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I want to mention our belief in this assembly that YaHuWShA alone is
the Rabbi/Teacher. Father YaHuWaH has inspired me over the years not
to draw upon historical evidences, scripture companion study bibles
and so on, or anything which relies upon the mind of man, including
the oral traditions of the Pharisees and the ravs, rabbis of both
Judaism and Messianic Judaism, the Mishnah, Talmud, etc. We believe
that scripture interprets scripture. Yes, in my teachings I draw upon
human example to prove a point, but I do not consider such dogma as
doctrine. We must live by every word of YaHuWaH.
I am most concerned about Messianic Judaism for it is such a growing
phenomenon, drawing many people. They do this by tapping into many
of the oral traditions that somehow were never mentioned by YaHuWShA
when he walked out the Torah in His lifetime on Earth. When He did
address the Pharisees and Sadducees, he rebuked them and wrecked
their doctrinal foundations. Please review the synoptic Evangels.
Was it not inferred that He went to the synagogues for just a short
period of time each Sabbath. Where in the scriptures did it ever
say, 'He was a Pharisee.'? Where in the scriptures was He a member
of a synagogue? He made an appearance at the synagogues for a witness.
He entered the synagogues, sat down, rose and said a few words that
resulted in the Pharisee leadership wanting to stone Him! Synagogues
were not His place of worship. Think about it!
Let me offer the inevitable counter argument right now. In Matthew
23:2-3, YaHuWShA said, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in
Mosheh's seat. Therefore, whatever they tell you to observe, that
observe and do. But do not do according to their works. For they
say, and they do not." It is Mosheh's seat. YaHuWShA is pointing
back to Mosheh. Therefore whatever he [Mosheh] tells you to do,
that do and observe. The 'they' being referred to at first should
be 'he' in reference to the legitimate occupant of Mosheh's seat,
which is Mosheh. Just because He said the Pharisees sat in Mosheh's
seat did not grant authority to the Pharisees to sit in Mosheh's
seat. It was Mosheh's seat, not the Pharisees--they were sitting
in another's seat! I include this because this is an argument people
use to justify granting authority of Pharisee teaching, Judaism,
Messianic Judaism, and other rabbinic teachings, into their Messianic
lives. This passage simply cannot represent an endorsement by YaHuWShA
of Pharisees or their presumption to sit upon Mosheh's seat! The
Apostle Sha'ul was a Pharisee and we all recollect his estimation
of these men who would seat themselves upon Mosheh's seat (Phillippians
3:2-8). Verse 7 states, "But what things were gained to me,
those I counted loss for Ha MaShiYaCH." He references his Pharisaic
training. The Greek for 'loss' is zemia. It means 'through the idea
of violence, detriment, damage, and loss". That is what Sha'ul
thought of the loss of his Rabbinic office. He had authority and
power, religious power, and he renounced it all. Now go to verse
8: "Yea, doubtless, I count all things but loss excellency
of the knowledge of Ha MaShiYaCH YaHuWShA my Master: for Whom I have
suffered the loss of all things, and do count them as but 'dung',
that I may win Ha MaShiYaCH." What is he saying? He is saying
that his Pharisaic training was the same as carrying around his
own excrement, dung. Look at the context of chapter 3 in Phillippians.
Did not Sha'ul, by inference, say not to submit to the oral traditions
when they as dung? How can I make this point without being overly
blunt? Figure it out.
If you know your Judaism, Messianic or otherwise, when you submit
under a rabbi, they have authority over you in case you did not
know. Our Master YaHuWShA said Himself, "Call no one rabbi or
teacher on this earth, for I am the Teacher, Rabbi". This tells
me when our brethren submit under a rav or a rabbi in Messianic
Judaism, such practices could be sin of idolatry. Don't you think
that such practices replace the counsel of YaHuWShA in prayer and
fasting with meditation?
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