About FFOZ
FFOZ, dedicated to proclaiming the Torah and its way of life, fully centered on Messiah, to today's people of God.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What is the Torah?
The Hebrew word Torah means “instruction.” It is commonly translated into our Bibles by the English word “law.” The Torah is the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In those books Moses wrote the laws that God gave to instruct His people about how to live and worship.
Learn more about the Torah in these FFOZ Resources:
Restoration: Returning the Torah of God to the Disciples of Jesus.
2. Why do you advocate Old Testament Law?
Contrary to popular notions, the Old Testament Law (Torah) was not abolished by the Gospel. The early believers continued to practice the commandments of the Torah throughout the New Testament period and beyond.
The Torah was never given as a means for attaining salvation. Instead the laws of the Torah are given to be upon our hearts. We are to show our love for God by keeping them (Deuteronomy 6:4–6). The Torah is profitable “for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17).
Yeshua warned us not to think that He had come to abolish the Torah (Matthew 5:17). He said that “Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of Heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 5:19).
This does not mean that we must do the Torah in order to earn salvation. Ephesians 2:8–9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” We do not keep the Torah in order to be saved, we keep it because we are saved. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in the Messiah Yeshua for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
Learn more about Old Testament Law in these FFOZ Resources:
Restoration: Returning the Torah of God to the Disciples of Jesus.
3. What about Paul and Galatians?
We live in a day when most Christians do not keep the particulars of Torah (such as Sabbath, festivals, dietary laws, etc.). Therefore, when we read Paul’s letters, his arguments often seem to be anti-Jewish and anti-Torah—and in line with modern Christianity. But Paul did not live in our day. He never knew modern Christianity or even the Christianity of the second-century Church Fathers. In Paul’s day, believers were part of the larger Jewish community. The seventh-day Sabbath was still the regular day of worship. The believers were still meeting in the synagogues. “For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath” (Acts 15:21). From Paul’s perspective, all believers were naturally keeping Torah already in the greater context of their faith and practice. Galatians and all of Paul’s writings must be understood in this larger Torah context.
The Apostle Paul found himself in a long-term argument with other Jewish believers over the position of non-Jews in the kingdom of Heaven. His opponents asserted that before a Gentile could be saved, he must first be circumcised (which in Paul’s day meant a conversion to Judaism) and keep the whole Torah of Moses (Acts 15:5).
For Paul, it was redundant for a Gentile believer to become circumcised as part of a conversion to Judaism. It was an affront to Messiah because it implied that faith in Him was not adequate to secure a position in the covenant with Israel. It was a denial of the Gospel. Paul said, “If you let yourselves be circumcised [that is, undergo a formal conversion into Judaism as a necessary component of your salvation], Messiah will be of no value to you at all” (Galatians 5:2). Messiah is of no value because the convert has opted to accomplish his participation in Israel through his own physical efforts. To Paul’s way of thinking, ritual conversion after salvation was like campaigning for an office for which one had already been elected.
In Galatians, Paul responded to his opponents’ teaching by forbidding the Galatians to convert to become Jewish (i.e. circumcise). In the case of Gentiles with Jewish heritage, however, Paul did not hesitate to circumcise because it did not imply a conversion. In fact, he personally oversaw Timothy’s circumcision. Gentiles like Titus or the Galatians he encouraged to remain uncircumcised so long as circumcision was misunderstood as the ticket into the Kingdom.
When read outside of this perspective, though, we often misunderstand Paul completely. When we forget that he was arguing against requiring Gentiles to be circumcised in order to merit salvation, we assume that he was arguing against keeping Torah. But he was only arguing that Torah and circumcision could not be regarded as prerequisites for salvation. Ephesians 2:8–9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Learn more about Paul and Torah in these FFOZ Resources:
Restoration: Returning the Torah of God to the Disciples of Jesus
The Mystery of the Gospel: Jews, Gentiles and the Eternal Purpose of God
4. Didn’t God Nail the Torah to the Cross?
In one of his oft misunderstood passages, the Apostle Paul speaks of a written document of condemnation that is nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:14). This document is frequently misinterpreted as the Torah. Well meaning brothers and sisters often triumphantly declare that Messiah nailed the Torah to cross. (God forbid.) Translations like the NIV encourage this kind of interpretation by translating the document nailed as “the written code,” a term that seems to imply a law code, namely the Torah.
In Colossians 2:14, it is not the Torah that has been nailed to the cross. It is a written verdict of condemnation, like the type delivered by a Roman court of law.
Having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of debt against us, which was hostile to us; He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. (Colossians 2:14)
The “certificate of debt” that has been taken out of the way and nailed to the cross is condemnation. Condemnation (i.e. death) is the ultimate curse of the Torah. It is this curse that Messiah took upon Himself when He became “a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13).
Learn more about Paul and Torah in these FFOZ Resources:
Restoration: Returning the Torah of God to the Disciples of Jesus
The Mystery of the Gospel: Jews, Gentiles and the Eternal Purpose of God
5. Isn’t Christ the End of the Law?
People often misunderstand Romans 10:4 to mean that Christ ended the Torah. In the Epistle to the Romans, the Apostle Paul said, “Messiah is the end of the Torah,” (Romans 10:4), and in his epistle to the Galatians he wrote, “The Torah was put in charge to lead us to Messiah.” (Galatians 3:24). In this sense, Messiah is the goal of the Torah. He is the destination at which the journey of Torah arrives. Is Messiah to be understood as the ending of the Torah then? No. He is the end, but not the ending. The Greek word used for “end” in Romans 10:4 implies that He is the goal of the Torah but not the termination of it. In fact, He Himself has said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Torah …” (Matthew 5:17).
In what sense is Yeshua the goal and “ending” of the Torah? He lived a perfectly righteous and sinless life. He perfectly lived out the Torah. Therefore, He is the end for which the Torah aimed.
Learn more about Paul and Torah in these FFOZ Resources:
Restoration: Returning the Torah of God to the Disciples of Jesus
The Mystery of the Gospel: Jews, Gentiles and the Eternal Purpose of God
6. Where do Jewish believers stand with FFOZ?
FFOZ has a mixed staff of Jewish and Gentile believers. We believe that Jews are still the unique, chosen people of God. We reject the idea that Israel has been replaced by the Church. For thousands of years, God has preserved the identity of the Jewish people. As Paul says, “What advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? Great in every respect!” (Romans 3:1–2) At First Fruits of Zion, we teach the unity of Jew and Gentile in Messiah. We assert that Gentile believers are grafted into Israel as Paul says in Romans 11, forming “one new man” (Ephesians 2:15) and that in Messiah, “there is neither Jew nor Greek.” (Galatians 3:28) However, none of that diminishes the unique and precious distinction of ethnic/halachic Jewish identity.
While it is true that we teach equal obligation to the Torah, we must also remember to preserve and cherish the unique place of ethnic Jews among us and be wary of doing anything that might displace their unique, historic connection with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. While it is true that Paul said “there is neither Jew nor Greek,” he also said in the same verse, “there is neither male nor female.” Obviously he did not mean that we should obliterate the lines of distinction between genders. Neither then should we obliterate the lines of distinction between Jew and Gentile.
The Bible fully obligates Jews to keep the Torah. Acts 21:20–25 makes it clear that the Apostles expected Jewish believers to remain steadfast in Torah after coming to faith in Messiah. Therefore, at FFOZ, we encourage Jewish believers to demonstrate their Jewishness through faithful observance of God’s commandments.
Learn more about Jews and Jewishness in these FFOZ Resources:
Restoration: Returning the Torah of God to the Disciples of Jesus
King of the Jews: Resurrecting the Jewish Jesus
Fellowheirs: Jews & Gentiles Together in the Family of God
The Mystery of the Gospel: Jews, Gentiles and the Eternal Purpose of God
7. Is the Torah for Gentiles?
The overwhelming evidence of Scripture testifies that Gentile believers are obligated to the laws of Torah. The Torah itself testifies saying, “There is to be one Torah and one ordinance for you and for the alien who sojourns with you” (Numbers 15:16), and “The same Torah shall apply to the native as to the stranger who sojourns among you” (Exodus 12:49). Many of the laws of Torah explicitly obligate the “sojourner who stays with you” (Exodus 20:10). The Prophets testify of a coming Messianic age when all nations will learn Torah (Isaiah 2:2–3) and keep the appointed times of the Torah like the Sabbath (Isaiah 66:23) and festivals (Zechariah 14:16–17).
Torah observance is a component of discipleship. Yeshua was completely Torah observant. If the Gentile believer desires to imitate Yeshua, Torah observance would be a large part of that. Yeshua commanded His disciples to “make disciples of all the nations … teaching them to observe all that I commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). Among the commandments of Yeshua is the commandment to uphold and practice the laws of Torah (Matthew 5:17–19).
In Acts 15, where the Apostles debate the question of Gentile relationship to Torah, they decide to require four basic minimum standards for fellowship while Gentiles learn Torah within the synagogues. This ruling, at the very least, places Gentiles on a trajectory toward Torah observance:
Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood. For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath. (Acts 15:19–21)
Learn more about Gentiles and Torah in these FFOZ Resources:
Restoration: Returning the Torah of God to the Disciples of Jesus
Fellowheirs: Jews & Gentiles Together in the Family of God
The Mystery of the Gospel: Jews, Gentiles and the Eternal Purpose of God
8. What is “Kosher” and the biblical diet?
God commands His people regarding what they are to eat. He forbids them to eat certain animals (Leviticus 11, Deuteronomy 14), blood and meat not properly bled (Leviticus 17:11–12, Deuteronomy 12:15–16, Acts 15:20), and food contaminated by idols (Exodus 34:15, Acts 15:19–20). These laws constitute the biblical dietary regulations. (For food to be regarded as “kosher” (proper) by traditional Jewish standards, meat and dairy must also be kept separate (derived from passages such as Deuteronomy 14:21) and the meat must be slaughtered under rabbinic supervision. Some Torah practicing believers do keep rabbinic standards for dietary laws; others do not agree with the rabbinic interpretations.) Despite common teaching, the biblical food laws were never rescinded in the New Testament.
Learn more about the biblical dietary laws with these FFOZ resources:
Holy Cow! Does God Care About What We Eat?
9. Who is Yeshua?
Yeshua is the Hebrew name of Jesus. The Apostles testify that Yeshua of Nazareth is the promised Davidic Messiah, the Son of God, the “Word made flesh” (John 1:14), “in whom the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9).
Learn more about Christology with these FFOZ resources.
