American Torah

Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. Romans 6:8-9 ESV What does it mean that Christ was raised from the dead? Can he have a physical body in Heaven? What exactly is Heaven? The Common Sense Bible Study crew wades into some deep waters in this video while I repeatedly say "I don't know". From Jay Carper at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com) and American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Follow me on Twitter: https://jaycarper.com/twitter Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://jaycarper.com/mewe Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

The Common Sense Bible Study community had a live conversation with Rabbi Mitch Chapman about evangelism and discipleship in Africa. Mitch is a Jewish believer in Yeshua and the Director of African Messianic Outreach (https://africanmessianicoutreach.org). The oldest child of Irwin and Mauna Chapman, Mitch was raised in Closter, New Jersey. He attended Temple Beth El, a Reform Synagogue, where he had his Bar Mitzvah. In May 1975 he graduated from Bryant College (now University) in Smithfield, Rhode Island, majoring in Accounting with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. On Shabbat, July 31, 1993, he accepted Yeshua as his Messiah and Redeemer. Mitch is one of the original members of Kehilat Bet Avinu in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and has served the Lord in various capacities since shortly after coming to faith in Yeshua. On February 11, 2017 God opened the door to establish African Messianic Outreach (AMO) when he was invited to give the Shabbat message via internet to a Messianic Jewish Congregation in Isebania, Kenya. On that day 35 people came to faith in Yeshua. The ministry of AMO encompasses mentoring, discipling, teaching, evangelism and leadership training as well as biblical counseling. AMO mentors and disciples numerous Congregational leaders located throughout equatorial Africa (primarily Uganda, but also Zimbabwe, Kenya, Mozambique, and others) as well as in India and the Philippines. Mitch spends part of each year in Africa where he engages in evangelism and leadership training and empowerment. Through Mitch's disciples, more than 9,000+ people have become believers in Yeshua. These new believers live throughout Africa, including The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Malawi, Rwanda and Burundi. Approximately 4,000 are from a Jewish heritage/background with 3,000 plus immersed! You can donate to Mitch's ministry through his home synagogue at https://kehilatbetavinu.org/donate/. Or you can donate through Zell using his phone number or email address: 9548508446, amo@africanmessianicoutreach.org. From Jay Carper at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com) and American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Follow me on Twitter: https://jaycarper.com/twitter Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://jaycarper.com/mewe Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 6:1-4 ESV What does it mean to be dead to sin and baptized into Yeshua's death? Was his death a sacrificial offering like those performed at the Temple? The Common Sense Bible Study community explores these questions and the power of Jesus' blood in this video. From Jay Carper at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com) and American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Follow me on Twitter: https://jaycarper.com/twitter Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://jaycarper.com/mewe Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:20-21 ESV God didn't give Moses his Law in order to create sin where it didn't exist before, but to magnify the sin we were already committing, so that nobody could deny it. Once we are made aware of our sin by the witness of the written commandments, we are also made aware of our need for God's grace. Adam's sin brought death to all men, and that corruption leads all men to sin, subjecting them to the power of sin and death, which is the power of the Law to condemn. On the other hand, Yeshua's death enables God's grace to forgive our sin, releasing us from the Law's power to condemn, but not from its power to teach us right from wrong. From Jay Carper at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com) and American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Follow me on Twitter: https://jaycarper.com/twitter Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://jaycarper.com/mewe Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Romans 5:11 ESV Joy is commanded throughout the Torah. This is what the book of Deuteronomy has to say about the oppressive, burdensome sacrificial system: ch12 - You shall eat your sacrifices before YHWH your God and rejoice before him. ch14 - You shall eat there before YHWH your God and rejoice. ch16 - You shall rejoice before YHWH your God. ch26 - You shall rejoice in all the good that YHWH your God has given to you and to your house. ch27 - You shall rejoice before YHWH your God. God's Law is only burdensome to those who keep it in order to earn their way into God's favor. That will never work. His commandments bring a level of fulfillment and peace that can't be found anywhere else, but it is only through the reconciliation purchased by Yeshua that we can ever achieve that joy. Any other path leads only to disappointment and heartache. From Jay Carper at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com) and American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Follow me on Twitter: https://jaycarper.com/twitter Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://jaycarper.com/mewe Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

Did we inherit guilt from Adam? Or just an evil inclination? What is sin? What is the remedy for sin and guilt and the evil inclination? On December 6, 2023, the Common Sense Bible Study community was live with Rob Vanhoff to talk about Romans 5:12-21 and the doctrines of Original Sin. I say "doctrines" (plural), because there is significant disagreement among theologians about what this actually means. This was an amazing opportunity to have a conversation with a really smart guy with a deep understanding of the Scriptures and its ancient Jewish context. A lifelong resident of the beautiful Pacific Northwest, Rob loves Yeshua (Jesus) and teaches the Bible in many facets: cultural contexts, ancient languages and translation, interpretation history, and most importantly what it means to be a disciple of the Messiah today. His purpose is to bring accuracy and clarity to the articulation of the Gospel message within its “full Bible” framework. Rob has an MA in comparative religions and a BA in Near Eastern languages and civilizations. Rob is currently an instructor for TorahResource Institute, where he teaches courses on the 2nd Temple Period, Rabbinic Literature, Judaism, Koine Greek, and Aramaic. He has also written articles and presented on ancient Jewish scribal tradition, the Masorah of the Hebrew Bible, and midrashic literature. Links to some of Rob's online activities... Messiah Matters video podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@MessiahMatters Rob on the Rock, Rob's personal YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ontherock TorahResource: https://torahresource.com/ Rob's homepage: https://robontherock.com/ Academic publications: https://washington.academia.edu/RobertVanhoff From Jay Carper at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com) and American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Follow me on Twitter: https://jaycarper.com/twitter Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://jaycarper.com/mewe Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope... Romans 5:3-4 ESV There is so much suffering in the world. Poverty, sickness, disaster, oppression... eventually everyone asks why God would allow it. The easy answer is that God has a plan, and we need to trust him. That's true, of course, but it's more complicated than that. In an online discussion of Romans 5:3-4, the Common Sense Bible Study community tackled this question. From Jay Carper at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com) and American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Follow me on Twitter: https://jaycarper.com/twitter Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://jaycarper.com/mewe Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring – not only to the adherent of the law, but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all... Romans 4:16 ESV The Children of Abraham consist of all those who believe in God's grace made manifest in Yeshua, whether they were born as Jews, Christians, or pagans. But that doesn't mean that the natural born children of Israel are no longer counted among Israel. How else could Paul, speaking of *unfaithful* Jews, say "They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises."? Believing gentiles are grafted into the Ekklesia of Israel, not the other way around. From Jay Carper at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com) and American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Follow me on Twitter: https://jaycarper.com/twitter Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://jaycarper.com/mewe Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. Romans 4:14 ESV Does this mean that anyone who tries to keep the Law of Moses is automatically disinherited by God? Of course, not! As Paul wrote, "I wouldn't have known that coveting is wrong if the Law had not said, 'Do not covet.'" Obedience to God's commandments, even if they were given through Moses, is a good thing so long as you don't think that you can earn salvation by them. This is an excerpt from the weekly Bible study at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com) with Jay Carper from American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Follow me on Twitter: https://jaycarper.com/twitter Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://jaycarper.com/mewe Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness... Romans 4:4-5 ESV Forgiveness of sins and eternal life are gifts of God, granted by his grace alone. Nobody can buy or work their way into eternal life. Eliezer, Ishmael, and Isaac make a great illustration of God's plan. Eliezer was Abraham's chief servant. He worked for Abraham his whole life, helping him build his wealth and watch out for his family. If Abraham had died without children, Eliezer would have been his heir according to the traditions of man. He was a faithful servant, but his inheritance would have been the wages of his own efforts. Ishmael was Abraham's firstborn son according to the flesh. However, he was also the son of a slave. If Abraham had not had another son by a free wife, Ishmael would have inherited God's covenant as Abraham's firstborn, displacing Eliezer, in accordance with the laws of both man and biology. Isaac was a child of promise, conceived through miraculous intervention. Sarah's time in Abimelech's house might cast a shadow over Isaac's right of inheritance as Abraham's biological son, but God's decree overrides anything man might do. Isaac inherited the covenant promises of Abraham because God intervened and made it happen, apart from any natural or man-made law, and Abraham believed him. This is an image of our salvation, which is granted by divine intervention according to our belief in God's promises. See also Genesis 15:1-5 and Genesis 17:15-21. From Jay Carper at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com) and American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Follow me on Twitter: https://jaycarper.com/twitter Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://jaycarper.com/mewe Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

No, you can't earn your salvation, and you can't make him save you. Your eternal fate is solely at God's discretion. He adopts us as sons or he doesn't. However, God has told us that he will save or condemn us based on our faith in him and also that we can be disinherited for rejecting him. There is no contradiction in this with anything in Romans. It is not a "salvation by works" or "salvation by merit" soteriology. God the when, if, and how of your salvation, no matter what you do or believe. There is a lot of truth in both Calvinism and Arminianism, but just like every other -ism, neither is complete, because they both try to fit God into a brain-sized box. From Jay Carper at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com) and American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Follow me on Twitter: https://jaycarper.com/twitter Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://jaycarper.com/mewe Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

Paul's Epistle to the Romans is ground zero for the Calvinism vs Arminianism debate. Does God choose who will believe? Or does he choose those who believe? Does it even matter in any tangible way? This is an excerpt from an online study of Romans at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com). From Jay Carper at American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Follow me on Twitter: https://jaycarper.com/twitter Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://jaycarper.com/mewe Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.” Romans 3:3-4 ESV It doesn't matter what the Jews have done nor what antisemites say about them. If God didn't keep his promises to Israel, to the physical descendants of Jacob, what kind of God would he be? How could we trust him to keep any of his promises? Or not to change the rules whenever he felt like it? The only hope of forgiveness for sins to escape eternal damnation lies in God's character as a promise keeper. From Jay Carper and the Common Sense Bible Study crew at https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com. This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Follow me on Twitter: https://jaycarper.com/twitter Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://jaycarper.com/mewe Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. Romans 2:25 ESV For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. Galatians 5:6 ESV We know that Paul was not completely opposed to circumcision because he said so and he circumcised Timothy himself. So how can we reconcile these seemingly conflicting statements? The answer is in the statements themselves: faith and obedience. This is an excerpt fromt he weekly Bible Study at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com) with Jay Carper from American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Follow me on Twitter: https://jaycarper.com/twitter Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. Romans 2:12 ESV Paul and John said that the Law defines sin, so how is it possible for people who have never known the Law to be guilty of sin? Actually, all people know enough of the Law to be guilty of breaking it. The Law is in our DNA and all people know most of it without ever having to be told. From Jay Carper (https://www.AmericanTorah.com) and the Common Sense Bible Study crew (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Follow me on Twitter: https://jaycarper.com/twitter Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Romans 2:2-3 ESV What exactly is the "judgment of God" in this passage? From the weekly online Bible study at Common Sense Bible Study- (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Follow me on Twitter: https://jaycarper.com/twitter Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

Tony Tinderholt will be the first to tell you that he's made a lot of bad decisions in his life. Fortunately, you can learn a lot from mistakes if you're humble enough to admit them and determined not to repeat them. Today, Tony is a Texas State Representative, teacher, combat veteran, business owner, father, and husband. He serves on the Committee on Homeland Security & Public Safety as well as the Committee on Defense & Veterans’ Affairs. He is the Chairman of the House Veterans Caucus and also serves as a Floor Leader for the House Republican Caucus. Before his state service, Tony had a decorated military career. He entered active duty Air Force in 1988 as a Spanish Cryptologic Linguist, taking part in counter drug missions throughout South and Central America. Following 9/11, he re-entered military service, this time in the Army. He worked as a platoon leader, executive officer, detachment commander, and recruiting commander, and volunteered to deploy to multiple combat zones. In his 21 years in the armed forces, Major (Ret.) Tinderholt toured across several continents, earning awards that include the Bronze Star Medal and Combat Action Badge. In civilian life, Tony served as a Spanish professor and holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership. He currently employs dozens of Texans as a business owner in the Dallas Metroplex. The Common Sense Bible Study crew had a live conversation with Tony Tinderholt about what it takes to stand consistently for Biblical principles in a hostile political environment and to be a Biblical leader in the public sphere. From Jay Carper at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com) and American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Follow me on Twitter: https://jaycarper.com/twitter Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

Al McCarn retired from the United States Army after 30 years. He is the executive director of B'ney Yosef North America, the proprietor of The Barking Fox blog, and the author of one book and contributor to several others. (See links below.) In this conversation with the Common Sense Bible Study crew, we talked about the worldwide Torah awakening, the structure of a congregation and the qualifications for leadership, and what it takes to hold a community together. Resources mentioned in this conversation... The Barking Fox, https://thebarkingfox.com/ B'ney Yosef North America, http://bneyyosefna.com/ Founded in Truth Fellowship, https://foundedintruth.com/ Nations' 9th of Av (soon to be Ten from the Nations), https://9-av.com/ Fostering the Family, https://fosteringthefamily.org/ I Will Gather You Radio, https://iwillgatheryou.com/ Indigenous Messengers International, https://indigenousmessengers.com/ Firekeepers International, https://www.firekeepersinternational.org/ House of David (Barry Phillips), https://www.remnantofyisrael.com/ Books mentioned: How I Love Your Law: Meditations on the Weekly Torah Portions, https://amzn.to/3QXjQwV Give Me A Place Where I May Dwell: An Ephraimite Affirmation by Albert J. McCarn, https://amzn.to/3srn5m5 Ten From The Nations: Torah Awakening Among Non-Jews by Rivkah Lambert Adler, https://amzn.to/3qXdd33 Warfare By Honor by Qaumaniq and Suuqiina, https://amzn.to/3EljOY5 From Jay Carper at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com) and American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Follow me on Twitter: https://jaycarper.com/twitter Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Romans 1:22-23 ESV If there is a single, ultimate Creator of the universe, then he logically must be infinitely powerful, infinitely wise. He would be terrifying beyond our imagination with standards higher than we could ever reach...so we set our sights lower. We ignore the Creator and worship creatures because they don't demand anything too big. We can make them weak and flawed, just like us, and then pat ourselves on the back for how great we are. This is an excerpt from the weekly, members-only Bible study at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com). From Jay Carper at American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Follow me on Twitter: https://jaycarper.com/twitter Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. Romans 1:14 ESV The world is chaos and our assignment is to bring spiritual order by restoring people to their Creator. When God gives you a task, he necessarily gives you the authority required to carry out that task. Always keep in mind that such authority is never inherent in the person and that it is always given for the benefit of the Kingdom of God and its citizens. From Jay Carper at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com) and American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Follow me on Twitter: https://jaycarper.com/twitter Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

Most Christians think of the Apostle Paul as the inventor of a new, non-Jewish religion, traveling around the Roman Empire driving a wedge between Jew and Gentile. But that's not how the Bible portrays his ministry! Paul was a Pharisee, a Torah-observant Jew until the day he died, and he traveled the Roman Empire announcing the arrival of the Jewish Messiah to an audience of both Jews and Gentiles! This was a live conversation with Dr. Mark Nanos and the Common Sense Bible Study community about the Apostle Paul in the context of first century Judaism. We talked about how culture and language impacted Paul's writings and subsequent understanding (and misunderstanding!), the relationship between various groups of Jews and Gentiles, first century controversies around Paul and his mission, and much more! Dr. Mark Nanos is a Jewish historian and a globally recognized scholar on the Apostle Paul and First Century Judaism. He has written several books on the topic, including The Mystery of Romans (1996 National Jewish Book Award for Christian-Jewish Relations), The Irony of Galatians, and Reading Paul within Judaism. He has a PhD from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature. His Jewish faith and his deep knowledge of first century Judaism and Paul's letters are sure to add nuance and perspective to our ongoing study of Romans that we would be unlikely to get from other sources. You can read more of Dr. Nanos' personal story and thoughts on Paul at his blog, https://marknanos.com.. Recommended reading with Amazon affiliate links: Reading Paul within Judaism by Mark Nanos (https://amzn.to/3O9b2kD) Reading Romans within Judaism by Mark Nanos (https://amzn.to/3KicUGG) Paul, the Pagan's Apostle by Paula Fredriksen (https://amzn.to/44DfVJI) From Jay Carper at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com) and American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Follow me on Twitter: https://jaycarper.com/twitter Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

In Romans 1:1 Paul said that he was commissioned to preach the Gospel of God, but what exactly is the "Gospel"? Don't just assume you know what it means. Verse 2 points us in the right direction: It was promised beforehand through the Prophets of the Old Testament. I apologize for some of the background noise. That wasn't there during our Bible study session, so I don't know what caused it. This is an excerpt from the weekly Bible study at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com) with Jay Carper from American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Follow me on Twitter: https://jaycarper.com/twitter Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

Yeshua said that nobody knows the precise day and hour of his return, and I believe this also means we can't know the year or even the decade very far in advance. As the time gets very close, we might be able to tell that by observing the events in the world around us, but I think that's as precise as we can get. However, the real point of Yeshua's warning to be ready for his return is to be ready "in season and out". Make disciples of other men today and be a better disciple yourself every day. From Jay Carper at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com) and American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Follow me on Twitter: https://jaycarper.com/twitter Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

Understanding who wrote a book of the Bible and why can really help you understand the book itself. In our first week looking at Paul's Epistle to the Romans, I talk about Paul's history up to this point and what was happening in his life and in Rome that prompted him to write. This is from an online, interactive Bible study at Common Sense Bible Study on Thursday, July 13, 2023. We will be working our way through the entire book on Thursday nights. Participation is free (unless we start getting a bunch of trolls), but you have to be a member. You can join at https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com. From Jay Carper at https://www.AmericanTorah.com.

Colossians 2 is often interpreted to mean God doesn't care if his people keep any of his appointed times (Sabbath, Passover, etc.), but is that really a reasonable interpretation? Can God's commandments be called "philosophy and empty deceit" (v8)? Or "elemental spirits of the world" (v8 & 20)? Are God's commandments "human tradition" (v8,22,23)? In this video, the Common Sense Bible Study crew discuss what Paul really meant when he wrote "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." (v16-17) With Jay Carper from American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com) and Carlos from the Conversations of the Way podcast (https://www.buzzsprout.com/1947624). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal and you can join the Common Sense Bible Study community at https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Follow me on Twitter: https://jaycarper.com/twitter Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/