Y Not I

Dogma, just what is it? The word is translated as ordinances twice and as decrees three times in the New Covenant. Here are the five verses from the King James with the Strong’s numbers (Dogma is #1378):

• (Luk 2:1)
  And¹¹⁶¹ it came to pass¹⁰⁹⁶ in¹⁷²² those¹⁵⁶⁵ days,²²⁵⁰ that there went out¹⁸³¹ a decree¹³⁷⁸ from³⁸⁴⁴ Caesar²⁵⁴¹ Augustus,⁸²⁸ that all³⁹⁵⁶ the³⁵⁸⁸ world³⁶²⁵ should be taxed.⁵⁸³
• (Act 16:4)
  And¹¹⁶¹ as⁵⁶¹³ they went through¹²⁷⁹ the³⁵⁸⁸ cities,⁴¹⁷² they delivered³⁸⁶⁰ them⁸⁴⁶ the³⁵⁸⁸ decrees¹³⁷⁸ for to keep,⁵⁴⁴² that were ordained²⁹¹⁹ of⁵²⁵⁹ the³⁵⁸⁸ apostles⁶⁵² and²⁵³² elders⁴²⁴⁵ which³⁵⁸⁸ were at¹⁷²² Jerusalem.²⁴¹⁹
• (Act 17:7)
  Whom³⁷³⁹ Jason²³⁹⁴ hath received:⁵²⁶⁴ and²⁵³² these³⁷⁷⁸ all³⁹⁵⁶ do⁴²³⁸ contrary⁵⁶¹ to the³⁵⁸⁸ decrees¹³⁷⁸ of Caesar,²⁵⁴¹ saying³⁰⁰⁴ that there is¹⁵¹¹ another²⁰⁸⁷ king,⁹³⁵ one Jesus.²⁴²⁴
• (Eph 2:15)
  Having abolished²⁶⁷³ in¹⁷²² his⁸⁴⁸ flesh⁴⁵⁶¹ the³⁵⁸⁸ enmity,²¹⁸⁹ even the³⁵⁸⁸ law³⁵⁵¹ of commandments¹⁷⁸⁵ contained in¹⁷²² ordinances;¹³⁷⁸ for to²⁴⁴³ make²⁹³⁶ in¹⁷²² himself¹⁴³⁸ of twain^{1417, (1519)} one¹⁵²⁰ new²⁵³⁷ man,⁴⁴⁴ so making⁴¹⁶⁰ peace;¹⁵¹⁵
• (Col 2:14)
  Blotting out¹⁸¹³ the³⁵⁸⁸ handwriting⁵⁴⁹⁸ of ordinances¹³⁷⁸ that was against²⁵⁹⁶ us,²²⁵⁷ which³⁷³⁹ was²²⁵⁸ contrary⁵²²⁷ to us,²²⁵⁴ and²⁵³² took¹⁴² it⁸⁴⁶ out of¹⁵³⁷ the³⁵⁸⁸ way,³³¹⁹ nailing⁴³³⁸ it⁸⁴⁶ to his cross;⁴⁷¹⁶

The two times that it is translated as ordinances are verses that are commonly referred to as being about the Torah. The other times as decrees, it is more a man made rule or law. In Luke and it Acts 17 it referred to decrees from Caesar Augustus, and in Acts 16 it was the decree from the believers issued in Acts 15 reguarding what Gentiles needed to do in order to be saved. Could not the idea of a man made ordinance also be correct in the two verses where it was rendered as ordinances? Certainly in Ephesians it is not speaking towards enmity between the flesh of Messiah, or in other words the Word become flesh and the Word itself. Is our L-RD that conflicted inside that He has enmity against Himself? Seems unlikely to me. However the Mishnah, Oral Rabbinic Law that was being propergated by the Pharisees and soon thereafter was to form what is Rabbinic Judaism of today, well Yeshua Himself often spoke of the conflict there.

As for Colossians, I think it requires greater study, I think it most likely refers to condemnation, because of sin, for Messiah is our atonement once and for all, but this is something that I have not totally formulated. But for the verse to indicate the Torah was nailed to the cross would be going against most of the other Scriptures so it is hard to swallow.And here is where I come into a difference in how I see some evaluate Scripture. I hope it is evident that I am working to make a clear case that Scripture over and over again show that the Torah is the Word of G-d, not something that is in conflict with G-d and not something that G-d would just do away with. However when a tough verse comes along, I will claim it to be a tough verse and study more, look for further clues.

I have spoken with some who come upon tough verses or books and basic minimize the verse or the book. Martin Luther referred to James as an epistle of straw. Well, it is the Word of G-d, so it would have to be your theology that can’t handle the Word of G-d that is week, not the Word of G-d. I do not claim to have all the answers. Jeremiah 31 speaks of the Torah being written on our hearts. I think this is a process that takes years and years to complete. Let me paint a picture of this. In the synagogue that I belong to we walk the Torah around and before we do that the Cantor or Leader explain about the scrolls about all the symbols used therein. They explain how the Torah is written on the skin of a kosher animal, with a quill of a kosher bird. They explain how the scribe writes each letter and pronounces the letter, then moves on to the next. They continue telling how there are no errors in a Torah scroll, if one slip of the wrist is made, the scroll is thrown out and they have to start again. After writing it, they count the letters from front to back and back to front, just to make sure it is totally correct. I think that is an excellent illustration of what is going on in the hearts of believers. G-d is writing His Torah there, but it is slow work, however it is sure to be correct when completed. What a beautiful picture and what a beautiful thing.

So, I may not have all the answers, but I think I am getting more and more as I continue to read, to pray, to study to evaluate. Listening to messages of others, reading the word of other, but verifying and making sure that what I am told is actually what the Word says, and that it matches the Scripture surrounding it, and the Scripture as a whole. If something doesn’t match what I think the Word of G-d is saying, then I need to study more and understand better, not put down the verse.

As always, pray on these things.