GOD IS A GOD OF RULES

God started Adam and Eve out on *two* explicit commandments -- one a positive commandment with two parts ([1] "Be fruitful and multiply and [2] subdue the earth" -- Gen 1:28) and one a prohibition ("Of the tree ... you shall not eat" -- Gen 2:15-17; 3:3). In addition, there was the implicit commandment of Sabbath observance because God Himself blessed and sanctified the day (for whom? ... -- Gen 3:2,3) and because "the Sabbath was made for man/Adam ..." (Mar 2:27). There may have been more (E.g. "to work it and take care of it" -- Gen 2:15), but those are three commandments I can pull up on the spot.

The common, yet uninformed reading of Jesus as actually reducing the 613 commandments of the Torah/Law to just two (Mat 22:35-40) is tantamount to him subtracting the remaining 611 commandments, which would be a sin (Deu 4:2; 12:32). What Jesus actually did was similar to what other rabbis of his day did: He bullioned-down the 613, organizing and prioritizing them according to the two organic headers of "Love God" and "Love Neighbor" ... the same way that the two tablets of the 10 Commandments are organized. Notice in the narrative the positive reaction of the scribe to Jesus' answer (Mar 12:32,33). If Jesus had said what too many Christians are interpreting him to have said, the scribe would have gotten angry at Jesus for subtracting from the Torah (Deu 4:2; 12:32)!

Here's an example from the Talmud of other rabbis bullioning-down the 613 Torah commandments, without once ever thinking that they were actually reducing/subtracting even one of the 613:

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R. Simlai ... said: Six hundred and thirteen commandments were communicated to Moses ... David came and reduced them to eleven, as it is written, ... Who shall dwell in Thy holy mountain? — [i] He that walketh uprightly, and [ii] worketh righteousness, and [iii] speaketh truth in his heart; that [iv] hath no slander upon his tongue, [v] nor doeth evil to his fellow, [vi] nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour, [vii] in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but [viii] he honoureth them that fear the Lord, [ix] He sweareth to his own hurt and changeth not, [x] He putteth not out his money on interest, [xi] nor taketh a bribe against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved. ... Isaiah came and reduced them to six, as it is written, [i] He that walketh righteously, and [ii] speaketh uprightly, [iii] He that despiseth the gain of oppressions, [iv] that shaketh his hand from holding of bribes, [v] that stoppeth his ear from hearing of blood, [vi] and shutteth his eyes from looking upon evil; he shall dwell on high ... Micah came and reduced them to three, as it is written, It hath been told thee, O man, what is good, and what the Lord doth require of thee: [i] only to do justly, and [ii] to love mercy and [iii] to walk humbly before thy God ... Again came Isaiah and reduced them to two, as it is said, Thus saith the Lord, [i] Keep ye justice and [ii] do righteousness [etc.]. Amos came and reduced them to one, as it is said, For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel, Seek ye Me and live ... But it is Habakuk who came and based them all on one, as it is said, But the righteous shall live by his faith.

(Talmud - Makkoth 24a)

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God is a God of rules. He's not only that, but He is *at least* that! Same with Jesus. Christ affirmed God's Torah to the Jewish people and he himself obeyed it. There are obviously parts of the Torah which Jesus did not/could not obey (E.g. what to do during and after menstruation, childbirth, the order of encampment, the destruction of the seven Canaanite groups, and all of the legislation addressed to Levites, Levitical priests, and the Levitical high priest). However, Jesus' not doing those parts of the Torah that were not applicable to him did not make him a sinner ... any more than a Gentile not doing those parts of the Torah which are not applicable to us makes us sinners.

-Michael Millier