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Torah & The Believer In Messiah
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by Sam Nadler |
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Last month we took a look at how New
Covenant believers in Yeshua are to live with respect to the Torah, or
Law of Moses. We learned that at one time we were in effect “married” to
the Law, and under its jurisdiction. We then discussed certain aspects
of Torah’s authority that are now nullified. In Romans 7:2,6 Paul uses a
Greek word katargeo to describe a marriage relationship that ends with
death of a spouse. In this passage katargeo is translated released. Paul
goes on to say that in Messiah we died to the Law that we might be
joined, or spiritually ‘married’ to Yeshua (Rom. 7:4). |
Thus we are ‘released’ from the
Law’s authority and under the authority of our new Husband, Messiah!
The Law's Glory is Nullified
In 2 Corinthians 3:4-14, we see Paul’s midrash (comments and teaching)
on Exodus 34:29-35, where he again uses the word katargeo. In verses 7
and 8, Paul says that the Torah/Law came with a certain glory, or
splendor, but that this glory had limitations: “But if the ministry of
death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons
of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the
glory of his face, fading as it was, how will the ministry of the Spirit
fail to be even more with glory?” Here Paul says that the glory Moses
received in the Law was “fading away” (katargeo), but the New Covenant
glory exceeds and surpasses the fading glory of the Law.
Condemnation, the very result of the Law, demonstrated the limited glory
that could be obtained by the Law: “For if the ministry of condemnation
has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory.
For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory because of the
glory that surpasses it. For if that which fades away was with glory,
much more that which remains is in glory” (2 Cor. 3:9-11). Therefore the
Torah’s glory was to “fade away” (be nullified), but the New Covenant’s
glory is to remain.
The Light Shines in Darkness
In light of the surpassing glory that we
have in the New Covenant, we are to be bold in our ministry. Unlike
Moses who had to hide his fading glory, we proclaim the truth openly
‘without veils’: |
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“Therefore having such a hope,
we use great boldness in our speech, and are not like Moses, who used to
put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look
intently at the end of what was fading away” (2 Cor. 3:12,13). At first
Moses wore the veil in order to prevent those around him from being
blinded by God’s glory (see Ex. 34:29-35), but as time passed the veil
hid the fact that the glory Moses had received when God gave him the
Torah was fading away. |
This glory began to fade as soon as
Moses left the Lord’s presence.
Hardened Through Unbelief
But their minds were hardened; for until
this very day at the reading of the Old Covenant the same veil remains
unlifted, because it is removed in Messiah (2 Cor. 3:14). As Moses’ veil
prevented the Israelis from seeing the end of the fading glory of Torah,
so also the ‘hardness’ is like a veil over their minds at the reading of
Torah, that they might not see that Messiah is the goal of the Law (Rom.
10:4). |
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But, this hardness
upon Israel is in part, or partial (Rom. 11:25), even as a hardness is
also upon the Gentiles, (Eph. 4:18). In fact, just as Moses removed the
veil when he came before the Lord (Ex. 34:34) the veil of hardness is
actually removed (katargeo) when one comes to faith in Messiah Yeshua.
Through Him the veil over our minds is replaced with the greater,
lasting glory of the New Covenant.
Toward Mature Faith
Please note that the one replaces the
other. Those trying to gain honor, glory or self-confidence through
keeping the Law are not enjoying the greater glory we find in Messiah.
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They soon find that the Law’s fading
glory merely reveals where they fall short of the glory of God (Romans
3:23).
But if we look to Yeshua and receive His cleansing and assurance of
salvation, we can live open and honest lives, ‘without veils.’ We do not
gain our glory, honor and sense of self worth from the Law, but through
the ministry of righteousness by the Spirit from the finished work of
Messiah: He is “The Lord our Righteousness.” In Messiah we have the
certainty of His glory, even as we have liberty in regard to the Law’s
authority. We therefore can develop a second principle from this
section:
Mature faith does not glory in the Law of Moses,
but has confidence in Messiah’s New Covenant.
Our boast is in Yeshua alone (1 Cor. 1:30, 31).
The Law's Hostility is
Nullified by Faith
As we think of what our faith has brought
to us, we cannot overlook the final application of the word katargeo in
Ephesians 2:14-16... “For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups
into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing
in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in
ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man,
thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to
God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.” Outside
the Temple courts in Jerusalem there was a partition wall, called the
Soreg. This was a barrier that restricted access for ‘heathens,’ or
Gentiles, when approaching the Temple area, and it contained an
inscription forbidding a Gentile from going beyond it on pain of death
(see Talmud, [Middoth 2:3; Yoma 16a]; Josephus, Ant. VIII. 3, 2, Wars,
v. 5, 2). In Acts 21:28-31 Paul was falsely accused of taking Trophimus
(a Gentile believer) beyond the Soreg. Because of this ‘enmity’, or
hostility, an riot ensued.
The Soreg, which symbolized the enmity, existed to maintain the purity
of God’s worship and Law from defiling pagan elements. The Law
instructed Israel to despise the sinful practices of paganism, and
directed them to live in such a way that they would be separate in
lifestyle and beliefs from the nations and their pagan, sinful customs
(Lev. 26:30). However, once Yeshua died for sins, the cause of enmity
was no longer there: the enmity had been “abolished” (katargeo). Thus
the Soreg is no longer needed, for Jew and Gentile believers are made
one in Messiah.
From this section we see that the enmity produced by the Law is
nullified in regards to believers. We therefore can develop our third
principle:
Mature faith does not segregate or exclude other believers on the
basis of the Law, but establishes unity with all believers in Messiah.
There are no second class believers in Yeshua. Since we have been
accepted by grace, we are to accept one another with grace as well.
To summarize, the Law’s authority, glory and enmity for believers are in
fact nullified, and we see three principles from these truths for those
of mature faith:
1. Mature faith does not submit to the Torah (Law), but enjoys liberty
by submitting to Messiah. We are not Lawless, but we are under the
authority of the Messianic ‘Torah’, Messiah Yeshua! (Matt. 11:28,29; 1
Cor. 9:20,21).
2. Mature faith does not glory in Torah, but has confidence in Messiah.
Our boast is in Him alone (1 Cor. 1:30, 31).
3. Mature faith does not segregate by the Torah, but establishes unity
with all believers in Messiah (Rom. 15:7).
Therefore, let us accept one another as Yeshua has accepted each of us,
and keep growing in faith which not only establishes the Law, but also
enjoys the liberty, certainty and unity provided graciously in our
Messiah. Shalom! Y |
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Torah & Faith in Messiah, Part 1
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