Post by Mark on Sept 20, 2008 6:08:18 GMT -8
WWJD... So, what WOULD our Messiah, Yeshua, do? What did He do and how can we apply his conduct to ourselves in this world that often seems so vastly different from His in so many ways. Actually, He did quite a lot that was normal and everyday even for our society. He did a lot that identified Him culturally as a member of Jewish society (even as relevant today). One of the mistakes that has been made in Christianity is to devalue the significance of our Messiah’s Jewishness; and therefore dismiss the applicability of His conduct. The context and methodology of worship and religious practice, in which our Messiah chose to fully participate, has been deemed by much of the Christian Church as irrelevant or wrong. In so doing, the rich meaning and practical manifestations of our faith in Adonai (our Lord) through Yeshua have been redefined over and over by anyone with a perspective or agenda. Faith in Jesus is convoluted and defined from a myriad of perspectives: all wanting ownership of a sincere relationship with God through Messiah; but wanting to capture the idea within the realm of their own current understanding, within the comfort of their own familiar experiences.
The truth is that we couldn’t even get a grasp on the breadth nor plunge the depth of who is our Messiah even if we understood everything He taught in the language, the culture and context in which He presented it. How much less if we refuse to accept that differences really exist or that those differences may influence the way we should interpret Scripture. Paul the apostle, the apostle to the gentiles (anyone not ethnically Jewish), said this:
Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. (1Corinthians 11:1 KJV)
The Greek word that has been translated "followers" is the word "mimetos", from which we get the word "imitate". He said literally, imitate me because I an doing my best to imitate the Messiah. The idea carries in it a necessity to understand how the model must have behaved within context. At best, to imitate the Messiah without recognizing who the Messiah was, as a Jew, is to parrot His behaviors without any sense of appreciation or sincere understanding. The predominate Christian response, however, is to dismiss anything in Messiah’s behavior that is not applicable or relevant within a Grecian Church understanding. To imitate the Messiah must mean to become as much in every way possible like Him.
Messiah Yeshua gave instruction that is commonly known as "the Great Commission."
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
(Matthew 28:18-20 KJV)
There is a phrase which is often overlooked or dismissed in those claiming to be followers of Messiah. In verse 20 Messiah Yeshua gave His commission to teach all nations to observe (to maintain in practice) all things whatsoever that He had commanded them. The Greek phrase "pas hosos" (translated "all things whatsoever") is a double-imperative. A double-imperative requires that nothing be left out. This can not be accomplished without becoming a full participant in a Hebraic understanding and practice of theology. Messiah Yeshua was a
observant Jewish rabbi (John 3:1, 2). He said "Whosoever shall break one of the least of these commandments, and teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:19). He said, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe on mint and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the Law (Jewish ), judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the others undone." (Matthew 23:23).
The Church seems content to teach about the life of the Messiah. Some may go so far as to suggest that good works are important; but to define what are good works within the context and by the definition that Messiah and His listeners would have understood them goes far beyond the margin of acceptability.
The Jewishness of our faith in the Messiah is very important. Paul makes a startling statement in his teaching to the Roman talmidim (disciples).
For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfill the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 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 God.
(Romans 2:25-29 KJV)
"The Circumcision" is an idiom for ethnic Jews or Jewish proselytes. Paul boldly defines observant gentiles as spiritual Jews. This is actually very similar to what Messiah Yeshua taught:
Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
(Matthew 12:47-50 KJV)
Throughout the Pauline epistles, we see hints of his teaching the Jewishness of his faith to the gentiles. Paul explains to the Romans that one cannot have a definitive knowledge of what is sin (as to be avoided) without having a knowledge of the Old Testament Law (Romans 3:20, Romans 7:7). In 1st Corinthians 5, he is admonishing the predominately gentile congregation to keep the feast of Passover. Later, in 1st Corinthians 14, Paul describes the order of the assembly as modeled after the normal service of a Jewish synagogue. In Galatians 5:14, he sums up the nature of what all of is about (not abrogating the commandments but codifying the meaning: this is a doctrine of Hillelic Judaism). In Ephesians 2, Paul describes gentile believers as having been invited in as full participants into the "commonwealth of Israel"(In Romans 11, he describes gentiles as wild olive branches grafted into a naturally Jewish tree.) In 2nd Thessalonians 2:15, Paul tells the talmidim to "stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught...." The Greek word "paradoseis" is defined by James Strong as "Jewish traditionary Law" (Strong’s G3862).
To argue that the Judaic nature of our Scriptures is, at best, insignificant discredits the foundational teachings of all the biblical authors. Paul and the apostles, Messiah Yeshua and the collective writers of the Old Testament were all allegiant to their mother-faith: Judaism.
But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.
(Act 24:14-15 KJV)
The New Testament was not given to us independent of the Old Testament. Rather the Brit Chadeshah (New Covenant) has been built upon the foundation of the Old. If the desire of the believer is to live a life of committed obedience to Messiah Yeshua, then we must understand what He said and did in the relevant context. We must learn and strive to understand the Jewishness of our faith.
The truth is that we couldn’t even get a grasp on the breadth nor plunge the depth of who is our Messiah even if we understood everything He taught in the language, the culture and context in which He presented it. How much less if we refuse to accept that differences really exist or that those differences may influence the way we should interpret Scripture. Paul the apostle, the apostle to the gentiles (anyone not ethnically Jewish), said this:
Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. (1Corinthians 11:1 KJV)
The Greek word that has been translated "followers" is the word "mimetos", from which we get the word "imitate". He said literally, imitate me because I an doing my best to imitate the Messiah. The idea carries in it a necessity to understand how the model must have behaved within context. At best, to imitate the Messiah without recognizing who the Messiah was, as a Jew, is to parrot His behaviors without any sense of appreciation or sincere understanding. The predominate Christian response, however, is to dismiss anything in Messiah’s behavior that is not applicable or relevant within a Grecian Church understanding. To imitate the Messiah must mean to become as much in every way possible like Him.
Messiah Yeshua gave instruction that is commonly known as "the Great Commission."
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
(Matthew 28:18-20 KJV)
There is a phrase which is often overlooked or dismissed in those claiming to be followers of Messiah. In verse 20 Messiah Yeshua gave His commission to teach all nations to observe (to maintain in practice) all things whatsoever that He had commanded them. The Greek phrase "pas hosos" (translated "all things whatsoever") is a double-imperative. A double-imperative requires that nothing be left out. This can not be accomplished without becoming a full participant in a Hebraic understanding and practice of theology. Messiah Yeshua was a
observant Jewish rabbi (John 3:1, 2). He said "Whosoever shall break one of the least of these commandments, and teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:19). He said, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe on mint and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the Law (Jewish ), judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the others undone." (Matthew 23:23).The Church seems content to teach about the life of the Messiah. Some may go so far as to suggest that good works are important; but to define what are good works within the context and by the definition that Messiah and His listeners would have understood them goes far beyond the margin of acceptability.
The Jewishness of our faith in the Messiah is very important. Paul makes a startling statement in his teaching to the Roman talmidim (disciples).
For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfill the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 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 God.
(Romans 2:25-29 KJV)
"The Circumcision" is an idiom for ethnic Jews or Jewish proselytes. Paul boldly defines
observant gentiles as spiritual Jews. This is actually very similar to what Messiah Yeshua taught:Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
(Matthew 12:47-50 KJV)
Throughout the Pauline epistles, we see hints of his teaching the Jewishness of his faith to the gentiles. Paul explains to the Romans that one cannot have a definitive knowledge of what is sin (as to be avoided) without having a knowledge of the Old Testament Law (Romans 3:20, Romans 7:7). In 1st Corinthians 5, he is admonishing the predominately gentile congregation to keep the feast of Passover. Later, in 1st Corinthians 14, Paul describes the order of the assembly as modeled after the normal service of a Jewish synagogue. In Galatians 5:14, he sums up the nature of what all of
is about (not abrogating the commandments but codifying the meaning: this is a doctrine of Hillelic Judaism). In Ephesians 2, Paul describes gentile believers as having been invited in as full participants into the "commonwealth of Israel"(In Romans 11, he describes gentiles as wild olive branches grafted into a naturally Jewish tree.) In 2nd Thessalonians 2:15, Paul tells the talmidim to "stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught...." The Greek word "paradoseis" is defined by James Strong as "Jewish traditionary Law" (Strong’s G3862). To argue that the Judaic nature of our Scriptures is, at best, insignificant discredits the foundational teachings of all the biblical authors. Paul and the apostles, Messiah Yeshua and the collective writers of the Old Testament were all allegiant to their mother-faith: Judaism.
But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.
(Act 24:14-15 KJV)
The New Testament was not given to us independent of the Old Testament. Rather the Brit Chadeshah (New Covenant) has been built upon the foundation of the Old. If the desire of the believer is to live a life of committed obedience to Messiah Yeshua, then we must understand what He said and did in the relevant context. We must learn and strive to understand the Jewishness of our faith.
