The problem is that the traditional Christian understanding of the Torah (the Law) and the Old Covenant are flawed right from the outset because of the way they define the Old Covenant, and what they believe about believers before Yeshua came. Christianity says that the Torah was a curse, and that it was a burden, and that it somehow is completely separate and opposed to grace and faith. Christianity says that the Old Covenant was the Law, and the New Covenant is the Gospel, as if they're inherently opposed. The Old Covenant was EXTERNAL, where you had to EARN righteousness through obeying laws and regulations and rituals. Faith was not necessary and/or central. Now, under the New Covenant, everything is internalized.
This is Biblically absurd, and the irony of it is that Paul himself, who traditional Christians go to first in their arguments for why the Law is done away with, goes to great lengths to show that the believers in the "Old Testament" times were saved the same exact way we are today; by faith! Romans 4 says that Abraham and David were saved by faith just as we are today. How was Abraham justified? By faith, not by works (verse 2)! One might say, "Abraham predates the covenant at Sinai, so this is irrelevant." Therefore, Paul, in true rabbinical fashion, predicts what the opposition might say next, and points then to David, who G-d credited righteousness to by faith and not by works as well (verse 6). Paul even claims that the Torah contains the Gospel within it! He defines the promise given to Abraham as the Gospel in Galatians 3:8. Hebrews 11, whether or not you believe Paul authored it, also makes abundantly clear that those who lived before the Mashiach (Messiah) came were justified totally by faith alone. Someone who affirms the Torah's statement that Abraham was considered righteous because of his faith (Gen 15:6) and the Tanakh's assertion that the Torah is the "way of faith" (Psalm 119:30; the word in Hebrew for "faith" and "faithfulness" is the same) finds no surprises here.
A fundamental problem in traditional Christianity's hermeneutic and understanding of Scripture is their understanding of what the Old and New Covenants are. They're only discussed in three places in Scripture, Jeremiah 31:31-34, 2 Corinthians 3, and Hebrews 8 (which quotes Jeremiah 31). Obviously, because Jeremiah is the first place where these covenants are talked about and defined, because it's in the Tanakh which forms the foundation for our understanding of the Apostolic Scriptures, and because one of the other of the three places in Scripture this subject is talked about quotes Jeremiah, our primary focus in defining these covenants should be Jeremiah 31.
HaShem through Jeremiah defines the Old Covenant as the one that he made with the Israelites as he took them out of Egypt, that they broke (recall the golden calf incident that occurred IMMEDIATELY after the giving of the Torah and the appearance of the L-rd's glory on Sinai). He defines the New Covenant as made with ISRAEL (not with anyone else; ie, not with the gentiles. Hence the need for gentiles to be grafted in (Romans 9-11) and to brought near to Israel as members of its commonwealth (Ephesians 2)), as having His Torah (not "law") written upon the heart, His being Israel's G-d and their being His people, the lack of need for people to encourage each other to be faithful to G-d (verse 34; "to know" in Hebrew, in a covenantal sense, means to be true to the covenant), and as having the forgiveness of Israel's iniquity and sins as the root and reason for their faithfulness.
Traditional Christianity says that the Old consisted of externals, and now the "law" or Torah is written upon the heart, being about faith and spirituality as opposed to works and extensive rituals. But this is not even close to what this passage is saying. Biblically, to have something on or in the heart, simply means to be faithful (Deut 6:4-6, 11:18). And I say faithful because it includes both the ideas of having faith, AND of actually, literally being obedient. If the Torah is written on the heart, that means that you will be FAITHFUL to it, to the G-d Who gave it.
Now look at 2 Corinthians 2 from this perspective. Verse 14 is where the phrase Old Covenant comes in. Verses 12-16 say,
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Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech, and are not like Moshe (Moses), who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away. But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Mashiach. But to this day whenever Moshe is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the L-rd, the veil is taken away."
How does Paul see the Old Covenant? It lacks faith! He says that those who are under the old covenant have their "minds.. hardened" and a "veil.. over their heart." It's the same hardness of mind that the unfaithful sons of Israel had who built the golden calf after seeing G-d and receiving His Word. The hardness and veil is removed "in Mashiach," and that SAME "Old Covenant," or those same Scriptures, the Torah, when read with eyes of faith in the Messiah and Son of G-d, become the New Covenant.
Look also at verses 1-11, where Paul discusses the New Covenant.
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Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some, letters of commendation to you or from you? You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Mashiach, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living G-d, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such confidence we have through Mashiach toward G-d. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from G-d, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moshe because of the glory of his face, fading as it was, how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory? For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory. For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it. For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory."
A problem that many fall into is causing Paul to be giving an ultimatum. This is the same error that Christians in the past ages have fallen into in interpreting Paul's discussion of the relationship between the flesh and spirit in places like Romans 8 and Galatians 5. The Church came to consider the "flesh," as in all things physical, as inherently evil or apart/opposed to G-d and spiritual things. Only heaven and the spiritual realms had holiness. Further influenced by Platonism, the Church became dualistic in its worldview and came to find creation and all things material to be burdens and evils. Practices of pagans were imitated, where people would punish their flesh by doing themselves harm in order to strengthen their "spirit." Creation is not "good" as G-d declared it in Genesis 1, and the chief desire is to one day go off to live in heaven to be with the L-rd. However the Jewish and Biblical idea is that there will be a BODILY resurrection and eternal life in the kingdom with G-d dwelling among us. It will be a new heavens and earth, but STILL heavens and earth. The goal of creation is not for us to go up to be with G-d, but for G-d to come down and dwell with us in His self-condescending love. This was realized progressively in the Tabernacle, the Temple, and perfectly in the Mashiach, Yeshua. That which is material is not opposed to things that are spiritual; in fact, anything can be done or used for the glory of G-d. "Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the Name of the L-rd Yeshua, giving thanks through Him to G-d the Father" (Colossians 3:17). "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of G-d" (1 Corinthians 10:31). There's a great article on this by Tim Hegg.
http://www.torahresource.com/EnglishArt ... udaism.pdf
But, as far as Paul's distinction between letter and Spirit, one has to stop imagining him to be making dichotomies. The flesh WITHOUT the Spirit is bad; the letter WITHOUT the Spirit is bad. Paul's essentially saying that the Old Covenant + faith = New Covenant. He's saying the same exact thing by saying the letter + the Spirit = New Covenant. Likewise, the letter - the Spirit = the Old Covenant. Jeremiah and Paul both present the difference between the Old and New Covenants to be FAITH! They're not two different time periods, or dispensations, or ways to salvation, or ways to know G-d. There's one way to salvation and one way to know G-d, and that's faith. Our faith is the same as Abraham's faith, Moses' faith, and David's faith. Their faith was in the Mashiach, just as ours is, only they looked forward and we look backward. Yeshua says Abraham SAW His day, the author of Hebrews says Moshe chose the reproach of MASHIACH over the treasures of Egypt, David wrote of the Mashiach to come all throughout the book of Psalms.
This subject requires much more extensive study than what I've talked about here, but we need to be willing to rethink our philosophies and worldviews, and reevaluate Christian theologies in favor of Biblical theologies. Yeshua said He did NOT come to abolish but to fill up, to flesh out, to make full. You can't fill up something by taking it away or replacing it.
And this does not mean turning to traditional Judaism and the rabbis! Heaven forbid making men who rejected G-d's Son to be our spiritual leaders and authorities (although the study of the Talmud and Midrash can yield plenty of helpful/Biblically accurate fruits). What this means is turning to the Torah, as in the Scriptures. Traditional Judaism is Torah as defined by the rabbis. What we need to turn to is Apostolic Judaism, which is Torah as defined by the L-rd Yeshua and His apostles.
People will inevitably always label those who wish to honor Yeshua and be obedient to the Torah as Judaizers and legalists, they will claim that we do it either out of fear or pride, they will claim we look down on others for not being observant, they will claim we don't really believe in our freedom or liberty. That's okay. Those looking in from the outside won't realize that what looks like bondage is actually liberty (Psalm 119:45). We don't keep Torah to please G-d or avoid His wrath, and we don't use observance as the barometer to measure whether someone "truly loves G-d." Surely some do, but Christians do similar things apart from Torah observance; that's a human thing, not anything related to Torah-pursuance. There are multitudes of Christians who don't think twice of the Sabbath and live immensely more loving and holy lives that are pleasing to G-d than some of the most rigorously observant Messianic and non-Messianic Jews. But just because one is saved or even has a relationship with G-d does not mean they're perfect; in G-d's eyes, yes, all who believe are clean, holy, and perfect. It's not about justification. But we will never escape sin in this world, only in the world to come. So people shouldn't be so sensitive when Messianic claim that Christians aren't doing everything they should be doing; nobody is. Christians keep a lot of the Torah already anyway, they just don't think of it as observance. Messianics should be and often are looking for unity and understanding, not division and pride. And more and more people are listening to what they have to say every day.
Deuteronomy 30:1-8
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So it shall be when all of these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind in all nations where HaShem your G-d has banished you, and you return to HaShem your G-d and obey Him with all your heart and soul according to all that I command you today, you and your sons, then HaShem your G-d will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where HaShem your G-d has scattered you. If your outcasts are at the ends of the earth, from there HaShem your G-d will gather you, and from there He will bring you back. HaShem your G-d will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. Moreover HaShem your G-d will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love HaShem your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live. HaShem your G-d will inflict all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you. And you shall again obey the Lord, and observe all His commandments which I command you today."
That's what I'm here for, Rick, stirring up the pot!
Hebrew4Christians is a great site that has a lot of good info and teachings, but Mr. Parsons (the owner of the site) and I don't see eye to eye on many things, as I'm sure is obvious. However, his site is indicative of the growing interest that so many Christians are beginning to feel in Judaism, Torah, the Jewishness of Jesus and Paul, and the whole Tanakh (Old Testament) in general. Some don't feel comfortable separating too far from their "Christian roots," and are afraid that focusing too much on the Torah or "Judaism" equates to giving the Rabbis as much authority as Yeshua. The problem is that the Torah was never the Rabbis' to begin with, and that it's not defined by them; it is G-d's and the people of G-d's, and is defined by G-d, His Son, and His apostles. You can see this error in thinking in this particular article.
