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Paul can be confusing and sound contradictory if we don't examine the whole context of what he said. Peter said he was hard to understand.
Paul never said the Sabbath was changed. He never even mentioned such a topic. When he was speaking about new moons and holy days he was talking to pagans, encouraging them to not give into pagan peer pressure but to keep the holy days of Israel. And hey, where would PAUL get the right to change anything ordained by the Father, much less the right to change the 4th Commandment? Where does the Bible say he was given any such rights at all? Where does he claim that he could? In fact, the Bible warns us very sternly not to add to or subtract from what it says. This is really the biggest problem with people saying the Sabbath was changed to Sunday. They quote Paul, always, always, never the Father or the Son. Paul becomes a Deity who supersedes what they taught. See anything wrong with that picture?
Further, to the terrified Israelites below Mt. Sinai, the Lord audibly spoke the 10 Commandments and these included a Fri. night fall to Sat. nightfall.
The Bible says YHWH, aka God, will not alter what goes out of His mouth. Either that's true or the Bible is not reliable. The Bible says the Sabbath, and all the high holy days are "for all generations." All means all.
See quotes below which make it clear that Paul actually kept the Law of Moses - as does much else in Scriptures. And, no, there is not one set of laws for Jews and one for gentiles. Nothing in the Bible even hints at that. In the Old Testament we are told there is one Law for the native born Israelite and for the "alien" or foreigner. The New Testament also says "There is neither Greek nor Jew."
The argument about what to eat or what not to eat dealt with vegetarianism. There Paul could give his opinions as the Bible does not command meat. But, again, Paul had no authority to change any laws. Notice in Acts 15 that the Mosaic food laws are still being upheld. For example non Jews are being told to refrain from the meat of strangled animals and blood. Strangled animals still had the forbidden blood inside them. We see also in Acts 15 that the new converts are expected - as was the custom at the time for converts - to be in the Synagogues on the Sabbaths, not Sundays, to learn the rest of the Law of Moses.
Some say that Messiah told us that we can eat anything now. No, when He spoke of food He did not mean things like pork and lobster as no one in Israel considered tose things to be food anymore than we consider road kill to be food. When Peter had his meat on the sheet dream he protested that he had never eaten anything unclean. That shows right there that Messiah did NOT change the food laws.
Also, Peter's dream had nothing to do with food, as the interpretation for it shows. After the dream was seen 3 times he didn't say "Oh boy! Bring on the bacon and shrimp." No, he puzzled as to what the dream could mean. Now Pharaoh's baker and butler, with Joseph in jail, also had dreams about food. The interpretations were given and they had nothing to do with food at all.
Ditto Peter's dream. The interpretation is given more than once, for example with the words "This means" and there is again no mention of food at all. Instead we are shown that the dream means that "unclean" gentiles are now to be accepted into the Kingdom.
These quotes are mostly from Paul whom we are often taught said the law was no longer in effect. Here is another quote from him.
Acts 25:8 Paul denied the charges. “I am not guilty of any crime against the Jewish laws or the Temple or the Roman government,” he said.
If Paul had tried to change the Sabbath, or had eaten unclean foods, or refused to do things like celebrate Yom Kippur, he would certainly not be able to say that he was not guilty of any crime against the Jewish laws!
I recommend Psalm 119 Ministries videos, starting with The Pauline Paradox. I certainly don't have the time to explain Paul's apparent contradictions, and anyway they do a far better job than I could. Very scholarly, in terms of history, Greek, and of course the Bible.
That's really all I have to say on this string, due to lack of time. I won't even look back because that would tempt me to go further in response to others' comments. Sorry.
Blessings and bye.![]()
I will bite one last time. There is nothing in the Bible about Jewish Law, except for the oral traditions which Messiah hated. There was ONE Law, and there still is. It was and is for Israelites - all 12 tribes of Israel - and for gentiles. That is what the Bible clearly says in the Old Testament.
"You are to have the same law for the foreigner and the native-born. I am the LORD your Elohim" aka God.
The New Testament is also clear: "There is neither Greek nor Jew."
And Paul wasn't even a Jew. He was a Benjamite. There were not separate laws for Jews or Benjamites, or for anyone else. Once more, there was one Law for everyone. The Bible clearly states that.
Oh, you mention an expert from the Vatican at the end. The RCC, at the top - this does not necessarily include individuals outside of the official hierarchy at all - has always hated, and spoken to distort Scriptures. That is why they burned people at the stake for owning or printing the Bible, or for even choosing the Bible's truths over their dogma. The Protestant Reformation clipped the RCC's horrific wings, but if you study the official doctrines of the Vatican you can see that they still believe exactly as they did then. This is all documented in a book called Conversations With Catholics. And btw that book is why I fled Catholicism.
You quote the Jerusalem council telling non Jewish converts to abstain from blood, but don't seem to see the fact that abstaining from blood is part of the Mosaic Law. You do not mention that Acts 15 shows the converts are assumed to be going into Synagogues on the Sabbaths, not Sundays, to learn what? The rest of the Law of Moses.
Notice you keep quoting Paul, never the Father or the Son. But Paul said to follow the Savior, not him. If Paul was sticking to Jewish ways, as you say he was, hmmm....why did he, supposedly, change the Sabbath? Did the Father or the Son say it would be changed, or change it? No. In fact, speaking of the time after His resurrection and ascension, in relation to when the Temple would be destroyed, our Savior said "Pray that your flight not be in the winter or on the Sabbath." We're supposed to rest on the Sabbath.
Again, when people try to defend a Sunday Sabbath they always quote Paul. When did he take over the Commandments from the Father? You don't reference where the Bible says he had that kind of power and authority. Where did he, himself, claim to have those? No, he said to follow the Savior, not him.
Try to defend a Sunday Sabbath using only the words of the Father and the Son, without quoting Paul who never even said that the Sabbath is now on Sunday.
Yes, Messiah spoke of love in relation to the Law. But He said something hung on love. What? The Law and the prophets. If you say something hangs on a hanger, where are you saying that there is an empty hanger?
Messiah also said that not one jot or tittle of the law and the prophets would pass away until Heaven and earth pass away and until all is fulfilled. That's Messiah talking, not Paul, or rather pseudo Paul. Heaven and earth are still here! And all has no way been fulfilled. For just two examples, He has not come back for His people, the millenium of peace is not here and so on.
Agan, there were no Jewish food laws. There were laws which, as I said, the Creator made for Israelites and non Israelites jointly. Nowhere does the Bible say they have been, or will be, changed. The interpretation for Peter's dream was clearly given more than once but you don't seem to see that. The interpretation never mentions food, only "unclean" gentiles. Did you look at where the Bible says "This means...."? Does it mention food or does it mention gentiles? Why simply ignore the interpretation given for Peter's dream? Why not ignore the interpretations given for the food dreams of Pharaoh's butler and baker while you are at it?
Study where Stephen is falsely accused in Act 6. What was he falsely accused of, per the Bible?
Acts 6 11 Then [to attack Stephen another way] they secretly instructed men to say, “We have heard this man [Stephen] speak blasphemous (slanderous, sacrilegious, abusive) words against Moses and against God.” 12 And they provoked and incited the people, as well as the elders and the scribes, and they came up to Stephen and seized him and brought him before the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court). 13 They presented false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking against this holy place and the Law [of Moses]; 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus the Nazarene will tear down this place and will change the traditions and customs which Moses handed down to us.”
Traditions of men are joined at the hip to cognitive dissonance in much of what mainstream Christianity teaches. I can pray about it, and have, but I can't cure anyone of cognitive dissonance. Heck, I couldn't get over my own cognitive dissonance without prayer. Only the Holy Spirit can cause us to see the obvious, so why go farther?
Goodbye and may we all come into all truth.
Yes. Moses wasn't Jewish either. He was a Levite of the Levi House of Israel, not the tribe of Judah which eventually laid claim to the priest lineage.And Paul wasn't even a Jew. He was a Benjamite.
Again, when people try to defend a Sunday Sabbath they always quote Paul.
Try to defend a Sunday Sabbath using only the words of the Father and the Son, without quoting Paul who never even said that the Sabbath is now on Sunday.
Messiah also said that not one jot or tittle of the law and the prophets would pass away until Heaven and earth pass away and until all is fulfilled. That's Messiah talking, not Paul, or rather pseudo Paul. Heaven and earth are still here! And all has no way been fulfilled.
Are you referring to Sabbath as day of rest or of the required Sabbath holidays? The 10 tribes of Israel to the north of Judah which housed Jew and Levite were also seen as Gentile after a rift with the Benjamites who also laid claim to being the chosen people out of which would come the Messiah.This is the traditional Jewish view of the obligation of Sabbath keeping, and the basis for their belief that the Sabbath was intended for the Jew only, and not for other nations, is based on the Torah. As Rabbi Zalmanov states, “There is no reference in the Torah for it applying to other nations.”
Was not the Law originally for the House of Israel which contained 10 tribes which were to become Gentiles in the eyes of the Jews? (Gentile means Outsider)? So the Law was different for two different classes of Gentile.The law was different for different people such as Levites and Gentiles. Proper application of the Torah based upon God's commandments is following the law.
The original disagreement was whether they need be proselyte (like Cornelius). Once it was determined they need not be proselytes, then the exemptions began. I wonder if perhaps Cornelius later regretted not holding off on his decision to be circumcised.The Israelites had to follow laws that they still follow to day, while Gentiles have been exempt and are still exempt today from certain laws. Ask any rabbi.
Yes, what you say is true, except I would say that religion was built, in part, on a misunderstanding of the epistles of Paul with some mistranslations - but also on many pagan traditions of men like Christmas and Easter, etc.Yes. Moses wasn't Jewish either. He was a Levite of the Levi House of Israel, not the tribe of Judah which eventually laid claim to the priest lineage.
A religion was built upon the epistles of Paul. Salvation was built upon the Kingdom of Jesus' Gospel.
You might want to consider how some Christians complain certain 'holidays' replaced pagan ones. Do they in turn realize that Constantine who saw himself as Caesar, the Sun God and reincarnation of Jesus, was a sun worshipper and it was logical the Sabbath would be as recorded, moved by Constantine in 321 to Sunday as a day of rest to venerate the sun?
The Law is the will of the Father and not of man. Man may still put ourselves ahead of the Father but His truth still holds over ours. That will never change even though man likes to think otherwise in order to justify their own actions. So as long as man carries on lying to ourselves that our will is somehow superior, then no, no way has the will of God here in earth as it is in Heaven yet been fulfilled.
Or deliberate in order to build a kingdom of man rather than of God.except I would say that religion was built, in part, on a misunderstanding of the epistles of Paul[/QUOTE
Yes, Romans wanted to mold and twist Christianity to fit their pagan system.Or deliberate in order to build a kingdom of man rather than of God. That is the only thing empire building Romans knew, so was it a stretch to think they would not make Christianity over in their own image?
Cliffhanger?
One Law Theology = Jew & Gentile believers have identical obligations to Torah and liability for its transgression.
One Law believers have done something the apostles never did. They worked out a theology that applies to Gentile believers. If Gentile believers are under the same mandate as Jews, why didn't the apostles say so in clear terms? Are One Law believers comfortable with condemning nearly every Christian community in existence for not following every mandate of Torah? Are One Law believers comfortable with compromising the distinction between Jew and Gentile creating a complete loss of Jewish identity almost like a spiritual holocaust? The quoted "There is no Jew or Gentile" neglects to explain to me why men can't have sex with another man if there also is no male or female in the same verse? The Bible is clear on homosexuality and the fact that there are distinct roles for men and women even though they become "one flesh" in marriage. Abolishing this distinction is abolishing an aspect of Torah. Paul said there is no Jew or Gentile yet Paul and the Apostles made the distinction that Gentiles do not need to be circumcised. Paul was only referring to no Jew or Gentile as to eligibility for salvation not roles in the kingdom. The notion that the apostles made no distinction between Jews and Gentiles is not sustainable. Admitting Gentiles don't need to be circumcised is admitting a distinction between Jew and Gentile obligation to Torah. The One Law message brings disunity and fracture to Christian ranks. Gentiles keeping all 613 commandments is a view not shared by Jewish Rabbis or the vast majority of churches in the Christian community. Worse yet, it is common to observe One-Law Messianic Gentiles become bitter toward Christianity, referring to Christians as pagans, labeling Christian celebrations as pagan festivals, and mocking Christians for eating unclean meats. Torah-observant Gentiles can quickly become arrogant over their brothers and sisters in Messiah and display sharp contempt for other believers who do not keep the aspects of Torah that they do. Many One-Law proponents have an aversion to traditional Judaism, and are opposed to its incorporation or even the utilization of its sources. It is common for One-Law Messianics to eschew “rabbinics” and criticize the “traditions of men.” At the same time, they have burned all bridges with Christianity. They reject Judaism and Jewish tradition, and they reject Christianity and Christian tradition. As romantic as such a hyper-protestant, sola scriptura purity may sound, it breeds arrogance and is unsustainable. It's bad fruit.
No. I'm in the process of dying. I came here to find a Christian community, but instead found a community of Christians. I'll no longer be participating.
In One Law & the Messianic Gentile, Boaz Michael and D. Thomas Lancaster recant the First Fruits of Zion's position that there is just One Law. Paraphrasing:
They go on to explain why they believe Christian Gentiles are advised to follow Torah, but that it's unnecessary.
For those who want to understand the errors in "One Law" Messianic theology read:
http://kehilatyeshua.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/mj-101-one_law_and_the_messianic_gentile.pdf
One Law for Jews and Gentiles? - Kehilat Yeshua Messianic Congregation
http://kehilatyeshua.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/One-Law-Two-Sticks.pdf
One Law is not supported by Scripture, unless your faith desires it to be true, based upon some Scripture and contradicted by other Scripture. Neither tradition nor culture supports it either. Possibly my last forum post.
Absolutely. As there are two natures to man, there are two natures to how Christianity is lived. One serves man. One serves God and each other but not self, not in theology but in deed.I came here to find a Christian community, but instead found a community of Christians.
All the subordinate laws and theology aside, do you not agree that the original sin was man putting their will before God's, and that God's law simply says His will before ours? Does that not apply to all mankind?One Law is not supported by Scripture, unless your faith desires it to be true, based upon some Scripture and contradicted by other Scripture. Neither tradition nor culture supports it either.