DOES JEHOVAH’S TORAH STILL DEFINE RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR TODAY’S
BELIEVERS?
My interpretation of the scriptures is based on three of Jehovah’s qualities:
Does Jehovah’s Torah Still
Define Righteousness for
Today’s Believers?
1) His righteousness, 1
2) His steadfastness, 2
3) His lovingkindness.3
Based on Jehovah’s righteousness, can we conclude that every command of
Jehovah is righteous?4 Is righteousness randomly assigned by God to certain
behaviors, or does He truthfully tell us right from wrong?5 Based on His
righteous nature, can we expect Him to keep every promise or covenant
that He has ever made without altering the terms of the contract?6
Based on Jehovah’s steadfastness, can we trust that His standards of
righteousness maintain their righteousness throughout the ages?7 Are
believers of all generations expected to love His Law?8 Can we conclude that
His standards are the same for all peoples?9 Can we expect His Son, His
apostles, and His prophets to speak only words that align with Jehovah’s
instructions?10 Does anyone have the authority to alter God’s Law?11
Torah
Questions with
Answers from
the Scriptures
1
The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. Psalm 147:17
2
For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Malachi 3:6
3
For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. Psalm 100:5
4
My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness. Psalm 119:172
5
Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth. Psalm 119:142
6
God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and
shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Numbers 23:19
7
Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.
Psalm 119:160
8
Amy Lee Bell
But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be
established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow
unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and
to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the
law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. Micah 4:1-2
9
Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country: for I am the
LORD your God. Leviticus 24:22
10
To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light
in them. Isaiah 8:20
Based on what we know of Jehovah’s lovingkindness, do we believe that He
gave His chosen people instructions for their own good?12 Is Jehovah’s plan
to redeem Israel still intact?13 Does He expect His people to have blind faith
in Jesus Christ, or does He use fulfilled prophecies to prove that Jesus is the
Messiah?14 Why would God tell us His plan ahead of time?15 Does the Father
give us any indication that His covenant would one day be abolished?16 Does
He give His people a foolproof method to discern a true prophet from a
false one?17
JEHOVAH’S RIGHTEOUSNESS, STEADFASTNESS, AND LOVINGKINDNESS ARE
INTERCONNECTED
Because Jehovah is righteous, He is perfect in defining righteousness for His
people.18 Even the heathens would recognize the rightness of the Law.19
Righteousness leads to life, and unrighteousness leads to death.20 He wants
His people to live eternally,21 which is not possible22 for physical bodies that
have committed unrighteousness.23 When Jehovah promised the Messiah
through Abraham, He told Him that all nations would be blessed by means
of his seed.24 I believe that Jehovah was, in essence, explaining to Abraham
that the Messiah would walk perfectly and reap the blessings of
righteousness, while implying that His righteousness and those blessings
would be imputed to people of all nations.25 But how would He accomplish
this seemingly impossible feat?26 When Jehovah called Abraham to sacrifice
Isaac, but provided a substitution instead, He was teaching Abraham more
about the plan of redemption.27
Was Jehovah righteous to command His people to walk perfectly before
Him, and to make a life-and-death covenant with them that He knew they
11
He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall
think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a
time. Daniel 7:25
12
And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in
all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul To
keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?
Deuteronomy 10:12-13
13
Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for
their iniquity. Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry: And he remembered for
them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies. Psalm 106:43-45
14
Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. Amos
3:7
15
Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He
is righteous? yea, there is none that sheweth, yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that
heareth your words. Isaiah 41:26
16
For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee,
neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee. Isaiah
54:10
17
If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And
the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods,
which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that
prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love
the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and
fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.
Deuteronomy 13:1-4
people. For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all
things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so
righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day? Deuteronomy 4:6-8
20
See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; In that I command thee this day
to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his
judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither
thou goest to possess it. But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn
away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish,
and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess
it. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death,
blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: Deuteronomy 30:15-19
21
O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments
always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever! Deuteronomy 5:29
22
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou
eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Genesis 2:17
23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans
6:23
24
And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
Genesis 22:18
25
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is
through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: Philippians 3:9
26
The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise
the simple. Psalm 19:7
Thus saith the Lord of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days,
should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the Lord of hosts. Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Behold, I
will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; And I will bring them, and they
shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in
righteousness. Zechariah 8:6-8
19
27
18
Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the
nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding
And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of
them together. Genesis 22:8
would not keep?28 By making this covenant with them, was He setting them
up for failure?29 Was the Law too difficult for them?30
My perspective is this: Jehovah always keeps His end of the covenant.31
Mankind failed to keep their end.32 (God knew this would happen.)33
Because of His lovingkindness, He wants to bless us with eternal life
anyway.34 However, He is perfectly righteousness and just; He can’t just give
us eternal life when we deserve death.35 Rightfully, eternal life only comes
to those who have never done anything to bring death on themselves.36
Amazingly, Jehovah is powerful enough to bless mankind without
compromising His righteousness in the process.37 Praise Jehovah!38 He sent
28
Even all nations shall say, Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this land? what meaneth the heat
of this great anger? Then men shall say, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of
their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt: For they
went and served other gods, and worshipped them, gods whom they knew not, and whom he had not
given unto them: And the anger of the Lord was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all the curses
that are written in this book: And the Lord rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in
great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day. Deuteronomy 29:24-28
29
Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not
your ways unequal? Ezekiel 18:25
30
For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off.
Deuteronomy 30:11 ESV
31
What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? Romans 3:3
ESV
32
They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not
one. Psalm 14:3
33
And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other;
and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and
stone. Deuteronomy 28:64
34
Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means
clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children,
unto the third and to the fourth generation. Exodus 34:7
His only begotten Son to fulfill man’s part of the covenant.39 His Son did not
earn the death penalty because He lived a perfect life according to the
Law.40 In other words, Jesus earned eternal life in accordance with the
promise given through the Law.41
We sold ourselves to sin.42 In other words, we traded away life for the
temporal pleasures of sin, earning death in our bodies.43 We had a debt to
pay. Thankfully, and rightfully, Jehovah makes a provision in His Law for
redemption: a near kinsman is legally allowed to pay a debt in behalf of the
debtor.44 When Jesus, as our next of kin, paid a debt He did not owe, He
freed us from our debt.45 By keeping the commandments, Jesus inherited all
of the blessings that God gave His people.46 Through the obedience of
Christ, all of the terms of the original covenant are fulfilled.47 Does this
fulfillment mean that the Law is no longer valid?48 God forbid.49 Jehovah and
39
And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all
righteousness. Then he suffered him. Matthew 3:15
40
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of
God in him. 2 Corinthians 5:21
41
Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them:
I am the LORD. Leviticus 18:5
42
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham's
seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered
them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. John 8:32-34
43
For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members
to bring forth fruit unto death. Romans 7:5
44
If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to
redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold. Leviticus 25:25
45
The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the
fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin. Deuteronomy 24:16
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law
of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his
own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of
the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:1-4
36
46
35
Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
James 1:15
37
Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot
hear: Isaiah 59:1
38
I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. The Lord hath chastened me sore: but he
hath not given me over unto death. Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will
praise the Lord: This gate of the Lord, into which the righteous shall enter. I will praise thee: for thou hast
heard me, and art become my salvation. Psalm 118:17-21
And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus
said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. Thou knowest the
commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy
father and thy mother. Luke 18:18-20
47
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Matthew 5:17
48
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the
law, till all be fulfilled. Matthew 5:18
humanity are now reconciled in the covenant as though it had never been
broken.50
In light of the aforementioned qualities of Jehovah, how should we interpret
the writings of Paul? First of all, we should test everything he says against
God’s instructions.51 If Paul had been a false prophet or had merely been
mistaken, we would still be required to uphold God’s commandments, not
man’s doctrine.52 However, Paul was not a false prophet; he never says
anything contrary to the Law of Jehovah.53 In fact, Paul remains Torahobservant even after believing on Christ for salvation.54 When Paul says that
we are no longer under the Law, he means that we no longer owe our
debt.55 He is not saying that the Law is sin.56 The Law is good.57 The
definition of sin is the transgression of the Law,58 and Paul never implies
that it no longer matters whether we sin or not.59 When he speaks of the
curse of the Law, he is referring to the curse that we earned through our
disobedience (death).60 The curse of the Law (death) also looms over your
head if you try to rely on your own works for salvation.61 This is not a defect
in the righteousness of the Law, but a defect in man’s willingness to keep
it.62 God renewed His covenant with Israel after finding fault with the
people, not with the Law.63 Many people had the wrong impression about
what Paul was preaching.64 They mistook Paul’s message of salvation by
faith as a message of lawlessness.65
49
Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the
law. Romans 3:31
50
Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which
keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments
to a thousand generations; Deuteronomy 7:9
51
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness
of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Acts 17:11
52
He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This
people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me,
teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Mark 7:6-7
53
Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great,
saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: Acts 26:22
54
Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may
shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are
nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law. Acts 21:24
55
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:2
56
What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had
not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. Romans 7:7
57
Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Romans 7:12
58
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. I John
3:4
59
God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Romans 6:2
60
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written,
Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: Galatians 3:13
61
For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does
not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Galatians 3:10 ESV
62
Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could
have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. Galatians 3:21
63
For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when
I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
Hebrews 8:8
64
And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge
us with saying. Their condemnation is just. Romans 3:8
65
And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul
also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters
when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are
hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own
destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, knowing this
beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless
people and lose your own stability. 2 Peter 3:15-17
To discover more about the Torah, read it! It is contained in Genesis through
Deuteronomy. If you want to watch videos or read articles about the Torah,
visit 119ministries.com, New2Torah.com, or amyleebell.wordpress.com.