Yesterday's study.. What is the Torah.

The whole Bible was written by Hebrews surrounded by Hebrew culture and yet we have taken the Hebrew out of our 'Christian' religion.

So what is the Torah? I used to think it was the Jewish word for the OT. Well if fact, it is just the first 5 books of the bible. Over the years where the word Torah has been in the bible changed to law when in fact it means teachings. This happened when the bible was translated to Greek.

What came to be known as the OT Jesus called the Tanakh. T for Torah, N for Nevi'im (prophets), and K for K'tuvim (writings). You take those letters and add a couple vowels. Presto.

Have you heard of the Talmud? Well though that kind of intrigues me it is nothing more than religious commentary or tradition passed down through generations. There are 2 major competing versions of the Talmud: The Babylonian Talmud, and the Jerusalem Talmud. Although interesting, it isn't in the bible so therefore I don't pay it any mind.

The title of OT is purely man-made. As far as Jesus or anyone in the bible was concerned THAT WAS THE BIBLE. That was the very Bible that Jesus taught from. So when Jesus came, did he come to do away with the OT or Torah as so many people believe? Look at Matthew 5:17-19

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to
destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or
one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore
shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called
the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same
shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven (KJV).

Or the same verse from the complete Jewish bible which is taken from the original Hebrew texts
when many versions today are taken from the Septuagint, which is a Greek translation of the Hebrew, done over 2 centuries before Christ.

Don't think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to
abolish but to complete. Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away,
not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah- not until everything that
must happen has happened. So whoever disobeys the least of these mitzvot and teaches
others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever obeys
them and so teaches will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven (CJB).

(Notice where the cjb says torah the kjv says law =D)

Ok getting off track, where was I? Oh yeah so Jesus says that he isn't here to do away with the law. He DID NOT come to do away with it but complete it. Your bible probably says fulfill it. The Greek is the word 'pleroo' check out a concordance and it means to fill up. to accomplish. But today in our English fulfill means that something has ended. But the true meaning to fulfill is to 'fill full' or 'fill up' So Christ came to fill full the Torah of meaning, or bring it to its fullest extent.

The 'OT and NT' work together, and the OT is the foundation of the Bible. SO How can we just think that since Christ came we can be done and that the Tanakh is just for 'stories and moral lessons'? Biblically speaking the word Scripture or Holy Scripture ONLY refers to what we call the OT.

The Torah as with all the Bible is literal. It means what it says, and says what it means. What literal means when dealing with the bible is just as in our own conversations, at times, we use sayings etc that only our common culture can understand. Like "I'll be a monkey's uncle." Now we know what that means but if you were saying that to someone that isn't from our culture they would think you were a nutcase. It's the same with many biblical Hebrew words and phrases. They carried a perfectly clear meaning at one time, but our ears today don't get it. Literal means the literal MEANING intended within the context of the culture it was created.

Well that's if for me for now.... I should get something done around the house. Please comment I would love to hear your thoughts.