We now move onto part 5 on this series of Apostle Paul.
Part 1 established the command by the Holy Spirit for Gentile believers to obey and keep Torah.
Part 2 and 3 on Romans established Paul's fight against Talmudic writings and his affirmation of the Written Torah which, according to Psalm 111, will last forever and ever.
Part 4 dealt with the entire book of Galatians -- a book sadly misunderstood by the modern pagan christian church. Part 4 showed how Paul was writing against the jewish talmud, not the written Torah of YHVH.
Now, in part 5, we will deal with Colossians 2.
If there is one passage MORE misused than the book of Galatians, it is Colossians 2. But as we shall soon see, Paul clearly supports and commands Torah keeping -- the very opposite of how most pagan christians read the passage.
2:1 For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
2:2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
2:3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
2:4 And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.
2:5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.
2:6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
2:7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
Paul begins the chapter as he continues his thoughts from the 1st chapter -- exhorting the Colossians believers to stand fast in YahShua, the very Torah Clothed in Flesh.
And what does Paul warn against???? Does Paul warn against Torah keeping??? Nooo -- here is what Paul warns against:
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
There are those who spoil the pure gospel of YahShua with philosophy and vain deceit and these things ARE
1. AFTER THE TRADITION OF MEN
2. AFTER THE RUDIMENTS OF THE WORLD
3. AND NOT AFTER MESSIAH.
Now, is Torah a tradition of man???
No. Torah was given from the very heart of YHVH to man.
Is Torah of the rudiments of the world?
Hah -- of course not!!! The world despises Torah -- especially the pagan babylonian christian world.
Is Torah against Messiah? No, for Paul says the faith he teaches establishes the Torah in Romans 3:31.
Besides, how could a Torah which came from the very heart of YHVH be against Messiah??? AFTER ALL JESUS IS GOD. YHVH IS MESSIAH!!!
Paul actually affirms that in his next statement:
2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
Next comes another thought --
In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
YahShua circumcised our hearts, so that we could walk in His Torah. After all, did not Yahshua say in John 14:21-23 that if we say we love Him then we will obey His commandments (Torah)? Indeed, He did.
The spiritual circumcision of our heart DID NOT REPLACE the physical circumcision of Avraham -- rather the spiritual circumcision paves the way to keeping the physical circumcision even as Galatians clearly shows in its allegory.
2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
2:15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Now here is where the pagans claim that the "handwriting of ordinances" is the Torah of Moshe.
This could not be further from the truth.
The "handwriting of ordinances" is the CONDEMNATION WHICH THE TORAH BRINGS ON A SINNER.
It is a Hebrew term for "bill of divorcement" -- a literal handwriting which is levied against an adulterer who has been caught in the act.
Thus, Paul says that once a sinner repents, Yahshua by His blood removes the condemnation which Torah brings.
YahShua does not nail the Torah to the cross, He nails the condemnation of the Torah!!!
Think about it -- would it make sense to say:
"Jesus died on the cross and nailed the commandment of lusting to the cross. Now we are free to lust because that commandment is nailed."
OR
"Jesus died on the cross and nailed the commandment not to tattoo your body to the cross. You can now tattoo your body."
OR
"Jesus died on the cross to nail the commandment not to murder to the cross -- now you are free to murder. The commandment has been nailed and destroyed!"
OR
"Jesus died to cleanse pig. Yes, the anatomic structure of a pig has changed and that which YHVH did not originally design for human consumption is now mystically transformed into edible food at the cross"
Gee, that last one sounds like the Roman Catholic pagan doctrine of transubstantiation. (spelling?)
2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
2:17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
Paul sees that the Torah keeping believers in Colosse have been mocked, ridiculed and made fun of by the Roman and Greek pagans.
Paul encourages the believers by saying, "Hey -- don't you DARE let those pagans judge you -- you just keep obeying the Torah. Keep on observing the New Moon, eating kosher and keeping Hebrew Feast Days -- don't let those mocking pagans tear you down. They can't judge you."
This MUST BE the correct interpretation to make any sense of Paul saying
"which ARE a shadow of things TO COME"
Most christian pagans fail to realize the significance of these words. Paul, several years AFTER the resurrection, several years AFTER THE NEW COVENANT IS ENACTED -- says the Hebrew Feast Days, the New Moons, eating kosher, etc. ARE STILL a shadow of things TO COME.
In other words -- these Torah commands ARE STILL RELEVANT TODAY!!!!!
So why would any professing lover of Christ resist keeping these Torah observances??? If these things truly do point toward future things to come in Messiah Jesus -- why are the Christians so resistant to obeying them???
It is because most pagan Christians do not love Jesus at all -- they love themselves and the paganism they have placed above the Written Word.
2:20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
2:21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
2:22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
2:23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body: not in any honor to the satisfying of the flesh.
Here Paul concludes chapter 2 much as he began it -- warning them against the commandments and doctrines of men.
Is the Torah of Moshe a commandment and doctrine of man????
NO. THE TORAH WAS GIVEN FROM YHVH -- WAS FORMED IN THE HEART AND MIND OF YHVH -- and given to man.
As we are beginning to see in these last 5 parts -- Paul had a 2 fold problem in the 1st century that he constantly had to protect believers from:
1. The orthodox, talmudic jews who wanted to use the traditions of man to bring people into the bondage of man made, jewish regulations
2. Pagans of Rome and Greece making fun of Hebrew Torah believers and encouraging them to just jump into paganism.
Today, in 2004, we have the kabbalists like Mordechai and James Trimm who want to bring believers into the bondage of jewish regulations.
We also have the pagan Christians who want believers to enter into the bondage of babylon christmas, easter and pagan thinking.
Like Paul showed us, these 2 enemies of the Bible and Messiah must be attacked and defeated!!!
