The Ger Toshuv Plan

The Ger Toshuv Plan

Acts 15:19-21
¹⁹Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Goyim who are turning to God, ²⁰but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood.²¹For Moshe has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.

This represents the first Halakhic decision of the Messianic Synagogue. In actuality, it represented an already established decision on the part of the Rabbi's.

This represents what is called the B'rit Noach, after Noah. Noah was to have followed these in the beginning, but eventually moved on towards keeping the entire Torah. So too with the ger.

It was decided that former Gentiles should begin with four groups of Commandments, and then eventually move on to observance of the other 613. This was in contrast to the Circumcision Party, whose entire beef was that Gentiles had to be circumcised first, and then they could enter the synagogues. The decision at Acts 15 called for the toshuv plan, where one would begin with these four to enter the Synagogues, and over one year would add the rest. At the end of one year, the Gentiles would be circumcised, and considered true sons of Yisra'el. By then, they would have learned the life cycles, the prayers, the blessings, zmiros (Sabbath songs), and all of the commandments. (An interesting side note: Nowhere in the B'rit Chadashah are we told that men are not to be circumcised! In fact, there is a prophecy in the Prophets which says that no one who is uncircumcised in heart or flesh shall enter the sanctuary of Adonai HASHEM.

Yechezk’el 44:9
⁹Thus said Adonai HASHEM Eloheim: Any estranged person of uncircumcised heart or uncircumcised flesh shall not enter my Sanctuary — any estranged person among the Children of Israel”

And more to the point:

B’reshit 17:9-14
⁹God said to Abraham, “And as for you, you shall keep My covenant — you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. ¹⁰This is My covenant which you shall keep between Me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among¹¹You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and that shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you.¹²At the age of eight days every male among you shall be circumcised, throughout your generations — he that is born in the household or purchased with money from any stranger who is not of your offspring.¹³He that is born in your household or purchased with your money shall surely be circumcised. Thus My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.¹⁴An uncircumcised male who will not circumcise the flesh of his foreskin — that soul shall be cut off from its people; he has invalidated My covenant.”

Things were a lot different, you see. There was the Beit Ha'Miqdash, and all of the Jews in the Messianic Synagogues would be going there weekly (which is why they met for Havdalah — they were attending services at the Beit Ha'Miqdash on Sabbath). There, they would offer sacrifices. The mind reels at the thought of Sha'ul or Kefa willingly bringing an animal to be killed — it just doesn't seem like the Christianity we know. Well, it wasn't the Christianity we know — it is obedience to the Word of God, and HASHEM had commanded animal sacrifice as part of his worship. Yechezk’el chapters 40-43, portrays Yeshua giving Chatat-Offerings — yes, actual sacrifices, in the millennial Temple! (To show how anti-Temple and how anti-Sacrifice Christian Bibles are, notice that the Beit Ha'Miqdash is referred to as the "temple", not the "Temple". Think about that.)

Yechezk’el 45:17
¹⁷Upon the prince shall be [the responsibility for] the Olah-Offering, the Minchah-Offering and the libation, ion the festivals, on the New Moons, and on the Sabbaths, on all the appointed times of the House of Israel; he shall prepare the Chatat-Offering, the Minchah-Offering, the Olah-Offering, and the Shelem-Offering to atone on behalf of the House of Israel.
Yechezk’el 45:21-24
²¹In the first [month] on the fourteenth day of the month you shall have the Pesach-offering; a festival of seven days, when unleavened bread shall be eaten. ²²On that day, the prince shall bring a bull Chatat-Offering for himself and for the entire people of the land.²³During the seven days of the festival he shall bring an Olah-Offering for HASHEM : seven bulls and seven rams, unblemished, each day for the seven days, and a sin=-offering, a goat fro each day;²⁴and he shall bring a Minchah-Offering, an ephah for each bull and an ephah for each ram, and a hin of oil for each ephah.

Ur 2:22-24
²²Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moshe were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to HASHEM ²³(as it is written in the law of HASHEM, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to HASHEM ”^{Sh’mot 13:2,12,15}),²⁴and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of HASHEM, “two turtledoves or two young pigeons”^{Vayikra 12:8}

Acts 21:26
²⁶Then Sha'ul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, entered the Beit HaMiqdash to announce the expiration of the days of purification, at which time an offering should be made for each one of them.

(Yes, this is Sha'ul, making sacrifices, and taking a Nazarite vow!)

As we have already seen, sin is defined as breaking the Laws given to Moshe at Horeb. Breaking any of the 613 commandments is how Scripture defines sin. Now, some out there in the Messianic Movement are teaching that Gentiles should only keep the Acts 15 commandments. This is historically and Scripturally incorrect. You are teaching former Gentiles to break the Torah, to sin. Once a Gentile has begun to live as a believer, they have become sons of Yisra'el, engrafted by trust into the true vine of Yisra'el. Now they are obliged to keep the entire Torah, no matter what your theology or denomination says.

Let me put it in a different perspective. Should former Gentiles be allowed to sin, just because they are former Gentiles? You are denying them their right to be sons of Yisra'el, and this violates Scripture.

Acts 11:18
¹⁸When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”

T'shuvah is the Hebrew word for repentance. T'shuvah means "To return." If you have not "Returned" to keeping Torah (the Divine Instruction), you have not repented. The "T'shuvah" that leads to "Chayim" (life) is simple:

Mattit'yahu 19:16
¹⁶Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”¹⁷So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

Okay! You have decided to keep the Mitzvot. How do you begin? This following section gives you the breakdown, one page at a time. Biblically, Messianic Assemblies should be requiring you to keep the B'rit Noach commandments. Once you start keeping the No chide commandments (The first four pages after this), you should embark on a study plan. Ready to begin? Let's go!

Abstain From Idolatry
Abstain From Sexual Immorality
Abstain from "Things Strangled"
Abstain From Blood

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