Is it a Mitsvah for Christians to fulfill the Torah?

Blogger Judah of Kineti L’Tziyon got a lot of comments on his question: Is it a sin for Christians to break the Torah.Another way to look at this matter is to ask whether it is regarded as a good deed to fulfill the Torah. Many would say yes of course, it is good. But there’s more to say about it.The most wonderful thing in the whole bible is done by Jesus: the fulfillment of the Torah. He is the Torah in its most beauty. He fulfilled and established and finished the Torah perfectly. In that perspective the Torah is made complete and perfect. It can not be broken again.

Look at the faithfull orthodox Jews. They consider the Chumas (5 books of Moses) which is the textual basis for the Torah, as a holy perfect book without any error and full of divine wisdom were every word and sign is perfect written in. This is confirmed by Jesus: No jot or title shall pass from the Torah. (Matth.5) If these letters are of such a great value, how valuable is the complete Torah of flesh and blood which is become “one of us”? (Hebrews2) One clear look at Him and you will never ever think you can do anything for the sake of the Torah.

When Yeshua said on the cross it is finished, then the main purpose of the Torah was finished namely “to be holy for your God”. Before no one could ever come to God without a sacrifice. But at that time, with the sign of the teared curtain of the temple, anyone could come “through the blood of the Messiah”. The practice of Torah was definitely changed, no “house of God” or temple was needed for the dwelling-place of God. He right on “dwelt among us”.

The Torah is He and us molded together in perfect harmony. That’s what is called peace. Peace from heaven to earth and from earth to heaven. Harmony between God and Man. The fulfillment of the Torah does not depend on mankind. We can’t make the Torah complete.

The main purpose of the Torah is completed in my opinion. Forgiveness of sin, grace, salvation etc. But it is not that everything is ended. The restoration of the chosen people of Israel isn’t ended yet for instance. Every human being with a true faith has a purpose under the law of the Torah, but it is walking the way after Yeshua the Messiah who has made the Torah complete.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Eph.2:10)

So the good works, the mitsvot, we earned it from Him. Who did it in advance. What is a sign of a true disciple? He who walks in His Torah. (as a result) Because then you belong to His mystic body. (Eph.1:23)

This are just a few words of me. Read the apostle Paul to learn more. And forget me ;-)
Shalom to all my fine readers!

Shavuot and the gift

When receiving finally the Torah and the Messiah at the 50th day of the counting of the omer, the light comes into the soul and therefore into the world. How great, how glorious, when you experience the beautiful Torah, i.e. the holiness of G-d, the salvation of the Messiah, all together planted in the heart, how then is the soul rejoicing in happiness and the restoration G-d gives by enabling the soul to walk in the image of G-d by the Messiah. How great is it to see the whole case which is the Messiah who brought salvation to us.

It came directly into the heart.

Shavuot gives us not only the remembrance of the gift onto the Mount Sinai, but also the gift of Yeshua. The former happens into the letter, the latter into the flesh. Both are the revelation of G-d. The second was a more, a greater revelation, as it comes by stages in history. When Yeshua appeared on earth he got the Divine Spirit (by John the Baptist) and then when he passed away and was in heaven, he poured out his Spirit and it came into the heart. So actually G-d spoke directly unto the heart. He didn’t need to write it down in scripture. It was direct spoken. And the power of this divine holy Word made a new being with a new desire and a new voice and a new conscience convinced with truth. That’s why the (Jewish) people (who well known the Torah) started to say “What shall we do?” (Acts2:37) Here came a correction of the diversion of the (written and oral) Torah. And not only a correction, but also a gift of repentance and remission of sins. The Torah was fulfilled here and applied to the heart. This great gift, greater than the gift of Sinai, was given in a special way. The Spirit came down and was seen as tongues of fire upon the people.

The advance of this oral word spoken directly into the heart was considered by Paul as the highest benefit, for G-d speaks now directly to us. Nobody could hear the words of G-d at Sinai except Moses. But now his people will hear the word of life. They who deserved dead, received life! This word make “dead to sin but alive because of Christ.” (Ro.6:1-14) This word of life was received directly and plainly from the highest Authority, therefore Paul was been cautious to write a letter to the Corinthians. At first sight he doesn’t want to do it. Read this:

Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? or need we, as do some, epistles of commendation to you or from you? Ye are our epistle, written in our hearts, known and read of all men; being made manifest that ye are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in tables [that are] hearts of flesh. (2Co.3:1-3)

Paul was ministering the word but not (again) with an own written word and confessions. G-d wrote the epistles into the heart.

The Word of our Father, revealed by Yeshua

But we don’t see it. (John1:5) And I would post an article about? How can I do? All I can do is point to the apostle John, he wrote about it.
 
The Word, the eternal Torah,  was became flesh, was made a human body and it dwelt (tabernacled) among us. (And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. Here came the Word about 2000 years ago in human body. If we want to learn the real Torah, we have to go to Yeshua. It’s certainly not possible to learn Torah without that “grace and truth”. Torah without a divine application isn’t the Torah which it would be by G-d. And how could there be Torah without grace? Torah demands perfect holiness, because otherwise a man cannot live by G-d. And the only satisfaction of a human being can be to fulfill the complete Torah. And that’s what Yeshua did. And more than that, he enters our lives. And in fact here it is the one and only G-d, HaSjem, holy be his name, who came down to earth in the human body. And with him his word, because he is one. Sjema Yisrael. And the point of John the Baptist made great sense, because the Ruach haKodesh came also upon the son. Although the promise was not fulfilled until he said “it is finished” on the famous Pesach. They had to wait by counting the Omer to the 50th day. Until then they received the Torah, a new holy definitive version, full of grace and truth. Not in stone but in flesh. By this a man is purified. And it’s really more then just words.
 
Look again at what John says in chapter 13. When the disciples were taking supper according to the Seder, Yeshua laid aside his garment and began to wash the feet of the disciples. And he said: “Someone who has bathed only needs to have his feet washed, but is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you.” So who is purified here? They were all washed, but one of them wasn’t clean. So you can clean yourself according to the Torah, and that’s good, but it doesn’t consequently affect the heart. Also John the Baptist was baptizing with water, but he knew there was more because he said “he (Yeshua) shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire.”(Matthew 3:11) The real divine Torah doesn’t come without fire. A light applicated personaly.
 
Yeshua spoke about the new Torah on the Seder meal, John 13:31 to John 16. This was the last speech he gave to his disciples. He brought it back to the very base: Love. (13:34) and called it a new Mitswah. (Although it was given before, Lev.19:18) He talked about the house of the Father, which is above. And the way to get there. How do we know the way? Said Thomas. “I am the way” was the answer. Even as the Torah before was (and is) the guide and way to get into the land. He spoke about emoena and the Ruach haKodesh. He said: He who has my mitswoth and keep them, loves me and I shall manifest myself to him. Jehudah asked: “How is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?” (14:22) And here it is: Yeshua answered: “If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” What here is said is the same for an individual as for the people of Israel who received or established the temple as a holy house for HaSjem. There the Torah and the Shechinah resides. And this makes the difference: “He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.” So here we see that the word has been revealed to those who love Yeshua. Certainly rather than to those who are scrutinising the scripture in a scientific way. The Ruach haKodesh will give it to you. (14:26)

In fact Yeshua finished the scripture. Last time I was looking at the Muslims and wondered that they could be proud about their Quran. They simply say Mohammed is the last prophet and he has given the final version of the scripture. If you believe this, you’ll have a good point, it’s a solid base. But when we say Yeshua is the last prophet, we have more. Because he fulfilled everything and is exalted in heaven, and he is even with his holy spirit in our midst. In fact he is G-d with us. He restored the relationship between G-d and man. So we have the Torah completed and applied. And our final place is prepared in heaven. We don’t have to fight for the world, it’s all done. And we even don’t have to fight to win ourselves. Yeshua has done it already. The word of G-d is holy and come to us in a perfect way. We have not only the written text, but we have the Living Word, the letter and the spirit. Those both gives us the real joy and faith in the word of salvation of our Father in heaven.

 Also Peter, arguing how to walk the halacha hakodesh (holy walk/way, 1Pe1:15) brings it back to the very base mitswah: Love. (1Pe.1:22) And then answering the question: what’s the word of G-d, he brings up the prophecy of Isaiah “Comfort, comfort my people” which was fulfilled just in his days. He just quote two verses, (1Pe.1:24-25) but I think he had Isaiah 40:1-20 in mind. The same as John as he began his gospel with quoting vers 3. This prophecy describes the receiving of the Torah, a new one, even as the people of Israel got a new one, a new berith (covenant) after the first tables were broken. I’ll put some verses here:

“The voice of him who cries in the wilderness, Prepare the way of Jehovah, make straight a highway in the desert for our God.” Because HaSjem comes to us with his Messiah. “and the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of Jehovah has spoken” At this time the glory of YHWH and his word shall be revealed not only to Israel, but to the whole world. And then a voice is calling: “All flesh is grass, and all the beauty of it is as the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, because the Spirit of Jehovah blows on it; surely the people is grass. The grass withers, the flower fades; but the Word of our God shall stand forever.” Flesh has to die. Even the Messiah has to die. We all have to die. But there’s more. The Word of our G-d, the Torah of HaSjem will be eternal. When this Torah came to flesh and that human body died, it consequently has to risen up because it has the eternal Life in itself, and it is worked out in the Messiah as promised. “O Zion, who brings good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, who brings good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!” And then a hymn on his almighty power followed. (Is.12-31)

Didn’t you think Yeshua is the Torah itself? And the holy word we have as a anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entered into the holy of holies? (Hebrews6:19)

The Word of G-d

I always thought that the word of G-d was a perfect canonical book given to mankind, which was completed by a historical process and is closed now. But I’ve learned now that it contains textual errors and even traditional presuppositions are traceable in different codex’s. This challenged me to think over again where the reliability of this for me so lovely word, is come from. In this way of learning I realized more and more that the word of G-d has a divine nature besides of its physical existence. In fact the very word of G-d, the Torah, was given after the redemption out of Egypt, on the mount Sinai. This was such a great gift, one cannot see this beauty until the eyes are opened to see the glory of the L-rd who revealed himself in that way. This was the salvation of the people of Israel. All the prophets, scriptures and the psalms are speaking about and mentioning this great happening. The gift they received was not only the direct Word of G-d. It was the way of salvation. Explained by many ceremonials with sacrificing as the main core, beside the ten words. That’s why the Jewish custom is not only looking at the written text, but considers the whole case, the oral tradition inclusive.

What I’m trying to say is not to diminish the written word, but to extend it beyond the physical borders. It’s just more. And we can see it when we go to the second great revelation of HaSjem in the world, the coming of Yeshua the Messiah as the fulfillment of the complete Torah by his sacrifice. It was the light which was in the Word which was G-d himself. This Word became flesh and dwelled among us. (John1) Here we see the word (Torah) in flesh after the first time when it came in text. And the latter is more than the former because it’s a fulfillment of prophecy and the goal all prophets were looking for. Namely: Salvation and restoration of mankind in the true image of G-d.

And now we have witnesses of this case by the so called New Testament or Apostolic Scriptures. This word also belongs to the word of G-d, it is the word of the Messiah, according to Paul as he said: (Col.3:16) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom. My English/Hebrew Brit Hadashah translated the Greek word Logos used here to Torah. And I think you can do that. The complete Torah unveiled by Yeshua unto mankind. And more than that, it’s applied unto his chosen people as HaSjem said by Jeremiah: (31:33) I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts. As a new covenant. And in the Torah itself was already written: (De.30:14) But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it. Other places gives: (where law means Torah) Gal.6:2: The law of the Messiah. Ro.8:2: The law of the spirit of life. Ro.10:4: Messiah is the end of the law. And as you may know, Paul used the Greek word Nomos for law. Without doubt he had Torah in mind. And then, when he spoke about this in verse Ro.7:23 he says “the Torah of my mind”. And here we see that (the living) Torah has come into the heart of the faithful. By Yeshua it was completed. Now Torah has a curse as well as salvation in one heart connected with Yeshua. Without further sacrifice, as He said: “It is finished”. (Jo.19:30)

So this considering, I would say that, in fact, Yeshua closed the scriptures, or closed the Torah in certain sence. I’m not saying that the NT is not inspired canonical scripture, but I’m saying that there’s more than just scripture. You would find, as I do, the holiness of all things in Yeshua, the holy truth. In him everything is holy, even me, picked up from dead, put into life, eternal life and eternal beauty, forever with him, rejoicing in his eternal Torah, his Word. Through his grace and sacrifice I’ll live and it caused me to say with Peter: (1Pe.1:3-4) “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven” for us. Which is Yeshua the Messiah. (8-9) “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.”

And then, what’s the benefit of the scriptures? This is the first, to be converted and saved through the written, but also the living and eternal word of G-d. And this is the Word: (1Pe.1:25) “which by the gospel is preached unto you.” Which is Yeshua, let I say the extended Torah. As is written: (Ps.19:7) “The Torah of YHWH is perfect, converting the soul.”

Heidelberg Catechism based on Torah

The Heidelberg Catechism is based on Torah. This catechism is the most important doctrine of our church. It’s a basement for the right wing of the Dutch protestant churches.

It begins with a, for fellows of Yeshua, so lovely question about the purpose of life: “What’s your only comfort in life and death.” This points directly to the source of all the goods, G’d Himself who is called Love. (1John4:8 ) He enables us through rebirth and faith to obey and love Him with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our might. (Deut.6:5) This soul is put directly into Torah and Yeshua and wants to do according to His word as is written: “But the word is very near to you, in your mouth, and in your heart, that you may do it.” (Deut.30:14) and (as a consequence): “I will delight myself in your commandments, because I love them.” (Ps.119:47) That’s why he, the disciple, answered: “I’m not my own, but belong to my savior Yeshua.” Now I’m not doing works of myself, but with a new desire and a new life I will do the works of the Torah. Because the Torah resides in my heart now. (Jer.31:33) And I have a great desire to fulfill them, but I can’t do it on my own and therefore, baruch HaSjem, He enables me in Yeshua so I can do it. (Faith in yeshua works)

The second Q&A tells us about the three basic themes of the catechism. (Misery, Redemption, and Thankfulness.) The question is: things a believer has to know. The answer is that he has to know three points. These are all according to the Torah. Let’s take a look.

1. First, “How great my sins and misery are.” While the Torah is given as a set of rules and an instruction to live, we’ve become the knowledge of a righteous way of life and also we know when we diverge from it. That’s why Paul said: “I had not known sin, but by Torah.” (Ro.7:7) A similar reading of this part could be: First I have to know the Torah. Actually this part shows that we can’t fulfill Torah, because of sin.

2. Second, “How I may be delivered from all my sins and miseries.” This is obviously explained in Torah. Do teshuva, be part of the covenant by circumcision of the heart (Deut.10:16) and have a sacrifice for sin. All this become through faith. This section describes the salvation through faith in Yeshua. It begins with: “G’d will have his justice satisfied.” (Q&A:12) And explains we can’t do it, while it argued we need a mediator and deliverer, which is Yeshua: the sacrifice where the Torah pointed to. Also the sacraments are explained here.

3. And the third part: “How I shall express my gratitude to G’d for such deliverance.” That’s an interesting one for Messianics :-) Here we find we have to do good works. (Q&A:86) We have to do this because “we may testify our gratitude to G’d for his blessings.” And what are good works? “Only those which proceed from a true faith, are performed according to the law (Torah) of G’d, (Lev.18:4 is referred here) and to his glory; and not such as are founded on our imaginations, or the institutions of men.” (Q&A:91) And then “the law of G’d”, de ten words of the Torah are mentioned and a further explanation of each word. After that they deal with the prayer of Yeshua, Matt.6:9, which shares many with the Shemoneh Esrei.

About Lev.18:4 – אֶת-מִשְׁפָּטַי תַּעֲשׂוּ וְאֶת-חֻקֹּתַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ “Mine ordinances shall ye do, and My statutes shall ye keep.”
While this text is given here, it suggests to observe the whole Torah. But instead, it’s restricted to the ten words. (Q&A:91) Here appears an unclearness. Even though Lev.18:4 is mentioned, the observance is restricted to the 10 commandments. This catechism doesn’t mention about Saturday or Sunday, it just says Shabbat, the day of rest. The intention is to fulfill the Torah so they’ll do it as far as they know at that time and place.

Links: Heidelberg Catechism