Do not think that I came to
abolish the Torah or the Nevi’im. I did not come to abolish but to complete.
Mattityahu 5:17 Orthodox Jewish Bible
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. Matthew 5:17 New International Version
The older and hopefully wiser that I get, the more I study scripture. I am gripped by this verse. Yeshua came to fulfill not abolish. Jesus came to satisfy not replace.
I have been unable to find anywhere in the Gospels or the New Testament where Jesus says, or the apostles teach that He came to toss out Judaism and begin anything new. Jesus was not a Christian.
Jesus was a JEWISH rabbi. His disciples, opponents, and the broader public all referred to Him in this manner. Rabbi means my master or my teacher. It is a term of respect within the Jewish community and represents the bond between teacher and student.
Reaching the status of rabbi took hard work. It wasn’t for everyone. After attending Beit Sefer (ages 5-9), He would have continued to Beit Talmud (ages 10-13). School was held at the local synagogue. Early emphasis was literacy and memorizing Torah. School ended at manhood, around age 13. Most Jewish men would go on to study a trade, generally that of their father.
Side note: Everyone was allowed to attend Beit Sefer even girls.
Only the brightest students, those capable of memorizing accurately great portions of the Torah, Nevi’im, and Ketuvim, would be invited to continue onto Beit Midrash (ages13-15). After Beit Midrash, was apprenticeship. Students became disciples under established rabbis beginning an intense period of learning and fellowship. Rabbi and disciple spent a great deal of their time together just as Jesus did with his disciples.
Becoming a rabbi required a semikha or ordination. Your rabbi would lay hands on you, transfering authority. This process of transferring authority has been passed down since Moses received the Torah on Sinai. Just like today, qualification for ordination reflects knowledge of language, history, text, philosophy, and law. Yeshua went through this entire process. No lost years but rather years of rabbinical study and hard trade work. Most rabbis learned a trade because one was not allowed to accept money for teaching Torah.
Side note: Jesus was referred to as rabbi (Hebrew) or teacher (Greek) 63 times in the Gospels and his followers as disciples 275 times in the New Testament.
You should understand that I am not a fan of organized religion. Most organized religion seeks its own gain. MANY atrocities have been committed in the name of religion that had little or nothing to do with the teachings of Jesus or the Tanakh.
I am not saying I am not a Christian but I also not saying that I am as I would need to understand your definition to allow myself to be labeled by you. I prefer to call myself a believer.
Jews did not coin the name “Christian”. To do so would have given credence to Yeshua being the Messiah. Non-Jewish inhabitants of Antioch, as described in the Book of Acts, were the first to apply the term "Christian" to Jesus' followers. It was not a name chosen by Jesus or the apostles or His disciples. Scholars agree that it would be used contemptuously but over time the offensive was reclaimed as a designation.
Before anyone called them anything, Jesus called his followers disciples. “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, so also you must love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John13:34-35).
The Book of Acts mentions “The Way” several times. In Acts 9, Saul is looking to arrest anyone belonging to The Way. Acts 19, Saul now Paul faces opposition from those speaking evil of The Way while in Ephesus. In chapter 24, Paul identifies himself as a worshiper of God according to The Way.
Consider the following:
- If we are to reflect God and God IS love why are so many churches full of condemnation, criticism and hate?
- Why create rules beyond those contained in the Bible?
- Why choose division instead of mercy, grace and forgiveness?
- Where is our reverence of God?
Jesus pissed off the establishment. I would argue that it was part of the plan. Currently, over 45,000 denominations of Christianity exist globally. It wasn’t quite as drastic during the first century.
The Sadducees originated from the priestly lineage of Zadok, who served as high priest under King David and became the inaugural high priest of Solomon's Temple. Think of wealthy aristocracy in the fashion of those underneath the direct royal line in England. They reject belief in afterlife, resurrection, angels and spirits. No coming messiah. Only what is WRITTEN in Torah alone.
Pharisees believed in written and oral Torah. Oral Torah is eventually written down and is comprised of the Mishnah and the Gemarah, collectively known as the Talmud. They come from varying economic classes NOT priestly heritage. They do believe in afterlife, resurrection, angels, spirits and a coming messiah. They are strictly adherent and devoted to the law. EXTREMELY pious.
Pharisees had two prominent schools of thought at the time of Jesus:
- The House of Hillel the Elder accentuated tolerance and empathy. “That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the entire Torah; the rest is the explanation; go study it.”
- The House of Shammai emphasized strict obedience and a stringent application of law in Jewish life. “Say little and do much.”
Zealots. Fiercely opposed to any foreign occupation as God ALONE is the ONLY legitimate ruler of Israel and are willing to take violent action to achieve liberation. Think of a Pharisee with a sicarii or dagger.
Lastly, the Essenes are a sect of Judaism so fed up with the corruption of the Sadducees and Temple life that they haul ass out to the desert to set up shop. They are isolated and communal. Observant. Celibate. Pacifist. Focused on purity and holiness. We are generally familiar with them in connection with the Dead Sea Scrolls. Some scholars suggest that John the Baptist, whose father was a priest, may have been trained by the Essenes rather than the Sadducees which is why he chose a desert lifestyle and focused on water baptism.
God sends Jesus into a faith that is arguing over not only interpretation of Torah but the legitimacy of the Nevi’im (prophets) and Ketuvim (writings), an Israel that is aggressively occupied by Rome and world that is being reshaped by Hellenism culture (think if it makes you happy, it can’t be that bad…and yes, I am singing Sheryl Crow).
Side note: Marty Soloman from the BEMA Discipleship podcast points out that Jeus lived among with Pharisees for 3 years without losing His life but after one week with the Sadducees, He was hung on a Roman cross.
Swing back to the text: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
Seems clear, yes?
I am not throwing the baby out with the bathwater. I am not creating anything new. Everything I am saying and relating and ministering is in the text (Old Testament). I am not replacing anyone or kicking them out. I am including the aliens, the outcast and the homeless. Everyone is welcome. Everyone has ALWAYS been welcome. You have misread and misinterpreted the text. You have misjudged the intentions of Adonai. BUT! He IS love and so sent me to help you refocus, remind you of the story, and to reclarify the point.
Side note (thank you, Donald Miller): “You’d think God would come right out and tell us what to do in the Bible, but He doesn’t. He mostly tells stories, and He rarely stops the story to say what the point is. He just lets the characters and conflict hang in the air like smoke.”
What is the point?
My friend and pastor, Warren
Beemer summed it up simply: Love God. Love People.
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Torah? And He said to him, ‘You shall love Adonai your God with all your heart and will all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment (Deuteronomy 6:5). And the second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18). The entire Torah and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.’” Matthew 22:36-40
Jesus consistently directs us back to God, to the sacred texts, and to the unfolding narrative. God is weaving a grand story that stretches across the cosmos and through all of time…a tale that has unfolded for millennia and continues to be inscribed in this very moment. It is a saga of extravagant, unrelenting love, ever in pursuit. This promise extends to all the children of Abraham, just as He vowed, embracing you and me despite our status as Gentiles—strangers, outsiders, wanderers without a home. Every one of us qualifies for His boundless love; no soul is left out.
I've often pondered why God permitted the diaspora of His people. There's much to explore in that question, but one truth stands out starkly: the Jewish people have been scattered across the globe, becoming neighbors to all humanity in the process.
Love God. Love people.
One reason God is thought to have chosen Abraham was his renowned generosity and hospitality.
Love God. Love people.
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
Love God. Love people.
The outsider dwelling among you shall be to you as the native born among you. You should love him as yourself for you dwelled as outsiders in the land of Egypt. I am Adonai your God. Leviticus 19:34
Love God. Love people.
Jesus did not come to usher in a new faith or a new people but rather to bring us all back to the original plot by expanding our understanding.
Love God. Love people.
I invite you to reinvent your faith by resubscribing to the OG story: Love God. Love people.
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