The Answers
Answer 1: Why do you think The Law or the Torah
applies to Christians?
Simple. If a person just reads the Word, without the interference of
doctrines learned from men, it is very apparent that there is only one body
(Ephesians 4:4-6) and one faith; that God requires a certain amount of
obedience from His children, that His Word is Good, and that it applies to
all people everywhere. Also, if the average Christian would think through
some of these doctrines of men he or she has been taught, they would see
that many of them are contradictory. For instance, we are taught that God
doesn't change, and that we can rely on His Word as a Rock, yet apparently
Jesus came to change that very Word!
Answer 2: Why don't you use different terms for God (YHVH or Yahveh) or Jesus (Yeshua)
like similar ministries do?
We're glad you asked! For a while we used the tetragrammaton (YHVH) as
the closest approximation of God's actual name used in the Word, and Yahveh
is just one pronunciation of it. The name we use for Jesus (Yeshua) is
actually His Name. You wouldn't go around calling Him 'Bob,' if that wasn't
His Name, would you? But after a while we realized that God and Jesus have
many names, and the English ones are just fine for now. They also help
people to understand better, and avoid confusing issues or getting people
wrongly focused on supposedly 'correct' spellings and pronunciations.
Answer 3: Why do you call the Old Testament the
Tanakh and the New Testament the Apostolic Scriptures?
Although we frequently use OT and NT for reference and ease of
understanding, they really are very misleading. OT and NT are artificial in
that some men put them on the Book around the third century. We think Tanakh
(for the OT) is better in that it stands for the Hebrew words Torah,
Nevi'im, and Ketuvim, meaning Instruction (or Law), the Prophets, and the
Writings. Jesus calls the OT by these names also (although sometimes He
abbreviated to 'Moses and the Prophets'). For the NT we prefer the name
Apostolic Scriptures or Writings because that's what they are. They are not
the New Testament or New Covenant at all.
Answer 4: Didn't the destruction of the Temple
mean that the old Jewish system was removed in favor of a new system
instituted by Jesus?
The first problem with this idea is that the Temple wasn't destroyed.
What? You ask. There is historical proof that it was! Well, what you are
thinking of is the earthly Temple, which is a copy of the Heavenly. The one
in heaven is still there, and the earthly Temples (and Tabernacle) were
built on its' pattern. Also, we are told by the Word that those who belong
to Him are living stones in a Temple. So the 'Temple' was not really
destroyed, it moved from a pattern in heaven that was copied to a tent
(representative of God dwelling inside us), then copied to a building
(actually two different buildings), back to a 'tent' or Tabernacle (if you
will, which means 'living inside us'). The separate physical building (or
tent) was only around for about 1,500 of our 6,000 year recorded history.
What did we do for a relationship with God the other 4,500 years?
The second problem is that Jesus didn't institute a new system. He says
that no man has seen the Father, except the Son (John 6:46, 14:7) right? Yet
people say they saw God (Gen. 32:30), especially Moses, who talked with Him
face to face (Exodus 33:11) when he received the Law. So it seems obvious
that Jesus gave the Law. He reiterated the Law in His incarnate ministry,
correcting mis-applications and mis-interpretations. Jesus came to establish
the Law (Matthew 5:17-20) which He gave in the first place!
Answer 5: Why do you have to use the word
'Torah' all the time? Couldn't you just use the word 'Bible?' The average
Christian doesn't know what Torah is, and when they do know it is seen as a
negative.
We could use another word, and frequently do. We also like to use 'Word
of God' or just plain 'Word' too. However, there is no way to minimize the
impact of the word Torah, or 'Law,' or 'Commandments,' because the problem
is not with the word but with people. Obviously, the root of the problem
with the average Christian is with obedience (in any form), so the choice of
word would not help. People have problems with words because of an internal
condition, not external.
Answer 6: Are you saying that following the Law
is needed to become saved?
No. The only thing that saves anyone is God's grace given by way of faith
in God and His Son Jesus. However, faith is both trust in God and obedience.
Repentance is humbly submitting to God and can be thought of as obedience.
Acts 17:30 says that God commands all people everywhere to repent, so
repentance is obedience to a command, too. We don't earn merit sufficient
for salvation by doing good works, but believers don't sit around on their
butts after they are saved either. We follow all of God's Living Oracles
given to all of His people everywhere after we are saved because we love Him
and want to return the love He gives us, especially the love shown in the
sacrificial death of His only begotten Son Jesus the Christ.
Answer 7: But we can't do the Law, can we?
Who says? The Bible doesn't say it, that's for sure. Deuteronomy 30:11-14 says that it isn't too hard, or far away, but it is near you, in your heart. This is quoted by Paul (Romans 10:8). We are also told that we can do "all things through Him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).
What cannot be done is to earn salvation merit by following a few rules.
First, we submit to God in humility, begging for His grace and the
application of the blood of Jesus. Then we live like He wants us to live.
This has always been the way.
Answer 8: Parts of the Law cannot be practiced.
Doesn't that mean the Law has been eliminated?
No. Most of the Law can still be practiced, though parts cannot. We take
the position that we should try to do as much as we can, rather than look
for excuses to avoid parts we may not like or that make us uncomfortable.
Nowhere, in any part of the Bible, does it say that any Law has been
eliminated. There are doctrines of men that go to great lengths to interpret
differently, but that is a lot different than what the Bible clearly says.
Answer 9: Wasn't the Law nailed to the
cross? Doesn't than mean we don't have to follow it?
This mistaken notion comes from a misunderstanding of Colossians 2:13-15.
There, however, what is said to be nailed to the cross is a certificate of
debt. This is a record of all the Laws we broke, not the Law itself. Jesus
said that Scripture can't be broken (John 10:35). It is also said that Jesus
became sin for us (2 Cor. 5:21), not that He became the Law (although He is
the Word of God and gave the Law at Sinai).
Answer 10: Isn't the Law Jewish, and for Jewish
people only?
No and no. It is God's Law, given to all of His people. Leviticus 23 says
the feasts are God's feasts. Search your Bible for 'My Sabbaths' and you'll
see that not only is Jesus Lord of the Sabbath but the Sabbath is also
God's.
Israel went out of Egypt a 'mixed multitude' (Exodus 12:38) which
indicates there were more than physical descendants of Jacob. There are
Scriptures that speak of 'other sheep' and 'foreigners' who "join themselves
to the Lord" (Isaiah 56:6) and "holds fast my covenant." The new covenant is
with God and involves a new heart of flesh with the Law written on it.
There aren't two bodies, there is only one body of believers. The whole
Jew/Gentile thing has never been more than cultural. It certainly isn't what
God intended.
For more information on this subject see Bruce's book
Whole Bible Christianity especially
chapter 3 titled
A
Whole Body.
Answer 11: Isn't the Law legalism?
No. The Law is God's living Word for His people. Legalism is a misuse of
the Law to try and gain sufficient merit for salvation. A legal relationship
can be compared to employment, where you work for wages. Work an hour, get
paid an hour's worth of a wage. A grace relationship is where God gives us
everything, because He loves us, and we give Him back everything we have
because we love Him in return.
He loved us and gave us everything, including the blood of His only
begotten Son Jesus the Messiah. We love Him back by actively seeking
whatever He has to say and doing that. Legalism is a deficient system
because we just cannot 'do' enough to earn salvation merit with God. Grace
is a much better way to live.
Answer 12: Didn't Paul say that we were no
longer "under the Law?"
Um, no he didn't. Actually, what he said is that we are not under law
(Romans 6:14; Galatians 5:18). The word "law" in Greek (nomos) is without
the definite article (there is no definite article in Greek) and is not
capitalized. There's a big difference between "law" and "The Law." The Law,
with capitals, means God's Law given through Moses. The other, lowercase
version means any law. The Greek word nomos is a generic word for
law in general. We are not under law because we don't have a legal
relationship with God (see above section).
A similar term is "works of the Law." It is actually "works of law"
(meaning any law or a legal relationship). It is not limited to what some
refer to as the 'Mosaic Law' (it's God's Law, not Moses').
But what does this mean, especially in view of the new covenant where
the Law is written on a new heart of flesh? In Romans 7:12 Paul also says
the Law is holy, and in 7:14 the Law is spiritual. Obviously then, 'under
the law' cannot mean that we ignore the Law or explain it away.
To be 'under law' (or to use works of law) is to have a legal
relationship with God, as in the above mentioned
employment situation. Law has always
been under grace, and God has always dealt with people that way. It helps to
realize that no one is ever 'under the Law' unless they put themselves
there. Humans, throughout history, have been under grace. Law is under grace
too. In Galatians 5:4, Paul speaks of those who seek to be "justified by the
Law." This is the problem - there are some who think that if they do every
Law correctly then God is required to perform in return.
Answer 13: I don't follow all of the Law, and I
haven't been punished. Why should I try to follow more?
Well, don't if you don't want to. But, consequences are not always
immediate. For instance, illicit sex doesn't always result in immediate
pregnancy or disease, but you might as well be playing Russian roulette. And
you could have a disease yet not know it.
Besides, God's oracles are full of life, and doing more of His Words
gives us blessings pressed down and overflowing. If you don't like that, by
all means skip it.
Answer 14: Aren't you 'Judaizing' as Paul put it
in Galatians 2:14?
No. Judaizing is causing others to live like a Jewish person. The Law, or
Torah, is not specifically Jewish. Judaism includes Torah but does not stick
with Torah only. It adds rulings from rabbis (which are not all bad, just
not necessarily biblical) and frequently elevates those opinions to a place
higher than God's Law. This is called Talmud or oral law. For instance,
Judaism has a law against mixing meat with dairy (like a cheeseburger).
There is no such law in God's Word. Judaism came up with a rule stating that
Gentiles were dogs and unclean (one of the reasons God had to give Peter a
vision with a sheet to get him to talk to Cornelius).
Many times in the history of Israel the Jewish people have acted
hard-hearted, flint-headed, and stiff-necked to use God's description.
Thankfully, there have also been lots of true God-followers too, especially
the writers of the Bible. Judaism is not the goal of the Bible, and it is
not the goal of The Word of God Ministries or wholebible.com either.
For more information see Bruce's book
Whole Bible
Christianity especially chapter 7 titled
Whole
Bible Objections.
Answer 15: Isn't the Law merely a shadow, and
the reality is Jesus?
What does this mean, really? That shadows are not something real? That
somehow acknowledging the person of Jesus translates to ignoring God's Word?
There are shadows that are still real, like death or the shadow of God's
hand or wings. This life is a shadow of the next. Does this make shadows
worth ignoring?
Jesus taught the Law, followed the Law, and died because we refused to
follow the Law. Is that a shadow too?
For more information see Bruce's book
Whole Bible
Christianity especially chapter 7 titled
Whole
Bible Objections.
Answer 16: Didn't Jesus declare all foods clean
in Mark 7:19?
Yes (actually no, because the text is translated incorrectly most times.
But let's go with it for now). But what is a food? Is it not what God
declared to be food in the Law? And isn't 'not food' what God declared to be
unclean and an abomination?
Is poison hemlock (made from a plant and therefore 'clean') food? Are
rocks? How about spiders or snakes? Horse? Dog? Just because we can stick it
in our mouth does not mean it's food.
Jesus was talking about ceremonial handwashing, and whether the lack of
it would make food unclean. He was not talking about changing God's
unchanging Word (John 10:35).
For more information see Bruce's book
Whole Bible
Christianity especially chapter 7 titled
Whole Bible Objections under the heading 'It's All Good.'
Answer 17: Peter's vision was about declaring
all food clean, wasn't it?
Nope. Peter himself tells us what the vision meant in Acts 10:34-35 and
again in Acts 11:1-18.
34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I
understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who
fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. (Acts 10:34-35 ESV)
The point of the vision was that the artificial designation of Gentiles
as 'dogs' and unclean was wrong. In nature, animals that are called 'clean'
and 'unclean' by God mix together, and the unclean animals do not make the
clean ones unclean. Animals are clean because of what God says about them,
and unclean because of what God says. God never said that non-Jewish people
were unclean. That is the point of the vision.
For more information see Bruce's book
Whole Bible
Christianity especially chapter 7 titled
Whole Bible Objections under the heading 'It's All Good.'
Answer 18: According to Paul, we have "freedom
in Christ," so shouldn't we avoid going back into slavery?
Yes, Paul says we have freedom in Christ (Galatians 5:1). And yes we
should avoid slavery. However, since when is God's Word slavery?
Galatians is a discussion of merit (earning right standing with God by
following some rules) as opposed to grace (God loves us and gives us
salvation for the asking - we love Him back by giving our life). The key
section is 5:4 "You who would be justified by law." Accepting circumcision,
as a means of justification (gaining right standing with God) means you have
to do everything else right too. And even if we manage to do everything
right, there is still the matter of the tendency to sin in our natures. The
Christ would naturally be of no value to such a person, because His
sacrifice can't be earned, only given.
We are either slaves to sin, or slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:16).
The slavery Paul is referring to is slavery to our flesh in trying to work
our way into God's favor. Freedom in Christ is obedience to God's Word. We
have been set free from sin and become slaves to God.
For more information see Bruce's book
Whole Bible
Christianity especially chapter 7 titled
Whole Bible
Objections under the heading 'Freedom In Christ.'
Answer 19: If I'm saved by grace through faith,
isn't that enough?
I don't know. Is it?
Do we just say, "I've got what I want. I'm not going to give anything
else I don't have to?" What kind of a loving response to God is that?
There is more to a relationship with God than salvation. Salvation is
just the start. What begins in love continues in love, and love is regarding
others as more important than oneself. If we regard God as more important
than ourselves, then we do everything He requires or requests. Or what He
even hints at. Salvation is not the end of the issue at all.
Answer 20: How come I don't hear Jesus in your
teachings on the Law very much?
Don't know. It could be because you cannot hear. Anyone can say the name
(even demons - Acts 19:15), or call Him Lord (Matthew 7:21, 22; Isaiah
45:23; Romans 14:11). Lots of people say, "Oh God" when they are having sex.
So what? Just because we don't say Jesus every other word does not mean He
is not present in the Torah we teach.
God and Jesus are the same. God's Words and the Words of Jesus are the
same too. Jesus gave the Law at Mt. Sinai. He established it and told us to
teach it.
We have been conditioned to think that if we hear the name Jesus then
what is being taught must be okay. This is not true. Our words have to match
His Words, and our actions must match His Words. If we preach using the name
Jesus, yet deny His Word with our actions, we are like false prophets who
make a sign but then tell people to follow other gods.
For more information see Bruce's book
Whole Bible
Christianity especially chapter 7 titled
Whole Bible
Objections under the heading 'I Don't Hear Jesus.'
Answer 21: I just 'lift Jesus up' like it says
in John 12:32. Isn't this enough?
It depends. What do you mean when you say you "lift Him up?" Most of the
time when people say they "lift Him up" what they mean is they just say the
name Jesus over and over. Frequently, their words "lift Him up" but their
actions take Him back down.
To truly lift Jesus up, we obey everything that He says. We are not like
those who merely taste the goodness of the Word of God then fall away
(Hebrews 6:6).
For more information see Bruce's book
Whole Bible
Christianity especially chapter 7 titled
Whole Bible
Objections under the heading 'Lifting Jesus Up.'
Answer 22: In order for the Law to apply to us,
doesn't it have to be restated in the New Testament?
No. It was stated twice, plus there are numerous examples of people
living by it. How many times do you have to be told? The Law doesn't have to
be restated for it to be valid. It doesn't even have to be stated once for
it to apply to every living creature. The new covenant itself is the writing
of the Law on a heart of flesh, sensitive to God in obedience.
For more information see Bruce's book
Whole Bible
Christianity especially chapter 7 titled
Whole Bible
Objections under the heading 'It's Not Restated.'
Answer 23: Isn't the Law a curse?
No. The Law is life and health to our bones (Phillipians 2:16; 1 John
1:1). The curse of the law is death, because we break it and we die.
For more information see Bruce's book
Whole Bible
Christianity especially chapter 7 titled
Whole Bible
Objections under the heading 'It's A Curse.'
Answer 24: I've heard that there are civil,
ceremonial, and moral parts of the Law. Don't we just do the moral parts?
There are no such designations in the Word. They are made up by men who
don't want to follow what God says. Everything God says is moral.
For more information see Bruce's book
Whole Bible
Christianity especially chapter 7 titled
Whole Bible
Objections under the heading 'Only The Moral.'
Answer 25: Paul converted to Christianity and
told us it was okay not to follow the Law, didn't he?
Paul was a model of a Law-following Jew (Philippians 3:4-7), a Hebrew of
Hebrews and a Pharisee. A quick look at the book of Acts shows Paul
observing feasts (20:6,16, 24:17, 18) fasts (27:9) vows (18:18; 21:23-26)
Sabbath (13:14, 42, 44, 16:13, 17:2, 18:4) circumcision (16:3) temple
worship (22:17, 24:11,17,18) teaching from the Law and the Prophets (28:23)
and keeping the Law (21:24, 22:3, 23:6, 24:14). He was a follower and
disciple of the Christ, but remained Jewish.
And no, he never told us it was okay to ignore the Law. What he said was
that the Law is holy and spiritual, but that trying to use it to earn
salvation merit from God was wrong. We follow God's commands because we love
Him, not because we are trying to earn anything.
For more information see Bruce's book
Whole Bible
Christianity especially chapter 7 titled
Whole
Bible Objections under the heading 'Paul Tells Us It Is Okay.'
Answer 26: Didn't the church replace Israel?
No. Israel has always been a key part of God's plan. That hasn't changed,
according to the Bible. The church has tried to horn its way in by creating
all sorts of spurious, extra-biblical doctrines establishing a separate
group. But there isn't one. Just look at the new covenant in Jeremiah
31:31-34. See any 'church?' Or do we just see Israel and Judah? Yep, that's
all we see. Look at Ephesians 4:4-6 and you'll see only one body.
Paul spends a lot of time (roughly Romans 9 through 11) speaking of being
"grafted in" to Israel's olive tree. God has adopted us into an existing
family, not started a new one. He loves Israel even if they don't (by and
large) love Him back. He will stay faithful though others fall away. We
should've been watching out for arrogance, because what was grafted in can
be broken off again. Just like unbelieving natural branches.
For more information see Bruce's book
Whole Bible
Christianity especially chapter 3 titled
A Whole Body.
Answer 27: Why did you call yourselves "Won't
Make It To Mainstream" Ministries? Why did you change your name to The Word
of God Ministries?
The first name was sort of a tongue-in-cheek poke at the fact that the
majority of what we teach will not make it into the 'mainstream' of the
church (or any other organization). We are aware that we do not tickle very
many ears, but we feel we are in good company because it has ever been thus
with God's Word. The change to the new name was an attempt to be more
specific about what we do and what we think is the most important thing.
Many organizations say they teach Torah (or the Word) but in reality promote
various pet doctrines such as the superiority of Judaism over other
religious systems. This, unfortunately, is the case with much of the
Messianic movement. We associated with some of those groups for a while, but
when we realized their true focus we opted to define ourselves along more
biblical lines.