Most Christians (the Bible Project included) have been taught to read the New Testament as one seamless story. The truth is, it’s not A seamless story like the videos below teach.

https://thebibleproject.com/explore/james/ (8:02)

https://thebibleproject.com/explore/galatians/ (9:04)

The big picture version of the interruption in the story is that most of the Bible is written TO the nation of Isreal and a smaller part of it is written TO Grace Believers. They are NOT one and the same with different names. They ARE two different gospels. TWO different methods of salvation. Before you call me a heretic (I get that a lot!), hear me out, please. It’ll make sense to you if you allow yourself to question it and study it for yourself. Once you see the difference, it’s hard to UNsee it! It’s exciting!

These differences are the reason my outlines no longer match up with the Bible Project overviews. The Bible Project calls Yahushua’s followers “Messianic Jews” which makes sense to them because they don’t see the different gospels. But it doesn’t make sense to me because I can’t unsee the different gospel (Gal. 1:6). The book of Acts calls them followers of “The Way” (Acts 9:2, 19:9 and 23, 22:4, 24:14 and 22) and they were the ones persecuted by the Jewish leaders. Messianic Judaism is a fairly recent denomination in church history; it only emerged during the 1800s, so it wasn’t a thing in Saul’s day.

The greeting at the beginning of each book is a good clue as to whom the letter was written. James, a.k.a. Jacob, greets “the 12 tribes which are scattered abroad” (James 1:1) and Saul/Paul greets “the churches of Galatia” (Gal. 1:2). One gospel is called the Kingdom of Elohim (Prophecy) and the other gospel is called the Grace of Elohim (Mystery). The method of salvation for the Kingdom of Elohim is faith + works. The method of salvation for the Grace of Elohim is faith alone. We’ll continue to see these different gospels compared and contrasted as we read. Can you figure out which gospel James is preaching and which one Paul is preaching?

Are you starting to see differences? I hope so!

UPDATE 21 November 2019: I feel compelled to comment after reading James this morning. A dispensation, simply put, is house rules. There are a total of 12 dispensations throughout the Bible (some dispensationalists see more, some see less). Without going into too much detail about each one, I’ll just say, for now, that the dispensation in effect at Paul’s conversion was called “Kingdom Offered,” which is the 5th of 5 dispensations in the Covenant of Circumcision. In order to be saved, these Jews had to believe, among other things, that Yahushuah was their promised Messiah, they had to continue in the works of the law (circumcision, baptism, etc.), and they had to abide in Yahushuah.

With the Jews blaspheming the Holy Spirit (strike 3, you’re out!), Elohim raised up Paul to usher in the Grace of Elohim. Soon we’ll read that Elohim sets Israel aside as His chosen people for a time while He focuses on the Grace Believers. In this dispensation of Grace, we’re saved by faith alone. No works. Elohim did all the work, we just believe.

That said, in reading James today, you may have thought you saw contradictions to Grace. Rest assured, you absolutely did see contradictions to Grace. That’s because James is not speaking to Grace believers, he’s still speaking to Jews (the 12 tribes, remember?). The most blatant “contradiction” is in chapter 2, where he preaches that “Faith without works is dead.” If you read that from the perspective of salvation coming through Faith + Works it makes sense, right? But when you try to apply it to Faith Alone, it’s truly contradictory, isn’t it? Do you see the separation and agree that there is no contradiction or confusion here? The other stuff in James (non-salvation related) we can certainly apply to practical living, though, so don’t dismiss the wisdom there.

I hope this helps you to understand that Elohim is NOT the author of confusion or the maker of chaos. He is the giver of grace and the maker of life!

I like that name of this book. It’s certainly more accurate. Thank you for the idea, Bible Project!

https://thebibleproject.com/explore/acts/, parts 1 (8 min. 16 sec) and 2 (8 m, 4 s)

The Book of Acts brings us to Elohim’s change in programs and I can’t wait to show it to you! Do you know, or have a guess about, what this change is? Please share with me in the comments below!

Today’s reading includes a passage that is disputed among Christians and I’d like to give you my condensed take on it so you can consider it while you ponder the meaning for yourself.

I’m referring to what’s commonly known as the shortest verse in the Bible: John 11:35, “Yahusha wept.” The dispute I write about surrounding this verse is not about the length, but about the feeling being communicated in it. Mourners and empaths choose to read it as Yahusha being compassionate and weeping with those who mourn. While this view isn’t necessarily wrong (it does show Yahusha’s humanity), it does detract from His deity which is part of what they need to believe to be saved AND why He handled the sisters’ request the way He did. I say, the context clearly reveals that it’s showing Yahusha was troubled by their lack of belief in Who He is and what He can do.

In the email that subscribers received yesterday containing today’s reading, I bolded the words that support this belief and I’ll lay things out in more detail here. As I told subscribers in the email dated September 26, 2019, John’s gospel portrays Yahusha as Elohim. John also wrote his gospel with the stated intention, “so that you may believe.”

John states in verse 19:35 that “…he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe.” In this verse, John is the “he” he’s referring to in “he who has seen” and “he knows that he is telling the truth.” I believe that John was the only one of the four gospel writers to have witnessed this miracle because he doesn’t mention the presence of Matthew, Mark, or Luke and because none of them wrote about this miracle. It’s indicated in verse 11:16 that Thomas is the only one who may have been with Him.

In the dispensation of the Kingdom Proclaimed, their method of salvation was “Faith + Works” and part of what they had to believe was that Yahusha is (the Son of) Elohim.

Now, I’ll put the words I bolded in the email in John chapter 11 into a little story.

Yahusha said (v. 4), “…but for the glory of Elohim, that Elohim’s Son may be glorified by it.” Then when (v. 6) …[Yahusha] heard that [Lazarus] was sick, He stayed two days in the place where He was.” Yahusha tells His disciples (v. 11) “…Our friend, Lazarus, has fallen asleep, but I am going so that I may awake him out of sleep.” Then (v. 14), “…Lazarus is dead.” And (v. 15), “…so that you may believe.“ Then He tells Martha (v. 23), “Your brother will rise again”, and (v. 25), “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies. 26 Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” Martha answered (v. 27), “I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, Elohim’s Son.” Yahusha sees Mary weeping and He (v. 33) “groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.” Then (v. 35) “Yahusha wept.” [Note: the original Greek indicates that He silently shed a tear; groaned inwardly; didn’t wail like those who mourned.] Finally (v. 38), “again groaning in Himself” (v. 40), “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed, you would see Elohim’s glory?” [This last verse is referring to what He said in verse 25.]

If you’re able to read the above as a short, choppy story, I think you’ll be able to see that the “Yahusha wept” is the second of three times that we read about Yahusha groaning inwardly in the context of their disbelief. I would love to know what you think of this take on that verse. Do you agree or disagree?