Bible Studies

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Our Fathers Have Inherited Lies 3
By David Wiseman
I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plummet; and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding-place. Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 28:17
Two men sat in an airy study, the big bay windows thrown open wide, letting the light, sweet, spring air waft in. A mocking bird chirruped gaily, and a squirrel replied with furious, tittering barking. A tall, droop-eared, sad-eyed hound lay beside the big mahogany desk, and somewhere could be heard the baying bark of another hound. The light tumbled down through the leaves, splashing on the ground and into the study stained green. Flowers from a budding Mimosa tree drifted in and lay peacefully on the windowsill.
The two men sat at the desk, a tall man in a business suit behind it, with the grassy, well-treed garden at his back. He was blonde and smiling, with an intelligent look in his eyes. The other man, who sat with his back to the book cases and the mahogany panels, looking out into the spring day, was short and dark-haired with a full beard and a Semitic look about him.
The tall man was just opening his Bible, a clean looking, though very worn, King James Version. “Look at Romans chapter 10, verse four.” The little man hauled a gargantuan interlinear up onto the table, and cracked it open, letting it fall with a thud to the tenth chapter of Romans. The taller man, John, read, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”
A slight smile spread across John’s face, as he watched his friend, David, read over the verse.
David drew a breath, and answered, “Have you ever taken a philosophy course?”
John, a little surprised, replied, “No. Not really.”
David nodded, then continued quietly. “The word in question, ‘end,’ is the Greek word tellos. It is a literal term, ‘end,’ but also a philosophical term. You’ve heard the phrase, ‘the end justifies the means.’ What does ‘end’ mean in those terms? The goal. Tellos has the same virtue, of being the goal, not only the ending. If Shaul were saying that Y’shua was the ending of the Torah, he would be in direct contradiction of what Y’shua Himself said in Matthew chapter 5.
“This translation makes much more sense when it is read in context of the rest of the chapter. Especially when Shaul says, in verses 6-8, ‘But the righteousness which is of faith says this, "Don't say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' (that is, to bring Messiah down); or, 'Who will descend into the abyss?' (that is, to bring Messiah up from the dead.)" But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth, and in your heart;" that is, the word of faith, which we preach,’
“Here Shaul is quoting Deuteronomy 30:11-14. Would you read that for me?”
John flipped quickly to Deuteronomy and read, “‘For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, “Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?” Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, “Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?” But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.’”
“This passage is clearly talking about the Torah, but Shaul uses it to refer to Y’shua, so we clearly see that Y’shua is the Torah, as John says in John chapter 1, ‘And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, as the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.’”
John was ready with another question, “What about in Colossians 2:14, where it says, ‘Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross’?”
“When are laws written against people? They aren’t. Judgments and warrants are, but not laws. The word here is ‘decrees.’ What he’s talking about is not laws, but indictments of guilt. You see this more clearly when you read it in context. Read verse 13, as well. ‘And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross,’”
“In II Corinthians 3:7,” John rejoined, “doesn’t Paul call the Law the ‘ministration of death’?”
“No,” David explained, “he called obeying the letter of the Law the ‘ministration of death’ not the Torah itself. He makes that clear if it is kept in context. He makes it clear that the ministration of righteousness is the spirit of the Torah.”
John flopped back into his spacious leather armchair and groaned.
Leaning forward in his chair David prodded, “‘I call the Heavens and the earth this day to witness against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore, choose life, that you and your seed may live.’ Deuteronomy 30:19.”
Sources: King James Version Bible, Hebrew Names Bible, Paul Younan’s Aramaic and English interlinear, Paul Younan’s Aramaic Lexicon, Strong’s Concordance

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