PNS - The Truth about Torah 1

This will be the first installment in a series I am writing about a most
misunderstood subject: the Torah.

There is a lot of talk these days about getting back to the "New
Testament Church." But the real truth is, there are two things the "New
Testament Church" did not have: A "New Testament" and a "Church". The
believers of the "New Testament Church" met in synagogues (Acts 15:21;
James 1:1; 2:2) and had no book known as the "New Testament" because it had
not been written and compiled yet. Thus when a believer from the "New
Testament Church" refered to "The Scriptures" he was speaking of the Tanak
("Old Testament") for they were the only Scriptures he had. Thus when Paul
wrote to Timothy:

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect,
throughly furnished to all good works.
(2Tim. 3:16-17)

Paul was refering to the Tanak, the only Scriptures they had. Moreover
when Paul spoke to the Bereans in Acts 17:11 we are told of them:

These were more noble than those at Thessalonica,
in that they received the word with all readiness of mind,
and searched the Scriptures daily,
whether those things were so.

Paul was saying that the Bereans were noble because they did not believe
what Paul said simply on the authority of Paul. They were looking to see
if what Paul was teaching could be found in the Scriptures. Remeber, they
were looking in the Tanak, the only Scriptures they had at the time. Paul
said that it was noble of them to only accept his teaching if it lined up
with the Tanak. That means that whenever we study the New Testament we
should ask ourselves this question: "Can you get here from there?" (There
being the Tanak). If you think you understand something in the New
Testament in such a way that it contradicts the Tanak, then you need to
realize that you are misunderstanding it.

As we read the NT we should be a noble Berean. We should look in the Tanak
to see if what Paul and the other New Testament writers teach is found
there. We should seek to understand what the New Testament says in light
of what the Tanak says.

The word "TORAH" is commonly translated in our Bibles as "Law", but
is that really a good translation of the word Torah? The Hebrew word
"TORAH" (Strong's Heb. #8451) means guidance or instruction. TORAH comes
from the Hebrew root verb YARAH (Strong's 3384) meaning "to instruct".
YARAH was also an archery term refering to shooting an arrow and as a term
meaning "to lay a foundation." Torah therefore is guidance, like the
straight path of an arrow to its target. Torah is our foundation. It is
important to understand the real meaning of the Hebrew word Torah. Because
while some might say "God's Torah is not for today" no one would say that
"God's instruction and guidance are not for today."

The Torah is God's guidance for us. Torah is about laying
foundation and about setting ourselves on target like an arrow. The Torah
gives us aim, direction, foundation and a target.

The Greek word for TORAH used in the Septuagent (Greek "Old
Testament") and the Greek New Testament is NOMOS. This parallels the
Aramaic Bible (the Peshitta) which has NAMOSA from the Semitic root NIMMES
meaning "to civilize" and from which we also get the modern Hebrew word
NIMOS or NIMUS meaning "politeness." At the core of TORAH are the precepts
of civilisation. From God's perspective, without Torah we are uncivilized.

Now we have already shown that in studying the New Testament we
must ask ourselves "can you get here from there?" ("there" being the Tanak
(Old Testament)). If we understand something in the New Testament in such
a way that it contradicts the Tanak, then we must be misunderstanding it.
Now there are many who understand many New Testament passages in such a way
as to believe and teach that the Torah has been abolished. Let us be like
noble Bereans and let us look in the Tanak to see if this is so (Acts
17:11). After all Paul tells us that the Tanak is "profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, [and] for instruction" (2Tim. 3:16).
So what does the Tanak say? Was the Torah to be for all generations,
forever? or would it one day be abolished? If the Torah would one day be
abolished, then we should be able to find this taught in the Tanak. As
Noble Bereans we should be checking to see if the things we have been
taught can be found in the Tanak. By contrast, if the Torah would not be
abolished, but would be for all generations forever, then we should be able
to find that information in the Torah as well. Since the Tanak is
profitable for doctrine and corection, perhaps we can seek the truth on
this issue from the Tanak:

...it shall be a statute forever to them,
to him and to his seed
throughout their generations. (Ex. 30:21)

There is no shortage of passages in the Torah which specify that the Torah
will not be abolished but will be for all generations forever. (For more
see: Lev. 6:18, 22; 7:34, 36; 10:9, 15; 17:7; 23:14, 21, 41; 24:3; Num.
10:8; 15:15; 18:8, 11, 19, 23; 19:10 and Deut. 5:29)

Your word is truth from the beginning:
and every one of your righteous judgements
endures forever.
(Psalm 119:160)

Furthermore the Tanak tells us that the Torah is not to be changed or taken
away from:

You shall not add to the word
which I command you,
neither shall you diminish a thing from it,
that you may keep the commandments
of YHWH your God which I command you.
(Deut 4:2)

Whatever thing I command you,
observe to do it: you shall not add thereto,
nor diminish from it.
(Deut. 12:32)

So if we are "Noble Bereans" we will find that the Tanak teaches that the
Torah will not be abolished but will endure for all generations forever.
This teaching from the Tanak is profitable to us for doctrine, for reproval
and for correction.

Do not think that I have come
to destroy the Torah or the Prophets.
I have not come to destroy but to fulfill.
For assuredly, I say to you,
till heaven and earth pass away,
one yud or one mark will by no means
pass from the Torah till all is fulfilled.
Whoever therefore breaks one of the least
of these commandments, and teaches men so,
he will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven;
but whoever does and teaches them
will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
(Matt. 5:17-19 see also Lk. 16:17).

Do we then abolish the Torah throught trust?
Absolutely not! We uphold the Torah!
(Rom. 3:31)

Despite the fact that David was saved by faith alone (Rom. 4:5-8) he loved
the Torah and delighted in it (Ps. 119: 97, 113, 163). Paul (Paul) also
delighted in the Torah (Rom. 7:22) and called it "holy, just and good."
(Rom. 7:12). There is nothing wrong with the Torah that God should want to
abolish or destroy it, in fact both the Tenach and the New Scriptures call
the Torah "perfect" (Ps. 19:7; James 1:25).

The Torah is even called in the New Testament "the Torah of Messiah" (Gal.
6:2). To say that the Torah was not forever and is not for all
generations, is to call God a liar.

Another popular teaching in the church is a teaching that God only gave the
Torah to Israel to prove that they could not keep it. For example one book
states:

...Israel, in blindness and pride and self-
righteousness, presumed to ask for the law;
and God granted their request, to show them
that they could not keep his law...
(God's Plan of the Ages; Louis T. Tallbot; 1970; p. 66)

Now lets think this through for a moment. God gives Israel the Torah. He
says he will place curses upon Israel if they fail to keep the Torah (Lev.
26 & Deut 28-29). He sends prophets to warn Israel of pending destruction
because of their continual failure to keep Torah. Eventually God allows
Babylon to invade Jerusalem and the Jews to be taken into captivity,
because of their failure to keep Torah. Then he comes along and says "Nah,
I was only fooling. I just gave you the Torah to prove you could not do
it." What kind of God would that be? Of course as noble Bereans we can
simply look in the Tanak to see if this poular teaching is true. Let us
see what the Tanak says on this issue:

For this commandment which I command you this day
it is not to hard for you, neither is it far off.
It is not in heaven, that you should say:
" Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it to us,
and make us to hear it, that we may do it?"
Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say:
"Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it to us,
and make us hear it, that we may do it?"
But the Word is very near to you, in your mouth,
and in your heart, that you may do it.
(Deut. 30:11-14)

The fact that the Torah can be kept is confirmed as well in the New
Testament which tells us that Yeshua was tempted in all things just as we
are and he did keep the Torah (Heb. 4:15).

Paul is greatly misunderstood as having taught that the Torah is not for
today. I have met a great many who feel uncomfortable with his writings.
Some of these have even, like the Ebionites of anciant times, removed
Paul's from their canon (Eusebius; Eccl. Hist. 3:27:4). This belief that
Yeshua may not have abolished the Torah, but that Paul did, has been
propigated since ancient times. The "Toldot Yeshu" for example, an ancient
hostile Rabbinic parady on the Gospels and
Acts, accuses Paul of contradicting Yeshua on this very issue (Toldot Yeshu
6:16-41; 7:3-5). At least one modern Dispensationalist, Maurice Johnson,
taught that the Messiah did not abolish the
Torah, but that Paul did several years after the fact. He writes:

Apparently G-d allowed this system of Jewish
ordinances to be practiced about thirty years
after Christ fulfilled it because in His patience,
G-d only gradually showed the Jews how it was
that His program was changing.... Thus it was
that after G-d had slowly led the Christians
out of Jewish religion He had Paul finally
write these glorious, liberating truths.
(Saved by "Dry" Baptism!; a pamphlet by
Maurice Johnson; pp. 9-10)

Kefa warns us in the Scriptures that Paul's writings are difficult to
understand. He warns us saying:

...in which are some things hard to understand,
which those who are untaught and unstable
twist to their own destruction,
as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
(2Pt. 3:15-16)

Paul knew that his teachings were being twisted, he mentions this in
Romans, saying:

And why not say, "Let us do evil that good may come"?
-- as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm
that we say." (Rom. 3:8)

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin
that grace may abound? Certainly not!..."
(Rom. 6:1-2)

What then? Shall we sin because we are not
under the Torah but under grace? Certainly not!"
(Rom. 6:15).

So then, Paul was misunderstood as teaching that because we
are under grace, we need not observe the Torah.

Upon his visit to Jerusalem in Acts 21 Paul was confronted with
this slanerous twist of his teachings. He was told

You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews
there are who believe, and they are all zealous
for the Torah; but they have been informed about
you that you teach all the Jews who are among
the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they
ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk
according to the customs.
(Acts 21:20-21)

In order to prove that this was nothing more than slander, Paul takes
the nazarite vow and goes to make offerings (sacrifices) at the Temple
(Acts 21:22-26 & Num. 6:13-21) demonstrating that he himself kept the Torah
(Acts 21:24). Paul did and said many things
to prove that he both kept and taught the Torah. He:

* and even performed animal sacrafices
in the Temple (Acts 21:17-26/Num. 6:13-21;
Acts 24:17-18)

* "Neither against the Jewish Torah,
nor against the Temple, nor against Caesar
have I offended in anything at all." (Acts 25:8)

* "I have done nothing against our people
or the customs of our fathers." (Acts 28:17)

* "...the Torah is holy and the commandment
is holy and just and good." (Rom. 7:12)

* "Do we then nullify the Torah through faith?
May it never be! On the contrary, we maintain
the Torah." (Rom. 3:31).

Being confronted with the various acts and statements of Paul which support
the Torah, many of the "Torah is not for today" teachers accuse Paul of
being hypocritical. Charles Ryrie, for example, footnotes Acts 21:24 in his
Ryrie Study Bible calling Paul a "middle of the road
Christian" for performing such acts. Another writer, M.A. DeHaan wrote an
entire book entitled "Five Blunders of Paul" which characterizes these acts
as "blunders." "These teachers of lawlessness" credit Paul as the champion
of their doctrine, and then condemn him for not teaching their doctrine.
If Paul was really a hypocrite, could he honestly have condemned hypocricy
so fervently (see Gal. 2:11-15). Consider some of his own words:

For do I now persuade men, or G-d?
Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men,
I would not be a servent of the Messiah.
(Gal. 1:10)

For you yourselves know, brothers,
that our coming to you was not in vain.
But even after we had suffered before
and were spitefully treated in Philippi,
as you know, we were bold in our G-d
to speak to you the Good News of G-d in
much conflict. For our exhortation did not
come from deceit or uncleanness,
nor was it in guile. But as we have been
approved by G-d to be entrusted with
the Good News, even so we speak, not
as pleasing men, but G-d who tests our
hearts. For neither at any time did we
use flattering words, as you know, nor a
cloak for covetousness-- G-d is witness.
(1Thes. 2:1-5)

If Paul was a hypocrite, he must have been one of the slickest con-men in
history!

Much of the confussion about Paul's teachings on the Torah involves two
scripture phrases which appear in the New Testament only in Paul's writings
(in Rom. Gal. & 1Cor.). These two phrases are "works of the Torah" and
"under the Torah", each of which appears 10 times in the Scriptures.

The first of these phrases, "works of the Torah", is best understood
through its usage in Gal. 2:16. Here Paul writes:

knowing that a man is not justified by
WORKS OF THE TORAH but by faith in
Yeshua the Messiah, even we have believed
in Messiah Yeshua, that we might be justified
by faith in Messiah and not by the
WORKS OF THE TORAH; for by the WORKS OF
THE TORAH no flesh shall be justified.

Paul uses this phrase to describe a false method of justification which is
diametricly opposed to "faith in the Messiah". To Paul "works of the Torah"
is not an obsolete Old Testament system, but a hearasy that has never been
true.

The term "works of the Torah" has shown up as a technical theological term
used in a document in the Dead Sea Scrolls called MMT which says:

Now we have written to you some of the
WORKS OF THE TORAH, those which we
determined would be beneficial for you...
And it will be reckoned to you as righteousness,
in that you have done what is right and good
before Him...
(4QMMT (4Q394-399) Section C lines 26b-31)

The second of these phrases is "under the Torah". This phrase may best be
understood from its usage in Rom. 6:14, "For sin shall not have dominion
over you, for you are not UNDER THE TORAH but under grace." Paul,
therefore, sees "under grace" and "under the Torah" as
diametricly opposed, one cannot be both. The truth is that since we have
always been under grace (see Gen. 6:8; Ex. 33:12, 17; Judges 6:17f; Jer.
31:2) we have never been "under the Torah". This is because the Torah was
created for man, man was not created for the Torah (see Mk. 2:27). "Under
the Torah" then, is not an obsolete Old Testament system, but a false
teaching which was never true.

There can be no doubt that Paul sees "works of the Torah" and "under the
Torah" as catagoricly bad, yet Paul calls the Torah itself "holy, just and
good" (Rom. 7:12), certainly Paul does not use these phrases to refer to
the Torah itself.

The Truth about Torah: Part 3
by Dr. James Trim

Shalom All,

Installment 3 in my Truth about Torah series:

THE BELT OF TRUTH

There is a spiritual battle taking place. A battle between light
and darkness. A battle between truth and desception. Paul writes:

Put on the whole armour of God, that you may
be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers,
against the rulers of the darkness of this world,
against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God,
that you may be able to withstand in the evil day,
and having done all, to stand.
(Eph. 6:11-13)

Paul goes on to describe the parts of this armour as:

* The Belt of Truth

* The Breastplate of Righteousness

* The Shoes of the Goodnews of Peace (Shalom)

* The Shield of Faith

* The Helmet of Salvation

* The Sword of the Word

Now Paul is making a play on words here. The Aramaic word for "Armour" is
ZAYNA while the Aramaic word for for "whiles" is TZEN'TA. Paul is
contrasting the ZAYNA with the TZEN'TA. The four fixxed (non mobile)
pieces of armour corespond to the four whiles of HaSatan which are depicted
in the Tanak:

* Deception/Lies (Gen. 3)
(Belt of Truth)

* Temptation/Pride (1Chron. 21:1)
(Breatsplate of Righteousness)

* Oppresion (Job)
(Shoes of Peace)

* Accusation (Zech. 3:1-5)
(Helmet of Salvation)

Now we will not cover each of the items here, instead we will concentrate
only on the belt of truth.

Now it should be understood that the armour Paul is speaking of is not
Roman armour, it was not inspired by Roman Soldiers. The armour was
originally inspired by the book of Isaiah (Isaiah 11:5; 52:7 and 59:17) as
well as the apocryphal Wisdom of Solomon (5:17-20). Therefore the subject
of this passage is ancient Hebew armour and not Roman armour at all. Now
ancient Hebrews wore a skirtlike garment. Before going into battle a
Hebrew warior would gird himself with the a belt, he would gather his
skirt-like garment up and tuck it up under his belt to allow free movement.
This prevented him from getting tripped up in his own garment while trying
to fight.

Now when he was on trial before Pilate Yeshua said:

For this I have been born,
and for this I have come into the world,
to bear witness of the truth.
Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.
(John 18:37-38)

To this Pilate asked the all important question:

What is truth?
(John. 18:38)

Let us look back to the Tanak to find the answer to Pilate's question:

Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
and your Torah is truth.
(Psalm 119:142)

You are near, O YHWH,
and all your commandments are truth.
(Psalm 119:151)

This definition explains many phrases in the New Testament:

"Obey the truth" (Gal. 3:1)

"But he that does truth..." (Jn. 3:20)

And I rejoice that I found your children
walking in the truth, as we have received
a commandment from the Father.
(2Jn. 1:4)

The Tanak definition of truth gives whole new meaning to Yeshua's words:

For this I have been born,
and for this I have come into the world,
to bear witness of the truth.
Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.
(John 18:37-38)

Yeshua came to bear witness of the Torah, those who hear the Torah hear his
voice. This leads us to another important saying from Yeshua:

Then Yeshua said to those Jews who believed
on him, if you continue in my word,
then are you my disciples indeed.
And you shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you free.
(John 8:31-32)

Paul, however, speaks of those "who changed the truth of God into a lie"
(Rom. 1:25) Now if Messiah came to bear witness of the truth then what has
HaSatan to bear witness to? The scriptures tell us:

He [the devil] was a murderer from the beginning,
and abode not the truth in him.
When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own:
for he is a liar, and ther father of it.
(John 8:44)

...HaSatan, who deceives the whole world...
(Rev. 12:9)

When HaSatan speaks a lie, he is merely speaking his native language.

Now if the Torah is truth, then what is HaSatan's lie? His lie is that
there is not a Torah, that the Torah has been done away with. There is a
Greek term for this teaching. This term is ANOMOS (Strong's Greek #459).
ANOMOS is made up of the Greek prefix A- (there is not/without) with the
Greek word NOMOS (Torah). ANOMOS means "without Torah" or
"Torah-lessness." While Messiah came to bear witness to the Torah, HaSatan
comes to bear witness of ANOMOS (Torah-lessness). Two entire books of the
New Testament (2Kefa and Jude) are dedicated to combating this false ANOMOS
teaching. Yeshua tells us that these teachers will be called "least" in
the Kingdom (Mt. 5:19).

Now lets take a look at how the Bible uses this term ANOMOS:

...I [Yeshua] will profess to them, I never knew you,
depart from me, you that work ANOMOS.
(Mt. 7:23)

...and they [angels] shall gather out of his Kingdom
all things that offend, and them which do ANOMOS.
(Mt. 13:41)

And many false prophets shall rise,
and shall deceive many.
And because ANOMOS shall abound,
the love of many shall grow cold.
(Mt. 24:11-12)

For the mystery of ANOMOS does already work...
And then shall the ANOMOS one be revealed,
whom the Lord shall consume
with the spirit of his mouth,...
whose coming is after the working of HaSatan
with all power and lying wonders,
and with all deceivableness...
because they received not the love of truth...
That they might be damned
who believed not the truth...
(2Thes. 2:7-12)

Many people have been taken in by the ANOMOS teaching. In fact two of
Christendom's largest theological sub-sets, Dispensationalism and
Replacement Theology, submit detailed theories to explain why they teach
that the Torah is not for today.

Dispensationalism is a form of Pre-Millenialism which replaces the eternal
"covenants" with finite "ages". Two of these finite ages are "The Age of
Torah" which basically encompases "Old Testament times", and "The Age of
Grace" which basically encompasses "New Testament times". According to
these Dispensationalists, during "Old Testament times" men were under
Torah, but during "New Testament times" men are under grace. Some
Dispensationalists, called "Ultra-Dispensationalists", even teach that men
were saved by Torah in "Old Testament times," but are saved by grace in
"New Testament times." As a result, Dispensationalists teach that "the
Torah is not for today" or "we have no Torah."

Replacement Theologians teach that G-d has replaced Israel with the Church;
Judaism with Christendom; The Old Testament with The New Testament; and
Torah with grace. As a result, they too teach that "the Torah is not for
today" or "we have no Torah."

Now you may be saying to yourself: "Ok, so they teach Torah-lessness, but
don't the Torah-less teachers of 2Peter & Jude go so far as to teach sexual
immorality? Surely the Torah-less teachers of within the church would never
use their "the Torah is not for today" teaching to promote sexual
immorality." Wrong! Some of Christendom's teachers have already carried
the "the Torah is not for today" reasoning to its fullest and logical
conclusion. A sect of Christendom known as "The Universal Fellowship of
Metropolitan Community Churches" has published a tract which does just
that. The nameless author of the tract writes:

Another Scripture verse that is used to show
that the Bible condemns the gay lifestyle is found
in the Old Testament Book of Leviticus, 18:22,
"Thou shalt not lie with a man as thou would with
a woman." Anyone who is concerned about this
prohibition should read the whole chapter or the
whole Book of Leviticus: No pork, no lobster,
no shrimp, no oysters, no intercourse during
the menstrual period, no rare meats, no eating blood,
no inter-breeding of cattle, and a whole host of other
laws, including the law to kill all divorced people who
remarry.

As Christians, our Law is from Christ. St. Paul clearly
taught that Christians are no longer under the Old Law
(for example in Galatians 3:23-24); that the Old Law is
brought to an end in Christ (Romans 10:4); and its
fulfillment is in love (Romans 13:8-10, Galatians 5:14).
The New Law of Christ is the Law of Love. Neither
Jesus, nor Paul, nor any of the New Testament Scriptures
implies that Christians are held to the cultic or ethical
laws of the Mosaic Law.
(Homosexuality; What the Bible Does and Does not Say;
Universal Fellowship press, 1984, p. 3)

Thus Christendom's teaching that "the Torah is not for today" is already
being used to "turn the grace of our God into perversion." (Jude 1:4; see
also 2Pt. 2:18-21)

There is indeed a spiritual battle taking place. It is a battle between
the truth and a lie. It is a battle between light and darkness. It is a
battle led by the one who came to bear witness to the Torah, and the one
who comes to bear witness to Torah-lessness. The Torah is truth. The belt
of truth is the belt of Torah. Gird yourselves with the belt of Torah that
you may withstand the Torah-less one.

The Truth about Torah: Part 4
by Dr. James Trim

Shalom All,

Installment 4 in my Truth about Torah series:

FREEDOM FROM BONDAGE

In the last installment it was shown that the Torah is Truth (Ps. 119:142)
and that Yeshua said:

... if you continue in my word,
then are you my disciples indeed.
And you shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you free.
(John 8:31-32)

Therefore the Torah brings freedom. This is completely contrary to what
most people have been taught. The common wisdom is that the Torah is
bondage and that "freedom in Christ" means freedom from Torah. For example
one author writes:

Many Christians today would return to Sinai.
They would put upon the church the yoke of
bondage, the Law of Moses.
(God's Plan of the Ages; Louis T. Tallbot; 1970; p. 66)

However as we shall see the scriptures teach that exactly the opposite is
true.

The central story of Judaism is that of the Exodus from Egypt.
The children of Israel were in bondage in Egypt. God promised to gring
them out of bondage and give them freedom. Upon leading the children of
Israel out of Egypt, YHWH led them to Mt. Sinai where he delvered the Torah
to them. Note that the theme of this central story is that God promised
freedom from bondage and gave the children of Israel Torah. Now why would
YHWH lead the people out of bondage in Egypt, lead them to Mt. Sinai, and
deliver them right back into bondage again? And why would he at the same
time promise them freedom. God is no liar. He promised the people freedom
and he gave them Torah because the Torah is freedom from bondage. The
Torah is truth (Ps. 119:142) and the truth will make you free (John
8:31-32).

This truth is proclaimed by the Psalmist:

So shall I keep your Torah continually forever and ever,
And I will walk in freedom: for I seek your precepts.
(Psalm 119:44-45)

As well as by Ya'akov HaTzadik (James the Just) who called the Torah "the
Torah of freedom" (James 1:25; 2:12).

However the ANOMOS teachers today teach that the Torah is bondage
and that Torah-lessness is freedom. They have exchanged the truth (Torah)
of God for a lie (Torah-lessness) (Rom. 1:25). Of these 2Peter 2:19 states:

While they promise them freedom,
they themselves are servants of corruption:
for of whom a man is overcome,
of the same is he brought into bondage.

according to Kefa these men "turn from the holy commandment delivered to
them" (2Peter 2:21) they promise freedom but deliver bondage.

By contrast Yeshua said:

Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden,
and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you,
and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in
heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my load is light.
(Mat. 11:28-30)

Now many of the teachers of Torah-lessness use this this passage as a proof
text. To them this passage refers to freedom from the bondage of Torah.
However notice the boldfaced portion. This bolfaced portion of Yeshua's
statement is a quotation from the Tanak. A quotation which gives a great
deal of context to Yeshua's statement. Lets look at this Tanak passage:

Thus said YHWH, stand you in the ways, and see,
and ask for the old paths, where is the good way,
and walk therein, and you shall find rest for
your souls. But they said, we will not walk therein.
(Jer. 6:16)

Notice that this "way" which gives "rest" is "the old path". Now
lets read a little further down in Jer. 6 to obtain more context:

But they said, we will not walk therein (Jer. 6:16)...
...they have not hearkened unto my words,
nor to my Torah, but rejected it.
(Jer. 6:19)

Notice that the "old path" that brings "rest for your souls" to which they
said "we will not walk therein" (Jer. 6:16) is identified by YHWH as "my
Torah". This takes us up a bit further in the text of Jeremiah:

...they are foolish, for they do not know
the way of YHWH, the requirements of
their God. So I will go to the leaders and
speak to them; surely they know the way
of YHWH, the requirements of their God."
But with one accord they too had broken
off the yoke and torn off the bonds.
(Jer. 5:4-5 see also Jer. 2:20)

Here we find that the "yoke" which brings rest is the yoke which was being
rejected. The yoke of Torah. Now lets look again at Yeshua's saying:

The yoke that Messiah asks us to take on ourselves, the yoke that will give
us rest for our souls is the Torah. The Torah is freedom from the bondage
of Torah-lessness. The freedom of Torah is freedom from the bondage to sin
that results without Torah. Without Torah there is no true freedom, only
bondage. True liberty does not include a license to sin (Rom. 3:8; 6:1-2, 15)

The Truth about Torah: Part 5
by Dr. James Trim

Shalom All,

Installment 5 in my Truth about Torah series:

WALKING IN THE LIGHT

As we said earlier there is a spiritual battle taking place between light
and darkness. Paul writes:

...what communion has light with darkness?
And what concord has Messiah with Belial...
(2Cor. 6:14b-15a)

Throughout the New Testament there are extended metaphores revolving around
light and darkness. Believers are called "sons of light" (Lk. 16:8; Jn.
12:36; Eph. 5:8; 1Thes. 5:5). The full armour of God is also called the
"armour of light" (Rom. 13:12). The New Testament speaks of those "who
walk in darkness" (Jn. 8:12; 12:35).

But what does this idiomatic use of the terms light and darkness mean? For
the answer let us turn to the Tanak:

For the commandment is a lamp;
and the Torah is light...
(Prov. 6:23)

Your word is a lamp to my feet,
and a light to my path.
(Psalm 119:105)

To the Torah and to the testimony;
if they speak not according to this word,
it is because there is no light in them.
(Isaiah 8:20)

...for a Torah shall proceed from me,
and I will make my judgement to rest
for a light of the people.
(Isaiah 51:4)

So according to the Tanak the Torah is a light for our paths. Those that
walk in the Torah walk in the light. This is why the New Testament speaks
of those who walk in darkness (Jn. 8:12; 12:35; 1Jn. 1:6; 2:11). These are
those who do not walk by the light of Torah. Of these John writes:

And if we say that we have fellowship with him,
and walk in darkness,
we are liars and we do not walk in truth.
(1Jn. 1:6)

Notice that John equates "walking in truth" with walking in the light.
As we noted previously "the Torah is truth" (Ps. 119:142) thus if "walking
in the light" means "walking in truth" then both phrases refer to walking
in the Torah. This takes us back to our passages from the Tanak given
above. John also confirms this by writing the parallel statements:

...walking in truth.
...walk according to his commandments.
(2Jn. 1:4, 6)

Now lets look back at a moment to the full armour of God. As we have noted
Paul also calls this armour the "armour of light" (Rom. 13:12). According
to Paul we are involved in a spiritual battle with "the rulers of the
darkness of this world." (Eph. 6:12) and thus he instructs us to put on
this "armour of light" (Eph. 6:13 & Rom. 13:12)

Now several of the items of the "armour of light" also tie in with the Torah:

* The Belt of Truth

Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
and your Torah is truth.
(Psalm 119:142)

You are near, O YHWH,
and all your commandments are truth.
(Psalm 119:151)

* The Breatplate of Righteousness

What great nation is there that has
statutes and judgements as righteous
as this whole Torah which I am setting
before you today?...
(Deut. 4:6)

* The Shield of Faith

Remove the false way from me,
and graciously grant me your Torah.
I have chosen the way of faith;
I have placed your ordinances before me.
(Psalm 119:29-30)

* The Sword of the Word

...For the Torah will go out from Zion;
and the word of YHWH from Jerusalem.
(Isaiah 2:3)

Thus the Armour of Light is the armour of the Torah which lights our path.
There are two paths before us, one of darkness and one of light. On the
one hand one may "walk in darkness" on the other hand one may "walk in the
light" of Torah. The "son's of light" put on the "armour of light" and
walk in the light of Torah, while the "sons of darkness" walk in the
Torah-lessness which is the darkness of this dark world.

(to be continued)

James Trimm
Translator of the Hebraic Roots Version www.nazarene.net/hrv
President, SANJ www.nazarene.net