Who has the authority?

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<div> <A HREF="id329.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Government in Gods Church">Government in God's Church</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id330.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="HWA Radio Transcript 1979">HWA Radio Transcript 1979</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id333.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Is God speaking to us?">Is God speaking to us?</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id334.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Do you believe God?">Do you believe God?</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id335.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Warnings and Exhortation">Warnings and Exhortation</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id336.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Righteous Judgment">Righteous Judgment</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id337.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The physical and spiritual blessings of ">The physical and spiritual blessings of submission</A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=380 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Who has the authority?</B></div> <div>   “For He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" >Matt 7:29</FONT></div> <div>      </div> <div>      This year, 2007, most Churches of God that follow the oral Hebrew Calendar celebrated September 27th , not September 24th for their first day of the Feast of Tabernacles. The question is: should <B>we</B> be doing the same? Should <B>we</B> be following the Pharisees oral Hebrew Calendar that postpones God's Holy Days?</div> <div>      Should Hillel II, a Pharisee that taught and practiced Judaism and who was never given God's Holy Spirit be trusted to tell us, God's Church, which Holy Day dates to keep for observing God's Holy Days? Let me phrase that question another way, can the religion of the Jews, be relied upon to be faithful interpreters of God's laws as written in the Old Testament?</div> <div>      For the Church of God, In Truth, this is a very important question in regard to God's appointed times for keeping His assigned Holy Day Sabbaths. Every paper that I have read and studied in regard to the keeping of the postponed Holy Days must rely heavily upon Jewish interpretation and Jewish traditions of men to explain their holy day dates. The reason they must do so, is because there is <B>nothing</B> in the Bible upon which they can clearly and authoritatively base their conclusions!</div> <div>      Together, let us begin examining this subject by first looking in the book of Romans chapter 3, starting with verses 1 to 4. This is the scripture that has been used to imply that the word of God was given to the Pharisees and Jews, to authoritatively practice postponing God's Holy Days. Are the Jews, particularly the Pharisees, the ones that we should look to for authority regarding interpretation and the practice of the Old Testament scriptures? Paul asks, "What advantage then has the Jew? Or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way: Chiefly, because unto them were committed the oracles of God. For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? God forbid. Yea, let God be true, but every man a liar, as it is written, that you may be justified in your word and may overcome when you are judged" (Rom 3:1- 4).</div> <div>      Notice verse 3 again, "For what if some did not believe?" This is a reference to the general <B>un</B>faithfulness among some of the Jews. Does that make God's word any less true? Of course not! Because he said: "Shall their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without Effect ? God forbid, let <B>God</B> be true." So we have to look to the word of God, not <B>men</B>, or man's traditions!</div> <div>      The context in which Romans chapter 3 appears, actually begins back in chapter 2 verse 17. In some Bibles, it has as a heading for this paragraph, "The Jews as guilty as the gentiles" or "The Jew knowing the law, is condemned by the Law." Now these are interesting thoughts for us to think about. "Indeed, you are called a Jew and rest on the law and make your boast in God and know His will and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness" (Rom 2: 17 - 19).</div> <div>      A common assumption of the Jew, as you might recall; is in the opening chapters of the book of Matthew, where John the Baptist, in chapter 3, verse 9, said to the Pharisees and Sadducees, "Think not that because Abraham is your father..." That shows us, these men put a great deal of reliance on their physical heritage, because there was a direct attachment by genes all the way back to Abraham.</div> <div>      But the thrust of John's comment leads us to these questions: were they obeying God? Were they submissive to Him? Were they <B>really</B> keeping His commands? As we will see, the answer is a resounding, “NO”!</div> <div>      The Apostle Paul continues the thought and reveals the way they thought of themselves, "An instructor of the foolish. A teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law.” Then Paul admonishes them, “You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? You who say, do not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law?  `For the name of God is blasphemed [profaned, reviled], among the gentiles <B>because of you</B>. As it is written'” (Rom 2:20-24).</div> <div>      We could go on, but I think that's enough to show you that the Jews knew the law of God, but they were not keeping it as instructed - even though it was God's intention that they follow His ways. But they were certainly <B>not</B> doing it, as the printers of this Bible saw and showed in the headings that they put on these paragraphs!</div> <div>      The context of Romans chapters 2 and 3 say just the opposite to what some reach as a conclusion! Yes, the Jews did have an advantage, but also they were <B>not taking advantage</B> of their advantage! They were supposed to be the interpreters of the law, of the way of God, but they failed wretchedly in their God given responsibility! </div> <div>      For more evidence, let us go back to the Old Testament book of Amos. Amos, the second chapter, beginning in verse 4, where a judgment is pronounced upon Judah: "Thus says the Lord, for three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they have despised the law of the Lord, and have not kept His Commandments."</div> <div>      This verse in Amos jumps out, because it is so clear! The Jews do <B>not</B> have a good record for keeping the commands of God, nor the ways of God. Be it in the Old Testament or New Testament times, <B>they have not been loyal to God's teachings</B> ! Let me plant another written law of God in your mind. It is found in two places, Deuteronomy 19:14 and Deu. 27: 17. "Cursed be he that removes his neighbors landmark and all the people shall say, amen." Hold that thought in your mind's eye, and notice Hosea 5:10. "The princes ..." [Meaning the leaders, it is a general term. Sometimes it can mean the political leaders as well as a king or all the ministers who serve under the king. It can also mean the spiritual leaders as well.] "The princes of Judah were like them that remove the boundary: therefore I will pour out My wrath upon them like water." This kind of description gives us a clear indication that they were breaking the commandments and not obeying God's laws. </div> <div>      Notice Jeremiah 44 - the last record we have of Jeremiah in Egypt. Jeremiah hoped to convince the Jews that their trouble and distress had been caused by their apostasy from the worship of the true God. We will pick through some verses here and point out what the Jews were being accused of by God: "The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews. `Their wickedness which they have committed provoke Me to anger, they burn incense, and serve other gods, do not this abominable thing that I hate. But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense unto other gods. Wherefore My fury and Mine anger was poured forth, and was kindled in the cities of Judah. Therefore now this saith the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; wherefore commit you this great evil against your souls, to cut off from you man and woman, child and suckling, out of Judah, to leave you none to remain; You provoke Me unto wrath with the works of your hands, and that you might be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth? Have you forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, and the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness of their wives, and your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they have committed in the land of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem? They are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in My law, nor in My Statutes, that I set before you and before your Fathers'”( Jer 44:1, 3-10). </div> <div> <I>Refer to our web site for the articles entitled, “Judaism, is it the Old Testament Religion?” </I></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>