Yes, the hand washing ritual was added by the religious leaders. Interesting to read the Talmud, as it gives insight as to how outrageous it seemed in their eyes (Leaders) how Messiah cut no slack, and made a clear distinction between His Father's Laws (Torah) and theirs (Talmud).
I think where our disagreement is, you think the Church replaces Israel, and/or there are 2 bodies of believers with 2 sets of rules? Pardon if I'm wrong there.
I don't think so. I think there is 1 body of believers, and that must be grafted into the Messiah, and to hear and obey all He said, and to be as like Him as we can. I think He came to restore what the Almighty intended for us, as the office of priest had corrupted..and today is no different. Though the Son of Almighty came as a man to instruct us, still today many do not care to find out what He said to do.
I know the Replacement Theory is unbiblical. The House of Israel and the Church are separate "houses".
The "tree", the true Vine, had for natural branches the House of Israel.
The branches became corrupted, brought forth wild grapes.
The Father God is the Husbandman over the VIne, pruning off bad branches.
The branches were all pruned off.
Jesus came to put branches on the Vine.
Israel refused to take part, except the 11 apostles, who were all Jews.
Gentiles accepted and were grafted in to the true vine.
Gentiles must not brag, as God is able to graft natural branches back on.
Gentiles can be pruned off if not producing the expected fruit.
But none can be part of the true Vine without abiding in Christ Jesus.
John 15:1-10 (KJV)
[SUP]1 [/SUP] I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
[SUP]2 [/SUP] Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
[SUP]3 [/SUP] Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
[SUP]4 [/SUP] Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
[SUP]5 [/SUP] I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
[SUP]6 [/SUP] If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
[SUP]7 [/SUP] If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
[SUP]8 [/SUP] Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
[SUP]9 [/SUP] As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
[SUP]10 [/SUP] If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
Another interesting part of that is verse 10. One abides in Christ by keeping Jesus' commandments. Like Jesus, as a true Jew kept the Father's commandments all his days, so must his disciples keep Jesus' commandments all our days living in his love.
If Jesus really meant all those commandments were the Mosaic laws, then that verse would read more like
If you keep the laws of Moses, you will abide in my love; even as I kept the laws of Moses and the 10 commandments at the very least, and I abide in the Father's love.
Doesn't fit.
If ye keep my Father's commandments, ye shall abide in my love....
Nope. The word for Father isn't in there.
There are obviously two sets of commandments, because there are two very distinct covenants. Jesus kept the Father's commandments, and we keep Jesus' commandments as faithfully as Jesus did. We abide in Jesus' love like Jesus abode in the Father's love.
The Jews failed to abide in the Father's love, and rejected Jesus' love.
Jesus came to restore mankind, not just Jews, to the relationship God has wanted ever since before He made Adam.
He didn't come to patch up the Mosaic Covenant, but to offer the New Covenant of grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
Grace is not like having the Holy Spirit in us (Christ in us). Grace is God's plan for man that is better than sacrifice and laws requiring obedience to enter into his grace plan. He chose to offer salvation by a way that humanity considers to be foolish. The law of Moses could not nor should not be taken as foolish. It was a very serious plan. it's purpose was to prepare man for the "foolishness" of Christ. How precious is this passage....
please read it all who made it this far in this post.
1 Corinthians 1:17-31 (KJV) [SUP]17 [/SUP] For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
[SUP]18 [/SUP] For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
[SUP]19 [/SUP] For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
[SUP]20 [/SUP] Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
[SUP]21 [/SUP] For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
[SUP]22 [/SUP] For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
[SUP]23 [/SUP] But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
[SUP]24 [/SUP] But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
[SUP]25 [/SUP] Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
[SUP]26 [/SUP] For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
[SUP]27 [/SUP] But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
[SUP]28 [/SUP] And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
[SUP]29 [/SUP] That no flesh should glory in his presence.
[SUP]30 [/SUP] But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
[SUP]31 [/SUP] That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.