To Call or Not Call on the Name of the LORD

by | Jan 25, 2019 | Podcasts

To Call Or Not Call On The Name Of The LORD

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

What Does it Mean?

What does it truly mean for a would-be disciple of Jesus Christ (ie., Yahoshua Messiah) to call on the Name of the L-rd? Is it simply an utterance whereby the would-be disciple utters or invokes the actual Name or Title of the Divine One? Or is it a fervent prayer whereby the disciple addresses and or ends their petition to the Divine One? Could it be an act of one who is in the midst of some life-changing event calls out to the Divine One to deliver them from or assist them in whatever situation they find themselves in?
Or maybe calling on the Name of the L-RD is something more than that of how we westerners envision calling on the Name of Someone? If so, what does calling on the Name of the L-RD actually look like.

Paul Writes Calling On The Name Of The L-RD

In my opening I read you two-key passages that speak to calling on the Name of the L-RD. For the sake of discussion let’s revisit them briefly.

The Apostle Paul writes to the Assemblies of Messianic disciples in Rome: “For ‘whoever calls on the name of the L-RD (ie., “kurios,” or Master)’ shall be saved” (Rom. 10:13; NKJV).

Master Yahoshua Warns About Calling On His Name

Yet Master warned, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘L-rd, L-rd (ie., “kurios,” or Master),’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘L-rd, L-rd, did we not prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Mat. 7:21-23)

Western Concepts of Calling on the Name

Call On The Name

Christian and Western Concepts of what it means to call on the Name of the L-RD often do not match the Bible’s concept.

Western Concepts of Calling on the Name of someone of importance to us; to utter that person’s name:

  • Prayer
  • Worship
  • In some oration or speech or teaching

Popular Christian Concepts of Calling on the Name

Being raised in the Baptist Church and then transitioning on to charismatic and interdenominational churchianity, calling on the Name of Jesus or God or in general The L-RD, meant:

  • Verbally calling out to Jesus/God/the L-RD
  • Seeking deliverance, healing and salvation
  • In worship
  • The sinner’s prayer
  • Assurances that any who called on The Name would be saved.

Sacred Names Concepts of Calling on the Name

Came upon the Sacred Names movement and they taught that calling on the Name of The L-RD meant uttering the Creator’s and the Son’s Hebrew Names.

A Conflict Regarding Calling on the Name

Everyone cites Romans 10:13, embracing the promise that if they follow theirs or the church’s or some preacher’s concept of what it means to call on the Name of the L-RD will without question result in their irrevocable salvation.

Yet Master states quite emphatically in Matthew 7 that a great many folks who have called upon His Name—so to speak—will be sorely disappointed to hear from Him that He never knew them.

There is indeed a disconnect here. Either Paul is correct or Yeshua is correct? Can both be correct?

Well, we would not question Yeshua’s instructions that not everyone who says L-RD L-RD will enter the Kingdom.

However, we will see that Paul is absolutely correct in his emphatic statement that any who calls on the Name will be saved.

Biblical Concept of Calling on the Name

We must first determine what it means Biblically to call on the Name.

There was a common practice in ancient times of invoking the name of deities for various reasons and purposes. But the practice of invoking the name in those ancient times went a bit further than our Western, churchianity concepts of invoking the name of a deity.

The first century ancients when invoking the name of an Person/entity submitted themselves to that entity’s authority.

Paul Calls on the Name of Caesar

For instance, when invoking Caesar’s name, the Roman national would submit themselves to Caesar’s authority and to the formalities and procedures that Caesar demanded of those who came before him.

We find in Acts 25 where Paul called upon the Name of Caesar when He was arrested over allegations of sedition among the Jews and throughout the world; leading a seditious religious sect (ie., the Nazarenes); desecrating the Temple and violating Jewish Law and crimes against Rome.

“So Paul said, “I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you very well know. For if I am an offender, or have committed anything deserving of death, I do not object to dying; but if there is nothing in these things of which these men accuse me, no one can deliver me to them. I APPEAL TO CAESAR” (vss 10,11; cf. Acts 26:32; NKJV).

It so happens that the same terminology used here related to Paul appealing to Caesar is the same terminology used in “calling upon or calling on the Name of…”

The Greek For Call

To call or appeal upon in ancient Greek texts is the term “epikaleomai,” which in English means to invoke an entity for aid, worship or testimony.

In Paul’s appealing to or calling on Caesar, what was he essentially doing?
He was submitting himself to the authority of Caesar as a Roman citizen for purposes of adjudicating the legal case against him.
Not just Roman authority, but subject to Caesar’s authority.

The Name of Caesar here is crucial—for the Name carries with it more than just a recognized designation for the person.

The Greek For Name

The English term name in ancient Greek texts is the term “onoma,” which in a literal sense points to an entity’s name, but in a figurative sense, points to an entity’s authority or character.

Application of Paul’s Appeal to Caesar

This same mindset applies to would-be believers of Yahoshua Messiah calling upon His Name or upon the Name of our Heavenly Father.
The act of calling on the Name of the Savior or the Creator goes well beyond utterances of their names (which in many cases is not their name but their titles).

Submission to Authority and Obedience

In fact, it would require a complete submission to the Father or Son’s authority and obedience to their instructions and commands.

According to T. Pierce Brown (a prolific and widely read Christian writer and teacher of the 20th century), “calling on the Lord” involves obedience. According to Mr. Brown, calling on the Lord is not simply a verbal recognition of god or some verbal petition to Him (www.apologeticspress.org).

I would ask you to bear in mind that Mr. Brown was a Fundamental/Traditional Christian teacher and writer. I doubt he advocated a Torah-life style.

First Century Understanding of Calling on the Name

We find throughout the New Testament record that first century disciples of Messiah did not simply pray to Yah in an expression of His name (for indeed they did so quite regularly throughout every given day), but more so they served Yah, submitting themselves to His authority through their obedience.

When the writers of the New Testament spoke of calling on the Name of Yeshua Messiah, there was the sense of the would be disciple’s deeds and words being under Messiah’s authority. We see this illustrated in Colossians 3:17:

“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the Name of the Lord (ie., Master) Yahoshua, giving thanks to Yah and the Father by Him” (KJV).

Sadly, most folks are taught that calling upon the Name of God or calling upon the Name of Jesus Christ is simply uttering their titles in prayer, teachings, songs of praise and worship, or in simple conversations that extol the greatness and provision of our God.

Calling on the Name and Lawlessness

But truth be told, this less than judicial explanation of the phrase has gone a long way towards fostering the living of a “lawless” Faith among Christians.

When Christians (or even Hebrew Rooters and Messianics for that matter) are told they only need to utter or reference the Name or Authority of the Lord to be saved and to be a good Christian, absent any life of obedience and repentance, the disciple is then short-changed and not given the crucial information he or she requires in order to lead a true Messiah focused life.

This erroneous understanding of what it means to call upon the Name of the L-RD is part and parcel of the “grace perversion” made popular in the last couple centuries.

What Does Calling on the Name Look Like?

All one needs to do in order to better understand what it truly means to call upon the Name of the Lord is study Acts 2:21-38.

We find in this pivotal passage of New Testament history Peter admonishing the multi-national gathering of Jews attending Shavuot (ie., Pentecost) just after the resurrection of Master Yahoshua.

By this time, the 120 or so disciples who were temporarily residing in Jerusalem as Master had commanded them, had just been immersed in the Ruach HaKodesh (ie., the Holy Spirit) on the Temple Mount and the Shavuot attendees (1,000s) were trying to make sense of what they were witnessing in the behavior of Yahoshua’s disciples (ie., their speaking in tongues).
Peter, filled with the Ruach addresses the crowd, referencing Joel’s prophecy to explain what the crowd was witnessing.

When members of the crowd were convicted in their hearts as a result of the words passionately spoken to them by Peter, they asked of Peter what was required of them to make things right with Yehovah (Act. 2:37). Peter in response to their query provides clear instructions as to what is involved in calling upon the Name of the Lord and reconciling with their Creator:

“…Repent and be baptized everyone one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (2:38; KJV).

In other words, Peter provides a two-part process for members of that multi-national crowd to follow in their efforts at calling on the Name of Yah:

  • Each person needed to repent; and
  • Each person needed to be baptized.

Repentance and Calling on the Name

The issue with repenting, we must keep in mind, is that there’s a lot more involved than simply seeking Father’s forgiveness of one’s sins.
Repentance also involves an abandonment of one’s former life and the taking on of the life of an disciple of Yahoshua Messiah.

Then after repentance is accomplished, the disciple was to be immersed in the Name; that is the authority and obedience of Yahoshua Messiah.

As it turns out, 3,000 souls “called upon the Name of Yahoshua HaMashiyach” in those days.

Salvation and Calling on the Name

Then there’s Romans 10:11-15, Paul addresses with the Roman assembly of Messianic Disciples the issue of salvation for both Jew and Greek. In verse 12, Shaul underscores there being no difference between the Jew and the Greek, “for the same Master over all is rich unto all that call upon Him.”

In the next verse he brings out the famous pronouncement that so many Christians hang their lawless, grace-perverted picture of salvation and living the Christian life on: “For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the L-rd (ie., kurios, the Master) shall be saved” (vs. 13; KJV).

It is in the two-succeeding verses (which by the way we never hear those lawless, grace-perverted folks mention rarely mention) that Shaul gives the prescription and requirements for calling on the Name of the L-rd:

“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?…” (vss. 14,15; KJV).

It is within these two key verses that Paul states the requirements for calling on the Name of the L-rd”:

(1) The would-be disciple must hear the correct teaching of Yah’s Word from a properly called and sent teacher.

(2) The would-be disciple must believe in the resurrected Messiah. Again, belief in the resurrected Messiah is not simply a cognitive understanding or acknowledgment that Yeshua our Messiah was raised from the dead.

Indeed, that is an obvious given. The problem with stopping there is that having a cognitive understanding and acknowledgment of our resurrected Messiah is “the lowest of the lowest hanging fruit.”

Knowing the Father and Calling on the Name

Knowing of Yah as opposed to knowing Yah. Having a right relationship with the Creator of the Universe. Living and walking out one’s Faith.
Father’s Torah is written on one’s heart. For the truth of the matter is that demons believe and they utter the Name of the Father and Son. The big difference between the level of belief that demons have versus the belief that so-called Christians have in Yahoshua’s work and sacrifice is that the demons tremble when this fact is brought to their attention. They react (Jam. 2:19).

Thus, belief when it is truly realized in a disciple, must be accompanied by some behavior.

To the Hebraic mindset, belief and faith are action words.
Therefore, to believe in Yahoshua requires works as the Apostle James pointed out in his epistle, 2:20: “…faith without works is dead…”

Paul’s Conversion and Calling on the Name

And then we find in the 22nd chapter of the Book of Acts where Paul, while traveling to Damascus to arrest Messianic Jews of the Way Movement, is knocked off his horse/mule/donkey, whatever, by our glorified Master. And upon coming to a semblance of senses, while still on the ground, he calls on the Name of the Master (vs. 10). We find in the succeeding verses what that calling on the name of the L-rd truly meant to Paul this particular incident:

(1) He was to get up and go to Damascus (vs. 10).
(2) Upon reaching Damascus, he was to await further instructions from someone who the Master would send him (vs. 10).
(3) He would receive his sight back (vs. 13).
(4) He was to repent (vs. 16). And
(5) he was to be baptized (vs. 16).

Old Testament Concept of Calling on the Name

This concept was not limited to the New Testament saints. We find documented in Genesis 21:33 that Abraham “called on the Name of YHVH, the everlasting God.” What did this call on YHVH entail?

(1) Obedience
(2) Worship
(3) Faithful service. (Bobby Bates, 1979; pg. 5.)

We find in Zephaniah that one’s calling on the Name of the Father was tied to one’s service; specifically tied to one’s obedience:
“For then will I turn to the people a pure language that they may all call upon the Name of the LORD, to serve Him with one consent” (3:9; KJV).

Indeed, calling on the Name of YHVH to the Hebrews of Old required their complete submission to Yah’s will.
In this prophecy, we find the promise of God’s people adopting or returning to their original, pure, clarified or brightened language that they may call (ie., qara, to proclaim or cry out) upon Father’s Name and serve Him with one (ie., echad, that is in unity; oneness) consent (ie., shekem, that is as the place or neck of burdens); more sensibly put, serve Yehovah with singleness of purpose and in one accord.

In Summary and Closing

Bottom line Saints, it’s NOT simply expressing or verbalizing “L-rd, L-rd! (Mat. 7:21) or saying a prayer that includes the names or titles of the Father and or His Son that constitutes true “calling on the Name of the L-rd.” (cf. Act. 9, 22; Rom. 10:13,14). Instead, calling on the Name of the L-RD is doing the will of the Father as Master instructed in Matthew 7.

A Case for Eating Out on the Sabbath or Not

by | Aug 14, 2014 |

A practice that I've begun following of late is incorporating the Michael Rood Chronological Gospels into my regimen of Torah Study. I do this following the Rood Astronomically & Agriculturally Corrected Biblical Hebrew Calendar and looking at the corresponding...

Torah Living 25–Freedom

by | Jul 11, 2014 |

Having observed (to some slight degree) the U.S. holiday of Independance Day this past 4th of July, the concept of "freedom" came to my mind. Indeed, the U.S. celebrates its freedom from British rule every 4th of July and has done so since the year 1776. We all know...

Paul-Emancipator or Subjugator of Women-Part 6 of the Paul and Hebrew Roots Series

by | Jan 18, 2019 | Podcasts

Paul: Emancipator or Subjugator of Women-Part 6 of the Paul and Hebrew Roots Series

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

This is Part 6 of our multi-episodic series on Paul and Hebrew Roots. This installment is entitled: “Paul: Emancipator or Subjugator of Women.”

I Corinthians 14:34, 35, and 1 Timothy 2:11,12 have long challenged my sensibilities and understanding of how women are to be viewed and treated in the Body of Messiah.

Would you allow to read these passages to you once more? I know that I read them in the introduction. But Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 14:34,35:

“Let your women keep silence in the churches (ie., ekklesias): for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.”

And then in 1 Timothy 2:11,12 he writes:

“Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.”

How These Passages Played Out In My Early Years

I grew up in the Southern Baptist Church. During those formative years, I was exposed to the practical manifestation of a plain reading and understanding of these crucial Pauline passages.

Thus women were not permitted to be preachers or ministers, nor were they permitted to hold leadership roles in the church.

Changing Times, But Still Little Improvement

 

Over the last several decades there has been a softening of this tradition and doctrine in the Baptist Church as a whole. However, overall women holding leadership and teaching positions in the Southern Baptist Church are a clear minority. One can only imagine that the number of women holding and exercising leadership positions in the Hebrew Roots/Messianic Communities is as bad, if not worse.

More Women Than Men, But Less Women Leaders

This is all the more interesting to me given what we know of the number of women practicing their Christian and Hebrew Roots Faith today, when compared to their male counterparts.

According to the “Pew Research Center,” in an article they published on March 22, 2016, entitled “The Gender Gap in Religion Around the World:”

Globally, women are more likely to affiliate with a religious faith; women attend more worship services more often than men in predominantly Christian countries (greater than 7% more); more women than men pray daily (greater than 10% more).

I have no data to support the ratio between women to men in our Hebrew Roots/Messianic communities. Nevertheless, according to a March 13, 2014 article entitled “The Rise of the Hebrew Roots Movement,” (a hit piece against our beloved Faith I should note) journalist Menachem Kaiser estimated there were some 200,000 to 300,000 Messianics worldwide at the time he wrote his article. Add to this my personal observations having attended a number of Hebrew Roots and Messianic events, the women in attendance at these events outnumbered the men. Yet I rarely, if ever, saw women leading the proceedings, teaching, or ministering at these events.

More Statistics

But returning to mainstream Christianity for a moment (since there’s a lot more hard data to reference than in Hebrew Roots) in Barna Group’s “The State of pastors 2017: Leading in Complexity,” dated January 26, 2017:

“One of every 11 Protestant pastors is a woman—triple as many as 25-years ago, yet women often lead smaller congregations than men.”

Why The Disparity?

Interestingly, this Barna article suggests the reason for the disparity is due to the unreasonably high expectations western society places on women as a whole to perform in the workplace.

But I would bet you dollars to a doughnut that the real reason (or let’s say the overwhelming reason) for the low numbers of women church leaders in the world today is due to an ancient The misogynistic mindset that has dominated much of the world since the fall, along with a twisted understanding of these two Pauline passages of 1st Corinthians 14 and 1st Timothy 2.

Whose To Blame?

Please bear in mind that I am not laying the blame for the disparity that exists in women to men holding leadership roles in the Body of Messiah/Christ solely on the shoulders of the males that make up the Faiths. The mindset that women should not be in positions of authority in the Body of Christ/Messiah seems to not only rest with a number of men, but with a great many women as well.

Historical Reasons

Christian researchers have determined that long-held misogynistic views and mistreatment of women can be traced back to ancient Greece.

These, and other, misogynistic views and ill-treatments of women found their way into Rabbinic Judaism, and by the close of the Apostolic age, into what we call today Christianity.

Greek Philosophy To Blame?

In fact, it was Socrates (c. 470-399 BCE) who coined the phrase for women being “the weaker sex.” Socrates went so far as to contend that being born a women was a divine punishment. He was quoted as saying, “Do you know anything at all practiced among mankind in which in all these respects the male sex is not far better than the female” (Plato, Timaeus, translated by H.D.P. Lee, Baltimore: Penguin, 1965; 24A-C, 90C, 91A).

Socrates perspectives on women were of course handed down to his equally famous pupil Plato (c. 427-347 BCE), and then on to Aristotle (384-322 BCE). Aristotle, for instance, held that it was barbaric for a Greek man NOT to distinguish between a wife and a slave. And ultimately, according to John Temple Bristow in his book entitled, “What Paul really Said About Women,” “Aristotle laid a lasting philosophical foundation for the notion that females are inferior to males.” Thus it could be thought that he helped formalize the practice of sexual discrimination and inequality. And it was this arm of Greek philosophy that Post-Apostolic Christianity infused into their interpretation and understanding of some of Paul’s writings and teachings regarding women and women’s roles/functions in the Body of Messiah/Christ.

Greek Anti-Women Sentiments Filter Into Christianity

So it seems that this Greek derived, anti-woman mindset infiltrated Christianity and became firmly established in the minds and writings of the so-called Church Fathers and church leaders. Is it so hard then to see how Christianity and even Hebrew Roots to a greater or lesser extent, interpret these rather eye-raising Pauline passages in such an anti-woman fashion?

Problems With Paul’s Writings

A plain read of these passages doesn’t seem to give us much in the way of interpretative wiggle room. Clearly, as it is interpreted, Paul is emphatically instructing the Corinthian Assembly to not allow the women in their midst to speak. And to add insult to injury, so to speak, Paul asserts that the women’s silence was mandated by law.

So I ask you: What imagery and feelings do these passages of I Corinthians and I Timothy stir in you? How do you view Paul in light of what he has written here? Was he a brilliant misogynist? Was he channeling his former Pharisee days when he no doubt managed various local synagogues with a firm hand, ensuring that men and women were separated and women were not allowed to speak or be heard in those supposed hallowed halls?

Or maybe these passages are examples of what Paul’s apostolic colleague Peter described as “hard to be understood” which unfortunately many folks within and without the Body of Messiah—both men and women—”wrest—twist—as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction?”

Questions To Answer

 

A few questions about these passages should naturally haunt the astute student of Scripture:

1. What women is Paul referring to here? The Corinthian Assembly women? Or any women of the assemblies he oversaw?

2. What authority was Paul giving his instructions from? He states quite emphatically that “it is NOT permitted unto them to speak.” Is Paul speaking from his authority as an Apostle or from some other established authority within or without the Body of Messiah?

3. Was it not this same Paul who elsewhere in his writings penned: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” Does this passage not present a conflict to these two passages?

4. Did not Paul claim to have been taught the Gospel of the Kingdom directly from Yahoshua Messiah? Would it seem reasonable then to conclude that Paul received these instructions from Y’shua, who Himself had many female disciples who went on to become leaders in the Body of Messiah. Oh yes.

And 5. Did not Luke throughout portions of his writing, the Book of Acts,as well as Paul in his various epistles, document examples of the mighty works and exploits of a number of Messianic women teachers, preachers, deacons, prayer warriors, assembly leaders, financiers and at least one apostle?

A Dichotomy Exists Here On The Subject of Women Leadership In The Body Of Messiah

So what do we make of any of this—this dichotomy of attitudes towards women in the Body of Messiah by Paul?

In one vane, the Great Apostle to the Gentles asserts that women are to be seen and not heard in the churches—the ekklesias—the assemblies that he established and oversaw—some would go so far as to say the Churches of God as a whole.

And then in another vane he asserts that men and women are equal in Messiah—such that there are no restrictive roles for men and women in assemblies or Churches of God.

Clearly, the dichotomy that exists between these two sentiments is so extreme, unless Paul is indeed schizophrenic or moody in his oversight of the assemblies he established. For one day he’s extolling the greatness of the women leaders of the Body of Messiah who could not have been silent or dependent upon their husband to teach them the Gospel of the Kingdom. Then on another day telling those same women to go sit in a corner and be quiet for a minute.

Was Paul Assigning Subjugated Roles To Women Of The Body?

I recently came across a popular teaching on these passages that was put out by a Sabbath and Feast keeping congregation (ie., I wouldn’t necessarily classify them as Hebrew Roots or Messianic per se). The pastor of the congregation put forth that these Pauline passages requiring women be silent in the assemblies is really about women being restricted to certain roles in the “church.” Those roles, according to the pastor, are basically limited to teaching other women and children, and maybe rare discussions with men who are ignorant of certain aspects of the Faith, just as long as the interaction/discussion is supervised and done in private…or whatever. Furthermore, if the women have any questions about anything that comes out of the church proceedings, the answers to those questions must be given by the women’s’ husbands.

Women Not Being Assigned Subjugated Roles

If one is willing to treat these texts accordingly and in context, one cannot but help see that Paul was in no way addressing roles of women in the Body of Messiah. He didn’t need to. Those roles had already been in operation for years by the time Paul wrote these letters.

In fact, both he and Luke covered those roles in their respective writings: women were knowingly and publicly filling leadership roles in every known area of the Work of the Gospel and in the Body of Messiah.

Contextually Paul Trying To Establish Order

Contextually speaking, Paul was trying to establish order out of chaos in the Corinthian Messianic assembly.

Certain individuals in the assembly were causing disruptions during assembly gatherings and Paul as the assembly’s overseer was trying to establish order in the assembly. Thus Paul, in these passages, was explaining to his readers what Godly behavior in the assembly and during the assembly proceedings looked like.

The Importance Of Godly Wisdom When Examining Paul’s Writings

When dealing with these and other difficult and seeming contradictory passages of Paul, it is imperative that we seek after Godly wisdom. And I fear that maybe this is what’s lacking in our Faith Community these days.

We have no end of men in line anxious to tell us what to believe and follow. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter one bit what these men say about a matter: it’s what Abba has to say about it. For when we possess Godly wisdom, when a matter is put forth to us, we will ultimately through the leading of the Holy Spirit (ie., Father’s Ruach HaKodesh) be able to discern Truth from error, misinformation and even lies.

Regarding True Wisdom that comes only from YHVH, Paul wrote:

“After all, is there anyone who knows the qualities of anyone except his own spirit, within him; and in the same way, nobody knows the qualities of God except the Spirit of God. Now, the Spirit we have received is not the spirit of the world but God’s own Spirit, so that we may understand the lavish gifts God has given us. And these are what we speak of, not in the terms learnt from human philosophy, but in terms learnt from the Spirit, fitting spiritual language to spiritual things. The natural person has no room for the gifts of God’s Spirit; to him they are folly; he cannot recognize them, because their value can be assessed only in the Spirit. The spiritual person, on the other hand, can assess the value of everything, and that person’s value cannot be assessed by anybody else. For who has ever known the mind of the Lord? Who has ever been His adviser? But we are those who have the mind of Christ”—that is the mind of Messiah (1 Cor. 2:11-16; NJB).

A Heart Check Is In Order

So then, what am I saying here? Simply this: as we delve into the eternal riches of Scripture, it is incumbent upon us to first assess the state of our hearts. Again, we keep coming around to aggadah being that central thing that governs our entire walk of Faith. Consequently, it will be the state and location of our hearts that will determine our ability to receive and then walk out Truth.

Secondly, let us lean on the Ruach HaKodesh such that Truth is revealed to us in a meaningful and powerful way. Let us not lean to our own understanding (Pro. 3:5).

Therefore, if our hearts are where they’re supposed to be and we are relying upon the leading and guidance of the Ruach HaKodesh (ie., Yah’s Holy Spirit), then we will find and live out the Truth of the matter, and that includes the Truth about Paul’s views of women in the Faith and in the assemblies.

What Does This Have To Do With Hebrew Roots?

Some of you may be wondering why this subject is so important to Torah Observant Disciples of Yahoshua Messiah? If you’re a man, why should you even care? If you’re a woman and you’re not a member of organized religion or of a church or fellowship or assembly, why should you care?

Well, here’s my thoughts on this.

Understanding what Paul really meant in his more controversial and challenging passages will better help us understand the Gospel message that was given to him by Master Y’shua.

There are women within and without our Faith Community who are being told their role in the Body of Messiah is to only raise and teach their children and mentor younger women. It stands to reason that these precious women of Faith are possibly being duped. Was this seeming silencing of women part of the all inclusive Gospel of the Kingdom message that our Master brought us? Maybe, just maybe, you may be used of YHVH to deliver Truth to someone who is in need of receiving it; someone who needs to be freed from the shackles of religion.

All Hands On Deck!

In the dark days ahead, leading to the End of Days and the Tribulation, we’re going to need every person on deck, so to speak. That means, we’re going to need men, women and children out there in the trenches teaching and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom to a lost and dying world. There won’t be any time for misinformation and doctrinal foolishness. Master expects all of us to be working and exercising the gifts that He has lavishly bestowed upon His Body. We do not have the luxury of allowing modern day Pharisees who are knowingly (or for that matter unknowingly) stuck in the Greek, Stoic, Rabbinic Judaism mindsets of yesteryear to influence our Work in the Gospel of the Kingdom and our individual places in the Body of Messiah. We all have jobs to do and regardless if you’re a man or woman, Father has bestowed upon you gifts and expectations that you will use those gift for the furthering of the Kingdom and the edification of the Body of Messiah.

Women Have An Obligation To Fulfill Their Calling In Messiah

I know some of you out there have been in the Faith for some time, especially those of you who are women. What I have to say to you is: don’t let anyone tell you that you don’t have a ministry in the Body of Messiah because you’re a woman; or you’ve not been in the Faith long enough; or for whatever reason. Your gender in no way affects your call.

My friend, I’m here to tell you today: Get up off your behind and get to stepping. I don’t care if you’re a woman or a man: if you have a call on your life to teach, preach, prophesy, minister, establish or lead a fellowship, start a podcast or YouTube channel, write a book, start or lead a prayer group, what have you—you best gitter done.

The Parable of the Talents

Master gave us the parable of the talents where He described a man who traveled into a far country. And before departing out on His trip, He called in His servants and gave each a certain number of talents (Mat. 25:14-46). And while this man was away conducting His business, His servants went about putting those talents to work, with the exception of one servant who for whatever reason chose to do nothing with the talents given him by his Master.

Upon the servants’ Master’s return, He calls His servants in unto Himself and demands they each give an account of what they did with the talents He gave them. Each servant gave a good report of what they did with the talents that were given to them and how they made those talents increase their Master’s bottom line. However, the one servant who chose to do nothing with the talent given him revealed that he, out of fear and ignorance, hid the talent—adding nothing to his Master’s bottom line.

You know the rest of the story: the servants who put the talents given them to work and produced increases for their Master’s kingdom were rewarded, while the servant who hid the talent given him was sorely punished.

What shall you do with the talents the Master has given you?

Act Now!

What we will find in the next installments of this series is that people in the First Century Body of Messiah did not allow grass to grow underneath them—ESPECIALLY THE WOMEN. The gifts and callings that these great women of Yah received were aggressively put to use and worked during the first century and we are the beneficiaries of their work.

Emancipation Subjugation of Women By Paul

Was Paul an Emancipator or Subjugator of Women in the Body of Messiah?

No, Paul was NOT telling the women of the Corinthian Assembly of Messianic Disciples of Yahoshua to prettily sit off to the side in the Body of Messiah while the men evangelized the world. He wasn’t establishing roles for women, for women had already been filling leadership roles in the Body of Messiah for a few years by the time first-Corinthians was written. Shaul vehemently taught that gender was irrelevant in the Body of Messiah.

 

So what are you gonna do with this essential information? This admonishment?

I’ve said this countless times before and I don’t mind saying it again: It’s all about Him and not one bit about us. None of this is about our comfort zones; our gender; our level of education; our circle of friends; our positions in church hierarchies; our station in life; or our past. For Yahoshua and then Paul employed women from every sector of society to be ministers, preachers, teachers, prophets, administrators, patrons and even apostles. And neither meant for women to be silent or idle.

Indeed, Paul was an emancipator of women in the work of the Gospel and in the Body of Messiah.

May you walk in the power and might of Yah’s Holy Spirit (ie., His Ruach HaKodesh) and may you and your families be well and blessed. I bid you a warm and blessed Shalom.

My Last Word on the Cepher Bible and the Divinity of Yeshua–At Least Till Next Time

by | Jan 4, 2019 | Podcasts

My Last Word on the Cepher Bible and the Divinity of Yeshua-At Least Till Next Time

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

Why Discuss the Cepher Bible Yet Again

So I elected to do a rather quick reiteration–albeit last word on the Cepher Bible and the Divinity of Yeshua. At least, until the issue comes up, let’s just say.
Over the last year or so I’ve received a number of inquiries about my position(s) on the Cepher.

 

The Cepher Bible

The Cepher Bible I feel has some significant problems attached to it that I feel detracts from its accurate usefulness.

Over the last year or so I have received multiple hits on the website by Cepher inquiring minds. 

 

Questions about my thoughts on the Cepher and about Philippians 2:10,11. 

 

But set Christ (ie., Messiah) apart as Lord (ie., Master) in your hearts and always be ready to give an an answer to anyone who asks about the hope you possess. Yet do it with courtesy and respect, keeping a good conscience, so that those who slander your good conduct in Messiah (ie., Christ) may be put to shame when they accuse you (1 Pet. 3:15,16; NET).  

2 Reasons I Don’t Recommend The Cepher Bible

 

Practical usefulness of Cepher is sorely lacking.
 
  • The Cepher is a bulky book. 

 

  • The Bible uses 1611 KJV Elizabethan English. 

 

  • There is an over-emphasis on Hebrew names of people, places and things. 

 

  • The Cepher uses or provides no cross-references. 

 

  • If you don’t have tabs, you could spend an unreasonable amount of time searching for a particular passage. 

 

  • The translators and editors took great liberties in their translation of the text. Philippians 2:11,12 is an prime example of such liberties. 

 

I originally purchased the Bible for its advertised accuracy, which I found was not necessarily there. 

 

The Cepher lacks commentary and references to explain translation, which forces the reader to rely exclusively on the integrity of the Cepher organization. 

 

Positives of the Cepher

 

The Cepher contains the apocryphal OT books, including the books of Jasher, Enoch and Jubilees.

 

The Cepher is a well bound hardback book with quality paper. 

 

It has a handsome appearance.

 

 

My stance on the Divinity of Yeshua Messiah–Is Yeshua and YHVH one and the same Being?

 

I believe that Yeshua Messiah is NOT YHVH. 

 

Yeshua Messiah was and is a Created Being. For me, this does not mean that Yeshua did not pre-exist the creation of the earth and heaven. We know the Angels were existed before the Creation.

Which stands to says also that I do not believe Yeshua is the Illusive Angel of the LORD (YHVH). 

There is no Biblical support for Yeshua being YHVH and such a belief defies Hebraic understanding of the Person of YHVH despite what many in our Faith Community say to the contrary. 

 

Yeshua Himself never described or identified Himself as YHVH, although He did identify Himself as the Messiah and the Son of Yehovah, along with some other titles such as the Bread of Life and the Good Shepherd. 

 

I won’t rehearse fully why I don’t believe Yeshua is YHVH–having done a series on the divinity of Yeshua which you are invited to listen to or read at your leisure. However, here is a quick run-down of some of my reasons: 

 

  • YHVH cannot die.
  • The Creator said Himself that He cannot be tempted.
  • Abba declared that He is the Creator of the Universe and there is none other. He never declared Himself as being Y’shua Messiah.
  • Yeshua said He received His instructions from His Heavenly Father.
  • Our Master prayed to His heavenly Father.
  • Yeshua Messiah never identified Himself as YHVH–the Most important proof.
All alleged scriptural proofs offered by those who hold to YHVH and Yeshua being one and the same Person/Being are shaky at best and are built upon certain placement of punctuation and order of words in the received, sacred texts. 

 

Belief in Y’shua being YHVH/YHWH by anyone in our Faith Community is in no way a relationship impediment. In fact, most of the folks I personally know in our Faith Community believe opposite what I believe. Nevertheless, I respect their belief and understanding of the divinity of Yeshua. 

 

Any further questions on this issue in terms of my personal understanding or belief on this any any other issue I am happy to discuss via email.

 

 

Paul on Aggadah–Part 5 of Paul and Hebrew Roots Series

Paul on Aggadah–Part 5 of Paul and Hebrew Roots Series

by | Dec 28, 2018 | Podcasts

Paul on Aggadah--Part 5 of Paul and Hebrew Roots Series

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

Paul on Aggadah—Part 5 of the Paul and Hebrew Roots Series

Let us quickly recall from Part 4 of this series that Aggadah is that unseen/invisible aspect of our lives that prompts or influences or even controls our behavior; in particular,that inward motivation, zeal, commitment or love that causes us to walk out our Faith in a certain way. In short, aggadah is really more about matters of the heart than anything else.

Conversely, the walk (the behavior) that results from aggadah is that visible/seen aspect of our lives that others can see if they so desire.

The Hebrew Root Word For Aggadah is Agricultural in Nature

Let’s briefly look at the Hebrew Root word for aggadah as it may shed some clarifying light on the wider meaning of the term. The root word from which aggadah derives is Aleph–Gimmel–Dalet–Hey.

As with so many things in our Hebrew Roots Faith, this root form of aggadah has an agricultural meaning attached to it. The root word means something that is ripened and comes to its intended form. Thus when applied to one’s life of Faith, the root form of aggadah has to do with a nascent fruit (maybe best seen as a seed or bud) that ripens and ultimately matures into a ripe fruit.

Another way to look at this thing is that the fruit is the halakhah; the seed is the aggadah.

Aggadah From a Practical Perspective

Practically speaking, aggadah is that thing—be it inspiration; uncompromising love and reverence for the Creator; whatever–that moves us to live righteous, obedient lives. When the heart ain’t feeling right about the Faith, it’s a fair bet that our walk isn’t going to be right either. One will likely live a less than righteous life and be less likely to properly keep the Creator’s instructions as He intended them to be kept. It’s just human nature.

Recall that old, but sage saying: “Home is where the heart is.” I used to think that saying was just about the love of family and home by someone who was for whatever reason separated from their folks. But when we apply this saying to aggadah, then this wise saying adds a whole new dimension to this essential concept.

Aggadah–It’s a Heart Thing

Aggadah and Heart

Having a right heart is at the center of aggadah.

If our hearts desire after that which is not of God—that is, anything that may be carnal, then we invariably will make our homes in that carnal realm, metaphorically speaking. It is only natural for one to behave in accordance to the leading of one’s heart. If our hearts are tuned to holy, pure and righteous things, our behavior will follow suit such that we will be holy, pure and righteous in our behavior.

 

 

If our hearts are tuned to carnality—lust; hatred; idolatry;; adultery; fornication; anger; envy; foolishness and strife just to name a few, our behavior will naturally fall in line with such things. That is, we will behave carnally. Paul described these carnal behaviors as “works of the flesh” (Gal. 5).

If one’s heart is overwhelmingly carnal yet claim he or she claims to be a Torah Observant Believer in Yeshua Messiah, does that mean he or she is incapable of keeping most aspects of Torah (ie., halakhah)? Oh dear God no. We saw this brilliantly exampled by the Pharisees and Scribes of Paul’s day. These individuals went out of their way to keep every rote nuance of the Law (both the written and their oral traditions). Yet, like their wilderness wandering fathers of old, they went through the motions of keeping Torah, but used their Talmud and other ancient writings to get around the spirit of Torah.

Yeshua acknowledged the steadfast obedience of the Pharisees and Scribes to Torah and their traditions in one of His many rebukes of them:

“Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye pay tithe of mint and anise (ie., a medicinal plant) and cumin and all manner of herbs…ye strain at a gnat…ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter…” (Mat. 23:23-26; KJV).

So even Master recognized their discipline to Law-keeping—that is, their halakhah.

Yet Master clearly recognized the inward functioning of their walk in Judaism and he exposed them for what they truly were as men of faith. That is, Master exposed the true nature of their aggadah:

“…Ye have omitted the weightier matters of , judgment, mercy and faith: these ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone. Although you strain at a gnat, ye swallow a camel…within the cups and platters ye clean so well, they are full of extortion and excess…”(Mat. 23:23-26; KJV)

Yeshua likened the Pharisees and Scribes of His day to “whited sepulchres” (ie., whitewashed tombs) which He went on to describe as:

“You look beautiful on the outside but inside you are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you look righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Mat. 23:27,28; NET).

One of the things that the wilderness Hebrews of old lacked in their journey, that caused them continued run-ins with the Creator and Moses, was heart. In describing their great meeting-up with their Deliverer Yehovah at Mount Sinai where they agreed to His proposed covenant in sincerity and reverence (Exo. 19), Father desired for them to possess the same heart they possessed back at Sinai.

“Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever” (Deu. 5:29; NASB)!

Seems that our wilderness wandering Hebrew forefathers had a proper heart at one time during their journey. Something, somewhere along the way, happened, and their hearts became sullied and turned away from their Deliverer.

Can the Heart Be Tamed and Cultured

Can this inward element—the heart—be cultured or trained to love? Revere? To thirst after righteousness? To purpose to live righteously? To live a life worthy to be called a child of the Most High? To desire to be like our Master Yahoshua Messiah in every conceivable way? Can such a heart be cultured or grown or developed.

I think so. Absolutely. But I think more so that there must be a seed within the disciple of Yeshua that purposes to maintain such an inward, insatiable desire for the “weightier matters of the Torah such as justice, mercy, and trust” (Mat. 23:23). There must be a willingness to give one’s self over to the leading of the Holy Spirit (ie., the Ruach HaKodesh) in order to tame and culture his or her heart. There must be that initial resolve to give one’s heart over to God. And from there, I believe, the Spirit of the Living God and the Spirit of Messiah germinates that nascent seed within us that causes us to desire to be and do all that our God requires of us.

Did not our Father promise to write His Torah upon the fleshly tablets of our hearts; so that no one who truly sought to serve Him would be enslaved to sin; such that our hearts and our spirits would be totally in-sync with Yehovah/Yahuah/Yahweh, our Elohim; such that we would not be as the Pharisees adn Scribes described previously.

“But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; after those days, saith YHVH, I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Jer. 31:33; KJV).

“And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh” (Eze. 11:19; KJV).

“Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Messiah, ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart” (2 Cor. 3:3; KJV).

Some will contend that these verses—the foundation of the Renewed Covenant–applies only to the Jews in the End Times of the World to Come. But I fully believe this absolutely applies to those of us today who are disciples of Yeshua Messiah. Paul likened our particular situation as “wild olive tree branches” that have been “graffed in” to the cultivated olive tree of Israel. As wild olive branches that have been engrafted into that cultivated olive tree which is Israel, we become part of that cultivated tree. We receive all the benefits received by the original branches. This comes as a result of the goodness and kindness of our Heavenly Father (Rom. 11:17; 22; KJV).

Aggadah Is Also About Relationship

Relationship is an Essential Element to Aggadah

We must know YHVH as opposed to knowing about YHVH.

For as much as aggadah is about one’s heart in relationship to one’s walk, aggadah is also about relationship. THE relationship. The most important relationship that a human being could ever have on this planet.

 

 

One of the handful of missions our Master fulfilled through His earthly ministry was to re-establish the broken relationship that has existed between the Creator and mankind since the fall.

I said it before, and I’ll say it again: our Hebrew forefathers generally knew of Yehovah/Yahuah/Yahweh, but they did NOT know Yehovah/Yahuah/Yahweh.

It’s one thing to know about a person, but it’s an entirely whole other level and thing to actually know a person. How can one truly be in-sync with the Creator of the Universe if one only knows of their Creator. Only knowing of the Creator leads one to stumble through their life, never truly knowing whether or not they have pleased their God.

After 34-years of marriage and prior to that, a 2-year courtship, I’m still getting to know my wife Hilary. At the beginning of our relationship, I made a ton of mistakes, thinking I knew all I needed to know about her. Truth be told, early on, I knew a lot about her, but I didn’t really know her. I would go out of my way to do things I thought she would appreciate, only to find out later that she really didn’t care for what I did. It wasn’t that she was impossible to please. It was that I was trying to appeal to the woman—the person—that I thought she was in my efforts to please her. Thus I made up in my mind and purposed in my heart to please her in relation to what I knew, or thought I knew, about her. Needless to say, my efforts at pleasing her was often hit and miss. And in those times that I missed pleasing her, I became extremely disappointed and frankly hurt. I often thought that she was just a hard person to please. Truth be told, however, Hilary was not hard to please per se. I had not invested enough effort, energy and time in getting to know her. Thus, when trying to please her, I was more times than not, operating in the dark; operating according to my understanding and conceptions of her.

It wasn’t until a few years ago after blowing it with one of my efforts to please her that I asked her why she was not pleased with my efforts. She told me that she appreciated my efforts to please her, but I failed to to fully understand and learn what things truly pleased her.

Brad Scott makes mention of halakhah and aggadah in relation to the marriage relationship in his teaching on Paul. Scott notes:

One can suggest things to express a man’s love for his wife; but no one can teach a man to love his wife.

Case in point: I knew that Hilary desired that we have frequent times together—sort of like dates. So, I would arrange for us to go to a movie or some type of show. After a while, I noticed that Hilary was not really into these shows and movies. I ultimately learned that she preferred to go for walks together in lovely, natural settings, than to go to a movie. Talk about a lot of wasted, unproductive together time, huh?

I would never learn the truth of what pleases Hilary until I really began to know her, as opposed to knowing about her. Without getting to know her better, as opposed to knowing about her, I would invariably make the same mistakes of not pleasing her, conceivably, for the remainder of our married life together. And frankly, that situation would not bode well for either Hilary or me.

The same thing applies to our relationship with Father and us as individuals. We saw beautifully expressed in the lives of our Hebrew forefathers, both those wandering the Sinai wilderness and those occupying the Land of Promise, how they failed to please the Father in great part because their hearts were not in alignment with the things of Yah, and they never invested the time, energy and effort to personally know the Creator. These knew of Yah, but they did not know Yah.

Yeshua knew Yah better than any Person to have graced this planet; Moses knew Yah on a level described as a friendship (Deu. 34:10); Joshua knew Yah; David knew Yah; the prophets of old knew Yah; the apostles knew Yah. Thus, it was the deep, abiding relationship that existed between each of these great people of God that led to them to successfully and brilliantly walk in the Creator’s ways and perform unbelievable acts through the power and might of Yah’s Spirit operating on and in each of them (aggadah).

The great thing about our Bible is that it gives us example after example of how we are to live out our lives and the relationship that one must have with the Creator if we are to walk in a way that is wholly pleasing to Yehovah/Yahuah/Yahweh. That relationship has and continues to be based entirely upon love. That love in turn causes the would-be disciple of Yeshua Messiah to honor and obey their God with their whole heart, mind and soul (Deu. 6:4; Mat. 22:37). This is halakhah in its truest and purest form.

Aggahdically, the heart of the disciple belongs exclusively to Yehovah/Yahuah/Yahweh; it could never be shared with or owned by the powers of darkness. In fact, disciples of Yeshua reject and turn away from that which is evil and ungodly. From there, an intense and personal relationship develops between the disciple and Yehovah, which leads to the disciple leading a life beyond the norm of all human existence. It’s beyond simply keeping the weekly Sabbaths and the Feasts and not eating port or shellfish. It’s walking out one’s Faith everyday in a way that is pleasing and wholly acceptable to Yehovah/Yahweh/Yahuah.

Paul wrote to the Roman Assembly of Believers in Yeshua Messiah:

“So brothers and sisters, because of God’s mercies, I encourage you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to God. This is your appropriate priestly service” (Rom. 12:1; CEB).

Notice that Paul wasn’t focusing his instruction on demanding that his Roman disciples to keep Torah commands a certain way (ie., halakhah). No. Paul’s focus here was on the newness of life that every disciple of Yeshua Messiah has been called to live out. Continuing on to verse 2 of this same chapter in Romans, Paul states:

“Don’t be conformed to the patterns of this world (halakhah), but be transformed by the renewing of your minds (aggadah) so that you can figure out what God’s will is—what is good and pleasing and mature” (Rom. 12:2; CEB).

When we commit ourselves to being disciples of Yeshua Messiah and we give over our hearts to Yah, and we then fall in love with Yah, our minds are renewed. We see things the way Father sees them. We begin to understand things Father understands. We begin to desire the things Father desires; love the things Father loves; hate and despise the things Father hates and despises; and so much more. We became one with the Father and Yeshua because we have a relationship with the Creator of the Universe. Thus our day to day walk (ie., halakhah) in Messiah has to be positively impacted and influenced.

This is what Paul was trying to get across to both the Jews and the Greeks in his evangelical work; much to the chagrin and rejection of the Judaizers in the midst of the various assemblies he oversaw.

Over Focusing on Halakhah—Diminished Focus on Aggadah

Heart of Stone

The condition of our hearts is what Father is primarily interested in over our walk.

Over the years I’ve seen many people stumble into our Faith Community—our Faith Movement as some would call it—and at the very start of their walk, they are so fixated on the nuts and bolts of Hebrew Roots/Messianic Judaism. And one of the very first question lead-offs they always ask: “How do I?” How do I keep the Shabbat? How do I celebrate the Feasts? Somehow, our Faith community/movement has put forth this image that the only thing that matters is doing. The Faith Movement/Community has become known only for its keeping of the LAW. Nothing else. Nothing more. I recall when I was member of my high school’s Christian club, we used to sing a popular 70’s Christian Folk song with the resounding refrain: “And they’ll know we are Christians by our love.” Yes, during those days, Christianity was really big on love, unity, joy and peace. And this was the environment in which I began my Christian journey, so to speak.

 

 

Roughly three-decades later I’m introduced to the so-called Hebrew Roots of the Christian Faith, and the very first things I’m told are a must is that I have to start keeping the Sabbath; got to start keeping the Feasts; that I have to obey the food laws. Not once, did I come across any teaching that even remotely suggested that I establish a relationship with the Creator of the Universe; to seek after Him in all my ways; to love Him even more than I love myself or my spouse or my children. It was never suggested that if I failed to establish a relationship with the Almighty at the beginning of my Faith journey, I could hit some really difficult times throughout the course of my walk with Messiah. For it is that relationship, as I mentioned earlier, that brings one’s heart, mind and soul in sync with the Almighty (aggadah) which then leads to a proper walk with Yeshua Messiah (halakhah).

Before one starts out in Faith, there should be a desire to know the ways of the Almighty. Far too many converts to Hebrew Roots/Messianic Judaism, desire instead, to know learn and follow the traditions of Judaism and the Jewish sages. These marry the Faith instead of marrying the Almighty. These fall in love with the Faith instead of falling in love with the Almighty. These obey the Faith and the Faith’s leaders instead of obeying the Almighty. And all too often, these same ones want to tell everyone else how to live and walk out their Faith in accordance to what they end up believing how things are supposed to be. In their zealous quest to lead and teach others the way they believe they should go, these same ones more times than not neglect to convey to their followers the teachings and example of Yeshua Messiah.

Then there are others in our Faith Community whose focus is only Torah—Torah—Torah, sprinkled with the traditions of the sages. These worship Torah as opposed to worshiping the God who gave Torah. Again, you will hardly ever hear mention of Yeshua in their many rants and power-trips aimed at capturing the hearts and minds of the less knowledgeable.

Do these individuals possess aggadah? Are their hearts driving their chosen life’s walk? I believe they do possess aggadah. The difference, I believe, is that their hearts are intricately linked to their religion as opposed to the Creator. They know of the Creator as opposed to knowing the Creator. And this is the sad tragedy of much of our Faith Community. There are way too many of us who know a whole lot about Yehovah/Yahuah/Yahweh, but we don’t know Yehovah/Yahuah/Yahweh.

So you may be asking yourself: Rod, what does any of this have to do with the teachings and writings of the Apostle Paul? Well, all that I’ve been discussing thus far regarding aggadah, has a great deal to do with the teachings and writings of Paul. And it is all that we’ve been discussing that has the Apostle Paul (aka, Shaul), wrongly accused.

Wrongly accused of perpetrating the grace perversion that under-girds much of evangelical and charismatic Christianity today.

Wrongly accused of perpetrating a “lawless” gospel of the kingdom that so many of us in Hebrew Roots and Messianic Judaism struggle to understand and explain.

Wrongly accused of being a liar.

Wrongly accused of not being a true apostle of Yahoshua Messiah.

One of the essential things that we as Torah Observant Believers in Yeshua Messiah must first understand about Paul and his writings and teachings, is Paul’s exceptional understanding and application of the critical balance that must exist between halakhah and aggadah in every believer’s life. Knowing, loving, revering Yah must precede walking in Yah’s ways—walking in Yah’s Torah. If the heart is not properly placed in one’s relationship with the Creator (the aggadhik), then one’s walk (the halakhic) will be compromised.

The walk then becomes all about us instead of becoming all about Him; how it makes us feel; how we appear to others; what we may get out of the deal by walking in such a manner. There is no love of Messiah in this walk; there is no accepting of direction from the Holy Spirit, especially when those directions contradict the direction we desire to go in; there is no true understanding of Truth that comes only from the pages of our Bible and the revelation of the Holy Spirit operating in our lives.

If anyone understood the importance of a proper aggahdic and halahkic life, Paul did. The best example of how not to live out one’s Faith was clearly seen demonstrated in the lives of the Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes. And who were the very ones who gave Paul the most problems throughout all the assemblies he oversaw during his ministry? Yes, the Pharisees. The Judaizers. To these, it was all about being ultra orthodox; keeping the traditions of the sages; even if you were a Gentile convert.

Their negative influence over the various Messianic Assemblies Paul oversaw was so great, that much of Paul’s teachings and writings were devoted to reversing their religious influences on the Body. It wasn’t by any stretch of the imagination that Paul is erroneously and famously seen as being anti-Torah by Evangelical and Charismatic Christianity. The fact of the matter was that Paul was desperately trying to get members of the various assemblies he oversaw to understand that they belonged to Yeshua Messiah. Their example had to be first and foremost Yahoshua Messiah. And if that was too much of a stretch for them to comprehend, Paul encouraged the members to simply imitate him, as he—Paul—was imitating Messiah in every aspect of his life. But before imitation of Messiah could properly take place, there had to first be a renewal of one’s mind and heart; a relationship had to be established between Yah and the disciple. This was the gist of what Paul was trying to convey in much of his teachings and writings.

Examples of Aggadah and Halakhah

I believe I’ve beaten aggadah to death enough for us to now take a step back and look at these two Hebrew concepts from a practical standpoint as we prepare to look at Paul’s teachings and writings in the succeeding installments of this series.

Aggadah and Halakhah: A Dual Concept

We will see illustrated over and over throughout Paul’s teachings and writings that aggadah and halakhah go hand-in-hand. Both halakah and aggadah are important to be practiced together. Unless practiced together, there is an imbalance that can come to bear upon the life of the believer. These are designed to be one! I described this as a dual concept.

Grace and Love

True grace and love are the purest forms of aggadah. When activated in the disciple of Yeshua Messiah, good works result, which is halakah in its purest form. Both halakhah and aggadah in their purest forms come from Yah.

The Apostle John defines who and what a True disciple of Yeshua Messiah is: “One that keeps the commandments of God (halakhah) and who has the witness of Yeshua Messiah (aggadah)” (Rev. 12:17). It’s not choosing Torah over grace: it’s choosing grace first and foremost, and then keeping and walking out Torah.

According to Brad Scott, Grace serves a purpose as does Torah serve a purpose in Father’s grand Plan of Redemption for mankind. No truer words related to this subject has ever been spoken.

The Letter Versus the Spirit of Torah

The letter of the Torah is halakhah. It was first written on stone tablets. Torah is printed today on the pages of our Bibles. Many who come to adopt the Hebrew Roots of the True Faith focus exclusively on the Torah of the printed pages of the Bible. They fear not keeping certain Torah commandments and instructions properly. And this is a real fear among many new converts. This fear has the potential of making or breaking some of those converts.

The spirit of Torah is aggadah—that is, the worship of Yah in Spirit and Truth. It’s the keeping of Torah, not blindly through rote, mechanical obedience to every Torah command and instruction, but keeping Torah in the spirit in which Father intended it be kept.

However, for many, the Greek side of us chooses to keep the letter of Torah as opposed to the spirit of Torah. We must ask ourselves, however, what are we seeking to accomplish in our keeping of Torah? That which is on our heart is seen in the things we do.

On Sabbath, do we simply not work; read our weekly Torah Portions; maybe watch a video or two in order to substitute or replace a holy convocation? Or do we rejoice and worship the God that gave us the Sabbath with our whole being? Do we seek to do something that shows our love for Yah and for our fellow disciples? Instead of watching that video or reading that Torah Portion without fail every Sabbath, do we seek out and establish fellowship with other like-minded believers in Yeshua Messiah so that we share our witness and bless one another, whereby glorifying our Father which is in heaven? I’m not saying one way or the other. I’m simply asking about the Spirit of Keeping the Sabbath Commandment. What does keeping the Sabbath mean to you?

When Yeshua walked and ministered on this earth, He redefined what it meant to keep the Sabbath by healing, fellowshipping and teaching Truth to His disciples on the Sabbath. Yet, the Jewish religious leaders vehemently claimed that He broke the Sabbath commandment. We know that Master did not break the Sabbath at all. In fact, Master showed us how to keep Sabbath to its fullest. Indeed, Master Yeshua kept the Spirit of Torah in respect to the weekly Sabbath.

Paul looks at this thing from the perspective of the one going before the other: the spirit of Torah (aggadah) drives you to the things we can see (halakhah).

I’m going to just put this out there and ask you to think a little on it. Could one of the reasons mainstream Christianity is so hostile towards those of us in Hebrew Roots and Messianic Judaism be that we place almost all our focus on halakhah—that is Torah keeping—while ignoring almost entirely aggadah—that is the heart and relational aspects of our Faith? Think about it: mainstream Christianity sees what it sees of us; that we care only about keeping the Sabbath, the feast days and the food laws. Yet mainstream Christianity fails to see the love we must have for Yehovah/Yahuah/Yahweh and for one another and the fact that we keep Torah because we love our Yah and that we desire to please Him and that it is also the right thing to do.

Another way to view this dual concept, from a Torah perspective, is that love for Yah is aggahdic in nature while love for one’s neighbor is haggahdic in nature.

And here’s the thing that blew me away about this dual concept that I did not consider early one: one concept came before the other. Do you know which came first?

Aggadah came first. Father’s love for His creation preceded His giving of Torah. And that same principle applies to us today. It’s not one or the other. Consider this, the first 4-commandments are aggahdic and the remaining 6 are halahkic. When we do all 10-commandments, we then possess true love.

Brad Scott yet again states that halakhah is the form (the actual walking out of Torah) while aggadah is the function (the inward aspect of our walk that involves the heart and our relationship with the Almighty) of true Torah living. First the function then the form. The form must match the function. Unfortunately, today we are more drawn to the form than the function. Both must be one.

Paul and the Holy Spirit convinced James and the Jerusalem Council that it was important that the Gentile converts first establish a relationship with Yehovah (Acts 15). Thus the Council instructed that only a few rules would be imposed upon the Gentile converts so that they would spend their early time and attention in the Faith on developing a relationship with the Creator. Later on, more instruction would be given to those converts after the relationship had been fully established.

Why have we not adopted this same understanding and practice in our Faith today? Have we not worn down a great many converts to Hebrew Roots by beating into their heads Torah-Torah-Torah at the expense of neglecting the converts’ relationship with their Creator? Just saying.

Brad Scott brilliantly explains the importance of relationship versus the walk through the example of raising children. Scott contends as brand new parents, we develop a relationship with the baby at the beginning of their lives and then once the child gets to an age of understanding, we train and instruct the child on how to live. My friends, the very same principle applies to the newbies of our Faith Community. And this is what Paul so ardently pressed the assembly members and leaders to pay attention to and set aside the overbearing demands of the Judaizers: let’s educate the Gentile converts on the essential elements of Grace and the new life they’ve embarked upon. Then, as the convert matures, train the convert on walking out their Faith consistent with the Spirit of Torah.

Personal Insights Related to Halakhah and Aggadah

Hearkening back to my days as a Coroner administrator who managed roughly 2-dozen death investigators (not at all seeking to blow myself up as we all have interesting and important jobs and careers), when it came to training new investigators, it was easy to introduce and indoctrinate them into the various established investigative techniques, procedures and policies of the craft. It was an entirely different thing to instill into those same recruits an investigator’s mindset and persona: teaching them to be nosy; to know the right questions to ask at the right time; to be suspicious; to know where to look for clues; to have compassion for the people they are serving; to be dedicated to their work and not seek after shortcuts for the sake of getting through their shifts quicker. These are all internal things that must come first and that ultimately drives the recruit to perform those established investigative techniques, procedures and policies of the craft well.

Closing Thoughts and Call to Action

And this is where we’ll conclude our preparatory discussion of the pre-conversion Paul.

Now, we’ve talked extensively about halakhah (the walk; that element of our Faith that is readily seen by others—the actual doing of good works and obedience to the instructions and commands of the Almighty) and aggadah (the inward piece; that element of our Faith that is not seen by others and that drives and moderates our walk—it’s the state of our heart and our relationship with the Almighty).

We’ve seen that it is impossible to properly halakhah—walk out—this Faith of ours the way Father always intended it to be, unless our heart and our relationship with Father is right. The two work together and the way Paul seems to approach this dual concept in most of his teachings and writings is to encourage aggadah be firmly established before the halakhah.

So my call to action for this installment is pretty simple: that we take an honest and complete assessment of ourselves and the health of our Faith in Messiah. Let us ask ourselves with as much honesty and purpose that we can muster: is my heart right with God? Do I actually have a true and healthy—substantive relationship with the Creator of the Universe? And if our assessment turns out to be lacking in one or both these areas, let us get down on our knees and earnestly seek the Face and will of our God.

Forget for the moment whether or not we are keeping Torah perfectly or if we know every nuance of Torah there is to know. Forget what the sages of old and our modern day Torah teachers are instructing or telling us to do in order to be perfect Hebrew Rooters. For the moment, let us stop worrying about how we are going to sort out the relationships we currently have with family, friends and our church affiliations. There will be more than enough time to deal with these issues in the days ahead for Father will graciously order our steps in all areas of our lives.

Instead, let us focus on loving our God; praising and worshiping our God; confessing and repenting from our sins; turning over to our God every aspect of our lives that we have yet to turn over to Him. Let us purpose in our hearts, minds and souls to seek first the kingdom of Yehovah/Yahweh/Yahuah our Elohim. In so doing, Master promised that if we do this first—the aggadah first—then all the remaining stuff will be fulfilled in our lives in the grandest fashion.

Halleluyah!? Halleluyah!

Hey look: I know that some of this stuff that I’ve been talking about to you this morning may not fully resonate with you. Or for that matter, maybe it does resonate with you, but you have questions or concerns that may be hindering your walk with Messiah. That’s okay my beloved friend. It’s more than okay.

Email me your concerns or questions at perceptionwp@gmail.com and let’s work this thing out. Let’s reason together and figure this thing out. For nothing else in life truly matters. Nothing. Yes, keeping Torah is important, but in the end, the only thing that matters is our Father and the relationship we have with Him. Period.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: It’s all about Him; not about us.

And I think we are now ready to actually get into the teachings and writings of Paul, beginning with Part 6 of this installment. I’m not entirely sure where we’ll actually begin in our journey, but I’m looking so forward to it.

A little warning beforehand. We are going to really dig deep into Paul’s teachings and writings. Much of what we will examine are from the inspired text, as well as we will tap extra-biblical resources to get a feel of what may have actually been going on behind the scenes to prompt the Pauline writings in questions.

I’ve stated on more than one occasion on this program that I am not a bible scholar. I don’t have letters before nor after my name. I’m just a Torah Observant Believer in Yeshua Messiah, like most of you, seeking Truth and I’m not afraid to go to the highest heights and deepest valleys to find it. We deserve to know the Truth and not be snookered into denominational and religious gibberish turned doctrine turned bible truth. This has gone on long enough. We live in a world today where information—even Truth—is right at our fingertips if we so choose to grab hold to it. Why not seek Truth now while we still can. Father’s Spirit will provide and lead the way. Just saying.

May I ask you to pray for me as I prepare for these upcoming discussions? I can tell you: it’s not going to be easy and I’m certain I’ll experience some spiritual warfare along the way in my preparations. I truly covet your prayers and your continued support.

So, until next time, may you be most blessed Fellow Saint of the Most High Elohim. Warmest shalom to you and your family. Take care.

The Meaning Behind The Recent Dedication of an Altar in Jerusalem

by | Dec 18, 2018 | Podcasts

The Meaning Behind The Recent Dedication of an Altar in Jerusalem

If you’ve been keeping up with world news of late, you may know (or not) that the resurrected Great Sanhedrin, headquartered in Jerusalem, sanctioned a Levitical offering of a previously sacrificed lamb upon a practice altar somewhere in Jerusalem. (Yes, there really is a reconstituted Sanhedrin in Jerusalem today.) Representatives of the Biblical 70-nations of the world were invited to witness this so-called historical event.

Altar Dedication Jerusalem 1

The recent dedication of this altar in Jerusalem by the reconstituted Sanhedrin is said to be linked to the future building of a 3rd Temple.

An altar had been secretly constructed. Cohenim (Levitical Priests of the line of Aaron) have been selected and trained to perform this and all future sacrifices and offerings on the altar. Furthermore, the implements for performing all the ceremonies of the Temple and altar have been constructed and are ready to go at a moment’s notice.

According to an article published by WorldNetDaily on 12/7/2018, entitled, “Israel’s re-established Sanhedrin to dedicate altar for new Third temple; 70 nations invited:”

“The re-established Jewish Sanhedrin is pushing the envelope on the rebuilding of the Temple next Monday, the last evening of Hanukkah, by consecrating a stone altar and reading of a declaration to all nations intended as an invitation to participate in receiving its blessings – leading to an effort to replace the United Nations with a new, God-centered organization.”

Zev Porat Messianic Jewish Rabbi

Messianic Jewish Rabbi Zev Porat gets to the bottom of the recent dedication of an altar in Jerusalem by the reconstituted Sanhedrin.

According to Messianic Jewish Rabbi Zev Porat, the Sanhedrin wants to set up a new god-centered United Nations (a replacement United Nations) to be headquartered in Jerusalem.

Beyond wanting to set up this nebulous replacement United Nations, what is the Sanhedrin’s true motivation? It is purely financial in nature, as confirmed in a recorded conversation between Rabbi Porat and a member of the Sanhedrin.

In terms of uniting with other people in this and future endeavors, the Sanhedrin suggests that it might be interested in uniting with other Faiths such as Protestant Christianity. The Sanhedrin representative, however, was not willing to comment as to how unification with other nations and Faiths would actually look or how it would work.

After some prodding, Rabbi Perot discovered that the unification is first and foremost financially driven. When pressed by Rabbi Perot, the Sanhedrin representative indicated that his organization was not interested in any dialogue of spiritual significance with Messianics and Christians. In the Sanhedrin’s mind, it’s okay for Messianics and Christians to be a part of such a unification, as long as they follow the lead of the orthodox Jewish Sanhedrin. Otherwise, they are not interested in any true relationship with Messianics and Protestant Christians.

Nevertheless, in putting this staged event on, the Sanhedrin, according to the representative Rabbi Porat spoke to via phone, is primarily interested in raising money for their projects. Those projects supposedly are related to the building of a 3rd Temple.

A lot has come out of this story. Some Christians, Messianic and Orthodox Jews have made special note that this so-called dedication of the altar took place on the last day of Hanukkah. For those of you who are not familiar with the true Hanukkah story, the Maccabean Revolt ultimately resulted in an 8-day purification and then rededication of the previously desecrated temple and altar (mid-2nd century BCE). This desecration was, in my opinion, the first iteration of Daniel’s prophesied Abomination of Desecration. The second iteration of this prophecy in my opinion occurred during Titus’ 68-70 C.E. destruction of the Temple and altar. Consequently, I personally do not believe there’s enough evidence in Scripture to support the building of a 3rd Temple and operation of an altar; at least not before the return of Yahoshua our Messiah. But that’s a discussion for another day.

The point to be recognized, however, in Christians, Messianic and Orthodox Jews making note of the dedication of this altar taking place on the last day of Hanukkah, 2018, is prophetically symbolic and significant. These believe that this event signals the imminent return of Messiah—be it Judaism’s version of Messiah or the imminent return of Yeshua.

One fundamental Christian organization took extreme umbrage over this event, especially citing the event’s funding aspect. The Sanhedrin group that hosted and rain this event, apparently somewhere near the Joppa Gate near the Temple Mount, was soliciting money from those who attended and others who did not attend but may have some interest in seeing a 3rd Temple built on the Temple Mount as soon as possible. This Christian Group calls themselves RISE, their seeming anti-semitic video appearing on YouTube, suggested that unsuspecting Christians are being duped into giving money for the construction of the 3rd Temple for purposes of forcing or ushering in the End Times, the Great Tribulation and the return of Christ. The RISE video also suggested that the Sanhedrin group pushing their financial agenda was playing upon certain Christian perspectives of Dominion Theology (ie., the belief that Christians have the responsibility of ushering in the Kingdom of God and so forth by whatever means necessary—so to speak).

Although I agreed with RISE’s take on this whole event, I was terribly offended by the group’s overt disdain for Hebrew Roots and Messianic Jewish believers. RISE suggested that some of the blame for the Sanhedrin’s misleading agenda related to this event can be laid at the feet of Hebrew Roots. So you can see that it doesn’t take much for our name to be dragged in the mud by our cousins in both Christianity and Judaism.

In a later interview of Rabbi Zev Porat by SkyWatchTV’s Derek Gilbert, I learned that the reconstituted Sanhedrin—at least the group that planned and ran the altar dedication ceremony—does not in any way hold the respect and followership of most of the orthodox Jewish leaders and people in the Land of Israel today. In fact, Rabbi Porat reported that a good number of orthodox Jews residing in the Land of Israel were vehemently opposed to the event. Porat suggested that this extreme division and the Sanhedrin’s unpopularity in the Land of Israel may be the reason the organization kept the event so low key.

Another interesting thing came out of this event. The Sanhedrin announced that a full ceremonial sacrifice of a lamb is planned for this coming Passover, utilizing the newly dedicated altar.

Regardless where you stand on this story, it cannot be denied that there’s a lot to be had here: both politically, prophetically and spiritually. The question that we must ask ourselves, however, is whether we as Torah Observant Believers in Yeshua Messiah, should involve ourselves in such things. I know that some prominent Hebrew Roots/Messianic teachers are falling over one another touting how significant this thing is to our immediate future as believers in Messiah. At least two-Messianic Jewish teachers went so far as to predict that the abomination of desolation spoken about in one of Daniel’s great prophecies and the Great Tribulation may occur in 2019.

Really? Really? Did not our Master emphatically state in His Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24) that no man knows the day nor hour that the end times—the return of Messiah will occur; no, not even the angels in heaven (verse 36). Only the Father knows.

My question and comment is this: if Yeshua was not given the 411 on when the End Time events will occur, what makes us think we have the 411; or for that matter, that we can figure out when these things are going to occur? It’s a fool’s quest when we start to throw out dates and time frames of Messiah’s return; even if the quest is innocent speculation.

And this is one of the things that grabbed my attention about this story, and that has to do with the impact it seems to be having on certain segments of our Faith Community. When this story first broke last month, biblical prophecy hunters from both sides of the aisle (ie, Messianics and Christians), were falling all over themselves and one another to attach some End Times—Last Days significance to the story. The general consensus from some orthodox Jewish and some Messianic/Hebrew Roots prophecy speculators is that this event would herald in the End Times which includes the building of a 3rd Temple on the Temple Mount; the Abomination of Desolation written about by the Prophet Daniel; the Great Tribulation; and the advent of the Jewish Messiah, which members of our Faith Community tag as the return of Yeshua HaMashiyach to earth.

My purpose in discussing this event is not to get into any Apocalyptic—End Times—prophetic speculations. The subject in and of itself is just too fraught with scriptural interpretational and idealistic differences for a fair, substantive and biblically accurate discourse. Rather, my purpose is just to throw out to you a word of caution as many prophetic speculators would have us all worked up over this altar event in Jerusalem being the linch-pin to the imminent construction of the 3rd Temple and return of Messiah.

Just because this or that man says a thing is so, doesn’t mean it’s so. Although there’s nothing at all wrong in speculating—something I find myself doing a great deal from time to time. However, when we begin to place so much of our focus and brain space on speculations and we treat those speculations as truth, even at the expense of reading into scripture things that may or may not be in there, we run the risk of doing ourselves a bit of harm.

In fact, Master corrected such speculation that was brewing in the midst of His chosen disciples on the Mount of Olives just prior to His ascension to His Father. When asked by his disciples if He would at that time establish the Kingdom of Yehovah, Master responded:

It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. (Act 1:7 KJV)

As alluring and intriguing as speculations about End Times and Tribulation things may be to some of us, at the end of the day, they are just speculations. These speculations must be kept in their proper perspective. It cannot be something that we default to in order to cause us to do something we would not otherwise have done or otherwise do.

Master Yahoshua gave us enough to worry about as His chosen emissaries: “Go ye therefore and make disciples of all nations…”(Matt. 28:19; NASB)