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The Holy Spirit recorded for us in the fifteenth chapter of the Book of Acts one of the most important events recorded in all of Scripture. That event is often overlooked by the majority of Christians who lack understanding of the dynamics of the New Testament as well as the attending history and culture of the first century. What you will see in this article, and the articles which follow, that God gives us a "pattern" for Gentile engrafting into Israel which are Biblically "the people of God". Let me say it another way. The New Testament reveals to us a specific manner by which Gentiles could become part of the Israel of God and thus become adopted "sons" and "daughters". Thus we will explore the inclusion of Gentiles into this "Israel of God", otherwise called "the Jesus Movement" which is recorded for us in the New Testament.
Answer for yourself: And what is this "Jesus Movement"?
This of course was the Messianic Movement within Judaism which we find enumerated for us by James as well as Paul in the writings of the New Testament. Dear students and "truth seekers" this "PATTERN of inclusion of the 'non-Jew' into Jewish worship", this "Pattern" for the "non-Jew" in his worship of the true God of the Universe was followed well into the fourth and early 5th century before the antisemitic Roman Church stamped it out through their creation of a "replacement religion".
I must remind you that these instructions and commands from the Jerusalem synagogue/church, concerning how Gentiles were to be added and engrafted into Israel as "non-converts" and as "Godfearers" all transpired after the time recorded for this death of Jesus as depicted by this New Testament. This "FACT" has dramatic importance for us as "Christians" today.
Now for a really big question.
Answer for yourself: If these instructions and commands for the "non-Jew" in his relationship with God were made long after the time allotted by the New Testament for the death of this Jesus then should they not apply to the "non-Jewish" world today and especially for the Christian Gentile today? How can we change this decree, which by the way is taught by Judaism today for the "non-Jewish" world, and think we are following in the path of these disciples of Christ? We simply cannot!
The sad part about the whole matter is that few Christians today know the history of their faith and how the Jerusalem Apostles established rigid conditions for Gentiles to become part of "believing Israel", the people of God. And this inclusion of "non-Jews" in the people of God was done without their required conversion to Judaism and the enforced circumcision of adult males as had been the case previously to this momentous decision we find recorded for us in Acts 15 in our Bibles. Today, lacking such information and knowledge, which often goes unnoticed in the New Testament, we as mainline Christians and followers of this Jewish Jesus accept what is being done and taught by our denominations as being the "standard" and "God's will" for us never considering or thinking that we could "far from the mark" intended for our path to God, let alone if we want to be a true follower of this Jesus. The "status quo" of Gentile Christianity has been tragically and erroneously accepted as the norm for a "non-Jewish" seeker after God in Christianity and termed "God's will" while all the time a short serious study of this New Testament along with unbiased historical analysis of the events contained within it will provide a completely different picture to the serious student of what this God really desires from the "non-Jewish" world. Behind our "status quo" of the Christian world and their religious dogmas and doctrines lies the sinister footprints of an antisemitic and "Jew hating" Roman Church empowered by Constantine in its earliest centuries who changed "the faith once given to the saints" and which was followed up by the forging of religious texts to give such actions the sanction of presumed "orthodoxy". We call this forgery today the Christian Bible. Now hear clearly what I say. Understand "truth" lies in this New Testament in many places but not all that it contains is "truthful" and thus the need for serious scholarly study today to separate this "truth" from "fiction". Your task as a Christian today is to become competent to discern the difference before you die and meet this God face to face.
Answer for yourself: We have to answer a lot of big questions in our lives and perhaps the biggest is if we want to know "the truth" about God and our intended relationship to Him before we die when then it will be too late to do anything about it if we are currently disobedient to this Creator and not know it because we have been lead to believe "untruths" and follow them throughout our lives in reading this Bible Rome gave us. With this in mind, I have prepared a detailed examination that will not only challenge you and your typical Christian religious belief system, but hopefully stimulate your repentance in "key" areas of belief and conduct. May God bless your efforts in studying His Word to show yourself approved. Let us begin to come to these truths of which I speak.
Answer for yourself: Was the Book of Acts written following the death of this Jesus as depicted in the New Testament? Of course it was and then does it stand to reason that the truths found, when backed up by historical analysis within the book, must therefore apply to the Christian and the Christian Church today? They should! Do we dare think that the Jerusalem Church went out and "did it wrong" and what does that say about these followers of this Jewish Christ let alone our Christian lives and our cherished Gentile Christian doctrines that can be found today when examined and compared to be contradictory to what these Jewish followers of this Jewish Christ taught way back then as the "will of God" for the "non-Jews" of the world? Who is right, them or we today? Why read these passages in this New Testament if we don't understand them or desire to come to the truth behind them? And what should we do when we do learn what lies behind them when it contradicts our religious experience in our Churches today? Ever heard of repentance which brings the Kingdom of God near to you? This is the key dear one; knowledge and repentance leads to God!
Answer for yourself: When we read that the followers of the Jewish Christ were commanded to go into all the world and "teach them (Gentiles) to observe those things I have commanded you," can we say for certain that one of "those things" which was to be taught and obeyed by these "non-Jews" and Gentiles were the truths contained within the decisions and teachings that came out of the first "church council" in 50 C.E. which laid the foundation for what was "necessary" for Gentiles to be "saved" (Acts 15:28) and also be "included in the Jesus Messianic Movement and Jesus' church"? Most assuredly we can and must!
Answer for yourself: What are these things that "were commanded" of the followers of this Jewish Christ? Could they be in part what was also commanded of the "non-Jews" in Acts 15 and which they also wrote in the letters they later sent to the Churches of Asia, Minor, in Acts 16 in order to "strengthen the Gentile churches" there?
Acts 16:4-5 4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees (the ruling of James and the Church in Acts 15 making "necessary" that the non-Jews keep and observe the Laws and Covenant of Noah) for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem. 5 And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily. (KJV)
Answer for yourself: Are you aware that these things "commanded" of which I speak are Laws and Commandments contained in what we call the Covenant of Noah today otherwise known as the 66 Laws of Noah?
Answer for yourself: As you read the following article, I ask you to be honest in asking yourself that if Gentiles like you and me are to be "taught to obey those things Jesus commanded," then why is it that you have been in church your whole life and never were acquainted with nor taught to keep and observe the Covenant of Noah and the Laws of Noah let along the other things that you will discover in these articles from Bet Emet Ministries?
You must answer that for yourself.
Answer for yourself: Is it of the remotest possibility that you, after finishing these articles, will come to the inescapable conclusion that you have not been taught the truths concerning many of the foundations of what your faith in God should consist of as commanded by the Jerusalem Church which was not only held in 50 C.E. but which set the very foundations for taking the Gospel and the message of God to the Gentile world; literally to people like you and me?
John 4:22 22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. (KJV)
Answer for yourself: When was the last or first time a Rabbi or Jew taught you about God? Is not "Salvation of the Jews" as we read? Most assuredly!
So often many mistakenly believe that the "cross of Christ" or the death of this "Jesus" as described in the New Testament given us by Rome altered "this or that". Failing to realize that we are reading "literally" today documents written almost 2000 years ago when reading of this "death of the Christ" we fail to ever think that the understanding of this "death of Christ" might have carried a completely different meaning in this day. One only has to read just one article to see this as I show the readers that in Acts 22 it appears beyond any question that this same Jerusalem Church, this same James, and this same Paul continued to bring "blood sacrifices" and "atonement offerings" long after this death of this "Jesus" recorded for us in our New Testaments which is supposed to be the final atonement for mankind's sins. Evidently these Jewish followers of this Jewish Christ did not believe what we are taught today and this idea of Jesus' death being the final sacrifice is not the case as you can see if you find the courage to read the article in question. Failing to understand what we read in our Christian Bibles correctly we mistakenly lean on our own inadequate understanding of the Sacrificial System and Judaism or other's erroneous teachings in arriving at conclusions that often set the course of our beliefs, conduct and our behavior which CANNOT be supported by comparison with many Scriptures and historical facts and evidences that "contradict" such conclusions. Therefore, in light of such available evidences today that can be found in serious study the only conclusion we can arrive at after such serious study is that our beliefs, faith, behavior and conduct cannot be RIGHT when seen to be contradicted by other conflicting Scriptures and accurate in-depth historical analysis along with archeological evidences available to us today.
Having done such serious studies for the last 20 years then is a given that we cannot be sure that we are accepted by God if our lives and beliefs do not line up with these abundant evidences and facts that lay outside this "one" book given us by an antisemitic Rome in the 4th century. The evidence of what I speak should confirm the New Testament as being the "truth" in all parts if "infallible, inerrant, and inspired" but these facts and evidences does just the opposite. Unknowingly, much of the traditional Christian's reasoning violates many Scriptures of which I speak and such in-depth historical analysis brings into question much of what we are taught today by normative Christianity and often such reasoning on our parts, when later conceived in actions and well intentioned deeds, are often defined by the Bible as sin and we don't seem to notice it or recognize it due to prior indoctrination of "untruths" which we naively accepted without question. It is time we took responsibility for what we believe and what we allow ourselves to be taught. The cause of such is false teaching can be blamed not only on our falsified Christian texts and Bibles but the gross lack of in-depth study by our Christian leaders who accept this "status quo"; never reading a scholarly book or outside evidences from sources not on the top 10 list at your corner Christian Book Store. The bottom line is that the Christian world, for the most part, are fed "milk" instead of "meat." Thus lies the problem and the reason we are being "dumbed down" in our pews Sunday after Sunday where we are like those of whom we read in our good book which speaks of "bad spiritual leaders":
Matt 15:14 14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. (KJV)
Let us begin our study with foundational truths which we find
surprisingly in the Book of Hebrews, a book full of antisemitism but yet
truth shines in chapter 5:
Hebr 5:12 (KJV) For <1063> when for <1223> the time <5550> ye ought <3784> (5723) to be <1511> (5750) teachers <1320>, ye have <2192> (5719) need <5532> that one teach <1321> (5721) you <5209> again <3825> which <5101> [be] the first <746> principles <4747> of the oracles <3051> of God <2316>; and <2532> are become such as <1096> (5754) have <2192> (5723) need <5532> of milk <1051>, and <2532> not <3756> of strong <4731> meat <5160>. 13 For <1063> every one <3956> that useth <3348> (5723) milk <1051> [is] unskillful <552> in the word <3056> of righteousness <1343>: for <1063> he is <2076> (5748) a babe <3516>. {is skillful: Gr. hath no experience} 14 But <1161> strong <4731> meat <5160> belongeth to them that are <2076> (5748) of full age <5046>, [even] those who by reason <1223> of use <1838> have <2192> (5723) their senses <145> exercised <1128> (5772) to <4314> discern <1253> both <5037> good <2570> and <2532> evil <2556>. {of full age: or, perfect} {use: or, an habit, or, perfection}
Let us examine the Greek
word for "teachers":
Thayer's Greek Lexicon 1320
1320 didaskalos {did-as'-kal-os} from 1321; TDNT - 2:148,161; n m AV - Master (Yeshua) 40, teacher 10, master 7, doctor 1; 58
Answer for yourself: Did you notice that this Christian reference has the courage to say that this word for teachers, when used in the context of reaching out to the Gentile world, has the connotation of teaching the world "the Jewish religion"? What does Roman Christianity have to do with the "Jewish religion"? Not much. Did the the author of Hebrews tell us that only hired preachers are to teach the things of God to others? No. It is the responsibility of all of us to share the truth but inferred is the idea that you have it in the first place.
Answer for yourself: Did the author of Hebrews tell us that we (all) are to teach the "duties" of man toward God to others? Yes. That means we all have to accept our individual personal responsibility to become mature in handling the Word of God; it is not just the responsibility of Pastors and Teachers but all of God's children. This means it is your duty to not just go to Church but study hard this Word of God to discern these truths from the Roman errors in it as well.
Answer for yourself: Could it be possible that we as adult Christians could be mistaken about much of the Bible and many interpretations of its various passages because of the lack of personal in-depth Bible study and by default have failed to teach others correctly because we were allowed ourselves to be taught in error by spiritual leaders we trusted who were just as equally non-equipped to teach this Bible concerning many of the fundamental dogmas and duties required of us toward God and to our fellowman? It sure is!
Answer for yourself: Did you notice that according to the definition of the Greek word, as found in Christian Lexicons and dictionaries, that the word used by the Holy Spirit for "teachers" relate that we are to "TEACH THE JEWISH RELIGION?" I hope so for this is very important and overlooked my the vast majority of Christians and pastors today. It is in coming to this understanding that we can recover our Jewish Roots of the Christian faith and recover the true "Pattern of Worship" once given by God to Israel to share with all mankind (Gentiles).
Answer for yourself: Did you notice that according to the definition of the Greek word used by the Holy Spirit that those in the religious assemblies consisting of Gentile followers of this Jewish Christ (Chrestians, Christians) were taught the Jewish Religion? You must allow this to sink in and then ask yourself" "If this was the "Pattern" when why have you not been schooled in this same way? This seems almost impossible to believe in light of our personal Christians experiences but yet not only do we find this in the Greek words used in our New Testament but historical analysis of Judaism as well verifies that "non-Jewish" believers in God practiced "the Jewish faith" up until the early 5th century; that is until men like Ignatius, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Constantine went to great lengths to change all of that and redirect "the faith once given to the saints" away from its Jewish Roots. Rome will replace Jerusalem!
Answer for yourself: In your Christian Church, be it Baptist, Catholic, Church of Christ, etc., are you being taught the Jewish Religion as James and the Apostles like Paul intended as seen from the original language in which we find the manuscripts of the New Testament? I would say no and you should as well. Did you observe Passover, Hag HaMatazah, Shavuot, Rosh HaShannah, Yom Kippur, Sukkoth or did you keep Easter? Were you taught the truth about Messianic prophecy or did you get the forged replacement Bible by Rome? Do you carry a Tanakh (the Hebrew Scriptures which read in key places entirely different from your Christian Old Testament) or do you carry the replacement Roman Old Testament taken from the forged Septuagint?
Answer for yourself: If you are not taught this "Jewish Religion" for the "non-Jew", then why not since this was the Apostle Paul's intention (that is if he is the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews)?
Answer for yourself: As a Christian, have you been taught the Jewish Religion (understood as Messianic Judaism [Orthodox Judaism] and not Messianic Christianity) in your churches or have you been taught a Replacement Religion without you knowledge; a replacement religion that considers most everything "Jewish" as being outdated, replaced, or cursed? More than likely I believe you, like myself in my early years of my adult Christian experience, the latter.
Answer for yourself: What is contained in this Jewish Religion which was taught to the "non-Jewish" world long after the supposed death of this Jesus as depicted in our Roman New Testaments (the second New Testament by the way which replaced the Gnostic First New Testament).
Let us now examine the Greek word for "oracles":
Thayer's Greek Lexicon #3051
3051 logion {log'-ee-on} from 3052; TDNT - 4:137,505; n n AV - oracle 4; 4
Answer for yourself: Did you notice that according to the Greek word used in this New Testament Scripture that these believers in this Jewish Christ in the Book of Hebrews were needing to be TAUGHT AGAIN the contents of the Mosaic law because they had not grasped the necessities within the Mosaic Law; necessities that required for them to begin teaching others? I hope so.
Answer for yourself: When was the last time in your Christian Church were you taught the Mosaic Law? Have you ever? Should it make a difference to you to find out this in this Covenant of Noah, in these Laws of Noah, are to be found 66 Laws and Commandments that are repeated in the Laws of Moses later? Why are we not taught this as were the earliest followers of this Jewish Christ?
I have read several Christian authors over the years that says that the recipients of this book of Hebrew were Jews, they were "Hebrews" and not "Gentiles".
Answer for yourself: Are they right? Or is the truth somewhere in between?
The title “To the Hebrews” designates Jews in distinction from Gentiles. First of all it behooves us to learn about the creation of this New Testament and in so doing we first see that this title, "To the Hebrews", was not originally a part of the letter. Many scholars today teach us that it was most likely added added in the second century, when the letters of the New Testament were beginning to be assembled into a collection. It has been suggested that the title “To The Hebrews” was written on the outside of the script rolls to identify the document as the letter we know as the Letter to the Hebrews. Since there is no greeting at the outset of the letter which identifies the original recipients, who they were can only be inferred from the internal evidence within the letter itself. Now we must pay close attention. It is correct on one hand to say that the entire letter indicates the original recipients were a group of Jewish Christians who had endured persecution and who were therefore considering giving up their Messianic beliefs. For them the Messiah had not come and history verifies that according to the Hebrew Scriptures. Judaism maintains this stance and has for 2000 years.
Answer for yourself: But what should we see as regarding the "non-Jew" in this Epistle? We should take strong notice that long after the time allotted for the death of this Jesus the Laws of Moses were still being taught and evidently were not "passed away" or "rendered obsolete" by this depicted death of Jesus in this same New Testament like so many suppose. We should see likewise that and the writer of the Epistle of Hebrews did not intend a replacement religion but rather the opposite; he continued to teach the Jewish religion long after the time for this Jesus.
Answer for yourself: Does you Pastor agree with Paul, if he was the actual author, that Christian churches should teach the Mosaic Law (remember this all occurred after the time of the cross and crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus as depicted in this New Testament)?
Acts 15:19-21 19 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them (the non-Jews), which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: 20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. 21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day. (KJV)
Answer for yourself: Were you aware previously that believers in this Jewish Christ in the first century, both Jew and Gentile (remember this is written 30 years AFTER THE CROSS) were being taught the contents of the Mosaic Law not only in the synagogues of Palestine but Asia, Minor as well?
Most likely not. It was in the Jewish synagogues in Asia, Minor, and not only in Palestine, that non-Jews were setting under the instruction of the Rabbis and teachers and being instructed in their responsibilities regarding their Covenant with God (the Covenant of Noah) and the Laws and Commandments that framed it (66 to be precise) and Isa. 56 where they could acquire more mitzvoth in their spiritual development. And let us not forget that such instruction came out of the Laws of Moses which we saw above in Hebrews 5. We need to realize that it is in this teaching of the Laws of Moses after the time of Jesus' death according to the New Testament that "non-Jews" found their instruction concerning this "Pattern of Worship" intended for them as found in God's Sabbaths and Holy Days let alone in other forms of worship like prayer, "proper giving", etc.
This is startling and should arouse you from your spiritual slumber realizing what you have missed as we proceed to discover more truths for too long overlooked by the Gentile Church. Such is the power of indoctrination without your personal study to verify what you are being taught.
Answer for yourself: If the churches founded by Paul were being taught the Mosaic Law, then why aren't you? Then why does the New Testament in "places" appear so negative to this Mosaic Law?
Answer for yourself: Are you aware that often the New Testament, especially Paul, write passages that are 180 degrees in opposition to the ideas contained within them? Is this why many feel Paul is schizophrenic? Let me show you this which is startling as it exist just one page apart in Romans and is the epitome in contradiction.
Rom 2:13 13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. (KJV)
Rom 3:20 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. (KJV)
Answer for yourself: Just looking at these two passage do you grasp the necessity to huge importance to study to find the truth when we are given such mumbo jumbo in this New Testament at times?
Answer for yourself: Do we pattern ourselves as Christians today after the "Pattern of Worship" taught by James and the other Apostles of the first century or Rome? What should it be; Rome or Jerusalem where we turn for truth? If we can see, for example, that these "non-Jews" kept the Biblical Holy Days and Sabbaths of God then why do we stand for substitutes today in our Christian Churches? Why do we quote "they continued in the Apostle's doctrine" when we don't?
Please share these papers with your Pastors and see the look on their face when they see just how far they are off the hallowed path given by God to both Jew and "non-Jew" where the two peoples can be one. See how they will try to refute this "Jewish Religion" often hidden beneath the English words of our Bibles and don't be surprised that some will actually say that this is not what these words mean in the first place. I used Christian sources even to show the reader that beneath what we accept in Christianity is a completely different world when we get back to the original words of these texts. It is so simple, most who will deny what I show you will do so only because they lack the necessary language skill in Greek and Hebrew, for if they had these skills they would have discovered what I and hundreds of other diligent Pastors and Teachers in the Body of Christ have discovered that altered the courses of our lives, resigned their Christian pastorates and follow the Jewish faith today (as converts and non-coverts living the "Jewish way" or should I say the "Godly way").
Let us examine the
Greek word for "milk":
Thayer's Greek Lexicon #1051
1051 gala {gal'-ah} of uncertain affinity; TDNT - 1:645,111; n n AV - milk 5; 5
1) milk
Answer for yourself: Do you see where we as believers are admonished by Paul to not be focused on or dwell on "less difficult Christian truths?" I hope so. It is time for the meat.
Let us examine the Greek word for "strong":
Lexicon Greek 4731
4731 stereos {ster-eh-os'} from 2476; TDNT - 7:609,1077; adj AV - strong 2, sure 1, stedfast 1; 4
Answer for yourself:
Do you see that by no longer dwelling on "less difficult
Christian truths" and beginning to focus on the deeper truths
contained in the Laws of Moses and the
Laws of Noah
contained within them, that we can see that it is intended for us,
as "non-Jews" to practice a form of this "Jewish Religion"?
For instance we will see that Gentiles are commanded to study and follow
the Mosaic Law (the Laws of Noah within them) which require us to reject
all forms of idolatry and this is very important as this applies to the
"godman" of this Christian faith. This is the Christian
Jesus if you have not guessed which is the Nicean "godman" since
the early 4th century. We find in study of this "Jewish religion"
that "non-Jews" are found since the beginning of time
celebrating and observing the Biblical Festivals and Sabbaths of the Lord
long before there were "Jews" but instead we settle for "Christianized"
Roman holidays which we have been taught to cherish and observe but are in
reality a complete reinterpretation of them whereby they have had all
things "Jewish" removed. We are not taught today to keep the
Sabbath but instead Sunday observance (Sol..the Sun) has replaced the 4th
Commandment. Even more righteous giving of the Tithe to areas where God
said it should be given and applied "only" are neglected and
these funds are channeled by our Pastors and Churches to areas in
furthering man-made agendas and bigger ministries. Also let me mention
voluntarily eating "kosher" and "clean foods" which is
a Biblical truth "hidden" in the English wording and translation
of your Bibles that few have seen. These and many other things will cause
our lives to be stronger, more steadfast, and in such study of the "Jewish
Religion" we will not be tossed "to-and-fro" by every
conflicting wind of doctrine, even much Christian doctrine; sadly much of
which is in error because of the failure of the Pastors and Teachers to
study deeply the truths in the Hebrew Scriptures.
Let us now examine
the Greek word for "useth":
Thayer's Greek Lexicon # 3348
3348 metecho {met-ekh'-o} from 3326 and 2192; TDNT - 2:830,286; v AV - be partaker 5, take part 1, use 1, pertain 1; 8 1) to be or become partaker
Let us now examine the Greek
word for "have":
Thayer's Greek Lexicon #2192
2192 echo {ekh'-o} including an alternate form scheo {skheh'-o}, used in certain tenses only), a primary verb; TDNT - 2:816,286; v
AV - have 613, be 22, need + 5532 12, misc 63, vr have 2; 712
Answer for yourself: Is the author of the Book of Hebrews telling us that we are to hold on to and possess in our minds this "Jewish Religion"? He sure is.
Answer for yourself: Is the author of the Book of Hebrews telling us that if we hold to, cling to, possess in our minds, or find ourselves focusing on the elementary truths of our faith, to the neglect of the deeper truths of God's Word, that we will be unskillful in our understanding of the Word of God? He sure is as we see below.
Let us examine the Greek word for "unskillful":
Thayer's Greek Lexicon #552
552 apeiros {ap'-i-ros} from 1 (as a negative particle) and 3984;; adj AV - unskillful 1; 1
1) inexperienced in, without experience of
Answer for yourself: Is the author of
the Book of Hebrews telling us that if we hold to, cling to, possess in
our minds, or find ourselves focusing on the elementary truths of our
faith, to the neglect of the deeper truths of God's Word, that we will be
unskillful in our understanding of the Word of God and will
not learn to experience the deeper things of God? He
sure is.
This is a
monumental statement because I dare say that we have failed, due to
lack of study to understand the real message in many Scriptures and
passages (both Old and New Testaments), thus we have failed to grasp the
truths that the first century church both knew and experienced and
commanded be taken into all the world to the Gentiles in the Great
Commission. All we have to do is look around and
compare our experience to what we read in the Book of Acts and we can
easily see that "something" is missing.
Let us now examine
the Greek word for "word," as in Word of God:
Thayer's Greek Lexicon #3056
3056 logos {log'-os} from 3004; TDNT - 4:69,505; n m
AV - word 218, saying 50, account 8, speech 8, Word (Christ) 7, thing 5, not tr 2, misc 32; 330
Answer for yourself: Is the author of the Book of Hebrews telling us that if we hold to, cling to, possess in our minds, or find ourselves focusing on the elementary truths of our faith, to the neglect of the deeper truths of God's Word, that we will be unskillful in our understanding of the Word of God and will not learn to experience the deeper things of God concerning the "sayings of God, the moral precepts of God, the doctrines and teachings of God? He sure is!
Answer for yourself: Does God desires His children to be "unskillful and ignorant" in His words that lead to our righteousness? No. Let us investigate this further.
Please, dear saints,
pay close attention to the Greek word for "righteousness":
Thayer's Greek Lexicon #1343
1343 dikaiosune {dik-ah-yos-oo'-nay} from 1342; TDNT - 2:192,168; n f AV - righteousness 92; 92
Answer for yourself: Does one's correctness of thinking, feeling, and acting, which are a direct result of what he believes, have a bearing upon him be acceptable to God? It sure does. What if we have not be taught correctly and our actions are incorrect and are not aware of it due to the unreliability of the New Testament in many places and we not know of this because of our failure to personally study this document during our lives?
Answer for yourself: Can you see the importance of believing correctly, for if the truths we affix our actions upon are faulty or incorrect, then our conduct and behavior is less than pleasing to God? Surely you don't want this do you?
Answer for yourself: Is the author of the Book of Hebrews telling us that if we hold to, cling to, possess in our minds, or find ourselves focusing on the elementary truths of our faith, to the neglect of the deeper truths of God's Word (and in the context of Hebrews this meant failing to understand the Mosaic Laws which provide the foundations for one's beliefs and appropriate actions), that we will be unskillful in our understanding of the Word of God and fail to achieve that position of acceptableness before God? He sure is.
Answer for yourself: Are you aware that when Paul said "all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction" that NONE of the New Testament had been written yet and this could only refer to the Old Testament (the Law, Prophets, and Writings)? This one fact if of supreme importance because we must confuse these New Testament writings with the true Hebrew Scriptures in the Tanakh.
Answer for yourself: Are you aware
that it would take almost 400 years for the New Testament to be put
together and presented in its canonized form?
Please don't
quit reading the article at this point, for let me remind you that I
didn't choose these words or orchestrate Biblical history but the Holy
Spirit did, and although we might not have heard of these concepts and
doctrines preached from the pulpits of our churches, it does not change
the fact that we will be judged by the Word of God and not by our
denominational doctrines and what we have earnestly been taught to believe
as if correct. We must learn today the truth as taken from analysis of the
original words of the passages and Scriptures, Biblical history, Biblical
culture, archeology, etc, and then and only then can we be assured that
what we are reading is the "truth".
Answer for yourself: Is
the author of the Book of Hebrews telling us that if we hold to, cling to,
possess in our minds, or find ourselves focusing on the elementary truths
of our faith, to the neglect of the deeper truths of God's Word, that
we will be
unskillful in our understanding of the Word of God and fail to understand
and obey the doctrines concerning the way in which we MAY attain a state
of approval before God? He sure is.
Answer for yourself: Do you see that
we play a role in making ourselves acceptable to God as indicated by the
Greek word for "righteousness"?
Answer for yourself: Is the author of the Book of Hebrews telling us that if we hold to, cling to, possess in our minds, or find ourselves focusing on the elementary truths of our faith, to the neglect of the deeper truths of God's Word, that we will be unskillful in our understanding of the Word of God and fail to obtain the CORRECT way of thinking and feeling that ultimately leads to our CORRECT behavior, obedience, and conduct; thus assuring our position of approval before God? He sure is.
Now please pay close attention to this next word!
Let us examine the
Greek root word for "righteousness" which occurs so often in the
New Testament:
Thayer's Greek Lexicon #1342
1342 dikaios {dik'-ah-yos} from 1349; TDNT - 2:182,168; adj AV - righteous 41, just 33, right 5, meet 2; 81
Answer for yourself: Were you aware before you read this article that being "righteous" contains man's responsibility for observing divine laws and keeping the commands of God?
Answer for yourself: Do you see again the concept of "being approved or acceptable of God" tied to keeping the commands of God and His divine laws?
Answer for yourself:
Is the author of the Book of Hebrews telling us that if we hold to,
cling to, possess in our minds, or find ourselves focusing on the
elementary truths of our faith, to the neglect of the deeper truths of
God's Word, that we will be
unskillful in our understanding of the Word of God and will fail to
observe Divine laws and Commandments intended to make us acceptable to
God?
Answer for yourself:
Is the author of the Book of Hebrews telling us that if we hold to,
cling to, possess in our minds, or find ourselves focusing on the
elementary truths of our faith, to the neglect of the deeper truths of
God's Word, that
we will be unskillful in our understanding of the Word of God, believing
that these Divine Laws and Commandments have passed away, thereby assuring
that we will fail to observe these Divine laws and Commandments, thereby
hampering making ourselves acceptable to God? Most
assuredly.
Answer for yourself:
Is the author of the Book of Hebrews telling us that if we hold to,
cling to, possess in our minds, or find ourselves focusing on the
elementary truths of our faith, to the neglect of the deeper truths of
God's Word, that we will be unskillful in our understanding of the Word of
God and fail to realize that the
commandments of God have NOT passed away, and much more, fail to obey
them? He sure is.
Answer for yourself: Is the author of the Book of Hebrews telling us that if we hold to, cling to, possess in our minds, or find ourselves focusing on the elementary truths of our faith, to the neglect of the deeper truths of God's Word, that we will be unskillful in our understanding of the Word of God and fail to think, feel, and thus act in a manner pleasing to God, thus not assuring our "acceptance" before God? As hard as it may be for you to accept this concept, the original words of the Greek manuscripts from which we take a poor English translation say otherwise.
Let us examine the
Greek word for "babe":
Thayer's Greek Lexicon #3516
3516 nepios {nay'-pee-os} from an obsolete particle ne- (implying negation) and 2031; TDNT - 4:912,631; adj
AV - child 7, babe 6, childish 1; 14
Answer for yourself:
In other words, if we fail to study for ourselves, is there any way
we can be assured that we are being taught Biblical truths by those we
subject ourselves unto? No!
The sad thing is that we spend our whole lives "hoping" our
life-styles are pleasing to God because we try to follow the teachings of
Gentile Christianity but if would have studied the texts we read we would
have seen things deeper than the "milk" we are consistently
given in our pews and seeing this "meat" underneath the surface
texts which are often translated to lead the believer astray. If we had
done such serious study we would have seen many things that would have led
up to repent of many of the "beliefs" we inherited in Gentile
Christianity. Such study will show you, as it did me, that we can have in
our lives confident assurance that we by the decisions we make in our
lives that line up with these Laws and Commandments of God that we can be
assured that we, when we die, are acceptable to God. Learning of these
deeper truth assures that we are good witness of God and that we don't
misrepresent Him to others.
Answer for yourself:
Has the failure on our part to study the Bible, the original
languages of the Bible, Biblical history and culture, and the history of
the rise of Gentile Christianity as it separated from Judaism along with
the later forgery of the religious documents Gentile Christianity provided
the world robbed us of vital information so necessary to our proper love
and obedience to God? Most definitely.
Answer for yourself: Is the first
church council of Jerusalem, which was headed up by the Apostle James in
50 C.E., loaded with hidden truths which, when known, and properly
understood, should alter the course of the Christian's life? Yes it does.
Does Acts 15 stand as a strong rebuke to Gentile Christian theology as it
evolved over the first 500 years of the emerging Gentile Church as it
separated from Biblical Judaism? Most definitely! Let us continue our
investigation as we dig out these truths for our lives.
As you can see, this momentous church council occurred in 50 C.E. in Jerusalem and speaks to the Christian today. Sadly, very few Christians have known the extent of what is taught in Acts 15, nor heard their Pastor or Teacher teach on the subject. The participants at this first church council are the zakenim (elders) and sh'likiim (apostles) which formed the foundation for this Messianic movement within Biblical Judaism. Let us never forget that this Jerusalem church is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and not the Baptists or the Catholics, yet the majority of Christians today know very little about "apostolic doctrine," and it was this "apostolic doctrine" which the church of this Jewish Christ "steadfastly continued in!" This means that the "Apostle's Doctrine" is Jewish Doctrine! It is way past time that we reinterpret "Jewish" not as "cursed" but "Biblical"!!!
Instead we know only our "denominational and non-denominational" doctrines, which more often than not, conflicts and opposes "Apostolic Doctrine" which the Jerusalem Church and the Apostles both believed, taught, and commanded be taken to the Gentiles throughout the world in fulfillment of the Great Commission.
You may have never noticed, but the Great Commission of Matt. 28 DOES NOT SAY to take the identity of this Jesus or the theology that will later be created around him over the next 500 years into all the world, or some later "hammered-out Christology" conceived over the next 3 centuries by Rome. It does not say to take Rome's disguised literalized "Sun Worship" into all the world but rather it commands that the Commandments, the Torah and the Law of Moses (the Laws of Noah) are to be taken unto the Gentiles throughout the whole world for it is within these Laws of Moses we find our Laws of Noah repeated and the ways by which we, as "non-Jews" can make ourselves "acceptable to God" as had the Jews. This is so, so important to realize!
"Not so" you say, well the evidence and facts correct such an opinion. Lets continue to investigate this and I promise you that you will be amazed by what you will now learn as if this article alone has not be a "wake up call".
Let us continue in the second article to lay the foundations that are necessary for us to correctly understand how Gentiles were to come to God and be accepted into the Israel of God ("fitting" into the Jewish Religion without conversion....called "engrafted" by Paul in Romans 9-11). Shalom
Bennoah1@airmail.net