Jew 2.0: Part Deux
Back to the main question I'm looking to answer:
"Jesus Christ himself was a Jew. If Christians wanted to follow their God, why do they not follow Judaism?"
Like I said in the previous, "I'm-too-sleepy-for-this" post the first Christians were Jews, and believe me, they had identity issues! There is a whole book of the Christian Bible that is dedicated to their identity crisis: Galatians.
Paul, a-former-persecutor-of-Christians-turned-hardcore-Jew-4-Jesus-leader-of-the-Gentile-churches, is a letter to set some people straight. I love the opening of Chapter 3:
1"O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? "
Translation: Are you kidding me? Who has tricked you into not obeying the truth?! I mean...Jesus was crucified in your face!
2This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
Translation: Why are you moving backwards? You found faith at the start, and now you're looking back to rules and regulations to make you perfect? Explain yourselves!
Here's the crux of it all:
6Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
Covenant - mutual agreement or contract (between persons, between nations, or between God and humanity) with conditions and consequences spelled out.
At it's core, the squabble over Jew 2.0 in Galatia and in modern-day society has to do with the Mosaic Covenant. There's no other covenant like it in the Bible. This covenant required unfailing obedience to 613 laws. By magnitude alone, Paul had to be correct in saying:
11But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
But wait! If no one is justified by the law in the sight of God...if we don't even have a real shot at it...what's the point of the Mosaic Covenant?
Paul says in Galatians 3:24 that the Law was our "schoolmaster." When I was a kid, I thought that meant that the Law was our teacher. It taught us right from wrong, so that we would have that basic knowledge when Jesus hit the scene. Not exactly. I did some research and a "schoolmaster" (in that timeframe) was a servant. This servant escorted the children of his master to and from temple from about the age of 6 until puberty. This was to make sure they were safe (kids are so immature, they get into all sorts of trouble) and to ensure they received instruction. Humanity needed a "schoolmaster" to escort us to the true teacher, which is Christ. When there are a bunch of rules that you can't follow, it just makes you aware of your inadequacy. The Law made us aware of our sinful nature, it made us aware of our disconnection from God, and it leads us to Christ, who is the fulfillment of the covenant God made with Abraham!
Why do we spend so much time focusing on the Mosaic Covenant? It's purpose was not salvation. Maybe I need a Jew to explain it to me, but if the Mosaic Covenant is about salvation, who is keeping all 613 laws every moment of every day? Because 24-7 compliance is what's necessary to receive "salvation" under Mosaic Covenant (if salvation is even obtainable under the Mosaic Covenant). And I guess we could say that it doesn't have to be 24-7 compliance, because you could offer sacrifices to atone for sin...but who's offering up a sacrifice? And I know, since the temple was destroyed, no sacrifices. But sacrifices were being performed prior to the construction of the temple. Sacrifices were performed in the wilderness. So...??
But regardless of whether there is a temple or not, why offer up even a single animal when Jesus Christ died as the ultimate sacrifice for sin, so that "through Abraham all families of the earth be blessed?" The Messiah is a part of the Abrahamic Covenant, Jesus came to fulfill the Law, so that only one covenant would remain: the first one! And THAT is why it's Jew 2.0. We all have access into the same covenant, through Jesus Christ.
Wait, then what's the New Covenant? Whoa, whoa. I was getting crazy with the ideas here. There is a New Covenant, but it's linked! The purpose of the New Covenant (which is prophesied first to Jews in Jeremiah 31:31) is to grant humanity access into an eternal relationship with God (the relationship God spoke to Abraham about). This is in stark contrast to the Old Covenant (Mosaic Covenant) the purpose of which was to show us that we NEEDED a savior, that on our own...we couldn't do it. That our works, on our best day, led to a breaking of the covenant.
This is getting long, so the last and FINAL part (Part Trois) will be about "The Family Tree." It won't be long, just some final thoughts.
Random Church Thought of the Day
Is it crazy that THIS is what I really wanted to talk about today? But I wanted to be true to Jew 2.0. This is short, but it's HEAVY. I was at church tonight, and the service was SO not about this, but often someone will say something that triggers something in my spirit. Or maybe God spoke this into my consciousness (though, I did not hear His voice or anything), but ANYWAY: What is the most widely quoted Bible verse ever?
John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
But what struck me is "loved." And I realized, I had no inkling of the timeframe on that love. That love is past, present, AND future. But what kills me is that it's PAST. And this is also (as mentioned in my opening paragraph) on point with Jew 2.0. Jesus is the way to salvation for EVERYONE: past, present, and future. People who existed prior to the death of Jesus Christ, people who lived and died under the law, still had access to grace through Jesus. What do I mean?
There is one event, and one cool scripture that sprang to my mind when I had this thought.
The Event
What did Jesus do in that time between His crucifixion and His resurrection? He preached in Hell.
"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison.” Peter 3: 18 - 19
Now do I know exactly what happened there? Nope. I just know He went! He loved them enough to be there! And He declared himself, and His good news is that He had just died for sin. All sin. Sin unlimited. WOW!
The Scripture
The following scripture takes me back to my comment about the Mosaic Covenant not leading to salvation. Because those who lived under it, those who failed under it, DESPITE their love for God, found themselves in a place that is not heaven. The concept of heaven is new. Jesus goes "to prepare a place."
Scrip is OT from the man after God's own heart--King David:
10...For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Jesus went to preach to people who were bound. And preached His gospel of redemption from sin to them, thereby freeing them. Even David. EVEN DAVID!
Randomness Continues...
Oh, wait, and there's another scripture in Hebrews 11, which is NT, but speaks to an OT subject. And I love this scripture, because it alludes to something that some Jewish scholars have said: that Moses knew everything! That God gave Moses every answer, beyond what was written on the tablets.
Let the randomness marinate. Goodnight!
I think this song is pretty.
"Jesus Christ himself was a Jew. If Christians wanted to follow their God, why do they not follow Judaism?"
Like I said in the previous, "I'm-too-sleepy-for-this" post the first Christians were Jews, and believe me, they had identity issues! There is a whole book of the Christian Bible that is dedicated to their identity crisis: Galatians.
Paul, a-former-persecutor-of-Christians-turned-hardcore-Jew-4-Jesus-leader-of-the-Gentile-churches, is a letter to set some people straight. I love the opening of Chapter 3:
1"O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? "
Translation: Are you kidding me? Who has tricked you into not obeying the truth?! I mean...Jesus was crucified in your face!
2This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
Translation: Why are you moving backwards? You found faith at the start, and now you're looking back to rules and regulations to make you perfect? Explain yourselves!
Here's the crux of it all:
6Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
7Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
8And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
9So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
This is our scripture from Part One! Except it has relocated from Genesis 12, to Galations 3!!
You know what I like about this? It says that "the scripture" foresaw. Personification is REAL. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1) DEEP!!!
Covenant - mutual agreement or contract (between persons, between nations, or between God and humanity) with conditions and consequences spelled out.
At it's core, the squabble over Jew 2.0 in Galatia and in modern-day society has to do with the Mosaic Covenant. There's no other covenant like it in the Bible. This covenant required unfailing obedience to 613 laws. By magnitude alone, Paul had to be correct in saying:
11But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
But wait! If no one is justified by the law in the sight of God...if we don't even have a real shot at it...what's the point of the Mosaic Covenant?
Paul says in Galatians 3:24 that the Law was our "schoolmaster." When I was a kid, I thought that meant that the Law was our teacher. It taught us right from wrong, so that we would have that basic knowledge when Jesus hit the scene. Not exactly. I did some research and a "schoolmaster" (in that timeframe) was a servant. This servant escorted the children of his master to and from temple from about the age of 6 until puberty. This was to make sure they were safe (kids are so immature, they get into all sorts of trouble) and to ensure they received instruction. Humanity needed a "schoolmaster" to escort us to the true teacher, which is Christ. When there are a bunch of rules that you can't follow, it just makes you aware of your inadequacy. The Law made us aware of our sinful nature, it made us aware of our disconnection from God, and it leads us to Christ, who is the fulfillment of the covenant God made with Abraham!
Why do we spend so much time focusing on the Mosaic Covenant? It's purpose was not salvation. Maybe I need a Jew to explain it to me, but if the Mosaic Covenant is about salvation, who is keeping all 613 laws every moment of every day? Because 24-7 compliance is what's necessary to receive "salvation" under Mosaic Covenant (if salvation is even obtainable under the Mosaic Covenant). And I guess we could say that it doesn't have to be 24-7 compliance, because you could offer sacrifices to atone for sin...but who's offering up a sacrifice? And I know, since the temple was destroyed, no sacrifices. But sacrifices were being performed prior to the construction of the temple. Sacrifices were performed in the wilderness. So...??
But regardless of whether there is a temple or not, why offer up even a single animal when Jesus Christ died as the ultimate sacrifice for sin, so that "through Abraham all families of the earth be blessed?" The Messiah is a part of the Abrahamic Covenant, Jesus came to fulfill the Law, so that only one covenant would remain: the first one! And THAT is why it's Jew 2.0. We all have access into the same covenant, through Jesus Christ.
Wait, then what's the New Covenant? Whoa, whoa. I was getting crazy with the ideas here. There is a New Covenant, but it's linked! The purpose of the New Covenant (which is prophesied first to Jews in Jeremiah 31:31) is to grant humanity access into an eternal relationship with God (the relationship God spoke to Abraham about). This is in stark contrast to the Old Covenant (Mosaic Covenant) the purpose of which was to show us that we NEEDED a savior, that on our own...we couldn't do it. That our works, on our best day, led to a breaking of the covenant.
This is getting long, so the last and FINAL part (Part Trois) will be about "The Family Tree." It won't be long, just some final thoughts.
Random Church Thought of the Day
Is it crazy that THIS is what I really wanted to talk about today? But I wanted to be true to Jew 2.0. This is short, but it's HEAVY. I was at church tonight, and the service was SO not about this, but often someone will say something that triggers something in my spirit. Or maybe God spoke this into my consciousness (though, I did not hear His voice or anything), but ANYWAY: What is the most widely quoted Bible verse ever?
John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
But what struck me is "loved." And I realized, I had no inkling of the timeframe on that love. That love is past, present, AND future. But what kills me is that it's PAST. And this is also (as mentioned in my opening paragraph) on point with Jew 2.0. Jesus is the way to salvation for EVERYONE: past, present, and future. People who existed prior to the death of Jesus Christ, people who lived and died under the law, still had access to grace through Jesus. What do I mean?
There is one event, and one cool scripture that sprang to my mind when I had this thought.
The Event
What did Jesus do in that time between His crucifixion and His resurrection? He preached in Hell.
"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison.” Peter 3: 18 - 19
Now do I know exactly what happened there? Nope. I just know He went! He loved them enough to be there! And He declared himself, and His good news is that He had just died for sin. All sin. Sin unlimited. WOW!
The Scripture
The following scripture takes me back to my comment about the Mosaic Covenant not leading to salvation. Because those who lived under it, those who failed under it, DESPITE their love for God, found themselves in a place that is not heaven. The concept of heaven is new. Jesus goes "to prepare a place."
Scrip is OT from the man after God's own heart--King David:
10...For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Jesus went to preach to people who were bound. And preached His gospel of redemption from sin to them, thereby freeing them. Even David. EVEN DAVID!
Randomness Continues...
Oh, wait, and there's another scripture in Hebrews 11, which is NT, but speaks to an OT subject. And I love this scripture, because it alludes to something that some Jewish scholars have said: that Moses knew everything! That God gave Moses every answer, beyond what was written on the tablets.
24By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
25Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
26Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
27By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
Even back then, Moses knew there was SOMETHING greater. And it was more than land. What need did he have of land, being a prince in Egypt? What kinship could he have really felt with slaves, having been a prince in Egypt?! But he knew there was something bigger, that there was something greater...and he was willing to suffer and wait for it, "as seeing him who is invisible." And guess what? He probably waited in that same place that David knew Christ wouldn't leave him in. Moses saw ALL that afar off! All the greatest leaders in the Bible are huge on the faith, aren't they?Let the randomness marinate. Goodnight!
I think this song is pretty.
When I read your explanation of Jew 2.0, it brought to mind how adults explain concepts like love and hate to children. They say stuff like "there's a fine difference between love and hate, but you'll always know love because love is a feeling you have in your heart." So too with faith, it seems. It's a feeling you have in your heart. The problem is knowing what exactly faith is, and in what we're supposed to have it.
ReplyDeleteAnd that's the problem with reconciling Judaism and Christianity, OT and NT. They mesh if you want them to, and they're polar opposites if you don't.
Galations 3: This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
Christian translation: If you learn only one thing from me, learn this: you can't save yourselves on your own. This Covenant thing isn't working, you morons. You need Jesus.
Jewish translation: Are you the Chosen People of the Covenant, or are you going to rely on gossip? Are you stupid? You started with the Covenant, and now you think you can be saved because some dude let his body hang from a two-by-four?
Galations 4: Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing?
Christian translation: what was the point of following all those laws if you're just going to throw away your real source of salvation? Have faith that your sacrifices were leading to Jesus.
Jewish translation: what was the point of following all those laws if you're just going to throw it all away on hearsay? Have faith that your sacrifices were, and are, leading you to God.
Galations 10 and 11: All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith.
Christian translation: Can you follow all 613? You can't, and that means you're screwed. But it's ok, because God understands. He doesn't care what laws you follow as long as you believe in Jesus.
Jewish translation: do what God told you to do, or else. Except you can't, because I couldn't. But that's ok, because I have my own interpretation of things, and I can assure you that law and faith don't mix.
I can go on and on, but suffice it to say:
OT and NT: God exists, plus a whole bunch of other stuff.
Christian translation: God was clear about who He was and what He wanted, and about the rewards and consequence of following Him, until He realized maybe He wasn't as clear as He had thought. Then God had mercy, and He sent us a Messiah to make things a whole lot easier.
Jewish translation: God was clear about who He was and what He wanted, and about the rewards and consequence of following Him. He could not BE more clear. Go marry a doctor and give Him some grandchildren, already.
I like you Mikki. You read my blog. :)
ReplyDeleteBut my question is this: Who would Jews accept now? I mean, a Messiah MUST come, but the Davidic line is not untraceable. The OT (Jeremiah 31:31) says a new covenant MUST be made, because the old one was IN FACT broken, but yet you hang on. Why keep ordinances under a broken covenant? If a contract is void, what profit is there in continued compliance with the terms thereof?
So it would seem to me that Judaism is utilizing faith to justify continued reliance on the Old Covenant and using faith as the basis for why it's OK not to make traditional/ritual offerings and sacrifices. Not so different from us after all.
Because there are two different interpretations to Jeremiah's new covenant (as there seem to be to everything in the OT): the Christian version and the Jewish version.
ReplyDeleteChristian version: the old covenant, the Torah, is flawed and broken. Jeremiah predicts the coming of the new covenant.
Conclusion - Jesus' sacrifice is the new covenant.
Jewish version: The covenant was broken by our forefathers, and a new covenant is needed. However, God has given us specific events to clue us in to when this new covenant will come. God will "form with the House of Israel and with the House of Judah a new covenant." Those lines are important, because it brings us back to the original problem Jews have with Jesus as Messiah, which is that he did not fulfill all the elements of the messianic prophesy. The houses of Israel did not exist at the time of Jesus' crucifixtion and the house of Judah was scattered around the world. First requirement of new covenant, nonexistant. Next requirement of the new covenant - universal knowledge of God. Jeremiah says "they shall all know Me, from their smallest to their greatest." We're arguing right now, on your blog, about who God is and what his words mean. That's not universal knowledge. Second requirement of new covenant, broken.
Conclusion - Jesus' crucifixtion is not the new covenant foretold in Jeremiah.
As for your question of why we continue to follow the Torah, it's because the Torah can never be broken. Jews have long broken the commandments given at Sinai, over and over, but God continually states in the Torah that he will not forget the covenant he made with us. The covenant at Sinai was given by mouth (or as we would call it now, an oral contract), and the covenant in Jeremiah promises to be placed in our minds and hearts. But the new covenant doesn't REPLACE the old one, because the covenant is the Torah, and the Torah is eternal. Rather, the new covenant renews the old covenant by making the it a way of life.
Wow! Powerful stuff! The underlying factor here for me is FAITH. And without it, it is IMPOSSIBLE to please Him. (Hebrews 12:6) There are alot of similarities between the two religions, however the major divide comes where most divides ultimately come. Christ. Christ is always the "stumblingblock". He has been loved, hated, celebrated, denounced, recieved, rejected, etc... People have been able to do everything to Him, but ignore Him.
ReplyDeleteQuestion:
How can I make someone believe in Christ who believes my GOD is in most cases a false prophet?
Answer: You can't.....
Problem with Christ with regard to Judaism: Everything doesn't add up.. Right?
But with Christ, if you belong to Him, you understand that our very faith requires you to see beyond the veil. Even with His own dicsiples! Not even they could figure out why He wouldn't just speak plainly. He could've given everything word of mouth that other religions require to even consider him as anything other then a heretic, and yet there would be unbelief. Because THAT'S THE DESIGN.. St. Luke 8 gives us this amazing parable that Christ Illustrates regarding the Word and how it is received, and by whom it is recieved. The dicisples, who were clearly tired of all of the seeming double talk came right out and asked Christ. Why do you keep talking mumbo jumbo? (paraphrasing obviously)They too wanted clear responses, and articulate rebutals that He could have easily given... But nope.
Verse 8: " And he said, Unto YOU (caps mine) it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand".
If Christ has not revealed Himself to you, you CANNOT know Him. I wish there was a better way to say it. God knows I've spent a lifetime trying to dress that up because in my heart, I want EVERYONE to recieve what has been delivered unto me. But my Bible says otherwise. Ultimately Christ is speaking to, inspiring, and leading a PRE- SELECTED AUDIENCE.
Conclusion: I believe EVERYTHING that Christ said in the scriptures.
Others may not. I have to hold to what I was given. As I am sure those who believe in Judaism are doing as well. Mikki, is well versed in both scriptures it appears and is passionate about her beliefs. That is COMMENDABLE. As a result of this particular topic Kristen i have read more about Judaism then I ever had, and the reading is quite interesting. I'd love to go over the premise how in Judaism one is born pure and considered innocent, verses the Christian point of view that humanity is born in sin and by nature is evil. Where does the purity- good aspect at birth come from?
I hope that I have not offended anyone in anyway. That is NEVER my intent. I was rushing, so forgive grammatical errors. Peace!