What does it mean to be "under the Law?" For two thousand years the battle cry of those who profess a love for Messiah, yet deny His words has been, ""We are no longer under the law, but under grace." Millions, for hundreds of years have proclaimed this to be truth. Since Adam, man has turned away from the word of the Father. There are only three kinds of people in the world. 1. Those who disobey the Father because they deny His existence. 2 .Those who disobey Him and do it in His Name. 3. Those who claim His Name and obey His word. It is quiet clear that no matter what time you live in, disobedience is rampant. With it come chaos and moral decay. At least in the time of the Judges and David, the people would realize that they had turned from the Father and would repent every once in awhile. Today however, mainstream christianity teaches that the death of Yeshua put an end to the need for us to live the word (we are not under law). So we all stand by and watch as our society crumbles, having the peace of mind that it is not our fault. I hope to change the perception that we are not bound by Torah. The phrase "under the law" has a background and a definition in the "old testament" and it is very important in understanding its use in the "new testament." Yeshua, Paul, and every other writer of the "new testament" would have used the concept of "law" in the framework of its previously established use. This word or the idea of being under law was not created in a vacuum. Paul spent a lot of time trying to make this understood as there seems to be a very fine line between obedience and what we call legalism. Paul's desire was that Jew and Gentile alike live in the abundant Grace of the Father, but he also stressed a walk of obedience in the newfound life in Messiah and that these two ideas were not in conflict. Yeshua is the answer to the enmity created by the law between "Jew and Gentile." The phrase "under the law" is found ten times in the "new testament." You should realize that the number ten usually speaks of law or judgment for disobeying the "law" (10 commandments, 10 plagues, the tithe, etc.). Let us first define what is meant by "law." Simply put, if law was evil or bad in the Tanach then it would continue to be understood as evil or bad in the "new testament." If the Fathers laws were understood as righteous and holy in the Tanach, then they would continue to be defined as righteous and holy in the "new testament." This should not only be in harmony with the nature of the Father but also common sense. If the meanings of these words or ideas are constantly changing, then there is no solid rock on which we are to stand. Our Father and His Son are the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8, Mal'akhi 3:6). We find no explanation of "under the law" in the "new testament" because it was already understood! Most of the time we will find modern christian teachers, teaching backwards. Beginning with the last half of the Bible, forming an understanding of its teaching, then reading the front half of the Bible tainted with an idea of what it should say. This type teaching denies the cultural meaning of the text and conforms the Scriptures to the ever changing ideology of the church rather than forming the church around the solid consistent rock of Scripture. When you read the book of Acts, you see that the followers of Yeshua just did not accept any teaching. You can not test an established truth (Tanach) with an entirely new teaching that you do not know to be true and is contrary to the established Truth and find the new teaching to be true over the one that was. The three sections of the Tanach were already accepted and established as the Holy Everlasting Word. The Father had already commanded, and Yeshua confirmed, that a new teaching or claim of Messiahship was to be tested against what the Father had already revealed, not the other way around. Interpreting the Scriptures backwards produces a message that is backwards. You can not justify "new testament" teaching by quoting the "new testament." The English word "law" is translated from the Greek word "nomos". It is very important to see how this word evolved, because the defining of words changes our image and perception of the full meaning of a sentence when it is formed. The translation process from Greek to English has already changed the meaning of law. In Greek society, the concept of law held a positive, honorable, and instructive meaning. When you look at the Tanach, you will see that the law was reverently esteemed. As this word traveled the translation process, it took on a much heavier negative connotation. As early as the 3rd century A.D. the so-called early church fathers had already begun to denigrate this word. Law was already being taught as a product of "the Jews." A heretical character named marcion taught that the entire Tanach should be removed from our pulpits as well as many sections of the "new testament" which put "the law" and "the Jews" into a more positive light, such as the book of Luke and the book of Acts. As the western mind progressed, the concept of law grew more and more negative. The whole Scriptural concept of law and bondage was reversed. Law was taught as bondage, not sin. Certain words and phrases were used to express this bondage. What began in the Word as light, life, righteousness, the way, the walk, truth, goodness, and holiness, soon became disdained, loathed, and despised. The law has become the enemy. Law is no longer seen as good and righteous but is seen as nothing but fear and punishment. This is because the scriptural concept of law has been so twisted and redefined that it is almost unrecognizable. At the beginning of the gospel of John you will see that all things came into being by the Word of the Father and in that Word all things have life. You can find this Truth confirmed all through the Scriptures. The word is life in Deuteronomy 32:46. The Word is light in Psalm 119:105. The Word is the way in Psalm 119:9. The Word is righteousness in Deuteronomy 6:25 and Romans 6:19. The Word is wisdom in Proverbs 4:5. The word is Truth in Psalm 119:142. Hebrews 1:3 says all things are upheld by the word. The Word is a general term to describe what is spoken and written down. An essential part of the Word is commands, ordinances, statutes, and laws. These are generally placed under the term (laws). The word law is translated from the Greek word "nomos" which comes from the predecessor Torah. Torah however does not mean law as we know it. It means teaching or instruction. Torah is another general term that refers to all teaching. Contained within Torah are commands. These are commands from the Father to His creation. Teaching, instructions, and commands are given by the Father to creation for its welfare and good. The very laws that brought all creation into existence are also to sustain it, whether it is man or beast, so to speak. The Scriptures begin with laws or commands. ". . . let there be light . . . let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters . . . let the earth bring forth vegetation . . . let there be lights . . . let us make man . . ." These commands brought forth all of His creation. This is the beginning of the Fathers Torah or instructions to creation. He placed within living things the ability to reproduce or multiply after itself, including humankind. He continues to give instructions to His creation after they are created to sustain His original commands. Adam, the first man, is created by laws or commands and is then given instructions. "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it . . . of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat . . ." Why did the Father tell Adam not to eat of this tree? Because you are what you eat? Disobedience will result in a separation from Dad, and man will be accountable to choose between good and evil, and because of his now fallen nature, he will generally choose evil over good. This will bring about the eventual extinction of man. So what does the Father do? He loves man. So, to sustain man, He gives him instructions or laws. Not only for man, but for all of His creation. All of creation is created by Torah and sustained by Torah. All mankind will come from Adam, a fallen creature, sustained only by laws. But how is man reconciled back to the Father if we all break those laws? How could man ever be redeemed? Well, not by the law. Why? Because law, the instructions contained within the Word, were not designed to redeem man, but rather to create, sustain, and prosper man. When Dad's instructions are obeyed, they separate and distinguish the obedient from the disobedient. The instructions in Exodus 19 separate the Fathers people as a peculiar treasure above all other people. In Deuteronomy 30, it prospers and causes long life to those who obey. In Deuteronomy 11, it blesses the obedient and curses the disobedient. All mankind was created by law, and blessed or cursed by it. Since commandments do not redeem man, The Father redeemed him another way. BY GRACE! If man rejects grace, then he is by nature "under the law". All mankind is under law until placed under grace by faith. The Father's teaching and instruction (Torah) produced creation and sustains creation. The grace of the Father through faith redeems man back to Him. His grace redeems man to Him, but will not sustain him unless faith is acted upon through Torah. Torah will sustain man but will not redeem him back to the Father. Two systems with two different functions.

Post edited by: barry, at: 2007/06/05 17:15

:dry:

[b]barry wrote:[/b] [quote]:dry:[/quote] sorry, there were so many long posts today I decided not to read any of them... I'll read this one tomorrow. :)

Great stuff, brother. I had to quote this for truth: [b]barry wrote:[/b] [quote] Most of the time we will find modern christian teachers, teaching backwards. Beginning with the last half of the Bible, forming and understanding of its teaching, then reading the front half of the Bible tainted with an idea of what it should say. This type teaching denies the cultural meaning of the text and conforms the Scriptures to the ever changing ideology of the church rather than forming the church around the solid consistent rock of Scripture.[/quote]

[b]Numbers 15:16 "one teaching and one judgement shall be for you and for the proselyte who sojourns amoug you."[/b]

*clips that verse for his website*