This is the most common response I get when bringing up our responsibility to keep the commandments. Many Christians are familiar with Paul and his writings. They believe that Paul did away with the law. They claim that Paul was against the Torah.
But is this true?
“So that the Torah truly is set-apart, and the command set-apart, and righteous, and good.” – Romans 7:12
In modern Christianity, we have a special reverence for Paul, which is not bad. He was a true disciple of the Messiah and progenitor of “The Way” (See teaching – The Way?). Paul wrote at least 13 books of the New Testament and is widely considered by Christians as the most pivotal and influential author of the Apostolic Writings.
At face value, Paul communicates in a way that might seem to contradict the “Old Testament.” From our Western viewpoint, he often appears to speak against commandment-keeping and set-apart living. And Paul is often used as an excuse not to be mindful of God’s law. The most common rebuttals I get involve Paul and his writings. They rarely include Yahusha (Jesus), James, Peter, or Jude. Only sometimes do the gospel writers get quoted. And of course, I’ve never heard anyone quote the Old Testament to justify not keeping the commandments.
Grace is an important part of our faith. But God’s grace has been part of our faith since creation. Do you think it is possible that we don’t quite understand Paul? Has this reshaped our faith? Look at what Peter has to say about the topic:
“…reckon the patience of our Master as deliverance, as also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you, according to the wisdom given to him, as also in all his letters, speaking in them concerning these matters, in which SOME ARE HARD TO UNDERSTAND, which those who are untaught and unstable TWIST TO THEIR OWN DESTRUCTON, as they do also the other Scriptures.” – 2 Peter 3:15-16
Peter is telling us that Paul can be hard to understand. Peter mentions this despite knowing Paul firsthand. Yet Christians 2,000 years later think they have Paul figured out.
According to Peter, many who are “untaught and unstable” twist the Scriptures. The Greek words used here are amathés and astériktos and they mean to be unlearned, ignorant of, or not steady. They imply a person who does not fully understand the Scriptures, which at this time was the “Old Testament.”
“You, then, beloved ones, being forewarned, watch, lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the DELUSION OF THE LAWLESS.” – 2 Peter 3:17
Ouch. Peter tells us that if we misunderstand Paul, we may be led away with the “delusion of the lawless.” Misunderstanding Paul may lead you to lawlessness.
Peter was writing to the Galatians, among others (1 Peter 1:1). Had the believers of Galatia and these other nations become lawless? Had they mistaken God’s grace for lawlessness? Jude warns us that this was occurring.
“For certain men have slipped in, whose judgment was written about long ago, wicked ones perverting the favor of our Elohim for indecency…” – Jude 4
To be lawless means to be “without law.” The law referred to in Scripture is God’s law – the Torah. The best definition of sin that we have in Scripture – transgression of the Torah (1 John 3:4) – is often rendered as “lawlessness.”
This is happening in modern churches all over the world. They preach belief in Jesus without adherence to the Torah (law) He followed. If you read any other writer of Scripture (Old or New Testament) you get one unified message.
- Repent from sin
- Keep the commandments
- Be set-apart
Paul tells us the same message. But we often mistake his writings as lawlessness. In his zeal for showing us the importance of the Messiah, we often lose sight of what the Messiah taught…obedience. Paul isn’t against the Torah (law/commandments), but rather against misuse of the Torah. He had been part of the Pharisaical group of Judaism that took the pure faith of obedience and turned it into a manmade religion of rules, regulations, and rituals.
The Torah does not provide salvation. Only Yahusha Messiah can do that when He resurrects you on the last day. But the Torah contains the hand-written instructions of the Father (see teaching – Are You a Believer, Follow Torah). And Paul is never against proper use of the Torah. So, what does he have to say about it?
“For not the hearers of the Torah are righteous in the sight of Elohim, but the DOERS OF THE TORAH shall be declared right.” – Romans 2:13
“Do we then nullify the Torah through the belief? Let it not be! On the contrary, WE ESTABLISH THE TORAH.” – Romans 3:31
“For I DELIGHT IN THE TORAH of Elohim according to the inward man.” – Romans 7:22
“And we know that the Torah is good if one USES IT LEGITIMATELY.” – 1 Timothy 1:8
“And all shall know that what they have been informed about you is not so, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Torah.” – Acts 21:24 (James speaking to Paul).
As you can clearly see, Paul is all about obedience to the Father through His set of instructions we call the Torah. Paul is also wonderful at revealing to us how Yahusha (Jesus) is the Way, the Truth, and the Life…the Torah made flesh. Yahusha brings salvation. We MUST follow Him. But to follow the Messiah, you need to know what He expects – obedience to His Father.
Paul knew this. He did his best to emulate the Torah obedience of the Messiah and admonishes us to the same.
“Become imitators of me, as I also am of Messiah.” – 1 Corinthians 11:1
FAITH IN MOTION 