In order to properly understand the whole of scripturewe need to put ourselves back into the time of Yeshua and the apostles. Judaism of this time was dominated by the Pharisees. Who or what exactly is a 'Pharisee'? A modern dictionary defines the term : *A member of an ancient Jewish sect that emphasize strict interpretation and observance of the Mosaic law *A hypocritically self-righteous person Western culturecombines these two definitionsinto one person and consider Phariseesto be all'bad guys' and also considers all the beliefs they heldto becompletely wrong as well. It is commonlybelieved thatYeshua taught a different doctrine than the Pharisees, and that heinstructed the people to follow His teachings and not the teaching of the Pharisees. After all, 'Didn't Jesus call them hypocrites, evil, sons of snakes, etc'? Unfortunately, this view is theresult of hundreds of years of anti-Jewish bigotry andis in contrast with the facts of history and of the Bible. It is true that Yeshua did criticize some of the Pharisees for hypocrisy and fortheir creation of'fences' they placed around the Torah which often were/are greater than the commandments themselves. Whatmost fail tounderstand is thatstrong criticism was common between the various factionsof Pharisees and was considered a normal part of discourse; 'fighting among family' if you will.Terms such as'sons of Satan' and'brood of vipers'was not unfamiliar dialogue among religious Jews at that time. The term 'Son of Satan' was used by the disciples of Rabbi Hillel to describe a disciple of Rabbi Shammai (which was just before Yeshua's time) A thing critical to note is that Yeshua never rebuked the Pharisees for teaching Torah correctly, a good example being Matthew 23:23. Here Yeshua says to them, "It's fine if you want to add things to your lives that you feel bring you closer to God." (Tithing on dill and cumin are not required by Torah). But He then says, you should keep what the Torah says is required first, then do these optional things." Yeshua did not tell them to stop doing Torah -- He told them to do it right! Yeshua not only quoted Pharisaic teaching,but He also upheld theirreligious authority. He told the people to obey the Pharisees, as they "sat in Moses' seat," meaning their authority came from God. (Matthew 23:1-3) This centuries old positionheld bythe Church of the Pharisees is thatthe teachings ofYeshua wascompletly different from theirs and there are no moral teachings of the Pharisees which contained any value, especially when compared to those of Yeshua.When we examine some of these teachings of Pharisees ( which predate Yeshua) and compare them with the words of Messiah we will find some interesting parallels:
Teachings of YESHUA (Summaries in italics) Teachings of the Pharisees (Summaries in italics)
The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. - Mark 2:27 Rabbi Jonathan ben Joseph said: For it is holy unto you; I.e., it [the Sabbath] is committed to your hands, not you to its hands. - Talmud: Yoma 85b
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. - Matthew 25:45 One who betrays his fellow, it is as if he has betrayed God. - Tosefta Sh'vuot, ch. 3
Insulting someone is like murder.- Matthew 5:21-22 He who publicly shames his neighbour is as though he shed blood.- Talmud: Bava Mezia 58b
But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. - Matthew 5:28 One who gazes lustfully upon the small finger of a married woman, it is as if he has committed adultery with her.- Kallah, Ch. 1
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. - Matthew 5:45 Rabbi Abbahu said: The day when rain fails is greater than [the day of] the Revival of the Dead,for the Revival of the Dead is for the righteous only whereas rain is both for the righteous and for the wicked - Talmud: <NOBR>Taanit 7a</NOBR>
Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. - Matthew 6:1 In the case of the recital of the Shema"™, since everybody else recites, and he also recites, it does not look like showing off on his part; but in the case of the month of Ab, since everybody else does work and he does no work, it looks like showing off.- Talmud: Berachot 17b
But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth. - Matthew 6:3 What kind of charity is that which delivers a man from an unnatural death? When a man gives without knowing to whom he gives. and the beggar receives without knowing from whom he receives. - Talmud: <NOBR>Bava Batra 10a - 10b</NOBR>
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.- <NOBR>Matthew 6:7</NOBR> If one draws out his prayer and expects therefore its fulfilment, he will in the end suffer vexation of heart, as it says, Hope deferred maketh the heart sick. - Talmud: Berachot 55a
Do not worry about where your food will come from tomorrow, or your drink. - Matthew 6:25-31 Rabbi Eliezer the Great declares: Whoever has a piece of bread in his basket and Says. "˜What shall I eat tomorrow?"™ belongs only to them who are little in faith. - Talmud: Sotah 48b
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. - Matthew 6:34 A parable: [They were] like a man who was kept in prison and people told him: To-morrow, they will release you from the prison and give you plenty of money. And he answered them: I pray of you, let me go free today and I shall ask nothing more! - Talmud: Berachot 9b
Let your Yes be Yes and your No be No. - Matthew 5:34-37 A righteous yes is a Yes; a righteous no is No. - Talmud: Bava Batra 49b
At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. - Matthew 11:25 Rabbi Johanan said: Since the Temple was destroyed, prophecy has been taken from prophets and given to fools and children. - Talmud: <NOBR>Bava Batra 12b</NOBR>
And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. - Matthew 5:29-30 Come and hear what was taught: Rabbi Tarfon said, "˜If his hand touched the membrum let his hand be cut off upon his belly"™. "˜But"™, they said to him, "˜would not his belly be split"™? "˜It is preferable"™, he replied, "˜that his belly shall be split rather than that he should go down into the pit of destruction"™. - Talmud: Niddah 13b
But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. - Matthew 23:8 Shemaiah used to say: love work, hate acting the superior, and do not bring thyself to the knowledge of the ruling authority. - Mishnah: Avot 1:10
Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. - Matthew 24:44 Even as R. Zera, who, whenever he chanced upon scholars engaged thereon [I.e., in calculating the time of the Messiah's coming], would say to them: I beg of you, do not postpone it, for it has been taught: Three come unawares: Messiah, a found article and a scorpion. - Talmud: Sanhedrin 97a
Yeshua taught in a parable that they can please the king (God) by pleasing one another. - Matthew 25:40
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. - Matthew 25:40 Rabbi simeon said: if three have eaten at one table and have not spoken thereat words of torah, [it is] as if they had eaten sacrifices [offered] to the dead, for [of such persons] it is said, for all tables are full of filthy vomit, [they are] without the All-Present. But, if three have eaten at one table, and have spoken thereat words of torah, [it is] as if they had eaten at the table of the All-Present, blessed be he, as it is said, this is the table before the LORD. - Mishnah: Avot 3:3
Love your enemy. - Matthew 5:43
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; - Matthew 5:43 They who are insulted but insult not back; who hear themselves reproached but answer not; who serve out of love and rejoice in their affliction--of them it is written in Scripture: They that love God are as the going forth of the sun in its might. - Talmud: Yoma 23a, Gitin 36b, Shabat 88b
Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. - Matthew 5:23-24 If a man said, "I will sin and repent, and sin again and repent", he will be given no chance to repent. [If he said,] "I will sin and the Day of Atonement will effect atonement", then the Day of Atonement effects no atonement. For transgressions that are between man and God the Day of Atonement effects atonement, but for transgressions that are between a man and his fellow the Day of Atonement effects atonement only if he has appeased his fellow - Mishnah: Yoma 8:9 So what exactly am I trying to say? It is just this: Yeshua did not come to do away with an 'old religion of bondage' in order to bring to us a new 'superior' religion. As evidenced by these Pharisaical teachings, what have always been thought to be unique teachings in the 'New Testament' are understandings already gleaned from the 'Old Testament'. The Laws of G-d have not changed and what Hewants of men ( in their innermost heart) has not changed andthe proper motivations for obeying the Law have not changed. G-d has always expected His children to obey His commandments becuase they love him and so want to please him, from Genesis to Revelation. What did change (and this is what the New Covenant is) is the location of the Torah. Rather than being external,it hasbecame internal with the giving of Ruach haKodesh. Rather than battling the flesh in our own power we have (since Shavuot/Pentecost) the indwelling Spirit to aid us in our fleshly battles and tohelp us to not sin This is the essence of the New Covenant; the unmerited remittance of our sins (Grace)which frees us from the curse of spiritual death and estrangement from Abba and not a new set of rules but instead the same rules written in the heart of every believer (super powered by the indwelling Spirit that we may more enabled to obey the Torah in our hearts) Shalom
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"Blessed is He who Comes in The Name of The Lord"
Bro Alex; Thanks for the insight and info. So many build their gospel and doctrine on the New Testament alone and totally disregard everything written in the law, prophets and psalms concerning Jesus, who he was and is. How he fulfilled prophecy. The types and shadows seen in the Old Testament are disallowed in interpretation of the New Testament and its true message. Based upon these facts, one would be lead to believe that New Testament Christianity is a new religion, totally separate and unattached to the Old Testament.
A mystery to me is how and why do those who are so against bringing anything forward from the Old Testament and using it as doctrine, fail to understand that Matt, Mark, Luke, and John are not New Testament writtings. Christ had not died and the Law was still in effect inevery way and ritual,until The Acts of The Apostles. The Lamb of God was still alive. His blood that was required for remission had not been spilled. The Promise of The Father was not yet given. Yet those who oppose anything that appears remotely to have been under Moses Law is rejected as not pertainant to our day and time, will try to prove, their "New Testament" doctrine from the four gospels. Even to the extent of saying that "The Gospel", in a nutshell is found in a scripture that is taken from the backside of Calvary, before Christ sacrifice was paid.
I am convinced that most Christians don't believe that the bible is Gods word or they would be living by every word instead of just excepting those passages that suit their personal opinions.
Did Jesus Start Another Religion ?
This is the essence of the New Covenant; the unmerited remittance of our sins (Grace)which frees us from the curse of spiritual death and estrangement from Abba and not a new set of rules but instead the same rules written in the heart of every believer (super powered by the indwelling Spirit that we may more enabled to obey the Torah in our hearts)
