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Talmud:
What is your position concerning the Talmud?
The two Talmuds, the Babylonian
Talmud and the smaller Jerusalem Talmud, both
compose several centuries of Rabbinic gemara or
commentary on the Mishnah. The Mishnah was
composed by approximately 200 C.E. and makes up
what is considered to be the Oral Torah.
According to Jewish tradition, two Torahs were
given to Moses on Mount Sinai: the Written Torah
(the Pentateuch or Chumash), as well as the Oral
Torah or explanations on how to perform the
Written Torah’s commandments. In Orthodox
Judaism today, both the Written Torah and Oral
Torah hold equal status. In non-Orthodox
Judaisms, they comprise the basis of Jewish
custom and tradition.
The overall Messianic position on
the Talmud varies from congregation to
congregation. Many agree that the Oral Torah
should be given an equal footing with the
Written Torah. Others want nothing to do with
the Oral Torah and believe that only the Written
Torah should be followed. Then again, there are
many who fall somewhere in between, recognizing
the primacy of the Written Torah, but not
discounting the customs and traditions that the
Oral Torah represents. This group would
recognize that the Mishnah and Talmud contain
the “oracles of God” (Romans 3:2), but would
urge that we also look for what is spiritually
edifying in them employing proper discernment,
casting aside those things that clearly are not
good (Philippians 4:8).
We would not elevate the Oral
Torah or Oral Law over the Written Torah or
Pentateuch (what is contained in
Genesis-Deuteronomy), but believe that it is a
mistake to totally cast it aside. The Mishnah
and Talmud, in particular, are valuable sources
of commentary, historical data, and spiritually
edifying material. They are perfectly valid to
use as secondary resources to supplement one’s
understanding of the Bible. At the same time,
the Mishnah and Talmuds are also broad-sweeping
collections of literature, so one should expect
(particularly with the Talmud) there to be some
internal inconsistencies and differences of
opinion among Rabbis.
The easiest way to employ the
Talmud is your Bible study is to note Talmudic
references in a technical commentary as you
examine the text verse-by-verse. Some ecumenical
study Bibles like the Jewish Study Bible
or New Interpreter’s Study Bible have
Talmudic references sprinkled in their
commentary. The most popular English edition
available is the Soncino Talmud. Judaic scholar
Jacob Neusner has also edited his own modern
English version.
updated 21 August, 2006
Tanakh/Tanach:
I have seen you use the term Tanakh/Tanach. What
does this term mean?
Tanach ($nt),
also commonly spelled as Tanakh, is a composite
Hebrew term for Torah (the
Law), Nevi’im (Prophets),
and Ketuvim (Writings).
Messianic Believers prefer the term Tanach (Tanakh)
rather than using the term “Old Testament,”
because the term “Old Testament” often brings
with it thoughts of these Scriptures being old
and outdated. If anything, when the term “Old
Testament” is used in writing or speaking, it is
only done so for the familiarity of others who
are unfamiliar with the term Tanach.
updated 23 November, 2006
Technology,
Effect on Torah Observance:
Do you believe that the evolution of technology
should influence our application of the Torah?
There are actually three
important factors that we need to consider today
when we apply the Torah: (1) technology, (2)
culture, and (3) economy. The Written Torah was
originally given to Moses approximately 3,300
years ago at the base of Mount Sinai. Even in
the Biblical world we see changing dynamics that
indicate that the Torah as it was originally
given to Israel cannot be kept. As Israel
evolved into a Kingdom and into a foreign power,
the Torah had to be applied differently. Things
regarding the sacrificial system had to be
modified when the Temple was constructed in
Jerusalem, as the commandments were originally
given concerning a Tabernacle that was portable.
Following the end of the Babylonian exile, the
Jews who returned lived in a land along with the
Samaritans, and by the time of the First Century
almost two-thirds of the entire Jewish community
was living in the Diaspora. Major centers of
Diaspora Jewry were established in Alexandria,
Antioch, Corinth, and even Rome. When we see the
teachings of Yeshua the Messiah and the
Apostles, their view of the Torah is most
certainly affected by their Sitz im Leben
or Situation in Life.
Consider the Apostle Paul, author
of more than half of what we consider to be the
“New Testament.” Paul was a Pharisee trained by
Gamaliel, who even today is revered in the
Jewish community. The Pharisaical movement arose
approximately 120 years before Yeshua as a
reform movement. Some of the original goals of
the Pharisees were to emphasize personal
holiness and piety, social justice for the
Jewish people and the oppressed masses, and
above all provide an halachic orthopraxy
for the Jewish people in environments and
settings for which the Torah was not originally
given. One of the major goals of the Pharisees
was to go out into the world and make converts,
practicing what today we call “missionary
evangelism,” and they were extremely successful
in the Mediterranean basin. To many in the First
Century, especially Sadducees, the Pharisees
were actually considered to be liberal—even
though today we largely consider them to be
fundamentalists. The Pharisees actually wanted
to bring “freedom” to the entire world by
proclaiming who the God of Israel was, even
though by Yeshua’s day, and subsequent
generations of Pharisees having passed on, the
leadership was frequently hypocritical.
Fast-forwarding to today, the
Twenty-First Century, how many of us think that
we can follow every commandment of the Torah,
when in actuality we cannot? This is not to
encourage ignorance of the Torah’s commandments,
but is a reflection of the reality that we are
not living in the world of ancient times. In the
Apostolic Scriptures or New Testament we see
that technological, cultural, as well as
economic factors change the application of the
Torah in both the Jewish and early Messianic
communities. The same is most definitely true of
us today. Technology, culture, and economy are
determining factors with how we apply the Torah.
The question we have to always answer is whether
we are trying to return to the exact
lifestyle of the ancients—or the theology of
the ancients.
How do these factors relate to
our emerging Messianic theology? We need to
determine with accuracy how the Apostles lived
out the Torah in their lives first,
so we can then properly ask what they would do
if they were living today. But this requires
more study, meditation, and above all reasoned
discussion among ourselves than is presently
occurring in the Messianic community. Are we
going to hold to a strict and rigid view of the
text, like some, who then cannot answer
questions relating to what they do about the
Torah’s instructions that appear to be outdated?
Or, are we going to be part of a reforming
movement focusing on personal holiness, piety,
and justice toward our fellow humans—like the
Pharisees originally were, and which Paul was?
These will be some of the questions that
dominate our discussions in the days ahead, and
we would certainly ask you to consider them in
your study of God’s Word and personal time with
Him.
posted 24 February, 2006
Tefillin:
Do you believe that Messianics should wrap
tefillin (phylacteries)?
Tefillin
(!yLpT)
or phylacteries (Grk. sing. phulaktērion,
fulakthrion)
are small leather boxes with straps worn on the
left arm and forehead. Their compartments
contain small parchments with Scripture writing.
They are customarily used during morning prayer
by observant Jews. Their usage is primarily
derived from Exodus 13:16 which says that the
Word of God “shall serve as a sign on your hand
and as phylacteries on your forehead, for with a
powerful hand the
Lord
brought us out of Egypt.”
Tefillin/phylacteries
are only mentioned once in the Apostolic
Scriptures, in Matthew 23:5, in Yeshua’s
admonishment of the Pharisaical leaders. Many
conclude based on His statements that He spoke
against the usage of tefillin and
condemned it, but that is unlikely because He
also condemned how these Pharisees wore their
tzit-tzityot or fringes, and Yeshua Himself
wore tassels/fringes (Matthew 9:20; 14:36; Mark
6:56; Luke 8:44). Yeshua was likely criticizing
these Pharisees for how they were
practicing the commandment to bind the Word on
one’s forehead, as it is most probable that
Yeshua wrapped tefillin Himself.
The commandment to bind the Word
on one’s hand and forehead is interpreted
variably in the Messianic community. Most in the
Messianic community do not wrap tefillin,
and instead interpret the commandment
allegorically, meaning that one is to have the
Word of God on his mind and in his actions
continually. There are some who do not condemn
the practice of wrapping tefillin, but do
not believe that it is for them. (This may be
because a set of tefillin is often
expensive.) There are those in the Messianic
community who do wrap tefillin on a
consistent basis, and consider it to be a deep
spiritual experience.
We encourage usage of tefillin
provided it is done in proper understanding.
First and foremost, we must have the Word of God
continually on our minds and in our actions.
However, tefillin did exist in the First
Century, and in all likelihood Yeshua the
Messiah did use them. Choose an application of
this command to bind God’s Word that brings you
closest to Him.
updated 23 November, 2006
Terrorism:
What is your feeling on global terrorism? Does
it have any prophetic significance?
Terrorism, in comparison with
“established war,” is a relatively new
phenomenon, as it began being employed as a
technique of the “poor man’s war” in the mid- to
late- 1960s, as various Left- and Right-wing
militant movements gained publicity by taking
hostages, blowing up commercial jetliners, and
committing terrorist acts in public places.
Terrorism, like all methods of violence, can
have indirect prophetic significance, even
though at present we do not see any specific
mention of it in the Bible. We believe that it
is important that as responsible citizens we be
aware of the implications of terrorism, and how
terrorism can be used to bring in controls that
curtail civil liberties.
The most important thing to
consider as it relates to global terrorism is
the fact that terrorism is aimed at those who
are watching the terrorist attacks take place.
We have to be very conscious of how we react to
any events that occur, so we do not fall into
fear and into giving into terrorists’ demands.
updated 23 November, 2006
Textual
Criticism:
I have heard you use the term “textual
criticism” before. What is this?
Textual criticism, also known as
“lower criticism,” as stated by ISBE, “is
the restoration of the wording of a document
when alterations have been introduced
(deliberately or inadvertently) in the course of
copying and recopying. Before the invention of
printing, when each copy of a document had to be
written out separately by hand, scribal errors
were especially apt to occur” (F.F. Bruce,
“Criticism,” 1:818). It is employed to determine
what the original reading of a Biblical text
was, taking into account the oldest available
texts and textual fragments of Scriptures,
ancient translations of Scriptures available,
and quotations of Scripture in ancient
literature. The same entry goes onto state,
“If the autograph or original
document survives, scribal errors can be
corrected by reference to it. But if it has long
since disappeared (as has happened with all the
original emplars of biblical books), and the
surviving copies differ from one another here
and there, the original wording can be
determined only by comparative study of these
copies. The scribal habits of individual
copyists, and the remoteness of proximity to
individual MSS to the original…must be
investigated” (Ibid.).
We do believe that the Holy
Scriptures are inspired of God and that they are
not myths, borrowed or copied from pagan stories
or the contemporary religions around Ancient
Israel. However, textual errors have occurred in
the copying and transmission of the Scriptures
over the centuries, be they in the Hebrew Tanach
or Greek Apostolic Writings. Some of these
errors were unintentional mistakes, and others
may have been intentional for doctrinal reasons.
The two most commonly employed
Biblical texts today that cannot be considered
“critical texts,” because they have not
been compared against textual discoveries, are
the Masoretic Hebrew text (MT) for the Tanach
and the Textus Receptus for the Greek Apostolic
Writings. We use the Biblia Hebraica
Stuttgartensia and the Greek New
Testament, 4th Revised Edition (same as the
Novum Testamentum Graece, 27th ed.), both
produced by United Bible Socieites. These are
the same critical texts that are used in modern
translations such as the Jewish Press Society
Tanakh, New American Standard Bible, and the New
International Version. These critical texts have
the variant manuscript readings in their
footnotes.
updated 23 November, 2006
Thanksgiving
Day:
Do you believe that Messianic Believers in the
United States should celebrate Thanksgiving Day?
The tradition of celebrating
Thanksgiving Day goes back to the Pilgrims who
settled the Plymouth Colony in 1621. Originally,
these colonists were English Puritans who had
protested against much of the popery or Catholic
elements present in the Church of England. Being
persecuted in England, they had settled in the
Netherlands for a season, but discovered that
they would not be totally satisfied until they
found a home of their own where they could
practice their religious convictions in total
peace.
The Pilgrims’ intention was to
actually settle in the colony of Virginia, but
their voyage to the New World caused them to be
led off course and settle in what is today
Massachusetts. They were greeted by a harsh
Winter that caused many of them to die from cold
and hunger. In the Spring of 1621, the Pilgrims
planted their first crops with the help of the
local Indians. By that October, the Pilgrims
celebrated their harvest to boost the morale of
those who had endured terrible loss and
hardships. They wanted to thank God and their
Indian neighbors for the bounty that had been
provided.
As Puritans, the Pilgrims’
spiritual convictions came from a strict reading
of the Bible. They were very intent on
eliminating any opulent elements of Catholicism
from their worship. Much of their society was
focused around the idea that they had fled
England in a similar way to how the Ancient
Israelites were led out of Egypt. As America was
viewed as a new “Promised Land,” much of the
symbolism of the Old Testament was adopted for
the Pilgrims’ life. The emphasis on thanking God
with a large communal meal in the Autumn is
likely appropriated from the Tanach themes of
the Feast of Tabernacles.
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday
intended to commemorate the hardships of some of
the early settlers of America, and how thankful
they were to have God preserve them through
times of difficult trial. These early pioneers
and pilgrims were godly men and women who left
Europe to flee religious persecution and
establish a Bible-based community in the New
World. Because we as Messianic Believers would
not be here without Christians such as these, it
is entirely appropriate for us as Americans to
remember what they did.
updated 23 November, 2006
Theological
Categories:
What theological category does your ministry
best align with: fundamentalist, conservative,
or liberal?
The three broad theological
categories, as ranging from Right to Left, are:
fundamentalist, conservative, and liberal. On
the Right end of the spectrum are often those
holding a strict “black-and-white” view of
issues, who are frequently unwilling to allow
for any variance of Biblical interpretation or
application regarding non-essentials. On the
Left side of the spectrum are those holding to a
very loose view of the Bible, perhaps even
treating it as mythology, but one that can still
guide humans in their interactions with “God.”
Stuck in the middle are those who hold to the
integrity and final authority of Scripture, but
allow for variance and application regarding
non-essentials, and are willing to allow for
some critical examination of Biblical texts, but
not at the expense of denying the Bible’s
accuracy.
Our ministry falls well into the
Center category of being
conservative.
posted 26 September, 2006
Thessalonians, Epistle of First:
What can you tell me about the composition of
the Epistle of 1 Thessalonians?
The authorship of 1 Thessalonians
is most certainly Pauline, indicated by the
personal characteristics we see interspersed
throughout the letter, and comparison with other
texts of Scripture (3:1-2, 8-11; cf. Acts 15:36;
2 Corinthians 11:28). The historical data that
appears in 1 Thessalonians compares well with
Acts 17:5-14. Pauline authorship of 1
Thessalonians is not severely challenged, even
by some liberal theologians. 1 Thessalonians is
believed to be one of Paul’s earliest letters,
if not the first letter, and quite possibly even
the first piece of text composed by the early
Messianic community (ABD, 6:517),
depending on how one dates the composition of
Galatians. The Thessalonian congregation was
founded by Paul on his Second Missionary
Journey.
It is generally agreed that Paul
composed his letter from Corinth, based on
internal evidence (1:1; 2:18), and external
evidence regarding the proconsul Gallio’s
ascension to power, as Paul had to go before him
to answer charges (Acts 18:12-17). The dating of
1 Thessalonians is often tied to the ascension
to Gallio (Guthrie, pp 587-588). “An inscription
discovered in Delphi in 1909 contains a letter
from Claudius to Gallio, before whom Paul was
arraigned in Corinth; it dates the proconsulship
of Gallio to the twelfth year of Claudius’s
tribunicial power and before the latter’s
twenty-seventh acclamation in August, A.D.
52…Just when Paul appeared before him is not
stated, but Acts 18:12-18 implies that Gallio’s
succession took place near the end of Paul’s
eighteen-month stay in Corinth” (ISBE,
4:833).
Thessalonica was the capital of
Macedonia while under Roman administration. In
the First Century, the city was probably only
about a third smaller than today’s Saloniki,
which has a population of around 300,000 (EXP,
11:229). Thessalonia was a seaport city located
at the head of the Thermaic Gulf (now the Gulf
of Salonika), the chief seaport in Macedonia (NIDB,
1010). The city was an important trade center on
the road leading north to the Danube, and many
goods coming and going to Rome went through
Thessalonica.
Paul began his early ministry in
Thessalonica at the synagogue (Acts 17:1-9).
This indicates that there was a Jewish presence
in the city, but later the assemblage of
Messianic Believers became predominantly
non-Jewish (Acts 17:4), indicated by Paul’s
words, “For they themselves report about us what
kind of a reception we had with you, and how you
turned to God from idols to serve a living and
true God” (1 Thessalonians 1:9). Many of the
Thessalonian Believers came out of Greco-Roman
paganism, quite recently as indicated by Paul’s
salutation. A large sector of his audience also
included a number of “devout Greeks” (IDB,
4:622), as the first major group to receive the
new faith in Yeshua appear to have been Greek
proselytes to Judaism (ISBE, 4:832).
Contrary to what some in the
Messianic community today might want to believe,
no Hebrew or Aramaic origin for 1 Thessalonians
has ever been suggested by any reputable
scholar. All are in agreement that Paul wrote
this letter in Greek, especially given the
orientation of even the Jewish audience.
Acts 17:5-10 tells us that Paul
was forced to leave Thessalonica abruptly, due
to hostility from the local Jewish community
over his preaching the gospel. Paul wrote the
Thessalonians, mostly new Believers coming out
of paganism, about the persecution that they
were facing (3:3-5). Paul’s letter deals with
some practical instructions for proper living
(4:1-12), and he wanted to clarify for them some
misconceptions regarding the Messiah’s return
(4:13-18).
“Far and away the largest
theological contribution of the Epistles [1&2
Thessalonians] lies in what they say about
eschatology” (EXP, 11:223). Teachings
regarding the Last Days appear in every chapter
of this letter (1:9-10; 2:19-20; 3:13; 4:13-18;
5:23-24), and are dominate throughout ch. 4. 1&2
Thessalonians, along with Yeshua’s Olivet
Discourse (Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21) and the
Book of Revelation, form the backbone of
end-time teachings within the Apostolic
Scriptures. Secondary issues in 1 Thessalonians
regard proper sexuality and being aware of the
times in which one is living.
The persecution that the
Thessalonians were facing is often attributed to
the hostility that the Jewish leadership at the
synagogue had toward Paul (Acts 17:5-9). This
hostility may have been because the Greek
proselytes in their midst were eager upon
hearing the good news of Yeshua. The synagogue
leaders may have cherished this group of
converts and was upset that they left their
tutelage (Guthrie, 586). In spite of this,
however, the persecution of the Thessalonian
Believers appears to be of Thessalonian, and not
Jewish origin (IDB, 6:623), but possibly
came as a result of Jewish influence over local
leaders. The initial charge against Paul that
the Jews brought was that he was inciting
rebellion against Caesar.
1 Thessalonians does not prove to
have many Messianic-specific subject issues to
wade through. “There is no reference to the
Torah and, consequently, no language of
justification…That does not mean [Paul’s]
thought is impoverished; it is simply different,
fitted to the church he addresses” (ABD,
6:517). We would be remiss not to keep in mind
the fact that when Paul first visited
Thessalonica, he reasoned with the Jews there
from the Torah and the Prophets (NBCR,
1154). However, eschatology dominates his
writing to them, so any Torah-relates issues are
secondary, if not tertiary, at best. It is safe
to place 1 Thessalonians after the Jerusalem
Council. 1 Thessalonians also addresses some
critical theologies regarding the plurality of
the Godhead, the Divinity of the Messiah, the
First Century responsibility of the Apostles,
and pastoral responsibility.
If there are any challenges that
exist in 1 Thessalonians, they do not relate to
the validity of the Torah and its commandments
for us today, but relate to the infamous pre-
versus post-tribulation rapture debate. While
much of evangelical Christianity today leans
heavily toward the pre-trib viewpoint, and there
is often not an even balance between pre- and
post-trib Christians, there is a more even
balance between pre- and post-tribulationists in
the Messianic community. Those of us who are
post-tribulational would do well to properly
address 1 Thessalonians, and how it may relate
to the over-enthusiasm of some who examine
prophecy.
Bibliography
Beare, F.W. “Thessalonians, First Letter to
the,” in IDB, 4:621-625.
Blaiklock, Edward M. “Thessalonica,” in NIDB,
1010.
Bruce, F.F. “1 and 2 Thessalonians,” in NBCR,
pp 1154-1165.
Finegan, J. “Thessalonica,” in IDB,
4:629.
Gundry, Robert H. “The Early Epistles of Paul,”
in A Survey of the New Testament, pp
341-358.
Guthrie, Donald. “The Thessalonian Epistles,” in
New Testament Introduction, pp 585-606.
Krentz, Edgar M. “Thessalonians, First and
Second Epistles to the,” in ABD,
6:515-523.
Tenney, Merill C. “Thessalonians, Letters to
the,” in NIDB, pp 1008-1010.
_______________. “Thessalonians, First Epistle
to the,” in ISBE, 4:832-834.
Thomas, Robert L. “1 Thessalonians,” in EXP,
11:229-298.
updated 06 February, 2006
Thessalonians, Epistle of Second:
What can you tell me about the composition of
the Epistle of 2 Thessalonians?
Genuine Pauline authorship of 2
Thessalonians is questioned by many liberal
theologians, even though the text of this letter
was well-known to many of the Church Fathers
(Guthrie, 593). Pauline authorship of 2
Thessalonians is often challenged on the basis
of its structure, and the fact that it is more
formal and rigid in its language than 1
Thessalonians. Some liberal theologians believe
that 2 Thessalonians was an “application letter”
written by a student of Paul to apply his
instruction in 1 Thessalonians to a new
situation. The majority of conservative
scholars, in contrast, hold to genuine Pauline
authorship, and the conviction that 2
Thessalonians clarifies many of the statements
made in 1 Thessalonians. Tenney notes that none
of the arguments against Pauline authorship are
valid, “for the two letters deal with two
different aspects of the same general subject,
and bear so many resemblances to each other that
they are clearly related” (NIDB, 1009).
2 Thessalonians was composed not
long after the letter of 1 Thessalonians. It was
likely written by Paul a maximum of six months
later, although some speculate a composition of
a few weeks after 1 Thessalonians (ISBE,
4:835). 2 Thessalonians was probably written
from Corinth, and was written to clarify
misunderstandings from the first letter. It adds
additional dimensions to the eschatology of 1
Thessalonians, specifying that certain events
must precede the return of Yeshua (2:1-3), and
it introduces “the man of sin” (2:3-9). The
letter was probably written to answer the claims
of an unauthorized letter that said the return
of Yeshua was at hand (2:2). The text takes on a
distinctly more Jewish character than 1
Thessalonians, including references to “the day
of the Lord” (2:2), which the largely non-Jewish
readership would not have been as familiar with
as the Jewish readership.
Like 1 Thessalonians, no one in
the scholastic community has ever proposed a
Hebrew or Aramaic origin for the text of 2
Thessalonians. A Greek composition of 2
Thessalonians is definite given its audience.
The theology of 2 Thessalonians
is largely focused around eschatology. Paul
specifies many of the general end-time claims of
1 Thessalonians. He encourages the Believers in
Thessalonica (1:4-10), corrects
misunderstandings relating to the Second Coming
(2:1-12), and is forced to exhort many of the
Thessalonians to work (2:13-3:15). There was a
strong belief that the return of Yeshua and the
end of the world were at hand, and men were not
working, providing sustenance for their
families. As Gundry remarks, “The fanaticism
arose out of a belief in the immediacy of Jesus’
return…Paul therefore writes this second epistle
to the Thessalonians to quiet the fanaticism by
correcting the eschatology that gave rise to it”
(Gundry, 356).
2 Thessalonians offers no huge
theological challenges for the Messianic
community today. It is interesting, though, that
Paul does write, “the mystery of lawlessness is
already at work” (2:7), indicating that in the
mid-First Century the community of faith was
already distancing itself from the Torah.
However, the bulk of Paul’s writing relates to
the return of Yeshua, and responds to the
arguments of so-called end-time immanency. If
anything, there is more in 2 Thessalonians that
regards the infamous pre- versus
post-tribulation rapture debate. It also
addresses the need for us not to be too
overanxious about the end-times.
Bibliography
Beare, F.W. “Thessalonians, First Letter to
the,” in IDB, 4:625-629.
Bruce, F.F. “1 and 2 Thessalonians,” in NBCR,
pp 1154-1165.
Gundry, Robert H. “The Early Epistles of Paul,”
in A Survey of the New Testament, pp
341-358.
Guthrie, Donald. “The Thessalonian Epistles,” in
New Testament Introduction, pp 585-606.
Krentz, Edgar M. “Thessalonians, First and
Second Epistles to the,” in ABD,
6:515-523.
Tenney, Merill C. “Thessalonians, Letters to
the,” in NIDB, pp 1008-1010.
_______________. “Thessalonians, Second Epistle
to the,” in ISBE, 4:834-836.
Thomas, Robert L. “2 Thessalonians,” in EXP,
11:301-337.
updated 06 February, 2006
Timothy,
Epistle of First:
What can you tell me about the composition of
the Epistle of 1 Timothy?
The author of 1 Timothy is
identified in the text as being the Apostle Paul
(1:1), and while many conservatives accept
genuine Pauline authorship, liberals do not.
Liberals often favor the belief that the
Pastoral Epistles (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus)
were written by third generation Christians (IDB,
4:651), casting doubts on their historicity. It
is doubted on the basis that Paul could not have
written 2 Timothy from his imprisonment in Rome
described in Acts 28 (even though this was more
of a house arrest), and consequently 1 Timothy
is attached to this premise. However, it is
reasonable to infer that Paul was released from
his imprisonment described at the end of Acts,
and traveled to Spain (cf. 1 Clement 5),
only later to be arrested when he returned to
Rome.
Paul writes his letter to
Timothy, who was a native of Lystra in Asia
Minor (Acts 20:4). Timothy’s father was a Greek,
but his mother was a Jewess. Timothy was taught
from the Tanach as a young man by his Jewish
grandmother Lois, and later his mother (2
Timothy 1:5; 3:15), but he was never
circumcised, nor converted to Judaism. It is
assumed that Timothy’s mother was not originally
religious, causing her to marry a Greek man, who
would not allow his son to be circumcised (ISBE,
4:857). When Timothy came to faith in the
Messiah Yeshua, Paul made sure that he underwent
circumcision. “Paul regarded Timothy’s
circumcision not as a means of salvation but as
a legal act to remove a serious obstacle to the
gospel” (Ibid.). Timothy assisted Paul in his
work in Macedonia and Achaia (Acts 17:14-15;
18:5), and was with him during most of his work
in Ephesus (Acts 19:22). Timothy was Paul’s
traveling companion, going with him from Ephesus
to Macedonia, to Corinth (Acts 20:3), through
Asia Minor (Acts 20:1-6), and even to Jerusalem.
The Apostle Paul mentions Timothy
as a “co-sender” of six of his letters (2
Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1&2
Thessalonians, Philemon). When he found himself
imprisoned in Rome again, Paul asked Timothy to
join him (2 Timothy 4:9, 21). While we do not
know if Timothy made it to Rome, we can safely
assume that he made every effort to do so.
Timothy is mentioned more times than any of
Paul’s other companions, indicating a fond
affection for him (NIDB, 1018). In spite
of his young age, natural reserve, and timidity
(1 Corinthians 16:10; 2 Timothy 1:7), as well as
his frequent ailments (1 Timothy 5:23), he was a
faithful servant to the community of faith,
following the tasks assigned to him by Paul and
the other Apostles with absolute dedication.
1 Timothy was written by Paul to
Timothy while he was in Ephesus (1:3). Paul
leaves the Ephesian assemblies in Timothy’s
capable care, and writes the letter while
traveling to Macedonia. The letter is often
estimated as having been written in 63-64 C.E.,
although some prefer a slightly later date of
65-67 C.E. Paul indicates in this letter that he
might not return for some time, so he writes to
encourage him (1:3, 18). Paul instructs Timothy
to refute false teachings (1:3-7; 4:1-8; 6:3-5,
20-21), and to adequately supervise the assembly
(ch 2; 3:1-13; 5:17-25).
Contrary to the opinion of some
in the Messianic community, no Hebrew or Aramaic
origin for 1 Timothy has ever been proposed by
anyone in the scholastic community. It is
impossible considering that Timothy was raised
as a Greek in Lystra, and would have spoken
Greek as his native language. In fact his very
Greek name Timotheos (Timoqeoß)
is preserved in modern Hebrew translations of
the New Testament as Timotius (sWYtAmyj).
The problem that had infected the
Ephesian congregations Timothy was overseeing
likely involved Gnosticism, or at least a
primitive form of it, combined with people
thinking that they should be Torah teachers who
should not be (1:3-7). Combined with this was a
form of asceticism. While expositors have often
assumed that many of the problems Timothy had to
address were Jewish in nature, “the nature of
the heresy has nothing in common with legalistic
Judaism. The second danger is the identification
of the opposition with a well-known Gnostic
movement of the second century” (IDB,
3:672). Timothy also had the job of making sure
that proper order and organization were in place
among the leaders of the Ephesian assemblies.
The Messianic community today
faces some of the same issues described by Paul
in 1 Timothy. We have Judaizers or “Influencers”
who think themselves to be teachers of the
Torah, and have no business being such, and are
led by Gnostic-type ideas. As Paul says, “These
promote controversies rather than God's
work—which is by faith…They want to be teachers
of the law, but they do not know what they are
talking about or what they so confidently
affirm” (1 Timothy 1:4b, 7, NIV). We would do
well to heed Paul’s words to Timothy, and
understand them for what they meant to the Torah
community in Ephesus, and what they mean for the
emerging Messianic movement today.
Bibliography
Beker, J.C. “Pastoral letters,” in IDB,
3:668-675.
Earle, Ralph. “1&2 Timothy,” in EXP,
11:341-418.
Gundry, Robert H. “The Pastoral Epistles of
Paul,” in A Survey of the New Testament,
pp 409-420.
Guthrie, Donald. “Pastoral Epistles,” in ISBE,
3:679-687.
______________. “The Pastoral Epistles,” in
New Testament Introduction, pp 607-657.
Hawthorne, G.F. “Timothy,” in ISBE,
4:857-858.
Hendriksen, William. “Pastoral Letters,” in
NIDB, pp 753-755.
_________________. “Timothy,” in NIDB, pp
1018-1019.
Kee, H.C. “Timothy,” in IDB, 4:651.
Quinn, Jerome D. “Timothy and Titus, Epistles
to,” in ABD, 6:560-571.
Stibbs, A.M. “The Pastoral Epistles,” in NBCR,
pp 1166-1186.
updated 06 February, 2006
Timothy,
Epistle of Second:
What can you tell me about the composition of
the Epistle of 2 Timothy?
The issues surrounding genuine
Pauline authorship for 2 Timothy are the same as
those for 1 Timothy. Generally, Pauline
authorship of 2 Timothy is accepted by many
conservatives, but doubted by liberals because
of an advanced grammatical structure that is
unique to the other Pauline letters. Some
conservatives do believe, however, that 2
Timothy and Titus may have been composed by
members of Paul’s entourage, under his
authority, during his imprisonment (ABD,
6:568). This would certainly account for its
advanced wording.
The letter of 2 Timothy is
generally agreed to have been written during
Paul’s second imprisonment under Nero in 66-67
C.E., from Rome, prior to the winter (4:21), and
probably after Paul’s letter to Titus. While
Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome was in a
rented house (Acts 28:30), his second
imprisonment came from a dungeon (4:13), where
Paul was chained like a criminal (1:16; 2:9).
Paul writes his letter, reflecting on the fact
that the work God had for him had been
completed, and that his life was ending (4:6-8).
Paul wrote Timothy because of an
extreme loneliness he was feeling, as only Luke,
of Paul’s inner circle, was still with him
(4:11). Titus and Tychicus were away in Crete
(4:10-12), and the rest deserted him (1:15;
4:10), possibly for fear of persecution or to
pursue Earthly pleasures. Paul desired Timothy
to visit him (1:4), and for him to come soon
(4:9, 21). Paul writes Timothy because he was
greatly concerned for the persecutions that were
coming, presumably at the hands of Nero. Timothy
is admonished by Paul to keep and persevere in
the gospel (1:14; 3:14), and if necessary suffer
for it (1:8; 2:3). Timothy was overseeing the
Ephesian assemblies at the time, and by
extension Paul is issuing some important
instruction for them.
Just like 1 Timothy, no scholar
or academic has ever proposed a Hebrew or
Aramaic origin for the composition of 2 Timothy.
It is impossible given Paul’s circumstances as a
chained criminal in a Roman dungeon, and the
strong possibility that members of the Roman
faith community composed it for him on his
authority. It guarantees that the letter was
composed in Greek, being sent to Timothy, a
native Greek speaker, and by extension to the
Ephesian assemblies.
2 Timothy is largely a personal
letter from the Apostle Paul to Timothy. Paul
urges Timothy not to give up in his faith, and
not to be intimidated by any false teachings or
apostasy around him—likely the same issues as in
1 Timothy. Paul stresses to Timothy that “all
Scripture” is inspired by God (3:16), and at the
time that would certainly have included the
canon of the Tanach, but was likely beginning to
include some of the Apostolic texts. Paul makes
an interesting reference in his letter to Jannes
and Jambres (3:8), who are not described in the
Torah itself, but rather in Targum Jonathan on
Exodus 7:11. When Paul instructs Timothy to
bring him the parchments or scrolls, it likely
included copies of the Tanach, records on
Yeshua’s life and teachings, other religious
documents, and Paul’s legal papers, including
his certificate of Roman citizenship (Gundry,
417).
The clear emphasis in 2 Timothy
is for him to maintain “sound doctrine” (4:3) in
the assembly of faith. Timothy is admonished to
maintain order among those whom he oversees. The
emerging Messianic community today would do well
to take Paul’s words to Timothy seriously,
because there are Messianic groups that lack the
order that Paul desired Timothy to enforce.
Bibliography
Beker, J.C. “Pastoral letters,” in IDB,
3:668-675.
Earle, Ralph. “1&2 Timothy,” in EXP,
11:341-418.
Gundry, Robert H. “The Pastoral Epistles of
Paul,” in A Survey of the New Testament,
pp 409-420.
Guthrie, Donald. “Pastoral Epistles,” in ISBE,
3:679-687.
______________. “The Pastoral Epistles,” in
New Testament Introduction, pp 607-657.
Hendriksen, William. “Pastoral Letters,” in
NIDB, pp 753-755.
Quinn, Jerome D. “Timothy and Titus, Epistles
to,” in ABD, 6:560-571.
Stibbs, A.M. “The Pastoral Epistles,” in NBCR,
pp 1166-1186.
updated 06 February, 2006
Tithing:
What can you tell me about tithing from a
Messianic perspective? How am I to honor God
with my money and resources today?
There are a wide variety of
opinions given as to what “tithing” means, even
though all of us should agree that we need to
honor the Lord with our resources. One of the
things that we should keep in mind is that the
instructions regarding tithing in the Torah,
specifically with land, produce, livestock,
etc., were intended to be kept in the Land of
Israel in conjunction with the priesthood and
Tabernacle/Temple service. Since most of us live
in the Diaspora, and there is no operative
Tabernacle/Temple service today, we can only
keep these commandments in principle and have to
find another way to apply them.
The Book of Acts is probably the
best place to start, where we see that the early
Messianic community shared many of their
possessions and gave money, supplies, and goods
to one another as they needed them. This too, of
course, would be a challenge since today’s
Messianic community is spread abroad, and most
of us are not in need for someone else to
provide us with daily wares. Furthermore, we do
not live in an economy that would largely allow
for common ownership to this extent. When we see
the early Messianic community growing beyond the
borders of Judea we see that as congregations
were established, monies were regularly
collected for the expenses of the local assembly
and for the traveling Apostles. Paul’s letter to
the Philippians, for example, is largely written
thanking them for a generous contribution that
they made to his ministry work.
Today, these are all things we
have to consider as we return to the Hebraic
Roots of our faith and the Messianic movement
continues to grow. Many people do not have local
assemblies and as such do not consider it
important to give a tithe. These individuals are
largely served and taught by independent
Messianic ministries, but sometimes do not
support them financially in any way. Is
this right? Many people feel convicted to tithe,
but do not know how to do it.
We see the issue of tithing and
giving offerings applied in some unique
situations in the Apostolic Scriptures. We would
encourage you to support those who teach and
minister to you just as the Apostles did. From
the Apostles’ work our faith was able to survive
and last almost 2,000 years. In today’s
Messianic movement, which has quite a bit going
against it, there is a great deal of difficult
work ahead to establish a theology and
discipline that will last for future
generations. People who are on the front lines
in Messianic ministry need the financial support
of others so they can continue the work that God
has given to them. Pray to the Lord and ask Him
how He would have you serve Him with your
finances.
posted 16 September, 2006
Titus,
Epistle of:
What can you tell me about the composition of
the Epistle of Titus?
The author of the letter to Titus
is very clearly identified as being the Apostle
Paul in the text (1:1). Genuine Pauline
authorship is not doubted by conservatives,
neither was it by the Second Century Church.
Pauline authorship is doubted by liberals, who
often believe that Titus was composed by second
or third generation Christians.
This letter, in the series of
Pastoral Epistles, is addressed to Titus, one of
Paul’s original converts (1:4). Titus was very
important to Paul, as Paul took him to Jerusalem
(Galatians 2:1-3). When Paul took Titus to
Jerusalem, Titus was not circumcised (Galatians
2:3-5). In the growing world of Jewish New
Testament studies, there is debate as to what
this would mean, whether he was not physically
circumcised, or if being “circumcised” is an
expression meaning conversion to Judaism, if he
had not become a proselyte. Regardless of which
is correct, we may safely assume that when Titus
accompanied Paul to Jerusalem he was a rather
young Believer, and Paul wanted to show him the
holy city.
Titus probably worked with Paul
during his time in Ephesus. It is notable that
“We hear nothing further of Titus till the time
of Paul’s ministry at Ephesus on the third
missionary journey” (EXP, 11:422). He
likely grew leaps and bounds in his Messianic
faith during this time. Titus was given the
responsibility by Paul to deliver the letter of
2 Corinthians to Corinth (2 Corinthians 8:3).
Later, we see that Paul and Titus worked
together on the island of Crete (1:5), and Titus
remained there to continue the work as Paul’s
representative (1:5; 2:15; 3:12-13). The last we
see about Titus in the Biblical text is that he
went on a mission to Dalmatia (1 Timothy 4:10).
The letter to Titus was almost
assuredly written before 2 Timothy, in
approximately 63-64 C.E. Some believe that Titus
was written during Paul’s second imprisonment in
Rome, but the text of Titus indicates that Paul
asks him to meet him in Nicopolis (3:12-14), a
town on the west coast of Greece. Titus was in
Crete when the letter was addressed to him, and
by extension Paul’s instruction was not only to
Titus, but to the Cretan assemblies. Crete,
being an island in the Southern Aegean Sea, was
at a deplorable moral level in the First
Century. Paul actually quotes the Cretan poet
Epimenides, “Cretans are always liars, evil
beasts, lazy gluttons” (1:12), in pointing out
that Titus had his work cut out for him. Titus
was given apostolic authority to see that the
congregations of Crete were well-cared for, and
to prepare the way for Apollos and Zenas (3:13).
As with the other Pastoral
Epistles, no one in the scholastic world has
ever proposed a Hebrew or Aramaic origin for
Titus. Contrary to what a few in the Messianic
movement might want to believe, a Greek
composition for Titus is absolutely certain.
Titus “was a Greek” (Galatians 2:3), and would
have spoken Greek as his native language. Titus
was operating in Crete when Paul wrote him from
Nicopolis, all areas where Greek was spoken as
the primary language.
The letter to Titus includes a
strong emphasis by Paul on loving and doing good
(1:8, 16; 2:3, 7, 14; 3:1, 8, 14), as true
sanctification was needed in Crete (NIDB,
754). One explanation is that the letter was
written by Paul because “Titus was directed to
appoint morally and doctrinally qualified elders
in the various” assemblies (EXP, 11:423).
There may have also been some limited Gnostic
influence circulating around Crete as well (IDB,
3:673). Yet another explanation is that “certain
Jewish-Christian teachers [had] perverted the
consciences of their fellow believers; the new
Pauline presbyter-bishops must stop them” (ABD,
6:560). What is interesting about this
explanation is that it places the context of
Titus’ work as being within “the
Jewish-Christian congregation” (Ibid., 6:561).
This would mean that Titus was overseeing
various Messianic congregations, preparing the
way for Apollos, who was strong in the Tanach
(Acts 18:24), and Zenas “the Torah expert”
(3:13, CJB). The letter by Paul to Titus
presents no major challenges for the Messianic
community today when placed in its historical
context.
Bibliography
Beker, J.C. “Pastoral letters,” in IDB,
3:668-675.
Gundry, Robert H. “The Pastoral Epistles of
Paul,” in A Survey of the New Testament,
pp 409-420.
Guthrie, Donald. “Pastoral Epistles,” in ISBE,
3:679-687.
______________. “The Pastoral Epistles,” in
New Testament Introduction, pp 607-657.
Hendriksen, William. “Pastoral Letters,” in
NIDB, pp 753-755.
_________________. “Titus,” in NIDB,
1021.
Hiebert, D. Edmond. “Titus,” in EDP,
11:421-449.
Quinn, Jerome D. “Timothy and Titus, Epistles
to,” in ABD, 6:560-571.
Stibbs, A.M. “The Pastoral Epistles,” in NBCR,
pp 1166-1186.
updated 06 February, 2006
Tongues:
What do you believe about speaking in tongues?
The issue about speaking in
“tongues” is as much a debate in mainstream
Christianity as it is in the Messianic movement.
There are people in the Messianic movement today
who come out of the varied charismatic
movements, which frequently emphasize the gifts
of the Spirit, speaking in tongues, and other
so-called “signs and wonders.” In our
experience, many who come out of these
backgrounds are some of the hardest to convince
of Torah observance and the Messianic lifestyle,
because many charismatics are of the opinion
that they have “freedom in the Spirit,” but yet
this freedom goes beyond what is often
Scripturally defined for us. We are also
continually reminded of the Messiah’s warning to
us in Matthew 24:24, “For false messiahs and
false prophets will appear and produce great
signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible,
even the elect” (NRSV).
We are certainly not of the
opinion that the “gifts are dead” and that the
gifts of the Holy Spirit were only available to
those in the First Century. However, we are of
the opinion that there has been gross misuse of
the Spiritual gifts in recent years via some of
the Pentecostal and charismatic groups that have
popped up, and that we must return to a
Scriptural foundation in what the Spiritual
gifts actually are. We disagree that God would
be doing a “new thing” in the world today that
does not have some precedent in the Bible.
Speaking in “tongues,” as it is
often manifested today in Christian assemblies
and in some Messianic congregations, is often a
person being “supernaturally empowered” to speak
in some form of unintelligible gibberish. We
certainly do not doubt the fact that we can be
supernaturally empowered to speak in “groanings
too deep for words” (Romans 8:26) or “groans
that words cannot express” (NIV), as Paul calls
them. But these groanings are only intended to
be used when “the Spirit also helps our
weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we
should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for
us,” and these “groanings too deep for
words” (NASU) are different than
“speaking in tongues.” These groanings could be
called one’s personal prayer language with God,
and only used when one has an urgent prayer to
say and does not know what to say, so the Spirit
takes over.
Speaking in “tongues,” as it is
Biblically defined, is being supernaturally
empowered to speak in an intelligible, foreign
language that one does not know, or being
supernaturally empowered to speak in one’s
native language and being heard by others in
their native language which is different. We see
this occur in the Book of Acts at Shavuot/Pentecost
when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon those
assembled: “And they were all filled of the Holy
Spirit, and began to speak in other languages,
as the Spirit gave ability to them to
speak” (Acts 2:4, LITV). Acts 2:8 attests that
those assembled said, “how do we hear each in
our own dialect in which we were born?” (LITV).
Those proclaiming the gospel at Shavuot/Pentecost
not only were supernaturally empowered to speak
or be heard in foreign languages, but were also
speaking or being heard in the specific regional
dialects of those assembled.
We believe that the gift of
tongues is for today, but that it is not
speaking in the meaningless gibberish that it is
often credited as being. The Apostle Paul writes
in 1 Corinthians 14:22, “So then tongues are for
a sign, not to those who believe but to
unbelievers; but prophecy is for a sign,
not to unbelievers but to those who believe.”
This is because from the example given to us in
Acts, the speaking in other languages occurred
so that the good news of salvation in Messiah
Yeshua could be proclaimed to those who needed
it. This is why speaking in “tongues,” or more
correctly languages, is a sign for
unbelievers.
updated 23 November, 2006
Torah,
Command not to “Add to”:
In Deuteronomy 4:2 we are told not to add
commandments to those of the Torah, yet in
Judaism, and in the Messianic movement today, we
have many people who follow traditions of men
that some claim are “commanded by God.” I am
confused.
Deuteronomy 4:2 does admonish us,
“You shall not add to the word which I am
commanding you, nor take away from it, that you
may keep the commandments of the
Lord
your God which I command you.” The primary
emphasis of this commandment, more than anything
else, is that God Himself the only One who can
tell the people of Israel what to do and not to
do. However, if we were to hold to a strict
interpretation of this, this means that when
situations arise that require the religious
community to make judgments on things that are
not directly or indirectly addressed in the
Torah, or any part of Scripture, that any
decision could possibly be acceptable. In the
independent Messianic community today this has
led to many interpretations of the Torah that
are foreign to mainline Judaism, and can be
quite offensive to our Jewish brethren.
It can be irresponsible to
strongly assert that traditions are not
“commanded by God,” when the Torah itself says
that if a matter rises in Israel we are to
follow the rulings of the priests and judges
that the Lord sets over us:
“If any case is too difficult for
you to decide, between one kind of homicide or
another, between one kind of lawsuit or another,
and between one kind of assault or another,
being cases of dispute in your courts, then you
shall arise and go up to the place which the
Lord your God chooses. So you shall come to the Levitical
priest or the judge who is in office in
those days, and you shall inquire of them
and they will declare to you the verdict in the
case. You shall do according to the terms of the
verdict which they declare to you from that
place which the
Lord
chooses; and you shall be careful to observe
according to all that they teach you. According
to the terms of the law which they teach you,
and according to the verdict which they tell
you, you shall do; you shall not turn aside from
the word which they declare to you, to the right
or the left” (Deuteronomy 17:8-11).
Some would make the argument that
every Rabbinical ruling made in Orthodox
Judaism today needs to be followed by the
Messianic community. Certainly, we would not
make that argument. But, neither would we make
the argument that they should be totally
ignored, either. The Messianic movement
today should parallel the major halachic
matters that bind the broad Jewish community
together (Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform).
This would include when we celebrate the
appointed times, including Chanukah and
Purim, how we would dress in a
congregational environment, how we generally eat
kosher, and other traditions that are beneficial
to our faith. Of course, there will be variance
among Messianics, just as there is variance
among Jewish sects today. If a person in the
independent Messianic movement has never been
exposed to Messianic Judaism, or if someone is
naturally predisposed to “do his own thing” (or
even worse, “buck the system”) and not respect
order, then it should not be surprising to see a
strong impetus to develop applications of the
Torah that are foreign to Judaism.
The commandment in Deuteronomy
17:11 is that we are to “Act according to the
law they teach you and the decisions they give
you. Do not turn aside from what they tell you,
to the right or to the left” (NIV). We do not
believe that what is implied here is a blind
obedience to the rulings left by the Sages and
Rabbis of Judaism. We have to judge their
rulings against the Word of God, to see if
something aligns with the spirit of the Word, as
most major rulings relate to ethical value
judgments that the Scriptures may not directly
address. With all things, we have to see whether
it parallels God’s written Word, and enhances
our relationship and walk with Yeshua. There are
clearly things that have come down through
history that deter our walk with Him, but then
there are many things that can enhance it. Each
of us must use proper discernment.
What is perhaps most important
more than anything else is that these rulings
have to be made by recognized, qualified
spiritual leaders of the community. The Torah is
designed to be lived out in a community, as
opposed to a “one-on-one” basis between oneself
and God. A prime example of this is that when
you see kosher-for-Passover food items that say
“consult your rabbi” on the packaging. This
indicates in some way that there is debate over
whether or not an item is kosher for Passover,
and that the ultimate determination should go to
your local rabbi.
This can be a difficult concept
for many who come from evangelical Christian
backgrounds to accept, because we were often not
used to our pastor making “rulings” on what we
should do or not do concerning God’s
commandments. Many of us were taught that our
relationship with God was just between us and
Him. While that is certainly true, we are also
in covenant with other members of the faith
community. Just like we probably went to a
pastor for spiritual guidance, prayer,
counseling, or just help regarding an issue, and
took his advice and followed it, so do the
rulings of the rabbis apply. Just as we would
expect a pastor to be anointed by the Lord and
for his words to carry authoritative weight, so
can the rulings of the Rabbis.
Of course, as with all things, we
should never follow the opinions of a pastor
blindly, nor follow the rulings of the Rabbis
blindly, either. We have to test everything
against God’s Word, to make sure that it aligns
with the character of our Heavenly Father, and
we have to see if it is something that enhances
our walk with Him, rather than takes us away
from Him. More than anything else, we have to
deal with things on a case-by-case basis, and
recognize the fact that there is a great deal of
“grey” when it comes to interpretation and
application. In today’s emerging Messianic
community, we have to extend grace and mercy to
those who are more Rabbinical in their approach
to God, and those who want nothing to do with
it. Hopefully, we can find a proper balance
between Scripture and tradition, where neither
is considered unimportant.
added 29 December, 2005
Torah, moral
and ceremonial law:
How do you respond to the claim that Christ has
done away with the ceremonial law, but that the
moral law of God remains?
The divisions of the Torah of
Moses among sets of “moral law” and “ceremonial
law” are artificial. While we certainly commend
Christian theologians for wanting to maintain
the integrity of at least some of the
Torah, the Torah does not categorize itself in
terms of a commandment being “moral” or
“ceremonial.” What many Christian denominations
advocate is that some of the Torah’s
commandments, those pertaining to the Sabbath,
the holidays of Israel, the kosher dietary laws,
male circumcision, etc., were abolished by the
sacrifice of Yeshua—things believed to fall
under the classification of “ceremonial.” They
do not, however, advocate that Yeshua abolished
commandments relating to personal relations, and
how we are to love others, treat others with
respect, not murder, steal, adulterate,
etc.—things believed to fall under the
classification of “moral.” This is different
from some other Christian denominations and
traditions that advocate that the entire
Torah was abolished by Yeshua.
When approaching the Torah and
studying it on a regular basis, one quickly
discovers that it makes no distinction between
“moral” or “ceremonial” commandments. The Torah,
rather, divides its commandments among one’s
status in society. If one is a male, one does
commandments that are applicable for males,
either married males or unmarried males. If one
is female, one does commandments that are
applicable for females. There are also
commandments for children, priests, those in
business, farmers, the Levites, and those living
only inside the Land of Israel. The Torah is not
difficult to follow as a Believer in Yeshua with
the Holy Spirit, as not all of its commandments
can be applied to our lives in a modern-day,
Diaspora setting.
posted 07 June, 2006
Torah, only
focused on:
I have spent some time around “Messianic
Believers,” and all they seem to be focused on
is the Law of Moses—yet they tell me that they
are trying to live “fully Biblical” lives. Is it
true you just focus on the Torah in your Bible
studies?
Like any religious group, the
persons you are describing must be considered on
a case-by-case basis. It is absolutely true that
there are Messianic congregations, fellowships,
and individuals that only focus on the
Torah in their Bible studies and exposition.
When all one focuses on is the Torah—and
sometimes the Written Torah in a vacuum devoid
of its historical context in the Ancient Near
East—one can become anemic in his or her
understanding of God’s Word. This is no
different than the many Christians who only
focus on the “New Testament” in their reading of
the Bible, and today’s
emerging Messianic movement needs to avoid
making the same mistake in reverse by only
focusing on the Torah.
As a ministry, we fully encourage
Believers to make use of the revelation God has
given us in the Biblical Books of
Genesis-Deuteronomy. They form the foundation
that the rest of Scripture progressively builds
upon; but they by no means make up all of
Scripture. When we read the Torah on a regular
basis, we are reminded that God has called us
out as His people, and has great plans for us if
we obey Him. The constant problem is that for
many centuries God’s people have not obeyed Him,
and we have all fallen into the traps of sin.
This is why Yeshua had to come and die for us at
Golgotha (Calvary). The Torah itself is not
enough without Yeshua. The Torah shows us the
high standard of God that He wants us to live up
to, but as fallen human beings we are totally
incapable of living up to that standard. The
Torah shows us our inherent need for a Divine
Savior because we fall short of keeping God’s
commandments.
For us as Believers in Yeshua,
the Torah reveals for us the character and
holiness of our Heavenly Father, that we should
diligently strive to integrate into our daily
lives. It gives us foundational instruction on
human interaction, and how we should be
concerned about social justice and righteous
behavior in our communities. It teaches us
important things about the human condition that
have remained true ever since Creation.
Hopefully, these are the things that Messianic
Torah studies focus on, as God empowers us to be
about His work in today’s world that desperately
needs the gospel message of salvation.
Our challenge during the next few
years will be how we can balance Torah study
with a study of other parts of the Bible. A
Messianic fellowship or congregation that only
focuses on the Torah will be just as incapable
to address the challenges of today’s society as
a church that only focuses on the Apostolic
Scriptures. Furthermore, there are many issues
in the Torah itself—primarily in terms of
ancient history—that today’s Messianic movement
is largely unprepared to address. We would
encourage every one of you to regularly survey
the Scriptures: reading the weekly Torah
portions, being engaged in a mid-week study of
another Biblical text, and then regularly
reading yet another Biblical text for your own
study and reflection.
Our ministry efforts to produce
Biblical commentaries under the “for the
Practical Messianic” banner will hopefully
produce more studies that you can use, but these
take a great deal of time and research—and it
admittedly will be a lifelong process in
order to complete the entire Bible. In the
meantime, please do read through all of the
Scriptures on a regular basis, so you can
gauge where your life presently is in the Lord,
and where you need to improve both in your
understanding of the Word and in your
relationship with Him and other people.
posted 22 January, 2007
Torah, Yeshua:
I heard a Messianic Bible teacher say that
Yeshua was the Torah made flesh. I do not
understand this concept. Can you please explain?
According to John 1:1, Yeshua the
Messiah is the Word, who is God. We are told,
“the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and
we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten
from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John
1:14). These words tell us that Yeshua, who is
the Word and who is God, became flesh. We know
as Believers that Yeshua is the Word made flesh
because He embodies the Scriptures physically in
His words, actions, and deeds recorded for us in
the Gospels.
Hebraically, the Word of God is
synonymous to the Torah or Law of God. The
following passages from the Tanach equate God’s
Word with His Torah or Law:
“According to the terms of the
law which they teach you, and according to the
verdict which they tell you, you shall do; you
shall not turn aside from the word which they
declare to you, to the right or the left”
(Deuteronomy 12:11).
“And many peoples will come and
say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the
Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may
teach us concerning His ways and that we may
walk in His paths.’ For the law will go forth
from Zion and the word of the
Lord
from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:3).
“Therefore, as a tongue of fire
consumes stubble and dry grass collapses into
the flame, so their root will become like rot
and their blossom blow away as dust; for they
have rejected the law of the
Lord
of hosts and despised the word of the Holy One
of Israel” (Isaiah 5:24).
“To the law and to the testimony!
If they do not speak according to this word, it
is because they have no dawn” (Isaiah 8:20).
“Many nations will come and say,
‘Come and let us go up to the mountain of the
Lord
and to the house of the God of Jacob, that He
may teach us about His ways and that we may walk
in His paths.’ For from Zion will go forth the
law, even the word of the
Lord
from Jerusalem” (Micah 4:2).
These Scriptures all equate God’s
Word with being His Torah. By saying that Yeshua
is the Torah made flesh, Messianic teachers are
communicating that Yeshua embodies the Torah’s
commandments in His teachings and actions, and
thus in essence, in everything concerning Him.
posted 29 December, 2005
Tradition,
Role that it plays:
What role, if any, do you believe tradition
should play in our examination and application
of Scripture, particularly the Torah?
There is a wide variance of
opinion in the emerging Messianic movement
relating to what role, if any, tradition should
play as we study and apply the Bible in our
daily lives. This is particularly true regarding
our individual pursuits of a Torah obedient
lifestyle. How we follow the commandments of the
Torah is a huge issue, and often the Torah
itself gives us no explanation(s) of how various
commandments are to be kept. The two basic
options available at our disposal are to (1)
develop our own opinions and applications of
commandments, or (2) consult the traditional
opinions and applications of commandments as
developed by Judaism.
The classification of how much
tradition should be followed by Messianics today
can probably be listed under three broad
categories: (1) staunch traditionalists, (2)
anti-traditionalists, and (3) philo-traditionalists.
Staunch traditionalists would be those
who follow Jewish tradition without any
hesitation and who may consider extra-Biblical
works like the Mishnah and Talmud to be at the
level of inspired Scripture. This would include
those trying to emulate an Orthodox Jewish
and/or Chassidic style of halachah in the
Messianic community. Anti-traditionalists,
in stark contrast, are those who want nothing to
do with any kind of mainline Jewish tradition.
This could include those who believe in
following the Karaites, and/or insist on usage
of the Sacred Name. Anti-traditionalists are
often against practices like men wearing the
tallit and kippah (yarmulke),
wrapping tefillin, and celebrating
holidays like Chanukah or Purim,
and while promoting forms of “Torah observance”
may actually appear to be anti-Semitic.
Philo-traditionalists make up the centrist
view between the two. This would include those
who have a high respect for Jewish culture and
tradition, and generally follow a Torah
observant lifestyle quite consistent with
Conservative Judaism, tempered by the fact that
we live in a modern world. Philo-traditionalists
value works like the Mishnah and Talmud, but do
not consider them superior to the Tanach or
Apostolic Scriptures.
Our ministry very definitely falls into the
philo-traditionalist camp.
The debate over “tradition” in
the Messianic movement today is not going away.
Most often, the argument against employing
Jewish tradition and culture in one’s personal
halachah is going to come in the form of
statements like, “You don’t want to trade Church
traditions in for Synagogue traditions.” While
it is absolutely true that we want to have a
Scripturally sound faith, based on the Bible
first, the fact of the matter remains that the
Bible does not often tell us how to apply
commandments in our lives, and we will face life
situations that the Biblical text does not
directly or indirectly address. Many
hermeneutical systems employ tradition and
history to be used when it is clear that
Scripture does not address something.
It is very true that Yeshua the
Messiah spoke against tradition when it
invalidated the Word of God, and took people
away from weightier matters of the Torah like
love, mercy, and respect for others. Yet at the
same time, socio-historical studies in the
Gospels are revealing more and more that
Yeshua’s theology was closer to the Pharisees
than any of the other sects of First Century
Judaism, and that He indeed kept many of the
traditions and customs extant in the culture of
His day. The Apostle Paul urged the Corinthians
to “maintain the traditions just as I handed
them on to you” (1 Corinthians 11:2, NRSV), and
studies in the Jewish background of his
teachings are likewise revealing more and more
that he continued to be a Pharisee long after
his conversion (Acts 23:6). The independent
Messianic movement today cannot dispense with
the reality that while speaking against
tradition when it annuls Scripture, Yeshua
nevertheless lived out and followed much of the
tradition of His time. This speaks to our
ever-present need to be studying the Gospels and
examining each event of His life on a
case-by-case basis, employing the right
background information.
added 26 December, 2005
Tribulation,
in it:
Do you think we are currently in the
Tribulation?
There are currently no
indications to us that the Seventieth Week of
Israel has started. Some prophecy teachers have
claimed that the Tribulation has started either
though the initiation of certain peace
negotiations in the Mideast or what they claim
that God “has shown them,” meaning
exclusively to them. But, there have been no
significant events of a prophetic, world
changing nature that have occurred within any of
the proposed timespans.
In spite of the fact that we are
not in the Tribulation period, it is very
important that we follow the Middle East peace
negotiations, globalization, and other world
events as each day we get closer to the return
of the Messiah. This is true whether it will
happen in our generation, or sometime beyond our
lifespans.
added 05 January, 2006
Tribulation,
seven years:
Why do you believe that the so-called
“Tribulation” is seven years long? The
Scriptures only say that it is three-and-a-half.
The prophecies of Daniel 9
indicate that Israel has been allocated 70
weeks, each “week” or shavua ([Wbv)
being a period of seven years. The last of these
70 weeks, the Seventieth Week of Israel, is
commonly called the Tribulation period by
prophecy teachers. Because of Yeshua’s words
pertaining to the “great tribulation” (Matthew
24:21; cf. Daniel 12:7), which will be
three-and-a-half years in length, and the usage
of the term “Tribulation” in reference to the
entire Seventieth Week, some get confused. When
most refer to “the Tribulation” they are
referring to the entire seven-year period,
whereas the term “Great Tribulation” is often
used in reference to the last three-and-a-half
years of terrible hardship and judgment.
added 05 January, 2006
Tribal
Identity:
Why does your ministry not address the
dispersion of the Northern Kingdom of
Israel/Ephraim and to what countries the
scattered tribes are found today?
In the Biblical promises to
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Lord said that “I
will multiply your descendants as the stars of
heaven, and will give your descendants all these
lands; and by your descendants all the nations
of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 26:4).
We are told regarding these people that “Your
descendants will also be like the dust of the
earth, and you will spread out to the west and
to the east and to the north and to the south;
and in you and in your descendants shall all the
families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis
28:14).
In the Biblical account of the
exile of the Northern Kingdom of Israel/Ephraim
in 2 Kings 17-18, we know that following the
Assyrian Empire’s invasion and sacking of the
capital city of Samaria that corporately the
Northern Kingdom was never heard from again. The
Assyrian Empire transplanted those w |
