Subject: Re: List of New Testament Commandments
Date: Thu, 26 Feb 1998 23:00:31 +0000
To: "Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup"<heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>
heb_roots_chr@mail.geocities.com wrote:
>
> From: Bruce Barham
> To: "heb_roots_chr@geocities.com"<heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>
> Subject: Questions??
>
> Question 1. I have read there are over 1000 commandments in the New
> Testament; however, I have never come across an itemized list. This
> would be very useful to me as I attempt to enlighten some of my more
> anti-Judaic Christian friends. Can anyone point me to the 1000+ list of
> New Testament commandments??
>
From: Deborah Jensen
To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject: Re: List of New Testament Commandments
I would like to know if anyone has a list of the commandments from
the Torah that can actually be done today. I know there are 613
commandments, some negative and some positive, I have a list of those.
Is there and actual list of of written commandments composed somewhere
that are for today. Many of the commandments apply to the Levitical
Priesthood and the Sacrificial system, things that do not apply to
those who are Torah observant but are without a Temple Service. I
would like to see a list of both the Old and New Testament
commandments.
Thanks
Deb Jensen
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>
> From: Bruce Barham
> To: "heb_roots_chr@geocities.com" <heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>
>Subject: Questions??
>
> Question 2. I read a book entitled THE MESSIAH CONSPIRACY which
> presents pretty good evidence supporting the fact the Jewish sages
> which fled to Yavneh after the Bar Kochva revolt knowingly reinterpreted
> Hebrew scripture and worked on devising polemics against the
> ever-growing threat of Messianism as a sect of Judaism. Their adding
> of the one additional benediction which forced believers out of the
> synagogues strongly suggest there was indeed an active conspiracy even
> when the new evidence from the author of the book is not considered.
> Has anyone else read the book? I strongly suggest you consider doing
> so. I think if the sages truly conspired to kill off Christianity it needs to
> be exposed - just as the legacy of Christian anti-Semitism needs to
> be exposed!
>
> I fear some of us in the Hebraic roots movement often lean too far to
> the other pro-Judaic extreme and consider it anathema to criticize
> Judaism. We place Judaism on a pedastal. The religion of Judaism
> becomes an idol to some. I have seen this tendency to embrace ALL
> things Jewish (and almost all Jewish liturgical tradition) without
> considering its correctness or contribution to furthering Yeshua the
> Messiah.
>
> I simply feel we need to guard ourselves from over-reacting against
> Christian theological error and embracing Judaic error. I feel there is
> more truth in Judaism than there is in today's Christianity; however,
> they still reject Yeshua and, as the author of the book shows, it was
> and is a conspiratorial attack started by many highly revered sages.
>
> I also want to emphasize I asked for comments so I could verify the
> author's claims. He may just be a modern day Martin Luther
> (antisemitus-maximus).
>
> In Yeshua,
> Bruce..
>
> ***********************************************************************
>
From: Cherie Ching
To: <heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>
Subject: Re: List of New Testament Commandments
Dear Bruce:
I want to add a hearty 'amen' to your comments about embracing ALL
things Jewish. Your writing is a timely confirmation to a teaching I
was formulating this very day to my own students of Hebraic Roots. I
know Eddie has written in previous posts how Christians often become
quite zealous for ALL things Jewish when they become aware of how much
we've been robbed of by Christian tradition, and end up throwing out
the baby with the bath water.
I agree with you. I don't believe we can assume that Jewish tradition
and myth is superior to Christian tradition and myth. SOME or much of
the Mishnah and Midrash may be the writings of some inspired men, but
they are NOT scripture in the sense of canon. The Christian tradition
has many writings of inspired men also, but they are not canon and
should not be considered so. We need to stick to what the canon
actually SAYS, both in Tenach and the New Covenant (or Renewed
Covenant, if you prefer). Considering that Judaism has been dedicated
to refuting the claims of the 'sect of the Nazarene' ever since the
destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, we need to really understand what
we are doing when we embrace Jewish tradition, and not do it just
because it is Jewish. I LOVE the Jewish people and have to discipline
myself to resist much of their tradition, especially when it is a
lovely time honored ritual. Let's not have tradition for tradition's
sake, no matter how rich. Let's have tradition (if we must) which
uplifts Y'Shua and shows Him as Messiah, Lord, Master and God, ONE
with the Father and Creator. He IS our atonement and should be the
cause of great, joyful worship and glory to the Father who gave us His
BEST; HIMSELF. Anything that redirects our attention from this fact
is not useful.
Finally, permit me to add that we really DO need to be on guard
against seeking righteousness by works just as the religious Jews of
Y'Shua's day did (and MANY Christians do). We must not seek to please
God by what we DO and DON'T do in the flesh (eating or not eating,
wearing or not wearing, etc.) when it is clear that righteousness is
IMPUTED and the WORKS that we should do need to be the WORKS, and
GREATER WORKS that Y'Shua did (in love and with a pure heart). Those
works are healing the sick, raising the dead, preaching the Good News
of God's reconciliation to man through Y'Shua, bringing life and
peace abundantly, and all the other works the Deliverer DID/DOES
through us. We do need to do righteous works, and live holy or
sanctified lives BUT the sacrifice that our Creator requires is giving
homes to the homeless, protecting widows and orphans, visiting those
in prison, loosing the bonds of sin and death, opening the eyes of the
blind, healing the sick, etc.... in other words, destroying the works
of Satan, just as Y'Shua did. We are his Vice Regents on this earth
('as He is in this world, so ARE WE', John:). Wearing certain
clothes, or keeping the festivals won't fill the bill, and shouldn't
be the focus of our lives.
Of COURSE we will be blessed if we keep the biblical festivals. Of
COURSE we will be blessed if we avoid certain foods, remind ourselves of
Torah with our clothing, and so on, but these things are NOT our
life. In fact, they are pretty light weight on the eternal scale of
things. They are for OUR good. We should do them, without
'neglecting the WEIGHTIER things of the Torah' which are love, mercy
and giving of ourselves. It's not a case of Judaism versus
Christianity, Law versus Grace, but rather grasping one thing without
turning loose of the other, so as to come forth with BOTH
(Ecclesiastes:). We just need to make sure we have our priorities
straight and SCRIPTURAL.
I can tell you from observation that you will reach more people, both
Jew and Christian with who Y'Shua REALLY is and what He actually
DID/DOES than with leaving the 'o' out of God (which is ALREADY a
euphemism - so we have a fence around a fence around a fence, and the
Creator NEVER told us NOT to use His name, but on the contrary, to
'know' and 'call upon' it. The commandment is to not use His name in
VAIN, or empty, uselessness for the purpose of cursing others - which
we have NO authority to do), or calling Jesus (Latinized) Y'Shua
(which I DO but only because I love Hebrew - who He IS SALVATION which
is GREEK for the Hebrew Y'Shua which in English is "deliverance from
temporal and spiritual danger, prosperity, healing, wholeness,
soundness...", etc. A CONCEPT that must be PREACHED and LIVED).
So, I believe we can be of greater service to the Master by
appreciating our Hebraic Heritage and holding onto the biblical festivals and
Sabbaths and holy living - which will bless US - while AT THE SAME
TIME SERVING our fellow man in humility, patience, mercy and love, in
all things self-sacrificing for the benefit of OTHERS. I refer you to
Matthew 5 (and the rest of the New Testament; oh, all right, the
whole BIBLE) if you doubt it. And please don't forget that 'it is
IMPOSSIBLE to please God without faith', and that 'faith comes by
hearing, and HEARING by the Word of God' so READ, BELIEVE and ACT on
that Bible, at the same time you're tying those tzit-tzit!
Lastly, "Why do you call me 'Lord' and do not DO the things I SAY?"
Each of us needs to consider that fully at all times. Please forgive
me if I seem 'preachy'. I just have a new URGENCY of spirit to
admonish and encourage my Brothers and Sisters in Y'Shua to give
little time to the non-essentials and get on with the BUSINESS of the
KINGDOM for the sake of the King/Lord/Master, who will return SOONER
than we THINK!
Peace to all,
Cherie in Misawa, Japan
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