Apologetics for the Masses #519 - 218 Scripture Verses That "Prove" the Mosaic Law is Still in Effect (or do they?)

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Topic

Looking at a bunch of Scripture verses - from a Messianic Jew - to see if they prove that Christians should worship on Saturday, the Sabbath Day, and that the Mosaic Law is still in effect.

Introduction

This week I focus on something I don't believe I've ever really talked about in the past - Messianic Jews. Messianic Jews are folks who recognize Jesus as the Messiah, but who also insist that the followers of the Messiah should keep all the practices of the Mosaic Law as found in the Pentateuch - the 1st 5 books of the Bible. In the 1st century of Christianity, such folks were called Judaizers. I'm not going to do a deep dive on the topic, but this past week I came across a post on Facebook that gave 218 Scripture verses that are supposedly evidence for the claim of Messianic Jews that the old law, the Mosaic Law - the Torah - should be kept by Christians. In other words, that Christians should keep kosher, recognize and celebrate the Old Testament festivals, circumcise their male children, and, most especially, that they should worship on Saturday, the Sabbath Day, instead of Sunday.

You can generally recognize a Messianic Jew by them using the Hebrew name for Jesus - Yeshua. Jesus the Messiah is Yeshua HaMashiach. They will also use Hebrew names for other persons as well. And, of course, they will say that we are to worship on the Sabbath Day - Saturday - instead of Sunday. 7th Day Adventists also insist that Christians should worship on Saturday, the Sabbath Day, but they are generally not all into the Hebrew words and keeping the Mosaic Law and such.

Three reasons I wanted to focus on this particular FB post: 1) To demonstrate that Messianic Jews don't really have a scriptural leg to stand on; 2) Let you get a good look at what I call "shotgun" apologetics - just throw out as many Bible verses as you can, all at once, that you claim support your position and hopefully overwhelm your opponent with the sheer volume of verses; and 3) Show that what I have always taught about Protestant scriptural interpretation is true - that if there is a verse that someone puts out there to "prove" the Catholic Church is wrong in any of its doctrines and dogmas, then either they are saying the verse says something it doesn't actually say, or they are taking the verse out of context - one or the other, or sometimes both. Remember, there is absolutely nothing in the Bible - doctrinally speaking - that is contrary to Catholic teaching, and vice versa, in spite of the claims to the contrary by oh so many Protestants.

Anyway, below is the list of the 218 verses that this person - one Kim Rickman - says make the case for the claim that Jesus did not do away with the "Torah" - the Law - as found in the Pentateuch. As you will see, a decent number of the verses, along with her short commentaries, focus on Sabbath (Saturday) worship as opposed to Sunday worship for Christians - that's the really big one for the Messianic Jews. I'm going to simply reprint her post below, with my comments interspersed. Her words are in italics. I'll just pick a verse or two here and there, from several of the sections she has divided them up into, and comment on her comments about those verses. Although, my comments will stop after 1 Corinthians, as it would just be kinda like beating a dead horse after that. Which means, there are plenty of verses for you to look at and pick apart her comments/arguments. Then, after the 218th verse, I'll give a short summary.

And, speaking of you picking apart her comments/arguments, that's your "homework" assignment - should you decide to accept it. Pick out 10 or 12 of the verses that I don't comment on and see if you can determine why they do not support the claims of those who say Christians should keep all the practices of the "Torah" - the Mosaic Law.

One other thing, Messianic Jews are notoriously anti-Catholic. But, I hold a soft spot for them in my heart. It was a program done by the Christian Jew Foundation of San Antonio, Texas, which I accidentally heard the last 45 seconds of one day while in my car, that started my entire career in apologetics. I called the radio station to complain about the anti-Catholic bigotry of the program - "The Catholic Church is the religious-political system that the anti-Christ will use to take over the world..." - and the next thing you know, a few months later I have a weekly Catholic apologetics show - "The Bible Christian Hour" - on that same radio station. Ain't it grand how God works?

(By the way, this isn't as long as it might appear at first glance.)

Challenge/Response/Strategy

Kim Rickman, on Facebook
For anyone who says that Yeshua did away with His Own Torah, here are 218 verses, 10 in the prophets and writings, and 208 in the New Testament that He absolutely did NOT. Grace never abolished His teachings/His Torah/His commandments. We also need to read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation to actually know what's going on in this world right now instead of interpreting through man's flawed guestimates. No one ever starts reading a book 3/4 of the way through. Before the return of our Real Messiah Yeshua Jesus Christ, please read the Whole Bible and then start over again and understand the Whole Word is True and there are absolutely NO contradictions.

My Comments
Catholics do not say that Jesus "did away with" the Torah as if He simply declared it null and void. It was not "abolished" in that sense. There are, however, Christians who say that the Torah, as well as the rest of the Old Testament, are no longer applicable and that we really don't need to pay attention to it. Sorry, but you can't just completely throw out the Torah, or any part of the Old Testament. As St. Augustine said, the New Testament is hidden in the Old, and the Old Testament is revealed in the New. To properly understand a good bit of the New Testament, you need to first properly understand the Old Testament. You can't just ignore the Old Testament because it's the Hebrew Scriptures and not the Christian Scriptures (i.e., the New Testament). Jesus says that He came not to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it. And that He did. For example, the laws about offering animal sacrifices for sin were fulfilled in the once for all time sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. No other sacrifice is needed to deal with sin. The circumcision law is fulfilled in Baptism. And so on. The Old Law was superseded with the New Law, in the person of Jesus Christ.

So, Kim Rickman is correct when she basically says we need to know the whole story - Old and New. But, notice very carefully what she says: "We also need to read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation to actually know what's going on in this world right now instead of interpreting through man's flawed guestimates." She is warning us about relying upon man's flawed (aka fallible) personal interpretations of Scripture. And then she goes on to personally interpret Scripture...218 times. Imagine that. But, of course, none of her interpretations are flawed. Protestants kind of instinctively know that each person interpreting Scripture on their own is inherently dangerous, even if they don't keep that thought in the forefront of their minds. The thing is, though, their theology prevents them from doing anything other than making personal flawed...fallible...interpretations of Scripture. Again, though, each and every Protestant's private scriptural interpretations are THE correct interpretations. Ever may it be so.

Old Testament
1.) Is.2 [The Torah will be taught in the Millennial Kingdom]
2.) Is.8:20 [Those who are against the Torah have no light in them]
3.) Is.42:4 [The coastlands will wait for YHWH's Torah]
4.) Is.42:21 [YHWH will exalt the Torah and make it honorable]
5.) Is.51:7 [The Torah mentioned to be on people's hearts before Jer.31:33]
6.) Jer.31:33 [The Torah will be on our hearts during the Millennial Kingdom]
7.) Micah 4:2 [Nations will come to learn the Torah in the Millennial Kingdom]
8.) Zech.14:16-19 [The Feast of Tabernacles will be kept in the Millennial Kingdom (Lev.23)]
9.) Lam 2:9 [Jeremiah lamented that the Torah is no more. Why lament if it will be done away with?]
10.) Psalm 119 [David exalted the Torah]

My Comments
#1 - The first verse, or rather passage, of Scripture that she cites is Isaiah, chapter 2. She interprets Isaiah 2 to be saying that the Torah - the Mosaic Law - will be taught in the Millenial Kingdom (a supposed Kingdom on earth ruled by Jesus Christ sometime after the Rapture and before the General Resurrection of the dead at the end of time). There is a verse in that chapter that says "For out of Zion will go forth the law [Torah]," (verse 3), but, is it referring to the Mosaic Law? Or, could it possibly be referring to the "law of liberty" that is mentioned in James 1:25? Furthermore, the interpretation that this chapter is referring to the Millenial Kingdom is just that, an interpretation. Nowhere does it use the phrase, "Millenial Kingdom". In fact, the word "kingdom" doesn't appear at all in that chapter. So what she says is nothing more than a "flawed guesstimate" of man.

#2 - Isaiah 8:20 - it says that those who consult mediums and wizards and such, as opposed to consulting God, will dwell in darkness. Got no problem with that. However, it doesn't say a thing about whether or not Christians should keep the Mosaic Law.

#9 - Jeremiah was lamenting the destruction of Jerusalem and the fact that the Torah is no more. How does lamenting the fact that the Torah is no more for the Jewish people, because they have been hauled off into captivity, hundreds of years before Christ came into the world, say anything about whether or not Christians should practice the Mosaic Law? He was also lamenting the fact that the "holy stones" lie scattered at the head of every street (Lamentations 4:1). So, should Christians gather together a bunch of "holy stones" all in one place so that they are no longer scattered? He was lamenting the destruction of Solomon's Temple. Should Christians rebuild Solomon's Temple and offer sacrifices there?

A big part of the problem here, is that Kim Rickman interprets every mention of "the law" as if it is referring exclusively to the Mosaic Law . But, consider Genesis 26:5, "...because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws." So, it seems there were commandments, statutes, and laws of the Lord before Moses was even born. Which means the Mosaic Law is not the be all and end all of God's Law.

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The Gospels

Matthew
11.) Matt.4:4-10 [Yeshua used the Torah to rebuke the adversary (Deut 8:3; 6:16; 6:13)]
12.) Matt.5:17-19 [Those who teach against Torah will be least in the Kingdom of Heaven]
13.) Matt.7:12 [The Golden Rule (Midrash on Torah)]
14.) Matt.9:20 [Yeshua wore Tzitziot (Num.15:38)]
15.) Matt.11:13 [Yeshua used the Torah & the Prophets to prove John the Baptist valid]
16.) Matt.12:5 [Yeshua interpreted the Sabbath]
17.) Matt.14:36 [Yeshua wore Tzitziot (Num.15:38)]
18.) Matt.22:36-40 [Yeshua taught the greatest commandments from the Torah USING the Torah]
19.) Matt.23:23 [Yeshua emphasized the weightier matters of the Torah USING the Torah]|

My Comments
#11 - #19 can be summed up as her claiming that because Jesus quoted the Word of God from the Old Testament - the only Scriptures available at the time - to Satan, and also to the Jews, then that means Christians should keep the Mosaic Law. Sorry, but one does not lead automatically to the other.

#17 - Jesus wore the "Tzitziot" - the "fringes" with blue ribbon or some such thing as mentioned in Numbers 15:38. So, Jesus, a Jew, doing something that is in accord with the Torah, absolutely proves that Christians should keep the Mosaic Law, right? Yeah, that's sound logic. You know, I wonder if Kim Rickman wears the same kind of fringes - Tzitziot - on all of her clothes? If she doesn't, uh oh! Not keeping the Torah!

#18 - Jesus used the Torah to teach what was in the Torah. Go figure. So, of course, that means that Christians should keep the Mosaic Law. Really?

Mark
20.) Mark 3:4 [Yeshua interpreted the Sabbath]
21.) Mark 6:18 [John the Baptist used Torah to rebuke Herod (Lev.20:21)]
22.) Mark 6:56 [Yeshua wore Tzitziot (Num.15:38)]
23.) Mark 10:5-12 [Yeshua taught on divorce using the creation account]

My Comments
All 4 of these examples are useless as proof, or even as just evidence, that Christians are supposed to keep the Mosaic Law. All these examples show is that Jesus taught the Jews from their holy scriptures. What a surprise! And, that John the Baptist, a Jew; quoted the Old Testament scriptures. And that, again, Jesus wore some sort of special fringe on His garments, in accordance with Numbers 15:38. Where is anything that makes sense in any of this?

Luke
24.) Luke 2:21 [Yeshua circumcised on the eighth day (Lev.12:2-3)]
25.) Luke 2:22-39 [Yeshua was presented before YHWH as the first born (Ex.34:19)]
26.) Luke 2:24 [An offering was made for Yeshua being the first born (Lev.12:6)]
27.) Luke 4:16 [Yeshua's custom was to attend Synagogue on the Sabbath day not Sunday]
28.) Luke 6:3-9 [Yeshua is Master of the Sabbath]
29.) Luke 10:26-28 [Yeshua encouraged Torah observance by elevating the weightier commandments]
30.) Luke 10:30-37 [Yeshua gave a parable of the good Samaritan/love your neighbor]
31.) Luke 14:5 [Yeshua preserved life on the Sabbath]
32.) Luke 16:16 [Yeshua used Torah and the Prophets to prove John the Baptist is valid]
33.) Luke 16:17 [It is easier for heaven & earth to pass away than for Torah to do so]
34.) Luke 24:44 [Suffering Servant Prophecy fulfilled]

My Comments
#27 - Yeshua (Jesus) attended Synagogue on Saturday, not Sunday. I mean, that's mind blowing. Absolute proof that not only should Christians keep the Mosaic Law, but that they should attend the Synagogue, too...right? Of course Jesus attended Synagogue on Saturdays...that's when the services were held! If He had shown up on Sundays, no one would have been there.  The New Testament had not yet been instituted! There were no Christian worship services to attend! What an absolutely ridiculous argument to try to make!

#31 - Yeshua preserved life on the Sabbath. So, did Jesus only heal on the Sabbath? If He healed folks or performed other miracles on other days of the week, is that evidence that we should not keep the Mosaic Law? I mean, we know that His first miracle was not on the Sabbath - it was at a wedding, which would not have taken place on the Sabbath. We know His multiplication of the loaves and fish was not on a Sabbath, as the people would not have been participating in such a gathering on a Sabbath. So, if performing a miracle on the Sabbath is evidence for keeping the Torah, then isn't performing miracles on days other than the Sabbath evidence against keeping the Torah?

John
35.) John 1:17 [Through the Torah, Messiah's Grace was manifested]
36.) John 1:45 [Phillip used the Torah & the Prophets to convince Nathaniel about Yeshua being Messiah]
37.) John 5:8 [Yeshua healed a lame man on the Sabbath]
38.) John 7:19 [Yeshua used the Torah to defend Himself]
39.) John 7:22-23 [Yeshua interpreted the Sabbath]
40.) John 7:24 [Yeshua taught to judge righteously (Lev.19:15)]
41.) John 7:49 [Yeshua said those who do not know Torah are accursed]
42.) John 7:51 [Nicodemus used the Torah to prove Yeshua innocent]
43.) John 8:5-12 [Yeshua won the challenge concerning the woman in "adultery" (Lev.20:10)]

My Comments
#43 - Yeshua "won the challenge" concerning the woman in "adultery"? So that means Christians should keep the Mosaic Law? What is she talking about? It seems, actually, that Jesus didn't keep the Torah here. Lev 20:10 says those caught in adultery should be put to death. Yet, Yeshua refused to go there. Was He not breaking the Torah? Read Leviticus 20 about all of the penalties of death for various sins. Does Kim Rickman believe adulterers should be put to death? If not, why not? Isn't that keeping the Torah? Does she believe those engaging in homosexual acts should be put to death? If not, why not? Isn't that keeping the Torah?

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Acts
44.) Acts 2 [The disciples celebrated Shavuot (Pentecost)]
45.) Acts 6:13 [False witnesses accused the disciples of teaching against the Torah]
46.) Acts 13:14 [Paul went to Synagogue on Sabbath]
47.) Acts 13:15 [Paul attended Synagogue on Sabbath]
48.) Acts 13:39 [Paul taught the Torah and the Prophets in Synagogue]
49.) Acts 13:42 [Gentiles wanted to hear more about Torah and Messiah next Sabbath]
50.) Acts 13:44 [Almost the whole city came the next Sabbath and wanted to learn]
51.) Acts 13:46 [Paul and Barnabas decided to teach Torah/Prophets to the Gentiles (Is.49:6)]
52.) Acts 13:48 [Gentiles were filled with gladness because they get to learn about Yeshua & Torah]
53.) Acts 13:49 [Torah and the Prophets were spread throughout all the region of Antioch]
54.) Acts 15:21 [Moses was taught in all the cities in Synagogues on the Sabbath Day]
55.) Acts 15:28-29 [New gentile converts were to keep the kosher laws of Torah before learning the rest of it] [Foods offered to idols/eating blood/eating things strangled/sexual immorality] [(Ex.20:3/Lev.7:26;17:12; 22:8/Deut.14:21)]
56.) Acts 16:13 [Prayer was customarily made on the Sabbath Day]
57.) Acts 17:2-4 [Paul taught Yeshua and Torah for THREE Sabbaths not three Sundays!]
58.) Acts 18:4 [Paul persuaded Jews and Greeks about Yeshua EVERY Sabbath!]
59.) Acts 18:13 [False witness accused Paul of teaching against Torah]
60.) Acts 18:18 [Paul takes a Nazirite vow and shaves his head (Num.6)]
61.) Acts 20:6 [Paul sails to Philippi AFTER Unleavened Bread. Why mention this if it’s done away with?]
62.) Acts 20:7-12 [Paul kept the Sabbath and taught for Havdallah until midnight]
63.) Acts 20:16 [Paul wanted to arrive in time at Jerusalem to keep Shavuot (Ex.34:22/Lev.23:15-22)]
64.) Acts 21:20 [New converts were ZEALOUS for the Torah!]
65.) Acts 21:24 [Paul showed that he keeps the Torah]
66.) Acts 21:28 [More false accusations saying that Paul taught against the Torah]
67.) Acts 22:12 [Paul used the Torah to say Ananias was a devout man]
68.) Acts 23:3 [Paul used the Torah to defend his position]
69.) Acts 23:4 [Paul quoted the Torah (Ex.22:28)]
70.) Acts 24:14 [Paul believed all things in the Torah and the Prophets]
71.) Acts 28:23 [Paul taught people the Torah and the Prophets]

My Comments
#46, #47, and #48 - about Paul attending Synagogue on Sabbath - prove absolutely nothing other than the fact that Jews attend Synagogue on the Sabbath. If Paul wanted to convert Jews, which he did, it would make no sense for him to attend the Synagogue on Sunday, now would it?! How does that in any way support the claim that Christians should worship on Saturday? It doesn't.

#55 - Acts 15:28-29 does not say that the Gentile converts were to "keep the kosher laws of Torah" unless you believe the "kosher laws of Torah" are consist solely of the prohibition to abstain from blood. Furthermore, these verses say absolutely nothing about "learning the rest of it [the Law]". That is completely made up.

#62 - Acts 20:7-12 is referring to Paul gathering with others to "break bread" [the Eucharist] on the "first day of the week" (verse 7) - Sunday! Not the Sabbath, which is the last day of the week. This woman apparently either doesn't know how to read, or is just making things up as she goes along.

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Pauline Epistles

Romans
72.) Rom.2:13 [Those who do the Torah and not just hear it are considered justified]
73.) Rom.3:31 [Faith does not make void Torah]
74.) Rom.6:15 [Grace is not permission to sin]
75.) Rom.7:2 [Paul taught the laws of marriage & divorce (Deut.24)]
76.) Rom.7:7 [The Torah is not sin]
77.) Rom.7:12 [The Torah is holy, just, and good]
78.) Rom.7:26 [The Torah is good]
79.) Rom.7:22 [Paul delighted in the Torah of YHWH]
80.) Rom.13:10 [Love fulfills the Torah]
81.) Rom.13:18 [Love fulfills the Torah]

My Comments
#74 - "Grace is not permission to sin." And exactly how is that evidence that Christians need to keep the Mosaic Law?

#80 and #81 - So, if love fulfills the Torah, then you no longer need the Torah if you have love, right?

1 Corinthians
82.) 1 Cor.1:18 [Paul quoted Isaiah 29:14 for his doctrine]
83.) 1 Cor.1:31 [Paul quoted Jeremiah 9:24]
84.) 1 Cor.2:9 [Paul quoted Isaiah 64:4]
85.) 1 Cor.2:16 [Paul quoted Isaiah 40:13]
86.) 1 Cor.3:19 [Paul quoted Job 5:13]
87.) 1 Cor.3:20 [Paul quoted Psalm 94:11]
88.) 1 Cor.5:1 [Paul used Torah to rebuke sin (Lev.20:11)
89.) 1 Cor.5:6-8 [Paul encouraged believers to keep Passover (Lev.23)]
90.) 1 Cor.5:9-11 [Paul taught to not be yoked with the sexually immoral (Lev.20)]
91.) 1 Cor.5:12-13 [Paul quoted Deut.17:7; 19:19; 22:21; 24:7]
92.) 1 Cor.6:9-10 [Paul listed immoral actions defined by Torah (Lev.20)]
93.) 1 Cor.6:16 [Paul quotes Gen.2:24]
94.) 1 Cor.7:10-11 [Paul taught on marriage and divorce (Deut.24)]
95.) 1 Cor.7:19 [Paul taught that keeping the Torah is more important than IMMEDIATE circumcision]*
96.) 1 Cor.7:39 [Paul taught the laws of marriage and re-marriage]
97.) 1 Cor.9:9-12 [Paul did a midrash on Deut.25:4]
98.) 1 Cor.9:21 [Paul kept YHWH's Torah when ministering to those who didn't have the Torah]
99.) 1 Cor.10:1-22 [Paul did a midrash on Ex.32:6]
100.) 1 Cor.10:26 [Paul quoted Psalm 24:1]
101.) 1 Cor.14:21 [Paul quoted Isaiah 28:11-12]
102.) 1 Cor.15:27 [Paul quoted Psalm 8:6]
103.) 1 Cor.15:32 [Paul quoted Isaiah 22:13]
104.) 1 Cor.15:45 [Paul quoted Gen.2:7]
105.) 1 Cor.15:54 [Paul quoted Isaiah 25:8]
106.) 1 Cor.15:55 [Paul quoted Hosea 13:14]

My Comments
#82 - #87, #100 - #103, and #105 - #106 - Paul is quoting from books that are not part of the Torah, and she is using that as evidence for why Christians should keep the Torah. Some sound logic there.

#95 - She cites 1 Cor 7:19 as saying that "keeping the Torah" is more important than getting "IMMEDIATE circumcision". Well, no, that's not what 1 Cor 7:19 says. It says neither circumcision or uncircumcision count for anything. And, if you go back one verse, to get some context, it says if you're not circumcised, then there is no need to get circumcised...at all! Ever! Whoops! It looks like there's some "interpreting through man's flawed guesstimates" going on here. I mean, the requirement of circumcision is a major part of the Torah. Yet, here Paul is essentially saying, "Hey, you're not circumcised? Well, then, don't bother getting circumcised." It doesn't say anything...at all!...about "IMMEDIATE" vs. LATER circumcision.

And look at the double talk. Keeping the Torah is more important than IMMEDIATE circumcision. Yet, not getting circumcised is breaking the Torah. So, how can you "keep" the Torah by breaking the Torah? Whoever came up with this list of verses is a bit pixillated. (I finish my comments below after #218.)

2 Corinthians
107.) 2 Cor.3:12-17 [Paul did a midrash on the veil of Moses (Ex.34:33-35)]
108.) 2 Cor.4:13 [Paul quoted Psalm 116:10]
109.) 2 Cor.6:2 [Paul quoted Isaiah 49:8]
110.) 2 Cor.6:16 [Paul quoted Lev.26:12/Jeremiah 32:38/Ezekiel 37:27]
111.) 2 Cor.6:17 [Paul quoted Isaiah 52:11/Ezekiel 20:34; 41]
112.) 2 Cor.6:18 [Paul quoted 2 Samuel 7:14]
113.) 2 Cor.8:15 [Paul quoted Ex.16:18]
114.) 2 Cor.9:9 [Paul quoted Psalm 112:9]
115.) 2 Cor.10:17 [Paul quoted Jeremiah 9:24]
116.) 2 Cor.13:1 [Paul quotes Deut.19:15]

Galatians
117.) Gal.3:6 [Paul quoted Gen.15:6]
118.) Gal.3:8 [Paul quoted Gen.12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14]
119.) Gal.3:10 [Paul quoted Deut.27:26]
120.) Gal.3:11 [Paul quoted Habakkuk 2:4]
121.) Gal 3:12 [Paul quoted Lev.18:5]
122.) Gal.3:13 [Paul quoted Deut 11:26-28; 27:15-26]
123.) Gal.3:16 [Paul quoted Gen.12:7; 13:15; 24:7]
124.) Gal.4:27 [Paul quoted Isaiah 54:1]
125.) Gal.4:30 [Paul quoted Gen.21:10]
126.) Gal.5:14 [Paul quoted Lev.19:18]

Ephesians
127.) Eph.4:8 [Paul quoted Psalm 68:18]
128.) Eph.4:25 [Paul quoted Zechariah 8:16]
129.) Eph.4:26 [Paul quoted Psalm 4:4]
130.) Eph.5:31 [Paul quoted Gen.2:24]
131.) Eph.6:2 [Paul quoted Deut.5:16]

Philippians
132.) Philipp.2:17 [Paul related himself to a drink offering (Lev.23:13)]

1 Thessalonians
133.) 1 Thess.4:2 [Paul taught to walk in the Commandments of YHWH]
134.) 1 Thess.4:3 [Paul taught to avoid sexual immorality (Lev.20)]
135.) 1 Thess.5:1-11 [Paul taught that those who don't know the Feast Days are in darkness/blind]

2 Thessalonians
136.) 2 Thess.1:8 [Paul quoted Isaiah 24:23]

1 Timothy
137.) 1 Tim.1:8 [Paul taught that the Torah is good if one uses it right]
138.) 1 Tim.5:18 [Paul quoted Deut.25:4]
139.) 1 Tim.5:19 [Paul taught the concept of two witnesses (Deut.19:15)]

2 Timothy
140.) 2 Tim.3:15 [Paul said Timothy had known the "Holy Scriptures" (Torah/Prophets) since his youth]
141.) 2 Tim.3:16 [Paul referred to the Torah/Prophets when he said "Scripture, Doctrine, Instruction"]
142.) 2 Tim.4:6 [Paul related himself as a drink offering (Lev.23:13) *Titus:

Titus
143.) Titus 2:9 [Paul taught obedience to the Torah concerning bondservants & masters (Deut.15:12-18)]
144.) Titus 2:14 [Paul taught that Yeshua died so we will have zeal for good works (Torah)]

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Other Epistles

Hebrews
145.) Heb.1:5 [quoted Ps.2:7/2Sam.7:14]
146.) Heb.1:6 [quoted Deut.32:43/Psalm 97:7]
147.) Heb.1:7 [quoted Ps.104:4]
148.) Heb.1:9 [quoted Ps.45:6-7]
149.) Heb.1:12 [quoted Ps.102:25-27]
150.) Heb.1:13 [quoted Ps.110:1]
151.) Heb.2:8 [quoted Ps.8:4-6]
152.) Heb.2:12 [quoted Ps.22:22]
153.) Heb.2:13 [quoted 2Sam.22:3/Isaiah 8:17-18]
154.) Heb.3:11 [quoted Ps. 5:7-11]
155.) Heb.3:15 [quoted Ps.95:7-8]
156.) Heb.4:3 [quoted Ps.95:11]
157.) Heb.4:4 [quoted Gen.2:2]
158.) Heb.4:5 [quoted Ps.95:11]
159.) Heb.4:7 [quoted Ps.95:7-8]
160.) Heb.5:5 [quoted Ps.2:7]
161.) Heb.5:6 [quoted Ps.110:4]
162.) Heb.6:14 [quoted Gen.22:17]
163.) Heb.7:17 [quoted Ps.110:4]
164.) Heb.7:21 [quoted Ps.110:4]
165.) Heb.8:5 [quoted Ex.25:40]
166.) Heb.8:12 [quoted Jer.31:31-34]
167.) Heb.9:20 [quoted Ex. 24:8]
168.) Heb.10:7 [quoted Ps.40:6-8]
169.) Heb.10:16 [quoted Jer.31:33]
170.) Heb.10:17 [quoted Jer.31:34]
171.) Heb.10:30 [quoted Deut.32:35-36]
172.) Heb.10:37 [quoted Hab.2:3-4]
173.) Heb.11:5 [quoted Gen.5:24]
174.) Heb.11:18 [quoted Gen.21:2]
175.) Heb.12:6 [quoted Prov.3:11-12]
176.) Heb.12:20 [quoted Ex.19:12-13]
177.) Heb.12:21 [quoted Deut.9:19]
178.) Heb.12:26 [quoted Hag.2:6]
179.) Heb.13:5 [quoted Deut.31:6-8/Josh.1:5]
180.) Heb.13:6 [quoted Ps.118:6]

James
181.) Jam.1:22-24 [James taught to be a doer of the Word]
182.) Jam.1:25 [The Torah is liberating]
183.) Jam.2:8 [James quoted Lev.19:18]
184.) Jam.2:11 [James quoted Ex.20:13-14/Deut.5:17-18]
185.) Jam.2:23 [James quoted Gen.15:6]
186.) Jam.3:2-12 [James did a midrash on the evil tongue (Lev.14)]
187.) Jam.4:6 [James quoted Prov.3:34]
188.) Jam.4:12 [James said YHWH is our Lawgiver. Why need a Lawgiver if the Law is done away with?]

1 Peter
189.) 1 Pet.1:16 [Peter quoted Lev.11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7]
190.) 1 Pet.1:25 [Peter quoted Isaiah.40:6-8]
191.) 1 Pet.2:6 [Peter quoted Isaiah 28:16]
192.) 1 Pet.2:7 [Peter quoted Ps.118:22]
193.) 1 Pet.2:8 [Peter quoted Isaiah 8:14]
194.) 1 Pet.2:22 [Peter quoted Isaiah 53:9]
195.) 1 Pet.3:12 [Peter quoted Ps.34:12-16
196.) 1 Pet.3:14 [Peter quoted Isaiah 8:12]
197.) 1 Pet.4:8 [Peter quoted Prov.10:12]
198.) 1 Pet.4:11 [Peter taught to speak as the Oracles of YHWH (Heb.5:12; Acts 7:38; Rom.3:2)]
199.) 1 Pet.4:18 [Peter quoted Prov.11:31]
200.) 1 Pet.5:5 [Peter quoted Prov.3:34]

2 Peter
201.) 2 Pet.2:22 [Peter quoted Prov.26:11]

1 John
202.) 1 Jo.2:3-5 [We are YHWH's children if we keep His commandments]
203.) 1 Jo.2:6 [We are to walk as Yeshua Messiah walked (Torah)]
204.) 1 Jo.3:4 [Sin is violating the Torah]
205.) 1 Jo.3:22 [We are to do YHWH's commandments and do things that are pleasing to Him]
206.) 1 Jo.3:23 [To believe in Yeshua as Messiah is a Torah based faith]
207.) 1 Jo.3:24 [Those who keep YHWH's commandments abide in Him, and He in them]
208.) 1 Jo.5:2 [We are YHWH's children if we keep His commandments]
209.) 1 Jo.5:3 [It is the love of YHWH to keep His commandments and they aren't a burden]

2 John
210.) 2 Jo.1:6 [It is love to walk in His commandments]
211.) 2 Jo.1:9 [Violators of Torah do not abide in the teaching of Yeshua which is to follow Torah]  [Those who abide in the teaching of Messiah has both YHWH and Yeshua]
212.) 2 Jo.1:10 [John said to have nothing to do with those who teach against the teaching of Messiah]

Jude
213.) Jude 1:12 ["love feasts" were the Feast Days (Lev.23)]

—————————————————————————————————

Revelation
214.) Rev.1:6 [The Torah comes forth from Yeshua's mouth]
215.) Rev.12:17 [The adversary is enraged mainly with those who keep Torah & believe in Yeshua]
216.) Rev.14:12 [Those who endure are they that keep the Torah and believe in Yeshua]
217.) Rev.19:15 [Yeshua judges and strikes the nations with the Torah (Word of YHWH/His Sword)]
218.) Rev.22:14 [People are blessed for keeping the Commandments and have rights to the Tree of Life and are entering the City]

Summary
I could go through every single one of these 218 verses and show, every time, that either the verses don't say what she says they say, or she is taking them completely out of context. Which is, in general, Protestant methodology. Or, as often is the case here, the verses cited have absolutely nothing to do with the overall argument. Here, the argument is that Christians should keep the Mosaic Law. A number of the verses cited have absolutely no relevance to that argument. On and on I could go, but these few examples I've highlighted serve the purpose to show that this Kim Rickman person really doesn't know what she is talking about and her arguments are incredibly, mind-numbingly, weak.

By the way, what about passages from Scripture that directly contradict her claim that Christians need to keep the Mosaic Law? For example, Acts, chapter 15 - the Council of Jerusalem. The Council of Jerusalem was called to specifically discuss whether or not Gentile Christians have to be circumcised and have to keep the entire Law of Moses (Acts 15:5). What was the answer from the Council (and the Holy Spirit, v. 28)? "No." Not only was the answer, "No," but in his argument on the matter, Peter referred to the Law of Moses as a yoke upon the neck of the disciples; i.e., not necessarily a good thing. Yet, in #55 above, she tried to get around the Council's decision by simply making things up about what the Council decided. The Council said, "No," to the Gentiles having to keep the Law of Moses, Kim Rickman somehow takes that to mean that the Council said, "Yes." That's just one more example of those "flawed guesstimates" of man that she had mentioned.

In Colossians 2:16, Paul tells the Gentile converts not to let anyone - aka the Judaizers - "pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a sabbath"? It seems Paul may have been referring directly to Kim Rickman and her co-religionists with that one. Then there's Eph 2:14-15, "For He is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in His flesh the law of commandments and ordinances.” I noticed she didn't comment on that passage.

Hebrews 10:1, "For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never...perfect those who draw near." The law is but a "shadow" of the good things to come. It isn't the good things in and of itself. The shadow is insufficient now that we have the Person who cast the shadow.

Hebrews 10:8-9, "When He said above, 'Thou hast neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings' (these are offered according to the law, then He added, 'Lo, I have to do Thy will.' He abolishes the first in order to establish the second." God took no pleasure in the sacrifices, offerings, burnt offerings, and sin offerings that were offered under the law. He abolishes the sacrifices that occurred under the law and fulfills them in Jesus Christ. He abolishes the first law in order to establish the more perfect law - in and through the Person of Jesus Christ.

Should Christians keep the Old Law...the Mosaic Law...with it's clean and unclean foods - even though God said there is nothing that should be called common or unclean (Acts 10:9-15)? What about when Paul says that he is not under the [old] law (1 Cor 9:20), but that he was under the "law of Christ," which is obviously something different than the Mosaic Law? Why didn't she list that verse I wonder?

All in all, this was a rather pathetic attempt at using Scripture to prove your theology is true. Again, I invite you to randomly pick out some of the other verses, read them, and see if you think they say what she is trying to make them say.

Closing Comments

This is a perfect example of how, without an infallible authority to provide some boundaries for interpreting Scripture, a person can get themselves into a whole lot of scriptural trouble. Essentially twisting the Scriptures to their own diestruction, as Peter says in 2 Peter 3:16.

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