The writers of the Gospels and Epistles were Jewish and they believed in a Torah-based faith in Yeshua that was given by God in the Torah. They warned of a coming deception that would lead many away from the faith once given. This “faith” would be a counterfeit and would be based on “lawlessness”, meaning “without the Torah/law” and this would lead to the False Messiah, who is called the “man of lawlessness” (2 Thes 2.3, 8). The religion of the False Messiah will be Replacement Theology. There was no breakaway from the Torah to form what is known as Christianity (or any other religion). Paul did not “convert” to Christianity nor was Stephen the first “Christian martyr.” Paul was Torah observant (see the articles on this website called, “Torah and New Testament Foundations-Was Paul Torah Observant” and “Torah and New Testament Foundations-The Real Paul”) and false witnesses had to come forward in the case of Stephen accusing of not obeying the Torah, which means he was Torah observant, too (Acts 6.11-14).
Matt 7.21-23 is talking about when Yeshua returns. There will be a group of people who will think they belong to the Lord because they prophesied in his name, cast out demons, and worked miracles. Yeshua says he will declare to them “I never knew you (in a redemptive way), depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.” The word for “lawlessness” there is “anomos” and it means “no Torah or without the Torah.” The word for Torah/law in Greek is “nomos”, so if one is without the Torah (nomos) they are “anomos” or “lawless.” 1 John 2.3-4 says, “And by this we know that we have come to know him (in a redemptive way), if we keep his commandments (to “keep” the commandments is defined as “Incorporating the things of God into your life and staying true to the blueprint God has given in the Torah, by doing specific things, at a specific place they are to be done, at a specific time they are to be done, and by specific people who are commanded to do them”). The one who says, “I have come to know him (in a redemptive way),” and does not keep his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him.”
In reality, there are only two religions in the world, the one God gave in the Torah, and everything else. That is the basic definition of Replacement Theology. For more information on this subject which goes into more detail, see the 12-part article on this website called, “Supersessionism (Replacement Theology).” Do you want to know if you are still subject to Replacement Theology? We have a short (but not exhaustive) checklist to go over and test yourself to see if you ever have been, or currently are, subject to Replacement Theology and influenced by it. This short test is inspired by a similar test that was published by Lion and Lamb Ministries years ago. These questions are not the only questions that could be asked, but they are a good indicator as to where one may be in regards to this question.
Ask yourself the following questions:
1…Do you believe that Yehovah has fundamentally replaced the Old Covenant with the New Covenant?
2…Do you believe that Yehovah has replaced Israel with the “Church” and manifests his will through it?
3…Do you believe Yehovah has replaced the korbanot (animal, bread, wine offerings, etc) with the death of Yeshua?
4…Do you believe that the Old Testament was replaced by the New Testament as the primary text for teaching in regards to the faith, rule, and conduct of a believer?
5…Do you believe that the teachings of the Book of Galatians justify the replacement of the Torah?
6…Do you believe that the preachers and teachers of the Church have replaced the prophets and teachers of Israel found in the Scriptures?
7…Do you believe that Church theologians have the authority to replace the written commandments of God in the Torah, Gospels, and Epistles?
8…Do you believe that Yeshua replaced the Law of Moses with the Law of Christ?
9…Do you believe that the Grace of God has replaced the Law of God?
10…Do you believe that the first day of the week (Sunday) has replaced the seventh day of the week Sabbath?
11…Do you believe that Church festivals and holy days have replaced the festivals of God found in Leviticus 23?
A “Yes” to any one question indicates that you are still subject to and influenced by Replacement Theology.
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