Let us reason together:

“Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.”

(Acts 18:4)

Like Paul, I will try to persuade you using Scripture
(The Law of Moses and the Prophets)

“… he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving …”

(Acts 17:2)

11 / 03 / 07
(NIV used)

FIRST THOUGHTS:

Paul was NOT trying to persuade the Jews and Gentiles to stop obeying God, but to realize that they don’t have to obey in order to gain salvation (which was never possible, anyway). Paul was NOT trying to prove that the Scriptures (Laws of Moses and The Prophets) were nullified, but that Yeshua (Jesus) WAS the Messiah they had been waiting for. How did he do this? By using the “Old” Testament!

Did you know that any time “Scripture” is used in the “New” Testament, it is referring to the “Old” Testament? The Books of Moses and Prophets are God’s breathed words to man. The fact is, the books of the New Testament were decided on (or canonized) in 200 A.D.. It was not until 405A.D. that the first complete Bible was even put together (called a Latin vulgate and done by St. Jerome). Question: So what did the believers use as Holy Scriptures until then? God’s Word, of course. The New Testament isn’t anything new, it just testifies about the Messiah. It HAD to line up with the “Old” Testament. If a book (or letter) contradicted something in the “Old” Testament, it as not considered truth, and was not included as Scripture. Anytime we “think” that something in the “New” Testament changes what God has already said, we are reading it with an incorrect interpretation, or from a western view point. So, why do so many today try to pin the “New” Testament against the “Old” Testament? Why do so many today try to start a proverbial brawl between the Son and the Father (As if the Son came up with His own rules or way to be saved)?

Examples:

- If any writer / preacher actually states that we no longer have to obey God’s Law … he or she is a false prophet, and therefore, the author of false writings. (So we know that Yeshua (Jesus) AND His followers did not preach such rebelliousness): “That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, BECAUSE he preached rebellion against YHVH your God.” (Deuteronomy 13:5) The end-times prophesy now makes sense in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 … “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.” Make sure that you are not deceived like I was and follow anyone who preaches that we no longer need to obey God’s laws. (That is law-less-ness, or rebellion).

- Some believe that the Law of Moses was just for the Jews, and that we Gentiles have “Christ’s Law”. This is false. It is shown to be false in both the “Old” and “New” Testaments: “The same Law applies to the native-born and to the alien living among you.” (Exodus 12:49) and John 10:16 … “I have other sheep that are not part of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one Shepherd.”

- Some say that the Laws of Moses are too hard and were impossible to obey. This is false. Deuteronomy 30:11 … “Now what I am commanding you today is NOT too difficult for you or beyond your reach.” and 1 John 5:3 … “This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are NOT burdensome.” (Hint: It is our flesh and sinful nature that keeps us from obeying them … NOT Christ, the Son of God! Why would the very Son of God keep us from obeying God the Father? Have you ever tried to obey God’s Laws?)

- Some say that taking pagan days and making them “God centered” is giving glory to God, and that He is pleased with such days. This, too, is false. “You must not worship YHVH your God in their way.” (Deuteronomy 12:4) and again in Deuteronomy 12:31 “You must not worship YHVH your God in their way, because in worshipping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things YHVH hates…” (Yes, these are the Words that Yeshua (Jesus) told Moses to say! Why do many do what HE, the Son of God, told us NOT to do?)

Below is proof that the “New” Testament believers obeyed God’s Laws from the “Old” Testament. The “Old” Testament was their guideline for truth! Without this base, man becomes his own “law maker” and decides what God desires. The “New” does NOT contradict the “Old” Testament … EVER!:

- “He (Paul) writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His 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.” (2 Peter 3:16) (Again … when was the New Testament added? Hundreds of years later than this writing! So Peter is talking about the book of Moses and the Prophets. So when people say that “Paul says we don’t have to obey God’s Laws anymore,” they are the ones who are distorting Paul’s words and are being ignorant and unstable.)

- “However, I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets…” (Acts 24:14) (This is Paul’s testimony! This backs up the passage above about those who claim that Paul says we no longer have to obey the Law. They are distorting Paul’s words … but they do it to their own destruction … as they do to other Scriptures.)

- “When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the Law.” (Acts 21:20) (It’s funny, but this passage continues about a false report about Paul. People were saying that Paul was preaching to turn from the Law of Moses … Paul, of course, quickly put an end to that rumor. What ignorant and unstable people would to that, eh? Oh … I used to be one of them.)

- “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) (If Paul said to stop obeying the Law … he would be a false prophet and the Christ that he preached would be a false Messiah, as well. Let us stop and think about what we are doing against the faith that saves us!)

- “If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do NOT believe what he (Moses) wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?” (John 5:46-47) (Many do not believe what Moses wrote; Many actually say that what Moses wrote is all done away with. Do they really believe what Yeshua (Jesus) said, then? Not according to the words of our Savior!!)

- “They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the Law.” (Acts 6:13) (If these were false accusations about Stephen, what is the truth about him then? Fact: He spoke in favor of the holy place AND obeying the Law of Moses.)

- “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. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, WILL BY ANY MEANS DISSAPEAR FROM THE LAW until everything is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:17-18) (His work on the cross may be finished here on earth, but everything is definitely not accomplished. Satan is still roaming around, is he not? The heavens and earth are still present, are they not? The man of lawlessness is sure being exposed, though! I am going with my Savior on this one and continuing to obey the Laws that HE gave my brethren back in the desert. I will AT ALL TIMES trust in HIM for my salvation.)

Let us put this knowledge into practice:

Some say that the Laws of Moses were the “walls of hostility” spoken of in Ephesians 2:14-15. … “… the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in His flesh the law with its commandments and regulations.” Now based upon the “Old” testament writings found in Psalm 19:7 … “The Law of YHVH is perfect and 2 Samuel 22:31… “The word of YHVH is flawless.” and, my favorite found in Psalm 119:151-152 … “Yet you are near, O YHVH, and ALL your commands are true. Long ago I learned from your statues that you established them to last FOREVER.”. Now based upon just these three “Old” Testament passages, the passage in Ephesians seems to contradict Scripture. Actually, based upon the rule of taking them back and comparing them to the “Old”, it does not line up. Since it is already in the “New” Testament, we KNOW that it must line up. Since a true believer wants to defend the Law of Moses and the Prophets (like Yeshua (Jesus), Paul, and the rest did), let us find out the truth: After a word search in Strongs on the words “commandments and regulations”, we can find out that it was, in fact, the man made laws that separated the Jews from the Gentiles that were considered hostile. We all know that the Laws of Moses were NOT hostile! If they were, then God, Himself, is hostile … and if God, Himself, is then so is His Son. For He is the word made flesh.

As I say in all my devotions … just think about it … before we make false accusations against the Son of God and His Spirit.