Followers of "the" Way vs. Followers of "2" Ways: Discussion Question Regarding 1 Cor. 7:17

The Apostolic Writings describe the Jewish and Gentile Messiah-Followers as adherents of "the Way" (see Acts 19 where even Gentile members seem to be included in "the Way").  The "way" terminology can only be understood by examining the Judaic context.  In context, the idea of a Messianic "Way" refers to the fact that (A) Messianic Judaism observed Jewish Law (see Acts 21:21 "walk after the customs" ) but that, at the same time, (B) the Messianic community had halacha that was, at least partially, of its own making (enough so that it was considered a distinct "Way").


DISCUSSION QUESTION:

1 Corinthians 7:17 says "as the Lord has assigned to each...so let him walk".  Does this mean that there are actually 2 ways within Messianic Judaism?

Philo Would've Made a Great One-Law Messianic Jew...

"Why was the Pentateuch translated into Greek?  According to the Letter of Aristeas, probably the source for all ancient accounts, Ptolemy II accepted the suggestion of Demetrius of Phalerum that the king should acquire a translation of the Hebrew Pentateuch, in order to increase his collection of worthy books....[another view holds that the translation occurred] because a large majority of Egyptian Jews could not understand Hebrew, and therefore requested a written translation of the Bible....[Philo, demonstrating yet another view] claims that the translation was made to show how 'the greater part, or even the whole of the human race might be profited and led to a better life by continuing to observe such wise and truly admirable ordinances' [as found in the Torah of Moses](Mos. II.32, 36).'" Excerpted from Who Wanted a Translation of the Pentateuch into Greek? by Nina L. Collins from the Journal of Semitic Studies Supplement 11:  Jewish Ways of Reading the Bible Edited by Brooke

Trinity in Kabbalistic Writings (Continued)

A long while back I blogged about the Trinity in Kabbalistic writings (CLICK HERE FOR LINK).  More interesting though is how those mystics arrived at this understanding--they got it from the first three verses of Genesis:

"The mystics of the Cabala discovered a trace of the triad already on the first page of the Bible.  'In the beginning God created heaven and earth, and the spirit of God hovered over the waters; then God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light.'  Here stand the three (say the mystics, not normative Judaism):  God's Self, God's Spirit, and God's Word, which in Hebrew is Davar, which later in Aramaic was called Memra--the two ancestors of the still later Greek Logos, as the first revelation of the One God.
     Johannes Reuchlin, the student of two rabbis and a citizen of the city of Pforzheim, who was the first Christian Cabala researcher, went one step further in that already in the second word of the Bible, bara '[and God] created,' he wished to see a stenogram of the Trinity:  beth as an abbreviation for ben ('the son'), resh for ruach ('the spirit'), and aleph for the Godhead itself (elohim).
     Here also belongs the so-called Kedusha...from Isa. 6:3 where the choir of angels sings, 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the entire earth is full of God's glory!...'" pg. 35 of Jewish Monotheism and Christian Trinitarian Doctrine by Lapide and Moltman

Don't know if Reuchlin was correct about finding the Trinity in "bara" but here's something else interesting to note about that term:

" 'create'  The Hebrew stem b-r-' is used in the Bible exclusively of divine creativity..."Pg. 5 of the JPS Torah Commentary to Genesis

"Otherwise Your Children Would be Unclean": A Question Concerning the Apparently Contradictory Uses of "Unclean" in 1 Cor. 7:14 and Acts 10:28

"And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean (akatharton)," (Acts 10:28) 

"For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean (akatharta), but as it is, they are holy," (1 Cor. 7:14)

Notice how Peter seems to say that no person can be considered unclean but Paul seems to say that the child of a union of two non-Believers would be unclean?

DISCUSSION QUESTION:

How do we resolve these two passages?

Readership Spike: This is a Little Intimidating...

Close to a thousand people a day reading this blog now... Yikes!

"Walking" in the Spirit: Examining the "Two Ways" Motif in Jewish Literature as it Relates to the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5

"[This] I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh," Galatians 5:16

In Jewish thought, there are only 2 paths to follow.  We see this not only in Yeshua's sermons:

"13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."  (Matthew 7:13-14)

But we also see this in the Tanak itself:

"Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess," (Deut. 5:33)

Versus:

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night," Psalm 1:1-2

So it should come as no surprise that Paul, a Hebrew of Hebrews, uses this same motif when contrasting the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5.  It's a diametrical concept, either you've got the fruit or you've got the flesh, you've got love or you've got hate, you've got light or you've got darkness.

Here's some miscellaneous notes you might find interesting:

Sacra Pagina: Galatians by Frank J. Matera

pg. 206  "Paul's initial advice is that the Galatians should 'walk' by the Spirit, that is, conduct themselves in a manner that accords with the Spirit.  The expression 'to walk' in the Spirit is related to the OT idea of walking (Hebrew: halak) in the commandments of the Lord.  It implies conducting one's life in a particular manner.  Thus in Deut 5:33 Moses says, 'You shall walk in all the way which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you.'  And the Psalmist writes, 'Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but delights in the Law of the Lord' (Ps 1:1-2)...To walk in the Spirit, then, means to conduct one's life in a particular way, a way which excludes opposing conduct."

pg. 208 "A more helpful model for understanding [the fruit of the Spirit] is found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Manual of Discipline (1QS 3:13-4:26).  1 QS is an example of the genre of the Two Ways, a genre also found in early Christian literature of the second century (Didache 1-5...).  According to 1QS, God provided two spirits by which humanity 'walks' until the day of God's...visitation:  the spirit of truth which springs from a fountain of light, and a spirit of falsehood which springs from a source of darkness.  While the spirit of truth leads to 'a spirit of humility, patience, abundant charity, unending goodness, understanding, and intelligence' (1QS4:3), the ways of the spirit of falsehood are 'greed, and slackness in the search for righteousness, wickedness and lies, haughtiness and pride, falseness and deceit, cruelty and abundant evil' (1QS 4:9, 11...)."  

pg. 210  "One might expect that Paul would entitle his second list, 'the works of the Spirit.'  Instead the Apostle speaks of the singular fruit of the Spirit (ho karpos tou pneumatos) which manifests itself in different ways....

     Unlike the first list which purposely gives a sense of disorder and confusion, this list consists of three triads which give a sense of order and harmony:

     

     love, joy, peace

     patience, kindness, goodness

     faith, gentleness, self-control"

The Didache:  Its Jewish Sources and its Place in Early Judaism and Christianity

pg. 202 "The Matthean Two Ways saying at the beginning of the final section of the Sermon on the Mount stands out because of the antithetical parallelism describing two roads.  The easy way, 'leading to destruction,' and the hard way, 'leading to life,' confront the readers with an ultimatum.  The choice is between these alternatives and there is no middle way...Entering the narrow gate...by means of bearing good fruit (7:17)....The right way is responding to the words of Jesus which, effectively, is his exposition of the Law (5:17 and 7:12), as it is delivered in the Sermon on the Mount."

How Do We Evaluate the Fruit of the Spirit Without Unfairly Judging Someone? (Response to Judah--in love!!)

It's so easy to misjudge someone and I'll give a few examples:

Example 1:

There's a guy who is always fighting--he is physically violent and this constant violence has caused his personal relationships to suffer.  Our immediate reaction is probably, "Hey, pal, you did this to yourself!  You don't have the fruit of the Spirit!"

But what if this guy is a United States Marine?

Example 2:

There's a guy preaching on street corners, saying churches need to get involved politically to help save our country from the Homosexual lobby and the abortion lobby.  Our immediate reaction, "Hey, buddy, nobody's gonna listen to you!  Your message is too angry!"

But what if such lobbies are actively and successfully eroding our cultural values and even our rights?

CONCLUSION:

Okay, so what's my point?  My point is that the Body of Messiah has many parts.  Some of us are white blood cells and we cause a lot of itching and annoyance.  But what if this annoyance serves a greater purpose?  All I'm really saying is let's not be too quick to judge the message or the reaction.  Let's look at the cause, the context.  If someone feels angry, it very well could mean that person lacks the fruit of the Spirit.  Or...it might just mean that this person feels grieved in the L-rd and desperately wants to fight the enemy.

New Post from Judah

This is good:

CLICK HERE FOR LINK

Torah Resource Institute: Advanced Level Messianic Instruction

I've not attended this Messianic Yeshiva but, having read the works of the instructors, I highly recommend that anyone interested in advanced level instruction consider...

THE TORAH RESOURCE INSTITUTE

4 Stages of Islamic Conquest

CLICK HERE FOR LINK

Islam: A Religion of Peace?

CLICK HERE FOR LINK

Under What Authority Does a Rabbi Make a Person a Jew? (Response to Ken)

So a commenter just asked a great question.  I'll give my two cents and then others can chime in with their perspectives.

Here's the simplest answer I can come up with (but it's not very simple):

A covenant is a legalized game of pretend in which two unrelated parties pretend that they are family and agree to love each other as family.

The questions with regard to the covenant of conversion are as folllows:

(1) Which Judaism are we talking about?  Each Judaism is its own family in a sense and therefore has its own set of laws on this matter;

(2) Which laws apply to Messianic Judaism?

In MJ, Yeshua is the ultimate source of law.  Therefore, in Messianic Judaism we cannot attribute deontic authority (final authority) to Rabbinic halacha (i.e. the Rabbinic interpretation of the mitzvot).  It can however attribute epistemic (presumptive but non-final) authority to the Rabbis in certain areas of halacha.

But here's the thing:

There's no way MJ can use the rabbinic halacha on conversion.  Here's why:

In MJ, there's no way for a Gentile to become a Jew.  There's simply no precedent for it.

The covenant of conversion in MJ allows Gentiles to join Yeshua's Kingdom, the Kingdom Realm of Israel.  But this only provides rights/responsibilities with regard to the Torah of this New Covenant. It confers no privileges to the earthly realm of Israel (e.g. Jewry, Modern State of Israel).

Sorry but that's the best I've got.  Would anyone else like to add something?

Derek has Defined Messianic Judaism (and now my head hurts)

[Here is the post:  CLICK HERE FOR LINK]

Derek has offered a definition of Messianic Judaism...or has he?  I can't really tell what he's saying.  Messianic Judaism is for the family of Jews...oh, wait, no, it also includes Gentiles who support the vision of Messianic Judaism.  Huh?  

I think everyone should discuss this in an uncensored environment (Derek censors all opposing viewpoints on his blog;  here, on the other hand, we welcome all points of view). 

Before the discussion begins...

Here's something to consider:  isn't the whole purpose of covenant to extend kinship (i.e. family-ness) to those who are not kin? (see Frank Cross below for further explanation).  

"Kinship [in Semitic tribal groups] was conceived in terms of one blood flowing through the veins of the kinship group...Kindred were of one flesh, one bone.  'The whole kindred conceives of itself as having a single life.'  On meeting Jacob, Laban says, 'Surely thou art my bone and flesh [basar].'  Tribesmen of Israel meeting David at Hebron introduce their negotiations with him by saying, 'Behold we are thy bone and thy flesh.'...Rooted in the concept of kinship was the obligation to protect one's kindred...The obligation of the kinsman is also to uphold the welfare of his fellow kinsman....
     We have noted that the language of love (ahabah) is kinship language, the bond that holds together those in intimate relationships, the relationships of family and kindred.  Hesed ('loyalty') too, I should argue, originally was a term designating that loyal and loving behavior appropriate to a kinship relationship...Kinsfolk are expected to be loving, just and generous to one another and not to demand strictly equivalent returns of one another.'....
   
     Kinship-in-Law
   
     The kinship bonds that give unity and cohesion to the lineage and family in tribal societies become attenuated as tribal societies become more complex....
     In tribal societies there were legal mechanisms or devices--we might even say legal fictions--by which outsiders, non-kin, might be incorporated into the kinship group.  Those incorporated, an individual or a group, gained fictive kinship and shared the mutual obligations and privileges of real kinsmen....
     In Israel, contrary to many primitive band or tribal societies, the legal compact of marriage introduced the bride into the kinship group or family.  This is the proper understanding of Genesis 2:24:  'Therefore a man will abandon his father and his mother and cleave to his wife, and [the two of them] will become one flesh.'  Flesh refers not to carnal union but to identity of 'flesh,' kinship, 'bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh.' ...
     Adoption of sons or daughters is another means of ingrafting non-kin or distant kin into the lineage.  The practice was widespread in the Near East and in Israel.  Its formulae survive (often in secondary settings):  'I will be to him a father and he will become my son,' or 'my son are thou, today I have begotten thee,' or 'a child is born to us, a son is given to us.'
     Oath and covenant, in which the deity is witness, guarantor, or participant, is also a widespread legal means by which the duties and privileges of kinship may be extended to another individual or group, including aliens.  In describing early Arab tribalism, Robertson Smith writes:
   
'The commingling of blood [in the oath and covenant ritual] by which two men became brothers or two kins allies, and the [legal] fiction of adoption by which a new tribesman was feigned to be the veritable son of a member of the tribe, are both evidences of the highest value, that the Arabs were incapable of conceiving any absolute social obligations of social unity which was not based on kinship; for a legal fiction is always adopted to reconcile an act with a principle too firmly established to be simply ignored.'
     Kinship and Tribal Federation
   
     Early Israel must be designated a tribal league or federation....
     ...We may describe the social organization of the league from three standpoints.
     The league was a military organization....
     The league was also a kinship organization, a covenant of families and tribes organized by the creation or identification of a common ancestor and related by segmented genealogies.  Such genealogies are in substantial part constructs, based as much on 'kinship-in-law' as real kinship...The league in ideal form was conceived as twelve tribes, related at once by covenant and kinship.
     The...league was also a religious organization or society..."

Introduction to Things Messianic by J.K. McKee

Just learning about Messianic Judaism?  Or are you trying to share your newfound faith with others?

Check out this book (also available as an instant download for $9.99):

Introduction to Things Messianic

Converting the Converted: 2 Questions for the Messianic Jewish Rabbinical Counsel (MJRC)

[Background:  For those who don't know, the MJRC offers conversions:  CLICK HERE FOR LINK]

Dear MJRC:

I just have a couple of quick questions for anyone sitting on the MJRC (maybe Derek Leman would like to chime in since he has some direct experience with this):

(1) As you all know, the Hebrew word for conversion is teshuvah (turning).  But if one is already facing the right direction (Yeshua), why does he need to turn and face in a different direction?

(2) How can the Covenant, Way of Life, and People offered by Yeshua be so deficient and unsatisfying that one would need to seek better options?

Yours Very Sincerely,

Peter