410 Terminology used by churchianity

Terminology used by Churchianity to confuse believers into believing they are kosher.

Churchianity makes use of a great deal of Scriptural terminology to make believers think they are kosher. A sure way to cut through the maze of semantics used by them is to show true believers the meaning of these Scriptural terms. There is a lot of talk in Churchianity to getting back to the so-called ‘New Testament Church’ as a means of negating the Hebrew roots movement’s influence on their membership. But, surprising as it may sound, there are two things the group of believers after Messiah’s ascension to heaven did not have: the original Jewish believers in and after Messiah’s time did not have church buildings and met in synagogues as witnessed in Rav Yaa’cov’s ruling in Acts 15: 19 - 21, as follows: ‘Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to Elohim from among the Gentiles (meaning returning Israelites who came to believe that they are Gentiles after many years of exile from Israel), (20)but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood. (21) For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.’

A second witness comes from James 2: 1 – 4, in this way: ‘My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Master Yahshua Messiah with an attitude of personal favoritism. (2) For if a man comes into your assembly (the footnote against assembly in the NASB and the KJV reads: synagogue) with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, (3) and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there or sit down by my footstool,” (4) have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?’ At the time when Rav Yaa’cov made these statements, the only Scriptures available to believers in Messiah was the Tanach, meaning the Torah, the prophets and the writings, since the Renewed Covenant was not written by then. These are also in fact the books of the Scriptures which Yahshua opened to the understanding of His disciples after His death and resurrection as we read from Luke 24: 44 - 46, as follows: ‘Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” (45) Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, (46) and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah should suffer and rise again from the dead the third day.” ’So it is clear that the Scriptures that Yahshua was referring to at that time were the Tanach or as Churchianity refer to it, the ‘Old Covenant’.

This was also the Scriptures that Rav Shaul wrote about to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3: 16 & 17, saying: ‘All Scriptures is inspired by Elohim and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; (17) that the man of Elohim may be adequate equipped for every good work.’ In addition, when Rav Shaul spoke about the brethren in Berea in Acts 17: 11 and the way they examined the Scriptures after his teaching to ensure that what he taught them were indeed so, he was also referring to the Tanach as the only Scriptures available at the time. Rav Shaul was in fact praising the brethren in Berea, because even though they believed what he was teaching was trustworthy, they nevertheless confirmed what he taught by checking the Scriptures. Rav Shaul was saying that these folk from Berea were noble, because they did not take things they were taught at face value, but ensured that it was so from the only Scriptures available to them, namely the Tanach. That means that whenever we receive a teaching from any Torah teacher, we should check the Scriptures to see that what he quoted from them are correct and relevant to the subject he wanted to get across.

Knowing this, let’s therefore check the Tanach to determine the correct meaning of the words and phrases that Churchianity bandy about to impress their congregants and outsiders. Firstly let’s examine what ‘the word of Elohim’ is, as defined in the Tanach. We read fittingly from Isaiah 2: 3, in this way: ‘And many people will come and say, “Come let us go up to the mountain of YHVH, to the house of Elohim of Jacob; that He may teach us concerning His ways, and that we may walk in His paths.” For the law (Torah) will go forth from Zion, and the word of YHVH from Jerusalem.’ The words ‘Zion’ and ‘Jerusalem’ as used here are indicative of the house of Judah or the Southern part of the ancient nation of Israel, namely the Jews. The words ‘Law’ and the ‘word of YHVH’ as used here refer to the Torah and the rest of the Tanach, but also to the Renewed Covenant, since we need to understand that as Nazarene Jews/Israelites the Tanach is a dictionary of Hebraic words used by writers in the Renewed Covenant, and an encyclopedia filled with shadows and types discussed in the writings of Rav Shaul and also in Revelation (penned by Rav Yochanan). It is important to understand that we need to interpret the Scriptures with Scriptures and also allow the Hebrew meaning of the text to aid in our understanding.

Next let consider the words ‘truth’ and ‘lie’ from the way it is interpreted in the Scriptures. To commence with we start by reading from Psalm 119: 142 & 151, as follows: ‘Thy righteousness is an everlasting (or eternal) righteousness, and Thy law is truth. (151) Thou art near, O YHVH, and all Thy commandments are truth.’ This explains many phrases in the Renewed Covenant such as in:

Galatians 3: 1 (KJV),’O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey truth, before whose eyes Yahshua Messiah hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?’
John 3: 21,“But he who practices the truth (Torah) comes to the light, that his deed may be manifest as having been wrought in Elohim.”

Notice here, whereas I used a euphemism to introduce you to this subject, Rav Shaul in Galatians 3: 1 did not pull any punches, when he wrote ‘who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey truth’. Rav Shaul goes on in the rest of Galatians 3 to show us how Churchianity duped their people into believing that Yahshua has redeemed them from Torah, and not from the curses of the law against us for transgressing (YHVH)’s commandments (such as for example: that many of us should have been stoned for blasphemy for breaking Elohim’s Torah, for using the names of other gods like Baal (or the Lord) as prohibited by Elohim in Exodus 23: 13, in this way: “Now concerning everything which I have said to you, be on your guard; and do not mention the name of other gods, nor let them be heard from your mouth.” It is for this reason that even ministers in Churchianity have been duped by Satan (or his agents) to teach their members that Torah has been abolished. However let me explain what Rav Shaul was teaching the Nazarene believers in Galatia and how his words have been distorted by the untaught and unstable, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, as Rav Kepha aptly warned in 2 Peter 3: 14 – 16, saying: ‘Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, (15) and regard the patience of our Master to be salvation; just as also our beloved brother Shaul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, (16) as also in all his letters speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.’

Now let’s see which verses in Galatians 3 are specifically used to trick believers that Torah is a curse. I will use the King James Version of the Scriptures to explain these verses from Galatians, since even though the KJV also contains a few errors in translation, it is still the closest of most Scriptures to the original translation. Starting in verse 10 (KJV), we read: ‘For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.’ Now to a logical person this is simple to understand: Only those who do not do the things that are written in the book of the law (meaning the Torah) are cursed by what is written in Torah (as per Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28: 15 – 56). Next we get to verse 13 (KJV), ‘Messiah hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.’ Yes, Messiah redeemed us from the curses or punishment due to us for breaking the Law, by becoming cursed for us, as explained by Rav Shaul in Philippians 2: 5 – 8 (KJV), saying: ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Messiah Yahshua: (6)Who, being in the form (or image) of Elohim, thought it not robbery to be equal with Elohim: (7) But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (8) And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’

The reason why Yahshua was made for a little while lower than the angels was to show those of us who believe in everything He did including what I am explaining here (through no less than the writings of Rav Shaul), that we through faith (meaning knowledge about Him, combined with trust and obedience)may also become Spiritual children of Elohim, as explained in Hebrews 2: 6 – 11, as follows: ‘But one has testified somewhere, saying, “WHAT IS MAN, THAT THOU REMEMBEREST HIM? OR THE SON OF MAN, THAT THOU ART CONCERNED ABOUT HIM? (7) THOU HAST MADE HIM FOR A LITTLE WHILE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS; THOU HAST CROWNED HIM WITH GLORY AND HONOR, AND HAST APPOINTED HIM OVER THE WORKS OF THY HANDS;(8) “THOU HAST PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.” For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him(us). (9) But we do see Him who has been made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Yahshua, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of Elohim He might taste death for everyone. (10) For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. (11) For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified (us) are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren.’In this way we see that when we read all the writings of Shaul together we arrive at the correct answer, but will get confused when we use some of his writings out of context.

Next we get to verses 16 – 19 of Galatians 3 (KJV), in this way: ‘Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not to seeds, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, ‘And to thy seed, which is Messiah. (17) ‘And this I say, that the covenant (with Abraham) that was confirmed before of Elohim in Messiah, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. (18) For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but Elohim gave it to Abraham by promise.(19) Wherefore then serverth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed (Messiah) should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.’ At this point we need to ask, which law came 430 years after YHVH made the promise to Abraham that those who believe in Messiah will become Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise (see Galatians3 verses 26 – 29[1]), and was added because of transgressions. It could not possibly be Elohim’s commandments which he gave Israel at Mount Sinai, since we read from Genesis 26: 4 & 5 where YHVH said to Isaac: “And I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these land; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed(by obviously the knowledge and understanding they will bring to the nations, having been given a double-portion of knowledge, understanding and physical blessings by YHVH); (5) because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws.” So which specific law was added 430 years after Abraham because of transgressions, to become as we read from Galatians 3: 24(KJV), ‘(Whereforethe law was) our school master to bring us unto Messiah, that we may be justified through faith.’The law that was a schoolmaster to the nation of Israel before Yahshua became the sacrifice for the sins of the world, was the sacrificial law; that was introduced after the sin of the golden calf, where every time the people sinned they had to bring an animal to be slaughtered in the presence of a Levitical priest to show them that ‘without the shedding of blood’ there can be no forgiveness (as per Hebrews 9: 22). Yes, the Sacrificial Law was introduced 430 years after Abraham to like a schoolmaster teach the Israelites this valuable lesson, until Messiah became the Sacrifice for the sins of the world, and thereby did away with the Sacrificial Law in respect of sin.

Having dealt with those who bewitch people not to obey truth or Torah in Galatians 3, let’s go on to the second area where false teachers confuse their congregants and others in John 3: 21. Rav Yochanan expounded on Yahshua’s words used here, in first John 2: 4, saying: ‘The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.’ In fact the Tanach gives new meaning to Messiah’s words in John 18: 37, If we bear in mind that according to Psalm 119: 142, …’Thy Law or Torah) is truth’ , and when Yahshua said in John 17: 17, ….‘Thy word is truth’ the only word of Elohim, namely the Scriptures available at Messiah’s time was the Tanach (meaning the Law of Moses (Torah), the Prophets and the writings), as follows: ‘Pilate therefore said to Him, “So You are a king? Yahshua answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth (Torah). Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” ’The final underlined words of Yahshua are in fact a witness against those who say they believe in Him, but tell their members that He abolished Torah, as He also confirmed in John 5: 43 – 47, saying: ‘I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another shall come in his own name, you will receive him. (44) How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another, and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only Elohim? (45) Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father, the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. (46) For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote of Me. (47)But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?’ Yes, this is telling us that we cannot be believers in Yahshua the Messiah, unless we believe in the writings of Moses, namely Torah!

It was also for this reason that we read Yahshua’s admonition to the religious leaders of His day, but also to us for whom the Renewed Covenant was specifically recorded, in John 8: 42 – 45, saying:“If Elohim were your Father; you would love Me; for I proceeded forth and have come from Elohim, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. (43) Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. (44) You are of your father the devil and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in truth, because there is no truth in him. Wheneverhe speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies.(45) But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me.” When Satan speaks through his many agents, they merely speak according to Satan’s nature, lies. What are lies? They are the opposite of truth or Torah. The opposite of Torah is as Rav Yochanan has written in first John 3: 4, saying: ‘Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.’

Now, let’s discuss what the word ‘grace’ means, as this is another word mostly distorted by Churchianity. There are two words for ‘grace’ in the Tanach, the first word transliterated in Hebrew as ‘chen’ meaning grace but also charm. The second word meaning ‘grace’ is transliterated in Hebrew as ‘chesed’ meaning grace but can also mean mercy or undue favor. The Greek equivalent for ‘chen’ is ‘charis’ (where the word charisma comes from in English) can also mean grace or charm. The second word used for grace in Greek is ‘eleos’ and can also mean mercy or undue favor. However, the KJV tends to translate Chen/Charis as grace but tends to translate Chesed/Eleos as mercy. When we as Nazarenes think of Chesed/Eleos in Scriptural terms, we usually think of the idea of undue favor. If we therefore talk in terms of the way in which the KJV is translated, it appears that there are much more grace in the Renewed Covenant than in the Tanach, since the word ‘chen’ only appears 70 times in the Tanach, whilst ‘charis’ appears 233 times in the Renewed Covenant. On the other hand ‘chesed’ appears 251 times in the Tanach, whilst ‘eleos’ appears only 50 times in the Renewed Covenant.

We get a better understanding of what grace is by turning to the Tanach. According to the Scriptures, there is a close connection between ‘grace’ and the ‘fear of YHVH’, as can be seen from the following three verse:

Psalm 103: 11 (KJV):‘For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.’
Psalm 118: 4 (KJV): ‘Let them now that fear YHVH say, that his mercy endureth for ever.’
Proverbs 16: 6 (KJV): ‘By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of YHVH men depart from evil.’

Furthermore the fear of YHVH, according to the Tanach includes Torah observance, as follows:

Deuteronomy 17: 19 (KJV):‘And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear YHVH his Elohim, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes and do them.’
Deuteronomy 31: 12(KJV): ‘Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear YHVH your Elohim, and observe to do all the words of this law.’

So we see that Torah is closely related to grace. However, if we do not look at the word grace through the glasses of Churchianity, we will realize that it is no different in the Renewed Covenant, as Rav Kepha explains in first Peter 1: 13 – 16, in this way: ‘Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Yahshua Messiah. (14) As obedient children do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, (15) but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; (16) because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY FOR I AM HOLY.”’ Ask yourself where is the section in uppercase letters quoted from? Knowing Torah, we immediately realize that it comes from Leviticus 11: 45, where YHVH instructed the Israelites through Moses about the food they should eat to remain holy or set-apart to Him, saying:“ For I am YHVH, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, to be your Elohim: thus you shall be holy for I am holy.” Rav Kepha is therefore saying that because we ‘fix our hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Yahshua Messiah’, we should not only eat only kosher foods but our entire lifestyle should be set-apart in accordance with the way of Elohim. So despite those who now believe that according to the so-called ‘New Testament’ they are now living in an age of grace, our entire way of life should be controlled by Torah. It is for this reason that Rav Yaa’cov wrote in James 2: 24, saying: ‘You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith.’

The reason then why we as called out ones have to increase in grace and knowledge as Rav Kepha wrote in 2 Peter 3: 17 & 18, is as follows: ‘You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard lest, being carried away by the error of unprincipled men, you fall from your own steadfastness, (18) but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Master and Savior Yahshua Messiah. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amein.’ We need to study and keep the commandments, so that we may not be led astray by people who use Scriptural words and phrases without fully understanding what they mean, and to lead other astray by distorting the Scriptures for their own evil principles. This is also the reason Elohim gave us teachers, as Rav Shaul wrote in Ephesians 4: 11 – 14, saying: ‘And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, (12) for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Messiah; (13) until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of Elohim, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Messiah. (14) As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming.’ Yes, as called out believers in Messiah, our entire purpose should be to conform to the image of Elohim, as Rav Shaul confirmed in Romans 8: 28 & 29, saying:‘ And we know that Elohim causes all things to work together for good to those who love Elohim, to those who are called according to His purpose. (29) For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren.’

We should therefore make absolutely sure that those who teach us are people who not only know Torah, but also strive to keep it fully, and we should not listen to those who with special words and phrases want to get us to reject the one true Elohim and His Torah. It is as Rav Yochanan tells us in first John 3: 3 – 8, saying: ‘And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. (4) Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. (5) And you know that He appeared in order to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin. (6) No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. (7) Little children, let no one deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; (8) the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of Elohim appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil.’ Think about it!

[1]Galatians 3: 26 – 29,‘For you are all sons of Elohim through faith in Messiah Yahshua. For all of you who were immersed into Messiah have clothed yourselves with Messiah. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Messiah Yahshua. And if you belong to Messiah, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.’