“TORAH OBSERVANT” – A DECEPTION??

From: Andrew Strom johnthebaptisttv.com…

“TORAH OBSERVANT” – A DECEPTION??

ANDREW’s NOTE: Below is an excellent study of this subject by Jim Pruitt. We already discussed the dangers of the ‘Hebrew Roots’ movement some time ago. I truly don’t mind people calling Jesus “Yeshua” – unless they want to force us all to do it. Paul certainly wrote in Greek, and “Iesous” (or ‘Jesus’) was the word he used. But Yeshua is fine too. However I certainly DO mind when people start telling Gentile Christians to become “Torah Observant” – back under the Old Law. This is deadly deception in my view – directly opposed to the New Testament. But this movement has been growing and we need to be aware of what the Bible clearly teaches on this subject. Jim Pruitt’s study below will help us do that-

The INSIDIOUS NATURE of FALSE DOCTRINE
-extracts by Jim Pruitt.

Three issues have popped up in other areas within the public arena and it is important to address them before they become defacto doctrine. In the first century some of the Jewish Christians sought to impose these behaviors on Gentile Christians and they were addressed in several places in the New Testament (most notably in Acts 15). They are the doctrinal view that all Christians should worship on Saturday (as opposed to Sunday), should abstain from non-kosher foods, and that the Jewish holidays and festivals should still be observed. Adherence to these behaviors were explicitly commanded by God of the Hebrews in the Old Testament and most were from the book of Leviticus.

However, when Christ came He fulfilled the law (Matthew 5:17-20) and “things which were a mere shadow of what was to come” were no longer applicable.

Here are verses which specifically address the Sabbath and Jewish holidays and festivals:

Colossians 2:16,17 Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day–things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.

Romans 14:5 One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.

John 9:16 Therefore some of the Pharisees were saying, “This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath ” But others were saying, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And there was a division among them.

Mark 2:27 Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”

If you read these verses without preconception (i.e., without a doctrine that you’re trying to rationalize), then their meaning is perfectly clear and self-explanatory. It’s wrong to consider someone as sinning because they don’t keep the Old Testament definition of the Sabbath. The Sabbath is made for man. If you want to consider every day holy then that’s fine. If you want to pick one day or a series of days as above others to worship God, then that’s fine, too. You won’t find any verses in the New Testament which contradict this.

Here are verses which specifically address food (in addition to Colossians 2:16,17):

Mark 7:18-20 And He said to them, “Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” (Thus He declared all foods clean.) And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man.”

1 Timothy 4:3-5 men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.

Romans 14:14 I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself…

Colossians 2:20-23 If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)–in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.

1 Corinthians 8:8 But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat.

Again, these verses are self-explanatory and you will find nothing in the New Testament which offers any contradictory stance concerning food. Jesus declared all foods clean. The dietary restrictions delineated in Leviticus no longer apply.

How Is It That You Compel The Gentiles To Live like Jews?

In Acts 15, Jewish Christians tried to get the Gentiles to follow their traditions. However, after a heated discussion between those who advocated having them observe Jewish customs and the Apostles (including Paul), they only advised them to keep a minimal set of rules. There was no mention of having them observe the Sabbath, restricting their diet to kosher foods, or observing Jewish holidays. In addition, in all of Paul’s epistles to the Gentiles, there is no mention of it. In fact, I can find no indication in the New Testament or in historical records of the early church of any time where Christian Gentiles were instructed to do so. If it is not mentioned much less commanded in the New Testament, why is it important for us to reinstitute it now?

Looking at these three issues brings to mind Galatians 2 where some Jews had secretly infiltrated the Gentile Christians in order to “spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage.” When Paul met with the Apostles, Peter began to refuse to sit or speak with the Gentiles (which he would normally and which was against Jewish tradition) because he was trying to keep from offending the Jewish Christians who were present. But Paul wouldn’t let it slide:

Galatians 2:13-16 The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, “If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews? We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles; 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, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.”

I find no evidence in the New Testament or in the early church histories where Gentile Christians worshipped on Saturday, ate only kosher foods, or observed Jewish holidays. Scripture clearly indicates that these subjects are a matter of personal choice and that we are not to allow anyone to try and bring us into bondage by saying that God’s Word says otherwise…

–Read the Whole Article – http://www.cyshift.com/false_doctrine.html

Posted in Uncategorized by Andrew on October 14th, 2011 at 4:21 pm.

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