Monday, March 25, 2013
Friday, March 22, 2013
Upcoming Posts
So there's two posts I'm currently working on that may or may not be finished by Shabbat. There's one about Abraham Chill's works explicating the rationales for the mitzvot/minhagim and then there's one that shows all the misconceptions and objections to Shomer Negiah then shows the rationales for Shomer Negiah.
Also, I hope everyone has made plans for Passover which starts next Monday evening. Pray that this year many Jews and Gentiles will see that Yeshua is our Passover Lamb and that they'll eventually reject the lie of anti-Judaism that pervades the Christianities. What's a Christian that rejects anti-Judaism? A Messianic! : )
Shalom,
Peter
Also, I hope everyone has made plans for Passover which starts next Monday evening. Pray that this year many Jews and Gentiles will see that Yeshua is our Passover Lamb and that they'll eventually reject the lie of anti-Judaism that pervades the Christianities. What's a Christian that rejects anti-Judaism? A Messianic! : )
Shalom,
Peter
Interesting Messianic Bios over at Messianic Publications
So Rob Roy asked me to do a bio to go along with my review of McKee's book (New Testament Validates Torah) to be used over at Messianicpublications.com. To see how to write a bio I looked at the other bios (you have to click on an article and then click on the author's name to see the bio) and they are very interesting. So I just wanted to let you know to check them all out. Mine is completely uninteresting by comparison but can be seen at the following link:
CLICK HERE FOR LINK
CLICK HERE FOR LINK
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
A Review of McKee's "The New Testament Validates Torah"
[The book can be purchased at Amazon.com: CLICK HERE FOR LINK]
McKee begins NTVT with a proposition that must be very arresting for most Christians unfamiliar with Messianic Judaism:
Methodologically, McKee proceeds to show the typical Christian claims that the Law is invalid and then show the reality that the New Testament Validates Torah. Here is a sampling of his methodology:
CHRISTIAN CLAIM:
Christians cite to Romans 5:20 for this point which reads, "The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more." Along with this they cite Romans 7:8-9, "But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead. I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died."
REALITY:
While McKee agrees that a consequence of the Law was that "...the people surely started breaking [it]...", he explains that this was merely one negative consequence outweighed by the benefit of having "...laws and injunctions to keep [the Ancient Israelites] in line..." and that, after all, the evil of an increased capacity for sin has been entirely negated by a super-abounding of grace. The Law itself is not harmful but rather human nature. In fact, McKee explains that the Law is wisdom (citing Deuteronomy 4:6; 26:18-19; 28:1). And what could be more beneficial than wisdom?
CHRISTIAN CLAIM:
Christians cite to Galatians 3:19 as evidence: "Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made." G. Walter Hansen shows the common Christian interpretation of this verse, "The Mosaic Law came into effect at a certain point in history and was in effect only until the promised Seed, Christ, appeared...[T]he law was in effect for a relatively short period of time limited in both directions by the words 'added' and 'until'."
REALITY:
McKee disagrees that Paul meant the entire Sinaitic Law was temporary. Rather, he agrees with Dunn's assessment of Galatians 3:19 "[T]he purpose of the law as it was generally recognized within the (OT) scriptures and the Judaism of Paul's time...[was] as a means of dealing with transgressions. In other words, what was probably in mind here [in Gal. 3:19] was the whole sacrificial cult at whose centre was the provision of means for covering sin and removing guilt..."
CHRISTIAN CLAIM:
REALITY:
McKee uses Paul's own response, "Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law," (Romans 3:31).
REALITY:
"This 'setting aside'...does not involve the Torah as a whole somehow being abolished, but rather...the Levitical priesthood being removed to the side, likely until Yeshua returns and the Temple service is restored in the Millennium with Him present (cf. Ezekiel chs. 44-48)....The very reason why this specific Torah instruction can be considered as 'weak and ineffectual' (NRSV) is because 'the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak' (Hebrews 7:28)--which is a human problem--not because God's instruction on the priesthood is somehow bad." Also, the fact that the Law made nothing perfect does not mean that the Law was bad. McKee quotes from Donald Guthrie who writes, "...It is characteristic of law--not merely Mosaic law, but all law--that it has made nothing perfect..."
These are just some of the examples of Christian claims to the invalidity of the Torah. McKee systematically covers the other claims which are based on faulty interpretations of Matthew 5:17; John 1:17; Romans 3:20; 3:28; 4:5; 6:14; 6:23; 7:4; 8:2-3; 10:4; 11:6; 1 Corinthians 6:12; 10:23; 2 Corinthians 3:14; Galatians 2:16; 3:13; 3:24-25; Ephesians 2:8-9; 2:14-15; Philippians 3:9; Colossians 2:14; 1 Timothy 1:9; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5,7; 3:9; Hebrews 7:12, 18-19; 8:13; 10:1,9.
In Part II of the book, in addition to tackling the difficult Pauline concepts of "under the law" and "under grace", McKee presents some key Messianic views of the New Covenant:
(1) "...the New Covenant...does have continuity with the Sinai Covenant that preceded it (Exodus 19:1-24:11)....One of the essential realities of the New Covenant is God writing the Law onto the hearts of His people!...just as takes place with Jeremiah 31:31-34, [Christians tend to overlook] 'I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances' (Ezekiel 36:27)....It is unfortunate that among Christian commentaries, there is not a huge amount of reflection on Ezekiel 36:27, which clearly states how the work of God's Spirit will cause His people to obey His commandments. This aligns with the Jeremiah 31:31-34 New Covenant promise of God writing His Torah onto their hearts,";
(2) The New Covenant is a national covenant: "The decree is issued that a time is coming when a new agreement will be made 'with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah' (Jeremiah 31:31). These are nationalistic designations...";
(3) The New Covenant is inclusive of Gentiles. "...the restoration of Israel is bigger than just the Jewish people, as the work of the Messiah has surely incorporated people from all nations who call upon the Creator God into the Israel of God (Galatians 6:16)."
One of the last sections of the book is entitled "How Do You Become Torah Observant?" In this section, McKee says "There are three critical aspects of Torah obedience where most of the 'growing pains' and/or struggles for today's Messianic Believers are found. They are obeying the command to honor the seventh-day Sabbath or Shabbat, celebrating the appoint times or moedim of Leviticus 23, and following the kosher dietary laws..." He explain that the journey toward Torah begins with these first three steps.
He goes on to explain why these steps present difficulties, "You may see that as you commit yourself to a fuller obedience which many are unwilling to have, that you may lose friendships and relationships with people...This is because how you are practicing your faith convicts them, yet they are unwilling to make these changes...Yeshua tells us that this is not unique..."And everyone who has left houses or brothers and sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life' (Matthew 19:29).
Next, he addresses one of the most critical questions that a Messianic will face: "Do you stay in church or do you leave?" He answers diplomatically that "...as you commit yourself further and further to a path of Torah obedience...your time in your church will probably not last." The reason he suggests is that "...the time will come when you are ready to move on because your church is not feeding you spiritually the way that it used to. Have faith that the Lord will bring you new friends who will share your perspective of the Scriptures, and who are just as sincere in their faith as you are."
He also warns to be wary of congregations that exclude Gentile Believers, "...there are other Messianic congregations where only Jewish Believers are largely ministered to, and non-Jewish Believers are not considered to be a part of Israel along with them." Yet he admonishes the reader to "Treat others with fairness and respect."
There's so much wisdom in this book that a meager book review cannot adequately cover. I hope each of you will purchase two copies of this book: one as a continual reference for your family and another to donate to a local pastor with whom you are building bridges.
Thank you J.K. McKee for all of your hard work in compiling this wonderful resource! May G-d raise up many such workers in our fledgling movement!
Shalom,
Peter
McKee begins NTVT with a proposition that must be very arresting for most Christians unfamiliar with Messianic Judaism:
"Many Christians today are of the false impression that the Apostolic Scriptures tell us that the Law of Moses or the Torah is no longer to be followed and is relatively unimportant for today...they...have misinterpreted the Apostolic Scriptures...because they do not have a foundation in the Torah and Tanach."This false impression of G-d's Law causes the following evil:
"...the Body of Believers today has lost much of its direction for the future. There are many problems among those in our faith today. The foremost of these problems is the widespread proliferation of sin and unbiblical behavior, which results in people having an ineffective spiritual walk and being unable to fulfill the mission of God in the world."McKee's proposition in the book is that Believers, both Jew and Gentile, should follow:
"[Yeshua's] commandments...[which] are not just vague concepts, but are instructions that we encounter within the first five books of Scripture, the Law of Moses or the Torah."At the close of the introduction, McKee makes a rather bold claim, that appreciating G-d's instructions (i.e. Sinaitic Torah) will:
"...help you in your walk of faith...enable you to know our Creator on a deeper level, as He has surely saved you by grace bud made you for good works (Ephesians 2:8-10)...[and] grow in your faith..."In short, he begins his book with the bold claim that the Torah solution will (1) help in your daily walk of faith; (2) enable a deeper knowledge of the Creator; (3) help you to understand the complementary relationship between grace and good works.
Methodologically, McKee proceeds to show the typical Christian claims that the Law is invalid and then show the reality that the New Testament Validates Torah. Here is a sampling of his methodology:
CHRISTIAN CLAIM:
The Law makes us more sinful and is therefore harmful.
Christians cite to Romans 5:20 for this point which reads, "The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more." Along with this they cite Romans 7:8-9, "But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead. I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died."
REALITY:
While McKee agrees that a consequence of the Law was that "...the people surely started breaking [it]...", he explains that this was merely one negative consequence outweighed by the benefit of having "...laws and injunctions to keep [the Ancient Israelites] in line..." and that, after all, the evil of an increased capacity for sin has been entirely negated by a super-abounding of grace. The Law itself is not harmful but rather human nature. In fact, McKee explains that the Law is wisdom (citing Deuteronomy 4:6; 26:18-19; 28:1). And what could be more beneficial than wisdom?
CHRISTIAN CLAIM:
The Law was intended to be temporary until Christ.
Christians cite to Galatians 3:19 as evidence: "Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made." G. Walter Hansen shows the common Christian interpretation of this verse, "The Mosaic Law came into effect at a certain point in history and was in effect only until the promised Seed, Christ, appeared...[T]he law was in effect for a relatively short period of time limited in both directions by the words 'added' and 'until'."
REALITY:
McKee disagrees that Paul meant the entire Sinaitic Law was temporary. Rather, he agrees with Dunn's assessment of Galatians 3:19 "[T]he purpose of the law as it was generally recognized within the (OT) scriptures and the Judaism of Paul's time...[was] as a means of dealing with transgressions. In other words, what was probably in mind here [in Gal. 3:19] was the whole sacrificial cult at whose centre was the provision of means for covering sin and removing guilt..."
CHRISTIAN CLAIM:
No one can keep the Law; therefore, no one should try to keep the Law.
REALITY:
McKee uses Paul's own response, "Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law," (Romans 3:31).
CHRISTIAN CLAIM:
Hebrews 7:18-19 tells us that the Law was set aside.
The passage actually reads, "For on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness (for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God."
REALITY:
"This 'setting aside'...does not involve the Torah as a whole somehow being abolished, but rather...the Levitical priesthood being removed to the side, likely until Yeshua returns and the Temple service is restored in the Millennium with Him present (cf. Ezekiel chs. 44-48)....The very reason why this specific Torah instruction can be considered as 'weak and ineffectual' (NRSV) is because 'the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak' (Hebrews 7:28)--which is a human problem--not because God's instruction on the priesthood is somehow bad." Also, the fact that the Law made nothing perfect does not mean that the Law was bad. McKee quotes from Donald Guthrie who writes, "...It is characteristic of law--not merely Mosaic law, but all law--that it has made nothing perfect..."
These are just some of the examples of Christian claims to the invalidity of the Torah. McKee systematically covers the other claims which are based on faulty interpretations of Matthew 5:17; John 1:17; Romans 3:20; 3:28; 4:5; 6:14; 6:23; 7:4; 8:2-3; 10:4; 11:6; 1 Corinthians 6:12; 10:23; 2 Corinthians 3:14; Galatians 2:16; 3:13; 3:24-25; Ephesians 2:8-9; 2:14-15; Philippians 3:9; Colossians 2:14; 1 Timothy 1:9; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5,7; 3:9; Hebrews 7:12, 18-19; 8:13; 10:1,9.
In Part II of the book, in addition to tackling the difficult Pauline concepts of "under the law" and "under grace", McKee presents some key Messianic views of the New Covenant:
(1) "...the New Covenant...does have continuity with the Sinai Covenant that preceded it (Exodus 19:1-24:11)....One of the essential realities of the New Covenant is God writing the Law onto the hearts of His people!...just as takes place with Jeremiah 31:31-34, [Christians tend to overlook] 'I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances' (Ezekiel 36:27)....It is unfortunate that among Christian commentaries, there is not a huge amount of reflection on Ezekiel 36:27, which clearly states how the work of God's Spirit will cause His people to obey His commandments. This aligns with the Jeremiah 31:31-34 New Covenant promise of God writing His Torah onto their hearts,";
(2) The New Covenant is a national covenant: "The decree is issued that a time is coming when a new agreement will be made 'with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah' (Jeremiah 31:31). These are nationalistic designations...";
(3) The New Covenant is inclusive of Gentiles. "...the restoration of Israel is bigger than just the Jewish people, as the work of the Messiah has surely incorporated people from all nations who call upon the Creator God into the Israel of God (Galatians 6:16)."
One of the last sections of the book is entitled "How Do You Become Torah Observant?" In this section, McKee says "There are three critical aspects of Torah obedience where most of the 'growing pains' and/or struggles for today's Messianic Believers are found. They are obeying the command to honor the seventh-day Sabbath or Shabbat, celebrating the appoint times or moedim of Leviticus 23, and following the kosher dietary laws..." He explain that the journey toward Torah begins with these first three steps.
He goes on to explain why these steps present difficulties, "You may see that as you commit yourself to a fuller obedience which many are unwilling to have, that you may lose friendships and relationships with people...This is because how you are practicing your faith convicts them, yet they are unwilling to make these changes...Yeshua tells us that this is not unique..."And everyone who has left houses or brothers and sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life' (Matthew 19:29).
Next, he addresses one of the most critical questions that a Messianic will face: "Do you stay in church or do you leave?" He answers diplomatically that "...as you commit yourself further and further to a path of Torah obedience...your time in your church will probably not last." The reason he suggests is that "...the time will come when you are ready to move on because your church is not feeding you spiritually the way that it used to. Have faith that the Lord will bring you new friends who will share your perspective of the Scriptures, and who are just as sincere in their faith as you are."
He also warns to be wary of congregations that exclude Gentile Believers, "...there are other Messianic congregations where only Jewish Believers are largely ministered to, and non-Jewish Believers are not considered to be a part of Israel along with them." Yet he admonishes the reader to "Treat others with fairness and respect."
There's so much wisdom in this book that a meager book review cannot adequately cover. I hope each of you will purchase two copies of this book: one as a continual reference for your family and another to donate to a local pastor with whom you are building bridges.
Thank you J.K. McKee for all of your hard work in compiling this wonderful resource! May G-d raise up many such workers in our fledgling movement!
Shalom,
Peter
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Will be Talking About These Books Later This Week
Both are by Abraham Chill:
The Minhagim: the Customs and Ceremonies of Judaism, Their Origins and Rationale
AND:
The Mitzvot: the Commandments and Their Rationale
The Minhagim: the Customs and Ceremonies of Judaism, Their Origins and Rationale
AND:
The Mitzvot: the Commandments and Their Rationale
Monday, March 18, 2013
Avram's Fatal Exegetical Error: Failure to Engage in Textual Criticism of Acts 21
Avram argues that the New Testament actually prohibits Gentiles from circumcising (he says "Having said all that, the correct interpretation of what James meant when he said "observe no such thing" refers to the prohibition against Gentile circumcision"). Where does he get that? From a passage that isn't actually in the Bible. Allow me to explain.
If you read Acts 21 in Bible translations based on say Textus Receptus then Acts 21:25 reads like the following:
If you read Acts 21 in Bible translations based on say Textus Receptus then Acts 21:25 reads like the following:
"But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written and decided that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality.”
Yet if you look at a translation based upon older, more reliable manuscripts then it reads as follows:
"As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.”
See the difference? That little gem of anti-Judaic scribal tampering is missing from the older text. The more reliable text doesn't have "observe no such thing." For evidence of what I'm saying, please refer to Acts 21:25 in the Codex Sinaiticus which is provided in the link in the previous post.
Avram has demonstrated what can happen when a scholar forgets to do a little textual criticism. You've got to do your homework and read the oldest manuscripts. The newer Bible translations have done this homework for you for the most part. See the ESV, NIV, etc. I'm pretty sure that they are all up to date.
To the Gentiles: since you are part of the family, you really must get circumcised eventually (provided you understand that it is not circumcision which saves you). Your reward for this is that you will be able to one day enter the Messianic Temple (a Temple which the Prophets say cannot be entered by those who remain uncircumcised in the flesh).
Yet Another Perspective on Gentile Circumcision (Avram Yehoshua)
A few posts back, I provided you with a link to the Orthodox Messianic position on Gentile circumcision. Here's a link to an article by a man with a different perspective. I actually used to correspond with this guy (Avram Yehoshua) until he decided that I was "arrogant" for not holding to his views on circumcision (I guess you can't please everybody). : )
Here's the article in which he argues against Tim Hegg's position: CLICK HERE FOR LINK
Here's the article in which he argues against Tim Hegg's position: CLICK HERE FOR LINK
Does Anyone Have any Thoughts About the Jerusalem Council Site?
There's a site that purports to be an association of Orthodox Messianic Believers from all around the world which you can visit here: CLICK HERE FOR LINK.
I was just curious if anyone knows them or has any opinions about this site/organization.
I was just curious if anyone knows them or has any opinions about this site/organization.
Cults at the Congregational Level: The Subtle Modes of Cultism That Pervade Christian and Messianic Congregations
If a cult is something evil and evil is defined as the absence of good then we should begin our discussion by defining a cult as the absence of a particular good. But which "good" is missing from a cult?
The chief good of system of government is that it prevents corruption. Men are male mammals and not angels. If men were angels then we wouldn't need government. We men are power-hungry, egotistical creatures. We need checks and balances. Each man needs a woman to balance him out (family level of governance). Each community needs a council of elders (bet din). Thus, the goal for communal governance, at least at the local level, is to allow each citizen of the community a voice as a rights-holder.
By contrast, a cult is the religious analog to a totalitarian regime in which the centralized authority is the sole rights-holder. History has shown that totalitarian systems seek to control all aspects of public and private life. Free thought is forbidden. There is no "freedom of conscience." The government is your conscience.
Now, of course, cultism like totalitarian forms of government takes many forms. For example, you might have a government that is largely good except for a few totalitarian tendencies. A local religious congregation might have the structure of a cult--one man in the sole position of authority--and yet in practice have an egalitarian community because that man in authority has arbitrarily decided to listen to his subjects and so give them a voice. But how quickly that can change if the benevolent dictator is replaced with someone who is not so benevolent!
How do we prevent cultism? We establish battei din (councils of elders) in each community. But don't take my word for it:
The chief good of system of government is that it prevents corruption. Men are male mammals and not angels. If men were angels then we wouldn't need government. We men are power-hungry, egotistical creatures. We need checks and balances. Each man needs a woman to balance him out (family level of governance). Each community needs a council of elders (bet din). Thus, the goal for communal governance, at least at the local level, is to allow each citizen of the community a voice as a rights-holder.
By contrast, a cult is the religious analog to a totalitarian regime in which the centralized authority is the sole rights-holder. History has shown that totalitarian systems seek to control all aspects of public and private life. Free thought is forbidden. There is no "freedom of conscience." The government is your conscience.
Now, of course, cultism like totalitarian forms of government takes many forms. For example, you might have a government that is largely good except for a few totalitarian tendencies. A local religious congregation might have the structure of a cult--one man in the sole position of authority--and yet in practice have an egalitarian community because that man in authority has arbitrarily decided to listen to his subjects and so give them a voice. But how quickly that can change if the benevolent dictator is replaced with someone who is not so benevolent!
How do we prevent cultism? We establish battei din (councils of elders) in each community. But don't take my word for it:
"23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each congregation and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust," (Acts 14:23).
"5 The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you," (Titus 1:5)
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