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Although not all Christians hold to the belief that "Christ is the end of the Law" by and large the vast majority of Christendom hold to this religious tenant.
Answer for yourself: What is the truth of the matter and could Paul be incorrect when relaying to his readers "his" Gospel?
Leviticus 18:5, "Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them. "
Deuteronomy 30:9-14, "And the Lord thy G-d will make plenteous in every work of thine hand, . . . If thou shalt harken unto the voice of the Lord thy G-d, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto Lord thy G-d with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. . . But word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it."
Answer for yourself: Do you believe the following verse is true?
Mal 3:6 6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. (KJV)
Let us examine the word for "change" from the Hebrew in the above text
8138 shanah- to repeat, to do again, to change, to alter
It should be evident to any thinking believer that G-d's testimony to us is that He does not alter or change or disguise Himself. In otherwords, G-d is the same yesterday, today, and forever and that He is not out to "trick" or "disguise" the truth. G-d's truth was never a "secret" revelation to be held by only a few but evident to all. G-d tells us that He is a G-d who NEVER "masks the truth," "cloaks the truth," "covers the truth," "masquerades the truth," or "veils" the truth. G-d's truth is plain and not meant to be a mystery for only a select "elect" to possess.
Answer for yourself: If you said to yourself that you believe that G-d does not change then I want you to think real hard of what is said in the following passage from the New Testament and ask yourself: " How do I reconcile the two concepts?"
Rom 10:4-8 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. 6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) 7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) 8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; (KJV)
Paul uses the passages to present Christianity's view Christ has ended the need for the law.
Paul distorted these passages from the Jewish Scriptures so thoroughly that there is no original meaning left. No meaning of the Hebrew Scriptures finds its way to his words in Romans. If you have read the Leviticus and the Deuteronomy verses you see that they uphold the value of the law. Not the slightest intimation of the law being valueless appears here, or elsewhere. Yet, Christianity uses distortions and misquotations as its' basis for abandoning the law. Those who have knowledge of the misapplication of Scripture, involving the twisting of G-d's word as Biblically revealed, have a duty to recognize the error and reject unfounded teaching. Christians who are open-minded can see that law's holiness, value, and eternal nature are upheld in the Hebrew Bible. It is time for the Christian community to take serious these Paul-Jesus contradictions in the New Testament and begin to realize that their Covenant with G-d is grounded in Covenant stipulations and responsibility that are defined as the "laws" within their Covenant.
Look at what Paul says in Romans 10:4, "For Christ is the end the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."
Let us make no mistake about it. When we encounter the Greek word Paul used for "end" we find:
5056 telos- 1) end
This has been the traditional understanding of Christianity that with the appearance of Jesus the Law ceased as binding upon the Jew and the non-Jew.
Answer for yourself: But did you notice one of the definitions of the word which you have never heard preached from any pulpit?
the end to which all things relate, the aim, purpose
Answer for yourself: Is it just possible that Jesus' example as found in the New Testament is the "aim of the Law," or "the purpose of the Law" in that when we live a Torah-Commandment-Law "obedient" life we live as Jesus, as "Christ?" Could it be that to model ourself after a Jewish Rabbi who loved G-d and obeyed the commandments of G-d according to his Covenant is the goal of the Law by "DEFINING" what G-d approved conduct really is as as what is not approved?
When we understand that the Law and the Commandments are pictures of what G-d is and what G-d does and what G-d does not do then we come close to the Kingdom of Heaven to the degree we model them in our lives. But to negate them mean that we live by our own understanding and reasoning from our experience. These values are not absolutes but the Laws of G-d are. Jesus knew this but Paul somehow missed it.
If we listen to Paul then the Hebrew Bible's verses are contradicted, as well as Jesus" own pronouncements:
The New Testament records both Paul's negation of the Law as well as Jesus' positive attitude to the law and other New Testament quotations in support of the law of Moses. Remember this for example Matthew 5:17-19,
"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled."
Jesus goes on to say...
"Whosoever therefore shall break one of least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
Without delving into Jesus' actual treatment of the laws in practice, we have substantiation of his belief in the eternal validity of the law as G-d's word. Jesus treated the law with respect whereas the New Testament accounts of Paul does otherwise. Jesus never said the law was ineffective. His pronouncements were quite reverse, asserting that the law offers eternal life.
It was Paul who overturned the law's validity.
It was Paul who broke the laws and taught others to do so. Seemingly, if
you believe Jesus, Paul "shall be called least in the kingdom of
heaven." For Jesus' words against this arrogation
of authority one has to only read Matthew 10:24 (Luke 6:40) (John 13:16),
"The disciple is not
above his master, nor the servant above his lord." Any make no
mistake about it Paul is the "servant" and Yeshua the "master."
One last thought is offered concerning the twisting of the original meaning in Deuteronomy. Paul in Romans 10:8 says, ". . . The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;"
Answer for yourself: Did you notice how Paul twisted and misquoted the Old Testament verse?
To the non-Jew not familiar with the Torah and the Jewish texts this would pass without question. However to those who know better the glaring error or Paul is evident. What we find in the Romans 10:8 passage is Paul's assault on G-d's holy words in Deuteronomy. For, in the Hebrew Scriptures we read it is "commandments and statutes" which are not far off, but in our mouth and heart that we may "do them" and NOT FAITH!
I have been telling our readership for years that the New Testament absolute butchers the Jewish Scriptures and we are told to accept and believe this New Testament as "infallible, inerrant, and inspired of G-d." Dear ones such purposeful misrepresentation of G-d's Word is an affront to the Creator and few know it even happened since lacking a strong background in the Old Testament thanks to Paul who negates the whole thing by his unique interpretation of Jesus and his work.
Deut 4:2 2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the L-RD your G-d which I command you. (KJV)
Answer for yourself: Did you notice that G-d warns us not to add to or diminish from His Word for in doing so He fears we might not keep the Commandments and Laws yet this is exactly, EXACTLY what Paul has done and millions of good people never notice it?
Deut 12:32 32 What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it. (KJV)
Paul, the organizer of Christianity, replaces Moses' laws of G-d with Christian faith, misusing and subverting the Scriptures. Paul knew the verse he was quoting never said what he will make it say! With no Biblical foundation, faith is made the successor to G-d's laws. That is all we hear coming from the mouths of Christians is "faith this" and "faith that" and seldom if ever hear "obedience to the Commandments of G-d."
I challenge the thinking person to find anything in the Hebrew Scriptures which lends credence to Paul's statements here. When you do let me know but I assure you Paul's Gospel, often called by him "my Gospel," is not the Gospel Jesus preached. Nor should it be the one you follow or base your salvation upon.
Nothing is to be found of Paul's revelation in the entire Old Testament that the Law was to be replaced by one thought by many to be the Messiah let alone the death of such a man. Such knowledge presented here incriminates the Christian Church and the Biblical illiteracy that they have fostered.
Bennoah1@verizon.net