Back to The Way - Day 164
Here's a sneak preview of the latest batch of questions sent to our clever "messianic rabbis". The answers should be published by the end of December. If you have any burning questions of your own, why not email them to steve@saltshakers.com
1. Should believers keep kosher? Isn’t it down to a misunderstanding of scripture and promoted by the Talmud, which surely Christians should not put on par with Holy Scripture?
2. What are your views about Christians applying Old Testament verses to today’s church or for individuals as prophecies or words of knowledge? Is this not taking scripture out of context?
3. What is the spiritual justification for Israel’s return to the land, didn’t it have to be preceded by repentance?
4. What was the alcohol content of wine produced in ancient times? When the scripture talks about mingling wine, what does it mean? How was wine stored during the time of Jesus – barrels, leather pouches, ceramic containers?
5. Were the Wise men actually Ishmaelites?
6. As a gentile I want to know must I live only according to the Torah. Must I stop going to church, am I allowed to use the Name Jesus, or only the Hebrew names of the Lord?
7. Where is John the Baptist buried?
8. Do you believe in the Rapture?
9. If, in Matthew 23:8 Jesus says that you are not to be called “Rabbi”, why do many in the messianic movement call themselves “rabbi”?
10. My husband is a traditional Christian and does not agree with my messianic beliefs, he thinks that I am going back into legalism. He is very aggressive in his attitude. What are the rabbis view on submission (Eph 5:22) in this situation?
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Keeping Kosher
I agree. I would think keeping kosher would just be adding a legalism to our walk with Y'shua. When you are in Y'shua, you are liberated from the law, therefore this would be a complete waist of time.
Keeping Kosher
Hi Larry, Far from being liberated from the Law (ie Torah) Yeshua stated that he had not come to abolish Torah but to be its fullfillment. There is no pick and mix, you either accept it in its entireity or not at all.
Charles
keeping Kosher
First of all the Torah was given to the Jew not the gentiles. Yes Y'shua fulfilled the Torah. If you are inY'shua the Messiah the Torah is written on our hearts. We are not commanded to keep the Torah, because we are now under gracer. The Torah was/is the law of sin and death. Those of us who are in Y'shua are no longer bond by the Torah, but are free in Y'shua. I'm not saying not tobe kosher if you want to, it not going to help you with your salvation, only recieveing Y'shua as savior will.
Keeping kosher
Shalom, Larry,
The Torah was given to all Israel (not just the Jews, i.e. Judah) and to the mixed multitude of gentiles that came out of Egypt with them (Exodus 12:38).
"Legalism" as described in Scripture is the requirement of keeping the Law (Torah) in order to be saved. We as believers know from Scripture that this is NOT true. Paul's letter to the Galatians is entirely devoted to this topic. You are entirely correct about kosher not helping anyone with their salvation! :)
That being said, gentile believers have been grafted into Israel (Rom 11:24), adopted into Israel (Rom 9:4, Gal 4:5, Eph 1:5), and made part of the commonwealth of Israel (Eph 2:11-13). Now that we, too, are the Israel of God (Gal 6:16), we have kingdom responsibilities.
Just as if we had renounced our citizenship in our current nation and moved to England and would abide by the kingdom rules there, we have renounced our citizenship to the world and are now part of God's kingdom and should obey His kingdom rules. Our obedience to Torah is not FOR salvation, it is a CONSEQUENCE of our salvation.
A kingdom without rule and order is chaos and confusion and we know that God is not a God of confusion (1 Cor 14:33). Fortunately we have been given God's mitzvot (good works) which we were created in Messiah Yeshua to perform (Ephesians 2:10).
For those who might tell you that you are going back "under the Law", consider what Scripture says about "under the Law": http://www.psalm11918.org/articles/wssa/underTheLaw.htm
Blessings, sir! :)
Keeping kosher
Shalom, Larry,
The Torah was given to all Israel (not just the Jews, i.e. Judah) and to the mixed multitude of gentiles that came out of Egypt with them (Exodus 12:38).
"Legalism" as described in Scripture is the requirement of keeping the Law (Torah) in order to be saved. We as believers know from Scripture that this is NOT true. Paul's letter to the Galatians is entirely devoted to this topic.
That being said, gentile believers have been grafted into Israel (Rom 11:24), adopted into Israel (Rom 9:4, Gal 4:5, Eph 1:5), and made part of the commonwealth of Israel (Eph 2:11-13). Now that we, too, are the Israel of God (Gal 6:16), we have kingdom responsibilities.
Just as if we had renounced our citizenship in our current nation and moved to England and would abide by the kingdom rules there, we have renounced our citizenship to the world and are now part of God's kingdom and should obey His kingdom rules. Our obedience to Torah is not FOR salvation, it is a CONSEQUENCE of our salvation.
A kingdom without rule and order is chaos. Fortunately we have been given God's mitzvot (good works) which we were created in Messiah Yeshua to perform (Ephesians 2:10).
For those who might tell you that you are going back "under the Law", consider what Scripture says about "under the Law": http://www.psalm11918.org/articles/wssa/underTheLaw.htm
Blessings, sir! :)
Acts 15
I know that a tangerine branch grafted onto an orange tree does not produce oranges, rather, tangerines. And, an apple branch grafted onto a pear tree does not produce pears, but apples. I would assume that a wild olive grafted onto a cultivated olive tree will not produce cultivated olives, but instead it will produce wild olives
You and the web-site you reference seem to have forgotten the controversy found in Acts 15 and the teaching of the Leaders of the Way there. The only requirements of the Law placed on Gentiles as a result of this the first Council was "You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things." (You can find the whole letter written to Gentile believers by the Apostles and Elders in verses 23 and following.)
The Law does not save and never has. It merely teaches us what is sin. While Gentiles are not under the Law and Sons of Israel are, we are all to obey Jesus' commands that is to love God and to love our neighbor. Jesus teaches us that the ten commandments are encapsuled in these commands of His. We are to obey these whoever we are.
Acts 15, all us believers and the law.
Very true about grafted branches and fruit production. I believe that this should be a reminder of what this site should be about, all of us staying connected to the source, and not trying to become what we are not( in simpler terms, we gentiles are NOT jews). Acts 15 cannot be ignored in any sense, but some clarification is warranted on your statement. " Jesus teaches us that the ten commandments are encapsuled in these commands of His. We are to obey these whoever we are." Remember, Jesus said He did not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it. That means He came to show us The Way. His Way. Not our way. Also, Matt. 5:17 "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.
18 "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
19 "Whoever then annuls 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." What we do does count if God's eyes, but it is the why that concerns Him far more than the what. May God bless your every step and thought.
Rick Seigmund.
Abolishing the Law (TORAH)
Matthew 5:17 should probably be translated: I did not come to give the wrong interpretation of the Torah, but I came to give you the proper interpretation. The Pharrisee's as well as other religious leaders were adding fences to the Torah, making it difficult (tradditions of men). Yeshua came to make the burden lite. Even today religous leaders are putting yokes on believers that are difficult. The thing that makes the Commandments of God difficult is when our eyes are on this world. The whole point of Torah is to show us God's nature and love for mankind.
Did not come to do away with the Law (TORAH)
It probably should read: I (Yeshua) did not come to give the wrong interpretation of the Torah but I came to give you the correct interpretation I have read that when the Jewish men would meet and discuss Torah, when they would agree, they would state that you are fulfiiling the Torah, and in disagreement you would be wrongly interpreting the Torah, or doing away with the Torah. Please correct me if I am wrong.