Old Wine

Adoption

One of the themes in Paul’s epistles is the idea of adoption. Paul mentions it in Romans, Galatians, and Ephesians. The idea in all contexts is that the believer in Jesus becomes a son (child) of God through adoption.

We’re all familiar with the situation of a child who has no living parents, or his parents are unable to care for him. Another family adopts him and becomes legally his parents. Ideally they will treat adopted children the same as their biological children, although the difference between biological and adopted will always remain.

It seems that this is how it is with Gentile believers in Jesus in relation to Jews. Throughout the Hebrew scriptures God identifies the people of Israel as his son(s). This is perhaps best illustrated in Exodus 4:22. “And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, ‘Thus saith the LORD, “Israel is my son, even my first-born.”‘”

The kings of Israel were considered to be sons of God in a special way, especially Solomon. “Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days. He shall build an house for my name; and he shall be my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever.” (I Chronicles 22:9-10) “And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.” (II Samuel 7:12-16) David is spoken of in a similar way. “He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. Also I will make him my first-born, higher than the kings of the earth.” (Psalm 89:26-27)

With Israel considered as the natural-born children of God, Gentile believers seem to be in a position of adopted children. In Romans Paul describes Israel as having many advantages over Gentiles. “What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.” (Romans 3:1-2) But then in chapter eleven he uses the metaphor of Gentile believers being wild olive branches that are grafted into the olive tree of Israel. He tells a similar story in different words in Ephesians 2:12-13. “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” It’s clear that Gentile believers are brought in, adopted into the family of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to become sons of God and participants in the covenants along with Israel.

Interestingly, Paul, in discussing the advantages of Israel in Romans 9, says that, “Theirs is the adoption as sons.” (9:4) If Israel is considered the natural-born sons as opposed to the adopted ones, why are they called adopted here? It appears that the Greek word for adoption is broader than the English word and refers to sonship in general. Israel’s advantage is that they are considered sons of God.

There are two other mentions of adoption in Romans 8 and they both seem to refer mostly to Gentile believers, who are the primary focus of the epistle. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” (8:14-17) A passage a little later seems to consider adoption to be something that is culminated at the resurrection. “And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.” (8:23-25) This passage seems to show the ultimate destiny of being children of God.

But this adoption pertains to the past as well as the future. In Ephesians 1 Paul points out that this adoption was planned by God in the past. “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, thta we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.” (1:4-5) It was always God’s plan that some Gentiles be included in his family along with Israel.

Unfortunately, much of Christianity has come to the conclusion that Israel, the natural-born children, are no longer part of God’s plan, and that Christians have taken their place. God promised many times in scripture that this would never happen. “Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name: If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever. Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD.” (Jeremiah 31:35-37) We need to take seriously Paul’s admonition in Romans 11:18. “Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.” We Gentiles are adopted into the family along with Israel, not in place of her.

Plagues as Divine Judgment

In the Hebrew scriptures God used a number of methods for punishing disobedience and sin. Sometimes he was punishing his people Israel for not following his commands, and sometimes he was punishing Gentile cities, nations, or mankind at large for their sinful actions.

During the time of Noah, the sinfulness of humanity was punished by a flood. The only survivors were those aboard the ark. God promised that he would never destroy the earth by that method again.

Cities that harbored particular wickedness, such as Sodom and Gomorrah, were destroyed by fire. Lot and his family were warned in advance to flee the city and escape judgment. There are repeated warnings in the epistle of II Peter (3:7, 10, 12) that the present earth is destined to be destroyed by fire.

The various peoples in Canaan, who occupied the land that God wanted to give to his people Israel, were destroyed through warfare and conquest. Jericho was an example of that. The Israelites didn’t follow through on the conquest as much as God wanted them to, and as a result they were led astray by the peoples that remained to worship their gods, leading to long-term punishment and exile from their land.

But there were many times when God used sickness, often described as “plagues”, to punish people. One of the first instances of this is in Genesis 12. Abram went to live in Egypt because of a famine in Canaan. He told Pharoah that Sarai was his sister (which was partly true), and when Pharoah showed romantic interest in her, God inflicted diseases on Pharoah and his household. (Genesis 12:17)

After God delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt by sending various kinds of plagues on the Egyptians, it was common for Israel to turn their back on God, and be punished with sickness. While Moses was on Mt. Sinai receiving God’s law, the people had Aaron make them a golden calf which they worshiped. One of the punishments for that was a plague that God sent. (Exodus 32:35)

Several times during the subsequent forty years of wandering in the desert, God punished their disobedience with plagues. When the people complained about the manna that God was providing, he sent quail for them to eat, but he also sent a severe plague that killed many of them. (Numbers 11:33)

When Moses sent spies to scout the land of Canaan, ten of the twelve spies said that it would be too hard to take the land, even though God had promised to give it to them. These ten spies influenced the people to reject God’s plan, and as a result these ten faithless spies were all killed by a plague. (Numbers 14:37)

A little later there was a general rebellion against Moses led by Korah and his followers. The earth opened up and consumed many of them. In addition, fire came down from heaven and consumed hundreds of them. But in addition to this, there was a plague that killed over fourteen thousand of them. (Numbers 16:46-50)

Toward the end of the desert wanderings, the people of Israel began to indulge in immoral relations with Moabite women and worship their gods. As a result, God sent a plague that killed 24,000 of them. (Numbers 25:9)

In our present situation, with CoVid-19 afflicting every nation in the world, I don’t know if it’s a plague sent by God, but it’s not unusual if it is. Our society has embraced and normalized many kinds of immorality. Even many of those who claim to follow the God of Israel have abandoned his commands and have done so for many centuries. We need to repent and turn back to God, read his word to find out what he expects of us, and learn to love his law as the psalmist did. “If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life.” (Psalm 119:92-93)

75 Theses – The Reformation that Should Have Been

1. Jesus was a Jew.
2. Jesus lived a Torah-observant lifestyle. If he had not, he couldn’t be a sinless sacrifice.
3. Jesus’ ministry was almost entirely to Jews, although he alluded to others joining his flock.
4. Jesus denied that his message was new.
5. Jesus affirmed the eternality of the Torah.
6. The faith of Jesus and all his immediate followers was Judaism.
7. Jesus commended those who lived and taught obedience to Torah.
8. Jesus criticized some Pharisees for not following Torah enough.
9. Jesus claimed to understand Sabbath law better than the Torah teachers.
10. Jesus didn’t hint at any intention of creating a new religion.
11. The message of most of Jesus’ ministry was that he was offering the kingdom of God that the prophets promised.
12. Great crowds of Jews believed and followed Jesus.
13. The religious leaders rejected Jesus’ offer of the kingdom.
14. The death of Jesus was in a sense plan B, but was necessary for redemption and planned by God.
15. When the disciples asked if Jesus was now going to restore the kingdom to Israel, his reply was basically, “Not now.”
16. After Jesus’ ascension, the disciples continued with temple and synagogue worship.
17. Stephen accused the crowd of not following Torah. That’s why they stoned him.
18. Paul did not “convert to Christianity”, but he was called by Jesus to a new ministry.
19. Paul claimed that he followed “the way”, a sect of Judaism.
20. In talking to Agrippa, Paul called Pharisaism a “sect of our religion”.
21. Well into his ministry Paul claimed to be a Pharisee.
22. Paul continued to orient his life around the biblical festivals: Passover, Pentecost, Yom Kippur, and others.
23. Paul went out of his way to demonstrate that he favored following Torah.
24. Paul insisted that he was teaching only what the prophets had taught.
25. The Hebrew scripture describes aliens who lived among Israel and were responsible to obey many of the same laws.
26. Isaiah describes how God accepts foreigners who embrace him and keep his laws.
27. The council in Acts 15 was dealing with the question of whether Gentile believers should become Jews.
28. The council in Acts 15 gives Gentile believers a few laws to begin their new lifestyle, and implies that they would learn the entire Torah during their synagogue attendance.
29. The epistle to the Galatians deals with the same question as Acts 15, whether Gentile believers should convert to Judaism.
30. Paul states blatantly to the Corinthians that Gentile believers should not become Jews, but should obey God’s commands.
31. When Jesus told his apostles to go make disciples, he defined that as teaching people to follow the commandments.
32. Paul taught in Romans that Gentile believers who followed Torah are just as good as Jews.
33. Paul taught in Ephesians that believers should no longer live like Gentiles, implying that they should live like Jews.
34. Paul taught in Romans that Gentile believers are like wild olive branches grafted into the cultivated olive tree which is Israel.
35. Paul taught in Ephesians that Gentiles who had been far off from the covenants and people of Israel had been brought near by faith in Jesus.
36. God promised throughout the Hebrew Bible that he would not reject the Jews as his people.
37. God promised through the prophets that though Israel was scattered among the nations, they would be brought back to the land God promised them.
38. Gentile believers in Jesus become part of the covenant people of Israel, while remaining Gentiles.
39. Part of the promise of the last days is that people from many nations will join the people of Israel in worshiping the God of Israel.
40. The saints in Revelation are described as those “who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.”
41. In the prophetic kingdom of God, a son of David (Jesus) will reign in Jerusalem.
42. In the prophesied kingdom of God, the Torah will be the rule of life.
43. The end-time kingdom of God will last a thousand years.
44. The Gentiles in the end-time kingdom will come to Jerusalem to celebrate the biblical feasts.
45. James alludes to believers worshiping in the synagogue.
46. James claims that the law gives freedom, and we should keep it rather than judge it.
47. Peter writes that people distort the letters of Paul and fall into “the error of lawless men”.
48. John writes in his epistle that loving God is shown by keeping his commands.
49. The new covenant was to be made with the people of Israel.
50. Gentile believers are only included in the new covenant by their association with Israel.
51. The full effects of the new covenant will not be present until the end-time kingdom.
52. Although Channukah is not a biblical festival, Jesus is described as being in Jerusalem for it.
53. Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples the night before he died.
54. When Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples, he pointed out that the symbols of redemption from Egypt, the bread and wine, should also be seen as symbols of the redemption his death would provide.
55. Ruth was an example of a Gentile who embraced the God and the people of Israel.
56. In the late first century the Romans levied an onerous tax upon all Jews and those who lived Jewishly, the Fiscus Judaicus.
57. In order to avoid the heavy tax on Jews, the Fiscus Judaicus, most of the Gentile believers began to distance themselves from Judaism, setting aside the biblical law and festivals, and started to define their religion in contrast with Judaism.
58. Gentile believers in the second century, calling themselves “Christians” in order to contrast themselves with Judaism, began to hate and persecute God’s people Israel.
59. In recent times there has been a growing realization of the Jewish background of the teaching of Jesus and his followers.
60. Those who follow the teachings of the Bible today, whether Jews or Gentiles, will observe the biblical Sabbath and festivals.
61. Paul stated that “all Scripture (meaning the Hebrew scriptures) is God-breathed and profitable” for following to guide one’s life.
62. God often punished his people for disobedience by sending plagues.
63. Jews have preserved the keeping of God’s Torah through the centuries after “Christians” abandoned it.
64. The “church” in the New Testament was not a new creation but a continuation of the congregation of Israel, embellished by adding Gentiles.
65. The idea that the “Christian church” has replaced Israel in God’s plan is refuted by God’s many promises never to reject Israel from being his people.
66. The modern state of Israel demonstrates the beginning of God fulfilling his promises to regather her from among the nations.
67. Jesus was likely referred to in his Hebrew culture as “Yeshua”.
68. Jesus from his birth was declared to be the king of Israel and the one who would redeem Israel.
69. Paul declared that the good news of Jesus was “to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile.”
70. Jesus declared that salvation was “of the Jews”.
71. A biblical faith today needs to be a form of Judaism, but one that believes that Jesus will return as the promised Messiah, hence Messianic Judaism.
72. It should never be the purpose of Messianic Judaism to convert Jews to “Christianity”, but rather to provide both Jews and Gentiles with a chance to live and worship biblically.
73. Paul stated very strongly that his faith did not nullify the law, but rather upheld it.
74. Jews have in large part not embraced Jesus because they have been presented with a Messiah who taught against Torah. They are to be commended for rejecting such a Messiah.
75. The true Messiah will teach and practice Torah. At the end, Jews as a nation will turn to Jesus.

Should Gentile Believers Keep Torah?

God’s instructions for living, or Torah, were given to his people Israel at Mt. Sinai a few weeks after the Exodus from Egypt, as well as in the following days. It is often assumed that this Torah, often translated “law”, was only intended for the Jews, and it has no relevance for non-Jews, either then or now. It is further assumed that Jesus and/or his early followers declared the Torah to be obsolete and no longer representative of God’s will for people following him. Let’s examine some of these assumptions and see whether they hold water.

When Israel came out of Egypt, they were accompanied by non-Jews who attached themselves to Israel. (Exodus 12:38) Many times it is stated in describing some instruction that “the same law applies to the native-born and the alien living among you”. (Exodus 12:49 cf. Ex. 12:19; Lev. 16:29; 17:12, 15; 18:26; 24:16, 22; Num. 9:14; 15:15, 29; 19:10) The people standing at Mt. Sinai included these non-Jews as well as the descendants of Jacob. At least one of the ten commandments specifically includes these non-Jews in the instruction. (Ex. 20:10)

When Moses addresses the people again at the end of his life in order to renew the covenant, he specifically includes the aliens among them as included in the covenant. “All of you are standing today in the presence of the LORD your God — your leaders and chief men, your elders and officials, and all the other men of Israel, together with your children and your wives, and the aliens living in your camps who chop your wood and carry your water. You are standing here in order to enter into a covenant with the LORD your God, a covenant the LORD is making with you this day and sealing with an oath, to confirm you this day as his people, that he may be your God as he promised you and as he swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I am making this covenant, with its oath, not only with you who are standing here with us today in the presence of the LORD our God but also with those who are not here today.” (Deut. 29:10-15)

The prophet Isaiah explains God’s attitude toward non-Jews who embrace the God of Israel and keep his commands. “Let no foreigner who has bound himself to the LORD say, ‘The LORD will surely exclude me from his people.’… For this is what the LORD says:… And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to serve him, to love the name of the LORD, and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant– these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.’ The Sovereign LORD declares– he who gathers the exiles of Israel: ‘I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered’.” (Isaiah 56:3-8) It’s clear that during this time period God’s blessings and his covenant were primarily for Jews, but they also included non-Jews as well if they embraced the people and God of Israel and followed God’s commands.

But what about Jesus? Didn’t he cancel all these commands for believers following him? He addresses that exact question in Matthew 5. “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 5:17-19)

What about Paul then? Doesn’t he explain that the law is done away? On the contrary. “Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.” (Romans 3:31) Paul has just finished explaining in chapter two that whoever does good, whether Jew or Gentile, is pleasing to God. “All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.)” (Romans 2:12-15) Paul sums up the argument later in the chapter. “If those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker. A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise is not from men, but from God.” (Rom. 2:26-29) Paul points out that following God’s commands is more important than whether you are Jewish or Gentile.

Paul’s mention of the law written on the heart of Gentiles reminds us of the introduction of the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31:31-34. This covenant, which includes writing God’s law on the heart, is to be made only with Israel and Judah, the twelve tribes. Are Gentiles then left out of it? Paul explains in several passages, most notably Romans 11, that Gentile believers in Jesus are metaphorically grafted into the olive tree which is Israel and become part of the covenant people of God. (cf. Eph. 2:11-22) We Gentiles experience the blessings of the New Covenant because of our identification with Israel. We are the guest that Israel brings to the party.

Some interpreters think that the decision of the council of apostles in Acts 15 was that Gentiles didn’t need to obey God’s law. These people misunderstand the question that was at issue in that discussion. The question was whether Gentiles needed to officially convert to Judaism in order to be saved. (The same question is at issue in the epistle to the Galatians.) It helps to realize that there were three requirements for conversion to Judaism: circumcision (if male), immersion in water, and a vow to follow God’s law given by Moses. Circumcision is sometimes used as a shorthand for the whole conversion process. What confuses people is that though only circumcision is mentioned in verse 1, making it clear that it’s a conversion issue, the requirement to obey the law is brought up in verse 5. It’s still an issue of whether conversion to Judaism is required. The apostles conclude that it is not. but realizing that entering a new lifestyle is hard if you haven’t been brought up that way, the apostles recommend learning to obey the law little by little, beginning with a few observances that will make them welcome in the Jewish community. James draws the final conclusion that they can learn the rest of the law by regular attendance in the synagogue, where Moses is read weekly.

If there is still any doubt of what Paul thinks about Gentiles following the law, he makes it crystal-clear in I Corinthians 7. He has been teaching that after faith in Jesus, Jews shouldn’t become Gentiles and Gentiles shouldn’t become Jews. He states his conclusion in verse 19. “Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God’s commands is what counts.” In other words, “It doesn’t matter whether you’re Jewish or Gentile, keep Torah.” That ought to end any argument once and for all. To please God, follow his commandments.

Left Your 1st Love

In the second chapter of the book of Revelation John is being told to write letters to seven churches in Asia minor. The first of these letters is to the church in Ephesus. After commending the church for some things, John is told to rebuke the church because, “You have forsaken your first love… Repent and do the things you did at first.” (2:4-5) What was this “first love” that the church abandoned?

Since the teaching of Jesus was that the first and greatest commandment was to love God with all one’s being (Mark 12:28-30), it seems that the love of God is likely what is being referenced here. But the emphasis in the passage seems to be on doing particular deeds. As we examined last week, love of God seems to be connected with following his commandments throughout scripture. In light of this, the first love, that was abandoned, could have been God’s Torah.

The Psalmist certainly seems to consider God’s law as something to be loved. From the very first Psalm, the law of the Lord is to be delighted in and meditated on by the righteous person. (Psalm 1:2) But the Psalm that focuses the most on this issue is the longest Psalm, Psalm 119.

In the 176 verses of this Psalm, virtually every verse extols the virtues of God’s commandments. And loving them is the focus of many verses. “For I delight in your commands because I love them. I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love, and I meditate on your decrees.” (119:47-48) “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.” (119:97) “I hate double-minded men, but I love your law.” (119:113) “All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross; therefore I love your statutes.” (119:119) “Because I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold, and because I consider all your precepts right, I hate every wrong path.” (119:127-128) “I hate and abhor falsehood but I love your law.” (119:163) “Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.” (119:165) “I obey your statutes, for I love them greatly.” (119:167) and others. Truly this Psalm is a testimony of love for God’s law.

Incidentally, many of the verses of this Psalm also proclaim God’s law to be eternal. “Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.” (119:89) “Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart.” (119:111) “Long ago I learned from your statutes that you established them to last forever.” (119:152) “All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.” (119:160)

A common interpretation of this part of the book of Revelation is to consider the letters to the seven churches to be dealing with chronological eras of church history. Thus the letter to the church at Ephesus would describe the first few centuries after the ministry of Jesus. This brings to mind one of the most significant events in church history, the Fiscus Judaicus.

As you will recall, the Fiscus Judaicus was an onerous tax levied by the Roman empire against Jews in the later part of the first century. The way that the tax collectors determined who were Jews was by their worship and lifestyle. At this time there were many Gentile believers in Jesus. They were not Jews and they didn’t see any reason to pay a lot of money on the supposition that they were. Certainly scripture had instructed them to live a life that was pleasing to God, as they had become part of covenant Israel. But it’s easy to understand the incentives to minimize or eliminate that connection with Israel in order to save a lot of money.

It appears that it was about this time and for this reason that Gentile believers began to distance themselves from Jews and Judaism and began to define their religion as “Christianity” in contrast to Judaism. In order to distinguish themselves from Jews, they chose a different day of worship, ignored the biblical festivals, and began to interpret some of Paul’s writings as teaching that God’s law had been abrogated and no longer needed to be followed. This was in spite of the fact that both Jesus (Matthew 5:17-18) and Paul (Romans 3:31) insisted that the law was not obsolete but that it continued to be in effect.

Because it was politically popular, the bulk of the church began to hate and persecute the Jews as a people, accusing them of being “Christ-killers”. Over the ensuing centuries much of the anti-Semitism came from the Christian community, who thought they had replaced the Jews as God’s favored people.

This wrong turn by the bulk of Christianity in the late first and second centuries certainly fits the description of “leaving their first love.” The effects of it have continued to affect the practices of Christianity to this very day.

If we are to right this grievous wrong, we need to do what John writes to the church at Ephesus, “Repent and do the things that you did at first.” (Rev. 2:5) This would be turning back to God’s law and doing the things he instructed his people to do, as the first-century believers did.

Loving God

During Jesus’ ministry, a teacher of the law came to him and asked a question, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” (Mark 12:28) Jesus replied with a citation from the book of Deuteronomy, from a speech of Moses to the people of Israel. “‘The most important one,’ answered Jesus, ‘is this: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”‘” (Mark 12:29-30; Deut. 6:4-5)

Upon hearing this, the teacher agreed with Jesus. This was apparently the answer that he was looking for. Jesus went on to commend him for his wise answer. Both Jesus and the Jewish teachers of his day agreed that loving God was the greatest commandment in the Torah. But what does this command involve?

The passage in Deuteronomy 6 that Jesus quoted goes on to say, “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” (Deut. 6:6-9) This passage, known in Judaism as the “Sh’ma” for the Hebrew word for “Hear”, is one of the most-often repeated passages in synagogue worship to this day. After the command to love God with one’s whole being, the passage emphasizes learning and remembering the commands of God that Moses was relating to them in this long speech. There seems to be a distinct connection intended between loving God and keeping his commands.

This connection is made several more times throughout the book of Deuteronomy. In chapter 10 when Moses is summarizing what God wants from them, he says, “And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?” (10:12-13) Moses repeats this same theme a short time later in 11:1. “Love the LORD your God and keep his requirements, his decrees, his laws and his commands always.”

Later in the book Moses mentions this same connection when he talks about establishing cities of refuge. “If the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as he promised on oath to your forefathers, and gives you the whole land he promised them, because you carefully follow all these laws I command you today — to love the LORD your God and to walk always in his ways — then you are to set aside three more cities.” (19:8-9) He mentions it one more time as he’s winding up his speech and presenting the options of life or death. “See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.” (30:15-16) To Moses, the idea of loving God was closely tied to obeying his commandments.

But what about other parts of the Hebrew scriptures? Do other writers make this same connection? When Joshua is summoning the 2 1/2 tribes who decided to stay on the eastern side of the Jordan, he tells them, “Now that the LORD your God has given your brothers rest as he promised, return to your homes in the land that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side of the Jordan. But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul.” (Joshua 22:4-5)

Later in Israel’s history, after the exile, Nehemiah begins his prayer with “O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands,” (Nehemiah 1:5) The prophet Isaiah mentions this connection even involving Gentiles who turn to Israel’s God. “And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to serve him, to love the name of the LORD, and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant — these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” (Isaiah 56:6-8) This is a prophecy of the future time when Gentiles would be invited to join the people of God. Jesus mentions this in John 10 when he says, “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” (John 10:16)

We’ve seen that in the history of Israel the command to love God was connected with keeping his commandments. Is that still true in the time after the ministry of Jesus? We see in John 14 that Jesus tells his disciples that if they love him, they will do what he commands. “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.” (14:15-16) Are Jesus’ commands the same as God’s commands? It’s inconceivable that they be otherwise, given Jesus’ repeated self-identification with God. In case there is any doubt, Jesus assures us in Matthew 5:18 that God’s commands are eternal and immutable.

What about in the epistles? Is the connection made between loving God and obeying his commands? Probably the strongest such connection is made in I John 5. “This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.” (I John 5:2-3) In this passage obeying God’s commands is connected not only with loving God, but also with loving his children.

It’s clear that throughout scripture the main way to exhibit loving God is to obey his commands. It’s a shame that so much of the church has cast aside the commands that God gave to his people, Israel. We need to focus our lives on returning to a stance of loving God with our entire being and learning and obeying his commands.

Soccer to Football

I had a dream the other night that seemed highly significant to me. As background let me say that I played soccer in college and developed a love for the game. Recently I’ve tried to watch most of the games of the local university team.

In my dream I had gone back to my college to play in an alumni soccer game. But when the game got started, everybody started throwing the ball around and running with it. I was totally disgusted. That was not the game I came to play. It had somehow turned into rugby or American football.

When I woke up, it occurred to me that such a transformation was a good metaphor for the origination of what became known as Christianity. Now of course a game is not the same as religious faith, and it’s fine to play any variation of a game that you want to. But imagine that soccer had been divinely revealed at some point in the past and the rules for it had been personally given by God to his representatives.

Imagine further that a master teacher had come later and continued to teach the game of soccer as previously revealed, but with the additional detail that he was to be the ultimate goalkeeper (or something like that). Then, not long after the master teacher departed, the players started to reason that, since the goalkeeper could pick up the ball, take steps with it, and even throw it, other players should be able to pick up the ball and run with it or throw it. You ended up with a significantly different game.

In this metaphor, as you’ve probably figured out, soccer represents Judaism and American football represents Christianity. God gave a revelation to his people in the Hebrew scriptures that came to be known as Judaism. Jesus came and taught Judaism as revealed by the scriptures with the addition that he was the ultimate king in God’s promised kingdom. Since the kingdom was rejected by the authorities, as God knew would happen, Jesus also became the ultimate sacrifice for sin.

But in the centuries that followed, some of the rules of the game were thrown out and a lot of new ones were added. Since Jesus stayed in the tomb (resting) during the Sabbath and was resurrected on the first day of the week, it was decided that they would honor that day as their holy day and ignore the Sabbath that God had instituted. Since their focus was, they thought, to be exclusively on Jesus, they would make major celebrations of his birth and death/resurrection, and cast aside the festivals that God had instructed his people to observe. Since Jesus, at his last Passover celebration, extended the symbolism of Passover to include not only the redemption from Egypt, but also the spiritual redemption that was to be provided by his sacrifice, it became commonplace to observe a kind of mini-Passover every week or month, and totally divorce it from the Passover that was the basis for it. It became a whole new ball game.

Now just as with American football, Christianity has become more widespread than Judaism in certain contexts. But it’s not the “faith once delivered to the saints” as the third verse of the epistle to Jude puts it. There have been many reformations that have made gestures to getting back to the faith of Jesus and the apostles, but they’ve all failed because they haven’t realized that Jesus was teaching the same Judaism that God revealed to Moses and the prophets. We need to throw out all the new rules and get back to the game that God introduced in the first place.

False Prophet?

In Deuteronomy 13 we read about God’s warnings to his people regarding false prophets. “If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, ‘Let us follow other gods’ (gods you have not known) ‘and let us worship them,’ you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.” (Deu. 13:1-4)

Even if the prophet performs miraculous signs, he could be a false prophet. The main test given in this passage is whether the prophet tries to lead people to follow other gods. But it seems also to emphasize obeying God and keeping his commandments. The implication is that any prophet who tries to lead away from keeping God’s commandments is a false prophet and should be rejected.

Unfortunately, the way Jesus is presented by most Christians, he appears to Jews to fit the characteristics of a false prophet in this passage. He and his followers are portrayed as leading people away from God’s commandments, claiming that the Torah has been done away. Jews who reject Jesus on this basis are doing it out of faithfulness to God and to scripture. They should be commended for this.

However, this is clearly not the way Jesus is portrayed in the New Testament. The Jesus of the New Testament held Torah in extremely high regard. He taught that not a letter, or even a piece of a letter would pass away from Torah until heaven and earth pass away, until all things happen (Matt. 5:18). I can’t imagine affirming Torah any more strongly than that.

He quoted the Torah often in his teaching. It was his go-to scripture. He cited Deuteronomy more than any other book. When he was confronted by the devil in the wilderness, he quoted Deuteronomy three times. (Matt. 4; Luke 4) His famous statement about the greatest commandment and the second greatest, summarizing the entire law, are from Deuteronomy and Leviticus (Deu. 6:5; Lev. 19:18) When he healed a man with leprosy, he ordered him to go and show himself to the priest and offer the sacrifices commanded in the Torah (Mark 1:44).

There are those who seem to think that Jesus disregarded the Sabbath laws. He certainly faced disagreement from some of the teachers about how they should be interpreted. A close examination of the texts reveals that Jesus never claims that the Sabbath laws have been abolished. He always defends his understanding as the original intent of the laws, sometimes quoting scripture to back it up.

There is one passage where some poor translations have led people into a misunderstanding about Jesus’ attitude toward the food laws. In Mark 7 Jesus has just accused some of the Pharisees of ignoring God’s law in favor of their traditions (7:8-13). Afterward he goes on to explain to the crowd and his disciples that what they eat has nothing to do with being clean or unclean. It’s a totally separate issue. He explains to his disciples that food that they eat doesn’t go into the heart, but into the stomach, and then out of the body into the sewage, purging all foods (from the body). Some translators with an agenda have translated the phrase “purging all foods”, which in the context is part of Jesus’ statement, to say something like, “In saying this Jesus declared all foods clean”. This is a real stretch grammatically, as you’d have to go back two or three verses to find an antecedent for the participle. Besides this, he had just finished standing up for the authority of God’s law; he wasn’t about to cancel it in the next few verses. And even if he had intended such a statement, the things that he and the Jews considered to be “food” would not include the things that were prohibited by God to his people and called “detestable” (Deu. 14:3ff).

Jesus clearly revered God’s law and did not try to change any of it. But most Christians after the second century have embraced “another Jesus” who they think changed the laws. This has been a stumbling block for Jews, preventing them from acknowledging the Torah-observant Jesus who identified himself as their promised Messiah, and will return to set up God’s promised kingdom where God’s law will be internalized into people’s hearts (Jer. 31:33) and will be the universal standard of behavior (Isaiah 2:3).

Hallelujah

“Hallelujah” is a word that has become common in English, although not many people are familiar with its derivation. It is a transliteration of a Hebrew word with two parts. “Hallelu” is a masculine plural imperative form of the verb that means “Praise”. It is telling a group of people to praise. The last part of the word is “Yah”, the short form of the name of God, the One who is to be praised.

The Hebrew word “Hallelujah” is used twenty-four times in the book of Psalms, mostly in the final psalms in the book. It both opens and closes a few of them. The KJV translation doesn’t transliterate the word. It translates it as “Praise ye the LORD”, which gets at the meaning very well.

This is a sacred word, the more so because it contains the name of God. It should not be tossed off flippantly as a synonym for “I’m happy”. This could be an example of using God’s name in vain. It seems like this is the major use of the word in our society.

Another way it should not be used (or sung) is to de-emphasize the last syllable to the point of almost eliminating it. The last syllable is God’s name, and it’s the whole point of the word.

Yet another mistaken use of the word is to imagine that by saying it (or its translation, “Praise God”), you are actually praising God. Praising God is recounting his works or his character and lauding him for that. Saying “Hallelujah” (or “Praise God”) is telling a group of people to praise God; it’s not actually doing it.

Because of this, it is not an appropriate thing to be saying to God. When you have songs to the effect of “Sing Hallelujah to the Lord”, you are telling God to praise himself, which makes no sense. When the psalmist says it, he is telling the congregation to praise God, and he goes on to elaborate how and why it should be done.

What about “Alleluia”, which we often find in our music and liturgy? This is a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew word, and it’s only found in Revelation 19, although it’s found four times in that chapter. This is the passage on which Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” is based. It tells of a multitude in heaven exhorting each other to praise God. It also makes clear that the language being spoken on this occasion is Hebrew.

Is there any reason to use “Alleluia” in our music or liturgy? Maybe if you’re speaking or singing in Greek, as it’s a Greek transliteration of a Hebrew word. But I see no reason to use “Alleluia” in English music or liturgy. It has no meaning in Greek, only as a transliteration of Hebrew. Thus, in English we should recognize the Hebrew origin of the word and use the English transliteration, “Hallelujah”. As a choir director, I’ve asked my choirs to change “Alleluia” to “Hallelujah” in songs that they sing.

In summary, recognize that “Hallelujah” is a sacred word and use it reverently. Don’t minimize the portion of it that is God’s name. Don’t use it as a synonym for “Yippee!” And don’t tell God to praise himself. But get in the habit of praising God yourself and encouraging others to do the same.

Am I a Christian?

Am I a Christian? This is a complex question to answer because the word “Christian” is not a simple word. If it means a follower of Jesus as the promised Messiah, then I am certainly a Christian. But the word has other levels of meaning. If it means an adherent of the religious system that has come to be known as Christianity, then I have some issues.

People tend to think of Christianity as a religion that is separate from and in opposition to Judaism. I am convinced that Jesus had no intention of starting a new religion, that he and all his immediate followers were self-consciously adherents and teachers of Judaism. Jesus was a Torah-observant Jew.

After the deviation in the second century brought about by the Fiscus Judaicus, of which we have spoken elsewhere, most of Christianity took on some positions which seem to me to be contrary to scripture. They cast aside their identification with God’s people, Israel, and considered themselves to have replaced Israel in God’s plan. They shrugged off God’s law as a standard of behavior. They dismissed the Sabbaths and holy days that God commanded and instituted replacements with no biblical warrant. Most of these deviations still affect the bulk of Christianity today.

The term “Christian” is used very rarely in the New Testament. It is never used by Jesus, or even by the apostle Paul. The first mention is in Acts 11:26 where it says that “the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch” following the ministry of Paul and Barnabas. It doesn’t say who was calling them this. It could easily have been their opponents, using it as a term of mockery — greasy ones. In any case, the passage doesn’t endorse this term; it only reports it.

There is an occasion a few years later that Paul has an opportunity to use the term, but chooses not to. In Acts 26 Paul is making an extended defense before King Agrippa, including the statement that he was saying nothing beyond what the prophets and and Moses said would happen (26:22). When he asks Agrippa if he believes the prophets, Agrippa responds, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” (26:28). Paul replies, avoiding using the same term in response, “Short time or long– I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.” (26:29) It seems like Paul is not endorsing the use of that term to describe his faith.

There is only one other mention in the New Testament of the term “Christian” or any of its derivatives. It occurs in the first epistle of Peter, and it’s the only time that it’s used by a follower of Jesus. Peter is discussing the suffering that the disciples are experiencing. He says, “If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.” (I Peter 4:15-16) The term could still be a term of mockery by those who are causing the suffering, but Peter exhorts them to be proud that they bear the name of Christ, even in suffering.

Many pastors and teachers talk as if the purpose of the New Testament is to teach us how to be good Christians. I think that is the wrong metric, as it never claims that. It teaches us to be followers of God and disciples of Jesus.

When I am asked for my religious preference, “Christian” is not a term that I choose to identify with. That makes it tricky when there is a list from which to choose. But when possible, I will use a description along the lines of: “Follower of Jesus the Jew”.