Saul of Tarsus, son of Benjamin Part 8

I recently had the opportunity to meet and listen to a lecture given by Dr. Amy-Jill Levine at Austin College several weeks ago. Dr. Levine is a Levi and a Professor of New Testament Studies at Vanderbilt University, and the author of the book “The Misunderstood Jew”. I posed several questions to Dr. Levine and here response was quite interesting.

First of all I explained this series and ask her what she taught about the concept of Saul’s teachings and how they related to the Talmud and his inability to separate the two.

The second question was if she thought Jesus was a Kabbalah Master.

Both of her answers to my questions came from a historical point of view. She explained that there is no historical data to prove that the Talmud existed, and the Kabbalah was not in existence, for 1000 years after the death of Jesus, although she was of the belief that Jesus was a mystical Jew.

After thinking and praying over her answers, I felt an understanding that it was more of semantics. We have found no evidence that concurs with her belief, but quite the opposite from all the research we have done it proves that the first written Talmudic interpretations of the Torah were composed and compiled during the Babylonian exile and was taught as the Oral interruption of the Torah long before the second Temple was rebuilt, and long before Jesus birth. Secondly through the Kabbalah and associated books were not written until well after the Death and resurrection it’s principles and teachings known as Mystical Judaism were passed from Master to student for many generations before Jesus, who do you think the three wise men were, who arrived to pay homage at Jesus’ birth.

I would like to expand on another topic she touched on briefly, and that was that Christians are taught to believe Jews have no concept of a Graceful God, and that the God they believe in can show no Mercy. Which leads me into the topic for this week, when we left off last week we posed the question of Justice and Consequences.

When Moses came down from Mt Sinai Adonai gave him 613 Mitzvot (“Thou Shall and Thou Shall Not”) within those 613 Mitzvot are moral directions for the Tribes of Israel to guide their lives around. Moses was then told to tell the people of Israel what to do in order to receive the Grace and Mercy of the Lord should they ever disobey any of these 613 Mitzvot, there by committing a Sin in the eyes of Adonai (The Lord God Most High) In doing so he enabled us to repent of our sins, The Mitzvot are very clear in Torah what to bring to the Temple and have sacrificed if one were to have committed a sin, upon being repentant and through your sacrifice offering you would then receive the Mercy and Grace of Adonai (The Lord God Most High).

So in Jesus’ death on the Cross we received the Mercy and Grace of Adonai, Jesus being the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. What sins? Again gentiles had no knowledge of what Adonai considered to be a sin. A sin in the eyes of Adonai (The Lord God Most High) was only created if one failed to comply with the 10 Commandments and the 613 Mitzvoth given to us by Moses. We then pose this question if the physical sacrifice requirements were not in place during the lives of Abraham, Isaac or Jacob, and the gentiles do not come under Torah Law, then how could they possibly sin, and if one cannot sin, then what would one need Salvation from?

Therefore since this thought process creates a conundrum then we must take the opposite tack since we know that Saul, was sent to spread the news to the gentiles then we must see that Christ intended for him to first teach the gentiles what it is to sin, i.e. Torah, in order for them to receive salvation from it.

Saul was under the belief that gentiles came under the covenant of Abraham, and not the Torah, which was only for the Jew, but as we Pointed out last week in Number chapter 15:15-16 Adonai (The Lord God Most High) instructed Moses to tell the Children of Israel, that there is but one law for Jew and Gentile who would make Sacrifice (Burnt offerings) to him. In addition the Abrahamic covenant required circumcision.

This is our explanation for Peter’s belief (the Rock in which Jesus would build his community), that if you take Jesus as the perfect sacrifice to Adonai (The Lord God Most High), then you are accepting him as a Sacrifice (Burnt Offering) to Adonai and fall under Numbers Chapter 15:15-16 and are required to follow the 613 Mitzvot Adonai (The Lord God Most High) presented to the Children of Israel through Moses.

Even though we accept Jesus as the ultimate Sacrifice for our sins, we should not be misguided into thinking that through him we will be granted Adonai’ Mercy and Grace just because we have accepted him as the Messiah, or believe that in doing so there are no Consequences or we will not receive Justice at Adonai’ hands for our failure to follow the 613 Mitzvot given to us through Moses. Again refer to what Jesus taught in Matthew Chapter 7:21-23.



The Lord Bless you and Protect you!
The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!
The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX.