Monday, October 7, 2024

Torah Class - Day 9: Statutes 397-411 - conclusion

Today we completed our study of the Statutes relating to the 6th Commandment, "Thou shalt not kill". We are focusing on Leviticus 11, looking at clean and unclean foods.

Here are a few highlights from class today:

Psalm 119:92 “Unless Thy Law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction.”

So, if it’s dangerous - even deadly - to believe the Law of God was nailed to the Cross, what did Paul mean? Certainly, Paul wasn’t teaching us to do away with the Law, if that teaching was going to give hell the power to destroy God’s people! The problem isn’t with Paul’s teachings - the problem is with our understanding of what Paul taught.

Peter himself said that Paul was a very difficult man to understand. Even in the time of the Early Christian Church, many were already misinterpreting Paul’s writings - which Peter warned would bring destruction.

2 Peter 3:15-16 (NCV) “...Our dear brother Paul told you the same thing when he wrote to you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes about this in all his letters. Some things in Paul’s letters are hard to understand, and people who are ignorant and weak in faith explain these things falsely... but they are destroying themselves by doing this.”

Of all the Bible writers, Paul is the most difficult to interpret and the most commonly misunderstood. This statement is not just my opinion. It is a fact, having been expressed by the Apostle Peter and preserved within the pages of Scripture itself. (See 2 Peter 3:15-16, above.) 

Twisting the meaning of Paul’s words was a common problem in the Early Christian Church. And it has not lessened in our time. In fact, the way Christians commonly misinterpret Paul’s New Testament writings is the single biggest cause for doctrinal deception today! Here are some examples:

We are Twisting the Teachings of Paul When we Make Them Mean Something Different than the Rest of the Bible.

What About Romans 14 – Esteeming Days and Eating?

People believe that Paul taught it doesn’t matter which day you “esteem” as holy—keep any day you choose as your Sabbath - They cite Romans 14:5 to support this.

But we are jumping to conclusions if we interpret Romans 14:5 in this way. Paul never says that we should "unesteem" (make common) a day which God has esteemed (made holy). What he does say is that man may also esteem a day, as needed. 

In other words, there are times when my personal circumstances warrant having a day or two of fasting and special prayer. By planning to fast and pray for a day or two, I am choosing to esteem these days. They don't have to be Sabbaths, for me to pray and fast effectively at these times. 

According to the rest of Scripture, Yahweh wants His people to remember and keep holy the Days He sanctified. Man may “esteem” days, such as setting aside a special day for fasting over a needed issue - man but may not unesteem a day which Yahweh has made holy. (Exodus 20:8-11, Levitcus 26, Ezekiel 20:12-24, Hebrews 4:8-11, and many more...) Paul never says to unesteem God’s esteemed holy Days.

Romans 14:5 "One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind."

So, if esteeming a day is setting the day apart for special worship, fasting or special prayer (or all of the above) in what context might someone "esteem every day alike"?  

One example of esteeming "every day", which is to set apart oneself for holy use day-after-day, is the Nazarite Vow. A Nazarite Vow was not required. This is a good example of how a person would only voluntarily esteem a day - being fully persuaded in his own mind, as Paul says in Romans 14:5. During the time of his voluntary vow, a Nazarite would not engage in common practices (like going to work, etc). This time was specially set apart for closeness with God and for focusing on the Kingdom! 

Completed worksheets from this class are viewable and printable at the following link:
 

Upcoming Class Schedule:

Wednesday, October 9 - Torah Class will meet, as scheduled, live on Zoom.

Sabbath-Sunday, October 12-13 - FEAST OF ATONEMENT...  Join us online for a Day of Atonement themed broadcast at 2 PM (PST) on Sabbath and Sunday (the Day of Atonement)... The broadcasts will be viewable on our website at: www.lightedway.org 

Monday, October 14 - Torah Class will meet, as scheduled, live on Zoom.

Wednesday, October 16 - Torah Class will meet, as scheduled, live on Zoom.

LWM FALL RETREAT, October 18-26 - FEAST OF TABERNACLES-LAST GREAT DAY...  Join us online for two to three broadcasts daily during this special Fall Retreat... The broadcasts will be viewable on our website at: www.lightedway.orgThere will not be any online classes during these dates.

FALL BREAK , October 28-31 - There will not be any online classes during these dates.

Monday, November 4 - Torah Class will meet, as scheduled, live on Zoom.

Wednesday, November 6 - Torah Class will meet, as scheduled, live on Zoom.

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