This is in religious debates and so is open to everyone.
In trying to understand Christianity and what underpins it, I keep coming up against essentially the belief that the Torah isn't enough, it's not good enough, it doesn't do this or that.
Psalm 19 says 'The Law of the Lord is perfect', and the Torah in Deut 4 says not to add or take away from it, and in Deut 30 it says it is not far away, hard to do etc.
Can someone please explain to me, if the Torah is perfect, which the Tanakh says it is, why is Jesus or Christianity as a whole necessary? There shouldn't be any need for any 'new' revelation or upgrade, per the Torah itself (it would be adding or taking away).
Can you still have Christianity if you believe the Torah is perfect? I don't believe you can.
Hi Rival. Good evening. You ask a very good question and skimming over the answers by Chr-stians it appears many refuse to handle the Word of Yahweh honestly which demonstrates an impure heart. If people want to find an excuse to give in to their carnal natures and not struggle against that weakness of character, they will skew the Bible to their liking to try to get out of law-keeping. Mankind has a proclivity to rejection of the Law, but in the end, the wages of sin (transgression of the Law) has always been and will always be death (Romans 6:23). Paul, who calls himself a Benjamite, an Apostle and also a Rabbi said: "but we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of Yahweh *deceitfully*; but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of Yahweh." (1 Corinthians 4:2) My conscience would certainly bother me if I started claiming or believing that the Law of Yahweh is something that should no longer be adhered to and I know it would produce evil fruit in my life. Yahshua was the greatest Jew, the greatest Rabbi, the strongest spiritual person this world has ever seen, and as a Rabbi (
Mark 9:5,
Mark 11:21,
John 1:38 etc) He kept and taught the Law of Yahweh. Ever heard of a Rabbi that does not teach the Law of Yahweh? I think it would be rather oxymoronic to have a no-Law Rabbi.
Nonetheless, I would like to point out that the word here for perfect in Psalm 19 is
tāmîm and means whole, entire, or sound according to Strong's Concordance.
Yahshua the Messiah didn't come to destroy the Law as Chr-stians are saying, He came to do (or fulfill) the Law. We also must do, or fulfill the Law. Yahshua said in Matthew 5, right at the beginning of his ministry: "Think not that I came to DESTROY the law or the prophets: I came NOT to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For truly I say to you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one yothe or one tittle shall in NO wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished. 19 Whoever therefore shall BREAK one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called LEAST in the kingdom of heaven: but whoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say to you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven."
You no doubt know of our stance in the Assemblies of Yahweh as we have spoken about this before. Chr-stianity is way off track and actually, the early Messianic believers were keepers of the commandments. It was only when an influx of mainly Greeks, being Gentiles, came in to Assembly, that the Laws of Yahweh and their necessity in keeping them were contested. The Holy Spirit is not in Chr-stianity except it is moving externally on individuals around the world and convicting them to come in to the one true faith, the Assemblies of Yahweh, where the Holy Spirit may then be internalized.
However, I am not a respector of persons, and just because I criticize Chr-stianity for it's departure from the true faith, I will not hold back from my concerns with Judaism. Chr-stianity has taken away from the Law but If Judaism truly believes the Law of Yahweh is perfect as you have said, why has Judaism added to the Biblical Law in the oral Law, and actually, elevated traditions which are completely unscriptural to the same level as Yahweh's Law in some cases. Didn't you allude in your OP to Deuteronomy 4:2 which says: "You shall not add to the word which I command you, *neither* shall you diminish from it, that you may keep the commandments of Yahweh your Elohim which I command you." Yahshua our Savior had this problem in
Matthew 15:2 when the Pharisees accused Yahshua's disciples of transgressing the tradition of the Elders for not washing their hands before eating, a completely unscriptural practice adhered to by Jews even today in the netilat yadayim. I don't think you would want to hear of some of the things which really concern me regarding Judaism, such as the rule where one is not to brush their hair on the Sabbath because a hair might fall out of our head. Therefore, Judaism has made law-keeping a burden by their added regulations when realistically, Yahweh's Law in all its simplicity is a delight.
Regarding the Law of Yahweh, it is absolutely incomprehensible to the thinking person that Yahweh would ever go back on Himself and remove the Law, which shows us Yahweh's character, will and mind, from His Covenant with His people. Without adherence to the Law, we will be wicked people. Nonetheless, I want to remind you that at certain times in history, the Law was slightly adjusted and if you do not believe me, you can refer yourself to roles of the Levites and the Priests. Their roles changed somewhat after the construction of the Temple. No longer did the Tabernacle and the artifacts need to be moved from place to place, but there was a permanent residence for the Ark in the Temple, and King David commanded 'courses' for the priests. The priestly divisions or sacerdotal courses (Hebrew: מִשְׁמָר mishmar) are the groups into which Jewish priests were divided for the purposes of their service in the Temple in Jerusalem. The 24 priestly divisions are first listed in the Biblical Book of Chronicles 24.
Now, with the Holy Spirit imparted to the True Believers in the Assemblies of Yahweh in Yahshua's Name, it is the Spirit that aids us in our walk with Yahweh and helps us to bring forth good fruit by helping us to keep the commandments of Yahweh and bringing the Word to remembrance (John 14:26). This new and better system does not put the Law to one side, but the Spirit of Yahweh internalizes the Law in our hearts and minds, something old Israel did not do. Just like the Temple superseded the Tabernacle, so we also become Temple's of the Holy Spirit - Temples, which contain the Ark (the Law, the manna), the Bread, and the Shekhinah Glory of Yahweh.
