David
Said:
I see you countering those who are lawless, those who use grace to excuse sin. I'm in agreement with you concerning this.
Slade
Says:
Good. I am also trying to refute those who believe that the will of God outlined in the Old Testament is somehow beneath them... that they don't have to do any of that because they are somehow higher or spiritually superior.
David said:
Nevertheless, the handwriting of ordinances is not the answer. I do have some concern that you don't understand the letter to the Galatians, but I'm not sure because you write into the air so-to-speak, rather than directing it toward what you are hearing.
Slade
Says:
Fair enough, Dave. Maybe I am being a bit too matter-of-fact with this thing. Please forgive me. I appreciate what you've said about Galatians, but I've studied that book more than any other book of the New Testament (with the possible exception to Revelation) because I get it shoved in my face all the time. However, since you’ve mentioned Colossians, I guess we’ll start there. I would like to give you my understanding of the Handwriting of Ordinances you mentioned and see if it jives with your understanding.
When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He [Abba] made you alive together with Him [Yeshua], having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the <certificate of debt consisting of decrees> (KJV: handwriting of ordinances) against us, which was hostile to us; and He [Abba] has taken it [the certificate of debt] out of the way, having nailed it [the certificate of debt] to the cross. When He [Abba] had disarmed the rulers and authorities; He [Abba] made a public display of them [the rulers and authorities], having triumphed over them [the rulers and authorities] through Him [Yeshua]. (Col 2:13-15)
What was nailed to the
tree? Whatever it was, it is an IT not a THEM. Do you see that? It is a singular
entity: the certificate of debt — not the commandments (plural) of YHVH. The
certificate of debt is the “proof” (so to speak) that you deserve torment in the
Lake of Fire and that gets nailed to the tree. That’s my understanding of the
passage.
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 shadow of what is to come, the body of Christ. (Colossians 2:16-17)
How should we be not be judging? Most people say that they can choose whatever day for Shabbat they want and we cannot judge. That’s not how I receive this passage. I would like to give you an example of how I apply this passage.
A woman who went to our congregation in Williams Bay, Wisconsin thinks the Mishnah is as authoritative as the whole of Scripture. As such, she started joyfully taking on all the oral traditions passed down through the ages. This included lighting the Shabbat candles 24 minutes before sundown, always having two loaves of Challah, never mixing dairy and meat in the same meal, saying all the traditional prayers (in what I call hillbilly Hebrew… quite painful to listen to). She believes with all her heart this needs to be done in order to be fully obedient to YHVH… whom she calls Hashem, Adonai, or G-d.
Were she to come to me and say that I have to do all the prescribed Rabbinical Shabbat traditions in order to properly separate the Shabbat from every other day, I would throw Colossians 2:16-17 in her face because she is not to judge me in how I keep Shabbat because I DO keep Shabbat, but I do it my way. I still obey the six Biblical rules for Shabbat and if I do anything else its because I have adopted my own traditions and I know they are simply traditions and not Scripture (i.e., the Shabbat nap).
Likewise, I will not tell a person who wants to be a vegetarian that they must eat meat. The vegetarian and I both must realize that all food considered clean are good to be eaten or we could choose not to eat them.
Meanwhile, Paul was writing to a group of converts who were being told by a bunch on unbelievers that they didn’t have to do the feasts days as outlined in the Tanakh. It’s just like here on TruthTalk where we have people like Glenn claiming that the feasts and the Shabbat are done away with — JUST LIKE IN COLOSSAE. The parallel is almost eerie.
As a side note, all the festivals of YHVH are “things which are a shadow of what is to come,” but a better way to translate that passage in Modern English is: “which are a shadow of things coming and the Body of Messiah.” This phrase parallels the shadow and the body of Messiah as one and the same. Do away with one and you do away with the other. Look to the Greek and verify using Strong’s and B.A.G. (page 170, column 2) and see it for yourself.
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 [referring to the elementary principles of the world]? 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 [again speaking of the elementary principles of the world]. Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things [the elementary principles of the world] that are on earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. (Colossians 2:20-3:4)
This passage seems to cause a bit of confusion as well because we don’t think it through logically. It’s easy for the Antinomian to misconstrue the words of Paul to say that we are now above the Law of Moses, when it is the elementary principles of the world that are above. Manmade religious practices, manmade dos and don’ts are all stupid if they contradict Scripture. Christmas and Easter, for instance, are but two examples of “elemental principles of the world.” (Show me either one of them in Scripture and I will back down from this one, guys.)
The passage above makes a very interesting twist. It says, “keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God” Do you know what else is there at the right hand of YHVH? Before I answer this, let me preface it by reminding you that when Moshe was foreman on the Mishkan/Tabernacle Project, he was told to be very careful to make sure it looked like what he saw on the mountain. Do you remember that? Well, look at this interesting verse:
It came about, when Moshe finished writing the words of this Torah in a book until they were complete, that Moshe commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying, Take this book of the Torah and place it beside the ark of the covenant of YHVH your God, that it may remain there as a witness against you. For I know your rebellion and your stubbornness; behold, while I am still alive with you today, you have been rebellious against YHVH; how much more, then, after my death? (Devarim/Deuteronomy 31:24-27)
Now check this verse out (The Deuteronomy 31 passage and this next verse is specifically for you, Glenn. Are you paying attention?
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things that were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15)
The Mercy Seat represents the Great Throne and next to the throne and next to the mercy seat is the written copy of the Torah... the Word of YHVH. All deeds are judged according to what is written in the books (plural) of Torah, but your salvation is determined by another book… the Book of Life.
Yeshua/Jesus is the Word of YHVH made flesh. That Word is seated at the right hand of the Father. The Torah was placed next to the Mercy Seat while the sons of Yisrael were on the opposite side of the Jordan. Do away with the Torah, make it inconsequential in how you determine holiness and obedience to God, and you make the blood of Yeshua of none effect.
Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision" by the so-called "Circumcision," which is performed in the flesh by human hands -- remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now, in Christ Jesus, you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ [you are grafted into the rich root]. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups [the former Gentiles and the Israelites] into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man [Yeshua/Jesus the new Adam/Man], thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. (Ephesians 2:11-18)
This is a description of how the wall dividing Israelites ad the Gentiles was brought down in early years of the Followers of The Way. Through death in the flesh, the believer is made free to follow the teachings of the Bible with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Until death to the flesh occurs, there will be little or no empowerment from the Spirit. The death of Yeshua brings unity for all people because they all will be empowered by the same Spirit through the plan of redemption. (cf. Der Epheserbrief, J. Gnilka, 1982). For those who are not blood Israeli, you should take great love in this passage because it assures you that you will not be considered a second-class citizen in the Kingdom. You will have access to the birthright as an adopted child with the same exact rights and privileges as the firstborn child. No longer will the former gentiles be called dogs, unclean, or common. This kind of enmity, these kinds of manmade ordinances will all be lost.
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22)
I love the hidden meaning in this passage. Let me show it to you. (I’m sure Pastor Glenn has already seen this, though, so please don’t be too bored with me, sir.) If I may be so bold, I will paraphrase the middle portion of the text for you so you can see it in its glory: having been built on the foundation of the Apostles [New Testament Writings] and the prophets [the books of Joshua thru Malachi], Christ Jesus Himself [The Torah, i.e. Genesis thru Deuteronomy] being the cornerstone.
Isn’t that cool?
I think I’ve said enough. It seems like I’ve worked on this all night long. Am I being too ambiguous still?
-- slade
