All power and authority has been given to Jesus (we often refer to Him by the Hebrew pronounciation Yeshua).  No one comes to the Father except through Him.  Yeshua is the beginning and the end.  In Him we live, breathe, and have our being.  He is our source and He desires to have an individual relationship with each one of us.

Yeshua told us that the most important instruction in the Bible is love.  Accordingly, we purpose to walk in love for Yahweh God and each other as we follow Yeshua and His Holy Spirit.  It’s a lifetime process of transformation.

For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.
Acts 20:27

In the beginning, was the Word and the Word was Yeshua (John 1:1,14).  All of the Bible is centered around Yeshua and based upon the Torah / Pentateuch / “The law” (first five books) as the foundation.

However, because the Levitical priesthood has been suspended, and relatively few of us live in the covenant land of Israel, the specific application of certain instructions in the Torah necessitates love, prayer, diligence, and forbearance as we seek the will of God in those areas.

What is often referred to as the “Old Testament” is not “old” as in obsolete.  A Hebrew term for what some people refer to as “The Old Testament” is the “Tanakh”.  The Tanakh provides great insight and understanding for all of life as well as the Renewed Covenant / “New Testament”.

Regarding the “New Testament”, Biblically, the word “new” as in “New” Testament” can just as accurately be translated REnewED.  The usage is determined by context sort of like if someone were to say “I bought a new car”:  One could then ask if the car is “new to you” or if it was “brand new” as in no previous owners.  The context determines its usage.

The question of the relevance of all of the Bible is of utmost importance because the Bible defines your relationship with your Creator.  Are we to embrace one part of the Bible and then relegate the others as obsolete?

The conclusion that all of the Bible is based upon the Torah is easily drawn in several different ways.  However, for our purposes here, I am providing a quick word study based upon Jeremiah 31:31 which again, is just one way.

The Hebrew word in question is Strongs number H2319 – Chaddash as it is translated into the word “new” and used in Jeremiah 31:31.  However, before we actually look to Jeremiah 31:31, let’s see how that same word is first used and then how it is used elsewhere.

Leviticus 23:16 
Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a (Strongs #H2319) new meat offering unto Yahweh.
Note: In this case is the meat offering a brand new concept?  Obviously not:  The offering is certainly “new” for that morning but the meat offering is something that was practiced regularly.  It was not a “new” idea.

Lamentations 3:22-23
It is Yahweh’s mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not.  They are (Strongs #H2319) (re)new(ed) every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.
Note:  As before, was Yahweh’s mercy not extended to mankind prior to Lamentations 3:22-23?  Obviously, it was and so His mercies are not brand new every day as in never existed before.  Rather they are being (re)new(ed) every day.

Finally, Jeremiah 31:31 prophetically speaks of a new / renewed covenant that Yahweh God will make with His people, Biblical Israel.  So the question then arises; was that covenant to be “brand new” as in nothing of its kind had ever existed before or was it to be “new” as in (re)new(ed) as we see in the word used in the previous two verses?

Jeremiah 31:31
Behold, the days come, saith Yahweh, that I will make a (Strongs #H2319) (re)new(ed) covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
Note:  Since Yahweh God obviously already had a covenant with the House of Israel (as indicated by the verse itself), the context of the verse, as well as the Bible as a whole, clearly indicates that He is going to make a re-newed covenant with His people.

That renewed covenant was prophesied about all through the “Old Testament” / Tanach via the coming Messiah (Yeshua).  It was then ratified by Yeshua’s blood sacrifice and memorialized in the cup of fellowship and blessing in Matthew 26:28.

Matthew 26:28
For this is my blood of the (re)new(ed) testament / covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

The reality that the Gospels and Epistles are a continuation of the Hebrew Scriptures is clearly demonstrated, in a number of ways, ALL through the Bible: This is just ONE way.

Accordingly, you may hear the “New Testament” referred to as the “Renewed Covenant” because rather than replacing the old and obsolete, it is the continuing story of a loving God and His people.

In summary, it’s pretty simple; we give equal weight to all of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation .

The Spirit of God is active and can be found all through the Bible beginning even in Genesis 1:2. In Mark 16:16-18 Yeshua said that “These signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;  They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

We believe that all of the manifestations (gifts) of the Spirit are active today just as they were in the days of Yeshua. We have witnessed most of the manifestations mentioned in Romans 9 and 1 Corinthians 12-14 in our fellowship at one time or another. Parson Rayphe ministers in words of knowledge, healing, and prophetic inspirations as the Spirit leads.

Beginning with the first Messianic prophecy, the entire Bible (Gen. – Rev.) is about the restoration of God’s people who Apostle Paul refers to as the “Israel of God” Gal. 6:16.

Yeshua was a Hebrew Israelite.  He aligned Himself with the Torah / Pentateuch and all of the Hebrew Scriptures but He rejected the Jewish religion.  As the King of Israel (John 1:49) Yeshua came “but for the lost sheep of the House of Israel” and to reconcile all of mankind with the Father (regardless of where they were born or color of skin).

Note:  Please note that unless specifically noted, any reference to “Israel” on this website is a reference to Biblical Israel rather than the geographic body politic in the Middle East.  The Bible identifies the “House of (Biblical) Israel” as a people who are found throughout the world who God is calling unto Himself in this season.

Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Torah (Teaching / Law)?”
 And He said to him, “‘You will love the Lord your God with your whole heart and with your whole being (Deut. 6:5)
and with your whole mind: This is the greatest and first commandment.
And the second is like it, ‘You will love your neighbor as yourself.  (Lev. 19:18)
Matthew 22:36-39

God places tremendous value on relationships.  In fact, it is the purpose of the Bible. We make no claim on perfection but we do claim to be confident that we are walking out the calling that the Most High has placed on our ministry.

At Together Fellowship we place a great emphasis on aligning with the Spirit and Word of God as we walk in love.  This is the point of the Gospel.  We welcome merciful, gracious, caring, and sincere discussion but we will not squabble over secondary doctrines; particularly at the expense of people.
Parson Rayphe

Together Fellowship is a “Free Church“.  We prefer to simply be known as followers of Yeshua / Jesus.

We are a part of the “Israel of God” Galatians 6:16, while being in relationship with and serving the God of Israel Luke 1:68 in Spirit and Truth, in His Son Jesus / Yeshua.

A little about why we value relationships more than buildings

About Yeshua
Naturally speaking, Jesus / Yeshua was an Israelite who was born into the tribe of Judah.  Because He was of the tribe of Judah He can rightfully be identified as “Jewish” by ethnicity.  However, He did not adhere to the man-made the Jewish “religion”.  In fact, He constantly rebuked the Pharisees and their ways which led to His death.

Synagogues and Church Buildings

Synagogues
Yahweh God instructed Israel to build its Tabernacle and the Temples.  Their primary intended function was to house the Ark of the Covenant and to facilitate the functions of the Levitical Priesthood.  However, it is important to note that synagogues are not a Biblical instruction of God.  Yeshua regularly visited synagogues in order to search out sincere seekers of God and teach them how to correctly align with Him.

Christian Church buildings
Like Jewish synagogues, Christian church buildings are not found in the Bible either.  They primarily began to appear when the Roman Emperor Constantine created a religion by combining catholicism, babylonian worship, sun worship, and other nefarious religions back around 313 AD and then began calling it Christianity.   He made this new conglomeration the state religion and called it Christianity.  At that point, the lines between Babylon, catholicism, and Christianity began to be very blurry.

It’s Not About Buildings
While Judaism and Christianity both have their religious buildings, nowhere in the Bible does God instruct people to regularly meet in large, commercial buildings.  Actually, the Bible tends to speak against it.  Here are just two of several verses that support this –  Exodus 16:29,  Rom. 16:5.

To be clear, we don’t feel that it is wrong to meet in large buildings when necessary.  In fact, as the need arises, we do ourselves.  It is just very important to note that you are not somehow legitimate if you do, nor are you illegitimate if you don’t.  It is not the building that makes a congregation; it is the people:  The Bible is exceedingly clear about that.  

It’s About People: The Israel of God
The Bible uses several terms to refer to God’s people however the most prominent is “Israel” (Luke 1:68, Gal. 6:16).  However, regardless of how God refers to His people, it is abundantly clear that first and foremost, He places love as the highest expression of Godliness.

“Teacher, which is the great commandment?” He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment.  The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  Matthew 22:36-39

As mentioned above, Yeshua lived out and taught ALL of the Bible and He instructed everyone else (including you and I) to do the same.

 For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.  Matthew 5:18

Yeshua has sooo much more to offer.  To meet the growing need of those seeking fellowship we meet in local small groups.

If you are sincerely seeking Yeshua / Jesus, we welcome the opportunity to fellowship with you.

Welcome!

Parson Rayphe