Understanding the Assembly of Elohim
UNDERSTANDING THE ASSEMBLY OF ELOHIM
By James Trimm
There is so much confusion about the nature of the Assembly (i.e. “the Church”), but Elohim is not the author of confusion (1Cor. 14:33) and through rightly dividing the word of truth (2Tim. 2:15) we can understand the truth about the Assembly of Elohim.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN… “CHURCH”?
(Sometime back I wrote a short article by this title. This article is the starting point for this study and comprises this sub-section. If you are already familiar with this material you may want to skip to the next sub-section)
There has been a great deal of confusion over the years over what the "church" is. Some have taught that the Church is a new entity which replaces Israel. Others have taught that the Church is a new body which is totally independent of Israel. Still others have taught that the Church and Israel are two different but overlapping entities. With all of the misconceptions about the identity of the "Church" the time has come to set the story straight and reveal what the "Church" really is.
The English word "Church" comes originally from the Old English word KIRKE. The Old English word KIRKE was the word the Anglo-Saxons used to refer to their pagan places of worship. When they became Christianized the Anglo-Saxons continued to call their places of worship KIRKES and as the language evolved "Churches". You may have
heard that the word "Church" originally referred to the people and later came to refer to the building. This is not true. The word "Church" originally referred to the building and later came to refer to the people. Moreover the word "church" is of pagan origin
Now if you look up the English word "Church" in Webster's dictionary you will find the following meanings:
1. a building set apart or consecrated for public worship, esp. one
for Christian worship.
2. All Christians as a whole.
3. A denomination of Christians.
In short a "church" is either a building or a group of Christians.
Now wherever we see the English word "church" in an English Bible we would expect the underlying Greek word would be a Greek word that also means "a group of Christians". Since the English uses such a technical theological term one would expect that the Greek has also used a technical theological term. But the reality is that the Greek word that appears wherever the English has "church" is not a technical theological term and DOES NOT mean "a group of Christians" at all. That’s right, a technical theological term of pagan origin meaning "a group of Christians" has been inserted in your English Bible despite the fact that the corresponding Greek word is not a technical theological term and does not mean the same thing as the word "Church".
The Greek word that appears where our English Bible's have "church" is EKKLESIA. EKKLESIA is just the Greek word for "assembly". Although it comes from a root meaning "to call out" there is no special theological significance to this word. In fact this is the same Greek word which was used for "assembly" by the classical Pagan Greek writers. Inscriptions in ancient Greek auditoriums where pagan ritual dramas were performed by the Bachus cult have the audience section inscribed with the sign "EKKLESIA". This same Greek word EKKLESIA is used throughout the Greek Septuagint translation of the Tanak as the word for "assembly". There are also many places where the Greek word EKKLESIA appears in the NT but which the KJV and other translators did NOT translate the word as "church". This same Greek word is even used in Acts 19:32-41 to describe an unruly mob, yet here the translators suddenly translate
the word as "assembly" rather than "church".
There is therefore no such thing as the "church" because the Greek word translated "church" does not mean "church" at all but "assembly".
Now there are some who claim that the "Church" was a new entity born in Acts 2 at Pentecost of 32 C.E. . However if we examine the events of Acts 2 we find that at that event persons were "added to" the "church" (Acts 2:47) which means that the "church" had to have already existed at that time. If we turn to Acts 7:38 we see that it speaks of Moses as "he that was in the church in the wilderness". Certainly this "church" could not have been a new "New Testament" entity.
Now while the term "church" is a mistranslation for a word simply meaning "assembly", there is an entity which is commonly referred to as "The Assembly" in the New Testament. Let us examine the Scriptures and determine what the true identity of this "Assembly" is.
To begin with we must understand that this Assembly is also known as the "Body of Messiah" as we read:
"And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the
preeminence."
(Col. 1:18 - KJV)
"And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head
over all things to the church,
Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all."
(Eph. 1:22-23 - KJV)
Now one may ask what "Assembly" is the allegorical Messiah? To find the answer to that question lets look at Matthew 2:14-15:
"When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and
departed into Egypt:
And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled
which was spoken of the Lord
by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. "
(Matthew 2:14-15 - KJV)
Now here Matthew is citing a prophecy in Hosea 11:1 and applying it to Messiah. Now let us go back and look at this prophecy in Hosea 11:1 in context:
"When Israel was a child, then I loved him,
and called my son out of Egypt."
(Hosea 11:1 - KJV)
Here Hosea is referring to Israel as the son who is called out of Egypt. This points us back to a passage in the Torah:
"And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:
And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go,
behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn."
(Ex. 4:22-23 - KJV)
From these two passages we learn that Israel is the firstborn son of Elohim who is called out of Egypt. However in Matthew it is Yeshua the Messiah who is called up out of Egypt and in Col. 1:18 Messiah is the "firstborn". Moreover Hebrews speaks of the "church of the firstborn" (Heb. 12:23 - KJV).
Thus Israel is allegorically equivalent to the Messiah. There are some very important reasons for this allegorical relationship:
* Both are the "firstborn Son of Elohim".
* Both made a major impact on the world.
* Both were born through a biological miracle on their mother's womb.
* Both were taken into Egypt to save their lives.
* Both were called up out of Egypt.
* Both were despised and rejected by men.
* Rome attempted to destroy them both.
* Both are resurrected.
Thus Israel is the allegorical "Body of Messiah". Moreover in the Tanak, Israel is commonly called "The Assembly of Israel" and wherever the phrase "The Assembly of Israel" appears in the Tanak the Greek LXX has "EKKLESIA of Israel".
The so-called "church" which is the "Body of Messiah" is in reality "the Assembly of Israel". Yeshua did not come to create a new religion, but to be Messiah of the old one. Wherever your English New Testament refers to a "church" (i.e. a group of Christians) the Greek has "EKKLESIA a term which commonly refers to the "Assembly of Israel". The "Church" as most Christians have understood it never existed. All of the passage people have thought were talking about the "Church" were actually talking about the
Assembly of Israel, not Christianity, but the Nazarene sect of Judaism.
THE PROMISE OF THE ASSEMBLY
The “Assembly” as a body is mentioned for the first time in Gen. 28:3 where Elohim promises Jacob (Israel) that he would “become an Assembly (KOHOL) of peoples (AMIM).” From his deathbed Jacob (Israel) recalled this promise (Gen. 48:2-4) implying that it had been fulfilled in his twelve sons. The first mention of the “Assembly of Israel” or the “Assembly (KAHOL) of the Congregation (EDAT) of Israel” is to be found I the Passover instruction of Exodus 12.
A SEPARATE PEOPLE
You will note that Jacob was promised that he was to become an “Assembly (KAHOL) of Peoples (AMIM)” (Gen. 28:3; 48:2-3)). This was not just a repetition of the promise to Abraham given in Gen. 12, but a clarification of part of that promise. When Avram was promised he would become a “father of many nations” his name was changed from AVRAM (high father) to AVRAHAM (a father of many nations) (Gen. 12). There are two words commonly translated “nation” or “people” in Hebrew, AM and GOY (the plural forms are AMIM and GOYIM). These two words have differing meanings in Hebrew (as we will soon see). It is important to note that the word for “people/nation” in AvrahAM’s new name is AM, but the word used in the promise of Gen. 12:2 is GOYIM.
This beings us to another key term, which is a synonym for the “Assembly of Israel”, that term is AM-YISRAEL (“The People/Nation of Israel”). Note that Jacob was told that he would become an Assembly (KAHOL) of people (AMIM) (Gen. 28:3).
Now in the book of Numbers we read concerning Israel:
From the top of the rocks I see him,
And from the hills I behold him:
Behold it is a people (AM) that shall dwell alone,
and shall not be reckoned among the nations (GOYIM)
(Num. 23:9)
In fact one major difference between these two Hebrew words for “people/nation” is that AM can refer to Israel but GOY refers to the OTHER nations. GOY is the word which can also be translated “Gentile”. So from this passage we see that there are two logical categories: Am-Yisrael (the People of Israel) also known as the Assembly of Israel and the GOYIM (Gentiles).
The Assembly of Israel are not to be like other nations:
For you are a set-apart people unto YHWH your Elohim:
YHWH your Elohim has chosen you to be his own treasure,
out of all peoples that are upon the face of the earth.
(Deut. 7:6; 14:2)
As the Psalmist says:
For Yah has chosen Ya’akov unto Himself,
and Yisra’el for His own treasure.
(Ps. 135:4)
The Assembly of Israel are a nation of priests to the Gentiles (Ex. 19:6; 1Pt. 1:1; 2:5, 9).
UNITY OF THE BODY
Many times the Scriptures emphasize the importance of unity and Oneness of the Body of Messiah, the unity of the Assembly of Israel:
" and be diligent to keep the UNITY of the Spirit in the bond of
shalom, that you be ONE BODY and one spirit, even as you are called in ONE hope of your calling. For YHWH is one and the faith is one and the immersion is one, And one Eloah is the Father of all, and above all, and through all, and in us all."
(Eph. 4:3-6)
"So also we who are many are ONE BODY in the Messiah and each of us are MEMBERS OF ONE ANOTHER."
(Rom. 12:5)
"For as the body is ONE, and there are in it many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are ONE BODY, so also the Messiah. For all of us also are immersed by ONE spirit into ONE BODY, whether Jew or Aramaean, whether slave or son of freedom. And all of us drank of ONE spirit."
(1Cor. 12:12-13)
"Nevertheless, this that we have attained, let us follow in one path and with ONE ACCORD."
(Phil. 3:16)
"But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have FELLOWSHIP ONE WITH ANOTHER…"
(1Jn. 1:7)
It is Elohim's desire that his people be at unity. When Yeshua was speaking to his talmidim over his last earthly Passover sader, he took the time to specifically pray for the unity of the body:
17 Father, sanctify them by your truth, for your word is truth.
18 As you sent me into the world also I send them into the world.
19 And for their sakes, I sanctify my nefesh that they also might be sanctified in truth.
20 And I do not ask for the sake of these alone, but also for the
sake of those who will have faith in me through their word,
21 That ALL MIGHT BE ONE as you are, my Father, in me, and I am in you that they also might BE ONE in us, that the world might believe that you sent me.
22 And the glory that you gave me I gave to them, that they might BE ONE as we are one.
23 I am in them and you are in me, that they be perfected into one, and that the world might know that you sent me, and that you have loved them as also you loved me.
24 Father, I want that those whom you gave me might also be with me wherever I am so that they might see my glory, which you gave me because you loved me from before the foundations of the world.
25 My righteous Father, the world has not known you but I know you and they know that you sent me.
26 And I have made known to them your name and will make known so that the love with which you loved me might be in them and I might be in them.:
(John 17:17-26)
Three times in this short prayer, Yeshua faced with his eminent death, concerns himself, not with his own welfare, but with the unity of the body.
THE BIG SPLIT
Despite YHWH’s desire for the unity of the Assembly of Israel, the Assembly of Israel was split in two. After the death of Solomon the Northern Ten Tribes “rebelled”, builing their own Temple which was not at the appointed place (the Temple Mount in Jerusalem) and establishing their own non-Levitical priests (1Kn. 12:16-33). Thus the Assembly of Israel underwent a “split”. Now there was a Northern Kingdom of Israel and a Southern Kingdom of Judah. These became known as the two Houses of Israel (The House of Israel, also called “Ephraim” and the House of Judah – See Is. 8:14 for example).
YHWH would not tolerate having his Assembly split down the middle, as this was a great sin. In Galatians 5:19-21 Paul gives a list of the "works of the flesh":
19 For the works of the flesh are known, which are: fornication, uncleanness, perversion,
20 worship of idols, magic, animosity, contention, over zealousness, anger, insolence, FACTIONALISM, SECTARIANISM,
21 envy, murder, drunkenness and reveling, and all that are similar to these.
(Gal. 5:19-21)
Notice the last two items in verse 20: "factionalism" and "sectarianism". We will discuss exactly what these two words mean in a moment, but notice that Paul lists them on a par with such sins as "fornication", "worship of idols" and "murder".
In the Greek text these two words are "hairesis" (Strong's Gk 139) and "dichostasia" (Strong's 1370).
The Greek word "hairesis" means "a party or disunion". The NAS and NIV versions translate this word to mean "factions" the RSV has "party spirit" the NEB has "party intrigues", Beck has :divisions". The TEV has "They Separate into parties and groups." The Complete Jewish Bible has "factionalism" while ISR has "dissensions."
The word that appears in the Original Aramaic here is SEDAKA. Jastro defines this word as "split, slit, rent" The Syriac Dictionary (Lewis) has "a rent, tear, division, schism, sect" while the Lexicon to the Syriac New Testament (Jennings) has "a rent, tear, rupture, schism" from the root meaning "rived, split asunder, tore". Murdock and the Way version have "discords"
The Greek word "dichostasia" means "disunion, dissention, division, sedition". The NIV, NAS and RSV translate the word "dissention(s) the Complete Jewish Bible has "intrigue". ISR has "factions".
The word that appears here in the original Aramaic is P'LUGGOTA (Aramaic cognate of Strong's Heb. 6392) meaning "divisions" as Murdock translates the word "divisions". The Way version has "divisions"
These last two words in Gal. 5:20 each refer to those who split congregations and divide them! And Paul counts this as a "work of the flesh" along with fornication, idol worship and murder!
Paul writes to the Corinthians:
"Now I urge you, my brothers, in the name of our Adon Yeshua the Messiah, that you have ONE word to all and [that] there be no FACTIONS (P'LUGGOTA) among you, but [that] you be whole hearted in ONE purpose and in ONE mind."
(1Cor. 1:10)
"for you are in the flesh. For there are among you, envy and
contention and FACTIONS, (P'LUGGOTA) are you not carnal and walking in the flesh? For when each man of you says, I am of Paul and another says, I am of Apollos, are you not carnal?"
(1Cor. 3:3-4)
And Kefa writes:
"But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive sects (Gk: hairesis = Aramaic sedaka)…"
(2Kefa 2:1)
This could also be translated "bring in destructive DIVISIONS".
And Paul warns the Romans to "beware of those who cause DIVISIONS (P'LUGGOTA)" (Rom. 16:17)
In reaction to this attempt to divide his Assembly YHWH served the House of Israel with a bill of divorcement (Jer. 3:8) and told the House of Israel “you are not My People (AM)” (Hosea 1:10).
The House of Israel were no longer part of the AM (people) who are not to be counted among the GOYIM. They were now fulfilling the prophecy given to Avraham that he would become the father of a great GOYIM (Gen. 12:2). They were also fulfilling a prophecy given to Ephraim that his children would become a “multitude/fullness of nations” (GOYIM) (Gen. 48:19). The Northern Kingdom were now GOYIM (Gentiles) thus Isaiah calls the “Land of Zebulun and Land of Naphtali” “Galilee of the nations/gentiles (GOYIM). (Is. 9:1)
JUDAISM
After the split only the House of Judah continued to be part of the AM (people) that are not to be counted among the GOYIM. Thus the faith of the Assembly of Elohim came to be known as “Judaism”. In fact individual Ephaimites that remained loyal to the true Assembly of Elohim also came to be known from this time forward as “Jews”. The Apocryphal Book of Tobit tells the story of certain Ephraimites who were living the Assyrian Exile (see 1Kn. 17) but who remained loyal to the Assembly of Elohim. These Epharimites in the Book of Tobit are called “Jews” (Tobit 11:17).
No one knows just when the one true faith came to be known as "Judaism". The earliest known usage of the term "Judaism" in written literature is 2Maccabees 2:21 where it is said that the Maccabees, fighting the Greeks are described as "those who strove zealously on behalf of Judaism". The term Judaism was in common use well before the first century being commonly used by writers such as Josephus and Philo.
Paul himself uses the term "Judaism" in Galatians 1:13 to describe his own faith (see Acts 23:6 for proof that this passage was comparing Paul's former life in Judaism with his current life in Judaism).
This brings us to the encounter between Yeshua and an Ephraimite woman (a
Samaritan). There is no doubt that this Samaritan woman is to be counted as an Ephraimite because she refers to "our father Jacob" (Jn. 4:12) and Yeshua makes no attempt to correct her on this point. (Note she mentions the two different places of worship on different mountains in 4:20). Then Yeshua tells her religion is false and that the Jewish religion is the one true faith saying:
"You worship what you do not know.
We worship what we know,
because the deliverance is of the Yehudim.
"But the hour is coming, and now is,
when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth,
for the Father also does seek such to worship Him.
(Jn. 4:22-23 - The Scriptures Version)
Yeshua makes it clear that the "true worshipers" are the Jews who practice
Judaism "in spirit and truth" as opposed to an Ephraimite religion. ("in
spirit and truth" - a reference to the Torah - see Ps. 119:142, 151; Ezek.
36:27).
Moreover Paul writes:
"...what is the advantage of the Jew? Or what is the profit of
circumcision? Much in everything!..."
(Rom. 3:1-2)
BECOMING JEWS
In Ester 8:17 we learned that many non-Jews in the Persian empire “became Jews” in the wake of the events of the first Purim. This is the process of becoming part of the AM of YHWH which are the Assembly of Elohim. This is the process through which Ruth stopped being a Moabite and started being part of the People of Israel, as Ruth declared:
For where you go, I will go;
And where you lodge, I will lodge,
your people (AM) will be my people (AM)
and your Elohim my Eohim.
(Ruth 1:16b)
Thus Ruth stopped being a Gentile Moabite and became part of the AM (people) which are not to be counted amongst the GOYIM (gentiles).
THE HOPE OF EPHRAIM
This is the very hope of Ephraim. In Zechariah 8:23 we read:
Thus said YHWH of hosts, 'In those days ten men
from all languages of the nations (GOYIM) take hold,
yea, they shall take hold of the edge of the garment of a man,
a Yehudite, saying, "Let us go with you,
for we have heard that Elohim is with you .
Now lest anyone think that the "Jew" (Yehudite) in this passage is a certain Jew, such as the Messiah, I must point out that in the Hebrew the word "you" in "let us go with "you" and "Elohim is with you" is PLURAL and therefore refers not to an individual Jew, but to the House of Judah. No doubt the number "ten" here implies the lost ten tribes of Ephraim. Note that Ephraim says to Judah:
"let us [Ephraim] go with you [Judah]
for we [Ephraim] have heard that YHWH is with you [Judah]."
Note the parallel with Ruth 1:16. These Ephraimites, like the gentiles of Ester 8:17 become Jews, they become part of the Assembly of Elohim.
One of the most beautiful prophecies of the reunion of the two houses of Israel is the "two sticks" prophecy in Ezekiel 37:15-20. In this prophecy each of the two houses of Israel are symbolized by two "sticks" which are brought together and made as one (Ezek. 37:15-18) the text goes on to specify that YHWH will:
...take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim,
and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him,
even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick,...
(Ezek. 37:19)
Now let us look at the olive tree prophecy of Romans 11. This prophecy parallels the two "sticks" prophecy of Ezekiel 37 (note that the word STICK in Ezek. 37 is ETZ which also means "tree").
Rom. 9 begins the contrast of the "Jews" and "Gentiles" by quoting Hosea 2:25(23); 2:1 (1:10) in Rom. 9:25-26. But if we look up the context of the people "which were not my people" which he calls "my people" in Hosea we find that they are the "children of Israel" (Hosea 2:1 (1:10)) as opposed to "the children of Judah" (Hosea 2:2 (1:11)) So if Paul is quoting Hosea in context and contrasting Jews and Gentiles (Rom. 9:24) using Hosea 2:1-2 (1:10-11) then the "Jews" of Rom. 9:24 are the "Children of Judah" of Hosea 2:2 (1:11) and the "Gentiles" of Rom. 9:24 are the "children of Israel" of Hosea 2:1 (1:10). If this is true then as this contrasting pair advances into Rom. Chapter 11 the two trees are the two Houses.
Now the uncultivated olive tree in Romans 11 is clearly therefore Ephraim and the cultivated olive tree is clearly that of Judah. This prophecy tells us that branches from the tree/stick of Ephraim will be broken off and grafted into the tree/stick of Judah, are to be fed by the root of the tree/stick of Judah and are not to boast against the natural branches
(Jews)."
The House of Judah is the cultivated olive tree that Ephraimite branches are being grafted into. This is a process of Ephaimites becoming Jews as they become part of the Assembly of Elohim.
COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE
The hope of Ephraim is also mentioned in the Tanak in Hosea 2:23b:
…And I will say to them that were not My people (AM):
‘You are my people (AM)’; and they will say: ‘You are my Elohim’.
Once again compare this with the wording of Ruth 1:16 when Ruth becomes part of the Assembly of Israel.
This takes place as Ephaimites heed a call to “My people” (Jer. 50:45; 2Cor. 6:16-17; Rev. 18:4) to come out of Babylon and be separate (Jer. 50:8; 51:6, 45; 2Cor. 6:16-17 & Rev. 18:4).
Many Ephraimites will give heed to this call, identify themselves as YHWH’s people and become part of the AM which are not to be counted among the GOYIM. They will be grafted into Judah, be fed by the root of Judah, and become Jews.
By “Jews” I should clarify that very plainly the true representative of “Judaism” and the Assembly of Elohim is NOT Rabbinic Judaism. It is Nazarene Judaism which is the true Assembly of Elohim. When I speak of Epharimites “becoming Jews” I refer to them becoming Nazarene Jews.
LETS END EPHAIMITE SECTARIANISM
One problem plaguing the “Two House”/”Ephraimite” movement has been that many in this movement do not want to be identified as Jews, they want a separate Ephraimite movement. May want to identify themselves separately from Jews and Judaism. They want to identify themselves as “Ephraimites” or as “Israelites” (but not Jews). They want to be “Messianic Israelites” but not “Messianic Jews”. They want to be a separate and distinct non-Jewish Ephraimite body. This was Ephraim’s sin of division in 1Kings 12. It is not Ephraim’s hope to repeat or continue its sin of division, it is the hope of individual Ephraimites to leave the GOYIM, be grafted into Judah, be fed by the rute of Judah and become Jews.
SALVATION AND THE ASSEMBLY
Many people have wrongly assumed that being part of the Body of Messiah (the Assembly) is the same thing as being “saved”. This is largely because they have accepted without question the definition of “Body of Messiah” or “Church” (Assembly) which has been passed down by Church tradition, rather than the meaning derived from Scripture.
We have shown above that the “Body of Messiah” is actually “the Assembly of Israel”.
If the Body of Messiah is the Assembly of Israel, then clearly the logic is inescapable that Some saved persons are not part of the Body of Messiah.
Now let us look at Exodus 12:43-49:
And YHWH said unto Moshe and Aharon: 'This is the ordinance of the Pesach: there shall no alien eat thereof;
but every man's servant that is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.
A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat thereof.
In one house shall it be eaten; you shall not carry forth aught of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall you break a bone thereof.
All the assembly of Yisra’el shall keep it.
And when a stranger shall sojourn with you, and will keep the Pesach to YHWH, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land; but no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.
One Torah shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourns among you.'
(Ex. 12:43-49 HRV)
Now there are a number of things we can learn from this passage:
All members of the "Assembly of Israel" must eat the Passover (Ex. 12:47)
No uncircumcised man may eat the Passover (Ex. 12:48)
If all members of the Assembly of Israel must eat the Passover
and if no uncircumcised men may eat the Passover
then all male members of the Assembly of Israel must be circumcised.
Therefore all male members of the Assembly of Israel are circumcised.
And therefore no male members of the Assembly of Israel are uncircumcised.
Now we know that some uncircumcised men are saved (Acts 15)
So if all members of the Assembly of Israel are circumcised
and if some uncircumcised men are saved,
then some saved persons are not members of the Assembly of Israel.
Therefore some saved persons are not members of the Body of Messiah.
Many, however do not understand the biblical definition of “Salvation”. To better understand Salvation I recommend my article The Process of Salvation
(http://nazarenespace.ning.com/profiles/blogs/2182335:BlogPost:642 )
THE IMMERESION OF THE RUACH HAKODESH
Paul writes of the immersion of the Ruach HaKodesh:
For as the body is one, and there are in it many members,
and all the members of the body, though they are many,
are one body, so also the Messiah.
For all of us also are immersed by one spirit into one body,
whether Jew or Aramaean, whether slave or son of freedom.
And all of us drank of one spirit.
(1Cor. 12:12-13 HRV)
For those who wrongly define the Body of Messiah as “all saved persons” this passage seems to run into direct conflict with passages in which persons are saved prior to receiving the immersion of the Ruach HaKodesh. For example the case of the Samaritans in Acts 8:
And they went down and prayed concerning them
so that they might receive the Ruach HaKodesh.
For it was not yet upon a man from them,
for they were only immersed in the name of our Adon Yeshua.
Then they placed a hand on them,
and they received Ruach HaKodesh.
(Acts 8:15-17 HRV)
The Samaritans in Acts 8 had been “saved” but had not been immersed by the Spirit into the Body of Messiah, the Assembly. They had not actually “become Jews”. This is why Acts also refers to: "...the Ruach HaKodesh which Elohim has given to them which obey him." (Acts 5:32).
WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?
The Assembly of Israel is the Body of Messiah. Elohim desires his Assembly to be united and not to be divided into two houses. Ephraims separation from Judah is a “work of the flesh” comparable to murder. The hope of Ephaimites is to be grafted into Judah, be fed by the root of Judah and “become [Nazarene] Jews”. Ephraimites do not have to become Jews in order to be saved, but they do have to become Jews in order to become part of the Body of Messiah and partake of the true immersion of the Ruach HaKodesh. Moreover for Ephaimites to seek to organize a non-Jewish Ephraimite movement apart from [Nazarene] Judaism is Sectarianism and a work of the flesh.
In closing I would like to encourage all Ephraimites to be grafted into Judah, be fed by the root of Judah, be filled with the Ruach HaKodesh and become part of the Body of Messiah, the Assembly of Elohim.
By James Trimm
There is so much confusion about the nature of the Assembly (i.e. “the Church”), but Elohim is not the author of confusion (1Cor. 14:33) and through rightly dividing the word of truth (2Tim. 2:15) we can understand the truth about the Assembly of Elohim.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN… “CHURCH”?
(Sometime back I wrote a short article by this title. This article is the starting point for this study and comprises this sub-section. If you are already familiar with this material you may want to skip to the next sub-section)
There has been a great deal of confusion over the years over what the "church" is. Some have taught that the Church is a new entity which replaces Israel. Others have taught that the Church is a new body which is totally independent of Israel. Still others have taught that the Church and Israel are two different but overlapping entities. With all of the misconceptions about the identity of the "Church" the time has come to set the story straight and reveal what the "Church" really is.
The English word "Church" comes originally from the Old English word KIRKE. The Old English word KIRKE was the word the Anglo-Saxons used to refer to their pagan places of worship. When they became Christianized the Anglo-Saxons continued to call their places of worship KIRKES and as the language evolved "Churches". You may have
heard that the word "Church" originally referred to the people and later came to refer to the building. This is not true. The word "Church" originally referred to the building and later came to refer to the people. Moreover the word "church" is of pagan origin
Now if you look up the English word "Church" in Webster's dictionary you will find the following meanings:
1. a building set apart or consecrated for public worship, esp. one
for Christian worship.
2. All Christians as a whole.
3. A denomination of Christians.
In short a "church" is either a building or a group of Christians.
Now wherever we see the English word "church" in an English Bible we would expect the underlying Greek word would be a Greek word that also means "a group of Christians". Since the English uses such a technical theological term one would expect that the Greek has also used a technical theological term. But the reality is that the Greek word that appears wherever the English has "church" is not a technical theological term and DOES NOT mean "a group of Christians" at all. That’s right, a technical theological term of pagan origin meaning "a group of Christians" has been inserted in your English Bible despite the fact that the corresponding Greek word is not a technical theological term and does not mean the same thing as the word "Church".
The Greek word that appears where our English Bible's have "church" is EKKLESIA. EKKLESIA is just the Greek word for "assembly". Although it comes from a root meaning "to call out" there is no special theological significance to this word. In fact this is the same Greek word which was used for "assembly" by the classical Pagan Greek writers. Inscriptions in ancient Greek auditoriums where pagan ritual dramas were performed by the Bachus cult have the audience section inscribed with the sign "EKKLESIA". This same Greek word EKKLESIA is used throughout the Greek Septuagint translation of the Tanak as the word for "assembly". There are also many places where the Greek word EKKLESIA appears in the NT but which the KJV and other translators did NOT translate the word as "church". This same Greek word is even used in Acts 19:32-41 to describe an unruly mob, yet here the translators suddenly translate
the word as "assembly" rather than "church".
There is therefore no such thing as the "church" because the Greek word translated "church" does not mean "church" at all but "assembly".
Now there are some who claim that the "Church" was a new entity born in Acts 2 at Pentecost of 32 C.E. . However if we examine the events of Acts 2 we find that at that event persons were "added to" the "church" (Acts 2:47) which means that the "church" had to have already existed at that time. If we turn to Acts 7:38 we see that it speaks of Moses as "he that was in the church in the wilderness". Certainly this "church" could not have been a new "New Testament" entity.
Now while the term "church" is a mistranslation for a word simply meaning "assembly", there is an entity which is commonly referred to as "The Assembly" in the New Testament. Let us examine the Scriptures and determine what the true identity of this "Assembly" is.
To begin with we must understand that this Assembly is also known as the "Body of Messiah" as we read:
"And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the
preeminence."
(Col. 1:18 - KJV)
"And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head
over all things to the church,
Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all."
(Eph. 1:22-23 - KJV)
Now one may ask what "Assembly" is the allegorical Messiah? To find the answer to that question lets look at Matthew 2:14-15:
"When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and
departed into Egypt:
And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled
which was spoken of the Lord
by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. "
(Matthew 2:14-15 - KJV)
Now here Matthew is citing a prophecy in Hosea 11:1 and applying it to Messiah. Now let us go back and look at this prophecy in Hosea 11:1 in context:
"When Israel was a child, then I loved him,
and called my son out of Egypt."
(Hosea 11:1 - KJV)
Here Hosea is referring to Israel as the son who is called out of Egypt. This points us back to a passage in the Torah:
"And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:
And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go,
behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn."
(Ex. 4:22-23 - KJV)
From these two passages we learn that Israel is the firstborn son of Elohim who is called out of Egypt. However in Matthew it is Yeshua the Messiah who is called up out of Egypt and in Col. 1:18 Messiah is the "firstborn". Moreover Hebrews speaks of the "church of the firstborn" (Heb. 12:23 - KJV).
Thus Israel is allegorically equivalent to the Messiah. There are some very important reasons for this allegorical relationship:
* Both are the "firstborn Son of Elohim".
* Both made a major impact on the world.
* Both were born through a biological miracle on their mother's womb.
* Both were taken into Egypt to save their lives.
* Both were called up out of Egypt.
* Both were despised and rejected by men.
* Rome attempted to destroy them both.
* Both are resurrected.
Thus Israel is the allegorical "Body of Messiah". Moreover in the Tanak, Israel is commonly called "The Assembly of Israel" and wherever the phrase "The Assembly of Israel" appears in the Tanak the Greek LXX has "EKKLESIA of Israel".
The so-called "church" which is the "Body of Messiah" is in reality "the Assembly of Israel". Yeshua did not come to create a new religion, but to be Messiah of the old one. Wherever your English New Testament refers to a "church" (i.e. a group of Christians) the Greek has "EKKLESIA a term which commonly refers to the "Assembly of Israel". The "Church" as most Christians have understood it never existed. All of the passage people have thought were talking about the "Church" were actually talking about the
Assembly of Israel, not Christianity, but the Nazarene sect of Judaism.
THE PROMISE OF THE ASSEMBLY
The “Assembly” as a body is mentioned for the first time in Gen. 28:3 where Elohim promises Jacob (Israel) that he would “become an Assembly (KOHOL) of peoples (AMIM).” From his deathbed Jacob (Israel) recalled this promise (Gen. 48:2-4) implying that it had been fulfilled in his twelve sons. The first mention of the “Assembly of Israel” or the “Assembly (KAHOL) of the Congregation (EDAT) of Israel” is to be found I the Passover instruction of Exodus 12.
A SEPARATE PEOPLE
You will note that Jacob was promised that he was to become an “Assembly (KAHOL) of Peoples (AMIM)” (Gen. 28:3; 48:2-3)). This was not just a repetition of the promise to Abraham given in Gen. 12, but a clarification of part of that promise. When Avram was promised he would become a “father of many nations” his name was changed from AVRAM (high father) to AVRAHAM (a father of many nations) (Gen. 12). There are two words commonly translated “nation” or “people” in Hebrew, AM and GOY (the plural forms are AMIM and GOYIM). These two words have differing meanings in Hebrew (as we will soon see). It is important to note that the word for “people/nation” in AvrahAM’s new name is AM, but the word used in the promise of Gen. 12:2 is GOYIM.
This beings us to another key term, which is a synonym for the “Assembly of Israel”, that term is AM-YISRAEL (“The People/Nation of Israel”). Note that Jacob was told that he would become an Assembly (KAHOL) of people (AMIM) (Gen. 28:3).
Now in the book of Numbers we read concerning Israel:
From the top of the rocks I see him,
And from the hills I behold him:
Behold it is a people (AM) that shall dwell alone,
and shall not be reckoned among the nations (GOYIM)
(Num. 23:9)
In fact one major difference between these two Hebrew words for “people/nation” is that AM can refer to Israel but GOY refers to the OTHER nations. GOY is the word which can also be translated “Gentile”. So from this passage we see that there are two logical categories: Am-Yisrael (the People of Israel) also known as the Assembly of Israel and the GOYIM (Gentiles).
The Assembly of Israel are not to be like other nations:
For you are a set-apart people unto YHWH your Elohim:
YHWH your Elohim has chosen you to be his own treasure,
out of all peoples that are upon the face of the earth.
(Deut. 7:6; 14:2)
As the Psalmist says:
For Yah has chosen Ya’akov unto Himself,
and Yisra’el for His own treasure.
(Ps. 135:4)
The Assembly of Israel are a nation of priests to the Gentiles (Ex. 19:6; 1Pt. 1:1; 2:5, 9).
UNITY OF THE BODY
Many times the Scriptures emphasize the importance of unity and Oneness of the Body of Messiah, the unity of the Assembly of Israel:
" and be diligent to keep the UNITY of the Spirit in the bond of
shalom, that you be ONE BODY and one spirit, even as you are called in ONE hope of your calling. For YHWH is one and the faith is one and the immersion is one, And one Eloah is the Father of all, and above all, and through all, and in us all."
(Eph. 4:3-6)
"So also we who are many are ONE BODY in the Messiah and each of us are MEMBERS OF ONE ANOTHER."
(Rom. 12:5)
"For as the body is ONE, and there are in it many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are ONE BODY, so also the Messiah. For all of us also are immersed by ONE spirit into ONE BODY, whether Jew or Aramaean, whether slave or son of freedom. And all of us drank of ONE spirit."
(1Cor. 12:12-13)
"Nevertheless, this that we have attained, let us follow in one path and with ONE ACCORD."
(Phil. 3:16)
"But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have FELLOWSHIP ONE WITH ANOTHER…"
(1Jn. 1:7)
It is Elohim's desire that his people be at unity. When Yeshua was speaking to his talmidim over his last earthly Passover sader, he took the time to specifically pray for the unity of the body:
17 Father, sanctify them by your truth, for your word is truth.
18 As you sent me into the world also I send them into the world.
19 And for their sakes, I sanctify my nefesh that they also might be sanctified in truth.
20 And I do not ask for the sake of these alone, but also for the
sake of those who will have faith in me through their word,
21 That ALL MIGHT BE ONE as you are, my Father, in me, and I am in you that they also might BE ONE in us, that the world might believe that you sent me.
22 And the glory that you gave me I gave to them, that they might BE ONE as we are one.
23 I am in them and you are in me, that they be perfected into one, and that the world might know that you sent me, and that you have loved them as also you loved me.
24 Father, I want that those whom you gave me might also be with me wherever I am so that they might see my glory, which you gave me because you loved me from before the foundations of the world.
25 My righteous Father, the world has not known you but I know you and they know that you sent me.
26 And I have made known to them your name and will make known so that the love with which you loved me might be in them and I might be in them.:
(John 17:17-26)
Three times in this short prayer, Yeshua faced with his eminent death, concerns himself, not with his own welfare, but with the unity of the body.
THE BIG SPLIT
Despite YHWH’s desire for the unity of the Assembly of Israel, the Assembly of Israel was split in two. After the death of Solomon the Northern Ten Tribes “rebelled”, builing their own Temple which was not at the appointed place (the Temple Mount in Jerusalem) and establishing their own non-Levitical priests (1Kn. 12:16-33). Thus the Assembly of Israel underwent a “split”. Now there was a Northern Kingdom of Israel and a Southern Kingdom of Judah. These became known as the two Houses of Israel (The House of Israel, also called “Ephraim” and the House of Judah – See Is. 8:14 for example).
YHWH would not tolerate having his Assembly split down the middle, as this was a great sin. In Galatians 5:19-21 Paul gives a list of the "works of the flesh":
19 For the works of the flesh are known, which are: fornication, uncleanness, perversion,
20 worship of idols, magic, animosity, contention, over zealousness, anger, insolence, FACTIONALISM, SECTARIANISM,
21 envy, murder, drunkenness and reveling, and all that are similar to these.
(Gal. 5:19-21)
Notice the last two items in verse 20: "factionalism" and "sectarianism". We will discuss exactly what these two words mean in a moment, but notice that Paul lists them on a par with such sins as "fornication", "worship of idols" and "murder".
In the Greek text these two words are "hairesis" (Strong's Gk 139) and "dichostasia" (Strong's 1370).
The Greek word "hairesis" means "a party or disunion". The NAS and NIV versions translate this word to mean "factions" the RSV has "party spirit" the NEB has "party intrigues", Beck has :divisions". The TEV has "They Separate into parties and groups." The Complete Jewish Bible has "factionalism" while ISR has "dissensions."
The word that appears in the Original Aramaic here is SEDAKA. Jastro defines this word as "split, slit, rent" The Syriac Dictionary (Lewis) has "a rent, tear, division, schism, sect" while the Lexicon to the Syriac New Testament (Jennings) has "a rent, tear, rupture, schism" from the root meaning "rived, split asunder, tore". Murdock and the Way version have "discords"
The Greek word "dichostasia" means "disunion, dissention, division, sedition". The NIV, NAS and RSV translate the word "dissention(s) the Complete Jewish Bible has "intrigue". ISR has "factions".
The word that appears here in the original Aramaic is P'LUGGOTA (Aramaic cognate of Strong's Heb. 6392) meaning "divisions" as Murdock translates the word "divisions". The Way version has "divisions"
These last two words in Gal. 5:20 each refer to those who split congregations and divide them! And Paul counts this as a "work of the flesh" along with fornication, idol worship and murder!
Paul writes to the Corinthians:
"Now I urge you, my brothers, in the name of our Adon Yeshua the Messiah, that you have ONE word to all and [that] there be no FACTIONS (P'LUGGOTA) among you, but [that] you be whole hearted in ONE purpose and in ONE mind."
(1Cor. 1:10)
"for you are in the flesh. For there are among you, envy and
contention and FACTIONS, (P'LUGGOTA) are you not carnal and walking in the flesh? For when each man of you says, I am of Paul and another says, I am of Apollos, are you not carnal?"
(1Cor. 3:3-4)
And Kefa writes:
"But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive sects (Gk: hairesis = Aramaic sedaka)…"
(2Kefa 2:1)
This could also be translated "bring in destructive DIVISIONS".
And Paul warns the Romans to "beware of those who cause DIVISIONS (P'LUGGOTA)" (Rom. 16:17)
In reaction to this attempt to divide his Assembly YHWH served the House of Israel with a bill of divorcement (Jer. 3:8) and told the House of Israel “you are not My People (AM)” (Hosea 1:10).
The House of Israel were no longer part of the AM (people) who are not to be counted among the GOYIM. They were now fulfilling the prophecy given to Avraham that he would become the father of a great GOYIM (Gen. 12:2). They were also fulfilling a prophecy given to Ephraim that his children would become a “multitude/fullness of nations” (GOYIM) (Gen. 48:19). The Northern Kingdom were now GOYIM (Gentiles) thus Isaiah calls the “Land of Zebulun and Land of Naphtali” “Galilee of the nations/gentiles (GOYIM). (Is. 9:1)
JUDAISM
After the split only the House of Judah continued to be part of the AM (people) that are not to be counted among the GOYIM. Thus the faith of the Assembly of Elohim came to be known as “Judaism”. In fact individual Ephaimites that remained loyal to the true Assembly of Elohim also came to be known from this time forward as “Jews”. The Apocryphal Book of Tobit tells the story of certain Ephraimites who were living the Assyrian Exile (see 1Kn. 17) but who remained loyal to the Assembly of Elohim. These Epharimites in the Book of Tobit are called “Jews” (Tobit 11:17).
No one knows just when the one true faith came to be known as "Judaism". The earliest known usage of the term "Judaism" in written literature is 2Maccabees 2:21 where it is said that the Maccabees, fighting the Greeks are described as "those who strove zealously on behalf of Judaism". The term Judaism was in common use well before the first century being commonly used by writers such as Josephus and Philo.
Paul himself uses the term "Judaism" in Galatians 1:13 to describe his own faith (see Acts 23:6 for proof that this passage was comparing Paul's former life in Judaism with his current life in Judaism).
This brings us to the encounter between Yeshua and an Ephraimite woman (a
Samaritan). There is no doubt that this Samaritan woman is to be counted as an Ephraimite because she refers to "our father Jacob" (Jn. 4:12) and Yeshua makes no attempt to correct her on this point. (Note she mentions the two different places of worship on different mountains in 4:20). Then Yeshua tells her religion is false and that the Jewish religion is the one true faith saying:
"You worship what you do not know.
We worship what we know,
because the deliverance is of the Yehudim.
"But the hour is coming, and now is,
when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth,
for the Father also does seek such to worship Him.
(Jn. 4:22-23 - The Scriptures Version)
Yeshua makes it clear that the "true worshipers" are the Jews who practice
Judaism "in spirit and truth" as opposed to an Ephraimite religion. ("in
spirit and truth" - a reference to the Torah - see Ps. 119:142, 151; Ezek.
36:27).
Moreover Paul writes:
"...what is the advantage of the Jew? Or what is the profit of
circumcision? Much in everything!..."
(Rom. 3:1-2)
BECOMING JEWS
In Ester 8:17 we learned that many non-Jews in the Persian empire “became Jews” in the wake of the events of the first Purim. This is the process of becoming part of the AM of YHWH which are the Assembly of Elohim. This is the process through which Ruth stopped being a Moabite and started being part of the People of Israel, as Ruth declared:
For where you go, I will go;
And where you lodge, I will lodge,
your people (AM) will be my people (AM)
and your Elohim my Eohim.
(Ruth 1:16b)
Thus Ruth stopped being a Gentile Moabite and became part of the AM (people) which are not to be counted amongst the GOYIM (gentiles).
THE HOPE OF EPHRAIM
This is the very hope of Ephraim. In Zechariah 8:23 we read:
Thus said YHWH of hosts, 'In those days ten men
from all languages of the nations (GOYIM) take hold,
yea, they shall take hold of the edge of the garment of a man,
a Yehudite, saying, "Let us go with you,
for we have heard that Elohim is with you .
Now lest anyone think that the "Jew" (Yehudite) in this passage is a certain Jew, such as the Messiah, I must point out that in the Hebrew the word "you" in "let us go with "you" and "Elohim is with you" is PLURAL and therefore refers not to an individual Jew, but to the House of Judah. No doubt the number "ten" here implies the lost ten tribes of Ephraim. Note that Ephraim says to Judah:
"let us [Ephraim] go with you [Judah]
for we [Ephraim] have heard that YHWH is with you [Judah]."
Note the parallel with Ruth 1:16. These Ephraimites, like the gentiles of Ester 8:17 become Jews, they become part of the Assembly of Elohim.
One of the most beautiful prophecies of the reunion of the two houses of Israel is the "two sticks" prophecy in Ezekiel 37:15-20. In this prophecy each of the two houses of Israel are symbolized by two "sticks" which are brought together and made as one (Ezek. 37:15-18) the text goes on to specify that YHWH will:
...take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim,
and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him,
even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick,...
(Ezek. 37:19)
Now let us look at the olive tree prophecy of Romans 11. This prophecy parallels the two "sticks" prophecy of Ezekiel 37 (note that the word STICK in Ezek. 37 is ETZ which also means "tree").
Rom. 9 begins the contrast of the "Jews" and "Gentiles" by quoting Hosea 2:25(23); 2:1 (1:10) in Rom. 9:25-26. But if we look up the context of the people "which were not my people" which he calls "my people" in Hosea we find that they are the "children of Israel" (Hosea 2:1 (1:10)) as opposed to "the children of Judah" (Hosea 2:2 (1:11)) So if Paul is quoting Hosea in context and contrasting Jews and Gentiles (Rom. 9:24) using Hosea 2:1-2 (1:10-11) then the "Jews" of Rom. 9:24 are the "Children of Judah" of Hosea 2:2 (1:11) and the "Gentiles" of Rom. 9:24 are the "children of Israel" of Hosea 2:1 (1:10). If this is true then as this contrasting pair advances into Rom. Chapter 11 the two trees are the two Houses.
Now the uncultivated olive tree in Romans 11 is clearly therefore Ephraim and the cultivated olive tree is clearly that of Judah. This prophecy tells us that branches from the tree/stick of Ephraim will be broken off and grafted into the tree/stick of Judah, are to be fed by the root of the tree/stick of Judah and are not to boast against the natural branches
(Jews)."
The House of Judah is the cultivated olive tree that Ephraimite branches are being grafted into. This is a process of Ephaimites becoming Jews as they become part of the Assembly of Elohim.
COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE
The hope of Ephraim is also mentioned in the Tanak in Hosea 2:23b:
…And I will say to them that were not My people (AM):
‘You are my people (AM)’; and they will say: ‘You are my Elohim’.
Once again compare this with the wording of Ruth 1:16 when Ruth becomes part of the Assembly of Israel.
This takes place as Ephaimites heed a call to “My people” (Jer. 50:45; 2Cor. 6:16-17; Rev. 18:4) to come out of Babylon and be separate (Jer. 50:8; 51:6, 45; 2Cor. 6:16-17 & Rev. 18:4).
Many Ephraimites will give heed to this call, identify themselves as YHWH’s people and become part of the AM which are not to be counted among the GOYIM. They will be grafted into Judah, be fed by the root of Judah, and become Jews.
By “Jews” I should clarify that very plainly the true representative of “Judaism” and the Assembly of Elohim is NOT Rabbinic Judaism. It is Nazarene Judaism which is the true Assembly of Elohim. When I speak of Epharimites “becoming Jews” I refer to them becoming Nazarene Jews.
LETS END EPHAIMITE SECTARIANISM
One problem plaguing the “Two House”/”Ephraimite” movement has been that many in this movement do not want to be identified as Jews, they want a separate Ephraimite movement. May want to identify themselves separately from Jews and Judaism. They want to identify themselves as “Ephraimites” or as “Israelites” (but not Jews). They want to be “Messianic Israelites” but not “Messianic Jews”. They want to be a separate and distinct non-Jewish Ephraimite body. This was Ephraim’s sin of division in 1Kings 12. It is not Ephraim’s hope to repeat or continue its sin of division, it is the hope of individual Ephraimites to leave the GOYIM, be grafted into Judah, be fed by the rute of Judah and become Jews.
SALVATION AND THE ASSEMBLY
Many people have wrongly assumed that being part of the Body of Messiah (the Assembly) is the same thing as being “saved”. This is largely because they have accepted without question the definition of “Body of Messiah” or “Church” (Assembly) which has been passed down by Church tradition, rather than the meaning derived from Scripture.
We have shown above that the “Body of Messiah” is actually “the Assembly of Israel”.
If the Body of Messiah is the Assembly of Israel, then clearly the logic is inescapable that Some saved persons are not part of the Body of Messiah.
Now let us look at Exodus 12:43-49:
And YHWH said unto Moshe and Aharon: 'This is the ordinance of the Pesach: there shall no alien eat thereof;
but every man's servant that is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.
A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat thereof.
In one house shall it be eaten; you shall not carry forth aught of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall you break a bone thereof.
All the assembly of Yisra’el shall keep it.
And when a stranger shall sojourn with you, and will keep the Pesach to YHWH, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land; but no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.
One Torah shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourns among you.'
(Ex. 12:43-49 HRV)
Now there are a number of things we can learn from this passage:
All members of the "Assembly of Israel" must eat the Passover (Ex. 12:47)
No uncircumcised man may eat the Passover (Ex. 12:48)
If all members of the Assembly of Israel must eat the Passover
and if no uncircumcised men may eat the Passover
then all male members of the Assembly of Israel must be circumcised.
Therefore all male members of the Assembly of Israel are circumcised.
And therefore no male members of the Assembly of Israel are uncircumcised.
Now we know that some uncircumcised men are saved (Acts 15)
So if all members of the Assembly of Israel are circumcised
and if some uncircumcised men are saved,
then some saved persons are not members of the Assembly of Israel.
Therefore some saved persons are not members of the Body of Messiah.
Many, however do not understand the biblical definition of “Salvation”. To better understand Salvation I recommend my article The Process of Salvation
(http://nazarenespace.ning.com/profiles/blogs/2182335:BlogPost:642 )
THE IMMERESION OF THE RUACH HAKODESH
Paul writes of the immersion of the Ruach HaKodesh:
For as the body is one, and there are in it many members,
and all the members of the body, though they are many,
are one body, so also the Messiah.
For all of us also are immersed by one spirit into one body,
whether Jew or Aramaean, whether slave or son of freedom.
And all of us drank of one spirit.
(1Cor. 12:12-13 HRV)
For those who wrongly define the Body of Messiah as “all saved persons” this passage seems to run into direct conflict with passages in which persons are saved prior to receiving the immersion of the Ruach HaKodesh. For example the case of the Samaritans in Acts 8:
And they went down and prayed concerning them
so that they might receive the Ruach HaKodesh.
For it was not yet upon a man from them,
for they were only immersed in the name of our Adon Yeshua.
Then they placed a hand on them,
and they received Ruach HaKodesh.
(Acts 8:15-17 HRV)
The Samaritans in Acts 8 had been “saved” but had not been immersed by the Spirit into the Body of Messiah, the Assembly. They had not actually “become Jews”. This is why Acts also refers to: "...the Ruach HaKodesh which Elohim has given to them which obey him." (Acts 5:32).
WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?
The Assembly of Israel is the Body of Messiah. Elohim desires his Assembly to be united and not to be divided into two houses. Ephraims separation from Judah is a “work of the flesh” comparable to murder. The hope of Ephaimites is to be grafted into Judah, be fed by the root of Judah and “become [Nazarene] Jews”. Ephraimites do not have to become Jews in order to be saved, but they do have to become Jews in order to become part of the Body of Messiah and partake of the true immersion of the Ruach HaKodesh. Moreover for Ephaimites to seek to organize a non-Jewish Ephraimite movement apart from [Nazarene] Judaism is Sectarianism and a work of the flesh.
In closing I would like to encourage all Ephraimites to be grafted into Judah, be fed by the root of Judah, be filled with the Ruach HaKodesh and become part of the Body of Messiah, the Assembly of Elohim.
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