YHWH is unchanging and no respecter of persons. This plays out very clearly in the Bible as well as the Book of Mormon and those parts of the Doctrine & Covenants that YHWH inspired. So, where did the belief come from that what had always been counted to man for righteousness when they walked in it (Torah / the Law) had changed to wickedness? Where did the idea come from that when Yeshua fulfilled the law it meant that the Law was not the walk of faith that we were meant to follow anymore? Christians say that we get that idea from Paul but is that true? Did Paul teach us that we are not to obey the law? Did Paul teach us that the Torah is irrelevant in the lives of followers of the Messiah?
If he did, then according to Deuteronomy 13 he is a false teacher leading the people after other Gods, who ought to be put away completely. If he did, then according to Yeshua Ha Mashiach he is the least in the kingdom of Heaven and is training others to be also. He is a thief and a robber who, like his pharisaical brethren, will scarcely make it into the kingdom of Heaven himself and will bar entrance for all who follow him. Such teachers make children (followers) who are thrice the children of hell that they are. Following are the scriptural proofs for the seemingly hyperbolic statements that I have just made:
1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,
2 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;
3 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.
4 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.
5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the Lord thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.
Deuteronomy 13:1-5
17 ¶ Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 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.
19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:17-20
8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
John 10:8
13 ¶ But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
Matthew 23:13-15
I do not believe that Paul taught that the Torah was done away with. To do so would have been outside of his character and upbringing. He persecuted the early followers of Yeshua because of his zeal for the Law. He believed the false report of the pharisees at the Greek Synagogue who claimed that Yeshua had taught against the Torah and so went about persecuting the followers of the Messiah. These verses in Phillipians highlight Paul’s zeal for the law and persecution of the church.
5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
Phillipians 3:5-6
In this passage Paul is citing his own qualifications for salvation if Salvation was on our own merits alone. He states that he still keeps the law blameless. If he is teaching the gentiles a different walk of faith than is required for Israel, then he could not say this in truth. I believe that Paul was speaking the truth just as I believe that Joseph Smith was speaking the truth when he denied practicing polygamy. Paul and Joseph Smith both get a bad rap from people who claim to believe what they have taught but only believe the take of those who twisted their words for their own gain.
For the purpose of showing that what Paul taught was perfectly in alignment with Torah I embark on this treatment of the words of Paul. My purpose in doing this is to show people the unchanging Elohim who has always had a dependable way to walk in faith before Him and become like Him in character as we walk out our faith in diligence.
Romans 1:1
We will go through Romans chapter 1 verse by verse showing both the KJV and the New Translation / Inspired Version from Joseph Smith.
1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
Romans 1:1
Let us also look at this verse in the New Translation.
1 Paul, an apostle, a servant of God, called of Jesus Christ, and separated to preach the gospel
Romans 1:1; New Translation
The first thing that one notices is that, while all of the same ideas are there, the order of those ideas is different. I believe that the wording in the New Translation lends clarity to the verse. It also makes clear that his separation to the gospel is a calling to preach it. Let’s look at what is being said about Paul here.
An Apostle
I believe that the most important thing stated about Paul in this verse is that he is an apostle.
What is an Apostle?
What qualifies one to be an Apostle?
Why were there no Apostles in the Old Testament?
What is the relationship between the prophets in the Old Testament and the disciples in the New Testament and Book of Mormon?
Why do all claims of apostolic succession fail?
What is an Apostle?
I think it best, when trying to understand the idea being conveyed here, to go back to the original manuscript and see what the original word was and what it means.
Original Word: ἀπόστολος
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: apostolos
Pronunciation: ah-POS-toh-los
Phonetic Spelling: (ap-os’-tol-os)
Definition: Apostle
Meaning: a messenger, envoy, delegate, one commissioned by another to represent him in some way, especially a man sent out by Jesus Christ Himself to preach the Gospel; an apostle.Word Origin: Derived from the Greek verb ἀποστέλλω (apostellō), meaning “to send away” or “to send forth.”
Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: While there is no direct Hebrew equivalent for “apostolos,” the concept of being sent with a mission can be related to the Hebrew word שָׁלִיחַ (shalach), meaning “to send.”
Usage: The term “apostolos” refers to one who is sent forth with a specific mission or commission. In the New Testament, it primarily denotes the twelve disciples chosen by Jesus Christ, who were sent out to preach the gospel and establish the early Church. The term is also used more broadly to refer to other key figures in the early Christian movement, such as Paul, who were recognized as having a special commission from Christ.
Cultural and Historical Background: In the Greco-Roman world, the term “apostolos” was used to describe a messenger or envoy sent with authority to represent someone else. In the context of the New Testament, apostles were seen as authoritative representatives of Jesus Christ, entrusted with spreading His teachings and establishing His Church. The role of an apostle was foundational in the early Church, as they were responsible for teaching, guiding, and maintaining the doctrinal purity of the Christian faith.
Strong’s Concordance, Biblehub
From this it is clear that an Apostle is one sent out as an ambassador for the Church of Mashiach. When the Church was being established by Yeshua, he personally called twelve apostles and sent them out. Later Apostles were chosen by a vote of the Quorum or by lots. They are sent out in response to the great commission.
19 ¶ Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Matthew 28:19-20
Contained within the great commission is the message that the apostles were to take to the world. They were to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. They were also to teach all men everywhere to do whatsoever things YHWH (who is also Yeshua) had commanded them. They were to teach people to repent and observe Torah (every word that proceeds from the mouth of God that is not a temporary punishment). Let us examine these two points.
First, they were to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. The prayer to be said when performing this ordinance is given twice in scripture. The first time is in 3 Nephi 11.
23 Verily I say unto you, that whoso repenteth of his sins through your words, and desireth to be baptized in my name, on this wise shall ye baptize them—Behold, ye shall go down and stand in the water, and in my name shall ye baptize them.
24 And now behold, these are the words which ye shall say, calling them by name, saying:
25 Having authority given me of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
26 And then shall ye immerse them in the water, and come forth again out of the water.
27 And after this manner shall ye baptize in my name; for behold, verily I say unto you, that the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost are one; and I am in the Father, and the Father in me, and the Father and I are one.
3 Nephi 11:23-27
I brought in more than just the prayer for a reason. There is a qualification for baptism. One must have repented of their sins. Verse 27 goes over the oneness of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The Father is in the Son and the Son is in the Father. They are two personages in the same being as is shown in the 5th Lecture on Faith. For more on the oneness of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit see the Modalism page on seekingYHWH.org.
2 There are two personages [exterior appearance] who constitute the great, matchless, governing and supreme power over all things—by whom all things were created and made, that are created and made, whether visible or invisible: whether in heaven, on earth, or in the earth, under the earth, or throughout the immensity of space—They are the Father and the Son: The Father being a personage [exterior appearance] of spirit, glory and power: possessing all perfection and fulness: The Son, who was in the bosom of the Father, a personage [exterior appearance] of tabernacle, made, or fashioned like unto man, or being in the form and likeness of man, or, rather, man was formed after his likeness, and in his image;—he is also the express image and likeness of the personage [exterior appearance] of the Father: possessing all the fulness of the Father, or, the same fulness with the Father; being begotten of him, and was ordained from before the foundation of the world to be a propitiation [appeasing] for the sins of all those who should believe on his name, and is called the Son because of the flesh—and descended in suffering below that which man can suffer, or, in other words, suffered greater sufferings, and was exposed to more powerful contradictions than any man can be. But notwithstanding all this, he kept the law of God, and remained without sin: Showing thereby that it is in the power of man to keep the law and remain also without sin. And also, that by him a righteous judgment might come upon all flesh, and that all who walk not in the law of God, may justly be condemned by the law, and have no excuse for their sins. And he being the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, and having overcome, received a fulness of the glory of the Father—possessing the same mind with the Father, which mind is the Holy Spirit, that bears record of the Father and the Son, and these three are one, or in other words, these three constitute the great, matchless, governing and supreme power over all things: by whom all things were created and made, that were created and made: and these three constitute the Godhead, and are one: The Father and the Son possessing the same mind, the same wisdom, glory, power and fulness: Filling all in all—the Son being filled with the fulness of the Mind, glory and power, or, in other words, the Spirit, glory and power of the Father—possessing all knowledge and glory, and the same kingdom: sitting at the right hand of power, in the express image and likeness of the Father—a Mediator for man—being filled with the fulness of the Mind of the Father, or, in other words, the Spirit of the Father: which Spirit is shed forth upon all who believe on his name and keep his commandments: and all those who keep his commandments shall grow up from grace to grace, and become heirs of the heavenly kingdom, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ; possessing the same mind, being transformed into the same image or likeness, even the express image of him who fills all in all: being filled with the fulness of his glory, and become one in him, even as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one.
Lectures on Faith 5:2
The second time we see baptism gone over as an ordinance with set parameters is Doctrine & Covenants section 20.
71 No one can be received into the church of Christ unless he has arrived unto the years of accountability before God, and is capable of repentance.
72 Baptism is to be administered in the following manner unto all those who repent—
73 The person who is called of God and has authority from Jesus Christ to baptize, shall go down into the water with the person who has presented himself or herself for baptism, and shall say, calling him or her by name: Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
74 Then shall he immerse him or her in the water, and come forth again out of the water.
Doctrine & Covenants 20:71-74
Baptism is administered to those who repent. The basics of this are revealed in Torah, especially with the restorations of the New Translation. This is reiterated once again through the messenger, Joseph Smith, for this generation of believers in the Doctrine and Covenants. The baptismal candidate must have come to the age of accountability, which if you are using an inclusive Hebrew count is in your Greek seventh year of age. This is the age at which one begins to have the understanding that there are things that are right and there are things that are wrong. This understanding makes one capable of repentance. Baptizing an infant is an abomination. For more on this see “Inclusive Time” on seeking YHWH.org
8 Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore, little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is taken from them in me, that it hath no power over them; and the law of circumcision is done away in me.
9 And after this manner did the Holy Ghost manifest the word of God unto me; wherefore, my beloved son, I know that it is solemn mockery before God, that ye should baptize little children.
10 Behold I say unto you that this thing shall ye teach—repentance and baptism unto those who are accountable and capable of committing sin; yea, teach parents that they must repent and be baptized, and humble themselves as their little children, and they shall all be saved with their little children.
Moroni 8:8-10
When is the age of accountability?
25 And again, inasmuch as parents have children in Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized, that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands, when eight years old, the sin be upon the heads of the parents.
26 For this shall be a law unto the inhabitants of Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized.
27 And their children shall be baptized for the remission of their sins when eight years old, and receive the laying on of the hands.
Doctrine & Covenants 68:25-27
The above verse tells us that the age for baptism is eight years old. When one takes into account inclusive time this can include anytime within the eighth year. This means that ideally your children should have been raised to be ready to commit to obey YHWH’s commandments by the time they are between exclusive 7 and 8. For those who wish to grouse and moan about the inclusion of the Book of Mormon and Doctrine & Covenants as a means of fleshing out the ordinance of baptism I would ask two questions:
- Do the scriptures cited actually contradict the Bible? No.
- Do they give greater clarity on the matter? Yes.
The other thing brought out in the Bible, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine & Covenants is that baptism is only administered to those who have repented of their sins. Baptism is an outward sign of a covenant that we have made with YHWH that we will keep all of his commandments. The only person for whom this does not include repentance is the sinless Lamb of God, Yeshua ha Mashiach.
What is sin?
4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
1 John 3:4
If the Apostles were teaching that the Torah was done away with, they could not have fulfilled the great commission as they could not have preached repentance. Therefore, they would not have been Apostles for they would not have been preaching the gospel of He who sent them.
17 ¶ Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 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.
19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:17-20
Heaven and Earth are still here. The Torah is still in force. Yeshua is YHWH in the flesh. YHWH is unchanging. He did not deliver a different message to those who would be saints in the New World than that which he delivered in the Old.
As you can see, our discussion on baptism led right into the second point of the great commission. They were to teach people to observe all things that YHWH had commanded them. We could refer again to Matthew 5 but I think it important to go over at this time that the commission for Yeshua’s American apostles was the same as His commission to His Palestinian ones. So let’s look at 3rd Nephi.
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy but to fulfil;
18 For verily I say unto you, one jot nor one tittle hath not passed away from the law, but in me it hath all been fulfilled.
19 And behold, I have given you the law and the commandments of my Father, that ye shall believe in me, and that ye shall repent of your sins, and come unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Behold, ye have the commandments before you, and the law is fulfilled.
20 Therefore come unto me and be ye saved; for verily I say unto you, that except ye shall keep my commandments, which I have commanded you at this time, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
3 Nephi 12:17-20
Rendering the Law completed and thus of no effect is the same as destroying it. Therefore, this is not what fulfilled means.
Fulfilled means fully taught and exemplified so that we may see how those who believe in Yeshua must walk. A broken heart is an obedient heart. A contrite spirit recognizes its sinful condition and need for a Savior. The obedient (broken) heart and penitent (contrite) spirit work together to bring us to that place where we can be saved, have a mighty change of heart, and walk out our faith in our Savior and exemplar by keeping the law.
Keeping the law doesn’t save us. We are saved by the blood of Yeshua through our faith (which is shown as we do what he did, thus taking his name upon us). The extension of mercy, known in various places as either salvation or justification, returns us to a state of innocence wiping the slate of our past sins clean. At this point we are no longer slaves to sin. We keep the law because it is the revelation of YHWH / Yeshua’s character, and we desire to take his name upon us. If we do not walk as He walked, then we will never have His name upon us. One of the definitions of name points to character and reputation. Definitions 5 and 9 in the 1828 Webster’s Dictionary are particularly good for pointing this out.
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
1 John 2:3-6
This is basically the message that an Apostle commissioned of Yeshua Ha Mashiach will preach.
What Qualifies One to be an Apostle ?
Yeshua chose twelve disciples who were chosen through the foreknowledge of Elohim to fulfill this role.
3 And this is the manner after which they were ordained—being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; in the first place being left to choose good or evil; therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceedingly great faith, are called with a holy calling, yea, with that holy calling which was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such.
Alma 13:3
In the eyes of the world, these apostles were twelve random guys including fishermen, a zealot, and a tax collector, among other occupations. These men were not considered legal scholars or great teachers. They would become such but at the time of their choosing they had none of these qualifications. They were instructed by The Father on the nature of their master and this is recorded in at least one place.
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 16:15-17
As time progressed, the heart of Judas Iscariot changed and he would betray Yeshua for thirty pieces of silver.
31 Nevertheless, Judas Iscariot, even one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests to betray Jesus unto them; for he turned away from him and was offended because of his words.
Mark 14:31, New Translation
When Judas killed himself and there was a vacancy among the twelve apostles, they sought to fill it. They chose some qualifications which are written down as to who they would extend this call to.
21 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.
Acts 1:21-22
When they were looking for a replacement for Judas that replacement also had to be from among those disciples who had personally seen all of Yeshua’s works during his mortal ministry, meaning his daily walk as is evidenced by the use of the words “went in and out among us.” They also needed to have a personal witness of the resurrection having seen the resurrected Yeshua as per verse 22.
More light is shed on the qualifications for this work in the Book of Mormon as Yeshua calls twelve disciples there as well. He delivers instructions concerning baptism and the foundation of the gospel and then we see this:
1 And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words unto Nephi, and to those who had been called, (now the number of them who had been called, and received power and authority to baptize, was twelve) and behold, he stretched forth his hand unto the multitude, and cried unto them, saying: Blessed are ye if ye shall give heed unto the words of these twelve whom I have chosen from among you to minister unto you, and to be your servants; and unto them I have given power that they may baptize you with water; and after that ye are baptized with water, behold, I will baptize you with fire and with the Holy Ghost; therefore blessed are ye if ye shall believe in me and be baptized, after that ye have seen me and know that I am.
3 Nephi 12:1
What did Yeshua instruct them in?
They received power and directions on baptism:
21 And the Lord said unto him: I give unto you power that ye shall baptize this people when I am again ascended into heaven.
22 And again the Lord called others, and said unto them likewise; and he gave unto them power to baptize. And he said unto them: On this wise shall ye baptize; and there shall be no disputations among you.
23 Verily I say unto you, that whoso repenteth of his sins through your words, and desireth to be baptized in my name, on this wise shall ye baptize them—Behold, ye shall go down and stand in the water, and in my name shall ye baptize them.
24 And now behold, these are the words which ye shall say, calling them by name, saying:
25 Having authority given me of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
26 And then shall ye immerse them in the water, and come forth again out of the water.
27 And after this manner shall ye baptize in my name; for behold, verily I say unto you, that the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost are one; and I am in the Father, and the Father in me, and the Father and I are one.
3 Nephi 11:21-27
They are given instruction on the relationship between the Father and the Son:
27 And after this manner shall ye baptize in my name; for behold, verily I say unto you, that the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost are one; and I am in the Father, and the Father in me, and the Father and I are one.
3 Nephi 11:27
Finally, they are given the gospel.
31 Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, I will declare unto you my doctrine.
32 And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me.
33 And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God.
34 And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned.
35 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and I bear record of it from the Father; and whoso believeth in me believeth in the Father also; and unto him will the Father bear record of me, for he will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost.
36 And thus will the Father bear record of me, and the Holy Ghost will bear record unto him of the Father and me; for the Father, and I, and the Holy Ghost are one.
37 And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name, or ye can in nowise receive these things.
38 And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.
39 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.
40 And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them
3 Nephi 11:31-40
In addition, they had received a personal witness of the resurrection of Yeshua through their own experience.
13 And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto them saying:
14 Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world.
15 And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come.
16 And when they had all gone forth and had witnessed for themselves, they did cry out with one accord, saying:
17 Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High God! And they did fall down at the feet of Jesus, and did worship him.
3 Nephi 11:13-17
From this we can gather that an Apostle must have a knowledge of the nature of the relationship of the Father to the Son. They must have been given authority to baptize. Finally, they must have an in-depth knowledge of the gospel as well as a personal witness of the reality of the resurrection of Yeshua. People are blessed when they give heed to actual Apostles, repent, and are baptized.
More light is shed on the qualifications for this calling in the Doctrine & Covenants:
23 The twelve traveling councilors are called to be the Twelve Apostles, or special witnesses of the name [character] of Christ in all the world—thus differing from other officers in the church in the duties of their calling.
30 The decisions of these quorums, or either of them, are to be made in all righteousness, in holiness, and lowliness of heart, meekness and long-suffering, and in faith, and virtue, and knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity;
Doctrine and Covenants 107:23,30
Not only are apostles meant to be a special witness of the truth and verity of the resurrection, but they must also be a special witness for the name or character of Yeshua Ha Mashiach to all of the world teaching all men to walk as Yeshua walked. The focus is on those outside the church but, as we see from the epistles of Paul, they can be of use to the membership of the church as well. This means teaching all mankind to keep Torah.
Righteousness is found in obedience to the Torah.
172 My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.
Psalm 119:172
The set apart way involves walking by Torah or every word that proceeds from the mouth of Elohim.
3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.
Deuteronomy 8:3
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Matthew 4:4
Meekness is humble obedience to the word of Elohim.
Faith is Trust in Elohim to fulfill His promises evidenced in diligent obedience to the Law upon which those promises are predicated.
15 ¶ See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;
16 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.
17 But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them;
18 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.
19 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:
20 That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
8 And again, I say unto you, I give unto you a new commandment, that you may understand my will concerning you;
9 Or, in other words, I give unto you directions how you may act before me, that it may turn to you for your salvation.
10 I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.
Doctrine and Covenants 82:8-10
The Hebrew word for Charity is Tzedakah. This word means right action. Yeshua defined Charity.
15 ¶ If ye love me, keep my commandments.
John 14:15
John also defines Charity in his epistle.
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
1 John 2:3-6
Paul instructs us on charity.
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
1 Corinthians 13:1-8
Paul here states emphatically that signs, wonders, and prophecy may end but, in light of what Yeshua has taught, the commandments and standard of right conduct will never end. There is also contained here excellent instruction on the Spirit in which we should obey.
The prophet Mormon reiterates this teaching with some insights of his own.
45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—
47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.
Moroni 7:45-47
Mormon brings charity back to the teaching that Yeshua gave at the beginning of this chain. If we have charity, we keep Torah. This includes giving to those in need and all other tithes and offerings.
Given that Apostles must have a special witness of the truth and verity of the resurrection then how is Paul qualified. He heard the voice of the resurrected Messiah on the road to Damascus.
3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
Acts 9:3-7
What are Paul’s moral qualifications?
14 But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:
15 And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.
Acts 24:14-15
Belief, in the Hebrew thought pattern, is more than mental assent. It is found in conforming one’s life to that which is believed. The heresy referenced in Acts 24:14 is the resurrection of Yeshua from the dead being the first fruits of them that slept.
7 And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove.
8 While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Cæsar, have I offended any thing at all.
Acts 25:7-8
The Jews accused Paul of teaching that the Law was not to be followed by the sect that they referred to as Nazarenes, or those who believe in Yeshua as the Messiah. They could not prove this any more than Pauline Christianity can prove it scripturally. Paul asserts that he has kept the Law. If he is telling the truth, then he is truly qualified to be an apostle being possessed of charity. If he is lying, then Pauline Christianity is guilty of following a false prophet who is possessed of a lying spirit.
Paul was telling the truth about himself. He was a qualified apostle in every sense having experienced the resurrected Messiah and having kept and taught the Law as relevant and the revelation of the mind and will of Elohim, or in other words the revelation of the Holy Spirit.
Why were there no Apostles in the Old Testament?
For this question to be answered it requires us to take a look at the history of priesthood administration. The Melchizedek Priesthood is the power of godliness which administers in the ordinances thereof. These ordinances are the baptism of fire and the baptism of the Holy Spirit as well as the law.
18 And the Lord confirmed a priesthood also upon Aaron and his seed, throughout all their generations, which priesthood also continueth and abideth forever with the priesthood which is after the holiest order of God.
19 And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God.
20 Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.
21 And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh;
22 For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live.
Doctrine and Covenants 84:18-22
This priesthood was given to Adam by YHWH’s own voice.
66 And he heard a voice out of heaven, saying: Thou art baptized with fire, and with the Holy Ghost. This is the record of the Father, and the Son, from henceforth and forever;
67 And thou art after the order of him who was without beginning of days or end of years, from all eternity to all eternity.
68 Behold, thou art one in me, a son of God; and thus may all become my sons. Amen.
Moses 6:66-68
Just like with Yeshua it was given by the voice of our Elohim.
20 And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest:
21 (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:)
22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.
Hebrews 7:20-22
This priesthood was also conferred upon the righteous posterity of Adam even down to Noah. This ordination, or initiation, or instruction is often given under the hand of a mortal man who already has it. The phrase “under the hand” comes from a Hebrew idiom meaning “through the teachings.” This is informative because the ordination occurs after the individual has received instruction.
41 This order was instituted in the days of Adam, and came down by lineage in the following manner:
42 From Adam to Seth, who was ordained by Adam at the age of sixty-nine years, and was blessed by him three years previous to his (Adam’s) death, and received the promise of God by his father, that his posterity should be the chosen of the Lord, and that they should be preserved unto the end of the earth;
43 Because he (Seth) was a perfect man, and his likeness was the express likeness of his father, insomuch that he seemed to be like unto his father in all things, and could be distinguished from him only by his age.
44 Enos was ordained at the age of one hundred and thirty-four years and four months, by the hand of Adam.
45 God called upon Cainan in the wilderness in the fortieth year of his age; and he met Adam in journeying to the place Shedolamak. He was eighty-seven years old when he received his ordination.
46 Mahalaleel was four hundred and ninety-six years and seven days old when he was ordained by the hand of Adam, who also blessed him.
47 Jared was two hundred years old when he was ordained under the hand of Adam, who also blessed him.
48 Enoch was twenty-five years old when he was ordained under the hand of Adam; and he was sixty-five and Adam blessed him.
49 And he saw the Lord, and he walked with him, and was before his face continually; and he walked with God three hundred and sixty-five years, making him four hundred and thirty years old when he was translated.
50 Methuselah was one hundred years old when he was ordained under the hand of Adam.
51 Lamech was thirty-two years old when he was ordained under the hand of Seth.
52 Noah was ten years old when he was ordained under the hand of Methuselah.
Doctrine and Covenants 107:41-52
While the Melchizedek Priesthood is given by the voice of our Elohim, to be authorized to use this priesthood within a calling within the church one must also be ordained to that calling under the hand of one already having been given that authority.
38 What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.
Doctrine and Covenants 1:38
Abraham sought and received the Melchizedek Priesthood.
2 And, finding there was greater happiness and peace and rest for me, I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same; having been myself a follower of righteousness, desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge, and to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace, and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers.
Abraham 1:2
He received it under the hand of Melchizedek, the great High Priest after whom the order was named in order to avoid vain repetition of the name of the Son.
25 And Melchizedek lifted up his voice and blessed Abram.
Genesis 14:25-40, New Translation
26 Now Melchizedek was a man of faith who wrought righteousness; and when a child, he feared God, and stopped the mouths of lions, and quenched the violence of fire.
27 And thus having been approved of God, he was ordained a high priest after the order of the covenant which God made with Enoch,
28 It being after the order of the Son of God, which order came not by man, nor the will of man, neither by father nor mother, neither by beginnin of days nor end of years, but of God.
29 And it was delivered unto men by the calling of His own voice, according to His own will, unto as many as believed on His name –
30 For God, having sworn unto Enoch and unto his seed with an oath by Himself that everyone being ordained after this order and calling should have power, by faith, to break mountains, to divide the seas, to dry up waters, to turn them out of their course,
31 To put at defiance the armies of nations, to divide the earth, to break every band, to stand in the presence of God, to do all things according to His will, according to His command, subdue principalities and powers; an this by the will of the Son of God which was from before the foundation of the world.
32 And men having this faith, coming up unto this order of God, were translated and taken up into heaven.
33 And now, Melchizedek was a priest of this order; therefore, he obtained peace in Salem and was called the prince of peace.
34 And his people wrought righteousness, and obtained heaven, and sought for the city of Enoch which God had before taken, separating it from the earth, having preserved it unto the latter days, or the end of the world.
35 And hath said, and sworn with an oath, that the heavens and earth should come together and the Sons of God should be tried so as by fire.
36 And this Melchizedek, having thus established righteousness, was called the king of heaven by his people, or, in other words, the king of peace.
37 And he lifted up his voice, and he blessed Abram, being the High Priest and keeper of the storehouse of God.
38 Him whom God had appointed to receive tithes for the poor.
39 Wherefore, Abram paid unto him tithes of all that he had, of all the riches which he possessed, which God had given him more than that which he had need.
40 And it came to pass that God blessed Abram and gave unto him riches, and honor, and lands for an everlasting possession, according to the covenant which he had made and according to the blessing werewith Melchizedek had blessed him.
2 Why the first is called the Melchizedek Priesthood is because Melchizedek was such a great high priest.
3 Before his day it was called the Holy Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God.
4 But out of respect or reverence to the name of the Supreme Being, to avoid the too frequent repetition of his name, they, the church, in ancient days, called that priesthood after Melchizedek, or the Melchizedek Priesthood.
Doctrine and Covenants 107:2-4
The patriarchs all sought and received the Melchizedek priesthood and the miracles that Moses wrought under the hand of our Elohim are a testament to the fact that he had it. Something happened along the way, however, and a punishment was enacted against the children of Israel that caused this Melchizedek Priesthood to be withdrawn from the midst of the people at large.
1 And the Lord said unto Moses, Hew thee two other tables of stone like unto the first, and I will write upon them also the words of the law, according as they were written at the first on the tables which thou brakest; but it shall not be according to the first, for I will take away the priesthood out of their midst; therefore, my holy order and the ordinances thereof shall not go before them; for my presence shall not go up in their midst, lest I destroy them.
Exodus 34:1-2, New Translation
2 But I will [future tense indicating at a future time] give unto them the law as at the first [as YHWH gave Torah to Adam and as He first gave it to Moses], but it shall be after [in terms of time] the law of a carnal commandment [Law of Moses, Torah plus punishments]; for I have sworn in my wrath that they shall not enter into my presence, into my rest, in the days of their pilgrimage [mortality]. Therefore do as I have commanded thee; and be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount.
23 Now this Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God;
24 But they hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence; therefore, the Lord in his wrath, for his anger was kindled against them, swore that they should not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fulness of his glory.
25 Therefore, he took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also;
26 And the lesser priesthood continued, which priesthood holdeth the key of the ministering of angels and the preparatory gospel;
27 Which gospel is the gospel of repentance and of baptism, and the remission of sins, and the law of carnal commandments, which the Lord in his wrath caused to continue with the house of Aaron among the children of Israel until John, whom God raised up, being filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother’s womb.
Doctrine and Covenants 84:23-27
We learn from verse one of Exodus 34 in the New Translation that the holy order or Melchizedek Priesthood was held back from the children of Israel, as a whole, because of their disobedience and lack of faith / faithfulness. This is corroborated in more modern revelation given by YHWH to the prophet Joseph Smith.
18 And the Lord confirmed a priesthood also upon Aaron and his seed, throughout all their generations, which priesthood also continueth and abideth forever with the priesthood which is after the holiest order of God.
19 And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God.
20 Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.
21 And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh;
22 For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live.
26 And the lesser priesthood continued, which priesthood holdeth the key of the ministering of angels and the preparatory gospel;
27 Which gospel is the gospel of repentance and of baptism, and the remission of sins, and the law of carnal commandments, which the Lord in his wrath caused to continue with the house of Aaron among the children of Israel until John, whom God raised up, being filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother’s womb.
Doctrine and Covenants 84:18-22,26-27
This section of the Doctrine and Covenants points to the key differences between the Melchizedek Priesthood and the Levitical Priesthood or Aaronic Priesthood, which is a lesser and preparatory priesthood that governed over the sacrificial system of the tabernacle, including the additional offerings begun as a reminding and teaching punishment for their transgression at Sinai that was designed to stir Israel up daily in remembrance of their duty to Elohim. How do we know what offerings were added to the law at Sinai? The Torah tells us.
6 It is a continual burnt offering, which was ordained [begun or initiated] in mount Sinai for a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord.
Numbers 28:6
The above verse is not talking about the beginning of the Aaronic Priesthood rather the beginning of a series of offerings given in punishment for Israel’s disobedience and performed by the tribe of Levi to whom the Aaronic priesthood was restricted following the transgression at Sinai. The rest of Numbers 28 details what was initiated at Sinai in terms of offerings. One of the other things initiated at Sinai was the limitation of the Aaronic Priesthood to the Levites. Before Sinai, YHWH had commanded all of Israel to offer their firstborn to be lesser priests. This change came about at the base of Sinai because the Levites had demonstrated repentance and loyalty to YHWH and Moses even enacting punishment upon 3,000 of the worst idolaters. The other tribes did not, and the unfaithful tribes were excluded from receiving the Aaronic Priesthood. The Melchizedek Priesthood or Holy Order after the Son of God has always been available to men who live up to it. The miracles performed by the prophets in the Old Testament could not have been done without it. Unfaithfulness kept the Melchizedek Priesthood from the people as a whole but there is evidence that the prophets held it. It is also readily apparent that the Kings of Israel held it as well. The advent of the crucifixion of Yeshua marks the end of the Law of Moses, which is Torah plus the punishments of circumcision and the daily offerings of Lambs between the mornings and between the evenings as well as the Aaronic Priesthood curse against all who are not of the Tribe of Levi. While there is no scripture that speaks of the ending of that curse explicitly I believe that it can be shown in several New Testament references including 1 Peter 2:9-10, written not to Levites but to converted Gentiles among the dispersion of Israel.
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
1 Peter 2:9-10
I am positive that the restriction would have to have been lifted in order for the Aaronic Priesthood to be restored to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. The word “until” that we read about in verse 27 from section 84 can mean through the time of. Nothing in verse 27 indicates that the end of the curses was at John’s birth or death. Paul specifically said that the punishments and curses, or “handwriting of ordinances that was against us”, associated with the Law of Moses (Torah plus punishments) ended at the cross.
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
Colossians 2:14
Why is this important? There was not enough faithfulness in Israel for there to be enough holders of the Melchizedek Priesthood to see to the needs of the believers thus establishing the Church of Meshiach, let alone have men selected from their number to be Apostles.
It should be remarked, however, that while the Lord [YHWH] took Moses out of the midst of ancient Israel, and the Holy Melchizedek Priesthood also, as an institution, as an organization, it is evident that subsequently special dispensations of that Priesthood were given to individual prophets, such as Samuel, Nathan, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel: for these men exercised powers and enjoyed privileges which belong exclusively to the Melchizedek Priesthood.
Words of Joseph Smith – Deluxe Study Edition
With Yeshua’s foreknowledge that faithfulness would increase and the curse be lifted, he began the process of calling apostles and seventies whose authority is found as an office of the Melchizedek Priesthood setting a precedent before his death and resurrection that would be followed in the church afterwards.
The Melchizedek Priesthood administers in the realm of Justification (baptism of fire) and Sanctification (baptism of the Holy Spirit) while the Aaronic Priesthood deals in the outward signs of the covenant including baptisms, sacrament, and (when restored) animal sacrifice as a sign that you have confessed your sin to God and man and have made restitution to the best of your ability thus showing that you have done what you can and leaving the forgiveness in the hands of YHWH who always forgives the soul that has truly repented of their sins.
Another difference between the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods is that Aaronic Priesthood is conferred by the laying on of hands without an oath. Melchizedek Priesthood is given by YHWH’s own voice and with an oath and covenant. It is given by Elohim to men to point us to Yeshua and to what we can look to for our redemption as is shown in the following citation:
20 And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest:
21 (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:)
22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.
Hebrews 7:20-22
42 And wo unto all those who come not unto this priesthood which ye have received, which I now confirm upon you who are present this day, by mine own voice out of the heavens; and even I have given the heavenly hosts and mine angels charge concerning you.
Doctrine and Covenants 84:42
For more information on receiving the Melchizedek Priesthood by YHWH’s own voice see Priesthood – Seeking YHWH.
The above citations from Hebrews and Doctrine and Covenants also show why Yeshua had to ordain the Apostles. The priesthood under which Apostleship falls is Melchizedek. It had to be conferred upon them by the voice of YHWH or his servants.
38 What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.
Doctrine and Covenants 1:38
The Melchizedek Priesthood being restored meant that the fulness of the priesthood was again available (because righteousness was increasing), and Apostles could be called to be sent out to the world as ambassadors of the Kingdom of Heaven preaching the good news (gospel) and instructing all who would choose to obey, the way (Torah). When the Melchizedek Priesthood is generally available you will always find apostles.
The purpose of the Melchizedek Priesthood is to teach holiness, call repentance, and provide an example to look to of being like Yeshua. Apostles were called, like Yeshua, to their callings before the foundations of the world were laid as stated in Alma Chapter 13 verse 2. Alma 13:18 talks about how those who receive the Melchizedek Priesthood (which you need to be an apostle) received the call to preach repentance due to having exercised faith, which is trust in YHWH coupled with diligent obedience to every word which proceeds from His mouth.
1 And again, my brethren, I would cite your minds forward to the time when the Lord God gave these commandments unto his children; and I would that ye should remember that the Lord God ordained priests, after his holy order, which was after the order of his Son, to teach these things unto the people.
2 And those priests were ordained after the order of his Son, in a manner that thereby the people might know in what manner to look forward to his Son for redemption.
Alma 13:1-2
18 But Melchizedek having exercised mighty faith, and received the office of the high priesthood according to the holy order of God, did preach repentance unto his people. And behold, they did repent; and Melchizedek did establish peace in the land in his days; therefore he was called the prince of peace, for he was the king of Salem; and he did reign under his father.
Alma 13:18
1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:1
What is the relationship between prophets and apostles?
It is plain to see, from the scriptural record, that when the Kingdom of Heaven is in good order not every Apostle is a prophet. It is also plain to see, from that same scriptural record, that not every prophet is an apostle.
This is due to the fact that the calling of Apostle is an office within the Melchizedek Priesthood that is brought about when the Church of Mashiach is to be established. Remember that the original twelve apostles were called by Yeshua before there was a church. This is because it is the calling of Apostles to establish the church from the world. When the appointed time comes for a restoration of Torah, YHWH/ Yeshua calls Apostles himself. After the church is established vacancies within the quorum are filled by the method determined by the vote of the quorum. When there is not enough faithfulness among YHWH’s people for the Church of Mashiach to be established, which unfaithfulness results in the Melchizedek Priesthood being withheld from the people at large there are not enough Melchizedek Priesthood holders to sustain the Church let alone call some from out of their number to be Apostles; aka sent ones.
While the apostolic calling is an office within the Church of Mashiach, being a prophet is a calling directly from the mouth of Elohim. While the first apostles were chosen by YHWH/Yeshua Himself, later apostles were called by the other apostles according to the voice of the quorum. The President of the Church is always called by the voice of the church and upheld in the confidence of the same, at least that is the way it is supposed to be, for scriptural support for this see Seeking YHWH Church Government. Among other things, a prophet is a messenger for Elohim and will receive the Melchizedek Priesthood upon or before receiving his calling from YHWH even though the rest of Israel is under condemnation. In order for an individual to be called to be a prophet they must have the Melchizedek Priesthood given to them. This is done by the voice of Elohim. There are reports of prophets outside of the apostles in the New Testament Church. A good portion of the Old Testament is the recorded words of the prophets. Prophets exist independent of the called-out assembly or church and have always been the means for keeping the church on the straight and narrow. When the twelve apostles were called in the New Testament, they were called by the original prophet like unto Moses, Yeshua.
23 Behold, I am he of whom Moses spake, saying: A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that every soul who will not hear that prophet shall be cut off from among the people.
3 Nephi 20:23
Why Do All Claims of Apostolic Succession Fail?
In order to answer this question, one must internalize and understand the answers to the previous questions and points discussed in this post. Are the same doctrines taught in the organizations that claim apostolic succession as were taught by the Savior and the apostles? It is readily apparent that the Catholic, Greek Orthodox, LDS, and any other sect that claims apostolic succession do not have doctrines, practices, and ceremonies that are similar to those put forward in the Bible, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine & Covenants and therefore are different from those which apostles of YHWH / Yeshua would teach. True apostles of YHWH / Yeshua would teach according to his already revealed mind and will, or Torah. If the doctrines, practice, and ceremonies don’t align with that which YHWH has already revealed, that please him, aka Torah, then you have a failure to remain within apostolic teaching. For more information on Christianity’s variance from biblical teaching I would refer you to Frank Viola’s Pagan Christianity.
The next failure that we must examine is the characters of the men from whom stem the teachings of the organizations that claim apostolic succession. Did these men walk in obedience to every word that had proceeded from the mouth of YHWH, or did they excuse their sins? You will find that almost, if not completely, universally they excused worshipping as the pagans did. Many of these teachers had morality issues, and most have called the revealed mind and will of Elohim, known as Torah, to be inferior to Greek morality and thought. Many have used their esteemed positions within the church to hide their sins. This invalidates their priesthood.
36 That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.
37 That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man.
38 Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God.
39 We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.
Doctrine and Covenants 121:36-39
Verse 37 uses the word “Amen” in an unusual way. Amen is typically used at the end of prayers as an assent to that which has been prayed. It is a shorthand way of saying, “let it be so.” Here it is being used to indicate a heavenly cessation, or stopping, of a man’s priesthood and authority. In no other place in scripture is this use of amen indicated. You do often see amen used at the end of Psalms bringing them to a close, but it is always in that sense of, “let it be so,” that we have already talked about. It is always isolated and never found in the middle of a sentence. Why is Elohim using amen in this sense in this verse?
The word amen when spoken at the end of a prayer indicates an assent to all that has been prayed and should carry in it an ultimate submission to the will of the Father, whom you have petitioned with your prayer. What I see being expressed here is that when men try to use YHWH’s priesthood in any degree of unrighteousness then, according as YHWH has decreed, so shall their priesthood be invalidated.
For example, Judas Iscariot was called with the same calling as the other apostles but was offended by Yeshua later, betrayed him, took his own life and for this cause lost his priesthood.
31 Nevertheless, Judas Iscariot, even one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests to betray Jesus unto them; for he turned away from him and was offended because of his words.
Mark 14:31, New Translation
16 Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.
17 For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.
18 Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.
19 And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood.
20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.
Acts 1:16-20
Furthermore, when Israel violated the covenant and betrayed YHWH at the base of Mount Sinai, YHWH took the Melchizedek Priesthood from their midst, as a whole, though Moses still had it and Joshua received it.
25 Therefore, he took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also;
26 And the lesser priesthood continued, which priesthood holdeth the key of the ministering of angels and the preparatory gospel;
27 Which gospel is the gospel of repentance and of baptism, and the remission of sins, and the law of carnal commandments, which the Lord in his wrath caused to continue with the house of Aaron among the children of Israel until John, whom God raised up, being filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother’s womb.
Doctrine and Covenants 84:25-27
From this decree of what happens to the Melchizedek Priesthood in the face of rebellion and unfaithfulness we can get a context for how amen is used in verse 37 of section 121. The decree of Elohim is that the rebellious and unfaithful cannot wield His power.
This leads us straight into the third point of failure for all organizations that claim authority due to apostolic succession. Their priesthood has failed because they are rebellious and unfaithful. They were unfaithful because they broke His commandments and taught others to do the same.
17 ¶ Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 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.
19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:17-20
21 ¶ Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Matthew 7:21-23
The Melchizedek Priesthood is given by YHWH’s own voice. Wicked and sinful man cannot stand in the presence of YHWH. They will be consumed. Therefore, the rebellious and unfaithful will not receive the Melchizedek Priesthood and they will lose the ability to pass it on when they forsake YHWH.
Let’s Bring This Back to Paul
So, how does all of this apply to Paul? Very simply, in order for Paul’s claim that he is an apostle to not be invalidated, he would have to teach to come under Yeshua’s covering for justification and keeping Torah, like Yeshua did, as the walk of faith that leads to sanctification. He would have to be living these principles, and he would have to have received the apostolic calling from YHWH or his authorized servants as taught in Doctrine and Covenants 1:38. He also has to have a personal witness of the physical reality of the resurrection.
38 What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.
Doctrine and Covenants 1:38
From this we can gather that, as a true Apostle of Yeshua ha Mashiach, Paul was in favor of the ongoing validity of Torah, though he did preach against the continued practice of the punishment that was the Law of Moses, and he taught against the oral torah, and that he strove to practice Torah as faithfully as His master Yeshua did. He was called by Yeshua himself and ordained in the calling by Yeshua’s authorized servants. It was known to the people that he had authority in the Torah based sect known as Nazarenes.
From this we can also deduce that the mainstream representation of Paul’s teachings is faulty. It has been handed down to them from the unlearned and unstable Early Christian Fathers, who were the founders of apostasy within the ranks of the Nazarenes. Their understanding of Paul’s words sets him at odds with his master and himself, which is illogical. We do need to understand that even Paul’s brethren among the apostles said that Paul’s words were hard to understand without proper education and grounding in the law.
15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.
2 Peter 3:15-17
The greek word that the KJV translates as simply wicked is athesmos. Athesmos is more properly translated as lawless. So, when someone provides an interpretation of Paul’s words that points to him teaching the error of lawlessness, Peter in 2 Peter 3:15-17 is telling you that their understanding of Paul is off. They need to go back to the drawing board and take into account that every word of Elohim is still valid and from this perspective come to a better understanding of what Paul is actually saying.
Paul did not teach people lawlessness. He did teach them that the punishments enacted from, and added to, Torah were done away with, having been brought to an end when Yeshua took the sins of the faithful upon Him at the cross, but he did not teach the Nazarenes to abandon Torah. He taught them to follow him as he followed Yeshua.
1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:1
If Paul had been teaching people to turn away from the Torah he would have been at odds with his master and thus by his own words, we would not have to follow him. He was not at odds with Yeshua but, as we will find as we go through Romans, in coming posts, his teachings are in line with Yeshua and Torah.
I encourage everyone who reads this to reconsider the lens from which they understand the words of Paul. Reconciliation of the word is possible if we are not looking for excuses to invalidate that which we do not want to follow.
Eternal Torah, the Mind and Will of God 