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During my time at "Bible College", I noticed a similar trend among bible believers, students, professors, and preachers. They all claimed to teach the Whole Bible. Many were extremely passionate about staking that claim: "At this church, we teach the WHOLE BIBLE!" or "Sola Scriptura, that's the pure way to teach scripture!" Many would quote Thomas Campbell's, "Where the Bible speaks; we speak; where the Bible is silent, we are silent." Almost everyone wanted to communicate to their audience that they adhered to pure scripture and taught the whole Word. What I came to realize is that just because someone made a clear claim that they taught pure scripture and the whole Bible, it did not really guarantee that they accurately did. Sure, anyone making that claim most likely believes they are "Sola Scriptura" and believes they are true to the Whole Bible, but just because one proclaims and desires to do that does not mean they actually do. Just as Paul encourages believers to test everything and just like he was tested by the Bereans (Acts 17), we must test every person speaking about scripture to see if they really teach the WHOLE Bible. That includes testing all of us at Sabbath Day Ministries to the whole Word.
Everyone seems to realize that in order to properly speak about the Bible, one must adhere to the entire thing--both "Old" and "New" Testaments. But do most do that? Do most really stick to their claim that the whole bible is true?
Unfortunately, the answer is No.
I realize that is a bold claim, but someone needs to say it. Most people say they teach the whole Bible, when in reality they are blindly camped out in the "New Testament". Not only that, they have utilized the Brit Hadasha ("New Testament") to discredit parts of the Tanakh ("Old Testament"). These are strong words, but again, they must be said. I used to be one of the people who utilized the "New Testament" to erroneously prove that some of the important commands in the "Old Testament" no longer applied to believers. I feel horrible that I taught so many people inaccurately. I had led many people astray from the whole truth. Its a painful realization when we realize the magnitude of such error. That is why it is so important that we make sure we get this right--that we really do teach the WHOLE Bible.
Here are some fallacies we should clear up:
One must realize that the early believers and Apostles did not label the "Old Testament" the "Old Testament". They literally called it scripture. They recognized the Tanakh and referred to it as the Torah, Prophets, and Writings. When one calls the Tanakh the "Old Testament", they indirectly or even directly label it as "Old News". The moment one attaches that label, they immediately send the message that it is tired and Old, and infer that we need something New. Then, when they label the Brit Hadasha the "New Testament", ahhhhh here is the new that we've been looking for!! In other words, when we use these titles we are inaccurately communicating a separation in scripture, stating that one portion is old and one portion is new--erroneously communicating that there is a difference between the Old and the New Testament. However, this is not how the Apostles pictured scripture, nor would they ever teach that. It's actually a blasphemous perspective because it contradicts the very words of our Heavenly Father. In reality, the Tanakh ("Old Testament") is the foundation that all scripture rests on. Foundation that is as rock solid as our Creator (Malachi 3:6). To be more specific, the Torah ("Law of Moses"), which is the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy), is the solid foundation. If this post hasn't unhinged many yet, this statement definitely will:
Everything is founded on the Torah. Period.
This is where most who do not teach the whole bible get it wrong... they throw out the Law of Yahuah. They toss out the "Law of Moses" and say that it was nailed to the cross. However, if the Torah is the foundation, everything would crumble if it was altered, changed, or even destroyed. The foundation is what everything else is built on.
But wait! We all know that Jesus is our foundation!
For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Yahusha Messiah (Jesus Christ).
1 Corinthians 3:11
Exactly! We agree! Yahusha is our foundation!
There should be absolutely no question about that. Scripture is clear.
But, what defines our Messiah? Who is Yahusha??
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:1-5
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
Yes, Yahusha is the foundation. But when 1 John was penned, the only established scripture was... the Tanakh ("Old Testament"). Yes, the only scripture was the Torah, Prophets, and Writings--the "Old Testament". So if Messiah is the Word made flesh, and the only Word established was the "Old Testament," one must rightly conclude that the "Old Testament" is the foundation of scripture. And we all know Yahusha is not "Old News." But how can we claim that the Torah is the specific foundation? We will try and succinctly explain...
First of all, a person is not always defined by what they say, but by what they do. Many people say one thing and do another. However, Yahusha always did exactly what he said. So, we know that Yahusha is defined by what he says and does. What did he say and do? He kept every single one of Yahuah's (the LORD) instructions and taught others to do the same. He was sinless, which means he did not break one command in the Torah (Law). This includes claims that he taught different commands--which he did not do. If Yahusha taught a single command that strayed from the Torah, he would have been committing sin. No, Yahusha never sinned. He lived and taught Torah. And his actions define him. He was completely obedient to our Heavenly Father.
Yahusha's image was the Torah: he was the Torah in the flesh--the Word made flesh.
This makes complete sense, because Yahuah said himself in the Torah itself that all of his commands and instructions (Torah) were HIS WAYS. Yahuah told Israel that the Torah was his image--his ways!
So you shall keep the commandments of Yahuah (the LORD) your Elohim (God) by walking in his ways and by fearing him. Deuteronomy 8:6
And now, Israel, what does Yahuah your Elohim (God) require of you, but to fear Yahuah your Elohim, to walk in his ways, to love him, to serve Yahuah your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul... Deuteronomy 10:12
For if you will be careful to do all this commandment that I command you to do, loving Yahuah your Elohim, walking in all his ways, and holding fast to him... Deuteronomy 11:22
You have declared today that Yahuah is your Elohim, and that you will walk in his ways, and keep his statutes and his commandments and his rules, and will obey his voice. Deuteronomy 26:17
You get it: the commands that Yahuah gave to Israel were his ways!
Doesn't this make complete sense when we realize the following:
Sin is breaking the Torah. Yahuah and Yahusha are perfect and sinless.
Torah is the image of Yahuah and Yahusha: We are called to walk in their ways.
At creation, we were made perfect in their image. We kept Torah perfectly before sin, walking completely in the image we were created.
If the Torah is the image of Yahuah, Yahusha, and the Holy Spirit, doesn't it make sense that Yahuah would give us specific instructions on how we should walk in the image he created us to be? He did, and they were written down in the Torah.
Does it not make sense that he wants us to be exactly how he created us? Especially when he says keeping Torah is the path to life and breaking it leads to death?
If the Torah is the image of Yahuah and Yahusha, and they both do not change, doesn't that mean that the Torah cannot change? That the commands of Yahuah are forever because they are instructions on how to walk in his image and our created image?
Yahusha Messiah is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8
We are called to walk in the unchanging image of Yahusha, which Yahuah lovingly detailed in the Torah.
Second, the writings and prophets pointed Yahuah's people back to the Torah. In fact, the entire bible continues to teach Elohim's children to repent from their sins and be obedient children by keeping his instructions.
Put simply, one is only teaching the whole of scripture if they are encouraging believers to live a sinless life. This means we are to encourage believers to strive to keep all of Yahuah's commands according to scripture, which can be found in the Torah. We are called to walk in the image we were created, in the image of Yahuah and Yahusha. We are called to a life of repentance as obedient children before our Heavenly Father.
We give you this message out of love! May we all strive to speak the whole truth of Scripture. May we all strive to walk in the footsteps of our Messiah Yahusha.
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.
1 John 3:1-7
Sean is a former Atheist who was finally awoken to the reality of our Creator—which lead him to the one place he thought he would never step foot: “Bible College.” During his studies, our Heavenly Father flipped his Christian worldview upside down in order to reveal the Whole truth of His perfect Word. As a follower of Messiah Yahusha (Christ Jesus), Sean encourages believers to deepen their faith, seek the truth, test everything, and be willing to walk in the true image they were created: the image of the Most High and his flawless son.