For nearly 2000 years, Christians have argued that because Jesus came, the "Old Testament" has passed away--meaning we can and should read the stories, but God does not expect us to really live by any of what we find there. In other words, we are not to follow it like the Jews do. Instead, for Christians, the "New Testament" states how we are supposed to live. And many contend that the New Testament nullifies God's original instructions. (Incidentally, Torah means "instructions".)
And so the Torah, the first five books of both the Jewish and Christian Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus, Deuteronomy), which God gave His people to live by, has become a bunch of stories and rules that Christians have a hard time reading without nodding off, particularly when you get to Leviticus . . .
What role then should the Torah play in a Christian's life? Has it really passed away? Is it just for Jews? These are questions that many have struggled with over the past 2000 years. And many have a definite answer:
1) the Torah is or was only for the Jews
2) the Torah is also for Christians (believers) today
Which do you agree with and why? Before answering, did you even know what the Torah was? If we aren't familiar with the Torah, can we really have an informed answer?
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4 comments:
Before you ask, Yes I do know what Torah is. I studied it in Hebrew at university and continue to do so years later. I also studied the New Teasament in Greek. There is no doubt in my mind anyone who worships the God of the Bible MUST have a healthy respect for His Law. Tanach and New Testament alike call for obedience to His commandments. Any Christian who claims otherwise has missed the point completely.
Jesus was Jewish and if we follow His example we keep the feasts, meet together on Sabbath and keep that day Holy. From his comments in Matthew 24 He expected His followers to be keeping Sabbath to the end.
ANy Christian who loves God should look to His word to see what pleases Him and keep His Law out of Love for Him. The New Testament cannot be understood without the Old Testament. Those who claim it is done away with are deceived big time.
Eve--thank you for your comment--Matthew 24 is a good support for your view. And the practical examples that you give are often the best way to explain that God's law has not passed away. What else from the Scriptures or practical observation have led you to hold this viewpoint?
I agree with you, and believe that people that call themselves Christians, and refuse to obey Torah, are following another gospel completely.
You are right in that it is not a burden, legalistic, or required for salvation. Messiah did that for us ... but quite simply, if we love Him, we will obey His commandments.
The more I study and follow the Torah, the more revelation and insight are opened before my eyes ... I am able to see things with natural and spiritual eyes. I honestly believe it has something to do with obeying the Father...
An interesting concept which would make for a good blog sometime, is how obedience to the Sabbath is the "door" to understanding. This commandment, which is the 4th ... the Hebrew letter "daleth" which has the equivalent of 4 ... the pictographic symbol for daleth is AN OPEN DOOR!!! Is it a stretch of my imagination, or is that something that Yahweh may have intended?
Who knows ... but again, that is the beauty of Torah...
In Revelation, the Messiah comes against the Laodiceans for being lukewarm and thinking that they did not need anything. Laodicea literally means "the people decide." I believe this is what you see in so many churches today .. that the people decide how they will follow Scripture, and what applies and what doesn't. Messiah tells them to get salve for their eyes that they might see, and tells them that because He loves them, He is rebuking and chastening them.
Contrast this to the assembly in Philadelphia, which literally means "love like brothers" ... who kept His Word (Torah?) and did not deny His Name? It also says that He had set before them and open door ... (there's that Sabbath reference again, possibly..)
Blessings...
John--no stretch of the imagination of the 4 as the door as the Sabbath to enter into Messiah--The bit I have learned about the multi-dimensions of the Hebrew language is amazing. It shows that God doesn't even want the language itself to be wasted so He has made it to be used completely.
On Shabbat a couple months ago we were at our Rabbi's home and Rabbi said to my husband, "Those are Shabbat shorts!" He had a big 4 on one leg of the shorts. He went on to explain that keeping the Sabbath was the 4th commandment and the dalet as door . . . and I kept thinking: but the 4th commandment is "Honor your parents." Well I did a little research and come to find out, that's only if you were "born Catholic" since the Catholic commandments are in a different order and leave out a bit--oh, just the part about making and worshiping graven images-no big deal, right?
This just further convinced me that God has a purpose for everything and the world seeks to change and twist His perfect creation in any way possible. God is in EVERYTHING--the tiniest letter to the greatest Truth.
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