Speaker: 0:01

Hello and welcome to the Waking Up the Grace podcast, where we celebrate and explore the finished work of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Tune in to the Waking Up to Grace podcast on every major platform. You can also listen to our episodes and read our full transcript at WakingUpTograce.com. And now, here's Lenny.

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Welcome back to the podcast, everyone. We left off our last study with the question, did the apostles practice the Mosaic Law? This is a question that's rarely asked. In fact, based on data collected by Google, it appears that this subject gets approximately zero searches per month. Although there are results that come up for the search query, it would seem that most of the human race has come to a conclusion on this topic already. But is the popular assumption correct? Does it help us to understand our biblical text? Today most believe that the apostles rejected observance to Torah, especially Paul. At the very least it's held that Paul fully rejected practice of Mosaic law, being that his ministry went out to the Gentiles. The biggest problem we run into with today's assumption is not where Paul rebukes Peter in Galatians 2.11. Paul rebuking Peter in Antioch in and of itself is no issue at all. We can shape that passage to fit this paradigm just fine. It's when we get to Paul's letter to the Romans where we run into an issue. There seems to be a trap set in Romans fourteen for those who see Paul rejecting the practice of Mosaic law. We'll be investigating these issues in this study so that we can get to the bottom of what seems to be a contradiction in Paul's theology. Do you think our apostles observed Torah even after the cross and resurrection? I know I didn't. I never would have entertained the notion until it presented itself to me. Just the thought of this would have made me see red flags waving in the air. Legalism would have to be at work in a doctrine like that, right? Someone would have to be under the curse of the law to even suggest such a thing. And here I stand, presenting it to you, and I can assure you that this view has no consequence in regards to the grace we have been given in Christ Yeshua. Did Peter and Paul observe the law? If you've been following this argument so far, including my last messages number sixty two and sixty three, you might be starting to understand that Jewish Christians continuing in Jewish customs didn't have to imply that they promoted a works based salvation or a works based righteousness. Paul proclaimed justification apart from the law, Romans 3 21, but salvation from Christ was based on the law, in that the law pointed to Christ, John 5. This makes the gospel a law-based salvation in a sense. But it's not by works of the law that one is justified, Ephesians 8 2 through 9. Whatever we believe about the law, we must agree that the law was still being observed in the transition period before the consummation of the new covenant age. The author of Hebrews makes this statement regarding Torah observance in that first century of the apostles. Hebrews 8 13 reads In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete, and what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. Growing old and ready to vanish is not yet irrelevant, and was not yet obsolete. In speaking of a new covenant, Yeshua made the first one obsolete. This simply means his introduction of the new covenant would make the first one obsolete when it was fully consummated. But in regards to their current state it is written, what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. The apostles lived at the end of the old covenant age and the beginning of the new covenant age. The sacrifice of Christ Yeshua fulfilled the law and those who believed. Matthew five seventeen reads, Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot will pass from the law, until all is accomplished. That's Christ Yeshua. I bring this up often because it's important. And as I mentioned in Message fifty seven, and detail out in several messages following it, the return of Christ would come at the end of the age. Heaven and earth passing away is not what we think. It was prophetic language that should be common knowledge to those with biblical understanding. My point is that Christ fulfilled the law at the cross and resurrection. This made the practice of the law old and fading at the time of the apostles, and they understood that the works of Torah as they knew it would soon reach their final end. Yeshua promised them that he would soon return. The question that remains in this context is how did the apostles deal with Torah while it was still operative? Was it still holy and good? Was it holy and good for Jews and Gentiles to practice the Mosaic law? Interestingly, at the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15, Gentiles receive instruction on how to behave, but we never hear a decree for Jewish Christians. Why do you think that would be? The believers from the party of the Pharisees never receive any behavioral instruction, nor do any Jewish Christians. It seems as though they already had instruction. They only needed to stop imposing the fullness of their customs on the Gentiles. The apostolic decree, which was derived from the Noahide laws, allowed both the Jews and Gentiles to share table fellowship and accomplish Gentile acceptance into the Jewish communities, even among those who did not yet believe in Christ as Messiah. In our last study, we discovered that we have little to no evidence proving that Peter made any actual dietary changes. And when it comes to Paul, we have a couple of passages that strongly seem to indicate that he was in fact still a practicing Jew, even after the Jerusalem Council. My first example is toward the end of Paul's missionary journeys when Paul travels to Jerusalem for Pentecost, despite all who warned him not to go. In Acts 21, 17 through 26, we read When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly. On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. And when they heard it, they glorified God, and they said to him, You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law, and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs. What then is to be done? They'll certainly hear that you have come. Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow. Take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law. But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. Then Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself along with them, and went into the temple, giving notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled, and the offering presented for each one of them. We learn several important things from this passage. Let's take a moment to review, shall we? One, there were thousands of Jewish Christians in Jerusalem for Pentecost who were zealous for the law. two, these thousands of Christians were being told that Paul taught Jews not to obey the law. three, Paul agrees to purify himself and the four men in order to display to the Jewish believers that he lived in observance with the law so they would be satisfied. four, James reminds Paul that the Gentiles have received the apostolic decree from the Jerusalem Council. First I want to say how incredible this scene must have been to experience. Thousands of Jewish believers from all over were glorifying Yahweh at Pentecost. Had Israel finally become a light to the Gentile nations? I see this as something they would have celebrated and taken great joy in. The mission of the apostles was being fulfilled in Jerusalem. It would be easy to miss this detail due to the issues that had arisen. Certain people were telling the Jewish believers that Paul spoke out against their traditions. If we hold to the common views that we have today, wouldn't we see Paul thinking, What's the problem here, James? I do speak out against law observance. Instead, Paul agrees to do what they recommended in order to allow the believers to see that he himself holds to Jewish tradition, and does not teach Jewish Christians to reject those things. Is Paul playing both sides here? Does he secretively despise the views of James and the others and decide to pretend to agree with them? Is this what Paul means when he says To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak? I've become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. That's in 1 Corinthians 9 22. Does Paul see honesty and truthfulness as something that can be set aside in order to help others? I can't accept this about Paul, can you? Something seems a bit off in this thinking, in my opinion. Another thing we must examine is would Paul consider these Christians to be the weak? Interestingly we see James bring up the apostolic decree here, which removed the burden of circumcision and Torah from the Gentiles, while keeping some simple commands for them to share fellowship with Jews. At the Jerusalem Council, we saw no instruction for the behavior of Jewish believers, only that they treat Gentiles as equals apart from the law. But here we see James instructing Paul on how to be sure the Jewish believers saw him as obedient to Torah. And the real kicker here is that Paul very clearly seems to be on the same page with James and accepting of his help. I know these facts are shocking to our paradigms, but can we actually convince ourselves that Paul, who went to Jerusalem, even though his life was on the line, backed down out of fear? Like Peter did in Galatians after Paul rebukes Peter for what seemed to be observing the law in Antioch? I can't believe that about Paul, can you? I see something else happening here. Peter could not have been labeled a hypocrite by eating a Jewish diet. I believe Paul rebukes Peter for separating himself from the Gentiles and influencing them to desire being in the inner circles with the Jewish believers who were pushing circumcision on them. If it was about Peter following Jewish customs, then in Acts 21 we witnessed Paul, James, Peter, and thousands of Christians in Jerusalem playing the hypocrite, and even condoning each other's behavior while they did it. This should have been considered outrageously out of line with the gospel. Yet they seem to have no issue with it at all, and wanted Paul to be seen by his Jewish brothers as obedient to Torah. Based on our examination, I think we have to deal with the fact that Christian Jews remained as Jews, and Christian Gentiles remained as Gentiles, respectful of Jewish tradition, and meeting the minimum requirements laid out by the Jewish leaders for sharing in the community. This was the whole basis of the apostolic decree stemming from the Noahide laws. Both groups of people, Jew and Gentile, continued as they were, but became equals in salvation, by grace through faith, and were to treat each other as equal. We see distinction without discrimination. Jews did not become Gentiles, and Gentiles did not become Jews, but they came together with one voice, giving praise and glory to Yahweh, the Father of our Lord Yeshua Christ. Romans 15 6. As the story unfolds, Paul ends up getting into trouble, as was prophesied about him prior to heading into Jerusalem. But it wasn't on the account of the believing Jews. Luke makes this very clear for us. Acts twenty one twenty seven. When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law in this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place. For they had previously seen Trophimus, the Ephesian, with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. Paul being as brave as he was, took the opportunity to preach the gospel among the large crowds who were gathered in Jerusalem for Pentecost, despite the Jews from Asia stirring up his persecution. Paul did not fear death and did not back down when it came to truth. That is something I believe we can know about Paul. When Paul was seized, he was able to avoid flogging by proclaiming he was a Roman citizen. Paul's Roman citizenship came in quite handy for him. That is certainly no coincidence. We should note that Paul had wanted to visit Rome to preach his gospel there, but had been prevented thus far. It was, however, still his plan to go there. Romans one nine. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his son, that without ceasing I mention you, always in my prayers, asking that somehow, by God's will, I may now at last succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you, but thus far have been prevented, in order that I may reap some harvest among you, as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. Paul made his way from Jerusalem to Rome by appealing to Caesar and escaped being murdered by a Jewish mob who dedicated their lives to killing him. At the end of his ministry, he was allowed to preach to the Romans for two whole years while on house arrest. The Lord opened a door for him in a way that no one could have ever imagined. But rewinding back, when Paul first landed in Rome, he called the Jewish leaders together and said this Acts twenty eight, seventeen Brothers, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. What do you think he means by our people and the customs of our fathers? Would it not be the Jewish people and their customs? What were their customs? Torah was their custom, wasn't it? This further proves that Paul lived his life in obedience to Torah. He was completely innocent in his ways according to the Judaic laws. He was being persecuted for preaching that Christ Yeshua was the Messiah King from the line of David that they awaited, and there would be a resurrection of the dead. All of his claims were proven in the Hebrew scripture. Christ was the fulfillment of the law. Paul was constantly accused of rejecting Torah, but he was innocent of all charges according to his own claims. To the Jews, Paul would have been considered apostate for rejecting the Mosaic law, and that is what the Christ rejecting among them wanted to believe. But they could never prove it in their scripture. Hostility was always the answer. On the note of hostility, it's very interesting that despite Paul being persecuted in Jerusalem and being accepted as well as misunderstood by many throughout the Diaspora, the Jewish leaders in Rome still didn't know what he actually taught. We have to realize they didn't have a telephone. In Acts twenty eight, twenty one we read, and they said to him, We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers coming here has reported or spoken any evil about you. But we desire to hear from you what your views are, for with regard to this sect, we know that everywhere it is spoken against. Are you gathering all this? Not only had they not heard what Paul was preaching throughout the Diaspora synagogues, but they were genuinely interested in what he had to say. There seems to be no hostility whatsoever coming from them. Had the Gentiles in Rome done their job of not causing the Jews to stumble? Was this all in order for the stage to be set for Paul to fulfill his apostolic mission in Rome? I think so, and it's incredible. With Paul now preaching to the Jewish leaders in Rome, there would be unity among the Jewish and Gentile believers. The multitude of Gentile believers in the Roman synagogues would display to the Jews that Paul was fulfilling prophecy everywhere he went. Malachi one hundred eleven reads for from the rising of the sun to its setting, my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering, for my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. Then in Isaiah fifty six, six, and the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant, these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar, for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. The Lord God who gathers the outcast of Israel declares, I will gather yet others to him, besides those already gathered. In response, those Jews could become a light to all nations, as was their purpose all along. In Christ, together with Gentiles, worshipping Yahweh, the true living God. I want to highlight again what we've been learning the last couple of episodes, Message sixty two and sixty three. Christianity was considered a sect of Judaism. In Acts 28 22 we read, but we desire to hear from you what your views are, for with regard to this sect, we know that everywhere it is spoken against. Christians were not considered to be off on their own. They were not a religion apart from Judaism. According to the Jews of that first century, Christianity, known as the Way, was considered to be a type or sect of Judaism. In order to be considered in this way, would it not have to display conformity to Jewish tradition and Torah? Okay, I think I've built a case for believing that the apostles were still holding to Jewish tradition. But there's still a major piece missing in our study. Are the weak in Romans fourteen Christians? As we discussed earlier, when Paul rebukes Peter in Galatians 2.11, Paul makes himself a hypocrite if he suddenly begins to promote acceptance of weak Christians who are obedient to the Mosaic law in their eating. Romans 14 13 says, Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it is unclean. For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you're no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. Romans fourteen twenty. Do not for the sake of food destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. Is it not also a little strange, based on what we've examined so far in our study, to imagine that Paul would call a Christian weak for obedience to Torah? If Paul himself proclaimed to be obedient to Torah, then he would have to place himself in the category of weak. That certainly doesn't fit the context at this point, does it? So who would Paul be addressing here if this passage is to remain in harmony with what we've reviewed so far? Let's consider again a few key points. The apostles as well as Peter understood that unclean food was now clean, otherwise Gentiles would be unclean unless they followed the full Torah based diet. two, the apostles continued in obedience of the law. Despite all things being clean, they remained as Jews. three, Christian Jews and Christian Gentiles should have no issue with table fellowship under the guidance of the Noaic Laws and the Apostolic Decree. Who does that leave us with other than non Christian Jews? Non Christian Jews would have been likely to give Gentiles a hard time about what they ate. Especially if they were to not eat according to the Nohide laws. If they were to express their freedom in Christ out of arrogance, for example. The most challenging part in believing this may be that Paul regards his Jewish brethren as brothers, not only to himself, but also to the Gentiles. Paul makes these non Christian Jews to be brothers to the Gentile Christians if we see it this way. This is likely the primary reason that we would never go there in our thoughts. On top of that, when we see this through the lens of today's theology, we don't even consider alternative views of the passage unless we're troubled by the hypocrisy that today's theology creates. But with all of the cultural understanding we've obtained through our investigation, I think it becomes easier to understand why Paul would declare nonbelieving Jews to be brothers of the Gentiles, don't you? Additionally, we can simply understand that when they were among the Jewish people, there would always be some of the elect among them as well. They could never know who those people might be. Faithful Jews who had not yet accepted the Messiah would be brothers to the Gentiles by faith. They were made brothers with the Jews as much as Paul was a brother to the Jews through Christ and his fulfillment of Torah. They were Jews at heart, just as the faithful Jews were Romans two twenty nine. The believers received a circumcision of the heart. This was a spiritual transformation. Paul had not made it to Rome at the time of his Romans letter, but he remained optimistic that when he brought his apostolic ministry there, with his spiritual gift that many faithful Jews would accept Christ. Meanwhile, the faithful among the Jews worshipped alongside the Gentiles, which Paul wrote to in Romans within the synagogue communities. The Jews of those days worshiped Yahweh through the Mosaic Law. They worshiped the right Lord, but many had not yet accepted the Messiah. It was from their people that the Messiah came. Paul saw Gentiles as equal participants in salvation, therefore they were to consider Jews as brothers just as he did. Paul desired for the Gentiles to have the same view of the Jewish race that he did, which involved having the same level of respect for their customs. When Paul rebuked Peter and Antioch, food was not the issue, but rather Peter separated himself from the Gentiles out of fear of the circumcision group. Peter was afraid of being judged by some of the Jewish brothers, even though he knew better than to separate himself from table fellowship with the Gentiles. Peter had the vision as well as the experience of Cornelius and the Gentiles among him who received the Holy Spirit apart from the law and circumcision, making them equal participants in salvation by grace through faith alone. Peter's behavior would have caused the righteous Gentiles or God fearers among them who believed in Christ Yeshua to desire the inner circle fellowship that Peter was promoting. Peter was very influential among the apostles, even leading Barnabas astray. Imagine how that must have been for Paul to witness. The church was in trouble at that moment. Paul rebuked Peter in truth and spirit, and to protect the church from falling away from grace and into a salvation based on works. Peter's behavior was rebuilding the dividing wall of hostility that Paul wrote of in Ephesians. About Peter in the Antioch incident, Paul wrote, For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. That's Galatians two eighteen. I see this as a reference to what he described in his letter to the Ephesians. Ephesians two thirteen. But now in Christ Jesus, you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ, for he himself is our peace. He has made us both one, and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. When Paul says abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, he seems to be telling them that the law is not relevant to them at all, doesn't he? I think the key to this statement is in the fact that it was expressed in the ordinances and not by faith. If you're familiar with Paul's writings, you may have noticed that he uses the terms under law and under sin interchangeably. It's as if he sees them as one and the same. In other words, if you're under law, you're also under sin. Paul illuminates this argument in Romans chapter seven. In the seventh chapter of Romans, Paul teaches that the law itself is good, but what it produced in mankind was not good. How can this be? Because of sin. First Corinthians fifteen fifty six The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. Christ Yeshua did away with sin at the cross. The purpose of the law was fulfilled at the cross. The entire notion of being made right with God by works was abolished and utterly destroyed. Romans six fourteen. For sin will have no dominion over you since you are not under law but under grace. The Jews who believed were released from the bondage of their sin, that the law produced in the people of Israel. This was faith in Christ. The Gentiles would be set free by this same faith apart from the law. Christ Yeshua was the establishment of the law. The law pointed to him, John five thirty nine, and was fulfilled in those who believe Romans eight four. Jewish Christians in that first century, before the end of the age, were now able to live by faith alone. Living by faith meant they were now alive to God. Sin was no longer getting between them and Yahweh, and they were sealed for redemption by the Holy Spirit. The Jewish traditions they held to could now be practiced freely by grace, giving thanks instead of seeking mercy. The sacrifice that Christ Yeshua made at the cross released the faithful of Israel from their bondage to sin. Those who had faith were no longer under sin or under law. They were set free. The sin that was produced in them through Torah was wiped out. The curse was over. They were now in a right standing with Yahweh. Galatians three hundred thirteen says Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. Gentile Christians could worship Yahweh in truth and spirit apart from the law by faith in Christ. It was no longer necessary or beneficial in any way for them to become Israelites by circumcision and become obedient to Torah. But they could worship together in Christ with the faithful Jews, and glorify the true living God, Yahweh. Believing Israelites no longer had to see faithful Gentiles as foreigners or as unclean. Isaiah fifty six seven. These I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar, for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. Malachi one eleven. For from the rising of the sun to its setting, my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering, for my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. Is this not what Paul describes at the end of his Romans letter? Romans fifteen fifteen. But on some points I have written to you very boldly, by way of reminder because of the grace given me by God, to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Paul desired to see the fulfillment of the eschatological prophecy where Jews and Gentiles worship together as one voice. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one hand voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you for the glory of God. Paul's work would be made complete when his apostolic ministry brought this unity to Rome. This is an incredible view of the fulfilled prophecy at the end of the age, is it not? I mean wow, this is really cool. But on the flip side, can you now see the damage that Judaizers would be doing in the churches in those days? Judaizers were trying to rebuild that dividing law of hostility that was destroyed at the cross. They wanted to keep Christ for the Jews alone. To this way of thinking, Paul writes in Romans three twenty seven, then what becomes of our boasting? Is excluded by what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the god of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also. Since God is one, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means, on the contrary we uphold the law. Paul rebuked Peter for behaving like a Judaizer and separating himself from the Gentiles. The Jews and Gentiles because of Peter's strong influence began eating at separate tables. The dividing wall of hostility that was destroyed at the cross was being rebuilt in Antioch. The gospel broke down this dividing wall Ephesians two thirteen but now in Christ Jesus you, who were once far off, have been brought near by the blood of Christ, for He himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility. Fear caused Peter to behave in a way that was out of line with the gospel according to Paul. The circumcision group must have had a strong influence in those times. You can imagine how good and pious they must have looked. We see the same things today in Christianity we have large masses of Christians who focus on works rather than faith. Lordship doctrines are an extreme example of this, going as far as proclaiming if you don't act like a Christian, you probably are not a Christian. Therefore you must not be saved. Other doctrines will teach their participants that if they don't behave like a Christian, then they don't love God, or they are out of fellowship with God All of these perspectives can only give a vague description of exactly what that Christian behavior actually is. How much love do we need to be in fellowship? Which sins put us out of fellowship and for how long? How do we self-cleanse these sins so we can be blessed again? Why do we need to self-cleanse in the first place? Isn't that something Christ did for us? These doctrines are no better than those of the Judaizers and are possibly worse. Think about this for a minute. The Jews had a specific set of laws to follow. Prior to the cross even the faithful were brought to justice for disobedience. You broke a law you paid a price That's the way it works, right? In this same way when you drive down the road you have speed limit signs. You know if you speed you deserve a ticket according to the law. You're going to pay a price if you get caught. What if those speed limit signs were removed and you were told that you no longer needed them? The only caveat is that you can get a ticket any time if you don't drive at an appropriate speed. You have to discern what speeding is for yourself now and if law enforcement sees you as wrong you pay the price. And by the way, law enforcement is very strict anybody out there wanting those speed limit signs again? That's ridiculous, isn't it? But that's what we're taught out there today, and we're afraid to stand up to the leaders because they're so pious. We're afraid to believe outside of these lines for fear of being cast out of our church or be rejected by our friends. This is a real fear. Peter himself fell victim to it. Should we follow in his footsteps? Placing Christians out of fellowship with God and telling them they're being punished by God for sin is a crime. These views do not come from Scripture, although they use scripture to prove their points. We need to be seeking context, you guys. Don't fall for the modern day Judaizing doctrines. These doctrines cause those under them to crave rules instead of grace. It's not the behavior that's wrong, it's the mindset. Their heart is not right. Christianity is not a self development program, it's a spiritual mind transformation that comes from understanding the love of our Lord. If Christians are being punished by God today, if sin is still being counted against us, which it's not, Romans, then Yahweh has placed us in a new covenant of terror. It would be similar to a thriller or horror film. Love one another or else I will remove a limb while you watch it happen is not the gospel. Love one another or I'll zap you with cancer is not the gospel. How much love saves you from this kind of wrath? Nobody can answer that question because it was never meant to be a question that Christians should be asking. We need to know that Yahweh is molding and shaping us through all the things we experience in life. Our Lord can make good of all the worst things we can imagine. He loves us, he guides us, he builds us up, he disciplines us by shaping our lives. We're always in fellowship with Yahweh even when we ignore his guidance and fall into earthly suffering. He is always with us in our Christian suffering as well. The view of a punishing God has Christians seeking laws and rules because they no longer trust that the Spirit of God is guiding them. They can only see a punishing Lord who is always watching and only he knows the true rules you have to learn by experience. If you get ill it's probably because of sin. If you suffer hardship it's probably sin. Run out of money you probably sin too much. You'll tell yourself it's not sin, but let's be honest, it's your sin. Can you see the problems that legalism causes in the church when we live by it wholeheartedly the only other option is to pretend and live arrogantly by ignorance but that's okay. Mainstream Christian theology isn't completely dead it's just very badly wounded. The only rule in Christianity is to believe in the finished work of Christ Yeshua, and even that's only possible when we've been given life by him. Christ makes the rules and fulfills them in us. We're called to be guided by the Spirit not by our own rules and made up punishments for those rules. Yeshua told his disciples to beware the leaven of the Pharisees Matthew sixteen six this wasn't directly about their teaching itself. Though it was part of the problem he spoke of their influence. The influence of the Judaizers caused Peter to change lunch tables and next thing you know, Jews and Gentiles were all eating separately and Gentiles were made to feel not good enough. Are we letting ourselves be influenced by error because of its outward appearance? Let's stop being afraid of the truth. Let's stop being afraid to be free in Christ. Let's stop being afraid of what people will think of us if we reject error and behave like the new creation that we are, shall we? I know the ideas I've presented you today are shocking. The thought of the apostles observing the law freaked me out if I'm being honest. This is a substantial shift of thinking for me, but I'm extremely confident after diving deep into this that it'll make many very difficult passages become crystal clear as we go through our studies together. The message of full grace remains the same, but like a complex math problem, we learn more when we fully understand how to come up with the final answer. When we understand how to do the full math rather than taking a shortcut or having the answer just given to us, we grow rapidly in our understanding. We can now solve other math problems with ease because we know the formula. So it is with studying scripture. Hermeneutics help us to do the math in our scriptures. Context must be understood to break down that cultural barrier of the first century writers of our New Testament as well as those of the first covenant. In closing I think we need to address a few more questions. One is how does the law apply to Christians and Jews today? For the first century Christian Jews and all truly faithful Jews for that matter, Torah was not observed out of obligation. It was a cherished act of worship. It's difficult to wrap our brains around that today. The thought of a restrictive diet is not going to make many Americans zealous for the Lord. Out here we're more likely to go full apostate under those terms. The apostles didn't see the law like we do today. They saw it as their worship. Contrary to popular belief, one could be obedient to Torah and even do it faithfully. This does not mean one could be without sin. Christ Yeshua proved this quite well in the Sermon on the Mount Sin had placed all of mankind in bondage from the beginning. We often see the apostles as speaking against the law in our thinking. Even Christ Yeshua can be seen this way as he went around calling the Pharisees hypocrites. But Yeshua was fully obedient to Torah. It was the Pharisees who were in error building fences around the laws and even putting fences around those fences to protect them from breaking the law. They were no longer obedient from the heart. They turned obedience into obsessive misery and were hardened as a result. When Christ healed on the Sabbath, they didn't even care about the miracle. They only cared that he broke their false rule system. The cross of Christ Yeshua took the curse away from the law and allowed the Gentiles to be equals without having the law. Christ Yeshua was the fulfillment of the intentions of Torah, which was to lead all of the faithful from all nations to him. Gentiles at the end of the age were free in all things but were taught to respect the Jews, both Christian and non Christian in their worship of Yahweh. This was pleasing to the Lord, not a requirement for being right with him. This was a genuine love that was produced by grace. Christians are called to love and therefore prosper when living by this calling it's our worship. The works of the law produced sin in mankind while grace produced love in mankind. The law was fulfilled in love Romans thirteen eight pride in the law and its works made Israel covetous, causing them to look down upon Gentiles who didn't have the law. Grace was the establishment of the true purpose of the law that sin did not allow to be carried out. Further we might ask, how does any of this study apply to Jews today who observe the law? It doesn't, because they cannot observe the law. They haven't observed the law for almost two thousand years and never will again There was a means to an end for the first century Jews and Christians. Christ was coming soon Romans sixteen twenty The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. This is written at the end of our Romans letter and ties into the eschatological event of Satan being destroyed and the new covenant age being established. In AD seventy, Jerusalem and its holy temple were destroyed as prophesied in our scripture and recorded by Josephus and other historians. All Levite lineage was destroyed and the old covenant age along with its physical temple worship had once and for all time come to an end thirteen check out my last several messages starting with number fifty seven for more details on that. Case in point, Judaism is over and there are no law observant Jews in existence today, just as God intended The body of Christ is the new spiritual Jerusalem and we are all part of his spiritual temple. In Christ all have become as one. We no longer need a physical temple and Yahweh wiped it out when he consummated his new covenant age in Christ so that this might be fully understood. Yahweh dwells among us spiritually now through the body of Christ, the new spiritual Jerusalem. And let's look at one final question. How does Torah affect Christians today? Grace is still grace for us. This study changes nothing about the message of full grace. We're not on an apostolic mission to reach Jews in the temple and synagogues. You can if you want to but that was the mission for the first century apostles and Christians, not you. I don't think you'll find the synagogues today to be anything like those of the genuine Jews of the first century who possessed the Torah and the temple worship before the end of that age. The apostles recognized that Christ Yeshua had dealt with sin once and for all by his one sacrifice, and Yahweh would no longer be keeping a log of their sin twelve and ten seventeen The apostles understood that all things were now clean, Romans fourteen fourteen otherwise the Gentiles would have been in defiance of Torah and considered unclean. We see at the end of the Old Covenant age a beautiful picture of Jew and Gentile coming together and worshiping the true living God Yahweh with one voice Romans fifteen six. The Jews who were reconciled to Yahweh continued in Jewish worship freely, knowing that sin was no longer getting him between them and their Lord. The Messiah of the Jews was the Messiah of all people now. Sin would no longer be a barrier for the Gentiles all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved Romans ten thirteen. It was the end of the age for national Israel and the beginning of the age of Christ and his church would soon be fully established. And if you're willing to believe it, Yahweh's new covenant has been consummated as of AD seventy. All of salvation is apart from Torah now. The law is fulfilled in those who have faith in Christ Yeshua and those with faith put on immortality and can now live a life of purpose guided by the Holy Spirit in a perfect union with the Lord. That's what I have for today guys. I'll talk to you next time and have a great day out there.

Speaker: 44:17

God bless thank you for listening to the Waking Up to Grace podcast brought to you by the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ. If you enjoyed today's episode we would love to hear from you you can send encouragement our way right from our episodes and transcripts page or reach Lenny privately from the contact form at wakinguptograce.com