“What are you?”
That is a question I get asked often. People like to label and put you in a box. It is difficult for some to grasp if you don’t fall into a certain category. I used to just say “Christian” or “Believer.” But I don’t think those terms accurately describe the true path.
Some people call themselves Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, Baptist, Presbyterian, or one of the other 45,000 different denominations in the world (See Link). Then there are those who might refer to themselves as Messianic, Hebrew Roots, or Torah Observant. But I don’t think those terms accurately explain the entire picture either.
The Book of Acts describes the early path and calls it THE WAY.
“But Paul, still breathing threats and murder against the taught ones of the Master, having come to the high priest, asked from him letters to the congregations of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of THE WAY, whether men or women, to bring them bound to Jerusalem.” – Acts 9:1-2
Later in the Book of Acts, Paul had become a follower of Yahusha (Jesus) and joined this group he originally tried to kill. He simply referred to his lifestyle and conduct as THE WAY.
“But when some were hardened and did not believe, speaking evil of THE WAY before the crowd, he withdrew from them and separated the taught ones, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.” – Acts 19:9
And here:
“And about that time there came to be a great commotion about THE WAY.” – Acts 19:23
After stirring up the crowd about Yahusha the Messiah, Paul is accused of being in a cult. The Levitical high priest had come with Tertullus to accuse Paul of breaking the law of God. Yet Paul says otherwise:
“And this I confess to you, that according to THE WAY which they call a sect, so I worship the Elohim of my fathers, believing all that has been written in the Torah and in the Prophets,” – Acts 24:14-15
Paul isn’t part of some new religion called Christianity. He believes all that is written in the Torah and in the Prophets. In Acts 25:8, Paul claims to be obedient to the Torah and to the Set-Apart Place. Paul is living a lifestyle that is in obedience to the Torah (instructions of God). Yet he also has faith in Messiah Yahusha.
Perhaps you are just now learning that the early gathering of believers in Yahusha (Jesus) was called THE WAY? It wasn’t something I was taught in the institutional church either.
The Messiah Himself tells us the following:
“Yahusha said to him, ‘I am THE WAY, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” – John 14:6
Yahusha spends most of the rest of that chapter explaining the importance of commandment-keeping. See John 14 (verses 15, 21, 23, 24).
So why is this important for us? THE WAY isn’t just about having belief in the Messiah. It is also about covenant faithfulness. And there is a bigger difference between THE WAY and Christianity than just semantics. Here are a few of the deviations:
IDENTITY
The Way – Did not create a new religion, but rather embraced a new High Priest, Yahusha (Jesus).
Christianity – Developed a Roman-centered religion with a new identity outside of spiritual Israel.
LIFESTYLE
The Way – Maintained the Sabbath, God’s appointed times, dietary instructions and other commandments while rejecting man-made traditions of the Pharisees and of the gentile nations.
Christianity – Shifted the Sabbath to Sunday, developed new holidays based on pagan origins, and rejected many of the commandments.
OBEDIENCE
The Way – Maintained covenant loyalty through obedience to God’s commandments. Understood that faith in Yahusha did not void the Torah (instructions of God).
Christianity – Rejected the Torah (instructions of God), and detached faith from obedience.
NEW COVENANT
The Way – Understood the New Covenant to be the law written on your heart (Jeremiah 31, Hebrews 8).
Christianity – Taught that grace replaced commandment-keeping in the New Covenant. Sidenote: grace has always been part of God’s law.
Christianity has used Paul to suggest that one must only “believe” to be saved. This is a misunderstanding of the word “believe” (pisteuo in the Greek) and what our expectations are as followers of Yahusha. Paul recognized that justification by works (especially forced circumcision for gentiles) was false doctrine. Yet, he never rejected Torah obedience. He wrote the following about the Torah (law):
“Do we then nullify the Torah through the belief? Let it not be! On the contrary, we establish the Torah.” – Romans 3:31
“So that the Torah truly is set-apart, and the command set-apart, and righteous, and good.” – Romans 7:12
True faith recognizes that Yahuah’s Torah (instructions for living) have not changed (Malachi 3:6). We are also not justified or made right through works of Torah. Rather, we are made right through the atonement of our High Priest (Yahusha Messiah). However, we are expected to follow the righteousness that is found in the instructions of the Most High (i.e. Torah/law/commandments). For when we are set free from sin, we are expected to become servants of righteousness (Romans 7:18).
Followers of THE WAY, which included Paul and every other true disciple, understood this. Keep the commandments and be obedient to the Father. But accept the atonement of our High Priest, Yahusha, for the atonement of sin.
“Here is the endurance of the set-apart ones, here are those guarding the commands of Elohim AND the belief of Yahusha (Jesus).” – Revelation 14:12
Over time, Christianity has severed itself from THE WAY. It became a Roman-centered religion which has replaced the commandments, holy days, and identity of true Israel with more acceptable “gentile” doctrines and beliefs. Judaism does the same on the flip side, keeping the commandments (and other man-made traditions) but not believing in the true and faithful High Priest, Yahusha…the only One able to take away sin and provide justification. But THE WAY is simple. Not easy…but simple. Keep the commandments. Accept and follow our High Priest.
Jude 3 explains it well. Let’s get back to THE WAY.
“The belief which was once for all delivered to the set-apart ones.” – Jude 3
FAITH IN MOTION 