During lunch, I thought I would take some time to address the many comments in the back of the Book that seem to say all of God’s laws are done away with, but it’s not everything. These are most of the misunderstood Scriptures that others will feel it confirms their confirmation bias. A quick look at the context will clarify.
But First, a piece of the letter to Timothy:
1Ti 1:5 ¶ Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: 6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;
–This is not talking about the commandments of God. It is talking about the charges or instructions from Shaul.
7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm. 8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; 9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; 11 According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.
–Shaul told Timothy the Instructions were good if used lawfully. Which means there is a way to use it UNlawfully. Namely, in 2 ways; by adding things to it or taking away from it. We are also warned strongly in many places not to use the Word for vainglory, ie. for the sake of heeping ourselves up as teachers who don’t even know the deep meaning of that which we teach.
So, to the scripture ideas that seem to contradict Torah observance. This is how twisted many can be in their eisogesis. I will give the general idea people have about the law and then Scripture that they misunderstand that leads them to that conclusion:
Acts
The law is an unbearable yoke. (Acts 15:10) –The laws of the Pharisees were an unbearable yoke, not the law of Yahweh.
Romans
The law reveals sin but cannot fix it. (Romans 3:20) –The law could NEVER, nor WAS ever intended to fix sin.
If the law worked then faith would be irrelevant. (Romans 4:14) –this is a terrible eisogesis of this verse. The law, again, was not intended to exist without faith. And for those who say there is no law, they should then stop saying there is such a thing as “sin”. Ro 4:15 for where no law is, there is no sin.
The law brings wrath upon those who follow it. (Romans 4:15) – not true. The wrath and curse is upon those who do NOT. It has ALWAYS been that way.
The purpose of the law was to increase sin. (Romans 5:20) –not true. The law came alongside the increasing sin that reigned unto death, and so grace could work with righteousness. English translations are terrible sometimes.
Christians are not under the law. (Romans 6:14) –not true. We are no longer under the penalty for breaking the law or the compulsion of the law. BIG difference. We are invited to love His instructions and be a set apart people.
Christians have been delivered from the law. (Romans 7:1-6) –not true. We are delivered from the penalty and invited to trust and obey in love, not compulsion.
The law is good, perfect and holy but cannot help you be good, perfect or holy. (Romans 7:7-12) – not true. It DOES make you set apart when you try to follow it. But no one is good or perfect.
The law which promises life only brings death through sin. (Romans 7:10) –Usually if we keep things in context, scripture clears itself up: Ro 7:13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid
The law makes you sinful beyond measure. (Romans 7:13) –not true. It shows you that the heart of man is wicked beyond measure.
The law is weak. (Romans 8:2-3) –not true. It is the flesh that was week through which the law was to be adhered to.
2 Corinthians
The law is a ministry of death. (2 Corinthians 3:7) –yes, a “teacher” of/ about death.
The law is a ministry of condemnation. (2 Corinthians 3:9) –yes, a “teacher” of/ about sin.
The law has no glory at all in comparison with the New Covenant. (2 Corinthians 3:10) –yes, if it is a “teacher” of/ about death and glorious, how much more now is the teaching of the Spirit of the law?
The law is fading away. (2 Corinthians 3:11) –yes, the mode of compulsion by death was transferred to invitation in and by love.
Anywhere the law is preached it produces a mind-hardening and a heart-hardening veil. (2 Corinthians 3:14-15) –yes, that is where the Spirit comes in and convicts us. That is the job of the Spirit, after the law is heard.
Galatians
The law justifies nobody. (Galatians 2:16) –that’s true. Our justification is by faith in Yeshuah.
Christians are dead to the law. (Galatians 2:19) –christians are dead to the law THROUGH the law, by obedience in love after dying with Messiah in baptism.
The law frustrates grace. (Galatians 2:21) –not true. It is not the law that frustrated grace, Shaul was saying that HE would frustrate grace by teaching that righteousness comes through the law, not by faith.
To go back to the law after embracing faith is “stupid”. (Galatians 3:1) –not at all what is said here. It is “stupid” to think that the Spirit comes from obeying the law. Ga 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
The law curses all who practice it and fail to do it perfectly. (Galatians 3:10) –yes, those who practice the law still in compulsory, fear and flesh are still cursed. NOT those of us who try to walk it out in faith, love and Spirit.
The law has nothing to do with faith. (Galatians 3:11-12) –not true. Let us take the whole context and not the points:
Ga 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. 18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. 19 ¶ Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. 21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. 22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
–the covenant is renewed, not disannulled. It is appended to remove the penalties. The penalties were appended to the original covenant temporarily.
–the law is not against the covenant, it was part of the covenant. The penalties were not. And now they are removed.
–now, anyone who believes can enter the covenant through faith in Yeshuah and commandments of Yahweh (Rv 7 and 14).
–before Yeshua, the law kept them by itself through faith, with penalty. After Yeshua, it is the same, but there is no penalty.
–without the Spirit on all the nation, they needed a tutor. Now, the Spirit teaches us.
–without the Spirit on all the nation, they needed a tutor. Now, the Spirit teaches us.
The law was a curse that Christ redeemed us from. (Galatians 3:13) –not true, Messiah redeemed us from the curse of disobeying the law
The law functioned in God’s purpose as a temporary covenant from Moses till John the Baptist announced Christ. (Galatians 3:16 & 19, also see… Matthew 11:12-13, Luke 16:16)—not true. The covenant is eternal and has been renewed. It is the penalties that are temporary, NOT the covenant.
If the law worked God would have used it to save us. (Galatians 3:21) –true, there is no law that could have “saved us”. If there were, Yahweh would have made one.
The law was our prison. (Galatians 3:23) –that’s not at all what this scripture says. It says the law kept the Jews, which is a good thing.
The law makes you a slave like Hagar. (Galatians 4:24) –gross misunderstanding. This passage says there are 2 covenants now: one where the law is followed in the flesh, and one that is followed by those who practice law in the Spirit, after being born “from above”, which is where the renewed covenant is.
Ephesians
Christ has abolished the law which was a wall of hostility (Ephesians 2:15) –not true. The wall of hostility is between the 2 men that Yeshua came to make ONE new man; to unite Judah and Joseph. The wall of hostility was that Israel had a decree, an ordinance against them for breaking the law.
Philippians
Paul considered everything the law gained him as “skybalon” which is Greek for “poop”. (Philippians 3:4-8) –Shaul is saying here that to claim all of his glory and perfection in the law without having the Spirit of Messiah would be worthless now that Messiah had come.
Hebrews
The law is weak, useless and makes nothing perfect. (Hebrews 7:18-19) –this is specifically talking about Levitical priesthood law, which has been superceded by the High Priest, Yeshuah.
God has found fault with it and created a better covenant, enacted on better promises. (Hebrews 8:7-8) –what could be better than an eternal covenant made by Yahweh without the consultation or dependency of any man? There is no better covenant, there is a better mode of adhering to it now.
It is obsolete, growing old and ready to vanish. (Hebrews 8:13) –context tells us the better translation is that what is old is being “repealed”. In other words, the penalty appended to the law are repealed at the Resurrection.
It is only a shadow of good things to come and will never make someone perfect. (Hebrews 10:1) –Shadows are how Yahweh speaks to us about the future, and how He reminds us of the past. The law is not to make us perfect, it is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
So there is almost every argument against the Truth, that can be taken straight out of the Word itself and used against itself; by taking it out of context, using eisogesis and ignoring early history over later history. I used to believe ALL of these lies about the law. But as soon as one realizes that there is no such thing as a “church” that is separate from the assembly of Israel, everything makes perfect sense that, before, only made partial sense by adding to the Word the doctrines of men. When that light is shining, all the darkness went away.
It’s not impossible to be fully Torah-observant; that is a lie that the enemy introduced to the church: To make it “impossible” in order to help the back story of “nullification”. It’s impossible for a man to follow menstrual instructions. It’s impossible for a woman to practice instructions to men. It’s impossible for ALL of us to practice instructions for the Levitical priesthood because there is no temple and we aren’t sons of Aaron as far as we know (although we are finding genetic sons of Aaron in Africa recently, which might be part of Yahweh’s plan in the near future because clearly the Levitical instituted sacrifices are happening in the Millennium in Isaiah 65 and 66 ). But the Levitical law was temporary, awaiting the ultimate sacrifice while pointing to it at the same time. That’s what Hebrews is all about.
In Mt 19:20, Mr 10:20, Lu 18:21 we have a rich man who says he kept all of the commandments since his youth (probably why he was rich). Yeshuah came to be an example for us and He kept all of the commandments perfectly per 1 Pe 2:22 and many others. Yeshuah said that they are not only obtainable, they are actually easy in Mt11:30. Shaul (Paul) said we can do ALL things in Messiah (including keeping all the commandments). And as another example for us to follow, Shaul said that he didn’t do anything against the customs of his fathers in Acts 28:17.
Let’s consider scriptures written by Shaul which clearly show his strong endorsement of God’s law:
“…the doers of the law will be justified,” said Shaul (Rom.2:13).
“Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not!” said Shaul (Rom.3:31).
“…by the law is the knowledge of sin,” said Shaul (Rom.3:20).
“…the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good…the law is spiritual,” said Shaul (Rom.7: 12,14).
“For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man,” said Shaul (Rom.7:22).
“…with the mind I myself serve the law of God,” said Shaul (Rom.7:25).
“Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters,” said Shaul (I Cor.7:19).
“For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work,” warned Shaul (II Thess.2:7). And why would Shaul warn about lawlessness, if he thought that the law had been done away?!
“Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ,” said Shaul (I Cor.11:1). Yes, Shaul—Apostle to the Gentiles—imitated Messiah, and instructs us to do likewise! So, since we are to imitate Messiah—and Messiah lived in obedience to God’s law —then that clearly means that we too are to obey God’s spiritual law.
Shaul likewise said, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philip.2:5). And he continues, in verse 8, explaining what kind of mind Messiah had—a mind that was “obedient to the point of death.”
Shaul speaks of those who break specific commandments in God’s law, and says that they who (unrepentantly) commit such acts will not “inherit the kingdom of God” (I Cor.6: 9-10; Gal.5: 19-21).
As we’ve already seen, Shaul was accused by some of being anti-law. So, James (Jacob) told Shaul to do certain things “that all may know… that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the law” (Acts 21:24).
Shaul told young Timothy that “from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation” (II Tim.3:15). Here, Shaul was referring to the Old Testament, since that was the only scriptures that Timothy had known from childhood. So , now, thirty some years after the crucifixion, Shaul was referring to the Old Testament as “scripture,” and he said that those scriptures make one “wise for salvation”—and he told Timothy to “…continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of” (verse 14).
Shaul saw no conflict between Old Testament scripture and Christian faith and practice, and confirmed that ALL Scripture (including the Old Testament) is profitable for doctrine and for instruction in righteousness. These are not the words of someone teaching that God’s Old Testament laws have been done away!
“So when they had appointed him [Shaul] a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets [i.e., from the Old Testament], from morning till evening” (Acts 28:23). So, here we see that Shaul preached the kingdom of God and Jesus from the Old Testament.
Let’s now focus on some scriptures which prove that Shaul kept the seventh day Sabbath, as well as the annual holy days of God AFTER Yeshuah ascended to the right hand of the Father (as summarized in Leviticus chapter 23):
“And he [Shaul] reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks” (Acts 18:4).
“There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest [Greek ‘sabbatismos’] for the people of God,” said Shaul or a scribe close to him (Heb.4:9, NIV).
Acts chapter 13 also shows that Shaul kept the Sabbath.
As for the annual holy days of Leviticus 23, the following scriptures show that these days were observed by Shaul:
“but [Shaul] took leave of them, saying, ‘I must by all means keep this coming feast [of Passover] in Jerusalem’” (Acts 18:21).
“But we sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread,” said Shaul (Acts 20:6).
“For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost” (Acts 20:16).
“But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost,” said Shaul (I Cor.16:8).
Pentecost is the Greek word that replaced Shavuot or the feast of weeks (50 days of countdown to celebrating the giving of Torah on Mt Sinai/ Hebron). Just like the pagan festival easter replaced Pesach (Passover supper, see Ac 12:4 in the original language), and the pagan “Christmas” season replaced the fall feasts of Yahweh- especially sukkot.
When Yeshuah came the first time, He fulfilled the Spring feasts of Yahweh. Then the Holy Spirit (the Ruach haKodesh) was sent by Yeshuah, fulfilling the Summer feast of Yahweh. When Yeshuah returns (soon), He is coming to fulfill the fall feasts of Yahweh. When He does, millions of Christians will be having their Christmas ham, their yule, their tree with decorated testacles etc. I know that no one celebrates Christmas thinking about the pagan parts and roots of it. Neither did the Israelites when they made the golden calf (See Exodus 32). But the Remnant will be in the wilderness together observing the appointed times and seasons that we were always intended to observe since Genesis:
Ge 1:14 ¶ And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs (signals), and for seasons (appointed times), and for (Sabbath) days, and (Jubilee) years:
The remnant will absolutely have the “faith of Jesus and the commandments of God” in the last days. https://homegroups.org/the-remnant/
