This is an interesting question because what is commonly taught within Christian circles is that because of Romans 6:14, and various other sections, such as Galatians 2:21 is that the Torah is either weakened or not necessary to follow. Before we begin though, we have to hear what Peter states about Paul's writings. He declares " “His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position” (2Pet.3:16f). This is important because this is what I am trying to demonstrate within my writings. I wish for Christians and Jews alike to keep this words in the back of their minds. It is a dangerous thing to hear someone who is telling us not to follow the Torah based off of what Paul states. I will show you why Paul's letters are indeed hard to understand, and even harder for those who do not wish to understand Jewish context of scripture. Peter goes on to declare that lawless (torahless) men are in error. Lets take this scripture in Romans 6:14 and Galatians 2:21 and read it for what it means. If we read Romans 6:14 it says - 14For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. Galatians 2:21 also reads - "21I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"[a] Galatians 2:16 is referencing the same exact concept "16know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified." Again though it follows suit that "through the law" or "by works of the law" and "under the law" are commonly utilized phraseology. Most people do not actually realize how commonly utilized it was, and how nonsurprising the information would be to someone hearing this and not actually think that the Torah was being communicated. This was commonly utilized and most people do not realize this. It also saves Paul from sounding like a schizophrenic person when we understand this. In Romans 7:12 for instance it states that the Torah is righteous. So following the Torah leads to righteousness. So what on Earth is Paul trying to tell us here? I believe a lot of this problem can be figured out by utilizing the interpretation given to the text by David Stern. We'll get to this a bit later. First of all, who is at fault here? It is the foundation of where most Christians get their information from. It is being taught in our churches that when Rav Shaul or Paul actually utilizes these phrases erga nomou and upo nomon as it is stated in the Greek it means the Torah. Where is the problem with all of this? The problem is that most Christians don't understand Greek. Furthermore, they don't understand what the Dead Sea Scrolls state. It is not taught in the churches what the Pharisees state according to the Dead Sea Scrolls under the Qumran community. And it becomes a significant fault because these are foundational structures for interpreting the Bible, the very ones that are utilized by scholars. So we see a problem here for those who need to understand the Jewish community and the language of Greek which is utilized by Christians when interpreting the Bible. A translator of the Bible David Stern is able to fix this problem by looking at the text and referring to erga nomou and upo nomo as legalistic observance of the Torah, which by definition would lead us to believe it is the Talmud that is being referred to in Romans 6:14 and Galatians 2:21. So lets go back to Paul's background. What do we know of Paul? That he was a Pharisee originally making a transition into a Jewish background that did away with the oral tradition, also known as the Messianic movement in today's environment. We have to understand the dead sea scrolls so lets go back a bit. How far do these terms "works of the Torah" and "under Torah" predate Paul? Most Christians would be absolutely floored that this terminology was utilized several hundreds of years before Paul even walked the face of the Earth. More significantly the terms are found in the Dead Sea Scrolls under "A Sectarian Manifesto 4QMMT:4Q394-399." Here it is stated " "Now, we have written to you some of the works of the Law, those which we determined would be beneficial for you and your people, because we have seen [that] you possess insight and knowledge of the Law. Understand all these things and beseech Him to set your counsel straight and keep you away from evil thoughts and the counsel of Belial. Then you shall rejoice at the end time when you find the essence of our words to be true. And it will be reckoned to you as righteousness, in that you have done what is right and good before Him, to your own benefit and to that of Israel."
Quoted from: A Sectarian Manifesto 4QMMT:4Q394-399. Now I want to look specifically at the time period of what is going on during these days. According to The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation by Michael Wise, Martin Abegg JR. & Edward Cook p.359, 364. "Works of the law" as we can clearly see is talking about the halakah, or oral tradition, as it is distinguished from the Torah. But the fact of the matter is that the oral traditions were followed by both the Essenes and the Pharisees. We can also detect based on this an earlier version of something similar to the Talmud, if not perhaps the very Talmud itself. An excellent idea for Christians is to order books on the Dead Sea Scrolls and look through the information that we have. It is the earliest documented Tanakh that we have available today, and its also significant in that it describes and discusses some interesting material about the early Jewish community. Lets continue now. The Essene tradition is based around an ultra religious halakah system as we have just discussed. They put the Oral tradition above the work of God. They would prefer to let someone drown on Shabbat rather than actually risk doing work. And these same rules and observances are being taught by Pharisees but not to this extreme. But I need to stop here. Some may be asking, what is the connection between the Pharisees and the Essenes? Well, the Essenes as a group are unmistakeably mysterious to certain degrees. But there is a direct connection, to the point that it has even been stated by certain scholars related to the subject that the Pharisees were connected in some way to this group, perhaps as a descendency. When comparing certain ways of the Pharisees with the Essenes there are tremendous parallels. "'And when the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that he had not first washed before dinner (tou aristou). And the Lord said unto him: Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter…Ye fools…behold all things are clean unto you (Luke 11:38-41).’
‘So they wash their whole body (apolouontai to swma) in cold water; and after this purification (agneian)…being clean (kaqaroi) they come to the refectory (to dine)…And when they have returned (from their day’s work) they sup in like manner (B. J. ii. 8. 5).’
‘After a year’s probation (the novice) is admitted to closer intercourse (proseisin eggion th diaith), and the lustral waters in which he participates have a higher degree of purity (kai kaqarwterwn twn proV agneian idatwn metalambanei, § 7).’
It is a custom to wash after it, as if polluted by it (§ 9).’
‘Racked and dislocated, burnt and crushed, and subjected to every instrument of torture…to make them eat strange food (ti twn asunhqwn)…they were not induced to submit (§ 10).’
‘Exercising themselves in…divers lustrations (diaforoiV agneiaiV...empaidotriboumenoi, § 12).’
The only difference we see really in this language is that within the Dead Sea Scroll language, the Essenes as I have laid claims to, take the tradition to an entirely different level. The Pharisees did hold the halakah to be equal to the Torah. We know that Paul was taught by one of the greatest teachers, Gamaliel, from the school of Hillel. So we know that the terminology when we compare the Aramaic documents with the Greek documents, and go back to the Aramaic sister language of Hebrew that what Paul is talking about is the Talmud, which is now written down. So what is really going on here is that Paul is approaching Gentiles who basically want to tell this guy to bug off. Pharisees were completely opposed to being associated with any sort of "alien"/Gentile. The Halakah thus was a dividing wall of enmity between Jews and Gentiles and often taught Jews to treat Gentiles as less than human beings. Do you not think that the Gentiles had never heard of Paul? One of the understudies to the most popular Talmudic (or halakah)teachers of the time period? So the Gentiles understand where Paul is coming from. He is a Pharisee in their eyes. He is going around telling the Gentiles that he is supposed to be leading them to the Messiah. And how do you think he would have been received by the Gentile nations? Not well at first until he wrote these letters describing his intentions. He is telling the Gentiles that we are not under the halakah! Glory! We are to not be like those who are following the traditions and dogma of man. Its really interesting that the only actual person utilized in Christian circles to not follow the Torah can be documented SOLELY by Paul. It is mentioned nowhere else in scripture in a questionable manner. The only one who Christians teach told us to do away with the Torah can allegedly be found in Paul's writings alone! Never in James is it said to be done away. Never in John's writings, nor Luke's writings, nor Mark or Matthew's writings is this taught. In the book of Matthew is teaches to follow the Torah. And in the book of Mark it is taught that the halakah or the oral tradition should not be taught by Yeshua as well. So the next time you hear someone teaching against following the Torah, ask where the person received the information from. Likely the source will be Paul. If you get that answer, then ask that individual why they adhere to the writings of Paul, because Yeshua clearly states in Matthew 5:17-20 " 17"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." By their reasoning and logic, Paul should not be a teacher of God, because he's not following God's instruction in Matthew 5. Make a determination as to whom you will believe, the interpretations of man, or after a more thorough background study, the correct interpretation of the Bible. Another thing that I would highly recommend readers of this blog to do is go out and find a copy of "The Complete Jewish Bible" by David Stern. Also tell others about this interpretation, because the answer to the question is that based off of material that we possess, David Stern is correct in interpreting the parts of the Bible that he interprets as the Talmud. Though his translation is not perfect, it fixes a lot of inaccuracies that can be found in most Christian Bibles, and it will give you the reader of the Bible a more clearer and solid foundation for what the intended message of the Bible really says and dictates.
Remember these words by Paul next time you wish to not follow the Torah.
"Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate , deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of Elohim, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." Romans 1:29-32
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