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We are instructed to present our defense of the faith we embrace with meekness by the Word of Truth. It is not always easy to do so without giving the wrong impression. If one does not clearly express the truth of some matters in this faith, the impression is given that it is weak. Nothing could be farther from the truth! This faith has been authored and finished by the One who lives forever, blessed be his name! If one is judged too harsh in one's use of words, then there are those who become offended. In an effort to prevent either side from gaining a foothold, I say this from the beginning so that all may know that whatever is said here is said in the love of Messiah Yahshúa and nothing should be misconstrued to be anything but a just defense constructed to allow those who are sincere to consider the truth from all perspectives. What you will find here are examinations of matters put forth by unbelievers that will focus on their veracity as it relates to what Scripture teaches us. Shema Yisrael! Please Click on the article you want to read. Circumcision: Is it Part of the New Covenant?
Haganah 1: The Validity of Our Faith
The following issues have been addressed in
numbered endnotes. Please refer
to the endnotes for an explanation of the color-coding and an examination of
the issues themselves in reference to the Scriptures. If you place your cursor
over the endnote number and click it, it will take you to the reference in the
endnotes. These issues were found on a site that
attempts to disprove the validity of Messiah's faith through various
half-truths and fabrications. Let us examine whether their concepts hold up to
the light of truth. "Let's now address the second question
about Jesus. Here we enter an emotionally charged minefield.
Regrettably, for the past 2000 years, the name of Jesus has been linked with
Christian anti-Semitism. The cross sometimes stirs up anxieties and
apprehensions within us. We think of the Crusades, the Good Friday pogroms,
and other massacres, when thousands of Jews were murdered, under the cross, in
the name of Jesus.
[1]
Jesus,
himself, a Jew, would be appalled if he knew about the atrocities perpetuated
in his name in the centuries following his death.
[2]
Fortunately, in the last three or
four decades, Christian-Jewish relations have greatly improved. Thus, we Jews
can now take a more dispassionate and objective look at the figure of Jesus.
2Let
us emphasize that Jesus was born, lived, and died as a Jew. He was never
anything but a Jew. Jesus was a devoted
son of the synagogue. He sat at the feet of some illustrious Rabbis of his
time and dazzled them with his genius and brilliance.
[3]
He
taught Jewish ideals and values. Jesus
was also a hero among the oppressed Jewish masses living in Palestine at the
time of the Roman occupation.
[4]
Many
Jews looked to Jesus to free them from this harassment and oppression.
[5]
The
Roman authorities were naturally threatened by Jesus. They regarded him as a
dangerous revolutionary, and, therefore, they crucified him.
[6]
However,
it was Paul, not Jesus, who founded Christianity.
Paul did not even know Jesus while he was alive. Paul was a Jew, whose
original name was Saul. About 30 years after the crucifixion, Paul traveled to
Damascus, now capital of Syria. En route, he caught a vision of the risen Jesus.
[7]
He
then concluded that he could reach God solely by placing his faith in Jesus.
He no longer needed to observe the laws of the Torah.
[8]
Influenced
by Greek thought, Paul insisted that everyone was born with a sinful
condition. It was inherited from Adam,
who disobeyed God. The only way we can rid ourselves of this sinful blemish is
to accept the saving power of Jesus,
[9]
whom
Paul regarded as God made flesh. He directed his newfound faith primarily to
Gentiles, not to Jews. He gave the non-Jews a way to connect with God, without
following the mandates of the Torah. Therefore, why don't we Jews believe in
Jesus?
[10]
The
truth is that we can accept the Jewish Jesus, as one of the eminent religious
teachers of his time. As a Jew, Jesus
lived by the requirements of Torah. It is the Christian Christ that we can't
embrace10First of all, to Jews, God cannot assume
a flesh-and-blood form. To us, God will always remain intangible and
indivisible. There is also another significant consideration. [11] When Jesus was born 2000 years ago, we Jews had already been in a covenant with God for the previous 2000 years. That covenant is permanent. [12] To provide an opportunity for non-Jews to covenant with God, Paul offered a new possibility: the notion of a Christian Christ. In other words, we Jews have all we need in the first covenant through Torah. The second covenant through Jesus was intended for Gentiles. It was to enable them to bond with God. Both covenants are equally valid, one for Jews, the other for Gentiles. [13] So much for the Jewish stance on Jesus. "
Haganah:
All items marked in red are complete untruths or fabrications and will be examined as such. All items marked in Yellow are points to be examined for validity. All items will be verified according to Scripture. (Old & New Covenants) [1] This is an erroneous statement that purposely links Christianity with the atrocities committed by those who used the title of “Christian” to further their own goals and seek their own glory, with actions that were in direct contradiction to the commandments of Yahshúa HaMashiach, the living Messiah. This being so, these people could not have been real Christians. Those who obey the commandments of Christ, who is none other than Messiah Yahshúa, authenticate the Christian experience and anyone not obeying his commandments is found to be a liar in his or her profession of the title of Christian. His commandment was, and is, LOVE one another. It was not KILL one another. (Matt. 7:21) (Luke 9:56) (I Pet. 5:2,3) (2 JN 1:6,7,9,10) (I JN 3:10,15,16)
[2]
The statement, “Jesus, himself a Jew,” leaves one to wonder why, if
Jesus was a Jew, do his own people refer to him as “Jesus,” which is the
name that was given him by the Greek translators? Why not refer to him
by his Jewish name given to him by the Angel as foretold by the Prophet
Isaiah and fulfilled in Matthew 1:21? The fact that he is called Jesus
here is enough to deduce that he is still not recognized as Jewish enough
for these people. (JN 7:47-52) The
statement, “ would be appalled if he knew,” makes it clear that they are
operating on the assumption that he is dead, and as such, they are the
present day contemporaries of those who rejected Yahshúa as Messiah back
then. (JN 8:48) Tehillim 118:22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
[3] He taught the truth of God and they did not receive the truth. He did not teach their idea of “Jewish ideals and values,” that’s why they didn’t accept him. Their idea of the Messiah was one of a coming liberator who would free them from Roman oppression.(JN 8:46,47)
[4]
That’s the reason they rejected him, because he didn’t live up to their
expectations of being their deliverer from Roman oppression. They were
entrenched in the idea that they were entitled to be delivered because they
were descendents of Abraham. They were under the impression that God owed
them that even though they had not kept their end of the Covenant. No one
except Messiah ever fully kept the Torah. (Matt. 5:17) In doing so, he
became the righteousness of all who know they can’t justify themselves
before God by the works of the Torah. The choice is between offering your
own righteousness to YHWH or the righteousness of his own chosen Lamb that
takes away the sins of the world. One is an act of arrogance and the other
an act of humility. It is written: YHWH resists the proud and gives grace to
the humble. (Prov. 3:34) (JN 1:29) [5] This is an outright fabrication of the worst kind. It denies the very facts of the account given in four documents recognized around the world, as the true account of what happened to Yahshúa and who the people were that demanded his crucifixion. Those documents are known as the four Gospels in the New Testament and they tell us that it was the Sanhedrin led by Kayafa the high priest who coerced, threatened, and demanded of Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor, that he execute Yahshúa on trumped up charges. (Matt: 26:57-68 & 27:1-25) They seek to deny the fact that these politically-minded Jewish leaders were the reason the Jews have suffered so much because of the curse their forefathers invoked upon themselves and their children; a curse that has followed our beloved brothers through two thousand years and which can only be broken by the forgiveness that Yahshúa HaMashiach, the Salvation of YHWH, brings to both Israel and Judah. They were so adamant about crucifying the Messiah that they took full responsibility for his death when the Roman Governor Pilate declared himself innocent of this man’s blood and told them they would be responsible for Yahshúa's unjust execution. They responded by saying: “His blood be on us and on our children.” (Matt: 27:25) It was wicked of them to say that! They swore an oath before the Eternal One that bound not just them but also their children. Why would anyone seek to continue living under such a generational curse when forgiveness is freely offered? Shemot 23:7 "Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked."Devarim 19:10 "lest innocent blood be shed in your land that YHWH your Elohim is giving you for an inheritance, and so the guilt of bloodshed be upon you." Devarim 21:9 "So you shall purge the guilt of innocent blood from your midst, when you do what is right in the sight of YHWH.
[6] This is another outright fabrication. How could Paul have “founded” Christianity, when the very title implies allegiance to Christ, not Paul? If Paul had been the founder of this belief, wouldn’t it be called Paulianity or something similar? What does Paul say about this? (I Cor. 1:12, 13) The people who put forth this kind of twisted philosophy are no different from those long ago who sought to stop the proclamation of the Good News through their vain philosophies and self-serving connivances. Paul was one of them until he was stopped in his tracks and told by Messiah himself that it was useless to keep “banging his head against a sharp object.” In other words, “You cannot fight on the side of God’s enemies and win.” [7] First of all, he didn’t “catch a vision.” He had a personal encounter with the risen Yahshúa who brought him to a halt while he was on his way to Damascus in search of Christians or Messianics, whichever you prefer. He was going there to continue his persecution spree against those he hated for believing in Messiah. Now, if his hate was that intense, how can anyone doubt that his experience was anything but genuine? Nothing could have changed his mind but a terrifying awakening like the one he experienced. Still, only our beloved YHWH can open blind eyes! (Acts 9:1-25) [8] How could Paul, whose real name is Shaul, have been influenced by Greek thought when he was educated at the feet of Gamaliel, one of the most respected Jewish teachers of his day? (Acts 22:3-5) When did Paul become such a believer in Greek concepts? The answer is, never! Everything he writes concerning salvation and our need for redemption is always found thoroughly documented from the Tanakh (Old Testament). (Rom. 3:10-31)
[9]
Paul does not “regard” Yahshúa as God.
He acknowledges and worships him as such. So do all who have come to
the saving knowledge of our Savior, those who understand that YHVH is one
even as it is written. That is
the difference between having religion and knowing and being known of God. Those who merely have religion have no security.
Those who have been forgiven know whom they have believed.
Yes, Paul’s ministry was primarily to the Gentiles, but he did not
teach anything not in agreement with Peter, James, and John, who were the
Jewish pillars of the Messianic Community in Jerusalem.
The way of justification through Messiah’s blood instead of through
one’s own works was not “given” by Paul to the Gentiles.
He just proclaimed the same message that Peter proclaimed on the day
of Shauvot (Pentecost) when the first 3000 Jews were saved through
repentance and baptism in Yahshúa’s name.
The truly miraculous thing was that he did not learn it from the
other apostles, but through revelation from the Spirit of God himself and
the message was the same as that of the apostles in Jerusalem. The message,
then, is not Paul’s but Messiah Yahshúa’s. (Heb. 1:1-14) (Rom. 11:13)
(Acts 2:38,39) (Gal. 1:15-24 & 2: 1-10) [10] The truth is that these people cannot and never will accept Yahshúa HaMashiach for who he really is. He does not claim to be an “eminent teacher” or just another rabbi. He claims to be the Son of God and therefore God himself manifested in flesh. This is not the claim of “the Christian Christ” as though he were separate from Yahshúa the Messiah of Israel. This is the claim of the Son of God through whom creation came into being. It is only a claim to those whose eyes are yet veiled but a joyful reality to those who have entered into the kingdom through the door, which is the name above all names. (JN 1:1-5,18) (Luke 5:12,13 & 24:47) (Acts 4:12) (2 Cor. 3:15,16) [11] This is true and our people kept straying into idolatry and disobedience. This is why the northern kingdom was absorbed by Assyria in 722 B.C.E. and also the reason Judah was carried off to Babylon in 597 B.C.E. and finally dispersed throughout the world in 70 C.E. Our God is just and his word cannot be abrogated. He promised blessing for obedience and curse for disobedience and we got what we deserved until he came to pay for our sins and set us free from the curse of the Torah into which we had justly fallen through disobedience. Those who deny this are the “blind leading the blind.” Those who understand that no flesh will ever justify itself before YHVH on its own merits can freely come before him through the blood of Yahshúa HaMashiach, which he provided for the redemption of sinful man. Those who continue to seek justification through their own merits remain under condemnation of the second death for believing not the only truth that can save them. (Lam. 3:22) (Daniel 12:10) (Matt: 1:21-23) (Rom 2:5-9) (Heb. 10:1-18)
[12]
Again,
this is not the Gospel of Paul! Paul is not the only one proclaiming this
message and in fact does not come into the picture until 10-20 years after
the initial message was proclaimed on the day of Shauvot (Pentecost) in Acts
2. To affirm that it was Paul
who instituted the “notion” of a Christian Christ is nothing less than
blasphemy against the Almighty who came as a man to pay for our arrogant and
stupid rebelliousness just because he loves us. The second Covenant tells us
whom it was intended for in the very terms of the Covenant. It says: “The
promise is…unto as many as YHVH our God shall call.” (Acts 2:39)
This message was proclaimed on this particular day to no one but Jews
who were gathered in Jerusalem for the feast of Shauvot. 3000 of them
believed and were baptized in Yahshúa’s name that day and it continued
being a “Jews only” message until Adonai opened the door to the
Gentiles. The first apostle to proclaim the Good News of Salvation to the
Gentiles was not Paul but Peter. The
account of it is found in Acts 10:1-48.
As to the validity of both Covenants, they are right!
But they are only right about this: As long as they continue to
reject the New Covenant as pertaining to them and reject YHVH’s offer of
salvation from their sins, they remain under the condemnation of the first
Covenant because they cannot keep the whole Torah and anyone not keeping the
whole Torah is accursed, and God witnesses to that effect in Galatians 3:10.
The only validity in the First Covenant is that of condemnation because it
is written: “There is none righteous, no not one!”
That is why Yahshúa said: “Unless you believe that I am he, you
will perish in your sins.” (JN 8:24) (Gal. 2:16 & 3:7-29)
[13]
So much for the erroneous
Jewish
stance on Yahshúa our Messiah! If
you want to find the true Jewish stance on Messiah, visit www.mim.net
and find out what obedient Jews who know the real identity of Messiah and
Israel think of all this. There are only two kinds of Jews, those who walk
with YHVH and those who trust in their religion and their own righteousness
to justify them. There are the
ones who believe YHVH as Abraham did and those who believe other men and
thus fall into the curse of Torah that says: “cursed is the man who places
his trust in man, who makes of flesh his strength, and whose heart falls
away from YHVH.” (Jeremiah 17:5,6)
(Brit Milah)
In the Ekklesia’s movement toward its Hebrew Roots, a new controversy has arisen, which isn’t really new at all but an old one that lay dormant for many centuries. There are now those who fuel this controversy by abrogating the very covenant they pretend to espouse. As the title of this article clearly demonstrates, the issue of physical circumcision is what the controversy revolves around. In a new awakening to the Hebrew Roots of our faith, many Christians are seeking those things that pertain to our faith, and in what appears as an ocean of information; there are those ever-present sharks that wait for schools of fish to get close enough to feed upon them. It’s not that I believe these sharks are all into filthy lucre, as the KJV puts it. No, I rather think they fancy themselves as being on the forefront of a return to precepts, which they want to impose upon the Body of Messiah to prove themselves right; precepts, which have no place in the New Covenant that God has made with his people. Those who advocate circumcision do so on the basis that it is a Mitzvah (Commandment) that continues on into the "renewed covenant" as they call it. To them, this is not a New Covenant, but a continuation or modification of the Old Covenant, which then cannot be called old because it is still in force, although that is clearly in contradiction to what the word of God says in Hebrews 9:15. "It is because of this death that he is mediator of a new covenant (or will). Because a death has occurred, which sets people free from the transgressions committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promised eternal inheritance." It also goes against what Hebrews 8:13 says, "By using the term, "new," he has made the first covenant "old"; and something being made old, something in the process of aging, is on its way to vanishing altogether." These new self-styled Ravs, Rabbis, and Torah teachers all seek to consolidate the true Christian faith (not the one from Rome) with observance of commandments that have their antitype fulfillment in Messiah in the New Covenant. While justification is the act of bringing everything unto its appropriate margin, these people are redrawing the margin according to their ideas of where it should be and not according to what the Bible says. They claim that the incident found in Acts 15 where certain "believers" from the Pharisee sect stood up to demand that the Gentiles who had believed should be circumcised was decided against on the basis that the Gentiles didn’t understand what circumcision was about. I beg to differ! Here’s what the Scripture says in Acts 15:10, "So why are you putting God to the test now by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we had the strength to bear?" What a peculiar statement indeed! What does Peter mean by, "placing a yoke?" He is saying that circumcision in the flesh is a sign of having entered into the old covenant and it requires total obedience to all the things written in the Law or Torah of the old covenant. That is why the Scripture says in Galatians 5:3,4, "Again, I warn you: any man who undergoes circumcision is obligated to observe the entire Torah. You who are trying to be declared righteous by God through legalism have severed yourselves from the Messiah! You have fallen away from God’s grace." These new teachers of old fallacies would have us believe that this has somehow changed and that now it is necessary to return to observance of these outdated precepts. The problem with these teachers is that they bring their personal opinions into their belief system and try to combine them with the truth of the Gospel by twisting the very truth documented for us in the New Covenant. Another argument they present is: "Why did Paul have Timothy circumcised in Acts 16:3?" The answer is in the verse itself! "Because of the unbelieving Jews that were in the place, for all of them knew his father, who was an Aramean." In order for Timothy to enter into any synagogue, he would have to be circumcised or the UNBELIEVING Jews, who have always been good at sending word ahead if it would help obstruct the furthering of the Gospel, would consider him unclean. He did it to avoid giving the unbelievers an opportunity to create a scandal and level accusations against him that would end up hindering the propagation of the message of salvation. What he did was to remove an obstacle before it became one because he knew the mentality of the unbelievers. If the truth is to be known, these "teachers" get so caught up in the Old Covenant that they start to look for ways to disprove the very heart of the teachings of the New Covenant so that they can make the New Covenant grace dependent upon Old Covenant Law under the new title of Torah. They really do not consider the New Covenant on the same level as the Old Covenant and so they feel they can give their own interpretation to Scripture and rework what the Almighty has wrought so as to make it fit their mindset. What a big and bad surprise they have coming on the day when the Lord Yahshúa, who is the one and only Almighty God, says to them, "depart from me you workers of iniquity, I know you not!" and they are relegated to the same place as the popes, inquisitors, and all other liars for having thought they could play with the word of God and change its meaning to suit themselves. The word says, "When we are in Messiah Yahshúa, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision matters; what matters is trusting faithfulness that expresses itself through love." (Gal. 5:6) As a closing point, another accusation always made against Christians is that we claim that the Law or Torah was done away with. Maybe some do, but that doesn’t mean we all do. Torah stands forever because it is the handiwork of God and he only makes permanent things. So how can we not believe in having to be circumcised? Because we have learned to "rightly divide the word of truth." If you want to enter into the Old Covenant, get yourself circumcised and go for it! The rules are very clear. You must keep ALL the Law and if you offend in one point, you are guilty of transgressing all the law. (James 2:10) Make sure you have enough cattle, pigeons, and goats for sacrificing because you’re going to need them. If you think that’s a bit much to ask or do, then consider the fact that the New Covenant asks only that you do the following in order to enter into it. "Repent, and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Yahshúa HaMashiach for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit)." This is all there is to it! I would agree with Scripture that this Covenant is established on better promises. (Heb. 8:6) Repenting is the act of letting God cut away the foreskin of your heart by surrendering to him. (The antitype of physical circumcision) Baptism or immersion is the act of dying to the old life of sin (Rom. 6:2-7) and to the law (Rom. 7:6) The invocation of the name above all names makes it a reality established by God and his Spirit indwelling us is the seal of power he places upon us. (Acts 1:8) The Torah has not and will never be changed or abolished. It is we who have died to its power to condemn us by belonging to another, Yahshúa HaMashiach, who came not to further bind us to the law but to set us free from condemnation. It is in this freedom that we gladly serve our God and Father, YHWH, Blessed be his name!
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