In This Study:
- Series Review - What’s This All about?
- In Reality Paul Taught Torah Principles to Gentile Congregations (Romans 15:4-6)
- Paul Teaches Torah Principles to Gentiles in Corinth, (See 1 Cor. 10:1-14)
Series Review:
- A Christian FANTASY has developed that Paul the apostle supposedly taught that Christians should no longer keep, but are allegedly now supposed to do the OPPOSITE of our Creator’s Laws Commandments and Instructions given to Moses, because we are saved by Grace through faith in the death and the resurrection of the Messiah. The simple reality is that no matter how widely believed, accepted and widespread this doctrine is throughout modern-day Christendom, the reality is that such a belief is in fact FALSE DOCTRINE, even by New Testament, (Second Writings) standards. The fact is that The Weight of Biblical Evidence simply DOES NOT SUPPORT the idea that Paul was truly teaching us to do the opposite of God’s Laws Commandments and Instructions, because we are under grace. No matter how desperately modern Christians desire this to be true, no matter how passionately they believe this false doctrine to be gospel, it simply is NOT the TRUTH, even by New Testament standards.
- Part 1: We explored 9 specific BIBLICAL reasons, (even New Testament ones), why we KNOW that Paul was NOT TEACHING believers AGAINST KEEPING the Creator’s Commandments. The 9th reason in that critically important list is that IF Paul was truly teaching that Christians should NOT keep God’s Laws Commandments and Instructions given to Moses, Paul would then be CONTRADICTING HIS OWN TEACHINGS, found in many of his own writings. This entire teaching series is intended to biblically detail both what Paul was, and what Paul was not teaching according to Paul himself. Taking everything Paul said into consideration, it’s NOT even remotely possible that Paul was teaching against the Commandments of Almighty God.
- Part 2: Paul taught the value and importance of the Torah and the Old Testament to Gentile Christians in Rome, (Romans 15:4-6).
The BIBLE SAYS, as it is written:
Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.” (1 Corinthians 10:1–6, NKJV - with emphasis)
Paying Attention to What Paul SAID:
Q: To WHOM was Paul Addressing this letter?
A: Paul the apostle was writing this letter to believers in Corinth. These were believers in Jesus Christ, (Yeshua the Messiah), who were based in the Roman commercial trading and shipping center of Corinth. Originally a Grecian province it was later rebuilt by Julius Caesar in 46-44 BC. It became a major trading and shipping center in the Roman Empire. Although there was a Hebrew synagogue in the city, it was predominantly a pagan and Gentile commercial trading center. It was filled with pagan temples and over 1000 temple prostitutes filled with worshipers who worshiped Roman, Egyptian and Grecian gods.
Q: Who is Paul’s most likely audience here? Was Paul writing to a congregation made up of Hebrew born believers or predominantly Gentiles who came to faith in Christ?
A: These were most likely Gentile people in Roman Corinth, who have accepted the Lordship and Messiah-ship of Yeshua of Nazareth the Son of God. The letter itself also indicates that Paul was writing to Gentile and not primarily Hebrew born believers in Messiah. As it is written: You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led.” (1 Corinthians 12:2, NKJV)
Q: Were these words from the apostle Paul to the Corinthians written BEFORE or written AFTER the death and resurrection of Messiah? (Again, I only address this because many people get mistakenly hung up on that point, because they’ve been trained to believe that God’s Standards of right and wrong somehow fundamentally CHANGED, after Messiah died and rose again for our atonement). This idea is NOT TRUE of course, but the notion is so deeply ingrained in people’s thinking, that it must still be addressed. So, was Paul’s letter to the Romans written BEFORE or AFTER the death and resurrection of the Messiah for our atonement?
A: Paul wrote his letter to the Corinthian Christians circa 55 A.D; Messiah died for our atonement in circa 33 A.D. So Paul wrote this letter to Messiah followers in Corinth, some 22 years AFTER Messiah paid for our atonement with His death and resurrection.
Q: Almost without exception, every instruction in 1 Corinthians 10 is a direct reference to a Torah Commandment or a Torah example. WHY does Paul specifically SAY to these New Testament Gentile Christians at Corinth, that the Torah is STILL VALID for them? What reasons does he specifically give them that the Torah and the First Writings are STILL VALID for the Gentiles?
A: Paul taught Gentile believers at Corinth. He specifically told them that the Torah is still valid and useful for them, and he told them WHY it’s STILL VALID for the Gentile: “Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.” (1 Corinthians 10:6;cf. 10:11-12). He then proceeds from that point and goes on to teach the Gentile Corinthian Christians, and he specifically, and repeatedly uses the Torah to teach them, throughout all of chapter 10 and in many other places throughout the book of Corinthians.
MYTH BUSTING: There is a prevailing MYTH in modern-day Christianity that insists on FALSELY teaching that Paul the apostle supposedly taught believers to DISOBEY and do the OPPOSITE of Almighty God’s Laws, Commandments, and Instructions, given to Moses, because we are saved by grace through faith in Messiah. The mythology goes on to teach, that the First Writings, (a.k.a. the Old Testament), are supposedly exclusively for the Hebrews or Jews, and supposedly Gentile Christians need only concern themselves with the Second Writings, (a.k.a. the New Testament). People who teach these absurd myths as if they were Christian doctrine often use their favorite bits and pieces of Paul’s epistles, (often excluding anything else Paul specifically taught and said), in an effort to further support this outlandish falsehood.
The reason that I do not accept this popular myth is because Paul the apostle himself repeatedly contradicts it, in his own teachings and letters. Therefore, since Paul contradicts these supposed doctrines himself, he could not be teaching what we have been told he was teaching, because Paul’s own teachings deny it. Paul himself taught the OPPOSITE of these ideas, both to the Gentile congregations in Rome, (Romans 15:4-6), and again here (1 Corinthians chapter 10).
So this is now the SECOND predominantly Gentile congregation in the New Testament where Paul was teaching of the value and importance of the Torah and the First Writings; first that we may gain instructions from them, and second that we should learn from ancient Israel’s bad examples; that we should not copy their mistakes in disobeying God’s instructions.
Q: IF the First Writings of the Scriptures, (the Old Testament), are only for the Jews, and if they do not concern the Gentile Christians at all, as so many believe and teach today, then WHY is Paul teaching the exact OPPOSITE concept to TWO separate Gentile congregations; one in Rome, and one in Corinth?
A: Paul was OBVIOUSLY NOT TEACHING that the first writings were not valid for Gentile Christians, because he specifically taught the OPPOSITE concept to two separate Gentile congregations in Rome and in Corinth, as we’ve seen so far. We will see even more examples as we continue studying Paul’s words.
Q: The apostle Paul specifically said, “Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.” (1 Corinthians 10:6). So these things were written so that we would learn from ancient Israel’s mistakes, and so that we would NOT copy or repeat ancient Israel’s mistakes. Isn’t that right? Once again the Old Testament was written for us to learn from according to Paul.
Since these things were written to become OUR example so that we would NOT repeat Israel’s mistakes, let us do what Paul suggested we do here. Let us learn from Israel’s example. Please pay attention to this CRITICAL question.
Q: Was there ever a time in all of Scripture where Israel HEARD God’s Instructions, where they BELIEVED what God said, and after they had OBEYED what GOD COMMANDED them to do, God then turned around and punished them for OBEYING His Commandments after the OBEYED Him? In all of Scripture, did God EVER punish these people for OBEYING His Word?
A: You will NEVER see an example anywhere in rightly divided Scripture where Israel OBEYED God’s Instructions, and where God then criticized and punished them for OBEYING what He commanded them to do. Although the examples are few and far between, whenever Israel DID OBEY God’s Instructions, God then honored, praised, and rewarded them when they OBEYED Him.
Q: Did God ever refer to the ancient Israelites as rebellious, as unfaithful, as stiff necked or, as an obstinate people? When did God refer to ancient Israel with such adjectives? Did he refer to them with those adjectives when they were OBEYING His commandments, or when they were DISOBEYING His Instructions?
A: God ONLY referred to the ancient Israelites as rebellious, as unfaithful, as stiff necked or, as an obstinate people, when they were DISOBEYING His Commandments. He NEVER referred to them that way when they were OBEYING what He commanded them to do.
Just a Few of the Many Examples of Torah Used in 1 Corinthians 10
- 1 Corinthians 10:1 - (cf. Exodus 13: 21-22; Exodus 14: 21-22, 29) - the pillar of cloud by day; the pillar of fire by night… Baptism pictured in the Red Sea Exodus crossing.
- 1 Corinthians 10:3 - (cf. Exodus 16:4, 15, 31, 35; Deuteronomy 8:3); Learning to live by God’s Word, and what He provides.
- 1 Corinthians 10:5 - (cf. Numbers 14:29, 37; Numbers 26:64-65); God judges and punishes His people in the wilderness for disobeying Him; Lesson: Many people who were intended to inherit God’s blessings and dwell in the Promised Land, did not make it because of rebellion and disobedience. Correlation: Messiah HIMSELF also SAID, that many people who claim to know Him as Lord will not enter into or inherit the Eternal Kingdom, because they practiced ANOMIA, (Lawlessness); they refused to learn and to do God’s will (Matthew 7:21-23).
- 1 Corinthians 10:7 - (cf. Exodus 32:1-10; The Golden calf incident; Israel attempts to copy and to incorporate pagan Egyptian religious practices, and they tried to incorporate Egyptian pagan practices into the worship of Yahweh Almighty God. Israel called what they were doing worship to Yahweh Almighty. Yahweh Almighty considered it idolatry, regardless of what is real thought they were doing. Lesson: just because people think they are worshiping Yahweh, does not automatically mean that God approves of it. (cf. John 4:24; Isaiah 56:1-8). The key is to learn, to choose, and to do, what God SAYS is pleasing to HIM. That is worship.
- 1 Corinthians 10: 9-10 - (Exodus 12: 23; Exodus 16:2, 17:2, 7; Numbers 14:29-37; Numbers 16: 41-50 etc. etc.). Do not put God to the test, or grumble in difficult times, etc.
This is just a sampling. There are many, many more such examples where Paul teaches Torah principles throughout the books of Corinthians. He repeats himself again:
As it is written:
Now ALL THESE THINGS HAPPENED to them AS EXAMPLES, and THEY WERE WRITTEN FOR OUR ADMONITION, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore LET HIM WHO THINKS HE STANDS TAKE HEED LEST HE FALL.” (1 Corinthians 10:11–12, NKJV - with emphasis)
Q: IF the first writings, (Old Testament) have no real bearing for the Gentile Christians, then WHY does Paul teach Torah principles to Gentile Christians throughout the book of Corinthians? WHY does the apostle of grace teach that these things were written for us, to take admonition and warning from these things?
Q: WHY does Paul the apostle of grace specifically warn Gentile Christians NOT to DISOBEY the Creator like ancient Israel did, if it supposedly doesn’t matter whether you obey what God Commanded or not, because you are, “Under Grace?” WHY did Paul write his he did in 1 Corinthians 10?
Q: If all you need to do is accept Jesus Christ, but obeying God, and overcoming sin and temptation doesn’t really matter, then why did Paul write what he did in 1 Corinthians 10?
Q: If once saved always saved is true doctrine, if it is absolutely impossible to be lost after coming to Christ then, WHY does Paul the apostle of grace warn us that when we think we stand, we need to take heed that we do not fall? If falling from grace is not possible, if failing to inherit the Eternal Kingdom is not possible after coming to Christ, then why does Paul the apostle of grace warn us as he does, in 1 Corinthians 10:11–12?
DILEMMA: Paul specifically wrote to the Gentiles that the things which were written before hand, were written for OUR instruction, so that through the perseverance, (meaning the continuing validity of the Scriptures), we might have hope, (Romans 15:4-6). Now he writes to the Gentiles in Corinth that the things that were written beforehand became our examples, so that we would NOT repeat the same mistakes that ancient Israel did, (1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 11-12).
So now, after all of that, Paul supposedly is going to REVERSE himself. After teaching us NOT to copy Israel’s mistakes; after telling us NOT to crave evil things, and that the Old Testament was written for our example so that we would NOT DISOBEY God like Israel did; then Paul is supposedly going to suddenly REVERSE himself, and teach us that copying Israel’s mistakes and doing the OPPOSITE of Yahweh’s Laws Commandments and Instructions, (just like the ancient Israelites often did do, and were punished for doing so), this is now supposedly a good thing because of Grace?!! Beloved, he just taught the opposite of that concept right here.
Brother R. Michel Lankford
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