Grace And Commandments: Do They Oppose Each Other?

Dan A. Rodriguez Articles, Books, and Podcasts

I trust you will hear the recoded message AND read this document. You need this information in your heart so you are not led astray by strange doctrines that have found their way into numerous churches and ministries. Those that require ritual commandment keeping of Christians, and those that deny keeping moral commandments in Christendom are all in for an eye-opening experience! We base it ALL on the clear teaching of God's Word, mainly from the Apostle Paul. So get informed and get grounded in Scripture in this 62-page mini-book. It's free of charge. In it is vital information that every Christian should know and understand. Why do so many err along these lines? They don't know the Scriptures or have only heard out-of-context verses quoted to them. Both are very bad for a Christian. We must know the Word in its context! That is the ONLY way to stay out of error. The more you know Scripture the lees you will be deceived. That is the "why" of this study.

Here is the link to the most recent revised copy in English:

https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/398pmd/Did_the_Grace_of_God_Cancel_Biblical_Commandments_REV_2018.pdf

Be mightily blessed!

Dan A. Rodriguez

Spanish language text and download link are after the following excerpt in English from the PDF doc.

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Part 1: Why Force the Gentiles to Live like Jews?

Why do we need a message like this today? Look around and note the modern teachings spreading among the churches. There are those that emphasize we should keep Sabbath days, feasts and festivals, laws concerning foods, and other ritual laws of Israel. On the other hand, there are ministers, churches, and books that insist that we are not under any law and that we should not obey Old Testament commandments.

I have heard it taught that we are not subject to any of the Ten Commandments because all commandments were under the law, and they are not a part of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. What teachings are right? What does the Scripture say about these things? What did the apostles teach? In this mini book, you will see what the Word says about these things and you will be able to share it effectively. I am going to begin with the book of Galatians. The theme of the book of Galatians was to bring correction to error spreading through certain Jewish believers among churches, specifically in the gentile world. These Jewish believers wanted to impose upon the gentiles converted to Christ the necessity of obeying laws and statues given by God to Moses for the children of Israel. Why force the gentiles to live like Jews? In Paul’s own words to Peter and the Galatians, “How can you try to force the gentiles

to live like Jews?” (Galatians 2:14 NET) These Jewish believers were also “trying to
force you to be circumcised” (Galatians 6:12 NET). We can ask the same questions
today of those that demand that Christians keep ritual or ceremonial laws required
of national Israel. Let us bluntly ask them: “Why are you forcing gentiles to live like
Jews?”

Look at other translations of Galatians 2:16:
“How can you compel gentiles to live like Jews?” (CSB)
“How can you require the gentiles to live like Jews?” (CEB)
“So how can you insist that people who are not Jewish must live like Jews?” (GW)
“So why do you now try to force those who are not Jewish to live like Jews? (NCV)
“Why do you make the people who are not Jews live like the Jews?” (NLV)
“How can you force gentiles to become Jews?” (NTE)

In Spanish, there is one well-known version that states, “Why do you coerce the
gentiles to practice Judaism?” (LBLA)

Paul reveals his teaching and thinking on the subject with this statement. In the apostle’s doctrine there was a clear distinction between what was a necessary for the gentiles converted to Christ and what was the practice of Judaism. This will all make sense soon, but here is what I am asking: Should Christians today be under obligation to keep Sabbath days, feasts (Pentecost, Day of Atonement, Passover, Tabernacles, etc.), use prayer shawls, phylacteries, practice circumcision, and should they maintain kosher in their homes by distinguishing between clean and unclean foods? In other words, should we feel under obligation to keep and obey ritual-ceremonial laws given to Israel?

Do I have to tell you that there is much confusion on this subject in Christianity? The Body of Christ (the Church) needs a Biblical perspective and not a traditional or modern interpretation of the subject. Our opinions and doctrines are worthless in this respect. We need to see it in the Scripture and then abide by its instruction. That is my only purpose in this treatise. If you are a Jewish believer in Jesus, or if you are a Christian with no Jewish background, you really need to read these articles. They will answer many questions. What was happening among the Galatians? Among other things, Jewish believers were insisting that male gentile converts to Christ needed to be circumcised. To receive circumcision for a Jew indicated that he entered into the covenant of God with Abraham and his descendants, and that he was to submit to the laws given by God at Sinai exclusively for the nation of Israel. Paul understood that no gentile converts to the Lord Jesus needed physical circumcision to enter into a relationship with God. To attempt to enter into a relationship with God via circumcision, after entering into covenant via faith in Jesus, was to deny and reject what was already received. Look at Galatians 5:1-12, 6:12-15.

Circumcision was not the only part of Israelite ceremonial-ritual laws that were not to be demanded of gentiles converted to Christ.

But now you know the true God. Really, though, it is God who knows you. So why do you turn back to the same kind of weak and useless rules you followed? Do you want to be slaves to those things again? It worries me that you follow teachings about special days, months, seasons, and years. I fear that my work for you has been wasted (Galatians 4:9-11 ERV).

The Expanded Bible translates and states about these verses in Galatians 4:9-11: But now you know the true God. Really, it is God who knows you. So do [L how can] you turn back to those weak and [bankrupt; L poor] [or spiritual forces; or elementary principles/powers; v. 3] you followed before? Do you want to be subject to those things again? You still follow teachings about [are observing/keeping] special days, months, seasons, and years [C probably Jewish Sabbaths and festivals, which Paul’s opponents claimed must be observed to be saved].

These Galatian gentile converts to Jesus were being influenced and then submitting to what the Jewish believers wanted to impose upon them, but Paul firmly opposed these demands. How could Christians from a gentile background turn back to these ritual-ceremonial commandments that had to do with keeping or observing special days like the Sabbath, months (new moons), seasons, and years. These words,“months, seasons and years,” were most likely referring to the feasts and festivals of Israel like the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), Tabernacles (Succoth), Passover (Pesach), Pentecost (Shavuot), New Year (Rosh Hashanah), and others. For gentiles converted to the Lord, these ceremonial-ritual commandments to observe certain rituals during these times of the year had little if any significance. Gentiles were pagan idolaters, ignorant, and completely unaccustomed to Jewish rituals or ceremonies. They were not raised in them nor taught them from an early age as was customary among the Jews. For gentiles converted to the Lord, these rituals were weak and made them slaves to a system of sacrifice and ritual meant only for Israel. Read the previous paragraph again, and get these truths into your heart. Paul was not sent as an apostle to the Jews, but to the gentiles (Rom. 11:13). He emphasized that Christians from a gentile background were not under obligation to ritual-ceremonial laws because they were only applicable to the nation of Israel. That is THE truth of the matter, but further explanation is necessary to avoid any misunderstandings. By the end of these articles there should be NO doubt in your thinking about this subject.

The Temporary Nature of Ritual Ceremonial Laws

The other side to this is much more important. It is the fact that with the coming and sacrifice of Jesus came an eternal fulfillment of all ritual-ceremonial laws that began at Sinai and ended with the coming of the Christ (Messiah). The ceremonial-ritual law was a temporary measure instituted by God UNTIL the manifestation and sacrifice of the Messiah. This was Paul’s teaching on the subject of Galatians 3:16-25. Please read it carefully, but note what else Paul taught about it.

So do not let anyone criticize you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating Jewish holidays and feasts or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these were only temporary rules that ended when Christ came. They were only shadows of the real thing of Christ himself (Colossians 2:16, 16 TLV).

I don’t know how much clearer a verse could possibly be! You would need demonic deception to misunderstand this! The apostle taught that all ritual-ceremonial laws given to Moses at Sinai, those such as Jewish holidays and feasts, new moon ceremonies, or Sabbaths were temporary rules. That means that there would be a time coming when these would no longer be demanded. They ceased being an obligation with the coming of Jesus. These ritual ceremonies were the shadow of someone greater to come, and His Name is Jesus! These ritual-ceremonial aspects of law were the shadow of the eternal (the real) that came through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

When the Lord Jesus Christ suffered death and shed His blood for us, He fulfilled the Passover lamb sacrifice. (See 1 Cor. 5:7.) He offered one sacrifice that never needs to be repeated again. It was an eternal sacrifice and redemption! (See Hebrews 9:9-15.) There never needs to be another blood sacrifice for the atonement of sin. His sacrifice dealt with the sin problem once and for all (for those that believe in Him and receive His sacrifice). Jesus was the fulfillment of every sacrifice and burnt offering offered by the priesthood of Israel. This is the great theme of Hebrews chapters 7 through 10.

Jesus was made the eternal High Priest, not according to the order of Aaron, but according to that of Melchizedek (Hebrews 6:20-7:28).

Christ was the last sacrifice and spotless Lamb offered up once for us (1 Peter 1:19). Again, His sacrifice fulfilled the shadow, which was all related to the Temple, priesthood, and the sacrifices.

Now the church, the Body of Christ, and the individual believer, come to be God’s Temple (1 Cor. 3:16, 6:19; Eph. 2:21).

We become a holy priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices under Jesus the High Priest. (1 Peter 2:9; Hebrews 13:15) We do not offer the blood and bodies of ritually slaughtered innocent animals for the forgiveness of sins.

Today, if we sin, we have the Blood of Jesus to wipe away our sins. We acknowledge or confess our sins, receive forgiveness, and are cleansed from all unrighteousness because of the Blood of Jesus that was shed for us (1 John 1:7-10).

Have you heard that we should learn more about our Hebrew roots?

Some Christians insist that believers should observe the feasts and festivals of Israel, and especially Sabbath days, because Christ is found in all of them, and He was their fulfillment. Yes, we can all benefit from learning about feasts, festivals, and Sabbath days, and we can see the shadow of Messiah clearly expressed in them. Yes, there are important truths that can be learned by studying the Hebrew roots of Christianity in the first century.

There are words and verses in the New Testament that are misunderstood and generally misinterpreted when looked at in English or from the Greek. These can ONLY be properly understood when you look at the Hebrew- Jewish background of the first century.

To give you one powerful example, take the related words faith and believe. These words came into the Greek New Testament from the Septuagint, an ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Scripture used by all the original writers of the New Testament. Neither of the words faith or believe have anything to do with “beliefs” as such. When used in reference to God they are better understood by the words trust, faithfulness, loyalty, steadfastness, firmness, obedience, and yielding to Him and His Word. To believe on Jesus is not a belief system you embrace. It means that you yield and humble yourself to who Jesus is (He becomes your Lord) and to what He has done for you (His sacrifice), and that you become His faithful, loyal, and steadfast follower. Much error has developed and been propagated by churches because of not understanding these BASIC truths, easily understood when proper research is done into the background and usage of these words in Hebrew!

I recognize the importance of studying the Hebrew roots of first century Christianity and have been a student since 1985. Here’s my point: you can learn much about the Hebrew-Jewish background of Christianity without feeling obligated to observe the feasts, festivals, Sabbath days, and dietary laws (keeping kosher) as practiced in Judaism.

Another point to keep in mind is that for the apostle Paul and the early church there was a vast difference between ceremonial-ritual laws meant only for Israel, and moral laws or commandments that apply to everybody, Jew or Gentile. We will look at this in some detail.

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Download the rest of this powerfully revealing mini book using this link: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/398pmd/Did_the_Grace_of_God_Cancel_Biblical_Commandments_REV_2018.pdf Be blessed!

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En Español es más corto pero aún muy jugoso:

Este estudio en Español de 26 páginas en formato PDF es sumamente importante porque hay aquellos que enseñan hoy que todos los creyentes están bajo obligación guardar el Sábado, las fiestas (Pentecostés, Día de Expiación, Pascua, Tabernáculos, etc.), la circuncisión, y que deben guardar leyes acerca de comidas limpias e inmundas. En otras palabras, enseñan que todos los creyentes deben guardar leyes rituales-ceremoniales que Dios le dio a Israel.

Debemos mirar esto de las escrituras y así eliminar cualquier duda. Hay mucha confusión entre cristianos sobre este tema. Y muchos creyentes, que no sienten el deseo ni la obligación de guardar ningún acto ritual judío, no saben como explicarle a otros porque no tienen la necesidad guardar estos actos rituales-ceremoniales. Por eso este estudio, para que obtengas conocimiento claro sobre este tema desde la perspectiva Bíblica.

Este artículo es con el propósito de mostrar lo que Pablo y los apóstoles establecieron como necesario para las iglesias. Acuérdate de esto y lee el documento en su totalidad para que veas que yo no tengo ningún deseo de condenar a nadie. Pero si voy a decirle aquí al principio, y es que no estoy de acuerdo con que ningún creyente en Cristo practique el judaísmo. Debe ser obvio porque, generalmente hablando, el judaísmo niega a Jesucristo y su su obra redentora. Eso dicho, para los judíos mesiánicos, ustedes no practican el judaísmo tradicional porque son creyentes en Jesucristo, aun con guardar sábado, y practicar otras cosas del judaísmo. Lo siento si piensas distinto a eso. Permite las escrituras.

Pero hay otra consideración: cuantas iglesias mesiánicas echan fuera demonios, predican el evangelio para que personas vengan a Cristo, reciban el bautismo en el Espíritu Santo y las lenguas, e imponen manos sobre los enfermos para sanidad? Si no lo están haciendo entonces son iglesias o "sinagogas" que no siguen el patrón del libro de los Hechos, por ejemplo 1:8, 2:38, 19:1-20, y la gran comisión en Marcos 16:15-20. Y que de todas las iglesias "cristianas" que están muertas o cerca de la muerte y no tienen el fuego del Espíritu Santo para llevar a cabo esta gran comisión de Cristo y cumplir con el ejemplo del libro de los Hechos? Son iglesias que tienen una forma de piedad pero niegan el poder de Dios. (2 Timoteo 3:7)

Mi pregunta inicial en este documento es la misma que hizo Pablo acerca de los gentiles que se convertían a Dios:

“¿Por que obligas a los gentiles a vivir como judíos?” (Gálatas 2:14 LBLA).

Vamos a contestar esta y muchas otras preguntas con la Palabra de Dios. Mi deseo profundo es que seas enriquecido en tu conocimiento y que seas liberado de tradiciones y errores que esclavizan a muchos creyentes.

Usa este eslabón para español.

https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/c3nmd5/La_Diferencia_Entre_Mandamientos_Rituales_y_Morales_y_La_Responsabilidad_del_Creyente_Conforme_a_Las_Ep_stolas_Apost_licas.pdf

Son amados,

Dan A. Rodriguez