Interview 35: Should Messianic Jews Keep Torah? (Daniel Calcagno)

Pastor Daniel Calcagno lays out a his case for what he calls a positive view of Torah. He believes that the cleavage with Judaism in early church history is something the apostles never envisioned. Sadly, this parting of the ways led to confusion, doctrinal drifting, and persecution. Although Calcagno does not believe Gentiles need to keep the Law, he sees no reason for Jews to stop observing Torah. Here are his notes: TOWARDS A POSITIVE VIEW OF THE TORAH by Daniel Calcagno Restoring the Jewish Identity Markers to the Church The Hebrew word “torah” means “instruction” and refers primarily to the first five books of the Bible but more specifically can refer to the commandments of God in those books. In this podcast, Daniel attempted to show that it is biblical and proper for a disciple of Jesus to have a positive view of the Torah, specifically those elements of the Torah that are usually associated with Jewish identity (i.e. the Sabbath, the festivals, keeping kosher, etc.). The Torah’s own presentation of the enduring nature of the commandments associated with Jewish identity: The Sabbath: Exodus 31:13 Passover: Exodus 12:14 The Day of Atonement: Leviticus 16:29 The Aaronic priesthood: Exodus 29:9 Sign of a False Prophet: Deuteronomy 13:1-5 Positive Statements about the Torah in the rests of the Hebrew Scriptures: Psalm 19; Psalm 119; Joshua 1:7-8; Jeremiah 9:12-13; Malachi 4:4; Ecclesiastes 12:13. Jesus and the Apostles were Torah-observant: The Sabbath: Luke 4:16-17; Mark 1:21; Luke 23:56 Passover: Luke 22:15-20; 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 Pentecost: Acts 2:1; Acts 20:16, 1 Corinthians 16:8-9 The Day of Atonement: Acts 27:9 The Feast of Booths: John 7:2, 10, 14, 37 Hanukkah (extra-biblical Jewish holiday): John 10:22-23 Daily Jewish Prayer: Acts 2:42, 3:1, 6:4 Liturgical Blessings: Matthew 14:19-20, 26:27; Acts 27:35 Tzitzit: Matthew 9:20-21 Keeping Kosher: Acts 10:14 Circumcision: Luke 1:59-60, 2:21, Philippians 3:5, Acts 16:3 Offering Sacrifices: Acts 24:17 Baptism/Ritual Immersion: Acts 2:41, 9:18 They Torah will be observed in the kingdom: Isaiah 2:3; Isaiah 66:23; Ezekiel 45:17; Zechariah 14:16-17; Isaiah 56:6-8 Positive Statements about the Torah by Jesus: Matthew 5:17-19; Matthew 23:23 Paul was a Torah-observant Jew: Paul was born to Jewish parents: Philippians 3:5 His name was both Saul and Paul: Acts 13:9 Paul was educated under Rabbi Gamaliel: Acts 22:3 Paul attended synagogue on the Sabbath: Acts 17:2-3, 18:3-5 He said that served God “…believing everything that is in accordance with the Torah…” (Acts 24:14). He testified that he had “…committed no offense either against the Law of the Jews” (Acts 25:8). He was NOT teaching the Jewish people to forsake Moses, to not circumcise their children, nor keep Jewish tradition. James said about Paul: “…there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Torah.” (Acts 21:24). Positive Statements about the Torah by Paul: Paul said “…it is not the hearers of the Torah who are just before God, but the doers of the Torah will be justified.” (Romans 2:13). He said “Do we then nullify the Torah through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Torah.” (Romans 3:31). He said “the Torah is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.” (Romans 7:12). He said “…I joyfully concur with the Torah of God in the inner man” (Romans 7:22). He said “…the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the Torah of God…” (Romans 8:7). In Romans 9:4, he listed the giving of the Torah as one of the blessings God has given to Israel. In 1 Corinthians 7:19, he said that “Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is the keeping of the commandments of God.” (1 Corinthians 7:19), which I believe means that Jewish and Gentile identity don’t matter as long one is faithful to the commandments God requires each to keep. He said that followers of Jesus were not “…without the law of God but under the law of Christ,” (1 Corinthians 9:21) which I believe means the Torah as taught by Christ. Paul charged Timothy to “…keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Timothy 6:14). The phrase “the Commandment” was used by Paul to refer to the Torah in Romans 7 and is found in Psalm 19:8 referring to the Torah. Paul said to Timothy that “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness,” (1 Timothy 3:16), “all Scripture,” of course, includes the Torah. The importance of the salvation of the Jewish people and how having a positive view of the Torah might affect that. In Romans 1:16, Paul said that the Gospel is a message firstly for Jewish people. And he said in Romans 9:3 that he would give up his own salvation for the salvation of the Jewish people. In Matthew 23:39, Jesus said to the Jewish people that they won’t see him again until they say “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matthew 23:39). And Paul said this in Romans 11: “For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?” (Romans 11:15). I believe that when the Jewish people embrace Jesus as the Messiah, it will bring about the kingdom. A major reason why the Jewish people reject Jesus as the Messiah is they believe that he is a false prophet according to Deuteronomy 13. The Jewish people will never accept Jesus as the Messiah if we continue to present him and Paul as teachers who taught against the Torah. ANSWERING OBJECTIONS Objection: “We’re saved by grace, so we don’t need to keep the Law.” Answer: Salvation has always been by grace through faith. The Torah does not save you; it provides God’s people with a way of life. The Apostolic message of salvation by grace through faith is based on the Hebrew Scriptures: Isaiah 53:10; Psalm 16:10; 2 Timothy 3:15; Galatians 3:6-9. The Torah Points to Jesus: Luke 24:25-27; 44-47; John 5:46-47; Romans 10:4; Galatians 3:24. The people before Jesus were not saved by keeping the commandments or through the sacrifices, but were saved by grace through faith: Galatians 2:21; Hebrews 10:4; 11:39; John 14:6. Jesus proclaimed that “…Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad” (John 8:56) and, in Galatians 3:6-9, the Apostle Paul taught that Abraham was saved by faith. “…if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.” (Galatians 2:21) “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:4) The animal sacrifices were for the purpose of securing ritual purity so that the believer could draw near to God in worship at the Temple in Jerusalem. This is why the death of Jesus is likened unto a sacrifice (cf. 1 Peter 1:18-19), since his death secures eternal salvation so that the believer can be forgiven of their sins and gain immortality in the resurrection. The death of the Messiah did not do away with the animal sacrifices because the animal sacrifices would still serve the same purpose today if the Temple were to be rebuilt. The letter to the Hebrews does not teach that the Law is done away with or that the Temple/Aaronic priesthood are done away with. Hebrews teaches that the Jerusalem Temple/Aaronic priesthood/animal sacrifices are for this age, but the sacrifice of Jesus and the priesthood of Melchizedek in the heavens are for the age to come. He even says in Hebrews 2:5 that it is the age to come that they are speaking about. Objection: We’re in the New Covenant now, we don’t need to keep the Law. Answer: The New Covenant does not replace any of the previous covenants. Abrahamic: blessings, many descendants, the land of Israel forever, etc. (Genesis 12:1-3, 7; 15; 17:1-14). Sinai: blessings for obedience/curses for disobedience to the Torah (Exodus 19; 24; Deuteronomy 27-29). David: a descendant of David will rule as king over Israel forever as long as he is obedient to God’s commandments (2 Samuel 7:9-16). Israel’s failure to keep the Sinai covenant does not invalidate the covenant made with Abraham (Galatians 3:15-17) and every new generation has the opportunity to keep the Sinai covenant. In fact, the New Covenant is an agreement made with Israel that consists of promises made by God that He will forgive Israel of their sins, enter into relationship with each person among Israel, and write the Torah on their hearts, causing them to obey His commandments (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:24-28). When the New Covenant is fully realized, Israel will finally become faithful to the Sinai covenant as a nation, which will ensure the regathering of the exiles back to the land of Israel, blessing in the land of Israel, a rebuilt Temple, and the Davidic king, Jesus the Messiah, reigning over them. In other words, in the Messianic era and beyond, all previous covenant promises will be finally and fully realized. All true believers in every generation have received a spiritual foretaste of this coming reality (Ephesians 1:13-14). None of God’s covenants are the “old covenant” in the sense that Paul used the term in the one place in the Bible the term is used (2 Corinthians 3:14; cf. Ephesians 4:22; Romans 6:6). Objection: “We’re a part of the Church, not Israel, so we don’t need to keep the Law.” Answer: The Church is not distinct from Israel; therefore we have a connection to the Torah. Believing Jewish people and Gentiles are indeed the Messiah’s community (normally referred to as the Church), but this community is not distinct from Israel, especially since those Jewish people within this community obviously remain a part of Israel. Salvation spiritually brings Gentiles into Abraham’s family and the commonwealth of Israel as participants in the covenants of the promise (Galatians 3:29; Ephesians 2:11-13). Romans 11:17-21 — The Messiah’s community cannot be considered an entity distinct from Israel, because it is made up of faithful Jewish people (the branches that remain on the tree)! Gentile believers too are not distinct from Israel because even though Gentile believers are not Jewish, we are united with believing Jewish people in the Messiah’s community (grafted onto the tree). So, the Messiah’s community is not a new entity that replaces Israel, but is instead made up of faithful Jewish people and believers from among the nations; together we constitute those who are witnesses for the Messiah. It is impossible to make a rigid distinction between the church and Israel Objection: “We’re Gentiles, not Jews, so we don’t need to keep the Law.” Answer: Being a Gentile does not mean you have no relationship to the Torah. Acts 15:1 — The common notion among the Jewish people in the first century was that being legally counted among the Jewish people (either through birth or conversion) and keeping the Torah was what mattered when it comes to salvation. Those who were not legally Jewish could not be saved. This is analogous to Christians thinking that membership in their church and abiding by their beliefs/practices is what guarantees salvation. Galatians 2:1-3 | Acts 15:11 | Acts 15:19-20 | Galatians 5:2; 3:7 If Gentile believers do not need to become legally Jewish in order to be counted among God’s people, do we have any obligation to the commandments of the Torah? Yes! All people are obligated to recognize the one true God and to love Him with complete devotion. This means that any commandment in the Torah that deals with areas of idolatry or blasphemy apply to everyone. Additionally, all people must obey the commandments of the Torah that deal with murder, theft, sexual immorality, and other ethical issues. But what about those commandments of the Torah that were given directly to Israel: the Sabbath, the holidays, the kosher laws, and more? Put simply, God will not punish a Gentile who does not keep those commandments. That being said, when Gentiles become believers, they are to take on a life of imitation of Jesus, the perfectly Torah-observant Messiah of Israel. Jesus said in Luke: “A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40) and John said: “…the one who says he abides in [Jesus] ought himself to walk in the same manner as he walked” (1 John 2:6). The Apostles envisioned that the Gentile believers would be congregating in the synagogues along with the Jewish people to listen to the Torah (Acts 15:21). It is unlikely that the Apostles envisioned the Gentiles eventually creating a new religion distinct from Israel and distinct from the practices of the Torah. —— Links —— Follow Daniel Calcagno on Twitter, YouTube, or at MessianicNiagara.com Visit him at Glad Tidings Church of God in Fonthill, Ontario, Canada Listen to more Restitutio interviews here Intro music: Jazzy Frenchy by bensound.com. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.