DANGER FROM BOTH SIDES

Shaul the apostle may well be described as one of the most controversial figures of all times. Over the centuries, and long after his own death, many people have put him on a pedestal and ascribed to his writings an authority and priority – even above that of the Messiah Himself. Others have tried to discredit Shaul – to such an extend that Shaul’s letters are bluntly rejected by a number of groups and simply excluded from what they regard as the authoritative Scriptures. The controversy that surrounds the apostle Shaul today is only a reflection of the controversy that had surrounded him and his ministry when he was still alive. This may be seen in the book of Acts and most of Shaul’s letters and nowhere does it become more evident that in the 11th chapter of the book of 2 Corinthians. Here are a few highlights of the way he described his own ministry in this chapter:

2Co 11:3 But I am afraid, lest, as the serpent deceived Chawwah by his trickery, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Messiah. 5 For I reckon that I am not inferior to the most eminent emissaries. 7 Or did I commit sin in humbling myself … because I brought good news, the Good News of Elohim to you without being paid? 11 Is it that I do not love you? Elohim knows! 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself masquerades as a messenger of light! 16 Again I say, let no one think me to be a fool. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Yisraelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Avraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Messiah? – I speak as beside myself – I am more, in labours much more, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths many times. 24 Five times I received from the Yehudim forty stripes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have been in the deep, 26 in many travels, in dangers of waters, in dangers of robbers, in dangers from my own race, in dangers from the gentiles, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the desert, in dangers in the sea, in dangers among false brothers …

Notice the contrast in verse 26: "dangers from my own race … dangers from the gentiles". One can clearly see the irony surrounding the ministry of Shaul: He was opposed from both sides – from the side of the Yehudim who accused him of neglecting the Torah (see Acts 21:27-28), and from the side of the Gentiles who accused him of enforcing upon them teachings and customs foreign to their own background (see Acts 16:19-24). The same ironic display of believers being tormented and opposed from both sides, may be seen today. Without trying to put ourselves on the same level with Shaul, it may be said that something very similar is happening with regards to our own ministry, in particular the beliefs and testimonies associated with our ministry. On the one hand we are opposed by groups and individuals who accuse us of not being Yehudaic or Torah-centred enough and even (a new one I heard for the first time this past week) being "too Messianic". And on the other hand, people blame us for being Jewish, stuck in the Old Testament and not focused enough on the Messiah.

Perhaps we may rejoice in being opposed from both sides – especially since it puts us in the same company of someone like the apostle Shaul. Perhaps we may feel satisfied that at least we are not leaning over too much towards one particular error and instead find ourselves neatly balanced between two extremes. This, of course, is not the proper way to react to the criticism coming our way. We should go back to Scriptures and once again make out for ourselves whether in fact we are on track – in line with what is proclaimed throughout Scriptures as a whole. Only once we have determined that our minds are not corrupted from the simplicity that is in Messiah (2 Cor 11:3), we may rejoice and keep on presenting people with the Good News of Elohim (2 Cor 11:7).

In order for us to correctly discern the Good News of Elohim, we need to take heed of the teachings of the Messiah and his successors, and especially the way in which Messiah corrected the misguided perception of the Torah that was so typical of the Yehudim of his day, and how He pointed out the hidden dangers of a one-sided and soulless interpretation of Scriptures.

  1. The danger of enforcing the ritual and neglecting the spiritual. The same tendency that was pointed out, not only by Messiah but also by the prophets before Him, is very much alive in our own time. Mat 23:27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you are like whitewashed tombs which outwardly indeed look well, but inside are filled with dead men’s bones and all uncleanness."
  2. The danger of spiritualising everything in Scriptures. Scriptures clearly teach that while we as mortal beings are part of this material world, there is a time and a place (and even a necessity) for things that are not spiritual. 1Co 15:48-49 "As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the likeness of the earthy, we shall also bear the likeness of the heavenly."
  3. The danger of overextending the application of the Torah. The Torah was not intended to be applied in its entirety to all people of all times – Scriptures reveal a time-limit and even suspension to some of the more practical aspects of Torah – however not to the timeless principles reflected in Torah. If this critical aspect with regards to Torah is not accepted, many people will be led astray and others will become increasingly frustrated for simply not being able to fully comply with Torah. The book of Ivrim (Hebrews) refers to these temporary aspects of the Torah as "fleshly regulations imposed until a time of setting matters straight" (9:10). Shaul refers to them as being part of our "trainer towards Messiah" (Gal 3:23-25). Acts refer to them as being a "yoke on the neck which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear" (Acts 15:10). Even the prophets of the Old Covenant spoke of the New Covenant as a time when the true focus will be on righteousness and integrity and Yahweh’s righteous principles being written on the heart (and no longer being enforced "from the outside"). Y'shua Himself emphatically upheld the continued validity of the Torah but explained this by consistently pointing towards the "invisible" side of Torah and inward qualities like righteousness, love, unselfishness, sincerity, forgiveness, compassion and peacefulness. Not once did He appeal to anyone to adhere the more "ritual" side of the Torah, or criticised anyone for not doing so. We should maintain the same balance in this regard as was done by the Messiah.
  4. The danger of underrating the Torah against the greatness of Messiah. The truth is that Messiah Himself, great as He was, subjected Himself to Torah, respected Torah, taught and enlightened Torah and never used "either … or" terminology with regards to Himself and Torah.
  5. The danger of looking at the splinter but not noticing the plank, when it comes to Torah. There are a number of things that are consistently in the spotlight nowadays, especially among groups who are serious about remaining faithful to Torah. One of these is the aspect of circumcision (of the flesh). Looking at the way Messiah approached the people of his day and recognising that a definite paradigm shift has occurred with regards to circumcision within the Messianic Scriptures, believers today should stop arguing and pointing fingers about circumcision of the flesh and start working towards circumcision of the heart. The same principle should be followed with regards to fleshly cleanliness (as against cleanliness of the heart); outward reminders to be Torah-obedient, like Tsit-tsit or tassels (as against the inward reminder of Yahweh’s Spirit); falling into arguments as to the correct timing of the feasts (as against experiencing the true joy that these feasts embody); splitting hair over the do’s and the don’ts of the Shabbat (as against going into the rest of Shabbat and embracing the rest that still lies ahead); blaming each other for not following the Jewish pattern of Torah readings (as against reading and living out the principles of Torah); focusing on all kinds of outward measures with regards to Kosher eating (as against turning away from all forms of uncleanness in our lives, not neglecting the clear command not to eat any unclean food or meat).

May the Spirit of Yahweh within us grant us all a much clearer and more profound awareness of the true dangers that surround us, and enable us to steer clear of them all.