Teaching Team

Q&A: Divine Invitation

Let me start out by saying how much I respect everyone at FFOZ. I consider you my brothers.

Thank you for writing. I want you to know that I have devoted my life to the establishment of Torah and its implementation in the lives of Christians, Jewish and Gentile both, and that mission and call for which I have sacrificed my entire life, remains steadfastly the same. I want you to know that the entire ministry of FFOZ remains committed to the mission. I personally see the huge sacrifices that every staff member puts in every day to accomplish that mission, so thank you for your kind words.

Unfortunately, what you are trying to say is not coming across clearly.

We are trying to be as clear as possible and hope to bring clarity through this blog and every form of communication available to us. Confusion seems to be coming from two places: from the emotion that these issues raise and from detractors who are mischaracterizing our message in blogs and internet communications. I am going to respond to you as clearly as I can. At times my answers may sound pointed, but I don't mean them to be. I am just going to try to write as clearly as I can, and intend no offense.

It sounds as if any Gentile who chooses to ignore Torah is free to do whatever he pleases. This has implications far beyond Sabbaths and food.

But that's not what we are saying at all or at any point. That is simply an argument that comes from One Law definitions. (Absurd as it sounds, we hear people saying that Torah must be all or nothing, since breaking Torah is the definition of sin. Therefore, if breaking the Sabbath isn't a sin for Gentiles, then neither is homosexuality or murder.)

Unfortunately, the apostles never provided us with an exhaustive list of the commandments that they exempted Gentiles from, but we do know the ones that they did list happen to be the same ones Judaism of their day considered non-binding on Gentiles. Circumcision is on the top of the apostle's list of things a Gentile does not have to do, and they also included Sabbath, calendar, and levitical dietary laws. Beyond those four things, we may assume that the rest of the Torah is binding and universal for all believers, which is why we passionately teach Torah to the nations.

But how could anyone who believes the Apostolic Scriptures think that Gentiles are free to do whatever they please? What about the teachings of Yeshua and the apostles? Do their words simply not matter?

The backlash you are experiencing since dropping the One Law concept might be worse than you expected it to be. As I said in an earlier message, many of us have faced a good deal of heartache for adopting any degree of a Torah lifestyle. We are rejected by the Jewish believers in the Messianic community who don't seem to want our dirty Gentile hands on their Torah, and by the mainstream Christian community because we won't give up our silly idea that a believer should obey G-d. I suspect many people feel you have thrown us under the wheels of Dan Juster's theological bus and given him ammunition with which to exclude us further.

I apologize for the disappointment and heart ache you are feeling. I realize how traumatic this shift is for a lot of our readers, and you are all in my prayers daily. I pray that God will help you find your footing and give you the peace that passes understanding.

Ultimately, this is not about social concerns or about how it makes us feel. This is about what the Bible says. For us, the bottom line is biblical truth. Would you ask us to continue to teach errant theology when we know that it is wrong? How would that help at all? Would you respect us at all if you thought that taught something we believed to be false? Of course not. As painful as this course correction may be, it is necessary.

In practicality, the majority of our long-term readers and friends came to practice Torah under our teachings long before we ever introduced the "One Law" concept of absolute obligation. We are now returning to that earlier model as regards Gentiles to be more biblical in our presentation of the message.

I can't help but think that after 2,000 years it is time for Christianity to grow up and give up the baby bottle. While you are correct that a confrontational approach produces bad attitudes, it is equally true that mainstream Christianity is in serious need of correction. It is a body that has felt free to make it's own torah (little "t"), and the result is that the definition of sin varies widely from one group to another.

Yes, Christianity has drifted far from biblical standards. But the same could be said of all forms of liberal Judaism. Christianity's failure to keep the specifically Jewish aspects fo the Torah is not responsible for her moral drift. Rather it is an outright rejection of the authority of scripture. It is assimilation into the world.

At FFOZ, we have made this painful change in theology because of our respect for the authority of scripture and our stubborn refusal to twist the words of the apostles to meet our preferences. When you go to the dentist, it's unpleasant while the drilling is going on, but afterward, your teeth feel better. Right now, we are doing theological drilling to remove some bad decay.

For example, after Dr. Tiller, the late-term abortionist, was murdered, people in his congregation described him as a "good Christian man". By what perverted definition is a "good Christian man" allowed to murder babies? An awful lot of churches seem to have adopted Anton LeVay's philosophy of "do what thou will" when it comes to personal conduct, and the concept of grace is used to justify it. If Torah is not applicable to Gentiles, what is the definition of sin?

At no point will you find that we have ever said Torah is not applicable to Gentiles. Instead, what we are saying, very deliberately, clearly, and carefully, is that Gentiles are not obligated to the certain ceremonial aspects of the Torah in the same manner as Jewish people: namely the circumcision, the Sabbath, the festivals, and the Levitical dietary laws. Even these few things, we encourage, teach, and equip Gentile believers to keep to the very best of their ability as a matter of identification with Yeshua, the scriptures, and the greater people of Israel into whom the Gentile believers have been engrafted.

Who decides what is right and wrong?

If we declare that Gentiles must keep certain commandments which the Bible says they need not keep, then we are the ones deciding what is right and what is wrong. Do you see the problem? If we want the Bible to be making the moral decisions, then we have to let the Bible say what it says, even when we don't like it or it does not seem to make sense to us.

It sounds like you're abandoning the idea that becoming a believer should produce dramatic changes in a person's life. I don't for a moment think you feel that way, but you sure sound that way.

I wholeheartedly disagree. I don't think we sound that way at all. We always challenge people to move forward in matters of holiness.

To make matters worse, it sounds as if you're saying that if those of us who are pursuing Torah don't keep it as strictly as Jewish believers should, we're wrong. Which is it? If Gentiles are not obligated like the Jews to keep the whole Torah, why denigrate those who are doing the best they can? Most of us don't have the luxury of a community or a congregation for support and guidance. We are completely alone.

Here is the point. Gentile believers who claim that all Gentiles are fully obligated to laws like the levitical dietary laws criticize Christians for eating unclean meats, but they themselves do not keep those laws. Paul said to the Jewish believers in Rome, "You who boast in the Torah dishonor God by breaking the Torah" (Romans 2:23).

Most Gentile believers who claim that Gentiles are fully obligated to the Sabbath, and criticize Christians for sinning by not keeping the Sabbath, are not even keeping the Sabbath on a biblical level. Forget about Jewish tradition. I'm just talking about the Bible.

So we are trying to get Gentile believers to recognize that it is inappropriate to condemn other Gentiles for not keeping Sabbath when we ourselves do such a poor job. We are trying to show them that they should be grateful for grace that the apostles afforded them.

Far from wanting Gentile believers to take on high levels of orthodox halachah, divine invitation encourages Gentiles to take on the Sabbath, the festivals, and the dietary laws at whatever level they are able, recognizing that not everyone will be able to meet the same standard.

One of the problems created by the dogmatic theology of "One Law" was that it easily painted people into a corner. One Law adherents were forced to reject traditional Judaism, because if they didn't, they would have to start practicing it.

In a similar way, it painted Christians into a corner in that it forced them to reject Torah, because if they did not, they felt they were under immediate condemnation. Divine invitation gives people room to grow in Torah at their own pace.

We learn what we can and implement it as best we know how. I suspect a lot of people keep the Sabbath the best they can, but they sometimes have to work on that day. They don't have a choice. Their children have to eat. And since I don't have the means to open my checkbook and pay their bills for them, I don't judge them. I don't think you can justify making it an all or nothing proposition for Gentiles. If we don't have an obligation, fine. If we are taking on what we can bear (I think you quoted the Didache on this), we should do so without condemnation. I think you need to clarify your position on this.

That is what we are teaching. The beauty of divine invitation is that it maintains biblical language while pushing people toward Torah observance without condemnation.

In all honesty, I have spent the last several days questioning why I ever put my feet on this path.

I know a lot of Gentile believers like yourself who were devastated when they first realized that they were not obligated to Torah in the same manner as Jewish believers, but with time and study, they have all come around. Some of them are less traditionally halachic than they were before, but all of them are just as devoted to Yeshua, the paths of discipleship, and Torah as ever. Many have restored broken relationships with family and friends. They report new joy at being able to read the Apostle Paul again without gritting their teeth, and they now stand on a firm and certain foundation of biblical truth which cannot be dislodged or dismissed by any pastor or layman Sunday School teacher who has ever read the New Testament.

Why did you put your feet to this path? Did you put your feet to this path because you were obligated to, or because you saw biblical truth? Because you saw opportunities to reflect the Messiah and felt the leading of God's Spirit, the opening of your eyes to the wonders of His Torah. It is sad to see so many people limiting their experience with the Sabbath and God's festivals under the weight of obligation. Please, for the sake of our righteous Messiah, do not turn your feet from the path of Torah.

I feel as if I've been left in a no man's land of "damned if you do, damned if you don't". Overall, I think people like me feel we have lost the friends we counted on to stand with us and encourage us on the way.

That makes sense. FFOZ was the primary author and promoter of the theological notion that Gentiles are under the same obligation to Torah as Jewish people. We were the lonely outpost of theological encouragement for people on this path. The reason we were the only people teaching this is because we were wrong, and we are very sorry for that. By the time we realized we were wrong, the damage was done. As we pioneer these uncharted theological waters, it is inevitable that we occasionally require course correction.

Sometimes friends have to do more than encourage one another on the way. Sometimes we need to offer correction and say difficult things that need to be heard. Sometimes we need to say, "That's the wrong way."

If Torah doesn't matter in a Gentile's life, why teach it?

Why do you think the Torah doesn't matter? It absolutely matters. It is God's will and wisdom. And teaching a distinction in how it applies is also a part of teaching Torah. The whole premise of the Torah is based upon distinctions.

What is the purpose of a "divine invitation" if answering it primarily means a life of isolation, loss, and taking on an unbearable yoke?

Something similar could be asked of almost any worthy effort you make for the kingdom of heaven. Anything worth doing for God is going to be expensive, and one should count the cost before committing to a course of discipleship. That said, divine invitation should not require a life of isolation or an unbearable yoke. In our experience at FFOZ, loneliness and isolation are the type of results that are symptomatic of a "One Law" approach to Torah.

Divine invitation sets a table of reconciliation between Judaism and Christianity.

And yet, I could never return to the practices of my past because they were rooted in idolatry. I am a woman without a country.

You are right about that. There is no going back. Torah is truth. Messianic Judaism is the religion of Yeshua and the apostles. We don't want anyone to go backwards or step away from Torah, but we want to move forward with a better understanding of who we are and why we are doing the things we are doing. We need to understand how Torah applies to different people so that we do not condemn the innocent. When that is clear, then we will all be in a much better position to move forward with the practice of Messianic Judaism, a practice that should include Gentiles in the observance of the Sabbath, the dietary laws, and the festivals.

I think you settled on a position without fully realizing what implementing it would mean to thousands of scattered and lonely believers.

We realized the implications. That's why we were so reluctant, and that's why we devoted a 24-page article and all of these blog posts to the issue. We will continue to work through this issue with you and others for as long as it takes. After all, we are the ones responsible.

Were the changes we have made in our lives unnecessary or not orthodox enough, and by what standard? Biblical? Oral tradition? We can see what is biblically right, but is our effort to carry it out to the best of our ability too far short of perfection to justify continuing?

Torah is never "all-or-nothing." The "all-or-nothing" view is the result of a Greek mindset's systematization rather than a Hebraic mindset's experience of God. Every step forward is a step in the right direction. Forget about what is "orthodox enough," or not. That has never been the point of our teaching, and we have never taught that believers are obligated to oral tradition or orthodox Judaism. Traditional Judaism is an essential point of reference as we learn to implement Torah, but it is not the goal for which we are striving. We are striving for the kingdom.

I understand where some of these questions come from. People see us and realize that our lives (at FFOZ) reflect the standards of normative, traditional Judaism. Many of us at FFOZ have taken on those additional yokes in order to be a greater testimony for Messiah in the midst of Israel. You would be hard-pressed to find any teaching from First Fruits of Zion where we present traditional Judaism as the ultimate authority over believers.

I have read all your posts thus far and will reread them. Your position has left a lot of people in the dark about the proper behavior for a believer. If there is no distinction in scripture between a moral and a ritual law, please explain what a believer should base his behavior on.

"Let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ" (Philippians 1:27). The proper behavior for believers can be derived from reading the Bible. The teaching of Yeshua, the apostles, and the whole Torah define the proper behavior for a believer. But the apostles and the Torah also teach that not every commandment in the Torah is obligatory for Gentile believers as it is for Jewish believers. The apostles single out circumcision, Sabbath, festivals, and dietary laws. The Torah also makes distinctions. It really is that simple. However, even the things which are not obligatory have great value and blessing for every man who observes them. Gentiles are not forbidden from observing them, and they are even encouraged to observe them. For example, Isaiah encourages the Gentile who takes hold of the Sabbath and the covenant and does not profane it. Yeshua says, "The Sabbath was made for man." We encourage Sabbath observance for Gentile believers under the model of invitation rather than obligation and condemnation.

I am certain you don't fall into the "do what thou will" category, but it really does sound like you're giving Gentiles the okay to go that way and are condemning those who adopt as much Torah as possible, even if we don't agree with all the oral traditions extant within Judaism. If we all agree that the Bible is the basis for what we believe, no one should be made to feel they should toss Torah overboard because they don't feel obligated to keep all the traditions that have accumulated over the centuries. I, and many others, look to the traditions for guidance (like with the infamous Sharpie vs. mezuzah incident), not as a strict "how-to" manual.

One thing that we have noticed in a lot of the feedback we have received from people is a great deal of anger and resentment directed toward Jewish tradition. This is misplaced. Our theological retreat from One Law has nothing to do with Jewish tradition. We have based our position only on the Bible.

Again, I am not accusing you of wrongdoing. I just want you to know what it sounds like you're saying and ask that you clarify things. I know you're being inundated with emails, so don't feel obligated to answer personally. I'll be checking the blogs daily for further info. Thanks.

Thanks for writing to us and expressing your concerns. I hope that these answers helped clarify a few things for you. We are committed to walking through this with you, as long as it takes. May God give you peace and a sweet new year.

Shalom,
Boaz Michael
26th of Elul, 5769

Links to Related Blog Articles:
Reasoning Together
One Simple Verse: Galatians 5:3
Moral vs. Ceremonial
An Unbearable Yoke: Acts 15:10

About the Author: Boaz Michael is the President and Founder of First Fruits of Zion.