My Pastor says…Jesus did away with the Law of Moses
September 9, 2007There are many people who love the Lord today, who honestly and with a pure heart believe Jesus came and did away with the “Torah”, God’s “instructions” for His people. Scripture however, very plainly teaches just the opposite, both by the life our Messiah lived and by the words that He spoke. Consider this…we know that Jesus was the spotless Lamb of God, (John 1:29) He was without sin, (2 Cor 5:21) which means, He kept the instructions of God, the Torah, perfectly. (1John 3:4) He was the Living Torah. (John 1:1) On these points I believe all Christians would agree. However, many never consider what this means to those who would be called His disciples… those who would desire to imitate and pattern their life after Messiah. Jesus honored the Sabbath. (Luke 4:16) He kept the appointed Feasts of God. (John 2:23, 10:22) He taught obedience to the Torah as given thru Moses (Mark 7:6-13). In short, Jesus lived out His Father’s instructions perfectly while saying “follow Me”.
Now, Jesus told us very plainly not to think He would abolish any of His Father’s instructions. (Matthew 5:17) In fact, He said until heaven and earth pass away, not one stroke would pass away from the Law or the Prophets until all is fulfilled. That’s about as plain spoken as it gets. Heaven and earth both are still here and many prophecies have yet to be fulfilled. I guarantee you that Jesus meant what He said. He even warns us of a terrible day when He would have to tell many who practice lawlessness to depart from Him. (Matthew 7:21-23) And, He warns all of us as Believers, that breaking and teaching others to break, even the least of the commandments will cause us to be “least in the Kingdom of Heaven”. (Mathew 5:19) Jesus would not have said these things if the Law as given thru Moses would be “done away with”. Friends, these are plain and simple teachings from our Master. How is it that some don’t believe Him? Perhaps He gave us an answer in John 5:46… “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”
In Malachi, the last book of the Prophets, just three verses before the book of Matthew, we see these words from The Holy One. “Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, Which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, With the statutes and judgments.” How quickly we can forget when we turn the page and begin reading from Matthew. As you know, Jesus came to pay the price for our sins. He took away all of the condemnation that was against us. However, He did not give us permission to sin against God by rejecting His Torah… His instructions. In fact, in Matthew chapter 4, Jesus who is quoting from Moses, (Deut 8:3) warns us that God’s Word is a matter of life for us. He says… ”It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” He said this of course, before the “New testament” was written. Also, notice that Jesus said “Man shall not live…” This statement is made to all men. He did not address this statement to just “Men of Israel”
Seeds of Restoration 
Your article is right on!!!
I do not know why it is so hard for people to understand the Bible. The diet and health laws in the OT are still valid today!! What are we being told by health care professionals? Get off of pork, red meat and the fat of animals. Eat more veggies. In the book of Job you will find that the world is round but for years people believed it was flat. God (Yahweh) does not have different rules for different people. All humanity is suppose to follow the same laws given in the BIBLE. Those who eat according to the Biblical diet are much healthier than those who do not. I do not go to doctors. I pray, use herbs and eat as much organic prduce, chicken and buffalo meat as I can. We have five generations in this family. My mother is 87, just retired from her job after 25 years. Plants a garden every spring and lives alone in a two story home. Study the OT especially the Torah. It will help to understand the NT much better.
The Old Testament Laws were for the Jews only. We may be helped by following some of the eating habits but we are not healthy by all following the same diet. I have fibromyalgia and the so called health foods are high in oxalates and make me sick. In the New Testament all foods are allowed to us but not all are good for us. Doylene
Doylene,
Thanks for stopping by and for your encouragment on “Christians voting for Obama”. I must challenge you with the fact that God never changed His mind in the “New” testament concerning food or other aspects of the Law as given thru Moses. Please read “Does God Care about what you Eat” if interested.
The “Old Testament Laws” as you refer to them were the same ones that our Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) kept and said would not pass away until heaven and earth passed away. (Matt 5) Paul of course kept them as well as there was no other Bible…think about it and write again…
No where in Scripture does it say that God’s instructions were given to the Jews only…they were instead given to Israel of which Paul teaches you and I have been grafted into…
“And if you are Christ’s then you ARE Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:29
“This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the Gentiles walk” Ephesians 4:17
May God bless you in your studies…Tim
I have been studying much on this in the last couple of years… The one “problem” (for lack of a better word) is in the “laws” concerning proselytes (righteous and gate). I understand that a gentile that becomes a ger tzedek (righteous proselyte) is now fully jewish and accepts Torah as his full way of life and is even assigned to a tribe. The Gate Proselytes/God-Fearers, however, seem to be a different matter. They were obligated to keep the laws as given to Noah and “all” mankind, and by so diong could live among the Isrelites and even be blessed through them. (salvation was and is fully by faith) Where I am trying to fit this in is how does this affect believers “after” the death, burial and ressurection of our Saviour. Was Acts 15 actually saying that new converts were to accept and begin with observing the laws of Noah, (see James pronouncement) and THEN to be taught the other laws by “those that preach Moses in the temples on the Sabbath” as they grew and matured thereby eventually becoming fully jewish (and yet messianic) AND could some still remain in a “gate proselyte” state? I do not believe that Yeshua ever created a new religion, but IF the prospect of Gentiles remaining as “God-Fearers” was possible, could that explain part of the obvious changes that began taking place in the churches?
Charles,
I am currently traveling on vacation…don’t have a lot of time. Will share my uneducated opinion. I believe that Scripture teaches one law for all…yet not all laws apply to you and me…for instance I am not a Levite Priest…nor a leper…nor a woman. Each of us should honor and obey those commandments which apply….for example…the laws pertaining to the temple can’t be followed as there is no temple as of today….that does not mean they have been done away with.
Scripture says “One law shall be for the native born and for the stranger who dwells among you” (Exodus 12:49) Please check out Jeremiah 12:14-17. I think you will find it interesting. I believe it quite plainly states all the nations should live as Israel…keeping God’s Commandments.
I believe Acts 15 to be a beginning point for those turning to Messiah…then they are to learn Torah just like any follower of the God of Abraham. The laws mentioned by James do not even prohibit murder…it can’t be an all encompassing list.
Main point….Paul says that “if you are Christ’s then you ARE Abrahams’s seed, and heirs according to the promise”. (Gal 3:29). That sums up my position…I don’t even know my bloodline….who really does? I believe that the blood of Messiah is what matters and that thru HIS blood we all are grafted in…including even the most Jewish of the Jews according to Paul (Romans 9:6-11)….I don’t think that God gave two sets of Commandments….
May the Holy One bless you in your studies….feel free to write anytime….sorry so short for the moment…
Tim C. Terry
I must challenge this discussion that Christians today are to live by the Torah. While there are many principles that apply to us today, Jesus came and fulfilled the law. Let me ask you, do we still offer the sacrifices of lambs and goats? Of course not, Jesus is our sacrifice. Are we required to be circumcised? Paul speaks against that clearly. But in the same sense Jesus took the law to an even higher standard. If you look at a woman to lust for her you have committed adultery. This discussion of having to follow the whole law to be saved is one that was discussed in Acts 15 and their conclusion was, “Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood.” A careful study of Paul’s epistle to the Galations would clear up some of this talk of having to follow the whole law. And concerning the eating of meat did not the Lord call Peter “Rise Peter kill and eat?” And then says, “What God has made clean, do not call common.”
Thanks for stopping by Joel…
Instead of responding here to your comments I would instead point you to my other teachings on this site. They cover almost every point you bring up. If after having studied them with a heart for truth…let me know if you have any questions as I would love to talk to you.
One thing you said that i am not sure i cover concerns sacrifices…the Torah actually forbids anyone from performing sacrifices anyplace but at His temple (Deuteronomy 12)…but while the Temple existed it would have been okay as God Himself commanded it. Paul actually performs a animal sacrifice AFTER Jesus went to the cross…did you know this? Check it out in Acts 21. Also, consider that according to Ezekiel, you and I will witness animal sacrifices in the future…true or untrue?
Let me know what you think…Tim
God delegated His Authority to Judah.
Judah is bound to certain commands such as but not limited to; not saying His Name and not to deviate from the Law.
Judah is to reign until “Shiloh Comes”. That said, since Judah is still ruling, even if figuratively, then the Law still applies. Queen Elizabeth is Judah.
Once Judah is declared incompetant or of no purpose then the door opens for the Messiah to return.
So, if the Messiah did away with the Law then it could only mean Judah ceased to function. If that is the case then this would have set up the 1,000 year reign of the Messiah with the 144,000.
The question is; “When did the 1,000 years run? 25 common era to 1066 with the council of Nicea, the Monastic Movement, dark ages or post 1066 the many wars and inquisitions?” thus we are in the midst of this 1,000 year reign with the 144,000?
Taking the position the Messiah did away with the Law is an attempt by those anti-Christ would would like you to believe “click your heels three times and say; ‘JeZeus'” and all is well is a crock!