Torah Focus

An Observation

I recently had a discussion with a friend about how the book of Romans is presented to the Christian community.    Our discussion noted that most Bible teachers have a tendency to focus on the opening chapters and leave the final chapters untouched.  Why do contemporary teachers follow this practice?  I do not know if I can speak for the dominate portion of these teachers.  However, I have noted that the opening chapters of Romans make little or NO sense without reading, interpreting the final chapters of the book (letter).  How much sense would it make to receive a letter and only read the opening pages?  Before we can fully understand Shaul’s letter to the Romans we must read, study and interpret the entire letter.

Marcion again, Marcion still.

Marcion (Μαρκίων) held some rather abstract Gnostic view of Yeshua and his role in the “Gospel.”  He created havoc in the early Believing community selecting only letters and documents that purported his contorted ideology.  This gross misrepresentation of the Gospel” used only the Gospel of Yochanan (John) and selected passages from the Shaul’s letter to the Romans.    What were his selections from Shaul’s Letter?  Marcion selections were primarily from the opening chapters of Shaul’s letter, leaving out any mention of Yisrael and their place in the redemptive theme and future history.

Contemporary Bible teachers unwittingly follow Marcion practice not realizing the result of their unhinged Gospel.  Their Marcion practices actually remove the Gospel from the Gospel, notwithstanding, the truth they remove from their homily.   Truth must have balance.  The Hebrew alphabet illustrates this idea.  The opening letter of the alef-bet is the Hebrew letter א “alef.”   The middle letter of the Hebrew alef-bet is the מ “mem.”   The final letter of the Hebrew alef-bet is the ת “tav.”   These letters combined spell אמת “emet,” truth.  The idea as purported by the Hebrew alef-bet is that the truth is the WHOLE story not a lopsided misrepresentation of details.   Therefore, if we are to learn the TRUTH of Shaul’s letter to the Romans we must learn the WHOLE truth or story.

In our coming posts we will delve into the WHOLE story behind Shaul’s letter to the Romans.

The Mishna, Yeshua’s Teachings & Pirket Avot 3

Program #21 – The Mishna, Yeshua’s Teachings & Pirket Avot 3

We begin our discussion in Pirke Avot 1:4

Avot 1:4-5 Yossi ben (son of) Yo’ezer of Ts’raidah and Yossi ben Yochanan of Jerusalem received the transmission from them. Yossi ben Yo’ezer used to say: Let your house be a meeting place for the sages, cleave to the dust of their feet, and drink thirstily their words.”

Yossei the son of Yochanan of Jerusalem would say: Let your home be wide open, and let the poor be members of your household. And do not engage in excessive conversation with a woman. This is said even regarding one’s own wife–how much more so regarding the wife of another. Hence, the sages said: One who excessively converses with a woman causes evil to himself, neglects the study of Torah, and, in the end, inherits Gehenna.

Shaul, knowing the ideology of Mishnaic Rabbinics tells Timothy not to listen to vain wives tales. This further demonstrates the universality of the Mishnaic thought among the Talmidim of Yeshua and Shaul who sat at the feet of Gamaliel.

Avot 1:6 Joshua the son of Perachia and Nitai the Arbelite received from them. Joshua the son of Perachia would say: Assume for yourself a Teacher, acquire for yourself a friend, and judge every man to the side of merit.

I discuss Joshua the son of Perachia’s saying “Find yourself and teacher and a study partner.”

Avot 1:7 Nitai the Arbelite would say: Distance yourself from a bad neighbor, do not cleave to a wicked person, and do not abandon belief in retribution.

1:8 -9 Judah the son of Tabbai and Shimon the son of Shotach received from them. Judah the son of Tabbai would say: When sitting in judgment, do not act as a counselor-at-law. When the litigants stand before you, consider them both guilty; and when they leave your courtroom, having accepted the judgment, regard them as equally righteous.

Shimon the son of Shotach would say: Increasingly cross-examine the witnesses. Be careful with your words, lest they learn from them how to lie

I further the idea that the Nasi (President) of the Sanhedrin was prone to Chesed and the Av Beit Din was given to Din – Judgment.

12. Hillel and Shammai received from them. Hillel would say: Be of the disciples of Aaron–a lover of peace, a pursuer of peace, one who loves the creatures and draws them close to Torah.

13. He would also say: One who advances his name, destroys his name. One who does not increase, diminishes. One who does not learn is deserving of death. And one who make personal use of the crown of Torah shall perish.

14. He would also say: If I am not for myself, who is for me? And if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?

15. Shammai would say: Make your Torah study a permanent fixture of your life. Say little and do much. And receive every man with a pleasant countenance.

16. Rabban Gamliel would say: Assume for yourself a master; stay away from doubt; and do not accustom yourself to tithe by estimation.

Did Yaakov (James – Yeshua’ brother) agree with Shammai?

We learn that Gamliel was the teacher of Shaul (Paul). Learning this we can see things that Gamliel would have taught Shaul.

The Torah and Freedom

It will not take long while reviewing Torah Focus (torahfocus.com) and the teachings presented here to realize that we take a pro-Torah approach to interpreting the Scriptures. Obviously, this approach creates several interpretive problems. For the most part the worldview of the contemporary Church leans towards antinomian (against the Torah) interpretations of the Biblical text. We have dealt with this superficially in past posts and pages. See Torah Focus, Shaul and the 613 and the New Englanders & the 613.

First, let us interject that we are not trying to make an apologetic for this stance. We are presenting truth to those who desire to learn what it was like to live under the teachings of Yeshua and Shaul.

Therefore, the question at hand is how we can take this approach when men like Shaul talk about freedom from the Torah? (more…)