Currently Browsing: Apostolic Writings
Nov 8, 2007
Posted on Nov 8, 2007 in Miscellaneous, Yeshua | 1 comment
Moses received the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua; Joshua to the elders; the elders to the prophets; and the prophets handed it down to the men of the Great Assembly. They said three things: Be deliberate in judgment, raise up many disciples, and make a fence around the Torah.
—Avot 1:1
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
—Matthew 28:19-20
Yosi ben Yoezer of Tzeredah said: Let your house be a meetinghouse for the sages and sit amid the dust of their feet and drink in their words with thirst.
—Avot 1:4
Bind up the testimony, seal the Torah among my disciples.
—Isaiah 8:16
And Abram took his wife Sarai and Lot, his brother’s son, and all their wealth that they had amassed, and the souls they had made in Haran, and they left to go to the land of Canaan, and they came to the land of Canaan.
—Genesis 12:5
“‘And the people that they made in Haran.’ Rabbi Elazar ben Zimra said [the text should read]… ”these are the converts that they converted.” And if it is that they converted them, why does it say “make”? Only to teach you that all those who bring a worshipper of stars [i.e. a pagan] close [to God] and converts him, it is as if [the one who converts the other] created [the one who converts]”
(Genesis Rabbah 39:14).
This past Shabbat I taught a little on discipleship. This is a subject with which I have wrestled for several years. I have desired for a long time to be taken under the wing of someone to be discipled, so that I could truly disciple others, rather than floundering around and merely being a half a step ahead in trying to figure things out.
I’ve had several men come to me lately wanting at least my input, and some mentoring, and I have not had a method or plan. Since I currently do not have a mentor personally, I am currently having to reinvent the wheel (so to speak) and study out the Scriptures for methods of discipleship. I not only want to be a good teacher and able to disciple others, but I truly want to be a good disciple of the Master. I want to be what a real disciple should be. I want to emulate my Master, and product other disciples who will, in turn, be true disciples of the Master who will then disciple others.
I will probably have more to say on this in the future, but for now this will suffice. I have uploaded my (very sparse) notes from my teaching in the hopes that someone may find them of value.
Blessings,
-Darren
Right-click (pc) or Control-click (mac!) to download:
Nov 7, 2007
Posted on Nov 7, 2007 in Apostolic Writings, Judaism, Prayer | 0 comments
For a few weeks now, the topic of wisdom has been on my mind. I have a good friend whom I just started doing some “formal” mentoring (ie. meeting on a regular basis for this specific purpose), and one of his main goals in life is to attain wisdom. This is a very noble goal, and one that I know he will (and already has begun to) achieve.
It seems that wisdom is an often desired middah (character trait), yet few know the secret of attaining this seemingly elusive trait.
Last week, as I was praying the daily Amidah, it occurred to me that both the mainstream of Judaism and the Apostolic Writings agreed by way of Hashem’s attitude towards His dispensation of wisdom.
You graciously endow man with wisdom and teach insight to a frail mortal. Endow us graciously from Yourself with wisdom, insight, and discernment. Blessed are You, Hashem, gracious Giver of wisdom.
(Daily Amidah)
This prayer makes use of the word “gracious” (from the Hebrew חן – chen) three times. It emphasizes that Hashem desires to freely give wisdom to all to ask. This, of course, corresponds to the words of Shlomo (Solomon) which state,
“I [wisdom] love those who love me, and those who seek me find me” (Mishlei/Proverbs 8:17).
“She [wisdom] will set a garland of grace [חן] on your head and present you with a crown of splendor” (Mishlei/Proverbs 4:9).
Hashem desires to give us wisdom “graciously”—freely, without reservation. However, we must first pursue wisdom and solicit Hashem for this precious gift. Ja’acov (James), the brother of the Master, gives us explicit instructions for seeking wisdom which corresponds with both the prayer from the Amidah and the words of Proverbs, saying:
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
(James 1:5-8)
If we seek wisdom, it is waiting to be received. But it doesn’t come uninvited. If wisdom has always been elusive, honestly ask Hashem for it and expect to receive it. No, you won’t wake up one morning and start spouting off the Pythagorean theorem1 like the Scarecrow on the Wizard of Oz (knowledge and wisdom are not synonymous). However, when that next difficult situation comes up, you will feel more confident in making the right decision with your newfound gift, graciously given by Hashem.
Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
(Mishlei/Proverbs 4:7)
1 An interesting side note not related to my topic whatsoever is that in the Wizard of Oz, the Scarecrow actually misquotes the theorem.
Nov 1, 2007
Posted on Nov 1, 2007 in Mishnah, Torah, Yeshua | 3 comments
Toby Janicki of FFOZ, recently posted some thoughts in regard to the Oral Torah and Yeshua’s statement, “They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.” It was a very insightful post that confirmed some ideas I’ve been developing over the last several months. I think his quote from Schimmel’s book, The Oral Torah, is a key to help us understand a basic principle regarding the work of Yeshua. Here is the quote from the book:
Before instituting a decree of enacting an ordinance or inducing a custom which is deemed necessary, Beit Din [House of Judges] must calmly deliberate and make sure that the majority of the community can live up to it. At no time is a decree to be imposed upon the public, which the majority cannot endure. (The Oral Torah, H. Chaim Schimmel, pg. 112)
I posted my thoughts as a comment on the FFOZ blog, but I thought I would include them here for easy reference…
In regard to the spiritual leadership of Israel during the first century, Yeshua did not come to negate the Oral Torah (as many of us already know, but we would do well to emphasize this point here). He came to 1) expose, rebuke & correct hypocrisy and 2) make the Torah accessible to the “am ha’aretz,” the common person – the “average Joe” (so to speak).
At this point in history, Torah study and mitzvot had almost completely been relegated to the aristocracy. There was a great chasm between the “learned” and the am ha’aretz. Yeshua’s rebuke is often quoted ending with the first portion, “They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders.” However, the heart of the matter is found in the latter part in which he said, “but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.”
This is huge! Yeshua’s rebuke worked! The word of Hashem that he spoke did not return void. They did not fall on deaf ears. The difference between the “burdens” the common man faced during the time of Yeshua and the Oral Torah of today is this very principle. We cannot equate the Oral Torah with the “burdens” that the hypocrites, during the time of Yeshua, had placed on the general populous.
Although I do not believe we should follow the Oral Torah blindly, nor in its entirety (for various reasons associated with our Master), we have to recognize that these are two different animals, and speak out against the slanderous accusations from those who are ignorant (not “dumb,” merely uneducated in this particular area) of the differences.
Oct 31, 2007
Posted on Oct 31, 2007 in Yeshua | 0 comments
Dear friend, there’s a story goin’ round
says you’re gonna be married soon
But you’ve been sayin’ that for years,
and there can be no wedding without a groom
You said he’s gone away to make a place for you and Him
Oh you know He’s gonna come back,
but you just don’t know when
Dear friends He is not slow in keeping His promises
As some understand slowness to be
Keep a watch out, don’t lose faith,
He said He would come for you
He’s gonna come for you, you wait and see
Dear friend, people joke, they laugh and they make fun
When you tell ‘em all about the groom who’s gonna come
He’s been gone a long long time, are there any doubts to confess
Do you wonder if you’re ever gonna wear that wedding dress
(Dear Friend by Charlie Peacock)
Last night at our Torah Club study we were discussing how it is easy to get lulled into complacency regarding the return of our righteous Mashiach. Daniel (Lancaster) reminds us, via the words of the Chofetz Chaim, that we cannot afford to be nonchalant in expressing our belief in the return of Yeshua in the way we live each day of our lives. If we truly believe his pending, immanent return, we will live lives that reflect this belief. We will live with enthusiasm, excitement, joy, hope, graciousness and anticipation.
In our congregation, in the reading following the Haftarah, we have changed one word to remind us of the down-payment on the promise of Hashem that he has given us in relationship to Mashiach. It reads:
Gladden us, Adonai, our God, with Elijah the prophet, Your servant, and with the kingdom of the House of David, Your anointed, may he return speedily and cause our heart to exalt. On his throne let no stranger sit nor let others continue to inherit his honor, for by Your holy Name You swore to him that his lamp will not be extinguished forever and ever. Blessed are You, Adonai, Shield of David.
Let us continually hold on to Rambam’s expression of hope, found in the Ani Ma’amin, which says:
I believe with complete faith
In the coming of the Messiah, I believe
And even though he may tarry
Nonetheless I will wait for him
I will wait every day for him to come
Sep 19, 2007
Posted on Sep 19, 2007 in Paul, Yom Kippur | 0 comments
Although I don’t have any hard evidence, I do believe that I have no undue reason by which I cannot propose the following hypothesis in regard to Paul and his potential Yom Kippur sermon as recorded in the book of the Acts of the Apostles, based on a fairly reasonable timeline. I may have my chronology way off base (please let me know if I do), but here is what I am able to reconstruct, and by way of reconstruction assume a Yom Kippur sermon from Paul based on the time frame and context of dialog.
In Acts 20, after leaving Miletus, Paul sets sail for Jerusalem, in hopes to “reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost (Shavuot)” (Acts 20:16). Paul reaches Jerusalem (we assume) by Pentecost (first week of the month of Sivan), but has evidently been in contact with a corpse and thus must undergo the seven day purification ritual as prescribed by the Torah (see my Footnote), and in the process underwrites the concluding offerings for the Nazarite vows of four men in order to prove his faithfulness to Torah (and not for purposes of deception as some would have us think). This puts him in Jerusalem for at least a week or two at the minimum, bringing us up to the second or third week of Sivan.
During his time at the Temple, he is accused of bringing his “Gentile inclusion” theology too close to home when they assumed he had brought a non-Jew beyond the soreg of the Temple. This accusation causes him to be hauled off to the magistrates who hold him in custody until the next day when he appears before the Sanhedrin to plead his case. Paul didn’t fare well with the Sanhedrin and is taken back to the barracks to spare his life. He is held at least for a day, possibly two (depending on how you read the text) and from there is taken, during the night, towards Caesarea. They get as far as Antipatris, which is beyond the half-way point. When they have rested and daylight has come, Paul is taken by the cavalry the remainder of the distance to Caesarea.
Paul is kept under guard in Herod’s palace (23:35) until he is brought before Felix five days later (24:1). This brings us up to the last week of Sivan, possibly the first week of Tamuz. After hearing Paul, Felix adjourns him, wanting to wait for Lysias (presumably the Roman commander who had Paul sent to Felix initially) to come and give his report of the events which have brought Paul to this point.
Here is where it gets vague. “Several days later” Felix sends for Paul to hear him speak about faith in Messiah Yeshua (24:24). This is a very ambiguous chronological reference. Depending on what all was happening politically, Paul stayed in his confines anywhere from a week to months, while he waited on Lysias to shed his more pressing matters in Jerusalem and make the trek to Caesarea in order to testify about this “Jewish trouble-maker,” whom I am sure he was in no great hurry to redeem. So… I’m guessing that Paul’s appearance before Felix for this event could have happened anywhere from the middle of Tamuz to some time in Elul.
This is where I am making a small leap. Based on the themes of Paul’s sermon while speaking to Felix (besides it obviously being a message he could use to hear at any point), I am thinking it was closer to (if not actually within) the month of Elul, and Paul’s three-point sermon of righteousness, self-control and the impending judgment would have been a perfect lead in to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, calling Felix to re-assess his ways and do t’shuva before the books of Life were once more closed. Felix, starts sweating bullets and dismisses Paul and his convicting message. May we see his mistake and take heed ourselves, lest we enter the Court of the King of Kings unprepared in this season.
1 I am assuming Paul had come into contact with a corpse, based on the phrase “Paul…purified himself” (21:26), combined with “When the seven days were nearly over” (21:27), which I can only assume is in reference to the prescribed purification rite of cleansing one from contact with a corpse (Numbers 19:11ff).
