The Theonomist philosophy behind Richard rives

Quite a while ago I missed this quote from the following news story about Richard Rives.

“Ark hunter: Christianity packed with paganism 1st century believers would have never accepted this’”

“Posted: February 07, 2009”

“11:15 pm Eastern”

“© 2009 WorldNetDaily”

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/?pageId=86464

Towards the middle of the article we find this quote.

“Believers are a part of Israel. There is only one plan of salvation – faith in the Messiah of Israel, Yeshua, Jesus Christ”

Are Christians likeIsrael? Is the Ten Commandments part of the Christian faith? Either by morality or salvation?

According to Rives they are. However when we open up our Bibles we can find evidence that goes against his claims.

Saturday Sabbath was forIsrael:

Exodus 20:8-11

Exodus 31:12-18

Jesus changed the Law of Moses.

Matthew 22:36-40

Mark 12:29-31

Luke 10:25-28

According to the Apostles of Christ the Gentile church were not given the Law of Moses to follow.

Acts 15:1-31

Yes I could add more Scriptures but it should be obvious we Christians are different than our Jewish cousins.

Richard Rives, Donna Kupp and many others who proclaim strange teachings like that ‘Sunday is evil’ and that we ‘Protestant Christians are sinning by not keeping Saturday Sabbath or the rest of the old law’ are Theonomists. These so called ‘christian’ philosophers who have placed themselves and their followers under the old law of Moses.

As further evidence of rives Theonomy beliefs here is a recent mass email I received today.

“Written in Stone”

“Wednesday, May 4, 2011 12:57 PM”

“Dear Friends and Fellow Servants,”

“In sharing information regarding pagan precepts that have crept into contemporary Christianity many times I state that the acceptance and participation in those pagan practices is in violation of the laws of our Creator. and as such constitutes sin. Some people just don’t like that. They say that I am being legalistic, but that is not true. Let me explain: “

“It is very important to understand that when I speak of the law I am referring to the Ten Commandments. Those laws are special: The Ten Commandments were spoken by God in the hearing of all the people. Then, with his own finger, He wrote them in stone and instructed that they be placed INSIDE the Ark of the Covenant – the ark or container for THE covenant. Those laws, the Ten Commandments will never change. They are written in stone.”

“Although The Ten Commandments are part of Torah, the first five books of the Bible, the same cannot be said about the Levitical law – For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. Those Levitical laws were given to Moses who wrote them in a book – The book of the law of Moses. They were then placed outside the Ark of the Covenant. Those laws were the basis of the Levitical priesthood, the order of Aaron. “

“As believers, while many of the precepts of Torah are for our own good, we are not subject to the Levitical priesthood. We have a new high priest – Yeshua HaMashiach – Jesus Christ, the Messiah of Israel. There has been a change in the Levitical law, which comprises the vast majority of Torah. The Ten Commandments, the only precepts of Torah placed inside the Ark of the Covenant, will never change. While many people attempt to define which parts of Torah apply to which groups of people, when I state that sin is the transgression of the law, it is in reference to The Ten Commandments.”

“As believers there is no law that we can keep that will save us. We are saved by grace through faith and not of works. Even so we must not practice sin. We must not intentionally disregard the Ten Commandments that God wrote in stone. The wages of sin is still death and to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not to him it is sin.”

“Earnestly contending for the faith once delivered to the Saints: I’m Richard Rives with Just the Facts.”

Here is my problem with his ideas.

Jesus whom I worship and serve spoke of the Law of Moses in the following Scriptures.

Matthew 5:17-48

Matthew 22:36-40

Jesus did not teach his Jewish or Gentile followers to keep the Ten Commandments in the way rives teaches. Jesus teachings dare to change the very Law that these Theonomist profess.

Jesus taught his followers a greater morality than what rives professes.

IF I ever bothered to attend one of rives gatherings I would ask him this question:

Where did Jesus teach his followers to keep ONLY the Ten Commandments?

So far rives is only interested in attacking current Christianity and trying to bring the Christian church to his philosophy.

More importantly rives should explain online how the Christian church is suddenlyIsrael. After all if he is wrong than he is not only a Law breaker of the Law of Moses but another part of the Anti Christian teaching that rots the internet with its falsehoods.

The Law of Moses was 613 Commandments for Israel.  rives and others to try to keep only the first Ten means that they are breaking Gods law and they endanger their souls by trying to change Jesus teachings.