Church history, including some of its important leaders and influencers like Martin Luther, St. Augustine, the Emperor Constantine and the Council of Nicaea, were filled with Anti-Semitism. As well as having a disregard for the commandments of God as they appeared in the Torah, or Old Testament, because of that contempt for the Jews, the Church also disregarded scripture in order to appeal to pagan converts. The commandments regarding the sabbath and the Feasts of the LORD were changed or ignored resulting in the spiritual impoverishment of the Church, and the removal of the Church from its Torah and Jewish foundation. The phrase, "the law and the prophets" appears five times (five is the number of grace) in the Old Testament, but it appears ten times (ten is the number of completion) in the New Testament! So why does the Church systematically exclude the law and the prophets from its direct relationship with grace? Let us look at the mentions of "the law and the prophets" in the New Testament. Jesus said: "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." (Mt. 7:12). The intention of this Torah principle that Jesus taught is based on one of the two great commandments, again from the law and the prophets, which we will see later. John the Baptist, whose purpose was to prepare the way for the Messiah, Jesus, was connected by Jesus directly to the law and the prophets which preceded John, including His revealing of John the Baptist as Elijah, the great prophet of Israel (Mt. 11:11-14, see also Lk. 16:16). Jesus was tested by Torah lawyers on His knowledge and interpretation of the law, and He answered them according to the law when asked: "Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Mt. 22:36-40, see also Deut. 6:5 and Lev. 19:18). Regarding the Torah, Jesus revealed: "...it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle (small mark over a Hebrew letter) of the law to fail."(Lk. 16:17). The Torah is not about legalism, but it is about teaching us that God is a good God. This is the source of the grace of God - His goodness towards us. Jesus reminded His disciples when He met with them after His resurrection, that He had told them of what would happen to Him when He was previously with them :...that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things." (Lk. 24:44-48). Everything concerning Christ was written beforehand in the Torah. At that same time, Jesus also spoke about another promise from the law and the prophets: "And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high." (v. 49). Jesus is referring to the promise in the prophets that God would pour out His Spirit upon all flesh. This outpouring, as recorded in Acts 2, occurred on the Feast of Pentecost, also called the Feast of Weeks. Again, we must say that the Church has not been taught the ordained and prophetic Feasts of the LORD. In another example of the law and the prophets in the New Testament, Jesus was travelling into Galilee, in Bethsaida, where He called Philip as a disciple, and told him, "Follow me." (Jn. 1:43). Then Philip went to Nathaneal and told him: "...We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathaneal said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see." (v. 45-46). Jesus had seen Nathanael in the Spirit, and said to him: "Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee." (v. 47-48). Nathanael was amazed that Jesus had seen him in this manner beforehand, and proclaimed to Jesus: "...Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel." Jesus answered: "Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these...Hereafter, ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man." (v. 49-51). When Paul arrived in Antioch, he was in the synagogue on the sabbath. The law and the prophets had been read during the service, and then Paul was invited to speak (Acts 13:13-16). Paul then opened up the Torah in a manner that revealed the sovereignty and goodness of God to His people throughout their history (v. 17-21). Then Paul spoke to them about how the Torah brought the people of God to the provision of His salvation: "...he (God) raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will. Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus: When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel." (v. 22-24). The people in the synagogue had been reading the law and the prophets on the sabbath, and Paul brought them the Gospel of salvation out of the same law and the prophets. When Paul was brought to trial before Felix, the governor of Cesarea, by false accusers among the Jews who wished him dead. Paul defended himself before the governor saying: "But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and the prophets: and have hope towards God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men." (Acts 24:14-16). As Paul said, our consciences towards both God and man are developed and ordered by the law and the prophets, and Paul structured his life upon the knowledge of them. As Jesus said (above), all the law and the prophets hang upon our keeping the two great commandments relating to our love for God, and equally, our love for our neighbor, man. The last few years of Paul's life were spent in Rome, where he was kept under house arrest, and would eventually be executed.
However, scripture tells us how Paul spent this time: "And when they had appointed him a day (for his hearing), there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not." (Acts. 28:22-23). The Church of believers was founded through Paul and the other apostles through the revealing of the truth of Christ in the law and the prophets. Paul also wrote that the Jews have an advantage in every way because the oracles of God have been entrusted to them. These oracles include the Torah, the Word of God. The fact that some may not believe does not make the faith of God expressed by His Word, without effect. God is going to judge the world righteously based upon His Word, whether they believe or not: "...yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. (Rom. 3:1-5, see also Ps. 51:4)). Because of this, Paul wrote that one is not a Jew who is one outwardly, by circumcision in the flesh: "But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." (Rom. 2:28-29). This also is directly from the law and the prophets. We need both the Old Testament and the New Testament, both of which are wrapped into Yeshua, Jesus. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 1/8/23 message to the church. To contact us, submit a prayer request, give a praise report, or to support this ministry: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, theshroudofturin.org, and END TIME SCHOOL, also on Facebook. You can also get a free ebook titled "The Shroud of Turin- A Perfect Summary" at www.The ShroudofTurin.org/freebook.
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