I will address verses in the New Testament that many mistakenly insist show that the law was done away with. Each misunderstood verse is done in red font so you can find them faster.
Here is one of them. I’m specifically referring to verses 16 and 17 but included 14 and 15 to make a point.
Colossians 2:14-17 King James Version
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body (is) of Yahushuwa the Messiah. (‘is’ is not in the original text!)
In this verse Paul is actually saying the opposite of what most Christians are taught to believe. They think it justifies celebrating pagan holidays and eating unclean meats (16-17), etc., and for not keeping Yahuwah’s feast days, and not to let believers judge you for that. But this was for new converts who came out of the cult called the Essenes, telling them to not let those cult leaders judge them for keeping Yahuwah’s Sabbaths, feast days, and dietary instructions, and only allow the body of Messiah to judge concerning these things. (Believers are allowed to judge among each other to help each other make sure they’re doing things right.) Christians love to say that Paul did not teach to keep the laws, or that he himself did not keep them, but that is a lie.
Acts 21:24b King James Version
24 ….. but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.
The verse above is referring to Paul. Let’s look at where that comes from and what was going on at the time. Because Paul told the new converts they did not need to get circumcised in order to come into covenant, he was falsely accused of not following or teaching the law. But Paul DID follow and teach the law, just not for conversion’s sake. Learning to obey the laws of Yahuwah, Torah, comes AFTER getting born-again, and we don’t have to learn it all at once, because it’s too overwhelming to do it that way. It’s here a little, there a little, etc. So, he gave them four of the laws to start with, plus the Sabbath, to cause them to stay out of the pagan temples, knowing that they’d learn the rest of the law when they went to the tabernacle every Sabbath where the law of Moses (Yahuwah’s law) was taught. So, the verses below show what happened after Paul was accused, when James advised him to
Acts 21:18-24 King James Version
18 And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.
19 And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things Yahuwah had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.
20 And when they heard it, they glorified Yahuwah, 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.
There it is – the verse that lets us know that Paul kept the law. And not only did Paul obey the law of Moses, Yahuwah’s Torah, but he instructs us to do so as well when he said:
1 Corinthians 11:1 King James Version
1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Messiah.
1 Corinthians 11:1 American Standard Version
1 Be ye imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ
Next it mentions about Paul giving the new converts the four laws initially to obey, to get them started, showing that he did teach them to keep the law. He started out with four of the laws rather than the whole thing at once, as to not overwhelm them, plus they kept the Sabbath and went to the synagogue on Sabbath day to hear the law of Moses taught (which is the law of Yahuwah, who dictated it to Moses).
Acts 15:21, 25-26 King James Version
21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
…the actual meaning of the word ‘ordinances’ here is ‘a man-made dogma or decree.’ Yahuwah’s laws are not against us and they’re certainly not nailed to the cross! Man-made religious laws, written by the hands of men (handwriting of ordinances), that were added to Yahuwah’s law are. Look at the following verses. They make it obvious that Yahuwah’s law is for us and not against us!
Psalm 19:7-8 King James Version
7 The law of Yahuwah is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of Yahuwah is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The statutes of Yahuwah are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of Yahuwah is pure, enlightening the eyes.
Psalm 119:1 King James Version
1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of
Yahuwah.
Romans 7:12 King James Version
12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
Paul is paraphrasing, in Romans 7:12, King David from Psalms 19:7-11, and he said this LONG after Yahushuwa rose from the dead.
Psalm 19:7-11 King James Version
7 The law of Yahuwah is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of Yahuwah is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The statutes of Yahuwah are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of Yahuwah is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of Yahuwah is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of Yahuwah are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.
Let’s go over each verse to see what the words mean.
7 The law of Yahuwah is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of Yahuwah is sure, making wise the simple.
‘Law’ is Strong’s #8451 ‘tôrâ’ and means ‘law, direction, instruction; body of prophetic teaching, instruction in Messianic age, body of priestly direction or instruction, body of legal directives; law of the burnt offering, of special law, codes of law; custom, manner; the Deuteronomic or Mosaic Law; a precept or statute.’ Below are examples where the word tôrâ is used in various verses:
Deu 4:44 “And this is the law H8451 which Moses set before the children of Israel:”
Gen 26:5 “Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, H4931 (means watch, observance…), my commandments, H4687 (laws, ordinances, precepts, commandments), my statutes, H2708 (appointed, customs, manners, ordinances, sites, statutes), and my laws. H8451 (tora, instructions, laws)”
2Ki 17:37 “And the statutes, and the ordinances, and the law, H8451 and the commandment, which he wrote for you, ye shall observe to do for evermore; and ye shall not fear other gods.”
Exo 12:49 “One law H8451 shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.”
Exo 24:12 And Yahuwah said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, H8451 and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.”
Num 15:29 “Ye shall have one law H8451 for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them.”
Below is more of this verse in Numbers 15, which shows that Yahuwah treats sins out of ignorance less severe than sins done deliberately. The people still need to repent when they realize they have sinned, and they are forgiven. But those who sin deliberately (KNOWING they are sinning) – THOSE people are cut off from Yahuwah’s people. Fortunately, now that our Messiah has died and risen from the dead to cover our sins, we can repent of them even if we sinned deliberately, and as long as we are sincere and try our best to ‘go and sin no more’, He will forgive us and not cut us off. But we MUST strive to NOT live in sin, or we WILL be cut off – see Hebrews 10:26-31. The verses below also show us that non-Israelite-born, strangers, (a temporary inhabitant, a newcomer lacking inherited rights, foreigners in Israel) are expected to obey Yahuwah’s laws, and not just the Jews (note – we do not do the sacrifices presently because of our Messiah offering Himself instead):
22 And if ye have erred, and not observed all these commandments, which Yahuwah hath spoken unto Moses,
(Jen’s note: Notice that this is talking about the ‘law of Moses’, not the 10 Commandments, because Yahuwah SPOKE them to Moses [and Moses wrote them on scrolls], whereas Yahuwah wrote the 10 Commandments with His own finger on stone.)
23 Even all that Yahuwah hath commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day that Yahuwah commanded Moses, and henceforward among your generations;
24 Then it shall be, if ought be committed by ignorance without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bullock for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour unto Yahuwah, with his meat offering, and his drink offering, according to the manner, and one kid of the goats for a sin offering.
25 And the priest shall make an atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and it shall be forgiven them; for it is ignorance: and they shall bring their offering, a sacrifice made by fire unto Yahuwah, and their sin offering before Yahuwah, for their ignorance:
26 And it shall be forgiven all the congregation of the children of Israel, and the stranger that sojourneth among them; seeing all the people were in ignorance.
27 And if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering.
28 And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, when he sinneth by ignorance before Yahuwah, to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him.
29 Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them.
30 But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth Yahuwah; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
31 Because he hath despised the word of Yahuwah, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.
Deu 27:8 “And thou shalt write upon the stones all the words of this law H8451 very plainly.”
Deu 31:12 “Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear Yahuwah your God, and observe to do all the words of this law:” H8451
Deu 31:24 “And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law H8451 in a book, until they were finished,”
Deu 31:26 “Take this book of the law, H8451 and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of Yahuwah your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.”
Deu 32:46 “And he said unto them, Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law.” H8451
Jos 1:7 “Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, H8451 which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.”
Jos 1:8 “This book of the law H8451 shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”
Jos 8:32 “And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law H8451 of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel.”
Jos 8:34 “And afterward he read all the words of the law, H8451 the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law.” H8451
(Jen’s note: Firstly, this shows that the ‘book of the law’ is not just the 10 commandments, because that does not talk about the blessings and cursings. It is the 613 laws that teach about them. Secondly, CHRISTIANS LOVE to claim all the blessing verses “I will be blessed in the city, blessed in the field,” blessings for their offspring, etc., but they pay no attention to the curses they will get if they do not obey Yahuwah’s laws, in fact they pay no attention to the fact that they are required to OBEY the laws IN ORDER TO GET THE BLESSINGS!)
Jos 22:5 “But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, H8451 which Moses the servant of Yahuwah charged you, to love Yahuwah your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
Jos 23:6 “Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law H8451 of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;”
Deu 29:29 “The secret things belong unto Yahuwah our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.” H8451
(Jen’s note: the reason this doesn’t apply to only the ‘Israelites’ is because when we get born-again, we get adopted into that family and are Israelites also, spiritually, not physically of course (we become part of the commonwealth of Israel) – we get grafted into the olive tree, which is also Israel – so these things also “belong unto us FOREVER, THAT WE MAY DO ALL THE WORDS OF THIS LAW!” “Father Abraham had many sons, many sons had father Abraham, I am one of them, and so are you, so let’s just praise the Lord, right hand, left hand, etc., etc.” Remember that Sunday School song?)
the testimony of Yahuwah is sure, making wise the simple.
‘Testimony’ is Strong’s #5715 ‘'ēdût’ and means ‘absolute, construct, testimony of the Ten Words on the tables as a solemn divine charge, ark as containing tables’. Below are examples where the word is used in various verses:
Exo 25:16 “And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony H5715 which I shall give thee.”
Exo 25:21 “And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony H5715 that I shall give thee.”
Exo 25:22 “And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, H5715 of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.”
Exo 26:33 “And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: H5715 and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.”
Exo 26:34 “And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony H5715 in the most holy place.”
8 The statutes of Yahuwah are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of Yahuwah is pure, enlightening the eyes.
‘Statutes’ is Strong’s #6490 ‘piqqûḏîm’ meaning ‘a mandate (of God; plural only, collectively, for the Law): commandment, precept, statute.’ Below are examples where the word is used in various verses:
Psa 19:8 “The statutes H6490 of Yahuwah are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of Yahuwah is pure, enlightening the eyes.”
Psa 103:18 “To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments H6490 to do them.”
Psa 111:7 “The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments H6490 are sure.”
Psa 119:4 “Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts H6490 diligently.”
Psa 119:15 “I will meditate in thy precepts, H6490 and have respect unto thy ways.”
Psa 119:27 “Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: H6490 so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.”
Psa 119:40 “Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: H6490 quicken me in thy righteousness.’
Psa 119:45 “And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts.” H6490
Psa 119:56 This I had, because I kept thy precepts.” H6490
Psa 119:63 “I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.” H6490
‘Right’ is Strong’s #3477 ‘yāšār’ meaning ‘straight, level, right, pleasing, correct, straightforward, just, upright, fitting, proper, uprightness, righteous’.
The commandment of Yahuwah is pure, enlightening the eyes.
‘Commandment’ is Strong’s #4687 ‘miṣvâ, mitsvâh, mits-vaw’; from H6680 meaning: ‘a command, whether human or divine (collectively, the Law): law, ordinance, precept, commandment’. Below are examples where the word is used in various verses:
Gen 26:5 “Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, H4687 my statutes, and my laws.”
Exo 15:26 “And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of Yahuwah thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, H4687 and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am Yahuwah that rowth thee.”
Exo 16:28 “And Yahuwah said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments H4687 and my laws?”
Exo 20:6 “And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.” H4687
Exo 24:12 “And Yahuwah said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments H4687 which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.”
Lev 4:2 “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments H4687 of Yahuwah concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them:”
9 The fear of Yahuwah is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of Yahuwah are true and righteous altogether.
‘Judgments’ is Strong’s # 4941 – ‘mišpāṭ’ meaning ‘act of deciding a case, place, court, seat of judgment, process, procedure, litigation (before judges), sentence, execution (of judgment), ordinance…’
10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.
Romans 7:22 King James Version
22 For I delight in the law of Yahuwah after the inward man
Proverbs 29:18 King James Version
18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
It is the man-made dogma or laws that are against us. Some of the Jewish leaders made their own laws to add to Yahuwah’s laws, and they were harmful to the believers. One of their laws kept new converts from going into the temple to hear the Torah (teachings/law) to learn how to live for Yahuwah.
The Jewish book called the Talmud has their man-made laws in it – the ‘fences’ that they put around Yahuwah’s laws. There are plenty of Messianic and Torah observant believers who also believe in keeping the instructions in the Talmud. Some things in it are not bad, like instructions on how to do a Passover seder. Those are traditions of men that are not commanded of Yahuwah but not evil either. And there is some good historical information in it. But there are ‘laws’ in Talmud that I believe come from an evil source, and years ago when I was reading parts of it out of curiosity, because we knew some Messianic ministers who believe in it, I found the information below, and that is when I started realizing that the Talmud contains the ‘ordinances against us’ and decided to ignore most of it.
Concerning abortion:
The laws in the Talmud do not consider a fetus to be a living soul until it is born. In Yevamos 69b, Rav Hisda states that “until forty days from conception the fetus is merely water. It is not yet considered a living being.” In Mishna Oholos 7:3, it says “If a woman is having trouble giving birth, they cut up the child in her womb and bring it forth limb by limb, because her life comes before the life of [the child].” In a case of danger to the mother, it says in Sanhedrin 72b that “a midwife may insert her hand into the womb and kill the fetus … [the reason is] for as long as the fetus has not emerged into the world, it is not a nefesh [a being with a soul]; one is therefore allowed to kill it and save the mother …” In certain circumstances if a fetus is putting the life of the mother in danger, it is considered a MURDERER in active pursuit, and killing the murderer is required! And a famous Jewish scholar in law in medicine, Waldenberg, wrote that ‘severe psychological distress’ is just as legitimate a reason for abortion as severe physical distress (Tzitz Eliezer 13:102; 14:101). Never mind that:
Luke 1:41 King James Version
41 ”And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost”
makes it obvious that a baby in the womb is a human life. These Talmudic instructions on abortion repulsed me.
Many Jewish leaders consider the Talmud to be the ‘oral law’ given by ‘God’ (to teach us how to apply the written law, Torah, law of Moses,) and that is where they get all those ‘fences’ put around Yahuwah’s laws that make His instructions seem impossible to keep! ….. I believe ‘oral laws’ like the abortion laws above is from satan himself, not Yahuwah. ‘Ordinances’ against us, meaning ‘man-made dogma’, is what was nailed to the cross.
Here Is another verse similar to Colossians 2:14 that mentions the ‘ordinances’ again, and is also referring to man-made dogma or laws.
Ephesians 2:11-15 King James Version
11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; (uncircumcision was a term used for the Gentiles, and circumcision was a term used to refer to the Israelites.)
12 That at that time ye were without Yahushuwa, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without Yahuwah in the world:
13 But now in Messiah Yahushuwa ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Yahushuwa.
14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity (#2189), even the law of commandments (#3551) contained in ordinances (#1785); for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Strong’s Concordance #2189 – ‘echthra’, meaning hostility; by implication, a reason for opposition: —enmity, hatred. (This was the middle wall of division of verse 14, the enmity, that was caused by the Pharisees’ man-made laws that they added to Yahuwah’s laws, which made them a burden to keep rather than a pleasure as they are intended to be, and caused a wall of division between the Jews and the newly converted Gentiles. Yahushuwa broke that wall down and made the ‘one new man’.
#3551 – ‘nomos’, meaning anything established, anything received by usage, a custom, a law, a command. Of any law whatsoever. (It does not define as ‘Torah’ – it defines as any law whatsoever, which in this case is about man-made laws (dogma) that were added to Torah, because THESE laws were contained in ordinances added by man.
#1785 ‘entolē’, which refers to the man-made dogma or additions to the Mosaic law.
So again, that is a verse that is used out of context to justify breaking Yahuwah’s law, when it doesn’t mean that at all. It was the man-made dogma, commandments, ordinances, which were against us and divided us, that He abolished in His flesh, not Yahuwah’s laws, which bring us together in unity. People actually believed they had to keep those man-made laws, and many today still do, but Yahushuwa did not promote that idea.
Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words says of dogma, “Primarily denoted an opinion or judgment (from dokeo, to be of opinion). Hence, an opinion expressed with authority, a doctrine, ordinance, or decree.” Furthermore, it is used in the Bible to be the doctrine, decree, or teaching of man. “Ordinances” here is a man-made teaching.
Another thing that He freed us from is enslavement to sin. Sin is bondage and can control us. His grace gives us the supernatural power to overcome the urge to sin, so we are no longer slaves to sin, and can be forgiven for the ones we do slip up and commit, when we repent, and therefore be free from the law of sin and death, which is “the wages of sin is death”.
Here are several verses that talk about enslavement to sin:
Romans 6:6-11 King James Version
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Messiah, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9 Knowing that Messiah being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto Yahuwah also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto Yahuwah through Yahushuwa Messiah our Lord.
Romans 6:12-19 King James Version
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto Yahuwah, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto Yahuwah.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? Yahuwah forbid.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But Yahuwah be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
Jeremiah 3:8 King James Version
8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.
So, Yahuwah repairs that broken covenant with a renewed one that is eternal. The same laws are still there. But you enter the covenant differently. The sacrifice is a onetime eternal sacrifice by our Messiah, instead of yearly by a human Levitical priest, and we enter the covenant by getting born-again, getting our sins forgiven by repenting of them and dying of our old self and living in Him who died for our sins, our eternal High Priest Yahushuwa. Christians think they are under a ‘new covenant’ but they were never under any covenant in the first place. They are not a separate entity. When one gets born-again, he gets grafted into the olive tree, which is Israel, whose root is said to be holy, or adopted in to Yahuwah’s family, which is Israel. Born-again believers do not replace the Jews as Yahuwah’s chosen people – they become part of them – part of their family – part of Yahuwah’s family.
Romans 11:16-17 King James Version
16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them rowths of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
A born-again Jewish Rabbi once told me that the neat thing about being grafted in is that when a branch is grafted into a tree, the grafted branch becomes stronger than the natural branches. And he said that according to Jewish customs, when a Jew adopts a child, that child becomes even more secure in that family than the natural children.
Romans 8:14-16 King James Version
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of Yahuwah, they are the sons of Yahuwah.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of Yahuwah:
Ephesians 1:4-6 King James Version4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Yahushuwa the Messiah to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Ephesians 2:11-13 King James Version
11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
12 That at that time ye were without Yahushuwa, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without Yahuwah in the world:
13 But now in Messiah Yahushuwa ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Yahushuwa.
Ephesians 2:18-22 King James Version
18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of Yahuwah;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Yahushuwa the Messiah himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together rowth unto an holy temple in Yahushuwa:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of Yahuwah through the Spirit.
All of these verses talking about being grafted in and adopted in show us that we become part of Yahuwah’s family, His household, as well as His temple.
Hebrews 8:6-13 King James Version – my comments are in parenthesis
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.
7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. (the word ‘covenant’ is not in the original text – it should say “if the first had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second,” and the actual context of it is that the first priesthood is not faultless. There was nothing wrong with the covenant itself, but with the people. People are imperfect.)
8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith Yahuwah, when I will make a new (means renewed) covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: (‘Them’ refers to the nation of Israel because of their idolatry in making and worshipping the golden calf – THEY were at fault, NOT Yahuwah’s own covenant.)
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; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith Yahuwah. (Instead of staying with Yahuwah’s covenant they built the idol and worshipped it, and idolatry is sin.)
10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith Yahuwah; 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 Yahuwah: 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. (Remember, sin and iniquity is ‘the transgression of the law’.)
13 In that he saith, A new (#2537 ‘kainoi’ new, especially in freshness) covenant (again, not in the original text), he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away. (the mortal priesthood is what vanishes away as the immortal one with Yahushuwa takes over.)
Hebrews 7:23-25 King James Version
23 And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: (mortal priests died eventually.)
24 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto Yahuwah by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Hebrews 7:12 King James Version
12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.
The law that had to be changed was about how the priesthood operated in the temple. The rest of the law was already in place but after the Israelites made their golden calf idol in the wilderness while Moses was on the mountain communing with Yahuwah and receiving the commandments written by Yahuwah, Yahuwah added the law of the role of the Levitical priesthood. Before Yahuwah wrote the law, the law did exist, but it wasn’t in writing. This verse from Genesis shows us that Abraham kept Yahuwah’s laws even though it wasn’t written yet – He communed with Yahuwah and listened to Him, and obeyed Him, keeping all of His instructions!
Genesis 26:5 King James Version
5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
But those who made the golden calf did not follow the instructions, so Yahuwah put them in writing and assigned a Levitical Priesthood to implement them.
In Hebrews 8:6-13 Yahuwah is talking about the renewed covenant and that He will put the laws in their minds and hearts, because this happens through Yahushuwa and having the mind of Him, and the new priesthood which will never decayeth or waxeth old.
Here’s what happens when His law is in our minds and in our hearts:
1 Corinthians 2:16 King James Version
16 For who hath known the mind of Yahuwah, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Yahushuwa.
Ezekiel 36:26 King James Version
26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
Romans 2:14-15 King James Version
14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another…
John 1:1-4 King James Version
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Yahuwah, and the Word was Yahuwah.
2 The same was in the beginning with Yahuwah.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
These verses are talking about Yahushuwa, the living Word, who is Yahuwah who came and dwelt among us, the same one who created all things (all things were made by him….), and the same one who wrote the ten commandments on the tablets of stone with His own finger, and dictated to Moses the writing of the rest of the law on the scrolls. He is ONE GOD.
Exodus 31:18 King James Version
18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of stone, written with the finger of Yahuwah.
The laws were written in stone but when put into us they become part of us. Why would we want to rebel against them?
Revelation 19:13 King James Version
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of Yahuwah.
Yahushuwa is the Word of Yahuwah made flesh, who wrote them – He is Yahuwah who came to us in the flesh. Some think that He gave us a DIFFERENT set of commandments, but He is the one who wrote the original ones, and He came and explained them better to us. But He is giving us a different way of implementing them, a different priesthood, immortal Yahushuwa instead of mortal man. When His people came out of Egypt and made a golden calf while Moses was on the mountain receiving the first set of stone tablets that Yahuwah wrote with His own finger, Moses came down and saw what they had done and broke the tablets.
Galatians 3:19 King James Version
19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
Yahuwah gave them a covenant that required Levitical priests to bring sacrifices to the altar to remind them of their sins, and did this BECAUSE of their rebellion. The law of the Levitical Priesthood is what was added because of their transgressions. But priests come and go, they get old and die.
There were already laws of Yahuwah in place, since the creation. They just were not written down. There were sacrifices, as told about in Genesis. And there was the Sabbath which Yahuwah set in place on the 7th day of creation. There were other laws as well, and these were all part of the order of Melchizedek, who actually is Yahushuwa. The NEW law that was added was the operation of the Levitical Priesthood, which was to be utilized until Messiah came and took over as High Priest. He ended the Levitical Priesthood’s operation, but He never ended the law – He restored it to the order of Melchizedek. And He gave us His grace and sent us His Holy Spirit to cause us to keep it, to help us keep it, to show us how to keep it, to empower us to keep it. He writes it on our hearts so it’s not just letters on a page but is expounded upon by the Spirit in our hearts. We have to study it to learn Yahuwah’s will, and then the Holy Spirit will bring it to our remembrance when we need it.
Hebrews 7:21 King James Version
(For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.)
Hebrews 7:23-25 King James Version
23 And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:
24 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto Yahuwah by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
They are a temporary situation (till the seed should come), and the better version of the covenant is that Yahushuwa, our permanent High Priest (the seed that came), sacrificed Himself in place of the sacrificial lamb, and it’s a once and for all sacrifice that never needs to be repeated – He doesn’t wax old or decay like human priests do, and through this He has put His laws on our hearts. The law is still there, He did not change it, but we do the sacrificial part differently.
So, now that we’ve got it established that there is no ‘new’ covenant that replaces the Old Testament law, I want to explain some more verses that are taken out of context to justify breaking the law.
When Yahushuwa says in Matthew 5:27-28 “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart”, some Christians teach that He is making this commandment even stricter than it originally was, as in ‘changing’ the law, but He was actually teaching them the true and deeper meaning of this commandment, the heart of the law – that what is in a man’s heart is just as important as his actions. Yahuwah sees the heart of man and holds him accountable for the thoughts he entertains.
When He says in Matthew 5:21-22 “Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire,” He again is not adding to the law, but expounding upon it so we can better understand the deeper meaning of it. Exodus 20:13 says “Thou shalt not kill” but actually means “thou shalt not murder, slay, or dash in pieces” from #7523 in Strong’s Concordance ‘ratsach.’ It does not refer to all types of killing, as in war or when Yahuwah commanded His people to kill their enemies.
#4469 Racca means empty headed, senseless, and Fool is Moros, probably from the base of #3466 which means dull or stupid (as if shut up), i.e. heedless, (morally) blockhead, (apparently) absurd – and Yahushuwa is explaining that calling your ‘brother’ (fellow believer) these things is serious like murder. He then tells them in Matthew 5:23-24 “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.”
Here He expounds on the topic of murder even more in 1 John 3:15 “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” He didn’t take away the commandment, and He didn’t add to it – He expounded on it (fulfill – to fully preach – He’s fully preaching the heart of Torah/the law.)
Here’s a good one:
Matthew 5:43-44 King James Version
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Here it looks like He is CHANGING a commandment – old says hate your enemy – new says love your enemies! BUT…. There is no commandment in the Scriptures that says to hate our enemies. It is PEOPLE that made up that one! “Ye have heard that it hath been said” – people SAID it, but Yahuwah never said it. So, He is clearing this one up. Yahuwah hates some people, but He doesn’t command us to hate them.
Psalm 11:5 King James Version
5 Yahuwah trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.
Here is another verse that believers often think means that Yahushuwa ‘changed’ the law. But He is actually expounding on it – explaining it – fully preaching it!
Matthew 5:38-39 King James Version
38 You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.”
39 But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
The Old Testament verse that goes with this is:
Leviticus 24:19-21 King James Version
19 And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him;
20 Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.
21 And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it: and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death.
These verses were not understood by the leaders as a literal action to be taken. There is no evidence in historical literature, archaeology or even in the oral law that was written out and put in the Talmud, that the Jewish law courts actually poked out eyes, cut off hands, knocked out teeth, etc. Some people acted outside of the accepted Jewish laws and did these things, like vigilantes who wanted to take revenge, but Yahuwah’s laws of this nature were understood to create axiomatic limits for restitution and damages imposed by formal courts of law. Eye for eye is a biblical expression that represents ‘let the punishment fit the crime’, as the value of an eye for an eye, or the value of a tooth for a tooth, for fair and equitable punishment which was usually monetary.
This is called a Hebrew idiom. “Eye for an eye” is a Hebrew idiom. The Hebrews know not to literally pluck out an eye (or cut off a hand or other body part). But we who are not Hebrew need it explained to us, or we tend to take it literally and think it’s a barbaric law.
Instead of just ordering a monetary payment in the first place, there is a lesson to be taught here – that it is not sufficient to just hand over some money and walk away. If a person has lost an eye or hand, etc., his whole life has changed and money can’t fix everything. He suffers pain and suffering, loss of ability to do the things he did before, etc., and the one who did this to him needs to realize this and take it very seriously, realizing he DESERVES to have the same thing done to him, begging the victim for forgiveness, making it right in any way he can along with monetary compensation, and making sure he will never do this again to someone.
Even the death penalty for murder is not always accepted as literal in the law, because life is infinite and valuable, and there is no acceptable compensation for the loss of a life, and so the death penalty is not literally promoted. When they DID do executions, I understand that they only did them about every seven years.
When Yahushuwa deals with this topic, He is, as I said, expounding on it – explaining it – fully preaching it. He’s teaching the heart of the law, that even though the evil person deserves the same things done to him, the victim shouldn’t get revenge on him. He didn’t ‘change’ the law – He expounded on it. The victim can still prosecute and get compensated, not for revenge, but to help him get on with his life. A person can forgive and still prosecute when it’s necessary.
It’s better to work things out without court, and if both are believers, they should seek this method first, and even consider allowing yourself to be defrauded if another believer did the bad thing to you, as it teaches in 1 Corinthians 6. But if the attacker is not a fellow believer and is an evil person, or isn’t acting like a believer and is rebelling against working it out and has no remorse, then he ‘can’ be treated like an unbeliever and taken to court and made to pay restitution. This is the deeper understanding of this law.
Many think that turning the other cheek is referring to someone hitting or insulting you, and passively letting them do it again. But here is an article explaining the REAL meaning of the verse in Matthew 5:38-40:
https://www.reenactingtheway.com/blog/turning-the-other-cheek-jesus-peaceful-plan-to-challenge-injustice
A comment/response to the article above:
“According to this explanation, there were differences in the way a Roman soldier would slap an equal as opposed to an inferior person. Equals would be slapped with the palm while second-class people would be backhanded. So, if you were backhanded by a Roman soldier, turning the other cheek was essentially a non-violent way of asserting your human dignity.”
They normally used their right hand, because the left hand was ‘unclean’ (since they wiped their behinds with that hand), so to back-hand with the right hand, that would hit the person on their right cheek, which they did to ‘second-class’ people to make it clear that they disrespected them as people who are ‘below’ them, as they disrespected them by hitting them in the first place. And to hit ‘first-class’ people with the palm of their hand, or fist, that would hit the person on their left cheek, showing that they respected them more as an equal, as they disrespected them by hitting them! So Yahushuwa was addressing those who were hit on the right cheek as a showing of double disrespect, and instructing them to turn the cheek so as to demand to be treated as an equal and not someone ‘below’ them (as they got disrespectfully slapped or hit.) He was telling them to act with some dignity rather than to cower down like a whimpering puppy that got abused. Plus, getting back-handed was more of an insult than a hard-core physical attack of getting beat up, in which case one should defend himself to preserve his life and health. There are places in the Bible that encourage people to fight their enemy and overcome them. Again, it’s not for revenge, but to defend oneself, family and property. Yah says that vengeance is His, not ours.
Here is one more example of a law that would make just about anyone cringe, and possibly conclude that ‘the God of the Old Testament’ (as some think there is a different one then and now) is a mean ole ogre, and ‘Jesus’ of the New Testament is a kind, loving God, different from Him. Without footnotes explaining what this law was understood to mean to the people who received it, and the pastors and ministers not teaching about it, we are left to our own thoughts of how barbaric it sounds, and most people would not EVER consider stoning their own child to death, law or not, even if it’s an older child who has done horrible things to others.
Deuteronomy 21:18-21 King James Version
18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:
19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;
20 And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.
21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.
This was not about a little child sassing his parents or sneaking a cookie out of the cookie jar. Notice It includes being a glutton and drunkard, which is normally a trait of older youth, or young adult. Well, the people of those days of old did not stone their children. Here is another law that was understood to be for educational and deterrent purposes only. There were so many stipulations to this law that even if one did believe they were to do this literally, no son would qualify to be stoned! I won’t go into all of that, but you can look it up if you’re interested, and study it yourself. And if he did meet the qualifications, the son was to be brought before a court of three judges first, who, if they convicted him, would flog him and give him a warning that if he continued the behavior he ‘could’ be stoned. There are no historical records of a son being stoned because of this law. It was understood to be for deterring bad behavior. If you do not understand the culture these Scriptures are referring to, and the events behind them, then you will not understand their meaning.
He tells the adulterous woman to “go and sin no more” (John 8:11). In the case of the man whom He healed and then said that to, He told him “lest a worse thing come upon you” (John 5:14), showing compassion for the person’s future as well as the immediate situation. So, when the courts give the rebellious son a ‘warning’ instead of stoning him, they are practicing this same principle of mercy and grace, even before the Messiah came. This next verse shows our Father’s attitude towards His rebellious children:
Jeremiah 31:20 King James Version
20 Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he a pleasant child? For since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith Yahuwah.
So, our Heavenly Father was merciful even in the Old Testament days. It is hard to understand all of this if you don’t have the resources, and it seems like one verse contradicts another, but when put all together and in context and with explanation of their purpose, they are so much easier to digest.
I want to talk about one more thing that has to do with ‘youth’, because after we just saw that Yahuwah doesn’t want us to literally stone children to death for being rebellious, some will ask why He Himself caused bears to maul little children in 2 Kings. The translations do not do this Scripture justice!
2 Kings 2:23-24 King James Version
23 And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.
24 And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of Yahuwah. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.
First of all, it says that the bears ‘’tare” them or mauled them. It doesn’t actually say they killed them. Secondly, these were not little children. In verse 23, the word ‘little’ is Strong’s #6996 and can be translated as young, small, insignificant, unimportant. It’s okay to use a little common sense. They should have picked insignificant or unimportant here instead of ‘little children’. The word ‘children’ is Strong’s #5288 na’ar, and can mean a boy, lad, servant, youth, retainer. Servant is a better choice than children. An insignificant or unimportant servant makes much more sense in this context. Na’ar is often a title for official, steward, servant, or priest. In verse 24 the word children is Strong’s #3206 and can be translated child, son, boy, offspring, youth, apostate Israelites, young man. Why the translators picked ‘little children’ is beyond me.
“The Apologetics Study Bible” explains: “The Hebrew phrase for ‘small boys’ refers to adolescents from 12 to 30 years old” Paul Baxter, in an article titled “Why Would God Send a Bear to Maul Children?” says “We read how Elisha, the prophet of God, was entering one of the worst places in the corrupt and decadent nation of Israel. Although Bethel was called “the House of God,” what should have been a holy place was a center of idolatry and immorality where the “sons of God” were vastly outnumbered by those who taunted and trashed the faith of Elijah and Elisha!
Bethel was so bad that a gang of young teenagers “harassed” Elisha, taunting him to leave them and their town alone and go off to be with his God (as Elijah had done). Gleason Archer, the author of “Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties” describes these troublemakers as “a serious public danger, quite as grave as the large youth gangs that roam the ghetto sections of our modern American cities.” Author Walter C. Kaiser said “bear attack shows God trying repeatedly to bring his people back to himself through smaller judgments” so that they could avoid a worse “full force” judgment.”
Below I will show you a few Scriptures that call adult believers “little children”, just to remind you that the term isn’t always used to actually MEAN little children.
1 John 2:1 King James Version
1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Yahushuwa the Massiah the righteous:
John 13:33 King James Version
33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.
Galatians 4:19 King James Version
19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Yahushuwa the Messiah be formed in you,
1 John 3:7 King James Version
7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
That was just a few of them! The Bible would be so much easier to understand if the translators would have made things clear and in context. Trying to unscramble all the lies Christians have been taught is not easy, especially since most believers are comfortable with the lies they’ve been taught and don’t want to move from their comfort zone. But we MUST learn the truth or it cannot set us free!
Yahushuwa died for us breaking His law (so we do not have to die for our sins – He took away the penalty of death for our sin – the law of sin and death), not for us having to keep the law, since He tells us that transgressing (refusing to obey) the law is what sin is, and we are told to stop sinning. When He forgave the woman for committing adultery, He told her to go and sin no more.
John 8:11b New King James Version
11 ….. And Yahushuwa said unto her, “Neither do I condemn thee; go, and sin no more.” (go, and transgress the law no more)
When He healed the man in John 5, He told him to go and sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon him, indicating that his condition came on him because of his sin, and he was forgiven, but if he went back into that sin, it would come back even worse.
John 5:14 King James Version
14 Afterward Yahushuwa findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
So, He was telling them to go and transgress the law – commandments no more, go and start obeying the commandments – laws (same exact thing).
Galatians 5:18-25 King James Version
18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of Yahuwah.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live, let us also walk in the Spirit.
If you are led by the Holy Spirit, you will obey the law, as Ezekiel 36:27 says, and you won’t be under the law of sin and death!
Ezekiel 36:27 King James Version
27 And I will put my spirit within you, and CAUSE you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
It’s important to note that He said this in the Old Testament days, that He would put His Spirit WITHIN them, and that would CAUSE them to keep His commandments (this is the laws in the Old Testament of course – there were no ‘new laws’ that He could refer to in the O.T.), and He didn’t GIVE this gift of the INFILLING of the Holy Spirit until the New Testament days (see the book of Acts), and yet said it will CAUSE YOU TO WALK IN MY STATUTES and keep my judgments and do them – His commandments/laws of the Old Testament!!!
Romans 8:1-5 King James Version
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Messiah Yahushuwa, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Messiah Yahushuwa hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, Yahuwah 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.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
You see, there is more than one law mentioned in the Bible. People assume when they read that we are not under the law, that it means we do not need to obey the Old Testament laws. But that is not what it means.
We are not under the law of sin and death WHEN WE WALK BY THE SPIRIT (Romans 8:2)! We also are not under the Pharisees’ man-made laws. This is Scripture interpreting Scripture – this is why we cannot just take one verse out of context and make a doctrine out of it. We need to put them together to understand the full message.
The wages of sin is death, and we are told to stop sinning, to sin not (see verse below), but if we DO sin (and we will from time to time because we’re not perfect), since we have an advocate with the Father, who IS “Yahushuwa” (it says Jesus Christ, but should say Yahushuwa, but notice that it’s saying He IS the Father!), then we can repent of any sins we do commit, and be forgiven and have eternal life, instead of having to die for them, therefore not being under the law of sin and death but under grace, which covers our sins WHEN WE REPENT OF THEM. Christians need to stop saying “I’m not under the law, I’m under grace” because most of them don’t know what it means, and believe they can disobey Yahuwah’s laws and be fine.
1 John 2:1-6 King James Version
1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin (transgress the law) not. And if any man sin (transgress the law), we have an advocate with the Father, Yahushuwa the righteous:
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments (law – we know we know Him if we don’t transgress His laws).
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments (transgress His laws), is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth his word (laws), in him verily is the love of Yahuwah perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. (He obeyed His own law that He wrote/created.)
Many assume that verses like the one in Galatians 5 mean we are not under the law of Moses, the Torah, but this is wrong. Take note that in the verse above it says we know we know Him IF WE KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS! He, being Yahuwah in the flesh, wrote the ten commandments with His own finger, and told Moses what words to write on the scrolls for the rest of the law – there is no NEW set of commandments that is being referred to here. The Messiah’s commandments are the Father’s commandments – they are One God. The Father’s commandments are the Messiah’s commandments. Commandments and law are the same thing. There are NOT two different sets of laws here. And there are NOT two different Gods!
Our Messiah came to fulfill the law, which literally means to teach it to us correctly in that verse (Matthew 5:17). I can’t say this enough times. That word fulfill does NOT mean to do away with the law. That is also explained in here more in a different place. We can’t go over these things too much. It needs to sink in.
And as far as ‘walk, even as He walked” – He obeyed the law. The definition of sin is to transgress the law, and He was sinless, so no, He never transgressed the law, not even when He picked grain on the Sabbath. He was in obedience to the law at all times. He wouldn’t have qualified to die for our sins if He wasn’t sinless. So, we are to obey it too, in order to walk as He walked. And yes, we will mess up at times and break His law, but back to 1 John 2 which says to not sin, BUT IF WE DO then we can go to Yahushuwa and repent and be forgiven!
Below is a verse where many mistakenly believe Yahushuwa broke the Sabbath. According to the Pharisees He broke it, because He broke their man-made additions to the law. But He is Lord of the Sabbath, the Creator who created the Sabbath, and everything He did on the Sabbath was lawful. In this verse, He helps us better understand what is in fact lawful to do on the Sabbath!
John 5:1-19 King James Version
1 After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Yahushuwa went up to Jerusalem.
2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
6 When Yahushuwa saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
8 Yahushuwa saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.
10 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.
11 He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.
12 Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?
13 And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Yahushuwa had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.
14 Afterward Yahushuwa findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
15 The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Yahushuwa, which had made him whole.
16 And therefore did the Jews persecute Yahushuwa, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.
17 But Yahushuwa answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that Yahuwah was his Father, making himself equal with Yahuwah.
19 Then answered Yahushuwa and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
For one thing, the type of ‘work’ He did on this Sabbath was to heal someone, showing us that it is alright to heal someone on the Sabbath. The word work in this verse also refers to ministerial work, and to doing ‘good’. Matthew 12:12 says it is good to do good on the Sabbath. The man who was healed had his bed with him, so it was okay for him to carry it back home. The Pharisees did not think so, but Yahushuwa lets us know it was okay, since He’s the one who told him to do it. Thirdly, He let them (and us) know that He is equal with Yahuwah. He and Yahuwah are one God, as He is Yahuwah who came in the flesh. And fourthly, He let them know that if He was ‘breaking’ the Sabbath law, then Yahuwah our Creator was breaking the Sabbath law, and they all knew that Yahuwah does NOT break any of His laws. In fact, if Yahushuwa had broken ANY of the laws, He would be a sinner, because sin is defined in Scripture as the transgression of the law, and if He would have broken the law He couldn’t have died for our sins. He had to be sinless in order to be our Savior, and He was/is sinless!
Romans 8:1-4 King James Version
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Messiah Yahuwshuwa, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Messiah Yahuwshuwa has made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, Yahuwah 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.
This shows us that IF we are being led by the Holy Spirit, which NEVER leads us to go against the Word and laws of Yahuwah, THEN we are free from the PENALTY of breaking the law. It does NOT show us that we are free to break the law. Breaking Yahuwah’s law would be an act of walking after the flesh and not the Holy Spirit. Verse 1 lets us know that there IS condemnation to them who do walk after the flesh, for if we do, then we are not walking in the Spirit and NOT free from the law of sin and death, nor are we walking as He walked!
If a person drives 100 mph through a school zone, and gets arrested, gets a penalty, but someone pays the fines, and he goes free, but then goes back to the school zone, is the speed limit sign now gone? Is it now okay for him to go 100 mph? Did his redemption cancel out the law? Can he now freely break that law and not get penalized for it again? Is he free from the law, or was he forgiven for breaking the law, and now must go and break the law no more? And if he does it again, the penalty will be worse the next time around (lest a worse thing come upon you)!
I showed you the verse that tells us that ‘sin is the transgression of the law’ in 1 John (New Testament, not Old Testament.) Look at the other verses that go with that – see verse 4 and also notice in verse 3 it tells us to purify ourselves. That implies that we have a part to play in this – we have to DO something.
1 John 3:1-7 King James Version
1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of Yahuwah: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of Yahuwah, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
Verse 6 could be written “whoever abides in him does not transgress the law, for whoever transgresses the law has not seen Him or known Him.” Remember that verse in Matthew 7? 22 “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (which means ‘lawlessness’).” - shows the other side of the coin – that He says HE doesn’t know THEM, to go along with 1 John 3 saying THEY haven’t known HIM. It’s a two-way street and it’s all because of transgressing the law that Christians like to say is done away with.
Romans 7:7 King James Version
7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Yahuwah forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
‘Transgression’ refers to presumptuous sin. To transgress is to choose to intentionally disobey; transgression is willful trespassing. Shouldn’t we be learning what His law requires of us so that we can stop transgressing it?
So, learning the commandment/laws is the way to find out what Yahuwah counts as sin. The law, or Torah, is His instructions for our lives. Parts of the law that we cannot do because it goes against the laws of our land, our civil laws (like stoning someone for certain violations), or is not meant to be done literally and just represents the seriousness of the crime (like cutting off hands or plucking out eyes), or because it’s only for those living in Israel and under their former government, or it’s only for men, or only for women, etc) we can still honor it by reading it and asking for His understanding of it. This expresses our desire to follow our Creator’s teachings in the best way we can. His instructions have reasons, and if we learn the reasons, we can come closer to understanding why He made certain laws that didn’t make sense to us. This is NOT cherry picking the law – it is being real and doing the best we can in our situation.
For instance, one of the dietary commandments in Leviticus to not eat swine (pig) – pigs have a very simple digestive system that does not clean the toxins out of what they eat, and they eat just about anything – garbage, dead animals, rotten flesh, toxic plants, etc., and their meat has dangerous worms in it which do not die when we cook them, even up to 200 degrees they can still live, so they end up in our bodies and can kill us, or make us really sick. Pigs were created to clean up the garbage from the earth. Catfish and shellfish clean up the garbage in the waters, and the types of birds He says not to eat have the same kind of purpose. Pigs are also used by pagans like Zeus worshipers as sacrifices. He is so against us eating swine flesh that it says in Isaiah 66 that He will destroy those who eat it! This is an end-time verse that is yet to come:
Isaiah 66:15-18 King James Version
15 For, behold, Yahuwah will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For by fire and by his sword will Yahuwah plead with all flesh: and the slain of Yahuwah shall be many.
17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine’s flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith Yahuwah.
18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.
Christians love to say “He knows my heart”, but notice here it says He knows their WORKS AND their THOUGHTS (which would be their hearts in that context) – but not JUST their thoughts. This is end-time judgment. This is where the fear and trembling should come in from Philippians 2:12 – when one goes to the store to buy bacon or ham or pork chops or lobster or catfish, etc., they should remember this verse and tremble. It’s much easier to just give up the unclean meats.
Peter’s vision is another area of Scripture Christians use to justify breaking the law – the dietary laws.
The vision Peter had is not about eating unclean animals, as Christians love to say it is – it was to let him know he could begin to minister to the Gentiles, and not just the Jews. It was an allegory. Like an idiom doesn’t mean what it says, an allegory is similar. The definition of allegory from Oxford Languages is “a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.”
Peter never ate unclean meats, and neither did our Messiah, and Peter KNEW that Yahuwah didn’t want him to start. And guess what? Unclean animals are mentioned in Revelation (New Testament). If they’re not unclean anymore, why are they in there? Some try to insist that Yahuwah would be lying if He didn’t mean that the unclean animals could now be eaten.
Yahushuwa used parables a lot when He taught. They are similar to allegories – phrases or stories that don’t necessarily describe events that actually happened, yet they are not considered to be lying.
Here is Peter’s vision:
Acts 10:9-22, 28 King James Version
9 On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:
10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,
11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending upon him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:
12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.
14 But Peter said, Not so, Yahuwah; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What Yahuwah hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
16 This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.
Mark 7:18-21 King James Version
18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;
19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?
20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
‘Meats’ in this verse is #1033 in the Strong’s Concordance, broma, and means ‘that which is eaten, food, meat, victual’. It’s referring to edible meat (Kosher meat) that’s been offered to idols, that it can’t defile a person. The versions that say he declared all ‘meat’ clean are incorrect! The translations below did a better job on this verse:
AMP
since it does not enter his heart, but [only] his stomach, and [from there it] is eliminated?” (By this, He declared all foods ceremonially clean.)
CSB
For it doesn’t go into his heart but into the stomach and is eliminated” (thus he declared all foods clean).
CEB
That’s because it doesn’t enter into the heart but into the stomach, and it goes out into the sewer.” By saying this, Yahushuwa declared that no food could contaminate a person in Yahuwah’s sight.
CJB
For it doesn’t go into his heart but into his stomach, and it passes out into the latrine.” (Thus he declared all foods ritually clean.)
The unclean animals are NOT ‘food’.
A pig farmer told a man whose book I once read that if you pick up a pig’s foot and squeeze it, pus will come out of it. The pig has a canal that runs down its’ feet, which is a sweat gland that releases pus into the ground. The pig feeds off the ground and ends up eating its’ own pus as well. They eat feces, tumors, dead pigs, garbage, etc., and there are researchers who say pigs are not fit for human consumption because they have such a high toxicity level and do not have a way of clearing the toxins from their bodies.
The author also said that whenever a mink farm accidentally gave the mink feed with pork in it, ALL of the mink would die! He said it was because pigs are so toxic and the mink could not handle the poison from them. Yet a pig can eat some poisons or get bit by a poisonous snake and not die. The man had stomach cancer, and learned that cancer feeds off pork, so he gave up pork, and his cancer healed.
“13 PROBLEMS WITH PORK”
1) A pig is a real garbage gut. It will eat anything including urine, excrement, dirt, decaying animal flesh, maggots, or decaying vegetables. They will even eat the cancerous growths off other pigs or animals.
2) The meat and fat of a pig absorbs toxins like a sponge. Their meat can be 30 times more toxic than beef or venison.
3) When eating beef or venison, it takes 8 to 9 hours to digest the meat so what little toxins are in the meat are slowly put into our system and can be filtered by the liver. But when pork is eaten, it takes only 4 hours to digest the meat. We thus get a much higher level of toxins within a shorter time.
4) Unlike other mammals, a pig does not sweat or perspire. Perspiration is a means by which toxins are removed from the body. Since a pig does not sweat, the toxins remain within its body and in the meat.
5) Pigs and swine are so poisonous that you can hardly kill them with strychnine or other poisons.
6) Farmers will often pen up pigs within a rattlesnake nest because the pigs will eat the snakes, and if bitten they will not be harmed by the venom.
7) When a pig is butchered, worms and insects take to its flesh sooner and faster than to other animal’s flesh. In a few days the swine flesh is full of worms.
8) Swine and pigs have over a dozen parasites within them, such as tapeworms, flukes, worms, and trichinae. There is no safe temperature at which pork can be cooked to ensure that all these parasites, their cysts, and eggs will be killed.
9) Pig meat has twice as much fat as beef. A 3 oz T bone steak contains 8.5 grams of fat; a 3 oz pork chop contains 18 grams of fat. A 3 oz beef rib has 11.1 grams of fat; a 3 oz pork spare rib has 23.2 grams of fat.
10) Cows have a complex digestive system, having four stomachs. It thus takes over 24 hours to digest their vegetarian diet causing its food to be purified of toxins. In contrast, the swine’s one stomach takes only about 4 hours to digest its foul diet, turning its toxic food into flesh.
11) The swine carries about 30 diseases which can be easily passed to humans. This is why God commanded that we are not even to touch their carcase (Leviticus 11:8).
12) The trichinae worm of the swine is microscopically small, and once ingested can lodge itself in our intestines, muscles, spinal cord or the brain. This results in the disease trichinosis. The symptoms are sometimes lacking, but when present they are mistaken for other diseases, such as typhoid, arthritis, rheumatism, gastritis, MS, meningitis, gall bladder trouble, or acute alcoholism.
13) The pig is so poisonous and filthy, that nature had to prepare him a sewer line or canal running down each leg with an outlet in the bottom of the foot. Out of this hole oozes pus and filth his body cannot pass into its system fast enough. Some of this pus gets into the meat.
-Courtesy BRScience
Here is a similar verse that Christians use out of context to justify eating unclean animals.
Matthew 15:11-20 King James Version
11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
15 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.
16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
This verse is about a ritual of handwashing that the Jewish leaders made up and that believers are not required to follow. It actually has nothing to do with the eating of unclean animals.
Eat what’s set before you – this verse doesn’t mean what most Christians think it means. Neither does the phrase “All things are lawful for me”
1 Corinthians 10:20-29 King James Version
20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to Yahuwah: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.
21 Ye cannot drink the cup of Yahuwah, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of Yahuwah’s table, and of the table of devils.
22 Do we provoke Yahuwah to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?
23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
24 Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.
25 Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake:
26 For the earth is Yahuwahs, and the fulness thereof.
27 If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake.
28 But if any man say unto you, this is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is Yahuwahs, and the fulness thereof:
29 Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man’s conscience?
1 Corinthians 6:12 King James Version
12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
Is Paul actually saying that all things are lawful for him? No, he is actually quoting a mantra used by the Libertine Gnostics of Corinth, in his letter to the Corinthians. The translators didn’t bother to put that in quotation marks so we would know that he was not speaking his own ideas but was quoting a mantra from the cult that they came out of. He quoted their ‘mantra’ so he could address it because it goes against the law of Yahuwah.
The translations below do have the quotation marks in place, therefore making the verse easier to understand as it was meant to be! In quotation marks are the cult’s words, and ‘but……’ are Paul’s words as he answered back to them.
New Living Translation
You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial.
English Standard Version
“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up.
Berean Study Bible
“Everything is permissible,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is edifying.
This whole section is about eating meat that’s been offered in sacrifice to idols (demons). There is instruction in the Bible to not eat meat that has been, in Acts 15, but Paul is saying if they go into a feast where they don’t believe this (“that believe not”), and may be serving food that may have been offered to idols, to not ask about it, but just go ahead and eat it, because in reality it won’t harm them. These people didn’t serve the ‘unclean’ meats that Yahuwah forbids, such as pork, shellfish, etc. and it is NOT referring to unbelievers who eat unclean meats, it is referring to people who may have served meat bought in the market that had previously been offered to idols.
He goes on to say in verse 28 that if they come right out and say it has been offered to idols, then they were not to eat it, because that might give the server the idea that idol worship was approved of by them, and cause them to stumble. In other words, in this particular instance, what they don’t know won’t hurt them!
Here is another popular verse used out of context to justify violating Yahuwah’s laws!
Galatians 4:8-11 King James Version
8 Howbeit then, when ye knew not Yahuwah, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
9 But now, after that ye have known Yahuwah, or rather are known of Yahuwah, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.
The Galatians were pagans before they got born-again, and had been worshipping demonic deities, and AFTER getting born-again they began going back into the bondage of the paganism they came out of. They started observing pagan holidays again, and Paul was doing his best to stop them from falling away from Yahushuwa’s salvation. This verse is NOT saying they went ‘back’ into Yahuwah’s laws – they were never in them in the first place, and verse 8 verifies this “when ye knew not Yahuwah”. Use some common sense here, and also learn the history behind the Scripture.
Let’s move right along – this next chapter, Romans 14 (below), is also used by Christians to support not following the dietary laws or holy days.
Their understanding of this chapter tends to be “People who keep the Sabbath and eat kosher are weak in faith, but the strong in faith treat every day alike and eat anything.” It’s understandable if you just have this one chapter and not the rest of the Scriptures which say the opposite, but it is far from the truth.
Romans 14 King James Version
1 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. (Paul does not mean literally ALL THINGS – it is about vegetarianism versus eating meat.)
3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for Yahuwah hath received him.
4 Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? To his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for Yahuwah is able to make him stand.
5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto Yahuwah; and he that regardeth not the day, to Yahuwah he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to Yahuwah, for he giveth Yahuwah thanks; and he that eateth not, to Yahuwah he eateth not, and giveth Yahuwah thanks.
7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
8 For whether we live, we live unto Yahuwah; and whether we die, we die unto Yahuwah: whether we live therefore, or die, we are Yahuwah.
9 For to this end Yahushuwa both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.
10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? Or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Yahushuwa.
11 For it is written, As I live, saith Yahushuwa, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to Yahuwah.
12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to Yahuwah.
13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.
14 I know, and am persuaded by Messiah Yahushuwa, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
15 But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Messiah died.
16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of:
17 For the kingdom of Yahuwah is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
18 For he that in these things serveth Messiah is acceptable to Yahuwah, and approved of men.
19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.
20 For meat destroy not the work of Yahuwah. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.
21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
22 Hast thou faith? Have it to thyself before Yahuwah. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.
23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
Verse 5 where it says “…Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind” on the surface sounds like one can ‘will’ away the laws/commandments of Yahuwah, but this is NOT the case. It is talking about vegetarianism and whether to honor certain pagan days or not, and has nothing to do with condoning the meats that Yahuwah labeled as unclean meats or not honoring Yahuwah’s holy days. Some of these people were fasting meats on certain days of the week because they considered them to be unclean on those certain days, and that is what “one man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike” is referring to! It has nothing to do with Yahuwah’s Sabbaths and feast days! The pagan culture they lived in honored certain pagan gods on certain days, and were even superstitious about doing certain things on certain days. Though the believers were learning to come out of the paganism, a lot of it still influenced them.
Even in today’s times the days of the week are still named according to different pagan gods. Monday is for the moon goddess, Tuesday is for the planet Mars, in honor of the god Tiw (Tiw’s Day), Wednesday is for the planet Mercury, later named in honor of the god Wedn or Woden, Thursday is for the planet Jupiter, later named to honor Zeus or Thor, Friday is for the planet Venus, later named for the goddess Aphrodite, Frigg or Freia, Saturday is for the planet Saturn, honor of the Roman god Saturn (Saturnalia is the festival in December that preceded Christmas that I will talk about later), and Sunday is for Sol/Helios, the Sun god. Even the names of our months are derived from pagan deities – January in honor of the Roman god Janus, etc.) Yahuwah doesn’t want us using pagan deities’ names:
Exodus 23:13 King James Version
13 And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.
But how do we avoid this? We live in a society where we can’t escape this unless we just say “the first day” or “the first month”, etc.
Some believers will only refer to the days as ‘the first day’, ‘the second day’, ‘the seventh day’, etc., because they do not want to speak out the names of pagan gods. Most people don’t even know they are referring to pagan gods! We live in a modern-day Babylon, and ‘coming out’ of it is not easy.
A modern-day example is Catholics and some other Christians who eat fish on Friday but fast regular ‘warm-blooded animal’ meat as a way of mourning Yahushuwa’s death, since they mistakenly believe He died on ‘Good Friday’. Meat is a celebratory food and they are mourning His death, not celebrating it. – there is no commandment to do this and it doesn’t matter if one does or doesn’t. And FYI, He died on a Wednesday afternoon, was in the grave by sunset, and for 3 days and 3 nights (which is 72 hours), as said in Matthew 12:40 “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth”. He rose from the dead before sunset on the Sabbath, Saturday evening, as it was about to become early Sunday morning, 72 hours after He was put in the tomb, and that could not have been Friday – if you can add, you can figure this out.
Some of them never ate meat. There is no commandment/law of Yahuwah to be a vegetarian, nor to refrain from the allowed meats on certain days of the week. Therefore, that issue is not important, and is personal choice whether to eat it or not eat it.
But this isn’t even talking about general vegetarianism. The reason some of the people didn’t eat meat was because they did not know for sure that the meat in the market hadn’t been offered to idols before it was put up for sale, and they were so strict about not eating that type of meat that they stopped eating it all-together in order to be ‘safe’. This is a case where Paul indicates that ‘if you don’t know, it won’t hurt you’, but if you do know, then avoid it for the sake of your brothers and sisters who are ‘weak in the faith’ and may be offended by you eating a meat that might have possibly been offered to idols.
None of this is talking about the ‘unclean’ animals that Yahuwah commands us not to eat, like pigs, shellfish, vultures, camels, horses, snakes, etc. It is only talking about the ‘allowed’ animals/meats such as cows, sheep, goats, chickens, etc. These are considered ‘clean’, but if offered to idols first, they are ‘ceremonial unclean’. Some believers prayed over them and ate them, while others avoided them like the plague. The only reason it was recommended not to eat them is because you may offend a brother who is weaker in the faith, NOT because the meat would actually defile you. It’s about brotherly love, not law, here.
Certain animals are to be considered unclean because Yahuwah says they are, not because their genetic make-ups are somehow created to be ‘unholy’, although there IS reason to consider them ‘physically’ unclean (unhealthy, unsafe) to eat, such as pigs, vultures and the other creatures that clean up our environment by eating up the garbage. To believers, because Yahuwah says certain animals/meats are unclean, they are unclean, plain and simple. If we love our Creator and Messiah, we will obey Him and not eat those creatures. And if we are also health conscience, we may realize there is a health reason He forbids them. But even if there wasn’t, we still should not eat them, simply because He said so.
Here’s more Scripture used out of context to justify eating unclean meats:
1 Timothy 4:1-5 King James Version
1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which Yahuwah hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
4 For every creature of Yahuwah is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
5 For it is sanctified by the word of Yahuwah and prayer.
Many think that Paul is saying that every creature of Yahuwah means even pigs and other ‘unclean’ animals, but that is not true. He was talking to Jewish believers who never ate ‘unclean’ animals. He didn’t need to explain to them that he didn’t mean they could eat the forbidden meats – they already knew this, but we modern-day believers wouldn’t necessarily know it if someone didn’t bring it to our attention. The animals that Yahuwah told them they could eat, that were considered Kosher because Yahuwah made them that way, were forbidden by some cults that taught doctrines of demons, forbidding them from eating the kosher meats, from getting married (as the Catholics forbid their priests to marry), and other ridiculous restrictions that were not restricted by Yahuwah. Their restriction of marrying goes directly against Yahuwah’s commandment to be fruitful and multiply.
He was NOT saying that they could eat unclean meats as long as they prayed over them. He WAS saying they could eat the kosher meats that were made by Yahuwah to be food, and if there was a possibility that they had been offered to idols, prayer would sanctify them. IF he meant that every creature that Yahuwah created was good to eat, that would include dogs, cats, snakes, rats, people, monkeys, spiders, centipedes, etc! Again, we need to remember, Yahushuwa Himself, the Creator and the writer of the laws, said not one jot or tittle will by any means be abolished until heaven and earth pass away, and that doesn’t happen until AFTER the tribulation and the Millennium, and that includes the dietary laws!
Some people use Genesis 9:3 to excuse eating unclean meats, or at least to say that Noah was told he could do this.
Genesis 9:3-4 King James Version
3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.
4 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.
Let’s understand this verse in context. Notice that before the flood, there obviously were animals that were considered clean and unclean. Yahuwah told Noah to take the clean ones into the ark by sevens – why? Well, clean animals are eaten, so they need to mate and produce plenty of food, and they were used in sacrifices as well, so there needed to be more of them to multiply. The unclean animals were only brought on by one male and one female of each kind. Those won’t be eaten and so there doesn’t need to be as many. As you can see, the dietary laws concerning clean and unclean animals were in effect way back in Genesis – they did not BEGIN at Mount Sinai! They were not written down at first though, and in Exodus 24, on Mount Sinai, it says Moses wrote all of Yahuwah’s instructions on a scroll. Then, in Malachi 4 it says:
Malachi 4:4 King James Version
4 Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.
Genesis 7:2 King James Version
2 Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.
Genesis 8:20 King James Version
20 And Noah builded an altar unto Yahuwah; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
Now do you suppose they sacrificed these clean animals, and ate the sacrifice (as was normally done), but also ate the very few unclean animals (which would have made both groups go extinct fairly quickly)? That doesn’t even make sense. Yahuwah had him bring the animals on the ark to be released after the flood so they could breed abundantly and multiply.
Genesis 8:14-19 King James Version
14 And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.
15 And Yahuwah spake unto Noah, saying,
16 Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons’ wives with thee.
17 Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.
18 And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him:
19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.
Genesis 9:3-4 King James Version
3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.
4 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.
“Every moving thing” comes from the Hebrew word Remes (#743 in Strong’s Concordance) and is NOT a term that literally means “all creatures” or “every moving thing”! It is ONE category of creatures – animals that are approved by Yahuwah to be hunted, and these would be only ‘clean’ animals like wild cattle, antelope, deer, gazelle and ibex. It is sad that the verse was translated so poorly to English, to give us the impression that Yahuwah allowed Noah to eat unclean animals, when that is not at all the case.
The next issue is why did Yahuwah need to tell Noah he could eat these clean animals, when clean animals could be eaten as part of everyone’s diet (and they were sacrificed and then eaten as well) before he built the ark? Because while they were in the ark, the family was not allowed to eat any of the animals, or else they would go extinct before the flood ended! So, they ate plant life while in the ark, and after the flood they were again allowed to eat the clean animals. This next verse shows that they took plants on board for their food as well as for food for the animals:
That line does NOT mean that we are not to even attempt to do the whole law. Again, all it means is that we cannot do it without being born-again first, in order to make it to heaven. Born-again by grace comes first, then obedience of the law is to be done. It’s too bad most pastors do not explain this to their people.
Open your Bible to the 15th chapter of Acts and read the whole chapter. I’m going to put a few of the verses on here but it’s better to read it all.
Acts 15 King James Version
(Peter reminds them of how they are now allowed to share the gospel with the Gentiles, and how they received it and were filled with the Holy Spirit. They were new in the gospel, and to put a demand on them to immediately obey all of the law would be too much all at once for them to bear. But even more the reason is the fact that circumcision was part of the Pharisaic oral tradition conversion ritual which was a burden to them, making people get circumcised in order to convert. This was a man-made law, NOT Yahuwah’s law. People don’t have to do ANY rituals or laws in order to be saved.)
19 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to Yahuwah:
20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
(Why did they pick these four things? First of all, these were not requirements for salvation! They were to get them started on the right path. The first one was to restrict them from partaking in any rituals pertaining to idol worship [worship of other gods], including eating meats that were offered to idols. This is from Leviticus 17 where it says not to offer sacrifices to other gods and those who do will be cut off from being one of His people. Eating those meats, in itself, wasn’t the problem, but doing it could make them feel like they were involved in the idol worship that took place before the meat was put in the market. Getting people away from the idol worship was a big task in those days. Actually, it's a big task today as well, but usually in different ways.)
The second one – fornication was rampant in their society, and even in many temples, as they had temple prostitutes as part of their pagan worship, and James decided they needed to address this right away. It comes from Leviticus 18, which tells what kinds of sexual activity are forbidden by Yahuwah. The third and fourth ones are very similar and have to do mainly with not eating blood, which comes from Leviticus 17. Yahuwah gave instructions on how to kill an animal so that the blood would drain out before cooking it. If one was strangled, the blood did not drain. Many of the pagans had rituals where they drank the blood of animals to ‘gain strength’ [this goes on today as well], and Yahuwah forbids this. Leviticus 17:10-12 KJV “And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood.”)
21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
(Abstaining from these four things was just to get them started on the right foot. The disciples KNEW that the new converts were going to be meeting in the synagogues every Sabbath to hear the preaching and learn the rest of the law of Moses, and over time they would learn how to obey the rest of the law (see Acts 13 below). That is why it pleased the apostles and elders and the church to give them the four things to abstain from, because they knew they’d learn the rest at the weekly meetings.)
22 Then pleased it the apostles and elders with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas and Silas, chief men among the brethren:
23 And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia.
24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:
(Again, addressing the issue of them being told they had to be circumcised in order to get saved.)
28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.
30 So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle:
31 Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation.
Acts 13:42-44 King James Version
42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.
43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of Yahuwah.
44 And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of Yahuwah.
The above verse in Acts shows us that the Gentiles attended the meetings in the synagogues on the Sabbath to learn the rest of the Torah (instructions, law.)
Also notice that these four laws are from the Law of Moses, which was dictated by Yahuwah, therefore is Yahuwah’s law (of the Old Testament), and the new converts were instructed to obey them. No, they were not what people call ‘moral laws’, and they were not of the Ten Commandments! I point this out because many Christians believe we are to keep the ‘moral laws’ (which there is no such label of any of the laws). Well, these are the law of Moses, and the new believers were instructed to obey these. And these instructions were given TO THE Gentile origin believers (like many of us are) years after Yahushuwa rose from the dead. They were given by James, Peter and the Jerusalem Council, with Paul in attendance. And verse 28 that says ‘28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;” does NOT mean that it isn’t necessary to obey any of the other laws outside of these four, because as author/Bible instructor Richard L. Wheeler so intelligently states:
“Please, let’s use some common sense and logic! So, I can’t eat blood, but I can murder? As a “believer” I can’t eat strangled meat, but can I steal? I can’t sacrifice to idols, but I can hate and cheat my neighbor? Really? These four commands from Acts 15 are NOT the only commands James and the Council expected them to obey; they were just the starting point for these pagans that were coming into the fold. This is EXACTLY why James made the statement of verse 21!!! This is EXACTLY why he made it clear what he expected and knew what the new converts would learn and do after they obeyed these preliminary commands.
And what did James and the Council expect these new converts to learn and do next? What does the text say? “For he (Moses) is read every Sabbath in the synagogues… | Acts 15:21”
“The first few verses of Acts 15 are used by mainstream theology to justify the abolishment of the Law of Moses (Acts 15:1-10). But tragically the rest of the chapter is rarely read from today’s Christian pulpit, and the context of the chapter as a whole is completely ignored.
Today’s mainstream teachers arrive at a completely different conclusion than what James and the 1st Century Christian Council actually proclaim in the Word of God, if you just keep reading the dialog.
The conclusion and decision that James and the Council arrived at was that those coming to faith and belief in the Messiah who were originating from the nations/gentiles, needed to “immediately” start keeping four specific Laws from Moses: nothing polluted by idols/false gods, no eating of blood, no eating meat that was strangled and no sexual immorality.” - end of Richard L. Wheeler's statement.
Here are a few more:
Acts 17:2 King James Version
2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, (Note – the only Scriptures they had was the law and the prophets – no New Testament – he was teaching the Gentile converts out of the Old Testament!)
Acts 18:4 King James Version
4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
Now many Christians will insist that the disciples only went into the synagogues to persuade the Jews to get born-again and learn about the Messiah, but the verse below shows that they were teaching the law in the synagogues!
Acts 15:21 King James Version
21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
Acts 15:21 English Standard Version
21 For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.
The version above words it better, as it was a present tense “IS read”, (being read) and not a past tense activity!
Yes, they were teaching the law of Moses (Torah, Yahuwah’s Old Testament law) to the new converts!
Romans 2:14-15 King James Version
14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another…
The Gentiles didn’t get the law all at once. But when they got born-again their heart became open and obedient to parts of the law by the Holy Spirit revealing it in them. The law was taught to them after they got born-again. Acts 15 reveals this. His Holy Spirit comes into us when we get born-again and we are made new spiritually, and He communicates with our minds from within, usually with a still small voice.
Let’s go back to Romans 2, starting with verses 12, putting it together, because I want to show you a good commentary which helped me better understand these verses, by John W. Ritenbaugh:
Romans 2:12-15 King James Version
12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before Yahuwah, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another…
“Romans 2:12-13 - We cannot be justified before God except through faith in the sacrifice of God's Son, Jesus Christ, and then God gives us grace. This does not excuse us from keeping the law because He says those who keep the law will be justified; therefore, keeping the law cannot justify, it cannot save a person, but those who keep the law will be justified and saved, not because they are keeping the law in order to be saved but because they are faithful in showing God that they are preparing their lives for His Kingdom, where everybody will live the same godly life, according to the same rules. That is what God's law outlines—His way of life. This section, up to verse 16, shows that both those with a formal ignorance of God's law (say, the Gentiles) and those with knowledge of the law (in this case, the Jews, or in our context now, Christians) will be judged by the law. Why? Because the law defines sin! Sin brings God's judgment.” - John W. Ritenbaugh, from “The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Sixteen)”
“In the broader context of Romans, it becomes clear that each person—Jew or Gentile, converted or unconverted—is judged against what he knows, and God holds him responsible for working to produce obedience at that level. This is similar to what teachers expect of school children. They hold children in the higher grades more responsible for knowing and doing than those in lower grades. Courts use the same general system, holding adults more responsible for their crimes than children. Thus, for the same crime, an adult will receive a sterner punishment.
The called must realize that, because of their calling, the requirements—and thus the judgments—are much stiffer since they know so much more. This is why Paul says in Romans 3:31, "Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law." Faith upholds law or makes it firm because the law points out what righteousness, love, and sin are, and guides us in how faith is to be used.” - John W. Ritenbaugh, from “The Elements of Motivation (Part Four): Obligation”
Speaking of teachers and school children, another Scripture that Christians use to excuse following the law is this:
Galatians 3:23-26 King James Version
23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Yahushuwa the Messiah , that we might be justified by faith.
26 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
26 For ye are all the children of Yahuwah by faith in Messiah Yahushuwa.
Schoolmaster is #3807 in the Strong’s Concordance “paidagogos”. It means “a boy-leader, i.e. a servant whose office it was to take the children to school.” The whole Mosaic law is not ‘the schoolmaster’ that brings us to Yahushuwa. The feast days are prophetic about Yahushuwa, but it is the law of the Levitical Priesthood, which was added because Yahuwah’s people made the golden calf in the wilderness, an idol, and committed idolatry by worshipping it, that brings us to Yahushuwa, as that is the law He took over as the High Priest, as we studied earlier. The Levitical Priesthood law was added because of the transgression, until the seed should come (Galatians 3:19) and Yahushuwa is the ‘seed’ that came (Galatians 3:16). His blood that He shed on the cross redeems us from our sins as the blood of the animals represented that and prepared us for that. Once He died for our sins, we do not need the Levitical Priesthood law, the Schoolmaster, because it led us to Him, and He took over for that, permanently. Once the children got to school, Yahushuwa through His Holy Spirit became our teacher on how to keep the law correctly.
Here is more of that verse, to see it in context:
Galatians 3:19-26 King James Version
19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but Yahuwah is one.
21 Is the law then against the promises of Yahuwah? Yahuwah forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Yahushuwa the Messiah might be given to them that believe.
23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Yahushuwa the Messiah, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
26 For ye are all the children of Yahuwah by faith in Messiah Yahushuwa.
Galatians 3:13 is another verse Christians use as an excuse to not keep Yahuwah’s laws. I’m including verse 10 because it is related.:
Galatians 3:10-13 King James Version
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.
11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of Yahuwah, it is evident: for The just shall live by faith
12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
13 Messiah hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree
The curse of the law is what you get when you refuse to obey the law, which means when you sin. The curse IS NOT the law itself! NO WHERE in the Bible does it EVER say that the law is a curse. In Deuteronomy, it lists the curses people will receive when they violate the law, and this is what Paul is referring to. We are to keep the law, but we are not JUSTIFIED by the law – we do not do the law in order to get born-again. It is not a pre-requisite to getting born-again. We do the law AFTER getting born-again to SANCTIFY ourselves. Born-again by grace through faith, because of repenting of our past sins and getting forgiven when we repent and confess Yahushuwa as our savior, and then learning how to stop doing the sin we got forgiven for which is transgressing His laws, or learning to keep His laws. That is how we become sanctified and holy.
Deuteronomy 11:26-28 King James Version
26 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse;
27 A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of Yahuwah your God, which I command you this day:
28 And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of Yahuwah your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.
Deuteronomy 27:26 King James Version
26 Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Born-again believers are free from those curses when they repent of any sins they commit, because we get forgiven and therefore are not bound by the curses. Yahushuwa paid the price for our sins and set us free from that curse (if we repent). Whenever we slip up and sin, we do need to repent – admit we have sinned and ask His forgiveness for sinning.
This is part of the section I showed you above, but many will use it by itself. Let’s take it from the beginning though. Galatians is dealing with new believers who came from a cult called ‘works of the law’ that taught them they had to earn salvation by obedience to laws and rules, and Paul was dealing with them to get them back on track – that grace by faith comes first, THEN works of obedience to Yahuwah’s laws. The curse of the law is the punishment for disobeying the law. Well, when we break a law (sin) then instead of receiving a curse as punishment for sinning, we can repent of the sin and be forgiven, thereby being free from the curse or punishment, the law of sin and death, the curse of the law. Yahushuwa received our punishment or curse in our place when He died on the cross.
Galatians 3:1-18 King James Version
1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Yahushuwa the Messiah hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.
5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
6 Even as Abraham believed Yahuwah, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
8 And the scripture, foreseeing that Yahuwah would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
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.
(This applies if one is counting on earning salvation by obeying laws instead of receiving salvation as a free gift by faith FIRST, before doing the works of the law. If people try to earn salvation by obeying the laws, they would have to obey every single one of them perfectly in order for that to work, and that is impossible, because we all fall short of doing them perfectly, so we cannot receive salvation that way. That is all that means. It does NOT mean that if we follow the laws AFTER we get born-again that we must do it all perfectly or else, as so many Christians insist.)
11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of Yahuwah, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
13 Messiah hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Yahushuwa the Messiah; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.
16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Messiah.
17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of Yahuwah in Messiah, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but Yahuwah gave it to Abraham by promise.
Back to the topic of circumcision, yes there is a commandment for men to be circumcised. It directs parents to circumcise their male babies on their 8th day, and it just so happens that their blood clots the best on the 8th day after birth, because the baby has a double portion of vitamin K in his bloodstream on that one and only day of his life. So, the practical side of this is that they won’t bleed a lot.
Genesis 17:10-13 King James Version
10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.
11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.
13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
Leviticus 12:3 King James Version
3 And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.
As far as adults getting circumcised after coming into the faith, it is an outward sign of an inward commitment to serve Yahuwah, as baptism is an outward sign of an inward commitment to die to self and be born-again as a child of Yahuwah. Abraham, was 75 years old (Gen 12:1-4) when Yahuwah called Him into faith, and Yahuwah gave the commandment to get circumcised when he was 99 (Gen 17:1,11), which he did that very same day (Gen 17:26.) And the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years before Joshua circumcised them (Jos 5:3-6).. (It probably took him 40 years to talk them into it! Just kidding. 😊)
Genesis 17:10-14 King James Version
10 This (is) my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.
11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.
13 He that is born in the house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people: he hath broken my covenant.
As you can see from the verse above, which is a commandment from Yahuwah, circumcision is an important issue, not something to be sluffed off. And as you can also see, Yahuwah had commandments (also called His law) way back in Genesis and this continued throughout history – the law didn’t first begin when Moses brought down from the mountain the stone tablets and scrolls! What began at that time was the Levitical Priesthood law that was added to the pre-existing law, and it was all put in writing. The Sabbath, which became a law, was instituted on the seventh day of creation, which shows how far back Yahuwah’s laws go! We’ll go over that topic soon. First let’s continue with the circumcision topic.
Exodus 12:48 King James Version
48 And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the Passover to Yahuwah, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. (Again, shows the importance of it!)
Joshua 5:3-7 King James Version
3 And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.
4 And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt.
5 Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised.
6 For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of Yahuwah: unto whom Yahuwah sware that he would not shew them the land, which Yahuwah sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey.
7 And their children, whom he raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised: for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way.
Those were the children who were born in the wilderness by the adults who fled from Pharoah – the parents had died already.
Acts 7:8 King James Version
8 And he gave them the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day ……
Circumcision is a covenant! Yes, it is important!
1 Corinthians 7:19 King James Version
19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of Yahuwah.
Circumcision of itself is meaningless if it doesn’t reflect a commitment to Yahuwah that is already in the person. For a baby or for a servant, it is the commitment of the parents or the master of the servant that is shown by it, and for an adult, it is the commitment of the adult that it expresses. It shows that they are circumcised in their heart, and is the outward expression of that. And it is a commandment of Yahuwah! Keeping the commandments of Yahuwah is important.
Colossians 2:11 King James Version
11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Messiah Yahushuwa.
Acts 7:51 King James Version
51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
Ezekiel 44:9 King James Version
9 Thus saith Yahuwah; No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel.
This shows us that being circumcised in the heart is not just a New Testament idea. Again, something in the New Testament that CAME FROM the Old Testament! New converts of the Gentiles were not the ‘strangers’ mentioned here. The word stranger, according to Strong’s, means a foreigner or alien. The emphasis on this verse is that no godless heathen (one who is not circumcised in heart) is allowed to enter and profane the worship and desecrate the sanctuary. This had happened before and so the command was to prevent it from happening again.
Those who are circumcised in their heart will at some point get circumcised in their flesh, but of course if one is NOT circumcised in heart, being it in the flesh has no benefit, so the verse is emphasizing that those whose hearts are not submitted to Yahuwah, the godless heathens, are not permitted to enter the temple. If you take this to the New Testament new converts, it does NOT mean that they had to get circumcised before they could enter the temple.
Here is another from the Old Testament that instructs people to keep the law, but have it come from the heart, mentioning circumcision of the heart:
Deuteronomy 10:12-16 King James Version
12 And now, Israel, what doth Yahuwah require of thee, but to fear Yahuwah, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve Yahuwah with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
13 To keep the commandments of Yahuwah, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?
14 Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is Yahuwah’s, the earth also, with all that therein is.
15 Only Yahuwah had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day.
16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.
By the way, here’s another little common-sense exercise – if Deuteronomy 10 is no longer valid because it’s Old Testament, then why does Yahushuwa our Messiah say this in Matthew 18 “but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments” and why does Revelation 22:14 say “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city”? Ponder that if you don’t get it yet, while we move right along! And yes, I know I already addressed this, but it’s so important that I addressed it again!
Romans 2:25-29 King James Version
25 For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
26 Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?
27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter 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; whose praise is not of men, but of Yahuwah.
That one explaining how our obedience of the law needs to come from our hearts, the inward man, and not just be a show of outward obedience, or Yahuwah doesn’t receive us as one of His. You might as well not be circumcised if you are not going to keep His laws, because your heart is not right with Him. Yet, if your heart IS right with Him, you WILL get circumcised (if you are a man, that is). Over and over the Bible teaches us to obey Yahuwah’s laws/commandments, but not as a prerequisite to salvation, but AFTER we get born-again and forgiven of our sins!
Colossians 2:14-17 King James Version
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body (is) of Yahushuwa the Messiah. (‘is’ is not in the original text!)
In this verse Paul is actually saying the opposite of what most Christians are taught to believe. They think it justifies celebrating pagan holidays and eating unclean meats (16-17), etc., and for not keeping Yahuwah’s feast days, and not to let believers judge you for that. But this was for new converts who came out of the cult called the Essenes, telling them to not let those cult leaders judge them for keeping Yahuwah’s Sabbaths, feast days, and dietary instructions, and only allow the body of Messiah to judge concerning these things. (Believers are allowed to judge among each other to help each other make sure they’re doing things right.) Christians love to say that Paul did not teach to keep the laws, or that he himself did not keep them, but that is a lie.
24 ….. but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.
The verse above is referring to Paul. Let’s look at where that comes from and what was going on at the time. Because Paul told the new converts they did not need to get circumcised in order to come into covenant, he was falsely accused of not following or teaching the law. But Paul DID follow and teach the law, just not for conversion’s sake. Learning to obey the laws of Yahuwah, Torah, comes AFTER getting born-again, and we don’t have to learn it all at once, because it’s too overwhelming to do it that way. It’s here a little, there a little, etc. So, he gave them four of the laws to start with, plus the Sabbath, to cause them to stay out of the pagan temples, knowing that they’d learn the rest of the law when they went to the tabernacle every Sabbath where the law of Moses (Yahuwah’s law) was taught. So, the verses below show what happened after Paul was accused, when James advised him to
Acts 21:18-24 King James Version
18 And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.
19 And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things Yahuwah had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.
20 And when they heard it, they glorified Yahuwah, 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.
There it is – the verse that lets us know that Paul kept the law. And not only did Paul obey the law of Moses, Yahuwah’s Torah, but he instructs us to do so as well when he said:
1 Corinthians 11:1 King James Version
1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Messiah.
1 Corinthians 11:1 American Standard Version
1 Be ye imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ
Next it mentions about Paul giving the new converts the four laws initially to obey, to get them started, showing that he did teach them to keep the law. He started out with four of the laws rather than the whole thing at once, as to not overwhelm them, plus they kept the Sabbath and went to the synagogue on Sabbath day to hear the law of Moses taught (which is the law of Yahuwah, who dictated it to Moses).
Acts 15:21, 25-26 King James Version
21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
Then it shows that he took James’ advice and did the Nazarite vow to show the leaders that he does in fact keep the law.
25 As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing (referring to getting circumcised as a pre-requisite to coming into covenant), save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.
26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.
And here is some more confirmation that Paul taught the law to believers:
Romans 3:31 King James Version
31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Yahuwah forbid: yea, we establish the law.
Romans 7:12 King James Version
12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
Although the Essenes observed the Law, they shunned Temple worship and kept to themselves, deliberately lived in poverty, many were celibate. They didn’t believe in resurrected bodies. Some groups of them didn’t believe in eating meat. When groups of them got born-again, their people were judging the new converts for the way they kept the Law in Leviticus, because it wasn’t the way their sect did it. The new converts learned to obey the laws in Leviticus – the Essenes obeyed some of them but had their own rules that did not fit with Yahuwah’s rules. Even verse 14 (14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross) shows us that it is referring to man-made laws, NOT Yahuwah’s laws, as the actual meaning of the word ‘ordinances’ there is ‘a man-made dogma or decree.’
More of this Scripture shows it is referring to man-made dogma, not Yahuwah’s laws:
Colossians 2:20-22 King James Version
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? (more confirmation that it was the man-made dogma that was the problem – commandments and doctrines of men is SPECIFICALLY mentioned here!)
Here are two more verses addressing the man-made doctrines of the Pharisees, and how burdensome they are:
Matthew 23:4 King James Version
4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
Galatians 5:1 King James Version
1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Messiah hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
You have to know about the history and customs of this period to figure many Biblical things out, and unfortunately, the translators didn’t bother to put the explanation in there – not even in the footnotes! So, for hundreds of years, it gets taken out of context and used to justify doing the wrong things. Yahuwah and Paul never called the pagan days ‘holydays’ – only ‘Yahuwah’s feast days are called ‘holydays’, and Yahuwah’s people are instructed to watch for when the sliver of the ‘new moon’ comes each month, as each month on the Hebrew calendar starts on the new moon.
In this verse that is used out of context to justify breaking Yahuwah’s laws (I mentioned it a bit earlier),
Colossians 2:14 King James Version
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
25 As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing (referring to getting circumcised as a pre-requisite to coming into covenant), save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.
26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.
And here is some more confirmation that Paul taught the law to believers:
Romans 3:31 King James Version
31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Yahuwah forbid: yea, we establish the law.
Romans 7:12 King James Version
12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
Although the Essenes observed the Law, they shunned Temple worship and kept to themselves, deliberately lived in poverty, many were celibate. They didn’t believe in resurrected bodies. Some groups of them didn’t believe in eating meat. When groups of them got born-again, their people were judging the new converts for the way they kept the Law in Leviticus, because it wasn’t the way their sect did it. The new converts learned to obey the laws in Leviticus – the Essenes obeyed some of them but had their own rules that did not fit with Yahuwah’s rules. Even verse 14 (14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross) shows us that it is referring to man-made laws, NOT Yahuwah’s laws, as the actual meaning of the word ‘ordinances’ there is ‘a man-made dogma or decree.’
More of this Scripture shows it is referring to man-made dogma, not Yahuwah’s laws:
Colossians 2:20-22 King James Version
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? (more confirmation that it was the man-made dogma that was the problem – commandments and doctrines of men is SPECIFICALLY mentioned here!)
Here are two more verses addressing the man-made doctrines of the Pharisees, and how burdensome they are:
Matthew 23:4 King James Version
4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
Galatians 5:1 King James Version
1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Messiah hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
You have to know about the history and customs of this period to figure many Biblical things out, and unfortunately, the translators didn’t bother to put the explanation in there – not even in the footnotes! So, for hundreds of years, it gets taken out of context and used to justify doing the wrong things. Yahuwah and Paul never called the pagan days ‘holydays’ – only ‘Yahuwah’s feast days are called ‘holydays’, and Yahuwah’s people are instructed to watch for when the sliver of the ‘new moon’ comes each month, as each month on the Hebrew calendar starts on the new moon.
In this verse that is used out of context to justify breaking Yahuwah’s laws (I mentioned it a bit earlier),
Colossians 2:14 King James Version
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
…the actual meaning of the word ‘ordinances’ here is ‘a man-made dogma or decree.’ Yahuwah’s laws are not against us and they’re certainly not nailed to the cross! Man-made religious laws, written by the hands of men (handwriting of ordinances), that were added to Yahuwah’s law are. Look at the following verses. They make it obvious that Yahuwah’s law is for us and not against us!
Psalm 19:7-8 King James Version
7 The law of Yahuwah is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of Yahuwah is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The statutes of Yahuwah are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of Yahuwah is pure, enlightening the eyes.
Psalm 119:1 King James Version
1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of
Yahuwah.
Romans 7:12 King James Version
12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
Paul is paraphrasing, in Romans 7:12, King David from Psalms 19:7-11, and he said this LONG after Yahushuwa rose from the dead.
Psalm 19:7-11 King James Version
7 The law of Yahuwah is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of Yahuwah is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The statutes of Yahuwah are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of Yahuwah is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of Yahuwah is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of Yahuwah are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.
Let’s go over each verse to see what the words mean.
7 The law of Yahuwah is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of Yahuwah is sure, making wise the simple.
‘Law’ is Strong’s #8451 ‘tôrâ’ and means ‘law, direction, instruction; body of prophetic teaching, instruction in Messianic age, body of priestly direction or instruction, body of legal directives; law of the burnt offering, of special law, codes of law; custom, manner; the Deuteronomic or Mosaic Law; a precept or statute.’ Below are examples where the word tôrâ is used in various verses:
Deu 4:44 “And this is the law H8451 which Moses set before the children of Israel:”
Gen 26:5 “Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, H4931 (means watch, observance…), my commandments, H4687 (laws, ordinances, precepts, commandments), my statutes, H2708 (appointed, customs, manners, ordinances, sites, statutes), and my laws. H8451 (tora, instructions, laws)”
2Ki 17:37 “And the statutes, and the ordinances, and the law, H8451 and the commandment, which he wrote for you, ye shall observe to do for evermore; and ye shall not fear other gods.”
Exo 12:49 “One law H8451 shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.”
Exo 24:12 And Yahuwah said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, H8451 and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.”
Num 15:29 “Ye shall have one law H8451 for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them.”
Below is more of this verse in Numbers 15, which shows that Yahuwah treats sins out of ignorance less severe than sins done deliberately. The people still need to repent when they realize they have sinned, and they are forgiven. But those who sin deliberately (KNOWING they are sinning) – THOSE people are cut off from Yahuwah’s people. Fortunately, now that our Messiah has died and risen from the dead to cover our sins, we can repent of them even if we sinned deliberately, and as long as we are sincere and try our best to ‘go and sin no more’, He will forgive us and not cut us off. But we MUST strive to NOT live in sin, or we WILL be cut off – see Hebrews 10:26-31. The verses below also show us that non-Israelite-born, strangers, (a temporary inhabitant, a newcomer lacking inherited rights, foreigners in Israel) are expected to obey Yahuwah’s laws, and not just the Jews (note – we do not do the sacrifices presently because of our Messiah offering Himself instead):
22 And if ye have erred, and not observed all these commandments, which Yahuwah hath spoken unto Moses,
(Jen’s note: Notice that this is talking about the ‘law of Moses’, not the 10 Commandments, because Yahuwah SPOKE them to Moses [and Moses wrote them on scrolls], whereas Yahuwah wrote the 10 Commandments with His own finger on stone.)
23 Even all that Yahuwah hath commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day that Yahuwah commanded Moses, and henceforward among your generations;
24 Then it shall be, if ought be committed by ignorance without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bullock for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour unto Yahuwah, with his meat offering, and his drink offering, according to the manner, and one kid of the goats for a sin offering.
25 And the priest shall make an atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and it shall be forgiven them; for it is ignorance: and they shall bring their offering, a sacrifice made by fire unto Yahuwah, and their sin offering before Yahuwah, for their ignorance:
26 And it shall be forgiven all the congregation of the children of Israel, and the stranger that sojourneth among them; seeing all the people were in ignorance.
27 And if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering.
28 And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, when he sinneth by ignorance before Yahuwah, to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him.
29 Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them.
30 But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth Yahuwah; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
31 Because he hath despised the word of Yahuwah, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.
Deu 27:8 “And thou shalt write upon the stones all the words of this law H8451 very plainly.”
Deu 31:12 “Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear Yahuwah your God, and observe to do all the words of this law:” H8451
Deu 31:24 “And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law H8451 in a book, until they were finished,”
Deu 31:26 “Take this book of the law, H8451 and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of Yahuwah your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.”
Deu 32:46 “And he said unto them, Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law.” H8451
Jos 1:7 “Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, H8451 which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.”
Jos 1:8 “This book of the law H8451 shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”
Jos 8:32 “And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law H8451 of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel.”
Jos 8:34 “And afterward he read all the words of the law, H8451 the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law.” H8451
(Jen’s note: Firstly, this shows that the ‘book of the law’ is not just the 10 commandments, because that does not talk about the blessings and cursings. It is the 613 laws that teach about them. Secondly, CHRISTIANS LOVE to claim all the blessing verses “I will be blessed in the city, blessed in the field,” blessings for their offspring, etc., but they pay no attention to the curses they will get if they do not obey Yahuwah’s laws, in fact they pay no attention to the fact that they are required to OBEY the laws IN ORDER TO GET THE BLESSINGS!)
Jos 22:5 “But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, H8451 which Moses the servant of Yahuwah charged you, to love Yahuwah your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
Jos 23:6 “Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law H8451 of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;”
Deu 29:29 “The secret things belong unto Yahuwah our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.” H8451
(Jen’s note: the reason this doesn’t apply to only the ‘Israelites’ is because when we get born-again, we get adopted into that family and are Israelites also, spiritually, not physically of course (we become part of the commonwealth of Israel) – we get grafted into the olive tree, which is also Israel – so these things also “belong unto us FOREVER, THAT WE MAY DO ALL THE WORDS OF THIS LAW!” “Father Abraham had many sons, many sons had father Abraham, I am one of them, and so are you, so let’s just praise the Lord, right hand, left hand, etc., etc.” Remember that Sunday School song?)
the testimony of Yahuwah is sure, making wise the simple.
‘Testimony’ is Strong’s #5715 ‘'ēdût’ and means ‘absolute, construct, testimony of the Ten Words on the tables as a solemn divine charge, ark as containing tables’. Below are examples where the word is used in various verses:
Exo 25:16 “And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony H5715 which I shall give thee.”
Exo 25:21 “And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony H5715 that I shall give thee.”
Exo 25:22 “And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, H5715 of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.”
Exo 26:33 “And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: H5715 and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.”
Exo 26:34 “And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony H5715 in the most holy place.”
8 The statutes of Yahuwah are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of Yahuwah is pure, enlightening the eyes.
‘Statutes’ is Strong’s #6490 ‘piqqûḏîm’ meaning ‘a mandate (of God; plural only, collectively, for the Law): commandment, precept, statute.’ Below are examples where the word is used in various verses:
Psa 19:8 “The statutes H6490 of Yahuwah are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of Yahuwah is pure, enlightening the eyes.”
Psa 103:18 “To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments H6490 to do them.”
Psa 111:7 “The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments H6490 are sure.”
Psa 119:4 “Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts H6490 diligently.”
Psa 119:15 “I will meditate in thy precepts, H6490 and have respect unto thy ways.”
Psa 119:27 “Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: H6490 so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.”
Psa 119:40 “Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: H6490 quicken me in thy righteousness.’
Psa 119:45 “And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts.” H6490
Psa 119:56 This I had, because I kept thy precepts.” H6490
Psa 119:63 “I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.” H6490
‘Right’ is Strong’s #3477 ‘yāšār’ meaning ‘straight, level, right, pleasing, correct, straightforward, just, upright, fitting, proper, uprightness, righteous’.
The commandment of Yahuwah is pure, enlightening the eyes.
‘Commandment’ is Strong’s #4687 ‘miṣvâ, mitsvâh, mits-vaw’; from H6680 meaning: ‘a command, whether human or divine (collectively, the Law): law, ordinance, precept, commandment’. Below are examples where the word is used in various verses:
Gen 26:5 “Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, H4687 my statutes, and my laws.”
Exo 15:26 “And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of Yahuwah thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, H4687 and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am Yahuwah that rowth thee.”
Exo 16:28 “And Yahuwah said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments H4687 and my laws?”
Exo 20:6 “And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.” H4687
Exo 24:12 “And Yahuwah said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments H4687 which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.”
Lev 4:2 “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments H4687 of Yahuwah concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them:”
9 The fear of Yahuwah is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of Yahuwah are true and righteous altogether.
‘Judgments’ is Strong’s # 4941 – ‘mišpāṭ’ meaning ‘act of deciding a case, place, court, seat of judgment, process, procedure, litigation (before judges), sentence, execution (of judgment), ordinance…’
10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.
Romans 7:22 King James Version
22 For I delight in the law of Yahuwah after the inward man
Proverbs 29:18 King James Version
18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
It is the man-made dogma or laws that are against us. Some of the Jewish leaders made their own laws to add to Yahuwah’s laws, and they were harmful to the believers. One of their laws kept new converts from going into the temple to hear the Torah (teachings/law) to learn how to live for Yahuwah.
The Jewish book called the Talmud has their man-made laws in it – the ‘fences’ that they put around Yahuwah’s laws. There are plenty of Messianic and Torah observant believers who also believe in keeping the instructions in the Talmud. Some things in it are not bad, like instructions on how to do a Passover seder. Those are traditions of men that are not commanded of Yahuwah but not evil either. And there is some good historical information in it. But there are ‘laws’ in Talmud that I believe come from an evil source, and years ago when I was reading parts of it out of curiosity, because we knew some Messianic ministers who believe in it, I found the information below, and that is when I started realizing that the Talmud contains the ‘ordinances against us’ and decided to ignore most of it.
The laws in the Talmud do not consider a fetus to be a living soul until it is born. In Yevamos 69b, Rav Hisda states that “until forty days from conception the fetus is merely water. It is not yet considered a living being.” In Mishna Oholos 7:3, it says “If a woman is having trouble giving birth, they cut up the child in her womb and bring it forth limb by limb, because her life comes before the life of [the child].” In a case of danger to the mother, it says in Sanhedrin 72b that “a midwife may insert her hand into the womb and kill the fetus … [the reason is] for as long as the fetus has not emerged into the world, it is not a nefesh [a being with a soul]; one is therefore allowed to kill it and save the mother …” In certain circumstances if a fetus is putting the life of the mother in danger, it is considered a MURDERER in active pursuit, and killing the murderer is required! And a famous Jewish scholar in law in medicine, Waldenberg, wrote that ‘severe psychological distress’ is just as legitimate a reason for abortion as severe physical distress (Tzitz Eliezer 13:102; 14:101). Never mind that:
Luke 1:41 King James Version
41 ”And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost”
makes it obvious that a baby in the womb is a human life. These Talmudic instructions on abortion repulsed me.
Many Jewish leaders consider the Talmud to be the ‘oral law’ given by ‘God’ (to teach us how to apply the written law, Torah, law of Moses,) and that is where they get all those ‘fences’ put around Yahuwah’s laws that make His instructions seem impossible to keep! ….. I believe ‘oral laws’ like the abortion laws above is from satan himself, not Yahuwah. ‘Ordinances’ against us, meaning ‘man-made dogma’, is what was nailed to the cross.
Here Is another verse similar to Colossians 2:14 that mentions the ‘ordinances’ again, and is also referring to man-made dogma or laws.
Ephesians 2:11-15 King James Version
11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; (uncircumcision was a term used for the Gentiles, and circumcision was a term used to refer to the Israelites.)
12 That at that time ye were without Yahushuwa, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without Yahuwah in the world:
13 But now in Messiah Yahushuwa ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Yahushuwa.
14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity (#2189), even the law of commandments (#3551) contained in ordinances (#1785); for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Strong’s Concordance #2189 – ‘echthra’, meaning hostility; by implication, a reason for opposition: —enmity, hatred. (This was the middle wall of division of verse 14, the enmity, that was caused by the Pharisees’ man-made laws that they added to Yahuwah’s laws, which made them a burden to keep rather than a pleasure as they are intended to be, and caused a wall of division between the Jews and the newly converted Gentiles. Yahushuwa broke that wall down and made the ‘one new man’.
#3551 – ‘nomos’, meaning anything established, anything received by usage, a custom, a law, a command. Of any law whatsoever. (It does not define as ‘Torah’ – it defines as any law whatsoever, which in this case is about man-made laws (dogma) that were added to Torah, because THESE laws were contained in ordinances added by man.
#1785 ‘entolē’, which refers to the man-made dogma or additions to the Mosaic law.
So again, that is a verse that is used out of context to justify breaking Yahuwah’s law, when it doesn’t mean that at all. It was the man-made dogma, commandments, ordinances, which were against us and divided us, that He abolished in His flesh, not Yahuwah’s laws, which bring us together in unity. People actually believed they had to keep those man-made laws, and many today still do, but Yahushuwa did not promote that idea.
Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words says of dogma, “Primarily denoted an opinion or judgment (from dokeo, to be of opinion). Hence, an opinion expressed with authority, a doctrine, ordinance, or decree.” Furthermore, it is used in the Bible to be the doctrine, decree, or teaching of man. “Ordinances” here is a man-made teaching.
Another thing that He freed us from is enslavement to sin. Sin is bondage and can control us. His grace gives us the supernatural power to overcome the urge to sin, so we are no longer slaves to sin, and can be forgiven for the ones we do slip up and commit, when we repent, and therefore be free from the law of sin and death, which is “the wages of sin is death”.
Here are several verses that talk about enslavement to sin:
Romans 6:6-11 King James Version
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Messiah, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9 Knowing that Messiah being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto Yahuwah also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto Yahuwah through Yahushuwa Messiah our Lord.
Romans 6:12-19 King James Version
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto Yahuwah, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto Yahuwah.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? Yahuwah forbid.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But Yahuwah be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
Romans 6:16-20 New International Version
16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?
17 But thanks be to Yahuwah that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance.
18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
19 I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness.
20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.
Romans 6:22-23 King James Version
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants (or slaves) to Yahuwah, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of Yahuwah is eternal life through Yahushuwa the Messiah our Lord.
John 8:34 King James Version
34 Yahushuwa answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. (a slave to sin)
Romans 8:2 King James Version
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Messiah Yahushuwa hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
It would be understandable to think that the law of sin and death was nailed to the cross. However, if we deliberately live in sin (transgress His laws), then we place ourselves back under the law of sin and death, because un-repented sin is punishable by death according to Scripture.
Hebrews 10:26-27 King James Version
26 For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
Instead of having to die for our sins, we can repent of them, and be forgiven because of our Messiah dying for our sins, taking our place, so yes, He freed us from the law of sin and death. We do have to repent though – this is not a ticket to heaven if we continue to sin and refuse to repent. Anytime we realize that we have sinned, we should run to our Father and admit our sin and ask His forgiveness, and don’t run out and do that sin again! But if we do do it again, don’t feel too guilty to repent again – He is very merciful and quick to forgive!
1 John 2:1 King James Version
1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Yahushuwa the Messiah the righteous:
Grace doesn’t cover willful unrepented repeated sin. It empowers us to stop the sinning, to stop letting sin control or enslave us.
Revelation 1:5 King James Version
5 And from Yahushuwa the Messiah, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Revelation 1:5 New International Version
5 and from Yahushuwa the Messiah, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood
Ephesians 2:8 King James Version
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of Yahuwah:
Ephesians 2:8 Amplified Bible
8 For it is by grace [Yahuwah’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Messiah] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of Yahuwah;
Here is yet another verse that is often used out of context to justify transgression Yahuwah’s law:
Romans 10:4 King James Version
4 For Yahushuwa is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Many teach that Yahushuwa ended the law and believers do not have to keep it because of grace, but the Greek word for ‘end’ is #5056 ‘telos’ in Strong’s Concordance, and means an end, event or issue, the principal end, aim, purpose, to set out for a definite point or goal, ultimate end-goal.
Since you have to compare Scripture with Scripture, because the Bible does not contradict itself, and the Bible interprets itself, and you need to see the whole picture, it only makes sense that the meaning in this verse is ‘the principal end, aim, purpose; to set out for a definite point or goal’ – and not ‘end’ in the way we generally interpret it, because if it was the latter, it would contradict Yahushuwa’s own statement that He didn’t come to abolish the law and that not one jot or tittle would pass from the law until heaven and earth pass away. There are other places in the Scriptures where this same Greek word is interpreted this same way, as it could not mean ‘end’ in a final way.
Here are some more verses where the same word is used for ‘end’ that obviously refer to a goal and not the end as in ‘final event’.
James 5:11 King James Version
11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of Yahuwah; that Yahuwah is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
James 5:11 is an obvious one (end of Yahuwah?) – Does not mean the abolishment of Him!
1 Peter 1:9 King James Version
9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
Peter 1:9 is another obvious one – does not mean the abolishment of your faith! It’s alright to use some common sense here.
The New Covenant:
Next is yet another verse that Christians use to say the law is done away with. They say that ‘Jesus’ made a NEW covenant that replaces the OLD one in the Old Testament law, so we don’t have to obey the law. But….. here we go again! Here is the verse:
Jeremiah 31:31 King James Version
31 Behold, the days come, saith Yahuwah, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
The Hebrew word for ‘new’ is #2319 and means new, but comes from the root word #2318 châdash which means to be new; causatively, to rebuild:--renew, repair, and it is saying that Yahuwah will rebuild, renew, and repair the covenant which was broken when Israel was unfaithful to Him and served other gods, and He divorced them in Jeremiah 3:8. When our Messiah Yahushuwa gave Himself up as the sacrificial lamb, died for our sins, and rose from the dead, He renewed the original covenant back to the order of Melchizedek, which includes the O.T. laws, but no longer uses the Levitical Priesthood to do sacrifices, as Yahushuwa is the ultimate and final sacrifice for our sins, who was ordained for this from the foundation of the world.
After Yahuwah divorced Israel for committing spiritual adultery against Him, by serving other gods (demons), He could not take ‘her’ back as a wife because that goes against one of His laws in Torah for a man not to remarry a woman who has married another spouse – she is defiled and he cannot remarry her. But since He died, and then resurrected from the dead, the death frees her from that restriction and He is able to take her for his spouse.
This is not a brand-new covenant, but a renewed one, similar to when couples renew their marriage vows after they’ve been apart for a period of time. Those two words for new and renewed were not originally two different words – the Hebrews didn’t have two separate words in that time period – but the Strong’s Concordance people made the word into two different ones. They can be used interchangeably. So, it’s important to understand the concept of this passage even more so than the exact word used.
Here's an excellent blog explaining about the ‘renewed covenant’, to help you understand better how it is not a brand-new covenant. This is really important to understand, because the main issue which causes believers to not fully walk away from sin is the false concept that the law was done away with and a brand-new covenant was given which is different from the original one.
https://isaiahsixtyoneseven.blogspot.com/2020/08/what-is-getting-ready-to-vanish-away.html
What is “Getting Ready to Vanish Away?” by Maria Merola Wold
This covenant is for the Tribe of Judah and for Israel. It doesn’t mention the Gentiles! Yet Christians seem to think it is for them, and that they replace the Jews. I guess the idea is that the Jews were naughty, served other gods, and so Yahuwah ignored them and gave a ‘new’ covenant to the Gentiles instead, a brand new one, with ‘Jesus’ in charge of it, to make the Jews jealous so that they’d repent and accept ‘Jesus’ as their Messiah. He didn’t ‘give’ the covenant to the Gentiles.
Romans 11:11 King James Version
11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? Yahuwah forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
Originally the covenant was only for the Israelites, but later Yahuwah told them that they could preach to the Gentiles and allow them to come into covenant also. And although it was to provoke the Jews to jealousy so they would come back into the covenant that was meant for them, it NEVER REPLACED the Jews with the Gentile converts, but it brought the Gentiles into the Jews’ covenant.
Many Jewish people believe that the Gentiles have no business participating in ‘their’ covenant, and that those who honor the Sabbath or feast days should be put to death! They also do not recognize Yahushuwa as their Messiah, and are waiting for a human mortal Messiah to save them (and when that one comes, he will be the anti-Messiah [antichrist] who tricks them.
The problem with this is that for one thing, the Gentiles never were in a covenant with Yahuwah in the first place, so Yahuwah couldn’t have given them a ‘new’ one (as if there was an ‘old’ one to replace), nor could He have given them a ‘renewed’ one (the true meaning of the word in this verse), because for the Gentiles there was no ‘old’ one to ‘renew’. Also, it says Yahuwah made this covenant with Israel and the tribe of Judah, as I pointed out, not with the Gentiles.
Now when the Gentiles get born-again, and get adopted into Yahuwah’s family (Israel), they do become part of the Tribe of Judah because that is the tribe that Yahushuwa came from, so yes, they then receive the benefits of that covenant, which is eternal life and many earthly blessings also, but they also have to obey the household rules set by the adopting Father – the same rules that the natural children have to obey – the LAW! This includes but is not limited to the 7th day Sabbath, the feast days, the dietary instructions, etc.
Obedience or ‘works’ is PART OF FAITH, and faith is dead without the works ‘obedience’, so when the Bible talks about how the branches of the olive tree can be broken off for unbelief, even after being grafted in, and even if they are the natural branches who were already there, this shows that if a believer does not show their faith with works (obedience) then they are walking in unbelief. It is in Jeremiah 11:16 where the Israelites were first referred to as ‘natural branches’ of an olive tree.
Someone who believes that Yahuwah is their God, and that Yahushuwa is their Messiah, does what He instructs or commands them to do. When a professing believer refuses to do what His instructions teach, then that shows that he is not truly in belief, but in doubt and unbelief. They don’t love or trust Him enough to do what He says.
John 14:21 King James Version
21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
I’ll put this in everyday life family terms. If a dad adopts a son, he normally loves him as he does his natural born sons, he feeds and clothes him the same, provides his education the same, provides medical needs and other needs the same… right? If the natural born children have a 10 p.m. curfew, are not allowed to talk back, leave their rooms a mess, skip school, etc., then the adopted son is also expected to be in by 10, be respectful, clean his room, go to school, etc. Make sense?
If the adopted son says “YOU’RE NOT MY REAL DAD!!!! I DON’T HAVE TO DO WHAT YOU SAY!” – Isn’t that showing a lack of respect and love for the father? Isn’t it showing rebellion against the father? It shows that he really doesn’t consider his adoptive dad to be his dad (although he knows he’s adopted and that this dad loves him as much as his own children), and he is breaking the rules and staying out all night, sassing his parents, refusing to clean his room, skipping school… he is walking in unbelief that he is really part of that family. He’s rebelling against his father and separating himself from that family because of his unbelief. That breaks the bond of father and son, and though the father is always wanting to be back in relationship with him, the son has to make the choice to be in relationship by repenting and once again following the father’s instructions for his children.
When he is broken away, he is not going to receive all the benefits that the other children receive. He wanders off into the world to do his own thing, like the prodigal son, and although he is still loved by his fath..er, he misses out on so many blessings. The natural children can rebel like this also, but I am just using this illustration to show how we as Gentiles adopted into Yahuwah’s family are expected to obey His instructions (commands, law, Torah) if we want to receive the benefits (salvation, eternal life, health, etc.)
If an adult child doesn’t want to obey the rules but still wants to live in the father’s house, he won’t be allowed to. He will not be welcome to come home and live with dad if he is in rebellion and refuses to obey father’s rules. Likewise, a rebellious rulebreaker (or lawbreaker) will not be allowed to live in his heavenly Father’s home. Only those who show their love for Him through obedience and respect will be allowed to. He is holy and His home, heaven, must be a place of peace, love and order – He will not tolerate sin in His home. He gives us plenty of instruction and warning so that we’ll make the right choices and qualify for heaven, and He does this because He WANTS us to spend eternity with Him. But it’s our choice, and most people rebel against any thought of actually obeying His commandments after getting born-again into His family.
The law is not just for the Jews. The Sabbath and feast days are not just for the Jews. They are for Yahuwah’s children, which means for all who are born-again believers, whether Jew or Gentile, for when we get born-again, we are one new man – there is no more Jew or Gentile in Yahuwah’s family.
Read more of this verse, keeping the above explanation in mind.
Romans 11:16-36 King James Version
16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.
20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
21 For if Yahuwah spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of Yahuwah: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. (shows us that the once saved always saved theology is false!)
23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for Yahuwah is able to graft them in again.
24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father’s sakes.
29 For the gifts and calling of Yahuwah are without repentance.
30 For as ye in times past have not believed Yahuwah, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
32 For Yahuwah hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of Yahuwah! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
34 For who hath known the mind of Yahushuwa? Or who hath been his counsellor?
35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?
17 But thanks be to Yahuwah that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance.
18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
19 I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness.
20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.
Romans 6:22-23 King James Version
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants (or slaves) to Yahuwah, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of Yahuwah is eternal life through Yahushuwa the Messiah our Lord.
John 8:34 King James Version
34 Yahushuwa answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. (a slave to sin)
Romans 8:2 King James Version
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Messiah Yahushuwa hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
It would be understandable to think that the law of sin and death was nailed to the cross. However, if we deliberately live in sin (transgress His laws), then we place ourselves back under the law of sin and death, because un-repented sin is punishable by death according to Scripture.
Hebrews 10:26-27 King James Version
26 For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
Instead of having to die for our sins, we can repent of them, and be forgiven because of our Messiah dying for our sins, taking our place, so yes, He freed us from the law of sin and death. We do have to repent though – this is not a ticket to heaven if we continue to sin and refuse to repent. Anytime we realize that we have sinned, we should run to our Father and admit our sin and ask His forgiveness, and don’t run out and do that sin again! But if we do do it again, don’t feel too guilty to repent again – He is very merciful and quick to forgive!
1 John 2:1 King James Version
1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Yahushuwa the Messiah the righteous:
Grace doesn’t cover willful unrepented repeated sin. It empowers us to stop the sinning, to stop letting sin control or enslave us.
Revelation 1:5 King James Version
5 And from Yahushuwa the Messiah, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Revelation 1:5 New International Version
5 and from Yahushuwa the Messiah, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood
Ephesians 2:8 King James Version
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of Yahuwah:
Ephesians 2:8 Amplified Bible
8 For it is by grace [Yahuwah’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Messiah] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of Yahuwah;
Here is yet another verse that is often used out of context to justify transgression Yahuwah’s law:
Romans 10:4 King James Version
4 For Yahushuwa is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Many teach that Yahushuwa ended the law and believers do not have to keep it because of grace, but the Greek word for ‘end’ is #5056 ‘telos’ in Strong’s Concordance, and means an end, event or issue, the principal end, aim, purpose, to set out for a definite point or goal, ultimate end-goal.
Since you have to compare Scripture with Scripture, because the Bible does not contradict itself, and the Bible interprets itself, and you need to see the whole picture, it only makes sense that the meaning in this verse is ‘the principal end, aim, purpose; to set out for a definite point or goal’ – and not ‘end’ in the way we generally interpret it, because if it was the latter, it would contradict Yahushuwa’s own statement that He didn’t come to abolish the law and that not one jot or tittle would pass from the law until heaven and earth pass away. There are other places in the Scriptures where this same Greek word is interpreted this same way, as it could not mean ‘end’ in a final way.
Here are some more verses where the same word is used for ‘end’ that obviously refer to a goal and not the end as in ‘final event’.
James 5:11 King James Version
11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of Yahuwah; that Yahuwah is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
James 5:11 is an obvious one (end of Yahuwah?) – Does not mean the abolishment of Him!
1 Peter 1:9 King James Version
9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
Peter 1:9 is another obvious one – does not mean the abolishment of your faith! It’s alright to use some common sense here.
The New Covenant:
Next is yet another verse that Christians use to say the law is done away with. They say that ‘Jesus’ made a NEW covenant that replaces the OLD one in the Old Testament law, so we don’t have to obey the law. But….. here we go again! Here is the verse:
Jeremiah 31:31 King James Version
31 Behold, the days come, saith Yahuwah, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
The Hebrew word for ‘new’ is #2319 and means new, but comes from the root word #2318 châdash which means to be new; causatively, to rebuild:--renew, repair, and it is saying that Yahuwah will rebuild, renew, and repair the covenant which was broken when Israel was unfaithful to Him and served other gods, and He divorced them in Jeremiah 3:8. When our Messiah Yahushuwa gave Himself up as the sacrificial lamb, died for our sins, and rose from the dead, He renewed the original covenant back to the order of Melchizedek, which includes the O.T. laws, but no longer uses the Levitical Priesthood to do sacrifices, as Yahushuwa is the ultimate and final sacrifice for our sins, who was ordained for this from the foundation of the world.
After Yahuwah divorced Israel for committing spiritual adultery against Him, by serving other gods (demons), He could not take ‘her’ back as a wife because that goes against one of His laws in Torah for a man not to remarry a woman who has married another spouse – she is defiled and he cannot remarry her. But since He died, and then resurrected from the dead, the death frees her from that restriction and He is able to take her for his spouse.
This is not a brand-new covenant, but a renewed one, similar to when couples renew their marriage vows after they’ve been apart for a period of time. Those two words for new and renewed were not originally two different words – the Hebrews didn’t have two separate words in that time period – but the Strong’s Concordance people made the word into two different ones. They can be used interchangeably. So, it’s important to understand the concept of this passage even more so than the exact word used.
Here's an excellent blog explaining about the ‘renewed covenant’, to help you understand better how it is not a brand-new covenant. This is really important to understand, because the main issue which causes believers to not fully walk away from sin is the false concept that the law was done away with and a brand-new covenant was given which is different from the original one.
https://isaiahsixtyoneseven.blogspot.com/2020/08/what-is-getting-ready-to-vanish-away.html
What is “Getting Ready to Vanish Away?” by Maria Merola Wold
This covenant is for the Tribe of Judah and for Israel. It doesn’t mention the Gentiles! Yet Christians seem to think it is for them, and that they replace the Jews. I guess the idea is that the Jews were naughty, served other gods, and so Yahuwah ignored them and gave a ‘new’ covenant to the Gentiles instead, a brand new one, with ‘Jesus’ in charge of it, to make the Jews jealous so that they’d repent and accept ‘Jesus’ as their Messiah. He didn’t ‘give’ the covenant to the Gentiles.
Romans 11:11 King James Version
11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? Yahuwah forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
Originally the covenant was only for the Israelites, but later Yahuwah told them that they could preach to the Gentiles and allow them to come into covenant also. And although it was to provoke the Jews to jealousy so they would come back into the covenant that was meant for them, it NEVER REPLACED the Jews with the Gentile converts, but it brought the Gentiles into the Jews’ covenant.
The problem with this is that for one thing, the Gentiles never were in a covenant with Yahuwah in the first place, so Yahuwah couldn’t have given them a ‘new’ one (as if there was an ‘old’ one to replace), nor could He have given them a ‘renewed’ one (the true meaning of the word in this verse), because for the Gentiles there was no ‘old’ one to ‘renew’. Also, it says Yahuwah made this covenant with Israel and the tribe of Judah, as I pointed out, not with the Gentiles.
Now when the Gentiles get born-again, and get adopted into Yahuwah’s family (Israel), they do become part of the Tribe of Judah because that is the tribe that Yahushuwa came from, so yes, they then receive the benefits of that covenant, which is eternal life and many earthly blessings also, but they also have to obey the household rules set by the adopting Father – the same rules that the natural children have to obey – the LAW! This includes but is not limited to the 7th day Sabbath, the feast days, the dietary instructions, etc.
Obedience or ‘works’ is PART OF FAITH, and faith is dead without the works ‘obedience’, so when the Bible talks about how the branches of the olive tree can be broken off for unbelief, even after being grafted in, and even if they are the natural branches who were already there, this shows that if a believer does not show their faith with works (obedience) then they are walking in unbelief. It is in Jeremiah 11:16 where the Israelites were first referred to as ‘natural branches’ of an olive tree.
Someone who believes that Yahuwah is their God, and that Yahushuwa is their Messiah, does what He instructs or commands them to do. When a professing believer refuses to do what His instructions teach, then that shows that he is not truly in belief, but in doubt and unbelief. They don’t love or trust Him enough to do what He says.
John 14:21 King James Version
21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
I’ll put this in everyday life family terms. If a dad adopts a son, he normally loves him as he does his natural born sons, he feeds and clothes him the same, provides his education the same, provides medical needs and other needs the same… right? If the natural born children have a 10 p.m. curfew, are not allowed to talk back, leave their rooms a mess, skip school, etc., then the adopted son is also expected to be in by 10, be respectful, clean his room, go to school, etc. Make sense?
If the adopted son says “YOU’RE NOT MY REAL DAD!!!! I DON’T HAVE TO DO WHAT YOU SAY!” – Isn’t that showing a lack of respect and love for the father? Isn’t it showing rebellion against the father? It shows that he really doesn’t consider his adoptive dad to be his dad (although he knows he’s adopted and that this dad loves him as much as his own children), and he is breaking the rules and staying out all night, sassing his parents, refusing to clean his room, skipping school… he is walking in unbelief that he is really part of that family. He’s rebelling against his father and separating himself from that family because of his unbelief. That breaks the bond of father and son, and though the father is always wanting to be back in relationship with him, the son has to make the choice to be in relationship by repenting and once again following the father’s instructions for his children.
When he is broken away, he is not going to receive all the benefits that the other children receive. He wanders off into the world to do his own thing, like the prodigal son, and although he is still loved by his fath..er, he misses out on so many blessings. The natural children can rebel like this also, but I am just using this illustration to show how we as Gentiles adopted into Yahuwah’s family are expected to obey His instructions (commands, law, Torah) if we want to receive the benefits (salvation, eternal life, health, etc.)
If an adult child doesn’t want to obey the rules but still wants to live in the father’s house, he won’t be allowed to. He will not be welcome to come home and live with dad if he is in rebellion and refuses to obey father’s rules. Likewise, a rebellious rulebreaker (or lawbreaker) will not be allowed to live in his heavenly Father’s home. Only those who show their love for Him through obedience and respect will be allowed to. He is holy and His home, heaven, must be a place of peace, love and order – He will not tolerate sin in His home. He gives us plenty of instruction and warning so that we’ll make the right choices and qualify for heaven, and He does this because He WANTS us to spend eternity with Him. But it’s our choice, and most people rebel against any thought of actually obeying His commandments after getting born-again into His family.
The law is not just for the Jews. The Sabbath and feast days are not just for the Jews. They are for Yahuwah’s children, which means for all who are born-again believers, whether Jew or Gentile, for when we get born-again, we are one new man – there is no more Jew or Gentile in Yahuwah’s family.
Read more of this verse, keeping the above explanation in mind.
Romans 11:16-36 King James Version
16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.
20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
21 For if Yahuwah spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of Yahuwah: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. (shows us that the once saved always saved theology is false!)
23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for Yahuwah is able to graft them in again.
24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father’s sakes.
29 For the gifts and calling of Yahuwah are without repentance.
30 For as ye in times past have not believed Yahuwah, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
32 For Yahuwah hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of Yahuwah! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
34 For who hath known the mind of Yahushuwa? Or who hath been his counsellor?
35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Jeremiah 3:8 King James Version
8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.
So, Yahuwah repairs that broken covenant with a renewed one that is eternal. The same laws are still there. But you enter the covenant differently. The sacrifice is a onetime eternal sacrifice by our Messiah, instead of yearly by a human Levitical priest, and we enter the covenant by getting born-again, getting our sins forgiven by repenting of them and dying of our old self and living in Him who died for our sins, our eternal High Priest Yahushuwa. Christians think they are under a ‘new covenant’ but they were never under any covenant in the first place. They are not a separate entity. When one gets born-again, he gets grafted into the olive tree, which is Israel, whose root is said to be holy, or adopted in to Yahuwah’s family, which is Israel. Born-again believers do not replace the Jews as Yahuwah’s chosen people – they become part of them – part of their family – part of Yahuwah’s family.
Romans 11:16-17 King James Version
16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them rowths of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
A born-again Jewish Rabbi once told me that the neat thing about being grafted in is that when a branch is grafted into a tree, the grafted branch becomes stronger than the natural branches. And he said that according to Jewish customs, when a Jew adopts a child, that child becomes even more secure in that family than the natural children.
Romans 8:14-16 King James Version
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of Yahuwah, they are the sons of Yahuwah.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of Yahuwah:
Ephesians 1:4-6 King James Version4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Yahushuwa the Messiah to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Ephesians 2:11-13 King James Version
11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
12 That at that time ye were without Yahushuwa, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without Yahuwah in the world:
13 But now in Messiah Yahushuwa ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Yahushuwa.
Ephesians 2:18-22 King James Version
18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of Yahuwah;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Yahushuwa the Messiah himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together rowth unto an holy temple in Yahushuwa:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of Yahuwah through the Spirit.
All of these verses talking about being grafted in and adopted in show us that we become part of Yahuwah’s family, His household, as well as His temple.
Hebrews 8:6-13 King James Version – my comments are in parenthesis
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.
7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. (the word ‘covenant’ is not in the original text – it should say “if the first had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second,” and the actual context of it is that the first priesthood is not faultless. There was nothing wrong with the covenant itself, but with the people. People are imperfect.)
8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith Yahuwah, when I will make a new (means renewed) covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: (‘Them’ refers to the nation of Israel because of their idolatry in making and worshipping the golden calf – THEY were at fault, NOT Yahuwah’s own covenant.)
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; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith Yahuwah. (Instead of staying with Yahuwah’s covenant they built the idol and worshipped it, and idolatry is sin.)
10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith Yahuwah; 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 Yahuwah: 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. (Remember, sin and iniquity is ‘the transgression of the law’.)
13 In that he saith, A new (#2537 ‘kainoi’ new, especially in freshness) covenant (again, not in the original text), he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away. (the mortal priesthood is what vanishes away as the immortal one with Yahushuwa takes over.)
Hebrews 7:23-25 King James Version
23 And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: (mortal priests died eventually.)
24 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto Yahuwah by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Hebrews 7:12 King James Version
12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.
The law that had to be changed was about how the priesthood operated in the temple. The rest of the law was already in place but after the Israelites made their golden calf idol in the wilderness while Moses was on the mountain communing with Yahuwah and receiving the commandments written by Yahuwah, Yahuwah added the law of the role of the Levitical priesthood. Before Yahuwah wrote the law, the law did exist, but it wasn’t in writing. This verse from Genesis shows us that Abraham kept Yahuwah’s laws even though it wasn’t written yet – He communed with Yahuwah and listened to Him, and obeyed Him, keeping all of His instructions!
Genesis 26:5 King James Version
5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
But those who made the golden calf did not follow the instructions, so Yahuwah put them in writing and assigned a Levitical Priesthood to implement them.
In Hebrews 8:6-13 Yahuwah is talking about the renewed covenant and that He will put the laws in their minds and hearts, because this happens through Yahushuwa and having the mind of Him, and the new priesthood which will never decayeth or waxeth old.
Here’s what happens when His law is in our minds and in our hearts:
16 For who hath known the mind of Yahuwah, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Yahushuwa.
Ezekiel 36:26 King James Version
26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
Romans 2:14-15 King James Version
14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another…
John 1:1-4 King James Version
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Yahuwah, and the Word was Yahuwah.
2 The same was in the beginning with Yahuwah.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
These verses are talking about Yahushuwa, the living Word, who is Yahuwah who came and dwelt among us, the same one who created all things (all things were made by him….), and the same one who wrote the ten commandments on the tablets of stone with His own finger, and dictated to Moses the writing of the rest of the law on the scrolls. He is ONE GOD.
Exodus 31:18 King James Version
18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of stone, written with the finger of Yahuwah.
The laws were written in stone but when put into us they become part of us. Why would we want to rebel against them?
Revelation 19:13 King James Version
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of Yahuwah.
Yahushuwa is the Word of Yahuwah made flesh, who wrote them – He is Yahuwah who came to us in the flesh. Some think that He gave us a DIFFERENT set of commandments, but He is the one who wrote the original ones, and He came and explained them better to us. But He is giving us a different way of implementing them, a different priesthood, immortal Yahushuwa instead of mortal man. When His people came out of Egypt and made a golden calf while Moses was on the mountain receiving the first set of stone tablets that Yahuwah wrote with His own finger, Moses came down and saw what they had done and broke the tablets.
Galatians 3:19 King James Version
19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
Yahuwah gave them a covenant that required Levitical priests to bring sacrifices to the altar to remind them of their sins, and did this BECAUSE of their rebellion. The law of the Levitical Priesthood is what was added because of their transgressions. But priests come and go, they get old and die.
There were already laws of Yahuwah in place, since the creation. They just were not written down. There were sacrifices, as told about in Genesis. And there was the Sabbath which Yahuwah set in place on the 7th day of creation. There were other laws as well, and these were all part of the order of Melchizedek, who actually is Yahushuwa. The NEW law that was added was the operation of the Levitical Priesthood, which was to be utilized until Messiah came and took over as High Priest. He ended the Levitical Priesthood’s operation, but He never ended the law – He restored it to the order of Melchizedek. And He gave us His grace and sent us His Holy Spirit to cause us to keep it, to help us keep it, to show us how to keep it, to empower us to keep it. He writes it on our hearts so it’s not just letters on a page but is expounded upon by the Spirit in our hearts. We have to study it to learn Yahuwah’s will, and then the Holy Spirit will bring it to our remembrance when we need it.
Hebrews 7:21 King James Version
(For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.)
Hebrews 7:23-25 King James Version
23 And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:
24 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto Yahuwah by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
They are a temporary situation (till the seed should come), and the better version of the covenant is that Yahushuwa, our permanent High Priest (the seed that came), sacrificed Himself in place of the sacrificial lamb, and it’s a once and for all sacrifice that never needs to be repeated – He doesn’t wax old or decay like human priests do, and through this He has put His laws on our hearts. The law is still there, He did not change it, but we do the sacrificial part differently.
So, now that we’ve got it established that there is no ‘new’ covenant that replaces the Old Testament law, I want to explain some more verses that are taken out of context to justify breaking the law.
When Yahushuwa says in Matthew 5:27-28 “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart”, some Christians teach that He is making this commandment even stricter than it originally was, as in ‘changing’ the law, but He was actually teaching them the true and deeper meaning of this commandment, the heart of the law – that what is in a man’s heart is just as important as his actions. Yahuwah sees the heart of man and holds him accountable for the thoughts he entertains.
When He says in Matthew 5:21-22 “Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire,” He again is not adding to the law, but expounding upon it so we can better understand the deeper meaning of it. Exodus 20:13 says “Thou shalt not kill” but actually means “thou shalt not murder, slay, or dash in pieces” from #7523 in Strong’s Concordance ‘ratsach.’ It does not refer to all types of killing, as in war or when Yahuwah commanded His people to kill their enemies.
#4469 Racca means empty headed, senseless, and Fool is Moros, probably from the base of #3466 which means dull or stupid (as if shut up), i.e. heedless, (morally) blockhead, (apparently) absurd – and Yahushuwa is explaining that calling your ‘brother’ (fellow believer) these things is serious like murder. He then tells them in Matthew 5:23-24 “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.”
Here He expounds on the topic of murder even more in 1 John 3:15 “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” He didn’t take away the commandment, and He didn’t add to it – He expounded on it (fulfill – to fully preach – He’s fully preaching the heart of Torah/the law.)
Here’s a good one:
Matthew 5:43-44 King James Version
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Here it looks like He is CHANGING a commandment – old says hate your enemy – new says love your enemies! BUT…. There is no commandment in the Scriptures that says to hate our enemies. It is PEOPLE that made up that one! “Ye have heard that it hath been said” – people SAID it, but Yahuwah never said it. So, He is clearing this one up. Yahuwah hates some people, but He doesn’t command us to hate them.
Psalm 11:5 King James Version
5 Yahuwah trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.
Here is another verse that believers often think means that Yahushuwa ‘changed’ the law. But He is actually expounding on it – explaining it – fully preaching it!
Matthew 5:38-39 King James Version
38 You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.”
39 But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
The Old Testament verse that goes with this is:
Leviticus 24:19-21 King James Version
19 And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him;
20 Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.
21 And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it: and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death.
These verses were not understood by the leaders as a literal action to be taken. There is no evidence in historical literature, archaeology or even in the oral law that was written out and put in the Talmud, that the Jewish law courts actually poked out eyes, cut off hands, knocked out teeth, etc. Some people acted outside of the accepted Jewish laws and did these things, like vigilantes who wanted to take revenge, but Yahuwah’s laws of this nature were understood to create axiomatic limits for restitution and damages imposed by formal courts of law. Eye for eye is a biblical expression that represents ‘let the punishment fit the crime’, as the value of an eye for an eye, or the value of a tooth for a tooth, for fair and equitable punishment which was usually monetary.
This is called a Hebrew idiom. “Eye for an eye” is a Hebrew idiom. The Hebrews know not to literally pluck out an eye (or cut off a hand or other body part). But we who are not Hebrew need it explained to us, or we tend to take it literally and think it’s a barbaric law.
Instead of just ordering a monetary payment in the first place, there is a lesson to be taught here – that it is not sufficient to just hand over some money and walk away. If a person has lost an eye or hand, etc., his whole life has changed and money can’t fix everything. He suffers pain and suffering, loss of ability to do the things he did before, etc., and the one who did this to him needs to realize this and take it very seriously, realizing he DESERVES to have the same thing done to him, begging the victim for forgiveness, making it right in any way he can along with monetary compensation, and making sure he will never do this again to someone.
Even the death penalty for murder is not always accepted as literal in the law, because life is infinite and valuable, and there is no acceptable compensation for the loss of a life, and so the death penalty is not literally promoted. When they DID do executions, I understand that they only did them about every seven years.
When Yahushuwa deals with this topic, He is, as I said, expounding on it – explaining it – fully preaching it. He’s teaching the heart of the law, that even though the evil person deserves the same things done to him, the victim shouldn’t get revenge on him. He didn’t ‘change’ the law – He expounded on it. The victim can still prosecute and get compensated, not for revenge, but to help him get on with his life. A person can forgive and still prosecute when it’s necessary.
It’s better to work things out without court, and if both are believers, they should seek this method first, and even consider allowing yourself to be defrauded if another believer did the bad thing to you, as it teaches in 1 Corinthians 6. But if the attacker is not a fellow believer and is an evil person, or isn’t acting like a believer and is rebelling against working it out and has no remorse, then he ‘can’ be treated like an unbeliever and taken to court and made to pay restitution. This is the deeper understanding of this law.
Many think that turning the other cheek is referring to someone hitting or insulting you, and passively letting them do it again. But here is an article explaining the REAL meaning of the verse in Matthew 5:38-40:
https://www.reenactingtheway.com/blog/turning-the-other-cheek-jesus-peaceful-plan-to-challenge-injustice
A comment/response to the article above:
“According to this explanation, there were differences in the way a Roman soldier would slap an equal as opposed to an inferior person. Equals would be slapped with the palm while second-class people would be backhanded. So, if you were backhanded by a Roman soldier, turning the other cheek was essentially a non-violent way of asserting your human dignity.”
They normally used their right hand, because the left hand was ‘unclean’ (since they wiped their behinds with that hand), so to back-hand with the right hand, that would hit the person on their right cheek, which they did to ‘second-class’ people to make it clear that they disrespected them as people who are ‘below’ them, as they disrespected them by hitting them in the first place. And to hit ‘first-class’ people with the palm of their hand, or fist, that would hit the person on their left cheek, showing that they respected them more as an equal, as they disrespected them by hitting them! So Yahushuwa was addressing those who were hit on the right cheek as a showing of double disrespect, and instructing them to turn the cheek so as to demand to be treated as an equal and not someone ‘below’ them (as they got disrespectfully slapped or hit.) He was telling them to act with some dignity rather than to cower down like a whimpering puppy that got abused. Plus, getting back-handed was more of an insult than a hard-core physical attack of getting beat up, in which case one should defend himself to preserve his life and health. There are places in the Bible that encourage people to fight their enemy and overcome them. Again, it’s not for revenge, but to defend oneself, family and property. Yah says that vengeance is His, not ours.
Here is one more example of a law that would make just about anyone cringe, and possibly conclude that ‘the God of the Old Testament’ (as some think there is a different one then and now) is a mean ole ogre, and ‘Jesus’ of the New Testament is a kind, loving God, different from Him. Without footnotes explaining what this law was understood to mean to the people who received it, and the pastors and ministers not teaching about it, we are left to our own thoughts of how barbaric it sounds, and most people would not EVER consider stoning their own child to death, law or not, even if it’s an older child who has done horrible things to others.
Deuteronomy 21:18-21 King James Version
18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:
19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;
20 And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.
21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.
This was not about a little child sassing his parents or sneaking a cookie out of the cookie jar. Notice It includes being a glutton and drunkard, which is normally a trait of older youth, or young adult. Well, the people of those days of old did not stone their children. Here is another law that was understood to be for educational and deterrent purposes only. There were so many stipulations to this law that even if one did believe they were to do this literally, no son would qualify to be stoned! I won’t go into all of that, but you can look it up if you’re interested, and study it yourself. And if he did meet the qualifications, the son was to be brought before a court of three judges first, who, if they convicted him, would flog him and give him a warning that if he continued the behavior he ‘could’ be stoned. There are no historical records of a son being stoned because of this law. It was understood to be for deterring bad behavior. If you do not understand the culture these Scriptures are referring to, and the events behind them, then you will not understand their meaning.
He tells the adulterous woman to “go and sin no more” (John 8:11). In the case of the man whom He healed and then said that to, He told him “lest a worse thing come upon you” (John 5:14), showing compassion for the person’s future as well as the immediate situation. So, when the courts give the rebellious son a ‘warning’ instead of stoning him, they are practicing this same principle of mercy and grace, even before the Messiah came. This next verse shows our Father’s attitude towards His rebellious children:
Jeremiah 31:20 King James Version
20 Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he a pleasant child? For since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith Yahuwah.
So, our Heavenly Father was merciful even in the Old Testament days. It is hard to understand all of this if you don’t have the resources, and it seems like one verse contradicts another, but when put all together and in context and with explanation of their purpose, they are so much easier to digest.
I want to talk about one more thing that has to do with ‘youth’, because after we just saw that Yahuwah doesn’t want us to literally stone children to death for being rebellious, some will ask why He Himself caused bears to maul little children in 2 Kings. The translations do not do this Scripture justice!
2 Kings 2:23-24 King James Version
23 And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.
24 And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of Yahuwah. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.
First of all, it says that the bears ‘’tare” them or mauled them. It doesn’t actually say they killed them. Secondly, these were not little children. In verse 23, the word ‘little’ is Strong’s #6996 and can be translated as young, small, insignificant, unimportant. It’s okay to use a little common sense. They should have picked insignificant or unimportant here instead of ‘little children’. The word ‘children’ is Strong’s #5288 na’ar, and can mean a boy, lad, servant, youth, retainer. Servant is a better choice than children. An insignificant or unimportant servant makes much more sense in this context. Na’ar is often a title for official, steward, servant, or priest. In verse 24 the word children is Strong’s #3206 and can be translated child, son, boy, offspring, youth, apostate Israelites, young man. Why the translators picked ‘little children’ is beyond me.
“The Apologetics Study Bible” explains: “The Hebrew phrase for ‘small boys’ refers to adolescents from 12 to 30 years old” Paul Baxter, in an article titled “Why Would God Send a Bear to Maul Children?” says “We read how Elisha, the prophet of God, was entering one of the worst places in the corrupt and decadent nation of Israel. Although Bethel was called “the House of God,” what should have been a holy place was a center of idolatry and immorality where the “sons of God” were vastly outnumbered by those who taunted and trashed the faith of Elijah and Elisha!
Bethel was so bad that a gang of young teenagers “harassed” Elisha, taunting him to leave them and their town alone and go off to be with his God (as Elijah had done). Gleason Archer, the author of “Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties” describes these troublemakers as “a serious public danger, quite as grave as the large youth gangs that roam the ghetto sections of our modern American cities.” Author Walter C. Kaiser said “bear attack shows God trying repeatedly to bring his people back to himself through smaller judgments” so that they could avoid a worse “full force” judgment.”
Below I will show you a few Scriptures that call adult believers “little children”, just to remind you that the term isn’t always used to actually MEAN little children.
1 John 2:1 King James Version
1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Yahushuwa the Massiah the righteous:
John 13:33 King James Version
33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.
Galatians 4:19 King James Version
19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Yahushuwa the Messiah be formed in you,
1 John 3:7 King James Version
7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
That was just a few of them! The Bible would be so much easier to understand if the translators would have made things clear and in context. Trying to unscramble all the lies Christians have been taught is not easy, especially since most believers are comfortable with the lies they’ve been taught and don’t want to move from their comfort zone. But we MUST learn the truth or it cannot set us free!
Yahushuwa died for us breaking His law (so we do not have to die for our sins – He took away the penalty of death for our sin – the law of sin and death), not for us having to keep the law, since He tells us that transgressing (refusing to obey) the law is what sin is, and we are told to stop sinning. When He forgave the woman for committing adultery, He told her to go and sin no more.
John 8:11b New King James Version
11 ….. And Yahushuwa said unto her, “Neither do I condemn thee; go, and sin no more.” (go, and transgress the law no more)
When He healed the man in John 5, He told him to go and sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon him, indicating that his condition came on him because of his sin, and he was forgiven, but if he went back into that sin, it would come back even worse.
John 5:14 King James Version
14 Afterward Yahushuwa findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
So, He was telling them to go and transgress the law – commandments no more, go and start obeying the commandments – laws (same exact thing).
Galatians 5:18-25 King James Version
18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of Yahuwah.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Ezekiel 36:27 King James Version
27 And I will put my spirit within you, and CAUSE you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
It’s important to note that He said this in the Old Testament days, that He would put His Spirit WITHIN them, and that would CAUSE them to keep His commandments (this is the laws in the Old Testament of course – there were no ‘new laws’ that He could refer to in the O.T.), and He didn’t GIVE this gift of the INFILLING of the Holy Spirit until the New Testament days (see the book of Acts), and yet said it will CAUSE YOU TO WALK IN MY STATUTES and keep my judgments and do them – His commandments/laws of the Old Testament!!!
Romans 8:1-5 King James Version
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Messiah Yahushuwa, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Messiah Yahushuwa hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, Yahuwah 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.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
You see, there is more than one law mentioned in the Bible. People assume when they read that we are not under the law, that it means we do not need to obey the Old Testament laws. But that is not what it means.
We are not under the law of sin and death WHEN WE WALK BY THE SPIRIT (Romans 8:2)! We also are not under the Pharisees’ man-made laws. This is Scripture interpreting Scripture – this is why we cannot just take one verse out of context and make a doctrine out of it. We need to put them together to understand the full message.
The wages of sin is death, and we are told to stop sinning, to sin not (see verse below), but if we DO sin (and we will from time to time because we’re not perfect), since we have an advocate with the Father, who IS “Yahushuwa” (it says Jesus Christ, but should say Yahushuwa, but notice that it’s saying He IS the Father!), then we can repent of any sins we do commit, and be forgiven and have eternal life, instead of having to die for them, therefore not being under the law of sin and death but under grace, which covers our sins WHEN WE REPENT OF THEM. Christians need to stop saying “I’m not under the law, I’m under grace” because most of them don’t know what it means, and believe they can disobey Yahuwah’s laws and be fine.
1 John 2:1-6 King James Version
1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin (transgress the law) not. And if any man sin (transgress the law), we have an advocate with the Father, Yahushuwa the righteous:
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments (law – we know we know Him if we don’t transgress His laws).
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments (transgress His laws), is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth his word (laws), in him verily is the love of Yahuwah perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. (He obeyed His own law that He wrote/created.)
Many assume that verses like the one in Galatians 5 mean we are not under the law of Moses, the Torah, but this is wrong. Take note that in the verse above it says we know we know Him IF WE KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS! He, being Yahuwah in the flesh, wrote the ten commandments with His own finger, and told Moses what words to write on the scrolls for the rest of the law – there is no NEW set of commandments that is being referred to here. The Messiah’s commandments are the Father’s commandments – they are One God. The Father’s commandments are the Messiah’s commandments. Commandments and law are the same thing. There are NOT two different sets of laws here. And there are NOT two different Gods!
Our Messiah came to fulfill the law, which literally means to teach it to us correctly in that verse (Matthew 5:17). I can’t say this enough times. That word fulfill does NOT mean to do away with the law. That is also explained in here more in a different place. We can’t go over these things too much. It needs to sink in.
And as far as ‘walk, even as He walked” – He obeyed the law. The definition of sin is to transgress the law, and He was sinless, so no, He never transgressed the law, not even when He picked grain on the Sabbath. He was in obedience to the law at all times. He wouldn’t have qualified to die for our sins if He wasn’t sinless. So, we are to obey it too, in order to walk as He walked. And yes, we will mess up at times and break His law, but back to 1 John 2 which says to not sin, BUT IF WE DO then we can go to Yahushuwa and repent and be forgiven!
Below is a verse where many mistakenly believe Yahushuwa broke the Sabbath. According to the Pharisees He broke it, because He broke their man-made additions to the law. But He is Lord of the Sabbath, the Creator who created the Sabbath, and everything He did on the Sabbath was lawful. In this verse, He helps us better understand what is in fact lawful to do on the Sabbath!
John 5:1-19 King James Version
1 After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Yahushuwa went up to Jerusalem.
2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
6 When Yahushuwa saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
8 Yahushuwa saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.
10 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.
11 He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.
12 Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?
13 And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Yahushuwa had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.
14 Afterward Yahushuwa findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
15 The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Yahushuwa, which had made him whole.
16 And therefore did the Jews persecute Yahushuwa, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.
17 But Yahushuwa answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that Yahuwah was his Father, making himself equal with Yahuwah.
19 Then answered Yahushuwa and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
For one thing, the type of ‘work’ He did on this Sabbath was to heal someone, showing us that it is alright to heal someone on the Sabbath. The word work in this verse also refers to ministerial work, and to doing ‘good’. Matthew 12:12 says it is good to do good on the Sabbath. The man who was healed had his bed with him, so it was okay for him to carry it back home. The Pharisees did not think so, but Yahushuwa lets us know it was okay, since He’s the one who told him to do it. Thirdly, He let them (and us) know that He is equal with Yahuwah. He and Yahuwah are one God, as He is Yahuwah who came in the flesh. And fourthly, He let them know that if He was ‘breaking’ the Sabbath law, then Yahuwah our Creator was breaking the Sabbath law, and they all knew that Yahuwah does NOT break any of His laws. In fact, if Yahushuwa had broken ANY of the laws, He would be a sinner, because sin is defined in Scripture as the transgression of the law, and if He would have broken the law He couldn’t have died for our sins. He had to be sinless in order to be our Savior, and He was/is sinless!
Romans 8:1-4 King James Version
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Messiah Yahuwshuwa, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Messiah Yahuwshuwa has made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, Yahuwah 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.
This shows us that IF we are being led by the Holy Spirit, which NEVER leads us to go against the Word and laws of Yahuwah, THEN we are free from the PENALTY of breaking the law. It does NOT show us that we are free to break the law. Breaking Yahuwah’s law would be an act of walking after the flesh and not the Holy Spirit. Verse 1 lets us know that there IS condemnation to them who do walk after the flesh, for if we do, then we are not walking in the Spirit and NOT free from the law of sin and death, nor are we walking as He walked!
If a person drives 100 mph through a school zone, and gets arrested, gets a penalty, but someone pays the fines, and he goes free, but then goes back to the school zone, is the speed limit sign now gone? Is it now okay for him to go 100 mph? Did his redemption cancel out the law? Can he now freely break that law and not get penalized for it again? Is he free from the law, or was he forgiven for breaking the law, and now must go and break the law no more? And if he does it again, the penalty will be worse the next time around (lest a worse thing come upon you)!
1 John 3:1-7 King James Version
1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of Yahuwah: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of Yahuwah, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
Verse 6 could be written “whoever abides in him does not transgress the law, for whoever transgresses the law has not seen Him or known Him.” Remember that verse in Matthew 7? 22 “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (which means ‘lawlessness’).” - shows the other side of the coin – that He says HE doesn’t know THEM, to go along with 1 John 3 saying THEY haven’t known HIM. It’s a two-way street and it’s all because of transgressing the law that Christians like to say is done away with.
Romans 7:7 King James Version
7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Yahuwah forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
‘Transgression’ refers to presumptuous sin. To transgress is to choose to intentionally disobey; transgression is willful trespassing. Shouldn’t we be learning what His law requires of us so that we can stop transgressing it?
So, learning the commandment/laws is the way to find out what Yahuwah counts as sin. The law, or Torah, is His instructions for our lives. Parts of the law that we cannot do because it goes against the laws of our land, our civil laws (like stoning someone for certain violations), or is not meant to be done literally and just represents the seriousness of the crime (like cutting off hands or plucking out eyes), or because it’s only for those living in Israel and under their former government, or it’s only for men, or only for women, etc) we can still honor it by reading it and asking for His understanding of it. This expresses our desire to follow our Creator’s teachings in the best way we can. His instructions have reasons, and if we learn the reasons, we can come closer to understanding why He made certain laws that didn’t make sense to us. This is NOT cherry picking the law – it is being real and doing the best we can in our situation.
For instance, one of the dietary commandments in Leviticus to not eat swine (pig) – pigs have a very simple digestive system that does not clean the toxins out of what they eat, and they eat just about anything – garbage, dead animals, rotten flesh, toxic plants, etc., and their meat has dangerous worms in it which do not die when we cook them, even up to 200 degrees they can still live, so they end up in our bodies and can kill us, or make us really sick. Pigs were created to clean up the garbage from the earth. Catfish and shellfish clean up the garbage in the waters, and the types of birds He says not to eat have the same kind of purpose. Pigs are also used by pagans like Zeus worshipers as sacrifices. He is so against us eating swine flesh that it says in Isaiah 66 that He will destroy those who eat it! This is an end-time verse that is yet to come:
Isaiah 66:15-18 King James Version
15 For, behold, Yahuwah will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For by fire and by his sword will Yahuwah plead with all flesh: and the slain of Yahuwah shall be many.
17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine’s flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith Yahuwah.
18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.
Christians love to say “He knows my heart”, but notice here it says He knows their WORKS AND their THOUGHTS (which would be their hearts in that context) – but not JUST their thoughts. This is end-time judgment. This is where the fear and trembling should come in from Philippians 2:12 – when one goes to the store to buy bacon or ham or pork chops or lobster or catfish, etc., they should remember this verse and tremble. It’s much easier to just give up the unclean meats.
Peter’s vision is another area of Scripture Christians use to justify breaking the law – the dietary laws.
The vision Peter had is not about eating unclean animals, as Christians love to say it is – it was to let him know he could begin to minister to the Gentiles, and not just the Jews. It was an allegory. Like an idiom doesn’t mean what it says, an allegory is similar. The definition of allegory from Oxford Languages is “a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.”
Peter never ate unclean meats, and neither did our Messiah, and Peter KNEW that Yahuwah didn’t want him to start. And guess what? Unclean animals are mentioned in Revelation (New Testament). If they’re not unclean anymore, why are they in there? Some try to insist that Yahuwah would be lying if He didn’t mean that the unclean animals could now be eaten.
Yahushuwa used parables a lot when He taught. They are similar to allegories – phrases or stories that don’t necessarily describe events that actually happened, yet they are not considered to be lying.
Here is Peter’s vision:
Acts 10:9-22, 28 King James Version
9 On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:
10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,
11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending upon him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:
12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.
14 But Peter said, Not so, Yahuwah; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What Yahuwah hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
16 This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.
(Most Christians stop here and claim this means we can eat whatever we want now. But the rest of the Scripture lets us know that this is not so.)
17 Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate,
(Peter doubted what it meant because he knew Yahuwah was not telling him to eat unclean animals, so he wanted to find out what the allegory meant. If he believed Yahuwah did want him to start eating unclean animals, he would not have argued with Yahuwah, and would not have wondered what it really meant.)
18 And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there.
19 While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.
20 Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.
21 Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come?
22 And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth Yahuwah, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from Yahuwah by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee.
28 And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but Yahuwah hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
Notice – “YAHUWAH (GOD) HATH SHEWED ME” – Yahuwah gave him the meaning of the vision! It’s that simple!
Verse 28 tells us that it’s about people and not animals, and is an allegory. Notice how it says in verse 10 “And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance” – Yahuwah used his hunger as a tool to get His message across, meeting him where he was at. Peter was VERY hungry, yet he still knew he was not to eat unclean animals and so he argued with Yahuwah “Not so Yahuwah.”
Where it says it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with someone from another nation, there is NO law in Torah of this nature. The law being referred to is the Israelite leaders’ man-made dogma, or ordinances, fences, the laws that are called ‘the ordinances against us’. Here are some man-made laws (dogma) that were written by the Jewish leaders and that they expected the people to obey:
Mishnah Tractate Avot 1: Moses received the Torah (Law) from Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua; Joshua to the elders; the elders to the prophets; and the prophets handed it down to the men of the Great Assembly. They said three things: Be deliberate in judgment, raise up many disciples, and make a fence around the Torah (Law).
Mishnah Tractate Avot 3: Rabbi Akiva said: Jesting and frivolity lead a man towards promiscuity. ‘Tradition’ is a safeguarding fence around the Torah. Tithes are a fence to wealth. Vows a fence to abstinence. Silence is a fence to wisdom.
When people talk about how the Pharisees put ‘fences’ around Yahuwah’s laws, this is what they are referring to. The Pharisees believe the fences help them to not mess up and break a law in Torah. But they make it a burden when you add to Yahuwah’s laws. If Yahuwah wanted ‘fences’ He would have written His own into His laws! The man-made added laws created enmity. Besides, we are told not to add or take away from the Scriptures! Jews also had man-made ordinances about not associating with Gentiles. These were not part of Yahuwah’s laws.
Ephesians 2:14-15 King James Version
14 For he is our peace, who hath made 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;
The verse above shows Paul retelling the message in Peter’s vision, that the Gentiles were not their enemies, and could be given the opportunity to become part of their nation when they repented of their sins and believed in and confessed Yahushuwa as their Messiah. Next are some verses that show that the Law of Yahuwah does NOT forbid association with the Gentiles – they too are to be treated fairly and given the opportunity to follow Yahuwah’s laws:
Exodus 22:21 King James Version
21 Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Exodus 23:9 King James Version
9 Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Leviticus 17:15 King James Version
15 And every soul that eateth that which died of itself, or that which was torn with beasts, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger, he shall both wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even: then shall he be clean.
Leviticus 24:22 King James Version
22 Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country: for I am Yahuwah your God.
Numbers 15:15 King James Version
15 One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation, and also for the stranger that sojourneth with you, an ordinance for ever in your generations: as ye are, so shall the stranger be before Yahuwah.
Deuteronomy 10:19 King James Version
19 Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Deuteronomy 24:17 King James Version
17 Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the fatherless; nor take a widow’s raiment to pledge:
Deuteronomy 27:19 King James Version
19 Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen.
So, you see, the man-made laws, dogma, actually violated Yahuwah’s laws! So, when Peter got the meaning from Yahuwah for his vision, it was not actually CHANGING any laws, but was letting him know he did not have to obey those man-made laws.
And here are New Testament verses that show the same:
Romans 2:9-11 King James Version
9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
11 For there is no respect of persons with Yahuwah.
Romans 10:12 King James Version
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Yahuwah over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
1 Corinthians 12:13 King James Version
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
Galatians 3:28-29 King James Version
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Messiah Yahushuwa.
29 And if ye be Messiah’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Look at that! In Yahushuwa we are Abraham’s offspring, Israelites, not Jews or Gentiles.
Ephesians 3:6 King James Version
6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Messiah by the gospel:
And here the story continues in the next chapter, showing even more how Peter’s vision is about people (the Gentiles) and not animals:
Acts 11:1-18 King James Version
1 And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of Yahuwah.
2 And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him,
3 Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them.
4 But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto them, saying,
5 I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me:
6 Upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
7 And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter; slay and eat.
8 But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth.
9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, What Yahuwah hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
10 And this was done three times: and all were drawn up again into heaven.
11 And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me.
12 And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man’s house:
13 And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter;
14 Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.
15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.
16 Then remembered I the word of Yahuwah, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.
17 Forasmuch then as Yahuwah gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on Messiah Yahushuwa; what was I, that I could withstand Yahuwah?
18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified Yahuwah, saying, Then hath Yahuwah also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
Changing the dietary laws would go against not removing a jot or tittle.
Matthew 5:17-18 King James Version
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
And don’t forget Isaiah 66!
Revelation 18:2 King James Version
2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
As you can see, there are still unclean animals in Revelation, which is about the last days. Next is more Scripture that Christians insist mean we are allowed to eat unclean animals.
When Yahushuwa ‘declared all foods clean’ He was not referring to unclean animals that He forbids us to eat – they were NOT considered to be food!
17 Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate,
(Peter doubted what it meant because he knew Yahuwah was not telling him to eat unclean animals, so he wanted to find out what the allegory meant. If he believed Yahuwah did want him to start eating unclean animals, he would not have argued with Yahuwah, and would not have wondered what it really meant.)
18 And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there.
19 While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.
20 Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.
21 Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come?
22 And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth Yahuwah, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from Yahuwah by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee.
28 And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but Yahuwah hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
Notice – “YAHUWAH (GOD) HATH SHEWED ME” – Yahuwah gave him the meaning of the vision! It’s that simple!
Verse 28 tells us that it’s about people and not animals, and is an allegory. Notice how it says in verse 10 “And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance” – Yahuwah used his hunger as a tool to get His message across, meeting him where he was at. Peter was VERY hungry, yet he still knew he was not to eat unclean animals and so he argued with Yahuwah “Not so Yahuwah.”
Where it says it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with someone from another nation, there is NO law in Torah of this nature. The law being referred to is the Israelite leaders’ man-made dogma, or ordinances, fences, the laws that are called ‘the ordinances against us’. Here are some man-made laws (dogma) that were written by the Jewish leaders and that they expected the people to obey:
Mishnah Tractate Avot 1: Moses received the Torah (Law) from Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua; Joshua to the elders; the elders to the prophets; and the prophets handed it down to the men of the Great Assembly. They said three things: Be deliberate in judgment, raise up many disciples, and make a fence around the Torah (Law).
Mishnah Tractate Avot 3: Rabbi Akiva said: Jesting and frivolity lead a man towards promiscuity. ‘Tradition’ is a safeguarding fence around the Torah. Tithes are a fence to wealth. Vows a fence to abstinence. Silence is a fence to wisdom.
When people talk about how the Pharisees put ‘fences’ around Yahuwah’s laws, this is what they are referring to. The Pharisees believe the fences help them to not mess up and break a law in Torah. But they make it a burden when you add to Yahuwah’s laws. If Yahuwah wanted ‘fences’ He would have written His own into His laws! The man-made added laws created enmity. Besides, we are told not to add or take away from the Scriptures! Jews also had man-made ordinances about not associating with Gentiles. These were not part of Yahuwah’s laws.
Ephesians 2:14-15 King James Version
14 For he is our peace, who hath made 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;
The verse above shows Paul retelling the message in Peter’s vision, that the Gentiles were not their enemies, and could be given the opportunity to become part of their nation when they repented of their sins and believed in and confessed Yahushuwa as their Messiah. Next are some verses that show that the Law of Yahuwah does NOT forbid association with the Gentiles – they too are to be treated fairly and given the opportunity to follow Yahuwah’s laws:
Exodus 22:21 King James Version
21 Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Exodus 23:9 King James Version
9 Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Leviticus 17:15 King James Version
15 And every soul that eateth that which died of itself, or that which was torn with beasts, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger, he shall both wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even: then shall he be clean.
Leviticus 24:22 King James Version
22 Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country: for I am Yahuwah your God.
Numbers 15:15 King James Version
15 One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation, and also for the stranger that sojourneth with you, an ordinance for ever in your generations: as ye are, so shall the stranger be before Yahuwah.
Deuteronomy 10:19 King James Version
19 Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Deuteronomy 24:17 King James Version
17 Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the fatherless; nor take a widow’s raiment to pledge:
Deuteronomy 27:19 King James Version
19 Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen.
So, you see, the man-made laws, dogma, actually violated Yahuwah’s laws! So, when Peter got the meaning from Yahuwah for his vision, it was not actually CHANGING any laws, but was letting him know he did not have to obey those man-made laws.
And here are New Testament verses that show the same:
Romans 2:9-11 King James Version
9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
11 For there is no respect of persons with Yahuwah.
Romans 10:12 King James Version
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Yahuwah over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
1 Corinthians 12:13 King James Version
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
Galatians 3:28-29 King James Version
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Messiah Yahushuwa.
29 And if ye be Messiah’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Look at that! In Yahushuwa we are Abraham’s offspring, Israelites, not Jews or Gentiles.
Ephesians 3:6 King James Version
6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Messiah by the gospel:
And here the story continues in the next chapter, showing even more how Peter’s vision is about people (the Gentiles) and not animals:
Acts 11:1-18 King James Version
1 And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of Yahuwah.
2 And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him,
3 Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them.
4 But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto them, saying,
5 I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me:
6 Upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
7 And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter; slay and eat.
8 But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth.
9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, What Yahuwah hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
10 And this was done three times: and all were drawn up again into heaven.
11 And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me.
12 And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man’s house:
13 And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter;
14 Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.
15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.
16 Then remembered I the word of Yahuwah, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.
17 Forasmuch then as Yahuwah gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on Messiah Yahushuwa; what was I, that I could withstand Yahuwah?
18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified Yahuwah, saying, Then hath Yahuwah also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
Changing the dietary laws would go against not removing a jot or tittle.
Matthew 5:17-18 King James Version
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
And don’t forget Isaiah 66!
Revelation 18:2 King James Version
2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
As you can see, there are still unclean animals in Revelation, which is about the last days. Next is more Scripture that Christians insist mean we are allowed to eat unclean animals.
When Yahushuwa ‘declared all foods clean’ He was not referring to unclean animals that He forbids us to eat – they were NOT considered to be food!
Mark 7:18-21 King James Version
18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;
19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?
20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
‘Meats’ in this verse is #1033 in the Strong’s Concordance, broma, and means ‘that which is eaten, food, meat, victual’. It’s referring to edible meat (Kosher meat) that’s been offered to idols, that it can’t defile a person. The versions that say he declared all ‘meat’ clean are incorrect! The translations below did a better job on this verse:
AMP
since it does not enter his heart, but [only] his stomach, and [from there it] is eliminated?” (By this, He declared all foods ceremonially clean.)
CSB
For it doesn’t go into his heart but into the stomach and is eliminated” (thus he declared all foods clean).
CEB
That’s because it doesn’t enter into the heart but into the stomach, and it goes out into the sewer.” By saying this, Yahushuwa declared that no food could contaminate a person in Yahuwah’s sight.
CJB
For it doesn’t go into his heart but into his stomach, and it passes out into the latrine.” (Thus he declared all foods ritually clean.)
The unclean animals are NOT ‘food’.
A pig farmer told a man whose book I once read that if you pick up a pig’s foot and squeeze it, pus will come out of it. The pig has a canal that runs down its’ feet, which is a sweat gland that releases pus into the ground. The pig feeds off the ground and ends up eating its’ own pus as well. They eat feces, tumors, dead pigs, garbage, etc., and there are researchers who say pigs are not fit for human consumption because they have such a high toxicity level and do not have a way of clearing the toxins from their bodies.
The author also said that whenever a mink farm accidentally gave the mink feed with pork in it, ALL of the mink would die! He said it was because pigs are so toxic and the mink could not handle the poison from them. Yet a pig can eat some poisons or get bit by a poisonous snake and not die. The man had stomach cancer, and learned that cancer feeds off pork, so he gave up pork, and his cancer healed.
“13 PROBLEMS WITH PORK”
1) A pig is a real garbage gut. It will eat anything including urine, excrement, dirt, decaying animal flesh, maggots, or decaying vegetables. They will even eat the cancerous growths off other pigs or animals.
2) The meat and fat of a pig absorbs toxins like a sponge. Their meat can be 30 times more toxic than beef or venison.
3) When eating beef or venison, it takes 8 to 9 hours to digest the meat so what little toxins are in the meat are slowly put into our system and can be filtered by the liver. But when pork is eaten, it takes only 4 hours to digest the meat. We thus get a much higher level of toxins within a shorter time.
4) Unlike other mammals, a pig does not sweat or perspire. Perspiration is a means by which toxins are removed from the body. Since a pig does not sweat, the toxins remain within its body and in the meat.
5) Pigs and swine are so poisonous that you can hardly kill them with strychnine or other poisons.
6) Farmers will often pen up pigs within a rattlesnake nest because the pigs will eat the snakes, and if bitten they will not be harmed by the venom.
7) When a pig is butchered, worms and insects take to its flesh sooner and faster than to other animal’s flesh. In a few days the swine flesh is full of worms.
8) Swine and pigs have over a dozen parasites within them, such as tapeworms, flukes, worms, and trichinae. There is no safe temperature at which pork can be cooked to ensure that all these parasites, their cysts, and eggs will be killed.
9) Pig meat has twice as much fat as beef. A 3 oz T bone steak contains 8.5 grams of fat; a 3 oz pork chop contains 18 grams of fat. A 3 oz beef rib has 11.1 grams of fat; a 3 oz pork spare rib has 23.2 grams of fat.
10) Cows have a complex digestive system, having four stomachs. It thus takes over 24 hours to digest their vegetarian diet causing its food to be purified of toxins. In contrast, the swine’s one stomach takes only about 4 hours to digest its foul diet, turning its toxic food into flesh.
11) The swine carries about 30 diseases which can be easily passed to humans. This is why God commanded that we are not even to touch their carcase (Leviticus 11:8).
12) The trichinae worm of the swine is microscopically small, and once ingested can lodge itself in our intestines, muscles, spinal cord or the brain. This results in the disease trichinosis. The symptoms are sometimes lacking, but when present they are mistaken for other diseases, such as typhoid, arthritis, rheumatism, gastritis, MS, meningitis, gall bladder trouble, or acute alcoholism.
13) The pig is so poisonous and filthy, that nature had to prepare him a sewer line or canal running down each leg with an outlet in the bottom of the foot. Out of this hole oozes pus and filth his body cannot pass into its system fast enough. Some of this pus gets into the meat.
-Courtesy BRScience
Here is a similar verse that Christians use out of context to justify eating unclean animals.
Matthew 15:11-20 King James Version
11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
15 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.
16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
This verse is about a ritual of handwashing that the Jewish leaders made up and that believers are not required to follow. It actually has nothing to do with the eating of unclean animals.
Eat what’s set before you – this verse doesn’t mean what most Christians think it means. Neither does the phrase “All things are lawful for me”
1 Corinthians 10:20-29 King James Version
20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to Yahuwah: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.
21 Ye cannot drink the cup of Yahuwah, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of Yahuwah’s table, and of the table of devils.
22 Do we provoke Yahuwah to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?
23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
24 Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.
25 Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake:
26 For the earth is Yahuwahs, and the fulness thereof.
27 If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake.
28 But if any man say unto you, this is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is Yahuwahs, and the fulness thereof:
29 Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man’s conscience?
1 Corinthians 6:12 King James Version
12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
Is Paul actually saying that all things are lawful for him? No, he is actually quoting a mantra used by the Libertine Gnostics of Corinth, in his letter to the Corinthians. The translators didn’t bother to put that in quotation marks so we would know that he was not speaking his own ideas but was quoting a mantra from the cult that they came out of. He quoted their ‘mantra’ so he could address it because it goes against the law of Yahuwah.
The translations below do have the quotation marks in place, therefore making the verse easier to understand as it was meant to be! In quotation marks are the cult’s words, and ‘but……’ are Paul’s words as he answered back to them.
New Living Translation
You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial.
English Standard Version
“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up.
Berean Study Bible
“Everything is permissible,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is edifying.
This whole section is about eating meat that’s been offered in sacrifice to idols (demons). There is instruction in the Bible to not eat meat that has been, in Acts 15, but Paul is saying if they go into a feast where they don’t believe this (“that believe not”), and may be serving food that may have been offered to idols, to not ask about it, but just go ahead and eat it, because in reality it won’t harm them. These people didn’t serve the ‘unclean’ meats that Yahuwah forbids, such as pork, shellfish, etc. and it is NOT referring to unbelievers who eat unclean meats, it is referring to people who may have served meat bought in the market that had previously been offered to idols.
He goes on to say in verse 28 that if they come right out and say it has been offered to idols, then they were not to eat it, because that might give the server the idea that idol worship was approved of by them, and cause them to stumble. In other words, in this particular instance, what they don’t know won’t hurt them!
Here is another popular verse used out of context to justify violating Yahuwah’s laws!
Galatians 4:8-11 King James Version
8 Howbeit then, when ye knew not Yahuwah, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
9 But now, after that ye have known Yahuwah, or rather are known of Yahuwah, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.
The Galatians were pagans before they got born-again, and had been worshipping demonic deities, and AFTER getting born-again they began going back into the bondage of the paganism they came out of. They started observing pagan holidays again, and Paul was doing his best to stop them from falling away from Yahushuwa’s salvation. This verse is NOT saying they went ‘back’ into Yahuwah’s laws – they were never in them in the first place, and verse 8 verifies this “when ye knew not Yahuwah”. Use some common sense here, and also learn the history behind the Scripture.
Let’s move right along – this next chapter, Romans 14 (below), is also used by Christians to support not following the dietary laws or holy days.
Their understanding of this chapter tends to be “People who keep the Sabbath and eat kosher are weak in faith, but the strong in faith treat every day alike and eat anything.” It’s understandable if you just have this one chapter and not the rest of the Scriptures which say the opposite, but it is far from the truth.
Romans 14 King James Version
1 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. (Paul does not mean literally ALL THINGS – it is about vegetarianism versus eating meat.)
3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for Yahuwah hath received him.
4 Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? To his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for Yahuwah is able to make him stand.
5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto Yahuwah; and he that regardeth not the day, to Yahuwah he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to Yahuwah, for he giveth Yahuwah thanks; and he that eateth not, to Yahuwah he eateth not, and giveth Yahuwah thanks.
7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
8 For whether we live, we live unto Yahuwah; and whether we die, we die unto Yahuwah: whether we live therefore, or die, we are Yahuwah.
9 For to this end Yahushuwa both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.
10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? Or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Yahushuwa.
11 For it is written, As I live, saith Yahushuwa, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to Yahuwah.
12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to Yahuwah.
13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.
14 I know, and am persuaded by Messiah Yahushuwa, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
15 But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Messiah died.
16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of:
17 For the kingdom of Yahuwah is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
18 For he that in these things serveth Messiah is acceptable to Yahuwah, and approved of men.
19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.
20 For meat destroy not the work of Yahuwah. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.
21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
22 Hast thou faith? Have it to thyself before Yahuwah. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.
23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
Verse 5 where it says “…Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind” on the surface sounds like one can ‘will’ away the laws/commandments of Yahuwah, but this is NOT the case. It is talking about vegetarianism and whether to honor certain pagan days or not, and has nothing to do with condoning the meats that Yahuwah labeled as unclean meats or not honoring Yahuwah’s holy days. Some of these people were fasting meats on certain days of the week because they considered them to be unclean on those certain days, and that is what “one man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike” is referring to! It has nothing to do with Yahuwah’s Sabbaths and feast days! The pagan culture they lived in honored certain pagan gods on certain days, and were even superstitious about doing certain things on certain days. Though the believers were learning to come out of the paganism, a lot of it still influenced them.
Even in today’s times the days of the week are still named according to different pagan gods. Monday is for the moon goddess, Tuesday is for the planet Mars, in honor of the god Tiw (Tiw’s Day), Wednesday is for the planet Mercury, later named in honor of the god Wedn or Woden, Thursday is for the planet Jupiter, later named to honor Zeus or Thor, Friday is for the planet Venus, later named for the goddess Aphrodite, Frigg or Freia, Saturday is for the planet Saturn, honor of the Roman god Saturn (Saturnalia is the festival in December that preceded Christmas that I will talk about later), and Sunday is for Sol/Helios, the Sun god. Even the names of our months are derived from pagan deities – January in honor of the Roman god Janus, etc.) Yahuwah doesn’t want us using pagan deities’ names:
Exodus 23:13 King James Version
13 And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.
But how do we avoid this? We live in a society where we can’t escape this unless we just say “the first day” or “the first month”, etc.
Some believers will only refer to the days as ‘the first day’, ‘the second day’, ‘the seventh day’, etc., because they do not want to speak out the names of pagan gods. Most people don’t even know they are referring to pagan gods! We live in a modern-day Babylon, and ‘coming out’ of it is not easy.
A modern-day example is Catholics and some other Christians who eat fish on Friday but fast regular ‘warm-blooded animal’ meat as a way of mourning Yahushuwa’s death, since they mistakenly believe He died on ‘Good Friday’. Meat is a celebratory food and they are mourning His death, not celebrating it. – there is no commandment to do this and it doesn’t matter if one does or doesn’t. And FYI, He died on a Wednesday afternoon, was in the grave by sunset, and for 3 days and 3 nights (which is 72 hours), as said in Matthew 12:40 “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth”. He rose from the dead before sunset on the Sabbath, Saturday evening, as it was about to become early Sunday morning, 72 hours after He was put in the tomb, and that could not have been Friday – if you can add, you can figure this out.
Some of them never ate meat. There is no commandment/law of Yahuwah to be a vegetarian, nor to refrain from the allowed meats on certain days of the week. Therefore, that issue is not important, and is personal choice whether to eat it or not eat it.
But this isn’t even talking about general vegetarianism. The reason some of the people didn’t eat meat was because they did not know for sure that the meat in the market hadn’t been offered to idols before it was put up for sale, and they were so strict about not eating that type of meat that they stopped eating it all-together in order to be ‘safe’. This is a case where Paul indicates that ‘if you don’t know, it won’t hurt you’, but if you do know, then avoid it for the sake of your brothers and sisters who are ‘weak in the faith’ and may be offended by you eating a meat that might have possibly been offered to idols.
None of this is talking about the ‘unclean’ animals that Yahuwah commands us not to eat, like pigs, shellfish, vultures, camels, horses, snakes, etc. It is only talking about the ‘allowed’ animals/meats such as cows, sheep, goats, chickens, etc. These are considered ‘clean’, but if offered to idols first, they are ‘ceremonial unclean’. Some believers prayed over them and ate them, while others avoided them like the plague. The only reason it was recommended not to eat them is because you may offend a brother who is weaker in the faith, NOT because the meat would actually defile you. It’s about brotherly love, not law, here.
Certain animals are to be considered unclean because Yahuwah says they are, not because their genetic make-ups are somehow created to be ‘unholy’, although there IS reason to consider them ‘physically’ unclean (unhealthy, unsafe) to eat, such as pigs, vultures and the other creatures that clean up our environment by eating up the garbage. To believers, because Yahuwah says certain animals/meats are unclean, they are unclean, plain and simple. If we love our Creator and Messiah, we will obey Him and not eat those creatures. And if we are also health conscience, we may realize there is a health reason He forbids them. But even if there wasn’t, we still should not eat them, simply because He said so.
Here’s more Scripture used out of context to justify eating unclean meats:
1 Timothy 4:1-5 King James Version
1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which Yahuwah hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
4 For every creature of Yahuwah is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
5 For it is sanctified by the word of Yahuwah and prayer.
Many think that Paul is saying that every creature of Yahuwah means even pigs and other ‘unclean’ animals, but that is not true. He was talking to Jewish believers who never ate ‘unclean’ animals. He didn’t need to explain to them that he didn’t mean they could eat the forbidden meats – they already knew this, but we modern-day believers wouldn’t necessarily know it if someone didn’t bring it to our attention. The animals that Yahuwah told them they could eat, that were considered Kosher because Yahuwah made them that way, were forbidden by some cults that taught doctrines of demons, forbidding them from eating the kosher meats, from getting married (as the Catholics forbid their priests to marry), and other ridiculous restrictions that were not restricted by Yahuwah. Their restriction of marrying goes directly against Yahuwah’s commandment to be fruitful and multiply.
Some people use Genesis 9:3 to excuse eating unclean meats, or at least to say that Noah was told he could do this.
Genesis 9:3-4 King James Version
3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.
4 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.
Let’s understand this verse in context. Notice that before the flood, there obviously were animals that were considered clean and unclean. Yahuwah told Noah to take the clean ones into the ark by sevens – why? Well, clean animals are eaten, so they need to mate and produce plenty of food, and they were used in sacrifices as well, so there needed to be more of them to multiply. The unclean animals were only brought on by one male and one female of each kind. Those won’t be eaten and so there doesn’t need to be as many. As you can see, the dietary laws concerning clean and unclean animals were in effect way back in Genesis – they did not BEGIN at Mount Sinai! They were not written down at first though, and in Exodus 24, on Mount Sinai, it says Moses wrote all of Yahuwah’s instructions on a scroll. Then, in Malachi 4 it says:
Malachi 4:4 King James Version
4 Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.
Genesis 7:2 King James Version
2 Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.
Genesis 8:20 King James Version
20 And Noah builded an altar unto Yahuwah; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
Now do you suppose they sacrificed these clean animals, and ate the sacrifice (as was normally done), but also ate the very few unclean animals (which would have made both groups go extinct fairly quickly)? That doesn’t even make sense. Yahuwah had him bring the animals on the ark to be released after the flood so they could breed abundantly and multiply.
Genesis 8:14-19 King James Version
14 And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.
15 And Yahuwah spake unto Noah, saying,
16 Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons’ wives with thee.
17 Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.
18 And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him:
19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.
Genesis 9:3-4 King James Version
3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.
4 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.
“Every moving thing” comes from the Hebrew word Remes (#743 in Strong’s Concordance) and is NOT a term that literally means “all creatures” or “every moving thing”! It is ONE category of creatures – animals that are approved by Yahuwah to be hunted, and these would be only ‘clean’ animals like wild cattle, antelope, deer, gazelle and ibex. It is sad that the verse was translated so poorly to English, to give us the impression that Yahuwah allowed Noah to eat unclean animals, when that is not at all the case.
The next issue is why did Yahuwah need to tell Noah he could eat these clean animals, when clean animals could be eaten as part of everyone’s diet (and they were sacrificed and then eaten as well) before he built the ark? Because while they were in the ark, the family was not allowed to eat any of the animals, or else they would go extinct before the flood ended! So, they ate plant life while in the ark, and after the flood they were again allowed to eat the clean animals. This next verse shows that they took plants on board for their food as well as for food for the animals:
Genesis 6:20-21 King James Version
20 Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.
21 And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.
Now I’m going to talk about some verses that many believers think are laws, but either are not or only apply to specific situations, and also some laws that may sound strange and are misunderstood!
Here’s another one of those verses that Christians love to use to ‘prove’ that the law is done away with and that men do not need to be circumcised. But again, it is being taken out of context, and the pastors and evangelists need to start teaching these verses in their proper context. Hang on while we go for a ride!
Galatians 5:3-6 King James Version
3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
4 Yahushuwa 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 Yahushuwa the Messiah neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love
Paul was preaching to the Galatians, who came from a group that was literally called ‘works of the law’, that taught that you had to get circumcised AS A MEANS to being born-again. He was teaching them that circumcision does NOT come BEFORE getting born-again, but afterwards. He was NOT telling them that if they obeyed Yahuwah’s commandment to be circumcised, they were fallen from grace.
But because they don’t understand what was really going on here, Christians will be quick to tell you that you have fallen from grace if you teach that you have to obey the commandments. Grace and works go together, but grace through faith comes first, and is the free gift from Yahuwah, and it empowers you to begin to do the works, which is obedience to Yahuwah’s commandments.
Where it says “that he is a debtor to do the whole law” – this means that if one is trying to be justified by the law to receive salvation, he would have to obey every single part perfectly, never slip up and sin, never make a mistake, in order for that to work. We know that no one can do that. We ALL sin and come short of the glory of Yahuwah. Our own righteousness is like filthy rags to Him. Yahushuwa is the only one who was perfect and never sinned, and therefore qualified to atone for our sins.
Isaiah 64:6 King James Version
6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
20 Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.
21 And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.
Now I’m going to talk about some verses that many believers think are laws, but either are not or only apply to specific situations, and also some laws that may sound strange and are misunderstood!
Here’s another one of those verses that Christians love to use to ‘prove’ that the law is done away with and that men do not need to be circumcised. But again, it is being taken out of context, and the pastors and evangelists need to start teaching these verses in their proper context. Hang on while we go for a ride!
Galatians 5:3-6 King James Version
3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
4 Yahushuwa 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 Yahushuwa the Messiah neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love
Paul was preaching to the Galatians, who came from a group that was literally called ‘works of the law’, that taught that you had to get circumcised AS A MEANS to being born-again. He was teaching them that circumcision does NOT come BEFORE getting born-again, but afterwards. He was NOT telling them that if they obeyed Yahuwah’s commandment to be circumcised, they were fallen from grace.
But because they don’t understand what was really going on here, Christians will be quick to tell you that you have fallen from grace if you teach that you have to obey the commandments. Grace and works go together, but grace through faith comes first, and is the free gift from Yahuwah, and it empowers you to begin to do the works, which is obedience to Yahuwah’s commandments.
Where it says “that he is a debtor to do the whole law” – this means that if one is trying to be justified by the law to receive salvation, he would have to obey every single part perfectly, never slip up and sin, never make a mistake, in order for that to work. We know that no one can do that. We ALL sin and come short of the glory of Yahuwah. Our own righteousness is like filthy rags to Him. Yahushuwa is the only one who was perfect and never sinned, and therefore qualified to atone for our sins.
Isaiah 64:6 King James Version
6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
That line does NOT mean that we are not to even attempt to do the whole law. Again, all it means is that we cannot do it without being born-again first, in order to make it to heaven. Born-again by grace comes first, then obedience of the law is to be done. It’s too bad most pastors do not explain this to their people.
Open your Bible to the 15th chapter of Acts and read the whole chapter. I’m going to put a few of the verses on here but it’s better to read it all.
Acts 15 King James Version
1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.
(This is what I was talking about – you have men here who were teaching the Gentiles that they could not be saved until after they got circumcised, and of course if this one law was required in order to be saved, all the rest would also have to be required and done perfectly, and that is simply not so. Getting born-again comes first, obedience to laws comes afterwards. We are saved by grace through faith, and it’s a free gift that we cannot earn by our works. - You already know this. I just want you to understand that I also know this.)
5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, that it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.
6 And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.
7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago Yahuwah made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
8 And Yahuwah, 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 Yahuwah, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
(Getting it all at once and getting it all right would have been too hard, but it doesn’t mean that they were unable to bear keeping the law, because there are verses that says it’s not a burden, it’s a pleasure, etc. The ‘yoke’ was if they made adherence to Yahuwah’s Commandments a prerequisite to Salvation.)
11 But we believe that through the grace of Yahushuwa the Messiah we shall be saved, even as they.
2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.
(This is what I was talking about – you have men here who were teaching the Gentiles that they could not be saved until after they got circumcised, and of course if this one law was required in order to be saved, all the rest would also have to be required and done perfectly, and that is simply not so. Getting born-again comes first, obedience to laws comes afterwards. We are saved by grace through faith, and it’s a free gift that we cannot earn by our works. - You already know this. I just want you to understand that I also know this.)
5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, that it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.
6 And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.
7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago Yahuwah made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
8 And Yahuwah, 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 Yahuwah, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
(Getting it all at once and getting it all right would have been too hard, but it doesn’t mean that they were unable to bear keeping the law, because there are verses that says it’s not a burden, it’s a pleasure, etc. The ‘yoke’ was if they made adherence to Yahuwah’s Commandments a prerequisite to Salvation.)
11 But we believe that through the grace of Yahushuwa the Messiah we shall be saved, even as they.
(Peter reminds them of how they are now allowed to share the gospel with the Gentiles, and how they received it and were filled with the Holy Spirit. They were new in the gospel, and to put a demand on them to immediately obey all of the law would be too much all at once for them to bear. But even more the reason is the fact that circumcision was part of the Pharisaic oral tradition conversion ritual which was a burden to them, making people get circumcised in order to convert. This was a man-made law, NOT Yahuwah’s law. People don’t have to do ANY rituals or laws in order to be saved.)
19 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to Yahuwah:
20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
(Why did they pick these four things? First of all, these were not requirements for salvation! They were to get them started on the right path. The first one was to restrict them from partaking in any rituals pertaining to idol worship [worship of other gods], including eating meats that were offered to idols. This is from Leviticus 17 where it says not to offer sacrifices to other gods and those who do will be cut off from being one of His people. Eating those meats, in itself, wasn’t the problem, but doing it could make them feel like they were involved in the idol worship that took place before the meat was put in the market. Getting people away from the idol worship was a big task in those days. Actually, it's a big task today as well, but usually in different ways.)
The second one – fornication was rampant in their society, and even in many temples, as they had temple prostitutes as part of their pagan worship, and James decided they needed to address this right away. It comes from Leviticus 18, which tells what kinds of sexual activity are forbidden by Yahuwah. The third and fourth ones are very similar and have to do mainly with not eating blood, which comes from Leviticus 17. Yahuwah gave instructions on how to kill an animal so that the blood would drain out before cooking it. If one was strangled, the blood did not drain. Many of the pagans had rituals where they drank the blood of animals to ‘gain strength’ [this goes on today as well], and Yahuwah forbids this. Leviticus 17:10-12 KJV “And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood.”)
21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
(Abstaining from these four things was just to get them started on the right foot. The disciples KNEW that the new converts were going to be meeting in the synagogues every Sabbath to hear the preaching and learn the rest of the law of Moses, and over time they would learn how to obey the rest of the law (see Acts 13 below). That is why it pleased the apostles and elders and the church to give them the four things to abstain from, because they knew they’d learn the rest at the weekly meetings.)
22 Then pleased it the apostles and elders with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas and Silas, chief men among the brethren:
23 And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia.
24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:
(Again, addressing the issue of them being told they had to be circumcised in order to get saved.)
28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.
30 So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle:
31 Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation.
Acts 13:42-44 King James Version
42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.
43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of Yahuwah.
44 And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of Yahuwah.
The above verse in Acts shows us that the Gentiles attended the meetings in the synagogues on the Sabbath to learn the rest of the Torah (instructions, law.)
Also notice that these four laws are from the Law of Moses, which was dictated by Yahuwah, therefore is Yahuwah’s law (of the Old Testament), and the new converts were instructed to obey them. No, they were not what people call ‘moral laws’, and they were not of the Ten Commandments! I point this out because many Christians believe we are to keep the ‘moral laws’ (which there is no such label of any of the laws). Well, these are the law of Moses, and the new believers were instructed to obey these. And these instructions were given TO THE Gentile origin believers (like many of us are) years after Yahushuwa rose from the dead. They were given by James, Peter and the Jerusalem Council, with Paul in attendance. And verse 28 that says ‘28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;” does NOT mean that it isn’t necessary to obey any of the other laws outside of these four, because as author/Bible instructor Richard L. Wheeler so intelligently states:
“Please, let’s use some common sense and logic! So, I can’t eat blood, but I can murder? As a “believer” I can’t eat strangled meat, but can I steal? I can’t sacrifice to idols, but I can hate and cheat my neighbor? Really? These four commands from Acts 15 are NOT the only commands James and the Council expected them to obey; they were just the starting point for these pagans that were coming into the fold. This is EXACTLY why James made the statement of verse 21!!! This is EXACTLY why he made it clear what he expected and knew what the new converts would learn and do after they obeyed these preliminary commands.
And what did James and the Council expect these new converts to learn and do next? What does the text say? “For he (Moses) is read every Sabbath in the synagogues… | Acts 15:21”
“The first few verses of Acts 15 are used by mainstream theology to justify the abolishment of the Law of Moses (Acts 15:1-10). But tragically the rest of the chapter is rarely read from today’s Christian pulpit, and the context of the chapter as a whole is completely ignored.
Today’s mainstream teachers arrive at a completely different conclusion than what James and the 1st Century Christian Council actually proclaim in the Word of God, if you just keep reading the dialog.
The conclusion and decision that James and the Council arrived at was that those coming to faith and belief in the Messiah who were originating from the nations/gentiles, needed to “immediately” start keeping four specific Laws from Moses: nothing polluted by idols/false gods, no eating of blood, no eating meat that was strangled and no sexual immorality.” - end of Richard L. Wheeler's statement.
Here are a few more:
Acts 17:2 King James Version
2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, (Note – the only Scriptures they had was the law and the prophets – no New Testament – he was teaching the Gentile converts out of the Old Testament!)
Acts 18:4 King James Version
4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
Now many Christians will insist that the disciples only went into the synagogues to persuade the Jews to get born-again and learn about the Messiah, but the verse below shows that they were teaching the law in the synagogues!
Acts 15:21 King James Version
21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
Acts 15:21 English Standard Version
21 For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.
The version above words it better, as it was a present tense “IS read”, (being read) and not a past tense activity!
Yes, they were teaching the law of Moses (Torah, Yahuwah’s Old Testament law) to the new converts!
Romans 2:14-15 King James Version
14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another…
The Gentiles didn’t get the law all at once. But when they got born-again their heart became open and obedient to parts of the law by the Holy Spirit revealing it in them. The law was taught to them after they got born-again. Acts 15 reveals this. His Holy Spirit comes into us when we get born-again and we are made new spiritually, and He communicates with our minds from within, usually with a still small voice.
Let’s go back to Romans 2, starting with verses 12, putting it together, because I want to show you a good commentary which helped me better understand these verses, by John W. Ritenbaugh:
Romans 2:12-15 King James Version
12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before Yahuwah, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another…
“Romans 2:12-13 - We cannot be justified before God except through faith in the sacrifice of God's Son, Jesus Christ, and then God gives us grace. This does not excuse us from keeping the law because He says those who keep the law will be justified; therefore, keeping the law cannot justify, it cannot save a person, but those who keep the law will be justified and saved, not because they are keeping the law in order to be saved but because they are faithful in showing God that they are preparing their lives for His Kingdom, where everybody will live the same godly life, according to the same rules. That is what God's law outlines—His way of life. This section, up to verse 16, shows that both those with a formal ignorance of God's law (say, the Gentiles) and those with knowledge of the law (in this case, the Jews, or in our context now, Christians) will be judged by the law. Why? Because the law defines sin! Sin brings God's judgment.” - John W. Ritenbaugh, from “The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Sixteen)”
“In the broader context of Romans, it becomes clear that each person—Jew or Gentile, converted or unconverted—is judged against what he knows, and God holds him responsible for working to produce obedience at that level. This is similar to what teachers expect of school children. They hold children in the higher grades more responsible for knowing and doing than those in lower grades. Courts use the same general system, holding adults more responsible for their crimes than children. Thus, for the same crime, an adult will receive a sterner punishment.
The called must realize that, because of their calling, the requirements—and thus the judgments—are much stiffer since they know so much more. This is why Paul says in Romans 3:31, "Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law." Faith upholds law or makes it firm because the law points out what righteousness, love, and sin are, and guides us in how faith is to be used.” - John W. Ritenbaugh, from “The Elements of Motivation (Part Four): Obligation”
Speaking of teachers and school children, another Scripture that Christians use to excuse following the law is this:
Galatians 3:23-26 King James Version
23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Yahushuwa the Messiah , that we might be justified by faith.
26 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
26 For ye are all the children of Yahuwah by faith in Messiah Yahushuwa.
Schoolmaster is #3807 in the Strong’s Concordance “paidagogos”. It means “a boy-leader, i.e. a servant whose office it was to take the children to school.” The whole Mosaic law is not ‘the schoolmaster’ that brings us to Yahushuwa. The feast days are prophetic about Yahushuwa, but it is the law of the Levitical Priesthood, which was added because Yahuwah’s people made the golden calf in the wilderness, an idol, and committed idolatry by worshipping it, that brings us to Yahushuwa, as that is the law He took over as the High Priest, as we studied earlier. The Levitical Priesthood law was added because of the transgression, until the seed should come (Galatians 3:19) and Yahushuwa is the ‘seed’ that came (Galatians 3:16). His blood that He shed on the cross redeems us from our sins as the blood of the animals represented that and prepared us for that. Once He died for our sins, we do not need the Levitical Priesthood law, the Schoolmaster, because it led us to Him, and He took over for that, permanently. Once the children got to school, Yahushuwa through His Holy Spirit became our teacher on how to keep the law correctly.
Here is more of that verse, to see it in context:
Galatians 3:19-26 King James Version
19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but Yahuwah is one.
21 Is the law then against the promises of Yahuwah? Yahuwah forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Yahushuwa the Messiah might be given to them that believe.
23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Yahushuwa the Messiah, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
26 For ye are all the children of Yahuwah by faith in Messiah Yahushuwa.
Galatians 3:13 is another verse Christians use as an excuse to not keep Yahuwah’s laws. I’m including verse 10 because it is related.:
Galatians 3:10-13 King James Version
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.
11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of Yahuwah, it is evident: for The just shall live by faith
12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
13 Messiah hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree
The curse of the law is what you get when you refuse to obey the law, which means when you sin. The curse IS NOT the law itself! NO WHERE in the Bible does it EVER say that the law is a curse. In Deuteronomy, it lists the curses people will receive when they violate the law, and this is what Paul is referring to. We are to keep the law, but we are not JUSTIFIED by the law – we do not do the law in order to get born-again. It is not a pre-requisite to getting born-again. We do the law AFTER getting born-again to SANCTIFY ourselves. Born-again by grace through faith, because of repenting of our past sins and getting forgiven when we repent and confess Yahushuwa as our savior, and then learning how to stop doing the sin we got forgiven for which is transgressing His laws, or learning to keep His laws. That is how we become sanctified and holy.
Deuteronomy 11:26-28 King James Version
26 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse;
27 A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of Yahuwah your God, which I command you this day:
28 And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of Yahuwah your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.
Deuteronomy 27:26 King James Version
26 Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Born-again believers are free from those curses when they repent of any sins they commit, because we get forgiven and therefore are not bound by the curses. Yahushuwa paid the price for our sins and set us free from that curse (if we repent). Whenever we slip up and sin, we do need to repent – admit we have sinned and ask His forgiveness for sinning.
This is part of the section I showed you above, but many will use it by itself. Let’s take it from the beginning though. Galatians is dealing with new believers who came from a cult called ‘works of the law’ that taught them they had to earn salvation by obedience to laws and rules, and Paul was dealing with them to get them back on track – that grace by faith comes first, THEN works of obedience to Yahuwah’s laws. The curse of the law is the punishment for disobeying the law. Well, when we break a law (sin) then instead of receiving a curse as punishment for sinning, we can repent of the sin and be forgiven, thereby being free from the curse or punishment, the law of sin and death, the curse of the law. Yahushuwa received our punishment or curse in our place when He died on the cross.
Galatians 3:1-18 King James Version
1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Yahushuwa the Messiah hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.
5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
6 Even as Abraham believed Yahuwah, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
8 And the scripture, foreseeing that Yahuwah would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
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.
(This applies if one is counting on earning salvation by obeying laws instead of receiving salvation as a free gift by faith FIRST, before doing the works of the law. If people try to earn salvation by obeying the laws, they would have to obey every single one of them perfectly in order for that to work, and that is impossible, because we all fall short of doing them perfectly, so we cannot receive salvation that way. That is all that means. It does NOT mean that if we follow the laws AFTER we get born-again that we must do it all perfectly or else, as so many Christians insist.)
11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of Yahuwah, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
13 Messiah hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Yahushuwa the Messiah; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.
16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Messiah.
17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of Yahuwah in Messiah, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but Yahuwah gave it to Abraham by promise.
Back to the topic of circumcision, yes there is a commandment for men to be circumcised. It directs parents to circumcise their male babies on their 8th day, and it just so happens that their blood clots the best on the 8th day after birth, because the baby has a double portion of vitamin K in his bloodstream on that one and only day of his life. So, the practical side of this is that they won’t bleed a lot.
Genesis 17:10-13 King James Version
10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.
11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.
13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
Leviticus 12:3 King James Version
3 And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.
As far as adults getting circumcised after coming into the faith, it is an outward sign of an inward commitment to serve Yahuwah, as baptism is an outward sign of an inward commitment to die to self and be born-again as a child of Yahuwah. Abraham, was 75 years old (Gen 12:1-4) when Yahuwah called Him into faith, and Yahuwah gave the commandment to get circumcised when he was 99 (Gen 17:1,11), which he did that very same day (Gen 17:26.) And the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years before Joshua circumcised them (Jos 5:3-6).. (It probably took him 40 years to talk them into it! Just kidding. 😊)
Genesis 17:10-14 King James Version
10 This (is) my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.
11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.
13 He that is born in the house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people: he hath broken my covenant.
As you can see from the verse above, which is a commandment from Yahuwah, circumcision is an important issue, not something to be sluffed off. And as you can also see, Yahuwah had commandments (also called His law) way back in Genesis and this continued throughout history – the law didn’t first begin when Moses brought down from the mountain the stone tablets and scrolls! What began at that time was the Levitical Priesthood law that was added to the pre-existing law, and it was all put in writing. The Sabbath, which became a law, was instituted on the seventh day of creation, which shows how far back Yahuwah’s laws go! We’ll go over that topic soon. First let’s continue with the circumcision topic.
Exodus 12:48 King James Version
48 And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the Passover to Yahuwah, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. (Again, shows the importance of it!)
Joshua 5:3-7 King James Version
3 And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.
4 And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt.
5 Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised.
6 For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of Yahuwah: unto whom Yahuwah sware that he would not shew them the land, which Yahuwah sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey.
7 And their children, whom he raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised: for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way.
Those were the children who were born in the wilderness by the adults who fled from Pharoah – the parents had died already.
Acts 7:8 King James Version
8 And he gave them the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day ……
Circumcision is a covenant! Yes, it is important!
1 Corinthians 7:19 King James Version
19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of Yahuwah.
Circumcision of itself is meaningless if it doesn’t reflect a commitment to Yahuwah that is already in the person. For a baby or for a servant, it is the commitment of the parents or the master of the servant that is shown by it, and for an adult, it is the commitment of the adult that it expresses. It shows that they are circumcised in their heart, and is the outward expression of that. And it is a commandment of Yahuwah! Keeping the commandments of Yahuwah is important.
Colossians 2:11 King James Version
11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Messiah Yahushuwa.
Acts 7:51 King James Version
51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
Ezekiel 44:9 King James Version
9 Thus saith Yahuwah; No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel.
This shows us that being circumcised in the heart is not just a New Testament idea. Again, something in the New Testament that CAME FROM the Old Testament! New converts of the Gentiles were not the ‘strangers’ mentioned here. The word stranger, according to Strong’s, means a foreigner or alien. The emphasis on this verse is that no godless heathen (one who is not circumcised in heart) is allowed to enter and profane the worship and desecrate the sanctuary. This had happened before and so the command was to prevent it from happening again.
Those who are circumcised in their heart will at some point get circumcised in their flesh, but of course if one is NOT circumcised in heart, being it in the flesh has no benefit, so the verse is emphasizing that those whose hearts are not submitted to Yahuwah, the godless heathens, are not permitted to enter the temple. If you take this to the New Testament new converts, it does NOT mean that they had to get circumcised before they could enter the temple.
Here is another from the Old Testament that instructs people to keep the law, but have it come from the heart, mentioning circumcision of the heart:
Deuteronomy 10:12-16 King James Version
12 And now, Israel, what doth Yahuwah require of thee, but to fear Yahuwah, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve Yahuwah with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
13 To keep the commandments of Yahuwah, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?
14 Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is Yahuwah’s, the earth also, with all that therein is.
15 Only Yahuwah had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day.
16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.
By the way, here’s another little common-sense exercise – if Deuteronomy 10 is no longer valid because it’s Old Testament, then why does Yahushuwa our Messiah say this in Matthew 18 “but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments” and why does Revelation 22:14 say “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city”? Ponder that if you don’t get it yet, while we move right along! And yes, I know I already addressed this, but it’s so important that I addressed it again!
Romans 2:25-29 King James Version
25 For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
26 Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?
27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter 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; whose praise is not of men, but of Yahuwah.
That one explaining how our obedience of the law needs to come from our hearts, the inward man, and not just be a show of outward obedience, or Yahuwah doesn’t receive us as one of His. You might as well not be circumcised if you are not going to keep His laws, because your heart is not right with Him. Yet, if your heart IS right with Him, you WILL get circumcised (if you are a man, that is). Over and over the Bible teaches us to obey Yahuwah’s laws/commandments, but not as a prerequisite to salvation, but AFTER we get born-again and forgiven of our sins!
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