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Analyzing Pauline Traditions

Paul of Tarsus and the Origins of Syncretism in the Christian Church

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How The Children Of Israel Became Holy

YHWH also shows why the children of Israel are holy. It is because He chose them to be a people for his own possession, above all peoples who are on the face of the earth. This he did when he entered into Covenant with them at Sinai, where he additionally agreed to make them a Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation. In other words, holy status is conferred upon one by YHWH.

Paul's Suggestion In 1 Corinthians 7 That Children Of Mixed Marriages Are Holy
Is Wrong According To YHWH's Word

Also, Paul further suggested that the children of mixed marriages are holy, as if both their parents were holy. But as YHWH has shown that both parents are not holy on account of a mixed marriage, but the holy party is at great risk of eventually becoming unholy, it does not follow that their children are holy on the premise that both parents are holy. It is therefore not the case, as observed from YHWH's Word, that the children of mixed marriages are holy. Paul's suggestion in 1 Corinthians 7 that such children are indeed holy is therefore seen to be contrary to YHWH's own Word!

Is A Believing Wife Abandoned By Her Unbelieving Husband
Allowed To Marry Again?

With respect to a marriage between two believers, Paul prohibits separation. He further prohibits a wife who nevertheless separates from her believing husband from marrying again. But with respect to a mixed marriage Paul permits separation, whether instigated by an unbelieving husband or an unbelieving wife. His silence on the remarriageability of a believing wife whose unbelieving husband has separated from her suggests that he permits her to marry again, as he isn't explicit in forbidding her from marrying again as with the case of a believing wife who separates herself from her believing husband.

Humans Should Not Sever Marriage Unions Effected By YHWH

Matthew 19:3-12 reads,

^19:3 Pharisees came to him, testing him, and saying, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?" ^19:4 He answered, "Haven't you read that He who made them from the beginning made them male and female?" 19:5 And he said, "For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall join to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh?" ^19:6 So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore Elohim has joined together, don't let man tear apart." ^19:7 They asked him, "Why then did Moses command us to give her a bill of divorce, and divorce her?" ^19:8 He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it has not been so. ^19:9 I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and he who marries her when she is put away commits adultery." ^19:10 His disciples said to him, "If this is the case of the man with his wife, it is not expedient to marry." ^19:11 But he said to them, "Not all men can receive this saying, but those to whom it is given. ^19:12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven's sake. He who is able to receive it, let him receive it."

Yeshua says, in Matthew 19:6, applying it to marriage, that humans should not separate what YHWH has united. In other words, humans should not sever any marriage union which YHWH has effected.

Does YHWH Allow Humans To Sever Marriage Unions He Hasn't Effected?

It should also be noted what Yeshua didn't say. He did not comment on sexual or marriage unions not effected by YHWH. Which begs the question, are humans permitted to sever sexual or marriage unions that YHWH did not effect, seeing that the prohibition is only on marriage unions effected by YHWH?

YHWH's Ground For Severing Marriage Unions

With respect to marriage unions effected by YHWH, Yeshua states that a man is permitted authority to sever that union only on the ground of his wife's sexual immorality (Greek: 'porneia'). Meaning any purported severance of that union is null and void if not grounded on this cause. A woman therefore put away on a ground outside this ground is still, in YHWH's eyes, wife to her husband who has purported to put her away, and therefore any man who subsequently sexually lies with her commits adultery i.e. he is sexually lying with another man's wife! In the same vein, a wife who purports to separate herself from her husband without her husband having put her away on this ground is still wife to her husband. If she sexually lies with another man she commits adultery!

Deuteronomy 24:1-2 reads,

^24:1 When a man takes a wife, and marries her, then it shall be, if she finds no favor in his eyes, because he has found some unseemly thing in her, that he shall write her a bill of divorce, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. ^24:2 When she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife.

The ground allowed for a man to divorce his wife is finding some unseemly (indecent, indecorous, unbecoming) thing in her. This unseemly thing, as seen earlier in Numbers 5, may be the wife being unfaithful to him and sexually lying with another man — adultery — while under her husband's authority, but it also leaves open other situations. Sexual infidelity is not the only unseemly (indecent, indecorous, unbecoming) thing that the hardness of the human heart may produce.

A Woman Divorced According To YHWH's Word Can Be Married Again

It is also noted that a woman validly divorced is permitted to become wife to another man. Therefore the only women allowed remarriage are those who have been validly divorced by their husbands.

Which Are The Marriages Effected By YHWH?

How are marriage unions effected by YHWH entered into? In Genesis 2 it was noted that a man leaves his parents and sexually unites with his wife and the two of them become one flesh. But how does this woman he sexually unites with become his wife? In Numbers 30 it was noted that a woman living in her father's house is under her father's authority, and is incapable of making a valid vow before YHWH unless and until her father has ratified it, unless she is fatherless and has not been married at the time of her making that vow. Therefore a woman vowing or agreeing to become wife to a man must first seek her father's consent for that vow or agreement to be valid before YHWH. When such a woman sexually unites with her husband, and they thereby become one flesh, YHWH indeed effects their marriage union.

[ Important Note: It is necessary to clarify at this point that this Ordinance — as well as the other ones in Torah — apply only to the people of Israel, who are bound by the Covenant established at Sinai and which they agreed to keep and observe for ever; it does not apply to Gentiles or wannabe Jews. Gentiles were not set apart and they did not receive such a Covenant; therefore they are not bound by it nor by its Ordinances. In that sense, the Almighty does not put together men and women who are not set apart by Him.

Despite of whatever the Christian Replacement Theology may say — a Gentilizing heresy initiated by Paul — only the Jewish people are the set apart Royal Kingdom of Priests of this world, and as such we have special Rules and Ordinances that the rest of nations are not required to observe. Gentiles are to live and be judged by the Noahide laws, not by the Law given to Israel through Moses. Within this truly scriptural context should everyhing be analyzed. Many Christians love to use some Ordinances that, like this one, have to do with sexual issues, but flatly reject others at will. But what the Almighty established is that whether you take the whole Covenant by becoming part of Israel, or you reject it entirely, and therefore you are not set apart by Him. Certainly, there is no such thing as pick and chose in this matter. Of couse, you may chose to be deceived in this respect, if so you wish. ]

Exodus 22:16-17 reads,

^22:16 "If a man entices a virgin who isn't pledged to be married, and lies with her, he shall surely pay a dowry for her to be his wife. ^22:17 If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins.

YHWH shows in Exodus 22:17 that even if a virgin woman has consented or given herself over to a man sexually, her sexual or marriage union does not stand before YHWH unless and until such time as her father has ratified it. For by sexually giving herself over to a man she is indeed vowing to YHWH that she is wife to that man, but YHWH does not accept her vow until such time as her father has ratified it. When ratified the marriage union is effected by YHWH, and cannot be severed in a manner recognised by YHWH unless the valid grounds for divorce apply.

Sexual Or Marriage Unions Not Effected By YHWH

What about sexual or marriage unions that YHWH has not effected?

Numbers 25:1-17 reads,

^25:1 Israel abode in Shittim; and the people began to play the prostitute with the daughters of Moav: ^25:2 for they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods; and the people ate, and bowed down to their gods. ^25:3 Israel joined himself to Baal-peor: and the Anger of YHWH was kindled against Israel. ^25:4 YHWH said to Moses, "Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them up to YHWH before the sun, that the fierce Anger of YHWH may turn away from Israel." ^25:5 Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Kill you everyone his men who have joined themselves to Baal-peor." ^25:6 Behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought to his brothers a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, while they were weeping at the door of the tent of meeting. ^25:7 When Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from the midst of the congregation, and took a spear in his hand; ^25:8 and he went after the man of Israel into the pavilion, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. ^25:9 Those who died by the plague were 24,000. ^25:10 YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, ^25:11 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my Wrath away from the children of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I didn't consume the children of Israel in my Jealousy. ^25:12 Therefore say, Behold, I give to him my Covenant of Peace: ^25:13 and it shall be to him, and to his seed after him, the Covenant of an everlasting Priesthood; because he was jealous for his Elohim, and made atonement for the children of Israel. ^25:14 Now the name of the man of Israel that was slain, who was slain with the Midianite woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a fathers' house among the Simeonites. ^25:15 The name of the Midianite woman who was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur — he was head of the people of a fathers' house in Midian. ^25:16 YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, ^25:17 Vex the Midianites, and strike them; ^25:18 for they vex you with their wiles, with which they have deceived you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague in the matter of Peor.

Going by YHWH's Word in Deuteronomy 7, the sexual or marriage unions between the children of Israel and those of Moav and Midian were ones that he had forbidden, on account of their turning his holy people Israel away from him into the unholiness of idolatry. YHWH, therefore, did not effect any marriage union between such Israelites and Moabites or Midianites. His remedy for the unholy marriage and sexual unions was death — to all the Israelites who had profaned themselves with unholy spouses and thereby kindled his anger. In other words, YHWH's remedy for unholy and forbidden marriage unions is their severance or termination, even by the death of the married couple when necessary!

Believers Do Not Transmit Their Holiness To Their Unbelieving Spouses

Now, Paul suggested that believers married to unbelievers somehow transmitted their holy state to their unholy spouses. But, opposite to Paul's idea, YHWH shows that no such thing happens. Rather it is the unholy spouse who is likely to profane the holy one when the unholy one leads the holy one away from following YHWH and into idolatry.

Paul's Suggestion That The Children Of Mixed Marriages Are Holy Is Wrong

That YHWH chooses to terminate such marriage unions — even by death — shows that he is not interested in the children arising from such unions. Therefore such children cannot be said to be holy — contrary to Paul's suggestion that they are — on account of the holy parent somehow transmitting a state of holiness to the unholy parent and the children being holy on account of both parents now being holy!

Does YHWH Effect The Marriages Of Those Who Are Not Holy?

Does YHWH effect marriages of those who are not holy? The ultimate answer in this matter — as it is in everything else is His and not human — but as I said before, those who are under the Covenant which establishes these Ordinances are the ones bound by it, i.e. the people of Israel, now known as Jews. He bound Himself to his set apart people, and his legal Dealings are with exclusively with us. Only because of His Merciful Grace he blesses those who are not his, but it is out of the bounds of the Law of Moses. Yeshua knew this, reason why he said in Matthew 15:22-28,

²² And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, "Have mercy on me, master, son of David! My daughter is cruelly demon-possessed." ²³ But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and implored him, saying, "Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us." ²⁴ But he answered and said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel." ²⁵ But she came and began to bow down before him, saying, "Master, help me!" ²⁶ And he answered and said, "It is not good to take the Children's bread and throw it to the Dogs." ²⁷ But she said, "Yes, master; but even the Dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their Masters' Table." ²⁸ Then Yeshua said to her, "Oh, woman, your faith is great! It shall be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed at once.

Humans are not permitted to sever or terminate unions, including marriage ones, that YHWH has effected. But sometimes people marry following their own choice and will based upon their lust. These two should not be confused. Paul did not understand this in the very least.

Yeshua's Words On Remaining Single Differed From Paul's

With respect to Paul's desire that single believers remain single, it is noted that Yeshua also spoke on the topic in Matthew 19, whereby he said that some, but not all, are given to remain single for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. The distinction between their words was that whereas Paul desired that all single people would remain so, thus eventually leading to the extinction of the human race — something that Satan would really love to happen. Yeshua, on the other hand, correctly noted that this calling is only for a few, with the vast majority continuing to fulfil YHWH's Command to humans of reproducing themselves until they fill the earth. In other words, there should have been balance in Paul's comments — which was entirely lacking.