Devotional One Body

The "new man" from both Jew and Gentile is exactly that: new [Eph 2:15]. Interestingly, there are today many converts to Christianity from Judaism who still hold to the Jewish laws and believe that the law is valid for them since they are Jews.
We believe that misses the point of the message in the Church Epistles. What Christ is doing now for Christians is very different than what God did for Jews and Gentiles under the Law. Christians are not to be separated into different congregations, some "messianic Jews" and some "Gentile congregations.”
The Epistles contain directives not to be separate from each other or form distinct groups (1 Cor. 1: 10-13). They reveal that the Levitical requirements were a shadow of the reality which is Christ (Col. 3: 17), and that the Law was done away in Christ. Since the Law was given to Moses, if it was to be done away with, that fact had to be written very clearly, and it was: Christ abolished the Law (Eph. 2:15) and was the end of the Law (Rom. 10: 4). Christians are not under the Law (Rom. 6: 14, 15), are dead to the Law (Rom. 7:5), are released from the Law (Rom. 7: 6; 8: 2) and are not under the supervision of the Law (Gal. 3: 25).

http://www.christan.ru/index.files/Texts_HTML/One_God_One_Lord_1-3.htm

 

[benadam1974]

@ Benadam

I actually meant the book you referred to earlier: http://www.christan.ru/index.files/Texts_HTML/One_God_One_Lord_1-3.htm

Yes, and it contains many of the beliefs espoused in their REV.

The Four Gospels are actually a part of and the conclusion of the "Old Testament.” According to 2 Timothy 3: 16, the text of Scripture is" God- breathed. " ....However, it has been "man-handled," that is, man has added things to the Bible that often cause confusion. Perhaps one of the most confusing of these additions has been the page in the Bible between Malachi and Matthew that says "The New Testament." Our experience among Christians is that almost all of them believe that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are a part of the "New Testament." This error has many significant and harmful ramifications.
There is much evidence to show that the New Covenant did not start in the Four Gospels, which begin with events before the birth of Christ. Just before his death, Christ said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you" (Luke 22: 20), so the New Covenant could not have started until at least the death of Christ. Actually, the greatest changes in God's dealings with man took place on the Day of Pentecost, as recorded in Acts 2. The following examples make that clear: circumcision became unnecessary, not in the Four Gospels, but on the Day of Pentecost; Temple sacrifice became obsolete, not in the Four Gospels, but at Pentecost. All believers became "priests" and had access to God, not in the Four Gospels, but at Pentecost. The same is true with the Sabbath laws.... (pp 135-36)

The first three verses in the Book of Hebrews clearly define the greatness of Jesus Christ as the "Purpose of the Ages. " They are a kind of capsulation of most of the Old Testament and the Four Gospels, summarizing God's communication to mankind from His calling of the nation of Israel to His exaltation of Jesus Christ as Lord. They provide a fitting introduction to our examination of Jesus Christ as He is revealed in the Old Testament and the Four Gospels, as well as in the Book of Acts and the Church Epistles. (p 63)

Many verses in the Church Epistles say that we are "in Christ," and therefore it is simply not enough to read about him. Having Christ with us and in us is the perspective of the Church Epistles, not the Gospels, and it is imperative that we become thoroughly acquainted with who we are in Christ and who he is in us. This understanding is available only through a knowledge of the Church Epistles, which call us not to look back to Christ in his earthly ministry, but rather to look up to him in his heavenly one. (p 253)

Footnote 1, p 99: We use the term "Hebrew Scriptures" here because technically the "four Gospels" are part of what is called the "Old Testament." Hence we use the term "Hebrew Scriptures" to refer to the Scriptures from Genesis through Malachi. We will continue to refer to the Old Testament when we are referring to the time period rather than the Scriptures.

 

[LeeB]

Have you ever wondered why Abraham, Isaac , Jacob will be in the kingdom of GOD along with the prophets and king David ? Hebrews 11:40 says that the people listed in chapter 11 will be made perfect with us (the church). When Christ returns all of these and more not listed will be in the first resurrection with the dead in Christ. What is your explanation for this considering you say the New Testament and the church began on Pentecost ?

 

[Outcast]

I first had to realize that the scriptures should be seen as one continuing story and not two separate books named Old Testament and New Testament. Yahweh did not fade out and get replaced by Yeshua - despite "the church" in Rome deciding that was what happened by majority vote. Yahweh's truth is still there, and we ignore the pre-Yeshua time as no longer valid. They must be considered together.

 

[LeeB]

Matthew 27:52,53 These saints had died before Christ some perhaps before he was born. What of Anna the prophet , Luke 2:36 , or Simeon , Luke 2:25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32 Does not the church have the same faith as Abraham ? Romans 4,16 The new covenant is older than the old and grace is older than law. Before baptism existed there was circumcision and baptism became the fulfillment of circumcision.

These ancient saints before Christ looked forward into the future for a messiah. When this messiah came he went to John the Baptist, Matthew 3:13,14,15 This baptism was not for Jesus but for all those saints in Hebrews 11 . Romans 15:8 , Paul explains why Jesus was baptized, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, Abraham and forward as well as those before Abraham beginning with Able, Enoch and Noah.

In truth the law and grace existed together in the beginning represented by two trees; life and knowledge of good and evil. It was that the life, the grace, was shown before the law. For by the law is the KNOWLEDGE of sin.

Outcast, your view of scripture is true. The shadows had to have light.