However, unbeknownst to many if those who reject the authority of the Jewish tradition in their Torah observance, they are following in the footsteps of the long-extinct Sadducees. Sadducees were the economic and spiritual elite in the first century Judean society. They were in charge of the Temple and because of that they exercised great authority over the Jewish society. New Testament, however, portrays them as being the chief opponents of Yeshua (Jesus) and his work and they are shown as playing a leading role in the trial and condemnation. Pharisees, on the other hand, who were the proponents of the Oral Law, and who worked to bring a deeper, more meaningful spirituality to the Jewish people, are often portrayed as having much in common with Yeshua, inviting him into their homes, learning from him and even warning him about the coming attempts on his life, have received Yeshua’s expressed acknowledgement of their authority in establishing norms of observances within Judaism of the day (see Matthew 23:2-3).

From this we can derive the following: by Yeshua giving his approval to Pharisaic authority in the lives of his own Jewish disciples as well as observing many of the traditions himself, Yeshua can be rightly viewed as having rejected the Sola Scriptura approach of the Sadducees (as pointed out by Tsvi Sadan in his paper Halachic Authority in the Life of the Messianic Community). The Sadducees, in turn, could rightly be called the original proponents of “Sola Scriptura”, since they too rejected as binding the Pharisaic traditions and interpretations of Torah.

Josephus, the famed first century Jewish historian, described Sadducees in this fashion:

What I would now explain is this, that the Pharisees have delivered to the people a great many observances by succession from their fathers, which are not written in the law of Moses; and for that reason it is that the Sadducees reject them and say that we are to esteem those observances to be obligatory which are in the written word, but are not to observe what are derived from the tradition of our forefathers. [Ant. 13.297] The Sadducees….  observe no tradition apart from the [written] laws. Whenever they assume office, however, they submit to the formulas of the Pharisees, because the masses would not tolerate them otherwise. [Ant. 18.16]

The above statement about “the masses” vividly illustrates just how integral the Oral Law was in the first century Judaism. The Sadducean opposition to Jewish traditions and Torah interprations simply ran counter to a living Jewish spirituality and day-to-day Jewish lives that required them, just as it does today among those who reject and deride what they derogatorily refer to as “Rabbinic Judaism”.

[It] has been more than a bit fascinating to me to note the UMJC’s move back in the direction of dispensational tenets; most notably with bi-lateral ecclesiology.

I would like to reply with this:

For all that Dispensationalism got wrong, it got one thing very right (in my opinion) – the perpetuity of [ethnic] Israel in G-d’s plan. This is the very thing that originally stumbled and continues to stumble most [but not all] of Christendom, which does not [want to] see Jews as having a unique place in G-d’s economy any longer.

So, to address Nate’s point: does Bi-lateral Ecclesiology = Dispensationalism? Not at all, in my opinion. Upon examination, the similarities do not extend far from what I outlined above, that is the ongoing role for Israel. First of all, Bi-lateral Ecclesiology, unlike Dispensationalism, does not hold a view that Israel and Gentiles parts of the Body in the Ecclesia represent two totally separate entities. Rather, the two merely represent two wings of the same Entity – the Community of G-d – and complement each other (not apart from each other) by following G-d-ordained differentiated callings.

To summarize: according to Bi-lateral Ecclesiology, the multinational “Church”, therefore, is not a replacement or a continuation of Israel, nor is she a separate entity far removed from Israel, but rather she is an extension of Israel (that is she is part of the Kingdom of Israel). Also, quite unlike classic Dispensationalism, her callings and plans are closely aligned to those of Israel and are in fact absolutely inseparable from it. The multinational Church will not be in Heaven or Israel on earth, but the two will be united together, yet distinct. As with husband and wife coming together to become One Flesh, so it is or will be with the multinational Ecclesia and Israel forming One New Man.

• What is a Christian Israelite?
• Are Christians Jews or Gentiles?
• Are Christian gentiles spiritual descendants of Abraham?
• Does a gentile become a spiritual Jew?
• What does it mean to be a spiritual Jew?
• Are Christians “spiritual Jews”?
• Are Christians Israelites?
• Is the tribe of Jacob Jews or Gentiles?
• Are Christians “Herbrews”?
• Who are the spiritual Jews in the Bible?
• Are Christians considered to be Jews?
• Are we spiritually Jews?
• Are Christians and Israelites the same?
• If you are a Christian can you call yourself an Israelite? Why aren’t we all Israelites from 12 tribes? (DM: got these two just yesterday)

I am glad that I am able to enlighten many people on this particularly sore subject. I still owe my visitors the Part II (so much to write, so little time).

Our sages have taught:

The woman suspected of infidelity set her eyes on one who was no proper for her. What she had sought was not given to her, and what she had possessed was taken away from her. Because he who sets his eyes on what is not his is not given what he seeks, and what he possesses is taken away from him…

We find this is true also of Cain, Korah, Balaam, Doeg, Ahithophel, Gehazi, Absalom, Adonijah, Uzziah, and Haman, who set their eyes upon what was not proper for them; what they sought was not given to them, and what they possessed was taken away from them. (B. Sot 9a-b)

G-d of Israel. . .You have done everything to make me stop believing in You. Now lest it seem to You that You will succeed by these tribulations to drive me from the right path, I notify You, my G-d and the G-d of my father, that it will not avail You in the least! You may insult me, You may castigate me, You may take from me all that I cherish and hold dear in the world, You may torture me to death—I shall believe in You, I shall love You no matter what You do to test me.

And these are my last words to You, my wrathful G-d: nothing will avail You in the least. You have done everything to make me renounce You, to make me lose my faith in You, but I die exactly as I lived, a believer….

Hear, O Israel, the L-rd is our G-d, the L-rd is One. Into your hands, O L-rd, I consign my soul.

—Zvi Kolitz, “Yossel Rakover’s Appeal to G-d”

Interviewer: To what extent are you influenced by [the teachings of Jesus]?

Einstein: As a child I received instruction both in the Bible and in the Talmud. I am a Jew, but I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene.

Interviewer: You accept the historical existence of Jesus?

Einstein: Unquestionably! No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life. How different, for instance, is the impression which we receive from an account of legendary heroes of antiquity like Theseus. Theseus and other heroes of his type lack the authentic vitality of Jesus.

Interviewer:  Ludwig Lewisohn, in one of his recent books, claims that many of the sayings of Jesus paraphrase the sayings of other prophets.

Einstein: No man can deny the fact that Jesus existed, nor that his sayings are beautiful. Even if some them have been said before, no one has expressed them so divinely as he.

(From interview with G.S. Viereck)

What is a Jew? This question is not as strange as it may seem at first glance. Let’s examine this free creature that was insulated and oppressed, trampled on and pursued, burned and drowned by all the rulers and the nations, but is nevertheless living and thriving in spite of the whole world.

What is a Jew that did not succumb to any worldly temptations offered by his oppressors and persecutors so that he would renounce his religion and abandon the faith of his fathers?

A Jew is a sacred being who procured an eternal fire from the heavens and with it illuminated the earth and those who live on it. He is the spring and the source from which the rest of the nations drew their religions and beliefs.

A Jew is a pioneer of culture. From time immemorial, ignorance was impossible in the Holy Land, even more so than nowadays in civilized Europe. Moreover, at the time when the life and death of a human being was worth nothing, Rabbi Akiva spoke against the death penalty which is now considered to be an acceptable punishment in the most civilized countries.

A Jew is a pioneer of freedom. Back in primitive times, when the nation was divided into two classes, masters and slaves, Moses’ teaching forbid holding a person as a slave for more than six years.

A Jew is a symbol of civil and religious tolerance, “So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.” These words were uttered during distant, barbarian times when it was commonly acceptable among the nations to enslave each other.

In terms of tolerance, the Jewish religion is far from recruiting adherents. Quite the opposite, the Talmud prescribes that if a non-Jew wants to convert to the Jewish faith, then it has to be explained to him how difficult it is to be a Jew and that the righteous of other religions also inherit the heavenly kingdom. A Jew is a symbol of eternity.

The nation which neither slaughter nor torture could exterminate, which neither fire nor sword of civilizations were able to erase from the face of earth, the nation which first proclaimed the word of Lord, the nation which preserved the prophecy for so long and passed it on to the rest of humanity, such a nation cannot vanish.

A Jew is eternal; he is an embodiment of eternity.
Leo Tolstoy, 1891

Leo Tolstoy on evidence some Christians use to prove that G-d has rejected Jews

You say yourselves that God has rejected the Jews; and, as a proof, you quote the fact that the Jews are humiliated and their faith does not spread. Confess then the truth of Mohammedanism [Islam], for it is triumphant and spreads far and wide.

I confess, I live in fear of being wrong about my theology. It feels terrible to invest in beliefs that may be exposed as incorrect. In fact, finding out that certain beliefs are wrong could completely change how we treat others, how we order our lives, and who knows what else.

When it comes to theology, no one likes to be wrong about God, salvation, or how these beliefs change how they live. Religion becomes personal and deeply ingrained to the point that it becomes a significant part of our identity.

Many of our debates and arguments over theology spring from not only what we believe to be right, but all of the decisions we have made in light of them. To see one belief change could mean a reordering of other beliefs and life choices. In addition, we may end up feeling foolish or deceived.

In fact, the harsh tones of many theology debates may not spring as much from the offense of a particular belief or practice, but more from what we fear we’ll lose if such a thing is proven true. In other words, our attacks on others may be rooted more in defending our own lifestyles and beliefs by proving them wrong rather than dispassionately working toward the most logical conclusion. (From in.a.mirror.dimly blog).

I. No Idolatry

1. “Against entertaining the thought that there exists a deity except HaShem.”

Negative Mitzvah 1

Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other gods besides Me”

2. “Against making any graven image [& against having anyone else make one for us].”

Negative Mitzvah 2

Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other gods besides Me”

3. “Against making idols for use by others.”

Negative Mitzvah 3

Leviticus 19:4 “Do not make gods out of metal, for yourselves”

4. “Against making any forbidden statues [even when they are for ornamental purposes].”

Negative Mitzvah 4

Exodus 20:20 “Do not make with Me gods of silver, neither shall you make for yourselves gods of gold”

5. “Against bowing to any idol [& not to sacrifice nor to pour libation nor to burn incense before any idol, even where it is not the customary manner of worship to the particular idol].”

Negative Mitzvah 5

Exodus 20:5 “Do not bow down to them”

6. “Against worshipping idols in any of their customary manners of worship.”

Negative Mitzvah 6

Exodus 20:5 “Do not worship them”

7. “Against causing our children to pass [through the fire] in the worship of Molech.” In ancient times, the worship of ”Molech” – an Ammonite G-d – was very common, and it required that children be used for the ritual ceremony.

Negative Mitzvah 7

Leviticus 18:21 “Do not give any of your children to set them apart to Molech”

8. “Against practicing Ov.” [Ov is Divination using a mantra to obtain a  meditative trance to commune with the dead]

Negative Mitzvah 8

Leviticus 19:31 “Do not turn to mediums”

9. “Against practicing Yiddoni.” [A Yiddoni involves ritual acts and meditation as a means of imaginary prophecy]

Negative Mitzvah 9

Leviticus 19:31 “Do not turn to oracles”

10. “Against turning to idolatry [in word, in thought, in deed, or by any observance that may draw us to its worship].”

Negative Mitzvah 10

Leviticus 19:4 “Do not turn to idols”

II. No blasphemy

1. “To acknowledge the existence of G-d.”

Positive Mitzvah 1

Exodus 20:2 “I am the L-rd, your G-d”

2. “To fear G-d.”

Positive Mitzvah 4

Deuteronomy 6:13 “You shall fear the L-rd, your G-d”

3. “To pray to Him.”

Positive Mitzvah 5

Exodus 23:25 “And you shall serve the L-rd, your G-d”

4. “To sanctify G-d’s name [in face of death, where appropriate].”

Positive Mitzvah 9

Leviticus 22:32 “But I will be sanctified among the Children of Israel”

5. “Against desecrating G-d’s name [even in face of death, when appropriate].” “Chillul HaShem”

Negative Mitzvah 63

Leviticus 22:32 “Neither shall you profane My holy name”

6. “To study the Torah.”

Positive Mitzvah 11

Deuteronomy 6:7 “And you shall teach them diligently to your children.”

7. “To honour the scholars, and to revere one’s teacher.”

Positive Mitzvah 209

Leviticus 19:32 “You shall stand up before an elderly person and give respect to a sage”

8. “Against blaspheming.,” “Birkat HaShem”

Negative Mitzvah 60

Exodus 22:27 “Do not curse G-d”

III. No theft

1. “Against stealing, [i.e., by stealth]“

Negative Mitzvah 244

Leviticus 19:11 “Do not steal”

2. “Against committing robbery, [i.e., openly]“

Negative Mitzvah 245

Leviticus 19:13 “Do not commit robbery”

3. “Against shifting a landmark.”

Negative Mitzvah 246

Deuteronomy 19:14 “You shall not remove your neighbor’s boundary marker”

4. “Against cheating.”

Negative Mitzvah 247

Leviticus 19:13 “You shall not defraud your neighbor”

5. “Against repudiating a claim of money owed.”

Negative Mitzvah 248

Leviticus 19:11 “You shall not reply falsely”

6. “Against overcharging.”

Negative Mitzvah 250

Leviticus 25:14 “You shall not defraud one another”

7. “Against coveting.”

Negative Mitzvah 265

Exodus 20:14 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house”

8. “Against desiring.”

Negative Mitzvah 266

Deuteronomy 5:18 “You shall not desire your neighbor’s house”

9. “A labourer shall be allowed to eat of the fruits among which he works [under certain conditions].”

Positive Mitzvah 201

Deuteronomy 23:2 “When you come (to work) in your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat the grapes…you may Pluck the ears”

10. “Against a labourer eating of such fruit [when certain conditions are not met].”

Negative Mitzvah 267

Deuteronomy 23:26 “You shall not waive a sickle to your neighbor’s standing grain”

11. “Against a labourer taking of such fruit home.”

Negative Mitzvah 268

Deuteronomy 23:25 “When you come into your neighbor’s vineyard, then you may eat your fill of grapes at your desire; but you shall not put any in your container”

12. “Against kidnapping.”

Negative Mitzvah 243

Exodus 20:13 “Do not steal”

13. “Against the use of false weights & measures.”

Negative Mitzvah 271

Leviticus 19:35 “You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment; in length, in weight or in measure”

14. “Against the possession of false weights & measures.”

Negative Mitzvah 272

Deuteronomy 25:13 “You shall not have in your bag diverse weights, one large and one small”

15 “That one shall be exact in the use of weights & measures.”

Positive Mitzvah 208

Leviticus 19:36 “Honest balance, honest weights, an honest dry measure and an honest liquid measure, you shall have”

16. “That the robber shall return [or pay for] the stolen object.”

Positive Mitzvah 194

Leviticus 5:23 “He shall return that which he stole”

IV. No murder

1. “Against any person murdering anyone”

Negative Mitzvah 289

Exodus 20:13 “You shall not murder”

V. No adultery

1. “Against [a man] having union with his mother.”

Negative Mitzvah 330

Leviticus 18:7 “She is your mother, do not act immodestly with her”

2. “Against [a man] having union with his sister.”

Negative Mitzvah 331

Leviticus 18:9 “Do not act immodestly…with your sister”

3. “Against [a man] having union with the wife of his father.”

Negative Mitzvah 332

Leviticus 18:8 “Do not act immodestly with your father’s wife”

4. “Against [a man] having union with another man’s wife.”

Negative Mitzvah 347

Exodus 20:13 “You shall not commit adultery”

5. “Against [a man] copulating with a beast.”

Negative Mitzvah 348

Leviticus 18:23 “Do not act indecently with an animal”

6. “Against a woman copulating with a beast.”

Negative Mitzvah 349

Leviticus 18:23 “A woman may not act indecently with an animal”

7. “Against [a man] lying carnally with a male.”

Negative Mitzvah 350

Leviticus 18:22 “Do not have a relationship with a male as you would with a woman”

8. “Against [a man] lying carnally with his father.”

Negative Mitzvah 351

Leviticus 18:7 “Do not act immodestly with your father”

9. “Against [a man] lying carnally with his father’s brother.”

Negative Mitzvah 352

Leviticus 18:14 “Do not act immodestly with your father’s brother”

10. “Against engaging in erotic conduct that may lead to a prohibited union. [That is, petting by persons whose marriage would be illicit.]“

Negative Mitzvah 353

Leviticus 18:6 “No person shall approach a close relative and act immodestly”

VI. Courts of justice

1. “To appoint judges and officers in each and every community.”

Positive Mitzvah 176

Deuteronomy 16:18 “Appoint judges and officers in all your gates”

2. “To treat the litigants equally before the law.”

Positive Mitzvah 177

Leviticus 19:15 “With righteousness, judge your neighbor”

3. “To inquire diligently into the testimony of a witness.”

Positive Mitzvah 179

Deuteronomy 13:15 “Then you shall inquire, search, and ask diligently”

4. “Against the wanton miscarriage of justice by the court.”

Negative Mitzvah 273

Leviticus 19:15 “You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment”

5. “Against the judge accepting a bribe or gift from a litigant.”

Negative Mitzvah 274

Exodus 23:8 “And you shall take no bribe”

6. “Against the judge showing marks of honour to but one litigant.”

Negative Mitzvah 275

Leviticus 19:15 “Nor honor an important person”

7. “Against the judge acting in fear of a litigant’s threats.”

Negative Mitzvah 276

Deuteronomy 1:17 “You shall not be afraid because of any man”

8. “Against the judge, out of compassion, favouring a poor litigant.”

Negative Mitzvah 277

Exodus 23:3 “You shall not favor a poor man in his cause”

9. “Against the judge discriminating against the litigant because he is a sinner.”

Negative Mitzvah 278

Exodus 23:6 “You shall not pervert the judgment of the needy in his cause”

10. “Against the judge, out of softness, putting aside the penalty of a mauler or killer.”

Negative Mitzvah 279

Deuteronomy 19:21 “And your eye shall not have pity”

11. “Against the judge discriminating against a stranger or an orphan.”

Negative Mitzvah 280

Deuteronomy 24:17 “You shall not pervert the judgment of the stranger or the orphan”

12. “Against the judge hearing one litigant in the absence of another.”

Negative Mitzvah 281

Exodus 23:1 “You shall not raise a false report”

13. “Against appointing a judge who lacks knowledge of the Law.”

Negative Mitzvah 284

Deuteronomy 1:17 “Do not respect persons in judgment”

14. “Against incrimination by circumstantial evidence.”

Negative Mitzvah 290

Exodus 23:7 “And the innocent and righteous you shall not slay”

15. “Against punishing for a crime committed under duress.”

Negative Mitzvah 294

Deuteronomy 22:26 “But to the girl you shall do nothing”

16. “That the court is to administer the death penalty by the sword [i.e., decapitation].”

Positive Mitzvah 226

Exodus 21:20 “[The sin] shall surely be avenged”

17. “Against anyone taking the law into his own hands to kill the perpetrator of a capital crime.”

Negative Mitzvah 292

Numbers 35:12 “The murderer shall not die until he stands before the congregation in judgment”

18. “To testify in court.”

Positive Mitzvah 178

Leviticus 5:1 “And he is witness, whether he has seen or known of it”

19. “Against testifying falsely.”

Negative Mitzvah 285

Exodus 20:13 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor”

VII. No limb of a living animal

1. “Against eating a limb severed from a living animal, beast, or fowl.”

Negative Mitzvah 182

Deuteronomy 12:23 “And you may not eat the life with the meat”

2. “Against eating the flesh of any animal which was torn by a wild beast which, in part, prohibits the eating of such flesh as was torn off an animal while it was still alive.”

Negative Mitzvah 181

Exodus 22:30 “Neither shall you eat any meat that is torn in the field”