24 November 2013 Teaching… Here is your link for today’s teaching episode: blogtalkradio/evangelist-larry-walters/2013/11/24/real-discipleship [You may copy/paste these notes or re-write them into your journals.] Grace, Mercy, and Peace are multiplied unto us from our Father, by His Son our Messiah, through the Spirit this day as we press forward…walking even as He (our Messiah Yahshua) walked! Today we will, once again, take a look at what the Apostle Paul taught to the Gentile believers. And as we do, I imagine that you, much like myself, will be shocked at how plainly this is throughout the Bible. Then, like me, you might have to question again those which call themselves “teachers” today and what book they are teaching from. For it becomes painfully obvious that they are teaching a twisted version of the Scriptures concerning the life, lifestyle, and the teaching of Apostle Paul. Let us continue in our investigation with another “bite-sized portion of Ron Ammundsen’s discourse and defense of Apostle Paul; today we will listen to his challenge for believers everywhere to become a follow behind him. 6. “By his own Torah-observant lifestyle, and by specifically teaching the Gentiles to follow his example (and the example of Jesus), Paul was teaching the Gentiles to follow the laws of Moses. When I first started to realize the implications of this, my initial reaction was to be repulsed by the specter of legalism. I thought that observing the Old Testament laws would rob a person of the joys of the Christian life, and that anyone who chose such a lifestyle would soon become repulsive to others. The fallacy of such thinking slowly became obvious as I realized that all of the Bible authors and heroes from Moses to Paul had honored the Torah without being legalistic. Jesus himself observed the Torah perfectly, while teaching emphatically against legalism and drawing crowds of ardent followers. In our modern culture people adopt all sorts of lifestyles just for the fun of it. People fancy themselves as cowboys, athletes, great outdoorsmen, or rock stars. They work religiously to acquire the clothes, equipment, vocabulary, and skills to accompany their dreams. So why is it that when someone suggests that Christians could adopt the lifestyle of our Lord Jesus -- the same lifestyle followed by the founding apostles of Christianity -- we find the idea is repulsive or even heretical? Couldnt we do it just for the fun of it? Apparently the Christianity that has been handed down to us from the time of Constantine contains a payload of subtly ingrained prejudices against the Torah, and against the Jews themselves. Perhaps it is time to examine those prejudices in the light of Scripture. ________________________________________ SUPPORTING EVIDENCE 7. Paul affirmed the whole law. We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. (1 Timothy 1:8) Proper use of the law was the primary issue in many passages of Pauls writings. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in Gods sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. (Romans 2:13) Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law. (Romans 3: 29-31) So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. (Romans 7:12) We know that the law is spiritual;… (Romans 7:14) For in my inner being I delight in Gods law; (Romans 7:22) Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping Gods commands is what counts. (1 Corinthians 7:19) How do we know if Paul was referring to the whole law, or just to the moral or ceremonial law? In his writings Paul never mentions a distinction between moral law and ceremonial law. Those terms are not used anywhere in the Scriptures and none of the Bible writers used any distinction like that in regard to Gods instructions. The Israelites viewed the whole Torah as one set of instructions, with the Ten Commandments serving as a summary or Table of Contents for the rest of the Torah. For example, the commandment says not to worship idols, and the rest of the Torah tells how to avoid idolatry by honoring the true God. The commandment says to work six days and to rest on the Sabbath, and other parts of the Torah contain guidelines for how to do your work and how to rest. It was long after Paul had died that the artificial distinction between moral and ceremonial law was invented by theologians who no longer followed Pauls example regarding Gods law. ________________________________________ 8. Paul used the Old Testament as the textbook for instructing all believers. Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. (Acts 17:11) The New Testament had not yet been written, so the Berean’s were using the Old Testament Scriptures to evaluate whether or not Pauls message was true. It is evident from this passage that the message which Paul preached did not contradict the Old Testament in any way; otherwise those noble Berean’s would have rejected Pauls teachings. Neither the Old Testament nor Pauls message has changed since that time, so today we should be very cautious of any interpretation that makes Pauls message contradict the Old Testament Scriptures. As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ, he said. Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women. (Acts 17:2-4) Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. (1 Timothy 4:13) But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:15) For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (Romans 15:4) In all of these passages Paul is referring to the Old Testament. Paul did not teach that any part of the Old Testament Scripture was irrelevant for believers. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) But I have had Gods help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen--that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles. (Acts 26:22-23) Did Moses and the Old Testament prophets say that when the Messiah came Gods people would stop following the Torah? No. According to Moses, the Gentiles who were associated with Israel would be taught to carefully follow all of the laws God gave to Israel. (Deut. 31:10-13, Josh 8:31-33) This was to happen especially at the Feast of Tabernacles -- which is the same feast all the Gentiles will be required to attend when Jesus reigns in Jerusalem as King over the whole earth. (Zech. 14:16-19) If Paul was teaching what Moses and the prophets said would happen, then we should expect him to teach the Gentile believers to follow the Torah. “ ________________________________________ More tomorrow on the lifestyle and teachings of Apostle Paul... We pray that our broadcasts and teachings are a blessing unto you and encouraging you in your daily walk with our Messiah Yahshua. To sow in to this ministry…Send Your Best Sacrificial Love Gift To: Evangelists Larry and Ana Walters 2490 Winding Hills Drive Columbus, OH 43224-3020 Or you can write our Ministry Office in KY: Christ’s Creek Mission 288 Ball Lane Harlan, KY 40831 By visiting our website you can also sow via PayPal: evangelistslarryandanawalters/become-a-monthly-supporter-here.php To invite us to come and share with your home group, class or congregation; you can call us at: 419-566-1756 (Mobile) or 614-934-7773 (OH Office) To send us an email; write us @: ChristsCreekMission@gmail Shalom! Larry, a sent one… 1 Timothy 2: 3-5
Posted on: Sun, 24 Nov 2013 13:18:12 +0000
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