a few common MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT SCRIPTURAL UNDERSTANDING
Dear beloved brethren, co-workers and friends,
Trust in Yhwh you are firm in obedience and keeping kodesh by resisiting tempations, over here things are slightly better thanks to our Abba Yhwh and although still struggling with my own afflictions, which at this point seems to be root and cause of other problems, but nevertheless I praise Yhwh for all his blessings and opportunities to overcome. This is what He wants. That we seek Him, everytime a little more profoundly and intensely.
We need patience for everything... at least its one of the qualities of the kodeshim/saints. That ought to help us feel better when being tested. Testing produces the fruit or gift of patience.
About interpreting scripture, some brethren ask what is the key to proper understanding. Foremost it is obedience to what we already know and patience. We need to patiently take everything into account before thinking we have arrived at the sane, sound and full kodesh doctrine we are all (or should be) eager to find (like a precious pearl) if we want the Ruah to lead us to all truth and interpret it for us.
Otherwise it will just be our personal interpretation of it--- and may I add that there are already zillions of personal interpretations of Torah and Yhwh classifies that as a sin because "no scripture is of private interpretation."
The problem is that people can still make huge mistakes, even after taking all said things into account. They can have a full list of all passages pertaining to a certain theme and still fall into a lot of errors by relying on their human nature which scripture reveals and many of us know can be easily manipulated by Ha-Satan. So they fall pray to such deceptions as allegorizing or "spiritualizing" away the literal, literalizing spiritual passages, or deceiving themselves into "the creative visualizing of scripture."
But all these are doctrines of demons. Rabbis both orthodox and messianic further fall into the despicaple "Infallible Relative Truth" doctrine. And such private interpretation is exactly why we have so many different religions believing varied doctrines today---even among the messianic religion or movement that a lot of you mistook for the correct faith for a short while. The original leaders or founders of all of the world's religions, sects and cults at some point or another took things in their oen hands and did not allow the Ruah to lead them to all truth.
Naturally scripture has to be taken in context, but sometimes there are context variations. Or later on in the Berit Hadasha the context of some literal passages in the Tanak becomes spiritual and thereby magnified, and people have problems dealing with those instances.
Sometimes I hear brethren say that a certain correct doctrine is not Scriptural, or even that the Kodesh Scripture of Yhwhcontradicts itself (!?), but since Torah states that "scripture does not contradict itself" and we believe it because its the Word of Yhwh, what is actually happening is that they lack the understanding or simply expect all future truth that is revealed to them neatly fits their preconceived notions and opinions already in their heads. They are in vain trying to pour the pure, crystalline water of sound doctrine into glasses that are half-filled with the mud of christian or judaic doctrines they refuse to let go, even if unconsciously. Obviously that is not the way to acquire wisdom of Torah.
Other times brethren and teachers are outright disobedient and expect the Ruah Ha Kodesh to continue to dwell in them and act on their behalf. But Torah reveals that "Yhwh does not give His Spirit to the disobedient." This doesnt mean that if one makes a mistake He will lose the gift of the Ruah. But those who practice sin and refuse to repent do. Yhwh can certainly remove the His Ruah from anyone. There is a point of but Yhwh is patient and once He decides to punish He doesnt go back on His word because He is Kodesh. You might recall that after Kind Dawid sinned by planning the death of Uriah and taking his wife, he repented and asked our Abba for mercy so that He would not remove the Ruah from him. And you might recall the worst scenario in which Kins Saul was actually rejected and Yhwh's Spirit removed.
Sometimes we object to teachings simply because they contain things not specifically found in scripture, but we cant reject teachings too quickly in this manner either. As workers of Yhwh, we have had a bunch of so-called "renounwed" messianic teachers from time to time blast some of the sane-doctrine messages that are posted for those of the Kehilah in the internet, only to find out (after a couple of replies later) that they were the ones in the error and not us. Those who mock or defy Yhwh's doctrine or his servants never prevail. But our Almighty Abba Yhwh is merciful and patient, and some of these misled or contaminated leaders at some point repent. Of course, menawhile we must contend for the faith once given as Torah commands, even if it causes them anger, rage or illness. We are all individually responsible for our salvation and like everyone else, they too must control and "bring captive" and into obedience whatever thoughts or feelings of jealousy, envy, anger, contention or hate the enemy might put in them to test them. Or else be subject to judgement later on.
One thing to consider is that in any message not all things that are not part of the main topic and which are put there for the relation they may have with the theme, are generally not stated fully. This is to say that they are not the main theme being discussed, but rather a support for it. This is quite a logical reasoning yet many of the called-out do not seem to make it out.
For example, I just mentioned King Saul and King Dawid's cases above. But not every detail about them needs to be mentioned because those are merely sub-subjects and are not the main theme of this message. The fact that sub-topics are not fully tackled in any given message does not make it a "limp-doctrine" message.
Therefore, in any writing, not attempt needs be made to cover everything about its sub-subjects. Yet quite a few people will try to discredit others by trying to knock down these bits and pieces of scripture they dont know much about but think they do, to subtract credibility from the main theme being addressed; and then of course when they bring these flawed criticisms to some of you, to try to make you doubt the Word of Yhwh.
But when everything is said and done, and you contact us and get straight answers proceeding from the Ruah, the slanderers dont know where to hide their shame. Mercifully, a few suffer from having no ego and are able to sincerely humble before Yhwh and His Truth, and plainly see their mistakes. Those are the ones Yhwh and our Master Yahwshua want. Those are the ones they work with and refine. Those are good soldiers for a true remnant. Our Abba always loves His faithful remnants. He has marvelous things in store for them, or I should say for "us" who sincerely seek to be faithful to the end and do not slander His precious truth along the way....
An example of things not found in Torah that are not against truth is when anyone matter-of-factly states that Yahushua did #1 or #2 and that whatever his middle-eastern/jewish-type-diapers happened to look like, had them changed when he was a baby---although we all know that this is nowhere to be found in scripture.
But there are a lot of things not specifically stated in scripture that we know obviously happened. Baby Yahushua in that respect was an ordinary baby like al others. He was breast-fed, changed, bathed, might have played in the dirt, got a cold or tummy aches, and might have gotten skin scratches or bruises playing like any normal child. And he underwent puberty with all its pros and cons like all humans because scripture states "he was tempted in every way" just like the rest of us. However, UNLIKE the rest of us, he never succumbed to sins.
Yet some people object when some others state common-sense things such as these. And even worse, they call them liers and even heretics.
Who has more Ruach Ha Kodesh and common sense? Will stating that baby Yahushua did #1 and #2 cause anyone's spiritual perdition or to lead them to sway from the truth? Hardly!
Nobody in their right mind would think its a main concern for one's salvation believing the above or not believing it, so that type of condemnation which some people make on their brethren should not even be brought up by anyone in the first place---much less by contaminated messianic teachers (like one I know who has a large following and says he is one of Yhwh's two end-time witnesses. Have no idea how he can have a large following, but then again that says a lot of the spiritual state of the messianic brethren in general and how advanced in reality apostasy is at this point).
About certain subjects such as that of the circumcision and eating lamb at the passover we all have to be careful those things are not taken to the extreme and made to anull Yahwshua's sacrifice. I would not eat any lamb even if separated on the 10th and sacrified at the designated altar by a levite priest...i In first place Yhwh would never do that to His Son or give His blessing to others to do so. It would be going against His own word. When such things happen it is because He allows it to test all of us. We are being tested and need to be found faithful. We have free moral agency which allows us total freedom to think and act, but we are responsible for what we think and do. Yhwh allows adversity. He created it, and allows us to choose evil if we want to disobey. But allowing and approving are two different things.
So what if the jews in Israel come up with a red heifer, a levite priesthood and erect a temple and start sacrificing animals daily and on shabbat? Does that mean anything to Yhwh? Or does "those who say are jews and are of the synagogue of Satan" mean anything to those of you who would have doubts? I know to many of you these bits and pieces of information tell you a lot. In any case we know everything written is there for a purpose. Our Abba is not one to like idle-talk or hearsay--much less coming from His own mouth!
Another frequent example of mistakes people make, even when they think they have taken all things into consideration, is the following. Read the false conclusion this "nazarene" Torah-teacher reached in the below article written in white text. It goes:
"Paul writes of the immersion of the Ruach HaKodesh:
"For as the body is one, and there are in it many members, and all the members of the body though they are many, are one body, so also the Messiah. For all of us also are baptized by one spirit into one body, whether Jew or Aramaean, whether slave or son of freedom. And all of us drank of one spirit." (1 Cor. 12:12-13 HRV)
He (this nazarene teacher) continuess saying: "This passage above to some brethren seems to come into direct conflict with the immersion of the Ruach HaKodesh coming subsequent to salvation in several passages in Acts such as:
"And they went down and prayed concerning them so that they might receive the Ruach HaKodesh. For it was not yet upon a man from them, for they were only immersed in the name of our Adon Yahwshua. Then they placed a hand on them, and they received Ruach HaKodesh." (Acts 8:15-17 HRV)
Then this same teacher asks his audience, and explains:
"What is the resolution to this apparent conflict? Now let us look at Exodus 12:43-49:
"And YHWH said unto Moshe and Aharon: 'This is the ordinance of the Pesach: there shall no alien eat thereof; but every man's servant that is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof. A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat thereof. In one house shall it be eaten; you shall not carry forth aught of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall you break a bone thereof. All the assembly of Yisra’el shall keep it. And when a stranger shall sojourn with you, and will keep the Pesach to YHWH, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land; but no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. One Torah shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourns among you." (Ex. 12:43-49 HRV)
Then this teacher makes the following statements:
"Now there are a number of things we can learn from this passage:
1. All the "Assembly" of Israel must eat the Passover.
2. No uncircumcised male can eat the Passover."
So far, we see nothing abnormal in his statements. Scripture states the above very clearly. And then this man goes on to state that,
"From these two facts we may conclude that:
If all the Assembly eat the Passover, and if no uncircumcised males eat the Passover, then no uncircumcised males are part of the Assembly."
Again, so far so good---at least it seems, doesn't it? This teacher has correctly concluded that NO UNCIRCUMCISED MALES ARE PART OF THE ASSEMBLY. In other words, all males in the assembly/kehilah/congregation called Israel in the Tanak, need to be (obviously in some way Yhwh approves), circumcised. That is what the above scripture verses say.
But he continues with his essay with his own reasoning and begins to err like this:
"This is an inescapable categorical proposition drawn from the plain statements in Exodus 12:43-49.
"Now from what is stated in Acts 15 we also know that one does not have to be circumcised to be saved. Thus we can add another fact to our reasoning:
3. Some uncircumcised males are saved."
This is not going so good now. There I see potential for a big error here. The passage from Acts he just quoted must be taken in full context to be understood. We have to find out exactly HOW "uncircumcised" those saved males really are by reading their full description in the book of Acts, because simply stated, once again, "SCRIPTURE DOES NOT CONTRADICT ITSELF!" But the nazarene teacher of Torah stating this, appears to think so and is about to make a mistake...and goes on to conclude:
"Now if no uncircumcised males are part of the Assembly, and if some uncircumcised males are saved, then some saved persons are not part of the Assembly.
"Again this is an inescapable categorical proposition drawn from the facts plainly laid out in Ex. 12:43-49 and Acts 15. There are in fact some saved persons who are not part of the Body of Messiah, the Assembly of Israel.
Beloved brethren, HERE THIS TEACHER IS ABSOLUTELY WRONG! AS EXPECTED, HE FELL IN A TRAP HE HIMSELF SET. STATEMENT #3 IS A WRONG CONCLUSION EVEN THOUGH IT SEEMS TO BE TAKEN DIRECTLY FROM TORAH!
WHY? HIS MISTAKE IS THAT HE IS MIXING TANAK PASSAGES THAT SPEAK ABOUT THE PHYSICAL CIRCUMCISION, WITH LATER BERIT KHADASHA TEXTS THAT SPEAK OF THE MUCH AMPLIFIED SPIRITUAL CIRCUMCISION (OR CIRCUMCISION OF THE HEART)!
"Saved" people, according to Torah, need at least a small portion of the Ruach Ha Kodesh, otherwise they would just be as unconverted as the rest of mankind. The Ruach can come by "listening" to Torah, and in those who are not "JUST LISTENERS BUT DOERS OF THE WORD," in those who are OBEDIENT, "listening" causes CONVERSION or "CIRCUMCISION OF THE HEART!"
Then, according to all accounts in the Berit Hadasha, THOSE WITH CIRCUMCISION OF HEART (CONVERTED ONES), AUTOMATICALLY BECOME PART OF THE SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF OUR MASHIACH! They become part of THE BODY OF YAHWSHUA. The BODY is the ASSEMBLY/KEHILAH.
THE ASSEMBLY OF MASHIACH IS THE CONGREGATION OR NEW BERIT KEHILAH MENTIONED SO MUCH IN THE EVANGELOS OF THE APOSTLES AND THEIR EPISTLES. It is also referred to as "the body of Yahwshua."
Apparently this teacher doesnt know this or suffers from amnesia (?), because we just can't say we have arrived at sane doctrine and at the same time left hanging so many important and pertinent teachings! This would be an excellent example of one of those "limping doctrines" described in another message.
AGAIN BRETHREN: HOW CAN ANYONE BE SAVED AND CONCLUDE THEY ARE IRONICALLY FROM OUTSIDE THE BODY OF THE SAVED ONES?!!?
SO YOU SEE HOW EASY IT IS TO REACH A WRONG CONCLUSION BY MAKING ONE EARLY MISTAKE...? UNFORTUNATELY FOR THEM AND THEIR PEERS, MESSIANIC, CHRISTIAN AND JUDAIC TEACHERS ARE FAMOUS FOR DOING JUST THIS.
And thus we have to be very aware of mortal man's ability to succumb to the enemy while trying to establish the sound doctrine of our Master Yahwshua. Then again, something is inherently wrong in a person acting as a teacher who insists we call him, "Father" (as catholics do) or "Rabbi" (as messianics and jews do)...! There is something VERY VERY WRONG HERE. This is outright disobedience to Torah.
Anyone in desobedience to Torah is still under curse. That person is NOT KODESH. That person does not have the Ruach Ha Kodesh, because Torah states that "Yhwh does not give His Ruach to the disobedient." Therefore, anyone relying on such cursed people to receive their instruction on Torah are likewise cursed by default.
Does this explain now why within messianisn and judaism there are so many differing and contradictory views regarding doctrine? Does this explain why their teachers teach and rely upon the satanic doctrine that "scripture can be interpreted in various ways" to defend themselves?
May Yhwh open your eyes and help those of you still in religious confusion to understand! Read the Torah yourselves and discard unfaithful and disobedient leaders, no matter how famous...or you will follow them into perdition!
Shalom Ubrahot and until next time, your servant and brother and Yahwshua Ha Mashiach, Rafael