My Pastor says…Jesus taught only two commandments…love God and people
September 9, 2007In Matthew 22:37-40 Our Lord is asked by a lawyer “which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus says this…”You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Now, this response from Jesus has been understood by many to mean that we are free to ignore much of the Torah, as long as we love God and people. Now, this does tickle the ears a bit. However, let’s take note of a couple of key points many overlook.
First, notice that the response by Jesus does not do away with or change the Law of Moses. In fact, He is actually teaching the Law of Moses! Check out Deut:22:37and Leviticus 19:18 to see if our Messiah is making up a new set of commandments. Also notice, that once again Jesus affirms all of the Law and the Prophets, just as He did in Matthew 5:17. He says “on these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets”. Jesus is telling us very plainly that if we truly love the God of Israel, and His people, we will not want to break His commandments. He tells us this very thing again in John 14:15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments”.
Here is another, perhaps easier way of “unplugging” this same filter… Jesus did tell us to love God and people. The question is …what is the Scriptural definition of love for God and love for His people? Some of you might want to sit down for this one…1John 5:2-3 says “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
Seeds of Restoration 
very interesting. i’m adding in RSS Reader
Here’s another interpretation for you, given by our pastor years ago. In Christ’s time, religion had become a matter of following a fixed set of rules that regulated almost every chapter of Jewish life. There were not just 12 commandment’s, but over 500 of them, enforced by church elders.
When Jesus was asked the question (by a lawyer) in Matthew 22:37-40, he was being asked to weigh in the excessive legalism that ruled society. His response that there are really only two things we must keep in mind was a challenge to the religious orthodoxy of his time.
As Christianity became “establish,” it moved further away from Christ’s advice that one had to look at the big picture and make decisions within that framework and more toward a rules-bound orthodoxy. The Protestant Reformation can be seen, in part, as a reimposition of the Jesus Way vs. Orthodoxy.
Today, we face the question throughout religious life. Many religious leaders have, to put it in modern vernacular, “control issues.” They want to tell everyone–not just their flock, but all mankind–what to do. The attempt to enforce orthodoxy exists in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Some call it fundametalism.
Jesus tells us life is, at once, much more simple, yet not that simple. We do not have to remember 500 rules that circumscribe every aspect of our behavior and therefore tell us exactly what to do at all times. But we do have to remember two big rules, and living under them require us to make choices every day.
Thanks Jim for commenting…
My point in writing this is that Jesus upheld the Law of Moses both in word and deed. As His Disciples…we should do the same. Perhaps you confuse commandments of men with Commandments of God. The Bible teaches from one end to the other faith in Messiah and obedience to God’s Commandments.
Jesus said that all of God’s Commandments hang on these two…the only way you know how to love God is by the instructions He gave us in Torah…the same goes for loving people. John tells us in 1 John that if we say we know God, but don’t keep His Commandments as given thru Moses…we are a liar. (1 John 2:4) Also, Jesus said “if you love Me, keep My Commandments”. His Commandments and the Commandments of His Father are always the same. They are as one right?
I think you would agree that if we say we love God but worship Idols for instance…our words are as nothing. The same goes for the other Commandments.
Let me know what you think…
In Messiah, Tim
I agree with you Tim and we are truly God’s people, we should simply obey his commandments. The US, for example, is relying on the constitution; Can the president of the US break the constitution? Let us think of it this way, we are not perfect. The law exist because of sins and grace came to allow you asking for forgiveness, therefore to get back to where God wants you to be.
Let us look at 1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth the law; for sin is the transgression of law.
1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one title shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled”. 19, Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:18-19).
Jesus spoke of “until heaven and earth…”; This event has not take place yet; heaven and earth never disappeared, and I hope that everyone of us agree to that. I can absolutely verify when that event will take place in “2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up”. Another place to verify in the Bible when heaven and earth will disappear is in the book of “Revelation 20:11, And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. It is clearly the judgment day.
My recommandation is for who claim to love God to prove it not to me or to you Tim but to God, and to the Lamb who died for all sinners and His name is Jesus. Brothers and sisters, please trust and obey to the commandments of God and keep the Faith of Jesus.
Peace be with you Tim
Your Pastor is right.
Paul speaking to a Church of believers asked them what has bewitched them. They were trying to bring the law back after hearing the word of grace through faith. READ GAL 3
1 O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ has been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
2 This only would I learn of you, Received you the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
3 Are you so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh?
4 Have you suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.
5 He therefore that ministers to you the Spirit, and works miracles among you, does he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
7 Know you therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel to Abraham, saying, In you shall all nations be blessed.
9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continues not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that does them shall live in them.
13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangs on a tree:
14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
15 Brothers, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man cancels, or adds thereto.
16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He said not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to your seed, which is Christ.
17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot cancel, that it should make the promise of none effect.
18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
19 Why then serves the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.
21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness should have been by the law.
22 But the scripture has concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up to the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24 Why the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 26 For you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you be Christ’s, then are you Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
You are walking after the flesh and Paul said those who do will die. Ezekiel said the soul that sinneth shall die. Christ even said you are to lose your life if you want to be His disciple which means your ways, desires, and thoughts must also Die. You do your own thing you will just set up Idols within your heart and the biggest idol this church has to deal with is faith only (faith without works) which James said was not the Gospel of the Lords but brings death. [Ezekiel 18:24] But when the righteous turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All his righteousness that he has done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he has trespassed, and in his sin that he has sinned, in them shall he die. The soul that sins it shall die and it won’t matter if you believe in God or not! Believing Christ is God is not faith, submitting the whole will to God is.
Dear John,
I appreciate your stopping by and sharing Scripture to make a point. I love the book of Galatians. In fact you can listen to my audio teaching on this book from this site if you wish. I want to assure you that I do not claim to understand perfectly all of Paul’s writings and I take seriously the warning from Peter concerning them….as you should do also. (2 Peter 3:16-17)
A couple of observations if you will….While you obviously pointed me to Galatians 3 I don’t feel you are really addressing the point made above. Did Jesus not command us not to think that He would do away with the Law in Matthew 5? Did he not say that breaking and teaching others to break even the least of the commandments came with a penalty? Did Jesus not teach from the law? What of my pointing out a Scriptural definition of love for God and people as found in the “New” testament?
I would be curious as to your take on these things. It’s too easy to just dismiss them and quote something from Paul which we may or may not really understand. I should know, as I have been very guilty of this in the past. I would be interested in your interpretation of 1 John 5 where we are told “For this is the love of God that we keep HIS commandments….And HIS commandments are not burdensome”. I have heard well known Bible teachers just skip verses such as these. I think that we should deal with these verses in an honest way.
Now, concerning Galatians…this will be short as time is short currently and you can listen to my audio teachings for more in depth.
Context is everything would you agree? Did you notice the context from which Paul spoke in the entire book of Galatians? The context seems to be a focus on justification….not obedience. I believe that Paul was addressing those who tried to add something to what Christ had done on the cross. We are saved by faith…not by works. Yet Paul in no way gives us permission to live as we want…to eat what we want…to steal…to transgress the Torah which is the very definition of sin according to Scripture.
Jesus is to be our example and He kept the Torah perfectly. It seems to me that Paul was addressing a very specific issue involving a specific group of people. He was telling them not to listen to those who would tell you that you must engage in this “circumcision” ritual of becoming “Jewish” in order to be SAVED. Obedience to God’s law was not in the conversation. That was a given to Paul. Example….in chapter three which you quoted notice verses 2,3,5,6,8,11….and then move to chapter 4:3-4 for a very nice summation. It says ” And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be JUSTIFIED by law, you have fallen from grace. ” Reading the book of Galatians in it’s proper context is key to understanding what Paul says.
I hope this helps a bit, let me know what you think and may God bless you in your study.
Tim
Hello all!
Hey, I agree with most of all what everyone is saying. However, a key point in all this is when Paul and Barnabbas went to Jerusalem and he met with the James and the elders of the church, did they not settle on certain things outlined in Acts as to what the gentiles would do? I don’t recall the gentiles being given the 10 commandments. Please cite scripture if I am incorrect. The nation of Israel was given 10 commandments directly as covenant between them and God, correct? This was distinguish between them and the gentile and heathen nations. I agree with another poster that the “traditions of man” expounded on the “laws of God” until they became well over 500. Peter talks about not putting the yoke on the gentiles that their jewish fathers and them themselves could not bear. What was Peter speaking in reference to? I believe the apostles in evidence of scriptural account were beginning to understand Christ two great commands and how they explain in simplicity the fulfillment of the first 4 commands in relations to love of God and the last 6 in relation to love of your neighbor. That the religous orthodoxy and traditions were not necessary to please God and keep His law. I believe as a follower of Christ, we ALL should strive to live what Christ taught in it’s entirety. I think ultimately, it’s all in what context the commandments are taught. If they are taught in accordance to Christ’ two great commands, because we are to do all things through Christ, then you will do the same. They are not written in stone (Jeremiah 31) but on the hearts and conscious of every man so no one has to say to another person this is of God. It is already in a person’s conscious to not break. I think people are trying to revisit old things that, have not been done away with, but have been superceded and already explain how to accomplish by Christ. But keep in mind that as John said in his 1st epistle that those who sin are of the devil, he also said that if we sin we have an advocate with the father. And that those who say they have not sin are make God a liar. Keep this in mind as well because to THINK that we can be righteous and keep the law fully on our own power is to deny, in my opinion the office and ultimately the power of Christ
I just have to point out, that the same four stipulations that was given to Gentiles in Acts was also given to Israel in Ezekiel 33:25.
Secondly, Yeshua was not saying that we should just love God (the Shma) and love our neighbor and don’t have to obey anything else. This is just a summery. A commentary of the whole Torah of God.
[Acts 21:21-27] Paul told the Gentiles they didn’t need to circumcise themselves. The custom was to circumcise their 8 day old son and to name them the same time. You’re not even considered a Jew until you were circumcised and if you were not circumcised you were to be expelled from among the Jews. (Genesis 17:14) The customs of the Jews was not the commandments of God. James took Paul to one side telling him the Jews were just babies in the Lord and held onto their customs. Show them you still are a Jew and keep the vow of the Nazarite and sponsor these 4 young men to keep the peace. Key word here is its talking about customs not the law. A lot of people use these verses to excuse their sins so they might live in them still and have salvation. Have it their way.
The yoke you are referring to are laws like where you can’t leave the house for a certian length on the Sabbath. So they had a piece of rope that told them how far they could go. I think it Moses that said not to go out of their homes on the Sabbath when they were in the wilderness. Which probably was to get them to spend the Sabbath with their family and other reasons but wasn’t saying on the Sabbath you had to confine yourselves to your house completely. Sometimes God may want you to do something on the Sabbath like going somewhere for a His purpose. They would try to find loopholes in these laws just to get out of them. There was also the law they had that caused them to lose the true name of God which was given to us so that we may call upon Him. The scribes would right out the yhwh and leave out the vowels because they thought His name was to sacred to put them in. They also would wash themselves every time before they would write down the yhwh. So if His name was in one sentence 4 times they would wash 4 times just for that sentence alone. Not only that but they would also get a new ink pen or quill for their time and new ink every time just to write it down. Just stupid.
The the so called 10 commandments really are not 10 but more. Remember the Sabbath is one command, do no work you, your family, the stranger with you, or your servant is another command.
They where given the circumcision command to different themselves from other nations.
The Law of God and His statues where given for all mankind for our behalf. In order for you to walk with God you would have to agree with God. [Amos 3:3] Can two walk together except they be agreed? If you want to know the nature of God all you need to do is look at His commandments and statues. When God said thou shalt not steal or thou shall not lie, He is simply saying I am not a thief, a liar, an adulterer or idolater and I keep my holy days holy and so should you. Christ even commanded us to keep the commandments when he said [Matthew 5:48], “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” So when I tell you thou shall not lie, I, your Creator, is simply telling you who I created in My image, to not lie.
When John said, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” He is saying if we have no sinful nature we deceive ourselves. When the bible has sin in the singular its referring to our nature to sin. As you can read in 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” We see sins not sin. When he says, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:” If you notice he first said to sin not, but IF we do when we repent from our sin(s), put the sin(s) away and be reconciled to God we have Christ to receive forgiveness and the power to overcome the temptation the next time around.
You are right we can’t do anything we are not willing to do and without Christ we can do nothing.
Galatians 5:1-4
New Living Translation (NLT)
Galatians 5
Freedom in Christ
1 So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.
2 Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. 4 For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.
Question…In Galatians was the context from which Paul spoke obedience or justification?? “make you right with God”..”trying to find favor”…
It would appear to me that Paul was teaching us not to add to what Christ has done. Paul says in Acts 24:14 that he believes “all things written in the Law and in the Prophets. Paul did not teach disobedience to the Law of Moses. Newcolors
Freedom in Christ is not the same freedom that is preached in this country. It does not mean you have rights. First of all the only God given right that you have is to die. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
It is saying you are free from sin because of your faith in obeying God, He gives you the power to overcome all temptation and sin not. Freedom in Christ means you no longer sin because you were born from above.
Those who are slavery to the Law are those who sin for the bondage of sin is death and Paul said if you live in sin that is what you will serve, your idol. Salvation is not a gift but it is a choice that we have to make ourselves. Salvation was always a choice and only the flesh will say other wise. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
“But if thou will enter into life, keep the commandments.” – Christ
John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through JESUS CHRIST.
Romans 6:14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.”
Rom. 3:20, 28″because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin…For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.”
Galatians 2:16″nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified.”
Titus 2:11-14
11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
JESUS is the purifier of hearts.
Ephesians 3:17-19
17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
JESUS teaches us how to LOVE. LOVE the LORD your GOD and LOVE everybody else including your enemies.
Do a bible study on LOVE. It will open your eyes.
LOVE you GUYS:
Since you started with a quote from 1 John…and asked me to do a study on love…and since you somehow missed this in the teaching…
Following is a short Biblical definition of love for God and love for people taken from the very book you quote.
1 John 5:2-3 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
Thanks so much for commenting and for reminding all that it is only by God’s grace that we can be saved. Please remember however that Jesus told us that if we loved Him…keep His commandments…Newcolors
The Law was given by Christ not Moses. If it was Moses then why does Christ always say My laws and statues in the Old T.? And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep My commandments and My laws? This was before Mt. Sinai. The Law was always their from the beginning (Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning.) . [Genesis 39:8-9] But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge. 9. There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God? How can Joseph sin against God if there is no law? How could he even know what sin was if there was no law. Paul told us we know what sin is, but by the Law. (Romans 7:7) Yet we see Joseph knowing what adultery is before the Law was given.
It appears that the author of this blog has been bewitched. What is your fascination with keeping laws and ordinances that are not taught in God’s word, that Christ did not teach? Needless to say, even your avatar shows your love for the law.
You seem to be splitting hair, kind sir, with red herring statements. Christ said,
“Matthew 5:17-18 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”
Paul explained to the Galatians that the ceremonial law was no longer in effect for those saved by Christ Jesus. The law was not summed up in two commandments, which covers the whole moral aspect of a believer’s life.
Matthew 22:37-40: “Jesus said to him, “You shall love the lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment” And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ON THESE TWO COMMANDMENTS HANG ALL THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS.”
It really doesn’t get any simpler than this.
Paul emphasizes that the moral aspect of the law has not been erased, also, in Galatians 6:7, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” Sowing and reaping have to do with the way people act morally, not with the ceremonial law. (http://www.pursuingtheword.com/bewitch.htm)
Paul was distinguishing this for the Galatians, because another group, called the Nicolatians, were evidently teaching that since Christ died, Christians could sin with impunity and still go to heaven. This teaching made a mockery of grace, and Paul did not want to be misunderstood regarding his reference to the law. For instance, it is not legalism when a believer admonishes another to cleanse himself or herself from sexual sin, or from stealing or lying. However, telling Christians they are sinning because they are not observing certain ceremonial practices is sin for the person who is accusatory, because the person is denying that Christ fulfilled the ceremonial law. (http://www.pursuingtheword.com/bewitch.htm)
The New Testament church experienced this problem, and Peter addressed those who were perpetrating it in this manner:
“Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.” Acts 15:10-11 (NKJV) (http://www.pursuingtheword.com/bewitch.htm)
Thanks Jeremy for stopping by. It is true that I love God’s Law… His Torah. Praise Him. As far as your accusation of having a fascination with laws not found in Scripture…I have no idea what you mean. You need to clarify with an example I suppose.
A couple of questions for you…
First…You quoted Matthew 5:17-18…has heaven and earth disappeared…or has everything been fulfilled? Also, what does the next verse in your Bible (verse 19) say to you? Are you at all concerned?
Second…I would be interested to know where you find the Scriptural support that allows you to divide and label one Commandment as moral and another as ceremonial….and then ignore one or the other. Paul never taught this to the Galatians or anyone else. It is not found in Scripture Jeremy…I believe you are espousing traditions of men in an attempt to invalidate Commandments of God.
Let me know what you think, Tim
Again, look at the text. You are distorting text, in my humble opinion. It’s not hard to see what is readily seen.
Matthew 22: 37-40 ““Matthew 5:17-18 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is FULFILLED.”
He came to fulfill the law of the prophets which he did with his death. He is the ONLY person that could do such a thing. The law was a shadow of things to come (Hebrews 10:1)
Hebrews 10:16 “This [is] the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them.”
Jesus said in Matthew, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ON THESE TWO COMMANDMENTS HANG ALL THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS.” The Holy Spirit makes this possible.
Ok, so he didn’t use the word “moral” or “ceremonial” but that is how they are recognized. Still, I digress. He said, out his own mouth, that all the laws hang on these two. I’m confused as to how one could interpret this any other way. He clearly says that he came to fulfill the law. He fulfilled it. Hence, the words “Its is finished.” after his death.
Regardless, I welcome the dialogue and pray that the Holy Spirit reveals these truths more to you. Peace.
Jeremy, I pray that the following might help…please consider my words prayerfully and thoughtfully…then feel free to disagree…
Thank you for acknowledging that God never divided His commandments into categories such as civil and ceremonial etc…now please recognize that just because a man divides them into categories, this does not give any permission whatsoever to negate something God has spoken. Agreed?
I am curious as to why you have not answered my questions concerning Matthew 5? Did you read verse 19? It is ironic to me that Messiah begins the passage you brought up by commanding you in verse 17 NOT to think what you are thinking!!…Further more, heaven and earth are still here…all prophecy has not been fulfilled and you have a clear warning in verse 19 to stop breaking and teaching others to break even the least of God’s Commandments…
I do agree with you that He came to fulfill His Torah, but Jeremy… fulfill and abolish are two completely different words with not the same meaning at all…Please notice what He said…DO NOT THINK I came to abolish…DO THINK I came to FULFILL…Thus Jesus makes it clear fulfill does not mean abolish ….right? If you would read verse 19 you would see the context can’t be what you claim. Why give a warning about something that no longer matters anyway?
Concerning the New Covenant…what Laws will be written on our hearts Jeremy?
I sincerely hope this helps and will be looking forward to your thoughts… I do appreciate your prayers concerning the Holy Spirit revealing truth to me…as I know very little and the more I learn the more questions I have….but… I would not hold your breath waiting for the Holy Spirit to teach me it’s okay to disobey God’s Commandments…they were penned thru His inspiration…
Tim
The second coming of Christ has not been fulfilled, nor has the kingdom age come about, Russia has not make war with Israel yet too. What Christ finished was the first coming of the Messiah that is it. He redeemed the world and when He comes again He will judge the world. On these two commandments all He was doing was summing up the Law. Don’t forget that He was being tempted. What He was saying was if you love God with all your heart you would keep the whole Law. The only new commandment that Christ gave us was to love everyone as much as He loved us.
I meant “now summed up.”
The Law was given to Israel by covenant. Those that believe we must keep the Law say that it is ” God’s Law.”2 But God gave it to the nation Israel.
“In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away” (Hebrews 8:13).
The Israelites broke the first covenant; they couldn’t perform what the Law demanded. Those that try to keep the Law will always come up short. In fact, there is a sense of religious pride in those who are trying to keep the Law and it normally manifests itself in condemnation of others whom they feel are not living up to the Law as they are. The New Covenant has the provision of a Savior and He is our Intercessor. Our emphasis is on Him, not on trying to keep the Sabbath, refraining from eating certain meats, tithing, observing days, etc., for salvation.
The Law is not sin (Romans 7:12); it shows sin as “exceedingly sinful” and produces death in those who are under it (Romans 7:13). The Law reveals sins (vs.7); the Law arouses sin (vv. 8-9); the Law kills (vv. 10-11); the Law shows the sinfulness of sin (vv. 12-13); the Law cannot change us (v. 14); the Law cannot enable us to do good (vv. 15-21); the Law cannot set us free (vv. 21-25).
We have explained that the Mosaic Law (which includes the Ten Commandments) was given to lead men to Christ Jesus.
“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” (Romans 10:4)
The word translated “end” is telos in the Greek. It stands in the emphatic first position in the Greek sentence and means that Christ is the Purpose and Goal of the Law, the Object to which the Law pointed. Christ, who was sinless, fulfilled all of the Law (Matthew 5:17-18) by keeping it perfectly. His life paid the penalty for our sins on the cross and now the Law points to Him as the source of righteousness that the Law could not (and does not) provide. To try to establish our own righteousness by keeping the Law will cause us to stumble over the Law and not recognize Christ as the end of the Law. (http://www.exitsupportnetwork.com/mike_ep/exam/law.htm#Can%20you%20explain%20more)
I know what my Bible says. Again, i really pray the Holy Spirit opens up your eyes. The Law has been fulfilled and it hangs on two commandments, as presented and clearly shown in scripture. God bless.
Welcome back Jeremy,
(You did not address my points on Matthew 5 or give me your answer as to what law is to be written on our hearts in the New Covenant…..What does Matt 5:19 mean to you?)
You make some good points in your recent comments Jeremy but I am not sure they are the ones you intended. You make a point of the Torah (Law of Moses) being given to Israel….I agree… But can you tell me who the New Covenant you mentioned is given to according to Scripture? The answer should cause more questions!!
I agree that Paul teaches that the law is not sin…(Romans 7:7) Do you agree that Paul teaches that the law is instead holy, and just and good? (Romans 7:12) Yet, how can that be if it had been done away with? Do you agree that as a follower of Messiah, Paul kept the law…after the cross? (Acts 24:14) Again, as you pointed out… the law is not sin….I agree…according to Scripture sin is “transgression of the law”… If so, this means we sin when we break God’s commandments…His Torah.
I also agree that the Torah leads or points us to Messiah..Yet, .I do not think that when we find Messiah, we now have license to sin…(Transgress the Law…1John 3:4)
Also, your point about the word “end” in Romans 10:4 is well taken. Yet that is precisely the reason I like the translation of Romans 10:4 that reads something like ” Messiah is the goal of Torah for righteousness to all who believe”.. In other words, living a Torah obedient life just like Jesus did should be my goal if I am indeed to be His disciple. Let me know if that makes any sense.
Jeremy, the point of this particular teaching was that when Yeshua gave the “two commandments”… he was summing all of them all up…not abolishing them. Again, what is the definition of loving people??? It can only be found in the Torah…do not steal, do not commit adultery…etc….
If you respond to nothing else in these remarks I pray you do me one personal favor and read 1 John 5:2-3 and then tell me if you think I have no basis for what I teach above or can at least understand why I might believe as I do.
Looking forward to hearing from you again…I appreciate your responses…once upon a time I would have agreed…Tim
P.S. Jeremy, i hope you do not think I teach salvation thru keeping laws…I teach salvation thru the Blood of Messiah alone….faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning work….but I think too many Christians forget about the obedience part…it has never changed. His Torah is eternal. When Paul wrote Galatians he understood the difference between justification and obedience…I hope you do as you read Paul or my feeble attempts at teaching. Paul came against all who would try to add something to what Christ had done….but he never would have ignored the warning from Matthew 5:19. May God bless you as you follow Him.
I strongly agree with you about obedience. James 1:19-20: “You believe that there is one God, you do well. Demons also believe and tremble. Do realize, foolish man, that faith without works is dead.” I Agree, Tim. Obedience, how obedient we are to God through Christ displays our love for him. 1 John 3:16 “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.” Those who make sin a lifestyle, who don’t care about sinning, who don’t repent, don’t know God. I want to make it clear that I do agree with you. Obedience is a telltale sign of how we view God. As Christ said “Why call me Lord when you do not the things I say” (Luke 6:46). Love is an action. When Peter responded yes after Christ asked if he loved him, Christ told him to feed his sheep. There is always action with what we say and profess.
As far as Matthew 5:19 goes, that goes without saying. I’m not saying Christians should not do these things. However, I’m saying that just because you do them does not make you righteous. I think that’s where we disagree. We are only made righteous by the blood of Christ Jesus. Out of our love and obedience, this law written in our hearts, not grieving the Holy Spirit, etc., is an expression of our love for God. The thing is, those that really love God, those who are truly saved WILL NOT break the law just because the law written in our hearts is real. Furthermore, Christ addressed that statement to the Pharisees of that day who taught that some commandments were less important than others.
Jeremy,
Very well put…”There is always action with what we say and profess”. That was the reason I quoted Paul as saying he believed all that was written in the Law and the Prophets….we both know if Paul said he believed something he would have lived out that belief…he was no hypocrite…which in turn means Paul was Torah observant…he kept the law of Moses as it was applicable to him.
I am so glad to see that we agree that obedience is important. I appreciate your making that clear to me. The only thing I might add is a reminder that we find the definition of sin in the Torah…His Word…God makes the rules…not man. If He says we should rest on the seventh day…then the seventh day it should be. If He says eating certain animals is abominable as in Leviticus 11, then we should trust and obey in His instruction as His children. Remember the definition of sin is transgressing His law. We should move beyond asking “what would Jesus do” and begin doing what He did.
Thanks for commenting on Matthew 5:19. I am thankful that you looked at it. I have a heart to see you great in the Kingdom of God. I am sure we both have some things right and some things wrong. But Scripture is clear that you and I as brothers in the Lord do not want to be teaching people to disobey God in any way. We want to be encouragers in the faith.
I agree that my righteousness apart from Messiah is as filthy rags. Thats why I wrote what I wrote at the end of my last comment. Please read it again, because I do not want to be misunderstood on this point. I am saved by grace thru faith in Messiah Yeshua…by the blood of Jesus Christ. We DO NOT disagree on this. Keeping a commandment saves no one.
This has a been a good conversation and you bring up many good points. Concerning the Law being written on our hearts I might caution you not to take that so far that you begin to think that you do not need to study His Torah for “instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16) We are to study…to test all things…to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Scripture tells us to be very careful about just following our hearts. It usually does not end well.
Speaking of the Law being written on our hearts…did you notice that the New Covenant was only given to Israel as well? Aren’t you glad that thru faith in the King of Israel, we become a part of Israel…brought near by the blood of Messiah? (Ephesians 3:11-13)
Enough for now…gotta do some farming. May God bless you Jeremy as you learn and apply…looking forward to more conversation…let me know what you find, Tim
I am glad that we seem to agree on some points. I still think, however, you put a lot of emphasis on the law. Yes, we are to study the law just the same as we study the entire word of God.(1 Timothy 3:16-17) 16 ALL Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work—It’s not just the Torah, but all scripture, that include New Testament.
Concerning the law, I still think we disagree. “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” (Romans 10:4)
(Galatians 3:23-25)
“23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
The above scripture sums up what I’ve been saying. The law (school master) was a foreshadowing of Christ. When Christ came, we are no longer under the Law (school master), but we are under Christ.
Furthermore, as far as the New Covenant only being given to Israel, I disagree. “For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son that WHOSOEVER (ANYONE, NOT JUST JEWS) believes in him would not perish, but have everlasting life.
Yes, I am glad that through faith gentiles, the wild branch, have been grafted into the tree. Still, the Church, the bride of Christ can still not be forgotten. I will always believe that the Jewish race will be God’s chosen elect. They are special to him. But I also believe that through faith, gentiles, like myself, are seeds of Abraham (Galatians 3:29).
Christ wanted to created one new man (the church) with his death, burial, and resurrection. While doing this, he abolished the law, as seen in Ephesians 2:15
” by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.” (Ephesians 2:15)
Who are the two he reconciled? Yes, Jews and Gentiles. Who is this “new man”? Yes, it’s the Body of Christ, the Church made of believers in Jesus, reconciled to God through Christ Jesus.
I like the way Clarke’s commentary puts it:
“That he might reconcile both – in one body – That the Jews and Gentiles, believing on the Lord Jesus, might lay aside all their causes of contention, and become one spiritual body, or society of men, influenced by the Spirit, and acting according to the precepts of the Gospel.
Now, this does not mean the Old Testament law is irrelevant today. Many of the commands in the Old Testament law fall into the categories of “loving God” and “loving your neighbor.” The Old Testament law can be a good guidepost for knowing how to love God and knowing what goes into loving your neighbor. At the same time, to say that the Old Testament law applies to Christians today is incorrect. (http://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-law.html)
“This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). The Ten Commandments were essentially a summary of the entire Old Testament law. Nine of the Ten Commandments are clearly repeated in the New Testament (all except the command to observe the Sabbath day). Obviously, if we are loving God, we will not be worshipping false gods or bowing down before idols. If we are loving our neighbors, we will not be murdering them, lying to them, committing adultery against them, or coveting what belongs to them. The purpose of the Old Testament law is to convict people of our inability to keep the law and point us to our need for Jesus Christ as Savior (Romans 7:7-9; Galatians 3:24). The Old Testament law was never intended by God to be the universal law for all people for all of time. We are to love God and love our neighbors. If we obey those two commands faithfully, we will be upholding all that God requires of us.(http://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-law.html)
Even still, I’ve said a lot. God bless you, brother.
Jeremy, I am leaving for a couple of days…if you are up for more discussion I will comment upon my return…until then thanks again for a good discussion.
A couple of quick points however for you to consider while I am away…. My reason for bringing up the New covenant and Israel is that since we are grafted in to Israel thru faith, we can’t use the argument that the law was only given to Israel and does not apply to us. Jew or Gentile does not matter. Remember, the great commission was to make disciples of our Jewish Messiah…who kept Torah…from ALL nations….bloodlines have nothing to do with it. So of course I whole heartedly recognize and love John 3:16. (I am not Jewish by the way.)
You and I have seemed to reached a crucial point of agreement that we should obviously obey God….the main difference between us I believe is that while I teach obedience to commands such as the Sabbath, dietary Laws and such, you do not. Thats pretty much the only difference I see. We both recognize that it is by His blood that we are saved…we can’t earn it and we both recognize that out of love for Him we should live a life of obedience to Him.
I guess for now, my main challenge to you and to all who strive to be disciples of Jesus Christ is to just do what He did as much as possible. He helped the widow and orphan, He cared for the poor…but He also kept the 7th day Sabbath…( i am not a seventh day adventist by the way either) He would not eat the abominable…He kept the Appointed Times of Leviticus 23 etc. He lived out Torah as an example for us to follow and told us not to think that He came to abolish any of His Fathers instructions. Jeremy, what better proof can I offer you than to be able to know that what I teach and try to live out (although poorly at times) is exactly what Jesus did? Who better to imitate?
I hope we can talk some more,…feel free to comment and I will respond upon my return. In Messiah, Tim
Hello.
Enjoying reading the comments. Can Newcolors (or anyone else who knows the correct answers) answer some questions I have?
Newcolors wrote:
“I am saved by grace thru faith in Messiah Yeshua…by the blood of Jesus Christ.”
Is Messiah Yeshua and Jesus Christ two different characters?
If so, who or what is Messiah Yeshua and how does it differ from Jesus Christ?
If not, why use two different terms/titles to refer to the same thing?
The sentence seems to imply a distinction between the two.
[I’m not using the term “characters” in a derogatory way btw – I just needed to be specific in what I was asking, otherwise it could possibly be taken as simply asking about a name]
Thanks.
I’m so thankful to know there are people out there that understands Paul when he said [Romans 2:13] For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. We are to keep the Sabbath but not just any day you would like to, but friday sunset to saturday sunset is the true Sabbath. If you are a child of God not only are you sinless but also one who keep the Sabbath holy and sanctified as Christ said in Genesis 2:3.
Actually, the new law in the New Covenant is GREATER than the old law of the Old Covenant.
The old law (which, by the way, was made for the unrighteous 1 Tim 1:9) focused on the “acts” of doing things…actual murder or committing adultry.
The new law (which is fulfilled IN CHRIST) goes above and beyond the old law because it focuses on the heart and the mind. Now, if we even THINK in our mind without even committing the act of murder or adultry we are guilty.
No man can fulfill the law. Not one. Everyone falls short. The reason the law was given is for those who think they can fulfill it. They can’t and then they realize they need someone to fulfill it for them. This is one of the reasons we have a Savior.
The law is man trying to fulfill the requirements. Grace is God doing it for us.
The law is earthly and temporary and not eternal…it will pass away. We are to focus on Him and heavenly/spiritual things that are eternal. Everything seen is temporary. The unseen is eternal.
His words are spirit and life. The law is death. When we are truly in Christ, the law is automatically fulfilled. Just like our breathing is automatic (we don’t think about breathing) the law is automatically fulfilled (we don’t need to think about it).
Bless you all.
This is a long time coming response. There is no new or old law. The law Christ said was forever so it was there from the beginning. No man can fulfill the the law because you already broke it when you where a kid. You break one of the commandments you break them all. But because of your faith in God and His blood that has been shed you can now honor the full law of God without breaking it ever again, but only if you are willing to. God was perfectly clear when He said the world sins because they don’t believe in Him. So if you believe in Him you would not sin, but you do so you are not born again nor do you believe in Him. The law is not death it brings death. It also shows us what it takes to have a relationship with God.
To what Jeremy had said earlier… Christ had revealed His law to the nation Israel because of the covenant that was made with Abraham. It was God’s intention that Israel would represent God to the whole world but they ended up rejecting Him instead. So when He came in the flesh He came to fulfill the prophecies but also some of the promise He made with with Abraham. Once He did and they rejected Him and crucified Him He went to the Gentiles to represent Him instead. Now because of the blood that has been shed we can now obey all of the law and become perfect as the Father in heaven is perfect.
See this is where the whole church has been totally wrong for years and why God is going to destroy the whole church. Once your eyes have been opened by the Holy Spirit you can now see who is the Lord, you now have become conceived by the Holy Ghost. You have not been born again. Christ the bible declares is the corner stone. Which He will either smash you or break you. Once your will is broken you will become born again with a new nature, one that no longer sins. Thus you have become a new creation. A total 180 turn around. You where born rebellious towards God and His law but now your will has been broken and no longer will you be rebellious. That is what a NEW CREATION looks like. If you still sin you are not new but only different and thus you are not born again. John was perfectly clear who is who. Those who sin are of satan and those who do not are of God because He keeps His own.
Anyone who says that we are not capable of honoring the full law is a liar and they are of satan not of God. The bible does not say that it is impossible for man to obey God. It says that it is impossible to obey God when man tries to do it on his own, but with faith and much supplication God can create in you a new nature one that no longer sins.
Jacob has shown us what it looks like to be broken by the will of God. Jacob and his uncle made an agreement that if one steps over the line they made in the sand the other one will kill him. His brother was coming with 400 men to kill him. He then wrestled all night long and became a cripple. His will was so strong that it took all of this in order to break him so that God can use him. He wrestled with an angle all night long and would not stop till he won, that is how strong his will was. But when sunrise came, he was a cripple and tired and knew his brother was coming to kill him, he broke. He broke because he knew he could not save himself and only God could save him.
Hosea 12: 3-4 He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God: 4. Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him: