Objections to Torah Observance: "The Torah is for Israel" Part 2

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The bible is clear that the Torah and its commandments are part of the Covenant between God and the people of Israel at Mt Sinai through Abraham, Mose and David.

Does that mean that the Torah is only for those who are ethnically Jews or who have become Jews by virtue of a circumcision or conversion to Judaism?

According to the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15, the admissability of non-Jews (or Gentiles) was discussed at length and the minimum observance necessary to ensure that they would not be rejected out of hand was determined. The Apostles reasoned that this would allow Gentiles to enter the Synagogue where "Moses" (or the Torah) would be taught to them. The Book of Acts goes on to tell the story of Paul as he established new churches with mixed Jewish and Gentile membership.

The Epistles address some of the theological controversies that arose as the new believers sought to reconcile traditional interpretations of the Torah in the new light of Christ. And what do these Epistles say regarding the status of Gentile believers?

Clearly they recognise that Gentile believers are:

1. Children of God through the Spirit of Adoption (Romans 8.15)


2. Counted as the "Seed of Abraham" (Galatians 3.29)


3. Joint Heirs of the Promises given to Moses, Abraham and David (Romans 8.17).


4. That the Gentiles and the (Torah Observant) Jews are to become One New Man under Christ (Ephesians 2.11-22).

Objections to Torah Observance: The New Covenant: What is it? Part 2

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In 2 Corinthians 3 Paul says

The Spirit, Not the Letter
4 And we have such trust through Christ toward God. 5 gNot that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but hour sufficiency is from God, 6 who also made us sufficient as iministers of jthe new covenant, not kof the letter but of the 1Spirit; for lthe letter kills, mbut the Spirit gives life.

Glory of the New Covenant7 But if nthe ministry of death, owritten and engraved on stones, was glorious, pso that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, 8 how will qthe ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry rof righteousness exceeds much more in glory. 10 For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. 11 For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.

12 Therefore, since we have such hope, swe use great boldness of speech— 13 unlike Moses, twho put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at uthe end of what was passing away. 14 But vtheir minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. 15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless wwhen one turns to the Lord, xthe veil is taken away. 17 Now ythe Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is zliberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding aas in a mirror bthe glory of the Lord, care being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as 2by the Spirit of the Lord.

(The New King James Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1982, S. 2 Co 3:4-18)

This passage is often used as a proof text for justifying why the New Covenant does away with the Old Covenant. After it all it kills, right? Yes, it does, if you transgress its regulations then yes, death is the ultimate penalty. This is confirmed in the New Testament where Paul says that the wages of sin are death (Romans 6.23).

But a careful reading of verses 12-18, reveals that the difference between the person under the Old Covenant and the person under the New Covenant is the "veil" which renders the Old Covenant reader unable to fully comprehend the meaning of the Scripture. The New Covenant reader has the veil lifted by Christ. What is common to both readers is that it is the same Torah that both are reading (remember there was no New Testament in Jesus' day). And why would the New Covenant reader be reading the Old Testament at all, unless it was to understand God and how one should live as a citizen of His Kingdom? And how should one live as a Kingdom citizen? By obeying His commandments (laws) as they are set out in the Torah.

g [John 15:5]
h 1 Cor. 15:10
i 1 Cor. 3:5; Eph. 3:7
j Jer. 31:31; Matt. 26:28; Luke 22:20
k Rom. 2:27
1 Or spirit
l [Rom. 3:20]; Gal. 3:10
m John 6:63; Rom. 8:2
n Rom. 7:10
o Ex. 34:1; Deut. 10:1
p Ex. 34:29
q [Gal. 3:5]
r [Rom. 1:17; 3:21]
s Acts 4:13, 29; 2 Cor. 7:4; Eph. 6:19
t Ex. 34:33–35; 2 Cor. 3:7
u Rom. 10:4; [Gal. 3:23]
v Is. 6:10; 29:10; Acts 28:26; Rom. 11:7, 8; 2 Cor. 4:4
w Ex. 34:34; Rom. 11:23
x Is. 25:7
y [1 Cor. 15:45]
z John 8:32; Gal. 5:1, 13
a 1 Cor. 13:12
b [2 Cor. 4:4, 6]
c [Rom. 8:29, 30]
2 Or from the Lord, the Spirit