The Jerusalem Council

To be “under the fig tree” refers to studying about the Messiah, according to Micah 4:1-4.

What did Messiah do concerning a fig tree? He cursed it in Matt 21:19, and Mark 11:14. Why? Because it didn’t have any fruit, and only leaves, even though it was not the season for figs. Read the rest of this entry »

Exodus 21:1-24:18 Read the rest of this entry »

Matthew 11:13
παντες #G3956 γαρ #G1063{FOR ALL} οι #G3588{THE} προφηται #G4396{PROPHETS} και #G2532{AND} ο #G3588{THE} νομος #G3551{LAW} εως #G2193{UNTIL} ιωαννου #G2491{JOHN} προεφητευσαν #G4395 #G5656{PROPHESIED.}

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A Jewish understanding of Peter’s vision of the sheet with both clean and unclean animals, where he is told to “rise, kill, and eat,” is necessary to understand what God was teaching Peter, and not contradict the Word of God that came before. It is derived from an understanding of parasha Tazria (Leviticus 12-13), and has nothing to do with making unclean animals, like the pig, now clean and thus fit for consumption.

The key to understanding the vision is knowing the difference between the Hebrew concepts of tamai (unclean) and tahor (clean), and the Greek concepts of akathartos (unclean) and koinos (impure) which are used to further clarify the Hebrew concept of tamei (unclean). God can not contradict his Word. God does not say to Peter that that which is akathartos (unclean) is able to be made clean by God, but rather God only says that that which is koinos (impure) is able to be made clean by God. Koinos (impure) can only refer to something that was originally clean becoming contaminated by contact with something that is unclean. When we understand that God is realigning Peter’s false paradigm of Gentiles as somehow being akathartos (unclean without hope of being made clean) to rather instead of God’s paradigm that they are koinos (impure with hope of being made clean), we can see then why Peter acquiesced and was willing to go with the three Gentiles that immediately knocked on his door. This is why Peter concludes that he is never to call any man, no matter how much they’ve been defiled by idolatry (which is unclean itself and therefore makes clean things impure) unclean (like idolatary). But rather to see all men as koinos (impure, defiled with contact by things unclean such as idolatry) who can then be made clean again by faith in Messiah.

To help explain this, let me present to you what I think I’ve discovered as a connection between parasha Tazria (Leviticus 12-13), Babylonian Talmud Bava Metzia 86a, and Acts 10. Read the rest of this entry »

Matthew 5:22
But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, “Raca,” is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

I find it interesting that this parallels a section in Parasha Mishpatim: Read the rest of this entry »

Color Code:
NIV text | improved translation | insertion based on context (thought based on context)

Galatians 1

1Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by man, but by Messiah Yeshua and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2and all the brothers with me,
To the called-out assemblies in Galatia: Read the rest of this entry »

Romans 7:1
Do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to men who know the law

Question, why does Paul preface this, speaking to Romans if in fact he is making the case that they aren’t to bother with the law at all? Since Paul says this, it is very clear then that one can not understand what Paul is saying in Romans without first knowing and understanding the Torah! Read the rest of this entry »

Much of Acts 15, like much of the Acronim Ketuvim, is best understood in context. It is not a maximum list of prohibitions for believers from the nations, but rather is a minimum list with which converts to Judaism need to start with in order to participate in any Jewish community.
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