Posted on 09/16/2013 11:56:33 AM PDT by NYer
Not so, my FRiend. The Mosaic Law was given in Ex. 20 and included the provisions for a tabernacle whose specific and demanding details were not optional. Gifting levels may have been optional, but the demand was there.
But, when the New Covenant came, everything changed. The first agreement (temporary as it was) came at Mt. Sinai. And, it intentionally was full of sound and fury. Judgment, requirement, law was to drive the Jews to ask for mercy. That Mt. is gone.
Heb. 12:
18 For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, 19 and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them. 20 For they could not bear the command, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned.” 21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, “I am full of fear and trembling.”
The New Covenant is out of Mt. Zion, and full of grace (Jer. 31:31ff). It is here to stay...for those called.
Heb. 12:
22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of [h]angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.
The Law is gone. Grace has come.
The value of the Law is to convict one of his brokenness, but not to give them life (I Tim. 1:8ff, Gal. 3).
The tent of meeting was different. Please read again.
Sorry, my FRiend. You have not read the entire story. Paul's letter to the Hebrews is about the superiority of Jesus, the Lamb provided by God, to all of the sacrificial activities involving bulls and goats. Jesus is superior to the High Priest order, as Melchizadek pre-dated and is thus superior to Levi. Jesus is the end-all of the Law and Paul's argument is for believing Jews to resist the pressure of the community to return to that Law. They are to pay attention to this important change, lest they "slide right by" it the way the Jews in general have.
Once grace has come, the Law's work as a tutor is done.
Galatians 2 & 3 addresses your misunderstanding. It has actually always been "faith" infused in believers...not legal requirements. Here is 3 in total:
[a]You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of [b]the Law, or by [c]hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun [d]by the Spirit, are you now [e]being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you [f]suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works [g]miracles among you, do it by the works of [h]the Law, or by [i]hearing with faith?
6 [j]Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. 7 Therefore, [k]be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. 8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God [l]would justify the [m]Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with [n]Abraham, the believer.
10 For as many as are of the works of [o]the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them.” 11 Now that no one is justified [p]by [q]the Law before God is evident; for, “[r]The righteous man shall live by faith.” 12 [s]However, the Law is not [t]of faith; on the contrary, “He who practices them shall live [u]by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a [v]tree”— 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might [w]come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Intent of the Law
15 Brethren, I speak [x]in terms of human relations: even though it is only a man’s [y]covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds [z]conditions to it. 16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Christ. 17 What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. 18 For if the inheritance is [aa]based on law, it is no longer [ab]based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise.
19 Why the Law then? It was added [ac]because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the [ad]agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made. 20 Now a mediator is not [ae]for one party only; whereas God is only one. 21 Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness [af]would indeed have been [ag]based on law. 22 But the Scripture has shut up [ah]everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. 24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a [ai]tutor. 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is [aj]neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you [ak]belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s [al]descendants, heirs according to promise.
Check Acts 15 and the argument about whether circumcision should be includable to Gentiles. Even Peter said, "We Jews have never actually accomplished the Law anyway (neither us, nor our ancestors), why put this upon the Gentiles?"
No additional circumcision was ever advocated for a Jew by Paul. It does not negate their identity (descendants of A, I, J), but it does stop the incorrect understanding that "works" rescues a man.
And, the "building" thing is a fabrication of traditions, not the New Covenant. Find support for it in the Epistles and we're listening.
The tent of meeting was a temporary tabernacle.
Beautiful. Thank you!
Let us all know when you find Him. For the time being, let me kiss you off. Time for you to return to your mirror and reflect yourself, fairest of all.
Happy landing to you, too.
I started to write out a long response to the rest of your post, but before I get into TL;DR territory here, let me ask you a single, simple question: Is it honestly your intent to argue that God sent the King of the Jews to the Jewish people, having prophesied of Him by Jewish prophets in the Jewish language, and then sending out Jewish apostles first to the Jew and only then to the Gentile, to tell Jews to stop being Jewish?
Shalom
Okay, this may be one of the most shocking statements I have read on FR. When Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah from Israel, the Lamb of God, One of the Triunity God of Heaven is likened to a backhoe, there is nothing left to say. We have no discussion here, my FRiend.
Romans 12:1-2"
Excellent...
More importantly, that we be found by Him. The Gospel is God reaching to lost men/women, undeserving (no, worse, deserving death), and granting them grace, infusing them with faith to trust in the Messiah of Israel, alone. No accoutrements, no additions, no anything but Him. I'll consider myself kissed off. However, when that day arrives, recall that we spoke of this Gospel of grace.
Nobody ever suggested that anyone tell the first Jews to stop being Jewish.
That’s just ludicrous.
The Levitical priesthood is no longer needed as Jesus, the final, perfect sacrifice obtained forgiveness for all men for all time.
The whole purpose of the Law was to point to Christ. It never was intended as a means by which people could be saved.
Okay, second question: Do you honestly believe that you can separate "being Jewish" from the "trappings" of the Torah? Take the Levitical temple service off the table for the moment. Do you believe that you separate Jewish culture from circumcision, the Sabbath, the Feasts, kashrut, etc.?
Shalom.
>> “The Levitical priesthood is no longer needed as Jesus, the final, perfect sacrifice obtained forgiveness for all men for all time.” <<
.
The Prophets Ezekiel, and John, writer of the Revelation. both indicate that it is not so. Yeshua will build the Millenial Temple when he returns, and the ‘nations’ will be required to “come up” to Jerusalem for the feasts (yes, the feasts are for all of the nations).
For the nations that do not, there will be no rain.
Those for whom Yeshua’s perfect sacrifice has been effective in the first 6 millenia will be resurrected “at the last trump” to meet him on the sea of fire and glass. They will be with him in his triumphful return to Earth.
That fact does not cancel a single sentence of Yehova’s prophets.
The “law” has several purposes, depending on who you are.
For his elect, it is written on their hearts, and they delight in pleasing Yehova through their obedience. Yeshua gave us the key to his Torah, and it is based in love for Yehova, and for his sheep.
For the rest it is an accusation unto the second death, as they despise Yehova, and his law is anathema to them.
Yeshua meant every word he spoke during his 70 week ministry on Earth. Do not parse his message, saving only the pleasing parts.
Hebrews 11:11-14 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
Genetics......
How exactly does that not come right back to saying that a Jewish Messiah came to stop Jews from being Jewish?
Off topic!
Are you saying that Paul called Ezekiel a false prophet?
You’re just not reading what Paul is saying. There is far more than covering sins. Yeshua told us that we are to follow his commandments, and that he who breaks a commandment, or teaches another to break one will be least in the kingdom.
Are you running for “Least in the kingdom?”
Do you feel no desire to be obedient?
The verses that you posted do not address the issue that you wrestle with.
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I think that you're headed in the right direction with that question.
The Roman Catholic church was founded in rejection of the worship that Yehova presented at Sinai, and sent his son to fulfill.
The Way leaves no room for the catholic pagan priesthood, or praying to dead humans, or statues of Zeus renamed Peter, and those that have come out of that mess just can't seem to adjust to the position that has been prophesied for Israel, as the spiritual leaders of the millennial kingdom.
Many Calvinists also retain Rome's antisemitism.
If someone wants to say, "Hey, I'm a Gentile, so under Galatians I don't have to keep the ceremonial laws," I'm fine with that. My objection is telling Jews that they're supposed to stop living as Jews in order to be saved under the Gospel.
Shalom
Mostly true, but under Galatians, all that anyone is free from is the Takanot and Ma’assim, not the Torah that Yeshua promised that he would not alter untill all is accomplished.
Nobody has to obey, but if one loves Yehova, why would they not wish to obey his commandments? Quite a conflict there.
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