𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐡, 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬!

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐃𝐨 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐡

A lot of good people feel trapped between two fears. On one side they fear lawlessness. On the other side they fear “mixture.” In that fear, some erase the difference between Jew and Gentile. Then they treat every Israel command as a universal command for all believers. No room remains for different callings in one body.

The Bible does not teach that!

𝟏. 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝

Paul still calls his readers “Gentiles in the flesh” even after they come to Messiah (Eph 2:11–13). They are no longer far away. They are brought near. Yet the category “Gentiles” still exists.

He then gives a hard word.

“Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called” (1 Cor. 7:20).

If someone was called while circumcised, he should not undo it.

If someone was called while uncircumcised, he should not seek circumcision (1 Cor. 7:18).

That is not undermining the Torah. This protects different callings. Israel keeps its national covenant role. Gentiles join the family through faith in Messiah without taking on Israel’s national signs (like circumcision).

A lot have quoted the “one law for the native and the stranger” texts. These commands speak about gērim who lived inside Israel’s land under Israel’s courts (Num. 15:15–16). The commands do not erase Gentile nations or override the ruling of Acts 15.

𝟐. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐢 𝐲𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬

The Jerusalem council saw this issue clearly.

Some believers from the Pharisees said it was “necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses” (Acts 15:5). That is exactly the “One Torah for all, in the same way” claim. "Gentiles in Christ are to keep all of the law of Moses!"

Peter answered this claim:

“Why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear” (Acts 15:10).

The apostles then gave Gentiles four necessary things and nothing more as binding covenant terms (Acts 15:19–20, 28–29).

People often say this was only a “starter pack” and that mature Gentiles must later take on the whole Sinai code. The text does not say that (don't add to it!). In fact, Paul warns that those who take circumcision as a covenant sign step into full debt to the law and fall from grace as their ground of righteousness (Gal. 5:1–4).

One Torah does not mean one identical yoke. It means one God, one Lord, one Spirit, one standard of justice and truth, lived out through different roles in one body. (What I'm saying is people have misunderstood or misapplied the One Torah movement's teaching.)

𝟑. 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞

Paganism means worship of other gods.

“You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3 NKJV).

Paul says “an idol is nothing in the world” yet he warns against sharing in the table of demons through idol feasts (1 Cor. 8:4; 10:20–21). The danger is not the meat. The danger is the worship.

History explains what it is. Worship reveals whether or not it is idolatry. So, the Christmas tree (or wedding ring, or name of the day, etc.) means nothing. Worshipping it is forbidden.

Days work the same way.

“One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind” (Rom. 14:5). Paul does not limit this to fasting days. He connects it to honoring the Lord or not honoring Him (Romans 14:6).

So when someone says, “If it ever touched paganism, it is forever pagan,” that claim is adding to Scripture. You would have to leave calendars, languages, and most of human culture. Israel never did that. God sent Israel into the nations instead. Thus, this does not offend God.

Perfectionism is not purity. It is fear in a religious coat.

𝟒. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭

The answer is simple and hard.

“Test all things. Hold fast what is good” (1 Thess. 5:21).

We test stories that say “Christianity is just paganism.” We test claims that erase Gentile identity and calling. We test our own perfectionism.

Gentiles in Messiah are not second-class Israelites. They are not secret Jews. They are beloved sons and daughters from the nations who walk by the Spirit, with clean hands and honest hearts, under the same King, in different but honored callings. This is the message of the New Covenant: Gentiles do not become Jews (with their obligation to the whole Torah), and by grace, Gentiles are fully included because of the sacrifice of Yeshua!

One Torah. Many nations. One Messiah. No one erased!

B"H!

𝐈𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐧, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮!