A Review of Daniel Thomas Lancaster’s book: Restoration: Returning the Torah of God to the Disciples of Jesus

by Benjamin McCay

 

I’ve been a serious student of Scripture for about 8 years. After reading this book, I must confess that it is the most Biblically sound book I’ve ever read in my life.  It challenges the foundations of Christian theology.  I guarantee that you will not be able to create a sound Scriptural argument against the theology presented in Lancaster’s book – try it and see for yourself.

 

A discussion of Church history is found near the beginning of the book, showing the regression of Christianity over the years.  It explains in depth how Christianity was simply a sect of Torah-keeping individuals who also possessed faith in Messiah Yeshua.  Eventually, through persecutions from both the state and the non-believing Jews, this “Messianic” sect was pushed in another direction; many of the “church fathers” forsook parts of Torah, and a new religion developed, called “Christianity.”

 

The writings of the Apostles assume the believers to be a sect within the larger religion of Judaism.  Jesus was actually a Jewish teacher of Torah.  He kept the Torah, taught the Torah, and lived by the Torah.  He taught His disciples to keep the Torah in imitation of Him. …  He did not institute a new religion, nor did He cancel the Torah.  Instead, He sought to bring restoration to the ancient faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  His followers, the Apostles and the believers, also remained within the parameters of normative, first-century Jewish expression.  They met daily in the Temple.  They congregated in synagogues.  They proclaimed the Scriptures of Israel.  They kept the biblical festivals, the Sabbaths, the dietary laws and the whole of Torah as best they were able.  When non-Jews began to enter the faith through the ministry of Paul of Tarsus, they too congregated in synagogues and embraced the standards of biblical Judaism.  They understood themselves to be ‘grafted in’ (Rom. 11:17) to Israel and made citizens of the larger ‘commonwealth of Israel’ (Eph. 2:12-13). (p. 14)

 

Torah is foundational to all of the New Testament writings, and without it the writings have no support on which to base their arguments.  In regard to the separation of the Covenants, Lancaster writes:

 

It is not quite correct to equate the Torah and the old covenant because there is Torah in the new covenant too.  Nevertheless, it is correct to think of the Torah as God’s covenant with Israel.  According to Jeremiah, Paul and the writer of Hebrews, the newness or oldness of the covenant depends on where one stands in regard to Messiah.  Old Covenant:  The attempt to keep the Torah according to the covenant at Sinai without realization of Messiah, resulting in condemnation.  New Covenant:  The writing of the Torah on our hearts through the realization of Messiah according to the covenant in Jeremiah 31, resulting in salvation. (p. 33)

 

The “law of love” is often believed to be different from and superior to Torah.  Concerning this Lancaster says, “So what is real love?  The commandments are acts of real love.  Love is not the replacement of the Torah; it is the summary of the Torah.  Or, as Akiva put it:  It is the greatest principle of the Torah.” (p. 40)

 

Lancaster also discusses some background of Torah and its main purpose.  He writes:

 

When God revealed Himself to us, He did not give us a systematic theology, creeds, recipes or diagrams.  He gave us a legal code.  He gave us laws.  Yet they are more than just laws intended to tidy up human society.  They are actual pieces of godliness.  Each commandment is a small revelation of God.  More than just a rule for governing human behavior, the laws of Torah are a reflection of the Lawgiver. … When God broke the silence and spoke to His creation at Mount Sinai, the words He spoke were the fullness of His heart.  Each law, each commandment, no matter how small or seemingly irrelevant, is actually a piece of revelation from God, an overflowing of His heart. … Because Torah is both law and revelation, it functions in a dual capacity.  On one hand, it is a rule of conduct by which we are held accountable.  On the other hand, it is the expression of God in human terms.  Torah is more than just legal formulations; it is the revealed person of God dressed in laws and commandments.  It is His spoken word written down, His self-disclosure to the world.  When one realizes that Torah is God’s self-disclosure to the world, one must also recognize the enormous gravity of declaring parts of that same Torah null or void.  Even the smallest commandment of the Torah is suffused with godliness.  To declare any commandment as irrelevant or obsolete is to deny the eternal and unchanging nature of God.  As soon as we begin to discard commandments, we have begun editing God.  We have started reshaping God into an image we deem more appropriate.… When we try to change the Torah or do away with a commandment, it is actually God we are trying to change or do away with. (p. 61-62 bold added)

 

The Sabbath commandment is discussed by Lancaster in chapter 8.  He states:

 

Nowhere in the Bible does it say, or even imply, that Yeshua or His followers met and worshipped on Sunday.  Keeping the Sabbath day is one of the most often-repeated commandments in the Bible.  If Messiah or the Apostles meant to change the Sabbath, they would have made the change explicit, and they would have provided compelling teaching to explain why this frequently repeated commandment of the law no longer applies.  They did not.  In fact, neither Yeshua nor the Apostles regarded Sunday as the Sabbath day.  It is not in the Bible.  The move to Sunday happened after the days of the Apostles. (p. 83 bold added)

 

The festivals and their spiritual implications for Messianic believers are described in chapter 9.  The feasts are part of God’s calendar as opposed to the world’s calendar, and as a result they should be kept.  Lancaster points out,  “[The festivals] are God’s appointed times for doing business.  They are His appointed times for the work of redemption.  They teach us about the work of Yeshua.  That is why Paul told the Corinthians to keep Messiah in mind as they celebrated the feast (1 Cor. 5:7-8).” (p. 91)

 

The “letter of the law” in relation to the “spirit of the law” is discussed next. Lancaster explains how they are both equally part of Torah.  An illustration he uses is the life of Solomon and how he broke the “letter of the law” (specifically Deut. 17:17), while still thinking he could keep the “spirit of the law.” But in the end this led to Solomon’s downfall.  Lancaster states, “The Rule of Law is the most basic and fundamental ethic of the Torah.  Without the Rule of Law, the ethics of the Torah are reduced to simply good advice … the Ten Commandments become the Ten Suggestions.” (p. 121)

 

Chapter 12 discusses a few common difficulties that Westerners have with the Torah, such as sacrifices, slavery, dietary laws, etc.   He makes the comment:

 

Yeshua’s sacrifice fulfilled the symbolic components of the sacrificial system.  But fulfilling and obsolescing are two different things.  The book of Acts shows us that the believers engaged in the Jerusalem Temple system long after the death and resurrection of the Master [Acts 2:46, 3:1, 5:42, 21:26, 25:8].  Obviously they did not regard the Temple worship as obsolete. (p. 129)

 

The Oral Torah discussion is next.  Lancaster explains how Yeshua at times did follow the Oral Torah, however He did not adhere to it when it was in direct contradiction to the written Torah.  Lancaster views the Oral Torah as decent explanations (at times) of how to follow specific commandments in the written Torah that are vague and without specific instructions.  For example, the Passover meal is not talked about much in the written Torah; there is not even any mention of drinking wine at the seder.  But the Oral Torah contains instructions for holding a seder, and includes the wine, which Yeshua apparently followed.  Also, Yeshua said to “take His yoke” (Mt. 11:28-30); Lancaster mentions, “In Jewish literature, the yoke is a common metaphor used to refer to the Torah; specifically the application of Torah.” [m.Avot 3:5; b.Berachot 12b; b.Yoma 85b; b.Yevamoth 47b; b.Sanhedrin 94b] (p. 143)

 

Paul’s theology of Torah is discussed in Chapter 14.  Christianity bases probably 90% of Replacement Theology on Paul’s writings, but does Paul really teach that the Torah is abolished?  Lancaster provides irrefutable proof that Paul is actually saying the opposite.  Paul upholds Torah.  Lancaster first explains the account of Paul in the book of Acts and shows how this book portrays Paul to be Torah-observant.  It was Paul’s enemies who claimed otherwise, just as Yeshua’s enemies accused Him of breaking the Torah.  Then Lancaster expresses Paul’s own position concerning Torah, listing the following verses: Rom. 2:13; 2:26f; 3:31; 7:12,14,22; 10:4; 1 Cor. 7:19; Gal. 3:24; Eph. 2:8ff; 1 Tim. 1:8; 6:14; 2 Tim. 3:16f.  With these two points in mind, it is then much easier to see Paul’s arguments in much of his writings.  Essentially,

 

Paul argued vociferously against requiring non-Jewish believers to adopt the stringencies of rabbinic interpretation.  The early believers were split into two camps.  Some insisted on yoking Gentile believers with the whole body of traditional oral Law and custom, and some resisted that attempt.  In Paul’s letters, argumentation on this issue can be observed in conflicts over conversion, circumcision, food contaminated by idols and even Sabbaths and festivals. … Paul avoided the controversy over the particulars by following the Master’s lead in emphasizing matters of character, morality and right living.  The only ritual issue he contended over is that of the requirement of circumcising Gentiles as a token of conversion to Judaism.  When read outside the context of this argument, though, we are apt to misunderstand Paul completely.  When we forget that he was arguing against requiring Gentiles to be circumcised in order to merit salvation, we are apt to suppose that he was arguing against keeping Torah.  But he was only arguing that Torah and circumcision could not be regarded as prerequisites for salvation. (p. 154) 

 

Lancaster goes on to provide even more compelling evidence of Paul’s Torah-observance, which you’ll have to read for yourself.

 

The reason for the Jews’ rejection of the Christian Jesus is explained in the last chapter.  He states, 

 

If the prophet attempts to dissuade Israel ‘from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk,’ [Deut. 13:5] we are to disregard him as a false prophet.  The way in which God commanded Israel to walk is the Torah and its commandment.  According to God’s own criteria for determining a false prophet, Judaism’s rejection of the traditional Christian Jesus is a matter of obedience. (p. 160) 

 

The common misunderstanding of Jesus is that he was a prophet who cancelled the Torah.  As a result the Jews automatically reject Christianity as being false.  Rather, Lancaster shows how Yeshua is the true Scriptural Messiah for both Jews and Christians.

 

I do highly recommend this book, though the author’s style is a bit wordy with awkward syntax in places; it could use some improvements (e.g. simpler vocabulary).  If you’re buying 5 or more copies, the publisher (www.ffoz.org) offers a 40% discount (which comes to $9.00 or so, a copy).  In regards to the publisher, I am disappointed in First Fruits of Zion for charging so much for it (and for all their materials).  Ideally, they should care more about getting their materials out than making a high profit, but the costs of their materials portray the opposite.

 

Fossilized Customs written by Lew White is the next book I would recommend to any serious truth-seeker.  Although I disagree with some of his theology and conclusions, his research is excellent concerning the Pagan customs that have become “fossilized” in the American and Christian cultures.  Lew’s argument compels the truth-seeking reader to forsake these pagan ways, with which I whole-heartedly agree.  Get his inexpensive book at: www.fossilizedcustoms.com