|
h"b | ||||
|
|
||||
    |
|||||
Concerning the BibleWe believe that the whole Bible is
but a single unit, consisting of both the TaNaKh
(an acronym for Torah [Divine
Instruction], Nevi'im [Prophets], K'tuvim
[Writings]) and the Ketuvei HaShalichim
(Apostolic Writings or Apostolic Scriptures), and that it is the one and
only inspired, infallible, and authoritative Word of Furthermore, we believe that to divide the Sacred Text into two “books” or “testaments” is error, and that the writings of the Shliachim should rightfully be included as an integral part of the K'tuvim. We object to the use of the terms “Old” and “New” Testament or Covenant, in that the word “old” suggests that which is obsolete or of less importance that it originally was, and the word “new” suggests that which supplants or has replaced something “old.” We believe that the
original autographs — those originally hand-written by the Shliachim
[Apostles] and Nevi’im [Prophets] — are the literal written Word of We believe that the Bible is to be properly interpreted only through the enlightenment of Ruach HaKodesh [the Holy Spirit] and is to be understood in its literal, natural, historical, grammatical, and intended sense; that in order to be correctly understood and interpreted, it must be understood and interpreted from the perspective of its original recipients; that since the original recipients of the Sacred Text were Jews living within Tabernacle/Temple/ Synagogue milieu, it can be only correctly interpreted when viewed from the perspective of Tabernacle/Temple/ Synagogue Judaism as it existed from the Exodus through the dispersal following the destruction of the Second Temple; and that it is to be accepted as the full and final authority over the Believer's faith and conduct, including all matters of congregational polity, policy, and procedure (Deut. 6:4-9; Prov. 3:1-6; Ps. 119:89, 105; Isa. 48:12-16; Rom. 8:14-17; II Tim. 2:15, 3:16-17) A. TorahWe hold that the Creator has one, and only one, standard of righteousness, the Torah, by which the conduct of all humankind will be judged. Though G-d progressively revealed His will to mankind from Gan Eden to the end of the Apostolic Age (i.e., the death of Shliach Yochanan, ca 90 C.E.), we believe that He has now, and has always had, but one Torah (divine instruction) (Sh'mot [Exodus] 24:4) for all people of all time, and that it is the singular standard of righteousness by which all mankind will be judged. Adonai and His Word are eternal. That is: He, His Word, and His Will has always been, and will always be, the same. (Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8; Matthew 5:18; 24:35; John 1:1-3,14) We believe the Scriptures when they say that Moshe Rabbeinu “wrote down all the words of Adonai” (Sh'mot [Exodus] 24:4). We therefore believe that the writings of the Sages (Talmud, Mishnah, Midrash Rabbah), while valuable for our understanding and application of the Torah to our daily walk, do not constitute a “Second Torah” or “Oral Torah,” and that they were not divinely inspired but rather are the product of men and represent the “case law” of Jewish religious jurisprudence; therefore, they do not have the authority of Torah ( Mishle [Proverbs] 30:6, D'varim [Deuteronomy] 12:32).The word “Torah” is best translated as “Divine Instruction” rather than “Law,” even though it contains both civil and ecclesiastical laws for the Commonwealth of Israel. The term “Torah” may refer to either the Five Books of Moses, the entire TaNaKh (Hebrew Scriptures), or the whole Bible (including the Ketuvei HaShalichim), depending on usage. Our use of the word “Torah” never refers to the Talmud (the “Oral Tradition” or “Oral Torah”) but, while we do not consider the Talmud or any other commentary on the Scriptures as the Word of G-d, we believe that the writings of Oral Tradition, such as the Talmud, the Mishnah, and the Midrash Rabbah, also contain further insight into the character of G-d and His dealings with His people. In the Diaspora we do not practice those parts of Torah which require residence in the land, a theocratic civil government, and/or a consecrated Temple on Mount Moriah. We disagree with those who teach that obedience to Torah is required only for ethnic Jews, and we believe that HaShem has but one Standard of Righteousness by which every member of the human race will be judged — His Torah. We therefore believe that obedience to Torah, to the extent that obedience is possible, is incumbent upon all believers in Messiah, including “the Gentile Church.” B. The Ketuvei HaShalichimWe believe that the Ketuvei HaShalichim (Apostolic Writings, commonly and erroneously known as the “New Testament”) were inspired by Ruach HaKodesh (see immediately above), written under the direction of Ruach HaKodesh by Torah-observant Jews, in the Jewish language (Hebrew and/or Aramaic), and were originally directed to an almost-exclusively Jewish audience. We believe that they were then translated into Koine (Common) Greek for transmission to the non-Jewish and Hellenized (Greek-speaking) Jewish Messianic Believers in the Diaspora, and that much of the error in modern translation and interpretation comes from the attempt to understand the Apostolic Writings with a Greek (or Western) mindset and ignore the clearly Hebraic (Eastern) nature of the original text. In order to correctly understand them, we must therefore interpret them from the perspective of the first-century Jewish audience to whom they were written. Revised at 07:57 PM on Saturday, 27 November 2010 |
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C., section 107, some material on this web site is provided without permission from the copyright owner, only for purposes of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research under the "fair use" provisions of federal copyright laws. These materials may not be distributed further, except for "fair use" non-profit educational purposes, without permission of the copyright owner. *Ari Levitt is the shem kodesh of Messianic Pastor Dr. Rickard (Ari) Levitt-Sawyer. As the free expression of my religious beliefs, the content of this website is protected under the provisions of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. Except where otherwise specifically indicated, the opinions expressed on this website are my own, are sometimes highly speculative in nature and subject to differing interpretations, and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of any other organization or individual. If you disagree with my opinions, please CLICK HERE before contacting me.
|
