Articles

In this article, Michael Gonzales looks at the two most prominent ways of counting the Omer and discusses why people take each position.

This is a short note attempting to offer some perspective to those confused by “Hebrew word picture” proponents. Below are a few diverse images/replicas of ancient inscriptions that employ variations of the “paleo” alphabet

As we spoke with a Jewish professor there, he reminded us that His primary difficulty with us as followers of Yeshua was “that man on the stick,” by which he meant the whole matter of Yeshua’s crucifixion and the central place He holds as the suffering Messiah for His people

For those of us who have come to the conclusion that the Torah has not been abolished, and that, in fact, the Torah is God’s will for us as we strive to walk in the footsteps of the Messiah, a number of biblical texts pose very apparent problems. I am speaking of Mark 7:19, where it is alleged that

The issue of the Sabbath was not an early one. Nowhere in the Apostolic Writings (the New Testament) do we find any indication that anyone questioned the validity of the Sabbath. There is not one argument between Yeshua and His antagonists over the issue of whether or not the Sabbath is a day that

But why might Yeshua have chosen to speak Greek with Nicodemus? Perhaps to challenge “the teacher of Israel” on the very point of language ideology. Does Nicodemus put “Hebrew” first? Or, is he able to adapt to the needs of much of the flock of Israel, many of whom were raised on Greek Torah

Generally, the interpretation of this passage falls to one of two sides: one which understands the passage to teach that Yeshua descended to Hades or Hell during the time He was in the grave, and the other which denies that He descended during this period

One of the often heard arguments against the on-going viability of the Torah in the lives of those who are followers of Yeshua is that only the moral aspects of the Torah remain since the ceremonial and civil parts have been entirely fulfilled by Yeshua in His life and salvific work. To put this

Initially, my interest in the “dividing wall” spoken of by Paul in Eph 2:14 centered on the place of the Torah in the life of the Messianic believer. Since Eph 2:14-15 is an often used text by those who hold that Yeshua abolished the Mosaic Torah by His death, I felt it warranted a concerted study

In today’s rabbinic Judaism, a well entrenched teaching is that Gentiles who observe the seven laws given to Noah are worthy of a place in the world to come. This was explicitly taught by Rambam: Anyone who accepts upon himself the fulfillment of these seven mitzvot and is precise in their

Only recently did I read the position paper authored by the IAMCS, dated 1/15/2014, and entitled: “One Law, Two Sticks: A Critical Look at the Hebrew Roots Movement.” The majority of this 59 page position paper deals with denouncing the so-called “Two-House” teaching, the “Sacred Name” movement

In this article I am focusing on the etymology of the English word “Easter,” not primarily on the various traditions incorporated in the modern celebration of the Christian holiday by that name. What I mean is this: the English word “Easter,” as far as I have researched it, does not derive from the

Do you remember Duplos (the big, clunky toys made by Lego)? My kids used to play with them when they were little. You can have a lot of fun with them, especially when the kids are into it, but the color and size options are very limited and whatever you build will soon fall apart anyway. Moreover

The wisdom of the Sages is displayed yet again in the tra dition of reading Qohelet during the Fes ti val of Sukkot. But it is not readily apparent why Qohelet was chosen for a festival that has re joicing as its main theme! Many who read Qohelet are left with the impression that the words

What Paul meant by the word ‘telos’ in Romans 10:4 has long been debated. “Messiah is the telos of the law for righteousness for all who believe.” Does it imply ‘end’ in the sense of termination? Does it mark the law as ‘finished’? Or, does it mean ‘goal’ or ‘aim,’ indicating that the Torah points

What is faith? I remember as a young boy I was sitting in a Bible class and the teacher was explaining “faith” in terms first-graders could understand. He explained: “When you sat down on your chair, you had faith that the chair would hold you and not break, didn’t you!? That’s what faith is

Recently I’ve been re-reading The Letter Writer, a book about Paul’s background and Torah perspective I wrote in 2002. In the Prologue, I sought to express the importance of understanding “faith” and “faithfulness” from the vantage point of the biblical text itself rather than through the lenses of

The Sages fixed the coming of the people of Israel to Mt. Sinai on Shavuot in the following manner