Faith of the Ages: The Hebraic Roots of the Christian Faith

Copyright © 2012, 2014 The Zion Foundation, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

iUniverse LLC

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.iuniverse.com

1-800-Authors (1-800-288-4677)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

ISBN: 978-1-4759-3004-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4759-3006-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4759-3005-4 (e)

iUniverse rev. date: 08/21/2014

Photos and Art Illustrations

Art illustrations were done by Sharon Higgins, a Southwestern Artist who paints and lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico: Front Cover & pages 20, 21, 26, 30, 44, 47, 53, 96, 106, 108, 109, 111, 112, 114, 118, 134, 151, 154, 157, 159, 161, 162, 163.

Library of Congress: pages 45, 152, 158.

Map of Seven Churches of Revelation used by permission from the Holman Bible Atlas. Thomas Brisco © 1998, Broadman & Holman Publishers: page 136.

Wikimedia Commons: pages 38, 46, 48, 101, 135, 169, 170, 172, 179.

Scripture quotations marked AKJV are from the Authorized King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked JPS are from the Tanakh, published by the Jewish Publication Society.

Scripture quotations marked The Scriptures are from the Messianic Institute for Scripture Research.

Scripture quotations marked NASV are from the American Standard Bible. Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Contents

Acknowledgements

Preface

Foreword

Introduction

Chapter 1

The Great Misconception of Matthew 5:17

Chapter 2

The Roots of Replacement Theology

Chapter 3

The Sect of the Nazarenes

Chapter 4

The Grafting-In to the Olive Tree

Chapter 5

The Replacement of theOlive Tree

Chapter 6

Admissions About the Sabbath

Chapter 7

The Apostolic/Church Timelines

Chapter 8

The Interpretation of Scripture

Chapter 9

Take My Yoke Upon You And Learn Of Me

Chapter 10

Let No Man Beguile You of Your Reward

Glossary of Terms

Endnotes

Bibliography

Ministry Resources

Other Works

by

Richard N. Rhoades

*

Lady Liberty

The Ancient Goddess

Of America

*

The Babylon Code

Is AMERICA In Prophecy?

*http://www.ladylibertybooks.net/

To God goes all the honor and glory for the inception and completion of this book. Thank you for restoring my health and sparing my life.

You O LORD are mighty forever. You raised the dead. You are mighty to save. You sustain the living with grace, resurrect the dead with abundant mercy, uphold the falling, heal the sick, set free those in bondage, and keep faith with those that sleep in the dust. Who is like You, King, who causes death and restores life, and makes salvation sprout? [The Geebore Adonai—the Might of God portion of the Amida.]

Acknowledgements

So many people deserve credit for their contributions to the completion of this book. My dear wife, Judith, has been a treasure. Without her loving support and understanding this book would never have been possible. The advice of the sisters Marion Lynch and Marjorie Down on the writing of the manuscript has been invaluable. Patricia Lane’s help was critical to my securing out-of-print books for research. The art work of the gifted Southwestern Artist Sharon Higgins cannot be measured. Sharon paints in oils, watercolors and acrylics on canvas, paper and on unusual surfaces such as slate, and lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her unique style of art can be viewed at several locations in New Mexico, including the Natural Resources Building at the New Mexico State Fair. Dean Wheelock and Rick Lastrapes have made a significant contribution to this book by proof-reading the manuscript and offering helpful suggestions.

Finally, I must not forget to acknowledge all the wonderful people at Adat Yeshua Messianic Jewish Synagogue in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I especially want to thank Rick Lastrapes, who was the spiritual leader of Adat Yeshua at the time I was introduced to my Hebraic roots.

May the LORD bless each of you.

Preface

What is this book about?

Primarily, this book is about two walks of faith, which explains Sharon Higgins’ front cover illustration of the aged cultivated olive tree and the stunted wild olive bush. Although the cultivated olive tree and the wild olive bush belong to the same tree family they are uniquely different. The cultivated olive tree is one of the hardest trees on the planet and produces mature olives that can be used in a variety of ways. Because of an extensive root system the cultivated olive tree can tolerate drought well, live up to several centuries, and remain productive throughout its life-time. The wild olive bush is much different. When left alone in its natural state the wild olive bush produces olives, but they are small and worthless.¹ Regardless of how much attention is given to the wild olive bush in its natural state it can only produce mature fruit when grafted onto the good rootstock of a cultivated olive tree.²

Paul, who was a native of the Mediterranean region, where cultivated olive trees and wild olive bushes grew in abundance, would have been well-acquainted with the unique characteristics of the wild olive bush. Not surprisingly, when Paul wrote to the predominately Gentile Believers in Rome he masterfully referred to them as wild olive branches (Rom. 11:17).

For centuries, most Christians believed that because the New Testament was written in Greek the study of its Greek roots should take priority over the study of the Hebrew Scriptures. Today that conception is changing. Christian scholars are now beginning to examine the Hebraic origins of Scripture with renewed interest. For example, the Bible language scholars Roy Blizzard Jr., and David Blivin, co-authors of the book entitled Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus, point out that 78 percent of the biblical text was written in Hebrew and only 22 percent in Greek.³ It can also be established that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Acts 1-15 are highly Hebraic, which accounts for another 43 percent of the New Testament,⁴ making the origins of the Holy Scriptures more than 90 percent Hebraic.

In 1965, Dr. Merrill Tenney, former Dean of the Graduate School of Wheaton College, wrote a book entitled New Testament Times, pointing Christians to the need to understand the Jewish context in which the New Testament was written, saying:

The revelation of God in the New Testament was imparted through men who lived in a definite locale of time and space, and who spoke in the imagery and circumstances of their own era. While the truth and application of the message are unquestion-ably eternal and unchanging, the correct interpretation depends largely upon a proper comprehension of its historical setting. Because the authors lived within the milieu they described, they took for granted that their contemporaries would understand it too, and consequently did not attempt to explain many details which would be quite patent to their readers. To us of the twentieth century the facts which they assumed to be obvious and hence unnecessary to explain are obscure. We can comprehend the historical context of these writings only by careful research and reconstruction of the environment from which they emanated.⁵

With this aim in mind, we shall explore the origins of those first century followers of the young Rabbi from Nazareth, represented by the cultivated Olive Tree, and the origins of the Christian Church, which are represented by the wild olive bush. We will also look at the anti-Semitism of the Greek and Latin Church Fathers, the Roman Emperor Constantine, Roman Catholic Church authorities, and leaders of the Reformation, who all played a major role in moving Christianity away from its Hebraic roots. In addition, we will look at several passages of Scripture that were added to and subtracted from the ancient Greek manuscripts.

One of the most interesting aspects of this book are the many comments of Christian, Jewish, and Messianic scholars. In our research, we have found some of Christianity’s most distinguished scholars making statements that directly oppose modern day Christian thought.

Hopefully, this book will answer some of your questions about the first century community of Believers, the roots of your own Christian faith, and the rich Hebrew heritage you have in Yeshua (Jesus). Please be aware that anything printed in this book can be personally researched and verified. In fact, we strongly encourage you to research these subjects for yourself. In doing so, you will have your own facts on which to base your own conclusions on the Faith of the Ages.

Richard Rhoades

Foreword

The history of Christianity is remarkable, not only for its impact on the history of mankind, but also because it reveals that the Christian drama is still unfolding in amazing–almost unimaginable–ways. Since the death and resurrection of Yeshua (Jesus) this history has been marked by three great events–one political, one technological and one supernatural.

The first of these was the formation of the Roman Catholic Church during the reign of Emperor Constantine the Great. In 313 C.E. (A.D.) Constantine issued the Edict of Milan, which paved the way for Christianity to become the official religion of the Roman Empire. In fact, even as the Empire collapsed into the dust, the Roman Catholic Church was prospering and growing into a monolith so great that even the mighty kings of Europe stood in her shadow. But the often forgotten footnote is that while she towered above the greatest kingdoms of mankind, her roots were not in the rich soil from which she had first taken hold. In other words, she had severed herself from the Jewish stock of Yeshua and the authors of Scripture, and she had formulated a doctrine which has many names, but can simply be called Replacement Theology, the idea that the Roman Catholic Church has replaced the Jewish people in God’s economy because they were Christ killers and therefore under a curse. And so everything Jewish was either stricken from her or otherwise mutated and reformatted. For example, the Pontiff wears a yarmulke (a Jewish skull cap) and holds a staff reminiscent of the one that graced the hand of Moses as he led the children of God though the Red Sea toward the Land of Promise. And those who serve him are called priests, not unlike those who kept the mighty fires of promise before the majestic Temple in Jerusalem.

Such might have been the end of this Christian drama had a German goldsmith named Johannes Gutenberg not invented the printing press in 1440. A seemingly insignificant event at the time, the Gutenberg press opened the door for the ordinary parishioner to possess his or her own Bible. No longer was the priest king over his subjects, for everyone was free to see for himself or herself exactly what the Word of God said. We now know that this spiritual upheaval could not be stopped. From the moment a young monk named Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses to the door of Castle Church in Whittenberg, Germany, in 1517, until today, the Protestant Reformation of the Roman Catholic Church has remained a challenge to the authority of the Pope as the great mediator between man and God. But this was reformation–not transformation–and the basic tenant that the Church had supplanted Israel in God’s plan of redemption was so fundamental to Protestant thinking as to be beyond dispute. After all, hadn’t the Jews roamed as nomads over the face of the earth, homeless and helpless, since the glorious resurrection of Christ? Didn’t nearly 2,000 years of history settle the issue?

But the God of miracles was not finished. On May 14, 1948, His hand touched the heart of mankind in a way no one could have foreseen beforehand nor ignore afterwards. For on that day, the nation of Israel was reborn out of the dust of the Promised Land. Through the words of the prophet Isaiah–uttered centuries before the birth of Yeshua and preserved in caves overlooking the Dead Sea waiting to be rediscovered in the spring of 1947–God had foretold of His plans for His people: 7Before she went into labor, she gave birth; Before her pain came, she bore a son. 8 Who has ever heard such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be born in one day? Can a nation be born all at once? For as soon as Zion went into labor, she brought forth her children. 9Shall I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery? says the Lord. Shall I who causes birth shut the womb? says your God. 10 Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad with her, all you who love her! Rejoice greatly with her, all you who mourned for her, 11 so that you may nurse and be satisfied by her comforting breast, so you may drink deeply and delight in her abundance of glory. Isaiah 66:7-11.

Richard Rhoades is a man who has been caught by the flow of God’s Word and been moved to unravel the truth of the Message of hope and salvation through Messiah Yeshua. This is a personal journey, an unfinished journey whose ultimate destination is the very bosom of God. If you are a seeker of truth, I encourage you to investigate this book, which should challenge and provoke you to a deeper understanding of the mystery that has been hidden from the ages and from the generations, but has now been revealed to His saints. Colossians 1:26.

Rick Lastrapes

Former Congregational Leader

Adat Yeshua Messianic Jewish Congregation

Introduction

Oddly enough, this story begins with a prayer. It was the shortest prayer I have ever prayed. But it changed my life in a way I could never have imagined.

My life changing experience began on a beautiful summer day in 2003. That particular morning I was taking a walk around Ellis Lake, located at the heart of my hometown Marysville, in northern California. At that particular time I had been a Christian for about forty years, of which seven years were devoted to preparing for the ministry, receiving a B.A. degree, with a major in religion, from Pasadena Nazarene College, and a Master of Divinity degree at Asbury Theological Seminary, in Wilmore, Kentucky. Shortly afterward, I was invited to work with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Team. As a Crusade Coordinator, I would travel across the country by plane from city to city, organizing and training Christians for city-wide evangelistic campaigns that were scheduled months in advance. During that time I was privileged to study and work with some of the great Christian men and women of the twentieth century. Yet, with all of those rich experiences and training something was missing. I still had unanswered questions about my Christian faith. And I didn’t know where to go to find the answers.

That morning as I walked around the lake, my thoughts turned to the Scriptures. As a Christian, I had been taught that the Old Testament was no longer relevant to my life as a Believer in Christ. Consequently, for most of those forty years as a Christian I had little, if any, interest in the Old Testament Scriptures.

During my years in college and seminary I was taught that the Holy Bible was the inspired, unchanging Word of God. At the same time, I was taught that the Old Testament was done away with the coming of Christ. Why. I thought, were the Hebrew Scriptures no longer relevant to Christians? How could I ever hope to understand the faith of Abraham, whom Paul addressed in his Epistle to the Gentile Believers in Rome as ‘our father Abraham’ (Rom. 4:1, 12), if I did not understand the Hebrew Scriptures? And how is it that the Jewish people, whose Bible is the Hebrew Scriptures, also hold Abraham to be the father of their faith?

That morning as I walked around the lake I knew that I had hit a wall and could go no further in my quest for the truth unless the LORD helped me. I prayed a brief but simple prayer, saying: Father, help me to see the Scriptures through Jewish eyes.

In a matter of a few weeks I found myself loading some clothes and office equipment in my Ford Bronco, and saying goodby to my wife, family, and friends. My destination was Albuquerque, New Mexico. Five years earlier, my wife and I had lived in Albuquerque and operated a small advertising business. This time I would return by myself. My wife had to stay in California and take care of her elderly parents. Little did I know that my simple prayer would take me a thousand miles away from home, returning only for brief visits every four to five months over the next four years.

At that particular time my wife had a cousin living in Albuquerque. She called him by phone and asked if he would mail me a copy of the Albuquerque Journal classified ad section. A few days later, I received the ad section in the mail and quickly began scanning the ads in the office rental section.

My attention was immediately drawn to an ad at the very bottom of the listings. I called the listed number and inquired about the office for rent. After the rental agent informed me about the particulars I said: I’ll take it! She replied, Don’t you want to see it first? I said: No. Just hold it for me. I’m driving from California. I’ll be there in three days!

Three days later, I arrived in Albuquerque and drove over to see my new office. When I climbed out of my Bronco, I noticed a large church complex directly across the street. After checking out my office, I drove by what I believed to be a church. Only this time, I glanced at the marquee and saw the word Synagogue. My first thought was that of a Jewish synagogue.

The next day I drove to my office and looked at the marquee again. This time I saw the name Adat Yeshua Messianic Synagogue. At that moment my thoughts flashed back to the morning I was walking around Ellis Lake and prayed that brief prayer, asking the LORD to help me see the Scriptures through Jewish eyes. His answer to that simple prayer now stood before me as a bold reality!

That following Saturday morning my thousand mile journey to see the Scriptures through Jewish eyes began at Adat Yeshua Messianic Synagogue. I shall never forget my first Shabbat service on August 18, 2003, just prior to the Fall festivals of Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot. At that time I knew absolutely nothing about the appointed holy days of the LORD, or the significance they had for me as a Christian. But that was about to change!

That morning for the first time in my life, I heard the Scriptures read aloud in Hebrew. For the first time in my life I saw both Jews and Gentiles coming together to worship the LORD, study the Scriptures, and sing songs of praise to the God of Israel and Messiah Yeshua.

That morning, as I joined the congregation and sang songs about the eternal majesty of Elohim, the Messiah Yeshua, and the holy city of Jerusalem, I choked as tears came to my eyes. As a Christian, I had been in hundreds of worship services that affirmed my Christian heritage. This was the first time I had ever been in a worship service that affirmed my Hebraic heritage.

As the service continued, I found myself comparing the Christian practice of teaching Scripture with the Jewish practice. Most Christian sermons always began with a reading from a selected passage of Scripture. The minister would then place his Bible on the pulpit or held it in one hand, rarely looking at it again as he spoke off-the-cuff for the remainder of the service.

That morning at Adat Yeshua, the Scripture reading began with a selected passage from the Hebrew Scriptures. When it came time for the morning teaching, Rick Lastrapes, the spiritual leader, began by explaining the historical background of his text. Rick then explained the text precept by precept and line by line, pointing out the meaning of certain words as they were understood by the people of that day.

I couldn’t help but think that this must have been how it was with those first century community of Believers.

When Rick concluded his teaching and gave the Aaronic Blessing in Hebrew and then in English, I knew that the brief prayer I had prayed just a few weeks earlier had been answered. Although I was a thousand miles from my wife, family, and friends, I felt that I had found a new home, new friends, and a new family. But most important, I knew I had finally found what I had been searching for as a Christian — my Hebrew roots.

Before attending Adat Yeshua I felt as though I had been living out my Christian experience in a dimly lit room. I could see, but my vision was distorted. Now I felt as if someone had turned on the lights, slowly at first and then brighter and brighter. As I sat under Rick’s teachings, passages of Scripture which were once difficult to understand began to take on a whole new meaning. For the first time, I was now seeing the Scriptures through Jewish eyes.

One of the most enjoyable experiences was the Oneg Shabbat (‘the pleasure of Shabbat’), which followed the morning service. Everyone would meet in an adjoining building for a simple meal and fellowship. I’ll never forget that first Oneg. As I sat at a table eating and making friends with other like-minded Believers, Rick came over and welcomed me to Adat Yeshua. From that point on Rick and I became the best of friends, and the people at Adat Yeshua became my extended family.

As I left the Oneg that afternoon I couldn’t help but reflect on the many years I had attended church. Making personal friendships in church did not come easy, especially in large churches. Most of the time, once the service concluded people made a hurried dash for their cars. About the only opportunity people had for fellowship was when attending a church social. Even then, there was little time for fellowship on a personal level. For most of my forty years as a Christian, I found myself going in-and-out the doors of the church a stranger to what should have been one of the richest experiences of being a Believer – followship with other Believers.

Perhaps the most troubling part of this story is that its your story too! If so, let me assure you that you too can know the real Jewish Messiah of Israel, not as He is portrayed by the Western Church — void of everything Jewish. You too can know the Hebrew context in which the Believers of the first century lived and died; not as it is taught by the Western Church — void of everything Jewish. You too can know the faith of Abraham and those first century followers the young Rabbi from Nazareth, not as it is taught by the Western Church — void of its Hebraic roots.

In the Book of Matthew, we are told that the young Rabbi taught a parable which likened the discovery of the Kingdom of Heaven to a man finding a hidden treasure in a field. When the man finally found that hidden treasure he sold all that he had and bought the field (Matt. 13:44).

By simply reading this book with an open mind you too will understand the reason the young Rabbi from Nazareth likened the discovery of the rule of the Kingdom of Heaven to a hidden treasure. You too will understand why this certain man refused to quit searching until he found that hidden treasure. You too will understand why this man sold everything he had when he found that hidden treasure, and bought the field. And its my prayer that when you find this hidden treasure you too will sell everything you have and buy the field.

Shalom Alechem [Peace be unto you.]

Richard Rhoades

Chapter 1

The Great Misconception of Matthew 5:17

Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill (Matt. 5:17).

In the Hollywood movie Foxfire the celebrated actor Clint Eastwood is smuggled into Russia for the purpose of stealing Russia’s most advanced fighter jet and flying it safely back to the U.S. Once Eastwood is smuggled into Russia he is taken to the home of two dissident Jewish engineers, a man and his wife, who have been involved in the development of the fastest plane in the world. Its highly technical ‘brain’ center was made with a thought-guided, thought-controlled weapons system that accepts human commands only in Russian. The pilot’s thoughts are literally transmitted through his helmet to the computer.

Before Eastwood’s character leaves for the Russian air base, he is briefed by the husband on how to operate the aircraft. After the briefing, he looks Eastwood straight in the eyes and says, "This is very important. When using your weapons you must think in Russian! You cannot think in English and transpose. You must think in Russian!"

In much the same manner, when seeking to understand the most important Book ever written, you must think as a Jew. You cannot think in English and transpose. You must think as a Jew!

How important is this concept to the understanding of the Scriptures? Karl Barth, one of Christianity’s most respected theologians, says: The Bible is a Jewish book. It cannot be properly read, understood, or expounded unless we are to become Jews.¹

Did Dr. Barth mean that we are to literally become Jews? Of course not! But his statement clearly emphasizes the importance of understanding Yeshua, the first century community of Believers, and the Scriptures from a Jewish perspective. The reasons can easily be summarized as follows:

* Yeshua was sent to earth as a Jew, a member of the House of Judah.

* Yeshua was reared by His Jewish parents to be Torah observant.

* Yeshua was a Jewish Rabbi who taught His disciples to be committed to the correct interpretation of the Torah.

* For the first forty years after the death and resurrection of Yeshua the community of Believers were predominately Torah observant Jews.

* All sixty-six books of the Bible were written by Jews, who employed Hebraic concepts that Greek speaking Believers understood.

Many will argue against the need for a Jewish understanding of the Scriptures. Today, however, several Christian scholars are beginning to acknowledge the replacement of Jewish Messianic leadership by the growing Gentile Christian community shortly after the destruction of the Temple, in 70 C.E. (A.D.). By the second century the faith of those first century followers of the young Rabbi from Nazareth was well on its way to being viewed by the people of that day as a Gentile faith — void of its Hebraic roots.

Gnosticism’s Influence on Christianity

When this writer became a Christian, much to the surprise of family and friends, he was told by his pastor: Now that you’re a Believer, a sinner saved by grace, God views you through the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ, and His love is upon you. Christ not only died for your sins, He fulfilled the Law by obeying it for you. So when God looks at you, He only sees the imputed righteousness of His Son.

Although I was convinced that Christ had indeed died for my sins, I became confused when I read passages like Matthew 5:17, where Yeshua said: Do not think that I came to abolish the Law and the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

It wasn’t until years later that I learned those very words of Jesus had been changed by second and third century Gnostic Christians, making them mean exactly the opposite of what the young Rabbi from Nazareth had said. It was equally troubling to learn that Gnostic Christians had made a profound impact on early Christian doctrine.

Marcion (85-160 C.E.), the son of a bishop, who was also a wealthy shipbuilder, became a student of the Gnostic Christian Cerdo, who taught that there was a profound difference between the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament. Like Cerdo, Marcion believed that Christianity was the only true religion. Like Cerdo, Marcion rejected everything Jewish in Scripture. And like Cerdo, Marcion believed that the God of the Old Testament was a harsh and lesser God than the good God revealed in the New Testament.²

Marcion was so convinced that Paul’s message of grace was in opposition to the Torah [‘Law’] that he kept only edited portions of Paul’s writings that agreed with his own theology. For Marcion, Paul was the only true Apostle. Marcion held that all the other Apostles had corrupted the teachings of Yeshua by mixing them with Jewish customs.

Marcion rejected the books written by Matthew, Mark, and John, because of Jewish influences. While he accepted the Book of Acts, he removed everything Jewish. Marcion also excluded 1st and 2nd Timothy, Titus, and Hebrews because of their Jewishness.³ It is said that Marcion’s misrepresentation of the Scriptures was so contrary to their true meaning that Polycarp, who was a student of John, called him the firstborn of Satan.⁴

For Marcion, Matthew 5:17 was proof that the Torah [‘Law’] had been done away with the coming of Yeshua and replaced by grace. According to Marcion’s interpretation of Matthew 5:17, Jesus said: Think not that I have come to fulfill the Law, I have not come to fulfill but to abolish it.

Today, most theologians agree that Marcion was a Heretic, who changed the original meaning of Scripture. The British scholar E. C. Blackman tells us that Marcion changed the meaning of Matthew 5:17 by inverting the order of the clauses so as to give exactly an opposite sense.⁵

Yet, most theologians continue to hold some of Marcion’s same Gnostic views as sound biblical doctrine. Addressing Matthew 5:17, the Scottish theologian Willaim Barclay writes:

What … did Jesus mean by the Law? He said that He had not come to destroy the Law, but to fulfill the Law. That is to say, He came really to bring out the real meaning of the Law. What was the real meaning of the Law?

When we look at the Ten Commandments, which are the essence and foundation of all law, we can see that their whole meaning can be summed in one word–respect, or even better, reverence. Reverence for God and for the name of God, reverence for God’s day, respect for parents, respect for life, respect for property, respect for personality, respect for truth, respect for another person’s good name, respect for oneself so that wrong desires may never master us–these are the fundamental principles of the Ten Commandments.

It is that reverence and respect which Jesus came to fulfill. He came to show men in actual life what reverence for God and respect for men is like.

… That reverence and that respect did not consist in obeying a multitude of petty rules and regulations. It consisted not in sacrifice, but in mercy; not in legalism but in love; not in prohibitions which demanded that men should not do things, but in commandments which made them mould (sic) their lives on the positive commandment of love.⁶

Notice that Dr. Barclay informs his audience that the Ten Commandments can be summed up on one word, respect, which Christ came to fulfill for all men. While this teaching is highly popular within Christianity it, nevertheless, is the same argument made by Marcion in the second century. Two hundred years later, Marcion’s