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 Discussions Torah Unleavened Bread

Journey to the 10 — Last Day of Feast of Unleavened Bread, crossing the Red Sea

The people of Israel arrive at the edge of the Red Sea. They have walked day and night for 7 days to reach this point. As they set their eyes on the Red Sea in front of them, they see the Egyptians coming behind. God has one last “elohim” of Egypt to judge before he takes the Israelites away from Egypt for good.

After a temporary lack of faith, God guides them through the water and they walk in “martial array” to the other side. The Egyptians, blindly follow them in and God creates havoc and it is the Egyptians who start to panic just before the sea swallows them whole. They are never a threat to Israel again.

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Apostolic Writings Discussions Torah

Journey to the 10 — The Wavesheaf Offering (Firstfruits or Raysheet Katzeer)

As Israel leaves Egypt for good, they are not fleeing in confusion and fear but walking in order and with purpose in what the NASB translation calls a “martial array.” They left with honor, glory, wealth and they were armed. However, they were not ready for war at this time. God gave both the old men and the young women with children the strength to walk by day and by night without fatigue. Even at this time, God was providing for their every need at the right time.

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Apostolic Writings Discussions Torah

Journey to the 10 — First day of Feast of Unleavened Bread and the meaning of ‘leaven’

Today is the 15th day of the first month of God’s year (Exodus 12). We are continuing our “Journey To the 10” which is the retelling of the journey from Egypt to Sinai. This discussion explores the meaning of leaven that God wants believers to remove from their lives.

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Apostolic Writings Discussions

Acts 21:27-22:29 — Paul’s defense literallly causes a riot

Paul had been attacked by those in the temple who thought he had brought uncircumcised believers from the nations inside while he was bringing four Nazarite vow-takers into the temple at the end of their time. The Roman commander in Yerushalayim pulled Paul out of the melee, and Paul received permission to address the crowd. The gathering quietly listened to his talk until he mention that the “Righteous One,” i.e. Messiah, had sent Paul to give the good news of God to the nations.

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Apostolic Writings Discussions

Acts 21:17-26 — Yerushalayim Council directed Paul to sponsor Nazarites to deflect accusations; introduction to ‘works of [the] law’

Paul returned to Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) to celebrate one of the appointed times of the LORD. While there, the leadership of the body of believers there note the great work God’s Spirit is doing among the nations but point out opposition from some believers who claim that Paul is teaching believing Jews to disregard Torah — the first five books of the Bible — and tradition. This was a revisiting of the ruling by the Yerushalayim Council, recorded in Acts 15, on what standard the new believers from the nations were called to follow.

Some claim this passage shows Paul’s “being all things to all people,” by going along with the supposedly obsolete Torah. A new body of New Testament scholars are warming to what’s called the New Perspective of Paul, which views the traditional interpretation of “works of law” in the letters to the Galatians and Romans as referring to the Torah itself to be misleading. Today’s discussion of this passage is a beginning point for looking at “works of law” before the study of Galatians begins after Acts.

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Apostolic Writings Discussions

Acts 21:1–16 — Paul travels from the isles of Asia toward Yerushalayim

Paul is anxious to return to Yerushalayim for the feast of Shavuot (Pentecost), but on his way he receives dire warnings of what would face him when he gets there. The events that occur in Yerushalayim start the process of Paul’s journey to Rome.

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Apostolic Writings Discussions

Acts 20 — Paul’s third journey continues: A death plot takes him to Asia for a resurrection, tearful farewell to Ephesus

Paul’s third journey through Asia (modern Turkey), Macedonia and Greece continued. After being run out of Ephesus, Paul traveled to Greece through Macedonia. He planned to sail from Greece to Syria, but the discovery of plot on his life prompted a return tour through Macedonia and western Asia (modern Turkey). During the journey, Paul’s prolific preaching made Eutychus “fall asleep in the LORD” literally and euphemistically, but Paul resurrected him. In another city, Paul confided to the elders of Ephesus that he was “innocent of the blood of all men” by fearlessly proclaiming the good news about God’s mercy for Jew and non-Jew through Messiah Yeshua, yet the Spirit was telling him continually that part of completing his task involved “facing the music” in Yerushalayim.