This misunderstanding: Creates a false dichotomy between grace and Torah Ignores that Torah itself teaches grace Misunderstands that grace enables Torah observance Contradicts Yeshua's own words about Torah's continuity Misinterprets Paul's teachings about grace Fails to understand that grace teaches us to live righteously (Titus 2:11-12) Ignores that we're saved for obedience, not from obedience

This false teaching: Ignores that Torah itself teaches grace Misunderstands both concepts Creates an unbiblical division Fails to see how grace enables Torah observance Overlooks that YHWH's Law is an expression of His love Misses that grace and truth came through Yeshua (John 1:17) Doesn't recognize that grace teaches us to live righteously

This teaching is incorrect because: No scriptural authority exists for changing YHWH's appointed times The Sabbath is an eternal covenant sign (Exodus 31:16-17) Yeshua kept the Sabbath and taught proper Sabbath observance Early believers continued keeping the seventh-day Sabbath The change was made by human authority, not divine command The Sabbath is part of creation order (Genesis 2:2-3)

This misunderstanding: Contradicts Paul's own statements about the Law being holy and good (Romans 7:12) Ignores that Paul himself kept Torah Misses his teaching about proper Torah application Overlooks his continued Temple worship Disregards his statement "Do we nullify the Law through faith? May it never be!" (Romans 3:31) Fails to understand his teachings in their Hebrew context Forgets that Peter warned about misinterpreting Paul (2 Peter 3:15-16)

This false teaching: Contradicts the concept of grafting in (Romans 11) Creates unbiblical division in YHWH's people Misunderstands the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-33) Ignores that there is one law for native and stranger (Exodus 12:49) Promotes replacement theology Misses that believers join Israel, not replace it

This misunderstanding: Takes Mark 7 and Acts 10 out of context Ignores that the biblical definition of food hasn't changed Misses that unclean animals were never considered food Overlooks that Peter still kept dietary laws after Acts 10 Disregards YHWH's unchanging standards of clean and unclean Fails to understand the symbolic language in Acts 10

Understanding the original languages is vital for deeper Torah study, even if you're not fluent. Here's how to approach it: Basic Tools: Strong's Concordance Each Hebrew/Greek word has a unique number Find the English word in your translation Look up the corresponding Strong's number Study the original word's meaning and root Online Resources: Blue Letter Bible (blueletterbible.org) Scripture4All (scripture4all.org) Hebrew4Christians.com for Hebrew basics Biblehub.com's interlinear tools Study Method: Start with key words in your English Bible Look up the Strong's number Study the root meaning Check how the same word is used in other passages Compare different translations Important Considerations: Hebrew is a root-based language - understand the shoresh (root) Words can have multiple meanings based on context Consider the cultural and historical context Be careful of making doctrinal decisions based solely on word studies Example Study Process: If studying "torah" (תורה): Find Strong's number (H8451) Study root meaning (from yarah - to shoot/point/direct) See how it's used throughout Scripture Understand it means "instruction/direction" not just "law" Remember: Always test findings against the whole of Scripture, allowing the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) to guide your understanding.

Start with Torah - Begin with Genesis and understand YHWH's foundational instructions Read with a purpose to understand YHWH's eternal law and His covenant Study the Moedim (Appointed Times) in Leviticus 23 Learn how Yeshua, as the living Torah, demonstrated perfect obedience Keep a study journal Ask questions When you understand the fundamentals you can move on to the meat of scripture.

There are multiple tools which can help you discerning scripture. Strong's Concordance Hebrew/Greek Lexicons Access to original manuscripts Torah commentary resources Our teaching archives with over 300 hours of content Access to apocryphal texts and ancient manuscripts Timeline and historical context resources Maps and geographical resources Pages like this can help. https://www.blueletterbible.org/

Following Deuteronomy 6:6-7, the Torah should be a daily focus. We recommend: Daily Torah portions Weekly Sabbath study Try participation in community learning Focus on both personal study and communal learning Incorporate both Torah and apostolic writings

At Sword of Israel, we take the integrity and authenticity of the scripture very seriously. Our stance is inspired by the verse found in Jeremiah 8:8, which states, "How can you say, 'We are wise, for we have the law of the LORD,' when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely?" This verse serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of vigilance and scrutiny when it comes to the preservation of sacred texts. For this reason, we are committed to promoting a deep and informed understanding of the scripture, taking into account historical context and scholarly research to ensure our community remains knowledgeable and discerning.

We recommend this reading order to establish a solid Torah-based foundation: First Five Books (Torah): Genesis (Understanding YHWH's creation and covenants) Exodus (Learning about redemption and YHWH's instructions) Leviticus (Understanding YHWH's appointed times and holiness) Numbers (Learning faithfulness through wilderness experiences) Deuteronomy (Reviewing and deepening Torah understanding) Historical Context: Joshua (Entering the promised land) Ruth (Understanding covenant relationships) 1 Samuel (Learning about kingship and priesthood) Prophetic Understanding: Isaiah (Messianic prophecies and YHWH's plan) Jeremiah (Particularly chapters 30-31 about the New Covenant) New Testament Foundations: Matthew (Seeing Yeshua as the living Torah) John (Understanding Yeshua as the Word made flesh) Acts (Seeing Torah observance in the early assembly)

According to our Statement of Faith, we believe in studying deuterocanonical writings while testing them against the Torah and Prophets. These texts: Provide historical and cultural context Offer additional insights into Second Temple period understanding Include valuable wisdom literature Help bridge historical gaps Must be examined carefully like the Bereans (Acts 17:11) Should be tested against the foundation of Torah Can offer deeper understanding but never override Torah principles

This is a crucial issue because: YHWH revealed His name as eternal (Exodus 3:15) His name appears over 6,800 times in original texts Replacing YHWH with "LORD" obscures the personal nature of His name Personal relationship with YHWH includes knowing and using His name Traditional removal based on misunderstanding of third commandment Restoration of His name connects us to the Hebrew roots of faith Yeshua made the Father's name known (John 17:6)

Proper prophetic interpretation requires: Understanding Hebrew prophetic patterns Recognizing YHWH's appointed times (Moedim) as prophetic shadows Maintaining Torah as the foundation for all prophetic understanding Seeing prophecy through a Hebrew rather than Western lens Connecting prophecies to YHWH's covenantal promises Understanding the cyclical nature of biblical prophecy Recognizing Yeshua as the focus of prophetic fulfillment Testing interpretations against Torah and the Prophets

The Ruach HaKodesh: Guides us into all truth (John 16:13) Writes Torah on our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33) Enables understanding of spiritual truths Leads to proper interpretation of Scripture Works in harmony with written Torah Never contradicts YHWH's written word Empowers Torah-observant living (Ezekiel 36:26-27) Provides wisdom for applying Scripture

We approach canonicity by: Testing all writings against Torah as the foundation Examining historical acceptance by faithful communities Considering prophetic authority and confirmation Looking for consistency with YHWH's revealed nature Evaluating alignment with Torah principles Understanding historical process of preservation Recognizing both widely accepted and disputed books Maintaining openness to deuterocanonical wisdom while prioritizing Torah