Adam?s sin came before his act of disobedience, it was his reasoning and rationalization to accept something other than God?s word as fact. It continues to this day with man trying to make God in his image rather than the converse. The best man can produce is external religion.
God did not establish a religion, he called Abraham and through him created a nation. A nation that was chosen to carry His banner and be an example to the world. A nation entrusted to preserve the law of God and to write and preserve the scriptures. He delivered that nation out of Egypt and Passover is the feast commemorating that deliverance. God seems to love patterns and it is interesting that the Messiah was also called out of Egypt and died as Passover lambs were being slaughtered.
God does not break or abandon covenants. A careful study of scripture reveals that God builds on covenants instead of replacing them. God has established four covenants with the Jewish people and none with gentile nations except as grafted in through Messiah. The four covenants are 1) the Abrahamic Covenant, 2) the Mosaic Covenant, 3) the Davidic Covenant and 4) the Messianic Covenant which though called the New Covenant can be seen as a renewal or fulfillment of preceding covenants.
In Leviticus we read that God established seven feasts and commanded Israel to keep them forever. These feasts are Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacles. The feasts are to remind Israel of what God has done for them as well as serve as a shadow of things to come. The four spring feasts predicted the Messiah Jesus) and were fulfilled by him to the day. He was slain on Passover, buried on Unleavened Bread, resurrected on First Fruits and gave the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. The fall feasts are yet to be fulfilled, but one can see how they prophesy as to Messiah?s return. Trumpets (the last trump), Atonement (judgement and salvation of the Jews) and Tabernacles (earthly reign of Messiah).
This is an argument of semantics but in reality Messiah did not die for gentiles. Instead he died as the Passover sacrifice for God?s chosen people the Jews. I say not for gentiles directly since they had no sacrificial system given by God to cover their sins so the sacrificial lamb had no meaning. However, I will not leave it there since (according to scripture) by accepting Yeshua (Jesus) as Messiah gentiles become wild branches grafted into the olive tree. Jews as they accept Him as Messiah will be natural branches grafted in.
Now the problem today is that we have a variety of denominations and religions created by man?s reasoning seemingly ignoring God?s callings and purpose for his chosen people; thus without regard for God?s stated plan for one new man, comprised of Jew and gentile. So as one reads the Bible a Jewish book about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob written in a distinctively Jewish setting for a Jewish people one must make the decision; does one trust God or man? If one chooses to trust God he must accept that God changes not so when reading His word one must not do so through denominational or religious glasses. If any glasses at all maybe with a Jewish tint so that one can recognize the setting of the Word with respect to Jewish life and history. Acknowledged theologian Karl Barth said that ?the Bible is a Jewish book. It cannot be read, understood, or expounded unless we are to become Jews.?
Eddie, Thanks so much for that essay. I agree with it up untill the point made by the Jewish Rabbi. The Old Testament is Jewish up to the book of Acts in the New Testament. There it takes a turn to the Gentile Church.
True, the early church started out mainly consisting of Jews who participated in Temple worship and formalities.
However, The Apostle Paul was called to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles. The rest of the New Testament was mainly penned by him. These are the letters he wrote to the Gentile Church and make up the majority of the New Testament which can hardly be called Jewish.
Other than that I thought it was a great article. It is to bad that I had to scroll down through all that spam that the Devil is using to discourage us. He has found several willing hands in this forum to carry out his loosing battle. Just keep pressing in and on. Persecution is nothing new and comes in all forms as long as there are willing hands to carry out his bidding.
Eddie, Thanks so much for that essay. I agree with it up untill the point made by the Jewish Rabbi. The Old Testament is Jewish up to the book of Acts in the New Testament. There it takes a turn to the Gentile Church.
True, the early church started out mainly consisting of Jews who participated in Temple worship and formalities.
However, The Apostle Paul was called to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles. The rest of the New Testament was mainly penned by him. These are the letters he wrote to the Gentile Church and make up the majority of the New Testament which can hardly be called Jewish.
Other than that I thought it was a great article. It is to bad that I had to scroll down through all that spam that the Devil is using to discourage us. He has found several willing hands in this forum to carry out his loosing battle. Just keep pressing in and on. Persecution is nothing new and comes in all forms as long as there are willing hands to carry out his bidding.
Like I said Press in, press on.
Oops! I missed the point about the Rabbi, Karl Barth was a Swiss reformed Church theologian who was strong on election. I think he had tongue in cheek on the being Jewish remark. He meant one has to think as a Jew to understand Jewish writings.
Most seminaries, commentaries, denominations and such wring every meaning possible out of a Greek word not even considering that they should be searching for the meaning that would fit the Jewish thought being expressed. Paul could speak Greek but it was not his language as evidenced by this Act 21:37 passage:
Quote:
As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, "May I say something to you?" "Do you speak Greek?" he replied.
BTW an Aramaic/ English NT translation by Roth is interesting. I haven't picked one up yet as they are $49.95.
Quote:
As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, "May I say something to you?" "Do you speak Greek?" he replied.
I believe that it was the soldier that asked Paul if he spoke Greek mistaking Paul for an Egyption. Paul then addressed the crowd in Aramaic.
Just a small point. But yes you are right they wring out the smallest essence out of a word but miss the big picture.
Eddie, Thanks so much for that essay. I agree with it up untill the point made by the Jewish Rabbi. The Old Testament is Jewish up to the book of Acts in the New Testament. There it takes a turn to the Gentile Church.
True, the early church started out mainly consisting of Jews who participated in Temple worship and formalities.
However, The Apostle Paul was called to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles. The rest of the New Testament was mainly penned by him. These are the letters he wrote to the Gentile Church and make up the majority of the New Testament which can hardly be called Jewish.
Other than that I thought it was a great article. It is to bad that I had to scroll down through all that spam that the Devil is using to discourage us. He has found several willing hands in this forum to carry out his loosing battle. Just keep pressing in and on. Persecution is nothing new and comes in all forms as long as there are willing hands to carry out his bidding.
Like I said Press in, press on.
The Christian faith had essentially died. About 350AD the Roman emperor Constantine was himself converted and that was where the whole thing started for Rome. He decided which books would be included in the bible, when holidays would be celebrated, i.e. the pagan holiday in December for Jesus' birth and the pagan holiday Eastre to celebrate the resurrection. As you might have noticed this worked out really well for the Vatican.
John 3:19-20 explains it well. It says, "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed."
The bible was written to scare people half to death. There are 162 mentions of hell in the new testament, 70 by Jesus himself. There's a lot more said about hell and the consequences of sin than any other subject.
I guess that's why I never did much like the Sunday morning sermons. They were either telling you how to live your life or about once every five weeks they had to hit you up for more money. I don't know about others but Southern Baptist preachers were required to preach 10 sermons a year about tithing and giving.
I guess that's why I never did much like the Sunday morning sermons. They were either telling you how to live your life or about once every five weeks they had to hit you up for more money. I don't know about others but Southern Baptist preachers were required to preach 10 sermons a year about tithing and giving.
You are wrong about being written to scare people. It was written to tell people who are lost in their sin that there is away for getting beyond the punishment that sin has coming.
Also it is too bad about being required to preach 10 sermons on tithing, because tithing is a Old Testament Jewish thing and was never transferred over to the Gentile church. Sorry to say that has run it's fair share of people off just because they wrongfully make money a issue. That is why I am a published Author of a book dealing with that very subject. Just in case you are interested it is still available at Amazon. The name of my book is "Subtle Deception" How False Teachers Betray Christianity, While Enriching Themselves. It is a Biblical critique of the Gospel of Prosperity and it contemporary evangelists. Yes it is a shameful plug.
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