Interpreting scripture

Jesus, the Messiah, did not say, “Do to others as you would have them to do to you,” as reported in The Journal last week. Instead He said something like those words but He completed his advice with “for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” (or words much the same). The so-called Golden Rule is found in Matthew 7:12.

Jesus is our teacher. He made clear that to follow the Golden Rule one had to study and become familiar with the Torah and the Prophets (the Hebrew Scriptures). Believers supposedly believe that Jesus and God are one. Jesus was aware of what was to come. He knew books to be called the “New Testament” would be written and He did not say wait until the New Testament is written and you will then know how to live. He did not say the Law of Moses is one things but better instruction will be forthcoming. The Hebrew Scriptures teach us what we need to know regarding our interpersonal relationships.

The Law of Moses is not Law as created by Moses. The Hebrew Scriptures are the Word of God and as I hear it, our God does not change. So yes, Jesus (depending on the Scripture version you read) said that believers should “therefore treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (NASB)

None of us can seriously attempt to follow the teaching Jesus in Matthew 7:12 unless we are students of the Hebrew Scriptures. If we suggest to others the so-called Golden Rule to believers and to others not willing to be students of the Hebrew Scriptures, then a better approach would be to suggest the words of Rabbi Hillel (110 B.C.-10 A.D.):

“What is hateful to you, do not do to anyone else. This is the whole Torah; all the rest is commentary. Go Learn It.” (b. Shabbath 31a)

The good Rabbi knew too, God’s people had to learn from the teaching of God gave to Moses. Jesus really did mean for us to understand that to follow Him and to follow his teaching one had to be a student of Moses:

“For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” (John 5:46-47)

Barry Boyer, Ritzville