Greg Stevenson reviews Magna Carta Unlocked (DVD, 2015).

This time two years ago, we were celebrating a major anniversary of the Magna Carta, the document which founded so many of Britain’s Christian legal principles and freedoms. In view of the election, this week we are highlighting a resource released then which is still extremely pertinent now to Christians wanting to better understand the Judeo-Christian foundations of our nation.

This DVD set is a five-part documentary released by Sceptred Isle Productions. It examines the politics, science, society, law and warfare related to the Magna Carta, especially in areas of freedom, democracy and the rule of law. It is written and presented by Philip Quenby, who was a partner in an international law firm.¹

The DVD was issued to mark the 800^th anniversary of this powerful document of democracy, sealed on 15 June 1215 at Runnymede. Magna Carta established the basis for no man being above the law, for limiting the power of the king, for laying down the principle that punishment should be in accordance with the law and for assuring access to justice for all accused.

The document to which King John attached his Great Seal was the 48 paragraphs of the 'Articles of the Barons', later re-issued as 63 clauses by Henry III in 1217 and named 'Magna Carta'. Although the Charter focused narrowly on the concerns of a small elite, it established free men's rights to justice above the will of the king, and was a bulwark against oppression.

The English Battles for Freedom

The DVD throws us in at the deep end - in 1643, the middle of the battles of the English Civil War. This was the only English 'revolution' that re-affirmed the primary aims of the Charter, and established that the king (Charles I) could not rule by divine right with no opposition. It defined the limits of feudal rights of the Crown, brought an end to the sale of justice, protected the privileges of the church, and addressed due process of law.

As 'native rights' there was to be freedom of conscience, freedom from conscription into the armed forces, and equality for all before the law. Authority was to be vested in the House of Commons rather than the King and the Lords. The cost was the lives of 5% of the population (equivalent to 3 million of today's population).

Magna Carta established free men's rights to justice above the will of the king, and was a bulwark against oppression.

The freedom for which men fought was enshrined in the 'Agreement of the People' argued out by Cromwell's men in 1647 at St Mary's Church, Putney Bridge. When President Adams (USA) visited the site in 1786, he said: “Do Englishmen so soon forget the ground where liberty was fought for? Tell your neighbours and your children that this is holy ground; much holier than that on which your churches stand”.

But the battle for freedom was not over. The DVD moves through James II’s attempt to suspend laws against Roman Catholics, the transfer of the Crown to the Dutch Protestant Prince William of Orange, the Bill of Rights (1689) which further confirmed free elections and the rights of Parliament, and the impacts of these developments on the most famous written constitution of all, drafted in Philadelphia in 1787.

Two Different Champions for Liberty

Finally, the DVD gives examples of two champions of liberty, both fighting against the Establishment of their day, but with very different results: Wilkes and Rousseau.

John Wilkes, born in London in 1727, argued for religious tolerance and scorned the vested interests, bribery, and corruption he saw in England. In spite of a scurrilous lifestyle, he succeeded in removing the Crown's unfettered control over judicial appointments. Thus the freedom which Magna Carta sought was fought for in the courts.

In a Wilkes trial for outlawing, he prompted the famous comment by Lord Chief Justice William Murray (Lord Mansfield): 'Fiat justitia ruat caelum' - 'Let justice be done, though the heavens fall' (regardless of the consequences). This sentence was inscribed in American courts, though many are being removed in these present secular humanist times.

The Foundation for These Freedoms

Unlike the American Declaration of Independence, English political settlement did not rest on 'In the Name, and by the Authority of the (good) people of these colonies…' but acknowledged a higher, Divine, authority.

This principle goes back even earlier than Magna Carta, to the Legal Code compiled by King Alfred the Great (the Doom Code, c.893 AD), to which he prefixed the Ten Commandments, together with rules of life from the Judeo-Christian code of ethics. This is the connection between English law and God's laws; Christian values have thus a key role in English law.

Christian values have a key role in English law.

As we have seen in America, the idea of law having an objective standard derived from the Bible was not to everyone's taste, however. In Europe, Jean-Jaques Rousseau believed that Man had been corrupted by civilisation, and published his 'social contract',² arguing that man has only one authority to which he should submit – 'the General Will of the people'. Contempt for convention in France led quickly to rebellion and revolution (1789) and a new humanist constitution, to which Edmund Burke commented that the moral code of the law was then irrelevant.³

Thus law can override personal opinion, if the general will decides that it disturbs public order, and there is no freedom of conscience (as we have recently seen in Northern Ireland). All supposed protection of the law is thus worthless. Rousseau's brave new world was soon seen in the 'New Republic' (1793) and led to brute force, terror and totalitarian revolution, with no restraint or accountability. Even though in England there was loss of life, at least Cromwell prevented this tyrannical result in our sceptred isle, for which we must be thankful.

Rights, Justice and Security Based on God's Law

The DVD's conclusion is that Magna Carta set up some principles for a sense of law based on right and justice (albeit at that time for a very limited section of the populace) and was in accordance not with royal or parliamentary prerogative, nor with ‘the general will of the people’ who espouse their own sense of right (or none), but with God's laws (cf. Deut 12:8; Jud 12:15).

Overall, it gives a well-presented, balanced view of the fight for justice, although this struggle is far from over, for the world is not clear of revolutions or totalitarian governments. But God's word will stand (Isa 40:8). With no vision, the people will (and do) cast off restraint (Heb. let loose, perish); happiness is found in keeping the law (Torah means teaching/instruction for life) – Proverbs 29:18.

In areas of right and justice, God's word is our yardstick and our security, and Philip Quenby's presentation in this double DVD set underpins this truth.

Magna Carta Unlocked is available from the publisher to stream for £5 or to buy on DVD for £12.50 (also available from Amazon). Rated 12. Click here for more details.

References

1 Philip Quenby. Magna Carta: The missing link in the EU debate. Heart of Sussex and Surrey, June/July 2016, p15.

2 Jean-Jaques Rousseau. Principes du droit politique, 1762.

3 Edmund Burke. Reflections on the French Revolution, 1790.

Teenager’s 26-mile trek over mountains inspires worldwide production of Bibles.

At this time of Shavuot (also known as Pentecost), when we celebrate the giving of the Law through Moses¹ 50 days after the exodus from Egypt, and its ultimate fulfilment in Yeshua (Jesus), consider how a young Welsh girl inspired a global explosion of God’s word.

In the year 1800, 15-year-old Mary Jones completed a marathon walk over the mountains to purchase a Bible, which was to become her most treasured possession.

A weaver’s daughter from a poor community, Mary lost her father to asthma when she was very young and was living with her mother in the tiny hamlet of Llanfihangel-y-pennant (near Dolgellau) in the shadow of the Idris mountain on the edge of Snowdonia.

Bibles were hard to come by in those days, especially copies in the Welsh language. Mary became a Christian, aged eight, through attending her village chapel and subsequently saved up for six long years – carrying out various errands like sewing garments and selling eggs – before she finally had enough to buy her own copy of the Scriptures.

Mary Jones completed a marathon walk to purchase a Bible, which was to become her most treasured possession.

So she set off barefoot on a 26-mile trek over mountain tracks to the town of Bala, where she knocked on the door of Rev Thomas Charles, who was so profoundly moved and inspired by her efforts that he and others were determined to make the Bible available to everyone at an affordable price – not only in Welsh,² but in every tongue.

Epic Journey

This led to the founding within just four years of the British and Foreign Bible Society (now known simply as Bible Society), which has since published millions of Bibles in hundreds of languages, and has branches all over the world including Israel (on Jaffa Road, Jerusalem), from whence God’s word had first been proclaimed.

Mary’s epic journey has thus helped to bring God’s light – and salvation – to every corner of the globe, and has given new meaning to the ancient Scripture: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, and a light for my path” (Ps 119:105).

Who knows but that the eternal fruit of Mary’s marathon may have partly contributed to what the Book of Revelation describes as “a great multitude that no-one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (Rev 7:9).

Historical records indicate that the village where Mary grew up was strongly influenced by the 18^th Century Methodist revival. Bala had certainly been experiencing fresh heavenly fire in the years immediately preceding her extraordinary shopping expedition.

Running to Win

With the immense popularity of marathon running today, many will be familiar with the distance Mary walked, equal to that covered in ancient Greece by the herald who ran all the way to Athens to announce victory at the Battle of Marathon.

But Mary’s feat would be hard to beat, because it was to bring good news of the victory of Jesus over death and sin, and revolutionise the lives of millions down the ages.

Mary’s epic journey has helped to bring God’s light – and salvation – to every corner of the globe.

In a generation when parents drive their children to school, perhaps less than a mile away, perhaps it’s time to re-educate our kids about what really matters in life? Teaching the precepts of God is not only good for the soul, but health for the body (Prov 3:7f).

St Beuno’s Church, Llanycil, home of the Mary Jones World and burial place of Rev Thomas Charles.The Bible says “physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” And it adds that we should “run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus…” In addressing the need for self-discipline, St Paul challenges: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” Perhaps Mary was urged on by Paul’s motto: “…forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (1 Tim 4.8; Heb 12:1f; 1 Cor 9:24; Phil 3:13f).

Power from On High

Bible Society is now helping to raise the profile of Mary’s story, and made an excellent start in 2014 with the opening of Mary Jones World at Llanycil, just a mile to the west of Bala, alongside the beautiful lake of the same name. A disused church has been renovated (even with underfloor heating) and now houses a superb state-of-the-art exhibition, enabling visitors to spend several hours discovering more about the Bible as well as engaging with an inspiring story that shook the world.³

At Shavuot we remember how Jesus came to fulfil the Law (Matt 5:17) and how it came to be written, not just on tablets of stone, but on the hearts of those who believed as they were endued with power from on high (Acts 1:8; Luke 24:49; Acts 2:4; 2 Cor 3:3; Ezek 36:26).⁴

Perhaps it’s time to re-educate our kids about what really matters in life - the precepts of God!

My personal Pentecost took place on 3 April 1980. I spoke in tongues with some difficulty, but I have no doubt that I was endued with power from on high as I received an emboldening to share my faith as never before.

Chapels can be seen almost everywhere you look in Wales – sadly many have been turned to other uses such as homes and shops, but they remain signs of several significant revivals over recent centuries which have shaken the world, and for which Christians on all continents can be truly thankful.

Do it again, Lord! Send your fire on our newly-restored altars of sacrifice as we honour, worship and proclaim your name among the nations (see 1 Kings 18:16-40).

Notes

1 Summed up in the Ten Commandments.

2 Bishop William Morgan translated the Bible into Welsh in 1588, and this significantly helped to save the Welsh language, which was in danger of dying out as it began breaking away into a number of different dialects.

3 For more information on the work of Bible Society, see bydmaryjonesworld.org.uk or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

4 Shavuot also celebrates the wheat harvest and ripening of the first fruits, so the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1) was the perfectly appropriate time to witness the ‘firstfruits’ of the new-born Church.

As Shavuot is celebrated this week, we review resources tackling this intriguing question. 

This question should be of great interest to everyone, or at least anyone who eats! The topic is well worth studying personally, but also as a family and in small groups. It will certainly provoke much discussion, even controversy!

A good starting point is to consider eating as a spiritual matter as well as a physical one. Too often, we separate the physical and spiritual dimensions of life - far more than God does. God has created our bodies and everything we put into them. Indeed, it seems he has designed us to receive certain foods, and avoid others.

We each need to decide if our loving Heavenly Father is asking us to reconsider what we choose to eat (and what we eat is a choice, one we make regularly). If gluttony is wrong and fasting is of benefit (including spiritually) then our usual eating must fit somewhere between these two extremes. Our mealtimes become part of the battle between flesh and spirit. These regular times during the day provide repeated opportunities to make good choices. Each meal is a chance to submit more to God’s will and become more conscious of him, perhaps paving the way for other spiritual improvements.

A good starting point is to consider eating as a spiritual matter as well as a physical one.

What we eat may not be a matter of salvation or of huge doctrinal significance, but it is about pleasing God and being obedient to his will. There may well be health reasons too (obedience and being healthy often go together!). It is well said that ‘you are what you eat’ – or, perhaps more accurately, you are what you absorb from what you eat – for biology will back up what our Creator has decreed.

Temples of the Holy Spirit

The Bible contains many laws and requirements relating to food, especially in the Old Testament, but ultimately for Christians this is about walking in the Spirit. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 3:16, 6:19-20). What we place inside us should not be approached carelessly. God was very precise about what the Israelites brought into their Temple, so perhaps also he cares about what we put into ours.

Moreover, the meal table can (maybe even should) be regarded as an altar at which we bless and honour God for all his provision, including the remarkable gift of daily life and how he sustains it.

The Bible challenges us repeatedly on the issue of what we eat. From the very beginning, God instructed Adam on what he could and could not eat (Gen 1:29, 2:16-17) and the first disobedience involved eating (Gen 3:6). Animals were designated as clean or unclean even before the Flood came (Gen 7:2) and eating meat with blood still in it was strongly prohibited from the time of Noah (Gen 9:4), through the Levitical laws to Israel (Lev 19:26, Deut 12:16) and later to Gentiles in the Apostolic decree in Acts (15:20, 29).

What we eat may not be a matter of salvation, but it is about pleasing God and being obedient to his will.

Many questions are raised about our eating habits simply by reading the Bible. What do ‘clean’ and ‘unclean’ really mean, especially regarding eating animals? What did Jesus say on all this - did he change or add anything here? Should Gentiles take seriously Jewish kosher rules, especially in the light of modern methods of food production? Does what Paul says on food offered to idols have any relevance for us today?

If all this has made you want some answers, here are some books to help.

‘Holy Cow!’ by Hope Egan and Thomas D Lancaster (First Fruits of Zion, 2012)

Despite the jokey title, this is a very serious attempt to answer the question ‘Does God care about what we eat?’, which is actually its subtitle. Its main strength is its co-authorship. Part One, by Messianic Jew Hope Egan, gives the perspective of a ‘nice Jewish girl’ (as she describes herself!). She tells her story in a forthright and informative manner - how she came to understand the importance of the Hebrew scriptures in helping her decide which foods to eat.

Her review of the topic spans both Old and New Testament, and takes in what Jesus would have eaten as well as modern Jewish views. She is bold enough to ask whether her ancestors took it too far, especially regarding the separation of meat and milk. Each chapter concludes with questions to discuss and ponder, making it an excellent resource for group study.

Part Two, by Thomas Lancaster, provides extra theological insights on the important biblical passages mentioned in the first part of the book. These include Leviticus 11, Mark 7, Acts 10 and 15, and several parts of Paul’s letters (1 Corinthians 8-10 and Romans 14 in particular). This provides the book with a bit more weight and helps to back up what Hope Egan has already outlined from personal experience. As a ‘double act’, this works well.

This is a very readable book throughout and can also feature as a reference guide to the topic. It contains useful appendices, including a list of clean and unclean animals, as well as a substantial bibliography and two helpful indices (scriptural and subject) to enable the reader to find passages and topics easily.

‘Holy Cow!’ (157 pages) is available from Amazon for around £10. Also on Kindle.

‘Biblically Kosher’ by Aaron Eby (First Fruits of Zion, 2012)

This is a full review of everything you could possibly want to know about keeping kosher and the scriptural mandate behind it. Although it is quite technical in places it provides a substantial study for those wanting to dig a little deeper into the biblical texts.

After reading this book you will not be in any doubt about the more contentious passages, for instance why Jesus did not declare all foods clean (as many translations of Mark 7:19 make him say). And if you wondered whether Acts 10 was suggesting God had changed his mind about eating unclean animals, this book will help you avoid this error. The author also tackles the more complicated passages in Paul’s letters. Each piece of biblical analysis has a helpful summary of bullet points, just in case you get a little lost in the details.

Overall, the book is in three parts. Part One explains the reasons for keeping kosher and also explores objections to it. Part Two is a thorough account of what the Torah has to say on this topic, including clean and unclean animals, abstaining from blood, and the meat and dairy issue.

The last of these is a fascinating word-by-word exposition of the single verse about not boiling a kid in its mother’s milk, which will help you understand how this simple yet rather perplexing verse has come to mean so much in Jewish dietary habits. Eby is also honest enough to explain where rabbinic tradition has taken over from correct interpretation.

Part Three has two sections, the second of which is particularly interesting and important for Christians. Entitled ‘Kashrut for Gentiles’, this will enable Christians to embrace aspects of kosher without going too far down the Jewish path.

The book also has an excellent bibliography, glossary of Hebrew terms and indices of both scriptural passages and subjects.

This is a book which will certainly change the way you think about the Bible and food. It has the potential to bring you closer to the ancient Jewish way of life that Jesus and his disciples practised, and enable you to discover how the simple act of eating can become an expression of worship.

Buy ‘Biblically Kosher’ (190 pages) for £11.85 from Amazon, or download the e-book for $12 from the FFOZ website.

Further Resources

Together, the above two books tell you everything you need to know about what the Bible says regarding food and eating. But on the more practical matter of how to go about incorporating these principles into our daily lives, the following three books are worth considering.

They also tap into the biblical passages explained elsewhere but go on to give advice on how to create meals and a diet for healthy living:

• What Would Jesus Eat? by Don Colbert (Thomas Nelson, 2005. Available here).
  
• What the Bible Says About Healthy Living by Rex Russell (Revell, 2006. Available here).
  
• The Maker’s Diet by Jordan Rubin (Siloam, 2005. Available here).

Who has the authority to interpret God's teachings into everyday living?

We have discussed how Torah and halakhah are dependent on one another. In plain language the former is the instruction of God and the latter is the way to apply this instruction in all aspects of life – what the Jews would call a Torah lifestyle and what we could also meaningfully call a biblical lifestyle.

As Yeshua (Jesus) reminded those who questioned him, the Torah hangs on two commandments: to love God with all our heart and to love our neighbour as ourselves. We infer that all else that God teaches us in our Bibles leads us to understand how these two commandments are fulfilled.

There is much to consider: things that apply to our personal walk with God and witness to the world; things that apply to our families; things that we share together as a community. But who has the authority to interpret God’s teachings into everyday living?

Israel Under Moses: Torah, Mishnah and Talmud

Moses received the Ten Commandments and began to teach these and other instructions from God in order to lead Israel to be a Torah-observant community. These were later written down and have been passed on to us in our Bibles as what is called the written Torah.

There is also the oral Torah, which became codified by the Jews into the Mishnah, which is traditionally thought to contain other aspects of Torah passed on from generation to generation beginning with Moses – teachings of Moses that were not written down, but passed on orally.

Jesus reminded us that the Torah hangs on two commandments: to love God with all our heart and to love our neighbour as ourselves.

Commentaries were later written on how to interpret the Mishnah. These commentaries, which include the Mishnah itself, make up the Talmud, of which there are two versions - one written in Babylon and the other in Jerusalem. This led to various branches of Judaism considering Torah, both written and oral, to be a complete set of teachings passed on from generation to generation as ongoing instruction from God. It also resulted in a legal form of halakhah.

However, all this lacks the flexibility that we discussed in the last article in this series. Indeed, my view is that some Christians in search of their Jewish roots have ended up taking this rather legalistic route in their re-discovery of Torah. To me, to a high degree, the Talmud is the alternative to the New Testament for Jews who have not yet accepted Yeshua as Messiah.

Torah Before Moses: The Walk of Abraham

Let us, therefore, retrace our steps to the time that Torah was given by God through Moses and see if there is continuity in God’s purposes and teachings for his people throughout Scripture, leading up to the New Covenant and even today.

Let us also recall that Enoch, some centuries before, had walked with God achieving a lifestyle that pleased God without, as far as we know, having being told what was later revealed through Moses regarding Torah. We might also recall that Abraham walked with God in faith before the giving of the Torah of Moses. Nevertheless, regarding Abraham we are told that God said of him (Gen 26:5) “Abraham obeyed me and did everything I required of him, keeping my commands, my decrees and my Torah.”

So how did Abraham, and possibly Enoch as well, obey God’s Torah prior to the time it was given to Moses? If we interpret Genesis 26:5 through the spectacles of the legal codification of written and oral Torah of the Talmud and Jewish halakhah, we might think that Abraham was told in advance what Moses later wrote down - or at least the relevant parts of the written Torah. But I find this hard to accept, particularly in the light of my view of halakhah as walking with God by the inspiration of his Spirit, as I outlined in a previous article.

The account of Abraham shows him to be a man who learned to walk in personal relationship with God so that he obeyed all that God instructed him according to the circumstances through which he was taken. Among the clearest of instructions were the command to leave Ur, to trust God for the birth of Isaac, and to take Isaac onto Mount Moriah as a sacrifice.

How did Abraham, and possibly Enoch as well, obey God’s Torah prior to the time it was given to Moses?

These were not instructions of the nature of the Torah of Moses, but specific to Abraham’s own personal walk. Indeed, we would be unwise to take the sacrifice of Isaac into our own written or oral Torah for literal application! I would, nevertheless, believe that all Abraham was commanded and taught by God came from the two great commandments and would have been compatible with any of God’s later teaching through Moses. Indeed, we perceive shadows of the birth of Yeshua and of the New Covenant in Abraham’s walk of faith.

We also know that Abraham was familiar with the principle of tithing (Gen 14:18-20), but this seemed more spontaneous and from the heart than legalistic, similar to Jacob’s response at Bethel (Gen 28:18-22). Is this not an indicator of Torah being written on the heart, where God prompts a person to walk faithfully and obediently to him through all the circumstances of life that we encounter on our personal walk with him?

Is this not an indication of what God intended for Torah, rather than the legalistic framework that we can fall into so easily?

Authority to Interpret Torah

So on to Moses. With all the detail that was given through Moses encoded into the written Torah, there was still the need for interpretation into every aspect of life. Questions arose for individuals, families and in the more general aspects of community life. This multitude of questions was beginning to wear Moses out until his father-in-law told him to appoint elders to teach and interpret the easier aspects of Torah, as deputies (Ex 18:1-27). They were given a share of authority to interpret Torah.

That same authority was passed on to successive generations through the priesthood, down to the Sanhedrin and to the Rabbinic schools of Yeshua’s day. The point is that however many individual commands one can count in the written and oral Torah, there is always a new personal application that is a current manifestation of Torah principles, and the authority to interpret this application is given to those who are appointed as teachers. This cannot be fully codified and is part of our personal walks with God – just as for Abraham.

That Authority Transferred

Yeshua’s Sermon on the Mount was an extensive teaching from the heart of God which seemed something fresh and different to those listening, whilst also being fully founded on the Torah of Moses. Yeshua’s entire ministry was founded on Torah, whether through word or deed.

Yet so ingrained were some of the religious leaders in their traditions by this time that to some he seemed a heretic. Much of the interaction between Yeshua and the teachers of Torah involved him challenging them (e.g. Matt 23). By contrast to the Rabbinic schools, however, the authority of Yeshua was clear (Matt 7:29).

Yeshua’s Sermon on the Mount seemed fresh and different to those listening, but was also fully founded on the Torah of Moses.

When Yeshua cursed the fig tree (Matt 21:18), I suggest that this was not a sign of cursing Israel as a whole, but a sign to the teachers of the Torah. He was telling them, in a symbolic way that they would have understood, that authority would be taken from them and given to others (Matt 21:43).

The authority to teach and interpret Torah was going into other hands. The New Covenant in Yeshua’s blood was soon to be made manifest, whereby the Gospel would go to the entire world. Torah, the teaching of God, was still to be interpreted into the lives of all who would have faith in him, but a new authority would be released among the disciples of Yeshua, both Jews and Gentiles.

The Authority of the Holy Spirit

The new authority is given to all believers according to the promise of Jeremiah 31:33, that the Torah will be written on our hearts, free of the curse for disobedience (Gal 3:13), giving freedom to learn and to walk (halakh) with God (Rom 8).

This takes us back to the model of Abraham. Our Bibles give us the root and foundation through which our lives are to be built, but through a living relationship rather than through ritual observance. Instead of the elders at Moses’ time, we now have God’s Holy Spirit to give us meaningful interpretations of Torah principles and truths in every area of our lives - personally. Each of us can walk with God as a disciple of Yeshua. Obeying the call and teaching of God along this walk is to be Torah-observant, or biblically observant.

Authority is also given to Bible teachers to help disciples on this walk of faith. I wonder if more Bible teachers should think in these terms, because they have both a great privilege and responsibility. In New Covenant terms they inherit the ministry passed on through Moses to successive generations of God’s covenant family.

The Budding of the Fig Tree

I suggest that the budding of the fig tree in Luke 21:29-31 is not only related to the re-gathering of Israel in the end times but also to a re-awakening of the authority to interpret Torah amongst Yeshua’s disciples. If the cursing of the fig tree denoted a change at the time of Yeshua, the re-budding is a sign of restoration in our day.

Our Bibles give us the foundation for our lives, but through a living relationship rather than through ritual observance.

As there is a call to renewal in the Gentile Church, so a new authority to interpret Torah will coincide with the re-gathering of Israel in the days preceding the return of Yeshua. There can be a new co-operation between Christians and Messianic Jews. Surely this will also result in the provocation of Israel to jealousy as described by Paul in Romans 11:14.

In the excitement of these days, let us not revert to ritual and over-fascination for Jewish traditions so much that we miss this fresh move of God’s Spirit. Will this be revival, rooted as never before in biblical truth? Surely that is God’s plan.

Next time: Community

On oxen and parapets: applying the Torah's heart principles.

Before Paul’s conversion on the Road to Damascus he had studied Torah under Rabbi Gamaliel. Thus he already had the foundation on which to interpret Torah from a New Covenant perspective. He does not teach this through his letters so we are left to guess how he approached the subject as he taught in the Christian congregations.

There are a few clues that would lead us to suspect that he handled Torah fluently and deeply through the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul’s Bible was the Tanakh, the Hebrew Scriptures (the ‘Old Testament’). My belief is that we should take Torah just as seriously and learn to let the Holy Spirit interpret at deeper levels, rejecting all idea that ritual and legalistic interpretations are the only ones.

To that end, for this article I am reproducing in full a chapter from the Torah section of my book The Covenant People of God (Tishrei International, 2001). This was written at a time when I was freshly buoyed up by the revelation of new depths in Torah.

Essays on the fulfilment of Torah

No 7: On Oxen and Parapets

In his reference to oxen the Apostle Paul gave new meaning to an old Mitzvah. Have we reached the same maturity of interpretation after 2,000 years of Church history?

When we have understood the role and nature of Torah, meditations upon its principles will lead to the right kinds of questions. In prayerfully considering these questions and waiting upon the Lord for enlightenment we can see, like the Apostle Paul, general principles at the heart of various commandments and we can learn to apply these general principles in new and relevant ways.

The Bible records two occasions when Paul referred to the commandment of Deuteronomy 25:4 which stated that an ox should not be muzzled as it treads the grain (1 Corinthians 9:9 and 1 Timothy 5:18). On both occasions he used the commandment to show that ministers of the Gospel should receive appropriate payment. Jews might say he was applying midrashic method here, to extract a truth from a particular part of Scripture to apply it to a different circumstance. Christians might say that Paul, having seen the law as now having no continuing meaning since the coming of Yeshua (Jesus), was treating the ideas rather loosely and liberally. I would suggest that Paul had found the keys to the principle of the law (Torah) being written on the heart. Indeed, there is a kind of midrashic interpretation of Torah, but led by the Spirit of God rather than through a scientific method of biblical interpretation.

Paul had found the keys to the principle of the law being written on the heart.

It is interesting that there are very few examples in the New Testament to the individual Mitzvot such as the one above. Again, after 2,000 years of Christendom, the general impression is that this is because they are not important now that the Messiah has come. It is rather strange, however, that Paul uses this one rather remote example twice. I would suggest that this should give us a clue as to the way that we should read both the ‘Old’ and ‘New’ Testaments. Far from Paul dismissing the ‘Old’, he is applying the teaching in the way that he expects us to apply it. This is simply one example that he uses in passing and which has found its way into the New Testament writings.

Indeed, because there is so little interpretation of the Mitzvot, in terms of the New Covenant, we should realise that we are expected to find interpretations for ourselves. If this were not so we might be inclined to treat the New Testament as a new and complete rulebook, assuming that it has a literal completeness, replacing what went before. Indeed, I would suggest that this is just what many Christians have (unwittingly) done. Instead, we have the final steps of revelation that can now be applied alongside the earlier revelations of Scripture bringing all to fullness, by the power of the Holy Spirit and in the Light of Messiah. We should not expect all the answers to be in the pages of the New Testament, but we should find ourselves on a walk of faith with the Holy Spirit interpreting the truth of the whole of Scripture for us.

I would also suggest that this is of extreme importance to those of us in the early stages of the restoration of the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. Going back to the Old Testament, for some, can be a return to literal application of what is found there, missing the spirit of the teaching and the wider application. This is what leads to dry ritual observance of the Feasts, to the wearing of Tzit-Tzit and, possibly, to putting self-righteously inspired parapets around one’s roof (see below).

Missing the spirit of the Old Testament can lead to its total rejection, or to dry ritual observance.

The heart of all Mitzvot is to love the Lord with all our heart and our neighbour as ourself. This spiritual principle can only be applied to our hearts by the Holy Spirit Himself, but once there, all the Mitzvot can rise to a higher and more general plane, as well as being perfect examples in themselves of how to apply the principles in certain circumstances. Thus Paul was able to see that by practising, year by year, the principle of not muzzling an ox when treading the grain, letting it feed freely and generously as it worked, there is a principle that can be manifest on the heart and which can be applied in a variety of circumstances, including payment of ministers of the Gospel. Paul had learned to read the heart intent of these Mitzvot and expects us to do the same.

Another seemingly remote example (this time, however, not quoted in the New Testament) is Deuteronomy 22:8 – when you build a new house, make a parapet (protective fence) around your roof so that you will not bring the guilt of bloodshed on yourself if someone falls from the roof. Is this principle only to be taken literally, to be of no relevance to those of us without flat roofs, or does it speak of a general principle?

This is an excellent example of loving our neighbour and a perfect example from the context of Middle-Eastern houses with flat roofs, where one might spend time with one’s friends: there are circumstances even today where it is what we should do quite literally. However, through meditating on the principle, we find that it speaks fundamentally of care and safety in every area of our interaction with our neighbours. It challenges our heart as to whether we care for the safety of our neighbour, and hence also challenges us as to our maturity in our spiritual life. Parapets, when considered as safety measures, speak of fire extinguishers, first aid boxes, guards on our machinery, and careful safety precautions in all we do. The Torah principle is a profound and perfect prompt to a general principle that can be applied in millions of circumstances, prompted from the heart, but impossible to contain, in its entirety of applications, within the covers of our Bible.

The Torah principle of making a parapet for your roof is a profound and perfect prompt to a general principle of caring for others.

Indeed, we can go further, from the practical to the spiritual. For example, we as parents should put scriptural principles into the lives of our children so that they have spiritual guard-rails in their lives. This was the principle that Ezekiel was to bring to his nation as a watchman (Ezekiel 33) so that he would be free of bloodguilt. This is also what Paul meant when he declared himself to be free of bloodguilt because he had declared the whole counsel of God to the people (Acts 20:18-26). He set up a spiritual parapet for their protection, just as we should in our families and fellowships.

I would add one more point in the light of our search for the Jewish roots of our faith, so that we do not despise too readily what was achieved through the Christian Church over 2,000 years. I can take my example from Britain, my own nation, but it also applies to other nations where the Gospel message took root in the fabric of the nation, including the USA. For over a thousand years, from the time of King Alfred the Great, the laws of Britain have reflected the heart of Torah. Alfred the Great caused the Ten Commandments and other parts of the ‘Law of Moses’ to be written into our law books. This is why, for example, we developed a consciousness for health and safety in our industries.

The heart of the teaching about parapets has been applied in our nations - albeit that we have forgotten when and how. Now, as we seek to recover and make more explicit what Torah is in our Churches, we must not forget our heritage and we can recognise that there has been a Torah impact to our nations, and hope for recovery in these days of growing Torahlessness. Furthermore, we must be among those who add depth to the lives of believers, and not those who lead them to a new form of superficiality.

[end]

Conclusion

Being Hebraic is to love all the teaching of God: to study the entire Bible, founded upon the five books of Moses (the Torah) and to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit to shed light on it applications in all aspects of life – and to help others to do the same. This is Word and Spirit in balance.

It is also how we can pray, like the psalmist, from the heart:

Oh, how I love your Torah! It is my meditation all the day. You, through your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. (Ps 119:97-99)

Perhaps we will find ourselves writing such a Psalm!

Next time: Authority to interpret Torah

David Bivin considers Jesus’s background in the first of a two-part study.

It is rather surprising to discover how many Christians are not aware that Jesus is Jewish. In Israel, for example, there are entire communities of people – Christian, non-Jewish people - who do not believe that Jesus is Jewish.

A friend of mine was attending an Ulpan (a Hebrew language school) in Jerusalem. At one point in a conversation with a young Christian woman from Bethlehem who was also learning Hebrew, my friend said: “Well, you know Jesus was Jewish after all,” to which the woman replied, “He wasn't Jewish.” So my friend countered, “Well, go and ask your priest and see what he says.” She did not ask her priest, but went home and asked her parents. Her father said “Yes, she's right. He was Jewish.” But her mother said “No, he wasn't Jewish,” so it turned out to be a tie!

We might be very surprised to learn how many Christians have never really grasped the fact that Jesus was Jewish, not only in Israel but in Europe, Britain and in the United States. Christians still have difficulty in believing that Jesus was Jewish. So perhaps we have to say a few words about Jesus's Jewishness, even if it means stating the obvious.

It is rather surprising to discover how many Christians are not aware that Jesus is Jewish.  

Jesus’s Family

It is not hard to find evidence in the New Testament for Jesus's Jewishness. For example, his genealogy is clearly Jewish. In the gospels of Matthew and Luke, his lineage is traced back to the patriarchs in typical Jewish fashion.

Jesus's family was also completely Jewish. Joseph, the name of his earthly, supposed father, was the second most common name of the period for Jewish men, and his mother's name, Mary, was the most popular name for Jewish women.

Inscriptions dating from the 1^st Century indicate that the name Yeshua, Jesus, was itself the fifth most common Jewish man's name after Simeon, Joseph, Judah and John.

All of his known relatives were Jewish, namely Elizabeth (a relative of Mary's), her husband Zechariah the priest, and their son John the Baptist, as well, of course, as Jesus' own brothers, James, Joseph, Simeon and Judah (Matt 13:55).

Torah-Observant Parents

The gospels document the fact that Jesus and his family were observant Jews. Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day and, as is still the Jewish custom for male children, at his circumcision ceremony he was formally given his name (Luke 2:21).

His parents also performed two other Jewish ceremonies in Jerusalem during that time. The first of them was the pidyon ha-ben (the redemption of the first born), specified in Numbers 18:15-16 - which Joseph symbolically performed on Jesus' thirty-first day, by giving five silver coins to a priest.

The name Yeshua, Jesus, was the fifth most common Jewish man's name of its day.

The second took place on the forty-first day after Jesus's birth, when Mary performed the ceremony for her purification by bringing two offerings to the temple (Lev 12:8). The offering by Mary of two birds rather than a lamb would indicate that they were not a wealthy family (Luke 2:24).

Jesus’s parents, we are told, went up to Jerusalem every year to observe the Feast of Passover (Luke 2:41). This devotion is exemplary and unusual, because most people living outside Jerusalem (as they did) made a pilgrimage to the Temple only a few times in their lives, and some only once. Making such a pilgrimage was a major expense for people who had to pay for the cost of the journey, for the stay in Jerusalem, and for the sacrifices offered in the Temple during the festival.

Although the biblical commandment of Deuteronomy 16:16 states, “Three times a year all your men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose; at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Tabernacles”, it was not interpreted literally by the rabbis of Jesus's time. Pilgrimage was encouraged by them but not made mandatory.

The fact that Jesus's parents went all the way to Jerusalem every year shows how obedient they were to the Torah of Moses. The evidence in the gospels indicates that Jesus was no less observant than his parents and that he went up regularly to Jerusalem for the Feasts (John 7:10, 12:12). It was while he was in Jerusalem for Passover that he was arrested.

Jesus's parents went all the way to Jerusalem every year, showing their obedience to the Torah of Moses.

Jesus the Rabbi

How did Jesus appear to the people of his time? How differently did they see him from the many other teachers (rabbis) who went around Judea and Galilee with their bands of disciples?
By the time Jesus began his public ministry he had received not only the thorough religious training typical of the average Jewish man of his day, but had probably spent years studying with one of the outstanding rabbis in the Galilee.

We cannot at this point detail that preparation, of which we know a great deal from rabbinic sources, but we know that Jesus, who did not begin his ministry until a rather mature age, appeared on the scene as a respected teacher or rabbi.

To understand the significance of the title 'rabbi', as applied to Jesus, one must first grasp the significance of a rabbi of the 1^st Century and how he functioned in that society.

The term ‘rabbi’ is derived from the Hebrew word rav which in biblical Hebrew means 'great.' Originally it was not used as a title or as a form of address. By Jesus's time, however, it was used to refer to the master of a slave or the master of a disciple, thus 'rabbi' literally meant 'my master' and was a term of respect.

It was not a formal title, but was used to address a teacher and Jesus was recognised as such by his contemporaries, as many passages in the New Testament illustrate: “Jesus answered him, ‘Simon, I have something to tell you.’ ‘Tell me, rabbi,’ he said” (Luke 7:40). And, “A lawyer asked him a question to test him: ‘Rabbi, which Is the greatest commandment in the Torah?’” (Matt 22:35-36). Also, “A rich man asked him, ‘Rabbi, what good thing must I do to inherit eternal life?’" (Luke 16:16).

We should note the diversity of those who addressed Jesus as 'rabbi': a Torah expert, a rich man, and a Pharisee. Other scriptures illustrate that the Sadducees and ordinary people were part of a broad cross-section of people in Jesus's day who saw him as a rabbi.

Many scriptures illustrate that a broad cross-section of people in Jesus's day saw him as a rabbi.

Teaching Style

From the gospel accounts, Jesus clearly appears as a typical 1^st Century rabbi. He travelled around from place to place in an itinerant ministry, depending for food and shelter upon the hospitality of the people.

He did much of his teaching outdoors, but he also taught in homes and in village synagogues. He even taught in the Temple in Jerusalem, and was accompanied by a band of disciples who followed him around as he travelled.

Perhaps the most convincing proof that Jesus was a practising rabbi was his style of teaching. He used the same methods of instruction that characterised the rabbis of his day, such as the use of parables to convey teaching. The sort of parables that Jesus used were extremely common among the rabbis of 1^st Century Israel and over 4,000 of them have survived in rabbinic literature.

It is significant, perhaps, that among the thousands of parables to be found in rabbinic literature, not one is written in Aramaic; all are in Hebrew. Even when, a few hundred years later (500 to 600 AD), the main texts are written in Aramaic, the parable is always given in Hebrew.

Jesus’s Observation of the Law

There can be no doubt that Jesus observed the written law of Moses in its entirety. The New Testament clearly states that, having been born under the law, he committed no sin (Heb 4:15). Jesus was never charged with breaking any part of the written law, although his disciples were occasionally accused of disobeying aspects of the oral law.

Only one such accusation was brought against Jesus, and this was, of course, that he broke the Sabbath by healing the sick. In fact, Sabbath healings were permitted under official rabbinic ruling, so the only way we can understand this protest is to see it as the response of a narrow-minded ruler of a local synagogue.

There can be no doubt that Jesus observed the written law of Moses in its entirety.

Perhaps at this point we need to understand that in Jesus' day the Pharisees (with whom Jesus had more in common in belief and teaching than the Sadducees) believed in two 'versions' of the law.

First, they believed in the written law (the Torah, the five books of Moses), but they also believed in a second law (called the oral law), which they said had also been given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai and handed down through the generations by word of mouth. So perhaps a more pertinent question to ask is to what extent Jesus observed the practices of the oral law.

On Baptism

There may seem, at first glance, to be a shortage of hard evidence in the New Testament concerning Jesus' religious observance. But one must remember that the New Testament was written by Jews, for Jews. The normal Jewish religious practices were so well-known to the writers and to the readers that it would have been considered superfluous, perhaps ridiculous, to explain in detail how particular commandments were carried out.

That is why, for example, we have such a dearth of information in the scriptures about the practice of Jewish baptism. This was not conducted as we Christians do it today, but as the Jews still do it.

The earliest representation of Christian baptism in the catacombs in Rome shows John the Baptist standing fully clothed on the bank extending an arm to Jesus, who is undressed, coming up out of the water. John is helping him up the bank. So the one who was baptised or 'immersed' was not dipped under the water by some officiating minister, but rather walked down into the water alone, gave his testimony and dipped himself, just as it is still done today in every Jewish mikveh (ritual immersion bath).

The person officiating was there only to give his or her stamp of kashrut (official approval), to make certain that the hair of ladies, for instance, was completely immersed.

On Using God’s Name

Another example of Jesus's obedience to Scripture is his adherence to the rabbinic prohibition against using the unutterable name of God. The original understanding of the third commandment, “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God” (Ex 20:7), was probably that one should be careful not to break one's vows when one has sworn in God's name. However, the rabbis eventually came to interpret this commandment to include using the Lord's name frivolously or lightly. To avoid the risk of employing the divine name irreverently, the rabbis ruled that one should not utter it at all.

Jesus seemingly adhered to the rabbinic prohibition against using the unutterable name of God.

The divine name, written as the yod hay vav hay (YHVH) and called the ‘tetragrammaton’, could be pronounced only in the Temple, in the daily priestly blessing, and in the confession of the high priest on the Day of Atonement. When reading or reciting Scripture, one was not to pronounce the unutterable name but rather had to substitute with Adonai (Lord). In time, this substitute name of Adonai itself came to have such a sacred aura that it was used only in Scripture reading and prayer.

When it was necessary to refer to God in everyday speech, one sought other substitutes or euphemisms such as ha-Makom (the Place); ha-Kadosh (the Holy); ha-Gavohah (the High); ha-Lashon (the Tongue); ha-Gevurah (the Power); Shamayim (Heaven); ha-Shem (the Name). Even the less distinctive Elohim (God), which could refer to the God of Israel or to false gods, was avoided in conversation.

So serious was the prohibition against pronouncing the tetragrammaton that the rabbis included among those that have no share in the world to come, “He who pronounces the divine name as it is spelled.” The avoidance of the tetragrammaton began quite early, although there was no hesitation in pronouncing the sacred name in the Old Testament period. In the time of David, everyone went around saying YHVH (however they pronounced it), but already by the 3^rd Century BC, Adonai was being substituted for the yod hay vav hay (YHVH).

Jesus frequently used euphemisms for God, and his audiences would have been shocked if he had not. The most common word for God used by Jesus was 'Heaven'. This occurs, for example, in the phrase 'Kingdom of Heaven', the term Jesus used to describe his community of disciples, or his movement.

Jesus frequently used euphemisms for God, and his audiences would have been shocked if he had not.

To those in the Temple who questioned his authority, Jesus asked: “John's baptism - was it from heaven, or from men?” (Luke 20:4). In other words, was John's baptism of God or of men? In the parable of the prodigal son, Jesus had the prodigal say to his father, “I have sinned against heaven” (Luke 15:21). As for making oaths, Jesus commanded his disciples not to swear at all, not even using substitutes for God's name such as Shamayim (Heaven).

One other euphemism for God's name used by Jesus was ha-Gevurah (the Power). When interrogated by the High Priest, Jesus was asked for an admission that he was the Messiah. His answer was a classic example of rabbinic sophistication: “From now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.” (Luke 22:69). This proclamation hints at two different Messianic passages, Daniel 7:13 and Psalm 110:1: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”

To be continued in Part II, next week.

Paul Luckraft reviews 'God's Tapestry' by Steve Maltz (2015, 224 pages, Saffron Planet)

God's Tapestry completes Steve Maltz's trilogy on the Old Testament and asks the key question: what do we do with the Hebrew Scriptures?

The task he has undertaken is to explore if the Old Testament is still valid (a big 'Yes!') and then whether it is still applicable (an intriguing 'not all of it').

Undaunted by the enormity and complexities of the task, Steve shines his usual bright light into areas of confusion. The result is another shrewd and witty contribution towards helping the Church recover its identity and discover its destiny.

Feasts, Sabbaths and Covenants

All the expected big topics are tackled: Sabbath, Law, Festivals, Covenants. But he is clear that Gentiles within the Church can appropriate all these without becoming Jewish. These are our roots - but we remain wild branches grafted in. For instance, we can appreciate Yom Kippur and see its fulfilment in Jesus, and then share this in love as an outreach to Jewish brothers and sisters.

The chapter on the festivals ('Times of Remembering') is very helpful as Maltz discusses whether these are 'for all time' and 'for Gentile Christians as well as Jews'. He explains how a Passover demonstration can be adapted from a purely Jewish haggadah into a Messianic one. And he quotes at length from the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem's website on why Christians are visiting Israel to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.

In another shrewd and witty contribution, Maltz undertakes to explore how the Old Testament applies to Christians today.

Maltz's consideration of the Sabbath is very enlightening as he distinguishes between a day of rest and day of worship; one is for the home, the other is for the church. Confusion has arisen by not recognising the difference between these two: a day free from work and dedicated to relaxation, and a day when the Church meets together as a congregation.

The chapters on covenants are especially instructive as Maltz carefully and thoughtfully explains their differences, especially between those made with Abraham and Moses, and what God intended through them. Above all Steve makes it clear that "the covenant with Jesus, established on better promises, is superior to the conditional covenant with Moses, not the everlasting one with Abraham (Hebrews 8:6)" (p91). Anyone who seeks to teach the Bible will benefit from the vital understanding these chapters provide.

Understanding the Torah

But the main heart of the book concerns Torah, which Steve asserts should be thought of as primarily "instructions for life given by God to man to be able to live and worship in the environment in which they lived" (p94). As such, Torah existed before Moses, before it was enshrined in 613 commandments for the Israelites specifically to turn former slaves into a nation fit for purpose - God's purpose. And it certainly exists still, now a Torah of the heart, written there for the same purpose of guiding us along our walk of faith. Being Torah-observant is still valid, even though some practices as given to Israel are no longer appropriate for Gentile Christians.

Maltz unpacks aspects of Jewish living that, as wild branches grafted in to the olive tree, we can appropriate.

If you work through Maltz's thinking on this you will be greatly rewarded and hopefully released from confusion on this important topic. To help us along, he does something that has rarely been done before. In the Appendix he lists the 613 commandments of the Torah of Moses (in biblical order), reproduced by permission of John J Parsons from the Hebrew4Christians website. Taking these as the raw material he explains how we can strike off many of these today, starting with the 200 or so which are specifically concerned with the sacrificial system, priests, tabernacle and Temple.

He continues to reduce the list until we are left with the New Torah of Jesus, about 160 that are relevant and compulsory, with another 100 that are optional. These are the ones to be written on our hearts, our Torah upgrade whose purpose is not to take the place of faith but to give faith substance and enable us to live our faith out. He then gives pointers to their application, drawing on the gospels and Paul. This overall approach clarifies so much and will repay further detailed study for those with time to do so.

Fully Rewarding

As in all his books, Maltz is adamant about ditching Platonic Greek thinking and emphasises repeatedly the need for a Hebraic mindset. He spends a little time discussing the Hebrew Roots movement as "there's an awful lot of confusion triggered by those three words" (p139). He is keen to dispel the false ideas that can surround such terminology.

Maltz lists all 613 of Moses' commandments and pares them down to those that apply to us today – clarifying the New Torah of Jesus, which is to be written on our hearts.

Overall, here is a book that fully rewards the time invested in it, and can be profitably read again and again. Even if you are already familiar with some of the material and topics covered there is still a benefit to be gained as Maltz's approach will drive it home still further. Each chapter ends with a 'Let's Ponder' - two or three questions to help you reflect on what you have just read. The whole book is fascinating and extremely helpful, a great ending to the trilogy. Highly recommended.

Buy 'God's Tapestry' from Saffron Planet Publishing for £10, or together with the other two books in Maltz's 'God trilogy' for £20.

**CONFERENCE ALERT**

Meet Steve Maltz and Prophecy Today's Paul Luckraft at the up-coming Foundations conference (East Anglia)! A weekend of solid teaching, worship, fellowship and opportunity to explore our Hebraic roots - 30 September – 2 October 2016, Belsey Bridge conference centre, Bungay, Suffolk. For prices and information on how to book, click here!

With input from experts in the legal profession, Clifford Hill reflects upon some of the judicial issues involved in the Referendum debate.

The British justice system is incompatible with the system of justice operated by the European Court. That is the verdict of senior lawyers in Britain who have first-hand experience of dealing with the European Union. Problems arise from the fundamentally different traditions of law between Britain and continental nations.

British legal tradition is based upon biblical principles. Above the state entrance to the Old Bailey, Britain's Central Criminal Court, are inscribed the words:

"Defend the children of the poor. Punish the wrong doer".

These words are based upon Psalm 82:3 which says, "Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed".

Common Law Tradition

The British traditions of law, based upon the Common Law of England¹ (going back to the days of Magna Carta), are rooted in the Bible. Justice is considered on a case-by-case basis rather than in conformity to some abstract concept of law.

English Common Law is an unwritten law which has been evolving for many centuries. It reflects the common customs of the kingdom and is based upon reference to previous judgments. Precedents are formed as the number of judgments increase on a particular issue and these become guidelines for judges in deciding similar cases.

Changes in society sometimes trigger new issues in law. Common law judges are free to depart from precedent to establish a fresh judgment, thus setting a new precedent. This demonstrates the dynamic character of Common Law which is always changing in order to be relevant in a changing society.

English Common Law is unwritten, dynamic and flexible - relevant to a changing society - and has developed along biblical lines.

European Civil Law

In contrast to British Common Law, European Civil Law is a system based upon ancient Roman law in which judges resolve cases by referring to established principles. The Emperor Justinian in the sixth century AD formed a collection of ancient pagan Roman law.²

The Napoleonic Code in the Historical Museum of the Palatinate, Speyer. See Photo Credits.This became the basis of the 'Code of Justinian', which in mediaeval times quickly spread throughout the countries which now form the western part of the European Union. Local statutes and customs were codified in order to form a harmonised body of law throughout the continent. Historically only England remained apart from this until Britain joined the European Union.

Roman law had its origin in pagan and Imperial Rome and during the 18^th and 19^th centuries its codification was influenced by atheistic and humanistic ethics derived from revolutionary France. This system of Civil Law was adopted by most continental countries producing a strong measure of unification which was adopted by the European Union, replacing national differences in law with international practices.

Since the 18^th Century, political leaders in Europe have regarded legal codes as necessary instruments for establishing national unity and enforcing central authority. Napoleon's objective in the 'Napoleonic Code' was to secure his conquests and this code became the basis of the legal systems of some of the founding members of the European Union such as the Netherlands and Belgium.³

By contrast, European Civil Law is based on established principles and codes collected over the centuries and influenced by both pagan and atheistic societies.

Comparing Civil Law and Common Law

There are fundamental philosophical differences between these two systems of law.⁴ For example, the 'Law of Evidence' which is an integral part of Common Law has no counterpart in the Civil Law practised in the European Union because there is no such thing as 'inadmissible evidence' in continental Europe.

Most continental countries separate their administrative courts, from those that deal with criminal cases and private law disputes. Under Common Law all kinds of disputes are determined in the same courts, in order to apply the same rules of fairness and justice.

In England a fast growing area of law is 'judicial review' which, on a daily basis, challenges the actions of politicians and quangos, thus holding our Government accountable to law.⁵ It is difficult to imagine this happening on the continent under the philosophy of Civil Law. Civil Law systems usually uphold all contractual promises and then enforce penalty clauses. In England Lord Denning in the post-World War II period pioneered a system of justice whereby contracting parties would be protected when the contractual terms are deemed to be unjust.

Another difference between Civil Law and Common Law systems is in terms of personnel. Under Common Law judges are drawn from barristers with many years of practical experience in dealing with justice whereas under Civil Law they are usually career bureaucrats serving the state. Trial by jury is an essential element in Common Law where it is the right of individuals to be tried by their peers. This is not often used in civil law on the continent where cases are decided by professional judges. In some continental countries laymen are used but not as jurors but as lay judges alongside professional judges.

There are fundamental differences between Common Law and Civil Law, which mean different attitudes to evidence, courts, jury and personnel.

What of the future?

The continental system of law adopted by the European Union is imperial and uniform and allows no differences for national law. The EU constantly sends out a stream of legal regulations which change our laws and bind our Parliament and our courts. Even our criminal law is not safe from EU interference and we are not able to deport convicted criminals to their countries of origin who appeal to the European court on grounds of the infringement of their human rights.⁶

In the article by Viscount Tonypandy that we published last week, he referred to the famous case of our Fisheries Act being declared illegal by the European court which overrode legislation passed by our elected Parliament. This effectively destroyed the livelihoods of our fishing fleets working in our own waters from Cornwall to Scotland.

It is the declared intention of the Commissioners of the European Union to move towards closer and binding integration. If Britain remains in the EU, our entire system of justice will be threatened. The threat is from two sources: from the mass of legislation that seeks not only to regulate but to standardise all the member nations of the European Union, and from the decisions of the European court which override national laws of member states.

In a federal Europe, towards which the EU is moving, the system of law that will be imposed upon us will be interpreted by judges who bind our judges by their decisions and there will be no room for our traditions of Common Law.

In a federal Europe, the system of law imposed upon us would leave no room for our Common Law traditions.

Our national heritage, based upon concepts of law drawn from the Bible, will be swept away by the European Union. We must ask ourselves whether it is more important to ensure that justice before God is shown to all people or whether we merely administer man-made laws.

On the 23 June 2016 we will be faced with a choice similar to that offered by Joshua to the people of Israel, whether or not to put our trust in God. He said "If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you." He added the declaration: "But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord!" (Josh 24:20 and 24:15).

References

1 See Common law, Encyclopaedia Britannica.

2 Codex Justinianus, Wikipedia.

3 See The Napoleonic Code, Encyclopaedia Britannica.

4 For differences other than those mentioned here, a useful discussion can be found here: The Common Law and Civil Law Traditions, University of Berkeley, California.

5 See Judicial review in English law, Wikipedia.

6 EU laws 'prohibit UK from sending foreign criminals home'. BBC News, 7 June 2016.

How are we to understand Paul's teaching on 'the law'? Clifford Denton considers the Torah-based society from which God called the Apostle to the Gentiles.

The series in context

In these studies we are considering the way the Christian Church has become distanced from Israel. The parting of the ways began in the first century, quite soon after the time of the first apostles. The apostles themselves, whilst recognising that the New Covenant distinguished their interpretation of Torah from the existing rabbinical schools, would nevertheless have seen their faith as fulfillment of ancient promises to their people, not in terms of the separation that occurred later in the Christian Church.

Engaging with Paul

The teaching of the Apostle Paul is central to the New Testament – yet his teaching is often interpreted in different ways, depending on the mind-set of the reader. If, in our way of thinking, we do not consider the context of his life and teaching we might read Paul's letters through a wrong filter and draw imbalanced conclusions. We will consider how Paul's approach to Torah is consistent with the view that Christianity has deep Torah roots that are intended to bear good and lasting fruit in our lives. This is consistent with the Sermon on the Mount and all else that is the background to the New Covenant.

As an aside, we will use the Hebrew term Torah in this study, rather than the English word law, which has become less precise in our day when we seek to understand the Scriptures. The root meaning of Torah is teaching and instruction, while nowadays the concept of law is often derived from a Greco-Roman framework. Certainly, Paul would have used the Hebrew word Torah, just as Jesus would have done when he spoke to his disciples in their native tongue. It may take some time, but perhaps words like Torah and halakhah should be as familiar to Christians as other Hebrew words such as Hallelujah and Amen!

If we are to understand Paul's approach to 'the law' in a balanced way, we must consider the context of his life and teaching."

Recap: the series so far

We have already noted the importance of understanding the religious environment of Jesus and the apostles. For many centuries Torah had been the central focus of Jewish life. The oral traditions as applications of God's teaching were considered to be on an equal footing with the written Torah (the first five books of the Bible) and it was the responsibility of every generation to interpret God's teaching into a lifestyle that God could bless. Let us recap a little as we also extend our study.

Elders of the community took counsel together and defined the legal framework of life based on the Bible's teaching. This was known as halakhah, from the verb halakh, to walk. When we read the word law in our New Testament we are looking at a complex term. The biblical meaning is rooted in the intent of Torah- God's teaching to his people.

However, it is not as simple as that, because each person must decide how to apply this teaching to every aspect of his or her own life. Therefore the word law or even the word Torah itself means the relevant application of God's teaching. This depends on current circumstances and is subject to interpretation; Paul the Apostle knew this.

When we read the word 'law' in our New Testament, we are looking at a complex term that refers not only to God's teaching, but also to its interpretation and application."

The Hebraic mindset is one of action rather than philosophy. This is why the Talmud is still so important today in Judaism. The Jewish mindset is to know what to do, practically, in relation to God's teaching, trusting the Rabbis and traditions for the interpretation. The Talmud consists of the Mishnah (Oral Torah) and a commentary on the Mishnah. What became the Mishnah was the background to Paul's own studies as a Jew, along with the Hebrew Scriptures.

The rabbinic responsibility that was familiar to Paul is described in the introduction to Danby's translation of the Mishnah (OUP 1933):

It was the Rabbi's task to bring together the mass of Halakoth, the work of many generations, handed down in the form of miscellaneous collections of oral teachings, stored in many memories, and growing ever more complicated and unwieldy by reason of controversy between rival teachers and contradictory traditions; to reassemble this material and to present it as a single coherent whole, arranging it systematically, abbreviating arguments, summarizing discussions, rejecting what seemed superfluous, sometimes in disputed cases giving his own ruling, or adding arguments if they seemed called for.

The Torah, whether written or orally transmitted, is not static. It was the current accepted interpretation into halakhah that was the law, so to speak, constantly interpreted for new situations. It seemed revolutionary when Jesus said that the entire Torah and the prophets hung on the two principles of loving God and loving one's neighbour, but when that foundation was secure, teaching for all circumstances of life followed. Paul was to bring about a transition from conventional rabbinic Judaism to teaching the walk of God (halakhah) with the Torah written on the heart.

Paul's teaching encouraged a transition from traditional rabbinic Judaism to teaching the walk of God, with the Torah written on the heart."

Striving for perfection

The zeal of the Rabbis, at least in their own eyes, was not so much that they claimed perfect interpretation, but that they saw their mission as striving for that perfection. This fits with the accusation of Jesus that they strained out gnats and swallowed camels (Matt 23:24).

Some from the Jewish world of today also realise a failure to do what God expects, and that this has brought God's judgement upon them. In a recent commentary, Popular Halachah: A Guide to Jewish Living (ed. A. Tomaschoff, 1985), we read in the chapter entitled Serving the Creator:

Because of the sins of our forefathers, we were driven from our land, the land of Israel. Exile, dispersion and suffering caused many of our people to neglect the study of the holy language (Hebrew), to forget the Torah and to assimilate among the gentiles. But God has promised the eternity of the Jewish people: "And yet for all that, though they be in the land of their enemies, will I not cast them away, neither will I abhor them to destroy them utterly, nor will I break my covenant with them; for I am the Lord their God." (Leviticus 26:44)...Go forth and search for the nations of old; where are they today? They have vanished! Not so the people of Israel who live on forever more. What is the secret of their survival? There is but one answer: The Torah! "And you who cleave unto the Lord your God, you are alive, everyone of you, to this day." (Deuteronomy 4:4) Our sages explained it this way: The children of Israel who clung to God, the Source of Life, have come to possess life everlasting.

If Israel would return to God in true repentance, then will He fulfill unto us His promise which He gave us through the prophets, His servants, to gather in the remaining exiles from the four corners of the earth, to restore us to the land of our inheritance, and bring us the Messiah who will rebuild the Temple and restore Divine Worship and the holy mountain, in Jerusalem.

Here we find a contemporary echo that would also have applied in Paul's day. At that time there was a Messianic expectation arising within Israel, having been dominated by Rome for many years. It expresses the heart of the Jewish hope for the future despite all past failures, to cling to God through right interpretation of Torah and remain embedded in the flow of covenant history, preserving traditions and searching out contemporary meaning.

Of course, we discover from the New Testament that even with such zeal there was a striving for self-righteousness that brought some blindness to personal sin even among the Scribes and Teachers of Torah (e.g. Matt 23), and also blindness to the revelation of Jesus as Messiah.

In the midst of zeal for interpreting Torah, there was often a striving for self-righteousness that brought blindness to sin and to the revelation of Jesus as Messiah."

This was the nation, for example, that was so zealous for the Law that they would still seek to put false prophets to death, in accordance with their understanding of Torah (Deut 13:1-5). It was a dangerous nation in which to appear as a teacher or prophet- yet zeal for the interpretation of Torah was unquestionable!

Paul Emerges from this Background

Consider carefully the following statements, which Paul made about himself. The first two are about his background, his misplaced zeal and his conversion (note that it was after he had studied the Bible and the traditions of the Jews under a prominent Rabbi of the day that the Lord chose to use him as an apostle):

I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers' law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today. I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished. Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' So I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.' (Acts 22:3-8)

So he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" Then the Lord said to him, "Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do. (Acts 9:1-6)

Paul, being deeply grounded in the Old Testament Scriptures, could transfer this knowledge to an understanding of New Covenant fulfilment – types and shadows coming into clear focus. Surely, if he was any less grounded he would not have had the same authority to teach what he now understood.

For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. (Phil 3:3-6)

Paul's early upbringing and training made him a prepared vessel for his later ministry as Apostle to the Gentiles. Just as Jesus did not come to change the teaching of God, but to bring perfect understanding to it, so Paul emerged from his background to a fulfilled understanding based on the established Torah foundations of his life – the teaching of God, to be rightly interpreted. He had been prepared by God to bring the New Covenant gospel to the Gentile world.

For Study and Prayer

• Review Paul's letters in the New Testament. Also review the promise of the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31:31-35. Do you think that Paul saw his ministry as the authentic fulfilment of the teaching of the Old Testament or as establishing a completely new religion?

Next time: We will consider further Paul's teaching.

'The Church and the Charter: Christianity and the Forgotten Roots of the Magna Carta' by Thomas Andrew (Theos, 2015, 60 pages, £5)

This book demonstrates, using many references to other writers and sources, how the Christian Church and theology were influential in the making of Magna Carta. Andrew first poses the question - why have the Christian sources of Magna Carta been so neglected? His book seeks to explore this position and show how Magna Carta reflected the theological ideas of the day and the important contribution by Archbishop Stephen Langton. In so doing the author provides useful information and encouragement to the general reader who wishes to maintain that our Christian heritage still plays a vital role in society today.

The introduction makes the point that "it is in the Magna Carta ('The Great Charter of the Liberties of England') that we first see rights language extended to 'all free men', rather than restricted to an elite group" (p10). The first chapter (The Road to Runnymede) deals with the tyranny of King John, his corrupt court and his fights with the rebel barons. The version of Magna Carta sealed at Runnymede hints at the struggle between King John and the English Church but contains the clause "the English Church shall be free, and shall have its rights undiminished, and its liberties unimpaired".

This book seeks to explore the question: why have the Christian sources of Magna Carta been so neglected?"

After Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, was murdered and Stephen Langton eventually succeeded him, the 1225 version of Magna Carta (issued with Langton's backing) formed the basis upon which the language of rights and liberties could be built, and Langton made sure that the rights of the independence of the Church would be maintained. "The history of political thought and the history of theological thought developed separately" (p31); the gap needed to be bridged and Langton sought to do just that.

The last chapter concerns the importance of "due legal process", which places the authority of the law above that of the king. This, again, was a major theological concern for Langton.

"The final version of the Magna Carta was not a charter for the privileged few, but a charter for the whole community of England..." This extension of the language of rights was greatly influenced by Gratian in his Decretum who put forward important principles for the understanding and use of canon law by the 'golden rule': "All things whatever that you would wish other people to do to you, do the same also to them." (p42, also Luke 6:31). To Gratian, this 'lies at the heart of justice'.

This brief book sets out in comprehensive detail the influences of Christian theology and the Church on Magna Carta- an encouraging account of Britain's Christian heritage."

The extension of rights language for all, as it became the common law of England, gave legal protection and rights regardless of status. It is important to remember that the principles enshrined by Magna Carta were rooted in Christian theology and the Church: "This fundamentally egalitarian message was central to the Christian gospel" (p43). As we celebrate the history of the Magna Carta on its 800th anniversary we can cherish the thought that the influence of the Christian Church played a major part. This pocket-sized book belies its brevity by setting out in comprehensive detail how this all came about. Theos have served the general public well in providing an accessible but thorough account of the forgotten roots of the Magna Carta.

Notes

The Appendix to the book has a translation of the Magna Carta made available by the British Library.

Theos is a Christian think tank that seeks to influence public opinion about the role of faith and belief in society. Launched in Nov 2006, Theos provides: high-quality research, reports and publications; an extensive events program; news, information and analysis to media companies, parliamentarians and other opinion formers. For more details visit www.theosthinktank.co.uk.