Friday, September 1, 2017

Are Gentiles required to obey Torah?

The "million dollar question" that has successfully split the Messianic Faith today is: Are Gentiles required to obey Torah? And the answer is a resounding, "YES!" Why? Well, once you have accepted the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and His Divine Son, you are no longer considered a "Gentile"'; you are a "Hebrew" (which means, "to cross over!")....

Acts 15: 19 "Therefore, my opinion is that we should not put obstacles in the way of the Goyim who are turning to God. 20 Instead, we should write them a letter telling them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from fornication, from what is strangled and from blood. 21 For from the earliest times, Moshe has had in every city those who proclaim him, with his words being read in the synagogues every Shabbat."

Note verse 19 which says: "Therefore, my opinion is that we should not put obstacles in the way of the Goyim who are turning to God"! Read in context Acts 15 plainly states that the expectation of the non-Jewish converts was that they would learn Moshe (Torah) as they grew in their relationship with Mashiyach and his people. Read in context, Acts 15:20-21 shows there is one Torah for Israel and the Gentile who dwells with her - yet, many try to use it as "proof" that Christians don't have to keep Torah. That is because they don't realize that Acts 15 is referring to man-made laws and not the Torah itself....

Footnote from the AENT: That which is "sacrificed" unto other gods according to YHWH's Word in D'varim/Deuteronomy 32:17 is sacrificed unto devils. Vayikra/Leviticus 17:12-16 commands that Jew and Ger (foreigner) NOT eat blood, or any animals that die of themselves. The prohibition against fornication is wide spectrum, against all manner of physical perversion and spiritual whoredom. These Torah directives are eternally binding on all who follow Y'shua Mashiyach and who seek the Malchut (Kingdom) of Elohim.

It's a very clear fulfillment of Isaiah 56:1-9. Gentile converts are observing Shabbat and learning Torah as one body along with Jews. Shortly thereafter, Marcion, whom Polycarp referred to as "the firstborn of the devil" built the first all-Gentile church to promote Christo-Paganism. Marcion held his services on Sunday which blended with Zeus (the sun god) culture and projected a hybrid Je-Zeus identity in opposition to the Jewish Mashiyach.

The modern theologies of "Jesus Christ" are based more on Hellenism than on original fundamental Hebraic values. Marcion coined the words "Old - New Testament" and did his very best to warn Gentiles away from Torah and "the God of the Old Testament." Marcion invented theologies known as replacement, dispensational, supercessionism, etc., which are very popular among Christianity today.

Yes: Read in context Acts 15 plainly states that the expectation of the non-Jewish converts was that they would learn Torah as they grew in their relationship with Mashiyach and his people.

Please think about this as well:

When Avraham was called out of Ur of the Chaldees (Genesis 12), there were no "Jews"; there were no "rabbis"; there was only one man who listened to and obeyed YHWH. Avraham, who both left his homeland and came out of paganism by accepting YHWH became a "Hebrew" which means "to cross over."

When Moshe led the people put of Egypt, he was accompanied by a "mixed multitude" (Exodus 12:38) and he shared "the Law" with ALL when he came down from the mountain. He did not send the "foreigners" away!

While Joseph lived in Egypt (Genesis 30-50), born to him from an Egyptian wife were Efrayim and Mannasheh who were given tribes within the nation of Israel. Though half Egyptian (pagan) they were given equal status with the sons of Israel.

YHWH made it perfectly clear that ALL who accepted Him were to OBEY Him:

Exodus 12: 48 If a foreigner staying with you wants to observe ADONAI's Pesach, all his males must be circumcised. Then he may take part and observe it; he will be like a citizen of the land. But no uncircumcised person is to eat it. 49 The same teaching is to apply equally to the citizen and to the foreigner living among you."

Leviticus 17: 8 "Then you shall say to them, 'Any man from the house of Israel, or from the aliens who sojourn among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice, 9 and does not bring it to the doorway of the tent of meeting to offer it to the LORD, that man also shall be cut off from his people.

Leviticus 24: 22 You are to apply the same standard of judgment to the foreigner as to the citizen, because I am ADONAI your God."

Numbers 9: 14 If a foreigner is staying with you and wants to observe Pesach for ADONAI, he is to do it according to the regulations and rules of Pesach- you are to have the same law for the foreigner as for the citizen of the land.'"

Numbers 15: 13 "'Everyone who is native-born must do these things in this way when he brings an offering made by fire as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. 14 For the generations to come, whenever an alien or anyone else living among you presents an offering made by fire as an aroma pleasing to the LORD, he must do exactly as you do. 15 The community is to have the same rules for you and for the alien living among you; this is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. You and the alien shall be the same before the LORD: 16 The same laws and regulations will apply both to you and to the alien living among you.'"

Deuteronomy 31: 11 when all Isra'el have come to appear in the presence of ADONAI at the place he will choose, you are to read this Torah before all Isra'el, so that they can hear it. 12 Assemble the people-the men, the women, the little ones and the foreigners you have in your towns -so that they can hear, learn, fear ADONAI your God and take care to obey all the words of this Torah;

We are told in Exodus 22: 21 "You shall neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt". In other words: As believers in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, we are one in God's eyes, and are therefore required to act accordingly.

How much clearer could it be?

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