“But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman,
born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.”
(Galatians 4:4-5)

04 / 11 / 09
(Comments in parentheses and emphasis within Scriptures are mine.)

FIRST THOUGHT:

There was a reason why I picked the above passage to open with for this week’s “misunderstood passage”. Mary was born under the Law. Was that bad? Of course not. To be considered “under the Law” simply meant that they were children of God waiting for the Messiah to come. Let me ask you, did God send His Son to redeem everyone, regardless of if they ever accept Him? Of course not (Do not misunderstand this … This gift is available for all men, but ONLY His true children will be redeemed). So God sent His Son, born of a woman (of Israel) to redeem those who will turn to Him (Israel) that we might receive the full rights of sons, having been redeemed by grace through faith. It was a good thing at this time to be called “under the Law”. Let us examine this week’s passage with eyes and ears that are ready to learn more of what pleases God:.

THIS WEEK’S MISUNDERSTOOD PASSAGE:

“For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.” (Romans 6:14)

Notice that this verse does NOT say that the LAW will not be your master, but sin (sin is determined by the Law – “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.” (1 John 3:4)). The simple question posed by this passage is, “Who are you under?” Recall my opening thought that BELIEVING ISRAELITES (whether a Jew or a Gentile) were known as “Those under the Law”. This is NOT a negative designation as many see it today. Instead, this usage of the word “under” means as a tutor. The Law being spoken of in this tense is “on stone”. It was their tutor, or counselor, until the LIVING Tutor, Yeshua (Jesus) came with His Counselor (the Spirit). The way the term “under the Law” is used here is to identify those who were saved by faith because He gave His law to His children who were saved by faith by putting the blood on their doorposts so that the “death angel” would “Pass over” them.

Still need more proof? Examine Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 9:20, when he was explaining that he will be all things to all people. Here, he mentions THREE groups of people: The unsaved Jews, the saved Jews (of which He is one), and Gentiles: “To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.” I know, I know. If you are checking out your Bibles, most have Paul claiming that “though I myself am not under the law”. This simply did not make sense, though, because Paul follows this up with “though I am not free from God’s law”. If we think about it, Paul should have said he was part of the first group … since he was a Jew. BUT, he “became like a Jew” and then follows up after those “under the Law” as saying: “This is my group, since I still have to tell them about the Messiah has come.” When this did not make sense, I decided to dig for truth and found that the word “NOT” ISN’T IN THE ORIGINAL TEXT! It was actually added by the translator who, of course, had his or her own doctrines and beliefs. Now that we know this, we see clearly that Paul is identifying himself with THIS group … those living by faith and obeying the Law out of that faith.

Being “under the Law” simply means that they were given the Law on stone to obey. The Law on stone was their tutor, or supervisor. They were commanded to put this Law in their hearts, themselves. They did not have the Spirit to do this since the Spirit had not yet been given: “… Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Yeshua (Jesus) had not yet been glorified.” (John 7:39) But now that the Spirit has come and through FAITH dwells within us, He (the Spirit) is writing the SAME laws on our hearts, so we are no longer “under” the Law (written on stone): “Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the Law.” (Galatians 3:25) This does NOT mean that the Spirit was not at work in the lives of believers before this time. It was just in a different capacity. This understanding is further explained in 2 Corinthians 3:3: “… written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” The SAME Law is being spoken of, but with different applications. The Law of God as given through Moses and the Prophets was perfect and just. As I stated previous, that is why Paul concludes when speaking about being like a Gentile to win them over in 1 Corinthians 9:21: “To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.” I believe that Christ’s Law is that the Jews and Gentiles are ONE in Him (the members of Israel) and that we are to love each other (a Jew is to love the Gentile believer, and vice-versa). Many do not realize that THIS was one of the reasons He came.

1) “He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Yeshua (Jesus) would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together AND MAKE THEM ONE.” (John 11:51-52)
2) “HIS PURPOSE was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.” (Ephesians 2:15-16) The Jews (with all their laws and regulations that they added over time) were hostile to the Gentiles who desired to know the true God. God’s Laws were NEVER hostile to the believing alien that sojourned with them. On the contrary, the Laws of Moses were compassionate to those who were not physical descendants of Jacob, yet lived by faith. As we see, Yeshua’s purpose was to create in Himself, ONE new man out of the two.
3) This is why, when a believing Jew carries the burden of a believing Gentile (or vice-versa), they have fulfilled the Law of Christ: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)

The Law of Moses is eternal (“All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.” – Psalm 119:160) and one of the problems has always been man’s disobedience to it. (“the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.” – Romans 8:7) That is what sin is: living without the Law: “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.” – 1 John 3:4. Therefore, God is going to help us. He, through the blood of His Son, is going to send the Spirit. The job of the Spirit? To write the Laws on our hearts and minds (“This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” – Hebrews 8:10) so that we understand and obey. THAT is sanctification and how He takes the sins away. Are you willing to let Him do His job? If not, you are not part of the “under Grace” crowd but still part of the those “not having the Law” group.

05 / 16 / 09

(Comments in parentheses and emphasis within Scriptures are mine.)

THIS WEEK’S MISUNDERSTOOD PASSAGE:

“Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.” (Romans 10:4)

LET US EXAMINE THIS PASSAGE (God’s Word cannot contradict itself, for it is written in Psalm 119:160 … “All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.”)

To find the subject being spoken of in this misunderstood passage, we must begin with Romans 10:3 which explains, “Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.” Many do not realize that God’s Son IS the example of righteousness and how to obey God’s Laws! Many will say, “We cannot obey the Law perfectly” and I say back, “It never says we have to.” The people spoken about in the above passage were establishing their own righteousness apart from God’s Laws. They were the Jewish leaders at that time. Over time, they had added so many other laws to God’s that they were “seeking to establish their own” righteousness (obedience) instead of using God’s Laws as the guideline.

So now that we know we are not to seek our own righteousness apart from God’s Laws. What is verse 4 speaking of? If we say that He is “ending the Law so there will be righteousness”, then aren’t we doing the same and not submitting to God’s righteousness? We are zeroing in on the problem. We know that the Law remains and they are God’s righteousness, as it is written: “For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.” (Romans 2:13) So, the problem seems to be in the way the translator stated that “Christ is the end of the law…” The truth can be found in the meaning of the word “end”. According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, The word “end” was taken from the original Greek word “telos” and is defined as:

To set out for a definite point or goal; the point aimed at as a limit.

(And yes, one of the meanings way down the list is ‘end’. But it is not the end that most are thinking of. When you shoot at a target with an arrow, the arrow stops … ends … at the goal – the target. Christ is the target we are to aim at when shooting to obey the Law! When we hit the bull’s-eye, we have come to the fullness, or end of our aim.)

In general, the original definition of “end” means “point aimed at” or “goal”. So the meaning of Romans 10:4 should actually read, “For those who believe, Christ is the point aimed at, purpose or goal of the law so that there may be righteousness.” To those of us who believe, we will look to the example of the sinless Lamb that was sacrificed. Thus, if we want to know how to obey the Laws of God for our righteousness, we need only look at Christ, our goal to shoot at, for our example. If we use Christ as our example of how to live out the Law, we will be living a righteous life like He did. Thus, “Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Yeshua (Jesus) did.” (1 John 2:6)

06 / 20 / 09

(Comments in parentheses and emphasis within Scriptures are mine.)

THIS WEEK’S MISUNDERSTOOD PASSAGE:

“But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.” (Titus 3:9)

LET US EXAMINE THIS PASSAGE (God’s Word cannot contradict itself, for it is written in Psalm 119:160 … “All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.”)

When told that God’s eternal laws still apply to Christians, today, some respond with this passage in Titus 3:9. They think that anyone who believes this is promoting foolish controversies and quarrels about the Law.

When this was written, many of the leaders in Israel were puffed-up and often argued about which Laws were better, which ones were holier, what pleased God the most, etc. They also quarreled about how to live out God’s Laws. Read Titus 3:9 again. It does NOT say that they are arguing if the Law applies or not, but “about the Law”. Many of these arguments about God’s Word (or Laws) were unprofitable and useless. For example, we know from Scripture that the Sabbath is on the seventh day (Saturday). Let’s take a look at two conversations and see which is Biblical and which is controversial or quarrelsome:

- “Brothers, let us reason it out. We know that Yeshua’s (Jesus) followers continued to honor the Sabbath on the seventh day (just like God did). I pray that you consider your ways and turn to God with all your heart as you read these passages …” (This way is Biblical and is never foolish: “… remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” James 5:20; also, Galatians 6:1: “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently.”)

OR

- “I cannot believe that you went there on the Sabbath! You are such a sinner, brother. What? I don’t care if we don’t see it specifically in God’s Word, it is obvious that this is the way God intended us to obey the command. What? Well, maybe if you stop hanging around that certain person, maybe you could see clearly that what you are doing is against the Law.” (This way is Non-Biblical and is a controversy about how to live out the command.)

The Laws of Moses and the Prophets are the standard by which we determine what sin is. We must be careful, though, not to be foolish when we discuss it. When we speak, it must be profitable and useful and out of love for our brothers. We must seek guidance about how to live out God’s Laws from His Word which contains the examples of our Savior, as well as those who followed Him. We must sincerely pray for God’s wisdom. Once we are convicted of how to live out a command, we must be careful not to impose our own convictions on others if what we are doing is not found in Scripture specifically.

CLOSING THOUGHT:

Who are the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven? Those who practice the Law and teach it to others: “but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:19) We must teach in love and mutual respect, though. We must make sure we are firm about God’s written commands, but realize there is room for personal conviction as to how each one is lived out.

06 / 13 / 09

(Comments in parentheses and emphasis within Scriptures are mine.)

THIS WEEK’S MISUNDERSTOOD PASSAGE:

“They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.” (1 Timothy 4:3-5)

LET US EXAMINE THIS PASSAGE (God’s Word cannot contradict itself, for it is written in Psalm 119:160 … “All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.”)

Many people quote 1 Timothy 4:3-5 in isolation. If read simply by itself, it may seem as though we can eat anything, as long as we pray over it, first. Is that what is truly being said here? We must remember that the Biblical definition of “food” includes only CLEAN foods which God defined in Leviticus 11. God is not a liar, nor does He change like we do.

Let us see what is truly being addressed here. In order to do so, we must look at the BEGINNING of the passage in verses 1 and 2: “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.” We can now see that this is referring to abstaining from certain (clean) foods, and not to the animals forbidden by God for human consumption. For if it were saying that we can eat even the animals God had forbidden, it would also be calling God’s Laws ‘things taught by demons and deceiving spirits’. This is not good! This passage is not addressing God’s Laws, but false doctrines which were contrary to God’s Word. For example, when did God EVER forbid us to marry? These false teachings being addressed were regarding forbidding certain foods and also forbidding marriage. This is further proof that the verse is NOT about God’s Laws, but doctrines of demons and deceiving spirits. We can’t be so easily entangled in what our human nature desires so that we jump to conclusions about the meaning of a verse. If we reject EVEN ONE of God’s Laws, then we put ourselves in the place of God. Some religions have even preached that we must abstain from certain foods on certain days of the week. We must ask: Is this a Law of God? Of course not! There are some religions which also forbid their leaders to marry. IS this a Law of God? Of course not! It is NOT God’s Laws that are being addressed in this passage, but man-made laws.

CLOSING THOUGHT:

If we take the last part of the passage and say, “nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving”, so we no longer have to follow God’s dietary Laws (saying it is no longer a sin for us), we are on a slippery slope of logic. For it could also be said, then, that adultery is no longer a sin as long as the adulterer does his or her act with prayer and thanksgiving. Let us not change God to fit into our mold. Let us allow HIM to fit us into the ONLY mold He has for His children… that of His Son. (Romans 8:29 “For those God foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”). We are to love and obey … just like His Son did.

07 / 11 / 09

(Comments in parentheses and emphasis within Scriptures are mine.)

THIS WEEK’S MISUNDERSTOOD PASSAGE:

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17)

LET US EXAMINE THIS PASSAGE (God’s Word cannot contradict itself, and it is written in Psalm 119:160 … “All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.”)

Matthew 5:17 is the passage most often used to justify a life of disobedience to God’s laws. People often tell me, “Kyle, Christ fulfilled the Law.” The traditional view of what the word “fulfill’ means in this passage would make our Savior out to be talking foolishness. We must take the time to find the original context, meaning of the words, and compare our interpretation to the rest of Scripture to make sure there is no contradiction. So, let us examine this passage more closely. No … REALLY CLOSELY.

First of all, Yeshua (Jesus), Himself, is very clear that He is NOT abolishing the Law and that we are not even to think this way. The word “fulfill” in this passage does not mean to do away with, eliminate, abolish, cancel, etc. If it did, the passage in Matthew 5:17 would mean something such as: “I have not come to abolish them but to eliminate them”. Silly, isn’t it? Additionally, if “fulfill” means to abolish, then we need only carry another’s burdens once. We would have fulfilled the Law of Christ and would no longer need to do it again. Galatians 6:2 … “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” So let us reason this out.

The word fulfill in Matthew 5:17 is “pleroo” in Greek. This word actually means: to satisfy, execute, finish, make replete, verify. There are MANY parts of the Law that spoke about the coming Messiah. Moses even said that there would be one like himself coming and that the people must listen to him. These types of prophesies are what he fulfilled or satisfied and executed. How else would we know that HE is the Messiah unless He satisfied the prophecies about the Messiah?

With this mindset, let us take a look at some of the prophecies Yeshua (Jesus) fulfilled as stated in Matthew 5:17. These prophesies about the coming Messiah were just as much a part of the Law as the commands regarding how to live. Yeshua (Jesus) fulfilled the portions of the Law that wrote about Him. For example, the following passages were written in the Law about the Savior and have all been fulfilled, satisfied, and finished. THESE are the things that were fulfilled in the Law:

- “… They hated me without reason.” (John 15:25)
- “… He will be called a Nazarene.” (Matthew 2:23)
- “These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: ‘Not one of His bones will be broken.’” (John 19:36)
- “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ – which means, ‘God with us.’” (Matthew 1:22-23)
- “… I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.” (Matthew 13:35)

The following passages also confirm the meaning of the word fulfill:

- Luke 22:37 says, “Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”
- “…Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” (Luke 24:44)

Read Matthew 26:54 very carefully: “But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” If there were no prophesies about the Messiah and what He would do and say, then how would we know that He is the One? We are positive about two things: He IS the Messiah and the Law is not abolished, but is our righteousness for all who believe. He is our perfect example of how to live a life of obedience to God.

“Haven’t you read this scripture:
‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;’”
(Mark 12:10)

04 / 25 / 09
(Comments in parentheses and emphasis within Scriptures are mine.)

FIRST THOUGHT:

Sadly, many Christians today would have to answer “no” to the above question from our Savior. I have been told by some that the only command that we have today is “to love each other”. If people would just find out what pleases God, they would know the truth. This is why I chose the passage at the top, the stone is Yeshua (Jesus) and the builders who rejected the stone were the Jews. The mainstream Christians have done the same. Let us read this week’s misunderstood passage and reason it out.

THIS WEEK’S MISUNDERSTOOD PASSAGE:

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34)

Let me ask you, before Yeshua (Jesus) came to earth, didn’t God’s people have to love each other? (I will not give you all the love passages in the “Old Testament” … here is just one: “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am YHVH.” (Leviticus 19:17)) Let’s think this through, friends, for we know that Satan is a deceiver and if he can change the truth, he has succeeded. Let us look with open eyes at what is being said regarding a “new command to love one another”. Apparently children of God had to love each other in the past, so didn’t Yeshua (Jesus) know the Law? The command was to “love your neighbor” (i.e. your fellowman and brothers). Obviously, the Son, who could do NOTHING without the Father’s approval, knew that they were ALWAYS commanded to love one another. A clue is found in 1 John 2:7-10 … “7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. 9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble.” It is CLEAR that the command to love is NOT new. So the key to understanding why it is “new” must be found in the participants. Before Yeshua (Jesus) came, we Gentiles were simply called the foreigners among them. One of the purposes of Yeshua (Jesus) was to make the Jewish believers and the Gentile believer ONE. We are now brothers through Him! (Note that the Jewish leaders made up laws that kept the Gentiles at bay. These laws, which were not of God, were considered to be hostile to the Gentiles):

“11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)–12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.” (Ephesians 2:11-16)

We need only go to the Laws of Moses to find out that a believing Gentile was always the “alien among them” or called a “foreigner” … never totally equal with the natural children. Note though, that the same Laws that were given to the Jews (the natural children of Jacob) were to be obeyed by the “aliens” and “strangers”: “The same laws and regulations will apply both to you and to the alien living among you.” (Numbers 15:16). Let us also note whose mouth this is from: “YHVH said to Moses,” (Numbers 15:17) … did God just all me an alien?

Another problem that hinders understanding is that many do not know what the gospel is. They do not know the covenant that was made in the Garden (they have heard it, but do not understand it). Read the covenant that was given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: Genesis 28:14 (here it is to Jacob) … “All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring,” THAT is the gospel! Yeshua the Messiah IS that seed that will bless ALL peoples. That is the gospel which is defined in Galatians 3:8 … “The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’” That is the gospel … that through their seed, a savior of the world would come and call ALL nations … Yeshua (Jesus) IS that seed that makes ALL men who believe equal in the family of God. Read carefully: “The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ.” (Galatians 3:16) This is why even God no longer call us Greek believers “aliens among them,” but BROTHERS with the Jews! The Jews are no longer to consider us less than themselves and we, likewise. THAT is the purpose of Yeshua (Jesus) coming (along with being our Sacrificed Lamb that unites us to YHVH). “In other words, it is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.” (Romans 9:8) That is the gospel … Yeshua (Jesus) IS the seed that was spoken about in the garden of Eden to Satan: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”” (Genesis 3:15) Yeshua (Jesus) is the offspring spoken of here and through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Knowing this, that we were always told to love each other … the “new command” is WHO to love. Before Yeshua (Jesus) came, a “neighbor” or “brother” was limited to their fellow Jews and a small minority of foreigners among them … or so they thought. This is why the Jews were being told to carry the Gentile’s burdens and vice-versa. This is also the Law of Christ: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2) “Each other” is referring to Jews and Gentiles. They are to “love one another” and carry each other’s burdens. We are ALL brothers and sisters in the Messiah. This does NOT negate the Law and our need to obey it! But even with our obedience, we are to do that out of LOVE for God and man. Even Paul was CLEAR that He was NOT free from God’s Laws, but was also adding Christ’s Law (Remember, They are the same God) to it. “To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.” (1 Corinthians 9:21) Paul is saying that He is a witness to the Gentiles who do not know the Law (they were not given the Law … only Israel was given it). BUT, Paul is emphasizing that he was careful not to sin when he became like them. He was displaying the “new commandment” to love both Jews and Greeks.

Let us continue reading 2 John 5-6 with this “new command” in mind: “And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. 6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.”

It is clear that love has ALWAYS been part of and the reason for: God’s Laws! Read the above again … the Gentiles and the Jews are ONE within Israel through the blood of the Messiah. We are each other’s brothers and sisters and we are COMMANDED to love each other. This is a command that we have had since the beginning … all the way back to Moses, yet for God’s purpose, the Gentiles were separated at that time for His purposes.

CLOSING THOUGHT:

1 John 3:10-11 … “This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother. 11 This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.” Did you catch that? You have heard it from the beginning … to love one another! Yet, God is now defining who is part of the family of Israel. Same Laws, same God, same salvation. So preach the true gospel: Yeshua (Jesus) is the promised seed spoken of through whom all nations will be blessed.

OPENING THOUGHT TO THIS WEEK’S STUDY (Read carefully, for Isaiah is speaking about the end times and what the wicked will be like and what they will be doing when Yeshua (Jesus) returns):

“I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’ 2 (This is the Gentile believers … He revealed Himself to us) All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations — 3 a people who continually provoke me to my very face, offering sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on altars of brick; 4 who sit among the graves and spend their nights keeping secret vigil; who eat the flesh of pigs, and whose pots hold broth of unclean meat; 5 who say, ‘Keep away; don’t come near me, for I am too sacred for you!’ Such people are smoke in my nostrils, a fire that keeps burning all day.” (Did you catch the last part? They think that they are religious and saved … yet they are smoke in God’s nostrils!)

(Isaiah 65:1-5)

05 / 02 / 09
(Comments in parentheses and emphasis within Scriptures are mine.)

FIRST THOUGHT:

Why did I pick the above passage as my opening verse to this week’s “misunderstood passage”? It is speaking about the end times and what many will be doing. One of the actions that seem to upset our Creator is what the wicked will be eating. Since this passage is about a time yet to come, we must look closely at the implications. God clearly commands His children not to eat certain things which our society considers to be good food. Many Christians claim that these laws were done away with. If that were the case, then why are they still in effect in the end times? Could it be that God and His perfect Law does not change and that many Christians are disregarding and disobeying God’s laws by eating what He has forbidden? We notice that the obstinate people whose ways are not good and continually provoke God to His face are eating anything they want and still saying, “I am holy” (By definition, being holy means to be set apart for sacred use … not doing what everyone else is! So, I think they are self-deceived.)

God’s Word is truth. His Laws and commands are perfect (not just two, not just 10, but ALL of His Word). We must realize that God’s Word does not contradict itself. When people use a New Testament passage to prove that something in the Old Testament is done away with, we must realize that it must be our interpretations that are wrong. God does not change and His Word is perfect. Even Peter says concerning Paul’s words, “His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do other Scriptures, to their own destruction.” (1 Peter 2:16) We must not be like these people, but strive to be like the Bereans of whom it is written, “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (Acts 17:11) The Scriptures they examined were the Old Testament Scriptures, because the New Testament was not compiled until hundreds of years later. We MUST keep these truths in mind when we read God’s Word. If everyone on earth was committing adultery, would that justify that it is okay before God? Of course not. So, if everyone on earth is eating unclean meat, does that justify that it is okay before God? Not only will it not be okay, He calls those people who do, obstinate people who are a smoke in His nostrils. So now, let us read today’s misunderstood passage.

THIS WEEK’S MISUNDERSTOOD PASSAGE:

“Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, 26 for, ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.’ 27 If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. 28 But if anyone says to you, ‘This has been offered in sacrifice,’ then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience’ sake — 29 the other man’s conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another’s conscience? 30 If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for? 31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:25-31)

Wow … a lot is being said here. Does this really say that we can eat anything as long as we praise God for it? At first glance it may seem to, but that would mean that God changed His perfect laws. If that were the case, then why will those who consume unclean meat be like smoke in His nostrils in the end times? If it were true that we can eat unclean meats as long as we praise God for them, then by this logic, we could commit any sin such as adultery or murder as long as it was done to the glory of God. If I praise the Lord while I lie to you … it must be okay? This is obviously untrue and absurd, so let us look a little deeper. We must reason this out before we quickly jump into sin. Why? For we must find out what pleases God (“and find out what pleases the Lord.” – Ephesians 5:10) and then do it (“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” – James 1:22)

Did you know that in China, dogs are considered meat? How about you? If I come over to your house and ask you, “Where’s Fido?” (your dog). I would not expect you to respond, “Oh, Fido? He is on the menu tonight.” Most modern- day Christians somehow feel that what they eat is out of the realm of God’s concern. They have adopted the culture of the pagan society in which we live. What is worse is that many assume that Paul and the rest of the disciples ate whatever they wanted to, as well. These modern-day Christians never consider what God allows or forbids them to eat. When asked about it, they point to the Son of God and say that He and His followers say that it is okay to eat anything. This is a sin no matter how you look at it! Our Savior is NOT an accomplice to sin (advocating sinful practices IS, in itself, a sin.). So what is this passage all about?

The issue being addressed in this passage is “clean meat” being sold in the market that had been OFFERED UP TO FALSE GODS IN SACRIFICE. How do we know it is about clean meat? We know because the word “meat” is never used to refer to unclean animals in Scripture except where it is clearly denoted as being unclean. Unclean animals are not, by God’s definition, meat or food. By the same token, you would never dream of me bringing my slaughtered dog’s meat to the barbeque when I say I will bring the “meat”. The market was filled with sellers who were selling the meat from the sacrifices offered up to their gods. These animals may have been clean, but they had been dedicated in a worship ceremony to a false god. What is Paul’s conclusion? If you are not told that it has been sacrificed to an idol, then don’t worry about it. Their gods are dead and nothing has been done that has made that clean meat unclean … it is God’s food for you and He created it! BUT if they TELL YOU that it has been sacrificed to an idol, then do not eat it. For if you eat it, they may take that to mean that you approve of their god. Kind of like getting into a conversation and having someone blurt out a very inappropriate joke. If we laugh with the others, they assume that we are okay with it (that is why we are to be set apart … holy). If we continue to eat the meat that we were told was sacrificed to a false god … they assume that we are okay with their god, too.

Nowhere in the passage did it refer to clean and unclean meat. The issue at hand was “meat” that had been sacrificed to idols. Remember what Paul said in verse 28 above, “But if anyone says to you, ‘This has been offered in sacrifice,’ then do not eat it.” He did NOT say, “But if anyone says to you, ‘This food is unclean,’ then do not eat it.”

If I served you some food that you were not used to eating or that looked unfamiliar, wouldn’t YOU ask, “Ahhhh, what is it? It keeps slipping off my fork.” I don’t know about you, but I don’t put anything into my mouth any more if I don’t know what it is and that God approves of it.

Just something to chew on, I mean, to think about!

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy,
which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.”
(Colossians 2:8)

04 / 18 / 09
(Comments in parentheses and emphasis within Scriptures are mine.)

FIRST THOUGHT:

This week’s “misunderstood passage” (shown below) refers back to verse 8 of the same chapter (above). We can usually get a more accurate idea of what is being spoken about in the middle of a passage IF we read the entire passage. Many people think that Christ nailed the Law to the cross. We see that this passage is speaking about HOLLOW and DECEPTIVE PHILOSOPHY, which depends upon HUMAN TRADITION and the basic PRINCIPLES OF THIS WORLD. Wow … when has God’s Law ever been hollow and deceptive philosophy? When has God’s Law ever depended upon human traditions and the basic principles of this world? Those who say that this is speaking about God’s Law had better look again.

THIS WEEK’S MISUNDERSTOOD PASSAGE:

The verses in question are Colossians 2:14-17. We will start with only 2:14 … “… having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.”

Let’s think this through with common sense.

When have God’s Laws (as given through Moses) EVER been against us or opposed to us? Are they not life for us as Deuteronomy 32:46-47 clearly states: “…Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this Law. They are not just idle words for you – they are your life…” When God gave us His Laws through Moses, didn’t He also say: “Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.” (Deuteronomy 30:11)? Have you ever tried to obey them? Have you ever taken the time to find out what the Laws of God are? The Word of the One True God tell us in Psalm 19:7 … “The Law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.” and flawless in Proverbs 30:5 … “Every word of God is flawless …”.

We know that God’s Laws are not what is being spoken of in Colossians 2:14. Instead, the question should be: What “written code” and “regulations” WERE being spoken of? The original Greek word for “written code” in this week’s verse is “dogma”. Some translators, though, even chose the word “law” as being nailed to the cross in some English version, while others chose the word “decrees”. This word dogma means: an opinion (a public) decree, a law (civil, ceremonial or ecclesiastical), an ordinance. What our Savior took away and nailed to the cross were these MAN-MADE LAWS. They were NOT part of the Laws as given through Moses! By doing so, the leaders (or the powers and authorities of that time) were being made a public spectacle by the Son of God. He was proving that THEIR added laws were not to be binding as if from God. Many of these added laws were in regard to the details of eating, celebrations (such as the Feasts, New moons and the Sabbath), and life within Israel.

Not only were these new believers trying to sort out God’s truth from the man-made laws, but they also were making changes to their lifestyles. With that in mind, let us continue reading Colossians 2:15-16: “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.” We must realize that this does NOT say that we are no longer to DO those items listed, but that we should not let anyone JUDGE us for the way we are practicing them. Paul was speaking to the new Gentile believers who were most likely being judged by two sides of the fence:
1.) their family and friends who did not like the new changes in lifestyle they saw in their loved-ones
2.) the leaders (powers and authorities) who were judging them by the man-made standards of how to obey them

My friends, the Laws of Moses were given by the breath of God, and our Master IS the substance of them. They are all a shadow of HIM (He is the Word made flesh). Thus the conclusion of Colossians 2:17 is speaking of what we eat or drink, the religious festivals, New Moon celebrations and Sabbaths … “which shadow come, substance Christ.”

Please note that in the above verse I did not use the filler words that are usually needed in our English language. These are only the words which correspond to the original Greek words from the original text. Notice that “WERE” does not appear in the original text, but is inserted into the NIV translation. Understand that ALL translations have some margin of error because they are all translated by men. In this case, the NASB translates this passage more correctly by writing, “things which are a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.” We can confirm this rendering because Paul has a similar conclusion in 1 Corinthians 5:8 (about keeping the Passover Festival): “Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.” What Paul is saying is “the substance belongs to Christ.” We must live in obedience to our Father’s commands, keeping our minds on Christ and His example as our goal.

06 / 27 / 09
(Comments in parentheses and emphasis within Scriptures are mine.)

THIS WEEK’S MISUNDERSTOOD PASSAGE? (Well … it really is not a passage, but a way of thinking):
“Through the blood of Yeshua (Jesus) we are no longer slaves to the Law.” This thinking is based upon a few Scriptures which reveal that through Him we are no longer slaves, but free men. Funny, but the first thing many people think of is a freedom from the Law. So, what are we really free from?

LET US EXAMINE THIS “THOUGHT”
One of the biggest problems is that many Christians do not read much of the Old Testament (except for the familiar stories of Noah, Joseph, etc.). By not studying the Old Testament, we do not get a full understanding of what upsets God … it is disobedience. What is not understood is that God is helping us to obey through the sanctifying work of His Spirit … helping us to become more like His Son. We have been set free from SIN! Our master is no longer “sin”, but “righteousness” (shown by our obedience).

Let me ask you: Do you want to obey God? Do you desire to live as HE commanded you to live? Although we are forgiven of our sins when we truly repent, do you really want to continue in the same sin that you have been forgiven of? If you continue to sin, then you a slave to that sin, and not to God. The question is: How is sin determined? It is the transgressing of God’s Laws (NOT the man-made ones). Be it the Ten Commandments, be it the appointments, be it anything else that comes from His Breath! … “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.” (1 John 3:4) Clear, right? This verse clearly shows us that sin is the transgression of any of God’s Laws.

Knowing the definition of sin, let us go back to the issue of what we are free from. When we attempt to obey God’s Laws, we are showing that Yeshua’s (Jesus) Spirit is living within us and sanctifying us. When we obey a certain Law, we are showing that we are no longer a slave to that particular sin … we are now free. We just read in 1 John 3:4 what sin is. Let us continues with 3:5 and what our Savior came to take away: “But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.” This is why those who claim to be in Yeshua (Jesus) are to walk like HE did (1 John 2:6) … living a life of obedience (when we practice the Law, we are showing that the Spirit is within us and sin is no longer our master).

Let us look at passages about being slaves (we are either slaves to sin or slaves to righteousness)

• “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin- 7because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.” (Romans 6:6-7) He died to take away our sins (NOT the Laws which determine what sin is). If you have died with Him, you are free from sin, meaning that you are now able to obey the Law. We CAN obey the Law because the Spirit of the One who had no sin is in us, too. Let us not forget, God said they are NOT too difficult for us (Deuteronomy 30:11).
• “Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey–whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?” (Romans 6:16) THAT is the freedom His children have. A true child of God DESIRES to obey Him. If someone rejects God’s Laws, that person is actually proving that the Spirit is NOT doing His job … sanctifying them. (2 Thessalonians 2:13 … both faith and obedience working together) But, if we have died to our old self, then we are no longer slaves to sin, but to righteousness and we are practicing obedience to God’s eternal Laws.
• “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.” (Romans 6:22) When we obey God’s Laws, we are holy (meaning set apart for God). Just something to think about next time we have the urge to say that we are “free from obeying His Laws”.

08 / 01 / 09

(Comments in parentheses and emphasis within Scriptures are mine.)

THIS WEEK’S MISUNDERSTOOD PASSAGE:

“Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2 One man’s faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. (Romans 14:1-23 … verses 1-2 shown)

LET US EXAMINE THIS PASSAGE (God’s Word cannot contradict itself, and it is written in Psalm 119:160 … “All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.”)

Let me start out by asking you, are God’s commands disputable? Of course not! These people to whom Paul writing regarding were passing judgment on disputable matters. Translations may vary (NIV, KJV, NASB, etc..) and we can look up the meanings of the original Hebrew and Greek words … BUT … we do know that God is the ultimate authority and that His words are not for us to judge. So, in order to understand Romans 14:1-23, we must understand what the passage is about. Again, the topic being addressed was regarding disputable matters, and not to judge those whose faith is weak about things that are simply an opinion. “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.” God’s Word/ Laws are NOT up for negotiation, nor are they disputable matters, so what is this passage talking about? In this passage we find the NEW believers at odds against the ELDER believers. The older believers were being accused of sinning because they ate meat (clean meat, of course.) THAT WAS THE SUBJECT! Let us not read more into it.

Some who were weak in the faith (young believers) were accusing those who ate meat (the elder believers) of sinning by eating clean meat. Where did they come up with this accusation? According to Genesis 1:29: “Then God said, ‘I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.’” THAT was the argument. The conclusion and exhortation to the elder believers was that eating only vegetables (Romans 14:2) is NOT a sin (of course). BUT if they, the elder believers, condemn their younger brothers for the sake of their knowledge, then they are in sin.

What constitutes food was, is and always will be based upon how God defines it (HE told us what to eat … HE created us. He does not lie or change His mind … do you agree?). The point of Paul’s exhortation is that in EVERYTHING we must speak gently in love and concern for one another. “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.” (Galatians 6:1) God’s Law is eternal and perfect. His Laws are part of His Word and His holiness. They are HIS standards and HIS character. In short, the topic of discussion in Romans 14:21 is whether or not to eat meat (vegetarianism) or drink wine (temperance) … both based upon the opinion of the weaker brother. Both (not clean meat and not drinking wine) of which are NEVER forbidden by God. Note: If I invited you over tonight for dinner and told you that I was going to have some meat, do not assume that I am speaking of anything but meat (that which God gave us to eat). Same with Paul’s writings and others, meat was not what the pagans considered food.

- We know what was considered food before Yeshua (Jesus) came to dwell with us … right? (It was based upon God’s description given in the Law of Moses: Leviticus 11:3-23)
- We know what was considered food during Yeshua’s (Jesus) reign on earth … right? (Because for Yeshua / Jesus to eat unclean food or teach that we could … would have been a sin. Yeshua / Jesus was without sin: “but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin.” – Hebrews 4:15)
- We know what is considered food after Yeshua (Jesus) left to be with His Father … right? For Isaiah describes what the wicked (or disobedient) will be eating in the end days: “who eat the flesh of pigs, and whose pots hold broth of unclean meat;” – Isaiah 65:4

Conclusion: Either God gave us Laws regarding food, took them away (after His son left), only to give them back to us again … OR … they have never stopped being the standard set by God. I am going with a God who knows best and is all-knowing; who does not change or lie; and who sent His Salvation (Yeshua / Jesus) to show us HOW to live out His Laws. I will eat ONLY what God told me I could.

OPENING THOUGHT TO THIS WEEK’S STUDY:

3 “YHVH your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 “It is YHVH your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep (this word is “shamar which means to put a hedge about, guard, and protect) his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. 5 That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he preached rebellion against YHVH your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way YHVH your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you..”

(Deuteronomy 13:4-5)

03 / 28 / 09
(Comments in parentheses and emphasis within Scriptures are mine.)

FIRST THOUGHT:

Why did I pick the above passage as my opening verse to this week’s “misunderstood passage”? God’s Word is truth. His Laws and commands are perfect (not just two, not just 10, ALL of His Word). If Paul, Peter, or today’s Pastors and Priests preach rebelliousness to God’s Laws, we are to avoid their teachings at minimum (Since God says to kill that false preacher … so at least let God condemn them). So, when I hear anyone say that there are no more Laws to obey except to love, or that there are only two, ten or even a certain percentage … I am hesitant to believe anything else that person may have to say. Let us examine this week’s passage with eyes and ears that are ready to learn more of what pleases God:

THIS WEEK’S MISUNDERSTOOD PASSAGE:

“It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. 13 Then a voice told him, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’ 14 ‘Surely not, Lord!’ Peter replied. ‘I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.’ 15 The voice spoke to him a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’” (Acts 10:9-28 … 12-15 shown)

At first glance (just like many verses that need more attention), we may like to use this passage to satisfy our craving to eat anything we desire. However, we need to read the WHOLE passage. For instance, verse 10 that says that Peter was very hungry when He fell asleep. If we watch a scary movie before sleeping, we will probably have a nightmare. If we are stressed, like Peter was about eating, we tend to dream about that subject. Many who read this passage quickly conclude that God changed His mind, and now we can eat everything that moves, swims, or flies. We must overcome our flesh and know that God does not lie or change His mind. Let us look at a couple of other facts that many glance over:

- Peter has this dream many years AFTER Yeshua (Jesus) went to be with His Father. So, either Peter did not listen to the teachings of the Son of God, OR our Master never taught his disciples that we no longer have to abide by the laws regarding food as many people today assume: ‘Surely not, Lord!’ Peter replied. ‘I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.’ Up until this dream, Peter had eaten only what his Creator told him to.
- Many do not realize that Peter did NOT eat any of the unclean animals in the sheet. It did not say, “Peter then pulled up a chair and ate of the animals on the sheet.” Peter DENIED the command … in obedience to God. Isn’t that what we should be doing? Instead, many say, “Yippie, a pork festival!” and then claim that God said it was okay.

So, let us read the ENTIRE passage to find out what the dream was about. We immediately find that even Peter, the one who HAD the dream, knew that there was a different meaning behind it. Peter knew that God does not change, so he KNEW that this vision could not be about what food he could and could not eat. As mentioned, let us not forget that the sheet of unclean meat was removed and Peter never ate of it. In fact, this dream puzzled Peter greatly, for he knew that God was trying to reveal something to him:

- “While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision …” (Acts 10:17)
- “While Peter was still thinking about the vision…” (Acts 10:19)

In fact, we have to wait until Acts 10:28 to find out what that dream was all about: “… But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean.” So, this misunderstood passage is NOT about food. It is about people that God can, and does, MAKE CLEAN THROUGH FAITH IN HIM! We would know this if we knew that in the temple the Holy Oil and spring made things clean. The mystery, that the Gentiles and Jews now had equal citizenship in Israel through the blood of our Savior, was the topic of the vision. The added laws of the Jews had pretty much eliminated contact with the Gentiles, but God was saying, “Do not call anything impure THAT I HAVE MADE CLEAN.” God is clear that it is HE that makes any of us clean.

Just something to chew on!

07 / 04 / 09
(Comments in parentheses and emphasis within Scriptures are mine.)

THIS WEEK’S MISUNDERSTOOD PASSAGE? (Well … it really is not a passage, but a whole book!):

THE BOOK OF GALATIANS

LET US EXAMINE THIS “BOOK”

When preaching repentance and obedience to Laws out of our faith, I am often told, “You obviously haven’t read Galatians.” My friends, the premise for the entire book of Galatians was to refute false teachings being proposed by certain groups of religious leaders. We must realize a few things about Paul:
1.) If Paul was preaching that the Law was done away with through the Messiah, the Bereans would have declared Paul’s message to be false. “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (Acts 17:11) So we know that whatever Paul’s message was, it lined up with the Old Testament teachings.
2.) Paul’s words are hard to understand. Many will take Paul’s words out of context and distort them to satisfy their own desires (Our flesh does NOT want to obey God): “(Paul’s) letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17 Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position.” (2 Peter 3:16-17). We must examine our beliefs to see if they line up with the Old Testament, as the Bereans did. OR, do our beliefs include the error of Lawless men? Do we accept God’s Laws as given in the Old Testament, or do we discard them as irrelevant for today and live a life without those Laws (“lawless”)?
3.) Paul is the SAME writer who also wrote, “Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.” (Romans 3:31) Paul is clearly stating that we are NOT saved by obeying the Law, BUT out of faith, we are to uphold the Law (obey it).

I have a chapter by chapter study on Galatians which I compiled last winter, but this will just be a quick over-view. If you are interested in receiving the whole study, please let me know and I will get that to you. The letter to the Galatians is actually tied to the book of Acts and the council meeting about the Gentiles (Acts 15). We MUST understand what the Gentiles were being told by some of their leaders, that in order to become a true member of the believers, they MUST be circumcised. This, of course, is a false teaching and is what is being addressed for most of the book of Galatians. Paul is clearly telling the Galatians that they do NOT have to obey the Law in order to merit salvation. Paul NEVER says that the Law is abolished or no longer needs to be obeyed! Instead, Paul is addressing the issue that salvation is by faith alone and cannot be earned by obedience to the Law.

Another tidbit that we must understand when reading Galatians (and others similar) is that our English Bible translations often use the same word, Law, to mean all of the following:

- dogma laws (man-made laws)
- sacrificial laws (laws regarding temple worship)
- the first 5 books of the bible
- the specific laws God gave to Moses for His children to obey
- the actual stone tablets containing the Laws of God

In order to have a true understanding of a passage using the word “law”, we must find out the original meaning being conveyed and which definition of law is being addressed. If we get that wrong, we will not have the true meaning of the passage.

So, what is the book of Galatians really about?
- We are saved by faith alone (Refuting the argument that we must be circumcised and obey the entire Law in order to be saved. Paul even calls the leaders who promote this “false brothers” in Galatians 2:4)
- The proof that we are saved and have the Spirit of God within us, is that the Law is no longer outside the heart (on stone tablets), but inside (written on our hearts to be obeyed out of love).
- We (both Jew and Gentile believers) have equal access to the Spirit. Therefore, we have the wisdom to know how to obey God’s eternal Laws.

CONCLUSION:

I am passionate to make sure that EVERYBODY understands this. NO ONE can be justified by observing the Law. The Laws of YHVH are simply telling us what is right and what is wrong before God. The Law will declare that we have been unrighteous! We stand condemned unless we can somehow be declared righteous (on our own merit, this is impossible … we are sinners as declared by the Law). We must understand the difference between justification and sanctification.

- We are justified to stand before God – saved by faith in the only name that saves us: Yeshua / Yehoshua … meaning: YHVH’s Salvation. Our salvation is from YHVH only. He is the One true God.
- We are sanctified as we become Christ-like. Christ obeyed perfectly … Christ loved perfectly. NEITHER can be done perfectly by us. He is our example of how to love and obey. The more we practice, though, the more we become like Him. That is the proof that we have the sanctifying work of the Spirit within us!

If someone was a murderer prior to his / her salvation … can he / she remain the same, a murderer? It is impossible, according to God’s Word (Hebrews 6:3-6). Did that person receive justification because He stopped murdering or while he was a still a murderer? It was while he was still a murder (Romans 5:8). Are you still with me? However, if that person murders again and again, after his profession of faith in Yeshua (Jesus), we do not see any indication that his / her heart has been filled with the Holy Spirit.

God’s Laws are eternal … ALL of them. His Son is simply an extension of who God is. “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. (Hebrew 3:1) We have all sinned and have fallen short of the glory. One at a time, the Spirit will write the Laws of YHVH on our hearts. When a Law is written on our heart, that is when we realize that we have sinned, for we understand the Law. We repent and we are forgiven (He remembers that sin no more). When we obey that Law … that is when the Lamb has taken away the sin!

That is what the book of Galatians is all about.

“Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians,
for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures
every day to see if what Paul said was true.”
(Acts 17:11)

03 / 21 / 09
(Comments in parentheses and emphasis within Scriptures are mine.)

FIRST THOUGHT:

The magnitude of this opening verse speaks volumes. What Paul was preaching HAD to line up with the Old Testament (which was the Scriptures spoken of, since the New Testament was not compiled until approximately 350 years later). Sadly, many people today take what is spoken by those behind the pulpits or what they read in Christian books and deposit it in the bank. Read that verse again. Comparing to the Old Testament Scriptures is HOW the Bereans KNEW what Paul was saying about Yeshua (Jesus) was, in fact, true. We must learn to do the same! This is how WE know that Paul never spoke against obedience to the Laws of Moses out of faith … the Bereans would have stopped him. Over the next few weeks I am going to address some passages that have been taken out of context or have been used to disregard obedience to God’s Laws.

THIS WEEK’S MISUNDERSTOOD PASSAGE:

“So, because Yeshua (Jesus) was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted Him. Yeshua (Jesus) said to them, “My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill Him; not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.” (John 5:16-18)

Does this really nullify the Sabbath? Does this really mean that it can be any day of the week? We often assume that the Jews knew and were obeying God’s Laws perfectly – So their accusations must have been true – Wrong! What many do not realize is that the mainstream Jewish religious system (synagogue) back then did the same as the mainstream Christian religious system (church) of today … they changed God’s Laws. (The Jews added to them … the Gentiles took away from them.) Do you really think that the Son of God was breaking the Sabbath? If you do, then you are accusing the Son of God of sinning. May it never be! So, when we read passages like this and see what Yeshua (Jesus) was being accused of (breaking the Sabbath), we must be careful … VERY careful.

Although Yeshua (Jesus) was not breaking any of God’s Laws by what He did on the Sabbath, he was accused, nonetheless. Many people today who honor the Sabbath on Saturday according to God’s Law have also been accused of sinning by being “legalists” and “refusing the grace of God”. In both cases, we see undeserved persecution for doing what is good and right.

Many people today do not know God’s Law and therefore, do not know that the things that Yeshua (Jesus) was being accused of were NOT part of the Law given to Moses. Many, today, are quick to judge because they do not know the Laws of Moses. They do not understand that the laws being spoken of were the religious leaders’ man-made laws that they had intertwined with God’s Laws. Thus, they THOUGHT that He was breaking the Sabbath. Hence, the accusation! In fact, our Savior is our High Priest and it is written: “Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent? I tell you that one greater than the temple is here.” (Matthew 12:5-6) Yeshua (Jesus) IS the High Priest and is greater than they. He, too, was simply ministering on the Sabbath. This fact, in no way, means that Yeshua (Jesus) is nullifying the Sabbath or is giving us a license to disregard it, either. That is why Paul is clear for the children of God in Hebrews 4:2-11:

“2For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. 3 Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, ‘So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world. 4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: ‘And on the seventh day God rested from all his work.’ 5 And again in the passage above he says, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ 6 It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience. 7 Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before: ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.’ 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.”

It remains clear that the Sabbath cannot be changed by men in robes assuming a righteous position. We must honor the Sabbath “just like” God did when He rested from His work … on the seventh day. Paul is clear that we must combine ALL of our obedience with faith. Faith is what drives a true believer to find out the will of God and attempt to please Him. May we never accuse the Son of God of sinning by breaking the Law or by teaching others not to obey it either.

05 / 23 / 09

(Comments in parentheses and emphasis within Scriptures are mine.)

THIS WEEK’S MISUNDERSTOOD PASSAGE:

“‘Are you so dull?’ he asked. ‘Don’t you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him ‘unclean’? 19 For it doesn’t go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body.’ (In saying this, Yeshua (Jesus) declared all foods ‘clean.’)” (Mark 7:18-19)

LET US EXAMINE THIS PASSAGE (God’s Word cannot contradict itself, yet it is written in Leviticus 11):
- 3 You may eat any animal that has a split hoof completely divided and that chews the cud.
- 9 Of all the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams, you may eat any that have fins and scales.
- 13 These are the birds you are to detest and not eat because they are detestable: …
- 20 All flying insects that walk on all fours are to be detestable to you. 21 There are, however, (well, we won’t get into that one!)

I must agree that with only a quick examination, it appears that God changed His standards. It appears as though Yeshua (Jesus), who said that He does nothing without His Father’s approval (John 5:19), overruled His Father and changed the Law.

Let us not be too quick to judge the Son of God as condoning lawlessness. (If Yeshua (Jesus) declared all foods (thus including unclean meats) as being clean, He would have sinned!) So let us examine this more closely. To find the truth, we must look back to the beginning of the passage which clearly shows us the topic of discussion is the eating of bread without hand-washing. Since many people do NOT know the Laws of God (as given through His servant Moses), they do not realize that washing your hands before eating bread is NOT a Law of God. Again, this is one of MANY man-made “dogma” laws that the Jewish leaders added. The topic of this passage is stated in verses 2-3, when the Pharisees and teachers of the law “saw some of His disciples eating food with hands that were “unclean”, that is, unwashed. (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders…)”. A similar modern-day example would be something such as: “Some of the church members were seen playing cards” You see, there are some churches which would consider this “sinful”, but it is not one of God’s commandments. So, the passage is regarding the fact that the followers of Yeshua (Jesus) WERE NOT WASHING THEIR HANDS BEFORE EATING BREAD. The Teachers of the Law were saying the bread was unclean BECAUSE they did not wash their hands. Our Savior plainly says that NOT washing your hands before eating does NOT make the bread or food “unclean”! (Oh, and by the way, the phrase: “In saying this, Yeshua (Jesus) declared all foods clean” is NOT even in the original text from which the King James Version was translated. Even if it were, though, “food” was not used to describe the flesh of unclean animals.

CONCLUSION:

Mark 7:9 is very clear in explaining that the question is about man-made laws and NOT God’s Laws (given through Moses) “And He said to them: ‘You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions.’” So, in the end (of course), the Son of God declared that the food (bread) was still clean (it may be unhealthy not to wash your hands, but the food is still acceptable before God to eat!).