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Apostolic Writings Discussions Torah

Matthew 5:38-42: Yeshua restores the mercy-full meaning of ‘eye for eye’

“You have heard it said, but I say…” was a common rabbinic phrase used when a rabbi wanted to encourage yeshiva students to dissect and discuss a particular Torah principle. A “problematic” Torah edicts is “eye for eye, tooth for tooth,” etc. Many Christians and Jews are very uncomfortable with this “barbaric” “tit-for-tat” law.

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Apostolic Writings Discussions

Matt. 5:33-37: Learning how to swear biblically

Not coincidentally, Yeshua’s warning about taking oaths in Matthew 5 follows His reminder that God’s allowance for divorce is very narrow. Marriage vows are serious business, and oaths to or referencing God are even more grave.

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Apostolic Writings Discussions Life With God Sexuality

Sermon on the Mount: Yeshua and the Torah on adultery and divorce

Adultery and divorce are rampant problems in modern society, even among the body of believers in Yeshua (Jesus) as the Messiah. Rather than changing the words of Torah, Prophets and Writings on these two topics, Yeshua closes loopholes in interpretations of adultery laws and expands the meaning of adultery, in keeping with other teachings in the Scriptures.

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Apostolic Writings Discussions Prophets and Writings

Luke 6:20-26: Sermon on the Mount vs. Sermon on the Plain, part 2: Beatitudes in Isaiah 61

The focus of Isaiah 61 is the status of the poor. Notice there are several similarities between that passage and Yeshua’s “happy are”/“woe to” discourse, commonly known as the Beatitudes.

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Apostolic Writings Discussions

Luke 6:17-26: Sermon on the Plain vs. Sermon on the Mount, part 1: ‘Happy are’ vs. ‘woe to’

It’s difficult to feel “blessed” when life is difficult, when bad and evil things of our existence seem to dominate. However, one of the promises God makes throughout the Bible is that He will bring “woe,” or judgment, to the evil of the world. “Blessed are,” or “happy are,” those who trust that God will make good on those promises.