Category: Apostolic Writings

These studies cover the writings by the closest shelakhim (apostles) of Yeshua haMashiakh (Jesus the Christ). Commonly called the “New Testament,” this standard canon includes the four Gospels, the letters and the Apocalypse (Revelation).

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Apostolic Writings Appointments With God Atonement Discussions Torah

‘It’s not us; it’s You’: Unselfishness of God shown on Day of Atonement

Studies in Torah

Yom haKippurim (literally, Day of Coverings) is a day that wears many people out, because we’re focused on, When are we going to eat? Yet, we are to supposed to focus upon what the Son of God — the ultimate High Priest and fulfillment of the two goats of the day — did for us. He went through a tremendous affliction for us. The Day of Atonement is not about us and what we do but about the High Priest and what He does. It’s all about how God brings us to Himself. We are only drawn to God if He draws us to Himself.

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Apostolic Writings Appointments With God Atonement

Hebrews 10:26: What kind of ‘sinning willfully’ leaves one without forgiveness before God?

Many grow pale when reading Heb. 10:26 because they think their struggles with sin leave them in a place where not even Yeshua (Jesus) can atone for them. A closer look at the context of this passage and the letter to the Hebrews itself will help us get a better picture of the annual memorial of Yom haKippurim (Day of Atonement), Yeshua’s continuing role in it and the danger of acting as if His role as High Priest isn’t God’s intent.

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Apostolic Writings Discussions

Matthew 26:1-16: Anointing of Yeshua for burial

Jeff

We pause before studying Yeshua’s Passover meal with the 12 to consider an account (Mt. 26:1–16; Mk. 14:1–11; Jn. 12:1–11; Lk. 7:36–50) so important that Yeshua said it must be recounted wherever the good news of the Kingdom of God and the role of God’s Mashiakh (Messiah) in healing the gulf between mankind and God is proclaimed.

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Apostolic Writings Discussions Life With God

Luke 21:34-22:6: Guard your heart; It’s later than you think

Jeff

The Spirit of God is our burglar alarm, our crash-detection system. We should be praying for the Spirit of God to show us where we are “asleep” or “drunk,” in other words, weakness. We live as people who are not afraid of death because we are “awake,” in a continual state of alertness.

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Apostolic Writings Discussions Life With God

Phillipians 2:1-11: Regard others better than yourself

Jeff

We are to “regard one another as more important than yourselves” (Phil. 2:3). As the Messiah considered mankind more important than His standing with YHWH, so too, we should consider our brothers and sisters in faith worth our humbling ourselves. When God went to such lengths to make peace with us, we should be willing to go to great lengths to make peace and keep peace with others.

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Anger Apostolic Writings Discussions Life With God Torah

Real meaning of ‘eye for an eye’: God’s lessons in peace-making

A biblical man and a woman weighing each other on the scales of justice with northern lights. The Real Meaning of "eye for an eye" God's lessons in peacemaking.

Last time, we discussed lashon ha-ra (evil tongue, i.e., gossip, slander and divisiveness) and how it is one of the latter-day plagues among God’s people.

In this excursus, we will explore a related principle taught in Torah by Yeshua and His apostles: proportionality. A number of Christians often consider “eye for an eye and tooth for tooth” an example of the “old covenant” not to live by anymore and quote Yeshua to that effect.

Rather, we’ll see that “eye for an eye” is a Bible parabolic idiom teaching proportionality. The point of justice is to restore the offender to the community, not extract a pound of flesh.

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Apostolic Writings Discussions

Luke 21:25-28: Sign and sound of the coming of the Son of Man

Jeff

Continuing our study of Yeshua’s “apocalyptic discourse” in Luke 21, Matthew 24-25 and Mark 13, this time we focus on the phrase “sign of the Son of Man.”

The Exodus from Egypt came before God gave the Law at Sinai. Israel was given freedom from slavery before they learned His law.