God created man and woman in his image. (don’t get caught up in the pronoun of God. It’s an illusion. God is not a man or a woman, he created us both in his image. so he can’t be either, but we both, are in his image. We are not God, but rather, God is in us.)
I like tangents, but try not to let them distract too much. Back to my point.
Male and female, created in the image of God. He called us good. He never took that back. Not even after we ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
So we are still good. We did not develop a ‘sin nature’ after we sinned.
What we developed, is the knowledge of good and evil.
God is absolute goodness. He is righteousness and truth. He is the only standard of goodness that exists.
This is what I believe. This is the most important standard of all.
But now that I have the knowledge of good and evil, I HAVE become LIKE God. In that I now have the capacity, through the knowledge of good and evil, to choose what I think is good and evil. (as if my opinion matters). At this exact instant, the second that I decide what is good… I am now at enmity with God, who IS goodness itself. Now, I have become the judge of God almighty.
THIS is the great sin of Adam and Eve.
For this reason, God chose a person, and called him out of the rest of humanity to be holy. He covenanted with Abram that he would walk in front of Him and be whole (Gen 17:1). God then (430 years later) gave this family (Moses and the Israelites) instructions on what is good and what is evil, what is clean and what is unclean, and then once again, after they asked for a King (Moshiach – or annointed one – “Christ” as Christians call it) (Initially Saul, who failed and God rejected) and then David, who God promised to establish His Kingdom eternally through, a family, not a house that man would build (2 Sam 7:6, 13-16).
Yeshua then came, in fulfillment of these promises. Rejected by the mainstream of his own people, just as with Elisha, and today, yet, always a remnant who remained faithful.
Yeshua came as a carpenter’s son, and then as a Rabbi. A teacher of the Torah. He chose to live a homeless life (“the son of man has no place to lay his head” (Matt 8:20).
Yeshua taught the Torah to his disciples. The beatitudes is the “Halacha” or the way to keep the Torah – which every Rabbi teaches. He clearly states that he is not hear to abolish the Torah, and that not one jot or tittle will be removed, and that anyone who teaches otherwise will be least in His Kingdom. He then goes on to say things like, “you’ve heard it said, that you should.. but I say … ” over and over. He is bringing clarity to scripture because of mistaken interpretation, not correction to Scripture itself.
“Scripture” is referenced in the “New Testament” 51 times.
A few examples:
Matthew 21:42 – Have you never read in the Scriptures…”
Luke 24:27 – Jesus explains the Scriptures concerning Himself.
John 10:35 – “Scripture cannot be broken.”
Acts 17:11 – The Bereans examined the Scriptures daily.
2 Timothy 3:16 – “All Scripture is God-breathed…”
All of these instances are referring to the “Old Testament”. Or the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) and the Tenach (the Histories, Psalms, Poetry and Prophets).
There is never a time in the New Testament where the word “Scripture” is used towards the New Testament writings. I’m not saying this to discredit the New Testament, but rather to understand it correctly in it’s context.
Paul was also, like Yeshua, a Jewish Rabbi, taught by Gamliel, a prominent Jewish Rabbi. Paul lived as a Jew his entire life, meaning he kept a Kosher lifestyle, he dressed like a Jewish Rabbi, meaning he wore Tzitzis. (not like the orthodox Jews of today, who have adapted and added various traditions such as yarmulkes (kippa head coverings) black hats, white shirts, black suits, etc.. a style adopted over the centuries, some from the 17th century..
But we know that Paul, when he went to Rome (for example), lived with the Jews. Which means, he was accepted, (and respected!) as a Rabbi, and as a Jew. Which could only be done if he was living, dressing, eating, talking, walking, keeping Torah, etc.. all of it. and furthermore, when Paul returned to Jerusalem (at the end of his ‘ministry’), he was accused by the Jews of teaching against the Torah. Paul met with James (the leader of the followers of Yeshua in Jerusalem at the time, who bragged to Paul at how many thousands of Jews now believed in Yeshua and were still zealous for the Torah! After consulting with James, they decided that in order to prove that Paul was NOT teaching against the Torah, he would go and pay for the sacrifices at the temple of 4 nazirites who were finishing their vows.
So Paul is either the biggest hippocrite in history, OR the western church has be misrepresenting his words for 2 thousand years.
Also, Pauls words CANNOT contradict Jesus’ words. And if they do, we must go with Jesus’ words OVER Pauls. Period.
I will get into Acts 10 and 15, as they are also relevant to this conversation.
but the question then becomes, so what are the teachings of Jesus? And if the Holy Spirit comes on gentiles without conversion to Judaism, then what does that mean for the lifestyle of Gentiles? They don’t need to be circumcised, or to keep the Torah in order to be followers of this Jewish Rabbi? So then what are they following? What about Acts 15?
Let’s stop here – if you are hungry, go and search.
seek and you will find.