Moses received Torah from Sinai and delivered it to Joshua, and Joshua to the elders, and the elders to the prophets, and the prophets delivered it to the men of the Great Synagogue. They said three things: be deliberate in judgment, raise many disciples, and make a hedge for Torah. (Avot 1:1, writerʼs translation)
Containing teachings from R. Simeon the Just in the 3rd century B.C. up until the compilation of the same by R. Judah the Prince in the 3rd century A.D., Pirke Avot is a curious tractate (section) within Mishnah, the collection of the Rabbinic “oral Torah”. In part, it contains the most straightforwardly ethical teachings of all Mishnah and, unlike the rest of Mishnah, has no further commentary by later generations (Gemara). Its purpose is made evident by the first passage of the tractate: how the devout Jewish leader should approach judgment (deliberateness), the preservation of the teaching (disciples), and the purpose of his authority (hedging Torah).
This three-fold mandate, according to Avot, was passed from Mosesʼ own teaching from Sinai and was passed down through the centuries by the faithful of Yahweh. It is not within the purpose of this paper to judge the historical accuracy of this claim, but simply to acknowledge that, during the inter-testamental period, a view similar to this at least exists among the schools of the Pharisees and scribes. This has significance for our interpretation of the gospels, and the rest of the New Testament. As Perez wrote:
[I]n a way, we could say that the New Testament and Rabbinic literature are the oral tradition that always accompanied Scripture. Neither of them, therefore, has been able to avoid taking the other into consideration. That is why the Rabbinic literature is as important to the exegesis of the New Testament as the latter is to coming to know Rabbinic Judaism (Perez 103).
So when a rabbi from Galilee begins teaching and interpreting Torah “as one who authority” (Matt. 7:29 ESV), there is certainly a contrast with many of the teachers of his day, but there is also a great deal of commonality. This can be seen in the common theological presuppositions that Jesus shares with other rabbis in the centuries preceding his first century ministry. It can also be found in the comparative teaching presented by these rabbis.
Before comparison can even be done, it must first be shown that Jesus even thinks of himself as one speaking within the stream of rabbinic teaching. It has been common in the history of interpretation to read Jesus as introducing a discontinuous revelation or, at least, a modified revelation surpassing that at Sinai (Morris, Blomberg, et al). Draper, however, suggests differently:
While the symbolic depiction of authoritative teaching (ʻnew lawʼ), given on the mountain, need not imply a literal ʻnew Sinaiʼ, it does draw on the Sinai symbolism to legitimate the teaching and to indicate its continuity with the Torah. The symbol need not be seen in terms of replacement. Indeed, continuity is more likely to be the root of Matthewʼs usage. (Draper 32).
Matthewʼs recounting of the sermon demonstrates this with the phrase formula “You have heard that it was said…but I say.” This is not a mere rhetorical device and has meaning for Matthewʼs Jewish audience (The Luke 6 recounting of the sermon does not contain this formula) – a meaning that makes sense within the context of rabbinic teaching of Torah. Another formula that occurs throughout the sermon is “when you…” This is followed by a consistent list of “do not” logia. But even if the oral teaching formulae are not convincing, take note of the content of the sermon: marks of the life of piety before the God of Israel and that, if nothing else, is the marking of a true rabbinic interpreter of Torah.
But Jesus and other rabbis certainly shared some common theological convictions beyond the general pale of Jewish orthodoxy (which is very broad, indeed). Consider the texts of these three verses from Avot:
Simeon the Just was from the survivors of the Great Synagogue and he used to say “Upon three things the world stands: upon the Torah, upon the worship, and upon deeds of kindness.” (1:2, writerʼs translation).
Antigonus, a man of Sokho, received from Simeon the Just. He used to say “Do not be like servants who serve the master on condition of a gift to be received, but let them be like servants who serve the master, not on condition of a gift that is to be received. Let the fear of Heaven be upon you.” (1:3, writerʼs translation).
Hillel and Shammai received from them. Hillel used to say, “Be of the disciples who belong to Aaron: one who loves peace and pursues peace, one who loves humankind [creation] and attracts them to Torah.” (1:12, writerʼs translation).
These sayings, without dispute, belong to the era of developing Pharisaism from its early influences (Simeon the Just, the high priest who greets Alexander the Great after his conquest of Syria) and his disciple (Antigonus) to the founders of the great schools of Pharisaism (Hillel and Shammai). They demonstrate a commitment to the immutable authority of Torah, a commitment that Jesus echoes very clearly in his teaching:
For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:18-19).
In the first instance, the existence of the world is dependent upon the existence of Torah. The the second place, the faithful teaching of Torah is significant in that this, not relaxing Torah is what wants to attract others to. There is also significant concern for the proper service of the God of Israel. Not only is it Simeonʼs second pillar, but Jesusʼ teaching shares this concern in his addressing of almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. More could be explored with the similar emphases on acts of kindness towards others, but the more important question arises as to the nature of what Jesus is doing in the sermon. The rabbis were hedging the Torah. What about Jesus?
In setting himself within the stream of rabbinic interpretation and instruction of Torah, it would only be fair to argue that Jesus is hedging Torah as well. Draperʼs analysis of the content of the sermon leads him to a similar conclusion:
Matthew thus does not ʻdiffer decisivelyʼ from the Rabbinate in this respect, but seems instead to be drawing on this Rabbinic tradition of the fence about the Law. He cites the major principle, ʻThou shalt not commit murderʼ, and then provides a ʻhedgeʼ: ʻDo not be angry; do not call another a fool; be reconciled before things go too farʼ. Each of the sayings of Jesus in this section can be interpreted in this way as essentially ʻintensificationsʼ of the Torah rather than as ʻantithesesʼ (39).
Draper is not the first to suggest this and will likely not be the last. But the evangelical Christian interpreter may ask regarding the import of the sermon for Gentiles. After all, Christians have long received the sermon as binding upon their way of life, as instruction for life in the Kingdom of Heaven. Significant insight into this question has been provided by an 18th century rabbi, Jacob Emden, in one his works:
[T]he Nazarene brought about a double kindness in the world. On the one hand, he strengthened the Torah of Moses majestically, as mentioned earlier, and not one of our Sages spoke out more emphatically concerning the immutability of the Torah. And on the other hand, he did much good for the Gentiles [...] by doing away with idolatry and removing the images from their midst. [...] He also bestowed upon them ethical ways, and in this respect he was much more stringent with them than the Torah of Moses. (Emden)
Thus, a Jewish reading of the text of the sermon does not limit its import or application to Gentile followers of Jesus by necessity. Emdenʼs own analysis is that Jesusʼ teachings require more from Gentiles than Judaism would from its own Gentile God-fearers! But those very implications give rise to a whole host of questions. In an essay that explores the relevance of Torah for Christians, Daniel Joslyn-Siemiatkoski concludes with the following:
If the law given at Sinai and the gospel of Jesus Christ are not antithetical, or if the law does not pass away with the coming of Christ, what then is its status? If Gentiles are not required to keep the Torah in the same way as Israel but still are aware that Jesus viewed it with the utmost devotion, what would a positive Gentile Christian attitude toward the Torah look like? (Joslyn-Siemiatkoski 465).
It is a fair question developed from a difficult hermeneutical problem. If Jesus is to be understood as a rabbi in his messianic pronouncements, it has significant bearing for those who claim to be his followers. It would redefine what Christians believe about following Messiah, who taught a recognition of faithfulness based on the keeping of his commandments and the fruitfulness of lives lived out in pursuit of the Kingdom of Heaven. It would alter our perception of the various Judaisms throughout the centuries and also of various Christian traditions in the same time period. The risk of pursuing this investigation is evidently significant, but the question is whether that outweighs the risk of ignoring it.
Works Cited
Blomberg, Craig L. “Matthew” (19-30). Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. Editors: G.K. Beale and D.A. Carson. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic. 2007.
Draper, Jonathan A. “The Genesis and Narrative Thrust of the Paranesis in the Sermon
on the Mount.” Journal for the Study of the New Testament. Issue 75 (Sept. 1999). p. 25-48.Emden, Jacob. “Rabbi Jacob Emdenʼs Views on Christianity.” 28/10/09. Online: http://
www.auburn.edu/~allenkc/falk1a.htmlHerford, R. Travers. Pirke Aboth: The Ethics of the Talmud: Sayings of the Fathers. New
York, NY: Schocken Books, Inc. 1975.The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway. 2001.
Joslyn-Siemiatkoski, Daniel. “”Moses Received the Torah at Sinai and Handed It
On” (Mishnah Avot 1:1): The Relevance of the Written and Oral Torah for
Christians.” Anglican Theological Review. Vol. 91, Issue 3 (Summer 2009). p.
443-466.Morris, Leon. The Gospel According to Matthew. Grand Rapids, MI: William B.
Eerdmans Publishing Company. 1992.Perez Fernandez, Miguel. “Rabbinic texts in the exegesis of the New Testament.”
Review of Rabbinic Judaism. Issue 7 (2004). p. 95-120.
Perry Noble, pastor of NewSpring Church in South Carolina, has posted a list of “what ifs” about the early church. Answering these questions and realizing the importance of how we invest ourselves in these days is important for every disciple of Jesus to consider. If we are doing what Jesus said, there will be good fruit from it. My challenge would be for you to read this and pray that God would show you where you can better redeem the time and invest in the Kingdom of God.
How can I deal with sin that just sticks with me? How can I survive the tough times that come my direction? Why should I worry about my friend’s Christian walk? What’s the point of reading my Bible and praying regularly? Although these questions seem only loosely related, Mark Hall’s Your Own Jesus does a tremendous job of presenting the truth that everyone needs to be in a saving, enduring relationship with the God of the universe.
“God has no grandchildren” as the saying goes and Mark shows convincingly the need for believers to not depend on their parents, churches, friends, or books and music to be their source of experiencing Jesus. Believers need to be in their own intimate walk with the Savior Who bought them with His own blood and will bring good, lasting fruit into their lives. For anyone who considers themselves a disciple of Jesus, this book is highly recommended as a helpful resource as you pursue Christ and get to know the One and Only Jesus Christ.
I’ll be honest here…I don’t want to write in this journal right now. Important conversation and my body’s insistent demands for sleep provide, to my mind, plent of reason not to write tonight. But where, then, is grace? So, I write.
There’s not a whole lot to write, however. Today was our drive from Ndola to Lusaka. We are staying at Lilayi Lodge – a very nice compound which maintains a safari-like game reserve. Tomorrow at 8:30 AM, we will depart, eventually getting to Lusaka Int’l Airport to begin our final leg of travel back to Pittsburgh. I’m very curious to see what God will do.
God’s goodness is very evident today. The E-Team began work (the ladies with the kids and the guys on construction). We had quite the lesson in African building construction and many of us are quickly beginning to produce quality courses of block (if slowly produced compared to our Zambian co-workers).
You see, the way this process works is that ditches are dug around the outside walls of where the desired structure will be. Then, they lay down rebar in concrete that is poured into the ditch. This is then built up with cement blocks that were made by sunbaking cement in forms. Then they level the ground between the foundation walls and pour a concrete slab into the space. Then the space is ready for walls. Walls are placed by laying cement (in thick portions) down and placing cement blocks (smaller than the foundation blocks) in a course (row). The aim is for 20 cm height distance per course including the cement mortar and block. And so on it goes until you’ve reached the top course (which, in our case, was ten courses).
God really marked our team with joy in these tasks and gave us the physical strength to handle them. We got a good deal of work done and I was very glad to see that even people who have never touched cement in their lives did really well once they got a feel for the work.
It makes me think, though, of what difference it would make if we built the Church in the same joy – the same Spirit. Are not the results just as tangible? Are they not even more impacting? I don’t know the answer…but I know God is good and will finish every work He begins, and that is a promise.
We’re here! Long travels with flights, waits and drives and stops. But we had some amazing times of worship and lots of folks on the team had a chance to share the Gospel with flight passengers. we got here at the Hotel Savoy around 10:45 PM, Lusaka time (4:45 EDT). All luggage and supplies arrived in one piece and all of us are healthy thus far.
I am definitely seeing a need for grace, particularly to be bold with the people I encounter here in Zambia. I want to serve my God and my neighbor well…I also want to make Wilfred proud….Oh yeah!
(Many thanks to my friend, Wilfred Mutale, a fantastic brother in the Lord from Zambia that I’ve had the privilege of studying with at Geneva College.)
As many of you may know…or may not know, I will be going to Ndola, Zambia (in Africa) with an E-Team being sent out by Providence Church and Covenant Mercies. The team includes 21 people from Providence, along with two from our sister church near Philadelphia. The team is a mixture of genders, age groups, skill sets, experiences, and giftings, but all have a passion and calling to serve our Zambian brothers and sisters for the glory of God and the spread of the Gospel.
At 6:17 AM, Monday morning, our flight with United Air will depart Pittsburgh International Airport to carry us to Dulles International in Washington, D.C. At Dulles, we will board a flight with Ethiopian Air which will proceed to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (stopping in Rome to refuel) and, thence, to Lusaka, Zambia, arriving around 2 PM, Zambia time. Then we will take ground transportation to Ndola, where we will do some shopping and check in to our hotel. The next day (Wednesday), construction on Lighthouse Christian School’s new building will begin and the men on the team will attend to that while the ladies do some ministry with the children and some other great stuff. This will continue, with a break in routine on Sunday (where we will attend the Baptist church twice) until the following Tuesday, when we will work our last day. On Wednesday (the 15th), we will depart from Ndola and return to Lusaka, to rest up and prepare for our trip home the next day. At 11 AM, Zambia time, on Thursday July 16, we will depart Zambia and return by the same route to the US, arriving back in Pittsburgh around 2 PM on Friday July 17.
As you can see, this will be an incredibly busy week full of grace and God’s power demonstrating itself. He has already demonstrated that powerfully in the fundraising. On the whole, considering everyone’s costs and fundraising efforts, a sum totaling over $70,000 was raised…and this in just over the last two months (!) to make this happen. God has been so generous and good to us as we’ve answered His call to go forward. But now it’s time to go. In the meantime and throughout this trip, I’d like you all to pray for us. We are in need of prayer support and very aware of our need for God’s grace on us. Some things that you can be praying for are:
I will be attempting to keep a journal during the trip and will post the entries as I am able to upon returning to the States. Thanks in advance for your prayers and I am looking forward to sharing with all of you the goodness of God towards us on this trip!
I don’t make it my practice to use sites that I link to as [Re]Con, but this post from Stephen Altrogge at The Blazing Center is well-worth your time to read. As disciples of Christ, we have an obligation to submit to our Master and humbly ask Him to teach us how we should find contentment in our circumstances.
For more great material on contentment, please check out this sermon entitled “The Quest for Contentment” preached by Dave Harvey at Providence Church in Pittsburgh.
Our exploration of seeking discernment so far has had very little to do with what we are discerning and, yet, apart from them we will be unable to discern anything. Until we shut up and bow down, there will be no discernment. God is not honored by vain words or complaint or anxiety. Neither does he acknowledge our pride and arrogance. So, to hear God speak means we ought to pursue silence and humility before the Lord.
The first thing to realize, though, is that God does speak today, presently and powerfully. Let us be cautious here. I am not claiming that you will hear an audible voice from God when you are seeking to discern His will. You might. I wouldn’t expect it, but God is completely free to do as He pleases. However, God communicates to us in a diverse selection of ways: circumstances, what other people say to us, the reading of the Word, prayer, impressions, prophecy, counsel, etc. It’s important to note, however, that as great as these are, ALL of them fall under the grace-driven authority of the Word of God.
The second thing to realize is that God speaks purposely. In Isaiah 55:11 (ESV), God tells us ” so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” The most immediate application of this text is to the Scripture, so we know that the Scripture is effective in what God has given it to say. It is not beyond reason, however, to say that this Scripture is true of God’s other means of communicating to us. God’s speaking is effective and has purpose for your life. So pay attention.
The third thing to realize is that God speaks personally. There are things that God is going to speak to you that are going to radically transform how you live. It may not be the same thing that He has communicated to others in your life. This is an important thing to get down in our lives because if we put burdens and yokes on men because of what God has put it in our hearts to do, we are burdening servants who are not ours. They are God’s servants and their Master will assign to them their tasks. Clearly, this does not apply strictly to Scripture. Scripture’s authority is universal and absolute and we have no exception for it in any respect.
So, God speaks. Hear. Receive. Submit.
I have had the blessing and privilege of my soul being cared for, challenged, and encouraged by the ministry of Mike Pierson. At Providence Church, I have grown tremendously due to his ministry and that of Pastor Jeremy Hetrick. Recently, C.J. Mahaney, leader of Sovereign Grace Ministries, interviewed Mike in his “ordinary pastors” series. Mike talks a lot about his practice of the spiritual disciplines and God’s goodness to him and I think it provides us a great deal of insight into how we can pursue discipleship with our Master. The series is called Meet Mike Pierson and it can be found in Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.
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