Walk as He walked

It is written that we are to walk as the Messiah walked. The Christian Church however teaches us that we do not have to walk as He walked. One has to make the decision to either follow what the Church teaches, or what the Scripture teaches. The Messiah walked in Truth and kept all of the Torah of His Father and taught us to do the same.

“While your minds became sanctified by OBEDIENCE to the truth; and you be full of love, without respect of persons, so that you love one another out of a pure and perfect heart; like persons born anew, not of seed that perishes but of that which doth not perish, by the Living Word of Elohim who abides forever. Because all flesh is as grass and all its beauty like the flower of the field. The grass dries up and the flower withers away; BUT THE WORD OF ELOHIM (TORAH) ABIDES FOREVER: and this is the word that is announced to you” (1 Peter 1:22-25).

Quoting Isaiah 40:6-8 indicating the Word of YHWH is Y’hoshua Mashiyach, and Mashiyach is the Word of YHWH – which is very opposite to the Christian teaching that the Word of YHWH, or Torah, was done away with by Jesus! Y’hoshua’s followers, Jewish or not, are Torah observant because they recognize this very important fact, that the Word of our Elohim abides forever!

“Therefore, cease all evil and all deceit and hypocrisy and jealousy and backbiting. And be like very small children; and crave the Word, as being the pure spiritual milk by which you are nourished up to life; if you have tasted and seen that Master YHWH is good: to whom you have come because He is a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but with Elohim elect and precious” (1 Peter 2:1-4).

What Peter is teaching here is that in order to be part of the following of the Messiah, you need to stop sinning. He goes on by saying that we must become like little children, not to be childish, but to be child like who is willing to learn so that we crave to learn the Torah so that we can learn what the perfect Will of our "Daddy" (YHWH) is and do it. We are to do so just as children love their fathers and try and imitate them in every way. So also is our relationship with the Father in heaven, out of our love for Him, we learn what He desires from us and follow His Instruction. Peter is teaching new believers and telling them that they must go and learn the Word of YHWH (Torah) and as they learn, they must also do.

This teaching by Peter goes hand in hand with what was decided and taught by the Shlichim (taught one's) in Acts 15:28-29 “For it seemed good to the Set-apart Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessities: that you abstain from what is offered to idols, and blood, and what is strangled, and whoring. If you keep yourselves from these, you shall do well. Be strong!” James made this decision because of the religious fanatics telling the people that if they want to convert to the faith of Y’hoshua that they have to immediately be circumcised and do every law in order to be saved. What was decided then by the Disciples is that this is not what is required immediately as the true faith of Y’hoshua is one of love and not of religious traditions, which drove many new converts away because of the immediate difficulty. The Disciples were in no way teaching that the rest of the Torah should not be observed by them or that they do not have to be circumcised, but rather that the new converts should only abstain from the four above mentioned commands straight away, and then out of their love for the Creator and His Messiah, will learn what His perfect Will is and do it, which is the Torah.

“My beloved, I entreat you as strangers and pilgrims, separate yourselves from ALL lusts of the body, for they war against the soul. And let your behavior be honorable before all men; so that they who utter evil speeches against you, may see your good actions and may praise Elohim in the day of trial” (1 Peter 2:11-12). What then are these lusts of the body? Sin is being spoken of here, anything that goes against the Torah of YHWH is not the perfect Will of YHWH and therefore not of YHWH but is rather the lusts of the body. Y’hoshua the Messiah came not only to shed His blood for the forgiveness of our sins, but just as importantly, gave us an example of how we should live. He taught us to walk as He walked by obeying the Will of His Father in heaven. “For I gave you an example, that you should do as I have done to you” (John 13:15) “For to this you were called, because Messiah also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps, who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth, who, being reviled, did not revile in return; suffering, did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Peter 2:21-23). If we claim to follow the Messiah, then it should be obvious to the people by our actions as we are to walk as He walked by keeping the Torah of His Father, and if we don’t, it is clear evidence that we do not follow Him, but rather follow the lusts of our flesh. “The one who says he stays in Him ought himself also to walk, even as He walked” (1 John 2:6)


We can clearly see from the following verse, that the new believers were to go to Synagogues and read Torah every SABBATH. “For from ancient generations Mosheh has, in every city, those proclaiming him –being read in the congregations every Sabbath.” (Acts 15:21)

It is very clear that to be followers of the Messiah, that we have to stop sinning. Not because of religious traditions, but rather because of our love for Him and His Father. We are to be like little children who crave the Word (Torah) of YHWH so that we can learn to do what is right. Doing anything other than what is written in the Torah of YHWH is following the lusts of the flesh which is clearly forbidden as it wars against the soul.

Paul not fluent in Greek

“And as Sha’ul was about to be led into the barracks, he said to the commander, “Am I allowed to say somewhat to you?” And he said, “Do you know Greek?” (Act 21:37)

Mainstream Christianity twist this verse to make Shaul (Paul) appear as a great Greek orator. The Chief Captain, they say, was very surprised that Shaul could speak Greek with such precision. There are many problems with this, one being that Paul had already become a well-known personality. The reality was that in Paul’s day, a common saying among the Pharisees (Orthodox) was that it is better to feed swine to your children than allow them to learn the Greek language!

Observant Jews were and still are vigilant against becoming Hellenized. Paul was speaking in Hebrew, but being asked to speak Greek, there is no evidence to suggest that he was fluent in Greek. It is not likely that Paul was as proficient in Greek as Yoseph ben Mattityahu (Yosephus) who wrote, “I have also taken a great deal of pains to obtain the learning of the Greeks, and understanding the elements of the Greek language although I have so long accustomed myself to speak our own language (Hebrew), that I cannot pronounce Greek with sufficient exactness: for our nation does not encourage those that learn the languages of many nations”

A prohibition in Exodus 23:13 “Make no mention of the name of other mighty ones, neither let it be heard out of your mouth” is also a deterrent for Observant Jews to embrace Greek polytheistic language or culture. The Greek language esteems Pagan deities for days and months, etc. Romans as Greek speaking “occupiers” enslaved Israel, opposed monotheistic Torah principles and made war against Jews. Paul’s background as a zealous Pharisee demanded that he not invest his time learning the Greek culture and language.

So as we can see, although Paul had Greek citizenship, he was not Greek. He was Jewish by blood and a learned Pharisee until his conversion. Paul was not a scholar of Greek and could not have written his letters in Greek either. This is contrary to what the Christian Church teaches. Evidence clearly is pointing to a Hebrew Renewed Covenant.

Born Again

“And there was a man of the Pharisees, Naḵdimon was his name, a ruler of the Yehuḏim.
This one came to  יהושע (Yehoshua) by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from Elohim, for no one is able to do these signs You do if Elohim is not with him.”
יהושע (Yehoshua) answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born from the beginning, he is unable to see the Kingdom of Elohim” (John 3:1-3)

“Born from the beginning” litterally, “from the start” as Adam who was born into perfection without sin. This refers to the Ruach haKodesh (Set Apart Spirit) birthing the “image of Elohim” (perfection) into the Neshama (spirit of man). The term “born again” (as it is written in the KJV and many other English Bibles) can be rather misleading as though being born once more, or a “rebirth” rather than experiencing the indwelling of the perfection of YHWH. See Genesis 1:27; 6:9; 17:1; Deut 18:13. Another handicap of the term “born again” is that many are told that they are “born again” when they accept certain theologies or become part of a Christian denomination, or get on a “religious high.” But then, some are informed that they’re not “born again” when they disagree with the teachings of the religious status quo.

The term “born again” has become a religio-political term that is used to judge souls and/or manipulate them into subjection to various religious hierarchies. Many followers of Mashiyach experience a series of “born anew-like” experiences as from “faith to faith” (Romans 1:17).

However, you have confidence of being “born anew” when your souls thirst for righteousness and follows in the footsteps of Mashiyach, observing Torah, and living to please Master YHWH. This is evidence that you’ve entered into Covenant with YHWH which is established in Mashiyach’s blood!

As without Torah, but not without Torah

“Being free from them all, I have made myself servant to every man; that I might gain many: And with the Jews, I was as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; and with those under Torah, I was as under Torah, that I might gain them who are under Torah; And to those who have not Torah, I was as without Torah (although I am not without Torah to Elohim, but subject to the Torah of the Mashiyach,) that I might gain them that are without Torah” (1 Corinthians 9:19-21)

“Under Torah” refers to religious (halachic) traditions of how Torah is to be observed. The terms “works of Torah” and “under Torah” predate Paul by hundreds of years. These terms were discovered in the Dead Sea Scrolls (A Sectarian Manifesto 4QMMT:4Q394-399); while originally referring to the ultra religious halakha of the Essenes, the same principles apply to the Pharisees’ halakha. These two phrases are also mentioned in Romans 6:14, 15; 9:32; 1 Corinthians 9:20; 21; Galatians 2:16; 3:2, 5, 10, 23; 4:4, 5, 21; 5:18. “Under Torah” refers to the orthodox/traditional interpretation and observance of Torah. The Renewed Covenant promise in Jeremiah 31:33 is to write the Torah of YHWH upon the hearts of His people, not the “Torah of men.” The Idiomatic expression “works of Torah” provides insight to those of a “traditional” Jewish upbringing. Paul references Jews at the beginning of this chapter (Romans 3); in verse 19 he states “Now we know” referring to those who understand Torah and halakha.

When Rav Shaul (Paul) talks about “as being without Torah” he clarifies by saying that he is “not without the Torah of Elohim, but subject to the Torah of Mashiyach.” Rav Shaul rejects Rabbinical interpretations of Torah and extra unscriptural fences around Torah that he knows Y’hoshua did not endorse. He has, by being “subject,” transferred his allegiance from the Rabbis he trained under, to Y’hoshua as final arbiter. If Y’hoshua and the Rabbis agreed, which they often did, then there was no problem. But if they disagreed, Y’hoshua’s interpretation always overruled theirs. This was no small admission at the time. The Netzarim community began with very small numbers. The idea of even one Rabbi could outdo all others was revolutionary, as the Talmud records the opposite scenario: “My son! Be careful concerning rabbinical decrees even more than the Torah… the Torah contains prohibitions… But anyone who violates a rabbinical decree is worthy of death” (Babylonian Talmud, Eruvin, 21b).

In another place, Rambam’s Introduction to the Mishnah says: “If there are 1000 prophets, all of them of the stature of Eliyah and Elisha, giving a certain interpretation, and 1001 rabbis giving the opposite interpretation, you shall incline after the majority and the instruction according to the 1001 rabbis, not according to the 1000 prophets… Elohim did not permit us to learn from the prophets, only from the rabbis who are men of logic and reason.” So we see that even if Y’hoshua was thought of as a prophet, rabbinical rules would still discount him and put traditions over what he teaches. And as the first, and more ancient quote shows, to have that disagreement in the first place was and is a dangerous business!

Why “Christ” and not “Messiah”?

Similar to the foregoing component of Sun-worship which had been adopted into the Church, we have yet another proof of the adoption of a pagan word or name, although less convincing of its absolute solar origin. However, we can clearly see that, with the Greeks using both the Greek words Messias (a transliteration) and Christos (a translation) for the Hebrew Mashiach (Anointed), the word Christos was far more acceptable to the pagans who were worshipping Chreston, Chrestos, and perhaps also those worshipping Krista. But we will come to that later.

The Hebrew word Mashiach has been translated in the Old Testament of the King James Version as “Anointed” in most places, but as “Messiah” in two places, namely Dan 9:25 and 26. This word is a title, although it was used as an appellative (name) later on. Thus, this word was faithfully translated as “Anointed” in the Old Testament and only in Dan 9:25 and 26 was its Hebrew character retained in the transliterated “Messiah.”

Likewise, we find that the Greeks also admitted their transliterated form Messias in the Greek New Testament in John 1:41 and John 4:25. Why then did they introduce or use the Greek word Christos in the rest of the Greek New Testament? Even if they had preferred Christos to Messias, why did our translators transliterate the word as “Christ”? Why did they not transliterate the word , as was done in Dan 9:25 and 26, as “Messiah,” seeing that the Greeks had also accepted their transliteration of the word, namely Messias in John 1:41 and John 4:25?

Ferrar Fenton’s translation, The Complete Bible in Modern English, uses “Messiah” instead of “Christ” in most places where the word is used alone, except when used as the combination “Jesus Christ.” In a similar way the New English Bible has used “Messiah” in its New Testament in many places. The Good News Bible has restored the word “Messiah” in no less than 70 places in its New Testament. The New International Version gives the alternative “Messiah” in almost all places, by means of a footnote. Dr Bullinger in The Companion Bible, appendix 98 IX, says, “Hense, the Noun [Christos] is used of and for the Messiah, and in the Gospels should always be translated ‘Messiah’.” Also, Benjamin Wilson in his Emphatic Diaglott has restored the words “Anointed” and “Messiah” in many places.

Our Saviour Himself said in John 4:22, “For salvation is from the Jews” (NASB). Not only was our Messiah born from a Hebrew maiden, but also all of His Saving Message, the teachings, “the root and fatness” (Romans 11:17), the Glad Tidings, “spiritual things” (Romans 15:27), “the citizenship of Israel” (Ephesians  2:12), “covenants of promise” (Ephesians 2:12), “the spiritual blessings” (Romans 15:27, NIV and TEV) – are all from the Jews! The Good News Bible, in its rendering of Romans 9:4-5 added the word “True” to the word “Worship” to make it clearer. Speaking of literal Israel, it reads, “They are Elohim’s people; He made them His sons and revealed His esteem to them; He made His covenants with them and gave them the Law; they have the True Worship; they have received Elohim’s promises; they are descended from the famous Hebrew ancestors; and Messiah, as a human Being, belongs to the race.” Read this passage in the NIV and NEB too.

These New Testament texts irrefutably prove the Jewishness of the Messianic Belief and the Jewishness of our Messiah. That well-known scholar of the Old Testament, as well as the New Testament, Prof Julius Wellhausen, who in all his works expressed his hatred towards Pharisaical Judaism, nevertheless wrote the following bold words, “Jesus… was a Jew. He proclaimed no new faith, but He taught that the Will of God must be done. The Will of God stands for Him, as for the Jews, in the Law, and in the other holy Scriptures that are classed with it.”

Our Saviour could not have been known as Christos among His people. His title was known as Mashiach in Hebrew, and Mesiha in Aramaic – to those who accepted Him as such (Matthew 16:16, John 6:69 etc). This title is easily transliterated as “Messiah,” and is generally accepted, and has been accepted, just like the Greek Messias. Why then have they not persisted with it? Even if they wanted to translate it, why have they not translated it as “Anointed,” as was done in the English translation of the King James Version’s Old Testament?

Our research into this matter has produced some revealing similarities between Christos and certain pagan names and titles. F.D. Gearly, writing in The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, vol 1,pp 571-572, says, “the word Christos… was easily confused with the common Greek proper name Chrestos, meaning ‘good’.” He also quotes a French theological dictionary which says, “It is absolutely beyond doubt that Christus and Chrestus, Christiani and Chrestiani, were used indifferently by the profane and Christian authors of the first two centuries of our era.” He continues, “in Greek, ‘e’ and ‘i’ were similarly pronounced and often confused, the original spelling of the word could be determined only if we could fix its provenance [origin]… The problem is further complicated by the fact that the word Christianos is a Latinism… and was contributed neither by Jews nor by the Christians themselves.” He quotes various scholars to support his proposition that the word Christianos was introduced from one of three origins: (a) The Roman police (b) The Roman populace (c) Unspecified pagan providence [origin].

Gearly then proceeds, “The three occurrences of ‘Christian’ in the NT suggests that the term was at this time primarily used as a pagan designation. Its infrequent use in the NT indicates not so much lateness of origin as pagan provenance [origin].”

This almost sensational admission as to the confusion and uncertainty between Christos and Chrestos, Christus and Chrestus, Christiani and Chrestiani, as well as by the Early Fathers: Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Lactantius and others.

This confusion and uncertainty can only encourage and exhort us to return to the only Source of Truth, the Word, the Scriptures, before it was translated into the languages of the pagans. Only then can we find peace in the truth of our Saviour being the Messiah, the Anointed, the One promised to Israel.

Who was this Chrestos or Chreston with which Christos became confused with?

we have already seen that Chrestos was a common Greek proper name, meaning “good.” Further, we see in Pauly-Wissowa, Realencyclopaedie, under “Chrestos,” that the inscription Chrestos is to be seen on a Mithras relief in the Vatican. We also read in J.M. Robertson, Christianity and Mythology, pg 331, that Osiris, the Sun-deity of Egypt, was reverenced as Chrestos. We also read of the heretic Gnostics who used the name Chreistos.

The confusion, and syncretism, is further evidenced by the oldest Christian building known, the Synagogue of the Marcionites on Mt. Hermon, built in the 3^rd century, where the Messiah’s title or appellation is spelt Chrestos. Justin Martyr (about 150 C.E.) said that Christians were Chrestoi or “good.” Tertullian and Lactantius inform us that “the common people usually called Christ Chrestos.” Clement of Alexandria, in the same age, said, “all who believe in Christ are called Chrestoi, that is ‘good men.’”

The word Christos could even have been more acceptable to the Krishna-worshippers, because the name of Krishna was pronounced, and still is to the present day, as Krista, in many parts of India. Thus, we can readily see that the word Christos was easier to convert the pagans with, than with the word “Messiah,” especially because of the anti-Judaism that prevailed among the pagans.

The syncretism between Christos and Chrestos (the Sun-deity Osiris), is further elucidated by the fact of Emperor Hadrian’s report, who wrote, “There are there (in Egypt) Christians who worship Serapis; and devoted to Serapis, are those who call themselves ‘Bishops of Christ’.” Serapis was another Sun-deity who superseded Osiris in Alexandria.

Once again, we must not falter nor stumble over this confusion among the Gentiles. Rather, we must seek the truth, primarily from the faithfully preserved Old Testament Scriptures – see 2 Tim 3:16, John 17:17, Psalm 119:105, Isaiah 40:8. We must worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth, as well as His Son, Yehoshua the Messiah, who is sitting at His right hand. We do accept the entire message of the New Testament, but we truly desire to return to the original Messianic Scriptures, as far back as we possibly can.

As previously mentioned, the Greeks changed Ěliyahu (Elijah) into Helias in the Greek New Testament, and the Helios-worshipers must have been overjoyed because of their Sun-deity being assimilated to the Ěliyahu (Elijah) of the Scriptures. To avoid the confusion between Helias and Helios, we should abide by the Hebrew “Ěliyahu (Elijah).” Likewise, to avoid confusion between Christos and Chrestos, we should abide by the word Messiah, or Anointed – remembering that Osiris the Sun-deity, amongst others, was called Chrestos. Mithras too, was possibly called Chrestos (see above).

The meaning of Torah and Sin

(This is a short article that complements the previous article. It shows us that the opposite of Torah is sin)

The word torah is derived from the word yarah which means according to the: ‘Analytical Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon’ (In the form yeereh hreyyi)))) 1) To throw, cast, to shoot as an arrow. 2) To cast, lay a foundation. 3) To sprinkle, to water. In the form horah hr@wOh – 1) To throw, cast, to shoot as arrows; 2) To put forth, as a finger, to point out, show; 3) To teach, instruct; with the acc. of the thing.)

 And according to the Strong’s Concordance: (A primitive root; properly to flow as water (that is, to rain); transitively to lay or throw (especially an arrow, that is, to shoot); figuratively to point out (as if by aiming the finger), to teach: (+) archer, cast, direct, inform, instruct, lay, shew, shoot, teach (-er, -ing), through.)

**           An interesting observation is the first 2 time that the word Torah is mentioned in the scriptures. First in Gen 26:5 “...because Avraham obeyed My voice and guarded My Charge: My commands, My laws, and My Torot¹ Footnote: ¹Torot - plural of Torah.”

            The second is Ex 12:49 “There is one Torah for the native-born and for the stranger who sojourns among you.”

So we can safely deduce that the word Torah means “to shoot straight as an arrow, in other words to hit the mark.”

Let’s look at the meaning of the word chatat ‘Sin’.          

The word is derived from chata  af2j2

According to the ‘Analytical Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon’:-

in the form yecheta af2jeyE : 1) To miss a scope or aim. 2) To miss ones step, i.e. to stumble, fall. 3) to sin.

And according to the Strong’s Concordance: an offence (sometimes habitual sinfulness), and its penalty, occasion, sacrifice, or expiation; also (concretely) an offender: - punishment (of sin), purifying (-fication for sin), sin (-ner, offering).

So we can see that to sin means to miss the mark and to do Torah means to hit the mark.

To do Torah OR to do chatat?

That is the question.

                                                

There are only two Laws.

(I truly apologize for another long article, I did not intend to make it so long but as I started writing it, I realized that there was so much information on the subject. There is a lot more that I did not put in this article as there is just too much.)

Probably the biggest delusion of the Christian faith is that the Law of YHWH has been done away with or abolished by the death and resurrection of the Messiah. The Church relies almost only upon the teachings of Paul to justify this false doctrine. Does Paul have the authority to change or abolish the Word of YHWH? Did Paul teach against the Torah of YHWH or that we should not adhere to it? No, not at all, In fact, he taught us to uphold the Torah (Law) of YHWH.

Peter told us that the writings of Paul were hard to understand and that those who were untaught and unstable twist what is said in Paul’s letters to their own destruction (2 Peter 3:15-16). Paul is clearly talking of two laws at times. The Christian faith does not make any differentiation between the two, thus creating many false doctrines.

There are only two laws in this world. The one is an everlasting Law that cannot change or be done away with. The other law has been abolished through the death and resurrection of the Mashiyach. Every person on this earth is either doing one or the other, you cannot keep both or not do either, it is impossible. The one law binds and the other sets free.

Let us have a look at which one will never pass away. “For truly, I say to you, till the heaven and the earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall by no means pass from the Torah till all be done” (Mat 5:18). Here the Messiah Himself is saying that the Torah of YHWH has not passed away, not even until the heaven and the earth pass away. So it is very clear to see that Y’shua did not do away or destroy the Torah of YHWH! “The heaven and the earth shall pass away, but My words shall by no means pass away” (Mat 24:35)

It is also very clearly written that we are to adhere to the Torah (Law) of YHWH, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Master, Master,’ shall enter into the reign of the heavens, but he who is doing the desire of My Father in the heavens.  Many shall say to Me in that day, ‘Master, Master, have we not prophesied in Your Name, and cast out demons in Your Name, and done many mighty works in Your Name?’ And then I shall declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from Me, you who work lawlessness!’” (Mat 7:21-23) lawlessness = without the “law” – those who do not do the Torah of YHWH.

“and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. And the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the messengers. As the darnel, then, is gathered and burned in the fire, so it shall be at the end of this age. The Son of Adam shall send out His messengers, and they shall gather out of His reign (The English translations do not have the word “reign”, but “kingdom” which has been taught to mean the “kingdom of Jesus") all the stumbling-blocks, and those doing lawlessness, and shall throw them into the furnace of fire – there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Mat 13:39-42).

 “And because of the increase in lawlessness, the love of many shall become cold” (Mat 24:12).

“Blessed are those whose lawlessness’s are forgiven, and whose sins are covered” (Rom 4:7). This last verse once again shows us that sin is lawlessness. Only those who’s lawlessness has been forgiven are blessed. One cannot be forgiven if that person continues in lawlessness. Repentance is a turning away from sin or lawlessness and not returning to it. Only a dog returns to its own vomit (Prov 26:11)

“Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness? And what fellowship has light with darkness?” (2 Cor 6:14). Now this verse makes it very clear that those who are lawless are unbelievers and are referred to as darkness. The Torah is light and those who walk in the Torah of YHWH also walk in light. “Let no one deceive you in any way, because the falling away is to come first, and the man of lawlessness is to be revealed, the son of destruction. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power and signs and wonders of falsehood” (2 Thes 2:3,9). Once again, this verse speaks of the Anti Messiah as being the man of lawlessness which is according to the working of Satan.

Yes you must have guessed by now what the other law is. It is the law of sin, or better known as lawlessness. Y’hoshua set us free from this law when he died on the torture stake and rose again on the third day. Only by following after YHWH and His Son can we be set free from the law of sin. We are to adhere to the Law of YHWH in order to be set free from the law of sin as sin is lawlessness, “Everyone doing sin also does lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4).

“For the saving Gift of Elohim has appeared to all men, instructing us to renounce wickedness and worldly lusts, and to live sensibly, righteously, and reverently in the present age, looking for the blessed expectation and esteemed appearance of the great Elohim and our Saviour יהושע (Y’hoshua) Messiah, who gave Himself for us, to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for Himself a people, His own possession, ardent for good works” (Tit 2:11-14). This verse sums up what is known as the Good News (Gospel) of Y’hoshua the Messiah. He came to redeem us from ALL lawlessness so that we can turn away from worldly lusts and wickedness and live righteously to be His own possession, a clean people. We are also to beware and watch so that we do not be led away from the truth by the delusion of the lawless people who twist the writings of Paul and other Scripture too:  “You, then, beloved ones, being forewarned, watch, lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the delusion of the lawless” (2 Peter 3:17) “For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; For not the hearers of the law are just before Elohim, but the doers of the law shall be justified” (Rom 2:12-13). Only the doers of the Torah will be justified? We are not justified by the Torah, but only those that do the Torah can be justified.

“Do we then nullify the Torah through the belief? Let it not be! On the contrary, we establish the Torah” (Rom 3:31)

“Blessed are those doing His Commands, so that the authority shall be theirs unto the tree of life, and to enter through the gates into the city” (Rev 22:14). Only those who do the Torah of YHWH may enter into the city through the gates and will have access to the tree of life. The Torah truly does set us free. “For the Torah of the Spirit of the life in Messiah יהושע (Y’hoshua) has set me free from the law of sin and of death” (Rom 8:2).

“And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to fight with the remnant of her seed, those guarding the commands of Elohim and possessing the witness of  יהושע (Y’hoshua) Messiah” (Rev 12:17)

“Here is the endurance of the set-apart ones, here are those guarding the commands of Elohim and the belief of יהושע (Y’hoshua)” (Rev 14:12)

Does Paul teach us that we don’t have to keep the Torah of YHWH, or that we must keep it? “Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Torah through the body of Mashiyach, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for Elohim, for while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Torah, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the Torah, for we died with Mashiyach, and we are no longer captive to its power. Now we can really serve Elohim, not in the old way by obeying the letter of the Torah, but in the new way, by the Spirit” (Romans 7:4-6)

The heart of this passage is the phrase, “For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Torah, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.” Sinful passions have always been aroused by Torah. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Chawwah came to know sin only when YHWH said “thou shalt not eat” and then after they sinned they tried to cover up their nakedness. In addition the “new way, by the Spirit” is really the old way, of Abraham (Romans 4:2-16), but it became new because by Y’hoshua’s time the “conventional wisdom” of the Pharisees was anything but wise! The consistent point of Rav Shaul, though, is that Torah is the way sin is defined, and yet, just a few lines later he makes it clear that:

“As a result, Torah is Set Apart; and the Commandment is Set Apart, and righteous and good” (Romans 7:12)

Notice that the “old way” was the Pharisees tradition of obeying the “letter of the Torah,” but this is most certainly not an indictment against Torah! Y’hoshua taught that Torah is good, but we are instructed to look at the intent, heart and Spirit of Torah:

“Woe to you, teachers of the Torah and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices – mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the Torah – justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former” (Matthew 23:23)

“Yet a time is coming, and now has come, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. Elohim is Spirit, and His worshippers must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (Yehochanan (John) 4:23-24)

Now let us look at the other passage where “died to the Torah” appears:

“For when I tried to keep the Torah, I realized I could never earn Elohim’s approval. So I died to the Torah so that I might live for Elohim. I have been nailed to the stake with Mashiyach” (Galatians 2:19)

Shaul realized that he had fallen into the same trap that he now accuses other religious authorities of being in. He gives more details on the method behind that trap here:

“For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism… I was advancing in Judaism beyond the Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers” (Galatians 1:13-14)

Notice Rav Shaul does not mention Torah here, but “the traditions of my fathers” (i.e., the fences built by men around the Torah). Here the ritual became so important that it gave birth to regulations that became erroneously identified as sanctification. Instead, the true justification is in the next line:

“But when Elohim, who set me apart from birth and called me to His favor (grace), was pleased to reveal His Son to me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man” (Galatians 1:12-16)

Once again, it is always the faith behind the rituals that really counts.

Here is some more passages that shows that Paul taught us to live by the Torah of YHWH, “For sin shall not rule over you, for you are not under the law but under favour. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under Torah but under favour? Let it not be! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves servants for obedience, you are servants of the one whom you obey, whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness?” (Rom 6:14-16).

“So that the Torah truly is set-apart, and the command set-apart, and righteous, and good” (Rom 7:12)

If the Law of YHWH has been "nailed to the cross," why does YHWH tell us clearly that when the Mashiyach returns to this Earth to rule, that SAME law will go forth to the rest of the world?

“And many peoples shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of יהוה (YHWH), to the House of the Elohim of Ya’aqob, and let Him teach us His ways, and let us walk in His paths, for out of Tsiyon comes forth the Torah, and the Word of יהוה (YHWH) from Yerushalayim.” (Isa 2:3)

“And many nations shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of יהוה (YHWH), to the House of the Elohim of Ya’aqob, and let Him teach us His ways, and let us walk in His paths. For out of Tsiyon comes forth the Torah, and the word of יהוה (YHWH) from Yerushalayim.” (Mic 4:2)

YHWH repeats this twice by two different people for us and tells us that His Set-Apart Law, which is active today, will continue after Y’hoshua returns, and will go out and be the rule by which the nations are judged and corrected. Today, we would do well to realize that if Y’hoshua’s death truly "did away with YHWH's Laws," then why would they be back, and going out to the physical people and nations after Y’hoshua's return?

YHWH's Law is a reflection of His mind and character, as it is of Mashiyach. We are to be conformed, BY obeying YHWH's LAW, and with YHWH's spirit working in us, into the very image and character of Y’hoshua. The Law of YHWH stands now and will abide forever (in reflection of action and thought) because YHWH abides forever, and YHWH's law simply reflects His mind!

Y’hoshua the Messiah came to be an example for us to live. We are to walk as He walked. Y’hoshua kept the Torah of YHWH perfectly. Should we then also keep the Torah of YHWH? “For to this you were called, because Messiah also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps” (1 Peter 2:21). 

“He who possesses My commands and guards them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I shall love him and manifest Myself to him” (John 14:21)

If you do not live according to the Torah of YHWH, then you are living according to the law of sin.

So, which Law do you adhere to? Is it the Law of YHWH unto righteousness, or is it the law of sin that leads to destruction?

I will leave you with a part of this beautiful psalm:

“But the kindness of  יהוה (YHWH) Is from everlasting to everlasting Upon those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children, To those who guard His covenant, And to those who remember His orders to do them. יהוה (YHWH) has established His throne in the heavens, And His reign shall rule over all. Bless יהוה, you His messengers, Mighty in power, who do His Word, Listening to the voice of His Word. Bless יהוה (YHWH), all you His hosts, You His servants, who do His pleasure. Bless יהוה (YHWH), all His works, In all places of His rule. Bless  (YHWH) יהוה, O my being!” (Psalm 103:17-22)