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We pick up our
thought process by relating "obedience to the Law/Commandments
particular to our Covenant....ie., Covenant of Noah and it's relationship
to becoming righteous and acceptable to God."
I know that this concept is foreign to Gentile Christianity yet it finds itself smack dab in the middle of the New Testament buried in the original language of the text which is never noticed if one only studies or reads the New Testament in English. What we must be conscious of in our study is that the following concepts are not only found in the New Testament but agree totally with the Laws of Noah and Biblical Judaism as well.
Paul continues to reveal the hidden mysteries of God to the Gentiles whom believe in Yeshua (Jesus) in the Book of Ephesians 2:3-5, KJV:
Before
the CONVERSION of these GENTILE EPHESIANS, they lived in SIN.
Answer for yourself: What did we
discover in the last teaching as to what "sin" was in the New
Testament? It was ignorance toward, violation of, and transgression of the
Laws of Moses, especially for Gentiles.
As Gentiles, who
were born as aliens to the commonwealth of Israel, strangers from covenant
promises, without hope and without God, the Death Penalty for
transgression of the Law...which is exactly "what" one earns for
committing SIN, as Romans 6:23 says (THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH)-hung over
Gentiles, just as it does for anyone who PRACTICES SIN (remember
transgression of the LAW is defined as "sin" in the New
Testament). Only those who turn FROM sin, and turn TO YHWH in OBEDIENCE to
Yahweh's Every Word" will be given the Gift only Yahweh can
give...Eternal Life! We will be given access to the Tree of Life!
As we have read in Isaiah 59: 1-2, it is OUR INIQUITIES and SINS (as
seen in the breaking Yahweh's Laws) that cuts us off from Yahweh.
These same Scriptures tell us that the REASON Yahweh will NOT listen to
someone, is BECAUSE they are a SINNER...they practice sin.
Before the Word of Yahweh was given to the Gentile People as a
whole, they were cut off from Yahweh. Before this, ONLY the Tribes
of the Children of Israel (JEWS) were given Yahweh's Laws, which GUIDED
one to Yahweh's SALVATION. Israel has ceased being a "light" to
the nations and there was not hope for the Gentile people unless they
could come to the saving knowledge of God.
Yahweh's Message of Repentance, Conversion, and Salvation was not being preached to the Gentiles on a large scale until after Yeshua's death where his followers, convinced he was the promised Messiah, finally were driven by persecution from Jerusalem into all the world where they took with them the message of Yahweh's salvation to the "lost sheep of Israel" whom were scattered all over the world.
In Acts 10:18,34-35, KJV:
Let us set the stage. Peter had, against his will, been sent to the home of an "unclean" Gentile. However this particular Gentile was a "Godfearer" who had accepted the God of Israel and was living by the Laws of Noah which were part of the faith of the Godfearer. However, since he remained "uncircumcised" he was not accepted by the Jews since lacking this he was not eligible for conversion. So he remained "apart" from the Israel of God in the Jew's eyes but not in God's eyes as we are about to see. Paramount for our understanding is that such a one who turned from idols to serve the living God was "saved". Notice also that he was "saved" after Yeshua's death; in fact he knew nothing about Yeshua or adhering to any established doctrine concerning "Yeshua" for salvation. He was just a Godfearer as pictured all the way through the Jewish Scriptures as an example of non-Jews who had faith in the Only True God and who was "saved" accordingly. Understand as we go on that this condition of "salvation" was no longer accepted by bigoted Jews who considered Gentiles "dogs" and wished no social or religious contact with them. Only if the non-Jew was circumcised was he considered "born" again and acceptable to the Jew. This is the whole issue of Paul and Galatians which is overlooked by most who fail to realize that Paul was talking only about "one" law..the law of circumcision which the "non-Jew" was not under!
While
Peter was in Cornelius' home, before he even talked with him about Yeshua,
the Holy Spirit fell upon Cornelius has He had the Jews years before. This
will be very problematic for Christian theology because not knowing to be
"saved" by belief in Yeshua or his death or his blood as
Christians teach, here is Cornelius "accepted" by God and "filled
with the Spirit of God" and he does not yet know or accept any of the
Christian theology you and I are told are necessary for salvation.
Answer for yourself: According to
Peter, are those who practice and work righteousness accepted with God?
Yes.
Before we can go on verse 35 bears our investigation. Let us see who
the "nation" refers to in that verse.
Lexicon Greek 1484 1484 ethnos {eth'-nos} probably from 1486; TDNT - 2:364,201; n n AV - Gentiles 93, nation 64, heathen 5, people 2; 164
Answer for yourself: Does not Peter say that in referring to "ethnos" that those of a race, or nation who worketh righteousness (who like Cornelius had not yet learned of Yeshua or the theology connected with his death which would be developed later) find eternal life through obedience to righteous acts? It sure does. Again this negates totally Christianity's salvation message through the death and blood of Yeshua if the account of Cornelius is to be believed. I personally believe it is to be believed because it lines up with Biblical history and Biblical Judaism correctly.
Now let us reaffirm what these multitude of Gentiles and heathens who were without the knowledge of the True God and who were not worshipping the true God were to DO (accomplish righteous works) to become acceptable to God.
We are told they must WORK RIGHTEOUSNESS to be accepted with God. Notice that ACCEPTANCE WITH GOD is not belief alone but involves the WORKING OUT OF TANGIBLE DEEDS THAT AFFIRM ONE'S FAITH!
Answer for yourself: Can we be assured of acceptance with God if we have faith and no righteous works? No because faith without "works" is dead.
Answer for yourself: Is it possible
that this "working out" of practical deeds and manifestation of
practical righteousness is nothing more than the accurate and correct
response of one's faith in obedience to Laws and Commandments? It sure is.
Lexicon Greek 2038
2038 ergazomai {er-gad'-zom-ahee} middle voice from 2041; TDNT - 2:635,251; v AV - work 22, wrought 7, do 3, minister about 1, forbear working + 3361 1, labour for 1, labour 1, commit 1, trade by 1, trade 1; 39
Answer for yourself: Do you not
recognize that Peter is saying that those Gentiles who perform acts of
righteousness, thereby causing righteous works to exist, are accepted with
Yahweh? I hope so.
Answer for yourself: Does this verse
not say that being accepted with God is based upon EARNING and WORKING and
ACQUIRING acceptance with God through righteous acts? It sure does.
Lexicon Greek 2041 2041 ergon {er'-gon} from a primary (but obsolete) ergo (to work); TDNT - 2:635,251; n n AV - work 152, deed 22, doing 1, labour 1; 176
Answer for yourself: Is a "work"
a deed? Yes.
Answer for yourself: Is not the
emphasis upon the "doing" of a deed instead of "believing"
only? It sure is.
Answer for yourself: Did not Jesus say
that by their fruits (not their faith) you shall know them? Yes he sure
did.
Answer for yourself: And what is it
that we as Gentiles are to work toward? Biblical Righteousness.
The Greek word for "righteousness" is as follows:
Lexicon Greek 1343 1343 dikaiosune {dik-ah-yos-oo'-nay} from 1342; TDNT - 2:192,168; n f AV - righteousness 92; 92
Answer for yourself: Does "righteousness"
describe a condition that brings a state of acceptance with God? Yes.
Answer for yourself: Does not true Biblical righteousness relate to "doing" more than just "believing?" I hope you said "yes."
Answer for yourself: Since "working
righteousness" relates to the way one can attain an approved state
with God, then does it not stand to reason we must respond in obedience to
commandments (like keeping the Commandments of the Seven Biblical
Festivals, the Sabbath, and the correct use of the Tithe...all of which
most of Christianity violates)? Yes.
Answer for yourself: Since Acts
10:34-35 is written after the cross of Yeshua and teaches us that a
condition of "acceptance" with God MAY BE ATTAINED by working
righteousness and practicing righteous deeds, then are we to trust SOLELY
in our faith in Jesus for "acceptance with God" if this verse
connects such "condition of acceptance" with righteous works,
acts, and deeds? No, and if you have the courage to check out our other
web site we will demonstrate beyond any doubt how such false ideas got
connected to the death of Yeshua)!
Answer for yourself: Is not "working
and doing righteous acts" the correct way to feel and act according
to the Greek word used by the Holy Spirit in this Scripture? It sure is.
Now let us focus on what God says we are to "work" toward. We are to work toward righteousness. Let us now investigate the "root" word for righteousness.
Lexicon Greek 1342 1342 dikaios {dik'-ah-yos} from 1349; TDNT - 2:182,168; adj AV - righteous 41, just 33, right 5, meet 2; 81
1) righteous, observing divine laws
Answer for yourself: Did we see the
word for "righteous" in the Bible means OBSERVING DIVINE LAWS?
We sure did.
Answer for yourself: Did we not see
that "righteous" in the Bible means KEEPING THE COMMANDS AND
LAWS OF GOD? We sure did.
Answer for yourself: Does "worketh righteousness" that leads to being accepted by God mean (according to the Greek word "diakaios") observing divine Laws and Commandments? It sure does.
Answer for yourself: Does "worketh
righteousness" that leads to being
accepted by God mean (according to the Greek word "diakaios")
keeping the commandments of God? It sure does!
Answer for yourself: Can we be
considered "righteous by God" if we have a DIFFERENT way of
thinking, feeling, and acting that is not totally or wholly conformed to
the will of God? No we cannot be considered "righteous" by God.
Answer for yourself: Can we be "righteous"
by faith alone and be confident of our acceptance with God since this
verse directly says that those who practice
righteous acts and deeds (and not just have faith or believe)
are accepted with God? You better not bet on it.
Answer for yourself: If we act contrary to the Laws and Commandments of God which are the expressed manifestations of "righteousness" then can we be certain that we are approved and acceptable of God? No. We can be certain that we have displeased Him and are not approved and accepted by Him.
Yahweh is
NO "Respector of persons". ONLY those who REVERE Him (by OBEYING
His word, and who WORK RIGHTEOUSNESS) by practicing Yahweh's Commandments,
Laws, Statutes, and Judgments in their daily lives, are accepted BY
YAHWEH.
Before Yahweh opened the "Way of Salvation" to the
Gentiles, it was considered UNLAWFUL, even to the Believers (who were then
all Hebrews, by the way), to rub elbows with the Gentiles. However, this
was not an Ordinance from Yahweh or part of the Written Law, but from the
oral teachings of Shammai who hated Gentiles and was the leading Torah
scholar of his day. This ordinance was stated by Peter in Acts 10:28,
KJV:...it is an unlawful thing for a man who is a Jew to keep company, or
come unto, one of another nation...
According to THESE ordinances by a Rabbi named Shammai, it made NO
DIFFERENCE that any Gentile might be practicing RIGHTEOUSNESS...as
Cornelius the GENTILE centurion was doing in Acts 10:1-4, KJV.
Cornelius, a DEVOUT man and
one that FEARED YAHWEH with all his heart...was accepted by God because
his prayers and alms (works) had come up to God as acceptable sacrifices.
Let us understand that his prayers and alms were manifestations of
Commandments and Laws, thus they were "works of righteousness."
Thus he was accepted. Notice also that his prayers and alms had come to
God and God had declared him accepted BEFORE PETER ARRIVED AND PREACHED
JESUS TO HIM!
Answer for yourself: Can a Gentile be "accepted
by God" by DOING and WORKING RIGHTEOUSNESS before he hears about
Jesus? Yes.
Answer for yourself: Can a person be "accepted with God" by living a life of "active faith and practical righteousness" and be damned to Hell because he has not heard about Jesus yet? NO, not according to what you just saw in Acts 10 concerning Cornelius! Acts 10 shows us that although one has NOT learned or heard of Jesus, his righteous acts (not his theology about Jesus) brings ACCEPTANCE WITH GOD!
Answer for yourself: Should we not
follow the teachings of the Bible concerning what true salvation is
regardless of what we have heard others say since childhood about what the
church has taught about salvation? Yes.
The word translated 'devout' in Acts 10:2 is as follows:
[A] devout <2152>
[man], and <2532> one that feared <5399> (5740) God <2316>
with <4862> all <3956> his <848> house <3624>,
which <5037> gave <4160> (5723) much <4183> alms <1654>
to the people <2992>, and <2532> prayed <1189> (5740) to
God <2316> always <1275>.
Lexicon Greek 2152 2152 eusebes {yoo-seb-ace'} from 2095 and 4576; TDNT - 7:175,1010; adj AV - devout 3, godly 1; 4
Root Word...Lexicon Greek 4576 4576 sebomai {seb'-om-ahee}middle voice of an apparently primary verb; TDNT - 7:169,1010; v AV - worship 6, devout 3, religious 1; 10
Just a note about "middle voice" of the adverb "devout". Whenever "middle voice" is used it means....SOMETHING ONE DOES HIMSELF.........the action is done to him by himself...
In other
words, Cornelius was making himself HOLY by KEEPING the Laws of Yahweh
(Laws of Noah) and practicing as a life-style righteous works!
Answer for yourself: Did Cornelius'
faith come before God as a memorial or his works? His works.
Answer for yourself: Would Cornelius'
works have been considered "righteous" by God if they had been
works and deeds that violated the Commandments and Laws, yet still being "religious
works?" No. Obedience is better than any sacrifice WE can give God.
We must give God what He asks and not try to improve on it or go beyond
what He asks.
Only "living by" the HOLY Laws and Commandments of Yahweh
makes one "holy" because it separates the obedient person from
the majority of mankind who do not obey the LORD but lean on their on
understanding. If one lives any other "way," then he lives in
sin...and Yahweh then, correctly, considers that person to be a SINNER.
Yahweh, assuredly, is no "Respector of persons", so even
IF a GENTILE OBEYS HIM,
then that Gentile is ACCEPTED BY HIM. Yahweh has proven
this through the instructions He gave through Moses, saying previously in
Exodus 12:48-49, KJV: And when a STRANGER shall sojourn with thee...ONE
LAW shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the STRANGER (Gentile) that
sojourneth among you.
The word translated 'stranger' in this verse is word # 1616 in Strong's
Hebrew Dictionary: the word "ger", and means:
foreigner, alien. This is the Gentile like you and me!
Answer for yourself: Did the Text say
that there is ONLY ONE LAW for both Jews and Gentiles? Sure did!
Answer for yourself: Are the Gentiles
to yield to the Law given to the Jews because salvation if of the Jews or
Jews to decide which of the 2,000 different Christian denominations and
their "various and conflicting laws" to obey? I think the answer
is obvious! The Gentile is to yield to the law given to the Jews which is
the Torah!
Answer for yourself: Is salvation of
the Gentiles or the Jews? Jews.
Answer for yourself: How can the Jew possibly submit to the Law given the Gentile (understand that he is not supposed to) if the Gentile Christian is taught that the Law has passed away? He can't!
Now the Apostle Paul was speaking to the Ephesians, who WERE strangers
before Yahweh's Word was delivered to them. When they received Yahweh,
they were no longer "strangers"
to the covenant promises made to Israel (in thy Seed Abraham all NATIONS
(Gentiles) will be blessed)! Along with Yeshua
and his message, they had accepted Yahweh's Holy Laws, which they had
broken in times past, and they were given the OPPORTUNITY to be JUSTIFIED
through repentance to Yeshua's message (which results in works of
righteousness). In
Ephesians 2:19, KJV: Now therefore you are no more strangers and
foreigners, but FELLOW CITIZENS with the saints, and of
the household of GOD. The Gentile who comes to faith in God through
the ministry of Yeshua and his legacy becomes a fellow-citizen WITH THE
JEWS IN THE ISRAEL OF GOD!
Answer
for yourself: As a Christian, are you standing alone in your
identification with God as "The Church" opposite and opposed to
the Jew/Israel, or are you, as Ephesians tells us, part of Israel and
considered as FELLOW CITIZENS with the people of God in Israel because you
have been grafted into Israel by faith in her Messiah? You are "the
Israel of God" which is a more true identification and designation
that calling yourself a Christian which was a derogatory term used by the
enemies of Way and the sect of the Nazarene (Yeshua). I hope you are
beginning to see that you are engrafted into Israel and do not stand apart
from the root and fatness of the Olive Tree which supports you.
Answer for yourself: Are fellow
citizens of the SAME NATION (both Jew and Gentile) under the same LAWS?
Sure are!
Answer for yourself: For example, in
America do the laws of murder apply to everyone or just a certain class of
people? To everyone. Get the picture?
Shalom.