TORAH APOLOGETICS - Answering the Antinomians - NCCG.ORG Ning Network Archive 2008-10

I have recently been getting 'complaints' from some antinomians attacking us for observing the Law (Torah) and was sent an article describing the classical evangelical protestant 'take' on Torah (see parallel discussion going on in the Sabbath Group too). I am inviting Torah-submitted brethren and sisters to join in a discussion to share their expertise on this subject so that I can then link back this Group and Thread to those who sent and endore the following article. As ever, it is full of errors which need carefully exposing.

You Who Desire the Law

http://www.preparehisway.com/you_who_desire_the_law

Gal. 4:21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law....

Here now is a test for those who are prophets and/ or spiritual brethren from 1 Corinthians 14:37:

"If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord." -written to the church at Corinth by Paul, an apostle.

Are Christians to keep the ordinances, laws, and commandments of the Old Testament?
Are our Messianic brethren righteous because they keep the feasts of the Lord, the Sabbath, and the Ten Commandments?
Should Gentile (non-Jewish) Christians do likewise?
Did Peter, Paul, or Jesus instruct any church to keep the OT laws?
If so, what verses SPECIFICALLY say so?
Is there a specific verse telling Christians or churches to keep the sabbath law?

What follows is a list of NT scriptures, God's Word, that speak directly to the Christians relationship to the Old Covenant laws and commands. Print out this list of verses and next time you hear a prophet or "Torah keeper" tell you we must do certain practices to please God, remember what was written in "the faith once delivered", that God gave us.

"Tell me, YE THAT DESIRE TO BE UNDER THE LAW"

Galatians 3:10-11 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

Romans 10: 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

Col. 3:20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances?
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances (contained in the law) that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it (the law) out of the way, nailing it (the law) to his cross;

Eph 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

Hebrews 7:18 For there is VERILY (indeed-truly) A DISANNULLING OF THE COMMANDMENT going before the weakness and unprofitableness thereof,
(10) for the law MADE NOTHING PERFECT, but the bringing in OF A BETTER HOPE, by which we draw nigh unto God.

9: 9 Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;
:10 Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. Our covenant cleanses the conscience!
9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

10:5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.

Col. 2: 16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink (from the law), or in respect of an holyday (from the Law), or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days (from the Law): 1
7 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. “

Heb. 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

Luke 1:79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
(it is clear the shadow is a reference to the law. When Christ, our encompassing light is come, "I am the LIGHT of the world", the shadow must go away.

Colossians 2:17 (speaking of the days and feasts of the law) Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
Heb 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect). Three verses interpret the scripture in Luke.)

Col 2: 20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship

Acts 21:20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:
21 And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.
22 What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come.
23 Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;

24 Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.
25 As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing (the OT laws) , save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.

A couple of important points here:
Israel still existed as did the temple, the final destruction prophesied by Jesus not yet fulfilled. Under the law, animal sacrifice was still practiced and the Levitical and High Priest offices still functioned, if only as an outward observance (in the eyes of God). The Word of God through Isaiah ch. 1 spoke prophetically of this:

10 Hear the word of Jehovah, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. (OT Israel 600 BC. yes, God referred to His OT covenant people as sodom and gomorrah. Is todays apostate church any different?)
11 What unto me is the multitude of your sacrifices? saith Jehovah: I have had enough of the burnt-offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he-goats.
12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to trample my courts?
13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; new moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with iniquity and the solemn meeting.
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth; they are a trouble unto me; I am weary of bearing them.

15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you; yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; (repentance)
17 learn to do well; seek justice, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. (do works of righteousness)

18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith Jehovah: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (only through faith in the blood of Jesus are our sins washed white)

Regarding the early church debate over the works of the law, in Acts 15, the apostle JAMES told the church leadership in Jerusalem:

22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men out of their company, and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren:
23 and they wrote thus by them, The apostles and the elders, brethren, unto the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greeting:

24 Forasmuch as we have heard that certain who went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls; to whom we gave no commandment;
25 it seemed good unto us, having come to one accord, to choose out men and send them unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

26 men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who themselves also shall tell you the same things by word of mouth.
28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:
29 that ye abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication; from which if ye keep yourselves, it shall be well with you. Fare ye well.

But those who would "trouble", "burden" and "subvert" your souls might say"
Paul meant for you to keep the letter of the law, keep the sabbath and the feasts, circumcision, sacrifices, ordinances, and/or the tithe.
BUT the law HAS been changed:
Hebrews 7:12 - For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

Hebrews 7:22 - By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.
8:6 - But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

Heb. 8:7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:

9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt (the law); because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.

10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more
13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old (the law) . Now that which decayeth and waxeth old (the law) is ready to vanish away.

Did we hear correct? "OLD" covenant means none other than the law. "In that He saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away."

Rom 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ , 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

Gal. 2:15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. (the same phrase James used in Acts 15 referring to the law and Gentile Christians)

2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

4:9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? ("weak and beggarly" means unable to save and lacking in power.)

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

Gal. 5: 3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised (i.e. tithes, keeps sabbath, feasts, circumcision, animal sacrifice, or other points of the law) that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
5:9 A little leaven (from the law) leaveneth the whole lump.
3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. (a little law: tithe/sabbath/etc.) it leavens, it vails, it makes Christ no effect, under the curse, etc....

Col. 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us (in the law), which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
16 Let no man therefore judge (to condemn) you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days (as given in the law):
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. When Christ, the LIGHT comes, the shadow goes away.

GAl. 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. (Observing the law avails nothing, it is faith which justifies. Faith in Christ makes you complete and righteous, not the outward keeping of the law).

II Cor. 3:7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones (the law), was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?

9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
11 For if that which is done away (the law) was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:

13 And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. (By observing an OT law we veil the face of Christ)

Phil. 3:5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith

1Tim. 1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers...

?? The law was made for who??
You see, for those who will be righteous in Christ, trying to keep a covenant that was done away makes Christ "of none effect".
And when we look at the sum of what scripture says about the OT law, we find words: "abolished", "disannulled", "done away", "counted loss", "Christ the end of the law", "that which decayeth", "vanish away", "blotting out the ordinaces...", "to whom we gave no such command", "dead to the law through the body of Christ"....

The new covenant is for a spiritual people of God, not a letter people. "They that are led of the Spirit are the sons of God", not them that are led of the letter. "The letter killeth but the Spirit maketh alive."

And for the Dual Covenant folks out there:
(Some believe the Jews still have a relationship with God via the Old Testament and are righteous)

Acts 15:5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees who believed, saying, It is needful to circumcise them, and to charge them to keep the law of Moses.

Acts 15:9 - And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

Romans 3:22 - Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

Romans 10:12 - For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him

Eph. 2: 14 For he is our peace, who hath made (Jew and gentile) both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross
(IS CHRIST DIVIDED?)

18 For through him (not the Law) we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19 Now therefore ye (gentiles) are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Acts 15: Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. 8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;

9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. 10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? (the law) 11 But we believe that through the grace of the LORD Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

On the authority of the testimony of Paul who preached the same Gospel to BOTH Jews and gentiles:

Acts 20:19 Serving the LORD with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:

:20 And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, (and never once telling them they had to observe the law, keep sabbaths, tithe, feasts, circumcision, etc.) but have showed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house,

:21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. (without putting either group back under the law)

There is ONE faith, and it is the same gospel to the same body made up of both Jews and gentiles.

Eph. 4:5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
Jude :3 Earnestly contend for THE faith ONCE delivered to the saints

Peter bore witness that Paul's writing to the churches was also scripture in 2Peter 3:15,16. Luke, James, Peter, the church in Jerusalem all bore witness to Paul’s ministry, and verified his word to the church. Bible Numerics also prove that what we have is the true and accurate Word of God and that as scripture says "not one jot or tittle shall pass away till all be fulfilled". God is able to preserve His Word on earth and in heaven.
1 Corinthians 14:37
If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.

WHY CONTINUE DOING THAT WHICH WAS ABOLISHED IN HIS FLESH?

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