Vocabulary Matters

An Introduction to the
Vocabulary Used on This Website
by
Ari Levitt-Sawyer
ThM, ThD, DMin, MBA, NDcand, CNHP

vocabulary, n. pl -laries

1. all the words that a person knows

2. all the words contained in a language

3. the specialist terms used in a given subject

4. a list of words in another language with their translations

5. a range of symbols or techniques as used in any of the arts or crafts: the building's vocabulary of materials, textures, and tones[1]

matter(s), n.

1 a : a subject under consideration … d : the subject or substance of a discourse or writing

2 a : the substance of which a physical object is composed

intr.v. mat·tered, mat·ter·ing, mat·ters

To be of importance: “Love is most nearly itself/When here and now cease to matter” (T.S. Eliot).

As indicated by the title, this page is about matters having to do with vocabulary; it also about the fact that vocabulary really matters.

Throughout most of my professional career, which has now spanned over 45 years, and which has almost always involved detailed extremely technical communication, I have come to the conclusion that vocabulary is of the utmost importance. In fact, I have come to believe that if we can modify a person’s vocabulary, we can actually change the way that person thinks.

Although most people are not aware of it, in the United States there is a language known as Standard English, which may be defined as “the variety of English that is held to be ‘correct’ in the sense that it shows none of the regional or other variations that are considered to be ungrammatical, colloquial, ‘politically correct,’ or non-standard English.” Standard English is the language that is contractually required to be used for all documentation that is prepared in accordance with Military Specifications and Standards for the U.S. Department of Defense, and it holds that every word in the English language has one, and only one, primary meaning. Every word used in Military Standard documentation must be used with that one primary meaning; if an alternate meaning is to be intended, the appropriate word for that meaning must be used.

And so also should it be when we attempt to communicate our theology, whether to others or only to ourselves. (And no, “theology” is not some lofty esoteric concept; it simply means “what we think about God.”) If we strive to use our vocabulary, especially our “theological” vocabulary, so that we always choose the word whose primary definition we intend to convey, our communication will be clear, concise, and precise, and the likelihood that we will be misunderstood will be significantly diminished.

We should also attempt to use this same principle whenever possible as we attempt to interpret Scripture. If we accept the idea that “all Scripture is God-breathed,” verbally inspired by Ruach HaKodesh (which means that He specifically inspired the writers of Scripture as to the very words they were to use to convey God’s message to His people, then we must also assume that we should interpret each word in Scripture by its primary meaning, unless some other meaning is clearly intended (such as poetry, allegory, etc.).

For each class that I teach (whether by email, by correspondence, or in a chat room), or for which I have written the study guide, or for articles that I post on my website, I will always attempt to use the definitions which are given in this document. In order to provide the clearest possible communication in our classes, I strongly suggest that you get in the habit of using these same definitions.

Torah

In traditional Jewish thinking, the word Torah is used to indicate the entire body of authoritative writings of the rabbis; for example, the term “walking Torah” indicates following all of Jewish rabbinical tradition. Other definitions commonly used include:

• All Jewish law, as recorded in both the Tanakh and the Talmud (the “Oral Tradition” committed to writing).

• The Tanakh (the “Jewish Bible” which consists of the Books of Moses, the Prophets, and the Writings).

• The first five books of the Bible, the Books of Moses (also know as the Chumash).

• The Covenant which God gave to Israel through Moshe at Mount Sinai (because it contains many individual teachings, or “torahs”).

• Any teaching from the Books of Moses.

In traditional rabbinical thinking, there are two Torahs: written and oral. When most rabbis speak in these terms, they define the written Torah as the Chumash, which was written down by Moshe as he received it from HaShem on Mount Sinai. They claim, however, that there was a second Torah that was given to Moshe which he did not write down, but transmitted it orally to Israel and that it has been handed down orally through the centuries. This oral material was finally written down, starting around the year 200 CE under the direction and authority or Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi (Judah the Prince). Since then there have been many additions under the supposed authority of Devarim (Deuteronomy) 17:8-12 (as interpreted by the rabbis), which are considered as authoritative and as having also originated at Mount Sinai. The capstone of this Oral Tradition is the Talmud, which consists of the Mishna of R. Yehuda HaNasi and its authoritative commentary, the Gamarah.

I personally do not refer to the Talmud as “Torah” because Sh'mot (Exodus) 24:4 says, “Moshe wrote down all the words of ADONAI,” and the Oral Tradition is claimed to be words of ADONAI which Moshe did not write down. While I do not consider the Oral Tradition as Torah, do not believe it is the product of divine inspiration, and do not believe that it has spiritual authority for Believers in Mashiach, I do, however, believe that there is undeniably great value in reading and studying the Talmud and other rabbinic writings, just as there is great value in reading and studying any of the great biblical commentaries that have been written down through the centuries. But more specifically, studying the writings of the rabbis gives us great insight into the way the Sages have thought, reasoned, and come to their interpretation of the Scriptures.

I personally use the word Torah in three ways:

(1) to refer to the Chumash specifically, the five books of Moshe, which will be the most frequent use of the word;

(2) to refer to specific teachings within the Chumash; or

(3) to refer to the entire body of Scripture, including the Tanakh and the Ketuvei HaShalichim, or Apostolic Writings.

Earlier I made the statement that I believe if we can modify a person’s vocabulary, we can actually change the way that person thinks. There are two terms that I wish each of you would permanently erase right now from your vocabulary: those two terms are “Old Testament” and “New Testament.” The word “old” usually indicates something that has diminished value because of its age, and the word “new” frequently means that which replaces something “old.” The Tanakh is certainly ancient, but its value will never diminish, and though they are certainly newer than the Tanakh, the Apostolic Writings supplement and complement, not replace, the Tanakh.

Israel

Unless I state otherwise, when I say “Israel” I am referring either to:

(1) the biological descendants of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya'akov plus all those non-Jewish people who have been adopted or grafted into that family since the time of Avraham, or

(2) the political entity of Israel, either ancient or modern.

When I assert that non-Jewish believers in Mashiach are “adopted” or “grafted” into “Israel”, I am using the term “Israel” to refer to the special part of the Jewish people who are known as “the remnant”; that is, those descendants of the Patriarchs who have come to a saving faith in Yeshua HaMashiach, the Messiah of Israel. The “remnant,” however is still very much a part of “Israel.”

Gentile

The word “gentile” is the English equivalent of the Hebrew “goy” (ywg), singular, or “goyim” (~iyywg), plural, which refers to people of the nations other than Israel, and is sometimes also used of Israel itself. Although Scripture frequently uses the words “goy” or “goyim” to designate a pagan or an unbeliever, this is not always the case, so I will not use it that way. If I mean pagan, I will say “pagan;” if I mean unbeliever, I will say “unbeliever.” However, because some have used the word “gentile” as a derogatory term to refer to a person who is not Jewish, I generally refrain from using the word to refer to a believer in Mashiach who is not Jewish, and simply prefer to use the term “non-Jewish.” I do, however, frequently refer to the “Gentile Church” to make a distinction from Torah-Observant non-Jewish Messianic Believers.

Jew/Jewish

This is a much more difficult term to define than one would expect, since even those who call themselves “Jewish” cannot all agree on a definition of the term. In its most technical aspect, the word “Jew” is a shortened form of the word “Judah” and therefore refers to an Israelite who is a descendant of Yehuda ben Ya'akov, or who is a member of that branch of the family through adoption.

The Orthodox usually define a “Jew” as a physical descendant of Avraham through Yitzchak and Ya'akov. They feel that a Jew must either have a Jewish mother or have been converted to Orthodox Judaism by an Orthodox rabbinic authority. Many Orthodox rabbis hold that a “Jew” must adhere to the tenets of Orthodox Judaism, and many Conservative, Reconstructionist, Reformed, and Humanist Jewish rabbis have even different definitions of the word “Jew.”

The Government of Israel holds that a Jew is a person whose mother is Jewish and who has not “converted to any other religion” — meaning “Christianity.” It is quite acceptable to the Government of Israel for a “Jew” to be a Secular Humanist, an Atheist, a Buddhist, or even a Muslim, as long as he or she does not believe that Yeshua of Nazareth is the Messiah.

Biologically speaking, and therefore the literal definition of the word, any person whose mother or father is a descendant of Ya'akov is therefore also a descendant of Ya'akov, and therefore biologically Jewish.

[Just as an aside, I personally prefer the definition used by David Ben-Gurion, the “George Washington” of modern Israel, who reportedly said, “Anyone with the chutzpah to call himself a Jew, is a Jew!”]

Most people use the words “Jew” or “Jewish” and “Israelite” interchangeably, and this is the way I personally use the terms. However, because of the long history of anti-Semitism, it is often considered derogatory for a non-Jewish person to refer to a Jewish person as a “Jew.” So to be on the safe side, unless you specifically know your audience, you are far better off to use the term “Jewish person/people.”

Christian/Christianity

The words “Christian” and “Christianity” are as hard to define as are “Jew” and “Jewish.” In their broadest common usage they refer to the religion whose adherents believe in “Yeshua/Jesus” by whatever individual definition or opinion of Him they may have. In their narrowest usage they refer to only those who view Yeshua/Jesus as HaShem come in the flesh and who place their trust and only hope for eternal life in His completed work of redemption through His death, burial, resurrection, and anticipated return to reign bodily on earth at some point in the future.

There is an additional use of the term “Christian” which is cultural instead of “religious” and refers to anybody who is not an adherent of any other major world religion and who celebrates in any form the holidays of Easter and/or Christmas. To others, since the United States was originally founded as a “Christian” country, anybody born in the United States is considered a “Christian” by virtue of that nationality.

To avoid any confusion, when I refer to a person who has entered by faith into a saving relationship with Yeshua HaMashiach, I almost always use the term Messianic Believer, or simply “Believer.”

Church

“Church” has become a personally difficult term for me to deal with, as I was born into and raised within “the Church” as the son of a devout Christian minister, and I served in Christian pastoral ministry for something like 35 years before being introduced to the Messianic Restoration movement. Just as there are many definitions of “Christian” and “Christianity,” so also there are many definitions of the word “church.”

When I use the word “Church” (capitalized in my writing) I am almost always referring to what I often call the “Gentile Church” — that is, the entire group of adherents, whether Jewish or non-Jewish, to the religion which believes in “Yeshua/Jesus” by whatever individual definition or opinion of Him they may have (the same as the broadest usage of the word “Christian” as explained immediately above). This would include the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Anglican, Episcopalian, Lutheran, and all the Protestant denominations. I specifically exclude from that definition all pseudo-Christian cults such as the Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christian Science, and the like. Some of “the Church’s” members are true “Believers” in the Yeshua/Jesus Who is revealed in the Scriptures; most are not. When I use in my writing the term “church” with a lower-case “c” I am referring to an individual non-Torah-observant “Church” congregation.

When I am speaking of those non-Jewish people who have actually entered by faith into a saving relationship with Yeshua HaMashiach, but who reject the Torah and the Sabbath, I generally use the term “Evangelical Christians” or simply “Evangelicals.”

I never refer to Torah-observant Messianic Believers or their congregations as “the Church.” To do so, I believe, would be a significant insult.

Synagogue

My use of the term “Synagogue” (capitalized) refers to the entire body of Judaism, both Messianic and non-Messianic; “synagogue” with a lower-case “s” refers to an individual Jewish house of worship, whether Messianic and non-Messianic.

Messianic Community or Messianic Israel

I use the terms “Messianic Community” and “Messianic Israel” interchangeably to refer to all those elect people of all ages, both ethnically Jewish and ethnically non-Jewish, who have through faith entered into a covenant relationship with Yeshua HaMashiach. This, I believe, is the correct meaning of the Greek word ecclesia — the “called-out” ones.

This group includes all the physical descendants of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya'akov of all ages who have placed their faith in the atoning work of Messiah, and who depend upon Him, and Him alone, for their eternal destiny (the “faithful Remnant”), plus all of the people of earth of all ages who are not physically descended from Ya'akov (all the people of all the “Gentile nations”) who have placed their faith in the atoning work of Messiah, and who depend upon Him, and Him alone, for their eternal destiny, and are through their faith in Israel’s Messiah thereby adopted into the family of Ya'akov and grafted into the Commonwealth of Israel.

In this illustration, Circle A represents all the physical descendants of Ya'akov (“all Israel”). Section B is that portion of Israel who have placed their faith in the atoning work of Messiah (the “faithful Remnant”). Circle C represents all of the people of all the “Gentile nations.” Section D is that portion of all the Gentile nations who have placed their faith in Israel’s Messiah. Section E, then, represents all of the people of the earth, of all ages, who constitute “Messianic Israel.”

Must/Should/Have To

I do my very best to avoid using terms like “must,” “should,” and “have to,” as I believe that for the most part they are inappropriate when dealing with matters of faith. The use of such words can lead to legalism at best and spiritual tyranny at worst. As a Torah teacher, it is my responsibility to teach you what the Word of God says and to teach you how to interpret it for yourself with the help and guidance of Ruach HaKodesh. It is not my responsibility to tell how you how you “should” or “must” interpret Scripture or to apply it to your own life. Where and when appropriate, I will tell you my opinion or my interpretation, and I will even sometimes tell you how I personally apply it or even how I wish that you would interpret or apply Scripture. But what you do with what you learn is between you and HaShem.

I will not even tell you in my classroom (whether literal or virtual) that you “must” live a Torah-observant life-style (though I highly recommend it.) There is much heated debate within the Messianic Jewish Community itself as to what level of Torah observance is required of a non-Jewish believer in Messiah. There are factions within the Messianic Movement which hold that non-Jewish Messianic Believers are required to observe every single halakhic provision of not only Biblical Torah, but also of the entire Oral Tradition. Some teach that non-Jewish believers are obligated to obey every aspect of Biblical Torah but are not obligated to observe the Oral Traditions. Still others teach that they are obligated to only the “Noachide Laws” which they say are “binding upon all mankind,” and that they are free to take upon themselves as much or as little of the “yoke of Torah” they desire. There are even those within Messianic Judaism who go so far as to say that non-Jewish Messianic Believers are not permitted to observe even all of the Biblical Torah provisions; “Torah,” they say, “is only for the Jews.”

As with all matters of strenuous debate, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. I have studied the matter at great length, and I have come to a position on the subject with which I am comfortable, for myself, at least for now. But it is not my place to impose my opinion upon you. That is a subject that will undoubtedly be discussed at great length in the classes you will study in this Beit Midrash, and one for which you will ultimately “have to” decide for yourself as you learn Torah and grow in faith.

Since you asked (you did ask, didn't you?), I will share my current opinion. I believe that there is one, and only one, “standard of righteousness” by which all mankind will be judged, and that is the Torah of God as recorded in the entire body of Scripture (Torah, Nevi'im, K'tuvim, and Apostolic Writings), but I believe specifically the entire body of mitzvot (commandments) contained in the Torah (the Books of Moses) are binding for all who claim a covenant relationship with the God of Avraham, Yitzhak, and Ya'akov.

From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more. (Luke 12:48)

But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works;” show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works. (James 2:18 NAS) [“works” = mitzvot = obedience to the commandments of Torah]

I believe that Yeshua HaMashiach is God Who walked in Eden in the cool of the evening with our first parents, Who appeared in bodily form to the Patriarchs at various times and places, and Who verbally delivered the Torah to Moshe and literally inscribed the Decalogue (Ten Commandments) with His own finger in the tablets of stone that Moshe brought down off the mountain. I believe that when He said, “If you love Me you will keep My mitzvot (commandments),” He was referring to the Torah He gave to Moshe. Yeshua faithfully kept all the commandments, and if we love Him, we will want to walk as He walked.

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (John 14:15 NAS)

“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” (John 15:10 NAS)

Furthermore, while I do not believe or teach that salvation is either obtained or enhanced by Torah observance, we should consider the fact that on the two occasions reported in the Gospels on which Yeshua was asked what was necessary to obtain eternal life, His response was quite simple and direct: obey Torah!

And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” (Matthew 19:16,17, NAS, compare Mark 10:17-21)

And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And He said to him, “What is written in the Law [Torah]? How does it read to you?” “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE.” (Luke 10:25-28 NAS)

If you are seeking to be credentialed for ministry by any ordaining body, you will be expected to conform to the terms and conditions for the issuance of those credentials. But that too, is beyond the scope of my function as your teacher; that is between you and the Beit Din of your ordaining body and beyond the scope of my classroom.

_______________

1. Collins Essential English Dictionary 2nd Edition, HarperCollins Publishers, 2004, 2006. [RETURN]

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