Messiah Fellowship is a group of believers in Yeshua as Savior! We believe that God has given us His WHOLE Word for us to walk in BY His Grace.
Use the convenient contact form to get in touch with us.
Messiah Fellowship 6200 East SR120 Howe Indiana 46746
(260) 562-3236 orToll Free 800-231-2494
November 22, 2008
The Commandments and Doctrines of Men
Colossians 2:20-23 says that the commandments and doctrines of men are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.
We see story after story in the mainstream press of the painful results of men overtaken by the indulgence of the flesh. The flesh has an insatiable appetite for all things sensual. The word sensual simply means those things that titillate the senses. Face it. Our bodies are nothing but sensually focused. But the body is simply the means to gratify the sensual appetite. The sensuality that must be satiated is in the inner man. It is the center of man –the inner man – that our English Bibles translate into the
“heart” of man.
Yeshua - Jesus said what comes out of a man defiles that man; it is what proceeds from the heart of man. So the important factor is the consistency of the heart of a man. What is the consistency of the inner man? That is determined by a man or woman’s choice.
To make that choice, in the positive, one must be a believer in the God of the Bible. HE is the ONE who has shown us the wickedness of heart by revealing to us HIS standard of
righteousness through HIS Word. Every man or woman will come to the understanding that their practices are lawless – transgressing the Law of God. Even if they never see a
Bible or one is read to them, the Almighty Creator will reveal each person’s sin, and need for HIS salvation to them, just as HE did to Abraham.
The Book of Galatians tells us that the Scripture preached the gospel to Abraham. At the time of Abraham there was no written Word. They had no Bible. We place God in a box when we limit HIS ability to our sensual capabilities of sight and sound. The Scripture –Yeshua, the LIVING WORD preached the gospel to Abraham. Abraham believed HIM, obeyed, and it was accounted to HIM as righteousness. We are made righteous by
believing what God has said. True belief, however, results in doing what we believe. One can say they believe that eating a balanced diet will make their life better, but if they do
not eat balanced their belief is merely intellectual assent. It is not true belief. True belief acts on belief.
Please understand. I am not singling out any one man, who has fallen, as a subject of ridicule, as if he is the only man that has ever fallen through unbelief. As well, I am not pontificating from a position of sinless perfection myself. I simply want to put the
emphasis where it belongs: The commandments and doctrines of men have no value against the indulgence of the flesh.
The professing church has, for all her existence, fallen back on her own power to maintain herself. She professes to be following Messiah, while looking to HIM as the Author and Finisher of her faith, but all the while relying on the “fences” she erects, and in her own determination of what is acceptable to God.
A Biblical understanding of the concept of church, being the body of Messiah, will show it to be in existence since the Beginning. The concept of church is the same as synagogue. Each word embodies the concept of a gathering of people, especially those who profess faith in the God of the Bible. Since the Garden there has been a church and man has known what is acceptable to God. HE has never left man to “figure it out” for himself.
HE has told us. But, beginning in the Garden, man improvised, attempting to put his own stamp on God’s instructions and that resulted in a fall from grace that has passed sin and death down throughout the generations of mankind.
Falling from grace is absolutely not what man, who understands the fearful aspects of falling into the hands of the Living God, desires. But an accurate Biblical understanding of grace is vital to the follower of the Biblical Messiah. Grace, according to the Strong’s Greek Lexicon, is the Greek word “charis” which means “the divine influence on the heart, with the reflection in the life.” Grace is the work of the Holy Spirit, who is God (divine) to change our hearts and continually working to transform us into the very image of God’s own Son. We know that Yeshua (Jesus) is the Living Word (from Genesis to Revelation) and we know that HE said the Spirit would not speak on HIS own but only
remind the converted believer of what Yeshua said. We also know that Yeshua only spoke the Words of HIS Father. The Spirit “writing God’s Law on our hearts and putting HIS Law in our mind is the realization of the New Covenant, promised in Ezekiel 36 and Jeremiah 31. The Spirit speaking the Words of Yeshua, who spoke the Words of the Father, and causing us to walk in HIS statutes and commandments, is grace at work, implementing the New Covenant in the life of a true convert to Messiah Yeshua. So, falling from grace, is not submitting to the work of the Spirit of the Living Word, writing God’s Law on the heart and putting it in the mind, and instead following after the
commandments and doctrines of men that are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. By implication the commandments and doctrines of the Father are of great value
against the same indulgences.
The commandments and doctrines of no value against the indulgences of the flesh are the established non-biblical traditions and understandings of the Word of God. Eve began it
(maybe Adam did but we only read Eve’s words) when she added, “…nor shall you touch it” to the commandment of the LORD. That set her up, and us, to fall from grace. God,
throughout the annals of time, has warned HIS people against this “replacement” theology. By adding a little of man’s wisdom here and there, including the replacement of the commandments of God with improved upon commandments of men, we are
practicing syncretism that God has explicitly forbidden. Aaron did it when the golden calf was fashioned to worship a god that was no god at all, and then declaring the practice a feast unto the LORD. The professing body of the LORD God has continued to do that for all time, in spite of the fact that the LORD sent many prophets (man killed them) and HIS Son to warn men to return to the Truth. Consider the practices of the professing church
that have their roots and rituals established in paganism. Consider how the professing church calls these pagan practices a “feast unto the LORD.”
We, just as Adam and Eve, have made ourselves easy prey to the enemy, Satan, by our continued practice of syncretism. Syncretism in the modern professing church is no different than it was at any other time in history. We erect our own fences, initially out of good intentions, and those fences take away from actual faith in the LORD and a submission to the Lord and HIS work of grace. Once that has been done it is easy to begin to look at other things that are in opposition to righteousness of God as established in Scripture. We begin to consider these traditions of men as foundational. However the problem is that the foundation is built upon shifting sand instead of the Rock of the Truth of God’s Word. Everything becomes subjective to man instead of being subjective to God’s Word. The result is a mindset that makes it impossible to “hear” the voice of the
Spirit, who only speaks Words that are purely the commandments of God. We are so steeped in our traditions that we can’t, or don’t want to hear the Truth. The lie has become comfortable. But when the trial comes the lie is of no value against the temptation. Yeshua said we shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set us free, when believed and acted upon. Yeshua - Jesus said “Sanctify them by Your Truth, Your Word
is Truth,” in HIS prayer for us to our Father.
The result of non-biblical traditions, practiced by professing believers, is that the commandments of God become of no effect in our lives. Yeshua was very pointed in HIS warning to the Scribes and Pharisees. HE said, “You have made the commandment of God of no effect by your traditions.” Of no effect, means that the intended affect of practicing the commandments of God, by faith, is nullified by non-biblical traditions. This leaves a man or woman easy prey with no defense against the wiles of the devil. Yeshua, in dealing with Satan’s temptation, used Deuteronomy to do combat with the
enemy. The Word, believed and acted upon, had an effect on the enemy. The Word of God left HIM powerless. Yeshua not only believed the Word, HE was the Word, and HE practiced the Word. It is the same for us. If we practice the commandments and doctrines of the Almighty and eschew the commandments and doctrines of men we will leave the enemy powerless in his schemes to derail us. To use the Word of God effectively against
the schemes of the devil we must study the Word of God, in its entirety, in context, and allow the Spirit of God to write it on our hearts and cause us to walk in HIS precepts. Victory is only accomplished through faith in Messiah, the LIVING WORD.
The fall of other men, who have been looked upon as pillars of the faith, is a warning to all who profess to be followers of the Messiah. We must examine ourselves to see if we are of the faith, as Scripture commands us to do. The faith must be in the Biblical Messiah who is the Scripture. There will be no contradiction or shadow of turning. We examine ourselves in light of HIS Word and by this we know that we are being led by the Spirit, who is God, or by our flesh – the ways of man. We are warned by the Scripture: The ways of man seem right to him but they end in death. Sin brings death. Sin is rejecting the commandments of God – Lawlessness, according to the Word. The professing body, all over the world, is awaking to this Truth. HE is calling us all to come out of our Egypt. Will we respond?
Ephesians chapter two, as well as many other portions of Paul’s letters, has been misinterpreted and misunderstood almost from its beginning. Although I believe the LORD has given a small bit of revelation to me about these Scriptures, I in know way want to leave the impression that I’ve “learned it all” and “have all the
answers”. The LORD opening my eyes to this portion of Scripture was a huge milestone in my walk with Him and it came during a Bible college course that was teaching a dispensational perspective of this very text. So, as you read bear with me, and go to the Father to see if He doesn’t confirm this in your heart.
8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Paul begins this section by establishing a solid foundation for Biblical salvation. True salvation from God is BY grace. The Father extends His grace to us. This grace is simply the ability to choose to walk in faith according to His covenant. The second part of this formula is the faith just mentioned. There are many in the
church today that would shout GRACE, GRACE! But they miss the true definition of grace as well as its symbiotic relationship to faith. Grace is faith in action. God gives us His grace that we might trust Him to work His covenant out through our lives. We are, after all, His Body. And so we see Paul using the term THROUGH.
It’s BY grace and THROUGH faith. The two are inseparable! The next thought seems so natural; it is a gift of God. God made a promise that He would write His Word on our hearts and then cause us to walk in it. This leads us to the next point…it’s not of works, and if it was; we would boast. God is the Initiator and Finisher. He’s the one working in us. The purpose of His working is “for good works”. There are some who would say that God sent His Own Son to die on the cross for our sins so that we could simply call ourselves “Christians”. Not so! We were re-created in Christ Jesus so that we might walk in the Word of God which brings glory to our Creator.
Establishing the context is paramount for a proper understanding of the following verses. Primarily, we must remember that Paul is speaking to the church in Ephesus. History tells us that the believers in Ephesus were predominantly Gentiles. This single fact enables us to correctly understand the context.
11Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—
“Therefore”…based upon what Paul has taught us so far regarding the salvation that is a gift from God, BY grace and THROUGH faith. Gentiles were, and are, identified by the fact that the males are not circumcised and not natural descendants of Abraham. The Jews of Paul’s time were the Circumcised.
12that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
Paul gives us a great key to understanding this portion of Scripture when he shares with us the timeframe in which these Gentiles existed. He says, “At that time”. What time? … the time that they were uncircumcised and identified as such by the Jews. The Gentiles knowing nothing of God’s covenant or plan of salvation were aliens from the covenant that God made with Israel. They knew nothing of the promises and blessings of the
LORD. This IS a hopeless place to be!
13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
“But now in Christ Jesus”…possibly the greatest words in the Bible! This is in contradiction to the hopelessness and alienation that the Gentiles were in the midst of. Take note that Paul identifies these Ephesian Gentiles as being “in Christ Jesus” and not “in Israel”. In Yeshua the distance that was between the Gentiles and the Father has been removed. This came at a great price though. The very blood of the Messiah filled and removed this chasm.
You may already be weary of this article and be ready to put it down…please don’t. We’re about to jump into the real heart of it.
14For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,
Paul has already been speaking of two parties, the Jews and the Gentiles. In Messiah, these two entities have been made one. In Messiah, there is no Jew or Greek. 1 Corinthian 12:13…13For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. Paul also says that the “middle wall of separation” has been broken down. What? What is this middle wall of
separation? Specifically, there was an actual wall that separated the Jews and Gentiles worship. There is no place in the Scriptures that we can find God commanding His people to erect such a wall. In fact we see the opposite. As we’ll read, the wall was only a physical representation of a “wall” of rules and regulations that the Jews had created to keep the Gentiles from the Father. At the time of the writing of this letter a well established practice was the ritual of joining oneself to God. The Jews defined this as being circumcised, being baptized, and thus BECOMING an Israelite. There focus and hope was in their heritage rather than the saving work of the coming Messiah. We need to take a slight detour to establish this Biblically. Let’s look at a few portions of Scripture that will show us the existence of this wall of separation. We’ll be picking on the “foot-in-mouth” disciple…Peter.
Acts 10…1There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, 2a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms enerously to the people, and prayed to God always. 3About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!” 4And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?” So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. 5Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. 6He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.” 7And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually. 8So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa.
It’s a known fact that Peter, as well as the rest of Jews, viewed the Gentiles as unclean, unfit, and completely unable to have a relationship with God in their current state. Peter probably saw the Gentiles in the same light that he saw a swine on the side of the road…vile creatures destined for destruction. This is where the creation of the middle wall of separation and the rite of a proselyte came from. The Jews believed that the ONLY hope for
a Gentile was to BECOME a Jew! They could not be saved as Gentiles. So, with this in mind, how do you think Peter will respond to the messengers from the Gentile Cornelius? Let’s keep reading…
9The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. 10Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance 11and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, escending to him and let down to the earth. 12In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 13And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” 15And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” 16This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.
A quick read of this portion of Scripture and you may say, “Oh yes, this is when God rebuked Peter for trying to keep the food Laws and abolished them completely.” But a more careful examination and you’ll see that God is actually challenging the middle wall of separation that Peter was accustomed to. This portion of Scripture
begins with the LORD speaking to a Gentile. I believe that our Abba knew that Peter would need a serious “kick-in-the-pants” to receive the message that Cornelius’s servants were bringing. And so the vision… Throughout this vision Peter, in a sense, rebukes the LORD. The LORD continues to reveal His heart to Peter.
And we get a real understanding of what the vision was all about when we continue reading and hear Peter’s own interpretation of the vision.
17Now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate. 18And they called and asked whether Simon, whose surname was Peter, was lodging there. 19While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are seeking you. 20Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them.” 21Then Peter went down to the men who had been sent to him from Cornelius, and said, “Yes, I am he whom you seek. For what reason have you come?” 22And they said, “Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from you.” 23Then he invited them in and lodged them.
Notice the underlined verse. Peter invited these Gentiles into his home. SOMETHING has happened to Peter!!! Let’s keep reading…
On the next day Peter went away with them, and some brethren from Joppa accompanied him. 24And the following day they entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. 26But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I myself am also a man.” 27And as he talked with him, he went in and found many who had come together. 28Then he said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
Where is it found in the Torah that it is unlawful for a Jewish man to keep company with or to one of another nation? Search long and hard, you won’t find it! So, we must conclude that Peter is speaking of another law…the only other law that Peter could be referencing is the Mishna and Talmud. Notice the word that Peter uses…”but”…but what? But God, in contradiction to the law just mentioned, has shown me that I should not call any MAN common or unclean. Wait a minute you might say…I always thought that God “freed” us from the burden of the dietary laws in the text. Not so, Peter clearly understood the purpose of the vision. He says
clearly that God had shown him that he was no longer to call any MAN common or unclean. If the dietary laws had been abolished through Peter’s experience, don’t you think that’s what he would have said? But instead, Peter begins to understand the true heart of the Father…and that’s to include ALL who will approach Him by
faith with open arms. Let’s keep reading…
29Therefore I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. I ask, then, for what reason have you sent for me?”
Again, notice that Peter came without objection. You see, without the revelation through the vision, Peter would have objected to the invitation based upon the standard of the Mishna and Talmud.
30So Cornelius said, “Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, 31and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God. 32Send therefore to Joppa and call Simon here, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to you.’ 33So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God.” 34Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 35But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.
Again, Peter gives us further clarification of his vision and his newly changed heart. Peter learned that God shows no partiality and receives those who fear him and work righteousness.
36The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all—37that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: 38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, hom they killed by hanging on a tree. 40Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, 41not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. 43To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.” 44While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 45And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, 47“Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the
Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.
The Father affirms the words of Peter by placing the Holy Spirit upon the Gentiles. Notices, those of the circumcision were astonished. Why were they astonished? Because previously they didn’t believe that the Gentile could experience the covenant without FIRST becoming a citizen of the nation of Israel. This is the very wall of separation that Paul is speaking of in Ephesians 2.
To further establish the existence of the wall of separation, we must consider a few more portions of Scripture.
Acts 11:1-18… 1Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, 3saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!”
The apostles and brethren bring a railing accusation against Peter based upon the Mishna and Talmud. Peter has some explaining to do if he hopes to get out of this one.
4But Peter explained it to them in order from the beginning, saying: 5“I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me. 6When I observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed animals of the arth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 7And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8But I said, ‘Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.’ 9But the voice answered me again from heaven, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’ 10Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven. 11At that very moment, three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent to me from Caesarea. 12Then the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. 13And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter, 14who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.’ 15And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. 16Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?” 18When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”
After reading this there is no way that we can look at Acts 10 as the proof text for the abolishment of the dietary laws. No, we must take it for what it says. God used a vision to communicate His heart for ALL people to His chosen people Israel. Somewhere along the line they had ignored critical portions of Scripture that spoke of the Father’s heart for ALL nations. Let’s consider some of those Scriptures briefly.
Exodus 12:49…49One law shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who dwells among you. Isaiah 42:1-7…1“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. 2He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. 3A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth. 4He will not fail nor be discouraged, Till He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands shall wait for His law.” 5Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it, And spirit to those who walk on it: 6“I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles, 7To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house.
How did they miss this? I suppose the Father will tell us one day. Let’s continue laying the Biblical foundation for the wall of separation. Just like you and I, it took Peter more than once to lay down his sin.
Galatians 2:11-16…11Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; 12for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they 6came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. 13And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. 14But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? 15We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
Why is Paul so upset? What did Peter do to incur such rebuke? A close look at this Scripture and we’ll see that Paul is rebuking Peter for leaving the impression that the Mishna and Talmud still had something to do with the salvation of the Gentiles. Again, the Mishna and Talmud both say that a Jew cannot eat with a Gentile. Peter was calling these Galatian believers common and unclean which was in direct disobedience to what God had shown him in the vision on the rooftop.
Why consider so many Scriptures? Why make such a big deal about this? Simple, we cannot properly understand Ephesians 2 without first accepting that the wall of separation was a reality during this time. So, now that we have a Biblical understanding of the wall of separation, let’s go back to Ephesians 2. Refer back to the first 14 verses if necessary. But, Paul had just told us that in Messiah those who were far away have been brought near.
15having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances,
Once again, this portion of Scripture is used to further an antinomian mindset. But after our considering the context it’s easier to understand what this enmity was. This enmity was the wall of separation…the disdain, the judgment, and exclusivity that the Jews burdened the Gentiles with. Notice that Paul even clarifies what law he’s talking about with the term “contained in ordinances”.
so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.
On each side of the wall of separation there was a people group who were rarely at peace. But, in Messiah, these two have been made one…it takes two to fight…so thus the peace that came from the union with Messiah.
18For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
This was GREAT news to the Galatian believer! Through faith in Messiah they too had access to their Abba. Despite what generations of Jews had been telling them, they had access too!
19Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
This holy temple that our Father is building is being made with Jewish stones and Gentile stones. And yet, when they come in contact with the rest of the building, there former identity is consumed by the Chief Cornerstone, Yeshua! In these last days Abba is building a house for His great name! This house has not been, nor will ever be, built by the hands of men. No, the Spirit is writing the covenant of the Father upon the hearts of those who
have chosen to believe and the Father is Masterfully building, building, building…building a place for His Holy Name!
John 10:14-16…14I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one lock and one shepherd.
Galatians 3:26-29…26For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Romans 10:11-13…11For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”
For some strange reason, traditional Christianity has decided that the concepts of “biblical love” and that of “keeping the Commandments of GOD” are in opposition to each other!
The Holy Scriptures (both Old and New Testaments record otherwise). It is because of numerous conversations with professing believers, as well as many teachings that I have
heard on these two subjects, that I write this brief article.
First off, let’s look at the so called “proof text” that is used by those who have decided that JESUS (YAHSHUA) taught that there are only two Commandments that believers today need to worry about, as found in the gospels. Matthew 22:37 – 40 When Messiah is asked by a lawyer “which is the great(est) commandment in the law?”, JESUS replies ““‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and great commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
Some interpret Messiah here as saying that these two are THE summary, synopsis and embodiment of the entire Law of GOD, as recorded by Moses in the TORAH (Gentle
instruction). Some interpret this text as saying that the Mosaic Law has been done away with and that YAHSHUA is now instituting once and for all, the only laws that HE
requires of HIS disciples. Is either of these accurate biblically? Let’s see if the concept of “love” is seen in the Scriptures to cancel out “the Law of GOD.”
Beginning with the giving of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:6, “but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” We must notice that, according to GOD, loving HIM is included with keeping HIS Commandments.
It appears, from these verses, that the concepts of “biblical love” and that of “keeping HIS Commandments” are synonymous…But wait! You might say, “Those are all Old
Testament verses! What does the New Testament say concerning these two subjects???” I’m glad you asked! Let’s take a look;
At this point, you might be tempted to suggest that the Commandments of The FATHER and those of JESUS were different. Is that what JESUS says?
And lastly, the apostle John, in his epistles years later, clearly instructs us as the LORD’S disciples to obey HIS commandments…
So, what we see throughout the Holy Scriptures is that the concepts of “biblical love” AND “keeping the Commandments of GOD” seem inseperable. JESUS may have given a quick
thumbnail sketch of this in Matthew 22:37, but it is this author’s opinion, based on the Scriptures above that JESUS was not giving a new standard to live by. HE was only
reiterating what HIS FATHER had stated previously to Moses in the Torah!
How many times have you heard someone say regarding the Bible, “Everyone has their own interpretation” or “That’s your interpretation, not mine.” Little do they realize that such comments are in direct conflict with what the Bible says about itself:
Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit 2 Peter 1;20,21
What most people do not realize is that over the past 2500 years, specialists in the “science of meanings” have developed eight basic rules of grammatical interpretation, which provided a standard set of rules for consistent interpretation of literature. They apply equally to legislative and theological language. They apply equally to legislative and theological language. They are the basis of all critical analysis and are used by interpretive
scholarship. When properly used, they ensure that the reader will always derive meaning intended by the original writer.
THE EIGHT RULES FOR GRAMMATICAL INTERPRETATION
5 THINGS OF WHICH TO BEWARE
Some time ago I learned a simple poem which has served me well as a simple guide for Bible interpretation:
IF THE LITERAL SENSE,MAKES GOOD SENSE,
SEEK NO OTHER SENSE,
LEST YOU END UP WITH NON-SENSE!
