The Epistles of Paul - Romans Part 2, 04-04-2014

Presenting the first half of Romans chapter 1 last week, we left off with verse 17 and Paul's citation of Habakkuk 2:4 where he says that “the just shall live by faith”. In commenting upon that citation, we established that in the context of the original remark as it is found in Habakkuk, the statement intends to describe the righteous of those of the children of Israel who were going to be taken into Babylonian captivity. Because the Law had failed when the rulers and priests of Israel began to deal unjustly, the people were fated to be oppressed and forced to live under the laws of Babylon, a situation which was to endure for an appointed time. In Ezekiel chapter 21 we have corroboration for this interpretation, where Yahweh said He will cut off from the land of Israel both the righteous and the wicked. From Habakkuk chapter 2: “3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. 4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.” In the epistle to the Romans, Paul was teaching the fulfillment of these words in Habakkuk, which is assured where the prophet wrote “in the end it shall speak”, meaning that the fulfillment would indeed become evident. Paul is showing us that fulfillment is in the turning of the dispersed children of Israel to Christ. This is why, in the next several chapters of this epistle, Paul demonstrates that those of Israel who are just in the eyes of God are not manifest in a keeping of the rituals of the Law, but instead they are manifest by a turning to the faith of Christ along with an exhibition of the law which Yahweh promised would be written in their hearts. The next few verses of this first chapter of Romans fully demonstrate that the children of Israel, and no others, certainly remain the focus of the Gospel message.

The Epistles of Paul - Romans Part 4, 04-25-2014

Discussing Romans chapter 2 we saw that the prophets of Yahweh announced the failure of the law of God on the part of the children of Israel because they refused to keep it. With that, Yahweh God Himself also announced that the ritual sacrifices, feasts and other works of the law conducted by the children of Israel would no longer be acceptable to Him. Establishing these things, we cited lengthy passages from 1 John chapter 1, Isaiah chapter 1, Hosea chapter 8 and Jeremiah chapter 6. All of these prophets were found to be in agreement with Habakkuk, whom Paul had quoted in Romans chapter 1, where that prophet said that the law had failed because Israel did not keep it, and for that reason “the just shall live by faith”, as Paul had quoted. We must always bear in mind that none of this is about the failure of God, but rather it is about the education of His people.

With such an understanding, we may then perceive why Paul told the Romans “for as many as have done wrong without law, without law then are they cleansed; and as many as have done wrong in the law, by the law they will be judged”, at Romans 2:12. The prophets had also clearly foretold that the dispersed children of Israel, who no longer had the Levitical law, would be cleansed of their sins by Yahweh apart from the law. So apart from Yahshua Christ there is no propitiation for sin, and those many Judaeans of the first century who rejected Christ would be judged by the law. For that same reason Christ told them that they would die in their sins.

The Epistles of Paul - Romans Part 6, 05-09-2014

In Romans chapter 4 we saw the substance of the faith of Abraham as it was explained by Paul of Tarsus himself, that the gifts of the promises of God are for those nations which sprung from the seed of Abraham, from Abraham's loins, as the promises of the Old Testament which Paul cited certainly attest. Those promises are not conditional upon the keeping of the law, since they were delivered long before the giving of the law and since they were made without condition. However on the other hand, with the passing of the Levitical priesthood and the end of the rituals, Paul had also explained that those nations descended from Abraham should by nature keep the laws which Yahweh God had written upon their hearts.

The scoffers and Judaizers sought to keep Christians bound to the rituals of the law, and under their own thumbs since they pretended to be the experts in the law. The apostles, however, responded negatively to this. Peter is recorded as having said, in Acts chapter 15: “9 And distinguishing nothing between both us and them, by faith He cleanses their hearts. 10 Therefore now why tempt Yahweh to place a yoke upon the necks of the students which neither our fathers nor us have been able to bear?” Likewise James is recorded in that same place, “14 Sumeon has declared just how at the first Yahweh considered to take from among the Nations a people in His Name [which according to the prophets are all those scattered Israelites who would turn to Christ]. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree just as it is written: 16 After these things 'I shall return' and 'I shall rebuild the tent of David which has fallen and I shall rebuild its ruins and I shall set it up again, [David ruled over all twelve tribes, which split apart and followed Baal after Solomon died, and this is the tent to be rebuilt in Christ] 17 that those remaining of men [the remnant of Israel] seek Yahweh, and all the Nations whom have My Name labeled upon them [the Nations of the promise to Abraham], says Yahweh doing these things 18 known from of old [the reconciliation of Israel was known from of old because it is written in the prophets].' 19 On which account I judge not to trouble those from among the Nations who turn to Yahweh, 20 but to enjoin them to abstain from things polluted by idols and from fornication and from that which is strangled and from blood. 21 For Moses from generations of old has those who are proclaiming him in each city in the assembly halls, being read each and every Sabbath.” Of course, the summons to keep the ten commandments were already a part of the Gospel, and there are evident cultural reasons why the apostles added these few things which we see here. But we must note that Paul was in agreement with the apostles concerning the laws of Moses, and the epistles of James and Peter are also found to be in agreement.

The Epistles of Paul - Romans Part 8, 05-23-2014: Israel as a Nation was and is the Bride of Yahweh

The Bible itself tells us that it is the book of the race of the Adamic man, in Genesis chapter 5. But very little is given of what is, at least by the Septuagint chronology, a 2,200 year history from the Creation of Adam unto the Flood of Noah. Then we have a table of Nations in Genesis chapter 10, and these Adamic descendants of Noah are the White nations of ancient history. They are all identifiable as such in Scripture and in archaeology and classical history, in spite of the fact that the Canaanites who are also listed are set apart as being accursed and as being race-mixers, fornicators and sodomites later in Scripture. With the establishment of these nations there are, by an approximation taken once again from the Septuagint, over 1500 years until the event which is commonly known as the Call of Abraham. None of the history of this 1500 years is recorded in Scripture. While very little of it is known from history or archaeology, from the records found on clay tablets and other inscriptions which have been dug out of the ground in Mesopotamia we can indeed tell the accuracy of what Scripture does provide.

Scripture records that during these first 3,700 years, Yahweh God had made promises to our entire race, such as those which are recorded in Genesis chapters 3 and 9, and those promises have never been revoked. The promises of God are, as Paul says in Galatians, irrevocable. However very little of nearly four thousand years of Adamic history before the birth of Jacob are mentioned at all. From the time of the Call of Abraham, the entire scripture has been focused upon one man's family, and the promises to Abraham which were transmitted to his offspring through Jacob-Israel. From that time, the other White Adamic nations are only mentioned where they come into contact with Israel. Wherever non-Adamic peoples are referenced in Scripture, it is only in relation to something wicked, or to some plague or some curse.

The Epistles of Paul - Romans Part 10: The Gift of the Spirit is Genetic, 06-13-2014

In Romans chapter 5 Paul described how not only the children of Israel but even the entire Adamic race has a sure promise of eternal life in Christ. In chapter 6 Paul explained that obedience to the law remains necessary in spite of the fact that men would not be judged by the law. In chapter 7 Paul explained how Israel was freed from the law in Christ, and also explained how the law should encourage men not to sin, how by it men should learn the nature and consequences of sin, and how it should help men to understand their own sinful nature whether they succeed or fail on any given occasion, as opposed to their spiritual nature by which they can overcome sin and the weaknesses of the flesh. The law being spiritual, those with the Spirit of Yahweh can indeed conform themselves to the law, and agree with it even though there may be times when they fail, being in the flesh. These things are necessary to recall, since Romans chapter 8 in its entirety is a long conclusion to the several chapters which precede it. Romans chapter 8 both concludes and also confirms many of the things which Paul had said in the previous chapters.

1 Now then, there is no condemnation to those among the number of Christ Yahshua.

The words ἐν χριστῶ ἰησοῦ are literally “in Christ Yahshua” but here they are “among the number of Christ Yahshua”, representing an idiomatic meaning of the word ἐν which Liddell & Scott explain in their definition of the word at ἐν, I. 3. “in the number of, amongst”.

The Codex Alexandrinus (A) and some later manuscripts add onto the end of this verse the words “who walk not in accordance with the flesh”, to which the Majority Text and other later manuscripts, and therefore the King James Version, further add the words “but in accordance with the Spirit”. The text of the Christogenea New Testament is supported by the Codices Sinaiticus (א), Vaticanus (B) and Claromontanus (D). The same phrase appears in the verse 4 of this chapter where it is attested by all manuscripts and where it certainly belongs. This is a significant interpolation. It is my opinion that interpolations such as this one support the Catholic ideas of heaven and hell which, according to Flavius Josephus, belonged to the ancient Pharisees. Indeed, Paul wrote only that “there is condemnation to those among the number of Christ Yahshua” because all the seed of Israel shall be justified, as the Word of Yahweh says in Isaiah chapter 45.

One cannot truly understand Romans chapter 9 without understanding the demographic makeup of the Roman province of Judaea during the time of Christ. This is because an understanding of Paul's statements in this chapter, and the chapters beyond where he continues the same topic he presents here, hinges on two statements which are made by Paul in the opening verses. These are in verse 3 where he expresses a deep concern “for the brethren, my kinsmen in regards to the flesh”, and then he goes on to say that “not all those who are from Israel are those of Israel”. Seeing this, there are a few things which are clearly obvious, the first being that Paul is a racist concerned only with Israelites in regards to the flesh, whether or not they have accepted the Gospel, and secondly that not everyone in Israel at Paul's time is of that flesh, since not everyone in Israel is an Israelite!

Paul is a racist, and not even the King James Version obscures the meaning of his statement where it reads that Paul has sorrow in his heart for “my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh”, and from that point Paul goes on to comparing Jacob with Esau, and vessels of mercy, referring to Israelites, compared to vessels of destruction, referring to Edomites. To understand why Paul would say these things requires an understanding of the population of Judaea in Paul's time. There is nothing “spiritual” about Paul's words here, since he himself professes that his brethren are “according to the flesh”, and not according to what they may profess or claim to believe.

The Epistles of Paul - Romans Part 14, 07-11-2014:

The last two segments of this presentation were spent in a lengthy discussion of Romans chapter 9, which Paul began with an ardent plea for his “brethren”, whom he defined as his “kinsmen according to the flesh”. Here it is evident, that Paul did not use the terms brother and kinsman the way today's denominational sects claim that they should be used. Rather, Paul's brethren and kinsmen were “according to the flesh”, and those whom he was concerned for he was praying for because they did not yet accept the Gospel.

Paul went on to explain that his brethren and kinsmen “according to the flesh” were Israelites, and to the Israelites belonged the adoption, covenants, law, service and promises of Yahweh God. That leaves nothing for non-Israelites. We see that Paul reckoned Israel “according to the flesh”, and not according to what any of them as individuals may have believed. Rather, he was concerned that he still had brethren “according to the flesh” in Judaea who did not believe. This is a clear refutation of the so-called “spiritual Israel” doctrine of the denominational sects. Israel is “according to the flesh”, and Israel was reckoned by tribes in Matthew chapter 19 and Luke chapter 22, Acts chapter 26, James chapter 1 and Revelation chapters 7 and 21. Tribes can only be natural, genetic Israelites.

The Epistles of Paul - Romans Part 16, 08-08-2014: Branches Broken and Grafted

As we have described over the last four segments of this presentation of Paul's epistle to the Romans, from Romans chapter 9 Paul has been discussing and contrasting three different groups: The Israelites of Judaea who remained under the law, the Edomites of Judaea whom Yahweh hates, and the Israelites of the Nations, those of the ancient dispersions who were being reconciled to Yahweh through Christ.

The first two groups were contrasted in Romans 9:1-13 where Paul stated that he had concern for his “kinsmen according to the flesh”, and explained that not all of those in Israel were of Israel, going on to compare Jacob and Esau and illustrating for us that in Jacob were vessels of mercy, while in Esau were vessels of destruction. With this we supported our interpretation of Paul's message with explanations from both the prophets and from history which clearly demonstrate that the Edomites had moved into the ancient lands of Israel and were eventually converted to Judaism, well over 100 years before Christ.

The third group is revealed in Paul's words from Romans 9:24-26, where Paul cites prophecies from Hosea and Isaiah proving that the Nations to whom he brought the gospel were the nations descended from those cast-off “lost sheep” Israelites of the Old Testament. From Romans chapter 1 much of Paul's language in reference to the Romans demonstrates his confident persuasion that the Romans themselves were a portion of these long-dispersed Israelites.

Of these three groups, Paul only accounts two of them worthy of salvation: the Israelites of Judaea and the Israelites of the dispersion among the Nations. The Edomites are accounted as “vessels of wrath fitted for destruction”, as Paul explains in Romans 9:22. The message of the prophets concerning these Edomites, today's Jews, is the same as Paul's message: a promise of destruction.

The Epistles of Paul - Romans Part 18, 08-22-2014: Government as a Punishment from God

For much of Romans chapter 12, Paul of Tarsus explained how Christians should treat one another, also exhorting his Roman Christian readers to prefer one another with diligence, meaning to discriminate in favor of one another at the expense of all others, and informing them that it is honorable to do so. Beginning that discussion, Paul made two important admonitions: that Christians not conform themselves to this world, and that Christians not think proudly, instead maintaining themselves as mere members in the much larger body of Christ, doing what they can for that body and its other members. At the same time, towards the end of chapter 12, Christians were also exhorted to leave vengeance and judgment in the hands of Yahweh their God.

Here in Romans chapter 13, we see Paul explain how Yahweh executes His vengeance and His judgment: that He uses worldly powers and authorities which He appoints in order to do so. Many pastors, even within Christian Israel Identity, have struggled with Romans 13, and many noble attempts have been made to explain it. However they usually fail because once again, they neglect to consider the full Biblical context of Paul's words. This chapter cannot be properly understood in isolation.

Often in such considerations, it is imagined that Romans chapter 13 is talking of only governments which are godly. What is missed is this: there has never in the history of man been a truly and completely godly government, and even the government of David had its faults, and even if it was close to being godly, that did not last very long beyond David's death. While there were attempts in early America and recent Germany to create what good Christian men perceived as godly governments which were based upon Christian principles, these also have failed and the real lesson which Christians must learn through all of this is that only Yahweh God can be their King, through Christ.

The Epistles of Paul - Romans Part 20, 09-05-2014

In Romans chapter 14 we saw Paul discuss some of the various things that early Christians already disagreed upon in his time. But these particular disagreements were not limited to Roman Christians, and as we noted from 1 Corinthians chapters 8 and 10 they were also among Dorian Christians, and they were apart from the disputes over various aspects of the law which were often being thrust forth by the Judaizers, such as those which concerned circumcision which we see Paul write about in Galatians. From Paul's words in Romans chapter 14, as well as in others of his epistles such as Colossians and 1 Corinthians, it can be determined that early Christians were at odds concerning the keeping of Sabbaths and feasts and whether it was acceptable to eat food which had been sacrificed to idols. Resolving this dispute, in 1 Corinthians chapter 10 Paul expressed the opinion that one may indeed eat any food sold in the markets, so long as one did not worry about the source of the food. However if it was made known that the food had been sacrificed to an idol then it was better for one to abstain, for the benefit of one's Christian brethren. Paul's answer in Romans was not dissimilar but it was not as elaborate.

It must be kept in mind that these disagreements are not in respect to the moral laws of Yahweh. Rather, these disputes were only in respect to certain things in the law which were related to the regulation of community life handed down by Yahweh to the children of Israel. What was barred or permitted on the Sabbath, the Feasts and what deemed foods to be profane or sanctified were things related to the ritual laws and the Levitical priesthood done away with in Christ (Hebrews 7). The moral laws expressed in the commandments of Yahweh are not negotiable, and Paul upheld them wherever he felt it necessary to discuss them.