Defending Paul

Comment by someone who has rejected Yeshua:

Paul is very clear in his teaching even though he's very Hellenistic and seems bi-polar at times. When he says the 'god' of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God - that is a direct violation of Torah where we're commanded NOT to make an image of YHVH even in the form of a male/man.

When I was in the messianic movement, I noticed an enormous amount of time and energy was spent trying to defend Paul and how he was just 'misunderstood'. It never added up, because in reality Paul said exactly what he meant many times. And other times he sounded like a Greek philosopher speaking jibberish.

The first step of leaving Christianity is leaving Paul. Once you realize Paul was a false teacher teaching a false Greek messiah because of a vision, then the whole house of cards fall pretty fast.

Messianic response:

It's easy to misunderstand Paul when viewing his writings through your Greek mindset!  Peter even said Paul would be hard to understand:

2 Peter 3:15. And account the long suffering of Master YHWH to be redemption; as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom conferred on him, wrote to you; 16. as also in all his letters speaking in them of these things in which there is something difficult to be understood; (and) which they who are ignorant and unstable pervert, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17. You therefore, my beloved, as you know (these things) beforehand, guard yourselves or else, by going after the error of the Torahless, you fall from your steadfastness. 18. But be you growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Master and Redeemer Y’shua the Mashiyach and of Elohim the Father: whose is the glory now and always and to the days of eternity. Amen. (AENT)

It’s rather interesting that Peter wrote of how Paul’s letters had already been turned into a Torahless fiasco, even in Peter’s day! Certainly it was not the Pharisees who were renouncing Torah Observance, but the humanist, pagan and materialist, “modernists” who operated under “Christian” labels.  And sadly, these misunderstandings still exist today, amply demonstrated by your comments...and still today people are falling for the lies of those who speak against Paul....

To see some of Paul's teachings in context, please check out our articles:  Book of Romans and Churchianity.

An awesome mini-teaching about how Paul constantly promoted Torah

An awesome mini-teaching about how Paul constantly promoted Torah (borrowed from a passage in the Aramaic English New Testament):

2 Corinthians 3:1. Do we begin again to show you who we are? Or do we need, like others, that letters of recommendation from us should be written to you? Or, that you should write recommendations of us?  2. You are our epistles, written on our hearts and known and read by every man.  3. For you know that you are an epistle of the Mashiyach, ministered by us; not written with ink, but by the Spirit of the Living Elohim; not on tablets of stone, but on the tablets of the heart of flesh.[1]  4. And such confidence we have in the Mashiyach towards Elohim;  5. Not that we are sufficient to think any thing, as of ourselves; but our efficiency is from Elohim:  6. Who has fitted us to be ministers of the Renewed Covenant,[2] not in the letter, but in the Spirit; for the letter kills,[3] but the Spirit gives life. 

7. Now if the ministration of death was engraved upon stones in writing, and was so glorious that the children of Israel could not look on the face of Moshe[4] on account of the glory upon his face which vanished away;  8. How then will not the ministration of the Spirit be still more glorious?  9. For if there was glory in the ministration of condemnation,[5] how much more will the ministration of righteousness excel in glory?  10. For that which was glorious was as if not glorious in comparison with this which excels in glory.  11. For if that (condemnation) which is abolished[6] was glorious, much more must, that which abides be glorious.  12. Seeing therefore we have this hope, we the more, speak with boldness;  13. And are not like Moshe, who threw a veil over his face that the children of Israel might not behold the termination of that (condemnation) which was abolished. 

14. But they were blinded in their understanding because until this day, when the Ancient Covenant is read, the same veil rests upon them; nor is it manifest (to them), that it (condemnation) is abolished by the Mashiyach.  15. And to this day, when Moshe is read, a veil is thrown upon their hearts.  16. But when any of them is turned to Master YHWH, the veil is taken from him.[7]  17. Now Master YHWH Himself is the Spirit. And where the Spirit of Master YHWH is, there is freedom.  18. And we all, with uncovered faces, behold as in a mirror the glory of Master YHWH; and are transformed into the same likeness, from glory to glory, as by Master YHWH the Spirit.

[1] Paul is clearly referencing Jeremiah 31:33, indicating Torah is being written upon the heart.  See also Ezekiel 18:31; 36:26-28.

[2] Again a reference to Jeremiah 31:33.  See also Matthew 26:28.

[3] The “letter” and “Spirit” are not opposites.  In verse 1 Rav Shaul begins by explaining how a “letter” in itself is not sufficient for his purposes, and how those in Corinth are not epistles written with ink, but in the Spirit of Elohim.  The letter points out flaws.  When we study the letter, sins of the weak flesh are exposed; our “natural” man is condemned to death to create a new birth according to YHWH’s Spirit.  Christian theology, however, teaches the “letter” refers to Torah, and that Torah is contrary to the spiritual man, which is a rather evil theology considering that mainstream Christians are already keeping over 60 percent of Torah.  See How much Torah do Christians already keep? in Appendix.  Torah contains righteous directives of how to live and love, as well as the Covenant of promise that necessitates Mashiyach.  In this discourse Rav Shaul is juxtaposing condemnation as a function of the letter; he is most certainly not discrediting the Torah of YHWH as it pertains to the Spiritual Man (Romans 7:14; 8:4).  Torah is the Word of YHWH: “For it is not a vain thing for you; because it is your life: and through this WORD you shall prolong your days in the land.” Deuteronomy 32:47

[4] Shemot/Exodus 34:29 “And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses knew not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.”

[5] Ministration of death is also the ministration of condemnation which comes against the sins of the carnal man.  If a man steals he is condemned; if he commits adultery or lies, he is condemned when he reads the Letter.

[6] Condemnation is abolished when the Ruach haKodesh writes Torah upon the heart, which brings the end of breaking Torah!  However, Christian theologians twist this verse to teach that Paul brought an end to Torah itself.

[7] The reading of Torah does not blind, nor does the reading of the “Renewed Covenant” bring Grace: but in each, one must “turn to Master YHWH with their hearts” to remove the veil.  MarYah/YHWH is used here, rather than Y’shua.  Rather than people turning to Y’shua as the deciding factor, the point is that both Jews and Gentiles must be truthful, and not just use prayers or Scripture readings as some sort of magical incantation, but to turn their hearts to YHWH.  In many places Y’shua teaches that he came to bring Glory to the Father, and to turn hearts unto YHWH.

Turn the other cheek ... what does it really mean?

What exactly does that “turn the other cheek” thing mean?  Does it mean we are never to defend ourselves against attacks (be they verbal or physical)?  Please click here to find out!  

The truth is, Y'shua never suggested we cannot defend ourselves.  However, He calls his followers to be beyond reproach so that false accusations against them will not have a negative impact. He knows that "they will lay hands on you and persecute you" on account of his name's sake (Luke 21:12) and he tells us: "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first." (John 15:18-25) Nevertheless, the fact remains that Y'shua always expects the best possible efforts from his followers, and this is where "turning the other cheek" really comes into play.

Keefa (Peter) was rebuked for cutting off the ear of a member of the arresting party. Y'shua felt so strongly about this being wrong that he restored the stricken man's ear. Why? Because he didn't want to escalate the situation and risk the safety of his own disciples.

Y'shua wanted the assaulter to have an opportunity to re-think his actions. Oftentimes assaults are made during momentary acts of emotion. For these reasons, Y'shua says turn your left cheek, and then see if your attacker is running on their emotions. Most people, if given a moment to think about what they are doing, would probably not resort to violence. However, even if someone did, the act would indicate the intent and be so blatant that it would virtually guarantee either arrest and/or conviction of assault. Either way, this would again serve as an opportunity for both parties to make one final attempt toward reconciliation before escalating the matter further and winding up in court.  

Interpreting Paul and his Letter to the Galatians

Galatians is confusing because it sounds like Paul is saying "Torah is poof, gone." Many verses sound like he is saying "Torah is a Curse", "Torah is works", etc.  And thus, most people (indeed, most Christian denominations) teach "We are not under the Law; we are under grace" as if ".  But this interpretation is wrong.  

"Under the Law" carries with it a connotation that does not exist.  First, if you call "Torah" "the Law" you are imposing on Torah a "legal" obligation that it does not deserve or demand.  "Torah" means "teaching and instruction"; not "law"!  Torah was given to us for people to live holy, righteous lives in the presence of YHWH.  We obey His Torah for Him and we want to be His obedient children, not because there is any "legal" obligation to do so that somehow makes Torah "bad"!

How is it possible then, that living a holy, righteous life became "no longer required"?  When you say "We are not under the Law," you are actually saying that you don't need to live a holy and righteous life! So if you insist you are "not under the Law" you have not only negated the Old Testament, but the New Testament as well!  Without Torah, you you have no measure of how to live your life righteously for Him and I assure you, nowhere in the entire Bible did YHWH ever say "Go, live your life the way you want to, without rules, sinning, and I will simply forgive you."

So what to we do about how Paul is to be understood in Galatians?

We must abandon what we think Paul has said and work to understand what Paul was trying to teach the Galatians!

Remember:  Paul was a man and he had no power to change the Word of YHWH.  (The Messiah, Y'shua, did have the power to change the Word, but we don't see Him changing the Word anywhere! In fact the Messiah Himself said: "My teaching is not mine, rather it is of He who has sent me." (John 7:16, AENT) and: "Do not think that I have come to loosen Torah or the prophets, I have not come to loosen but to fulfill. For truly I say to you that until heaven and earth pass away not one Yodh or one stroke will pass from Torah until everything happens." (Matthew 5:17-18, AENT)  So if Y'shua says nothing in Torah will go away till the earth itself passes away, it is not possible for Paul to come along and say Torah was done away with!)

Since Paul can't change the Word, the proper way to read Paul is to say this: "When it sounds like Paul is negating Torah, I need to find out what I am missing in my understanding of what Paul is saying."

Galatians 3:9-12 as a beginning example

9. Then the believers are blessed by Awraham the faithful one. 10. For those who are servants of Torah are still under a curse, for it is  written, “Cursed is everyone who does not act on all that is written in this book of Torah.”  11. But that no man is made righteous by Torah before Elohim is evident, for it is written, “the righteous will live by faith.”  12. Thus Torah is not made by faith, but whosoever will do the things that are written in it, will live in it.  (AENT)

Many read these verses and conclude "Torah is a curse" or "Your are cursed if you follow Torah" or "If you keep Torah, you have to keep all of it!"  But all these conclusions are wrong!  Let's look each one:

"Torah is a curse"

Paul says "For those who are servants of Torah are still under a curse".  Paul is referencing Deuteronomy, and in Deuteronomy 27 YHWH tells the people that they are to "... listen to what ADONAI your God says and obey his mitzvot and laws, which I am giving you today" (27:10, CJB).  Then YHWH goes on to list some example of how people are cursed if they don't obey! (See 27:15-25).  If you keep reading into Deuteronomy 28, YHWH transitions to the blessings one will receive if he obeys His Torah - see Deuteronomy 28:1-14!  And, if that was not strong enough, Deuteronomy 28 continues after verse 14 with more curses if people don't obey!  So you see, people are cursed, not Torah!   

"Your are cursed if you follow Torah"

This is a misunderstanding of Paul's words in verse 10, when he says: "Cursed is everyone who does not act on all that is written in this book of Torah."  The person saying "Your are cursed if you follow Torah" has not clearly comprehended what Paul said.  Paul is referring to Deuteronomy 27:26 which reads: "A curse on anyone who does not confirm the words of this Torah by putting them into practice".  YHWH's admonition is not that you are cursed if you follow Torah - rather - the admonition is that you are cursed if you do not follow Torah! 

"If you keep Torah, you have to keep all of it!"

This statement is partially correct, but when this statement is made, the person saying it usually means "...and it's not possible to keep all of it."  Part of the problem with this statement is that we are to keep Torah, period.  YHWH never said "I give you these rules and you must keep all of it."  No, He said: "A curse on anyone who does not confirm the words of this Torah by putting them into practice."  We are to put Torah into practice in our daily lives!  The kicker is, not all the Torah applies to you!  So of course you can't keep all of it - you never had to!  You've always only needed to obey the parts of Torah that apply to you!  The Torah commands were never numbered, but man went back and counted them and came up with 613.  Of those 613, some are only for Levite Priests, some for men only, some for women only, and some apply to everyone.  "Keep the Sabbath", for example, applies to everyone.

See where this is going?  Just by digging in and figuring out what Paul is actually saying and identifying which Old Testament scripture he is talking about we can whittle away at the long-held misconceptions that Paul was teaching against Torah!  Since there are only two more verses in our example from Galatians, let's examine those too.

Verse 11: "But that no man is made righteous by Torah before Elohim is evident, for it is written, 'the righteous will live by faith.' "

Where is this from?  Paul is quoting Habakkuk 2:4 which says: "Look at the proud: he is inwardly not upright; but the righteous will attain life through trusting faithfulness." (CJB). You see, Paul understood that Torah is good and just, but he knew the Jewish leaders of his day (the Pharisees) were "requiring" obedience to Torah by their interpretation of Torah.  So Paul is simply pointing out that one is not made righteous by their practice of Torah; rather, he says it clearly that "the righteous will live by faith".  That, is, you have faith in the gift that you will live if you obey YHWH. No one "earns" their righteousness by "doing" Torah.  Look at Deuteronomy 4:1, 5:33, 6:2, 8:1 for examples which all say "...take care to obey Torah so you will live".  Obeying Torah is NOT therefore for "credit"; obeying Torah is the way YHWH asks His people to live! So you obey because you want to, and you want to live, and you desire things go well with you.   

And verse 12: "Thus Torah is not made by faith, but whosoever will do the things that are written in it, will live in it."

Here Paul is quoting Leviticus 18:5 which says: "You are to observe my laws and rulings; if a person does them, he will have life through them; I am ADONAI." (CJB).  Something that YHWH said can't be "bad" for us, so obeying His laws and rulings is decidedly a good thing. In the verses following Galatians 3:12, Paul explains that Torah came about after the promise to Avraham because YHWH's people kept failing away from Him to go off and live unholy and unrighteous lives of the pagan nations.  In this way Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, compared Torah to the "false tutors" of his day - the Pharisees - who were demanding that the Gentile converts obey the oral traditions over Torah.  Paul tried to explain that with the Messiah, all have life through faith, not just the Jews, and that only the righteous rulings of YHWH (Torah - the "true tutor") apply to all who choose the God of Avraham as their God, and not the "false teachings of the Pharisees". (See Galatians 1:7-10).  For more on the remainder of Galatians 3, see Galatians 3:19 does NOT suggest that Torah is unnecessary!.

Conclusion

The AENT explains "law" thusly:

Torah is defined as “instruction in righteousness.” Shaul and all other Shlichim/Apostles of Y’shua give instruction according to the Torah of YHWH.  The Way of Netzari and Elohim Fearers who follow Y’shua is Torah.  By incorrectly defining Torah as “the Law” Christianity has failed to recognize that Torah is a Faith component (terms and conditions) within the Covenant of Love between YHWH and His people. Our “Heavenly Father” YHWH gives and maintains instruction in righteousness for all His children.

Recognize that even in Paul's time, his writings were already known to to be hard to understand! Peter said: "...as also in all his [Paul's] letters speaking in them of these things in which there is something difficult to be understood; (and) which they who are ignorant and unstable pervert, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction." (2 Peter 3:16, AENT)  Keep that in mind as you read Paul in Galatians and in his other letters!  Don't just assume the scripture before you means what you immediately think it means!  Dig.  Study.  Learn.  Grow.

Something for Jews and their followers who have rejected "Jesus" to chew on

Here's something for Jews and their followers who have rejected "Jesus" to chew on:

Until the Third Temple is built and the animal sacrifices are reinstated, the Jews have NO way to atone for their sins (except by "prayer and supplication" which - according to Torah is NOT all that is required, no matter how much one attempts to ignore those passages in order to hang onto just one)! 

Who gives anyone the authority to suggest we don't have to obey the rules anymore? Who has the authority to say that one can simply fast and do good deeds, to atone for his sins, etc.?  Jews and their converts cling to this one scripture, and IGNORE the rest of the Torah that says otherwise:

Isaiah 1: 11 "What need have I of all your sacrifices?" Says the Lord. "I am sated with burnt offerings of rams, And suet of Fatlings, and blood of bulls; and I have no delight in lambs and he-goats.12 That you come to appear before Me - who asked that of you? Trample My courts 13 no more; bringing oblations is futile, incense is offensive to Me. New moon and Sabbath, proclaiming of solemnities, assemblies with iniquity, I cannot abide. 14 Your new moons and fixed seasons fill Me with loathing; They are become a burden to Me. I cannot endure them. ( New Jewish Publication Society)

Please read the whole chapter!  YHWH only said those things because His people weren't being wholehearted toward Him!

What are you going to do with scriptures like this (just ONE example)?

Leviticus 17: 11 "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for our souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement."

We are to keep HIS commandments, not pick and choose!

"And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My Commandments" (Sh'mot/Exodus 20:6); and, "Therefore you shall love YHWH your Elohim and keep His charge and His Statutes and His Judgments and His Commandments, always." (D'varim/Deut. 11:1).

"Only take great care to obey the mitzvah and the Torah which Moshe the servant of ADONAI gave you - to love ADONAI your God, follow all his ways, observe his mitzvot, cling to him, and serve him with all your heart and being." (Joshua 22:5). He declared "...as for me and my house, we will serve YHWH." (Joshua 24:15).

Note, He didn't say, "Keep ONE commandment."  Mitzvot is plural.  So, if you think you don't have to do anything except "prayer and supplication" you'd best read the REST of the Torah. 

By rejecting YHWH's Divine Messiah, Y'shua haMashiyach, you have NO way to atone for your sins!

Galatians 3:19 does NOT suggest that Torah is unnecessary!

Many people don't read past Galatians 3:19 which they attempt to use to show Torah isn't necessary. But read on to see why that train of thought is in error:

Galatians 3:19. Why then Torah? It was added because of apostasy, until the coming of the heir to whom the promise was made, and Torah was given by Messengers, by the hand of a mediator.

It sure looks like Paul suggested Torah was "bad" doesn't it?  Well, read on!

20. Now a mediator does not represent one alone, but Elohim is one. 21. Is the Torah we received against the promises of Elohim? Elohim forbid! For if Torah had been given, which was able to give life, then truly righteousness would have come as a result of Torah.[1] 22. But the Scripture has encircled all things and put them under sin, that the promise in the faith of Y’shua the Mashiyach might be given to those who believe. 23. But before faith came, Torah[2] was guarding[3] us while we were confined from the faith about to be revealed. 24. Torah was therefore a tutor for us, going towards the Mashiyach that we, by faith, might be made righteous. 25. But since faith came, we are no longer under tutors.[4] 26. For you are all the children of Elohim by faith in Y’shua the Mashiyach. 27. For those who have been immersed in Mashiyach have been clothed[5] with Mashiyach. 28. For there is neither Jew nor Aramean, nor slave nor free, nor male nor female, but you are all one in Y’shua the Mashiyach. 29. And if you are of the Mashiyach then you are seeds of Awraham and inheritors by the promise. (AENT)

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Torah is a very big deal in the Rabbinical Jewish world from which Rav Shaul came. The point that Rav Shaul makes over and over is that while Torah is a very big deal, the giver of Torah is even bigger! YHWH gave Torah as a Faith component of Covenant (terms and conditions) between Him and His people, so don’t disregard YHWH and put Him on the shelf because you think yourself a Torah scholar. Worse yet, don’t put up fences and traditions that become more important to yourselves than YHWH and His Mashiyach. Most Christians will go to a pastor or anyone they think is smarter than themselves to ask extremely important questions about YHWH and His Mashiyach, long before they even consider going to YHWH Himself! Faith demands a person enter into an active relationship with YHWH and His Mashiyach, regardless if a person is Christian or Jewish.

[2] In this regard “Torah” can be compared with any righteous values a soul voluntarily imposes upon himself. However, as a spiritual relationship is established with YHWH and His Mashiyach, a soul is elevated to much higher levels of spiritual awareness and accountability. Therefore, it is a complete farce when Christians claim to follow Mashiyach, but willfully violate Torah according to their denominational authorities. See Matthew 7:23.

[3] Most Greek translations have “kept in (ward) under the law” which is indicative of popular anti-Torah theology. However, many fail to understand that without the Torah of YHWH, there would be no Standard with which to prove Mashiyach, therefore NO Mashiyach.

[4] In the most ancient manuscripts in the Peshitta, taraa is ‘tutors’; however, it was translated as the singular ‘tutor’ in Greek. Although the word taraa has the same spelling for both singular and plural, there are times such as here, when the grammar of the sentence does not directly reveal whether it is singular or plural. To correct this problem, the earliest scribes of the Peshitta inserted two dot plural markers called a syame above such words, as in this case. A Greek redactor could easily miss these and mistake a singular word for a plural, or vice versa. Aramaic texts are unanimous for when the syames appear, making these readings highly reliable. That being so, what we have here is the true tutor, Torah, being contrasted against false tutors, the Pharisees, who put their oral tradition above the written code of Moses and the Prophets. Such is a common refrain of Y’shua as well in places such as Matthew 15. Unfortunately, this passage was twisted into a “proof text” by anti-Torah Christians who wanted to distance themselves from the Faith of Avraham, Yitzak and Ya’akov.

[5] That is, as a garment wraps a person inside, which is a very common idiom in both Hebrew and Aramaic. Rav Shaul uses it elsewhere in Ephesians when talking about putting on the armor of Elohim and the breastplate of righteousness. A very similar idiomatic usage, “clothed with zeal like a cloak”, is found in Isaiah 59:17.

So, as you can see, it's a huge mistake to take one single part of a particular passage, and attempt to prove your own theology.  In the case of Galatians 3:19, many read just this and conclude Torah is a BAD thing.  But when you look at the REST of of Galatians 3, you can see that the opposite is true: Torah was NOT abolished and it was never a "bad thing!"

Dashing another anti-missionary comment about Y'shua's lineage

Anti-missionary’s comment:  "Two main problems with Jesus - he had no physical link to his ancestors David and Jesse, and all tribal lineage must be exclusively on the father's side. Secondly, he didn't come when he predicted he would - in that very generation in which his apostles lived."

Messianic response:

First to your comment that "he didn't come when he predicted he would - in that very generation in which his apostles lived" please check out our article:  This Generation

The answer to your "tribal lineage" comment is as follows:

In Matthew 1:1-16 and Luke 3:23-38 we are presented with two genealogies of Yeshua. On the surface these different listings would appear to be a contradiction in the scriptures. Not only are the two genealogies listed in the reverse chronology from each other, but the genealogy found in Matthew's gospel is the lineage of Yeshua's mother, Mary, while the genealogy found in Luke's gospel is the lineage of Yeshua's earthly father Joseph. (Note: this is completely opposed to most teachings! But there is no doubt that Matthew's genealogy is that of Mary, and not her husband Joseph, as is usually assumed.) See our recent blog post: Explaining the "two Josephs"...

However, many people fail to realize or address a major problem associated with the genealogical listing found in Matthew's gospel - The lineage of Mary. Once you have established that the line is indeed Mary's, you must deal with a second difficulty: The rights of the line are NOT passed through the mother; but rather, through the father. Even though Mary, through her lineage, was of the Davidic bloodline (as was her husband, Joseph - Luke 3:23-38), she should be excluded from being able to pass those rights of the bloodline because she was female (Deuteronomy 21:16).

So, it is not enough to prove that Mary was an unblemished descendant of David; she had to be a male to transfer the rights. Therefore, she would be disqualified to transfer the rights to her son Yeshua - EXCEPT for a little known exception to the rule.

In Numbers 26 we are introduced to Zelophehad. Zelophehad, we are told, had no sons; only daughters. In Numbers 27, following the death of Zelophehad, the daughters of Zelophehad came before Moses and argued their plight. Because their father had died with no sons, all of their rights of inheritance were to be lost and they felt this was unfair. So Moses prayed to YHWH and He gave Moses an exception to the rule!

Numbers 27:8 Moreover, say to the people of Isra'el, 'If a man dies and does not have a son, you are to have his inheritance pass to his daughter. 9 If he doesn't have a daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father's brothers. 11 If his father doesn't have brothers, give his inheritance to the closest relative in his family, and he will possess it. This will be the standard for judgment to be used by the people of Isra'el, as ADONAI ordered Moshe.'"

YHWH told Moses that the inheritance CAN flow through a female, IF they fulfill two requirements: There must be no male offspring in the family (Numbers 27:8) and if the female offspring should marry, they must marry within their own tribe (Numbers 36:6).

Now, returning to Mary. On the surface she should be unable to transfer the rights to her Son. But when you research you find that Mary had NO brothers, she was of the line of David, AND received the inheritance of her father because her father had no sons, AND Mary did indeed marry within her own tribe to Joseph.

End of argument!

Is Y'shua an angel?

Unlike Y’shua, angels are “mere created” beings that YHWH created before He created the physical universe for a specific purpose. The book of Job describes the angels worshiping God as He was creating the world (Job 38:4-7).  One of their duties was to be “ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14). We also know they existed prior to the Garden of Eden, because Satan, who was formerly the angel Lucifer, was already present in the Garden in his fallen state. However, because another function of angels is to worship God around His throne (Revelation 5:11-14), they may have been in existence millions of years—as we reckon time—before God created the world, worshiping Him and serving Him.

Yes, in Exodus 23:20-22 we see Him referred to as a Messenger, but there is a major difference between Y'shua and the angels. For one thing, Y'shua (whose Name means "YHWH is Salvation) is the ONLY Divine Being who has YHWH's Name within His own. Messengers, on the other hand, have the name EL (short for ELOHIM) in their names (Micha-el, Gabri-el, Rapha-el). Furthermore, in Exodus 23:20-22 we are told that unlike every other "angel" He could forgive sin, "for My Name is in him" and that Name is YHWH, the Name above all Names including that of the angels (Hebrews 1, Philippians 2:6-11).

Y'shua was the Thought before he was the Word and the Word made flesh (John 17, Revelation 19:13) and He was with YHWH from the beginning and thus was YHWH (not "created"). Isaiah 53:1 tells us He was "an arm" of YHWH.  And check this out – Scripture tells us He is YHWH – as we cannot separate Him from YHWH.  Yes, in his human form He was different from YHWH, but His qnoma (nature) was divine because He was a part of YHWH:

Philippians 2:5 And think you so in yourselves, as Y'shua the Mashiyach also thought; 6. who, as he was in the likeness of Elohim, did not regard it sinful to be the coequal of Elohim; 7. yet disinherited himself and assumed the likeness of a servant, and was in the likeness of men and was found in fashion as a man; 8. and he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even the death of the stake. 9. Wherefore, also, Elohim has highly exalted him and given him a name which is more excellent than all names; 10. that at the name of Y'shua every knee should bow, of (beings) in heaven and on earth and under the earth; 11. and very tongue will avow MarYah - that is, Yeshua the Messiah - to the glory of יְהוָֹה His Father. (AENT) 

FOOTNOTE: More than his literal birth name Y'shua (which was and is a common Hebrew name), and more than the perfect reputation that his name represents. Y'shua bears the Name of YHWH, the "name above all names!" Y'shua has the Name and reputation of the Father YHWH in him (John 17:11) and the name means "YHWH is Salvation" (Matthew 1:21). (The angels, for instance, only have YHWH's title of ELOHIM within their names: GabriEL, MichaEL, RaphaEL....)

Colossians 1: 15. who is the likeness of the invisible Elohim and the first-born of all creatures: 16. and by him was created everything that is in heaven and on earth, all that is visible and all that is invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; everything was through him and was created by him: 17. and he was prior to all, and by him everything exists. 18. And he is the head of the body the Assembly; as he is the head and first-born from among the dead, that he might be the first in all things. 19. For it pleased (the Father) that in him all fullness should dwell; 20. and by him, to reconcile all things to himself; and through him he has pacified, with the blood of his stake, both (those) on earth and those in heaven.(1) (AENT)

FOOTNOTE: Mashiyach is the creative Word through which everything was made (Psalm 33:6, John 1:1-5, Hebrews 1:1-5). The common Aramaic idiom here and in John is "through his hands" meaning as the Word, Mashiyach crafted all things according to YHWH's blueprints. Mashiyach Yeshua emerges as the Word from YHWH's breath and command and, as such, was with Him in the beginning (John 17:1-11).

And let's not forget:  Hebrews 1 tells us He is higher than the angels!

Hebrews 1:1. In many ways and many forms, Elohim anciently conversed with our fathers by the prophets:   2. But in these latter days,  He has conversed with us by His Son whom He has constituted heir of all things, and by whom He made the worlds;  3. who is the splendor of His glory and the exact image of His nature, and upholds all by the power of His Word; and by his Qnoma  he made a purification of sins and sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.   4. And he is altogether superior to the Messengers, as he has also inherited a name which is superior to theirs.  

5. For to which of the Messengers did Elohim ever say, You are my Son, this day have I begotten you?  And again, I will be to him a Father, and he will be to me a Son?  6. And again, when bringing the first begotten into the world, He said: Let all the Messengers of Elohim worship him.   7. But of the Messengers He thus said: Who made His Messengers a wind and His ministers a flaming fire.   8. But of the Son He said: Your throne, O Elohim, is for ever and ever; a righteous scepter is the scepter of your Kingdom.   9. You have loved righteousness and hated iniquity; therefore Elohim, your Elohim, has anointed you with the oil of rejoicing more than your associates.  

10. And again, You have from the beginning laid the foundations of the earth and the heavens are the work of your hands:  11. they will pass away, but you endure; and they all, like a robe, wax old;  12. and like a cloak, you will fold them up. They will be changed; but you will be as you are, and your years will not be finished.  13 And to which of the Messengers did He ever say: Sit you at My right hand until I will place your enemies a footstool under your feet?  14. Are they not all spirits of ministration who are sent to minister on account of them that are to inherit life?  (AENT)

FOOTNOTE:  Acharit-hayamim (latter days, verse 2 above) is mentioned throughout Torah and the Prophets beginning in B’resheet Genesis 49:1.  See also James 5:3; 2 Peter 3:3. This era culminates with the Day of YHWH which is foreshadowed by Yom Kippur when all the earth shall be sanctified.

For more, please see Who is Yeshua?

Where in Scripture we can find the term “polyamorous”?

Here is another way you can tell we are IN the end times:

If you thought “gay marriage” was just the beginning of our worries, check this out:   They even have a word for this particular “alternate lifestyle”:  Polyamory. 

Don’t confuse that with “polygyny” where one man has two women who are simply “sister wives”; oh no.   In a “polyamorous” relationship everybody has sex with everybody else, whether male or female.  In the news we also find that "Caitlyn Jenner" (formerly Bruce) is going to do a centerfold spread for Playboy.  And here is another example three-way marriage.

Folks,  we are closer to “the end” than we realize!  Come Y’shua, come quickly, because you are the ONLY one who can put an end to our stupid, human nonsense!

2 Timothy 3: 1. But know this: That in the latter days hard times will come:  2. and men will be lovers of themselves and lovers of money, boasters, proud, revilers, unyielding towards their own people, deniers of grace, wicked, 3. unloving, addicted to irreconcilable malicious gossips, ferocious, haters of the good,  4. treacherous, rash, inflated, attached to pleasure more than to the love of Elohim,  5. having a form of respect for Elohim but wide from the power of Elohim. Them who are such, repel from you.  6. For of them are they who creep into this and that house and captivate the women who are plunged in sins and led away by divers lusts,  7. who are always learning, and can never come to the knowledge of the truth.  (AENT)

Leviticus 18:22  ‘And do not lie with a male as with a woman, it is an abomination. 23 'And do not have intercourse with any beast, to defile yourself with it. And a woman does not stand before a beast to mate with it, it is a perversion. 24  ‘Do not defile yourselves with all these, for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am driving out before you. 25  ‘Thus the land became defiled, therefore I punished it for its crookedness, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. 26  ‘But you, you shall guard My laws and My right-rulings, and not do any of these abominations, the native nor stranger who sojourns among you, 27  because the men of the land who were before you have done all these abominations, and thus the land became defiled, 28  ‘So let not the land vomit you out for defiling it, as it vomited out the nations that were before you. 29  ‘For whoever does any of these abominations, those beings who do them shall be cut off from among their people. 30  ‘And you shall guard My Charge, so as not to do any of these abominable practices which were done before you, so as not to defile yourselves by them. I am יהוה your Elohim.’ ” (ISR)

Romans 1: 22 Claiming to be wise, they have become fools! 23 In fact, they have exchanged the glory of the immortal God for mere images, like a mortal human being, or like birds, animals or reptiles! 24 This is why God has given them up to the vileness of their hearts' lusts, to the shameful misuse of each other's bodies. 25 They have exchanged the truth of God for falsehood, by worshiping and serving created things, rather than the Creator - praised be he for ever. Amen. 26 This is why God has given them up to degrading passions; so that their women exchange natural sexual relations for unnatural; 27 and likewise the men, giving up natural relations with the opposite sex, burn with passion for one another, men committing shameful acts with other men and receiving in their own persons the penalty appropriate to their perversion.

28 In other words, since they have not considered God worth knowing, God has given them up to worthless ways of thinking; so that they do improper things. 29 They are filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and vice; stuffed with jealousy, murder, quarreling, dishonesty and ill-will; they are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God; they are insolent, arrogant and boastful; they plan evil schemes; they disobey their parents; 31 they are brainless, faithless, heartless and ruthless. 32 They know well enough God's righteous decree that people who do such things deserve to die; yet not only do they keep doing them, but they applaud others who do the same. (CJB)

2 Peter 2: 19. And they promise them liberty while they themselves are the slaves of corruption: for, by whatever thing a man is vanquished, to that is he enslaved. 20. For if, when they have escaped the pollutions of the world by the knowledge of our Master and Redeemer Y'shua the Mashiyach, they become again involved in the same and are vanquished, their latter state is worse than the former. 21. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after having known (it), to turn back from the Set Apart Commandment that was delivered to them. 22. But the true proverb has happened to them: the dog returns to his vomit and the pig that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire. (AENT)

1 Corinthians 6: 9. Or don't you know, that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of Elohim? Make no mistake! Neither sexual sinners, nor idol-worshippers, nor adulterers, nor the corrupt, nor men who lay down with other men, 10. Nor the oppressors, nor thieves, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, will inherit the Kingdom of Elohim. (AENT)

Sunday Sabbath justified? Let's examine Romans 14:5, Colossians 2:16-17 and Galatians 4:8-10

Someone recently wrote to our website to ask us to explain Romans 14:5, Colossians 2:16-17 and Galatians 4:8-10, because "Christian churches use these verses to add justification to worshiping on a Sunday."

Romans 14:5:

Romans 14:5. One man discriminates between days; and another judges all days alike. But let every one be sure in regard to his knowledge.  6. He that esteems a day, esteems (it) for his Master: and he that esteems not a day for his Master, he does not esteem (it). And he that eats, eats to his Master and gives thanks to Elohim: and he that eats not to his Master he eats not and gives thanks to Elohim. (AENT)

Does the above suggest that Paul said it is up to each of us to decide what we should eat and what day we should keep?

Absolutely not! The context of this passage was a dispute over whether one can eat food that may or may not have been offered to idols.  In those days food that may or may not have been offered to idols was usually put out for sale to people on a certain day of the week – and some believers refused to purchase or eat food on those days, just to be on the safe side. On the other hand, some did because they figured, since they didn’t know for sure whether or not it had been offered, it wouldn’t be wrong to eat it.

In Romans 14:5-6, Paul was not addressing kosher foods or Sabbath day observance at all; he was referring to the disagreement over whether market place food, because of idolatry, should be bought and eaten on a certain day of the week. 

Please check out David H. Stern’s explanation in the preface of his Complete Jewish Bible, wherein he demonstrates the difference between “kosher” and “ceremonially clean.” Stern says YAHWEH never said pork, shellfish, etc. were food.  People called these animals food in rebellion against God…. 

The passages in Romans are dealing with animals YAHWEH gave us to eat and whether they are ceremonially clean and can be eaten at that time. 

Even in Peter’s vision (Acts 11), Peter would never have eaten the kosher animals that had been in contact with treif (non-kosher) animals. The vision was to show that, as Peter knew which animals were clean and which were not because as God had shown him, Peter was to accept the Gentiles as God had now shown him they were “clean”.  The rest of the passage in Acts 11 shows that this is the correct interpretation and what the vision was all about (see Acts 11:18).

Colossians 2:16-17:

Colossians 2:16. Let no (pagan) therefore judge you about food and drink, or about the distinctions of festivals and new moons and Shabbats  17. which were shadows of the things then future; but the body of Mashiyach.  (AENT)

Most Bible versions translate the above as “let no one therefore judge”; but the AENT puts this back into context to show that the Body of Mashiyach must not be concerned with the judgments of those who are outside the Kingdom of Elohim; that is, those who don’t know Torah or Mashiyach.  It is clear, given the location of this audience and the fact that the Apostle Paul always references Jews directly, that Paul is addressing the local talk of the pagans whose religion dominated this region.

Compare this with Colossians 1:24.  Paul is stating that the “Body of Mashiyach” determines how to observe Torah, including Kashrut (kosher), Shabbats, Moedim (YAHWEH’s Appointed Times/Feasts) and Rosh Chodeshim (Biblical New Years);  therefore, don’t let lawless pagans judge you; they have their own religious customs and way of doing things! For example, many choose to attend “religious” meetings on Sun-Day, and they have sunrise services on Easter Sun-day, then for December 25th they put up a Tammuz (Christmas) tree that commemorates the rebirth of the Babylonian deity Tammuz.  And the gold and silver balls that Christians hang on their Christmas trees originally represented Tammuz’ testicles, as he was renown for “pleasing the ladies.”

Most Christians know full well that Yeshua was not born on December 25th, but the pagan celebrations have become such entrenched traditional rituals that truth has become an embarrassing inconvenience.  In other words, don’t let family, friends, pastors, or co-workers judge you for observing truthful Torah festivals, because their motive is for you to return to the pagan substitutes they themselves prefer. 

The Church today is following in the idolatrous footsteps of ancient and modern Israel according to Ezekiel 8:14 and Jeremiah 10 and 17.  The vast majority of Christians twist these verses to teach that Shabbat and the Feasts of YAHWEH “were fulfilled by Christ and are no longer necessary” which completely contradicts what Paul taught – that YAHWEH’s Feasts are a shadow of things to come; not to mention, they are rehearsals for the Bride of Mashiyach!  What Mashiyach and Paul call “good,” Christianity calls evil; even suggesting their pagan based rituals are sanctified through a “Christian” label (see Isaiah 5:14-23).

Galatians 4:8-10:

Galatians 4:8. Then, for when you did not know Elohim, you served those things who, by their very nature, are not Elohim.   9. Now that you have knowledge of Elohim, and especially have knowledge from Elohim[1], that you have returned to those weak and poor principles, wishing to come under their bondage.  10. You have observed days and months and times and years[2].   11. I am afraid that perhaps my being among you  has been in vain. (AENT)

FOONOTES:

[1]  Or “elohim” (as in deities).  The point is that each false deity cannot live up to the true Elohim, or that none of them are the “real elohim” but rather statues with no life, since there is only One true Elohim, YHWH.  The verse can easily read either way; however, it is fair to point out that the later vowel pointing systems that developed in both Eastern and Western Aramaic versions of this text have a plural marker over the word in question.  Either way is acceptable, both are possible.  The other issue is the use of the word kyanna, or “nature.”  This phrase proves Rav Shaul was not polytheistic as his critics often allege because, no matter which reading is preferred, he is still defending the very Jewish idea that there is only One divine nature, and that any more than one is idolatry.

[2]  Adding specific detail from verse 8, “those things who, by their very nature, are not Elohim”; therefore, these days, months, times and years refers to any pagan or “alternative religious” celebrations outside of Torah.  However, many Christians use this verse to level their guns at Torah while at the same time celebrating on Sun-day (commemorating the Sun god), Tammuz-day (Christmas), Easter sun-rise service, Valentines Day, etc, all of which are of pagan origin.

For more on how Galatians was very much misunderstood, please check out our article.

Jewish convert "anti-missionaries" love to quote Talmud, yet they trash the NT...Well, here's something from "our" side!

A short response by Aramaic scholar and author, Andrew Gabriel Roth (AENT:  http://www.aent.org/ ) to all the anti-missionaries who keep quoting the man-made Talmud while at the same time insisting the “New Testament” is trash:

Remember at the end of Matthew when the authorities told the Roman soldiers to lie and say the disciples came and stole Y'shua's body and that "this word has gone out among the Yehudim to this day"?

Guess what...it HAS! Rabbi Gamaliel, yes Paul's teacher, is said to have authored a parody of Matthew before his death in 73 CE. While the text of the parody has not survived, the Talmud attestations to its existence are beyond dispute, and ironically it spawns even worse stories that end up validating the Gospels.

Discussing the breadth of Talmudic literature is hard to do in a single email. I have a 2 hour teaching called "The Y'shua of History" which is on DVD that deals with the Talmudic evidence and other sources of Y'shua outside of Scripture.

These sources could not invalidate the Gospels and what countless believers adhered to. Instead, they tried to spin the facts to their advantage. Here are some examples...

1) They had to admit that Y'shua could heal (one believer did so in his name), but they say he acquired it as sorcery from Egypt (they read Matthew!) or that Y'shua acquired the power through deceit by copying a 72 letter magical name for YHWH from the foundation stone in the Temple. Why admit he could heal if they didn't have to?

2) Instead of saying Y'shua is the son of PARTHENOS (virgin in Greek) they say he is the son of PANDIRA, a Roman soldier who raped his mother, making Y'shua a MAMZER (bastard) and half Roman. Obviously they were concerned with evidence that proved Y'shua was a son of David, and they wanted to deny the VB at the same time. The Rabbis will then say people healed in "the name of Y'shua, son of Pandira". So another Gospel detail is confirmed.

3) The Talmud records at least 5 of Y'shua's disciples: Matti (Matthew), Todah (Thaddeus), Netzer (unknown), Buni/Boni (perhaps "sons of Thunder" or "Barnabbas"), Neker (unknown) and Nakdimon (Nicodemus). They also record the death of James the Just, as does the first century Jewish historian Josephus.

4) The "Toldot Yeshu" also records that many proclaimed Y'shua's resurrection. They read John's Gospel about Y'shua being mistaken for the gardener and twisted it into having Y'shua buried IN A GARDEN after being removed from the tomb.

But while the Talmud does confirm broad Gospel trends, it is NOT history. These are rabbis who feel they have been persecuted BY CHRISTIANS, so of course you can expect them to be biased. Just like Constantine twisted history to suit his circumstances, and the Roman Catholics too and so on. But the Talmud is never unanimous on ANYTHING, and that certainly is true of Isaiah 53.

Many other rabbis did in fact believe 53 was about the Messiah, but not necessarily about Y'shua as Messiah. Rashi and Ibn Ezra though believed the suffering servant was Israel, but this is ridiculous. Isaiah 53 says "for my people's sins, he was stricken". Who are Isaiah's people if not Israel? Who sinned if not Israel? Therefore since Israel sinned, how can Israel be stricken for Israel? In the Torah text it is MOSES who must intercede FOR Israel to avoid her being destroyed no less than 3 times. So if Israel didn't get stricken for herself then, how could it be true so much later?

There's much more to this than you are being told, and anyone can cherry pick for their own advantage. The fact is though the Talmud is a much later source than others like Josephus and Philo and others. Even Roman sources about Israel and Y'shua are 100 years EARLIER than the Talmud and Mishnah.

Challenging Judaism's assertion: "There is nothing in the Tanakh saying the Messiah has to die an rise from the dead."

Jewish "anti-missionaries" in their quest to deny that Yeshua is the Messiah, and to subversively keep people from seeing Yeshua as the Messiah, love to throw this phrase into our faces: "There is nothing in the Tanakh saying the Messiah has to die and rise from the dead."

We can only presume that this is so important to them because the Brit Chadashah does imply that it is written in the Tanakh that the Messiah would die and rise - and not understanding that, they choose to consider it a "flaw" in the Brit Chadashah!

Typically, the writing of Paul is cited as "false" by the Yeshua deniers. In this case, we find the problem verses in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, in Paul's 1st Letter to the set-apart community in Corinth: "3. For I delivered to you from the first, as I had received it; that the Mashiyach died on account of our sins, as it is written: 4. And that he was buried and arose on the third day, as it is written:…"

Note for both attributes, His death and His burial/resurrection, Paul says "as it is written."  Thus the objection. The typical Yeshua-denier, without understanding Paul, will simply say: "See, this is a lie, there are no scriptures which say this." Well, they would be wrong.

First, we must understand that there is no reason whatsoever that there would need to be scriptures which specifically identify ANY aspect of the Messiah. There are MANY prophecies in the Tanakh which can, and do, have multiple meanings. The rabbis know this. But we are to spend our time with YHWH learning and growing and not just look for our idea of what scripture should say. Since Paul, himself, did not clarify which Tanakh scriptures he was referring to, we must do some digging to see if we can come up with the answer in the Tanakh (of which we know Paul was very familiar). Just because we don't know the Tanakh as well as Paul is no reason to deny what he said as not true!

Since Paul was a schooled Jew, it is safe to assume the he knew the Tanakh well, so it would not at all be surprising if he drew from many scriptures to make the statement "as it is written."  And, indeed we find many scriptures in the Tanakh:

FIRST: The Messiah would die on account of our sins. While many Yeshua-deniers argue that Isaiah 53 is about Israel and not the Messiah, this claim is indefensible. If you only read the context of Isaiah, starting from about chapter 40, you find that it is about a new beginning for Israel, a time when all the world will ultimately see the glory of the YHWH. In this prophecy the exile serves as a symbol of the spiritual bondage of the Jewish people, while the return from exile is as an expression of their redemption. The prophecy leads to the Messianic verses found 52:13-53:12 which, in no way, is "about Israel" as Judaism claims. The text clearly speaks of one individual - the "arm" of YHWH (53:1). So these verses clearly support Paul's declaration: "As it is written."

SECOND: Isaiah 53:5, 53:8, 53:11-12, all attest to the fact that the Messiah would die for our sins, Isaiah 53:9-10 attests that the Messiah would be buried and rise. So these verses clearly support Paul's declaration: "As it is written."

THIRD: Many verses in the Tanakh provide for a 3-day period of "completion" which meant the Messiah would rise on 3rd day. The number "3" is often used in scripture as a period of "completion". Since the Messiah himself said he would ascend in 3 days (Matthew 12:38-40, 17:22-23, Mark 10:33-34,Luke 24:5-7) just as Jonah was in the belly of the fish for 3-days (Jonah 1:17), clearly, the 3-day period existed before His time on earth and the Messiah knew the 3-day period applied to Him.

In Genesis 22:4, Isaac was as good as dead during the 3-days journey of Avraham with his son until YHWH provided a ram in Isaac's place; in Exodus 3:18, 5:3, and 8:27 we find a 3-day journey is necessary for the offering of sacrifices; in Exodus 19:10-11 we find the people could not come before YHWH until the 3rd day; in Esther 4:16, Esther fasted for 3 days before she went to the King for deliverance of the Jews; in the vision of Hosea 5:12-6:2, the people are "raised up" after 3-days. (There are other verses attesting to the importance and meaning of a 3-day period.) So these verses clearly support Paul's declaration: "As it is written."

Thus it is folly to decide that Paul's words cannot be true because no particular verse from the Tanakh was identified by Paul to attest to the prophesied death, burial and resurrection of the Messiah. Here we've seen many verses which clearly support Paul's words!

Explaining the "two Josephs"....

Y’shua deniers often insist that the Messiah, son of Joseph is NOT the son of David; that they are indeed, two separate people and that the messiah son of Joseph is from Joseph/Ephraim not Judah.  Well, that’s not exactly true, and here’s why:

Matthew 1:15 And Eli'ud begat Elea'zar; and Elea'zar begat Mat'than; and Mat'than begat Jacob; 16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Yehoshuah, who is called Messiah.

Luke 3:23 And Yeshua himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, 24 Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi,

The truth is, many have mistaken the genealogy in Matthew as that of Joseph, while the genealogy in Luke is taken as that of Mary.  This is backwards!   The genealogy in Matthew is of Mary and Luke's is of Joseph, Mary's husband!

Matthew 1:16, does not read "Joseph the husband of Mary" as most poor English translations say; rather it is: "Joseph, the guardian of Mary."  What's happening here is that the Greek translators failed to understand the Aramaic "gowra", meaning "guardian" in the context, and instead translated it as "husband", the error of which is simply carried forward in English translations. 

This means that the "Joseph" in Matthew 1:16 is the name of the guardian of Mary, not the "Joseph" who became her husband, who simply had the same name!  Indeed, if you just keep reading in Matthew 1, Matthew goes on to say: "But Yosip [Joseph], her husband was just and did not desire to expose her, yet he was thinking in secret that he would dismiss her."  Even Matthew understood that in verse 19 he needed to clarify that there he was talking about "Joseph", Mary's husband, rather than "Joseph", Mary's guardian whom he was naming in verse 16, son of Jacob!

We need to understand, Yeshua HAD to come from the line of David through Solomon!  You see this in Matthew 1:6.  But if you insist that the genealogy in Luke is the genealogy of Mary, then you would incorrectly cause the birth line of Yeshua to come from Natan, not Solomon!  (See Luke 3:31).  But Luke 3:23, is very clear that Luke here is addressing the line of JOSEPH, Mary's husband, of whom Yeshua is rightfully claimed as Joseph's son because Joseph did marry Yeshua's mother! 

Debunking another lie of the "anti-missionaries" who hate Jesus....

The latest “JasonSpiritualBabies” attempt to “debunk Jesus” suggests that John 17:12 is a farce because there’s no mention of “Son of Perdition” in the Tanach.  (Of course, that’s because the way traditional Jews and their converts read "their" Tanach ensures that NOTHING will ever line up with YHWH’s “rest of the story.”  They’ll argue your leg off about the meanings of the passages, never, ever even seeming to realize that some of what they espouse is just downright ludicrous! 

Yet, these “anti-missionaries” (those who reject Y'shua as Messiah and work to sell the idea that the New Testament is a myth) are are truly knocking themselves out to make you believe that everything you've ever known about Scripture is a lie.  They refuse to even acknowledge that Isaiah 53 is all about Messiah!  One of them recently wrote that “G-d’s people didn’t build the Golden Calf; but rather, it was the “non-Jews” who followed Moses out of Egypt. Why do they say that?  Because in Exodus 32:7-8 God said to Moshe “Go, descend to YOUR people that YOU (Moses) have brought up from Egypt....”   In other words, God didn’t at that point, refer to them as MY people.
 
Sounds convincing, doesn’t it?  Well, if you will read the REST of that passage you’ll discover something very interesting: Moshe’s brother, Aaron, the priest – who, like Moshe, was a LEVITE – was instrumental in the building of that golden calf!  As a matter of fact, he ORCHESTRATED it and then tried to downplay it when confronted by Moshe!  Please read all of Exodus 32 when you get a chance to see exactly what happened, so you can recognize this BLATANT Scripture twisting these people are trying to push down your throat!  For more on this, I invite you to watch my short video (Video Number 27 of my 5-video series designed to fight back against those who attempt to make their living “debunking Jesus!”).

Anyway, getting back to Jason, he asks:  “Did Judas get a mention in the Hebrew bible? Jesus says he did. John 17:12.”

Hmm...I don’t see any mention of Judas in this entire chapter, do you?  I think this is just another of Jason’s desperate attempts to “debunk Jesus” in whatever way he can dream up, using his particular Bible version!  I mean, Y’shua was constantly all about His Father, so why is Jason picking on just one passage that he's attempting to take out of context (thanks to the many Bible versions and their skewed commentaries!) in hopes of derailing him?

Let's take a look at that whole chapter.  It's not very long:

John 17: 1.  Y’shua spoke these things and he lifted up his eyes to Heaven and said My Father the hour has come.  Glorify your Son so that your Son might glorify you.  2. Just as you have given him authority over all flesh that whomever You have given him, he will give to him life that is eternal.  3. Now this is life that is eternal, that they might know You, that You are the Elohim of Truth, and he alone whom You have sent, the Mashiyach Y’shua.  4. I have glorified You on earth.  The work that You have given to me to do I have finished it.  5. And now glorify me my Father with You in that glory that I had with You from before the world was.  6. I have made Your Name known to the sons of those men whom You had given to me from the world. They were Yours and You have given them to me, and they have kept Your Word. 

7. Now they have known that everything that you have given to me I have given to them and they received them.  8. And they know that I have truly proceeded from your presence, and they believe that You have sent me.  9. And I plead for them. It is not for the world I plead; rather, for those whom you have given to me because they are Yours.  10. And everything that is mine is Yours, and Yours is mine and I am glorified by them.  11. Henceforth, I will not be in the world, and these are in the world.  And I am coming to Your presence.  Kadosh[1] Father, keep them by your Name,[2] that which you have given to me, that they may be one as We are.  12. I was with them while I was in the world.  I have kept them in your Name;[3] those whom you have given to me, I have kept.  And not a man of them is lost except for the son of perdition, that the Scriptures might be fulfilled.  13. And now I come to Your presence, and these things I speak in the world that my joy may be full in them. 

14. I have given to them Your Word and the world hates them because they are not of the world as I am not of the world.  15. It is not that I plead You take them from the world, but that You might keep evil from them.  16. For they are not from the world, as I am not from the world.  17. Father sanctify them by your Truth, for Your Word is Truth. 18. As you have sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.  19. And I fear for their sakes.  I sanctify myself so that they may also be sanctified by Truth.  20. And it is not only for the sake of these I plead, but also for the sake of those who will believe in me by their word.  21. That all of them may be One; as You my Father are in me and I in You, that they also may be One in Us, that the world may believe that You have sent me.

 22. And the glory that You have given to me I have given to them that they may be One as we are One.  23. I in them and You in me, that they may be perfected into One and that the world may know that You have sent me, and that You have loved them as also You have loved me.  24. Father, those whom You have given to me, I desire that where I am they might also be with me that they might see my glory that You have given to me because You have loved me from before the foundations of the world.  25. My Just Father, the world has not known You, but I have known You.  And these that You know You have sent me.  26. And I have made Your Name known to them.  And I will confess it so that the love with which You have loved me might be in them, and I might be in them. (AENT)

Footnotes:

1.  Kadosh/Set Apart means that YHWH and His Word will never change; we can put our trust in Him knowing He will keep His Word.

2.  A very key passage. Aramaic literally reads that YHWH gave His Name to Y’shua; therefore, he has the Name of his Father within him.

3.  Y’shua keeps them in YHWH’s name so when we call upon YHWH in Y’shua’s name, we are calling on YHWH for Salvation.  As the Name of YHWH is in Mashiyach, so are we to have the name of Mashiyach in us, which means that as followers of Y’shua we are to walk according to his righteousness, observe Torah and walk in the anointing of the Ruach haKodesh as Mashiyach demonstrated to us.

Anyway, did you see ANY mention of Judas?

The title “son of perdition” is used twice in the New Testament:  John 17:12, above, and  2 Thessalonians 2:3, which says:  3. Let no one deceive you in any way because (that day will not come) unless there previously come a defection[1] and that man of sin be revealed; the son of perdition;  4. who is an opponent and who exalts himself above all that is called Elohim and praiseworthy; so that he also sits in the temple of Elohim as a deity and displays himself as if he were a deity.  (AENT)

Footnote:  The “falling away” or “the Great Apostasy” refers to the fallen state of Christianity as a whole; the original First Century Christian Faith (Christian being a Greek term which referred to Greek followers of Y’shua) was one Faith with the Netzarim Jewish followers of Y’shua.  Gentiles were originally being grafted into the Kingdom of Elohim as the “Israel of Elohim” according to the Renewed Covenant.  However, even in Paul’s day, an all-Gentile church was being birthed, which aimed to throw off Torah and reinvent Mashiyach to put him more in line with Hellenism, polytheism and paganism.

Moving on, the phrase “son of perdition” simply means “man doomed to destruction”, “eternal damnation” or “utter destruction.”  In John 17 it was never aimed at or reserved for any one individual!  Some Bible commentaries might suggest that, but that is merely the respective author's OPINION!

The word perdition can also be used as a synonym for hell. When a person is called “son of perdition,” the connotation is that of a person in an unredeemable state, someone who is already damned while he is still alive.  We see examples of the “damned” throughout the Tanach!

In John 17 while praying to the Father for His disciples, Y’shua mentions that He “protected them and kept them safe” and that none of them were lost except the “son of perdition”; that is, the one who was already in a damned state.  And only YHWH knows who those people are!


So, which scripture  does Yeshua refer to when He says in John 17:12 "....that the Scriptures might be fulfilled?"  Well, if you turn to John 13:18, it says "It is not concerning all of you; I speak for those I know whom I have chosen, but that the Scripture might be fulfilled.  He who eats bread with me has lifted his heel against me!"  That phrase "He who eats bread with me has lifted his heel against me", is well understood to have come from Psalm 41:9, and this is the same situation being addressed in John 17:12.  So the fact that Yeshua is referring to Judas, whom He knows will betray Him, He is not referring to "Judas" being mentioned in the Tanakh; rather, Yeshua is comparing what is to happen to Him with what happened to David. 

If a pastor or rabbi doesn't "walk the walk" LEAVE his ministry!

Every once in awhile someone will write to The Refiner’s Fire to ask whether or not we think they should continue to tithe to a ministry they’ve been supporting, even though the pastor or rabbi has “fallen from grace” somehow.  We always tell them, while it’s hard to “turn your back” on your favorite teacher, it depends on the circumstances.  If something happened that was beyond the pastor’s/rabbi’s control, then stand by him, keep him in prayer and do whatever is necessary to help him maintain his ministry.

However, if this person did something that was anti-Torah in any way (divorce, adultery, drug/alcohol/gambling problems he’s not willing to seek help for, or he has committed some criminal act, etc.), keep him in your prayers, but leave his ministry and stop supporting him because he needs to STEP DOWN!  He’s no longer pastor/rabbi material.  (There are several today who are guilty of one or more of these things, and they are still out there, teaching and raking in the tithes from gullible people who don't realize YHWH commands us to stay away from teachers like this!)

Scripture outlines exactly what YHWH looks for in HIS leaders:

1 Timothy 3: 1. It is a faithful saying that if a man desires the eldership, he desires a good work.  2. And an elder should be such that no blame can be found in him; and he should be the husband of one wife, with a vigilant mind and sober and reliable (in his behaviors), and affectionate to strangers, and instructive,  3. and not a transgressor in regard to wine, and whose hand is not swift to strike; but he should be humble and not contentious, nor a lover of money;  4. and one that guides well his own house and holds his children in subjection with all purity.  5. For if he knows not how to guide his own house well, how can he guide the assembly of Elohim?  6. Neither let him be of recent discipleship, or else he be uplifted and fall into the condemnation of Satan.  7. And there should be good testimony of him from those without; or else he fall into reproach and the snare of Satan.  8. And so also the assembly servants should be pure and not speak double, nor incline to much wine, nor love base gains;  9. but should hold the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience.  10. And let them be first tried and then let them serve if they are without blame.  (AENT)

Ephesians 4: 11. And he gave some, Shlichim;  and some, prophets;  and some, preachers;  and some, shepherds  and teachers:   12. For perfecting  the Set Apart believers for the work of the ministry, for the edification of the body of the Mashiyach;  13. Until we all become one and the same, in faith and in the knowledge of the Son of Elohim, and one complete man according to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Mashiyach:  14. And that we might not be children uprooted and turned about by every direction of wind by the wrong doctrines of men who plot to seduce by their cunning:  15. But that we might be established in our love; and that everything in us might progress in the Mashiyach who is the head …. (AENT)

According to Deuteronomy 13, YHWH does send false prophets/teachers to test and prove His people so they can learn to distinguish whether the prophet or teacher is true or false.  (While we don’t “put them to death” anymore for being “false prophets”, we are to shun them because they do NOT work for YHWH ... and “But they do have some good teachings!” is irrelevant if they keep veering from His Torah, or they "talk the talk" but fail to "walk the walk."  If you keep “hanging” with them, their BAD teachings will rub off on you, and you may end up passing on your "false" knowledge and leading others astray.)
 
“But,” you might say, “I always eat the meat and spit out the bones.”  Nice idea, but most people, don’t have that kind of discernment because  they are either fickle or don’t know Scripture well enough to know what is “bone” and what is “meat.”  Often, Truth is too dull or too harsh, and “ear-tickling” is more exciting.

The bottom line is, WHOM are we worshiping if we allow "tolerance" in our lives and keep veering from YHWH’s Truth?  He gives us free choice to follow Him – or not.  There’s no gray area, so very careful....

Always learning, never coming to the knowledge of truth.

When I arose this morning, I had a Bible passage on my mind:  “Always learning, never coming to the knowledge of truth.” This actually comes out of 2 Timothy 3:7, and I will expound on that further in just a moment.  In the meantime, speaking of “learning”, take a look at this scripture:

Ecclesiastes 12:12  In addition, my son, take heed: one can write many books - there's no end to it; and one can study so much that it wearies the flesh. (CJB)

I know many people who exemplify both  verses!  Some are "always learning but never coming to the knowledge of truth," while others read and study until their eyes fall out – and they wear themselves out on a daily basis, and yet STILL don’t know YHWH’s Truth!  As a matter of fact, by all this endless reading and studying all sorts of "sources" I have found they are usually further away from the Truth than they’ve ever been!

I know people who have "read and studied" their way right out of belief in YHWH/Y’shua/Torah to ultimately become atheists.  Others have decided to chuck this “Torah stuff” and return Christianity; or they’ve decided “God gave them certain ‘new’ revelations” (which often do NOT line up with Scripture -  but since “God gave them the revelations” they  MUST be true) and they are now keeping only bits and pieces of Torah because they have been enlightened by this “new knowledge.”  And still others simply "leave  the Messiah and the New Testament" because, hey, "they are myths." 

I also know of at least one former Facebook "friend" who allowed herself to be turned on to Islam and, last I heard, she was talking about moving to Afghanistan to marry some Muslim.  (Boy, is SHE ever in for a rude awakening!  Hope she’s enjoying life inside her Burkha where she’s  no longer allowed to read books, drive, or open her mouth to voice an opinion for fear of being beheaded.)

The bottom line is:  Hardly anyone ever really gets INTO Scripture for themselves. They either read some extra-biblical commentaries or listen to various teachers on YouTube, or follow some self-proclaimed Facebook pastor/rabbi/teacher with ear-tickling messages – or they will follow and support some well-known rabbi or radio host or Messianic/Hebrew Roots “big-wig” who, because he is divorced or has personal problems, or is deeply entrenched in some scandal, really should be shunned because he has no business preaching at all….

2 Timothy 3: 1. But know this: That in the latter days hard times will come:  2. and men will be lovers of themselves and lovers of money, boasters, proud, revilers, unyielding towards their own people, deniers of grace, wicked,  3. unloving, addicted to irreconcilable malicious gossips, ferocious, haters of the good,  4. treacherous, rash, inflated, attached to pleasure more than to the love of Elohim,  5. having a form of respect for Elohim but wide from the power of Elohim. Them who are such, repel from you.  6. For of them are they who creep into this and that house and captivate the women who are plunged in sins and led away by divers lusts,  7. who are always learning, and can never come to the knowledge of the truth. (AENT)

So many people fit into at least one of the categories mentioned in the passage above. They have themselves convinced they are "godly" and "knowledgeable" and many even believe they are qualified to teach others; yet their fruits reveal their thinking is skewed or they have absolutely NO discernment – or, they’re not really into God at all; but rather, it’s just a “cool thing” to do right now, until something better comes along.

Here’s an example of people who live with their heads in the sand:  A woman on a Facebook thread who saw my article outlining reasons why the “Virgin Mary” cannot be our intercessor, wrote the following defiant message:

"I read a bit more of the article, but I can't finish, actually won't! It's mean-spirited and mostly meant to demean Catholics and their cherished beliefs and obviously written by a non-believer. These people are everywhere. Looking hard enough in obscure places, you can probably find a whole lot wrong with what the OTHER guy believes. It's a hobby for some people, but not one of my own. So sorry I even checked it out at all, my friend."

If she had actually taken the time to READ what I wrote, she would have seen past her own myopic ideas about God and the Bible and discovered that my article was NOT meant to "demean Catholics" and that I am most certainly NOT "an unbeliever." This woman, like many, is a total hypocrite! People like her are the reason "the church" remains asleep in their fluffyanity. They don't want Truth; they want what they want, and nothing else matters.  In the meantime, they will take others with them into the pits of hell, in their silly belief that Mary is some kind of a deity who watches over us.  Never mind that this is an impossibility!

Jeremiah 6:13 "For from the least to the greatest of them, all are greedy for gains; prophets and cohanim alike, they all practice fraud 14 they dress the wound of my people, but only superficially, saying, 'There is perfect shalom,' when there is no shalom. 15 "They should be ashamed of their detestable deeds, but they are not ashamed at all; they don't know how to blush. Therefore when others fall, they too will fall; when I punish them, they will stumble," says ADONAI. 16 Here is what ADONAI says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask about the ancient paths, 'Which one is the good way?' Take it, and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not take it.' (CJB)

The last verse is, unfortunately, more true than we realize.  There are way too many people who are always reading, studying and even teaching their respective viewpoints - while at the same time they have never really come to the knowledge of Truth, and "will not take" the "good way."

A mini-teaching on 2 Timothy 3:8-9

Have you ever wondered what Paul’s reference to “Jannes and Jambres” is all about?  Have you ever wondered who they are?  The Aramaic English New Testament explains:

2 Timothy 3: 8. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moshe,[1] so also do these withstand the truth: men whose mind is corrupted and (are) reprobates from the faith.  9. But they will not make progress, for their infatuation will be understood by everyone, as theirs also was understood.  (AENT)

Footnote:

This is a very interesting reference by Rav Shaul as Jannes and Mambres are never directly named in any ancient version of the Tanakh as the magicians who tried to compete with Moshe. However, they are referred to in some Jewish targums and even in Roman sources such as Pliny the Elder’s Natural History.  Also the late Second century Church Father Origen made reference to “the Book of Jannes and Mambres” but no copies of it have come down to us intact.  What this shows is that Rav Shaul is comfortable using both canonical and non-canonical sources to make his points with what he knows his audience is familiar with.

While we may never know if Rav Shaul considered these names as authentic, it very much goes to acquitting other parts of the Renewed Covenant writings as spurious simply because they quoted from resources that we today don’t give any authority to.  We have already witnessed other places where Rav Shaul quotes from even pagan poets to make his point if need be. For more information, please consult the footnotes for Titus 1:11 and Yehuda 1:14.  The important distinction is, as verse 16 shows, the ultimate authority on proper behavior remains with Tanakh.

Why doesn't the church mention the Name of YHWH?

This morning someone sent a good question to our blog.  They said:  YHWH is the name above all names but it left me wonder why most of the church today doesn't mentioned His name in their sermon or even when reading the scriptures. They always used the title alone.

Our response:

That's a good question!  We believe it's because "the church" concentrates all their efforts on "Jesus" who seems to have more importance to them than "the Father."  Never mind that they are "one" and that "Jesus" never came to replace the Father; rather He came to proclaim the Kingdom and do everything His Father commanded.

Luke 4: 43 "But he (Yeshua/Jesus) said, "I must preach the good news of the Kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent."

Luke 8: 1. And it happened after these things that Y'shua was going around in the cities and in the villages and was preaching and declaring the Kingdom of Elohim.

Acts 28: 23 "From morning till evening the Apostle Paul explained and declared the Kingdom of God and tried to convince people about Yeshua from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets."

Acts 24: 14. But this indeed I (Paul) acknowledge, that in that same doctrine of which they speak, I do serve the Elohim of my fathers, believing all the things written in Torah and in the prophets.

So, while His death, burial, and resurrection are an important part of the Good News, it's not the whole story! God isn't just in the business of "saving" people. As Creator and law giver, He is in the business of teaching us how to be good subjects in His Kingdom to come! If "Jesus abolished Torah at the cross" then why was EVERY believer completely Torah observant for one hundred years after Yeshua's death, including the Apostle Paul who was "caught" being Torah observant 29 years after Yeshua's death (Acts 21:23-24)! Was Paul a hypocrite, saying one thing and doing another; or were his teachings, perhaps, misunderstood?

YHWH said HE would send a prophet who was to do everything He ordered him to do:

Deuteronomy 18: 15 "ADONAI will raise up for you a prophet like me from among yourselves, from your own kinsmen. You are to pay attention to him, 16 just as when you were assembled at Horev and requested ADONAI your God, 'Don't let me hear the voice of ADONAI my God any more, or let me see this great fire ever again; if I do, I will die!' 17 On that occasion ADONAI said to me, 'They are right in what they are saying. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kinsmen. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I order him.

Yeshua Himself said He came to do HIS FATHER's will; not His own!

John 6: 35. Y'shua said to them, I am the Bread of Life. Whoever comes to me will not hunger. And whoever believes in me will not ever thirst. 36. But I have said to you that you have seen me, and you do not believe. 37. All who my Father has given to me will come, and whoever comes not to me I will cast outside! 38. For I came down from heaven,[1] not to do my will, but to do the will of Him who sent me. 39. And this is His will, that of Him who sent me, that all that He has given to me I do not lose even one. 40. For this is the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in Him, will have life that is eternal. And I will raise him up on the last day. (Aramaic English New Testament)

[1] As in the context of Miltha (the Word) or the "Manifestation" or the "Will of" YHWH coming down from heaven to do the Will of YHWH upon earth; his Spirit is of YHWH but his nephesh (soul) and body are human and temporal. This shows that Yeshua was NOT in charge; HIS FATHER WAS!

Yeshua came to proclaim the Kingdom of YHWH and to do everything His Father commanded. He tore down the fences of man's legalism. Neither He nor His Apostles ever advocated against Torah!

John 12: 44. But Y'shua cried out and said, He who believes in me, it is not in me he does believe, but in Him who sent me. [1] 45. And he who sees me sees Him who sent me! 46. I have come as the light into this world that all who believe in me might not remain in the darkness! 47. And he who hears my words, yet does not keep them, I do not judge him, for I have not come to judge the world but to give life[2] to the world. 48. He who rejects me and does not receive my words, there is something that judges him. The word that I have spoken, it will judge him on the last day. 49. For I have not spoken from my soul, but the Father who sent me. He gave a Commandment to me what I should say and what I should speak. 50. And I know that His commands are eternal life. [3] Therefore, these things that I speak just as my Father told me, thus I speak.[4] (Aramaic English New Testament)

[1] Y'shua does not bring a new Faith, but reveals the original Faith of YHWH the Father.

[2] Y'shua proclaims that he came to give life, then he declares that His father's Commands are eternal life! The Father's "Commands" are instruction in righteousness; this is Torah which contains Commandments, Judgments, Testimony and Witness regarding the Kingdom of Elohim. Those who enter into Covenant with Mashiyach are entering into Covenant with his Father YHWH; therefore, it is evil - an outright lie - to teach that Torah is done away with and replaced by a new theology!

[3] The Commands of YHWH bring eternal life. YHWH's "Commands" refers to all of His Commandments; these are one and the same as every Word that proceeds out of the Mouth of Elohim. These are not Commands only between Y'shua and His Father but they are universal for all souls who will enter into the Malchut Elohim.

[4] Y'shua speaks the Word of YHWH, not his own words; therefore, he conveys the revelation of YHWH according to the Ruach haKodesh without the baggage of man's religious tradition. Religion has a propensity to reinvent or interpret the Word of YHWH to make it "acceptable" to man's standards; whereas Mashiyach came not to please men, but to honor and bring Glory to his Father.

Yeshua was sent by the Father NOT to do His own will, but the Father's! So many seem to think He came to replace the Father and abolish Torah....Yet He came to restore man's relationship with YHWH and remind us to totally rely on YHWH for everything.

Many (if not most) Christians keep insisting "God is love" and that's all we need to know. A father teaches his child not to cross the road unless he has looked both ways; he did that because he LOVES the child. The child, believing that the father's love is all encompassing, doesn't bother to continue to obey what the father SAID because, hey, "Dad is LOVE!"; he just goes ahead and crosses the road without looking - and consequently gets smashed by a semi-truck. So, how did the father's LOVE save that child? It didn't! There are commands the kid should have obeyed in order to please his father and continue living with and FOR the father. Loving God includes obeying His rules because they are our ONLY blueprint for moral, holy living!

So, yes, it is imperative to discover exactly WHO YHWH is, because until we do, we cannot possibly know who His Son is....