Must We Adhere to the Torah Laws for Salvation?
Many opponents of Christianity attempt to discredit it at any measure possible. Many have attacked the writings of the Apostle Paul. They claim that his statements about "ignoring" the Torah contradict the teachings of Jesus Himself.
Their main "evidence" is when Jesus said that He didn't come to abolish the Law (the Torah - five books of Moses) and the Prophets (the writings of the OT Prophets) but rather to fulfill them. The problem is they take the statement in the wrong context.
Jesus is the fulfillment of the Messiah prophecies. That being the case, Jesus is saying He didn't come to stop people (mainly the Jews of the time) from observing the Laws of the Torah. But He was showing that He fulfilled the Laws. He took the place of their necessity.
In regards to the Prophets, Jesus fulfilled the things the Prophets said regarding the Messiah.
To abolish means to do away with something. Jesus did not intend to do away the Laws (just up and get rid of them). He intended to fulfill them. One definition of fulfill is "to bring to an end." Now on the face this sounds like a contradiction in one sentence but upon examination it can be understood.
Essentially Jesus is saying that He didn't come to do away with the Torah or make it disappear but rather to take the place of the Laws.
One example is yearly each Jew would sacrifice a calf to God and the person's sins would be transferred to the calf. Well Jesus didn't do away with the Law but instead He became the calf. He took the place of it therefore making it unnecessary to sacrifice a calf.
And this is what the Apostle Paul was sayhing. That the Laws were not necessary for our salvation because Jesus' sacrifice took the place of them. He fulfilled them.
Adhering to the Laws does not contribute to one's salvation. It was belief in Jesus that gives one salvation.
Paul did say though that if one wanted to continue to uphold the Laws while being a believer in Christ, that was perfectly fine. The Disciples themselves continued to uphold the Laws because they preached among the Jews.
He also pointed out that believers in Christ should not discrimninate against or argue with other believers if they chose to uphold the Laws or not. It was in each Christians decision on whether they wanted to or not.
Another point to consider is that the Apostle Paul mainly was preaching to the Gentiles (whom the OT Prophecies did say the Messiah would eventually reach). This matters because the Torah Laws are always addressed to "the Children of Israel." So the Laws applied to them.
So can a Christian uphold the Torah Laws if they want to? Yes. Does it contribute to your salvation? No. Where does salvation come from? Jesus.
Does this mean that once we are saved we can go about and do what we want? No. The Apostle Paul said that just because you are saved doesn't mean you can continue to live a sinful life. One must live Christ-like and do as Christ did. So doing good deeds and works and following the commandments is not for salvation but to show appreciation for what Jesus did for us. To show that we are thankful for His sacrifice and that we refuse to take it for granteed.
Now, you could adhere to the Torah Laws 100% but if you deny that Jesus the Christ is God and that He died for you and released you from your sins, it woul dnot help you, not one tiny bit.
Remember, Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man gets to the Father except through Me." Not through the Law but through Him.
Who else could make this claim but God?
Their main "evidence" is when Jesus said that He didn't come to abolish the Law (the Torah - five books of Moses) and the Prophets (the writings of the OT Prophets) but rather to fulfill them. The problem is they take the statement in the wrong context.
Jesus is the fulfillment of the Messiah prophecies. That being the case, Jesus is saying He didn't come to stop people (mainly the Jews of the time) from observing the Laws of the Torah. But He was showing that He fulfilled the Laws. He took the place of their necessity.
In regards to the Prophets, Jesus fulfilled the things the Prophets said regarding the Messiah.
To abolish means to do away with something. Jesus did not intend to do away the Laws (just up and get rid of them). He intended to fulfill them. One definition of fulfill is "to bring to an end." Now on the face this sounds like a contradiction in one sentence but upon examination it can be understood.
Essentially Jesus is saying that He didn't come to do away with the Torah or make it disappear but rather to take the place of the Laws.
One example is yearly each Jew would sacrifice a calf to God and the person's sins would be transferred to the calf. Well Jesus didn't do away with the Law but instead He became the calf. He took the place of it therefore making it unnecessary to sacrifice a calf.
And this is what the Apostle Paul was sayhing. That the Laws were not necessary for our salvation because Jesus' sacrifice took the place of them. He fulfilled them.
Adhering to the Laws does not contribute to one's salvation. It was belief in Jesus that gives one salvation.
Paul did say though that if one wanted to continue to uphold the Laws while being a believer in Christ, that was perfectly fine. The Disciples themselves continued to uphold the Laws because they preached among the Jews.
He also pointed out that believers in Christ should not discrimninate against or argue with other believers if they chose to uphold the Laws or not. It was in each Christians decision on whether they wanted to or not.
Another point to consider is that the Apostle Paul mainly was preaching to the Gentiles (whom the OT Prophecies did say the Messiah would eventually reach). This matters because the Torah Laws are always addressed to "the Children of Israel." So the Laws applied to them.
So can a Christian uphold the Torah Laws if they want to? Yes. Does it contribute to your salvation? No. Where does salvation come from? Jesus.
Does this mean that once we are saved we can go about and do what we want? No. The Apostle Paul said that just because you are saved doesn't mean you can continue to live a sinful life. One must live Christ-like and do as Christ did. So doing good deeds and works and following the commandments is not for salvation but to show appreciation for what Jesus did for us. To show that we are thankful for His sacrifice and that we refuse to take it for granteed.
Now, you could adhere to the Torah Laws 100% but if you deny that Jesus the Christ is God and that He died for you and released you from your sins, it woul dnot help you, not one tiny bit.
Remember, Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man gets to the Father except through Me." Not through the Law but through Him.
Who else could make this claim but God?