Part 1: From History

Early Church Fathers

Ireneaus: "They themselves continued in the ancient observances: the Apostles scrupulously acted in accord with the dispensation of Mosaic law." Against Heresies III:12:15

Jerome The church leader Jerome (4th century) described the Netzarim as "those who accept Messiah in such a way that they do not cease to observe the old law." (on Is. 8:14)

Epiphanius The next quote is presented in two forms. The first is a list, so that each point can be considered. Then, second, as a paragraph which is how it appears in the original Greek. The Epiphanius quote
"We shall now especially consider heretics who... call themselves Netzarim. They are mainly completed Jews and nothing else. They are approved of by the [orthodox] Jews, from whom the Netzarim do not differ in anything, and they profess all the dogmas pertaining to the prescriptions of the Law and to the customs of the Jews, except they believe in [Messiah].
They differ from the Jews because they believe in Messiah, and from the Christians in that they are to this day (4th century) bound to the Jewish rites, such as circumcision, the Sabbath, and other ceremonies. They have the Good News according to Matthew in its entirety in Hebrew. For it is clear they still preserve this, in the Hebrew alphabet, as it was originally written." Parnarion 29:7:1-5

From the Jewish Side

To expose and isolate dangerous elements within the Jewish camp, R. Samuel ha-Katan then enlarged and adapted the existing petition, directing it against Nazarenes (Judeo-Christians).

Though tolerated as a minor sect prior to the rebellion against Rome (68-70 CE), the Judeo-Christians had interpreted those calamitous events as Divine retribution, thereby antagonizing even the most liberal rabbinic opinion. Encyclopedia of Judaism: Birkat Ha-Minim

This happened some time after 85 CE and what is interesting to note here is that Netzarim so resembled the non-believing Jews that this had to be created so that they could identify those who they wanted to banish.

In its revised form, the Birkat ha-Minim was a malediction which no sectarians (Minim) could recite aloud in the synagogue and to which they could not possibly respond amen. It thus effectively barred them from public worship and severed their ties with the Jewish people. This would be impossible if they were not continuing to keep the Torah.

Read more here.

Part 2: From the Scriptures

During the Millennium, as well as during the time of Moses, all the citizens of the Commonwealth of Israel were required to keep the Torah, no exceptions.

After the resurrection but before the ascension, Yeshua said
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations... teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."  Matthew 28:19-20

James was the head of the church and Yeshua appeared to him according to Paul after his resurrection. If the law was done away with, Yeshua would have known and told James. If sacrifices were not to be performed anymore, he would have told James that too.

In addition, Paul received his message not from any man but from the Lord himself. Once again, if the law had been done away with, the Lord would have told Paul. If Paul was not to be performing sacrifices anymore, the Lord would have told him that too and then when he was invited to perform them by James and the elders, he would have declined instead of agreeing to perform them.

According to Paul, he went up to visit with the "pillar" James to verify the message he would deliver to the gentiles and James signed off on it. Since James never stopped keeping the law including the sacrifices, and Paul never stopped keeping the law including the sacrifices, we have a major inconsistency in interpretation of their writings.

So now, through observation of the lifestyles of the Jewish Believers in Yeshua during the first century, what example did they leave us as regards whether they continued to keep the Torah or whether they stopped observing it because it had been done away with?

(b) In Acts 10:14 Peter said:
"By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything common or unclean."

Notice here, 10 years after the resurrection, Peter is still continuing in the ancient observances, following the laws of clean and unclean (as initially given to Noah), as they relate to what food is and what is not food. As the lead Apostle to the Jews, he was scrupulously acting in accord with the dispensation of Mosaic law (the Torah).

How hard would it have been for Yeshua to say, "Peter, all items that were unclean now are clean and that includes shellfish and pork products, so you can eat anything you want." Interestingly enough, there is not a record of Yeshua saying anything like that. Mark 7:18-19

(c) In Acts 21:20, there are ten thousand plus Jewish believers in Yeshua and they are all zealous for observing the law. Why, if it had been done away with. Didn't anyone know this? Didn't anyone tell them?

What about the head of the church, James? Where was he on this matter?

(d) In Acts 21:21-24, James had a discussion with Paul. Here is a summary of that discussion...
Comment: If the law was in fact done away with for the Jews, what's the problem with someone telling them? Wouldn't that be considered "Good News"?

In Addition: Paul wrote letters to many assemblies. ALL of these assemblies had ethnic Jews and many had Gentiles in them. For him to say that he never said that the law was done away with means that if you read any of his letters and come away thinking that Paul is teaching not to obey the law, then you have misinterpreted that letter. Otherwise, Paul could not have said and done per James instructions and kept his conscience pure before God. Even Peter realized this when he stated that some things that Paul wrote can be difficult to understand.

Paul speaks out about still keeping the law...

(1) Acts 25:8 Paul said in his own defense, "I have committed no offense either against the Law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar."
(2) Acts 28:16-17 "When we got to Rome..." Three days later he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had assembled, Paul said to them: "My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans."
(3) Acts 23:6 But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee.
(4) 2 Timothy 1:3 With a clear conscience I thank God, whom I serve as my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day...
(5) 1 Corinthians 7:19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters.
(6) Titus 2:14 who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from every act contrary to Torah and purify for himself a people for his own possesion, zealous for good deeds.
(7) Romans 7:12 So the law (Torah) is Holy, and the Commandment is Holy and Just and Good.
(8) 1 Timothy 1:8 We know that the law (Torah) is good if one uses it as it was intended to be used, that is, to identify the lifestyle of the redeemed community and reveal what sin is.
(9) Acts 21:26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day, ceremonially purifying himself along with them, went into the Temple to give notice of the date when their days of purification would be completed and sacrifices would be made for each of them.
(10) 1 Thessalonians 2:13-14 For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. For you, brethren, became imitators of the assemblies of God which are in Judea in Messiah Yeshua.
Note: Paul used the almost all Jewish Jerusalem Assembly as the standard a Gentile-area assembly should aspire to.
(11) 1 Corinthians 11:1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of the Messiah.
(12) Phillipians Follow my example, as I follow the example of the Messiah.
(13) 1 Corinthians 4:16-17Therefore I urge you to imitate me. For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Messiah Yeshua, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every assembly.
(14) 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

The Apostle John adds:
1 John 2:6 Whoever says he abides in him ought himself to walk in the same manner as Yeshua walked.

Basically, from the New Testament Scriptures, a case can be made that the Jewish Believers in Yeshua NEVER stopped observing the Torah.

Therefore, the Weight of Evidence is substantial , either from the New Testament or from the Early Church Fathers historical writings, the Jews who became believers in Yeshua continued observing Torah as their standard way of life and knew nothing about the law being done away with.

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