Your position on Paul is ludicrous. I have never seen
more scripture taken
out of context ever before in my life. Not only that you extract the
scripture from their place in the scripture. If each scripture you call out
is placed back into its context, the result is exactly the opposite of what
you claim.
Here is a simple tidbit for you, You claim (a mere man) that because the
scriptures do not include women this proves circumcision was always intended
to be physical. You reject that it was representative of the internal
circumcision of the heart merely because the language is void of references
to women, therefore it must be the physical. Let me ask this , if the
intent of circumcision was always to be the external physical one, then how
would females ever stand justified before God? Not a one is ever
circumcised. So then, is it one rule for females and another for males?
Looking at Y'shua's life that is clearly false. Y'shua clearly treated
women equally with men. Most of the commandments and laws are given with
the male vernacular, did that exclude women, of course not. To God there
is
no gender. The Lord is not a respecter of persons. The commandments
are
clearly about obedience, something the Israelites demonstrated they were
incapable of doing. Am I wrong? If so, then why did they not enter
the
land? If so, then why the exile "beyond Babylon"? The fact
is the
Israelites missed the entire point of the commandments, and so have you.
The commandments came so that we might know we are sinners, incapable of
measuring up to the holiness of God. This simple point exalts and
Glorifies
God. Do you choose to steal Gods Glory? God is glorified by the fact
that
we are incapable of perfection (holiness) without his intervention.
"Not
ONE is righteous, Not ONE!" (these are not my words, these are Gods
words).
Men sought righteousness through the law(an obviously still do), a
righteousness that is not attainable by man, God foreknew this, he wanted us
to know it. God wants us to seek after him, to realize that we can't
fulfill the law, that, no man has ever done it. Only God himself has done
it, through the person of Y'shua. Y'shua came to us "under the
law". Not
under Grace as you and I live. He walked this earth fulfilling all the
commandments as God intended them to be fulfilled(minus the dogma and
traditions of man). Y'shua never tried to live them as the Jew determined
in his wisdom he should fulfill them, but rather as HaShem determined they
should be fulfilled. The wisdom of man is utter foolishness to HaShem.
The
end result was Y'shua was blameless before God. This is what enabled him
to
be OUR ransom. Not a Ransom that we earned or even deserved, but rather a
ransom freely given to us by none other than God himself (Oh my brother, the
love God has for us, how deep it is). So then, it is plain to see we are
incapable of attaining Gods perfection in and of our selves through the law.
We can never stand before god and say Lord I kept the law, let me in, I
deserve it, look what I did. We are his creations not his boss. It
is not
a negotiation, its his way or no way. Can you stand before God and
say I
have never broken a commandment, therefore let me into heaven? No you
can't. Can you stand before God and say, I kept more commandments than he
did over there, let me in? Of course not. If it were so then God
would be
a respecter of persons and would be said to honor the PROUD. But he
doesn't, does he. Scriputure says time and time again, God honors the
humble, the contrite in Spirit. A contrite heart is not one that thinks he
can stand before God and negotiate his way into Gods Kingdom. Nor is it
one
that thinks he can boldly proclaim he has lead a perfect life ( a life which
has never transgressed a commandment). If you have broken even one
of the
smallest laws you have broken the whole law, and are a law breaker.
It
doesn't matter which one. And Y'shua took that to another level, Y'shua
took the torah to the "conscious level". For example, He took
the law on
adultery (a law which many men can say they have not physically broken), and
brought it down to the non physical level. Y'shua said plainly that if you
have ever looked upon a woman with lust in your eye, you have committed
adultery. My friend only a blind man could avoid this transgression.
You
have transgressed the law. I have transgressed the law. We are
therefore
separated (as is the penalty for sin...death = separation from God). So
then what is our hope. Our hope rests in that Y'shua, the spotless lamb,
who willingly took ALL our sin (the sin we've committed, the sin we are
currently committing, and the sin we will commit during the remainder of our
earthly lives), he became our sin ( a curse to HaShem, and he took the
penalty (Cursed is he who is hung on a tree) in our stead. By trying to
attain Gods perfection through the law, you are rejecting what God has done
for you, and you are rejecting what God wants to do IN you. You are still
trying to "measure up" to something that is out of your grasp.
You are
crucifying our Lord all over again in your heart. Was not once enough?
Turn off your will. Turn on his will. In time you will find that as
he
sanctifies you your walk will more closely ressemble his walk, and you wont
even be trying. Remember his walk was perfect in the law! He set the
captives free (captives to the law). The law is perfect and Holy,
you are
imperfect and will never attain its perfection, allow Y'shua to attain it
for you as a free Gift.
In Love, Jim
----- Original Message -----From: Br JerrySent: Sunday, December 26, 1999 8:17 PMSubject: Reply to (Position on Paul)
Dear Mr. Gallagher,Your opening comment, ("Your position on Paul is ludicrous."), betrays your blind submission to the authority of the third century Roman Church that called itself Christian. Wake up and hear the cries of the martyrs from under the altar, my friend.This canon was fully devoted to reinforce the catholic universal faith. The word of Yah is not even slightly pollutable. The lie brings with it death. Only the ones having wisdom will live. This Paul taught error. He boldly proclaimed his ignorance of Holy Writ. When he quoted the flawed and unapproved Greek version of the Scriptures. For instance...he misquoted and misunderstood Habakkuk 2:4 and used it as proof text for his salvation by grace blasphemy. The word here is faithfulness, meaning adherence to the Law, not belief in one doctrine or another. Please note that Sha'ul (Paul) was opposed to the Messianics and was 'converted' only to change the focus and intent of the message. He introduced universalism (Hellenism) and anomialism (the Law is done away..Lawlessness) into the very core of the words of life. Are we to honor the doctrines of those that turn from the truth given to the Patriarchs?This conversation may continue but let us establish ground rules that exclude questionable sources. We, in the information age, have a great benefit because raw data is readily available. At the same time it is a curse because we are, in fact, without excuse. We have the individual responsibility to discover the truth. Not one of us can say, 'Forgive me Father, for I know not what I do".Br. Jerry of Qumran Bet CommunityP.S..The work you responded to was not of my authorship although it is featured on our site. I will happily forward this to Clif Addison, whom you may wish to 'enlighten'. We here at Bet attempt to avoid topical confrontation finding it counter-productive to the cause of wise understanding and compliance to the Father's will.Clif's address is: brclif@digital.comP.P.S.After another re-read:Jim, if perfection is the child of belief, why did Yahushua tell us that our righteousness (Lawkeeping) would have to exceed that of the Pharisees? They were, after all, the most dedicated to the law of Moshe and consequently 'Lawfulness'/Righteousness.
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