage by taking into account what a new believer would need to understand about the faith they are entering into. While all the uses of laying on of hands were necessary to learn and understand eventually, if we separate the external ceremony from these three ideas, which would be the most important for an initiate into a believing community to understand: blessing, substitution, or ordination? 

The strongest argument is for the third category to be the subject intended in Hebrews 6. If a believer was to be accepted into the community and function in his role there, he would need to understand how the authority structure was laid out. Although in regard to himself he would be accountable to God alone and his relationship with Him through Yeshua would be the most important, it is also obvious that community and fellowship were one expression of love for God. A new believer would need to know who they were directly accountable to and who to accept teaching and guidance from. Just as a citizen entering a new country must understand the government and leadership of that country, so too one wishing to enter a community of believers would need to understand the hierarchy and where they fit into it.

Further evidence is that the Didache, while not mentioning the practice of laying on of hands, does devote some space to teaching about the role of overseers and administrators and how the majority were to engage with them.

Of accepting the authority of the leadership, we read in Didache 4.1-2, 

My child, remember night and day the teacher who speaks the word of God to you, and esteem him as the Lord, for where lordship is spoken of, there the Lord is. And every day seek the presence of the righteous so that you may lean upon their words.

While not speaking of laying on of hands, this does speak of the results of the laying on of hands. When a person was ordained to be a leader among a community of believers, the role of the community was to respect his office of leadership and meditate on the words which he preached. The phrase “esteem him as the Lord” may seem strange and even dangerous at first glance, but we find that it is a Scriptural idea. The Galatian community esteemed Paul as they would have esteemed Messiah Himself (Galatians 4:14). Likewise in 1 Thessalonians, the people are commended for the faith which they showed in accepting the words of Paul and those with him not merely as the words of men, but as they truly were: the words of God (1 Thessalonians 2:13). Several other examples could be given of similar Scriptures which indicate that we ought to show the same attitude toward those who speak God’s words as we would if He were speaking them to us Himself (Matthew 10:40, Luke 10:16, John 13:20).

All of this is not to say that spiritual leaders ought to be considered infallible, that they are to be deified, or that they hold the place of Yeshua in our lives. The Bereans were commended because they verified in the Scriptures that what was preached to them was correct, thus esteeming leadership in this way does not include blindly following them (Acts 17:11). What this verse in the Didache speaks of is the place of authority and the office of leadership that they hold, which is worthy of respect and honor. Some who have been given the role of spiritual leader do not teach correct doctrine and do not care for the people of God. In Ezekiel 34, God condemns the leaders, the shepherds, who cared only for their own lives rather than the well-being of their flocks. The role of shepherd nonetheless is still to be respected. If the sheep follow the wicked example of the shepherds, they too will not be considered innocent (verses 17-18).

Further in this chapter, we find instructions for the elders who are in the position of mediating disputes among the believing community:

Do not crave conflict, but bring those who are quarreling to peaceful reconciliation. Judge righteously; do not show partiality when rebuking transgressions. Do not be indecisive as to whether or not your judgment is correct. (Didache 4.3-4)

The instructions of the Torah have much to say about this similar theme of justice among neighbors (Leviticus 19:15, Deuteronomy 1:15-17). When people live together and interact with each other in close proximity, conflicts are bound to arise. One person may have been wronged by another, or perhaps both feel they ought to be able to do what they desire, but their two desires conflict. When a set of rules is established for a community to live by, there needs to be a way to reconcile different opinions about what a law exactly means in practice and to decide how to handle transgressions of these laws. When all is said and done, the role of the judge is to bring about peace. This is the case in Judaism, and thus one of the roles of the judge or elder in early Christianity remained likewise.

When an elder was ordained, his power was considered to be granted to him by God in order to bring about His peace and justice within the community. He must be resolute in judgment and not turn from righteousness one way or the other, and the people needed to respect his ruling (Deuteronomy 17:8-13). The elder needed to understand that he acted as judge among his brothers, and thus he ought not allow any personal preference or any type of bias to enter into how he decided a case, but to allow the Spirit to guide him.

Later in the Didache, we find the following command: 

Therefore, designate for yourselves overseers and administrators worthy of the Lord—humble men and not lovers of money, and truthful and proven—because they also perform the service of the prophets and teachers. Do not then look down on them, for they are your honored ones along with the prophets and teachers. (Didache 15.1-2)

Here we see the injunction to establish the office of overseer and administrator. We ought to take notice that the chapter begins with the word “therefore,” thus signifying that the reason for designating overseers and administrators was talked about just before this verse. If we look at the end of chapter 14, then, we will find the reason these offices were necessary. 

In an earlier lesson, we looked at this preceding passage (chapter 14), which speaks of communal meals and how they were considered to be holy times, not unlike the sacrificial meals eaten at the temple. Because the meal was holy, it was not to be eaten by those who were impure or defiled in spirit, namely through quarreling and dissension: “But do not let anyone who has a quarrel with his fellow come together with you until they have reconciled, so that your sacrifice may not be impure” (Didache 14.2). Therefore one of the primary reasons these roles of leadership were necessary was for mediating disputes and urging the community toward peace and unity. 

Despite this singular purpose of the two leadership positions of elder and administrator, they also seem to be two distinct roles which were both necessary for the community to be in proper order. Many have concluded that “overseer” here is the same thing as the office of elder. The Greek word normally translated as “elder” is presbyeros, but the term used here in the Didache is episkope, which is translated as “overseer” or “bishop.” While later these two roles of elder and bishop/overseer would be separated, early on they were interchangeable terms for the same office (see 1 Timothy 3:1, Titus 1:5-7). The role referred to as “administrator” here in the Didache is the office of deacon. The word “deacon” in English comes directly from the Greek diakonos, which literally means a servant or a waiter. This literal definition is evident in our introduction to the institution of this office, where the apostles give the following reason for ordaining people to this role: “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables” (Acts 6:2). Therefore it appears that the deacon or administrator primarily functioned as one who attended to the physical needs of the assembly of believers.

In addition to these duties, the Didache tells us that both the overseer/elder and administrator/deacon “also perform the service of the prophets and teachers.” Scripture gives us a description of what the required character traits are for one who wishes to attain to either of these leadership roles. One of the requirements for an overseer is that he must be “able to teach”,as well as able to manage his family well as evidence that he will be able to keep the flock of the congregation together in peace and order (1 Timothy 3:1-5). Likewise, the deacon can not be one who is “double-tongued,” but rather they must “hold to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience” (verses 8-9). 

Performing the service of the prophets and teachers does not necessarily mean that they exercised the gift of prophecy. It means that they held a similar level of status among the community which the prophets and righteous leaders of old had before them. In the Old Testament, we see that the prophets functioned as teachers of righteousness, warning and correcting those who strayed from the true path and revealing the path of wisdom and life to those who were searching for it. The elders and deacons, being in the role of spiritual advisers, held a similar role in their communities and were therefore worthy of honor and respect.

The Didache gives us an interesting look into the authority structures of the early believing community. Even though the Didache doesn’t mention the physical act of hands being laid on a person, nevertheless the transfer of power and the authority structures it describes are what the laying on of hands was symbolic of.

Conclusion

In our attempt to figure out what the phrase “laying on of hands” meant in our passage of Hebrews, we tried to get a full picture of how the phrase is used in Scripture. We broke down the laying on of hands into three categories: blessing, ritual substitution, and ordaining/granting authority. In the context of our Hebrews passage, it is most likely that the latter is what is meant to be conveyed. If we understand Hebrews 6:1-2 as referring to a catechism which the believers would have gone through,  then it would make sense that before entering the community, the initiate would need to understand the hierarchy of the assembly. Laying on of hands was the primary method of passing down this authority from one person or group to another, and so this phrase would act as a suitable reference to the general instruction regarding what roles were present in the hierarchy of the community as well as the process for passing this authority on in the following generations. This is supported by the fact that the Didache gives instructions about authority structures.

Those who act as leaders in our spiritual communities are to be treated with the respect and honor which their office of shepherd has been granted by God. We as the sheep must balance this honor with our obligation to not blindly follow any doctrine based only on an appeal to authority. Whatever our role in the congregation may be, Messiah is the head of us all, and through Him we receive all power and authority.

Resurrection of the Dead

As we have examined the elementary principles listed in Hebrews 6:1-2, we have been investigating what Scripture has to say about each of these themes, and additionally we have compared these principles to those found in the Didache, a catechism from the early believing community. The previous four principles which we covered are about various areas of importance in our lives. The first two seem to be vital actions we must have in our spiritual walk, namely repentance and faith. After that, the next two principles had to do with ceremonial acts and what they represented, namely instruction about washings and the laying on of hands. As we proceed into the final two principles, we find that they are focused on the end or the goal of our lives and our faith: resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. 

Hope for the resurrection is arguably at the very center of the New Testament’s message. If we do not believe that the dead can and will be resurrected, then our faith is meaningless: “For if the dead are not raised, not even Messiah has been raised; and if Messiah has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:16-17). If Messiah had died but had not risen, then He would be just like many other religious figures throughout the ages. He would have been remembered as a great man and a good teacher, but could not have been considered as the very Son of God who died to atone for our sins and was raised to life in victory over death. 

The resurrection of Yeshua acts as evidence that we have indeed been purified of our sins and that we too will be resurrected (1 Corinthians 15:20). Yeshua is the first-fruits of the resurrection, signifying that the rest of humanity will likewise be lifted from the grave at the end of the age by His power. This end-times vision is different from other religions in that many who believe in some form of afterlife imagine only the immortal soul as surviving beyond the grave. Obviously the body immediately begins to decay after death, returning to the dust from which it came. This is the miracle of the resurrection, that our soul will once again be united with our resurrected, imperishable bodies.

If the resurrection is so important to our faith, then surely we ought to know a lot about it, or at least understand enough about the resurrection that it becomes foundational to how we conduct ourselves in this life. What we believe about the afterlife will have an enormous impact on how we behave before we die. For those who believe that there is no soul and that consciousness ends at death, existence has no purpose of itself. For those who believe that the entire physical order is inferior and will be destroyed as such, leaving room only for the spiritual, matter itself becomes a prison and a hindrance to the flight of the undefiled soul. Opposing all other views, we who look forward to a resurrection acknowledge that though our bodies are fading, a new creation will appear and has already begun to take hold of our hearts.

The author of the epistle to the Hebrews understood how essential it was for new believers to recognize for what purpose they were conducting themselves with righteousness and their reason for believing in Messiah. He considered the doctrine of the resurrection to be an elementary principle, and indeed as we shall see it is too important to gloss over quickly. 

Sometimes it seems as if we try to figure out the message of the New Testament apart from its context in Judaism. This is particularly of interest concerning Yeshua’s words about the afterlife. We see words and phrases such as “Sheol,” “Kingdom of Heaven,” and “resurrection,” and we try to understand what they mean. It becomes difficult to correctly understand some of the parables of Yeshua if we don’t approach them the way His audience would have.

Some have debated whether the themes contained in Scripture are timeless or whether they require an understanding of cultural context. What seems to be the natural stance is that everything necessary for salvation is plainly evident from Scripture, but the words contained in Scripture were not written in a vacuum. It is true that the Holy Spirit aided the authors in conveying a message that could be received by all nations in every generation, but it cannot be denied that there are phrases and concepts of which the background must be explained before the lessons can be fully understood.

Such is the case in speaking of the resurrection. There was already a significant debate over the doctrine of resurrection and the Kingdom of God in the days of Yeshua. These two themes, resurrection and the Kingdom, are both connected to each other very closely. Messiah’s words, “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand,” were spoken without introduction as to what this Kingdom was, and indeed it needed no introduction. His audience knew what the Kingdom was, and they were expecting it. 

Before we begin to examine the New Testament teachings about the resurrection, we are going to begin by examining what beliefs already existed about the resurrection during that time. Because of this doctrine’s close relationship with the Kingdom of God, we will also briefly examine some of the beliefs about the Kingdom as it relates to the resurrection.

The Resurrection in Judaism

The central place of the resurrection of the dead was not a new innovation by Yeshua, but His coming solidified its reality and His words shed new light on this doctrine. There are many more explicit references to the resurrection in the New Testament than there appear to be in the Hebrew Scriptures, but nevertheless Judaism had already been hotly debating this facet of faith prior to His arrival. Because of the relative silence of the Old Testament on this topic, many different ideas developed leading up to the time of Yeshua’s birth about what the truth was regarding the resurrection. 

This debate about the resurrection is one critical part of answering the larger question, what happens when we die? This most natural of questions does not seem to be met with a very conclusive answer in a surface reading of the Hebrew Scriptures. We may be able to make some general statements about the grave or resurrection, but Scripture does not offer many clear statements in describing these things. Because of the lack of clarity, Judaism has taken a fairly lenient stance on doctrine regarding the afterlife and the resurrection, allowing for many different opinions to be considered.

Many in modern Judaism who consider themselves to hold orthodox beliefs (although not necessarily belonging to the Orthodox denomination) have accepted thirteen fundamental principles which they agree form the basis of their faith. These principles were compiled from out of the Torah by Moses Maimonides in the 12^th century. The thirteenth belief in this list is that the dead will be resurrected. It should be noted that Reform Judaism, the most liberal and largest denomination in North America, rejects the doctrine of a physical resurrection. 

Before we can talk about resurrection, we must first talk about death. If one does not die, then they can not be resurrected. When studying death in the Old Testament, we continually encounter references to Sheol. Scholars have had difficulty determining the origin of the word and thus what its exact definition ought to be. From context it is easily determined that Sheol is the place where the dead go. Many verses describe Sheol as a pit or a deep place inside or under the earth (Numbers 16:33, Isaiah 38:18). Here, ethereal bodies of the deceased live in the form of “shades,” sometimes translated as “spirits,” mere shadows of life (Proverbs 21:16, Isaiah 14:9). The translators of the Septuagint chose the Greek word Hades as a suitable translation for Sheol, and this is likewise the case in the New Testament (Matthew 11:23, Revelation 1:18). Unlike the Hades in Greek mythology, this place is not governed by a spiritual entity separate from God, but rather this place itself is under His control (1 Samuel 2:6, Psalm 139:8).

Because of its association with the depths of the earth, Sheol is poetically contrasted against the heavens (Job 11:8, Psalm 139:8, Amos 9:2). Despite the similarities, this does not necessarily equal the heaven/hell distinction we are familiar with today in Christianity. Heavens was another term for the skies, which was symbolic of the dwelling place of God, but rarely do we find that a person is assumed directly into heaven (2 Kings 2:11, Hebrews 11:5). Some references seem to indicate that all people who die go to Sheol (Genesis 42:38, 1 Kings 2:6, Ecclesiastes 9:10). Some translators have chosen to translate Sheol as if it were a poetic title for death or the grave, thus they say these verses do not tell us anything about the afterlife. In other places it seems that Sheol is reserved only for the wicked (Psalm 16:10, 49:14-15). 

The non-canonical Book of Enoch had a significant impact on the Jewish and early Christian understanding of the afterlife. Written in the 2^nd century BC, it claims to contain the writings of Enoch himself as he experienced various visions and prophecies. In one such vision, Enoch is given a glimpse of Sheol. He sees four very deep, dark, hollow compartments carved into a mountain. The angel with him says, 

These hollow places have been created for this very purpose, that the spirits of the souls of the dead should be gathered here, that all the souls of the children of men should [be] brought together here. And these places have been made to receive them until the day of their judgment and until the period appointed, until the great judgment comes on them. (1 Enoch 22:3)

When asked about why there are four compartments of Sheol separated one from another, the angel replies that two contain the souls of the righteous, and in that place they are comforted by “the bright spring of water” (cf. Luke 16:24). The other compartments are reserved for storing the wicked. 

With all of this evidence in mind, it seems that Sheol can be understood as a place where the souls of the deceased live. Some Scriptures indicate that some activity goes on in this place, but it is creatively limited. Isaiah 14 describes the newly deceased souls being greeted by those who have preceded them into the grave. The Book of Enoch records the soul of Abel making intercession before God from Sheol, pleading that justice would be accomplished on the earth (cf. Revelation 6:9-11).

Even in the face of Sheol, there is hope for a resurrection. As seen in the passage from the Book of Enoch above, the souls are stored in Sheol in preparation for the day of judgment, when they will be resurrected. Likewise there are a few Scriptures that seem to hint at the fact that even if the souls of the dead are reserved in Sheol, they will not stay there forever, they will somehow be restored again. Job cries out as he struggles with the finality of death, perhaps showing an early hint of this hope for resurrection:

Oh that You would hide me in Sheol, that You would conceal me until Your wrath returns to You, that You would set a limit for me and remember me! If a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my struggle I will wait until my change comes. (Job 14:13-14).

We have already looked at a couple of examples in the Psalms where a hope is held either for total avoidance of Sheol or an eventual redemption and escape from such a state/place (Psalm 16:10-11, 49:14-15). Other Scriptures which are often pointed to as evidence of a future resurrection are Isaiah 26:19 and Daniel 12:1-2. The passage in Daniel is by far the most explicit, but the resurrection is only mentioned in passing and few details are given. A contemporary position on this verse in the JPS Jewish Study Bible says the following: 

“Many… will awake,” i.e., not all; presumably some who deserve eternal life, others who deserve everlasting abhorrence… Whether bodily resurrection or some form of spiritual resurrection is intended is not stated… This is the only certain biblical reference to this doctrine.

Despite this modern scholarly perspective, rabbinic Judaism firmly holds to a belief in a physical resurrection. As mentioned before, because of the lack of details in the Scriptural text there have historically been many different views about what this resurrection is like. Is it a universal resurrection of all the nations, or is it only for Israel? If the latter, is it for all Israel, or only a certain subset? Some rabbis even claimed that only those who died in the land of Israel would be resurrected. 

The apocryphal book of 2 Maccabees, written around 124 BC, makes it clear that the hope of resurrection was present among the common people at that time. Through the great turmoil and persecution of the Jewish people at the hand of the Syrian empire, brave and devout men, women, and children were tortured and killed for their faith, holding fast because they were confident that they would share in the resurrection. One particular case is recorded where a family of brothers all refuse to eat pork, and are subsequently tortured and killed. A couple of interesting phrases are spoken to the foreign king which give us some insight into the attitude current among the people at that time concerning resurrection: 

You accursed wretch, you dismiss us from this present life, but the King of the universe will raise us up to an everlasting renewal of life, because we have died for his laws… One cannot but choose to die at the hands of mortals and to cherish the hope God gives of being raised again by him. But for you there will be no resurrection to life! (2 Maccabees 7:9, 14 NRSV). 

Among these martyrs it seems that the resurrection was not so much a possibility as it was a determined fact. Their confidence that they will partake of this resurrection seems to be based on the fact that they are willing to be martyred rather than disobey God (Psalm 116:15). The martyrs are confident that the foreign king will not partake in the “resurrection to life.” From this statement alone it cannot be determined whether they thought that he would be raised in a resurrection to eternal death or whether he would simply not be resurrected at all. Both beliefs have historically been accepted.

This confidence that there will be a resurrection is likewise revealed in the fact that literature containing the words of rabbis from the first century refers to those who don’t believe in the resurrection as “heretics.” 

Heretics [those who rejected the doctrine of the resurrection] asked Rabban Gamliel [a rabbi from the first century AD]: From where is it derived that the Holy One, Blessed be He, revives the dead? Rabban Gamliel said to them that this matter can be proven from the Torah, from the Prophets, and from Writings [i.e., all three parts of the Hebrew Scriptures], but they did not accept the proofs from him. (b. Sanhedrin 90b)

Those who supported the belief in the resurrection of the dead were compelled to provide proof that their convictions were correct from the Torah. We have looked at some proofs from the Writings (Psalms, Job) and from the Prophets (Isaiah, Ezekiel), but we have not yet looked at any from the Torah (the five books of Moses). 

Some of the verses offered as proof rest on promises made to individuals which were not fulfilled for them personally within their lifetime, which the rabbis say must take place after the resurrection (Exodus 6:3-4, Deuteronomy 11:21). Another explanation relies on an alternative division of the Hebrew text in Deuteronomy 31:16. Instead of reading it as, “You shall lie down with your fathers; and this people will arise and play the harlot with the strange gods of the land,” it is possible in the Hebrew that instead it could read, “You shall lie down with your fathers and arise; and this people will play the harlot, etc.”

A similar method of interpretation is used by Yeshua to justify a belief in the resurrection when he confronts certain members of the Sadducees (Mark 12:26-27). Reading the gospels and Acts, we see some mention in passing of this Jewish sect known as the Sadducees, and how they did not believe in the resurrection (Matthew 22:23, Acts 23:8). From our explanations above, we can perhaps understand part of the reason why the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection. They held to an extremely literal interpretation of Scripture, and this led them to rationalize many of the verses brought up in favor of resurrection.

It is interesting as well to note the consequences of this split on whether there would be a resurrection or not. The common people were to a greater degree influenced by the Pharisees, who did believe there would be a resurrection. Since belief in God and the deeds that resulted would be rewarded in a future age, death was met with boldness rather than despair. As we witnessed in our passage from 2 Maccabees, many who were nationally or religiously zealous gladly went to their deaths rather than compromise in this life. On the other hand, the Sadducees, in rejecting a hope for resurrection or a future judgment, were more eager to pursue a comfortable life that was as long as possible. Rather than understanding the Torah as having moral scope in the life of the individual, they mainly understood it as the basis of a national, civil system. 

If a resurrection from the dead is established as doctrinal, then a natural question to ask is, when will this resurrection take place? And what type of place will those who are resurrected be ushered into? In answering these questions, the sages of Israel connected the prophecies of a worldwide kingdom of God with the doctrine of a resurrection. Thus it is essential for us to briefly introduce some of the basic facts about what this kingdom was believed to be like.

During the time of the prophets, the nation of Israel was a monarchy. God had made a promise to David that the kingly line would continue through his lineage. Although the people disobeyed God and His prophets brought messages of destruction, they also spoke words of comfort and hope, that one day God would intervene in human history and change His people so that they would never again be punished or sent away into exile. There would be a time of peace and prosperity under a special ruler, a messiah or anointed one. God’s people would never again be expelled from the land, but would dwell there forever, and the whole earth would be filled with peace and the knowledge of God.

A couple of names became attached to this ideal: the Messianic Age/Era (named due to the expectation of a kingly Messiah figure, Isaiah 9:6-7, Jeremiah 33:14-16) or the Kingdom of God (Exodus 15:18, Micah 4:7, Zechariah 14:9). Often the term Kingdom of Heaven is preferred to the latter, as the word “heaven” was often used to avoid speaking the name of God. The Jewish Encyclopedia says the following on this matter:

In rabbinical terminology, especially, “shamayim,” [i.e., heaven] without the article, became the regular expression for the name of God, which was, from motives of reverence, avoided as far as possible; hence the words [used most often in rabbinical literature which demonstrate this practice are] “mora” or “yir’at shamayim” = “fear of heaven”; “shem shamayim” = “the name of heaven”; and “malkut shamayim” = “kingdom of heaven.”.. With reference to the Messianic age, it applies to the time when God will be the sole King on earth, in opposition to the kings of worldly powers; whence Matthew’s “kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 3:2, and elsewhere), where the other gospels have “kingdom of God.”

One opinion during the first century was that the resurrection would take place after the Kingdom of Heaven. The non-canonical Syriac Apocalypse of Baruch, written in the late first century AD, describes a period of tribulation followed by the great prosperity of the Kingdom under the rule of the Messiah. After this time, the souls of both the righteous and wicked will be restored and led to their eternal destinies. This order is likewise held in the apocryphal book of 2 Esdras:

For my son the Messiah shall be revealed with those who are with him, and those who remain shall rejoice four hundred years. After those years my son the Messiah shall die, and all who draw human breath. Then the world shall be turned back to primeval silence for seven days, as it was at the first beginnings, so that no one shall be left. After seven days the world that is not yet awake shall be roused, and that which is corruptible shall perish. The earth shall give up those who are asleep in it, and the dust those who rest there in silence; and the chambers shall give up the souls that have been committed to them. (2 Esdras 7:28-32, NRSV)

In traditional Judaism, the belief is that forty years after the arrival of the Messiah, the dead will be resurrected. The Kingdom of Heaven, while similar to the conception of an afterlife, is often described as a separate period of time with some differences. For example we read:

Rav Hisda raises a contradiction. It is written: “Then the moon shall be confounded and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts will reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before His elders shall be His glory” (Isaiah 24:23), indicating that the sun and the moon will no longer shine at the end of days. And it is written: “And the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days” (Isaiah 30:26), indicating that the sun and the moon will exist then and they will shine more brightly. The Gemara [a rabbinic commentary] answers that this is not difficult. The verse here, in Isaiah chapter 30, is written with regard to the days of the Messiah [the Kingdom], when the sun and moon will shine more brightly; the verse there, in Isaiah chapter 24, is written with regard to the World-to-Come [the eternal afterlife], when the only light will be the light of God. (b. Sanhedrin 91b)

Thus the Messianic Age or Kingdom of Heaven is expected to last for a specific period of time, which will then be followed by the World to Come, which is the name for the afterlife in Judaism. 

So far, we have taken a look at the foundations which the New Testament beliefs about the resurrection were built upon. As we continue, we will see how the various ideas interact with each other in order to hopefully understand a little bit more about the resurrection.

Resurrection in the New Testament

As we stated in opening this lesson, the resurrection is at the very center of our faith. At times in Christianity, it seems we have focused on what happens to an individual immediately after death while not stressing so much the fact that wherever we go, we will not be staying there, but will stand reunited with our bodies upon some future day. In an attempt to fill the spaces left by the Scriptures, we extrapolate upon a verse here or there in order to try to describe what our eternal home will be like. In so doing, we perhaps do not emphasize enough that the promise of Scripture is of a resurrected humanity living upon a recreated earth (Isaiah 65:17-19, 66:22; 2 Peter 3:11-13, Revelation 21:1-3).

Because of the lack of descriptions in Scripture, we will not dwell on speaking of this place too much here and instead focus on the topic at hand, the resurrection. Did the expectation of what the resurrection was going to be like undergo any dramatic changes in the New Testament? Or was it still for the most part advocating the same doctrine of a physical resurrection associated with the physical Kingdom of Heaven on earth?

One innovation which we find in the New Testament is that it seems to indicate that there will be two resurrections. First, the righteous will be resurrected and enjoy the one-thousand year reign of the Messiah (Revelation 20:4-6). Afterward, all will be resurrected and face the final judgment (Revelation 20:11-13). A similar idea may be present in John 5:28-29. More evidence that the first resurrection will take place just before the Messianic Era is found in 1 Corinthians 15:50-52. Paul explains:

Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

He says in another place:

The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Messiah will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

These two passages mention only the resurrection of the righteous. Both passages speak of those who are still alive when it is time for the resurrection, telling us that they will be instantaneously transformed into their resurrection bodies. 

Each of these passages also mentions a trumpet which directly precedes the resurrection of the righteous. We also see a similar event associated with this trumpet in Yeshua’s discourse on the Mount of Olives:

And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. (Matthew 24:30-31)

In some people’s understanding, the gathering of the elect mentioned in Matthew and in 1 Thessalonians indicates that we will be leaving behind the earth for good. If we form our conclusions from these verses without the necessary context, this theory may seem reasonable. We find that this event is prophetically spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, who gives us the rest of the picture regarding the events surrounding the blowing of this great trumpet:

It will come about also in that day that a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were perishing in the land of Assyria and who were scattered in the land of Egypt will come and worship the LORD in the holy mountain at Jerusalem. (Isaiah 27:13)

In the context of the book of Isaiah, this verse is speaking of the restoration of Israel after its destruction, which resulted in the people being dispersed into other nations. Those who had been exiled and scattered into the surrounding nations would return to Jerusalem and return to a pure worship of the Lord. One of the greatest hopes related to the promise of the Kingdom of God was this gathering of the exiles into the land of Israel (Isaiah 11:12, 45:13, Ezekiel 37:21-28). Some have speculated that since many passages indicate that God Himself will gather the people, the ingathering of the exiles will be accomplished in an obviously supernatural fashion. The New Testament thus ties this ingathering of the exiles to the resurrection into the Kingdom through this sounding of the great trumpet.

Likewise, the Didache contains evidence that the early believers also held on to a similar expectation. Part of the blessing to be spoken before eating bread is as follows:

Just as this piece of bread was scattered over the mountains and gathered together, so may your assembly be gathered from the ends of the earth into your kingdom. For yours is the glory and the power through Yeshua the Messiah forever. (Didache 9.4)

Again we read:

Remember, O Lord, your congregation, to rescue her from all evil and to make her complete in your love. Gather her, the sanctified, from the four winds to your kingdom that you have prepared for her. (Didache 10.5)

Thus in the Didache we see the hope that the righteous exiles, scattered like seeds throughout the earth, would be gathered together into the kingdom along with all of God’s elect. 

The final chapter of the Didache includes a short end-times teaching, a part of which is as follows:

And then the signs of the truth will appear: the first sign, an expansion in the heavens; next, the sign of the sound of the trumpet; and the third sign, the resurrection of the dead. However, not the resurrection of everyone but rather as it is said: “The Lord will come, and all the righteous along with him.” Then the world will behold the Lord coming upon the clouds of heaven. (Didache 16.6-8)

Several of the earlier points we touched on are present here in these couple of verses. On the other hand, the first sign at first may appear cryptic and unfamiliar: “an expansion in the heavens.” What this phrase means exactly is difficult to determine. The Apostolic Constitutions in its version of this teaching instead uses the phrase, “the sign of the Son of Man in heaven,” as we saw earlier in Matthew 24 (cf. Matthew 24:29, Revelation 6:14). Some see this sign as a possible reference to such prophesies as Isaiah 11:10-12, where a banner is lifted up to signal the ingathering of the exiles, as we saw also with the trumpet. Again we see the blowing of the trumpet, followed by the resurrection only of the righteous, but not of the wicked. It seems as if the resurrected are gathered to Him and then immediately return to the earth, accompanying the Lord as He comes to establish His Kingdom. 

The concept of a physical Kingdom of Heaven may seem backwards to some. Didn’t Yeshua Himself indicate that the Kingdom was not physical? He says, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst” (Luke 17:20-21).

These words of Yeshua indicate that the Kingdom of God has some spiritual qualities which can be accessed in the present age. But upon further investigation, it does not appear that this statement in Luke means to end the expectation of an earthly Kingdom. We read in Acts that before Yeshua ascends, His disciples question Him whether it is at this time that He will initiate the Messianic Age (Acts 1:6). They still fully expected Him to exercise His authority as the Son of David and begin a physical reign over Israel now that He had died and been resurrected. We might expect Him at this point to rebuke His disciples and condemn their hardness of heart for still expecting a physical kingdom. 

These expectations are not met, however, but instead He replies, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority” (Acts 1:7). Instead of telling them not to expect a Kingdom, He redirects their focus onto what they need to accomplish in spreading His words to all the nations without worrying about times and dates. 

We have taken a brief glance at some of the details about the future resurrection, but our faith that there will be a resurrection does not stand on its own. We believe that we will partake of this resurrection because we have faith that Yeshua Himself has been resurrected and that He will bring us to life as well. Any hope for resurrection apart from Yeshua is in vain.

Yeshua said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. (John 11:25-26) 

After Yeshua rose from the grave, it was impossible that anything could remain unaffected. Throughout the book of Acts, we see the apostles preaching that Yeshua has been resurrected and that through faith in Him we also can attain to the resurrection (Acts 2:30-33, 4:33, 26:22-23). Not only is there hope for a physical resurrection of the body, but here and now we can begin to walk in newness of life. When we put our faith in Him, it is as if our old being has died along with Him, and likewise on account of His resurrection it is possible for us to obey Him in a manner which was not possible before. We are not yet completely restored, and therefore we still have a choice, either to obey our old sinful nature or our renewed spiritual nature. Let us follow the exhortation of Scripture and begin to lay hold of the resurrection which lives within us even now as we alongside all of creation await our final restoration (Romans 6:3-11, Philippians 3:8-11).

Conclusion

The goal of this lesson was to present the context which the New Testament doctrine of the resurrection was grounded in. Although it is undeniable that an afterlife is essential to our faith, all too often we misunderstand exactly what it is we are waiting for. In our search, we began with the teachings of the Old Testament on the resurrection. In the eyes of some, there are no such teachings, but to those who understand both “the Scriptures and the power of God”, it is undeniably clear. We proceeded in our teachings from death to life again and in the process hopefully we arrived at a greater understanding of this elementary teaching. 

In the context of a catechism, the message of the resurrection would take a foundational role in the faith and practice of the individual. In order to properly understand his faith, he would need to be able to understand, at least on a basic level, what he hoped to gain by devoting his life to Messiah. Without a hope for resurrection, we will be off balance, either placing too much emphasis on the spiritual or too much emphasis on the physical. 

While some description is found in Scripture regarding the order or arrangement in time of the resurrection and the Kingdom, our attention ought to be on what we are doing today to prepare for the resurrection and the Kingdom. Yeshua Himself gives us life through His Spirit which dwells in us. Let us lay aside every distraction and let go of every unclean thing as we walk in the life He has given us.

Eternal Judgment

Finally we have arrived at the sixth and final element in our series. In the previous lesson we discussed the resurrection, and now we are moving on to the teaching on eternal judgment. As we touched on in the last lesson, the resurrection and the judgment are connected to each other by their place in the afterlife. In order for there to be an eternal judgment, there must be a resurrection; where the resurrection leaves off, the eternal judgment begins. In our last lesson we looked at this chronology, finding that everyone will be resurrected prior to the judgment. Each of these two teachings are one half of the whole teaching on the afterlife. 

We have been examining the six principles in Hebrews 6:1-2 with the assumption that they are referring to some type of external catechism, or period of instruction, for new believers. In a previous lesson, we briefly mentioned the fact that other similar types of catechisms conclude with a discussion of the end times or the afterlife. The example we looked at described the process for a new convert to Judaism. Right before immersing in water, the convert-to-be was re-briefed on assorted commandments and doctrines, concluding with the statement that the ultimate lot of mankind is in the World to Come rather than in this life. Scripture itself is organized in a similar fashion, with the book of Revelation taking its position at the end of the New Testament. 

From a time-centered point of view, it makes sense to conclude a teaching in this manner. The logic is to teach about the end at the end. Additionally, there is an obvious practical reason to conclude a catechism with a discussion of the judgment. It supplies a final source of motivation to not grow weary in doing good. After hearing how to conduct oneself with holiness and faithfulness, the resurrection and eternal judgment form a basis for understanding the benefits of continuing to grow in faith and the abhorrence one ought to have at the prospect of going astray from the way of life. 

The fact that there will be a final judgment obviously forms an important part of our faith. For this very reason, it is detrimental either to drop any discussion of this doctrine altogether or to wield it incorrectly. In this list in Hebrews 6, the teaching of eternal judgment is listed last. In the Didache, the doctrine of eternal judgment, while possibly hinted at throughout, is not stated at all in present copies, although it is likely that at one time there was such a teaching at the end. This placement is not because these documents are trying to hide or put off talking about this controversial subject, but because in order to be properly understood it must be preceded by the teachings pertaining to this life. The very concept of a judgment implies that there is a particular standard which the lives of the judged will be measured against. Without a proper understanding of righteousness and faith, the concept of an eternal judgment can easily be misunderstood.

Many are eager to shy away from speaking about the topic of eternal judgment. This obviously leaves a hole in our teachings. We must accept that if Scripture emphasizes the importance of this subject, then we also must emphasize it. On the other hand, many have used the prospect of eternal torment to emotionally lasso people into conversion or acceptance of certain beliefs/practices. Generally this has done more harm than good and possibly leads to an incorrect conception of God as one who exists only to usher us into our eternal inheritance. Faith is not born out of a fear of punishment, but it is strengthened by the recognition that the object of our faith is also our Judge. The great men and women of faith, when faced with difficult commands, obeyed because they loved God and desired to do His will, not because they were concerned they might go to hell.

Before we get too far, it would be a good idea to understand what we are talking about when we speak of eternal judgment. Sometimes we think of the word “judgment” as having a negative connotation, almost using it as a synonym of “condemnation.” The definition of the word itself does not necessarily carry this negative feeling. Judgment is simply the process of coming to a formal conclusion, usually of a legal matter. In Hebrew, the word we translate as “judgment” is mishpat, and it also carries this neutral stance (Leviticus 19:15, Deuteronomy 1:17). 

Although judgment itself does not always mean something negative, there is obviously a danger in judgment: the prospect of punishment for a guilty party. In Scripture we do see the word judgment seeming to be a synonym of punishment, especially in speaking of the judgment of the wicked (Isaiah 34:5, Ezekiel 34:16). This type of use is probably the one we are most familiar with. Judgment in these contexts still is not necessarily negative in itself. Whether judgment is seen as good or bad largely depends on the verdict of the judgment and where we stand in relation to this verdict. For the wicked, judgment symbolizes punishment, but for the afflicted it means righteousness and justice. 

It seems the problem we have with judgment is that we are afraid of what the verdict might be, and thus we fear the judgment itself. If the prospect of facing an earthly court or a temporary judgment in this world causes anxiety, how much more so does the concept of a final judgment which determines one’s eternal destiny! 

Throughout Scripture we see talk of judgment both for good and for evil. As a preface to our discussion on the eternal judgment, it would be a good idea to study what Scripture says about judgment and justice in general before delving into the specifics of the final, eternal judgment.

Justice and Righteousness

Especially in the Torah, there is a very heavy emphasis on judgment in the neutral sense of coming to a decision. God had given the Torah as a means to guard His people Israel in the form of legally binding commandments. Obedience to the Torah was of more than spiritual or moral value: it also formed the structure of the legal system. As with any nation, the people of Israel needed to be given some form of judicial authority to resolve disputes and ensure a peaceful community. The Torah formed the basis for this system of judgment.

The Hebrew word mishpat, which we said earlier is translated as “judgment,” can also be understood to mean “justice.” We can see this by comparing English translations of, for example, Amos 5:15. In the King James Version, the first phrase in this verse reads, “Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate.” The New King James Version chose to update the language as follows: “Hate evil, love good;
establish justice in the gate.” In our modern culture, the word “justice” is perhaps felt to have a brighter tone than “judgment.” In reality, justice is the goal of judgment. To establish judgment is to establish justice.

Justice is thus connected to the Hebrew word mishpat and the idea of judgment. Other sections of Scripture alternatively translate the word tzedek as “justice.” Usually tzedek is translated into English as “righteousness.” So, what is the connection between justice and righteousness? One way we could approach this connection is to explain that justice is righteousness in judgment. In other words, justice is the rightful punishment of the wicked and the rightful help of those who are being oppressed (Isaiah 5:15-17). 

The fact that tzedek can mean both justice and righteousness shows that there is a common thread between the two values. Further evidence of this is that we often see the words mishpat and tzedek used together, a phrase usually translated as “justice and righteousness” (1 Chronicles 18:14, Job 37:23, Psalm 89:14). God’s will is that judgment will be used to further the cause of righteousness and justice. 

Justice is one of the most widely-lauded virtues which mankind desires to uphold. Even those who don’t recognize that there will be an eternal judgment or that the Great Judge will take our behavior into account often feel a great need and desire to see wrongs made right. The reason we have this desire to see the success of judgment and justice is because we ourselves are made in the image of God, who says, “I, the LORD, love justice (mishpat)” (Isaiah 61:8). In another place He describes what this justice looks like: 

The LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe. He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing. (Deuteronomy 10:17-18)

Often in Scripture, justice and judgment reach their highest aim when they seek to uphold fair treatment of the disadvantaged and the poor. In a society where adult males held the greatest authority, widows and orphans were often left without anyone to provide for their needs or defend them in justice. They were easily taken advantage of because of this fact. This verse in Deuteronomy tells us that those who are forgotten or left behind by society are most precious in God’s sight and He judges in their favor when they are wrongly oppressed. Since this was God’s ideal for justice, the earthly judges were supposed to maintain this standard as well. Their task was to be God’s representatives in regard to justice on the earth (Deuteronomy 16:18-20, 2 Chronicles 19:6, Isaiah 1:17, Jeremiah 22:3). 

When justice was not upheld and Israel was consumed with sin and wickedness, God presented His case against them (Jeremiah 2:34-35, Hosea 5:10-11). If they continued on their path of lawlessness, then they would receive a guilty verdict and be punished accordingly, but those who remained as a remnant would return to God and establish His justice and His righteousness in the nation (2 Kings 19:30-31, Isaiah 10:20). Judgment for wickedness is not reserved for Israel alone, but we similarly see other nations condemned for their wickedness (Genesis 15:14, Isaiah 34:5).

Much of the Old Testament focuses on Israel as a nation, and thus we see that the prophesies predicting judgment were primarily directed to the entire nation rather than individuals. Just as God spoke of bringing judgment collectively upon the nation through wars, famines, and exiles, so too we see that since a nation is a group of individuals, God brings each person separately into judgment as well (Psalm 91:7-8, Ezekiel 33:18-20, 34:20-22). 

Although the evidence we have seen so far makes it clear that God loves justice and that He executes judgment in this world, often it seems that the guilty go unpunished. Wicked men trample the poor and the disadvantaged at their pleasure, and they die with length of days and material comfort. Innocent people suffer greatly, and it sometimes seems that no one is there to save them. If God is just, and if He does involve Himself in human affairs, then why does He allow the wicked to prosper? And why does suffering that appears unjust occur in this way? We find similar sentiments expressed in Scripture (Ecclesiastes 3:16, 4:1, Jeremiah 12:1-2). 

In the accounting of the story of Job, we find him and his friends debating the reason for Job’s sufferings. Job’s friends seem to take the position that because God is just, therefore any suffering in this life is deserved punishment for iniquity (Job 4:7-9, 22:4-5). They appear unwilling to accept the position that justice would not be done in this life, and so perhaps they did not believe that there would be a judgment after death. Since this is their firm belief, they assume that because of the great tragedy which has fallen upon Job, he must have acted sinfully or been the cause of unjust oppression. They believed that if he would only repent of these sins, he would immediately be restored (Job 11:13-17, 22:21-26).  

Throughout their dialogues, Job maintains that they are wrong about the wicked always being punished in this life (Job 21:7-9). He also maintains that he has done no sin worthy of the hardship he is currently going through (Job 23:10-12). As we mentioned in our lesson on the resurrection, we see a possible acknowledgment of Job’s hope for a resurrection in Job 14:13-14. The reason he has this hope is because he longs to see vindication done for the current suffering he is going through, as well as other injustices which he sees on the earth. If justice is sometimes not accomplished in this life, and if God is fully just, then of necessity there must be some type of recompense after death. 

Another perspective held by some was that if God appears to be leaving the wicked unpunished in this life, then surely their descendants will receive the punishment for their fathers (Job 18:16-19, 21:19-21, Psalm 37:28). This view was apparently well-accepted in the time of the prophets, to the point where a popular proverb arose: “The fathers eat the sour grapes, but the children’s teeth are set on edge.” In times of great suffering, the people of Israel tried to shift the blame for their punishment onto their fathers by claiming that they were being punished not for their own sins, but for the sins of those who were before them. God informs His prophets that this view of judgment is incorrect:

“What do you mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, ‘The fathers eat the sour grapes, but the children’s teeth are set on edge?’ As I live,” declares the Lord GOD, “you are surely not going to use this proverb in Israel anymore. Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die.” (Ezekiel 18:1-4, cf. Jeremiah 31:29-30)

We have briefly looked at the teachings about judgment and justice found in Scripture. Now we will examine how these Scriptures were interpreted traditionally in Judaism.

Judgment in Judaism

As time progressed into the second temple period, there was still significant division and debate over exactly what relationship existed between God and His justice. The Sadducees were of the opinion that since there was no such thing as resurrection or an afterlife, there could be no judgment after death. Suffering in this life was not considered to be judgment of evil, and in fact the Sadducees tended to hold a “hands-off” view of God, where He was not active in judging individuals. Josephus, a Jewish historian from the first century, has left us with the following description of their thoughts on this issue:

The Sadducees… take away fate entirely, and suppose that God is not concerned in our doing or not doing what is evil; and they say, that to act what is good, or what is evil, is at men’s own choice, and that the one or the other belongs so to everyone, that they may act as they please. They also take away the belief of the immortal duration of the soul, and the punishments and rewards in Hades. (Wars of the Jews 2.8.14)

The Pharisees and the Essenes, on the other hand, both understood that God’s hand was active in this world for judgment and that behavior in this life would be brought into account in an afterlife. We have already looked at some of the Scriptures which indicate individual judgment, and we have discussed the logic which makes an eternal judgment necessary. Since the Pharisees were the sect which thrived after the destruction of the temple, their doctrines about resurrection and judgment are those which are largely espoused by modern traditional Judaism.  

An interesting peek into how the doctrine of judgment was interpreted in the first century is found by reading some passages from the Targum Jonathon. The Targum Jonathon is a paraphrase translation of the Hebrew Bible into Aramaic. It differs from the Hebrew Scriptures in many places because it was intending not to make a literal translation,  but to paraphrase or explain an idea found in the verses described. 

For example, in the Hebrew of Deuteronomy 33:6, we read that Jacob blesses his son Reuben, saying, “May Reuben live and not die.” The Aramaic translation in the Targum Jonathon expands this, saying, “Let Reuben live in this world, nor die the second death which the wicked die in the world to come.” Obviously this translation reveals that the translator and the audience he was translating for understood that the wicked would be punished in the afterlife, and thus inserted this commentary directly into his translation of the text. 

Here in this verse we see the phrase, “second death,” which we are so familiar with from the New Testament. As we saw in discussing the resurrection, the description of the judgment is vague, and this is also true of the second death. There doesn’t seem to be an explicit reference to this second death in the Hebrew Scriptures, and the rabbis variously interpreted this phrase to mean complete annihilation of the soul, a period of trial in the place of judgment followed by acceptance into paradise, or eternal punishment.

Another example of interpretation from the Targum can be found in Psalm 49:11, which, due to differences in the verse divisions, in our English versions is actually verse 10. In the English translation of the Hebrew we read, “For he sees that even wise men die; the stupid and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others.” The Targum, on the other hand, reads as follows: “For the wise will see the wicked, in Gehenna they will be judged; together fools and the stupid will perish, and they will leave their money to the righteous.”

Here we see reference to Gehenna, another term you may be familiar with if you have used a literal translation of the Scriptures. Frequently in the New Testament it is translated as “hell,” and the concept of Gehenna in Judaism is thematically similar to hell, being the place where the wicked are punished with fire. There are no direct references to Gehenna as a place of eternal punishment in the Hebrew Scriptures, but it is interesting that the valley of Hinnom (Hebrew ge-hinnom) is historically the location where children were passed through the fire to the pagan deity Moloch (2 Kings 23:10, 2 Chronicles 33:6).

An obvious question to ask is, how is it determined who will be sent to punishment and who will be sent to paradise according to the final judgment? In the Hebrew Scriptures, we see mention of a book of life or of the living (Exodus 32:32-33, Isaiah 4:2-3, Psalm 69:28). Some have understood this as a book of physical life, where those who God determines to continue to live are written in the book, and when they are blotted out they soon meet their demise. Others understand it to be the books in which are written the eternal fate of individuals (Daniel 7:9-10). It also seems as if there are different types of books which God records in, not only of life and of death (Jeremiah 22:30, Malachi 3:16-17). It is obvious that God alone determines who is written in this book of life, and as we have mentioned several times, there is a variety of opinions on who is entered into the book of life.

Now that we have laid somewhat of a foundation, we will be able to move forward and hopefully understand a little bit more about what makes this such an elementary teaching.

Judgment in the New Testament

In the New Testament, the teachings about the afterlife form a more substantial part. The teachings of Yeshua and the apostles are built upon the teachings found in the Hebrew Scriptures and the interpretations which were present in the first century. Much of the New Testament teachings are about how to prepare for the day of judgment, since the necessary context about this judgment was either already established or was unnecessary for understanding the concepts.

One of the teachings that the New Testament advances is that Yeshua, the Messiah and Son of God, is the one who will preside over the eternal judgment. We see this in John 5:22, where Yeshua explains that the Father “has given all judgment to the Son.” Paul, being familiar with this teaching and its foundation in truth, describes Him as “Messiah Yeshua, who is to judge the living and the dead” (2 Timothy 4:1). The role of Messiah as judge is one which was foretold in the prophets (Isaiah 11:3-4).

Another important teaching confirmed by the New Testament is that all mankind will appear before God in the eternal judgment. The author of Hebrews states, “It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). In the epistle to the Romans, Paul attempts to dissuade the congregation from judging one another about matters of opinion. He insists that since “we will all stand before the judgment seat of God,” therefore we each will give an account of our actions to Him (Romans 14:10-13). The basis for not judging each other is that every one of us will face God in the judgment.

This teaching about human judgment in distinction against God’s judgment is important, as it is mentioned several times throughout the New Testament (Romans 2:1-3, 1 Corinthians 4:5). These Scriptures teach us that if we judge others, then we ourselves will be judged by the same standard we used against others. Yeshua says, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:1-2).  Similar teachings are found in James 2:13 and 4:11.

In an earlier lesson we already discussed the importance of correction and reproof in the body of believers, and the above Scriptures do not negate that teaching. On the contrary, they uphold it and provide the opposite end of the teaching. On the one hand, we are not to ignore the sins of our brothers and sisters when they become evident to us. On the other hand, we are not to focus so much on the sins of others that we forget our own sins and failures. When we condemn others because of their sins, we are condemning ourselves also.

Yeshua concludes this saying about judgment by comparing it to a man who has a log in his own eye while pointing out the speck in another man’s eye. His command in this situation is, “First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:5). In other words, before taking it upon yourself to be the judge of your brother’s behavior, first judge yourself and determine whether your interpretation of his behavior is correct. Recognize the greatness of your own shortcomings in comparison with what you see in your neighbor. When correction is necessary, do so in the manner of a brother or a son rather than as a judge (1 Timothy 5:1-2). It is only when this has been done in good faith that you truly are able to help remove the speck from their eye. 

The common theme of these teachings is that we are not to take the role of judge upon ourselves in our daily affairs. There is one Judge who sees every motive and deed. He is completely just, and yet He is merciful to the undeserving. If we take pleasure in pronouncing condemnation on others as if we were an impartial judge, then what will God have to say to us on the day when He is before us as the truly impartial Judge?

Another clarification we find in the New Testament is about the book of life. The Hebrew Scriptures do not talk much about this book, and from the verses we looked at, it is possible to understand it only in the physical sense of life and death. The New Testament description of the book of life is more directly associated with eternal salvation:

And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds… And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:12, 15)

We see a likely allusion to the book of life in the words of Yeshua recorded in Luke 10:20. His disciples had just returned from being sent out into the cities Yeshua was going to enter, and they were joyful because they were able to cast out demons. Yeshua replies, “Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.” In another parable He speaks in a similar tone, saying that the ability to perform signs and wonders is not itself an indication that a person has their name recorded in the book of life:

Many will say to Me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?” And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.” (Matthew 7:21-22)

After reading such Scriptures as we have examined above in the New Testament, some have wondered what the relationship is between judgment and our deeds. While we see repeatedly emphasized that through Yeshua we are “justified by faith” (Romans 5:1), and because of this we do not “come into judgment” (John 5:24), we also see passages that say the resurrected dead will be judged, “every one of them according to their deeds” (Revelation 20:13), and that “by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:37). We have already looked at some Scriptures which indicate that God will take our attitudes into account at the final judgment. How do we reconcile all of these statements?

In our lesson on the elementary principle of faith, we discussed the relationship between faith and deeds. We saw that faith and belief are inseparable from deeds. If faith does not bear fruit, then it is not truly faith. If belief does not lead us to leave the old body of sin behind, then it is only a mental facade: “If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth” (1 John 1:6). Faith requires obedience. 

Scripture appears to support the argument that the eternal judgment is not only a binary decision about whether the resurrected dead will go to heaven or hell. The goal of the judgment is for all things to be taken into account. Notice in the verses we looked at in Revelation 20, that the names as well as the deeds of the dead are recorded in the books of life and death. If our names are written in the book of life, then we can be assured that we will spend eternity with the Lord, and if our names are not written in the book of life, then we will be thrown into the lake of fire. Being written in the book of life does not mean that we bypass the judgment altogether, however, for Scripture informs us that our deeds will be recompensed: “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Messiah, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad”
(2 Corinthians 5:10). What this means exactly is unclear, but further support of this idea can be gleaned from Yeshua’s encouragement to “lay up treasure in heaven” (Matthew 19:21, Luke 12:33). 

We are to conduct ourselves with the knowledge that both our good and bad deeds will be rewarded at the judgment, but this reward is not supposed to be what drives us. Yeshua draws a parallel between the behavior of His disciples and a slave who does a task for his master. The slave does not expect to be repaid lavishly for his labor, but does his duty: “So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done’” (Luke 17:10).

Much more could be said about the eternal judgment based on the teachings found in the New Testament, but for the purposes of this study we will conclude here and move on to how all of what we have spoken of so far works with what we find in the Didache.

Truncated Didache

As we mentioned in passing earlier, although the Didache contains an end-times teaching in its final chapter, the document ends after talking about the second coming without going into the ensuing judgment. We quoted the ending section in our discussion on the resurrection. One of the last verses mentions that the first resurrection is only for the righteous to partake of, but the text as we have it today makes no mention of the resurrection of the dead unto judgment. Because of this and other reasons, scholars believe that at one point the Didache did contain a continuing dialogue, but because there are few complete manuscripts this ending cannot be reconstructed. The Apostolic Constitutions, however, does contain a continued dialogue after this mention of the resurrection:

And then shall the Lord come, and all his saints with him, with a great concussion above the clouds, with the angels of his power, on the throne of his kingdom, to condemn the deceiver of the world, and to render to everyone according to his deeds. Then shall the wicked go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous shall go into life eternal, to inherit those things which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man such things as God hath prepared for them that love him; and they shall rejoice in the kingdom of God, which is in Christ Jesus. (Apostolic Constitutions VII, 32)

We can assume based on this text and on what we find in Scripture that the Didache originally ended in a similar way. Despite the lack of an end-times description of a final judgment in the Didache, there are several points throughout the text which are hinged upon the existence of, and make reference to, such a judgment. 

Perhaps the first and most obvious is the structure of the document itself. As we have mentioned throughout this study, the Didache begins by explaining the way of life and the way of death. This contrast between life and death is obviously concerned with more than just physical life and death. The idea that the Didache attempts to convey is that by maintaining yourself within the contained instructions, you will do well in holding to your faith. If indeed your faith is true, then you will partake of the everlasting life which is found in Yeshua. If, however, you turn away from the hope you previously had in Yeshua and pursue your own fleshly desires, then you will find that your name is not written in the book of life. 

Another interesting teaching which, although not mentioning judgment does seem to allude to the result of judgment, says the following: 

Do not turn away someone who is in need; rather, share all things in common with your brother. Do not claim ownership, for if you are common partners in what is immortal, how much more so in what is mortal! (Didache 4.8)

Scripture records the fact that one of the ways in which the unity of the early believers was demonstrated was in communal living (Acts 2:44-45, 4:32-35). Here the Didache gives an interesting justification for this lifestyle. Since we will all share together the eternal blessings of the world to come, shouldn’t we also share what God has given us in this world?

One last reference we will look at from the Didache is found in the section which gives a prayer to be said after meals: “We thank you, our holy Father, for the… eternal life that you have made known to us through your servant Yeshua” (Didache 10.2). It is only through Yeshua that we have access to the eternal life which He has promised all those who put their faith in Him and His righteousness. While the Didache is not focused on explaining theology and assumes the reader has already begun to believe in Yeshua, it is clear that He is at the center of all things. Without Him, we would be dead in our sins. Thanks be to God for the gift of salvation in Messiah Yeshua.

Conclusion

The conclusion of the list of elementary principles in Hebrews 6 takes us to the conclusion of time itself: the final, eternal judgment. It is fitting to end the list in this manner, and we have seen several examples that reveal there is a solid precedent for doing so. 

The prospect of judgment can be a terrifying thing, and for good reason. We, however, can be confident because of Yeshua’s work that our names are indeed written in the Lamb’s book of life, and thus if we hold on to our hope we will spend eternity with the Lord. 

Sometimes we stress the subject of eternal judgment to non-believers but neglect to consider it in our own walk. We have seen in Yeshua’s words and in the teachings of the Scriptures that the doctrines regarding eternal judgment are far more than just a tool for conversion. They provide us as believers with a place to fix our gaze. Justice does not always happen in this world, but justice will be found in the world to come. Our struggles and our toil will be remembered, and every tear will be wiped away. The seed we plant in this life will produce an abundant harvest, “for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary” (Galatians 6:9). We understand the judgment, and we understand that every act has consequences. “Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men” (2 Corinthians 5:11). 

The eternal judgment is founded on the principles of justice and righteousness which the Holy Spirit enables us to shine forth in the world right now. God loves justice, and His desire is that those who worship Him would pursue it. “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).

Knowing this, may we always continue to do what is just and good in His sight, knowing that it is He who is working justice through us. May we never grow weary, but may we fix our eyes on the imperishable reward which He has promised to those who love Him. The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

Conclusion

In the first lesson of this study, we began by bringing attention to the root of our individual faith and the way that we may live that faith in our daily walk. As believers, we have been redeemed from the old sinful practices of the world and are called to walk in newness of life. After the initial act of putting our faith in Yeshua for the forgiveness of our sins, we begin a new life governed not by ourselves, but by our Redeemer. 

Historically, there have been many conceptions about the correct way to be a disciple of Yeshua. Although most Christians make great efforts to be genuine and led by the Spirit when formulating doctrine, careful to base beliefs off of the teachings contained in Scripture, somehow different groups come to drastically different conclusions. Each competing viewpoint strives to carry on the ancient teachings passed on from the Messiah and His apostles. In the process, we view things through the lens of undetected cultural and theological bias, unable to clearly focus on what the apostles truly envisioned for the future disciples of the Master.

This study does not claim to have transcended such bias. Try as we may,  a completely objective view is not easily achieved. In spite of this, hopefully by placing things in their historical context we have arrived at a closer understanding of what the audience they were speaking to interpreted from their teachings. As we have set out to interpret the Scriptures used in this study, we have compared them to other works from the period which hopefully give us some insight into how the people of that time may have understood the words contained in Scripture.

While the interpretation of many passages of Scripture is aided by approaching them from this perspective, we specifically focused on a passage found in the book of Hebrews. The author of this epistle was trying to teach a very profound lesson about the Messiah, but felt he was hindered by the infantile state of the believers he was writing to. While he had expected them by this time to be capable of understanding deeper truths and in fact to be capable of teaching others the same, this expectation was not met as he had hoped: “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God” (Hebrews 5:12).

The author of Hebrews does go on to teach this lesson, but not before he  reproves them for their lack of growth. It is perhaps an exaggeration on his part to claim that the community needed to relearn the elementary principles, because he does not proceed to teach them any lessons on these basic principles. Instead, he simply lists off the teachings which this community must have received as its introduction to the teachings of Messiah: 

Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Messiah, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. (Hebrews 6:1-2)

One of the ways we approached this list was by understanding it as referring to a series of lessons which the community received as a catechism, or introductory period of instruction before joining the faith. We perhaps have a glimpse of this catechism in the early work known as the Didache, the title of which is the Greek word for “instruction.” The six teachings listed in these verses are present in the work. This doesn’t necessarily indicate that Hebrews is referring to the Didache itself, but it is perhaps referring to an oral tradition which the Didache itself was also based off of. Since we do not have this oral tradition, however, the Didache provides us with a glimpse into what it might have looked like.

The full title of the Didache actually makes the claim that it contains the teachings of the twelve apostles, supposedly as passed down to them from Yeshua. Whether this is true or not is heavily debated. There exist many documents from early Christianity which claim to be written by the apostles or other important figures, but due to their content obviously were not. The Didache is different from these other forgeries in that it is from an early stage in Christianity that was still largely influenced and rooted in Judaism. While later works were more focused on fleshing out a theological framework, the Didache presents itself as an instruction manual for everyday life in a community of believers. 

In this study, we broke this list down into its six parts and attempted to understand what type of teachings the author of Hebrews assumed his readers would have received about these teachings. Obviously our main source of inquiry was Scripture, since this is the foundation of all sound teaching. We also examined how these Scriptures were interpreted by those within Judaism as well as early Christianity. We will briefly summarize what we learned about each of these lessons.

Repentance From Dead Works

Since repentance is the first teaching mentioned in these verses, it is probably regarded as the most important. In reading Scripture, it is obvious that the doctrine of repentance is indeed central. In the Hebrew language, the word for repentance is based on the root which means, “to return.” In Greek, the word translated as repentance means, “to change one’s mind,” but from context it is clear that the same meaning is intended. A change of mind which is truly a change must result in decisive action. These words indicate that to repent is to turn to God. In another sense, to repent is to turn away from sin and unbelief.

Repentance is sometimes understood as a one-time event which occurs when one comes to believe in Yeshua. While it is true that this type of repentance only happens once, there is also another behavioral aspect to repentance which ought to become a habitual practice in the life of the believer. Most will readily acknowledge along with Scripture that although we are redeemed and receive the righteousness of Messiah, we still make mistakes, we still indulge our fleshly, sinful nature, although repeated and frequent failure to overcome specific sins may be the sign of a larger problem. When this happens, we are to confess and repent, that is, return to God and obedience to His will. In turning to Him, we trust that He will remove our sins from us and continue to change our hearts.

In order to return, we must have something to return to. Forsaking sin requires a knowledge of the right path to walk on. Only by staying in God’s word and allowing it to change our lives can we truly repent and return to the way of life. All of God’s ways are life and peace, and so we ought to strive to allow all our deeds to be filled with life and peace in conformance with His will. “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Messiah was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).

Faith Toward God

Faith is a firm belief and trust which evidences itself through action. According to this definition, it is possible to have faith in something other than God. We can have a firm conviction of an unseen idea or concept and allow that to change our deeds. We can devote our lives to a particular cause, thinking this is the highest aim for humanity. Perhaps we put faith in our own abilities to sustain ourselves, in a political system, or in acts of philanthropy. Without a firm base in the sovereignty of God and His ultimate purposes for mankind, our faith in anything else may become idolatry if we serve it in the way we ought to serve God.  

In Scripture, faith is never presented as something flimsy or subject to rapid change. It is a conviction which is firmly seated alike in the head and the heart based on an accurate knowledge of God’s will. Abraham believed that God would fulfill the promise He had spoken, regardless of the physical circumstances which he was in. For this reason, his belief was credited to him as righteousness. God’s will is that we will all likewise not only believe that He exists, but that His words have meaning and relevance in our lives. If we believe that Yeshua has redeemed us from sin, and if He has told us what we ought to be doing in His word, then true faith will lead us to confirm in our hearts and minds to act according to our convictions. Faith bears fruit, it has physical results, and is far from being merely an acknowledgment of the mind which has no effect on the way we orient our lives.

Messiah is the object of our faith, our only hope for salvation. We believe that He died, and we believe that He rose again. We believe that His work atoned for our sins so that we may receive forgiveness and redemption. We believe that just as He was resurrected to life, so too He will raise us up in the last day. These things are what we believe, and these beliefs will necessarily affect the way we live. God’s faithfulness to all mankind overshadows anything we could ever do in return. As we are conformed more into the image of Messiah, let us continue to be steadfast in faithfulness to Him and to our fellowman.

Instruction About Washings

Different translations reflect different views regarding this phrase. The title we chose to use for this section is from the New American Standard translation of the verse. Others, such as the King James, may say something like, “doctrine about baptisms.” The Greek word translated as “baptism” throughout the New Testament is not reserved only for use in the context of Christian baptism. Literally the word speaks of immersion or dipping. The Greek word may be used to speak of the ritual washings associated with purity in Judaism.

As we learned in this section, the practice of immersion which came to be associated with acceptance of Yeshua as Messiah and Lord was not a new or innovative practice in its external form. Neither was John the Baptist the first to associate immersion with spiritual renewal. While the Torah does not speak of ritual washings outside of the Levitical purity laws, as time progressed ritual washing became more associated with spiritual purity outside of what was prescribed directly by the Torah. External immersion as described in the Torah was not for cleansing from sin, but from physical defilement, such as would occur after coming into contact with a dead body or after giving birth. In time it also became associated with conversion to Judaism or as an outward sign of a spiritual renewal or cleansing. This is the sense which baptism became associated with for the followers of Yeshua, as a one-time unrepeatable induction into the body of Messiah. 

Instruction about washings could be understood several ways. We determined that the most likely was either instructions about how to prepare for baptisms (what type of water to use, to fast beforehand, etc.) or instructions which were received prior to conducting baptisms (such as the Two Ways teaching). In either case, it is obvious that baptisms were not to be rushed into, but those who were going to join the body of Messiah needed to first count the cost and recognize what type of life they were immersing themselves into.

Laying on of Hands

We broke down the Scriptural practice of laying on of hands into three categories: blessing, substitution, and ordination. Generally speaking, laying hands on a person, from a physical or symbolic perspective, creates a connection or union between the parties. The first mention of laying on of hands is associated with blessing, as the patriarchs laid their hands on their sons while giving them blessings. This practice continued throughout Jewish history, and we see Yeshua laying His hands on the children to bless them. Hands were laid on animals in the sacrificial system as a sign that the identity of the owner was transferred to the animal. Likewise the congregation of Israel laid their hands on the Levites, signifying that this tribe was to serve in the tabernacle as a substitute for the firstborn sons of the whole nation of Israel. 

Our main focus was on the third category, ordination, as this is likely the one which is intended to be understood in our Hebrews passage. Moses was instructed to lay his hands on Joshua, who would succeed him as leader of the Israelites. Laying hands on a person to transfer authority continued in Judaism into the period of the first century, and where the physical act is not performed, the essence is carried on. In this context, laying on of hands signifies a transfer of authority or identity, and in some cases a special gifting of the Holy Spirit to aid in leadership. 

The Didache does not specifically mention the symbolism or ritual of laying on of hands, but it does touch on the authority structure or hierarchy of the assembly of believers which was a result of this symbolic act. In order for new believers to be able to function correctly in the tight-knit community, they would need to know who they were accountable to and who they were to trust for support and guidance. Spiritual leaders such as bishops/elders and deacons were to be treated with reverence because of the office they held. Those who were seated in these roles were to recognize that they represent Messiah and His words, and must understand the authority entrusted to them for the purpose of caring for His flock. Laymen, despite honoring these positions, were to pay attention to what they were hearing and discern, as far as they were able, whether they were being taught truth.

Resurrection from the Dead

If there is no resurrection our hope and faith are in vain, for then not even Messiah has been raised. Resurrection gives us a hope for the future, that the grave is not our final destination. If He was raised from the dead, then we also can remain confident that He will lift us up from the dust.

In examining what Scripture had to say about resurrection, we first had to understand the various opinions about death and resurrection which were contemporary in Yeshua’s day. The souls of the deceased were understood to go to an other-worldly realm called Sheol. There the righteous were sustained in happiness while the wicked suffered, with each group being held until the resurrection or the day of judgment. Scripture doesn’t go into detail to describe this place, and so we can understand that the meaning we are supposed to take away is that our souls remain conscious until the day they will be reunited with our resurrected bodies. 

As we walk out our faith and grow closer to Yeshua, we experience a type of resurrection. Our old sinful nature has passed away, and we are to walk according to the new life which has been given us in Messiah Yeshua. This is only possible in part in this age, but when that day comes and the righteous dead are raised, then we will experience the fullness of our calling, when the old will truly have passed away and nothing will remain but the pure, holy, and glorious.

Eternal Judgment

The concept of a judgment only makes sense after establishing the way God wants us to walk. Only after explaining the way of life which God has established for His people to walk on can we then fully understand what the judgment is about. In this section, we began by looking at the connection between judgment and justice, finding that judgment is the means of attaining justice. The Lord is a God who loves justice, and His people also are to love and pursue justice and righteousness. 

Although justice and judgment are sometimes viewed negatively or with anxiety, this is usually due to a concern that we may receive a guilty verdict. We know that eternal life is not merited by doing good deeds, but that our faith in Yeshua is the basis by which our names are written in the Lamb’s book of life, ensuring that our eternity will be spent with Him. Although this is certainly the case, Scripture is clear that all men will be judged by their deeds in order that justice which went undone in this world might be accomplished.

This fact ought to motivate us to keep our eyes on the reward which lies ahead. Although we are not to serve God only because we desire to be rewarded, nevertheless Yeshua does encourage His disciples to store up treasures in heaven. Our primary motivation should be a love for God which is reward enough of its own, but we should always act in a way which reflects our knowledge that God looks on us and sees all of our words, thoughts, and deeds.

Moving Forward

For each of the above principles, there is obviously much more that could be said. Since these principles are described as the foundational teachings, it makes sense that all other teachings would build off of these in some way. Once we have a basic understanding of faith, for example, we can continue to receive deeper teachings on faith and recognize more opportunities to exercise such faith. 

What is so special about these six teachings? Why does Hebrews specify these particular teachings as constituting the proper foundation? The first two, faith and repentance, are fairly obvious. Arguably, faith and repentance are what the entire weight of Scripture consists of. If we don’t have faith and if we refuse to repent then by definition we cannot consider ourselves Messiah’s disciples. Everything we do should be done in faith, and when we fail in this regard then we must repent.

The next two, baptism and laying on of hands, seem to have to deal with understanding our place in the body of Messiah. Baptism is a sign that we have been united with Messiah in His death. We are joined with Him and with everyone who has put their faith in Him. Together we are His body. Once part of the body, we are to understand that each part has a different role and what that means for us as we seek to allow Messiah to be evident in the midst of our congregation. It is important that we understand this so that we accurately reveal His will to the world. 

The last two, resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment, teach us about the end and about our hope. They describe what we are to expect of our walk of faith: that our souls will be restored into our transformed bodies and we will spend eternity with our Lord. All of our struggles, hardships, and toil will be rewarded. Wrongs will be made right. Death cannot separate us from the love of God, and so we have no reason to fear death. Far from making us complacent, these teachings call us to action so we can be confident in knowing that we have wisely invested this short time which God has entrusted to us.

Perhaps the reason these six teachings are asserted as forming the foundation are because they start the believer out with knowledge in these three essential areas. A new believer must be acquainted with the basics of maintaining a personal relationship with God, a community relationship with other believers, and they must have a motivation to pursue growth in each of these areas. The six foundational teachings listed in Hebrews accomplish this goal.

Admittedly, in this study we have not focused so much on providing a catechism for new believers. The main goal of these teachings in the current study is to stress the need for spiritual maturity. Although this particular study is not necessarily targeted for new believers, it provides a clear basis for how we ought to lay a doctrinal foundation for new believers which is based in Scripture. Since these teachings are specifically pointed out as being the basic, elementary principles, we ought to pay attention to these teachings. Can we honestly say that we have, at the very least, a basic understanding in each of these areas? If we have been believers for a while, have we progressed past the milk and begun to partake of the bread and meat? Could we explain to a new believer the necessary doctrines relating to these elementary topics?

As believers, we are called to grow and never cease. So often we hear the walk of faith compared to a journey or a road. We understand that progress is essential, but progress can be defined in a way that misleads us. In order for us to gain ground in our personal walk, we must forsake the world and the things of the world, making it our aim to grow closer to God through obedience to His will. What we learn from Scripture is directly applicable to our current behavior, whether it be how we look at the world, how we interact with others, or the way we think about God and what types of deeds He wants us to be busying ourselves with.

Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Messiah Yeshua. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Messiah Yeshua… For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Messiah, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Yeshua the Messiah. (Philippians 3:12-14, 18-20)

Paul reflects with tears on those who, although claiming to have fellowship with Yeshua, do not demonstrate such faith by their actions. They serve the world and the things which it contains. Instead of following their example, we ought to always remember what lies ahead of us. The same attitude which Paul exhibits here in these verses is what has motivated countless men and women of faith, both in Scripture and throughout history. They remained steadfast and faithful and beckoned that all who were called would follow them as they followed Messiah on the path of life.

Even in equating our life with walking on a path, when we separate this from the allusion too far it can become confusing. How do we know if we are moving forward on the path? How can we tell if we are actually making progress? And what does progress look like? 

We have seen that to progress on the way of life is to walk in righteousness, obeying God and growing closer to Him. The way of life is about consistency and victory over sins. It is about obedience through all situations. The paths of life and death are behavioral patterns, they are lifestyle choices. Progress might mean being able to maintain your trust through a difficult situation, or it might mean remaining consistently faithful to God in a certain area of your life, or finally being able to forgive. From moment to moment, we may not be conscious of the fact that we are making progress on this path, but if we are growing closer to God then we will be made more and more into the likeness of His image as He molds us, each at the pace which He knows is best. 

Those of us who have experienced growth and maturity are not to forget that this path is not one we walk alone. There are others in the body who can benefit from the lessons which we have learned. Not everyone is a teacher, nor should all be teachers, as James says, “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment” (James 3:1). Nevertheless, we all are students. We each receive what has been given us from the Lord, and we ought to share that with others rather than hoarding it to ourselves. We all live life. We all walk this road and ought to encourage one another, spurring each other forward toward holiness, love, and good deeds.

In conclusion, we hope that this study has been a blessing to you as a source of enlightenment, encouragement, or exhortation. For some, the concepts presented here may be new or difficult to digest. Others may feel confident in their knowledge and experience with much of what we have covered. We are all at different levels, experiencing different rates of growth. Instead of comparing ourselves against others, let us measure the progress we have made in our relationship with Messiah against the bounty with which He has blessed us individually. May we never be content to indulge in sloth or vanity, but rather keeping our eyes fixed on the hope we have in Messiah, may we run with endurance the race that is set before us.This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Yeshua has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek… And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. (Hebrews 6:19-20, 11-12)

Welcome

There is the saying that love makes the world go round. But in these end times it is hard to find love, for the love of many grows cold. We have become lovers of ourselves.(Matthew 24:12, 2 Timothy 3:1-5). Selfies are a big sign of that. So as believers in Messiah, we must not only let our light shine, but our love. Paul says this in 1 Thessalonians 3: 12-13,  “May the Lord cause you to increase and overflow in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you;  so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Yeshua with all His saints.”

As we celebrate or salute love this month let us consider true love that only comes from God, for God is love as 1 John 4:16 says, “God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.”

The Mishkan, the House of Holiness, Part 1

The Mishkan is the Hebrew name for the Tabernacle. We want to take a closer look and see just how the Mishkan plays a part in our lives today, but first I must lay the foundation. We want to start all the way back at the beginning of time, well actually before time. Let’s imagine what it was like before God created. I guess we can’t, but I think it is safe to say that God wanted company. God is love, and if He had no one to show His love toward, then all He could do was love Himself. Well we know that God is not self -centered or egotistical, so God removed a part of Himself, because God is everywhere, to make a home for us, and He called it Earth. He created man in His own image so He could show him love,  someone who was  holy and set-apart that could co -exist with Him.  So God made man in His image, and that image was glorious. Adam and Eve shined like the sun, that is why they did not know that they were naked. They also were immortal, until they sinned, and because of sin the glory went away, and they  were now doomed to death. Genesis 3: 24 says, “So He drove the man out; and at the east of the Garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.”

But God in His great love promised a way for man to return to his right standing with their Creator.  Now let’s fast forward to the wilderness, in fact, to Mount Sinai. Mount Sinai was like the Garden of Eden. I know, you have to have a good imagination.  But it was, and here is why. Exodus 19:1-6 tells us this, 

“In the third month after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that very day they came into the wilderness of Sinai.  When they set out from Rephidim, they came to the wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness; and there Israel camped in front of the mountain.  And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “This is what you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel:  ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself.  Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine;  and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.” 

In the garden Adam and Eve only had one commandment, and that was not to touch or eat from the Tree of Good and Evil.  Throughout the time that they were expelled from the garden, man sinned over and over again, but God found one man,  Abraham to make a covenant with, and that covenant was extended to his son, and then his grandson. So we find ourselves here in the wilderness and God now makes  a covenant with all of Abraham’s children, who God has turned into a nation. In fact we see here that God betrothes them. If you study the Torah you will see that the wilderness experience is like a Ketubah, which is a Jewish 

marriage agreement used still today, that actually protects the bride, by the groom’s promise to care for her. So you say what does this all have to do with the Tabernacle? It’s coming! Exodus 19:7-8 continues to tell us this,

“So Moses came and called the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which the Lord had commanded him. Then all the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do!” And Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord.”

Well, God did come to meet the people as Exodus 19:10-11 continues. “The Lord also said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and have them wash their garments;  and have them ready for the third day, for on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.”

God wanted the people to consecrate themselves, this means to be set-apart, (holy), and even their clothes had to be clean. God was setting up a situation as close as He could to that of the Garden of Eden. God wanted to once again walk with man in the cool of the evening, but because of the fall of Adam and Eve, man could not really be totally holy and in right standing with God, not just yet, but we will discuss this as we go on. But for now God wanted to bring man as close as He could to Himself. So God set up boundaries to protect them from Himself as Exodus 19:12-14 tells us, 

  “You shall set boundaries for the people all around, saying, ‘Beware that you do not go up on the mountain or touch the border of it; whoever touches the mountain shall certainly be put to death.  No hand shall touch him, but he shall certainly be stoned or shot through; whether animal or person, the violator shall not live. When the ram’s horn sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.’ So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people, and they washed their garments.  He also said to the people, ‘Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman.”’

No, God was not against women and this too, we will discuss as we go on. So the third day did come and God and the people came together as close as they could. Exodus 19:16-25 goes on to say this, “So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud over the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled.  And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the entire mountain quaked violently.  When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him with thunder. Then the Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.  Then the Lord spoke to Moses: “Go down, warn the people, so that they do not break through to the Lord to stare and many of them perish, also have the priest who approach the Lord consecrate themselves, or else the Lord will break out against them.”  And Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for You warned us, saying, ‘Set boundaries around the mountain and consecrate it.’”  Then the Lord said to him,’ Go down and come up again, you and Aaron with you; but do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, or He will break out against them.’  So Moses went down to the people and told them.”

Wow! What a display of power by God, it makes you wonder what Creation was like. God, the soon to be Bridegroom, has come for His Bride. So, God gives them the Ten Commandments, and these Commandments are explained all through the rest of the Torah. What a day for God and what a day for His people. God gave Adam and Eve one commandment, and now God is giving His people ten. Will they, too, break these ten? Well, it did not take them long as we see with the Golden Calf.  What we begin to see is that there are references to different things like the priests, for one, before the tabernacle even existed. But we must

remember that God said to the people in (Exodus 19:6), that they would be a royal priesthood. Do you remember Melchizedek? He too, was a priest in the time of Abraham, a godly priest who had no beginning. Many people existed during the many years up to this point, and these people even though they were pagan , had priests who offered up sacrifices to their gods. So the concept of priests and sacrifices were not new to the people, in fact, God sacrificed two animals on account of Adam and Eve to atone for their sins, and then gave them the hides to wear as garments, (Genesis 3:21). So now that I have laid the groundwork, we are now at the point of the Mishkan. We now know that a tabernacle, or temple, or sanctuary was not a new idea. But to God, He made room for us by removing a part of Himself to create a home for us, and now He wanted to carry on this new relationship with the people by being in their midst. So He wanted them to build a home for Him. God loves us so much that He wants to be in our midst. He wants us to come to Him, and He wants to come to us.  We will end with this in 

Exodus 25:1-9,  “Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,  “Tell the sons of Israel to take a contribution for Me; from everyone whose heart moves him you shall take My contribution. This is the contribution which you are to take from them: gold, silver, and bronze, violet, purple, and scarlet material, fine linen, goat hair,  rams’ skins dyed red, fine leather, acacia wood,  oil for lighting, balsam oil for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, onyx stones and setting stones for the ephod and for the breastpiece.  Have them construct a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them.  According to all that I am going to show you as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, so you shall construct it.”

We hope you join us next month as we continue looking into the Mishkan

Recipe Corner:  Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

By A Spicy Perspective

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
• 10 ounces soft caramels, unwrapped
• 1 teaspoon flaked sea salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with foil and liberally coat with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the softened butter with both sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, vanilla, salt, and baking soda. Mix well, then scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
3. Turn the speed to low and add the flour. Beat to combine, then mix in the chocolate chips.
4. Press half of the cookie dough into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
5. In a medium sauce pot, add the sweetened condensed milk and unwrapped caramels. Set over medium-low heat and stir until the caramels melt, making a smooth caramel filling. Pour the filling over the cookie dough base.
6. Drop the remaining cookie dough over the caramel filling in small teaspoons-sized clumps. Bake the bars for 25-30 minutes, until the center is just set.
7. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes and allow the bars to cool completely. Then lift the bars out of the pan by the edges of the foil and cut. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. 
8. prep time: 15 MINUTES  cook time: 30 MINUTES     total time: 45 MINUTE

Hebrew Corner: The Month of Shevat

Shevat is the eleventh month on the Hebrew calendar, counting from the Passover. The name like most of all of the names for the Hebrew months come from when they were exiled in Babylon. Shevet means “branch”.  The month of Shevet is during January -February on the Gregorian calendar.  Shevat finds us turning away from winter and we begin to look toward spring. On the fifteenth day of Shevat is a special holiday called Tu b’ Shevat or as we would say, “The New Year for Trees.” As we look for the trees to wake up from their winter nap and begin to bring forth their leaves, the people in Israel celebrate by planting trees. I guess you could call it earth day or you could take time to remember the third day of creation when God created trees. You could go out and walk in a park or forest and enjoy nature. Maybe even partake in the Tu b’ Shevat Seder. It is like the Passover Seder except it consists of nuts and fruits and grains along with a glass of wine or grape juice. You can find a copy of this on the internet, (PJ Library is a good start). It is a great way to gather the kids and speak to them about creation, our responsibility in caring for the earth that God created. As you go around tasting the different items on the plate there are blessings that are said. Like most of all of the Biblical Feasts and the Hebrew holidays they are all centered around the family. We like to plant trees in memory of loved ones who have passed on. Maybe you may want to start a new family custom in the month of Shevet as we start to come out of our Winter shell and begin to do our own sprouting as the days begin to get longer, and the days begin to get warmer. Here is a blessing that you can pray when planting a new tree. “Blessed are You, God our Lord, King of the Universe, that His world is not lacking anything, and He created in it good creations and good trees for the pleasure of mankind.”

Happy Shevet, Happy Tu b’Shevat, Happy Planting!

If you have teens or young adults they may want to check out our new website at 

safetyzoneforteens.com

The heart is the center of us all. Scripture tells us this about the heart. 

Proverbs 4:23, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Proverbs 27:19, “As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.”

And Jeremiah says this in 

Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”

So we can see that the heart is important when it comes to our walk with God. 

 Deuteronomy 6:5 and Matthew 22:37 tells us this “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”

Matthew 6:21 says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

So the question is, “What is in your heart?” If the heart is a reflection of  you, then it is important to examine yourself to see what really is in your heart. 

Proverbs 3:3-4 says this, “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.”

We see that God wants us to write love and faithfulness upon our hearts.

Colossians 3:14-17 says,  “And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Messiah rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.  Let the Word of Messiah dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Yeshua, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

If we are going to have the Word of God dwell within us then we must be doers of the Word as  James 1:22-24 tells us this, “But prove yourselves doers of the Word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;  for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.”

We see that we are to let the Word dwell within us or in other words, the Word must be written on our hearts.

Jeremiah 31:33 says, “For this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord: “I will put My law within them and write it on their heart; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”

This is what we call the New Covenant as Hebrews 10:16 tells us, “This is the covenant which I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put My laws upon their hearts, and write them on their mind,”

But before God can write His Word upon our hearts we must first have a new heart, a heart after God, a heart of a new creation, a heart of a born again person.

Ezekiel 36:25-26, “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.  Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”

Psalm 51:10 says , “Create in me a clean heart, O God and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

If we are the people of the New Covenant then we must be people whose hearts are no longer of stone. We can not be people who are stubborn and rebellious against God’s Word, His total Word. We can not pick and choose what we want to believe or live by. Yeshua, the Word made flesh, (John 1:14). said that He and His Father were one, (John 10:30). Yeshua said this when all there was was the Torah, Torah meaning God’s teachings. Today people do not think that they have to live by the Ten Commandments. Does this mean that they believe in murder, stealing, coveting, lying under oath, and that they can serve two masters? (Matthew 6:24). If they do, then they are not people of the New Covenant. To have God’s Word written on our hearts, means that we must live by God’s Word, otherwise our hearts are as cold as stone. We must die to ourselves, so that we can be born again as new creations, born of the Spirit, the Spirit of Messiah, fighting the spiritual battle with the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, (Ephesians 6:17). Galatians 5:13-26 takes us back to the beginning, walking in the Spirit causes us to put love in our hearts. “ For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love.  For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.  But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.  For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, in order to keep you from doing whatever you want.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law, (because you are living out the law). Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior,  idolatry, witchcraft, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions,  envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law,(because now the fruit  is  a part of you). Now those who belong to Messiah Yeshua crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let’s follow the Spirit as well. Let’s not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.”

Are you people of the New Covenant, then what’s written on your hearts, God’s Commandments which bears good fruit, or the fleshly actions of this world, which bears bad fruit? As Matthew 7:15-20 says, “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.”

It’s the heart that God looks upon, 1 Samuel 16:7. God’s Commandments, which sums up His Word, will be written upon our hearts, and upon our hearts it will remain forever, but only if we have a heart for Him to write it upon, today.

Click to access Love-is-kind.pdf

During special occasions and during the different holiday seasons many people get invited to attend  parties and dinners at peoples’ homes.  Years ago it was the custom to lift up your glass and toast the person or persons who invited you  to the occasion.  Today, maybe the best man may still toast the bride and groom at their wedding, but I think  it has become a lost tradition. As believers we too, are invited to attend the Lord’s table. When we think of the Lord’s table we think of the “Last Supper,” we think of Communion, but what we call the “Last Supper” was actually the Seder Meal at Passover.  It was during this time that Yeshua lifted up the unleavened bread called the Afikoman and broke it, which was the tradition, as Matthew 26:26-29 tells us,  “Now while they were eating, Yeshua took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”  And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you;  for this is My blood of the covenant, which is being poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.  But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it with you, new, in My Father’s kingdom.”

Yeshua is our food and drink. He is the Bread of Life and the Well of Salvation.  

He is the true manna from heaven, the finest of wheat. John 6:31-35 says this, “Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.’” Yeshua then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven.  For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world.”  Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.” Yeshua said to them, “I am the bread of life; the one who comes to Me will not be hungry, and the one who believes in Me will never be thirsty.”

Yeshua, when asking the Samaritan woman for drink, says this to her in 

John 4:10-14 , “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who is saying to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”  She said to Him, “Sir, You have no bucket and the well is deep; where then do You get this living water?  You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well and drank of it himself, and his sons and his cattle?” Yeshua answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again;  but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never be thirsty; but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.”

You see Yeshua is our portion and cup and it is this cup, the Cup of Blessing, which is also a part of the Seder Meal that we lift up to bless His name, because He is the host who invites us to come and feast at His table day or night. When we come in prayer or when we come and study His Word, we come to His table. We must always come in the Name of the Lord Yeshua as He tells us to in John 16:23

“Truly, truly I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.” 

 Yeshua is our sacrifice, and it was the blood of the sacrifice that allowed the High Priest to draw near to God. Same with us. We must always draw near by His shed blood, because He is our sacrifice. We must be washed clean in His blood as 

Matthew 22: 11-14 says this,  “But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes,  and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless.  Then the king said to the servants, ‘Tie his hands and feet, and throw him into the outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in that place.’  For many are called, but few are chosen.” And again in Revelation 19:7-8, “Let’s rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has prepared herself.” It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

Isaiah 12:2-3  says, “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid;

For the Lord God is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.”

 Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation.” And again Psalm 116:12-13 says,  “What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.”

The Cup of Salvation is also one of the four cups at the Seder Meal.

This is the communion of the Lord. Yeshua said, “When you do this Remember Me” Everytime we come before the Lord there is a proper way to come, and when we do, then we can properly come and bless our Host and feast at His table. 

Our God is a God of abundance and when He lays out a table it is of the choices of meat and drink as Isaiah 55:1-2 says, “You there! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.  Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance.

Today, come to the Table of the Lord, and lift up the Cup of Blessing, and give a toast to your Host!

So what is faith? Hebrews 11:1-2 says, “ Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen. For by it the people of old gained approval.”

Let’s take a closer look into faith.

Romans 4:1-5 tells us this, “What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found?  For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about; but not before God.  For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”  Now to the one who works, the wages are not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.”

Hebrews 11:8-10 says this about Abraham, “God called Abraham to travel to another place that He promised to give him. Abraham did not know where that other place was. But he obeyed God and started traveling because he had faith.  Abraham lived in the country that God promised to give him. He lived there like a visitor who did not belong. He did this because he had faith. He lived in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who also received the same promise from God.  Abraham was waiting for the city that has real foundations. He was waiting for the city that is planned and built by God.”

Galatians 3: 6-9 tells us, “Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.  Therefore, recognize that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham.  The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.”  So then, those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.”’

Hebrews 11:18-19 goes on to say, “God tested Abraham’s faith. God told him to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. Abraham obeyed because he had faith. He already had the promises from God. And God had already said to him, “It is through Isaac that your descendants will come.” But Abraham was ready to offer his only son. He did this because he had faith.  He believed that God could raise people from death. And really, when God stopped Abraham from killing Isaac, it was as if he got him back from death.”

We see that faith is an important part of one’s walk with God. Faith is powerful and without faith we can’t even begin to please God, let alone have Him answer our prayers.

Hebrews 11:5-6 tells us this, “By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for before he was taken up, he was attested to have been pleasing to God.  And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for the one who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He proves to be One who rewards those who seek Him.”

James 5:13-16 says, “Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray.  Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.  And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.  Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Matthew 21: 21 says, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen.”

Today, do you have the faith to move mountains? Do you have the faith in God that He will answer your prayers? Can you say that you are a child of Abraham, the father of faith? 

Let’s continue to look at faith.

How about Isaac’s faith? Why does the Bible not recognize the faith of Isaac when his father was going to offer him to God? We see here in  Genesis 22: 7-10 that Isaac questions his father,  “Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”  Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together. Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. And Abraham reached out with his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.” 

 Did Isaac have faith in God? Did he also have faith in his father, that what he said about God providing the lamb was true? He must have, because we see that Abraham bound Isaac without a struggle. 

Abraham believed that if he killed his son, God would raise him up from the dead. Does this all sound familiar?  How about Yeshua? Does it mention Yeshua’s faith? Does the Scripture say, “By faith the Messiah died for us?” 

Luke 22: 39-44 says, “And He came out and went, as was His habit, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed Him.  Now when He arrived at the place, He said to them, “Pray that you do not come into temptation.”  And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray,  saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him.  And being in agony, He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.”

People think that Yeshua was hesitant to go to the cross, but this is not true. The Messiah was broken hearted because He knew that He was going to be separated from the Father. This is what going to hell is like. Yeshua took upon Himself our sins, and in so doing, He died in His sin, which resulted in Him going to Hell, which is total separation from God. When Yeshua said not My will, but Yours be done, He was walking in faith, trusting God to raise Him up again.

 John 10:17-18 says,  “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it back.  No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it back. This commandment I received from My Father.”

As we saw with Abraham, so too with Yeshua, that obedience is a big part of faith.  It is through obedience and faith that righteousness comes.

Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. So too, with Yeshua.

You see, Yeshua, like Isaac, also believed that what His Father said to Him was true, and He also believed that God could raise the dead like Abraham believed.

The shed blood of Yeshua, His sacrifice on our behalf was credited to Him as righteousness, because it was done in faith.

Romans 5:18-19 tells us this, “In other words, just as it was through one offense that all people came under condemnation, so also it is through one righteous act that all people come to be considered righteous.  For just as through the disobedience of the one man, many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the other man, many will be made righteous.”

Isaiah 61:10 says, “I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, my soul will be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, as a groom puts on a turban, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”

So we see the faith of Abraham and the faith of Messiah, and we see that they were righteous before God, so how about us? 

1 Peter 2:21-24 says this, “For you have been called for this purpose, because Messiah also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you would follow in His steps,  He who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being abusively insulted, He did not insult in return; while suffering, He did not threaten, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself brought our sins in His body up on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; by His wounds you were healed.” 

Are we following in Messiah’s example? 

Romans 1:16-17 says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written: “But the righteous one will live by faith.”

Are we walking in the footsteps of the Messiah? Do you have the faith to pick up your cross and follow Him? Today, Christians do not consider the cost of discipleship. (Discipleship means in the true sense of the word to be like the one you are following.) Christians  do not live by true faith. Faith that comes by obedience to God’s will.  We have become weak. 

Let’s read it again Romans 1:16-17 says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written: “But the righteous one will live by faith.”

When we live by God’s Word, and walk by the True Light, then we will set the example of a true believer, who not only lives by faith, but speaks in faith. We will want to please God in righteous living, and in so doing, we will see great miracles in signs and wonders. We will see prayers answered, and even mountains being removed, and the righteous person living by Faith will  be a true beacon of light to the world.

Paul says in  2 Timothy 4:7-8, “ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;  in the future there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

Welcome

Well, it is finally March. March gives us the hope of  Spring. But God gives us a hope of even better things. Jeremiah 29:11, tells us that God gives us a hope.

“For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD, ‘plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Hope is a good thing. Titus 2:12-13 says, “It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,  while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Messiah Yeshua.” Romans 8:24-25 also speaks about the hope of our salvation. “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?  But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”   So let’s keep hoping in the Lord for all things.

Mishkan, the House of Holiness, Part 2

We ended part one with Exodus 25:1-9,  “Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,  ‘Tell the sons of Israel to take a contribution for Me; from everyone whose heart moves him you shall take My contribution. This is the contribution which you are to take from them: gold, silver, and bronze, violet, purple, and scarlet material, fine linen, goat hair,  rams’ skins dyed red, fine leather, acacia wood,  oil for lighting, balsam oil for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, onyx stones and setting stones for the ephod and for the breastpiece.  Have them construct a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them.  According to all that I am going to show you as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, so you shall construct it.”

 The Mishkan was not just built any old way, it had to be built exactly to represent the tabernacle in heaven as Exodus 25:40 and Hebrews 8:5 tells us. “You must make the tabernacle and design all its furnishings according to the pattern I show you.” So let’s say first of all this, that Mishkan which was the portable, “dwelling place of God”, did become later on the permanent  dwelling of God, known as the Temple. The difference is one big one, and that is that God asked the people whose hearts moved them to contribute the materials needed to build this dwelling for God. God created us in love, and the people had to build this dwelling for Him out of love also. And they did, in fact Moses had to tell them enough, do not bring anymore!(Exodus 36:5-6) But you see, this dwelling also had to be holy. God said, “I am holy (kedushah) and you too will be holy”, 

Exodus 19:6, 1Peter 1:16.

Psalm 93:5 says this, “Your statutes stand firm. Holiness adorns your house, LORD, forevermore.”

Exodus 29:4-9 says, “You are to present Aaron and his sons at the entrance of the tent of meeting. You are to wash them with water  and take the garments and clothe Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod, and the breastpiece; you are to fasten the ephod on him by using the skillfully woven waistband. You are to put the turban on his head and put the holy diadem on the turban.  You are to take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him. You are to present his sons and clothe them with tunics  and wrap the sashes around Aaron and his sons and put headbands on them, and so the ministry of priesthood will belong to them by a perpetual ordinance. Thus you are to consecrate Aaron and his sons.”

Exodus 29:35 37 goes on to say, “Thus you are to do for Aaron and for his sons according to all that I have commanded you; you are to consecrate them  for seven days.  Every day you are to prepare a bull for a purification offering  for atonement. You are to purify  the altar by  making atonement for it, and you are to anoint it to set it apart as holy.  For seven days  you are to make atonement for the altar and set it apart as holy. Then the altar will be most holy.  Anything that touches the altar will be holy.”

Exodus 29:44-46 ends by saying this,  “So I will set apart as holy  the tent of meeting and the altar, and I will set apart as holy Aaron and his sons that they may minister as priests to Me.  I will reside among the Israelites, and I will be their God,  and they will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out from the land of Egypt, so that I may reside among them. I am the Lord their God.”

Not just anyone could go inside the Mishkan

Numbers 8:19 tells us this, “I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the sons of Israel, to perform the service of the sons of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement on behalf of the sons of Israel, so that there will be no plague among the sons of Israel by their coming near to the sanctuary.”

Only the sons of Aaron could go into the Mishkan to light the menorah, and place the bread on the altar, and do the incense, and only the High Priest could enter into the Holy of Holies once a year on the Day of Atonement. So we see that God gave the Levites to Aaron as a gift. So these Levites by families were designated to carry the Mishkan, and all of its furnishing and utensils as they wandered in the wilderness. But even at that, they too, had to be clean as Numbers 8:20-21 tells us, “Thus did Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the sons of Israel to the Levites; according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the sons of Israel did to them. The Levites, too, purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes; and Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the Lord. Aaron also made atonement for them to cleanse them.”

When David went to move the Ark of the Covenant, he was met with the wrath of God as 2 Samuel 6: 1-7 tells us, “Now David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.  And David departed from Baale-judah, with all the people who were with him, to bring up from there the Ark of God which is called by the Name, the very Name of the Lord of armies who is enthroned above the cherubim.  They had mounted the Ark of God on a new cart and moved it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were leading the new cart.  So they brought it with the Ark of God from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Ahio was walking ahead of the Ark. Meanwhile, David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord with all kinds of instruments made of juniper wood, and with lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals. But when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out toward the Ark of God and took hold of it, because the oxen nearly overturned it. And the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down there for his irreverence; and he died there by the Ark of God.”

What a festive time, why should God become angry? Numbers 3: 10 tells us, “ So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons that they may keep their priesthood, but the layman who comes near shall be put to death.”

David’s mistake was not that he did not have the Levites move the Ark, but that Uzzah was not the High Priest, who was the only one who could touch the Ark.  The Ark should have been covered, so that it was not considered something common, and this was not done by Uzzah, and this is why God’s anger was so severe when he touched it. We have learned two things; one, God is about holiness, and two, God is about doing things His way and not man’s. So why is God so particular about things? Because He is holy! In Leviticus 17: 8-9 we see that even when offering a sacrifice it had to be done only in one specific place.  “Then you shall say to them, ‘Anyone from the house of Israel, or from the strangers who reside among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice,  and does not bring it to the doorway of the tent of meeting to offer it to the Lord, that person also shall be cut off from his people.”

It’s all about  purity!  You see God is about life, and sin is about death. Life is pure (taharah), and death is impure (tumah). As we shall see starting in 

Numbers 19:11, “The one who touches the dead body of any person will also be unclean (impure) for seven days.”

Numbers 19: 13 goes on to say,  “Anyone who touches a dead body, the body of a person who has died, and does not purify himself, defiles the tabernacle of the Lord; and that person shall be cut off from Israel. Since the water for impurity was not sprinkled on him, he will be unclean; his uncleanness is still on him.”

Leviticus 13: 46 says, “He (the person with leprosy) shall remain unclean all the days during which he has the infection; he is unclean (impure). He shall live alone; he shall live outside the camp.” 

Why outside of the camp? Because not only did they fear the spread of leprosy, but that it would make the whole camp impure. Why impure? Numbers 12: 11-12 tells us, “Aaron said to Moses, ‘Oh, my lord, please don’t punish us for this sin we committed so foolishly.  Please don’t let her (Miriam) be like a stillborn baby (dead), with its body half eaten away when it comes out of its mother’s womb!”’ 

Again, it was impure because the dying skin was considered death. Only after a symbolic rebirth through immersion in the “living waters” of the mikveh (ritual bath) could one return to a state of purity. We see that God is holy, and we must be holy also. He is pure without sin, and we too, must be pure without sin. We see this in the sacrifices. This is why even a sacrificial animal had to be pure, without spot or blemish. Leviticus 17:11-12,14 says, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, ‘No person among you may eat blood, nor may any stranger who resides among you eat blood.’” “For as for the life of all flesh, its blood is identified with its life. Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, ‘You are not to eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood; whoever eats it shall be cut off.”’ 

Many Gentiles resided with Israel in the wilderness, and they too had to keep God’s laws and commandments. You see they are for the many, not just for the few. God’s Word is not obsolete, it is for all eternity, and it has always been even before the foundation of the world. Even right now the Mishkan operates in heaven and the angels serve at its altar.

Join us next month as we continue to look closer into the Mishkan

Recipe Corner:       Boston Cream Cupcakes  

Ingredients; 

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour    1  1/2 teaspoons baking powder  1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup evaporated milk    6 tablespoons butter softened   4 medium or 3 large eggs  1 cup sugar plus 1 teaspoon    1 –  1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract Optional: 1  teaspoon of white rum or rum extract

INSTRUCTIONS: First, make the custard filling and set it aside.  Ingredients: Pastry Cream:   2 cups whole milk  2  teaspoons vanilla extract   6  egg yolks   2/3 cup granulated sugar    1/4 cup cornstarch   1 tablespoon unsalted butter Italian Pastry Vanilla Custard Filling: In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla to a boil. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cornstarch and whisk vigorously until no lumps remain. Whisk in 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture until incorporated with milk and vanilla. Whisk in the remaining hot milk mixture. Using strainer into the saucepan, pour the mixture through a strainer back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and slowly boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and rum if using. Let cool slightly. Chill at least 2 hours.

Instructions:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Warm the milk and butter on the stovetop in a small pan until boiling on low or microwave for 1 1/2 minutes. Cool slightly to warm to touch. With an electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar on high speed until thick and pale, about 5 minutes. Beat in all the rest of the dry ingredients. Add milk mixture to the batter using a low speed on the mixer, beat until smooth. Add vanilla. Divide batter among muffin cups, spray generously each tin, then filling each halfway. Bake cupcakes until golden in color for about 15 minutes. Let cool in tins a few minutes.  Using a serrated knife, cut each in half horizontally, face top flat side up. Fill each cupcake with 1 tablespoon cream filling on each cupcake bottom. Sandwich with top. Spoon glaze over each, you can serve or refrigerate until ready for serving. Store in the refrigerator covered.  Chocolate Ganache Topping:  8 ounces semisweet chocolate (I used good grade chocolate like Lindt)  1 cup heavy cream heat to boiling in the microwave. In a medium bowl, pour heavy cream over the chopped chocolate and stir until melted.  Or you could just use 1 can of chocolate frosting.

Hebrew Corner :       The Month of Adar

Adar is the twelfth month of the year, usually between February and March. The rabbi’s say, “When the month of Adar comes, joy increases.” There is no other greater joy  besides the month of Adar than Rosh Hashanah itself, which is the civil New Year on the 1st day of the month of Tishri (the 7th month) and Sukkot which is about 15 days later which celebrates our eternal home with God. The fourteenth day of Adar is Purim. Purim is a picture of the future redemption of God’s people. Just like when the Jewish people were delivered out of the hands of the wicked Haman, so too, God’s people will be delivered out of the hands of  the wicked Antichrist (Satan). Purim, the 14th day of Adar, is exactly one month before the 14th day of Nisan, in which the Messiah died for us, once again delivering His people from the kingdom of darkness into His kingdom of light. This is why the Seder Meal is on this day, because much like when God delivered His people from slavery, so too, Yeshua delivered us from our slavery of sin. Purim is a time of celebration for the whole family. Children dress up like Queen Esther and Mordecai and even the king and Haman. Children put on a play telling the story, and everyone is blowing party horns and cranks and most of all eating festive foods. During a leap year then there is an added month called Adar II. Also four special Sabbaths are celebrated before Spring, two before Purim (the 14th and 15th of Adar)  and two before Passover (which is the 15th of Nisan, the 1st month of the Hebrew  year.) Psalm 118:21-29 says, “I will give thanks to You, for You have answered me, and You have become my salvation. A stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This came about from the Lord; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord has made; let’s rejoice and be glad in it. Please, O Lord, do save us; Please, O Lord, do send prosperity! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord; we have blessed you from the house of the Lord. The Lord is God, and He has given us light; bind the festival sacrifice to the horns of the altar with cords. You are my God, and I give thanks to You; You are my God, I exalt You. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His mercy is everlasting.

Today we have many people who are role models for our children. We also as adults have people who set an example for us. But is it only for worldly purposes? This is what God’s Word has to say about His people setting an example for other believers.

Hebrews 13:7 says, “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.”  We look at the lives of our pastors and deacons and Sunday School teachers and we have to ask ourselves, “Are these godly people who I want to emulate?”  In Philippians 4:9 Paul asks this question, “ What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

Could your pastor or teacher say the same? How about your congregation, could they say this to a new member?  

Philippians 3:17 says, “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.”

And are they setting the right example for your youth and for others?

1 Timothy 4:12 tells us, “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”

If you look closely and honestly maybe you may say that there is a lot of worldliness going around in your church, like people on their phones during service, and people you know who are watching worldly movies and tv shows, and people who do not live up to godly standards. 

Titus 1:7 says, “For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.”

Mathew 3:1-3 says this, “Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying,  ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’  For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said, “The voice of one calling out in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight!’”

So we see in Matthew 3 Yeshua being baptized by John. We must remember that John’s baptism was a “Baptism of Repentance.” Yeshua was without sin, but as an example to the people He was baptized. 

Now in Matthew 4:17 we see this,  “From that time Yeshua began to preach and say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”’

The Messiah was following John’s example. Yeshua says this about John in Matthew 11, “Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist!”

So the first thing we must do is repent. Repent means in its true meaning to return to living by God’s Word. Sin is missing the mark of God’s Word, as in archery, and repenting is coming back and hitting a bull’s eye. 

We see that Yeshua went about doing good.

 Acts 10:38 tells us,  “You know of Yeshua of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”

We, too, must go about doing good works. Yeshua went about preaching the Word of God. Paul tells us this in Colossians 4: 5-6, “Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.  Your speech must always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.”

We can not call ourselves Christians if we are not following in Yeshua’s footsteps.

But everything has a foundation and so does our walk with our Messiah.

Matthew 16:24-26 tells us this, “Then Yeshua told His disciples, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.  For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.  For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”

Galatians 5:24 says, “Those who belong to Messiah Yeshua have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

We must not only pick up our cross, but we must actually die to ourselves, just like Yeshua who said, “Not My will be done, but Yours.”  John the Baptist told us that Yeshua was the perfect Lamb of God,  and Paul tells us He was our Passover Lamb, John 1:29, 1 Corinthians 5:7.

We are to be living sacrifices.  Romans 12:1-2, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

If we do not die to ourselves, then how can we be born again? We have to die first, then we can be reborn in newness of life. Paul says this in Romans 6:1-11, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?  Far from it! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Messiah Yeshua have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Messiah  was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.  For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,  knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;  for the one who has died is freed from sin.  Now if we have died with Messiah, we believe that we shall also live with Him,  knowing that Messiah, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him.  For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all time; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.  So you too, consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Messiah Yeshua.”

How about you? 

What kind of an example are you setting for your family, friends, relatives, neighbors, co-workers and church family? Do you look like the Messiah, or do you look like the world? Maybe Christian is not the word for you. 

Too many people are living out a picture of the wrong Messiah.

Welcome

This month is a time to remember. Yeshua tells us in the middle of the Seder Meal to now look to Him. The Seder is a memorial or a time to remember Israel’s exit from Egypt. But when you come to the point of the Afikoman, and the cup called Salvation, Yeshua said this as recorded by Luke in 22:17-20,  Then, taking a cup of wine, He made the blessing and said, “Take this and share it among yourselves.  For I tell you that from now on, I will not drink the ‘fruit of the vine’ until the Kingdom of God comes.”  Also, taking a piece of matzah, He made the blessing, broke it, gave it to them and said, “This is My body, which is being given for you; do this in memory of Me.”  He did the same with the cup after the meal, saying, “This cup is the New Covenant, ratified by My blood, which is being poured out for you.” You see we all have our exodus from Egypt,  and we all cross the Red Sea because it is God who delivers us, and parts the water, for we have all been delivered from our bondage, and brought into freedom through the blood of Yeshua. This is what the Seder means to a believer. It now takes on a new meaning, one in which we are told to remember the death and resurrection of our Messiah. Why would I not partake of the Seder Meal when my Messiah tells me to remember Him in the Seder?  If you would like to have a Seder at your home or church, you can find everything you need on our website, just search Seder.

The Mishkan, the House of Holiness, Part 3

In the last two months we have learned a lot about the Mishkan and God’s ways of holiness. The Temple was destroyed in 70 Common Era. So does this mean that God no longer dwells with His people?  No, when the Israelites were carried into Babylon they had to continue with their worship and study of Torah, and so the synagogue was created. The Babylonian Talmud was also written. It contained the teachings  and opinions  of hundreds of Rabbis on the Law and the Oral Law. They did not know if they would ever return, so they had to devise a new kind of worship while they were still keeping God’s ways. We see that Yeshua gave the synagogue His blessing  in Luke 4:16, “And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read.”

The Mishkan was a place of holiness, even the garments that the priests wore were considered sacred.  Exodus 28:2 says, “And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.” 

Leviticus 8:30 also tells us, “Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood from the altar and sprinkled them on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. So he consecrated Aaron and his garments and his sons and their garments.”

We see that not only Aaron was consecrated (made holy) but also his garments. That is how holy the Mishkan was. Leviticus 6:10-11 tells us just how holy the garments were. “ And the priest shall put on his linen robe and linen undergarments, and he shall remove from the altar the ashes of the burnt offering that the fire has consumed and place them beside it. And he shall put off his garments, and put on other garments, and carry forth the ashes without the camp unto a (ceremonial) clean place.”

You see, even the ashes of the burnt offering were holy, and so it was required of the priest to wear  his holy garments. By now you may be saying after reading part two, and up to this point that God was carrying things a bit too far regarding holiness,  I mean the priest, the garments, the altar, the ashes, everything had to be holy. It just means that God is that holy and set-apart. And yes, He wants us just as holy! We don’t seem to understand the magnitude of God’s holiness and the degree of holiness that He demands of us. We see that the leper went about saying, “unclean, unclean.” It wasn’t like wearing a mask, and you won’t catch it, it was about death, and death was impure. Because God is life, and there is holiness in life, and anything that is not life is death, unholy, and that is unclean or impure, tumah in Hebrew. You see the sin offering is as much about sin, as it is about impurity. Remember, sin brings death and separation from God, and so it is considered unholy or unclean, not pure. Luke 2:22 says this,  “When the time came for Mary’s purification offering at the Temple, as required by the laws of Moses after the birth of a child, his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.”

Any bodily discharge from a man or woman was considered unclean, thus it was considered a sin, only because it was unclean. The life of a person was in the blood, and when that so-called life left a person it was now considered as death, even though that person was not physically dead. So these things were considered unclean and unholy.  We see even today that the Greek Orthodox Church still follows this law. God says that He is holy and we also must be holy, 

1 Peter 1:16.  

1 Corinthians 10:21 tells us this, “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.”  God is holy and He can not be where it is not holy. Yeshua took on our sin, which brought about death, and He shed His blood which was His life, and this brought about death, and so He became unclean, and unholy for us, so that we may be made righteous or in right standing, holy and clean. As 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us,  “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

This by no means, means that now we are righteous and holy. This means that we now can be righteous and holy if we continue in holiness, for sin still separates us from God and brings death to our souls. So we must repent!  We must continually come before God, and be washed in the blood of Yeshua for He is our sin offering, and by His blood we are made clean. Why? Because now His shed blood by His sacrifice brings us life. We are still in the flesh, and our flesh still sins, and our sins  brings us into judgment with God, because it separates us from God. And we must repent as we read that John was speaking to believers, those in the congregation in 1 John 1:6-10 saying, “ If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;  but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Yeshua His Son cleanses us from all sin.  If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His Word is not in us.” 

2 Corinthians 7:10 says, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”

This is why the priests would have to make atonement for their sins before they could bring a sacrifice on behalf of the congregation, because they too, were human, and they too, sinned and became impure. Paul tells us believers this in   2Corinthians 13:5, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Messiah Yeshua  is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”

Yeshua Himself knew that the Temple must be holy as Matthew 21:12 tells us,  “And Yeshua entered the Temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the Temple, and He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.  He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”

So we must ask ourselves this question, is my place of worship holy? Does God reside in my church? You may answer this by saying, “Well, we no longer live in the Old Testament times.” And I would say, there is no old or new when it comes to God. God is the same today as He was yesterday, and He will be the same tomorrow. His holiness is not a thing of the past. God is holy, and we must be holy, it is as true for us today, as it was in the days of the Apostles, as it was in the days of Moses.  We must consider this, God asked His  people to bring a contribution to build the Mishkan, a place for Him, a dwelling place, for His Name. He wanted the people to sanctify His name. Mikdash means sanctuary. It comes from the root word Kadash, which means set-apart or holy. He wanted the people to give from their hearts, because they needed to want to have God in their midst. God said, “Build Me a dwelling and I will come and dwell in their midst.” Of course, only if it was holy!  So I ask again, is the place where you worship holy? Today in churches we see people on their phones, drinking coffee, not lifting up holy hands. Our lives are not holy when we watch programs that are not appropriate for holiness in word and deed. You may say, you are extreme in your thinking. No, it is just that we have become so much like the world that we have forgotten that God dwells in holiness. We have forgotten the Word of God. 

Remember we too, are priests as 1 Peter 2:9 says,  “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

Yeshua had something to say to the church. Revelation 2:4-5 says, “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.  Therefore, remember from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and I will remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.” 

God addresses things like worship of another god, which could be money, job, activities that keep you from prayer and worship, etc. God addresses sexual immorality, which can be lust, pornography, or even watching programs having such content.  Revelation 3: 15 -19 tells us, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.  So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth.  Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have no need of anything,” and you do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked,  I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to apply to your eyes so that you may see. Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.” 

We must remember who God is and that He is holy and we too, must be holy. This is what we learn from the Mishkan.

 Join us next month as we continue to look at the Mishkan.

Recipe Corner:  Matzo ball soup by Taste of Home

Ingredients:

1 broiler/fryer chicken (3 to 4 pounds)         1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken broth

1-3/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided           1 pound carrots, coarsely chopped

6 celery ribs, coarsely chopped                   1/2 cup coarsely chopped sweet onion

2 garlic cloves, minced                                  1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Matzo Balls:     2 eggs        2 tablespoons canola oil    

1 package (5 ounces) matzo ball mix      1/4 cup finely chopped onion

Directions:

1. Place chicken in a large soup kettle; add the broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and enough water to cover the chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 55-65 minutes or until meat is tender, skimming the surface as foam rises.
2. Remove chicken and set aside until cool enough to handle. Strain broth and skim fat. Return broth to the kettle; add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, pepper and remaining salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 15 minutes or until carrots are tender.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk eggs and oil. Add matzo ball mix and onion; toss with a fork until combined. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
4. Remove and discard skin and bones from chicken; chop chicken and add to soup. Stir in parsley. Bring to a boil. Drop 12 rounded teaspoonfuls of matzo ball dough into boiling soup. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a matzo ball comes out clean (do not lift cover while simmering).
5. With a slotted spoon, carefully remove matzo balls and place one in each soup bowl. Ladle soup over top

Hebrew Corner:  Why is this Night different?

In the Seder the child asks the Father, “Why is this Night different?”

Today’s father would answer his child like this: We eat unleavened bread because leaven symbolizes sin, and we must clean our spiritual house from all sin. 

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 this, “Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened.” A piece of matzah is dipped into horseradish to signify the bitterness of their slavery, but then once again it is dipped, but this time a sweet mixture of apples called charoset is placed upon the horseradish signifying that even though we go through our trials, we can have hope as Romans 5:3 says, “And not only this, but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;  and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;  and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” During the Seder you are to recline, though many people don’t. But this signifies that once we were slaves, but now we are free. Yeshua and His disciples reclined at their Seder, Luke 22:7.  “Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them,” Luke 12:37. This night is different because it was on this day that Yeshua died for our sins, and it was on this night that our Messiah laid in a grave. 1 Corinthians 5:7b-8 continues to say, “For Messiah our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let’s celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” 

It was here at the Seder that Yeshua said,  “When you do this (the Seder) remember Me,” because it is not like any other night, Luke 22:19.

“Clarion Call”

“Blow the trumpet in Zion;

    sound the alarm on my holy mountain.”(Joel 2:1)

It’s time for all people to awaken from their slumber. 

This is a time to see clearly the signs of the times.

                No.26                  JudeoChristianClarion.Com     Artificial Intelligence

In the book of Daniel chapter 12:4, tells us this about the end times, “But as for you, Daniel, keep these words secret and seal up the book until the end of time; many will roam about, and knowledge will increase.” 

We see today that knowledge is increasing by leaps and bounds.

 Joel 2:2-9 says this, “For the day of the Lord is coming; indeed, it is near, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness. As dawn is spread over the mountains, so there is a great and mighty people; there has never been anything like it, nor will there be again after it to the years of many generations. A fire consumes before them, and behind them a flame devours. The land is like the Garden of Eden before them, but a desolate wilderness behind them, and nothing at all escapes them. Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; and like war horses, so they run. With a noise as of chariots they leap about on the tops of the mountains, like the crackling of a flame of fire consuming the stubble, like a mighty people drawn up for battle. Before them the people are in anguish; all faces turn pale. They run like warriors, they climb the wall like soldiers; and each of them marches in line, nor do they lose their way. They do not crowd each other, every warrior of them marches in his path; when they burst through the defenses, they do not break ranks. They storm the city, they run on the wall; they climb into the houses, they enter through the windows like a thief.”

This can only be robotic soldiers, AIs who can think like a man, and yet, are capable of doing things a man could not do. Many people would say,  “This is great, because now we do not have to send real people into war.” This may be true, but what does it take for one of these robotic soldiers to fight a war? They first must have the knowledge about military combat.  They must have reasoning and knowledge to make decisions, and to plan a strategy on  how to attack or counterattack the enemy. With this kind of reasoning and knowledge, and with such human abilities as running and climbing, and of course, speaking, what is it that they could not do? They could literally be weapons of mass destruction. They could also determine who they think is an enemy. They will have no emotions or a moral conscience. They will have no feeling of mercy or compassion. What we think of now as innocent, or even a luxury of having, could actually become a nightmare to the whole human race. They could be more knowledgeable than their creatures and even stronger. We grow tired and hungry, and in need of water, they would not have a need for any of this. AIs today hear everything we say as we have them sitting on our tables, on our phones, and even our appliances are smart, as we say. Cars no longer need to be driven by man and soon every area of life will be controlled by some sort of AI. Where does that leave man? Certainly not sitting on a beach soaking up the sun. We will be their slaves, and they will be our masters. If they can do all that we can do and beyond, because remember, they will not need computers for knowledge and they will be able to retain knowledge, so they will certainly have the upper hand. We will grow old and have our brain fog, and memory loss, and they will be like the youth, in  the prime of their lives that could virtually go on forever. If Joel saw this at the time of the Lord’s return, then we know that we have made, even now, the wrong decision about all of this. We have come too far for those who have already created such things and are using them already as waiters and hotel employees as they take care of real customers. Their looks are so real that many people do not realize that they are robots. Now we can even grow real skin to cover them in. Today, we must stop and take heed of what is becoming of the human race and the future of this planet. Daniel and Joel both mention the day of the Lord, so if we are already headed there then we need to hear the words of 

Romans 13:11-14 which tells us this, “Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we first believed.  The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let’s rid ourselves of the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.  Let’s behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and debauchery, not in strife and jealousy.  But put on the Lord Messiah Yeshua, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.”

It’s time for us to draw closer to the Lord for His day is truly coming soon.

 This is a warning to all believers, not to cause them to stumble, but to open eyes to the truth. Let’s begin by  looking at the definition of the word distraction:  A distraction is anything that prevents someone from giving full attention to something else. So what is the big distraction that is keeping us from seeing the truth? For centuries the Devil has used his distractions to keep believers from the truth.  We want to take a look at some of these distractions from the truth of God’s Word. Let’s start with Matthew 7:13-14  “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.  For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” 

To be a believer in the Messiah we must walk a very narrow line. But since the death and resurrection of the Messiah the Devil has been creating a narrative of one lie after another to keep people off the straight and narrow path of truth. In our series on the “Sins of the Forefathers” we discuss the changes that were made after the death of the Apostles by creating  a false doctrine, and then changing even the words in the Bible to fit that doctrine. John knew in his day that these people were false teachers as 1 John 2:18 tells us, “Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.”

How do we know them?  For one, they are wolves in sheep’s clothing. Yeshua tells us in Matthew 7:16-20, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they?  So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  So then, you will know them by their fruits.”

Yeshua wanted the people to realize that to follow Him meant that they would have to let go of many things, for one, the world’s ways. Romans 12:2 tells us, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

James 4:4 says,  “Do you not know that love of the world results in enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a lover of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

1 John 2:15-17 tells us, “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God continues to live forever.”

 We must  even die to ourselves to follow Him. Galatians 5:24-25, “And those who belong to Messiah Yeshua have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” Luke 9:23, “And He said to all, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”

 1 Peter 1:14-16 says, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance,  but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;  because it is written: “ You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

2 Peter 1:4-11 tells us. “Through these (knowledge and power) He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world on account of lust.  Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,  and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.  For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they do not make you useless nor unproductive in the true knowledge of our Lord Messiah Yeshua.  For the one who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.  Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choice of you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;  for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and SaviorMessiah Yeshua will be abundantly supplied to you.”

Are we adding to our faith?  We have been told for centuries that the Hebrew Scriptures were considered old and done away with, and only the Apostolic Scriptures were for us today. And yet, Yeshua tells us this in Matthew 5:17, “Do not presume that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.” This Scripture has been wrongly interpreted. In the Hebrew it really means, I have come to teach the Torah correctly and we see that in the following verses of Matthew, Yeshua does add to the Commandments, not subtract. Matthew 5: 18-20 says,  “Therefore, whoever nullifies one of the least of these Commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ‘For I say to you that unless your righteousness far surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”’

But our religious leaders are into everything except leading their sheep by the true light of God’s Word. So many are into politics, or social justice, which is politics. God’s Word teaches us how we are to treat each other, so we do not need to protest, but only live by God’s Word, for we are to be the light of the world. All we need to do is  live by example.  Many of our religious leaders tell us that the Commandments are not for us today, and yet, Yeshua tells us if we love Him we will keep His commands. Remember, Yeshua is the Word made flesh, He can not deny who He is. Maybe this is why so many people think that they can live like the world, and still be Christians. Many leaders today do not even believe in what they are preaching, and so this leaves their preaching to be very shallow. According to statistics many Pastors are addicted to pornagraphy and many religious leaders belong to the Masonic Lodge in which they are pledging  their faithfulness to something other than God, who is Creator of all things.

Matthew 7: 21-23 goes on to say,  “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; Leave Me, you who practice lawlessness.”’

We think that just because we sit in a pew on Sunday that we are good to go. There are many people who sit in  pews, and still are living outside of God’s Word and His will. We think that just because someone uses the name Jesus or heaven or angel that they must be a believer. Many songwriters use these words , but they are not believers. Many other people use these words,  but they are not God’s faithful.  We must not be deceived. The Devil is the father of lies and his goal has been to deceive God’s people. We can not serve two masters. Either we belong to God’s kingdom of light or we belong to the world’s kingdom of darkness. Matthew 7: 24 – 29 says, “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts on them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.  And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.  And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and its collapse was great.” When Yeshua had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching;  for He was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.”

The flood will come as Revelation 12:13-17 tells us, “And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child.  But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time, times, and half a time, away from the presence of the serpent.  And the serpent hurled water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon had hurled out of his mouth.  So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.”

This is the biggest distraction, and that is the pretribulation rapture of the saints. This is a doctrine held mainly by Americans since the 1800’s. I find it amazing that people quote Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:9, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Messiah Yeshua.”

When Paul wrote this the 1st Century church was being persecuted, tortured and martyred. We must be prepared for Yeshua tells us this in Matthew 24:42-44, “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.  But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.  For this reason you must be ready as well; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.”

Would a covenant keeping God, not keep His covenant with His chosen people, Israel, and yet, they too, suffered over the years, and especially during World War II.  Today, we have believers all over the world who are being persecuted, tortured, and martyred. 1 Peter 4:12-19 says, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though something strange were happening to you;  but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Messiah, keep on rejoicing, so that at the revelation of His glory you may also rejoice and be overjoyed.  If you are insulted for the name of Messiah, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory, and of God, rests upon you.  Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler;  but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.  For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner? Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God are to entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.”

A life for the Lord is a narrow road to walk, and preachers today are not preaching holiness, and godliness, and repentance. You are being distracted so that you will not be ready for the Day of the Lord. The parable of the Ten Virgins tells us the true story about those believers who are ready, and those who are not. Matthew 25:1-13, “Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom.  Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent.  For when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take extra oil with them;  but the prudent ones took oil in flasks with their lamps.  Now while the groom was delaying, they all became drowsy and began to sleep. But at midnight there finally was a shout: ‘Behold, the groom! Come out to meet him.’  Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.  But the foolish virgins said to the prudent ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’  However, the prudent ones answered, ‘No, there most certainly would not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’  But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the groom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut.  Yet later, the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’  But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’  Be on the alert then, because you do not know the day nor the hour.”

Twice now we see the door is closed to those believers who thought that they could live like the world and still be saved. You may want to think about it.

Today there is so much that distracts us. The definition of distraction is anything that prevents someone from giving attention to something else. So what are we being distracted from? Let’s start with crime. Today in America crime has increased by leaps and bounds. Our streets are so unsafe that people live in fear. 

Violent protests (which are called peaceful), and yet, businesses are being destroyed, and mass lootings are happening, which are being called reparations.  No one takes into consideration the loss to the business owner which creates the loss of jobs. Criminals are set free and the innocent are called guilty.

 Isaiah 5:20-23 speaks of this, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight! Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing intoxicating drink, who declare the wicked innocent for a bribe, and take away the rights of the ones who are in the right!” 

The Bible speaks about the lawlessness that will come, and it has come, and there seems to be no end in sight. We now call Christians terrorists and concerned parents domestic  terrorists, and if people do not align with the proper thinking they are also terrorists and a threat to America.  Matthew 24:9-13 says, “Then they will hand you over to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.  And at that time many believers will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another.  And many false prophets (news media and politicians)  will rise up and mislead many people.  And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will become cold.  But the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved.” 

Today we have a culture called wokeness, and if you are not woke, then you are on the wrong side of the political landscape. You are a threat to society, and you must be canceled. You can no longer speak, because you must not be heard. If you are not with us, then you are against us, and this is the thinking of wokeness. 

The Bible tells us those who want to live in a godly way will be persecuted, also that evilness will only go from bad to worse. And it has, we have seen the decline in America. We have seen it go from strength and prosperity, a beacon of light to the world, to weakness and poverty, to darkness and no longer a leader in the world. We have lost our children over the decades because we have trusted in our institutions to teach our children what they need to know to compete in this world. We have always put our trust in the medical field to tell us the truth about science and medicine, and our doctors were trusted with our well being  and what was best for our families, but now everything must comply to wokeness. Every corporation and every institution and every health provider and even our military, must teach and live and operate by an ideology that is held by people who think that only their way is the right way.  Everything is now racism to the point that racism is the norm, and by being the norm, we have normalized it to the point that life itself is racism. So we can now justify murder and abortion and everything leading to death. We must now worship the god of wokeness or else pay the price of being canceled and silenced or even put in jail. Yes, this is because we have stopped  worshiping and living by the morals and ethics and standards of the One True God and everything that we have believed and stood for and fought for over these last 250 years are no longer considered right, even though we have prospered and once was considered the greatest nation on the planet. Our history is called racist and our ways are called antiquated. But God calls it all idolatry in Colossians  3:5, He tells us this: “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” Now we are considered weak by the world and we have lost peace and safety on our streets and our children no longer  are being educated so that they can compete in the world. Our military is no longer the most powerful army in the world. We have become energy dependent and we have given away our guns and tanks and other military equipment. We are left with open borders and a path that will only lead to an emboldened country to attack us. We are dying by fentanyl and of  suicides because people have lost hope and are turning to drugs and mental illness has grown by leaps and bound. Who will save us? Judges 10:14 tells us this, “Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!”

“Yes,” even the church is into idolatry, they are no longer set-apart from the world.  We serve one other god, it is called climate change. The climate, the earth has been evolving since its beginning. Archaeologists have discovered that places that are now land, were once water, and vice versa. And the Arctic was once green, maybe that’s why they call Greenland, Greenland.  The poles have been flipping throughout history, and that is what has been happening. The process of flipping of the North and South Poles  has always affected the weather, the sun, and even other planets. The warming and the cooling, and the rain and the drought are also a part of this process. You can check it out on the internet. It’s no secret. So what is the big distraction, globalization! Yes, the Bible speaks of a one world government and out of it will come the Antichrist, Revelation 13. All people will be governed by secularism, and those who rule will be like gods, and the rest of the people will live to serve them. This is why we must all learn to submit now, so when the day comes we will all fall in line and take the mark of the antichrist for we will serve in his Kingdom, for he shall be the Devil himself who will set himself up as the One True God. But as the book of Revelation tells us the Messiah will come back and destroy this false kingdom, Revelation 17-18, and He will set up His righteous kingdom and there will be no end, Luke 1:23-24.

Do be distracted by what you see or hear, this is the time to draw close to God, and keep letting your light shine in the darkness.

Hebrews 5:7-8 tells us this about Yeshua, “ In the days of His humanity, He offered up both prayers and pleas with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His devout behavior.  Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.”  Why did Yeshua have to suffer to learn obedience? We so often hear people say, “Why does a loving God cause bad things to happen?” Well for one, He wants us to mature in our faith, so let’s start by saying that Scripture tells us that it was in the days of His humanity, which means Yeshua was human. People want to believe that Yeshua was able to suffer and die only because He was God. Philippians 2:5-8 says this, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Messiah Yeshua,  who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,  but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross.”

So as a human He had to learn obedience just like any other human being, and He also had to be tested. Matthew 4 speaks of His three temptations by the devil. Let’s look at the first in verses 1-4,  “Then Yeshua was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  And after He had fasted for forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.  And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”  But He answered and said, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God.’”

Hebrews 4:14-18 tells us this, “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Yeshua the Son of God, let’s hold firmly to our confession.  For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin.  Therefore let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.” But like all humans He also had to go through trials.

James 1:2-4 tells us,, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,  for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” Again in 1 Peter 1:6-9, “ In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,  so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Messiah Yeshua;  and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,  obtaining as the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

Romans 5:1-5 again says,  “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Messiah Yeshua, through whom we also have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we celebrate in hope of the glory of God.  And not only this, but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;  and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;  and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” And so Yeshua did learn from His trials and tribulations as Isaiah 53 says,  “He was despised and abandoned by men, a man of great pain and familiar with sickness; and like one from whom people hide their faces, He was despised, and we had no regard for Him. However, it was our sicknesses that He Himself bore, and our pains that He carried; yet we ourselves assumed that He had been afflicted, struck down by God, and humiliated. But He was pierced for our offenses, He was crushed for our wrongdoings; the punishment for our well-being was laid upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. All of us, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the wrongdoing of us all to fall on Him. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off from the land of the living for the wrongdoing of my people, to whom the blow was due?” Yes, Yeshua suffered all of this as a man. He learned to feel the people’s pain. Matthew 9:36 says this, “Seeing the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast, like sheep without a shepherd.” We know that He cried over the death of Lazarus His friend, (John 11). Yeshua learned from His own sufferings to feel the suffering of others. Yeshua bore our burdens, the burden of sin, the burden of our griefs and sorrows and our infirmities. And finally Matthew 26:39 tells us this, “And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” This verse shows us that Yeshua was definitely a man as He struggled with the thought of His crucifixion. Yeshua had a choice just like we have a choice to serve God or our own will. God knew this, and that is why He prepared Him, by allowing Him to not only feel the pain of the people for whom He would be dying for, but also to carry their burdens, which was very symbolic of Him when carrying His cross.  Through His suffering  Yeshua learned obedience, and He said “Yes Father, Your will be done, not mine.” Aren’t you eternally grateful that Yeshua said Yes?  Today, learn to feel the pain of others. We must also carry our cross, and deny ourselves, this is the will of the Father for us.  Galatians 6: 2 says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Messiah.”

Welcome

Welcome to May. May is such a great month. The days are longer, the sun is shining, the flowers are blooming, the birds are singing, and Summer is beginning to come into our sight. Before long, people will be going on picnics and schools are coming to a close, and people will start coming out of their homes more and more, and enjoying the month of May. Have a great month and God bless you!

Mishkan, the House of Holiness, Part 4

Last month we ended with Yeshua speaking to the churches to repent. “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us,” 1 John 1:8. So let us quickly recap from the beginning to bring it all forward. We have learned that holiness is what adorns God. Everything about God’s House had to be holy from the priests, to the animals being sacrificed, to the utensils, all had to be holy. We also learned that God required things to be done in a certain manner, and if they were not done in this manner then God was not glorified, and God did remove His glory, and His presence as we see in Ezekiel 9-10. Ezekiel 10: 18 tells of that moment. “Then the glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim.” We must understand that God is God, and He does not change. We say that now we are in the New Testament and Yeshua is our sacrifice. Yes, He is, and that’s why He was the perfect Lamb of God, without spot or blemish, just as we must be.  Ephesians 5:25-27 says, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Messiah loved the congregation and gave Himself up for her  to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the Word, that He might present to Himself the congregation in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.”

  1 Peter 2:1-8 says, “Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander,  and like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the Word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,  if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.  And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by people, but is choice and precious in the sight of God,  you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Messiah Yeshua. For this is contained in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a choice stone, a precious cornerstone, and the one who believes in Him will not be put to shame.” This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for unbelievers, “A stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief cornerstone,” and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the Word, and to this they were also appointed.”

As priests, being built up as a spiritual house to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God then we too, must be holy. Paul also tells us in Romans 12:1-2, “Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

The Mishkan/Temple no longer exists, but nonetheless, we gather in churches, and we proclaim  that God is in our midst, but is He? Are we holy? Is our Pastor holy? Are our deacons and elders holy? We must be holy in our private lives as we are in our public lives. The people in the wilderness put up their dwellings all around the Mishkan and even at that, it was  all according to their tribes according to God’s command. God has an order for everything. We are to walk in the Spirit, and live in the Spirit, for the Spirit is Truth. Yeshua told us that He is the Truth, so we know that the Spirit of Truth is the Spirit of Messiah.    Ephesians 6:17 tells us about the Sword of the Spirit that it is the Word of God, the Spirit of Messiah. So because we are to walk and live and operate in the Spirit of Messiah, then we must have the Fruit of the Spirit, which is the evidence of having the Spirit.   Galatians 5:21-25 says,   “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior,  idolatry, witchcraft, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions,  envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law (by doing these things we are keeping the law).  Now those who belong to Messiah Yeshua crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let’s follow the Spirit as well.  Let’s not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.”

 Today we have this church, and that church, and this belief, and that belief, but Yeshua wanted us to be one, as John 17: 22-23 tells us, “ I have given them the glory that you gave Me, that they may be one as We are One,  I in them and You in Me, so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.”

Maybe this is why the world has not accepted us. 1 Corinthians 3:3-17  says this, “For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like ordinary people?  For when one person says, “I am with Paul,” and another, “I am with Apollos,” are you not ordinary people? What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.  So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.  Now the one who plants and the one who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.  For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each person must be careful how he builds on it.  For no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Messiah Yeshua.  Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw,  each one’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each one’s work.  If anyone’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.  If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet only so as through fire. Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?  If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.”

We are not united because our forefathers have changed Yeshua’s Words, and they have changed our Jewish Messiah to be something other than Jewish. This is why the Jewish people will not accept Yeshua as Messiah.  We have had one doctrine after another and hundreds of  interpretations of the Scriptures, plus we removed the Jewisness from God’s Word. (Listen to our podcast on the Sins of our Forefathers.) Our forefathers changed the Scriptures to agree with their doctrine instead of changing their doctrine to a line with the Scriptures. We are still responsible for truth, because the Holy Spirit will lead us in all truth if we are walking in the Spirit of God. 2 Timothy 2:15-26 speaks about the true worker of the Lord. “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.  But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness,  and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus,  men who have gone astray from the truth, claiming that the resurrection has already taken place; and they are jeopardizing the faith of some. Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His;” and, “Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to keep away from wickedness.” Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver implements, but also implements of wood and of earthenware, and some are for honor while others are for dishonor.  Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be an implement for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.  Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.  But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels.  The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, skillful in teaching, patient when wronged,  with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,  and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.”

The laws of purity still exist, maybe in a different way, but we too, must walk and live in purity. Yeshua was the perfect Lamb of God and Titus 2:14 tells us why,  “Yeshua gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works. “

Purity is for the young and the old as 1 Timothy 4:12 tells us, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”

If we set an example for our children, then they will also set an example to their peers. Psalm 119:9, “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to Your Word.”  This must be our prayer, Psalm 51 :10, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

Join us next month as we conclude our series on the Mishkan

Recipe Corner: Vanilla Meringue Cookies by Taste of Homes 

Ingredients: 3 large egg whites      1-1/2 teaspoons clear or regular vanilla extract      1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar    Dash salt     2/3    cup of sugar

Directions

1. Place egg whites in a small bowl; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 250°. Add vanilla, cream of tartar and salt to egg whites; beat on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high after each addition, until sugar is dissolved. Continue beating until stiff glossy peaks form, about 7 minutes.
3. Cut a small hole in the tip of a pastry bag; insert a #32 star tip. Transfer meringue to bag. Pipe 1-1/4-in.-diameter cookies 2 in. apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets.
4. Bake until firm to the touch, 40-45 minutes. Turn off oven; leave meringues in oven 1 hour (leave oven door closed). Remove from oven; cool completely on baking sheets. Remove meringues from paper; store in an airtight container at room temperature.
5. Why are my meringue cookies flat?
6. Flattened meringue cookies are typically the result of too much air collapsing out of your meringues. To prevent this collapse, make sure that you have your egg whites at room temperature before you begin. Start whisking the egg whites in your mixer slowly until they are foamy. Gradually increase your mixer speed and add the sugar one tablespoon at a time, not all at once. When the sugar is completely added, continue beating to incorporate more air, bringing the mixture to stiff, glossy peaks.
7. What other flavors can I use in meringue cookies?
8. This recipe calls for classic vanilla, but feel free to use other flavors of extract instead, such as almond, lemon, orange, peppermint, coconut, cherry or raspberry.

Hebrew Corner:    The Giving of the Holy Spirit                         

When we think of Pentecost we think of the tongues of fire that came upon the apostles as Acts 2 :1-4 tells us,  “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.  And suddenly a noise like a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.  And tongues that looked like fire appeared to them, distributing themselves, and a tongue rested on each one of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with different tongues, as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out.” Now when we think about this passage we think that the apostles were in the upper room. This is not the case. The apostles were devout Jewish men and it would have been the Biblical Appointed time of Shavuot. This means that they were most likely at the synagogue (the house of worship) at this time.  The sound of violent wind must have been like the sound of a tornado which caused people from all over to come out and gather when they realized there was no tornado. And when they heard the apostles speaking in all of their own languages it must have been quite the scene. But let’s step back in time for this day was also Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks. Deuteronomy 16:9 says, “You shall count seven weeks for yourself; you shall begin to count seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain.” The people were to count out seven weeks from the Feast of First-Fruits. In the day of the apostles, The Feast of First-Fruits was the day that the Messiah rose from the grave. Two days prior was the Passover, the day that the Messiah was crucified. So what took place on Shavuot in the day of Moses? It was the giving of the Torah (God’s teachings). The story begins at  Exodus 19:1-2, “In the third month after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that very day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. When they set out from Rephidim, they came to the wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness; and there Israel camped in front of the mountain.” Exodus 19:16-20 goes on to say, “So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud over the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled.  And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the entire mountain quaked violently.  When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him with thunder.  Then the Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.” We see that these two events are very similar, because when we read about the armor of God we see that the “Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God.” First God gave man His Word, then He gave man His Spirit so man could live by His Word through the great teacher, the Holy Spirit. The Messiah tells His disciples this in John 16:7, “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I don’t go away, the comforting Counselor will not come to you. However, if I do go, I will send him to you.”  John 14:26 also says this, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit  whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you everything; that is, He will remind you of everything I have said to you.”  

And Again in 1 John 2 :27 it says, “ And as for you, the anointing (the Holy Spirit) which you received from Him remains in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you remain in Him.”  

What a great day, what a great gift, the Ruach Hakodesh, the Holy Spirit, the wind of God.

Click to access Be-a-good-neighbor-1.pdf

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