quoted from bearmaster: "The brother will often say that had some things that are hard to understand. He will say one has to be in the Hebrew roots to truly understand Paul."
Hi Blaine,
It is precisely the two points quoted above that I find used over and over again to try to justify what pretty much is modern day judaizing: brushing off important verses from scripture with "it is too difficult or ambiguous to understand fully" and "you have to be Jewish or be familiar with Jewish culture and history to really understand the Bible and Jesus" which I believe are absolutely misleading and have placed many on the slippery slope toward error. (now I am not saying that there is no benefit to studying Jewish culture, but what I am saying is that it takes quite a distant second if not third in place of scripture). If both cases were true, then one would have to say it isn't the Bible which is sufficient, but the Bible plus Jewish culture/history. But this leaves us with a huge problem, which Jewish tradition and myth will one look to as a starting point? Jewish culture has changed and gone through many contortions through history, whereas the Bible has not. It is absolutely clear, we are actually instructed not to look to Jewish tradition and myths but rather the Word of God:
10 For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. 11 They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. 12 One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” 13 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. 15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. 16 They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work. Titus 1:10-16
But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Titus 2:1
Also, if the two points were true, then one would have to say that evangelism and mission work has been completely erroneous for the past I don't even know how many years, because according to their argument (whether they realize the implications or not), one has to teach Jewish culture along with the gospel in order to properly train up disciples of Christ, which I believe to be ABSOLUTELY WRONG. I don't know how any honest believer can say that Paul's writings regarding the feasts, etc. isn't clear enough to conclude that we are set free from the Mosaic Covenant.
A verse that comes to mind that clearly demonstrates this:
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. Ephesians 2:13-16
The key verse being: "by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances"
And two key words: "Abolish" and "Ordinance"
According to strong's concordance:
Abolish:
to render idle, unemployed, inactivate, inoperative to cause a person or thing to have no further efficiency to deprive of force, influence, power to cause to cease, put an end to, do away with, annul, abolish to cease, to pass away, be done away to be severed from, separated from, discharged from, loosed from any one
Ordinance:
the rules and requirements of the law of Moses; carrying a suggestion of severity and of threatened judgment
We actually undermine the very power and value of the gospel when we begin to think that Jewish ways and persons are somehow more superior to others, which is sadly what many believers fall into thinking that God loves Jews more than gentiles. He loves ALL EQUALLY (Jew and gentile) and thus died for ALL on the cross to make us ONE by breaking down the wall of hostility that once existed through the ordinances (Jewish customs and cultural laws, which include the feasts).
But sadly, deceptions are sure to come as scripture says, particularly in these last days, and they are just going to get worse and more deceptive to lead MANY astray. Many old heresies and false teachings are just being remasked and made more palatable for the contemporary church that seeks a spiritual experience and fellowship with God apart from His Word...sigh...my heart aches to see how things will progress as we get closer to the final hour... _________________ Will
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