Excerpt from The Yahushaic Covenant Volume 1 by Rav Sha'ul Did Paul say we don’t have to keep the Festivals of YHVH? by Rav Sha'ul   I would like to point out in Romans another place where the translators added words in order to justify The Spirit of Error (the abolishment of The Law) that prevailed in them.  Below is a portion of Scripture used by the Christian Church to teach that we are not bound to, nor do we need to keep The Sabbath and Dietary Laws: Romans 14 5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. This verse is taught in Christian circles this way: Romans 14 5 One person esteems one day (the 7th Day) above another; another esteems every day (of the week) alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the (Sabbath) day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the (Sabbath) day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats (Kosher), eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat (Kosher), to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. We are taught that Paul is saying that the Sabbath and Dietary Laws are not binding.  If we choose to be bound by them that is OK and if we choose to transgress them that too is OK.  The problem is that in verse 6 above, the phrase “and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it.” was not in the original Greek Codex Vadicanus.  Some translations are true to the text and leave those added words out: Romans 14:5-6  English Standard Version (ESV) 5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. Now we are coming closer to what Paul actually said.  In the above texts Paul is talking about feast days not The Sabbath as some teach.  Below is in context what Paul is saying leaving out the unscriptural words added by uninspired translators.  Paul is specifically addressing the age old debate concerning The Day of Atonement being more Holy than the rest of the feast days.  Some teach that it is commanded that we fast on Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement).  It is a “tradition” not a commandment that we “fast” from food on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).  The commandment is that we are to afflict our souls on that day and that is by tradition interpreted as fasting.  So some people fast and some do not depending on how you interpret “afflict your sould”.  Below is what Paul is talking about in context: Romans 14:5-6 5 One person esteems one (feast) day as better than another (some believe Yom Kippur is THE most Holy of all Holy Days), while another esteems all (feast) days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind (and not doubt his position because doubt is sin). 6 The one who observes the day (of Atonement as the MOST Holy Day), observes it in honor of Yahuah. The one who eats (and fasts in otherways to "afflict their soul"), eats in honor of Yahuah, since he gives thanks to Yahuah (in keeping The Day of Atonement), while the one who abstains (fasts on The Day of Atonement), abstains in honor of Yahuah and gives thanks to Yahuah  (on the Day of Atonement). Paul is not taking sides on the issue either way, he is just saying whatever your position is be firm in it and don’t waver back and forth.  Everyone who keeps the Festivals of Yahuah are righteous as they keep them in honor of Yahuah.  Most of the “do’s and don’t’s” associated with the Festivals are not commanded in The Torah they are traditions of men found in The Talmud. Colossians is another place where Christianity has twisted the words of Paul. Colossians 2 Freedom From Human Rules 16 Therefore do not let anyone (the pagans in Colossia all around you) judge you by what you eat or drink (as you keep the Dietary Laws for good health), or with regard to (your keeping) the festivals of Yahuah, a New Moon celebration (as you keep Yahuah’s lunar calendar not the pagan solar calendar) or a Sabbath day (as you rest on The Sabbath and not on Dias Solis the pagan day of worship). 17 (You do) These (things as they) are a shadow (cast by Spiritual Truth) of the (good) things that were to come; the reality (in spirit), however, is found in The Yahushaic Covenant (they teach us through physical to spiritual rehearsals of the work of salvation). This is a very important scripture here.  Christianity teaches that Paul is saying “let no one (Jew) judge you for violating The Law and not keeping The Sabbaths and Holy Days of Yahuah” and that is the exact opposite of what Paul is teaching here.  According to The Christian Church, Jews were spying on Paul and following him all over Asia Minor trying to “convert” pagans to Judaism.  This is absurd, totally contrary to fact and Biblical witness.  We see Paul teaching the prior pagans to keep the feasts on multiple occasions and specifically teaching them to keep Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread below: 1 Corinthians 5 Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? 7 Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Yahusha, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed (on Passover not Good Friday). 8 Therefore let us keep the Festival of Unleavened Bread, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Paul taught them to keep the feast in light of Yahusha and in the transposed spiritual intent.  So it was Paul who was teaching the Colossians and all those assemblies he established to keep the feasts.  It was the pagans in those pagan communities condemning them for it.  Jews were nowhere to be found among those pagan communities.  Exactly the same state you and I are in today, we are condemned by the same exact establishment, Babylon and its rituals (Christmas, Sunday, Good Friday, Easter, etc.) when we become obedient to Yahuah and His rituals. They (Christianity) are quick to shout “LEGALISM!” and condemn us for our obedience to Yahuah and accuse us of trying to “work our way to heaven”.  It is funny to me because all these Christians have done is traded in Yahuah’s Law and rituals for Babylon’s.  They are strict legalist toward their keeping of the pagan rituals of Christmas, Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter.  They, all of Christianity, are hypocrites in this way.  They say “thou shalt not judge” and yet they are the most self righteous judgmental group on Earth.  It is sad the earth lies in this deception.  It is even sadder still that few stand up to it. The Jews condemned Paul for reaching out and teaching the pagans to keep Torah because they did not understand The House of Israel was living among the Gentiles.  Even the other disciples had a hard time accepting Paul as one of them because Paul went out to the pagans and taught The Torah in light of The Messiah Yahusha.  The Jews could care less about the pagans and certainly would never go following behind Paul in his journeys.  The Jews in their Talmud believe they could not even come into contact nor could they eat with Gentiles.  So how could they be the ones “judging them” from such a distance.  The entire thing is… well ridiculous. The Jews were very jealous of their God and did not and still do not try and evangelize anyone outside of the bloodline of Abraham/Isaac/Jacob.  There simply were no “Judaisers” running around behind Paul in these pagan provinces of Rome.  Moreover, Paul was speaking to previous uncircumcised pagans here who never knew about nor kept The Law (kosher eating, New Moon celebrations, Feasts of Yahuah, and Sabbaths).  The reason Paul mentions these things in his letter to these past pagans is because Paul has been there and taught them to KEEP these things.  The pagan community around them in Colossia (a pagan province of Rome) were judging them for eating Kosher (by what they ate and drank), and with the regards to their keeping Yahuah’s Feasts, Sabbaths, and New Moon celebrations not the Jews.  You see, these new converts stopped keeping Babylon’s rituals of Christmas, Sunday, Good Friday, Easter, eating pork, etc. as every one of those holidays was passed down with sun worship in Babylon to Rome.  Not keeping the pagan rituals they came under fire from their neighbors not Jews.  You too will come under intense judgment by the pagan establishment (Christianity which is base on Babylonian rituals/gods) when you cease keeping Babylon’s rituals and come into obedience to Yahuah’s Feasts/Torah/Sabbaths.  Colossians will have a whole new meaning in your life as we too have been scattered among the pagan nations and are being judged by our Christian friends, family, and neighbors for keeping The Law of Yahuah. Below we see the Apostle Paul teach the meaning of the Festivals of Yahuah: Romans 8 20 For the creation was subjected to futility (when Adam fell), not willingly, but because of YHWH who subjected it in hope (of a coming Messiah); 21 because the creation itself also (like the sons of YHWH during the Spring Feasts) will be delivered (in the coming Fall Feasts) from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God (on the DAY OF ATONEMENT). 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors (for 6,000 years per the Sabbath Covenant) with birth pangs together until now (the 7th Millennium, the Sabbath). 23 Not only that, but we also who have the Firstfruits (The Passover Lamb/Feast of First Fruits/Spring Feasts) of the Spirit (Given on the Feast of Weeks, the guarantee/Spring Feasts), even we ourselves groan within ourselves (along with creation because we have not yet been resurrected), eagerly waiting for the adoption (as elohim, into the Family of YHWH), the redemption of our body (on the Feast of Trumpets, the Rapture/Resurrection/Fall Feasts). 24 For we were saved (during the Spring Feasts by the Passover Lamb) in this hope (that He will return again and fulfill the Fall Feasts, resurrected our bodies and liberate creation), but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees (we have not yet witness the fulfillment of the Fall Feasts, so Hope endures)? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it (the Fall Feasts) with perseverance (those who persevere until the end, shall be saved).   Next: The "Law" of Liberty

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