MJ Only Handwritten Dogmas and the Letter

[daq]

Paul is not overturning the Torah, rather, he no longer recognizes the authority of the rulers of the people in his day. I understand that this is not something MJ's are prone to hear, but it is surely the case. Paul teaches the new Way of understanding the Torah taught by the Teacher of Righteousness whose Testimony we now read in the Gospel accounts and his Gospel is no different from that Testimony. Some of these things may seem to be verging on the offensive to some MJ's, but please know that any offense is not what is intended herein, rather, the goal is to present the truth as straightforwardly and precisely as possible, without watering anything down to the point of trying to hide or avoid what may be considered unpleasant to some who may happen to read what is presented herein.

With that said, I have labeled this thread MJ Only because there is a companion thread in the "Sabbath and the Law" Board. If you are not an MJ, but wish to discuss or debate the material herein, you are free to respond at the following link:

Handwritten Dogmas and the Letter (Sabbath and the Law Forum Board).

The following translator understands the following passage quite well, even to the point that it is the Body of Meshiah which is to judge regarding what is mentioned in the text, meaning that the word order, (which is not all that important in Greek, but more critical in English translations), is not properly rendered in most if not all English translations. The phrase, "the Body of Meshiah" is more properly placed at the beginning of verse sixteen. This is why so many translators find the need to either add to this statement or change the meaning of soma from body to substance: for it does not read properly in English without adding to it or redefining words so as to make sense of it, and the reason why is because it does not belong where it is generally placed in English translations, (the end of verse seventeen).

Colossians 2:13-22 TS2009 W/Footnotes
13 And you, being dead in your trespassesc and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, Footnote: cEph 2:1.
14 having blotted out that which was written by hand against us – by the dogmasd – which stood against us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the stake. Footnote: dDogmas - also see Col 2:20 and Eph 2:15.
15 Having stripped the principalities and the authorities, He made a public display of them, having prevailed over them in it.
16 Let no one therefore judge you in eating or in drinking, or in respect of a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths –
17 which are a shadow of what is to come – but the Body of the Messiah.e Footnote: eThe Body of Messiah is to give ruling on all matters, not the outsiders! See also Mat 18:15-20.
18 Let no one deprive you of the prize, one who takes delight in false humility and worship of messengers, taking his stand on what he has not seen, puffed up by his fleshly mind,
19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the Body – nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments – grows with the growth of Elohim.
20 If, then, you died with Messiah from the elementary mattersf of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to dogmas:d Footnotes: dDogmas - also see Col 2:14 and Eph 2:15. fSee Col 2:8 and Gal 4:3 and Gal 4:9.
21 “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle” –
22 which are all to perish with use – according to the commands and teachings of men?g Isa 29:13. Footnote: gSee also Mat 15:8-9, Mar 7:6-7.

The translator footnote for verse seventeen rightly says that it is the Body of Meshiah that is to rule on all matters, not outsiders: but it appears that the translator misses one thing, that is, the meaning of "the Body of Meshiah" in this context, and almost no doubt the Body of Meshiah in this context concerns the Tanak Body of the Meshiah because he is the Word. The Tanak Body of Meshiah was raised up in Matthew 27:51-53, and entered into the holy city, which means Yerushalem of above, not Yerushalem of below, (see Hebrews 12:22-24).

Thus it is the Torah, Prophets, and Writings, the Tanak Body of Meshiah, which is to be our judge in the matters mentioned in that portion of the text above where this is mentioned. If therefore we correct the word order, as it appears to be meant in the Greek text, it should read and be rendered in the following manner.

Colossians 2:13-22
13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he has made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
14 having blotted out the handwriting in dogmas that were against us, which were contrary to us: and he has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the stake:
15 having despoiled the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
16 Let no one but the body of Meshiah therefore judge you in food, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day or a new month or the Shabbat:
17 which are a shadow of the things to come.
18 Let no man rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worshiping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he has seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
19 and not holding fast the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and bands, increases with the increase of Elohim.
20 If you died with Meshiah from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to dogmas,
21 Handle not, Taste not, Touch not,
22 (all of which things are to perish with the using), after the commandments and doctrines of men?

Nowhere in the scripture is the Torah ever called dogmas, and Paul explains at the end of the portion above that he speaks of the commandments and teachings or doctrines of men: that is surely not speaking of the Torah. However dogma does appear in the Septuagint, and is always used for edicts, decrees, dogmas, and proclamations from kings and rulers. In the sense of the Colossians passage herein above it is no doubt the rulers of the people, the Sanhedrin, Elders, Chief Priests, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes, and their handwritten dogmas and decrees which were against the people, and contrary to us all: for their interpretations of the Torah were based on a natural minded, outward, and physical understanding of the Torah, which we know from Romans 7:14 is spiritual, just as Elohim Himself is Spirit, (John 4:24), so His Word is Spirit, and likewise the Testimony of the Meshiah is Spirit, (John 6:63).

The handwritten dogmas and decrees of the Sanhedrin, Elders, Chief Priests, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes, which were binding upon the whole nation, and which were contrary and against the people, are the same "letter" which Paul says kills.

The letter which kills is not the Torah. The letter which kills concerns the handwritten dogmas of the Sanhedrin, Elders, Chief Priests, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes, which Paul speaks about in Colossians 2:14. Meshiah indeed triumphed over them and their carnal minded rulings, dogmas, and decrees, all over the place in the Gospel accounts for all to see: making a show of them and their hypocrisy openly before all the people, which is one of the main reasons why the rulers of the people had him killed.

 

[daq]

Letters:

John 7:14-18 KJV
14 Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.
15 And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, [G1121 γραμμα (γραμματα)] having never learned?
16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.
17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

The Meshiah knows letters and yet the letter kills?

Acts 28:17-21 KJV
17 And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.
18 Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me.
19 But when the Jews spake against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had ought to accuse my nation of.
20 For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.
21 And they said unto him, We neither received letters [G1121 γραμμα (γραμματα)] out of Judaea concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that came shewed or spake any harm of thee.

From whom might the "chief (foremost) of the Jews" in Rome possibly receive "letters"? especially concerning harm or evil concerning Paul? That really can only mean certain dogmas, decrees, or injunctions concerning Paul, and coming from the Sanhedrin, Elders, Chief Priests, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes at Yerushalem.

Pay extra close attention to this next passage: for Paul actually says that by the letter and circumcision they were transgressing the Torah. How can this be? It is by way of their incorrect interpretation of the Torah concerning circumcision, which was the natural minded, outward, physical interpretation of circumcision, and which by their own handwritten dogmas and decrees was forced upon the people, binding upon the whole nation, and yet it was the wrong interpretation: thus they were forcing the people to observe their own misunderstanding and misinterpretation of the Torah which is spiritual, (Rom 7:14). After that statement Paul gives us the true meaning of circumcision, which is of the heart, and which is also taught in the Torah: and thus we have a choice to either choose life or death in our understanding of what we hear, (understand), and see, (perceive), in our reading of the Torah, (Deut 10:16, Deut 30:6, Deut 30:11-20, Rom 10:6-8). Moreover what Paul states in Rom 2:28-29 is not a set of multiple choice options: the things stated therein are emphatically stated to be the case, and one either blieves what he says or does not.

Romans 2:27-29 KJV
27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter [G1121 γραμμα (γραμματος)] and circumcision dost transgress the law?
28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; [G1121 γραμμα (γραμματι)] whose praise is not of men, but of God.

If the letter is the Torah then how can it be that the Sanhedrin, Elders, Chief Priests, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes might transgress the Torah "by the letter"? The letter in this case therefore cannot be the Torah: it concerns the handwritten dogmas, decrees, injunctions, and ordinances of the Sanhedrin, Elders, Chief Priests, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes, which were binding on the whole nation, and which were against us because they were natural minded, outward, physical interpretations of the Torah which were incorrect interpretations of the spiritual and supernal Word of the Father who is Spirit.

Moreover gramma is also used for writings and-or scripture:

2 Timothy 3:15 KJV
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, [G1121 γραμμα (γραμματα)] which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 3:15 ASV
15 and that from a babe thou hast known the sacred writings [G1121 γραμμα (γραμματα)] which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Is the Torah not scripture?

Rightly divide: the letter which kills is not the scripture, and certainly not the Torah, rather, the letter which kills concerns the handwritten dogmas, decrees, injunctions, and ordinances of the Sanhedrin, Elders, Chief Priests, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes, which were binding upon the whole nation, and which were against us because they were natural minded, outward, physical interpretations of the Torah which were incorrect interpretations of the spiritual and supernal Torah-Word of the Father who is Spirit.

The Torah is spiritual, Romans 7:14.

Dogma - New-Renewed Covenant Writings

Luke 3:1 KJV
1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree [G1378 δογμα] from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

Acts 16:4 KJV
4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees [G1378 δογμα] for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.

Acts 17:7 KJV
7 Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees [G1378 δογμα] of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.

Apart from Eph 2:15, Col 2:14, and Col 2:20, (G1379 δογματιζω), that's it for dogma in the R/C.
Strange how the translators forget the meaning when it comes to Eph 2:15, Col 2:14, and Col 2:20, huh?

Dogma - Greek Septuagint Tanakh

Esther 3:9 Brenton Septuagint
9 If it seem good to the king, let him make a decree [G1379 δογματιζω] to destroy them: and I will remit into the king's treasury ten thousand talents of silver.

Daniel 2:13 Brenton Septuagint
13 So the decree [G1378 δογμα] went forth, and they began to slay the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to slay them.

Daniel 3:10-12 Brenton septuagint
10 Thou, O king, has made a decree [G1378 δογμα] that every man who shall hear the sound of the trumpet, and pipe, and harp, sackbut, and psaltery, and all kinds of music,
11 and shall not fall down and worship the golden image, shall be cast into the burning fiery furnace.
12 There are certain Jews whom thou has appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago, who have not obeyed thy decree, [G1378 δογμα] O king: they serve not thy gods, and worship not the golden image which thou hast set up.

Daniel 3:29 - G1378 δογμα - rendered as the king's decree
Daniel 4:6 - G1378 δογμα - rendered as the king's decree
Daniel 6:8-26 - G1378 δογμα (5 times) - rendered as the king's decree

G1378 δογμα (with G1379 δογματιζω) is found seventeen times in the Septuagint and New-Renewed Covenant writings combined: fourteen times it is rendered "decree(s)" and the other three times it is rendered "ordinances", (at least in the KJV and ASV which I checked), and those three times, which are the final occurrences in the Renewed Covenant writings, are of course Eph 2:15, Col 2:14, and Col 2:20, (the one occurrence of δογματιζω in the R/C).

Understand, friends: the fix is in, (literally, in the translations of men).

 

[daq]

The Greek text for Col 2:14 is the same in the T/R as with all the majority morph texts:

Colossians 2:14 T/R, BYZ, N/A, W/H
14 εξαλειψας το καθ ημων χειρογραφον τοις δογμασιν ο ην υπεναντιον ημιν και αυτο ηρκεν εκ του μεσου προσηλωσας αυτο τω σταυρω

The ASV is probably correct to render χειρογραφον as a bond in this case because it speaks of a handwritten legal document or handwritten legal bond, and therefore, of course, binding upon all the people because in this context it concerns the rulings of the Sanhedrin handwritten by their Scribes. Moreover, generally speaking, the most important rulings were typically posted in public places for all to see, especially the Temple.

Colossians 2:14 ASV
14 having blotted out the bond written [χειρογραφον] in ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us: and he hath taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross;

Thus we have:

Colossians 2:14
14 having blotted out the handwritten-bond of the decrees against us, which was adversarial to us: and he has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the stake,

The Meshiah did not "blot out the Torah" or nail it to the stake so as to be figuratively destroyed with the flesh. It should clearly be understood as the handwritten-bonds and decrees of the natural minded, outward, and physical interpretations of the Torah according to the Sanhedrin, Elders, Chief Priests, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes, whose natural minded outward interpretations of the Torah were binding upon the whole nation, and yet adversarial to the people, as openly shown in many passages in the Gospel accounts where the Meshiah engages vehement disputes with them over some of their erroneous dogmas and decrees.

 

[daq]

Ephesians 2:11-22
11 Wherefore remember that you, once nations [or gentiles] in the flesh, being reckoned Uncircumcision by the Circumcision in the flesh reckoned made by hands,
12 that you were in that time without Meshiah, alienated from the citizenship-commonwealth of Yisrael, and foreigners from the covenants of solemn promise, having no hope, and without Elohim in the world.
13 But now, in Meshiah Ι̅Η, you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Meshiah:
14 for he is our peace, having made both one, and having broken down the middle partition-wall of the enclosure,
15 having abolished in his flesh the enmity, the law of the injunctions in decrees, [dogmas] that he might create in himself one renewed man, making peace,
16 and that he might fully restore them both in one body unto Elohim by the stake, having slain the enmity therein [or thereby].
17 And having come, he announced good news, peace to you that were afar off, and to those near:
18 for by him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
19 Wherefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens of the holy [set-apart] ones and members of the household of Elohim,
20 built upon the foundation of the apostles [sent ones] and of the prophets, the chief cornerstone thereof being Meshiah Ι̅Η,
21 in whom all the building fitted together increases into a holy temple in YHWH:
22 in whom also you are builded together for a habitation-dwelling of Elohim in the Spirit.

Surely Paul mentions and goes into the teaching on the temple at the end of the above passage because it has to do with what he speaks of just before that in what we read in the passage. The middle partition wall is being used in this analogy because anyone who had been to the temple would have immediately known what he was talking about, even if a person only came at the feasts from far away, like those we read of from all over the known world in Acts 2, at Pentecost.

The partition wall which is mentioned here by Paul would have been the barrier that separated the Court of the Nations or Gentiles, and stone markers were placed at intervals all along this dividing wall to warn Gentiles not to go beyond that point: the penalty for which trespass was death. Several of these stone markers with their handwritten engraved warnings have been discovered with the texts still intact and legible. Paul's discourse here surely reveals that his usage of this analogy speaks of the doing away with the handwritten dogmas and decrees of the Sanhedrin, Elders, Chief Priests, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes, which were based in natural minded, physical, outward interpretations of the Torah.

Istanbul Archaeology Museum:

Herodian Temple Inscription

"NO FOREIGNER IS TO ENTER WITHIN THE BALUSTRADE AND EMBANKMENT AROUND THE SANCTUARY: WHOEVER IS CAUGHT WILL HAVE HIMSELF TO BLAME FOR HIS DEATH WHICH WILL FOLLOW."

This is one of the warning signs carved in stone that were placed at regular intervals in the partition wall of separation around the temple court which separated the Court of the Gentiles and kept them from going beyond their court any closer to the temple. The penalty was physical death for any Gentile going beyond the partition wall, and this was the law, though you will not find it in the Torah. This is exactly what Paul is speaking about in the Ephesians 2 passage.

Israel Museum:

Temple Inscription Fragment

"NO FOREIGNER IS TO GO BEYOND THE BALUSTRADE AND THE PLAZA OF THE TEMPLE ZONE. WHOEVER IS CAUGHT DOING SO WILL HAVE HIMSELF TO BLAME FOR HIS DEATH WHICH WILL FOLLOW."

None of this concerns the Torah being abolished, abrogated, or set aside.

 

[daq]

Thank you very much for this post. I still have a problem with understanding the commandment of circumcision. Surely what matters is the circumcision of the heart, which in my thinking corresponds with the baptism of the holy Ghost. But surely the Torah teaches a physical circumcision also, in the flesh of the foreskin? In my mind I concluded that the reason the people who are being grafted in need not to circumcise is because this time period we are in (Church age) corresponds with the exodus. A
person becomes Christian/Messianic and leaves "spiritual Egypt". Likewise the children of Israel stopped physical circumcision in the desert exodus. Until Joshua, a type of the Messiah, made stone knives and physically circumcised them before entering the promised land. So I believe Yeshua will physically circumcize also all those ressurected saints Himself before they enter the New Jerusalem. What this entails to I don't know. Maybe the ressurected saints won't have any genitalia at all. Aka that part is removed. But Ezechiel will be fulfilled,
where it states no uncircumsized of flesh and uncircumsized if heart, will enter. I am paraphrasing, on mobile, so I don't know the exact verse.

Meshiah is already now the Minister of the Circumcision according to Paul, (Rom 15:8), so it cannot be meant in the physical way of outward physical circumcision. Therefore it speaks of a different interpretation-understanding of circumcision. His Testimony circumcises the heart and his Testimony expounds the Torah, Prophets, and Writings, in the new supernal and spiritual Way of understanding and walking in all things concerning the scripture.

 

[daq]

While I love the spiritual understanding of Torah, and while that side is ultimately the most important, it is not to the neglect of the practical implementation of Torah. We are material beings. Elohim takes this into consideration, hence the outward applications of Torah. If we do not have any outward applications, as gentile-Christianity developed, the danger happens that we will invent our own outward human-Torah. Because as material beings also we desire such. Thus we see creeping into Christianity the sunday-sabbath, christmas and birthday feasts, icons and statues, mozaics and cathedrals, special head wear, neck worn crucifixes and all the like, all kinds of outward identifiers, all the while, as hypocrites, neglecting the outward identifiers that Elohim gave, or pushing away those who do as judaizers, such as wearing tzittzit, a full beard (atleast the Orthodox Greeks got that right), unmixed clothes, and keeping His appointed times.

Any thoughts or ideas on what a supernal or spiritual understanding of the tzitzit might be?

 

[daq]

I see them really just as a physical reminder to walk as Yeshua walked. My tzitzit tie I unto the belt loops of my pants with a simple loop. This way I can take them off and out them on a fresh pair. They hang about 10 centimeters under my torso clothes. I am often aware of the little dangly things. And when you walk you sometimes grab them or feel them with your hands and you are again reminded.
It is a very smart commandment of Elohim. It is like a witness hanging on your clothes. An identifier for others to see and ask about. A good way to start a conversation about faith.

I strongly believe Yeshua wore them and Paul as well. The menstruous women grabbed the tzitzit of Yeshua His garment.

There are even hints Paul was not a tent but tallit-maker. Just do a google search on that.

Perhaps the following may be of some help, like an initial precept, by the symbolism of the color blue.

Isaiah 59:16-17 KJV
16 And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.
17 For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.

The cloke in the above is the m'iyl of Exodus 28:31, the robe of the ephod made entirely of tekelet-blue: so the color tekelet appears to represent the zeal of the Most High, (and thus also our zeal for Him). Does this fit with the commandment and symbolism for the tzitzit? Absolutely, for if we have true zeal for the Father and his Word then this will greatly help us to remember all His commandments. I am not saying you need not wear your tzitzit: just offering this tidbit.