The Authority of Scripture
II Timothy 3:16-17 states that: (16) All Scripture is breathed out by Elohim and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for setting straight, for instruction in righteousness,
(17) that the man of Elohim might be fitted, equipped for every good work. At the time Paul wrote these words, the only recognized “Scriptures” were the Torah (Law), the Nevi’im (Prophets), and the
Ketuvim (Writings) — what is now called the Tanakh or “Old Testament.” The New Testament writings had not yet been gathered, codified, or universally recognized as Scripture. Therefore, Paul was affirming the enduring authority and sufficiency of the Hebrew Scriptures as the foundation for instruction and correction in the life of faith. These writings reveal God’s will, His commandments, and His truth, and they were never set aside or replaced. We acknowledge the New Testament writings as valuable, Spirit-inspired testimonies and teachings of the Messiah and His emissaries. But they always point back to, and rest upon, the authority of the Torah and Prophets. Scripture cannot contradict itself, and the Apostolic writings must be understood in light of the Scriptures that came before them. This means our faith and practice are rooted in the eternal Word of God as given through Moses, the Prophets, and the Writings — which the Messiah and His disciples also upheld, quoted, and lived by.
2. The Father, the Son, and the Set-Apart Spirit
We believe in the eternal Father, His Son, יהושע (Yahusha) the Messiah, and the Set-Apart Spirit. We do not hold to the traditional doctrine of the Trinity as three persons in one being, but rather affirm that the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are distinct, while sharing unity in authority, mission, and purpose. The Father is the Creator, source of life, and the One who sent His Son into the world (Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 6:4; Yoḥanan/John 3:16–17; 1 Corinthians 8:6). The Son, יהושע (Yahusha), is the Word made flesh (Yoḥanan/John 1:14), who lived without sin, died as the atoning sacrifice for our transgressions (Yeshayahu/Isaiah 53; 2 Corinthians 5:21), and was raised by the Father to sit at His right hand in esteem (Ma‘asei/Acts 2:32–33; Iḇrim/Hebrews 1:3). He mediates between Elohim and men (1 Timothy 2:5) and will return to reign as Sovereign. The Set-Apart Spirit is the breath and power of Elohim working within His people (Beresh*th/Genesis 1:2; Yeḥezqĕl/Ezekiel 36:27), teaching, comforting, and equipping us to walk in His commands and to bear witness of יהושע (Yoḥanan/John 14:26; Ma‘asei/Acts 1:8; Romiyim/Romans 8:14–16). Together, the Father, Son, and Spirit are not three “gods,” nor are they one single person with different roles. Instead, they are united in will, truth, and mission. יהושע Himself acknowledged this unity when He said, “I and the Father are one” (Yoḥanan/John 10:30), and yet He also prayed to the Father as distinct from Himself (Yoḥanan/John 17:1–3). Thus, we uphold the Scriptural revelation of the Father, the Son, and the Set-Apart Spirit, recognizing their perfect unity and shared authority while respecting their distinct identities and roles.
3. Messiah's Message Was/Is Divinely Inspired
We believe that Yahshua the Messiah did not come to bring His own message, but to faithfully proclaim the Word of the Father who sent Him. He declared, “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me” (Yoḥanan/John 7:16–17), and again, “The word which you hear is not Mine but of the Father who sent Me” (Yoḥanan/John 14:24). This means the Messiah’s life and teaching are in perfect alignment with the Torah and the Prophets. He upheld the Father’s commands, lived them out as our example, and taught His disciples to do the same. Yahshua explicitly said He did not come to destroy or abolish the Torah, but to complete and properly interpret it (Mattithyahu/Matthew 5:17–19). We reject the idea that Yahshua introduced a new religion or replaced the Father’s instructions with man-made traditions. Instead, His mission was to restore the purity of the Father’s Word, cutting through the distortions of men and showing us the true way to walk in obedience, love, and righteousness. Therefore, to follow the Messiah is to follow the Father, for Yahshua spoke nothing apart from Him. Our obedience to Yahshua’s words is obedience to Elohim’s eternal Word, preserved in the Scriptures.
4. The Torah is the Standard for Righteousness (right living before Yahweh)
We believe that the Torah — the teachings and instructions of יהוה given through Mosheh — remains the eternal standard of righteousness for His people. The Torah defines sin (Romiyim/Romans 7:7), shows us the way of life (Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 30:15–16), and equips us to walk in covenant with Elohim. Yahshua the Messiah upheld the Torah in both word and deed. He declared, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to complete” (Mattithyahu/Matthew 5:17). He warned that anyone who sets aside the least of the commands and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the reign of the heavens (Mattithyahu/Matthew 5:19). The Renewed Covenant writings affirm that the Torah is set-apart, just, and good (Romiyim/Romans 7:12), and that faith in Messiah does not abolish the Torah but establishes it (Romiyim/Romans 3:31). Through the Spirit, יהוה writes His Torah upon our hearts (Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 31:33; Iḇrim/Hebrews 8:10), enabling us to walk in willing obedience. We reject the teaching that the Torah was “nailed to the cross” or made void in Messiah. Instead, we affirm that Messiah’s sacrifice provides atonement for our transgressions against the Torah, calling us to repentance and empowering us to walk in obedience. Therefore, the Torah remains the foundation of holy living, guiding us in how to love יהוה with all our heart, soul, and strength, and how to love our neighbor as ourselves.
5. The Torah as the Covenant (Ketubah) Between יהוה and His People
We believe that the Torah is not merely a set of laws, but the Ketubah — the marriage covenant — between יהוה and His people Yisra’el. At Mount Sinai, יהוה took Yisra’el as His bride, declaring: “Now then, if you diligently obey My voice, and shall guard My covenant, then you shall be My treasured possession above all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine” (Shemoth/Exodus 19:5). The Torah outlines the terms of this covenant relationship, teaching us how to love יהוה and how to walk faithfully as His set-apart bride. However, Yisra’el broke this covenant by pursuing other mighty ones and rejecting the Torah (Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 31:32; Yeḥezqĕl/Ezekiel 16). Yahshua the Messiah came in part to re-establish covenant with the people of Yisra’el. He declared, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Yisra’el” (Mattithyahu/Matthew 15:24). Through His life, death, and resurrection, Yahshua opened the way for the lost sheep to return to covenant faithfulness, not by abolishing the Torah, but by renewing our hearts to walk in it (Yeḥezqĕl/Ezekiel 36:26–27; Iḇrim/Hebrews 8:10). Therefore, the Torah remains the binding covenant document between יהוה and His people. Messiah restores us to this covenant, calling us to faithfulness as His bride, preparing us for the great wedding feast to come (Ḥazon/Revelation 19:7–9).
6. Our Covenant Identity as Yisra’el
We believe that all who belong to Messiah are part of Yisra’el, the covenant people of Elohim. Some are natural descendants of Yisra’el, while many are wild branches grafted in through faith in Yahshua (Romiyim/Romans 11:17–24). In either case, our identity is not defined by man-made religious labels but by our covenant relationship with יהוה. Scripture makes clear that there is one people of Elohim, not two separate peoples. Sha’ul writes: “You were at that time without Messiah, excluded from the citizenship of Yisra’el and strangers from the covenants of promise… But now in Messiah יהושע you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah” (Ephesians 2:12–13). As Yisra’el, we are called to walk in the Torah, keep the Sabbaths and Feasts, and live as a set-apart nation among the nations (Wayyiqra/Leviticus 23; Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 7:6). Our covenant identity binds us together as one bride, awaiting the return of our Bridegroom, Messiah Yahshua. We reject the idea that the “church” is a separate entity that replaced Yisra’el. Instead, we affirm that all who believe in Messiah and obey the commands of Elohim are the true Yisra’el (Ḥazon/Revelation 12:17; 14:12). Therefore, our faith is not a new religion, but a restoration of covenant identity. Whether native-born or grafted in, we are one in Messiah, bound together under the covenant of Torah, and called to walk as the bride of יהוה.
