Chapter 8
Holy Days in the Early Christian Church
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Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (1 Corinthians 5:7-8). |
Christ is the Example, which every true Christian will follow. Now that we have examined whether or not Christ has left us a pattern of feast and statute keeping, let us discover whether or not His disciples followed their Model.
The Scriptures do show us that the apostles in the early Christian church understood that the Law of Elohim was not nailed to the Tree of Calvary. We can be certain that these early Christians believed that the Torah was still in effect, because they preached the statutes from it.
The following list demonstrates how Paul, a leader of the early Christian church, taught the Torah as still binding after the Tree of Calvary:
It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife (1 Corinthians 5:1).
For this cause Elohim gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet (Romans 1:26-27).
If ye fulfill the royal Law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors (James 2:8-9).
Actually the list of Torah teachings, which were taught by Paul and the early Christians, is much greater than the list mentioned above, but these few examples are enough to establish the point. Clearly, the early Christian church believed in and continued to teach the validity of the Torah, after the Tree of Calvary.
What about keeping the feasts? Did Paul and the early Christian church keep the mo’edim listed in Leviticus 23? The answer is a resounding "YES"! Paul taught the Gentile converts in Corinth to keep the Feasts of Passover and Unleavened Bread.
Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (1 Corinthians 5:7-8).
After leaving Corinth, Paul went to minister to the Jewish (mostly Gentile) Christians in Ephesus, but he didn’t stay at Ephesus long. As the Feast of Unleavened Bread approached, Paul intended to travel to Jerusalem in order to keep the feast there.
And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews. When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not; But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if Elohim will. And he sailed from Ephesus (Acts 18:19-21).
In spite of Paul’s efforts to reach Jerusalem in time for the feast, he didn’t make it. Some might speculate that Paul was only going to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread because he planned to be in Jerusalem with Jews. Among Jews, keeping the feasts was the "thing to do." As the Bible shows, this was not his reason for feast keeping.
Paul didn’t make it to Jerusalem in time for the feast, so he kept it with the Gentile converts at Philippi, where he happened to be when the holy days came. The Gentiles had originally learned about the feasts through the teachings of Paul (see 1 Corinthians 5:8), and now they enjoyed keeping them with him. He remained at Philippi just long enough to keep the feast, and then Paul immediately resumed his journey.
And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread… (Acts 20:6).
The Scriptures also record that Paul kept the Feast of Pentecost. In fact, to keep from traveling on the holy days of the feasts, Paul would "tarry," or wait where he happened to be until the holy days were ended before continuing to travel.
But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost (1 Corinthians 16:8).
Clearly the feasts were important in the early Christian church. Paul not only "kept" them, he structured his entire trip schedule around them. But for many, the fact that Paul kept the feasts after Calvary is still not a convincing reason to keep them today. This is because they negate Paul’s example, through the argument that he was "Jewish" and was simply continuing to do those things he’d grown up doing.
As has been previously mentioned, there were parts of the Torah, which were "ended" at the Tree of Calvary. (The term "ended" is placed in quotation marks here, because in the next few paragraphs, we will see that no parts of the Torah were truly ended; merely the way we keep them was changed.) A complete list of these "done-away" parts, sometimes referred to as the "ceremonial law" (which the previous chapter of this book shows that Christ never kept), can be viewed in chapter four of this book.
Next we will consider the "ceremonial law." Did Paul, like Christ before Him, consider it to be "ended" at the Tree of Calvary? One of the components of the "ceremonial law" was the system of sacrificing animals. In accordance with the teaching that blood sacrifices ended when the Lamb shed His perfect blood, Paul never sacrificed animals.
While Paul did not believe in sacrificing animals after Calvary (see Hebrews chapter 10), he did believe in sacrificing. Rather than physical sacrifices, Paul believed that the New Covenant, established between Elohim and His people after Calvary, required spiritual sacrifices. This teaching is beautifully expressed in Romans, chapter twelve.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of Elohim, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto Elohim, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of Elohim (Romans 12:1-2).
There is an interesting idea presented here. While the literal obligations of the ceremonial law were ended at the Tree of Calvary, the spiritual applications are still in effect post-The Tree of Calvary. Prior to Calvary, sacrificing involved animals and blood. After the Tree of Calvary, we as Elohim’s people are to present themselves daily as a spiritual living sacrifice.
Another part of the "ceremonial law," which we have addressed as being "done-away," is circumcision. Circumcision, once a mild surgical procedure to remove the male foreskin, remains as a spiritual step in cutting away worldliness from the heart. As circumcision was a part of the ceremonial law (see chapter four of this book), Paul taught that it was no longer a physical obligation for those who desired to partake of eternal life.
And they (the Jews) are informed of thee (Paul), that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs (Acts 21:21).
Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all (Colossians 3:11).
While Paul taught that the physical cutting of one’s flesh was ended, circumcision of the spiritual kind is still vital.
For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of Elohim (Romans 2:28).
Another part of the "ceremonial law" was the teaching that members of the tribe of Levi were set apart to serve as holy priests unto Elohim. Prior to Calvary, only members of the tribe of Levi could be priests. This ended at Calvary.
Both Peter and John the Revelator understood that the Levitical priesthood ended at the Tree of Calvary. But the priesthood, in a spiritual sense, continued. After Calvary, these apostles taught that every child of Elohim is set-apart for holiness, and is thus a priest.
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him Who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).
And hast made us unto our Elohim kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth (Revelation 5:10).
Thus, we see that the parts of the Torah, which have been previously mentioned as being "done-away" are really not ended at all. Rather, the way we keep them has changed after Calvary. The Torah still stands today as firmly as ever. Just as Christ said,
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law…(Matthew 5:18).
What once was kept physically is now kept spiritually. Armed with this knowledge, we may return to the subject of feast keeping today.
We have seen that Christ kept the feasts. We have seen that Paul and the early Christians followed Christ’s example in feast keeping. This is no surprise, for Paul stated that everything he proclaimed was the teaching he first received from Christ.
But I certify you, brethren that the gospel, which was preached of me, is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Y’shua Christ (Galatians 1:11-12).
Obviously, as the sacrifice of animals ended at the Tree of Calvary, we cannot keep the feasts today in the same way they were kept by ancient Israel. (For a more detailed study on how the Sabbaths are to be observed today, see Appendix III.) But we are Biblically instructed to keep them after the Tree of Calvary, as the key text for this chapter clearly indicates:
Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (1 Corinthians 5:7-8).
We are now brought to the next important question: Since we are to keep the mo’edim of YHWH today, yet not in the exact same manner as was done in ancient Israel, how are we to keep the feasts now? This question will be addressed in great detail in the upcoming chapters of this book. One-by-one, using the Scriptures, we will examine the message of each feast, its relevancy today and how we are to keep it.
In conclusion, let us end with one key thought: The Law of Elohim is perfect. It is eternal, just as YHWH is eternal. Even the parts of the Torah which were physically ended at Christ’s death, are still in effect in their deeper spiritual sense. No wonder the Bible extols the Law as everlasting! It is to be wholly kept by everyone (Jew or Gentile) who claims himself to be the "seed of Abraham."
Seek YHWH and His strength, seek His face continually. Remember His marvelous works that He hath done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth; O ye seed of Israel His servant, ye children of Jacob, His chosen ones. He is YHWH our Elohim; His judgments are in all the earth. Be ye mindful always of His covenant; the word which He commanded to a thousand generations; Even of the covenant which He made with Abraham, and of His oath unto Isaac; And hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant (1 Chronicles 16:11-17).
Chapter 8 Summary