Binding and Loosing (Matthew 18:18 and Matthew 16:19)

I have been studying Messianic Judaism for 4 years.  What is Messianic Judaism?

“The earliest form of Christianity—the Christianity of the apostolic era—was a messianic sectarian movement within greater, first-century Judaism. More than one hundred years after the life of Yeshua of Nazareth, the explosive growth of Gentile Christianity eclipsed the early, messianic, sect of Judaism he had founded. Many Jewish and Gentile Christians discarded the distinctively Jewish practices of the Torah (Law) as they assimilated into the evolving Gentile religious environment. The original, biblical faith and practice of Yeshua and his first disciples faded into obscurity”.

http://www.bethimmanuel.org/about-us/messianic-judaism-all-nations

First understand that I’m not trying to be Jewish.  Our Messiah lived as a Jewish man and He is coming back to rule and reign not from Charleston or New York City or even from Rome, but from Jerusalem.  As a disciple I want to understand my Rabbi’s (Yeshua) words. Christianity has been severed from its Jewish Roots for many reasons that I will not get into for this post.  But, restoration is happening by the Holy Spirit.  Jewish people are coming to recognize Yeshua as their Messiah. There is much we Gentiles need to relearn and we can do that by reconnecting with our Jewish Roots.  Paul said in Romans chapter 3 the following;

Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision?Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of G-d. (Romans 3:1-2)

G-d’s Chosen People were entrusted with the Words given to Moses directly from God’s mouth.  These foundational words were given in the Torah, the five books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy).

And the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forward.  And he said, “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the LORD make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” (Numbers 12:5-8)

The call that is on my life is not for everyone to delve as deeply into these things.  With that said, we all need to read our bibles in context and be like the Bereans.

The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue.  Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. (Acts 17:10-11)

I said all that to get to Binding and Loosing. This is a teaching from First Fruits of Zion.  It explains the context of these much misunderstood words of Yeshua.  Click on Binding and Loosing to watch.

Grace and Peace to you!

In My Father’s House (John 14:2-3)

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.  John 14:2-3 (King James Version)

I can’t wait to see my mansion!  Isn’t that what Yeshua is saying I will have in the Kingdom?

When we see the word mansion our Western minds probably see a large house with many rooms that we have all to ourselves.  Marble and spiral staircases.  Entertainment room and large bedroom suites. Maybe our immediate family can stay for a while but they have to leave when we get tired of them. We can get way off track when we fail to look at scripture in its cultural context.  Our Western mindset can take us even further away from the original meaning of scripture.  Let’s put this passage back into its proper cultural context to get a fuller understanding of what Yeshua is saying.

First, remember that chapter and verse designation can sometimes interrupt the flow of a passage.  I believe the Scriptures were inspired not the chapter and verse numbers added later by scribes.  So in reading the passage in textual context we need to go back to chapter 13.  Here Yeshua is addressing his disciples concerning his impending death and resurrection.  He gives them “The New Commandment” which is to love one another.  This really is not a new commandment, it is established in the Torah in Lev 19:18.

You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.

Yeshua is tapping into the spirit of the commandment that should be written on the heart.  Those who carry out this commandment in sincerity will be known as true disciples of Yeshua.  Yeshua tells them where he is going they cannot follow now, but will follow later. Next in chapter 14:2-3 the word mansions is used in the description of the place that Yeshua is preparing.  This is the problem with some of the archaic language used in the King James Version because the word mansion in that time was simply dwelling, room or abode.  Webster’s Dictionary list an obsolete definition of this word mansion is: the act of remaining or dwelling. The archaic definition is: dwelling or abode.  The modern definition has changed to become what we know it as – a large imposing residence. So, what Yeshua is actually saying is that in his Father’s house there are many rooms or dwellings.  This is communal living, and the people of Yeshua’s time understood this.

Ray Vander Laan gives an insightful historical commentary on this called “The Insula”.

The Insula

“Jesus used the image of an insula – clusters of buildings where extended families lived together – to describe the kingdom of God.

In Jesus’ time, families usually lived in clusters of buildings called insulas.

These clusters were built around a central courtyard. Grandparents, cousins, uncles, and aunts all lived and interacted together in the insula.

As sons married, they added to the insula. After asking a girl to marry him, the son would return to his village and build new rooms onto his father’s home. The son, anxious to be married, waited for the day when his father declared that the building was complete. Then he could finally marry his bride and bring her to their new home.

Jesus presented a beautiful picture of heaven when he said, “In my Father’s house are many rooms, I am going there to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2-3). This word-picture presented Jesus as a bridegroom, preparing new rooms for his followers in the insula of heaven.

When Jesus described his second coming, he again used the picture of a young bridegroom, waiting for his father’s approval to return for his bride: “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, not the Son, but only the Father” (Matt. 24:36).

By using the familiar images of an insula, Jesus helped his followers to understand the kingdom of God—a household of faith where God’s family lives in close community.”

(http://followtherabbi.com/journey/israel/no-greater-love)

As you can see the picture is very different from our Western thinking.  It’s not about me and mine.  Its about community.  I’m sure that the Father’s house will be glorious and it will be a community of love with saints dwelling in unity together.

I know there are people who are “King James Version only”, but, in my opinion, unless you have a great command of the Old English language you should do a version comparison of bible verses.  Also begin to do cultural background studies of the times.  This will open the scriptures immensely.

Grace and Peace to you!