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1. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn (Luke 2:7).
2. Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner (John 5:19).
3. I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me (John 5:30).
4. You heard that I said to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I (John 14:28).
5. So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me. [29] “And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him” (John 8:28-29).
6. Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me (John 8:42).
7. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father (John 10:18).
8. For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. John 12:49).
9. Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works (John 14:10).
10. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone (Matthew 24:36).
11. He said to them, “My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father” (Matthew 20:23).
12. And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone (Mark 10:18).
13. Sanctify to Me every firstborn, the first offspring of every womb among the sons of Israel, both of man and beast; it belongs to Me (Exodus 13:2).
14. You shall not delay the offering from your harvest and your vintage. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me (Exodus 22:29).
15. I have taken them for Myself instead of every first issue of the womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel. [17] “For every firstborn among the sons of Israel is Mine, among the men and among the animals; on the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for Myself. [18] But I have taken the Levites instead of every firstborn among the sons of Israel” (Numbers 8:16-18).
16. I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn (Zechariah 12:10).  
17. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29).
18. And He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. [16] For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. [17] He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. [18] He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything (Colossians 1:15-18).
19. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught of God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me (John 6:44-45).

SYNOPSIS

The special place allotted to the firstborn reverberates throughout the entire scripture. Undeniably, the Almighty established a pattern to be followed just as His laws and commandments make the foundation of the new house yet to be completed. Jesus came to fulfill the law and not to abolish it (Matthew 5:17-18). The well-established pattern of the firstborn is clear and indisputable. As a result of ambition, rather than honest love of the Truth, two doctrinal beliefs camps have emerged: one postulates Jesus as being the same as the Father and the other as the Son being obedient to the will of and serving the Father.

The picture of goats and sheep portrays the reality of being dependent and independent, but also the picture of the wise and unwise virgins, those with plenty of oil and those lacking it. But there is even more. Two camps emerged with one holding on to the ‘Only Begotten Son’ doctrine and the other to the ‘Firstborn Son of God.’ But God made a provision even for that through the prophet Zechariah 10:12 (look up verse 16); one camp weeps as for ‘the only begotten’ and the other as for ‘the firstborn son.’

Since the finalization of the Nicean Triune God church dogma; the dictum keeps on superseding the Biblical truth. A simple question would suffice resolving all disputes, which should not have existed in the first place. The question is this: “Who depends on whom?” Who is greater on whom the lesser must depend? Does self play any role in God’s Kingdom? Isn’t self of the flesh and not of the Spirit, which God is (John 4:24)? Obedience and faith go hand in hand. The Almighty God, the Father and Creator of all things in existence is the one on whom the Firstborn Son wholly depends. He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me (John 12:45). Only the flesh and blood human being plays with self, ego and the pride of this life (1John 2:16), which originates in earth’s matter and not in the spiritual heaven.

We are being drawn to the new understanding that the peacemakers are called sons of God (Matthew 5:9) and when they are led of the Spirit (Romans 8:14). There are sons and there are hirelings also. The Almighty Father can have only one firstborn and those who follow must be Christ’s siblings and so Jesus stated, “Go to My brothers and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God’” (John 20:17). Since this is so clear; we therefore conclude, confirm and verify Christ’s own words: He is not the only begotten but the firstborn among many brothers including us; His siblings. This in turn would abolish religion with its dogmas and usher us into the corridors of God glorious splendor for which we all long.    

CURSE OF THE LAW?

God the Father gives knowledge to the-knowledge-absorbing Understanding wife, which the Holy Spirit is, and then She brings forth wisdom; for [Matthew 11:19] “Wisdom is vindicated by her deeds” and never by words alone.

[Isaiah 52:7] How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace…

Moses was chosen to bring the Torah and to legislate it so that people would live in peace with each other. [Matthew 5:9] Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God.

[Deuteronomy 23:6] You shall never seek their peace or their prosperity all your days.

JESUS CHANGED THIS

[Matthew 54:43-45] “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ [44] “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, [45] so that you may be SONS OF YOUR FATHER who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

What makes us sons of God?

[1Peter 3:11] Seek peace and pursue it.

The entire TORAH, the so-called Law of Moses is summed up with one word, SHALOM, peace: I do not want to be robbed so I will not rob. I do not want anyone to sleep with my wife except me alone, I will not look upon another man’s wife with lust. I, as a parent would want to be honored and respected; therefore, I will respect and honor my parents. I do not want to be lied about in the court of law, I will not even be inclined to lie. I do not want to die; hence I will not premeditate nor insinuate a though of killing anyone. By doing so I make peace with myself and with fellow man.

[Matthew 11:28-30] “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. [29] “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (peace) for your souls. [30] “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

PROBLEMS
Nullify problems. Problems are man-made, never God-made. Q. Why? A. God does not dwell in the restrictive confines of space and time... He has no problems.

He solves all problems with the problem-less reality of heaven.

However, apostle Paul who *converted to Judaism, was rather under very heavy burdens, which are piled up on any new convert to Judaism.

Jesus said, [Matthew 23:15] “You travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.” [Luke 11:46] “Woe to you lawyers as well! For you weigh men down with burdens hard to bear, while you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers.”

Having this picture in mind we can imagine that Paul became overzealous for Judaism as he was taught. [Acts 22:3] “I am a *Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today.”

*It was a common thing to convert all Hellenized Jews to the new form of Judaism. Paul was not brought up in Judaism, but as an adult he joined yeshiva and studied under Rabbi Gamaliel.

POST-HELLENISTIC WORLD

From all references we can paint a picture of the Hellenistic world and the return to Judaism with which came many burdens and legalistic injunctions hardly anyone could bear. Just as God directed him to do in the first place Paul turns to the Gentiles.

[Acts 13:46-49] …behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. [47] “For so the Lord has commanded us, ‘I have placed You as a light for the Gentiles, that You may bring salvation to the end of the earth.’” (Isaiah 49:6 & Luke 2:32) [48] When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. [49] And the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region.

[Romans 11:13] “But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry.”

Paul mixes things up as if on purpose, I suppose to reach the Gentiles for the Gospel. He concentrates only on justification by faith an nothing beyond it. Gentiles only cared to go to heaven after death skipping hell.

[Galatians 3:10-15] For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them.” [11] Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, * “The righteous man shall live by faith.”

* [Habakkuk 2:4] “Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him; but the righteous will live by his faith.” Obviously, first you must be righteous in order to have faith. Faith is lodged in a humble and low place of the human soul. Hollow place receives the gift (Rom. 10:17).

[Galatians 3:12] However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, “He who practices them shall live by them.”

SOURCE OF CURSE

[Deuteronomy 27:15-26] ‘Cursed is the man who makes an idol or a molten image, an abomination to the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen.’
16‘Cursed is he who dishonors his father or mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
17‘Cursed is he who moves his neighbor’s boundary mark.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
18‘Cursed is he who misleads a blind person on the road.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
19‘Cursed is he who distorts the justice due an alien, orphan, and widow.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
20‘Cursed is he who lies with his father’s wife, because he has uncovered his father’s skirt.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
21‘Cursed is he who lies with any animal.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
22‘Cursed is he who lies with his sister, the daughter of his father or of his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
23‘Cursed is he who lies with his mother-in-law.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
24‘Cursed is he who strikes his neighbor in secret.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
25‘Cursed is he who accepts a bribe to strike down an innocent person.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
26‘Cursed is he who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

[Galatians 3:13-14] Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— [14] in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

SOURCE

[Deuteronomy 21:22-23] “If a man has committed a sin worthy of death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, [23] his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God Masoretic text reads as **REPROACH), so that you do not defile your land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance.

** 1. To address (someone) in such a way as to express disapproval or disappointment. "critics of the administration reproached the president for his failure to tackle the deficiency.”

** 2. An expression of disapproval or disappointment, e.g., "He gave her a look of reproach.”

** 3. Term most frequently associated with the idea of curse is the verb kallel (qallel; קלל) and the cognate (root word) - qelalah. This term has a far broader connotative range. It reflects attitudes, behavior, and actions all the way from contempt, through verbal abuse, to physical violence; just as berekh (ברך) and kibbed (כבד; and the nouns derived from them) express respect, compliments and good wishes, and material benefit.

TODAY

Does all of this apply to us today?
Why not?

Do you really want to strike your neighbor in secret, which is premeditated murder?
Do you really want to mislead a blind person on the road?
Do you really want to distort the justice due an alien, orphan, and widow?

Should you really listen to Paul's renditions of singled out isolated scripture verses or should you embrace the source spirit in which those words were given?