Tag: kingdom of god

The Holy Spirit: The Word and Wisdom of God

I believe the holy Spirit is the Word and truth of God which is for us the regenerative presence and Wisdom of Yahweh God, the Father.

Core of the Bible podcast #108 – The Holy Spirit: The Word and Wisdom of God

In today’s episode, we are continuing our doctrinal topics on the nature of God and I’ll be discussing my views of the Holy Spirit; who he is and what he does. To be honest, I think in our modern reading of Scripture we make this a more difficult topic than it needs to be. It really isn’t a  difficult or mystical thing to understand the role of the Spirit of God. Since the Father is God and he is holy and he is spirit, I believe that the holy Spirit of Scripture is the very Spirit of Yahweh, God.

John 4:24 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

God’s Spirit is his creative and life-giving presence in this world.

Genesis 1:1-2 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.

The Spirit of God is life itself; without life and without God’s Spirit, nothing would exist.

Genesis 2:7 Then Yahweh God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

Job 34:14-15 “If He should determine to do so, If He should gather to Himself His spirit and His breath, All flesh would perish together, And man would return to dust.”

I believe God’s Word is a manifestation of his Spirit.

John 1:1 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God; and the Word was God.

The Word of God has been linked to the Wisdom of God, personified in the Proverbs and also within the ancient near Eastern writings of the Apocrypha. Just as your words are an outward manifestation of your inner thoughts and ideas, so is God’s Word for him. When he speaks, it is his Spirit that has been symbolically personified as the creative and guiding wisdom of the universe. A good example of this type of literature device is represented in the eighth chapter of Proverbs, where this personified Wisdom is foundational to all that exists and underlies the very life of God himself.

Proverbs 8:35 – “For the one who finds me [Wisdom] finds life and obtains favor from Yahweh…”

This same creative aspect of God’s Word is also represented in the Psalms:

Psalm 33:8-9 – Let the whole earth fear Yahweh; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.  For he spoke, and it came into being; he commanded, and it came into existence.

Throughout the Bible, we also see how God’s will and purpose is made known by his Word through his prophets.

Ezekiel 11:5 – Then the Spirit of Yahweh fell upon me, and He said to me, “Say, ‘Thus says Yahweh…'”

2 Samuel 23:1-2 – Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse declares, The man who was raised on high declares, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel, “The Spirit of Yahweh spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue.

2 Peter 1:20-21 – But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is [a matter] of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

God’s Word is represented as truth.

Psalm 119:160 – The sum of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting.

John 17:17 – “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.”

I believe the holy Spirit is the Word and truth of God which is for us the regenerative presence and Wisdom of Yahweh God, the Father. He reveals to individuals the true understanding of his spoken and written Word, setting them apart for his purpose and will, and motivating faithful actions of believers. Through his Spirit and Word of truth, God convicts of sin, regenerates individuals causing them to be born again or from above, and sets them apart from the world for his purpose. 

1 Peter 1:23 – for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing apart of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 – For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when you received the word of God which you heard of us, you received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually works also in you that believe.

Through his Spirit, God also attests to the truth of his word and validates the authority of his messengers. Through the consistency of the witness of the Spirit of God, along with our conscience and reasoning, we are enabled to discern truth from falsehood.

Romans 8:16: – “The Spirit itself [i.e, the truth of God], bears witness together with our spirit [our own reasoning] that we are children of God;”

As God continually acts through his Spirit and Word, we are transformed into children of God and the spiritual image of Yeshua, empowered to become effective witnesses to Yeshua and the gospel message of the Kingdom, filling our hearts with love for all men, and moving us to practice godliness.

Timeline of God’s holy Spirit

The workings of the Spirit of God encompass a past, present, and future aspect as recorded from the perspective of the writers of the Scriptures. It is important for us to recognize this internal timeline of the Bible to correctly understand the ongoing influence of God’s holy Spirit today.

The very beginning of the Bible relates how God, through his Spirit, has always been present in the workings of this world.

Genesis 1:1-2 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.

In the past God provided his Spirit for specific individuals and purposes.

Numbers 11:14, 16-17 [Moses speaking] “I alone am not able to carry all this people, because it is too burdensome for me. … Yahweh therefore said to Moses, “Gather for Me seventy men from the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and their officers and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. “Then I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit which is upon you [Moses], and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you will not bear it all alone.

Judges 6:34 So the Spirit of Yahweh came upon Gideon; and he blew a trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called together to follow him.

1 Samuel 16:13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of Yahweh came mightily upon David from that day forward…

2 Chronicles 20:14 Then in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of Yahweh came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah…

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of Yahweh GOD is upon me, Because Yahweh has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners…

2 Peter 1:21: For not, by will of man, was prophecy brought in, at any time, but, as, by Holy Spirit, they were borne along, men spoke from God.”

Throughout Israel’s troubled history, the Spirit was also prophesied to be provided more abundantly at some future point.

Ezekiel 36:24-27 “For I will take you [Israel] from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.

Joel 2:28-29 “It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions. Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

In just a moment, we will review the work of God’s Spirit as our timeline moves into the era of the New Testament writings, and the culmination of all that God was preparing to do among his people.

Into the New Testament writings

From the opening pages of the New Testament era, we see how the Spirit of God was intimately intertwined within the life and ministry of Yeshua. The prophecies of the pouring out of the Spirit of God spoken about by the prophets hundreds of years earlier were to begin with the miraculous event of the birth of the Messiah, the Anointed One of God.

Matthew 1:18-21 – The birth of Yeshua Messiah came about this way: After his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant from the Holy Spirit. So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.  But after he had considered these things, an angel of Yahweh appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. “She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Yeshua, because he will save his people from their sins.”

At the beginning of the public ministry of Yeshua, John the baptizer relates the confirmation of Yeshua’s anointing with the Spirit of God:

John 1:32-34 – And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and he rested on him. “I didn’t know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The one you see the Spirit descending and resting on ​– ​he is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ “I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”

It was this anointing, or immersion, into the Spirit of God that provided Yeshua with the title “Christ” or “Messiah,” the Anointed One. Everything Yeshua taught and did was provided through his anointing by the Spirit of God. As we saw in our last discussion of Yeshua as the Messiah, the Bible clearly outlines how Yeshua’s teaching and works were accomplished by the Spirit of God working through him.

Acts 2:22 – “Fellow Israelites, listen to these words: This Yeshua of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him, just as you yourselves know.

Acts 10:37-38 – “You know the events that took place throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John preached: how God anointed Yeshua of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how he went about doing good and healing all who were under the tyranny of the devil, because God was with him.

Yeshua himself claimed that the things he taught and the works he did was because of the power of Yahweh God, the Father, working through him:

John 12:49 – For I have not spoken from my own authority, but the Father himself who sent me has commanded me what I should say and what I should speak.

John 14:10 – “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who lives in me does his works.

Returning to the prophecies of Ezekiel and Joel, in the teachings of Yeshua, the “pouring out” of the Spirit, or the enabling and regenerative power of God, was very close and about to take place.

John 7:38-39 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'” But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were about to to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Yeshua was not yet glorified.’

John 15:26-27 “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

Within six weeks of the death and resurrection of Messiah, the Bible records that the pouring out of the Spirit occurred at that time.

Acts 2:1-4 When the day of Pentecost [Shavuot, or Weeks] had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues [languages], as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

The apostles recognized that this event was the confirmed fulfillment of that past prophecy of Joel.

Acts 2:14-17 But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words. For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘that I will pour forth of my spirit on all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams…'” 

This was also the fulfillment of “the promise:”

Luke 24:49 “And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Acts 2:33 “Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.

Through the rest of the New Testament writings up until the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, the writers spoke of the holy Spirit being collectively present with believers at that time.

Ephesians 1:13-14 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation–having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

Ephesians 3:4-5  By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Messiah, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;

Further, this pouring out of the Spirit collectively provided for many powerful workings of God throughout the body of believers as confirming signs to the nation of Israel that Yeshua was the “prophet who was to come” whom Moses had spoken of. The apostle Paul called these “gifts” of the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 

For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.

These “gifts of the Spirit” were specifically given by God for the validation and rapid spreading of God’s Word and truth in those days.

Acts 8:5-6, 12-13 – Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Messiah to them. The crowds with one accord were giving attention to what was said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs [attesting miracles] which he was performing. … But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Yeshua Messiah, they were being baptized, men and women alike. Even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed.

1 Corinthians 2:4-5 – and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

After the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, the inspired records had fulfilled their purpose and ceased being written, having completed the story of God’s work among his people, Israel. This has been demonstrated historically in that no new scripture has been written since that first century generation two thousand years ago.

Likewise, the miraculous signs were provided as demonstrations primarily for non-believingIsrael. These signs testified to the truth of the Word of God through the apostles, that Israel’s promised Messiah had come, and that God’s Kingdom was being implemented within their generation. With the fulfillment of all things in the destruction of Jerusalem, the miraculous sign gifts were completed in that generation, the last days of the nation of Israel.

In his famous treatise on the supremacy of love, the apostle Paul spoke of how there would be a time where miraculous spiritual gifts would no longer be necessary, because the love of God would rise to prominence as the Kingdom was to become established.

1 Corinthians 13:8-10, 13 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; and whenever that which is perfect [completeness] may come, then that which is in part shall become entirely idle…Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love ​– ​but the greatest of these is love.

The fullness of the Kingdom of God, represented by the prophetic New Jerusalem, would be a Kingdom based on the supremacy of this love that Paul spoke of. This Kingdom could only become a reality through the destruction of its earthly and corrupt counterpart in that generation. I believe the New Jerusalem is “that which is perfect,” spoken of by the apostle Paul. It was a New Jerusalem, since the Old Jerusalem, in bondage to its traditions and idolatry, had become worthless and dead and was therefore destroyed. The new Kingdom, being a spiritual reality, would never cease, and it continues to grow to this day in completeness until it fills the earth.

The work of the Spirit today and into the future

Now, since God is eternal and his Kingdom is eternal, enduring characteristics of being influenced by the Spirit of God (fruit of the Spirit) that were present then will continue to be present for all time. As people continue to enter the Kingdom and learn about God through his Word and truth, he continues to bring people to new life by his Spirit through faith in Messiah Yeshua. They are then empowered by his Spirit to demonstrate love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control; all of the out-workings of the Spirit of God through his people today. I believe these are the “gifts” that believers have to offer the world today: positive spiritual influences that God uses to draw all people to himself.

Of course, I still believe a miraculous event is still a possibility, since God never changes. However, I believe any genuine miraculous event will ALWAYS point people to the truth and majesty of God himself as revealed previously in the Bible, and will not validate any false individual or reveal some new teaching contradictory to what has already been brought to conclusion through the completing of Israel’s story in the first century. 

Additionally, I believe God’s Spirit is still actively working through the everlasting Word and truth, God’s eternal Torah, constantly providing a corroborating witness for all generations for all time. This regenerating presence of his Spirit is shaping and molding hearts of people for the continual building up of his kingdom on earth for eternity.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

Galatians 5:22-25: “But, the fruit of the Spirit [the empowering word and truth of God], is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, graciousness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control; against such things as these, there is no law. And, they who are of Messiah Yeshua, have crucified the flesh, with its susceptibilities and covetings. If we live by Spirit [the empowering word and truth of God], by Spirit [the empowering word and truth of God], let us also walk.”

Summary

I believe the Spirit of God is a term used to describe how Yahweh God actively interacts within our human environment, whether through creation, revelation (wisdom), regeneration, sanctification (setting apart) and through empowerment. The Spirit of God is Yahweh himself, and his influence in this world.

Ultimately, I believe the core principles of the Bible, the basics of the eternal torah or Word of God, are the result of God’s Spirit. The Ten Commandments were spoken to Moses and ancient Israel and substantiated through the principles of the Sermon on the Mount taught by Yeshua, speaking everything the Father commanded him to teach. I believe these two pivotal episodes in the Bible, besides the Creation itself, represent the most profound work of God’s Spirit in this world.

The Spirit of God therefore separates (or sanctifies) his people to seek first the Kingdom and then empowers them to do so with vigilance. The Spirit of God creates in his people a love for himself with all of the heart, mind, and strength, trusting him for everything. And the fruit of that same Spirit prompts them to love others with integrity, forgiveness, and compassion.

Throughout Scripture, the Spirit of God is always associated with life, whether physical or spiritual. The life of God is what gives us existence and ability, and as the Creator of all, he manifests his Spirit as he sees fit. This life we have, whether physical or spiritual, is not our own, but a dynamic that comes from the hand of God for his purpose. Since everything we are is from him, I believe we should remain faithful to all he asks of us through the expression of his Spirit through us, and we should seek to faithfully emulate him in all of our ways.

Well, I hope that there were possibly some perspectives in the discussion today that provided you with some new insights for your own further study and review. Next time, I would like to provide a look at the biblical festival of Shavuot, also known as Weeks or Pentecost. This is a natural segue seeing as how we have been discussing the Spirit of God, and how, at the recording of this podcast, this is the season of Shavuot in the year 2023. Throughout our doctrinal discussions over the next year, I hope to cover all of the biblical holidays as well, so I hope you are able to join me in this continuing journey.

Remember, there is also a Core of the Bible virtual study group that is hosted through the Marco Polo video chat app. It is designed to discuss the topics that we cover each week and to help people with responses to questions that may come up. If you are interested in joining the discussion, simply download the free Marco Polo app and email me a request to join the group at coreofthebible@gmail.com. I will be happy to send you a link to join the virtual Bible study group. You can also feel free to email me any of your thoughts or comments at that email, as well.

One true God

The Bible teaches there is only one true God. He is known as Yahweh, Almighty God, and the Father, among other names.

Core of the Bible podcast episode #106 – One true God

In today’s article, we will be talking about Yahweh as the one true God, and how I believe this basic Bible truth has become muddled by tradition and orthodoxy.

So to begin with, let me start by saying that I believe that the Bible reveals that there is only one true God, Yahweh, the Father, sole Creator and Maintainer of all that exists. He is the supreme authority of all people. He alone possesses inherent immortality, and has always existed. There is no other God to whom praise, honor, and glory is due.

Deuteronomy 4:35, 39 To you it was shown that you might know that Yahweh, He is God; there is no other besides Him. … “Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that Yahweh, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other.

One of the primary features of Jewish culture revolves around the reciting of what is known as the Shema. The Shema is based on a very familiar passage to most believers.

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 “Hear, O Israel! Yahweh is our God, Yahweh is one! “You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

The Shema has been the primary defining statement of the Hebrew people since it was revealed to them.  Shema means “hear” and focuses on the primary declaration that Yahweh is one, or is the only God, or is singular in essence. All of these meanings revolve around the idea that there is only one God. Faithful Jews recite the Shema twice a day, and it is traditional for parents to teach their children to say it before they go to sleep at night. It is such an important Hebraic belief that it is also an ideal for Jews to say the Shema as their last words.

This fierce monotheism is what has distinctly set apart the Hebrew people since God first revealed himself to Abraham in approximately 2000 BC. The Babylonian, Egyptian, and Eastern religions (and later the Greeks and the Romans) have all been polytheistic religions, filled with hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of gods. The Hebrews were first and unique in their strict rejection of all other gods but one.

Yeshua himself confirms the importance of this concept of one God through the Shema, as well.

Mark 12:28-29 One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that [Yeshua] had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” Yeshua answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! Yahweh our God, Yahweh is one…’

Now, here are some other verses confirming the unique authority of one God over all.

Isaiah 44:6, 8 “Thus says Yahweh, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, Yahweh of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me. … ‘Do not tremble and do not be afraid; Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, Or is there any other Rock? I know of none.'”

Isaiah 46:9-10 “Remember the former things long past, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’…”

As would be expected, we find this same emphasis on one God in the New Testament writings.

1 Corinthians 8:4-6 Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him…

1 Timothy 1:17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Messiah Yeshua,

So, if this has been the historical understanding of the nature of God as being singular, how is it that over the centuries after Messiah, a concept known as the trinity came about? The philosophy of a trinity suggests that the being we call “God” is a singular entity made up of three “persons”: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. In this view, all three have co-existed for all eternity, and all are co-equal with one another and somehow combine to form one God. This very abstract and confusing definition of God’s essence is generally defended by saying that the nature of God is incomprehensible to our human understanding.

While I would agree that God’s ways can be incomprehensible to us as humans, we always need to focus on what the Bible actually reveals about God, not invent how we think God should be, and then try to fit that idea back into the Bible. This involves reading what the Bible says about God, doing our best to understand the literary, cultural, and historical context, and then lining up our ideas with the consistent patterns found throughout Scripture. Therefore, I have come to believe that the concept of a trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as one God with three eternal persons) is a philosophical misinterpretation of men that was devised hundreds of years after the close of the inspired record of God’s dealings with the Israelite people.

Now, before you write me off as a cultist or assign to me some other unfounded judgment, please consider something very basic about what I am presenting here. One of the most glaring demonstrations of how the concept of the trinity is a tradition invented by men is that it was not even an “official” doctrine of Christianity until approximately three to four hundred years after Messiah lived. Prior to the time of its acceptance, there are only sparse references among a few of what we know as the “church fathers” to a vague trinitarian formula that was to become more firmly defined at this later time.

Three to four hundred years is a longer period of time than it has been for us Americans since the revolutionary war. So if that’s the case, what were the masses of Christians believing about God for all of that time, since they never even heard of a trinity concept? Unfortunately, the early leaders of that time were approaching the idea of God from thinking that was based on Greek philosophy, and not from the Hebraic cultural and historical perspective of the Bible.

To refine this man-made definition of the trinity, many councils were held in the fourth century because there was no firm understanding of this view among the various groups of early Christian leaders. And the establishment of this view was not immediate; it was only after hundreds of years beyond this point that it ultimately spread to become the “orthodox” (established and approved) view, yet it still continued to be refined through further councils, even into the middle ages. All of this debate and definition over such a long period of time does not lead one to conclude this is a clearly revealed truth in the Bible, but rather a manufactured idea of men trying to explain God from a human point of view, the very thing God says is impossible.

Isaiah 55:8-9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

Today, the concept of the trinity is so widely accepted it is considered a non-negotiable core doctrine of Christianity. In almost all Christian churches, if one does not accept this view, one is not considered a Christian. However, reviewing the history of debates over the doctrine it is clear that the trinity is not a self-evident concept in the Bible. 

Based on the Hebrew culture and beliefs from which the Bible came forth, the trinity is not only inconsistent, but in direct contradiction with the Hebraic understanding of God being one, as evidenced through the importance and constant recitation of the Shema. The Hebrew understanding of the nature of God has always held to the absolute oneness or unity of God, with no plurality in essence in any way.

Another correlation, at least culturally, is the fact that the other major Abrahamic religion, Islam, also attests to the absolute oneness of God (Allah). According to their own writings, this simple monotheism is the most important creedal belief in Islam. To be clear, I am not here endorsing or validating Islam; I simply mention it to highlight the fact that both of the religions springing from Abrahamic lineage, Judaism and Islam, have this uncompromising view of absolute and singular monotheism which to me is a testament to its historical authenticity. Only Christianity (and only hundreds of years after the fact, so to speak) has claimed a combination of monotheism and plurality, something that differs from the cultural bedrock of these original, near-eastern traditions. The monotheism of Abraham should be the view of those who claim to be Abraham’s sons, a discussion we will have in a future episode.

The trinity was not a concept of God maintained by any ancient Hebrews throughout their recorded history, including the disciples and Yeshua himself. If it was that important of a doctrine between orthodoxy and heresy, then I believe Yeshua would have taught it clearly so that there would not need to be multiple councils over hundreds of years later to define it.

Now that I have stated my initial disagreement with the trinitarian view, I would like to provide some insight into a little-known aspect of Jewish culture that, to my way of thinking, is a much simpler way of understanding the person and work of Yeshua and the nature of Yahweh God. It pulls together and reinforces other passages throughout the Bible helping us to approximate how the ancient Hebrew mindset would most readily have understood these passages that have led to trinitarian thinking.

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The passages that cause confusion about the nature of God can be explained in other ways that fit better with the overall context, patterns, and message of the Bible. When reading English versions of ancient semitic documents with our Western mindset and making declarations of absolutism and orthodoxy, we are drifting into areas of pride and tradition that may be interfering with our understanding of what the message of the Bible is really all about. Rather, if we can look up from our creeds and councils long enough to expand our understanding of the ancient semitic culture rather than Greek philosophy, we may find some simplified answers to some of the deep questions we are seeking to resolve.

For me, as I began to dive really deeply into the trinitarian traditions, I was refreshed when I discovered something that I had never been taught in my Christian faith that I’d like to share with you now. It is an ancient cultural concept which the Hebrews labeled as shaliach in Hebrew; in English, we would call it the concept of agency, or one who is sent.

Agency is the historical near-eastern concept that a designated agent is fully vested with the authority of the one who sent them, to the extent that the agent is considered equivalent to the sender. This was a common understanding in the ancient societies of the near east represented in writings that have survived down to our present age. In fact, we see something similar in our culture today in the legal realm. Some modern examples of this would be:

  • A real estate agent represents a buyer or seller as if they were that person themselves
  • A sales agent represents the interests of a company towards buyers
  • A police officer is an agent of the law allowing him to enforce it
  • A lawyer is an agent of the person they represent in court

In a similar way, a misunderstanding of this concept of agency has led to belief in Yeshua as being God himself, when Yeshua explained time and time again he was God’s designated agent, sent by God. 

While there are many biblical examples of this concept, a few of the more familiar examples of agency can be illustrated with the stories of Joseph, Moses, and then also with Yeshua.

Joseph as an agent of Pharaoh

Genesis 41:39-44 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you are. “You shall be over my house, and according to your command all my people shall do homage; only in the throne I will be greater than you.” Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” Then Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put the gold necklace around his neck. He had him ride in his second chariot; and they proclaimed before him, “Bow the knee!” And he set him over all the land of Egypt. Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “[Though] I am Pharaoh, yet without your permission no one shall raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.”

Genesis 44:18 Then Judah approached him, and said, “Oh my lord, may your servant please speak a word in my lord’s ears, and do not be angry with your servant; for you are equal to Pharaoh.

Moses as God’s agent

Exodus 3:10 “Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.”

Exodus 7:1 Then Yahweh said to Moses, “See, I make you [as] God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet.

God’s son as the agent of God

John 12:49 “For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak.”

John 5:22-23 “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.”

John 14:8-9 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Yeshua said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

So we can see this concept of agency and full representation comes from the culture of the Bible itself, and aligns with the patterns, principles, and standards of torah while enriching our understanding of these, and many other, passages. By contrast, the trinity is a foreign and unnatural concept to the biblical culture, and causes division over man-made philosophical definitions in order to essentially shoe-horn it into scriptural passages.

In my view, how most run-of-the-mill Christians, not theologians, view the trinity being one God is actually a type of practical modalism. I guess I should say, this is how it worked for me since I was raised within the trinitarian tradition. Modalism is the belief that there is only one God who has revealed himself in different ways called modes, faces, or aspects. He has represented himself throughout most of the Bible as Yahweh, but he has also revealed himself as Jesus, and sometimes he appears as the Spirit. Modalism says this is not three different “persons,” just three different ways the one God has revealed himself. I say that this is a type of practical modalism, because this is how a trinitarian belief shakes out in practice; there can only typically be an emphasis on God as the Father, God as the Son, or God as the Spirit at any one time.

However, when viewed through the lens of the historical Hebrew culture, these kinds of distinctions are not necessary. Is it challenging to untangle some of these entrenched views? Absolutely, but it is not impossible. Once I began to see and understand the message of the entire Bible as a cohesive whole, the overwhelming message of the Bible through its literary, cultural and historical basis is that there is only one true God, Yahweh, the Father, God Almighty, the Creator of all, and that he alone is the ultimate authority or King over all.

2 Kings 19:15 Hezekiah prayed before Yahweh and said, “O Yahweh, the God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.

I know at this point, many of you who have been brought up in the trinitarian tradition will call to mind specific verses that are said to attest to Yeshua’s divinity. That’s understandable, but please know that I would not make a claim against the trinitarian view without having looked at all of the evidence closely. Remember, I was raised with a trinitarian world view, so I totally understand how these types of arguments that I am providing here can appear jaded, or even heretical. I was brought up to believe that if you didn’t believe in the trinity, you were most likely involved in some sort of cult. I can assure you I do not claim allegiance to any one organization or denomination, and I seek to rely only on what I believe God has brought to my attention within his Word.

Summary:

  • I believe the Bible teaches there is only one true God. He is known as Yahweh, Almighty God, and the Father, among other names.
  • The Shema of Judaism practiced to this day is the echo of the monotheism of Abraham which was even validated by Yeshua himself. This concept of only one God separates a biblical worldview from most of the other world religions besides Judaism and Islam, demonstrating how the Abrahamic tradition was unique in its day.
  • I believe that the trinitarian view was a forced philosophical imposition on the revelation of God within his torah, or his Word, that took centuries to be established and accepted by the Christian people. Instead, the Hebrew concept of shaliach or agency more clearly represents the relationship of Yeshua with his Father, and is reinforced by other similar Bible passages involving Joseph, Moses and Pharoah.
  • In essence, I believe the Bible reveals that the holy Spirit is represented as the life-giving influence of Yahweh God himself, and in the New Testament Yeshua is clearly identified as the divinely born son of God, not God himself.
  • The nature of God is essential to understanding the core principles of the Bible which we discuss here each week, as his Kingdom, the primary emphasis of the whole Bible, is based upon the fact that Yahweh God is the ultimate King over all.

I’m sure that what I have mentioned here raises lots of questions and objections among those of you who have also been taught about the trinitarian world view. While I cannot address every trinitarian verse in the course of these podcasts, I will provide some resources in the show notes for those who would like to look more deeply into specific texts and verses that other, more scholarly folks than me have analyzed so they can draw their own conclusions. For what it’s worth, I do promise we will look more closely at what I believe the Bible reveals about Yeshua (and also the holy Spirit) in the next few upcoming podcasts. Hopefully some of those discussions will also provide you some further insights into my thinking about the nature of God. So, if you feel differently about this topic, I encourage you to continue to hear me out through those discussions, as well.

And I leave you today with one final verse that I believe encapsulates what I’ve tried with the best of my ability to express here today:

John 17:3 – [Yeshua speaking] “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Yeshua Messiah whom You have sent.”

Other helpful sites and resources regarding monotheism of the whole Bible:

Trinity Delusion | TrinityDelusion.net

What is a Biblical Monotarian – The Biblical Monotarian (Copyright 2023)

Why Biblical Unitarianism? | BiblicalUnitarian.com

Trinities – Theories about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

The UCA Affirmation – Unitarian Christian Alliance

Remember, there is a Core of the Bible virtual study group that is hosted through the Marco Polo video chat app. It is designed to discuss the topics that we cover each week and to help people with responses to questions that may come up. If you are interested in joining the discussion, simply download the free Marco Polo app and email me a request to join the group at coreofthebible@gmail.com. I will be happy to send you a link to join the virtual Bible study group. You can also feel free to email me any of your thoughts or comments there, as well.

The Bible: A Divine Revelation

What is the Bible and what does it say about itself?

Core of the Bible podcast #104 – The Bible: A Divine Revelation

Today, we will be looking at the Bible itself and what some of the historic creeds have stated about the nature of the Scriptures. I will also be sharing some of my own views on the Bible and aspects of these creedal positions. Before we end today, I would also like to discuss how these positions influence the core Bible principles we discuss here each week.

So I’d like to begin by describing my view of the Bible and its purpose.

The word Bible comes from the Greek “ta biblia” meaning “the books”. It is a collection of books that have been written over a period of one and a half millennia. They were written by a variety of Hebrew people primarily to and about the Hebrew people during various stages of their history as a nation, from approximately 1,500 BC to the 60’s AD.

The Hebrew Bible is generally what would be called by Christians the “Old Testament”. In Hebraic communities, it is known by the acronym TNK, or Tanakh. TNK stands for the Hebrew words Torah (Instruction), Nevi’im (Prophets) and Ketuvim (Writings).

Here is a broad outline of the categories of books contained within the whole Bible:

Beginning with the Tanakh, the Torah (Law or Instruction) is considered to include primarily the first five books of the Bible, and they are attributed to Moses. They describe the beginnings and the establishment of the nation of Israel and its religious system of worship. These books provide a foundation for the rest of the Bible story to be contextually understood and built upon.

The Nevi’im or prophetic books were largely written as urgings to God’s people to return to the right ways of God when they had gone astray, and described the hope for future reconciliation.

The Ketuvim or Writings include the historical books explaining the origins and out-workings of the physical kingdom of Israel, and the rise and fall of various Hebrew leaders. Through these stories we learn of God’s faithfulness and justice with his people and with those of the nations surrounding them. The Ketuvim also include other poetic writings which describe God’s wisdom and care for his people through elaborate word pictures, hymns of praise and worship, and proverbs.

Now as we move from the Tanakh into the “New Testament” writings, we also move from Hebrew documents into Greek. The New Testament or Apostolic Writings is a collection of books written in Greek in the early first century by the followers of Yeshua. Some believe these also may have been originally written in Hebrew or Aramaic. These books relate stories and instruction regarding the life of Yeshua (the Gospels) and the lives and experiences of those who would form new communities based on his teachings (Acts and the letters to the various congregations). They include historical narratives, correspondence between communities, and a form of Hebrew literature known as apocalyptic prophecy (the book of Revelation). They are all filled with references to and quotes from the Tanakh and its stories.

Different groups today will categorize the books of the Bible in different ways, and some will include different books here and there. The important thing to remember, however, is that within these pages, I believe God has revealed his mind and purposes for the benefit of his creation.

Okay, so that’s my perspective on what the Bible is. As we consider the writings in the Bible, it is important to keep in mind that these books are a collection of ancient middle-eastern writings that cover a wide variety of literary styles and are not all literal “newspaper accounts” of God’s dealings with men. They were not written specifically to us in our present day. They were written to the Hebrew people in a context appropriate for their moment in the history and culture of that nation. However, even though they were not written to us, we can say they were written for us, that is, for our benefit. Through these writings we are privileged to see how God has chosen to express himself and work with and among those whom he has chosen to do so. Understanding this distinction is one of the most important aspects of coming to know what the Bible narrative is really all about.

With that background, if we take all of these books as collectively telling a cohesive story, let’s see what the Bible books have to say about themselves.

  • 2 Peter 1:20-21 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

This statement, attributed to the apostle Peter, demonstrates how the books of the Bible, and here specifically speaking primarily about the Tanakh, claims to be divinely inspired. Believers in Messiah will typically include the New Testament writings within this category of divinely inspired writings, since they are completing the narrative of the Tanakh.

Besides considering the writings to be inspired, the Bible also teaches God has chosen to reveal himself through nature, the people of Israel, and most significantly through his Son, Yeshua.

In regard to the natural revelation of God in nature, the psalmist writes:

  • Psalm19:1-4  The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their utterances to the end of the world…

The apostle Paul also used the creation as a basis of his speech to the Greeks assembled in Athens:

  • Acts 17:22-27 So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. “For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all [people] life and breath and all things; and He made from one every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined [their] appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us…

The Scriptures also portray God specifically revealing himself and His will for men to and through the ancient Hebrew people of Israel.  

  • 1 Kings 8:53 “For You have separated them [Israel] from all the peoples of the earth as Your inheritance, as You spoke through Moses Your servant, when You brought our fathers forth from Egypt, O Lord Yawheh.”
  • 2 Kings 17:13-14 Yet the Lord warned Israel and Judah through all His prophets and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments, My statutes according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you through My servants the prophets.” However, they did not listen, but stiffened their neck like their fathers, who did not believe in Yahweh their God.
  • Nehemiah 9:30 “However, You bore with them [Israel] for many years, And admonished them by Your Spirit through Your prophets, Yet they would not give ear. Therefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.

Finally, the Bible claims that the ultimate revelation of God has been through his Son, Yeshua:

  • Hebrews 1:1-2 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things…
  • John 1:17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Yeshua, Messiah.
  • John 14:6 Yeshua said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
  • 1 John 4:9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.

The Bible therefore claims to reveal God in nature, Israel, and most significantly, through his Messiah, Yeshua. It is in this sense that I believe the Bible to be a divine revelation.

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Now let’s take a look at some of the creedal descriptions of various organizations and denominations. All denominations and faith traditions within the Christian tradition understand that if we desire to have a biblical worldview, then we need to recognize some basics about these documents that shape our faith.

Here are a few examples of some random organizations that I pulled up in a quick search for “Statements of Faith”:

  • National Association of Evangelicals: “We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.”
  • BasicChristian.org: “We believe the Holy Bible is God’s word Personally spoken by God for mankind for the purpose of revealing who He is and it is without error in all issues to which it speaks.”
  • Chicago Statement on Biblical Application: “We affirm that this God can be known through His revelation of Himself in His inerrant written Word.”
  • Church of God in Christ: “We believe the Bible to be the inspired and only infallible written Word of God.”
  • Torchbearers International: “The Bible is, in its entirety, the revelation of God for mankind, inspired by the Holy Spirit.”
  • Simplyscripture.org: “We believe the Bible to be the only revealed, pure, complete and preserved Word of God throughout all the ages. Scripture is solely contained within the 66 books of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. We believe the Scriptures to be the inerrant, infallible, unchangeable Word of God and is the final authority for all matters of faith and practice.”

Okay, so you get the idea. Among the list of qualities about the Bible, it is considered by churches and para-church organizations to be revelatory, inspired, inerrant, infallible. So let’s define some of these qualities for a better understanding of what they are saying, and then I will add some comments about my own perspective on each of these qualities.

First of all is the idea that the Bible is REVELATORY: God has revealed himself in the Bible and he can be known through his workings as related within its pages.

I don’t disagree with this, other than different groups may define what God has revealed about himself differently from one another. I would simply say that God, who is unknowable outside of his own revelation of himself, desires his people to honor and represent him, living according to the principles his kingdom. I would also include the fact that nature itself is a form of God’s revelation of his power and majesty. And while general principles about God can be deduced from nature, it is only in the written revelation of the Bible where the specifics of God’s desires for mankind are revealed.

Secondly, these creeds say that the Bible is INSPIRED:  The writers of the Bible were inspired by God or the spirit of God to convey what he wanted to communicate.

Based on  my previous statement about God being unknowable, then it follows that those who would write about the nature and workings of God would necessarily have to be inspired to do so. This type of inspiration is typically recognized as God working through the various authors of the Bible to communicate. Again, many different groups define this inspiration differently, whether being immersed in God‘s spirit, or receiving ideas and wisdom from God and writing it out in their own way. Even Jewish thinkers throughout the centuries have had varying opinions about levels of inspiration for the various writings.  In my mind, I am simply content to recognize  God‘s influence over those who wrote the actual texts to ensure his will would be made known.

Thirdly, these creeds assert that the Bible is INERRANT. Now the specifics of inerrancy are typically defined further by the organization, but in general, it means the Bible is 100% without error. However, this is usually qualified by saying inerrancy was only in the original written documents, not necessarily the many manuscripts we have today. This qualifier is necessary because, quite honestly, there are errors in the manuscripts that we use for Bible versions that we have today. There are spelling differentials, numerical differences in some generations or years of a king’s reign, and some insertions into the text from later hands.

However, for me, this makes for a more robust understanding of the reality of just how old these documents really are. If we had perfectly preserved autograph documents from the original authors there would be more questions as to how something could be so perfectly preserved when everything else in the natural world of antiquity has been diminished. Therefore, they would more likely be considered forgeries of some type. In reality, the Bible can’t win with this type of logic. Either it’s too perfect, or not perfect enough.

The reason these minor grammatical areas do not pose a problem for me is that through tireless research they have been identified, and we know where they are and how little they impact the overall message of the Bible as a whole. So stating that the Bible is inerrant is kind of not true unless it is defined further. For me, to say the Bible is inerrant is difficult to do. Even to say that the original written documents had no errors is a stretch, because they no longer exist anywhere. Therefore that is a statement that cannot be validated.

Lastly, we come to the topic of the Bible being INFALLIBLE. This theological term simply means the Bible is considered unable to be wrong on the topics it covers.

Again, I don’t necessarily have a problem with this concept in theory, because I do believe the Bible contains the word of God, but infallibility isn’t something practical and  readily understandable to the general person. Infallibility is a theological term that for me connotes a high religious supremacy of some type. This is not untrue about the Bible. But with the concept of infallibility comes judgments of infallibility about practice based on fallible interpretations of these ancient texts, and this is why I try to avoid this type of terminology.

I believe it is simpler to say I believe the Bible is true primarily because Yeshua believed in what the Scriptures said. Since I am a follower of Yeshua, then it makes sense that I would also place the same level of regard on the Scriptures as being God’s word as he did. He repeatedly referred to the authority of Scripture by saying “it is written” and then quoting it, and by using the argument that “Scripture cannot be broken” when making an argument with the religious leaders. Since he trusted the writings as authoritative and reliable, then I also do. To me, this is the crux of the issue: not inerrancy and infallibility but reliability. I want to know the textual basis of my worldview and belief system is reliable.

Now as for the New Testament writings which were penned after Messiah, a primary reason I believe these books are also trustworthy as inspired records is due to the evidence of recurring patterns and consistent themes throughout all of the writings. Many of the patterns and themes begun in the Tanakh are carried over to fulfillment in the writings of the New Testament.

TanakhNew Testament
Paradise lostParadise regained
Scattering of God’s people due to disobedienceReconciliation and return provided for
Seeking of God’s Anointed leader (Messiah)Messiah realized in Yeshua
Natural principles of instructionSpiritual principles based on the natural
Hope for God’s future kingdomGod’s kingdom a present reality

These types of parallels is what makes the Bible such a cohesive whole, and is the joy of those who study it deeply.

I believe it was God‘s good design to entrust the bulk of his communication with the Jewish people who were extremely faithful in maintaining his revealed word. Even in the past one hundred years, this has been evidenced by documents discovered among the dead sea scrolls which were much earlier than previous manuscripts texts available to us. These earlier documents showed remarkable consistency with manuscripts generated centuries later.

So for my own creedal position on this issue, I want to make it clear that I do believe the Bible, as a repository of the witness of God about himself to mankind, is a reliable collection of books in which the truth of God is found. I have come to recognize that even though there are legitimate textual questions about specific biblical passages, the Bible is still trustworthy, and maybe even more authentic because of them.

So if I was to make a declaratory statement regarding the Bible, it would be something like this:

  • I believe that complete message of the Bible points to the faithfulness of God with his people Israel, culminating in the person and ministry of the Lord Yeshua.
  • Through God’s holy Spirit and his Word, the Bible, God desires to lead people to faith in Yeshua and to guide them in a life of faithful obedience to his will.
  • I accept the entire Bible as authoritatively testifying to the nature, work, and wisdom of God. These are the Scriptures or sacred writings concerning God’s revelation of himself to mankind. 
  • God’s purpose in these revelations has been an exhibition of his own glory and the establishment of his Kingdom on the earth.

In summary, the broad statements of my own understanding and faith concerning the Bible are:

  • The Bible is the authoritative revelation of God for us, for the purpose of establishing his Kingdom on the earth.
  • It was not written to us in this 21st century, but it was written for us, for our benefit.
  • I believe it’s a stretch to say the Bible is inerrant, and it’s equally vague to claim infallibility where poor interpretive principles are usually apparent; however, I also believe the intent behind those claims of inerrancy and infallibility are made with the intent to honor God.
  • I do believe the Bible is absolutely reliable and contains the Word of God for people today. Indications of its reliability are found in its recurring themes and patterns.

It is because of the Bible’s reliability we can see the broad basis for the importance of understanding its core principles which I believe God has revealed through the Ten Commandments and the principles of the Sermon on the Mount:

  • Separate yourself to seek first the Kingdom with vigilance.
  • Love God with all of your heart, mind, and strength, trusting him for everything.
  • And love others as yourself with integrity, forgiveness, and compassion.

Next week, closely aligned with this topic of the Bible, we will take on the concept of the Eternal Torah.

Remember, if you are interested in joining the Core of the Bible virtual Bible study, simply download the free Marco Polo app and email me a request to join the group at coreofthebible@gmail.com. I will be happy to send you a link to join the virtual Bible study group.

Vigilantly protecting our hearts keeps our way sure

When the heart is right, right actions will follow.

Core of the Bible podcast #102 – Vigilantly protecting our hearts keeps our way sure

Today we will be looking at the core Bible principle of vigilance, and how the strength to stay on the right path begins in the vigilant commitment to keep our hearts pure. We will be reviewing some of the Proverbs of Solomon and a history of civil strife in Israel to help us understand how important it is to have hearts that are pure.

The Proverbs contain a wealth of instruction and wisdom, and yet even amidst this treasure of understanding, there remains an indication of something more that is necessary for a righteous person to stay within the boundaries of God’s wisdom. In a brief statement in Proverbs 23, Solomon reveals that right actions of the children are likely to follow the right actions of the parent.

Proverbs 23:26 – O my son, give me your heart. Let your eyes observe my ways.

This requires a large measure of vigilance on the part of the parent in order to ensure they are always setting an appropriate example for their children in all their ways.

Throughout the Proverbs, Solomon is writing in the context of conveying all of this information and instruction to his child. As a parent wants to instill their children with all of the right information they can, he continually reminds his son to maintain what is right in the face of surrounding adversity.

But the point of the message today involves a wider background and some context to fully grasp the ramifications of choices we make. This involves choices in regard to following wisdom that has been exemplified for us, or following our own way, or even bad examples that have been set for us. In order to understand more about the importance of the heart and the examples we set, we must glean some insights from a turbulent time in Israel’s history. This is the story of two men who succeeded one of the wisest rulers the world has ever seen.

The books of Kings and Chronicles in the Bible tell similar stories of the history of Israel’s earliest kings. Saul was the first king over the nation, and he was followed by David. David then prepared the kingdom for his son Solomon to rule after his death. While Solomon had enjoyed God’s favor and provision during the early part of his reign, the latter part of his rule had become marred with the poisonous stain of idolatry.

1 Kings 11:4-6 – When Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away to follow other gods. He was not wholeheartedly devoted to Yahweh his God, as his father David had been. Solomon followed Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom, the abhorrent idol of the Ammonites. Solomon did what was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and unlike his father David, he did not remain loyal to Yahweh.

Now, as disappointing as this may be to read of the demise of God’s anointed ruler, God knew that this eventuality would lead to a new condition in Israel. During this period, God brought to Solomon’s attention one of the young men in his service, a man named Jeroboam, an industrious and energetic individual.

1 Kings 11:28 – Now the man Jeroboam was capable, and Solomon noticed the young man because he was getting things done. So he appointed him over the entire labor force of the house of Joseph.

It was about this time that God had also arranged for a prophet to meet Jeroboam and reveal what he was about to do with Solomon’s rule, since Solomon had allowed the nation to fall back into the corruption of idolatry.

1 Kings 11:29-32 – During that time, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met Jeroboam on the road as Jeroboam came out of Jerusalem. Now Ahijah had wrapped himself with a new cloak, and the two of them were alone in the open field. Then Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he had on, tore it into twelve pieces, and said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what Yahweh God of Israel says: ‘I am about to tear the kingdom out of Solomon’s hand. I will give you ten tribes, “but one tribe will remain his for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city I chose out of all the tribes of Israel.

Here we find the first indication that God was going to split the physical kingdom of Israel into two main groups: the northern ten tribes which would be called Israel, and the southern two tribes of Benjamin and Judah which would be blended under the name of the larger tribe of Judah. Civil war was about to break out; it was only a matter of time until Solomon would die, and Ahijah prophesied that the nation would become two rival kingdoms: Israel and Judah.

When Solomon found out about the exchange that took place between Ahijah and Jeroboam, the text says he attempted to kill Jeroboam to squash the rebellion. But Jeroboam fled to Egypt and stayed there out of Solomon’s reach until Solomon’s death. It was then that we find out about Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, and how he assumed the throne after his father’s death.

1 Kings 11:42-43 – The length of Solomon’s reign in Jerusalem over all Israel totaled forty years. Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David. His son Rehoboam became king in his place.

Just as Solomon had received the throne of Israel from his father, David, Rehoboam received the throne from his father, Solomon. Now, here’s where we can begin to consider some ramifications of the teachings of the Proverbs and how it relates to the heart. It is not beyond reason to consider that Rehoboam, as Solomon’s heir, was the son who is mentioned throughout the Proverbs.

  • Proverbs 5:1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom; listen carefully to my wise counsel.
  • Proverbs 6:20 My son, obey your father’s commands, and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.
  • Proverbs 7:1 Follow my advice, my son; always treasure my commands.

If this is the case, one would think that Rehoboam would have been groomed as a righteous and upstanding individual who would have been well-fitted to sit on the throne of Israel. These wise admonitions from his father, proverbs which we are still learning from three thousand years later, should have been so relevant to Rehoboam that there would have been no question of his integrity or wisdom.

However, the Bible records that Rehoboam did not follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, David, or in the wisdom of his father, Solomon.  When given the opportunity to act wisely regarding what the tenor of his new kingly administration would be, Rehoboam disregarded the wisdom of his father’s advisors and instead chose to follow his own ambition and the advice of his friends.

1 Kings 12:1- Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king.

Now the plot thickens. Solomon is dead, his son Rehoboam is about to be crowned as king. But what about Jeroboam, the industrious and energetic leader that the prophet Ahijah had said would rule over the ten northern tribes, who had fled to Egypt?

1 Kings 12:2-3 –  When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about it, he stayed in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon’s presence. Jeroboam stayed in Egypt. But they summoned him…

Those who had heard about Jeroboam and Ahijah sent for Jeroboam and told him that Solomon had died and what was about to transpire with the transfer of the entire kingdom to Solomon’s son Rehoboam. They must have convinced Jeroboam to come back and represent the labor forces of the ten northern tribes, much like a union negotiation might take place today.

1 Kings 12:3-17 –  …Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam: “Your father made our yoke harsh. You, therefore, lighten your father’s harsh service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”  Rehoboam replied, “Go away for three days and then return to me.” So the people left. Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon when he was alive, asking, “How do you advise me to respond to this people? ”  They replied, “Today if you will be a servant to this people and serve them, and if you respond to them by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever.”  But he rejected the advice of the elders who had advised him and consulted with the young men who had grown up with him and attended him. He asked them, “What message do you advise that we send back to this people who said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’? ”  Then the young men who had grown up with him told him, “This is what you should say to this people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you, make it lighter on us! ‘ This is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist! “Although my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with barbed whips.’ ”  So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had ordered: “Return to me on the third day.” Then the king answered the people harshly. He rejected the advice the elders had given him and spoke to them according to the young men’s advice: “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with barbed whips.”  The king did not listen to the people, because this turn of events came from Yahweh to carry out his word, which Yahweh had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat. When all Israel saw that the king had not listened to them, the people answered him: What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Israel, return to your tents; David, now look after your own house! So Israel went to their tents, but Rehoboam reigned over the Israelites living in the cities of Judah. 

After all that had transpired, everything unfolded just as God had foretold through the prophet Ahijah. The kingdom was now divided under two rival leaders, Solomon’s son Rehoboam ruling over Benjamin and Judah, and the popular leader Jeroboam ruling over the northern ten tribes of Israel.

In a moment, we will take a look at how all of this applies to the matters of the heart, and how a loss of vigilance over the purity of the heart can lead to strife and division.

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Solomon’s admonitions to his son throughout the book of Proverbs fall along the same lines as the charge of David that Solomon himself received as a young man.

1 Kings 2:1-3 – As the time approached for David to die, he ordered his son Solomon, “As for me, I am going the way of all of the earth. Be strong and be a man, “and keep your obligation to Yahweh your God to walk in his ways and to keep his statutes, commands, ordinances, and decrees. This is written in the law of Moses, so that you will have success in everything you do and wherever you turn,

The narrative then tells us that this is what Solomon did, at least early on in his reign over the people of Israel.

1 Kings 3:3 – Solomon loved Yahweh by walking in the statutes of his father David…

Here we see unfolding the roots of Solomon’s upbringing, how early in his adult life he followed his father David by following the righteous example David had set in regard to the commands of God. It appears that, throughout the Proverbs, Solomon was attempting to instill that same sense of vigilance and right actions in his son, Rehoboam. In the fourth chapter of Proverbs, in typical Hebraic fashion, Solomon lays out a string of admonitions for Rehoboam that each build upon one another:

Proverbs 4:20-27 – My son, pay attention to my words. Open your ears to what I say. Do not lose sight of these things. Keep them deep within your heart because they are life to those who find them and they heal the whole body. Guard your heart more than anything else, because the source of your life flows from it. Remove dishonesty from your mouth. Put deceptive speech far away from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead and your sight be focused in front of you. Carefully walk a straight path, and all your ways will be secure. Do not lean to the right or to the left. Walk away from evil.

Here we see revealed for us how the root of remaining vigilant and keeping one’s way pure is centered on the heart: “…keep [my words] deep within your heart…Guard your heart more than anything else, because the source of your life flows from it.”

According to the Bible, the heart is the wellspring of life. All thoughts and consequent actions flow from the heart, therefore, a pure heart means a pure walk.

A thousand years after Solomon, Yeshua also instructed his followers that what one says, and thereby does, comes from what is within the heart:

Luke 6:45 – The good person out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil person out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.

So, taking the full counsel of God’s wisdom into account, in like fashion, when we keep God’s word deep within our hearts, our walk becomes more sure. Dishonesty and deceptive speech disappear. Distractions from the way of truth become less frequent. Our way becomes more firm as we stay on the path laid out for us. We find the strength to walk away from evil.

It would seem that Rehoboam acted foolishly by following his own ambition and the advice of his friends, not because he didn’t have the instruction of the wisdom of God from his father, Solomon, but because his heart was not right. He desired to “make his mark” by becoming a harsh and unreasonable ruler over God’s people. Even though he had been personally counseled by the author of the Proverbs, it appears that it wasn’t that the instruction was faulty, but the example set by his father Solomon.

Proverbs 23:26 – O my son, give me your heart. Let your eyes observe my ways.

As Solomon’s rule continued to slide further into idolatry and slave labor of his people, Rehoboam must have seen that as a path to his own future administration. Rather than following the clear-headed wisdom of his father from his younger days, he appears to have chosen the way of his own ambition and popularity with his friends, following the ways of the example of his father during the latter years of his reign. The end result was not a stronger nation, but a civil war that split the kingdom in two.

This proverb now takes on the light of a different color. While the story of Rehoboam is not a picture of encouragement, it still has the power to teach us one of its lessons. It may be that Rehoboam actually followed his father’s direction by “following his ways.” As Solomon’s rule became more compromised by idolatry, Rehoboam simply took his father’s “ways” to a new level.

Now, I am not suggesting that Rehoboam had no responsibility in the matter, as we all make decisions that have real-world consequences. But what I am proposing is how powerful the example of a parent is to a child, or even a mentor to the student. It is not always what is said or taught, but what is lived.

I believe this is why Yeshua stressed the importance of the heart condition above obedience to the letter of the law.

  • Matthew 5:8 – “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
  • Matthew 15:19 – “For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slander.
  • Matthew 18:35 – “So also my heavenly Father will do to you unless every one of you forgives his brother or sister from your heart.”
  • Mark 7:6 – He answered them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
  • Luke 6:45 – “A good person produces good out of the good stored up in his heart. An evil person produces evil out of the evil stored up in his heart, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.
  • Luke 10:27 – He answered, “Love Yahweh your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind;” and “your neighbor as yourself.”

When the heart is right, right actions will follow. And when right actions are evident, then positive examples are set for others to see and follow, as well. This story of Rehoboam should sound a note of of warning to our ears. While it is a prime example of how we cannot be vigilant in the wisdom of God unless the wisdom of God is in our hearts in the first place, it also demonstrates how the example of our life has the powerful potential to influence others in ways that honor God.

This is why the motivation to stay on the right path begins with vigilance: a vigilant determination to keep our hearts pure at all costs. By being committed to remain faithful to the deep truths God has placed there, then, just like a true child of the Proverbs, we can find deep reserves of strength to always do what’s right, bringing forth “good treasure” and positive examples for others to see. When we do so, God’s purposes can be continually fulfilled within each generation as we remain faithful to his will in both our hearts and our actions. And when God’s will is accomplished on earth as it is in heaven, this is the tangible expression of the Kingdom of God and how it will continue to spread until it fills the earth.

If you enjoy these articles, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the blog. You can view the podcast archive on our Podcast Page, at Core of the Bible on Simplecast, or your favorite podcast streaming service.

Questions or comments? Feel free to email me at coreofthebible@gmail.com.

Always speaking the truth from a renewed heart

Truthfulness among the people of God is a quality that God desires his children to represent in this world.

Core of the Bible podcast #100 – Always speaking the truth from a renewed heart

Today we will be looking at the core Bible principle of the Kingdom of God, and how the establishment of the Kingdom is dependent on the truthfulness of its population. This was represented by the simplest of commands among the Ten Commandments that God spoke from Sinai.

Exodus 20:16 – You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

As I have mentioned many times before, when God set the Hebrew people apart as a people for himself, he provided them a basic set of community rules, the Ten Commandments, to maintain order within their new society. I believe these rules were the baseline of God’s expectations for all humans that would become evident in the continual outworking of his Kingdom throughout all history for all time.

As such, this specific commandment about bearing false witness includes the restriction against telling an intentional falsehood for the purpose of causing a neighbor harm. To bear false witness against someone is to misrepresent the truth of a situation that one has personal knowledge of to the detriment of someone else. It is intentional deception for the purpose of vengeance or personal gain. Simply stated, falsehood is the simplest way to subvert any relationship or institution. Jealousy and selfish ambition lie at the root of deception. Recognizing this, and knowing the tendency of men to preserve themselves at all costs, God built in to the kingdom charter, the Ten Commandments, a specific command about the necessity of not bearing a false witness against another.

Not only did God provide the clear instruction against bearing false witness, but he also knew that this was an unfortunate reality that would have to be dealt with. So in his wisdom, God also provided a definitive way of handling offenders of this commandment once a falsehood was found out by judges who would be overseeing the civil life of the community. One of the corroborating safeguards against arriving at an incorrect conclusion in a matter of judgment was to ensure that there was always more that one witness to bear record of what had occurred.

Deuteronomy 19:15 – “One witness cannot establish any iniquity or sin against a person, whatever that person has done. A fact must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

This helped to overcome the potential for a single person to willfully or maliciously bring down someone else through false testimony. Unless there was some sort of collusion between all parties, the fact that there would have to have been multiple witnesses agreeing to the same course of events was in fact a type of safeguard for the rights of the accused, a practice still in place in our civil courts to this day.

This process is outlined further in the book of Deuteronomy.

Deuteronomy 19:16-21 – “If a malicious witness comes forward and accuses someone of a crime, then both the accuser and accused must appear before Yahweh by coming to the priests and judges in office at that time. The judges must investigate the case thoroughly. If the accuser has brought false charges against his fellow Israelite, you must impose on the accuser the sentence he intended for the other person. In this way, you will purge such evil from among you. Then the rest of the people will hear about it and be afraid to do such an evil thing. Do not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.

This ancient principle of “eye for an eye” has been known in old Latin as the Lex Talionis, or the law of retaliation. So the punishment for the crime of falsifying a report (that is, bearing false witness) was to apply to the deceiver the same action he intended for the other, and to do so publicly. In this way, a deterrent to falsification would be established within the community.

In reviewing other ancient near Eastern cultures of the time, there are few surviving examples of legal codes of these early civilizations. However, there are a few of them which have been found in archeological digs, and they even pre-date the law of Moses. These ancient legal codes also speak about the necessity of truthful witnesses.

For example, the Code of Ur-Nammu of Mesopotamia, ca. 2100 BC:

  • If a man appeared as a witness, and was shown to be a perjurer, he must pay fifteen shekels of silver.
  • If a man appears as a witness, but withdraws his oath, he must make payment, to the extent of the value in litigation of the case.

So, at least during the reign of Ur-Nammu, there was at a minimum a type of financial accountability for those who would provide false witnesses.

There was also the famous Code of Hammurabi of Babylon, ca. 1750 BC. Interestingly, this code begins with the necessity of having a truthful witness as its very first legal determination. However, the penalty under the reign of Hammurabi in most cases was much more severe than getting fined: his penalty was death for the false witness.

  • If a man bring an accusation against a man, and charge him with a (capital) crime, but cannot prove it, he, the accuser, shall be put to death.
  • If a man, in a case (pending judgment), bear false (threatening) witness, or does not establish the testimony that he has given, if that case be a case involving life, that man shall be put to death.

There are also several other laws in the code that relate to truthful witnesses in regard to transactions involving goods and property, not all of which end in death for the perjurer. However, from these few examples, it is clear that having truthful witnesses was a standard measure of determining civil legal issues in the ancient world.

While some Bible detractors might point to these ancient examples and say, “See, Moses didn’t bring anything new to the world. Civilizations always recognized the need for some sort of legal code.” I don’t disagree. However, to my way of thinking, what distinguishes the commandments of God from these other cultures is how simple and direct they are. Yes, the bulk of the Code of Moses is very similar to some of these ancient documents, but the Ten Commandments stand apart as the firmest of foundations for any type of societal structure.

We have to remember that while Ur-Nammu or Hammurabi crafted their codes through their leaders and officials, the Ten Commandments were not just made up by Moses and some hand-picked officials but were delivered directly from God to not only Moses, but to an entire assembled multitude at Sinai.

Exodus 19:17-18 – Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke because the LORD came down on it in fire. Its smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain shook violently.

There was not just one witness, Moses, to God’s provision of these commands, but an entire nation of people saw the display of fire on the mountain and all of them personally heard the direct words of God himself. In fact, they became so fearful that they asked Moses to intercede for them, since they were so frightened to hear God himself speak to them.

  • Deuteronomy 4:33, 35-36 – “Has a people heard God’s voice speaking from the fire as you have, and lived? … “You were shown these things so that you would know that Yahweh is God; there is no other besides him. “He let you hear his voice from heaven to instruct you. He showed you his great fire on earth, and you heard his words from the fire.
  • Deuteronomy 5:22 – “Yahweh spoke these commands in a loud voice to your entire assembly from the fire, cloud, and total darkness on the mountain; he added nothing more. He wrote them on two stone tablets and gave them to me.

To the Bible believer, this requires faith to believe that God himself delivered the Ten Commandments to his fledgling earthly Kingdom. But we can become more firmly established by recognizing that he did so by providing not just one, two, or three witnesses, but a multitude of thousands of witnesses to corroborate the story. This is why I believe that, since the ancient times of the legal codes of past civilizations, the words that Moses recorded have been spread wider and farther than those of Ur-Nammu or Hammurabi. There has always been an underlying reliability within the biblical records themselves that demonstrate the faithfulness of God in providing a firm foundation for his eternal kingdom.

So with this simple foundational principle against bearing false witness revealed for all at Sinai, God’s Kingdom could now begin its upward trajectory to encompassing the world. But before that could become a reality, it would need to transcend every earthly nation or community to do so. This, as we shall see, was to occur during the ministry of Yeshua and his disciples.

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Now that we have looked at the ancient evidences for the necessity of truthful witnesses, how is all of this interpreted and put into practice within the context of the Kingdom during the time of Yeshua and his disciples?

In determining the truth of a matter between individuals, Yeshua taught to approach an offender on a personal basis, and seek to be reconciled. If that was ineffective, then one was to bring several others who also could corroborate the offense to confront the offender. These additional witnesses would be bearing the truth of the situation to bring additional weight of truth to the one who is unrelenting.

Matthew 18:15-16 – “If your brother sins [against you], go and rebuke him in private. If he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he won’t listen, take one or two others with you, so that by the testimony of two or three witnesses every fact may be established.

This direction of having multiple witnesses to establish the truth of a matter is based squarely on the instruction of Moses.

Yeshua further teaches that lying is an indication of a larger issue that can affect all of one’s  mode of life. In a confrontation with Jews who were conspiring to kill him, he responds to them by equating lying with that which is spawned of the devil, which is to equate lying with all that is adversarial to God in all things.

John 8:43-44 – “Why don’t you understand what I say? Because you cannot hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.

Yeshua taught that a liar, a falsifier who misrepresents, distorts facts, or misleads others (for that is what the word means) has an innate tendency to do so. They cannot be trusted in anything because the ability to lie and spread falsehood can be present in anything they say. He uses the representative word picture of being born of that which is adversarial to God, and it is therefore within their nature, just as the child has the representative traits of the parent. Once one is consigned to lies, misrepresentations and distortions come more easily as new situations arise, and unfortunately they then spiral into layers of falsehoods piled one on top of another.

As an example of this, in an attempt to protect his disciples from the false and hypocritical teaching of the religious leaders, Yeshua used an analogy of bread dough and the effects of yeast or leavening.

Matthew 16:6-7, 11-12 – Then Yeshua told them, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”  They were discussing among themselves, “We didn’t bring any bread.”  … “Why is it you don’t understand that when I told you, ‘Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees,’ it wasn’t about bread? ” Then they understood that he had not told them to beware of the leaven in bread, but of the false teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

The apostle Paul also emphasizes that same principle in teaching the Galatians about their own confusion over some doctrinal issues.

Galatians 5:7-9 – You were running well. Who prevented you from obeying the truth? This persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough.

Paul here states that falsehoods, misrepresentation, and bad character are like a leavening agent. Once they become manifest in a person’s life, they continue to spread like yeast working its way through an entire batch of dough. This appears to have been a proverb that he quoted regularly:

1 Corinthians 5:6-8 – Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough? Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new unleavened batch, as indeed you are. For Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us observe the feast, not with old leaven or with the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Notice the opposite of leaven is expressed as the positive, “unleavened” principles of sincerity and truth. During this time while God’s Kingdom was moving from the natural to the spiritual, Yeshua and his disciples taught that it was even more critical that truthfulness be the bedrock within the community of believers.  Rather than always having to rely on external judges to decide the truth of the matter, however, the emphasis was on the arbiter moving from the external  judges’ seat to a place within the heart of every believer, as had been prophesied by Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

  • Jeremiah 31:33 – “Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days” ​– ​Yahweh declares. “I will put my teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
  • Ezekiel 36:26-27 – And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.

This is why James could speak so harshly to the remnant about the corrupting influences that could disrupt the community of God.

James 3:13-16 – If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

James relates that selfish boasting and lying could be used to hide the truth, and had the potential result of causing “disorder and evil of every kind.” This was the end result of the leaven working its way through the entire batch of dough.

Paul used the analogous contrast of the “old man” and the “new man” of the heart. As believers’ hearts were renewed, it was as if there was a new person who could only do what was right, and who would stand in judgment of the practices of the old man.

Ephesians 4:22-25 – …that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, putting away lying, “[Let] each one [of you] speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.

The encouragement to truthful dealings within the community was to be based on this newness of righteousness and holiness of heart. Because of this community in which all were “members of one another,” that is, parts of an integral body, they were to always provide a truthful and honest example in everything, with everyone, in all of their words and actions.

So, we can see that from the initial Sinai revelation against false witness, the necessity of truthfulness among the people of God is a quality that God desires his children to represent in this world. The simplicity of this aspiration is realized in the words of the commandment, but the effectiveness of God’s desire is realized when the heart has been renewed in the likeness of its Creator to always be truthful.

Today, all who consider themselves believers in Messiah, who was the embodiment of truth, should have this virtue imbedded deeply within their hearts. Instead of deception and falsehood should come forth righteousness and truth for the good of the entire community within the Kingdom of God.

If you enjoy these articles, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the archived blog. You can view the podcast archive on our Podcast Page, at Core of the Bible on Simplecast, or your favorite podcast streaming service.

Questions or comments? Feel free to email me at coreofthebible@gmail.com.

Outward strength through internal compassion and unity

Believers must always stand for peace and righteousness with one another and with all others.

Core of the Bible podcast #99 – Outward strength through internal compassion and unity

Today we will be looking at the core Bible principle of compassion, and how compassion and unity with one another can provide a foundation for reaching others with the message of the Kingdom.

1 Peter 3:8-9 – Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other in brotherly love. Be compassionate, and keep a humble attitude.  Do not give back evil for evil or insult for insult but, on the contrary, give blessings, since you were called for this, so that you may inherit a blessing.

According to Peter, being compassionate is simply one of many expected traits believers should exhibit. The compassion he is speaking of here is extended not just to those outside of the faith, but to one another. If we cannot be compassionate with one another, how can we be truly compassionate towards others who are not believers?

For us to be truly compassionate with others, we should be operating from a base of harmony with one another, and recognizing one another’s needs sympathetically. Once we are able to show brotherly love to each other through humility and compassionate actions, we can then have a united purpose with those outside the faith.

Humility is a challenging trait to exercise because almost everything we are involved in on a daily basis in our current culture urges us to succeed over others to achieve goals and progress in our careers, or to draw people to our online content. If we remain humble about our skills and abilities, we may be passed over for promotions at work or for other opportunities where we could exercise those skills.

We all know how social media is purposely designed to generate “likes” and followers based on unique or controversial topics, and so it tends to breed a continual stream of those who are posting their opinions to pose as knowledgeable or successful in areas where they may or may not be. It is common knowledge that most people’s feeds are nothing but contrived and arranged photos to highlight only the best of what they want to share, not the reality of their lives.

It is this type of conditioned social response that is becoming “hard-baked” into our culture more than it ever has before due to the ubiquitous presence of being connected online. And yet, though we as a society are more connected than ever before, we have never been so distant and segregated than we are today. We are becoming lost in the echo chambers of our own fantasies that we think are the representative journals of our lives, and we are seeking only to elevate ourselves to appear more successful than we really are.

Peter’s direction to maintain humility and compassion among each other could not come at a more needed time in the history of society. However, he was only building on the teaching of his master. Yeshua taught, “Blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the earth,” (Matthew 5:5) and, “Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls,” (Matthew 11:29).

The apostle Paul also taught humility:

  • Romans 12:16 – Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation.
  • Philippians 2:3 – Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.
  • Colossians 3:12 – Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience…

Likewise, James taught humility:

James 4:6, 10 – …God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.  … Humble yourselves before Yahweh, and he will exalt you.

As we survey these apostolic writings we find that humility is a constant and recurring theme like a drumbeat against the selfish and hypocritical show-boating of the religious leaders of their day. The true faith of God is based not on outward show, but on inward sincerity and demonstrative concern for others.

Humility and compassion are tied together at the hip because they are both concerned with the needs of others above the needs of oneself. Consider that if every believer put the needs of other believers above their own, each person would be amply supported through the collective encouragement and assistance of others. It is this type of mentality that Yeshua taught and instilled in his disciples so that they would be able to faithfully teach it to others.

Peter says that with humility and compassion, we can then sympathize more effectively with one another, and it is in sympathizing with one another we become united.

How desperately unity is needed among believers today! We have isolated ourselves into our creeds and denominational strongholds, rejecting others who are not in 100% agreement with every aspect of our own beliefs. We gather weekly in similar but separate chambers, attempting to worship the same God but in separate ways that we deem best.

I recognize it is a fine line between remaining vigilant for truth and yet attempting to bridge the gap between others who may not be in total agreement with our views, but if we as believers don’t have the ability to at least begin these conversations, then how can the rest of the world do it, as well? We are supposed to be the light of the world, not the poster children for disunity and isolation from one another.  When we can’t even find the humility and compassion to begin conversations over doctrinal differences, we are likely to never bridge those gaps at all, much less make an impact with those outside the faith.

This leads to Peter’s next point about being examples to others through our humble and peaceful actions in the process of blessing others. In a moment, we will explore a little deeper the need we have for building unity with one another in order to serve as a springboard for creating peace amidst the rest of the world.

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Once he establishes their preferred base actions with one another, Peter expands his directives to their attitude toward others who did not agree with their positions or their beliefs.

1 Peter 3:9-14 – Do not give back evil for evil or insult for insult but, on the contrary, give blessings, since you were called for this, so that you may inherit a blessing. For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. The eyes of Yahweh watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But Yahweh turns his face against those who do evil.” Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats.

Peter is here quoting directly from Psalm 34, a psalm which focuses on the protection and blessing of Yahweh which rests upon the righteous. The entire psalm contextually enriches this passage in 1 Peter. But if we widen the context of Peter’s quote by even a few surrounding verses, it helps to provide a little more substantial basis for the point he is making in his letter.

Psalm 34:11-16  – Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of Yahweh.  Who is someone who desires life, loving a long life to enjoy what is good?  Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech.  Turn away from evil and do what is good; seek peace and pursue it.  The eyes of Yahweh are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry for help. The face of Yahweh is set against those who do what is evil, to remove all memory of them from the earth.

The psalm states that those who practice what is right in seeking peace with others are the ones who are truly demonstrating the fear and respect of Yahweh. This was a very real need and an accurate assessment of the social status of the early believers. They were always in danger not only from the civil strife of their day, but from the religious antagonism and persecution of their Jewish brothers and sisters. Additionally, they were challenged with resisting the influences of the pagan society. Through all of this, Peter encourages them to repay evil with blessing and seeking to maintain the peace, because “this is what God has called you to do.”

Notice also the dichotomy in how Yahweh makes himself known among the people: “The eyes of Yahweh are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry for help. The face of Yahweh is set against those who do what is evil, to remove all memory of them from the earth.”

Our society today has this backwards. The cultural tendency today is to glorify and maintain the memory of those who do evil and to erase the memory of those who are righteous. The Bible and those who are honest and upright are mocked or viewed as simpletons and backwater fools, while those who are notorious criminals and murderers are glorified and memorialized in books, movies, and television. Just look at the popularity of TV shows that do “hard-hitting” documentaries and series on “true crime” stories. Consider the glut of books and dramatic shows and movies that are based on law enforcement and legal themes, all dealing with those who do evil. True crime as a genre is so wildly popular it has also spawned a whole industry of podcasts, all relating how these vicious crimes have affected the lives of ordinary people.

With this steady diet of aberrant behavior constantly portrayed in our social consciousness, is it any wonder that these types of behavior are more and more becoming the hallmarks of modern society? The psalm states that God is set against these types of individuals to remove all memory of them from the earth, and we instead magnify their wickedness for the sake of ratings, popularity, and morbid curiosity.

By contrast, Peter says that the believers have been called by God to consistently swim upstream against the current of wickedness around them.  We must maintain righteous behavior, not to be congratulated for doing so, but because it is simply the right thing to do. And when we do so collectively as believers, we demonstrate a unity with one another that can be recognized by others. We create a firm foundation to then stand united in the face of opposition and evil. Not only that, but more than just standing firm against opposition, it is the believer’s obligation to turn away from evil, to provide blessings in return for insults, and to seek and pursue peace with all others. We have no other alternative approved by God; we must always stand for peace and righteousness with one another and with all others.

For our part, peace in the world may not happen in this generation or even in the next five or ten generations, but if it grows with each generation, then we are making progress. According to this passage, peace grows through humility and compassion; there is no other way. If it doesn’t begin with us, those of us who have experienced the grace of God and live and move in his Spirit, then who has the ability to accomplish it in any lasting way?

For us to fulfill our obligation and our calling, as Peter says, we should mimic those early believers in their harmony, humility and compassionate actions with one another so we may be able to effectively stand together for God’s purpose. When we openly demonstrate the fear of Yahweh by doing what is right with one another and actively seek peace with all of those around us, we serve this higher calling we have received and build on the legacy of Messiah in continuing to establish the Kingdom of God in this world for all time.

If you enjoy these articles, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive on our Podcast Page, at Core of the Bible on Simplecast, or your favorite podcast streaming service.

Questions or comments? Feel free to email me at coreofthebible@gmail.com.

Experiencing peace through trusting God and his will for his Kingdom

We exhibit the ultimate trust in God when we pray for God’s will to be done in our lives according to the needs of his Kingdom.

Core of the Bible podcast #97 – Experiencing peace through trusting God and his will for his Kingdom

Today we will be looking at the core Bible principle of trust, and how we exhibit the ultimate trust in God when we sincerely pray for his will to be done in our lives according to the needs of his Kingdom. This alone provides a peace that passes understanding. In our study today, we will be reviewing how the teachings of both Yeshua and Paul can provide detailed actions that can help us to pattern our lives after the faithful lives of the early believers.

Let’s begin with understanding how Yeshua taught about priorities in the believer’s life. In the Sermon on the Mount, Yeshua taught two ways that anxiety in life, caused by focusing on worldly needs, can be overcome.

The first way is to recognize spiritual priorities.

Matthew 6:31-33 – “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the nations seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Here we see that Yeshua is explaining how anxiety is the result of over-focus on self and selfish needs. By contrast, when becoming engaged with the things of God, personal problems and concerns tend to fade into the background. A commitment to the Kingdom of God helps to keep the correct perspective that allows balance in daily living. Recognizing that the needs of the Kingdom outweigh self-directed problems helps believers to remain productive and fruitful in walking with God. Looked at from the opposite perspective, when believers focus on their own problems to the exclusion of all other things, they are likely being unproductive and unfruitful in their spiritual walk. In this condition, they have allowed themselves to become self-absorbed and overly consumed with personal worry. 

It’s been said that the smallest of pebbles when held at arm’s length is of no consequence, but when brought to within inches of the eye can block all of our vision. If we view our personal problems as that pebble, then it is in our best interest to keep them at arm’s length by focusing on the Kingdom first, rather than keeping our problems close to the eye to the exclusion of everything else around us. The perspective Yeshua provides us can free us from self-absorption with our own issues.

The second way Yeshua teaches about overcoming anxiety, in addition to his teaching for us to stay focused on the Kingdom, is to focus on one day at a time. Each day has its own challenges, so just take the challenges you face one day at a time. 

Matthew 6:34 – “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

By maintaining a focus on the Kingdom, and taking one day at a time, Yeshua provides a practical two-step plan for overcoming anxieties that the rest of the world may be experiencing.

Further, Yeshua provides a demonstration of the outworking of this teaching from his experience in the Garden of Gethsemane. In his prayer to God regarding the trial and crucifixion he was about to undergo, he simply prays, “Not my will, but yours be done.” This is the prayer that demonstrates ultimate trust in God. When believers can fully consign themselves to God’s will, then their personal needs or situations become of little or no consequence. This is the outworking of his teaching in the Sermon on the Mount about seeking first the Kingdom of God. Here, Yeshua is putting the needs of God’s Kingdom above his own.

People always say they want to know what God’s will is for their lives. Well, God’s will and the activities surrounding his Kingdom are one and the same. His will is that his Kingdom becomes visible through the faithful actions of his people living out his standards in their lives. When believers start praying in this way for God’s will to be done, they must remain open to seeking and recognizing what the needs are of his Kingdom in any given situation. This comes through consistently being in his word, receptive to his Torah, or instruction, in all things.

This is a solemn teaching for the mature believer. This is no surface admonition, but a commitment that can only come from the deepest recesses of spiritual insight and understanding. This teaching separates God’s true children from those who are only loosely affiliated with him. Only a true child of God can put aside all personal connections to remain devoted primarily to God and to his Messiah as Lord. Yeshua stated it this way:

Matthew 10:37-39 – Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Matthew 16:24-25 – Then Yeshua told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Mark 10:29-30 – Yeshua said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.

This is what is required to walk in the way of God, and to follow the Messiah. This is putting God’s Kingdom first. In this state, there is no opportunity for selfish worry or anxiety. Worry is selfish; seeking the Kingdom and following Messiah is selfless.

In a moment, we will examine a famous teaching of the apostle Paul, and how he expands on this theme of selflessness with specific actions that he encouraged believers to follow in order to remain steadfast and experience the peace that comes from trusting in God.

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Philippians 4:6-7 – Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Messiah Yeshua.

Before we dive in to an application of these words for believers today, we must always remember to keep the words we read in the original context as much as possible for us to receive the full benefit and understanding of what is being discussed. So, let’s look at the overall point of what Paul is trying to convey and who he his audience is.

First of all, this was a letter intended for a specific group of believers for a specific purpose.

Philippians 1:1, 9-11  …To all the saints in Messiah Yeshua who are at Philippi…it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Messiah, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Yeshua Messiah, to the glory and praise of God.

Paul is writing to encourage these believers who were residing in Philippi in the first century to excel in love, knowledge and discernment, that they would be pure and blameless for the day of Messiah, to God’s glory. The rest of his epistle is primarily focused on this encouragement toward fruitful actions of righteousness so they would be counted worthy of attaining the Kingdom of God at the appearing of the Messiah.

Continuing throughout the epistle, we can see there is this constant theme of holding fast, standing firm, not allowing themselves to fall from the faith that they had received.

3:16 – Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

4:1 – Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

This standing firm was to be based upon the hope of the immanent return of Messiah who would transform them into the heavenly Kingdom. If they could hold true to what they had already attained, then they would be able to remain steadfast in the faith until the day of Messiah. He then reiterates the immanence of this day of the Messiah, and how their focus on heavenly things (the Kingdom of God) would allow them to patiently await the Messiah when he was to come and transform them.

Philippians 3:20-21; 4:1 – But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Yeshua Messiah, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

So, against this backdrop of hope and standing firm comes the famous passage about the peace of God which passes all understanding. How we all would love to experience such peace! Here is where we find the source of that peace that Paul was teaching those Philippian believers about.

Philippians 4:6-7 – Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Messiah Yeshua.

Paul says to remove anxiety by prayer and thanksgiving in everything. This is the pattern of behaviors that instills peace that only God can provide. Paul’s instruction to the Philippian congregation is to pray and be grateful for everything. When we express ourselves and our thanks to God, we are recognizing him as the one who is ultimately in control of all things. This recognition is the basic foundation of our trust and faith in God to begin with. We are deferring to him as the ultimate authority in all aspects of life. We are allowing God to be God.

However, where we sometimes err is in thinking that if we pray about a situation, God will control the outcome to make us happy and content, fulfilling all of our desires. When we think this way, we are lapsing back into a selfish focus on worldly challenges we may be facing. But in this recognition of God’s ultimate authority in all things, we should ensure that our desires always fall under the category of trusting in his judgment for the outcome that is best for him and his Kingdom, not necessarily what we think we desire. Remember, Yeshua taught about seeking first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, not selfish needs or ambitions. Our practical focus should remain on others. Paul reiterates this to the Philippian believers as well:

Philippians 2:2-5 – …complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which was also in Messiah Yeshua…

And this is the crux of the issue that can plague us: separating our selfish desires from those things that fall in line with accomplishing God’s purpose for the continued growth of his Kingdom. As our spiritual maturity level grows, we can learn to focus on this “mind of Messiah” by thinking, praying, and acting more on the needs of others, or at least as much as our own needs.

And when we can learn to sincerely pray, as Yeshua did, “Not my will but yours be done” in everything we pray about, we then move into a place of faith and trust that God knows what’s best for us, regardless of what we may want for ourselves. Paul says that our hearts and minds can have peace “in Messiah Yeshua.” To be “in” the Messiah is to follow his ways, his teachings, and his example. When we do so by seeking first the Kingdom  of God and his will, our lives will bear the fruit of righteous actions that he desires for his people.

Yeshua taught the two most important things are to love God with heart, soul, and strength, and to love others as yourself. When our concerns for others become as natural as the care that we have for our own needs, then we are moving into a place of truly following the example of the Messiah, and the incomprehensible peace of God will stand guard over our hearts and minds.

If you enjoy these articles, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive on our Podcast Page, at Core of the Bible on Simplecast, or your favorite podcast streaming service.

Now also on YouTube, find us at: Core of the Bible on YouTube.

Questions or comments? Feel free to email me at coreofthebible@gmail.com.

The steep price of holiness and purity of heart

We must present our bodies as living sacrifices, sacrifices that are holy and acceptable to God through denying selfish impulses.

Core of the Bible podcast #96 – The steep price of holiness and purity of heart

Today we will be looking at the core Bible principle of holiness, and how God has outlined a refining process for every individual who is seeking holiness and purity of heart.

2 Timothy 2:22 – Flee from youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

As Timothy was a young leader within the Yeshua movement of Judaism, Paul was encouraging him to focus on being a positive example to the believers. His commitment to the Messiah would need to be evident in every aspect of his being so that people would sense his sincerity and pureness of heart, thereby spurring confidence in his teaching, and honor towards his Lord. This admonition comes amidst a discussion on faithful workers versus those who had been spreading falsehood among believers.

2 Timothy 2:16-18 – But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some.

Paul was encouraging Timothy to stick to these basics of Kingdom living to ensure he would remain separated from falsehood. To pursue righteousness, Paul argues, one needed only to focus on faith, love and peace with all, especially those within the community of Messiah. This would breed righteous actions, indicating pureness of heart among the believers and all would be encouraged.

While this may come across as being too simplistic, it certainly was not an easy task for the early believers. Maintaining faith and pursuing righteousness in an environment of doctrinal oppression and brutal, physical persecution was a lifestyle of daily challenge. Demonstrating real love not only for the brethren but also those who were opposed to the gospel of the Kingdom was a monumental task. And pursuing peace with everyone who was essentially against the teachings of Yeshua required the deepest levels of reliance on the Spirit of God working within them to establish God’s Kingdom in that generation.

John 14:25-26 – “I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.

Yeshua had promised his disciples that the Spirit of God would bring to remembrance everything he had been teaching them, and in doing so, they would continually be taught how to interact with others. As God dwelt among his people, there was a unity that would stand as a testament to outsiders because the believers were operating within peace and love that God desires among his Kingdom people.

Acts 2:42-47 – They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

In another teaching context with the Roman congregation, the apostle Paul highlights the fact that righteousness, peace, joy, and encouragement in the Spirit were what would unify the believers and build up the Kingdom.

Romans 14:16-19 – Therefore, do not let your good be slandered, for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever serves Messiah in this way is acceptable to God and receives human approval. So then, let us pursue what promotes peace and what builds up one another.

Here we can see how Paul was essentially laying out the foundation of all interactions in the Kingdom which had already been evidenced by the early believers within their emerging community of faith. Paul says in Romans 14 that, “The kingdom of God is…righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy Spirit. Whoever serves Messiah in this way is acceptable to God and receives human approval.”

Now compare this definition to the example of the early believers described in Acts 2. Look at how those first believers were “conducting themselves in righteousness”:

  • They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching
  • to fellowship
  • to the breaking of bread (eating of common meals)
  • to prayer
  • all the believers were together and held all things in common
  • They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need

They also demonstrated “peace and joy”:

  • They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts

They were “acceptable to God and receiving human approval”:

  • praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.

And the end result was:

  • Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved

So, how is it that this early group of Messiah believers could be so focused on the Kingdom and be such a bold and powerful witness to others? Is there a way that we can somehow mimic their faithfulness today so that we can also be a powerful witness to our own generation? In a moment, we will review a critical yet challenging teaching of Yeshua that can help us to do just that.

As we have seen so far, the early believers began operating within the dynamic parameters of peace and unity as they were taught by the holy Spirit through the apostles. As the Spirit brought to mind the teachings of Yeshua, the apostles were faithfully teaching and living out the principles for the believers to see and follow. And one of those principles of Yeshua is that he had said that those who were pure of heart and peacemakers would be blessed.

Matthew 5:8-9 – “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.”

Yeshua also illustrated with his own life the steep price that that his followers would have to pay in order to live out these principles in the process of following him.

Matthew 16:24 – Then Yeshua told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

So, now we get to the heart of the matter. Being set apart as pure of heart and a peacemaker involves a critical practice: denial of self. To deny oneself is to set oneself apart for some other, greater purpose. When we can get outside of ourselves and our personal, selfish impulses, it is then that we have the capacity to be filled with God’s Spirit so he can teach us how to become the pure and peaceful people he wants us to be. The characteristics Paul mentions in this passage to Timothy all involve our outward actions towards others based on an inward transformation: righteous actions involve denial of self; faith involves denial of self; love involves denial of self; peace involves denial of self. Therefore, we can conclude: the steep price of holiness or being set apart involves a continual outward focus on behalf of others.

But, since almost everything we encounter in this life and our current culture tells us the exact opposite (that we need to exert our rights, our privileges, our selfish impulses) we really need to evaluate ourselves in light of not only our personal walk, but in the context of our usefulness to the purposes of God.

Paul leveraged this concept of usefulness within the Kingdom by drawing an analogy to household articles.

2 Timothy 2:20-21 – Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

Based on Paul’s analogy here, there is a purging or cleansing of oneself from what is dishonorable that allows one to become set apart and more useful to God. The root meaning of the Greek word means” to cleanse by taking away; to thoroughly scour and clean out that which is impure.” This, according to Paul, is something that one must do for oneself. God is the one who makes our hearts new, but we as individuals must provide a clean working environment for that new heart to operate within. Believers have a responsibility to scour and clean out those things that offend God because of his holiness and presence in our lives, and in turn we become set apart as holy, ready for every good work towards others.

This whole chapter in 2 Timothy is sprinkled with admonitions to faithfully conduct this work of cleansing oneself (mentioned in verse 21) in every area of life. Paul instructs Timothy to have his hearers work at the sanctification in their lives in the following ways:

  • 14 – avoid wrangling over words
  • 16 – avoid profane chatter
  • 19 – let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord turn away from wickedness
  • 22 – shun youthful passions
  • 23 – have nothing to do with stupid and senseless controversies
  • 24 – the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome

On the positive side of the equation, purity of heart is demonstrated by the following:

  • 15 – doing your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him
  • 15 – rightly explain the word of truth
  • 21 – being ready for every good work
  • 22 – pursuing righteousness, faith, love, and peace
  • 24 – being kindly to everyone
  • 24 – being skillful in teaching
  • 24 – being patient
  • 25 – gently correcting opponents

All of these actions, whether avoiding that which is not beneficial or conducting those things which are, come at the steep price of denial of self. Remember what Yeshua said: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

The imagery conveyed here by Yeshua would have been a familiar one to his hearers, as they would have watched many crucifixions of capital offenders in their days. The offender would be forced to carry the very thing upon which he must die. I can think of no greater illustration of the life of the believer that conveys the necessity of continually bearing the instrument of death (denial of self) in the practice of doing what is right. Once we deny ourselves by avoiding that which is unhelpful, we then need to “pick up the cross” of doing what is right in place of those things. It is such a powerful metaphor for a very real and tangible discipline that should be touching every area of the believer’s life.

Paul calls this being a “living sacrifice;” a sacrificial offering that lives on and through the continual act of dying to self.

Romans 12:1-2 – I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

This is the same message he is urging Timothy to convey to his hearers: to present their bodies as living sacrifices, sacrifices that are holy and acceptable to God through denying their selfish impulses, not being conformed to the world. But they are also to be transformed through renewal, learning through the act of being tested what actions are good, acceptable and perfect according to his will.

Paul himself suffered intense persecution, and he knew it was a reality for believers who were separating from falsehood, but that they should remain steadfast in their faith.

2 Timothy 3:12-14 – Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Messiah Yeshua will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you remain in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them.

Paul reminds Timothy to rely on the faithful teaching which he had received as the basis of all he would strive to impart to his hearers.

How like Timothy and those early believers we should strive to be! We must remain steadfast in the things we have learned, cleansing ourselves from every false way so that we may live righteous lives that honor God. By demonstrating righteousness through faith, love, and peace, we will also be honoring the memory and faithfulness of those early believers which they had suffered through their sacrificial examples and through intense persecution. But we will also be honoring the God who calls us to the same life of useful work in our generation. As his people continue to set themselves apart for his use, he is glorified in every age and his Kingdom has opportunity to grow as it continues to fill the earth.

If you enjoy these articles, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive on our Podcast Page, at Core of the Bible on Simplecast, or your favorite podcast streaming service.

Now also on YouTube, find us at: Core of the Bible on YouTube.

Questions or comments? Feel free to email me at coreofthebible@gmail.com.

Keeping the commands of God over our traditions and impulses

Observing, guarding, and watching the covenant and commands of God is as much a responsibility of God’s people today as it ever has been.

Core of the Bible podcast #95 – Keeping the commands of God over our traditions and impulses

Today we will be looking at the core Bible principle of vigilance. Keeping the covenant and commands of God requires multi-faceted vigilance, as cultural influx that negates or destroys the foundations of God’s word is as rampant today as it has been since ancient times.

The Bible is filled with admonitions to keep the covenant or to keep the commands of God. We read about it so often that we may sometimes gloss over the significance of what it means to keep the words of God.

Psalm 119:57, 60, 63 – Yahweh is my portion; I promise to keep your words. … I hasten and do not delay to keep your commandments. … I am a companion of all who fear you, of those who keep your precepts.

God had conveyed many specific directives to the ancient Israelites through Moses, including this necessity to keep his commands.

Exodus 19:5 – “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice, and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession from among all peoples…”

In this passage, God made it clear that those who obey him by keeping his covenant would be his people. The word we translate as keep or to keep in English comes from the Hebrew root word shamar which at its most rudimentary level means to observe and watch. In its primary sense, it means to heed, pay attention to, or observe (in practice) the covenant and the commands of God. This is the generally accepted meaning when it is used.

However, it also means to guard, preserve, or protect. This is a huge concept in Hebrew thought as it relates to the commands of God. Based on passages like Exodus 19:5 that we just reviewed, both the ancient and modern Israelites have understood themselves to be the receivers of God’s wisdom above all other nations in the world. As such, it was their responsibility to preserve his words through oral traditions and written records. Thankfully for all believers today, it was due to this dutiful caretaking of God’s words that we even have a Bible today.

But over the centuries some of the caretakers of the written records had taken this instruction to the extreme by making additional traditions and rules which were intended to guard the Torah even further, to prevent people from violating the original commands. The original intent of creating these extra rules may have been sincere enough, but soon the traditions and rules became equivalent, or even superior to, the original command of Yahweh and they ended up elevating the man-made traditions above the word of God itself. By the days of Yeshua, there were so many rules and regulations about the rules and regulations of God that it had become a hot mess of traditions mixed over the top of the original commands of God.

According to rabbinical lore, the motivation behind these Jewish traditions and rules was to “build a fence” around the Torah by designating specific actions as a way of protecting people from violating the actual commands of God. This is known as halakha, or the way to walk. These are the religious rules, sometimes called the Oral Law, that rabbinical thinkers and teachers have provided over the centuries. Since approximately 200 A.D, these oral teachings have been summarily encapsulated in the body of Jewish literature known as the Talmud.

To be fair, Jewish thought distinguishes between explicit commands and those derived from rabbinical teaching in the Talmud. For example, the command to observe the Sabbath is explicit right in the text of Exodus:

Exodus 20:8-10 – “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy:  You are to labor six days and do all your work,  but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God. You must not do any work ​– ​you, your son or daughter, your male or female servant, your livestock, or the resident alien who is within your city gates.”

As we can see, the command to observe the Sabbath clearly involves not doing any work on that day. But in Jewish practice, there is also a “fence” command that the rabbis have created to where even holding a tool is against the Torah. It does not say that in the scriptural text, but the logic is that if you are forbidden from holding a tool, you are less likely to accidentally break the command of not working on the Sabbath.

In orthodox circles, both the text of Torah and the principles of halakha in the Talmud are considered legally binding in matters of practice. This Sabbath command is only one example of thousands of added commands to the Torah that orthodox Jews were and are expected to observe. So it can be seen that the original “guarding” of God’s word, the keeping of the commands, had eventually become corrupted into a convoluted system of man-made traditions and rules, even by the days of Yeshua. In fact, Yeshua famously chastised the religious leaders of his day for this very thing:

Mark 7:8-13 – “…you set aside the commandment of God, and hold tightly to the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and you do many other such things.” He said to them, “Full well do you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother;’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.’ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban, that is to say, given to God;”‘ then you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother, making void the word of God by your tradition, which you have handed down. You do many things like this.”

In this example, rather than taking care of parents as Torah commands, the rabbinical halakha allowed that same potential care of mother and father to be considered an offering to God; a loophole to release people from taking care of their parents yet still appearing as pious and observant. These various interpretations of the commands led to many differing opinions and loopholes in the Torah that were (and still are) argued over and debated in the synagogues and among the people. Yeshua is recorded as exposing these fence commands as being too strict and derailing the original intent of the Torah in the first place.

However, in his own teaching and doctrine, Yeshua is recorded as having established his own type of halakha in regards to the Torah. For example, in the Sermon on the Mount, Yeshua speaks about at least two of the Ten Commandments (the explicit commands of God) and expresses a specific halakha for each.

Matthew 5:21-22 – “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the Gehenna of fire.

Matthew 5:27-28 – “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Here we can see how Yeshua takes the base, textual commands of Yahweh and defines a specific halakha or “fence” command for each. To avoid breaking the commandment against murder, one must control their anger. To avoid adultery, one must control their attention and desires. But notice the difference between the halakha of the Jewish authorities and Yeshua: the Jews focused on specific actions to prevent breaking the commands; Yeshua focused on specific attitudes of the heart from which would flow the correct actions and the true keeping of the Torah commands. Rather than constantly having to remember a bunch of man-made rules to avoid breaking the Torah, Yeshua taught that a right heart will by default keep Yahweh’s commands perfectly.

This is the good news of the New Covenant theology of Yeshua and the Kingdom of God! It is the fulfillment of the aspirations of all of the old prophets who foretold that Israel would receive a new heart that would be obedient to the Torah.

Jeremiah 31:33 – For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares Yahweh: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 – And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

The New Covenant is based on the Spirit of God dwelling among his people and causing their hearts to be changed to follow his Torah because it will be internalized, “written on their hearts.” With their hearts made righteous, his people would then by default accomplish his will and be the light to the nations that they have always been destined to be. This is why Yeshua told Nicodemus that he must be “born again” to see the Kingdom of God; an act of creation as decisive and real as physical birth. Those who receive the teaching of Yeshua and the commands of God are re-created into new beings with new hearts that produce new actions, actions that honor God and keep his Word.

The other definition of keeping as it relates to the covenant and commandments is to watch. Watching implies an alertness, being aware of surroundings, looking for any holes in the perimeter defenses to maintain the security of what is being guarded. This is the level of vigilance necessary to make sure that what God has provided is not being diminished by outside influence.

This is probably the most under utilized aspect within the concept of keeping the covenant and commands. Cultural influx of worldly ideals is and has been the biggest adversary to the people of God over the centuries. Living in an environment with a constant stream of values that negate or destroys the foundations of God’s word is as rampant today as it always has been. Unfortunately, with our Western worldview, the current efforts of God’s people to prop up defenses for God’s Word is many times based on arguments regarding literal interpretations of biblical events rather than standing firm on the text with literary defenses. In discussions today, we waste time trying to set historical dates and evidences for things like Noah’s flood or the age of the earth which only cause further debate and strife, both within and without the kingdom.

If we would instead recognize and defend the literary nature of the Bible and recognize the intent of the stories and what they are trying to teach rather than when they physically occurred, we would go much further in honoring God’s purpose in having an eternal record of those things. Don’t misunderstand, it’s not that I don’t believe those events occurred within history, it’s just that the biblical record is not a newspaper account that can be completely catalogued and charted in the realm of scientific study; it has never been intended to be such a record as that. And when believers attempt to become scientific about the Biblical accounts of various things that were never intended to be viewed in that fashion, they end up dishonoring the very One they are intending to honor, much like the Pharisaical leaders of Yeshua’s day.

We have to remember that the ancient Hebrew mindset was more symbolic and figurative than literal when it came to relating their events and history. Because of this, we must exercise care in our determination of historical events, common phrases that were used for familiar items and processes for them, and spiritual experiences that conveyed God’s truth in symbolic fashion. Just like the Pharisees of old, we can become so consumed with the minutiae of the letter of the Word that we miss the spiritual meaning of what it actually means.

There are also different emphases when it comes to being vigilant and watching as related in the teachings of Yeshua and his disciples. Some of the watching involves care in what type of teaching you expose yourself to:

Mark 8:15 – And [Yeshua] cautioned them, saying, “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”

This would indicate a measure of discernment that would be needed in the information being received both from religious and political authorities. Another type of watching comes from vigilance with our own actions, to ensure we are not carried away by worldly desires.

Galatians 6:1 – Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.

2 John 1:8 – Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward.

Another type of watching involves the care of God’s leaders among his people, to be diligent in ensuring that those who have been given into their care are properly provided for so that the people can effectively serve God.

Hebrews 13:17 – Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

In our practice of watching carefully over God’s Word, ourselves, and each other, we must ensure that our vigilance in keeping his Word centers on honoring God, not on our personal theories about God or our personal traditions beyond what the text really says. The stories and message of the Bible are all meant to express the reality of God’s Kingdom, and his faithfulness with his people, reassuring us that God is the Creator of all and that he always does what he says. If this is the case, and we are to be his children, then we should also always do what we say so we can honor  and represent him faithfully in all things.

Observing, guarding, and watching the covenant and commands of God is as much a responsibility of God’s people today as it ever has been. As we remain faithful to the intent and the spirit of his word, not just the letter of the law or loyalty to our religious traditions, we can guarantee a fulfilling future for our descendants whom God will draw to himself and his Kingdom in ages to come.

If you enjoy these articles, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the blog. You can view the podcast archive on our Podcast Page, at Core of the Bible on Simplecast, or your favorite podcast streaming service.

Now also on YouTube, find us at: Core of the Bible on YouTube.

Questions or comments? Feel free to email me at coreofthebible@gmail.com.

The Kingdom law of restitution and generosity

A heart of covetousness can lead to a theft of the generosity he desires us to extend to others on his behalf.

Core of the Bible podcast #93 – The Kingdom law of restitution and generosity

Today we will be looking at the topic of the Kingdom of God. Within God’s Kingdom, the law of God provides the guide for all behaviors that God expects of his people. One of the primary boundaries of God’s law concerns security of individual belongings where stealing is prohibited. Interestingly, God’s solution for discouraging theft is its exact opposite: a type of forced generosity. Those who violate the law must give abundantly or they must give themselves.

The commandment as it was stated by God from Sinai in Exodus 20:15 is simple and direct: “You shall not steal.” As we look at this topic today, I feel I need to restate the perspective I have of the Ten Commandments. Far from being done away, the Ten Commandments form what I consider to be the founding charter of the Kingdom of God. These are the basic yet comprehensive rules that God has established for those participating in his Kingdom for all time.

This Kingdom pattern was exemplified by the ancient Israelites being removed abruptly from the nation of their residence into the wilderness of a harsh desert environment. In this new environment, they required rules to function as a society. Certainly, since this was an act of God drawing a people to himself, these rules would need to set them apart from all other nations with higher standards than their counterparts. This new nation was designed to be a godly society founded on godly principles.

Within this new society, theft was expressly declared as forbidden. When theft is tolerated, then societal security begins to degrade and personal property can be violated at any time. Looked at from this perspective, the right to private and personal ownership is sort of “baked in” to the Kingdom of God. By definition, theft is the taking of something that belongs to someone else. Therefore, if stealing is wrong then there is an underlying premise that God respects his people owning things, whether animals for farming, houses for living in, or fields for growing food. Private ownership is necessary for the stability and growth of the community because people who own things produce a need for those things to be produced and maintained. This feedback loop then generates an economic engine of production and service capable of growing active, vital communities. Theft interrupts that cycle and creates a deficit of trust and security within a community requiring some sort of accountability for those who don’t respect the rights of others.

Within the entire Biblical narrative, theft is never looked upon as a positive characteristic. To be a thief is to knowingly take something from someone else, usually associated with violent acts or even murder.

Proverbs 1:10-11, 13-16 – My son, if sinners entice you, don’t be persuaded.  If they say ​– ​”Come with us! Let’s set an ambush and kill someone. Let’s attack some innocent person just for fun!  … “We’ll find all kinds of valuable property and fill our houses with plunder.  “Throw in your lot with us, and we’ll all share the loot” —  my son, don’t travel that road with them or set foot on their path,  because their feet run toward evil and they hurry to shed blood.

Proverbs 28:24 – Anyone who steals from his father and mother and says, “What’s wrong with that?” is no better than a murderer.

The thief upsets the system of civilized conduct because they feel that the same rules that govern others do not apply to them. Whatever their justification is for taking something that belongs to someone else is to consider their reason more important than obeying the command to not steal and the rights of others to enjoy their own possessions. Theft is dangerous because it mocks the integrity of civil order in any society, and must be punished in order to maintain the economic integrity and security of the community.

However, interestingly, the torah or instruction of God reveals that theft is not punishable by death. Instead, a thief must face a fate that very well could be worse than death for them: they must pay restitution.

  • Exodus 22:1 – “When a man steals an ox or a sheep and butchers it or sells it, he must repay five cattle for the ox or four sheep for the sheep.
  • Exodus 22:7 – “When a man gives his neighbor valuables or goods to keep, but they are stolen from that person’s house, the thief, if caught, must repay double.
  • Exodus 22:3 – “… A thief must make full restitution. If he is unable, he is to be sold because of his theft.

At a minimum, they were to pay double what they stole (if the goods are recovered). But if what had been stolen had been sold or, in the case of a stolen animal, killed, then they were to pay up to four or five times the amount. If they were unable to pay, then they were to be sold into forced servitude to pay off the debt.

So it turns out that God’s solution for discouraging theft is its exact opposite: a type of forced generosity. They were to give abundantly out of their own possessions, or they were to be forced to give of themselves through servitude.

With the principles regarding theft clearly outlined in God’s law, it makes sense that those principles would also carry over into God’s spiritual Kingdom. However, not stealing and respecting the rights of others is only half of the equation that God wants us to practice. While the letter of the law required forced giving for those making restitution, the spirit of the law encourages us to be voluntarily giving from the heart at all times.

2 Corinthians 9:6-7 – The point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. Each person should do as he has decided in his heart ​– ​not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver.

So, with this foundational understanding of property rights and appropriate behavior of his people, God, through Yeshua, has the ability to take this principle to the next level, and he does so through teachings regarding giving.

Yeshua taught that he did not come to abolish the law; in fact he upheld it at all times and fulfilled it in all he said and did. He was known for repeating the commands, including the law against stealing.

  • Matthew 19: 18 – Yeshua said, “Never murder. Never commit adultery. Never steal. Never give false testimony. Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” 
  • Mark 10:19 “You know the commandments: Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness; do not defraud; honor your father and mother.”
  • Luke 18:20 “You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not bear false witness; honor your father and mother.”

Yeshua also taught that not only should believers not steal, they should be generous.

  • Matthew 5:42 – “Give to the one who asks you, and don’t turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
  • Matthew 10:8 – Freely you received, freely give.
  • Luke 6:38 – Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”

On the one hand, Yeshua upholds the law, yet on the other, he elevates it. For example, he takes the command against adultery and elevates it to the avoidance of even thinking promiscuously. He takes the command against murder and elevates it to the avoidance of even being angry. In a similar sense, to address the issue of covetousness in the life of a wealthy young inquirer, Yeshua also mentions a similar “restitution of generosity” for covetousness, which makes sense, since extreme coveting can also lead to theft.

Matthew 19: 18-22 – Yeshua said, “Never murder. Never commit adultery. Never steal. Never give false testimony. Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” The young man replied, “I have obeyed all these commandments. What else do I need to do?” Yeshua said to him, “If you want to be perfect, sell what you own. Give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then follow me!” When the young man heard this, he went away sad because he owned a lot of property.

In this sad instance of the man who was not willing to pay the price of following Yeshua, we see a bit of ourselves. How have we coveted the things of this world and the luxuries we have attained to where they keep us from exhibiting the generosity we should be providing to others? A heart of covetousness actually leads to a kind of stealing from God, a theft of the generosity he desires us to extend to others on his behalf.  According to Yeshua, this is the perfection that God seeks: not just not stealing, but giving and following his Messiah.

The spiritual Kingdom of God cannot be guided merely by restrictions against natural bad behaviors through the letter of the law only. If that were the case, the Kingdom would be made up of those who are really good at not doing anything wrong, but who also never do anything good for others. No, for the Kingdom to be eternal and growing to fill the earth as prophesied, it has to also produce the positive influence of God’s spirit and desire in the hearts of those who belong to him. This is how it can be a lasting influence in the world for all time.

In a similar way to the teaching of Yeshua, the apostle Paul taught that the solution for breaking any of the commandments, including stealing, was to demonstrate love to others.

Romans 13:9 – The commandments, Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not covet; and any other commandment, are summed up by this commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself.

Paul also taught that those who practiced stealing should earn an honest living, not just for their own benefit, but so that they would have an opportunity to bless others with what they earn.

Ephesians 4:28 – Let the thief no longer steal. Instead, he is to do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need.

Finally, let’s review one of the most dramatic examples of these principles in the life of Zacchaeus. He had become enthralled with the notoriety of the Messiah, and when Yeshua singled him out to be a host for him and his group, Zacchaeus was ecstatic with the recognition. While we don’t have the details of the entire process of his acceptance of Messiah, Yeshua made it clear that his renewed heart was genuine and he was no longer lost.

Luke 19:8-10 – But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, I’ll give half of my possessions to the poor, Lord. And if I have extorted anything from anyone, I’ll pay back four times as much.” “Today salvation has come to this house,” Jesus told him, “because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”

In recognizing the immeasurable grace and mercy of God’s salvation, Zacchaeus, in both the letter and spirit of the law, offers not only to pay back those whom he had extorted four times over as required in the law, but also to go above and beyond by giving away half of everything he had on behalf of the poor. By his actions, he demonstrated his heart of covetousness had been fully changed, and he was a new creation through faith in the Messiah.

Therefore, in keeping with the torah or instruction of God within his Kingdom, and as a follower of Yeshua, we should never secretly take anything that does not belong to us. Instead, we should always be willing to give generously of all resources that have been entrusted to us. And because the life he has given us is a debt we can never repay, the remainder of our existence should become an offering of voluntary servitude to the one who has provided us this immeasurable gift of life.

If you enjoy these articles, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive on our Podcast Page, at Core of the Bible on Simplecast, or your favorite podcast streaming service.

Now also on YouTube, find us at: Core of the Bible on YouTube.

Questions or comments? Feel free to email me at coreofthebible@gmail.com.