The Hebrew word "Torah", meaning law, is often used as a reference to the Hebrew Scriptures, in particular the first five books of Moses, also known as "the Law of Moses". However in Jesus' day, as today, Torah also included the so-called, Oral Torah or oral traditions. (After the destruction of Jerusalem in 70CE these oral traditions eventually were trasmitted to written form into what is today known and the Talmud.)
The Oral Torah or traditions were alleged to be handed down from God to Moses and in turn in Joshua and so on and so forth. For the Jews it is believed that the Scriptures are incomplete by themselves, a cryptic puzzle and thus the Oral Tradition is necessary to understand them. In time the Oral Torah came to be held as more important than the Written Torah. And thus the Scriptures were minimized and the traditions of men were amplified.
Jesus ministry in contrast rejected the oral traditions saying
"you have made the word of God invalid because of your traditions." (Matthew 15:6) Therefore in violation of the Oral Torah Jesus:
- told a man to carry a cot on the Sabbath (Mark 2:11)
- healed on the Sabbath using a prepared salve (John 9:6)
- oversaw his disciples plucking grain on the Sabbath (Mark 2:23)
- taught his disiples to pray in private (Matthew 6:6)
- instructed those fasting to anoint their head and wash their face (Matthew 6:17)
- rejected hand washing rituals (Matthew 15:2)
As a teacher of the law Jesus was recognized as a Rabbi. (John 1:38) The way that Rabbis, or Scribes taught was by expounding on the Oral Traditions handed down. Jesus teaching was different as noted in Matthew 7:28,29
Now when Jesus finished these sayings, the effect was that the crowds were astounded at his way of teaching; for he was teaching them as a person having authority, and not as their scribes.Instead of simpling citing the teachings of past Rabbis, Jesus authoritatively taught "a new teaching". (Mark 1:28) The famous Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5) well illustrates this method of teaching:
"You heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You must not murder' ... However, I say to you that everyone who continues wrathful with his brother will be accountable to the court of justice. (v. 21,22)
"You heard that it was said, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone that keeps on looking at a woman so as to have a passion for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (v. 27,28)
"Moreover it was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ However, I say to YOU that everyone divorcing his wife, except on account of fornication, makes her a subject for adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. (v. 31,32)
"Again you heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You must not swear without performing, but you must pay your vows to Jehovah.’ However, I say to you: Do not swear at all, ..." (v. 33,34)
"You heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’ However, I say to you: Do not resist him that is wicked; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other also to him." (v. 38,39)
"You heard that it was said, ‘You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ However, I say to you: Continue to love your enemies and to pray for those persecuting you;" (v. 43,44)So while Jesus rejected the traditions of the Rabbis he held strictly to the law as recorded in the Scripture. Not only that, he outlined a more righteous way to follow these God given laws, highlighting the spirit behind the law.
"For I say to you that if your righteousness does not abound more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter into the kingdom of the heavens." - Matthew 2:20
So while the purpose of the Oral Law was to clarify the Written Law Jesus made clear that they were in fact "overstepping" the law with their traditions.
"In reply he said to them: “Why is it YOU also overstep the commandment of God because of your tradition? For example, God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Let him that reviles father or mother end up in death.’ But YOU say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother: “Whatever I have by which you might get benefit from me is a gift dedicated to God,” he must not honor his father at all.’ And so YOU have made the word of God invalid because of your tradition." - Matthew 15:3-6
In our day the children of God are not under law. As it is written,
"For such freedom Christ set us free. Therefore stand fast, and do not let yourselves be confined again in a yoke of slavery." As Paul makes clear to the Romans and Galatians - Christ put an end to law and law does not produce righteousness. (Galatians 2:15-21)
However be that as it may religious leaders today do not manifest Christ's spirit but instead the spirit of the scribes and Pharisees. For such ones scripture is not enough. Holy spirit is not enough. In order to protect their flock they feel the need to make numerous laws and regulations and guidelines in order to keep ones from works of flesh.
At Galatians 5:19-21 Paul writes a brief list of various works of the flesh saying:
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, and they are fornication, uncleanness, loose conduct, idolatry, practice of spiritism, enmities, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, contentions, divisions, sects, envies, drunken bouts, revelries, and things like these.Now what is of interest is that Paul does not set out to detail in a legalistic manner any of the above nor to set out an exhaustive list of "works of the flesh". After listing a few he says, "and things like these". Christians didn't need to be versed in all the different ways the flesh manifests itself in order to avoid them. He instead opts for a more beneficial course of action, as he says in verse 16
"Keep walking by spirit and you will carry out no fleshly desires at all."Yet today in a legalistic fashion numerous works have been written to enumerate all the different types of works of the flesh. One recent example is found in the July 1, 2006 issue of the Watchtower magazine's "Questions From Readers" as it sets out to define what is considered "fornication", verses "loose conduct", verses "uncleaness" as well as the punishments that each act warrants.
The legalistic nature of article is welled summed up by its treatment of pornography as follows:
"Some Christians have become involved in the viewing of pornography. This is offensive to God, and the elders may be shocked that a fellow believer has done this. But not all viewing of pornography calls for a hearing before a judicial committee. For example, suppose a brother view so-called soft-core pornography on several occasions. He is ashamed, confesses to an elder, and is determined not to repeat this sin. The elder might well conclude that the brother's conduct did not escalate to the point that he engaged in "uncleanness . . . with greediness"; nor did he display a brazen attitude, indicating loose conduct. Although no judicial action would be warranted, this type of uncleanness would call for strong Scriptural counsel and perhaps follow-up help from the elders.
However, supppose a Christian has secretly viewed abhorrent, sexually degrading pornography for years and has done everying possible to conceal this sin. Such pornography might feature gang rape, bondage, sadistic torture, the brutalizing of women, or even child pornography. When others become aware of his conduct, he is deeply ashamed. He has not been brazen, but the elders may determine that he has 'given himself over' to his filthy habit and has practiced 'uncleaness with greediness,' that is, gross uncleanness. A judicial committee would be formed because gross uncleanness is involved. The wrongdoer would be disfellowshipped if he did not display godly repentance and the determination never to view pornography again. If he invited others to his home to view pornography-in effect, promoting it-he would give evidence of a brazen attitude characterizing loose conduct."
We contrast the above legal construct with Jesus' simple words
"But I say to you that everyone that keeps on looking at a woman so as to have a passion for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart" or Paul's instruction to
"deaden therefore your body members that are on earth with respects to fornication" or James' words
"But each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire. Then the desire, when it has become fertile, gives birth to sin; in turn, sin, when it has been accomplished, brings forth death." (Matthew 5:28; Colossians 3:5, James 1:14,15)
The problem with laws and rules is that there can never be enough to cover every breed of wrongdoing. As for the above example it may be asked what is considered "soft-core pornography"? For that matter what constitutes pornography at all? Is a sex scene in a movie, pornography? If there is nudity? If there is not?
Wouldn't it be so much better to focus instead on helping Christians to keep walking by the spirit so as to carry out no fleshy desire at all? I cannot emphasize Paul's word enough,
"Furthermore, if you are being led by spirit, you are not under law." - Galatians 5:16,18
Jesus rejected the oral law and traditions and gave us something better - something purer - something more righteous. Laws are cheap and easy and in the end do not produce moral people. As we discussed laws do not produce righteousness. Please consider the anarchy that quickly develops in times of disaster where law enforcement suddenly disappears. So to in a Christian congregation we would ask what would happen if suddenly there was no threat of disfellowshipping or so-called "judicial" action? What would happen if there was no elder body or governing body to enumerate what was right or wrong?
If the only thing keeping the congregation clean is such laws and expulsion threats that would be a pretty sad thing. On the other hand for those who are trained to be lead by the spirit the scripture is enough. They don't need self-styled scribes to tell them what is loose conduct, what is uncleaness. They are lead by a Bible trained conscience and the spirit of Christ in them.
"However, YOU are in harmony, not with the flesh, but with the spirit, if God’s spirit truly dwells in YOU. But if anyone does not have Christ’s spirit, this one does not belong to him. But if Christ is in union with YOU, the body indeed is dead on account of sin, but the spirit is life on account of righteousness. If, now, the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in YOU, he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also make YOUR mortal bodies alive through his spirit that resides in YOU." - Romans 8:9-11
On the other hand, the fruitage of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. Moreover, those who belong to Christ Jesus impaled the flesh together with its passions and desires.
If we are living by spirit, let us go on walking orderly also by spirit. - Galatians 5:22-26
50-year-old Jesus Manuel Cano was arrested in Middletown, NY on Monday. As one of Jehovah's Witnesses, Cano would have regularly engaged in distributing Watchtower literature however on the day of his arrest Cano was passing out pamphlets that included graphic pictures of himself, such as the one pictured to the right. 
Found in Cano's car at the time of the arrest was two cold cans of beer, condoms, and petroleum jelly. Also discovered were photographs of boys and a shocking videotape that Cano apparently took of men and boys using urinals in the Chicago O'Hare International Airport. On Cano's person was an ID card verifying that he was a member of Bethel, the World Headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses in New York.
Afterwards police conducted an overnight raid of Cano's home at Bethel's, "Watchtower Farm" printery and farm facility in Walkhill, NY. They were directed by Cano's roommate to his living area where they retrieved four computers, hundreds of photographs, memory sticks, and DVD's including one labeled Chicago O'Hare Airport. Police reported that it will take days to look through the thousands of images that have been recovered.