Challenging Jews for Jesus

Comments by Rich Robinson, Jews for Jesus:

Among those groups that are sometimes considered part of the Messianic movement are those organizations and congregations that call themselves "Torah-observant," or that emphasize obedience to the Law of Moses by another term. These groups can vary from the theologically orthodox regarding the person of Christ and the Trinity, to theologically aberrant. Essentially, these groups present themselves as following the Old Testament Law of Moses, thereby living a life they believe more closely resembles that of first-century followers of Jesus, or is more in keeping with God's will for today.

The Refiner's Fire responds:

Actually, Torah consists of Yahweh's Divine Instructions in Righteousness, without which we would have no blueprint for moral, holy living. It was never "the Law of Moses"; Moses didn't make the rules! He was simply the messenger chosen by God to relay His Word to the Hebrews.

Apparently Robinson who, according to his bio, is Jewish, never grasped the importance and permanence of YHWH's original Divine Words...

Psalm 119:150 The pursuers of carnality are getting close; they are distancing themselves from your Torah. 151 You are close by, ADONAI; and all your mitzvot are truth. 152 Long ago I learned from your instruction that you established it forever.

Psalm 119: 159 See how I love your precepts, ADONAI; in keeping with your grace, revive me. 160 The main thing about your word is that it's true; and all your just rulings last forever. (CJB)

Martin Luther once observed that no sooner does someone fall off a horse on the right side, than [sic] they get back on and proceed to fall off on the left side. The Torah-observant groups are in part a reaction against negative views of the Law found in some Christian circles….

The Refiner's Fire responds:

First of all, Martin Luther was a huge anti-Semite, so mentioning him is a slap in the face of every Jew. Secondly, when we created our website (The Refiner's Fire) in 2001, we created it with the sole purpose of leading the world to God's TRUTH. While it may be true that some come to Torah as a reaction to Christianity's denial of Torah, the suggestion is nothing more than conjecture.

The biblical picture of the Law is quite different. The Law in the Old Testament is spoken of as a gift from God, a guide to life, something to be cherished and enjoyed, as well as something to be obeyed under penalty of punishment for disobedience. It is intimately bound up with the covenant wherein God graciously reiterated His relationship with His people.

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul reminds us that the Law is good. The idea of obedience is continually highlighted, from the Sermon on the Mount to Jesus' words in John's Gospel and in the epistles. In fact, nine of the Ten Commandments are explicitly reinforced in the New Testament.

The Law itself is not bad; it is sin, the misuse of the Law, and the way that human traditions can end up supplanting the Law, that are bad. The principles of the Law, especially the Ten Commandments, have become the bedrock of Western civilization and of the Church itself-even those churches that portray the Law negatively.

The Refiner's Fire responds:

Several things to address here:

YYHWH's Torah was erroneously mistranslated as "Law", hence the negative connotation. However, His Divine Rules are INSTRUCTIONS for holy living - Leviticus 11:45. Those rules were "something to be obeyed under penalty of punishment for disobedience" because YHWH was trying to teach His people (both the Hebrews and anyone else who accepted Him as their God) to trust His Divine Guidance so that "all would go well with them" (Deuteronomy 12:28).

As for the "Ten Commandments" - they're part of Torah. All the commandments HANG on Torah and the Prophets! God never said that the His Commandments were separate from Torah - and neither did Yeshua or the Apostles:

Matthew 22:36. "Teacher, which Commandment in Torah is the greatest?" 37. And Y'shua said to him, that "You should love Master YHWH your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might and with all your mind." 38. This is the first and the greatest Commandment. 39. And the second is like it. That "You should love your neighbor as yourself." 40. On these two commandments hang Torah and the prophets. (AENT)

Suggesting, as Christianity and Jews for Jesus do, that Torah was somehow "abolished at the cross," constitutes gross misunderstanding of YHWH's original commands! If that were true, then we wouldn't have the Ten, either...

Having said this, the Christian Church has universally recognized that the Law of Moses is not meant to be kept as a body of law by Christians today. The Law of Moses was part of a covenant that God made with Israel at a particular time and in a particular place. With the coming of Christ, the New Covenant prophesied by Jeremiah has come into effect and we are no longer under the Old Covenant.

The Refiner's Fire responds:

Well, both ELOHIM Himself and His Divine Messiah completely disagree! Take a look at this passage wherein YHWH personally said FOUR TIMES IN A ROW that ALL who accept Him are to do EXACTLY as HIS people do; that there is NO difference between His natural and adopted children:

Numbers 15:13 "'Every citizen is to do these things in this way when presenting an offering made by fire as a fragrant aroma for ADONAI. 14 If a foreigner stays with you - or whoever may be with you, through all your generations - and he wants to bring an offering made by fire as a fragrant aroma for ADONAI, he is to do the same as you. 15 For this community there will be the same law for you as for the foreigner living with you; this is a permanent regulation through all your generations; the foreigner is to be treated the same way before ADONAI as yourselves. 16 The same Torah and standard of judgment will apply to both you and the foreigner living with you.'" (CJB)

The "aliens" included anyone who wasn't born a Torah observant "Hebrew". (Hebrew, in fact, is a word which means "to cross over"...When Abram obeyed YHWH in Genesis 12, he "crossed over" both spiritually and physically when he left his homeland). "Aliens" include anyone who is "grafted-in" through the blood of Messiah Yeshua. Yeshua Himself was Torah observant - as were all of His Apostles and disciples - yet somehow Christians have decided that "the law is a curse"; that Gentiles don't have to bother with Torah, and that God treats His adopted children differently from His natural ones.

Now for his comment, "With the coming of Christ, the New Covenant prophesied by Jeremiah has come into effect and we are no longer under the Old Covenant."

Says WHO? Certainly not God! (See previous comment.) A logical person must ask: With WHOM did YHWH make His "New Covenant?" The answer:

Jeremiah 31: 31 "Here, the days are coming," says ADONAI, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Isra'el and with the house of Y'hudah. 32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers on the day I took them by their hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt; because they, for their part, violated my covenant, even though I, for my part, was a husband to them," says ADONAI. (CJB)

Romans 10: 12. And in this, it discriminates neither Jews nor Gentiles. For there is one, Master YHWH, over them all, who is abundantly generous towards every one that calls on him. 13. For everyone that will call on the name of Master YHWH, will have life. (AENT)

Many don't seem to realize that Jeremiah 31:30-34 is NOT talking about "Gentiles" or "Christians"; it says God is going to make a "new covenant" with the Torah observant Houses of Israel and Judah! So, where are "Christians" in this? As "grafted in to the Olive Tree" Christians are "one in Messiah" (Galatians 3:28)... But that never meant Gentiles would get to live under separate rules or change the rules! YHWH was clear about that in Exodus 12:49 and Numbers 15:13-16!

It is, however, equally important to note that the recognition that we are not intended to keep the Law of Moses today does not mean that Christians believe in lawlessness! The specific commands of the Law of Moses each reflected something of the nature of God, and behind each commandment is a principle. Those principles, reflecting God Himself, are still incumbent on all Christians today.

The Refiner's Fire responds:

It sounds like there's some major "cherry picking" going on here! The "principles" can't apply unless the original commands still apply! To suggest that is akin to suggesting one doesn't have to stop at a stop sign just because it's there; however, the "principle" still applies whenever it's deemed appropriate. That makes NO sense!

In evaluating the Torah-observant groups within the Messianic movement, there are several things worth considering. To be sure, the exact nature and function of the Law of Moses are debated among Christians, but with an understanding that the Church, including both Jewish and Gentile members, is not mandated to keep the entire Law of Moses.

The Refiner's Fire responds:

There's that "Law of Moses" thing again! According to Jews for Jesus, apparently, Moses is the one who made all the rules… Again, see Exodus 12:49 and Numbers 15:13-16, along with these passages:

Isaiah 56:6 "And the foreigners who join themselves to ADONAI to serve him, to love the name of ADONAI, and to be his workers, all who keep Shabbat and do not profane it, and hold fast to my covenant, 7 I will bring them to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples." 8 Adonai ELOHIM says, he who gathers Isra'el's exiles: "There are yet others I will gather, besides those gathered already." (CJB)

Acts 28:23 "From morning until evening he explained the matter to them, giving a thorough witness about the Kingdom of God and making use of both the Torah of Moshe and the Prophets to persuade them about Yeshua." (CJB)

Acts 24:14. But this indeed I (Paul) acknowledge, that in that same doctrine of which they speak, I do serve the Elohim of my fathers, believing all the things written in Torah and in the prophets. (AENT)

So, while the Messiah's death, burial, and resurrection are an important part of the Good News, it's not the whole story! God isn't just in the business of "saving" people. As Creator and law giver, He is in the business of teaching us how to be good subjects in His Kingdom to come! And how did He do that? Via His Torah!

If "Jesus abolished Torah at the cross" then why do we read that EVERY believer was completely Torah observant for one hundred years after Yeshua's death, including the Apostle Paul who was "caught" being Torah observant 29 years after Yeshua's death (Acts 21:23-24)! Was Paul a hypocrite, saying one thing and doing another; or were his teachings, perhaps, misunderstood?

It is no longer possible to keep all 613 (if we accept the traditional rabbinic enumeration) laws because we no longer have a Temple, or a priesthood, or live as a theocracy in the Land of Israel. Because of this, the Torah-observant groups end up being extremely selective in their "lawobservance."

The Refiner's Fire responds:

One wonders why Mr. Robinson felt the need to coin a new term - "lawobservance" - to drive home his distaste of those who wish to OBEY God? "Being extremely selective" is a correct assertion, as some groups DO pick and chose what they wish to ignore or obey … not unlike the 40,000 different Christian denominations that all claim to be "right" in their interpretation of Scripture!

Whatever the reason, his comment begs the questions: WHERE does it ever say we are obligated to keep all 613? As a Jew who grew up in a Jewish home (albeit, "a home where Jewishness was more cultural than religious"), Mr. Robinson should have known that most of those "613" commands were directed at the cohens (priests) of the day; some were only for men; some only for women, and some were only for a certain timeframe.

But some were meant to last FOREVER - and those are the commands that every believer must pay attention to!

While YHWH eventually recorded ten in stone, we must remember, these ten are just part of the larger picture taken from His Torah which He said would stand forever. Many people balk at this idea because they are under the erroneous impression that they don't even have to bother keeping the TEN Commandments anymore (let alone the "613"); but, rather, just TWO - and they cite the following as "proof":

Unfortunately, they stop right there, totally ignoring the next verse, which says: 40. On these two commandments hang Torah and the prophets.

Do these words imply that all of God's original instructions have been done away with? NO! The Torah and the Prophets "HANG", meaning "ARE DEPENDENT ON" those two commands! There's more to it than just "loving God and loving your neighbor!" SIN is still sin and God still expects His people to adhere to His Divine Standards for moral, holy living! So, it is important to note that Torah HANGS on those two commandments. Note also that it doesn't say the two REPLACED the Torah!

(For more on this please see our article: But, didn't Jesus abolish the Law and those 613 original commandments?)

For the most part, the emphasis is on holy days, Sabbaths and festivals, with perhaps some attention given to other parts of the Law. In essence, these are not so much Torah-observant as festival- observant groups. And since the Temple and priesthood are gone and a majority of Jews live in the diaspora (outside the land of Israel), even the festivals, for instance, must be observed differently than they were in biblical times.

The Refiner's Fire responds:

Here is a hard truth: Every one of YHWH's Feasts reflect, in one way or the other, the fact they are "permanent regulations, generation after generation," or to be done "forever" and/or "throughout your generations. Here's just one example; it's about Yom Kippur:

Leviticus 16:29 tells us: "It is to be a permanent regulation for you that on the tenth day of the seventh month you are to deny yourselves and not to do any kind of work, both the citizen and the foreigner living with you. For on this day, atonement will be made for you to purify you; you will be clean before ADONAI from all your sins. It is a Shabbat of complete rest for you, and you are to deny yourselves. This is a permanent regulation."

And it's clear in Deuteronomy 16:13-15, and Leviticus 23:39-43 that the festival of Sukkot/Tabernacles is a PERMANENT regulation for ALL who accept YHWH as their God!

Apparently Jews for Jesus can't understand or comprehend the words "forever" or "permanent regulation"....

Since we're discussing YHWH's Appointed Times, where is Christmas in Scripture? Since YHWH's Divine Messiah was decidedly NOT born in December, what gives anyone the right to say he was, and make a holiday around it? Did you know that the "three wise men didn't give gifts to each other; but rather, to the baby Messiah? We could go on, but surely, you get the drift.

For more information, read our articles about the pagan origins of Christmas and find out why Christmas is unbiblical on several levels While we're at it, let's ask this, as well - concerning "that other" unbiblical "holiday": Is the Resurrection justification for Easter instead of Passover?

We no longer live in a theocracy subject to the penalties of God's Law.

The Refiner's Fire responds:

Only someone who has no fear of YHWH or His Divine Instructions would dare say such an imbecilic thing!

One gets the impression that, far more than they emphasize faithfulness to Christ, the Torah observant groups emphasize Torah-observance as their distinctive, and in fact imply that they are being more obedient to God, or have a deeper spirituality, than other believers in Jesus. Perhaps they would argue that their obedience to the Torah is faithfulness to Christ, but there is a distinct imbalance in their approach. Inadvertently, perhaps, they have created a two-tier system of believers: the more spiritual ones who observe the Law and the less spiritual ones who do not. This is not only unbiblical, but it also separates these groups from the rest of the Body of Christ in an unhealthy way.

The Refiner's Fire responds:

Well, that is almost a true statement in view of the fact that Christianity has not only changed the Name of YHWH's Messiah, but also the dates of his birth, death and resurrection, and made him appear to be a human who came to usurp the title of ELOHIM and change all the rules to suggest that the New Covenant was made with a group called "Christians" who would have NO rules except those Ten Commandments they don't really have to obey anyway (after all, those 10 are part of "the Law" that Moses supposedly instituted). Instead, Christianity teaches the doctrine of "under grace" with NO responsibilities to YHWH, whatsoever, because those "old laws were surely meant only for the Jews"....

NEWSFLASH! That is NOT who Yeshua was! And by the way, our Messiah's given Hebrew Name was Yeshua, which means, "YHWH is Salvation" - whereas "Jesus" actually detracts from who he is/was! Here is what Yeshua came to do:

Luke 4:43 But he said to them, "I must announce the Good News of the Kingdom of God to the other towns too -- this is why I was sent. (CJB)

Luke 8:1. And it happened after these things that Y'shua was going around in the cities and in the villages and was preaching and declaring the Kingdom of Elohim. (AENT)

Acts 28:23 From morning until evening he explained the matter to them, giving a thorough witness about the Kingdom of God and making use of both the Torah of Moshe and the Prophets to persuade them about Yeshua." (CJB)

We Torah observers at The Refiner's Fire, never claimed to have a "deeper spirituality, than other believers in Jesus"; nor do we suffer "a distinct imbalance in our approach." We serve God to the best of our knowledge and ability according to what SCRIPTURE says!

That whole last paragraph of Robinson's reeks of misguided arrogance!

Actually, the obedience required under the New Covenant is more radical than that under the Old Covenant. For instance, in Deuteronomy 22:8 it is required for one to build a parapet around the roof, a safety feature in a time when the roof functioned as both a living room for entertaining and a bedroom. I doubt that the Torah-observant groups require such parapets. But under the New Covenant, much more is required. That particular commandment is an example of how to follow the general rule to love our neighbor, and is an outworking of the sixth commandment, "You shall not murder."

The Refiner's Fire responds:

How sad that someone who was raised in the Jewish faith has never realized that often YHWH's commands pertained to only a certain point in time. By his illogical reasoning, all men should be wearing tunics/dresses and women should cover their faces with veils before they're married and have rings placed in their noses once they become engaged....

The rest of that paragraph makes no sense, whatsoever, as it basically compares apples to oranges.

The Torah-observant groups justify their position on the basis of selected verses, while ignoring others. Much is made of the term "forever" used in regard to some Old Testament laws, while verses such as Hebrews 8:13 that speak of the first covenant as being "obsolete," are not dealt with. Further, they ignore what theologians commonly call the "history of redemption," the progress of God's dealings with humankind throughout history.

The Refiner's Fire responds:

Question: Has "forever" ended yet?

Let's view that verse through "Hebrew" instead of "Greek lenses," to explain what Paul actually meant:

Hebrews 8:13. In that he said a Renewed (Covenant), he made the first old; and that which is old and decaying, is near to disappearing. (AENT)

What is decaying/disappearing ("obsolete/vanishing" in some versions) is clarified in a footnote:

The context is Jeremiah 31:31-34, what is "near to disappearing" is the sinful nature of man that breaks Torah, not the standard of Torah. Remember that we broke Torah, not YHWH. YHWH did not drop the standard of Torah because Israel chose disobedience; rather, He installed a Renewed Covenant to write Torah upon the heart through the work of the Ruach haKodesh, according to Mashiyach.

The fact of the matter is that in Mashiyach, YHWH raised the bar; He magnified Torah; see Isaiah 42:21. Because mankind broke Covenant, YHWH requires complete renovation on our part, not YHWH's part of the Covenant. This verse in its twisted form, became one of the "crown jewels" of Torahless Christianity which teaches that Torah is decaying and is near to disappearing, but nothing could be farther from the truth. See 2 Peter 3:16.

For more clarifications about Paul's writings, please see our articles: Does Hebrews negate Torah; Let's discuss Hebrews 13; and Did Paul contradict or negate Torah?

As to Robinson's comment, "Further, they ignore what theologians commonly call the 'history of redemption,' the progress of God's dealings with humankind throughout history," we are left with the question: Does the fact that Yeshua REDEEMED us somehow give us the right to ignore YHWH's Divine Instructions to mankind and come up with our own theology based on grace, all the while calling the "Law" a curse?

Does the fact that Yeshua REDEEMED us somehow give us the right to decide that he - a human who was born and died - replaced the Father? Can GOD be born or die? NO! There is more to Yeshua than that - but just try telling that to a Christian!

Yeshua, "the Word of YHWH that became flesh" (John 1:14) was the promised Messiah who martyred Himself on our behalf. He was a human being who walked among us. He never said He came as a "new God" to offer a "new religion"; He came as the "arm of YHWH" (Isaiah 53:1) to proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven and to do everything His Father said. He came to live and demonstrate His Father's Torah (Divine Instructions in Righteousness) and to personally show YHWH's people how it was done.

Jesus has indeed brought something new, but the Torah-observant groups minimize the newness that the coming of the Messiah has meant.

The Refiner's Fire responds:

Jesus didn't "bring anything new!" He reiterated what was since the beginning of Creation! He came to proclaim the Kingdom and do everything his Father commanded. He taught TORAH! Even when confronted by satan in the wilderness, he didn't dare fight satan himself; he quoted TORAH!

In addition, they minimize the way much Old Testament law functioned to distinguish Israel from the nations.

The Refiner's Fire responds:

Right! And Israel was distinguished from the nations by their obedience to Torah! Anyone who accepts the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is part of Israel. Time to let THAT sink in!

While there is indeed distinctiveness to the Jewish people, not all the Old Testament distinctions apply. For example, one can make a good argument that the food laws were intended to symbolize the separation of Israel from the nations. Under the New Covenant, Jewish and Gentile believers in Jesus become one in the Messiah (Ephesians 2:14) in a way not realized under the Mosaic Covenant. As a result, one can build a good case that the mandatory keeping of kosher laws is no longer required for a Jewish believer in Jesus.

The Refiner's Fire responds:

Really? Please read our article, Does God consider all foods clean?

Many in Torah-observant circles are not Jewish. Thought should be given as to why non-Jews are so eager to observe a law never intended for them, and to the New Testament teaching on the place of the Law of Moses in the lives of Gentile Christians.

The Refiner's Fire responds:

"Many in Torah-observant circles are not Jewish." So what? Some of us wish to actually obey GOD, rather than to come up with our own rules! According to Scripture, we are "one in Messiah" (Romans 12:5; Galatians 3:28). Same God, same rules! (Exodus 12:49 matches Numbers 15:13-16.)

Romans 10:12. And in this, it discriminates neither Jews nor Gentiles. For there is one, Master YHWH, over them all, who is abundantly generous towards every one that calls on him. 13. For everyone that will call on the name of Master YHWH, will have life. (AENT)

In summary, if you hear of a group calling themselves "Torah-observant," keep in mind the above responses and remember that it was never the Law, only its misuse, that the New Testament criticizes.

The Refiner's Fire responds:

Tell that to God on Judgment Day! We find it very odd that Mr. Robinson would spend so much time implying that the "misuse" of Torah somehow means it no longer needs to be obeyed! Why not just stop the misuse, and STOP trying to justify why you SHOULDN'T obey your Creator?

At the end of his article, Robinson mentions the following scriptures. Let's take a look at them via the Hebrew instead of the Greek mindset:

[1] Mr. Robinson wrote: Romans 7:12, 16.

(Our response: See our article about Romans 7.)

[2] Mr. Robinson wrote: "If you love me, you will obey what I command" (John 14:15).

(Our response: See our article on John 14:15.)

[3] Mr. Robinson wrote: For instance: "But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-he will be blessed in what he does" (James 1:25);

Our response: James 1:25. But everyone that looks upon the perfect Torah of liberty and lives fully in it, is not a hearer of something to be forgotten, but a doer[1] of the things; and he will be blessed in his work. (AENT)

Footnote: While there are two different Aramaic words for "hear" and "do" the word for "hear" in Aramaic also means "to do"; the Hebrew equivalent, shema, means the same. Ya'akov's Hebraic thought and intention are clearly represented in this verse.

[4] Mr. Robinson wrote: "If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right" (James 2:8);

(Our response: How do those passages negate YHWH's Divine Instructions in Righteousness?)

[4] Mr. Robinson wrote: "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?" (James 2:14).

(Our response: Again - how does that passage negate YHWH's Divine Instructions in Righteousness?)

As a final statement to Jews for Jesus, we'll close with this:

Matthew 5:17 Don't think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete. 18 Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah - not until everything that must happen has happened. 19 So whoever disobeys the least of these mitzvot and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever obeys them and so teaches will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness is far greater than that of the Torah-teachers and P'rushim, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven! (CJB)

QUESTION: Has everything that "must happen" happened yet? Have "heaven and earth passed away? If not, then it seems believers are supposed to BE Torah observant today! The verse in Matthew 5:17-20 that says: "So whoever disobeys the least of these mitzvot and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven" is a major key, because it is talking about YHWH's commands!

What commands are they? TORAH - which still stands today ... and WE are obligated, as believers, to keep those commands that we can! We need to pay special attention to those commands that have the word "forever" or "throughout your generations" attached to them. Why? Because "forever" hasn't happened yet! Not to mention, "fulfill/complete" never meant "to put an end to." It means, Yeshua came to do His Father's will and to fulfill "the next thing on the agenda"....

Now, if the "fulfillment" has not happened yet, as is the case when Y'shua says, "All that is written in the Torah and Prophets must be fulfilled," then it means, quite obviously "kept", "vouchsafed" or "adhered to" - the exact opposite of passing away! That is also why he says, "He who keeps (fulfills) my words shall not taste death!"

BOTTOM LINE:

People love to pick and choose and play around with the commandments that were written in stone - such as, the Fourth Commandment concerning the seventh-day Sabbath. Christianity (including Jews for Jesus) has decided that the death of Jesus somehow changed YHWH's Seventh Day Sabbath rest to a church event on Sunday morning; which, more often than not, concentrates on bands and entertainment instead of solid Torah teachings (the "law" after all, is considered a curse!)... after which some go home to mow their lawns and clean their houses, or return to the office to catch up on some work....

Truth be told, those who claim to "love" God should WANT to obey His "forever" commands instead of coming up with their own rules, as did "the church." Christianity has blatantly ignored God's commands and categorically denies Torah because they erroneously believe "Jesus nailed it to the cross" without realizing that what was nailed to the cross was not God's Divine Instructions, but rather the rabbinical, legalistic and man-made "stuff" that had crept into man's worship.