The third talk (22 mins) on Messianic Judaism challenges on of its major tenets: that the Torah is still binding.
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Main ideas:
- Matthew 5:17-20 is an important passage for Messianics. Yet the commands Jesus refers to are not the typically "Jewish" mitzvoth, but dealing with anger and lust, being persons of integrity, loving enemies, etc. (We referred to 1 Corinthians 1:17, and also compared John 9:39 to John 12:47, since they illustrate how a verse out of context can easily be misinterpreted.)
- A change in priesthood requires a change in law (Heb 7:11-12; 8:13).
- Jesus set aside the Law in order to create a new humanity, comprising Jew and Gentile (Ephesians 2:14-15).
- Key features of Torah do not map over to Christianity (kosher law, circumcision, animal sacrifices, priesthood, tithing, warfare). Neither do 100s of other (less weighty) commands!
- The Torah—like the Prophets (Nevi'im)—is God's word for us. But it is not God's law for us.
Next: How Jesus fulfilled the Law—freeing us from needing to observe Torah.
