The awesome and deeply profound book of Hebrews (Iv’riym) begins with a revelation of the Son—not only of His divine preeminence, but of His Deity. In other words, the Son of God—Yeshua—is God. Yet it is not the Son’s deity alone which makes Yeshua perfect. Surprisingly, as we learn in Hebrews chapter 2, there was something that at one time even God couldn’t do. That’s why the Son’s perfection comes through His humanity.
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Perhaps one of the most awe-inspiring pieces of writing in all of Scripture—and more than worthy of this new series—is the anonymous letter to a group of Messianic Jews, commonly known as the book of Hebrews (Iv’riym). The letter is believed to have been written in 69 AD, shortly before the destruction of the Temple and during a time of continuing oppression and persecution of the believers. In it, the author aims to encourage and strengthen his fellow Jewish believers who were having difficulty staying true to their brand-new, Messianic faith, and does this by expertly building a case for having complete trust in the author and perfecter of that faith: Yeshua.
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Does the Bible teach that baptism is necessary for salvation? We know that Yeshua considers it important and normative for the believer, but is it necessary? Let us consider 1 Keifa (Peter) chapter 3, as arguably the strongest passage in favor of this position. For the purposes of this article, we will assume that baptism is immersion, as it is consistently depicted in the Scriptures.
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When we believe in Yeshua and come to Him for salvation from our sins, we also receive the down-payment for that salvation through the gift of the Ruach HaQodesh (the Holy Spirit). But the Spirit does not connect and interact with us so that He can just live quietly and inactively within us—nor to be the object of our euphoric fixation or ecstatic zeal—but so that we can fully proclaim the Good News of Yeshua in power.
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The means and methods by which the Holy Spirit—the Ruach HaQodesh—connects and interacts with us are described in the Scriptures in multiple different ways. Though related, these descriptions do have distinctions, and noting the differences can help us get a clearer picture of how the Spirit operates, how we can be receptive to that interaction, and how His connection to us empowers us to live spiritually in Messiah. Here is a very brief overview of those interactions.
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In the unseen, intangible, yet very real spiritual world intersecting with our material one, God works through His unique and set-apart Holy Spirit—the Ruach HaQodesh. As followers of Messiah, it is essential to learn about the Ruach for our understanding of how to live spiritually in the Master. We need the Ruach HaQodesh in order to latch us to the risen Yeshua, anchor us to our Creator, and make real in our hearts and minds the guarantee of our salvation. Read more
The Master Yeshua clearly stated that one of His purposes for coming as the Messiah was to teach, uphold, and fulfill the Torah (Matthew 5:17-19). Yet not only do many believers maintain just the opposite, but some also believe that Yeshua condoned breaking and violating the Shabbat (Sabbath)—just as the Pharisees accused Him. Let’s see if that’s true. Read more
Our generation of Messiah-followers is in crisis. Plagued by division, bizarre beliefs, and the overall watering-down of the Bible, we simply cannot afford to take the fundamentals of our faith for granted. So in order to determine if we can walk together as brothers and sisters in Messiah, here are six areas of non-negotiable belief that identify whether we share an essential, biblical faith.
Q: I was curious, which English Bible translation do you find to be the most accurate? Is there a correct / accurate Hebrew / English Bible translation? Is there a good Hebrew Bible Dictionary other than the Strong’s? Is there a Messianic Jewish Commentary that I can trust? Any advice or guidance will help. Thank you.
A: These are all great questions—thank you for asking!
As you probably already know, he Scriptures were written in Hebrew (some in Aramaic) and Greek. So when we read the Scriptures in English, we are reading a translation. By definition, this means that no translation can be absolutely “correct.” A translation requires more than just the conversion of individual words. Concepts and connotations need to be understandable by the receiving audience. The various Bible translations fall along a spectrum between literal and paraphrase. A literal translation attempts to convey the original meanings of words and phrases. A paraphrase focuses on the translation of original ideas and concepts. Many modern translations attempt to preserve a certain level of what is called “dynamic equivalence” with the source texts, trying to strike a balance between the literal and paraphrase ends of the spectrum. Read more
The seventh-day Shabbat (Sabbath) is not only central to Israel’s calendar, it is at the heart of Jewish identity. Exodus 31:13 reports Adonai commanding Moshe to “speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘Surely, My Shabbats you must guard, for it is a sign between Me and you, to your generations, to know that I, Adonai, am sanctifying you….’” Yet the observance of Shabbat has historically been shrouded in rules and customs that can separate us from the very Shabbat we are supposed to be protecting. Beautiful, elegant—some-times strict—and infused with spiritual symbolism, the Shabbat traditions of Judaism nevertheless (and unnecessarily) complicate what may arguably be the simplest thing in Scripture.
While the practical out-working of Shabbat in the modern Diaspora does take some amount of forethought, the principles set forth in the Scriptures are easy to understand and apply—if we will only hear them. Indeed, wedged in our thinking is the belief that Jewish religion and culture supercede Scripture, and that centuries of practice amount to expertise. Not necessarily.
“How do I ‘do’ Shabbat?” is the question that kills Shabbat even before it begins. Candle-lighting, Shabbat dinner and special prayers are nice, but not what this holy day is all about. To “do” Shabbat, first consider the Scriptures (see image, above), and start by simply stopping. Don’t worry about going wrong with the way you “do” Shabbat… as long as you’re not going at all…
What do you think? Post a comment below.
This “Fast Foundations” article was originally published in Messianic Jewish Issues.
(Other extra-Torah or land-dependent Shabbat prohibitions include carrying a load out of one’s house or in through the gates of Jerusalem (Jer. 17:21-22), and buying from non-Israelites who are trying to do business in Jerusalem (Neh. 10:31, cf. 13:16). There are also explicit commands for Shabbat sacrifices. As for assembling for the purpose of worship, the Shabbat itself is a sacred assembly (Lev. 23:3), but what constitutes assembly, where, and of whom is not stated. Assembly of at least some members of Israel at the Tabernacle/Temple may be implied by Numbers 10:2&10.)
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