Rom. 6:16-17: Paul, teaching righteousness, teaching Torah

Romans 6:16-18 ¹⁶ Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? ¹⁷ But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, ¹⁸ and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.




Here we see, the apostle Paul, a Pharisee (Acts 23:6), teaching about the new life, and believers living lives of obedience to righteousness.  We see that in v. 16 he teaches us that you are a slave of what or whom you obey, giving us two options: 1) either of sin, resulting in death, which Paul had taught earlier in his letter to the Romans (Rom. 6:23), or 2) of obedience, resulting in righteousness. 




But now we have a dilemma.  The modern "Church," teaches that Yeshua (Jesus) fulfilled the Law so that we don't have to keep it.  In fact, I have had pastors tell me that trying to keep the Law is bondage, and will send you to hell (speaking of me, personally)!  So is the apostle Paul telling believers that Yeshua died to set them free from something that they are now obligated to live by, or that they are free from?




He is instructing believers that they are to live for righteousness, to live in obedience to it.  But living in obedience implies something, a standard, a rule or Law that must be obeyed!  If we are to live in obedience, the Law then is not dead.  It remains true and in effect today just as it was two thousand years ago.  The apostle is instructing believers under the New Covenant through Yeshua's death and resurrection (on Passover and the feast of First Fruits), to live in obedience to the Instruction (Torah) Yhwh commanded his people keep forever (1 Chr. 16:15; Ps. 105:8).




This teaching found in the depths of the New Covenant itself, in a book championed by the Reformers for teaching the doctrine of salvation by grace, actually hearkens back to the teachings in the Torah.  In Deutoronomy 28, the Yhwh speaks through Moses, his servant, and he speaks of the blessing that will be received for living lives in obedience to the Instruction of Yhwh (Deut. 28:1f)  It also speaks of the curses, sickness and destruction to follow after those who live lives of disobedience to the word of Yhwh (Deut. 28:15f).




In the New Testament (B'rit Chadasha) the apostle tells us that the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23).So we see that the New Covenant is not in juxtaposition to the Old Testament, in fact, Paul is confirming the Biblical teaching of the Torah, for the New Covenant believers to follow and live their lives after.


¹⁷ But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, ¹⁸ and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.


When the apostle Paul teaches that believers have become obedient from the heart, he is repeating the teaching of the prophet Jeremiah who first defined what the New Covenant (B'rit Chadashah) would be.
Jeremiah 31:33 ³³ "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My torah within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.


In one of the first teachings/promises for a new Covenant, Jeremiah is prophesying that the Yah's Torah would be written on the hearts of His people.  This is one reason why in the churches today, there are so many "cultural Christians," people who claim the name of Messiah, and defile Elohim's name among the nations, because with the teaching that "we are free from the Torah," they live lives of lawlessness, looking no different from the rest of the world, while receiving the comfort and assurance of Yhwh's blessing on their lives. 




The Hebrew Apostles knew the Tanakh, and they knew the Psalms.  They understood the teaching that Torah IS righteousness, it is Truth (Ps. 145:142)!  The apostle John tells us that everyone who lives in (active, continual) sin, lives in lawlessness (1 Jn. 3:4)!  And so Paul, writing in chapter three of his great systematic exposition on salvation by grace, tells us in verse thirty-three, "What then, shall we nullify the Law (Torah) through grace?  May it never be!  Rather, we establish the Torah!"


In our churches in America, the West, for so long, it has been taught that the Law and Grace are opposed to each other, and has given support to doctrines (ie, teachings of men) such as "dispensations."  But it seems the apostle is not teaching that the Torah and grace are in opposition, but rather, that the Torah, and grace, go hand and hand! 




Psalm 119:32 ³² I shall run the way of Your commandments, For You will enlarge my heart.


Psalm 119:96-104 ⁹⁶ I have seen a limit to all perfection; Your commandment is exceedingly broad. Mem. ⁹⁷ O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. ⁹⁸ Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, For they are ever mine. ⁹⁹ I have more insight than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation. ¹⁰⁰ I understand more than the aged, Because I have observed Your precepts. ¹⁰¹ I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word. ¹⁰² I have not turned aside from Your ordinances, For You Yourself have taught me. ¹⁰³ How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth! ¹⁰⁴ From Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way.


Understanding more about the Hebrew mindset of the authors of the Bible, we can see that the theology of the Bible is seamless.  There are no two separate parts.  Scripture is one united, complete whole!  It's theme from beginning to end is the restoration of Eden, and Yhwh fulfilling His promises to Avraham, Isaac and Jacob, and their descendants.

Should We Love and Be Kind to Others At the Cost of Doctrine?

The other day I saw where a sister posted something online, no doubt with good intentions. She said in her post, not her exact words, but something to this extent: to not worry about doctrines but to just be loving and and kind and talk about faith. 

She doesn't realize it, but this is a slap to the Protestant faith and the millions who paid with their lives for the TRUTH. If we didn't stand for true DOCTRINE informing our beliefs and kindness and faithfulness and gentleness and love for one another, then we'd all still be in bondage to that Apostate Whore, Mother of All Harlots, the Roman Catholic Church. Men laid down their lives for Truth. Pilgrims left their homelands to settle North America, so they could live the Truth, and follow the dictates of their Conscious.

What is more, that is against the entire teaching of the New Testament!!! Paul's instructions to his younger protege Timothy is filled with admonitions for guarding True Doctrine for the preservation of the Church and the Extension of the Faith to all peoples!

1 Timothy 1:6-8 6 For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, 7 wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions. 8 But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 

They did not understand the law! The were not familiar with Scripture's teachings, and their work became profitless, making people feel warm and fuzzy, but leading people to hell!

1 Timothy 1:9-11 9 realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers 10 and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, 11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted. 

Romans 12:2 do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. 
And children, remember, if anyone tells you that doctrine is unessential and should be minimized, or not spoken about, that person is anti-Christ and anathema to God!

After Paul tells Timothy that prayers for all people should be made, he says: 1 Timothy 2:3-4  3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,  4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 

God Himself desires that people  come to the knowledge of the Truth!  When we keep quite on Doctrines, we are not able to lead people to a knowledge of the Truth.

1 Timothy 3:2   2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach... and the qualities they are to have continues, but this last one cited says they should be able to teach!  This implies two things.  First, that they are knowledge of the Truth themselves, they understand it and guard it in their own hearts, and two that others either of the faith, or those coming to faith, and learning the principles and facts of this glorious, wonderful new truth that they have been blinded from by the evil one.

This de-emphasis of Doctrine in the last day would be one of the conditions preparing the way for the coming of the Lawless One!

1 Timothy 4:1-2  But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,  2 by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron...

Why do they fall away from the faith?  Because they do not understand it in its fullness!

1 Timothy 4:7-8  7 But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness;  8 for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

1 Timothy 4:16   16 Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.

The Apostle Paul's admonition to Timothy is, don't just be kind and serving to everyone, patient with their wrong beliefs, he says pay attention to yourself and your teaching!!!  Perserver in this!  If you do, you will ensure salvation both for yourself, and for those who hear you.

Can that be any more clear?  Though having good intentions for Christians not to waste time on fruitless arguments (which Paul briefly addresses, in the context of teaching correct doctrine 1 Tim 1:3-4) our faith and the salvation of our hearers is dependent on our having correct belief!


1 John 2:18-26 18 Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us. 20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life. 26 These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you.