The Apostle Paul: A Jewish Christian free to live like a Gentile for the sake of the Gospel - 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 and Galatians 2:11-14

The antidote to lies is the truth, the antidote to heresy is orthodoxy.  In that vein, let me offer up an illustration from the life of the Apostle Paul, a man who formerly lived in the utmost strict observance of the Law of Moses as a Pharisee with a spotless reputation, but who after meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus had a very different understanding about the relationship between Law and Grace and how he now needed to live as a follower of Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23  New International Version

19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

Given that the First Fruits of Zion (Torah Clubs) assert that EVERY member of the Early Church during its first few generations fully kept the Law of Moses as Jesus intended them to do, both Jews and Gentiles, it behooves us to actually read God's Word and see the truth of the matter.  {For a detailed examination of the various unorthodox beliefs of this organization see: The Dangers of the First Fruits of Zion and their Torah Clubs} Ultimately, this bold claim of widespread Torah observance among early Christians (that supposedly justifies returning to this "pure" version of our faith) fails as a thesis historically, biblically, and theologically, the demonstration of which is a task worthy of a thick book, but can also be easily illustrated with these straightforward words of the Apostle Paul written to the church at Corinth and the churches in Galatia.

In this section (above) illustrating the freedom he has in Jesus Christ, Paul explains that he is willing and able to live both like a Jew (himself being a Jew) and live like a Gentile, if in doing so it would enable him to share the Gospel more effectively with either group.  This is not Paul compromising himself morally or going against his conscience in the name of evangelism, rather it is Paul living out his conviction that in Christ there is no Jew or Gentile, male or female, slave or free.  To Paul, then, how he lived with respect to Torah observance was NOT a moral question, at all, but instead a practical one that related to how others perceived him.  To keep kosher, for example, was not a matter of conscience or morality for Paul, but a question of not offending those Jews with whom he hoped to share the Gospel.  When he was among his Jewish brethren, Paul kept the kosher rules along with all the other Jewish distinctives, but when he was among Gentiles he ate and acted according to their customs.  It was not Law that dictated Paul's actions, but love for those with whom he shared Jesus.

We should not be surprised to see Paul write with this expression of freedom in Christ to the church in Corinth given that years earlier he had confronted the Apostle Peter about the hypocrisy of pretending that he lived only like a Jew (i.e. according to the ceremonial aspects of the Law of Moses) when in the company of some misguided Jewish Christians who lived as if they were still under the Law, when in fact both he and Peter knew better.  How do we know that Peter knew better?  He, "used to eat with the Gentiles."  Had Peter lived a fully Torah observant life AFTER the Resurrection and Pentecost, this would not have been possible.  The Apostle Peter had been living by grace until those embracing legalism led him astray, they even led Barnabas astray, but not Paul.

Galatians 2:11-14  New International Version

11 When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. 13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.

14 When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?

In the end, it was not a corruption of the original Gospel proclamation of Jesus when the Church fully embraced the truth that neither its Jews nor its Gentiles were under the Law of Moses, rather it was the result of the profound freedom offered by the renewal of our hearts and minds by the Blood of Christ, as well as the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, that quickly won the day in debates like that of the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15).  

If it helps your Gospel witness to live like a Jew so that you can share the Good News that Jesus Christ is Lord among observant Jews, then go right ahead.  Paul did that when it helped the Gospel.  Likewise, if it helps your Gospel witness to live like the Chinese so that you can share the Good News within a Chinese cultural setting, then go right ahead.  Hudson Taylor did that in the 19th century and enjoyed massive success, much as had Francis Xavier and the Jesuits in the 16th century who employed the same openness to meet those with whom they shared the Gospel on ground that was familiar to them.  If your ministry is among motorcycle clubs, then embrace that culture's dress and tattoos if it helps you share the love of God with those who need to see and hear it.

In Christ we are free, free to serve the Kingdom of God and share the Gospel.  What we are not, however, is bound to any one cultural expression in doing so, for in the New Covenant all may approach God by the same route, the only route, by faith in Jesus Christ.  This truth has been known from the beginning, we see it in Paul's own words.  As always, the antidote to heretical lies is orthodox truth.

Sermon Video: The Threefold Office of the Messiah: King - Jeremiah 23:5-6

In addition to the unexpected roles of prophet and priest, the long-awaited Messiah would also be what the people hoped for: An heir to David's throne.  At the time this prophecy was given, however, the people of Israel were facing the greatest crisis of their nation's history with the impending doom of God's judgment in the form of Babylon's invading armies close to hand.  Yet even while the prophet Jeremiah was sent to warn them of this coming destruction, God also shared with Jeremiah this promise of hope in the coming of the Messiah.

But, what about the promised kingdom, how can Jesus be the Messiah without ruling on David's throne?  Indeed, Jesus was not concerned during his sojourn among us about establishing a physical kingdom in defiance of Rome, rather he wholly invested his time (and ultimately his very life) in establishing a spiritual kingdom.  However, when Jesus returns it will be to rule, to establish the righteous and just kingdom that Jeremiah promised, those promises stand and will be fulfilled.

Listen to the Word of God: 62 Scripture passages that refute 'Christian' Nationalism - #31 John 17:20-23

John 17:20-23 (NIV)

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."

"Oh, we're halfway there, O-oh, living on a prayer..."  That is of the chorus of "Living on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi, one of my favorite songs and one I invariably try to sing at Karaoke (that key change is brutal).  I started this series of 62 posts about "Christian" Nationalism, each with a specific verse of Scripture that speak against that corrupt idea, on August 9th of 2022.  I'll admit, after a steady stream of posts my focus wavered and for much of 2023 has been replaced with the need to combat the spread of Torah Clubs [The Dangers of the First Fruits of Zion and their Torah Clubs} in our area.  But, once you've taken up a task, it is hard to let it go.  This post, then, marks the halfway point, the rest will continue to be created as time and my need to focus on other things permits...

The passage from John's Gospel is Jesus' prayer for unity among his followers offered up to the Father on the eve of his Passion.  One of the remarkable things about this particular prayer at this particular time is how laser focused it is upon the need for unity among the body of believers who would soon be called Christians, drawn together as part of the Church that Jesus founded to continue his work after his return to Heaven.

OK, so Jesus wanted his followers to "be one," what does that have to do with "Christian" Nationalism?  A whole lot if you take a few minutes to think about it.  One example will illustrate why Nationalism, especially "Christian" Nationalism is antithetical to Jesus' prayer: During WWI, tens of millions of British, French, German, Italian, Austro-Hungarian, Russian, and American young men tried to kill each other.  That the vast majority of these young men claimed to be followers of Jesus Christ, who were being order to try to kill other followers of Jesus Christ, didn't matter at all to those in power because the enemy belonged to a different nation.  One's national allegiances superseded, nay even extinguished in this case since it condoned killing other followers of Jesus, one's faith.  This wasn't the first time, similar wars had raged since the break-up of the Roman Empire, pitting Christians against each other in order to further the claims of their feudal lords, kings, and eventually nation-states.  

There isn't an objective way to look at Church History without concluding that God would consider this bloodshed to be sinful.  One may be able to defend those who fought in defense of their family and community, but that rationale evaporates in every other scenario, not to mention the wanton rape and pillaging that walked hand-in-hand with these wars.  It is impossible to say that participation in this militant violent behavior made those who did so more Christ-like.  Perhaps the horrors of violence brought some few to repentance afterwards, but God is not in the business of using evil on the chance that some will be repelled enough by it that they turn and seek the light.

If, then, one accepts the premise of "Christian" Nationalism, that our allegiance to Jesus Christ must be in some fashion melded with, even subsumed to, our allegiance to our country, there is NO hope of unity within the Global Church.  What we will end up with is a host of church bodies split along political lines, and a never-ending sorry tale of rivalries and violence between them that mirror those of the nations to which they belong.

A current example: Why do you think that the Russian Orthodox Patriarch has dubbed Putin's illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine as a Holy Crusade?  [Moral Clarity: God help us if we can't see that Vladimir Putin and his war are Evil.]  The sad truth is, the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church has chosen the kingdom of this world, and in so doing, has made a mockery of its claims that it is a defender of Christianity.

After supporting Ukraine invasion, Russia's Patriarch Kirill criticized worldwide - by JONATHAN LUXMOORE for National Catholic Reporter, March 15, 2022.

The Church cannot fulfill its mission if it allows lines drawn on a map to divide those whose first allegiance must be to Jesus Christ, yet another reason why "Christian" Nationalism is biblically untenable. 

Sermon Video: The threefold office of the Messiah: Priest - Psalm 110:4

The second of the threefold offices of the Messiah (Prophet, Priest, and King), prophet, is expounded by King David himself in Psalm 110 where he writes that God's Messiah will combine his kingly duties with that of the priesthood.  At first this makes no sense, the Law of Moses requires that only those descended from Aaron and the tribe of Levi can be priest and serve at the Temple, so what gives?  David answers the question by explaining that this future priest will be, "in the order of Melchizedek."  The name Melchizedek harkens back to a priest of the LORD who served in what would become Jerusalem during Abraham's lifetime.  He is brought into Abraham's story in Genesis only briefly, but the precedent is understood by David as an exception to the rule of the Law (since it preceded it).  The book of Hebrews expounds upon this topic (chapters 5-7), but we ought to be able to reason out that the God who wrote the Law is capable of setting it aside (abrogating, expanding, modifying, take your pick) to fulfill his purpose.  His purpose in this case?  That Jesus Christ might not only be the priest who makes the once-for-all offering to bring salvation, but the Lamb of God being sacrificed as well.

Hebrews 7:11-12 puts an end to the lie that God cannot change the Law of Moses, for Jesus is the final High Priest

 

Hebrews 7:11-12  New International Version

11 If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? 12 For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also.

At the heart of the Hebrew Roots Movement, and First Fruits of Zion in particular, is a particularly pernicious and dangerous lie: The Torah (Law of Moses) was intended to be for all-time, and even God (in particular Jesus) can't change/update/modify it.

One example from my research this past year into FFOZ's teachings will illustrate that they teach this: "The commands of the Master cannot be different from the commands of the Torah any more than the Word of the Master is different from the Word of the Father." - Jesus, My Rabbi, Lesson 36, Volume 2, page 11.

According to FFOZ, Jesus cannot have taught anything different that what was already revealed in the Torah.  That's their position, and they build their entire false version of the Gospel on this premise.

But what did the author of Hebrews say?  This is holy scripture, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and authoritative for all who claim to be disciples of Jesus Christ.  The author of Hebrews points out, purposefully and in great detail, that the Aaronic and Levitical priesthoods, mandated by Torah because they were necessary for that time, place, and people, were superseded permanently by Jesus who came as a priest after the fashion of Melchizedek.  Jesus was born of the tribe of Judah and the line of King David, ensuring his right to sit upon the throne of David.  But Jesus was NOT capable of fulfilling the role of priest according to the Law of Moses, that is unless Jesus had the authority to change/update/modify the Law.  Which he did.  Of course he did.  Jesus is the Word of God, the eternal Logos.  As a member of the Trinity, fully God along with the Father and the Holy Spirit, Jesus was equally the author of the Mosaic Law, its originator.  God, that is Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit, is the ONLY one with the authority to abrogate the Law of Moses, but to deny this prerogative to God is to place the Law over God, a form of idolatry.

In the end, traditional and orthodox Christianity can demonstrate (as we have done this past year in exhaustive fashion) how and why the teachings of the First Fruits of Zion are heretical and dangerous, but you don't need to understand the full length and breadth of these defenses of the Gospel (although in my humble opinion it is good for Christians to understand the defenses of their faith, i.e. apologetics, so I encourage you to put in the effort) to see that the HRM in general, and the FFOZ in particular, have rejected the clear teaching and plain meaning of God's Word.

Jesus is our High Priest, after the order of Melchizedek.

Sermon Video: The threefold office of the Messiah (part 1 of 3) - Prophet, Deuteronomy 18:14-22

For this Advent season, we will take a look at the three roles of leadership in Israel that the long-awaited Messiah would fulfill and perfect: prophet, priest, and king.  

With respect to being the greatest prophet, we turn to Deuteronomy 18:14-22 to hear the words of Moses, himself a prophet of great renown, promise that God would one day send another like him to lead his people.

Ultimately, Jesus became the greatest of the prophets by predicting, accurately, his own suffering, death, and resurrection.