Torahism's Main Assumption Defeated

[Pavel Mosko]

Torahism is the belief that Torah observance is needed for Sanctification. I picked up that term from professor Solberg who runs the "Biblical Roots" channel on YouTube. His channel is completely dedicated to helping Messianic Jews that have gone off the deep end, and fundamentalist Protestants that are so zealous that now they are keeping Torah and succeeding in making the lives of friends, relatives and church folk miserable in the process.

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The Biblical Roots Ministries exists to serve the local church by producing faithful, Bible-based content that grounds believers in God’s Word and equips them to recognize and reject theological and biblical deception. Through sound teaching and apologetics, we expose counterfeit gospels and...

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Grok covers Torah Observance for Sanctification
Where does the Bible say that Torah observance or Festival keeping is necessary for sanctification? No, the Bible does not teach that Torah observance (including full Mosaic Law commands) or keeping the Old Testament festivals is necessary for sanctification.
Sanctification in Scripture refers to being set apart as holy—positionally (already true for believers in Christ) and progressively (growing in holiness through the Holy Spirit). The New Testament consistently points to the Holy Spirit, faith in Christ, the Word of God, and obedience to the "law of Christ" (love, moral commands, Spirit-led living) as the means of sanctification, not ritual or ceremonial aspects of the Torah.
Key New Testament Teachings
Galatians 3:3 — “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”
Paul rebukes the Galatians for trying to add Torah practices (like circumcision and calendar observances) for growth in holiness. Sanctification continues by the Spirit, not by “works of the law.”
Romans 8:3-4 — “For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son... in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
The law reveals sin and points to Christ but cannot empower holiness. The Spirit does what the law could not.
Colossians 2:16-17 — “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.”
Festivals, dietary laws, and Sabbaths (including special feast days) are shadows fulfilled in Christ—not binding requirements for holiness.
Hebrews 8:13 (and chapters 7–10) — The new covenant makes the old one “obsolete.” Animal sacrifices, temple rituals, and related ceremonial laws pointed to Jesus and are no longer needed. Sanctification comes through Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice (Heb 10:10, 14; 13:12).
John 17:17 — Jesus prays, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” (See also 2 Thess 2:13; 1 Pet 1:2.)
Sanctification is by God’s truth (Scripture, centered on Christ) and the Spirit.
Romans 15:16; 1 Corinthians 6:11; 2 Corinthians 3:18 — Believers are sanctified by the Holy Spirit, the blood of Christ, and beholding the glory of the Lord.
Old Testament Context & Continuity
In the Old Testament, the Torah (including festivals) was given to Israel as part of their covenant relationship and did point toward holiness (e.g., Lev 20:7-8; Exod 31:13 links Sabbath as a sign of sanctification by God). However, even there, true heart holiness was emphasized over mere ritual (e.g., Ps 51; Isa 1:11-17). The New Testament shows these as preparatory shadows fulfilled in Christ.
Moral principles in the Torah (love God and neighbor, justice, sexual purity, etc.) endure and are fulfilled in Christ (Matt 5:17-20; Rom 13:8-10; Gal 5:14), but they are lived out through the Spirit, not as covenantal Torah observance for Gentiles or as a requirement for sanctification.
Jerusalem Council & Freedom
Acts 15 (esp. vv. 19-29) — The early church, led by the Holy Spirit, decided not to impose Torah observance (including circumcision and related practices) on Gentile believers. Only basic moral guidelines were given—no festivals or full law-keeping for holiness or fellowship.
Summary
No passages require Torah observance or festival-keeping for sanctification.
Observance can be voluntary for Jewish believers (cultural reasons, evangelism, or personal conviction—Rom 14; 1 Cor 9), or for anyone wanting to study shadows of Christ, but it is not required and can become legalistic if treated as necessary for holiness (Gal 5:1-6).
The consistent biblical emphasis: “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Gal 5:16).
For deeper study, read Galatians, Romans 6–8, Colossians 2, and Hebrews in full context. Interpretations vary (e.g., some Torah-observant groups see value in practice), but the New Testament does not make these necessary for sanctification.how about implying the above via the nuances of Hebrew and Aramaic?No, the nuances of Hebrew and Aramaic in the New Testament do not imply that Torah observance (including festivals) is necessary for sanctification.
The New Testament was written in Koine Greek, but it reflects the Semitic (Hebrew/Aramaic) world of Jesus and the early church. Jesus likely taught in Aramaic (with some Hebrew in synagogue settings), and the Greek text often carries Aramaic idioms, wordplay, or conceptual echoes from the Hebrew Scriptures (Tanakh). However, careful linguistic analysis—drawing on the actual Greek words, their Hebrew/Aramaic backgrounds, and first-century usage—reinforces the New Testament’s consistent teaching: sanctification (being set apart as holy) comes through the Holy Spirit, faith in Christ, and the “law of Christ” (love and Spirit-led obedience), not through ongoing ritual/covenantal Torah observance or festivals.

 

[Pavel Mosko]

I ask Grok about nuances from Hebrew and Aramaic vocabulary that might imply nuances of the above (My Rabbi friend claims the Hebrew does, a claim that has not held up before on other searches and studies).

Here’s a clear breakdown of the key passages and claimed “nuances”:
1. Matthew 5:17 – “Fulfill” (Greek: plēroō)
Greek nuance: Plēroō means “to fill up,” “complete,” “bring to fullness,” “accomplish,” or “perfect.” It is deliberately contrasted with katalyō (“abolish/destroy/overthrow”). Jesus says he came not to destroy but to fulfill the Law and Prophets.
Hebrew/Aramaic background: Torah-observant groups often back-translate to Hebrew lekayem (“to establish/uphold/confirm”) or argue it means “properly interpret/teach in fullness.” They link it to rabbinic ideas of “fulfilling” a commandment by correctly observing or explaining it.

Does this imply Torah observance for sanctification? No. The context (Matt 5:18-20 and the “antitheses” that follow) shows Jesus intensifying the heart intent of the law (e.g., anger = murder, lust = adultery). He fulfills it by embodying its goal, accomplishing its prophetic purpose, and enabling true righteousness that exceeds the scribes and Pharisees. This is not a call to keep every Mosaic ritual for holiness but to live out the law’s deeper moral/spiritual demand through him. Mainstream scholarship sees this as Jesus completing what the Torah pointed toward, not mandating ongoing ceremonial observance.

2. Romans 10:4 – “End/Goal” of the Law (Greek: telos)
Greek nuance: Telos can mean “end/termination,” “goal/purpose,” “outcome,” or “culmination.” Paul writes: “Christ is the telos of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”

Hebrew/Aramaic background: Some suggest an Aramaic or Hebrew conceptual parallel to “aim/goal” (like sof in certain Jewish translations). Hebrew Roots advocates prefer “goal” to argue the Torah still points forward without ending.
Does this imply Torah observance for sanctification? No. The context is about righteousness: Israel sought it by law-keeping; Christ is the goal that brings righteousness by faith instead. Telos here functions teleologically (purpose/outcome) in the context of justification and righteous living—not as a requirement to keep festivals or dietary laws for ongoing sanctification. Even if translated “goal,” it shows the law’s purpose is fulfilled in Christ, freeing believers from the “works of the law” for holiness (see Rom 8:3-4).

3. Sanctification Language (Greek: hagiazo / hagiasmos; Hebrew background: qadosh / qadash)
Greek nuance: Hagiazo means “to set apart as holy,” “consecrate,” or “make holy.” It appears in prayers like John 17:17 (“Sanctify them in the truth”) and is tied to the Spirit (2 Thess 2:13; 1 Pet 1:2) and Christ’s blood (Heb 10:10, 14; 13:12).
Hebrew/Aramaic background: Echoes the Hebrew root q-d-sh (“holy/set apart”), used in the Torah for Israel’s distinctiveness (e.g., Lev 20:7-8; Exod 31:13 links Sabbath as a sign of sanctification by God). Festivals and rituals did set Israel apart under the old covenant.
Does this imply Torah observance for sanctification? No. The New Testament applies the qadosh concept to the new covenant reality: believers are already positionally sanctified in Christ and progressively sanctified by the Spirit and truth—not by re-enacting old-covenant shadows (Col 2:16-17 calls festivals “a shadow… the substance belongs to Christ”). The Hebrew idea of holiness as “set apart” is fulfilled inwardly and relationally through Christ, not through external rituals.

Broader Context and Other Nuances
“Law of Christ” (Gal 6:2; 1 Cor 9:21): This phrase reflects Jesus’ summary of the Torah (love God/neighbor – Matt 22:36-40) lived out in the Spirit. It is not a code requiring full Mosaic festivals but the law internalized (Jer 31:33; Ezek 36:26-27, fulfilled in the new covenant).
Aramaic/Hebrew idioms overall: The NT has plenty (e.g., “Abba,” “Amen,” kingdom parables), but no credible evidence of a lost Hebrew/Aramaic original that mandates Torah for sanctification. Claims of mistranslation are common in some Hebrew Roots circles but are not supported by mainstream biblical linguistics or textual criticism.

Acts 15 and Galatians 3–5: These were written with full awareness of Jewish law debates. The Jerusalem Council (guided by the Spirit) explicitly freed Gentile believers from Torah burden for salvation and fellowship—no festivals required. Paul’s rebuke in Galatians 3:3 (“Are you now being perfected by the flesh?”) directly counters adding Torah practices for growth in holiness.
Bottom line: Hebrew and Aramaic nuances enrich our understanding—they show deep continuity with the Tanakh and emphasize heart-level obedience—but they do not imply that Torah observance or festival-keeping is necessary for sanctification. The New Testament presents the opposite: the old covenant shadows are fulfilled in Christ, and sanctification is now a work of the Spirit in the new covenant (Heb 8:13; Rom 8:3-4; Gal 5:16-25). Voluntary observance (for cultural, missional, or devotional reasons) is possible for Jewish believers (Rom 14; 1 Cor 9), but it is never presented as required for holiness.

The consistent biblical witness—across languages—points to freedom in Christ and Spirit-empowered living. For deeper study, compare the Greek text (e.g., via Bible software) with Hebrew roots tools, but always read in full context.

 

[Pavel Mosko]