Tag: Mormon

Understanding Alma 32: A Response to Mormon Teachings

Understanding Alma 32: A Response to Mormon Teachings

Part 7 of my on going conversation with two Mormon Missionaries. If there is anyone familiar with Mormon missionaries you will know two things. First, they are persistent, to their credit. Second, they serve on a rotation system that moves them from place to place over two years. This makes ongoing conversations with them difficult. I now have two knew missionaries in my area. They knew my name, it seems I have been marked, “We heard you like talking to Missionaries.” After meeting with them they suggested that I read Alma 32. So I did. This is my response to the reading. (You can read a part one, two, three, four, five, six)

There is nothing overtly in Alma 32 that attempts to discredit the Torah. A cursory reading of the chapter would find one reading what appears to be another Biblical text. Many of its thoughts are found in the writings of the Apostles. I will highlight a few for reference. At the end I will draw my conclusion. If one is to have an honest discourse with another, you must be willing to consider their point. If they are intellectually honest they will consider yours as well. Deception is deception because it is masked in truth. If one isn’t willing to challenge their own thought you may just be deceiving yourself with half truths and misunderstandings.

Alma 32:11 . . . (Also, Mosiah 18:25).
“And moreover, I would ask, do ye suppose that ye must not worship God only once in a week?”
Within this passage is a footnote leading to another passage in the Book of Mormon, Mosiah 18:25. “And there was one day in every week that was set apart that they should gather themselves together to teach the people, and to worship the Lord their God, and also, as often as it was in their power, to assemble themselves together.”

Here I want to address the Sabbath. This seems to be a contentious point within westernized churches based on church history. I have written on the counsel of Nicea before and the letter sent by Constantine to the surrounding territories following its conclusion. You can read about that here. The separation of the Gentiles “Church” from the fellowship of the Synagogue was encouraged by both sides. However, it was not ever the desire of Elohim. There is one Torah for the native born and the stranger who dwells among you. These are the words and the desire of The Most High. The Sabbath was sanctified in Creation, it was observed since then by the people of God. It is still His Sanctified day and both a sign and a seal of the followers of Elohim Most High.

Alma 32:15 . . .
“Yea, he that truly humbleth himself, and repenteth of his sins, and endureth to the end, the same shall be blessed—yea, much more blessed than they who are compelled to be humble because of their exceeding poverty.”

I found this passage particularly interesting as it calls for humility and repentance from sin. What is sin? John gives of the clearest definition of sin in 1 John 3:4. “Everyone who practices sin practices lawlessness as well. Indeed, sin is lawlessness.” Most bibles will have a footnote for this verse that says, “or, is violation of the Law.” The Law is the Torah. Sin is literally the breaking of Torah. Therefore, true repentance is turning from sin to the Torah. This isn’t me saying this, these are the Words of Elohim. ‘Oh, no one can keep the whole law!’ So does that mean we can don’t try? Does that mean we don’t seek to follow the commands that we can keep? The Sabbath, the dietary laws, these are easy to keep for the truly humble at heart. After all a humble heart seeks to honor before it seeks to be honored. In other words, walk humbly with God by seeking Him and His ways. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Alma 32:16 . . .
“Therefore, blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble; or rather, in other words, blessed is he that believeth in the word of God, and is baptized without stubbornness of heart, yea, without being brought to know the word, or even compelled to know, before they will believe.”

It is hard to fully know what is being portrayed or the idea of the message behind this thought. Yes, we must be humble, yes, Adonai will call who He calls. “As it is said: “Today if you should hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion.” (Hebrews 3:15) – However, we do see that it is noble to search out Scripture for what is true. As we read of the Bereans. “Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians. For they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true.”

Now it is understood that the Book of Mormon is a collection of writings made after Jesus appeared in the America’s. I am not too familiar with the origin story, beyond a cursory reading of history. I suppose it can be assumed that those that came to the America’s only had the oral tradition and not any writings. However, we also know that Elohim is the same yesterday, today, and forever and therefore would not contradict Himself. So if there was an appearance here it would line up with Torah. Anything that doesn’t is either a forgery or misunderstood. Perhaps in the same way many misinterpret Paul’s writings as Peter warns. “Indeed, he speaks about these things in all his letters. They contain some things that are hard to understand. Things which the uninstructed and unstable distort, to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.” (2 Peter 3:16).

Paul was a teacher of Torah, he instructed others to study Torah. We know this because he told Timothy not to forsake what he knew. “But you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, recalling the people from whom you learned it. Recalling too how from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures. Which can give you the wisdom that leads to deliverance through trusting in Yahoshua the Messiah. All Scripture is God-breathed and is valuable for teaching the truth, convicting of sin, correcting faults and training in right living. Thus anyone who belongs to God may be fully equipped for every good work.” 1 Timothy 3:14-16

Alma 32:28 . . .
“Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.”

We can relate this to many passages in what is commonly known as the Old and New Testament. Yahoshua’s parable of the sower in which He talks about fertile ground in Matthew 13. We can read about tasting and seeing that the Word is good in Psalm 34. However, we can also read that the heart is desperately wicked. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9. This is why we are told to search the Scriptures and not to lean on our own understanding. Why? Again, Paul warns us that there is coming a time which now is that men will not adhere to sound doctrine. “For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

This warning is why it is vital that we check all things to the source of all truth. “Sanctify them by Your Truth, Your Word is Truth.” John 17:17. The default Scripture must be the Torah and the Tanakh. Because it tells how to spot false prophets and false teachings. It focuses the reader on the goodness of Elohim and His salvation through Messiah. It instructs us on what to do and how to do it. It tells how to worship. It calls us to be separate. It calls us to Torah. His instruction in righteousness. With this understanding we can read Alma 32 and put it within the context of Torah. Here it can fit. This isn’t an endorsement but it is a concession.

Alma 32:40 . . .
“And thus, if ye will not nourish the word, looking forward with an eye of faith to the fruit thereof, ye can never pluck of the fruit of the tree of life.”

This is true. We must look to Torah, the Word of Elohim. Otherwise we will have no place in His Kingdom. We must get back to the instruction that we can follow, Sabbath’s, and eating clean, just to name a couple. His Word is not burdensome. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” 1 John 5:3. This is the Way of the Rabbi.

This is the Way,
You are loved,
cj

Understanding Hebrew Roots and 7th Day Adventists

Understanding Hebrew Roots and 7th Day Adventists

An on going email conversation with two Mormon Missionaries. Part 1.

Greetings friends,

To the question of differences between the 7th Day Adventists and Hebrew Roots, I must clarify. i am neither but somewhere in-between. 7th Day’ers as well as most of modern Christianity, separate Elohim’s laws into categories. Whether it be the Moral Law, Ceremonial Law, or the Civil Law. Yet, unlike modern Christianity, they hold that all 10 commandments are to be observed. These commandments fall under the category of Moral Law. Whereas modern Christianity moves the observance of the 7th Day Sabbath. They use names like the Lord’s Day, 8th Day Sabbath, or Head of the Week. Likening it to the Head of the Church. Dependent only on how one might define their rebellion.

7th Day’ers also adhere to the dietary law, some in fact, hearkening back to Genesis and being vegetarians. However this is where the separation begins with the Hebrew Roots movement. The idea being found throughout scripture that the law applies to both the Hebrew and the foreigner living among them. In Romans it says that the Gentile is grafted into Israel. The Covenants made with Israel are “Forever”. Therefore one simply concludes that the gentile is to learn the way of the Hebrew. This of course presented in a nutshell, isn’t wrong in its understanding but begins to vary in its application. 

The monicker i choose to go by is Messianic, however this too is problematic at best. The original followers of Yahoshua were of course Talmidim, which is where we today get Disciples, they were students. The classification given to them early on was, “Followers of the Way.” These words are simply based on the very words of Yahoshua. He said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Of course we read in Acts that eventually they became known as Christians. Which if broken down means, little Christs. Why? They emulated or imitated Yahoshua closely. In an attempt to shame them, Christian was thrown around like a slur. 

But i am sure you don’t need a history lesson. The Hebrew Roots movements ultimate desire is to be like those early Christians. Those who so closely imitated Yahoshua they were called, little Christ (in the greek of course). Where i differ with the Hebrew Roots movement is they have gone back to Rabbinic tradition. If we are being intellectually honest, Yahoshua had a BIG problem with mans rabbinic tradition. As those traditions were used it to supersede the Torah and the Tanakh. Which is what Yahoshua kept pointing out to the Pharisees and the Scribes. This of course ruffled feathers. Do you like to be called wrong on something you have believed to be true for your entire life? Perhaps, not even to any fault of your own but simply what you have been taught? This is what Paul struggled with and even writes about in his letters.

You see, this is where i was and if i am being honest still am. As i learn more every day. Not only did i believe that i had it all figured out. i believed the way that i was taught was superior to others. We had the lock on truth. When in reality we were guilty of exactly the same thing the Scribes and the Pharisees were guilty of . . . mans tradition over the very WORD of YHWH. What are we called to do? How are we called to do it? How can we do some of these things given we are not in the Holy Land? What is important? What is useless? 

In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon writes, “When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear Elohim and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man. For Elohim will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). Micah writes, “He has shown you oh man what is good and what does Adonai require of you. To do justly, love mercy, and to walk humbly with your Elohim.” (Micah 6:8). Paul tells Timothy, “All Scripture is breathed out by Elohim and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of Elohim may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16).

When Paul wrote those words somewhere around 66 AD (CE) the “New” Testament had not been compiled. Paul was referring to the Tanakh. He was saying all the information you need to teach the followers of the Way is this . . . the Torah and Tanakh. This scripture everyone loves to quote, but fail to recognize the implication. Just before this Paul writes; “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Messiah Yahoshua.”

Do you hear what Paul was saying? All we need to know is found in the Torah, and the Prophets. Do i love the writings of the Apostles? Of course I do. They are explanations of how to live out this lifestyle known to them as “The Way”. This is the way to life. Do i believe they were inspired by Elohim to write them, without a doubt. Do i think they thought their writings would one day supersede those of the Tanakh? Heaven forbid! Without question they did not hold this view. In every letter they quote from the pages of the Torah and from the Prophets. This is where the Way is found. Not in man, not in his traditions. (Not that all of mans traditions are bad only when held in place of or above the WORD of Elohim). 

Satan has been creeping in since the garden, attempting to lead men astray. Even as recorded in 3 Nephi, “Now the cause of this iniquity of the people was this–Satan had great power, unto the stirring up of the people to do all manner of iniquity, and to the puffing them up with pride tempting them to seek for power, and authority, and riches, and vain things of the world.” (3 Nephi 6:15). If truth never changes, and Elohim is Truth, and if the Word points to the Torah and the Prophets. If John the Baptist declared, “Behold the Lamb of Elohim!” And John writes, “The WORD became flesh. . .” Should we not then be more concerned with this Truth over anything else man has produced? Even if led by Elohim to write? Since, He cannot contradict Himself. Rather, in the light of the Tanakh, read the Apostles and other writings from inspired men, even my own. 

This seems a good place to stop. i look forward to our continued discussion.

Keep reading – Part Two, Second Email Response

This is the Way of the Rabbi,
You are loved,
cj