What about studying Torah?
Please Note: One does not have to be a Judaizer to be a Torah teacher.
The Hebrew word “Torah” means “teaching.” It is the term used throughout the Old Testament for the law. It is generally considered to be the first five books of the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. However, Torah is also used by some rabbis to refer to the entire Old Testament, and still others use it to refer to additional laws and teachings, also known as Rabbinical Law, or Oral Law and Traditions. Outside orthodox Jewish circles, the first five books of the Bible are more commonly known as the Pentateuch, a Greek word meaning “five scrolls.” The Torah laws or teachings are also commonly referred to in Christian circles as the “law of Moses” since they contain the laws given by God through Moses, and since the Bible itself refers to Torah this way twenty-one times, including twice by Jesus Christ (Luke 24:44; John 7:23). These five books are a part of the inspired Word of God, and they should be studied and revered by all Christians, right along with the rest of God’s Word.
I have found, however, that those who claim to be teachers of the Torah are more often than not so orthodox in their understanding and presentation of God’s Word that they give much more emphasis to obedience to God through Old Covenant outward practice than to New Covenant life in the Spirit from the inner man. Many of the Torah teachers are, in fact, Judaizers, insisting that the problem with the New Covenant church is that we have neglected to continue in the Jewish tradition of studying Mosaic Law, including practicing the feasts. This claim is certainly not supported by our Lord, neither by any of the apostles, not the least of whom is the apostle Paul – one who was “a Hebrew of the Hebrews,” “a Pharisee of Pharisees.” As the apostle chosen to receive the mystery revelation of salvation by grace through faith, he realized that the giving and reciting of the law was only God’s earliest form of illustrating Himself to mankind. Paul clearly explains why we should no longer try to live by the written Mosaic Law. Nevertheless, traditional Torah teachers inevitably try to explain his argument away time and time again; and others just like them have a long history of killing the prophets, and resisting the Holy Spirit. It should come as no surprise that they twist Paul’s inspired writings to mean what they want them to say (II Peter 3:14-18).
About the question of the authenticity of Paul’s teaching:
Everything that the apostle Paul taught is supported by the Spirit of God throughout the whole Bible. It is reinforced by God’s divine plan from the beginning – to deal with man on a progressive walk toward spiritual maturity, from law to grace; from a stony heart to a heart of flesh; from a natural man to a spiritual man; from types and shadows to reality; from only a part to the whole.
Also, when we consider the arguments of the Judaizers against the words of the apostle Paul, we must ask them what their credentials are that they should supersede Paul’s apostleship and appointment by Jesus Christ (with witnesses). Paul had these same kinds of false apostles seek to steal God’s life and truth out of the church at Corinth nearly 2,000 years ago. This is nothing new. There are many, many people who speak Hebrew and who love the Jews and the inheritance of the Jews through God; but does this give them authority to take Paul’s teaching out of context, to explain it away, or to say that it is full of "loopholes"? There are several places in First and Second Corinthians where Paul writes in defense of his apostleship. If you are in the valley of decision concerning whom you should believe, please note Paul’s testimony in this passage: “Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool – I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers...” (I Cor. 11:22-25). There is much more, but I hope you get the picture from this brief introduction of the proof of his calling.
The fault does not lie with the Torah, but with many who claim to be Torah teachers.
I do not wish to belittle this valuable portion of the Bible that you may choose to call by its Hebrew name, Torah. It is a magnificent tapestry illustrating perfect creation, the fall of man, and God’s love-redemption promise and plan; and much more than just listing God’s civil, holy, and ceremonial laws, it also speaks of God’s righteous ways among men – giving us an initial glimpse of His infinitely grand and glorious nature. This part of the Biblical record begins unfolding God’s heavenly ways to earthly men. Here we see God’s perfect state-of-being, and man’s utter depravity. It tells the origin of spiritual death for all men through one man, Adam; and it foretells of the promise God gave to revive us through another Man who was yet to be revealed, His Messiah. The Torah radiates with the colorful story of Abraham and of his family, including the marvelous accounts of Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Esau, and finally of Joseph as the right hand of the Pharaoh of Egypt. This one-of-a-kind testament then blossoms as Abraham’s family becomes a nation born out of the “loins” of faith, through whom the Savior of natural Israel, and indeed the whole world, would come. There is so much to be gained through an ongoing study of these first five books of the Bible.
It is important for the New Covenant believer to remember, however, that regardless of the colorful drama and rich initial revelation of God found in the Torah, it demonstrates only the beginning method of God’s progressive cooperation in His redemptive work among men. It records truths that will never change and that should always be recalled; but it is at the end of the Bible where we find God’s full cooperation working in and through us through His Son. Through Moses’ revelation, God pointed the way to the end and the revelation of Jesus Christ – the One who completely fulfilled Torah and more besides. This was something that no one else could ever hope to do; and as a result, now we, too, can fulfill Torah, and more besides, by His life lived through us!
There is absolutely nothing in Torah that is not in the Spirit of God; but there is the whole Person of God in His Spirit, which is only partially revealed in Torah!
Far beyond what Torah has to offer, the New Testament presents the opportunity for men to enter into a relationship with God reserved from that moment to the end – a time when men and women, boys and girls everywhere would be enabled to take on the very nature of God Himself, equipping them to live God’s life by His personal residing within them. This is something the Torah in all its splendor could not do then, and cannot do now. As beautiful and as intriguing as it is, it contains only a rough, primitive sketch of who God really is and of what He expects of us; there is nothing there that enables any man to live out God’s life in its completeness. Much closer than the manner in the Old Covenant whereby men lived a great distance from God through Moses, the New Covenant came through God’s own Son, Jesus Christ. He is the One who ushered in the long-awaited time when men were invited to draw near to God for personal interaction leading to a changed life and spiritual maturity. Nothing but a work of grace by faith in Jesus Christ can possibly provide for new life whereby we can attain to the full measure of His stature – not even Torah, and certainly not Torah teachers. Again, the whole Old Covenant showed us of our desperate need for God’s Son. Now that He has come, we may live out His life in full obedience to all that was put forth through the Law of Moses, and so much more! Rather than simply observing God’s laws written on stones, and depicted through ceremonies and ordinances which were a shadow of the true, we are invited to live out His life by His laws written on our hearts! This is the Holy Spirit of God in us! Even though we are still called to walk in His righteousness, and to remember the former ways or “ancient paths,” we can only do so by living in the way (path) of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. It is through this “new and living way” that the inner man is brought far beyond ordinances and ceremonies which only represent “types of the true.”
Again, the problem that arises when studying Torah usually originates with the Torah teacher. More often than not, Torah teachers end up turning the new man back to the earliest stage of his forefathers’ relationship with God. They give very little credit to the current and finishing stage of God’s progressive development in us by His Spirit. This may happen because some of these teachers have not had an encounter with God’s Spirit themselves, so they understand Him only as the Bible illustrated Him in the beginning. Other times, they may simply refuse to live a life that is responsible to God’s Spirit; thus they seek to justify themselves by going back through the motions of outward demonstrations of godliness. As long as they can relish in the glory of the Old, justifying themselves by themselves, they will deny the glory of the New, where we are justified by Christ alone and continually sanctified by His Spirit – whose glory we are.
Beware of them; and beware that you do not find so much joy in their “letter” that you abandon the “Spirit” with His desire and unique ability to mature you as a new man! Notice II Cor. 3:6-8:
“...who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?”
The Hebrew word “Torah” means “teaching.” It is the term used throughout the Old Testament for the law. It is generally considered to be the first five books of the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. However, Torah is also used by some rabbis to refer to the entire Old Testament, and still others use it to refer to additional laws and teachings, also known as Rabbinical Law, or Oral Law and Traditions. Outside orthodox Jewish circles, the first five books of the Bible are more commonly known as the Pentateuch, a Greek word meaning “five scrolls.” The Torah laws or teachings are also commonly referred to in Christian circles as the “law of Moses” since they contain the laws given by God through Moses, and since the Bible itself refers to Torah this way twenty-one times, including twice by Jesus Christ (Luke 24:44; John 7:23). These five books are a part of the inspired Word of God, and they should be studied and revered by all Christians, right along with the rest of God’s Word.
I have found, however, that those who claim to be teachers of the Torah are more often than not so orthodox in their understanding and presentation of God’s Word that they give much more emphasis to obedience to God through Old Covenant outward practice than to New Covenant life in the Spirit from the inner man. Many of the Torah teachers are, in fact, Judaizers, insisting that the problem with the New Covenant church is that we have neglected to continue in the Jewish tradition of studying Mosaic Law, including practicing the feasts. This claim is certainly not supported by our Lord, neither by any of the apostles, not the least of whom is the apostle Paul – one who was “a Hebrew of the Hebrews,” “a Pharisee of Pharisees.” As the apostle chosen to receive the mystery revelation of salvation by grace through faith, he realized that the giving and reciting of the law was only God’s earliest form of illustrating Himself to mankind. Paul clearly explains why we should no longer try to live by the written Mosaic Law. Nevertheless, traditional Torah teachers inevitably try to explain his argument away time and time again; and others just like them have a long history of killing the prophets, and resisting the Holy Spirit. It should come as no surprise that they twist Paul’s inspired writings to mean what they want them to say (II Peter 3:14-18).
About the question of the authenticity of Paul’s teaching:
Everything that the apostle Paul taught is supported by the Spirit of God throughout the whole Bible. It is reinforced by God’s divine plan from the beginning – to deal with man on a progressive walk toward spiritual maturity, from law to grace; from a stony heart to a heart of flesh; from a natural man to a spiritual man; from types and shadows to reality; from only a part to the whole.
Also, when we consider the arguments of the Judaizers against the words of the apostle Paul, we must ask them what their credentials are that they should supersede Paul’s apostleship and appointment by Jesus Christ (with witnesses). Paul had these same kinds of false apostles seek to steal God’s life and truth out of the church at Corinth nearly 2,000 years ago. This is nothing new. There are many, many people who speak Hebrew and who love the Jews and the inheritance of the Jews through God; but does this give them authority to take Paul’s teaching out of context, to explain it away, or to say that it is full of "loopholes"? There are several places in First and Second Corinthians where Paul writes in defense of his apostleship. If you are in the valley of decision concerning whom you should believe, please note Paul’s testimony in this passage: “Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool – I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers...” (I Cor. 11:22-25). There is much more, but I hope you get the picture from this brief introduction of the proof of his calling.
The fault does not lie with the Torah, but with many who claim to be Torah teachers.
I do not wish to belittle this valuable portion of the Bible that you may choose to call by its Hebrew name, Torah. It is a magnificent tapestry illustrating perfect creation, the fall of man, and God’s love-redemption promise and plan; and much more than just listing God’s civil, holy, and ceremonial laws, it also speaks of God’s righteous ways among men – giving us an initial glimpse of His infinitely grand and glorious nature. This part of the Biblical record begins unfolding God’s heavenly ways to earthly men. Here we see God’s perfect state-of-being, and man’s utter depravity. It tells the origin of spiritual death for all men through one man, Adam; and it foretells of the promise God gave to revive us through another Man who was yet to be revealed, His Messiah. The Torah radiates with the colorful story of Abraham and of his family, including the marvelous accounts of Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Esau, and finally of Joseph as the right hand of the Pharaoh of Egypt. This one-of-a-kind testament then blossoms as Abraham’s family becomes a nation born out of the “loins” of faith, through whom the Savior of natural Israel, and indeed the whole world, would come. There is so much to be gained through an ongoing study of these first five books of the Bible.
It is important for the New Covenant believer to remember, however, that regardless of the colorful drama and rich initial revelation of God found in the Torah, it demonstrates only the beginning method of God’s progressive cooperation in His redemptive work among men. It records truths that will never change and that should always be recalled; but it is at the end of the Bible where we find God’s full cooperation working in and through us through His Son. Through Moses’ revelation, God pointed the way to the end and the revelation of Jesus Christ – the One who completely fulfilled Torah and more besides. This was something that no one else could ever hope to do; and as a result, now we, too, can fulfill Torah, and more besides, by His life lived through us!
There is absolutely nothing in Torah that is not in the Spirit of God; but there is the whole Person of God in His Spirit, which is only partially revealed in Torah!
Far beyond what Torah has to offer, the New Testament presents the opportunity for men to enter into a relationship with God reserved from that moment to the end – a time when men and women, boys and girls everywhere would be enabled to take on the very nature of God Himself, equipping them to live God’s life by His personal residing within them. This is something the Torah in all its splendor could not do then, and cannot do now. As beautiful and as intriguing as it is, it contains only a rough, primitive sketch of who God really is and of what He expects of us; there is nothing there that enables any man to live out God’s life in its completeness. Much closer than the manner in the Old Covenant whereby men lived a great distance from God through Moses, the New Covenant came through God’s own Son, Jesus Christ. He is the One who ushered in the long-awaited time when men were invited to draw near to God for personal interaction leading to a changed life and spiritual maturity. Nothing but a work of grace by faith in Jesus Christ can possibly provide for new life whereby we can attain to the full measure of His stature – not even Torah, and certainly not Torah teachers. Again, the whole Old Covenant showed us of our desperate need for God’s Son. Now that He has come, we may live out His life in full obedience to all that was put forth through the Law of Moses, and so much more! Rather than simply observing God’s laws written on stones, and depicted through ceremonies and ordinances which were a shadow of the true, we are invited to live out His life by His laws written on our hearts! This is the Holy Spirit of God in us! Even though we are still called to walk in His righteousness, and to remember the former ways or “ancient paths,” we can only do so by living in the way (path) of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. It is through this “new and living way” that the inner man is brought far beyond ordinances and ceremonies which only represent “types of the true.”
Again, the problem that arises when studying Torah usually originates with the Torah teacher. More often than not, Torah teachers end up turning the new man back to the earliest stage of his forefathers’ relationship with God. They give very little credit to the current and finishing stage of God’s progressive development in us by His Spirit. This may happen because some of these teachers have not had an encounter with God’s Spirit themselves, so they understand Him only as the Bible illustrated Him in the beginning. Other times, they may simply refuse to live a life that is responsible to God’s Spirit; thus they seek to justify themselves by going back through the motions of outward demonstrations of godliness. As long as they can relish in the glory of the Old, justifying themselves by themselves, they will deny the glory of the New, where we are justified by Christ alone and continually sanctified by His Spirit – whose glory we are.
Beware of them; and beware that you do not find so much joy in their “letter” that you abandon the “Spirit” with His desire and unique ability to mature you as a new man! Notice II Cor. 3:6-8:
“...who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?”