Matthew 15:9: “And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”
Be careful to seek out the truth from Scripture. The Bible is true as written, but religious systems have intervened over the years to add to or subtract from true doctrine.
For example, in Judaism there are those who adhere only to what is written in the Torah, the first five books of Moses. These are called Karaite Jews. However, some
Rabbinic Jews also adhere to the oral Torah, or Talmud, which at times is contradictory and far more extensive.
Christ warned His followers not to follow the doctrines of some of these men (Pharisees), who in some cases laid heavy burdens on people too difficult to bear that were beyond those required in the Torah. Early Jewish converts followed large portions of the Torah,
primarily since they had no other scriptures, and they accepted Christ as Messiah. The only scripture they had was “Old Testament” scripture such as Moses and the prophets.
Gentile Christian converts were given relatively few requirements. In Acts 15:18–21, Paul points out: “Known to God from eternity are all His works. Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. For Moses has had throughout many generations those
who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”
Paul makes it clear in his writings that the Christian is not required to follow the Mosaic Law unto salvation. However, in Christendom, the church has over the years essentially discouraged or forbidden most of the Torah from the practices of Christianity. The
festivals (Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles), the dietary laws, the Paleo-Hebrew language, and the Sabbath, to name a few, were all discouraged or eliminated for a variety of reasons. In place of these, however, we have acquired many more traditions of men: Christmas, Easter, Sunday Sabbath, the seat of the church outside of Jerusalem.
The Bible tells us that in the New Covenant, the Law is to be written on our hearts. The Law, of course, is the law of God and is found initially in the Torah. We should not, therefore, be averse to its contents, even though we know our salvation is assured by faith in
our Messiah, who forgives all of our sins. People should not fear or be ashamed of any higher level of obedience, but they should fear putting themselves under bondage to the Law, thinking perfect adherence, were that possible, guarantees salvation. There is a
huge difference.
Many modern-day Christians are at least partially Torah observant, because the Torah says so much about what God likes and dislikes. They celebrate the festivals to some degree, follow the dietary laws, for health reasons primarily, and observe the Sabbath
on Saturday. They essentially follow as much of the Torah as they feel is applicable today. The reason people seem to avoid most of Torah is because it is, in its entirety, impossible to follow to the degree Christ Biblical Principles for Successful Living outlined especially, and some aspects do not seem applicable today. But there are many parts that are quite easy to follow, very applicable, and offer us an opportunity to know and do what pleases God.
This must not be done as the means unto salvation, however. That would be a serious — perhaps fatal — mistake. It must be done, rather, from a heart of love toward God.
A Christian should accept the mercy and grace of God in Christ and live as much as possible as Christ lived. Remember that Christ followed the Torah but not all
Rabbinic Judaism. He summarized the law in two precepts: that we should love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength; and that we should love our neighbors as ourselves. In doing so, we fulfill all the Law and the Prophets.
Some feel the New Testament actually begins with the book of Acts because Jesus preached and lived under the Law to the Jews. Other scriptures say that we, as Christians, should walk as He walked (1 John 2). And we know Paul and the Council of Jerusalem put very few requirements on Gentile believers but seem to have left the door
open for those who choose to read and obey more of God’s law, as he knew God would lead them to do over time. If the Bible does not mention Christmas and Easter, but does mention the eternal celebrations of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles — and their
fulfillment in Christ — should we not at least acknowledge these in some way? See, for instance, Leviticus 23.
Even so, let’s keep in mind that the Mosaic Covenant was a temporary covenant. A number of its requirements are upheld and restated in the New Testament — for instance, nine of the Ten Commandments. The fourth, which begins with “Remember the Sabbath day” (see Exodus 20:8–11), is the one not repeated in the New Testament — though Jesus and Paul are noted in Scripture as observing the Sabbath, and having a day of rest is highly encouraged for everyone.
Jews who have accepted Christ as the Messiah are called Messianic Jews. They follow Jewish customs and accept Jesus (Yeshua) as their Messiah. Likewise, there are Christians who choose to follow some of the Torah. The challenge for them is in determining which parts of the Torah are applicable now to Christians today. Some may not be.
You can figure this one out for yourself. However, let me reiterate that, according to the New Testament, salvation is by faith alone, through grace alone, in Christ alone. We should walk as He walked. Rewards are merit-based in the Kingdom of Heaven. We are wise to
avoid the doctrines of men and do only what the Bible says as much as possible. Stick to what it says.
