Relevant

commentaries on the Bible, which are widely circulated at the present time.

The sober answer to the question: “is all Scripture Truth?” must be “No.” For although all Scripture does give a true account of what took place, there are actually numbers of statements  and quotations in the ‘The Book’ which are merely a record of what someone has thought or said -- in many of these, while accurate quotations of man’s remarks or reflections, are actually in their content and meaning, Untruths: "You shall not surely die." (Genesis 3:4), the serpent breathed beguilingly to the woman - but she did die!

The discrepancies noted in the above-cited Words of man are glaringly evident - but there are many instances where the inconsistency is not so obvious. Many of the "dark sayings" of the prophets are truths which are veiled in metaphor and symbol. When these are taken out of their place or context, it causes great confusion. Peter said, concerning the writings of Paul, that there were some things hard to be understood "which uneducated and unbalanced people distort, the same way they distort the rest of Scripture." (2 Peter 3:16).

"Rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15), is an exact science. The apostle here advises users study to show themselves "approved unto God."

It should not be difficult for anyone to believe that only God's words are the infallible standards: His Word is always Truth. Neither should it be confusing for anyone to accept the fact that the words of man are often one-sided, and obscure.

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Much of the darkness and error rife among many professing believers today, is largely due to unstable doctrinal foundations, a great number of which are unwittingly based upon distorted views and misconstruction of statements found in the epistles of Paul.

No one searching for Truth should be offended by the declaration that the Words of God are superior to the words of Paul. Yet, some may contend that God was the Author of every word which Paul wrote. But by studying Paul's own words, such a position can be disproved: "I speak not by Commandment... And herein I give my advice." (2 Corinthians 8:8-10). All Paul's advice' undoubtedly was good, but it certainly was not always the Word of God.

Now notice the two different sources of the commands Paul has written: "unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord..., But the rest is from me, not from the Lord." (I Corinthians 7:10-12). The apostle here makes it plain that he sometimes wrote what God commanded; and sometimes he wrote his own advice. The apostle himself is showing that these "words from the Lord" are superior to his own remarks.

Here is a quotation, which definitely tells us that some of the apostle Paul's utterances and admonishments were of his own making: "Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment of the Lord: but I give my own opinion." (I Corinthians 7:25). Is the apostle's opinion to be considered on par with the Tanakh and the Torah of God? Surely not!

One other line from Paul's epistles to settle forever that his writings were not verbatim Inspiration of God: "What I am going to say now, is not prompted by the Lord, but said as if

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in a fit of folly in the certainty that I have something to boast about." (II Corinthians 11:17).

The wonderful thing about the Bible is that it does not hide the frailties of the men who were "subject to like passions as we are." We read of Adam and Eve's failures right at the outset - Paradise Lost! Noah's drunkenness, of Jacob and Rebecca's scheming, of Moses' mistake in striking the rock instead of speaking to it - in this entry to the Plan, King Solomon in his old age making a series of mistakes, and of the failings of many others. None of these great men were angelic or superior to the Word of God. For those who believe in the NT, why would the same not apply to Paul?

It would be well for people everywhere to examine the writings of Paul with unbiased minds, taking into consideration what they were, realizing also what he was - simply "a man with like passions."

This misrepresentation of the True Purpose and Plan of the Creator God for man - as embodied in the ' New Gospel of Grace,' is accredited to the apostle Paul, who seems to have strayed from the original Hebrew roots of it all.

It is claimed that Paul wrote 13 letters, and each one of them started with his own name! They use the personal pronoun 'I, me, or my,' 949 times! In the 12th chapter of 2 Corinthians, the big personal pronoun was used seven times in the sixth verse alone; 60 times in the same chapter of 21 verses!

Certainly no other Hebrew teacher has displayed so much egotism, so many different ways, as the apostle Paul has exhibited throughout all of his writings. We find that the apostle Paul

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declared that he was "not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles." (II Corinthians 11:5); and again: "in nothing am I  behind the very chiefest apostles." (II Corinthians 12:11). Masses of Christians today ... allow Paul to have authority over the Law of God, claiming it to have been replaced, done away with, nullified, "nailed to the Cross." As such, they regard him as the author of a ' New Gospel.'

Devotees of the theology of 'grace unlimited' find abundant support for their teachings in the epistles of Paul. It is this teaching that has opened the door to the world for unrestricted license, freedom and liberty from all law to anyone who will accept and believe the new Gospel. It is this interpretation which has contributed to these present times of lawlessness and crime without proper judgment in the world.

The 13 epistles of this proponent from Tarsus representing Nazarene teaching are written in the style that is like an amazing obstacle course: Truth tangled in such a fashion that it readily yields to the manipulations and devices of the triflers.

Here are some further audacious claims by Paul: "According to my Gospel" (Romans 2:16; 16:25; II Timothy 2:8). No other NT contributor ever spoke of the Messianic Gospel as 'my' Gospel. Even the Nazarene himself never referred to it as 'My' Message.

It seems from a NT perspective, that would be uncalled for, for anyone to attempt to introduce another Gospel. This is even contrary to Paul's own teaching.

Those who rebel against God, despise the Divine Commandments and rebel against God's Law - eagerly grasped after Paul's teachings which apparently sanction lawlessness.

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Doctrines related to the Law seem to been the most confusing issues in the mind of the author of these 13 letters to the Messianic congregations. At times Paul wrote one thing to a congregation in one city, and then again, he would write another just the opposite. In a letter to one group he wrote: "a man is not justified by the works of the Law" (Galatians 2:16) - but to the Romans he wrote: "Not the hearers of the Law are just befor God, but the doers of the Law are the justified." (Romans 2:13). Surely the man was not double minded? Could it have been that he was in confusion on the subject of Law?

Consider the following quotations, taken from two different epistles, written by this same man: "Once, when there was no Law, I was alive; when the Commandment came, seeking my life, and I die. The Commandment was meant to lead me to life, but it turned out to mean death for me." (Romans 7:9, 10); and, "... If the Law - a ministry of death, in the written letters engraved on stones, was glorious, if there was any splendor in administering condemnation, there must be very much greater splendor in administering justification.... If what was done away with was glorious, there must be much more glory for what is going to last forever." (II Corinthians 3:7-11.)

If words mean anything, then the author of these epistles is saying that the Ten Commandments were done away with, abolished. At least, this is the meaning as it appears on the surface and as it has been accepted by most of Christianity: but remember, that the words of this scribe are tricky and they are specially designed to trap the carnal mind which rebels against the Truth.

Paul said that there was a veil upon the hearts of the Jews when they read Moses. (II Corinthians 3:15); but that veil, he claims, created

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upon the hearts of those Pharisees of old by the writings of the great patriarch is as nothing compared to the covering which the words of Paul, have effected to envelope many hearts in our generation. The words of Moses never provided for you any remote excuse for carnality; no way out for those who would try to dodge the Divine Command - but many of the things set forth in the epistles of Paul are loaded with bait to snare the hypocrite and the rebels against the Law?

If the following words are to be taken literally, consider the latitude they offer for licentiousness: "All things are lawful unto me... All things are lawful for me," (I Corinthians 6:12); and again, "All things are lawful for me" (I Corinthians 10:23). Add to these, the verse, "Happy is he that condemns not himself in that thing which he allows." (Romans 14:22.) If this combination does not offer license to sin, then words have no meaning!

If NT believers insist that it is Divinely inspired, then they had to conclude that God allowed the above seeming misinformation to be in it. Yes? The Most High has designed many snares and set numerous traps for the feet of the unwary: the NT itself [i.e., Paul] confirms "God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie." (II Thessalonians 2:11).

The attitude of every sincere seeker of Truth should be one of prayerful caution with regard to the writings of the apostle Paul. No explanation in his messages should ever be accepted as valid, unless such conclusions can be confirmed by the Word of God as contained in and started in the Tanakh (OT). How is it possible that this apostle so often appears to be misquoting, and even misrepresenting the Scriptures as interpreted by the Guardians of God's Oracles (the Jews - Romans 3:2) in such a seemingly careless manner?

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Many of the statements in Paul's letters are extremely misleading.

Examine this apparent contradiction concerning those who died in the plague of Midian. In Numbers 25:9 we read: "And those that died in the plague were 24,000." That compare the above statement, made by Moses, with Paul's in I Corinthians 10:8: "Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day 23,000." Did Paul miss the number by 1000?

With several direct statements Paul intimates that the Law no longer exists:

- "We are now dead to the law." (Romans 7:4).

- "We are now rid of the Law... free to serve in the new spiritual way and not the old way of a written Law." (Romans 7:6)

It is contradictory when he then continues in the next few paragraphs (Romans 7:7 - 25) to uphold the Law with statements like:

- "The Law is sacred" (Romans 7:12)

- "The Law is spiritual." (Romans 7:14)

- "he dearly loves God's Law" (Romans 7:22)

- "he serves the Law." (Romans 7:25)

In I Corinthians 7:25 - 40, Paul embarks on a further contradictory advisory position regarding virginity and intimate practices of married couples. It is a perfect doctrinal essay for Catholic Celibacy - which makes one think: who really wrote this

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Section of Scripture? Judaism advocates celebration not celibacy, in other words, active reproduction of life according to God's Command in Genesis 1:28: "God blessed them, saying: 'Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth and conquer it." Isaiah says that the world was created to be inhabited, not desolate. Paul prescribes non-marriage and even withholding of intimate relations within marriage. God saw that "it is not good that the man be alone, I will make him help mate...." Genesis 2:18. So, God created a female partner for Adam? Paul says it is better to stay single and not give your daughter away in marriage! It puts marriage as a good second, as a fatal alternative because of reigning immorality. In other words, "okay rather than an immorality, if you cannot exercise self control, then get married!" Intimacy among married partners is sin - is the loud and clear message of this section.

[Egotism topic]

Paul's uadulterated egotism is clear from his arrogant statement in I Corinthians 4:16, when he boldly says "I beseech thee, be you followers of me," and again in Philippians 3:17 and II Thessalonians 3:7. "Be you followers of me even as I am also of Messiah." (I Corinthians 11:1.)

Yet, Paul admitted to "sin that dwelleth in me" and he talked about the evil which he would not do, and "that I do." (Romans 7:19.) He stated that in the flesh "dwells no good thing." (Romans 7:18). Can a NT follower really take this man as their perfect example and allow him to declare the Law of God as 'abolished' when the Nazarene himself made clear the Law "has NOT been abolished." (Matthew 5:17.)

Over the matter of the doctrine of circumcision, he bragged to the Galatians that he dressed down the apostle Peter:

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"I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed... I said unto Peter before them all..." (Galatians 2:11 - 21). "Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if you be circumcised, Messiah shall profit you nothing... You are fallen from grace." (Galatians 5:1-2). Nowhere did the Nazarene ever indicate that circumcision would be done away with - all the apostles were circumcised themselves "on the eighth day" as the Torah requires. Is Paul inferring here that the apostles, followers of the Messiah, do not profit from their Messiah?

But the astonishing thing about this whole matter is that a number of years after he publicly faulted Peter to his face on the matter of circumcision, he himself circumcised a man. The father of his friend Timothy was a Greek - so, before he took this young preacher with him on his missionary journeys, Paul himself performed the Abrahamic Covenant rite upon him. "And Paul, who wanted to have him as a traveling companion, took and circumcised him. This was on account of the Jews in the locality...." (Acts 16:3).

In Galatians 2:7, Paul recognizes his mandate: "I had been commissioned to preach the Good News to the uncircumcised..." And then he makes an astonishing statement in total contradiction of what the NT states about the mission of the apostle Peter, shown to Peter in the Vision of the unkosher animals. Paul erroneously concludes in this text, "... Just as Peter had been commissioned to preach to the circumcised." Clearly, by insisting to go "to the Jew first" with the Gospel, Paul was either confused - or else he challenged his Divine mandate! [COMMENT BY DOUG: I believe ‘his’ here refers to Peter’s divine mandate, which was to go to the uncircumcised, revealed in the Vision of the unkosher foods.]

Doesn't anyone else find it incongruous that not a single utterance from the Nazarene's teaching in the Gospel accounts are found in Paul's many letters? If the apostles were hand-picked

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and trained by the Nazarene, it was obviously in order that their witness would be full and superior to others. That should be incumbent on Paul to learn from them. Yet, by Paul's own admission, he fails to do so for years. How then can Paul form the greater body of NT Scriptures when his ideas are not based on the Nazarene's teachings? When his teaching so often imposes upon and overthrows the Torah and Tanach (OT) teachings? Christianity is being expanded by someone who never spent an extended time with the Nazarene, never trained under him, and his writings are devoid of utterances of the Nazarene - except for one small unique aphorism and only one inaccurate quote from the Nazarene's Last Supper (Pesach Seder) account.

Other respected thinkers have been astonished by Paul's lack of mentioning any lessons of the Nazarene. Albert Schweitzer once said: "where possible, he (Paul) avoids quoting the teaching of Jesus, in fact even mentioning. If we had to rely on Paul, we should not know that Jesus taught in parables, had delivered the sermon on the Mount, and had to his disciples the 'Our Father.' Even when they are especially relevant, Paul passes over the words of Jesus." Albert Schweitzer Library, The Mysticism of all the Apostle Paul (John Hopkins University Press: 1998); Hans van Campenhausen, the Formation of the Christian Bible (J.A. Baker, trans.) (Philadelphia: Fortress press, 1952)

Paul Shows Himself Up By His Final Blunders

Driven by an overzealous self-determination to accomplish what God had said could not be done, Paul still believed that he could convert Jerusalem Jews to messianism. Shortly after Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus, the Nazarene told him plainly: "Hurry, leave Jerusalem; they will not

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accept your Testimony concerning me... Go!  I send you to the Gentiles far away." (Acts 22:18 - 21.)

However, after many years of preaching, he must have felt that he acquired persuasive power sufficient to open the eyes of the most stubborn Jew. At any rate, "Paul purposed in the spirit.... to go to Jerusalem." (Acts 19:21). Only a thoroughly self-willed, headstrong person would brush aside so many warnings, such as given on his way south: "the Holy Spirit, in town after town, has made it clear enough, that imprisonment and persecution await me." (Verse 23). But the self-will is a deceitful thing. He thought that he was doing God's service; he purposed in spirit to go, and that was that!

At the city of Tyre, he found certain disciples and "stayed there a week. Speaking in the Spirit, the disciples kept on telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem" (Acts 21:4). Notice that this instruction came to more than one disciple. According to the NT, the Living God was speaking "through his servants" to this headstrong, misguided servant.

On his way to Jerusalem, Paul simply ignored all warnings and all Commands "through the Spirit." He had only one thing in mind: he must convert the Jews to Messianism.

The question may arise, "Why was Paul not stopped in his tracks because of his willful disobedience to the Divine Command?"

Paul, accordingly, was in fact really punished for his rebellion. From the very day that he turned from the The Divine Commandment which he perceived, he was very much on his own. Six days in the big city are a disgrace upon his ministry. It comprises a whole message against priest craft in

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an abortive attempt to reach the Jews. He did the very thing for which he had openly rebuked his brethren.

He discarded all that he had preached and taught, by offering an animal sacrifice! Hear these words from the records of the book of Acts in parentheses, which are comments in brackets to emphasize the essence of this amazing section from the NT:

[MY COMMENT: Notice James does not suggest Paul should perform a sacrificial offering. He only told Paul to do the purification ritual and pay the expense to have the four men’s heads shaved. But Paul went further, and did an “offering,” which this Rabbi says means Paul did an animal sacrifice. END COMMENT.]

We read from Acts chapter 21:19 about Paul's arrival and meeting with his Messianic brothers in Jerusalem: "After greeting him, he gave a detailed account of all that God had done among the pagans through his ministry. They gave glory to God about this. "But see, brother," [James] said, 'how thousands of Jews have now become believers in Messiah, all of them staunch upholders of the Law (of Moses), and they've heard that you instruct all Jews living amongst gentiles, to break away from Moses (admitting therefore, that Paul did teach ' doing away with the Law." The New Testament writings of Paul abounds with such instructions), authorizing them not to circumcise their children according to all the customary practices (Rabbinic Halacha). What is to be done?"

[MY COMMENT: I disagree with the Feld here that James’ comment that “they’ve heard” Paul teaches Jews among the Gentiles to break away from Moses means that James knew this for a fact. James was simply hearing a report, and asking Paul to prove it was false by giving Paul a test -- purify himself with 4 men following the ritual in Numbers 6, and pay the other men’s expenses to cut their hair, and this will prove to others that Paul is Law-compliant. END COMMENT.]

The leaders of the Messianic congregation at Jerusalem arrived at the following solution: Acts 21:23, "You have four men here were under a vow. Go along and be purified with them (a ritual process comporting with the Jewish Law) and pay all the expenses connected with the shaving of their heads.

[MY COMMENT: note that James does not tell Paul to sacrifice any animal as part of the ritual. END COMMENT.]

This will let everyone know that there is no truth in this reports and you still regularly observe the Law. As for those Gentile believers (who have accepted the Messianic Faith) we wrote them and told them our decisions (regarding the need to keep the Law), that they must abstain from beings sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and

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from fornication. (This according to prior ruling which they made in line with the minimum requirements set by the 'Noahide Covenant. Acts 15:19.)

"So, the next day, Paul took the men along and was purified with them, and he visited the Temple to give notice of the time when the period of purification would be over and the offering would have to be presented on behalf of each of them. Seven days were nearly over, when some in the Temple asserted  to the crowd, shouting "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who preaches to everyone, everywhere against our people, against the Law."

In a hearing against him, shortly after, Paul admitted: Acts 24:17 "After several years. I came to bring alms to my nation and to make offerings. It was in connection with these that they found me in the Temple."

From this time to the end of his life, Paul remained a prisoner. NT readers may contemplate whether it was the ' Rod of God' that form on his back as punishment for his stubborn rebellion against the advice of God? 

Conclusion.

Paul's teachings have also been rejected by the Ebionites and the Nazarenes who were the Hebraic rooted Messianic community of that period. They regarded Paul as an imposter, as a Gentile who tried to marry the daughter of the Jewish priest, got circumcised but was still rejected by her family. According to this rejection belief, he went out with a chip on his shoulder to argue against the Sabbath, circumcision, which he called in Greek 'mutilation' and the laws of Torah, and against this place!"

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Eusebius, a Roman Bishop who canonized the NT, describes the Hebrew rooted Ebionites in the negative, because “the Ebionites thought that the letters of Paul ought to be wholly rejected and called Paul an apostate from the Law.” (HE 11 127, 3-6 -- translation of Eusebius, HE by K. Luke in the Loeb series.)

The 'saved by Grace' believers have the foundation for their belief, based on their own interpretations of the writings of Paul. Take these epistles away from them and from the rest of their Bibles, and they have no foundation for their teaching of "Grace which has done away with the Law." These teachings of Paulinism influence the teachings of most of the denominations of Christianity and it forms part of the 'pagan baggage.' The noble Hebrew Roots Restoration Movement has not fully been recognized yet for what it really is. To these people, Paul has virtually superseded the Nazarene whose servants they should have been. Paul's words and interpretations are taken above the Word of God defined in the Tanakh and the Torah.

On the positive side though there is a wide awakening amongst reawakened Ten Tribers of the Hebraic Roots Restoration awareness. This process has received fiery momentum by the knowledge explosion of the last few decades, true to the prophecy in Daniel 12:9, "these words are to remain secret and sealed until the Time of the End... The learned will understand." The advanced technology revolution has made knowledge available on a scale never imagined before.

And this is ground for a gradual movement among serious and sincere Christians, back to the True System of God. Seventh Day Sabbath churches popped up as early as the 19th century and restored the true ' Jewish Sabbath.' This was followed by the restoration of the Sacred Feasts of God (' the Jewish Feasts')

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As was powerfully promoted by Herbert Armstrong's 'World   of God' movement.

Then followed the Sacred Name Movement, restoring original Hebrew versions of God's name. And, of late, there arose "The Restoration of Hebrew Roots Movement" amongst dedicated Christian sectarians. This movement promotes the original biblical ('Jewish') customs, and Hebrew language terms are used freely and intermittently. For many Restoration believers, this has led to a desire for a full conversion to Judaism - which completes the full circle back to the original - as foretold in numerous Prophecies of the Tanakh.

These Hebraic Restorers and Returnees to Torah had to, and continue to 'wrestle' with the writings of Paul. Notwithstanding the positive enunciation by Paul of many true tenets of Judaism, many of these Returnees, while defending Paul, are nevertheless progressively returning to the Law and Customs of of Judaism - the Original True Faith.

The contents of the study above and its headlong confrontation with 'Paul's written statements' should shed much light on the true facts, namely, that only God is infallible and mankind, including the powerful apostle Paul, are really beings 'of like passion.'

May this realization further provide a final boost to the Restoration of the re-united 12-Tribed Kingdom of the God of Israel.

My Commentary:

This Rabbi is sponsoring a large-scale movement in Israel to prepare for the reconcilation between the House of Judah (Jews) and the 10 tribes spread among the "nations" -- which means among the Gentiles. Here is an example of a summary of his project:

Towards the end of 2005 (beginning of the Jewish year 5766), he became the co-founder of Kol HaTor Project. With the amazing phenomenon of the awakening of the Hebraic Restoration Movement amongst Christian Zionists across the world, the Kol HaTor Project would now more directly publish and promote its Vision on Rabbinic level, as well as from the Hebraic Restoration platform amongst Christian Zionists. Basing its Vision on Ezekiel 37:15-28 regarding the Restoration of the 2 Houses of Judah and 10-Israel, the Kol HaTor Project would spread knowledge from the writings of the Biblical Prophets and the great Sages of Judaism about the imminent fulfillment of the Prophetic Vision of the Restoration of Israel. It would also strive to lay the foundations for achieving peaceful reconciliation between the two greatly estranged Houses of Judah (the Jews) and 10-Israel (a.k.a the House of Yosef and Ephraim, or ‘the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel’), exiled amongst the nations. The Kol Ha Tor Vision strives to bring an awareness on either side of the 3000 year long, great rift in the House of G-d, regarding each side’s responsibilities to achieve Peace and Reconciliation. (link)

The Bible also calls this Restoration the New Covenant - which is what Jesus referred to as having been effectuated by His blood.

Now since lineage is surely lost in time, this Rabbi, I think, is going to say anyone out of the Gentiles who accepts Yahshua can become a "Jew." It remains to be seen if this Rabbi will claim this requires a Gentile to keep commands not imposed in the Law on them because now the Gentile has become a "son of Israel" by conversion. But that would be an extra-Biblical teaching if this Rabbi holds this view. I would resist such a view as violative of the Law's command in Deut 4:2 (do not add to the commands).

So this may end up requiring careful study of the Law to find a peaceful reconciliation that could work. I think the Karaites in Judaism, who reject adding non-Biblical teachings to how to read the Bible, are going to have to come to the table. The Karaites can help all sides address how we can be one kingdom with three lineages -- the House of Judah (Jews), the House of Israel (the Northern Kingdom now lost among the nations) and Gentiles.

In my view, the Bible contemplates that only the "Sons of Judah" and "Israel" - the divided kingdom -- are to be reunited, and God has done that at the Cross of Christ in a spiritual way. Gentiles have always been acceptable merely by submission to God, including his Annointed (Messiach) King. Jesus / Yahshua's last command before the Ascension was to teach his "commands" to all the "nations" (Gentiles). So Jesus clearly saw Gentiles as entering the kingdom the way they always did: by submission to Israel's Yahweh -- traditionally done by the ritual of baptism at the time just before Christ. (Bowen, The Gospel of Jesus (1916) at 135.)

The Gentile of today evinces this submission by a baptismal repentance in the name of Jesus / Yahshua, and then by obeying sabbath and avoiding evil (as detailed more fully in the Law's commands directed at Gentiles living in the kingdom gates with Israel -- a fairly narrow set of commands.)  See Law Applicable to Gentiles Today.