Responding to Netzarim - Part 1

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There have been a couple of links that have placed on this blog pointing visitors to the site Netzarim (Hellinized "Nazarene"): Orthodox Israeli Jews, Ra'ana, Israel. I'm all for this blog being open to all viewpoints including idea counterposed to my own. This is why I keep the comments sections open and do not censer the comments. This particular web sites makes claims against Christianity that I do not agree with. I would like to have a dialog on the issues that are brought up on the site. Let me list the claims that I think should be discussed in more detail. The site attempts to make its claims starting from Jewish, Christian, and Islamic perspectives and then bringing them into a single argument. My problem is that the site misrepresents what I, as Christian, believes. Here are a few the statements I have issue with. I will be writing this response in 3 parts. This is part 1.

1. The doctrine that Tor•âh′ is the "law of sin and death" is a Christian canard, the epitome of misojudaism.
2. The original—and only authentic—plan of salvation is found only in Tor•âh′ . Everything subsequent is a supersessionist "pretend salvation" of Displacement Theology.
3. Those who castigate Tor•âh′ to rely instead on "pretend salvation" have doomed themselves to lack the ki•pur′ essential to co-mingle with the Perfect Creator in hâ-o•lâm′ ha-bâ′ ; misled by their own respective Displacement Theology
4. You, too, can be chosen—the same way Israel was: by abandoning Displacement Theology and turning to the practice of Tor•âh′

The thesis of the site seems very similar to many Islamic critcs that Paul taught separate doctrines that the 1st Century followers of Jesus Christ did not teach. Things such as His deity, and His being the only way to Salvation.

The only way to finally overcome Christianity, after 2,000 years of consistent failure, is by exposing the anti-Torâh Yësh"u as a counterfeit of the pro-Torâh original: historical Ribi Y^әhoshua!

Think about it… the original, historical Ribi Y^әhoshua, because he advocated Torâh before Paul's Hellenist apostasy, will lead Christians out of their post-135 C.E. Roman idolatry to Torâh – and the fulfillment of Z^әkharyâh 14.16-21 (which is already beginning) and related prophecies.

The site quotes Rabbi Michael Skobac charging Paul with the following crimes:

None of the charges and thoughts expressed are new. As a matter of fact, I've noticed that many of these things were raised to Jesus and Paul themselves in the first century! So where to start unpacking these ideas and examining them? Let's start with what Bible-believing Christians really believe: Paul did not make up his doctrines. He got it from the Torah, the prophets, the Psalms, the history books - in short the Testament. He was teaching the same thing Peter, John, James, and the rest. All of which came from Jesus!

1. Paul refers to the "Law of Sin and Death" because he recognized the inability of all people to keep it perfectly. The purpose of the Torah was not to save anyone but point out the need for a savior. Who can keep it? Can you? Do you perfectly? Breaking anyone of them breaks them all! We all have to admit that we don't keep it. In the Torah, we have prescriptions for how to atone for our sins and get back in right standing with God temporarily until we sin again. As far as I know Judaism no longer has a sacrificial system so how do Jews today atone for their sin!

2. Is the Torah the first covenant? Exodus and Moses are not the start of the story but the beginning they stand on the shoulders of Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph! Were any of the patriarchs under Torah? No, there was no written Torah yet. While we are told that upholding the commands through Moses was the way Israel was to uphold their end of the covenant, what about Abraham and those who predated Moses? Are we going to say that before the Moses no one pleased God? No way.

Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness. - Genesis 15:6

This was the center of Paul's whole argument and it's unassailable. No way did Paul castigate the Torah.

¹⁵Brothers, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. ¹⁶The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ. ¹⁷What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. ¹⁸For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.

¹⁹What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator. ²⁰A mediator, however, does not represent just one party; but God is one.

²¹Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. ²²But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

²³Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. ²⁴So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. - Galatians 3:15-25

In addition, I realize that people may disagree that God supercedes one covenant for another. I agree. The covenant of grace that God has made through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ is a return to the Abrahamic covenant not the one through Moses.

³⁰ Instead, everyone will die for his own sin; whoever eats sour grapes—his own teeth will be set on edge.

³¹ "The time is coming," declares the LORD,
"when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah.

³² It will not be like the covenant
I made with their forefathers
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband to ^a]">[a] them, ^b]">[b] "
declares the LORD.

- Jeremiah 31:30-32

Skobac further alleges that Paul and James disagreed with one another about fundamental doctrine. I totally disagree. There are two verses that people use to defend this idea.

Paul wrote:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.- Ephesians 2:8,9

James wrote:

¹⁴What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? ¹⁵Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

¹⁸But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

¹⁹You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

²⁰You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless^d]">[d]? ²¹Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? ²²You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. ²³And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,"^e]">[e] and he was called God's friend. ²⁴You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

²⁵In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? ²⁶As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. James 2:14-26

Some erroneously interpret these passages as conflicting with one another. Paul is discussing a different context than James. Paul is referring to attempting to justify yourself before God by the things that you do. James is referring to showing that if you truly have saving the faith that Paul is talking about then you will be doing good things. Remember Paul said that we are saves so that we can do good works. They agree!

Paul and James had dealing with one another. Take note of 1st Corinthians 15:1-11

1Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

3For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Peter,[b] and then to the Twelve. 6After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

9For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed. - 1st Corinthians 15:1-11

Check Paul's testimony. He say explains compactly what he taught and then says he did not make it up. He received it! Where did he get it from? From God. What about the apostles who knew Jesus before the Crucifixion?

1Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. 2I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain. 3Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. 4This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. 5We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you. - Galations 2:1-5.

Paul is clear he checked out his understanding and teachings with the apostles themselves and they agreed with him. WE have testimony from one of them - no less than Peter. Peter tells us exactly what he thinks of Paul's teachings.

15Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. - 2 Peter 3:15-16

I have much more to say. In part 2, I will write about how the Incarnation, Jesus
deity and substitutionary sacrifice is not part of Paul's imagination and nor did it begin with him but are rooted in the scriptures and his Christian contemporaries taught the same things. Part 3 will focus on the claims the site make concerning the manuscript traditions of the New Testament and the charges being made about corruption of the New Testament.

Terminology Tuesday: Wager Argument - Apologetics 315

This week Brian defined the "Wager Argument". I've been accused in a very derogatory matter much of using this by just pointing out that if you are not sure that there is a God, then you are taking a greater risk than believing that there is a God. I still think that this is true, but I think that the power of this argument is not because of the lack of convincing evidence because I think that the evidence is very convincing. My point in following Pascal's line of reasoning is that the risk of believing that God exists and being wrong is less than rejecting God although God truly exists.

Terminology Tuesday: Wager Argument - Apologetics 315

Bishop Spong -VS- Dr. Martin - Topic : Sexual Ethics

Here is the famous debate between Bishop John Shelby Spong and Dr Walter Martin regarding the Bible and Homosexuality. A must see!

Christianity Fact or Fantasy ?

John Gerstner and R.C. Sproul engaged in a mock debate in which Sproul plays "Devil's Advocate" where he asks Gerstner the same difficult questions that many skeptics and atheists asks and Gerstner provides insightful and awesome answers! Take a look!

Bear Attack in Japan

I didn't even know that there were wild bears in Japan. The bear was four feet tall and there doesn't seem to be any reason for the attack.




Bear Attack in Japan

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Women Rally Around Widower to Breast-Feed Infant Son - ParentDish

I found this story interesting. It's good that people still selflessly help each other...especially in such an intimate matter.

Women Rally Around Widower to Breast-Feed Infant Son - ParentDish

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Islam Presentation for Sunday School

SO here is the presentation I used this morning in my Sunday School class. It covers basic facts of Islam and how Islam differs from historic Christianity

Basics of Islam and Comparison to Christ

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Here is a close-up of the chart at the end of the presentation

Christianity vs Islam

Passing on Great Information

My friend, Mariano, has sent me two pieces of information that is just too good not to post. He's come across a video that explores Pagan attempts to copy Christianity in the first and second centuries of the common era. The video is called Defeating The Myth-Storians He sent me the product description that reads:

In this three-part video series, Joel McDurmon takes you back to the first-century church to give you an understanding of the attacks on the gospel from the prevailing pagan mystery religions of the day. Joel presents the life and writings of the apostles, the early church fathers, and other compelling evidences, in defending the person of Christ and dismantling both old and new myths and their myth-storians. PART 1: The Myth-Storians in Action PART 2: Bible History: Fact or Fiction? PART 3: Man to Man: Defending the Faith Against Mere Myths

Mariano was also able to attend the Discern Conference for 2009 and has sent me a link to listen to the presentations during the conference. I've only listened to James White's presentation on Islam so far but I enjoyed it. Here is the link.

Christian Apologetics - Life and Doctrine: Jewish / Judaism : One Messiah or Two Messiahs?, part 2 of 2

This time Mariano explores the question as to whether Judaism postulates two messiahs or only one messiah that comes twice. This is part 2.

Christian Apologetics - Life and Doctrine: Jewish / Judaism : One Messiah or Two Messiahs?, part 2 of 2

THE APOLOGETIC FRONT: Don't let them hear!!

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I was alerted to the following letter found on the RichardDawkins.net website at the following link.

THE APOLOGETIC FRONT: Don't let them hear!!

On Thursday November 19, 2009, Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort (the banana guy) will be distributing 50,000 copies of Charles Darwin's 'Origin of Species' at universities across America to students for free.


BUT THERE'S A CATCH!!

Each copy will have a 50 page intro about how evolution has never been proven and how Darwin helped inspire the Holocaust.

If this outrages you, then you're not alone. There's something we can do though. We can amass as many of these books as possible, remove the 50 page intro, and then donate perfectly good copies of 'Origin of Species' to schools, libraries, and Goodwill. We can actually make this into something positive.

If you are in college, then you are in a good position to help. Check your campus on November 19th, and if you see a group distributing copies of the book, then get as many as you can. Get a copy for yourself, ask if you can have extra copies for your friends, ask your friends to go ask for copies, and ask other people you see carrying the book if you can have their copy.

This is a shameful thing that Kirk Cameron and the Banana Guy are doing by altering another person's book in order to push their agenda. But we can help to restore the book to how it was intended and keep young minds from being brainwashed by misinformation.

I see nothing wrong at all with Kirk Cameron and his supporters doing this. "Origin of Species" is the first major book of evolution. What is wrong with producing a single volume of it with the other viewpoint? The letter on the internet says that they are pushing a falsehood which is creationism, but I agree with my brother reporting on the Apologetic Front blog, if Dawin's book is so true and so convincing then it should be able to stand against the other viewpoint. Dawin's theories should not need the "help" of suppressing other ideas and thought contrary to it. Could it be that it can't stand up to the evidence?

A 3 yr-old Tosses back foul ball!

I'm not sure if everyone knows about this but at a recent baseball game, a man in the stands catches a foul ball, and his little 3 year-old daughter innocently threw it back! I'm sure she thought she was being helpful. "Oh, the poor man lost his ball and we should give it back." is what I'm sure she thought. It's a case of children doing as they are taught. I applaud her parents for teaching her morals: If someone looses something, give it back.

Here is a news article

Christian Apologetics - Life and Doctrine: Islam / Muslim

Mariano has a collection of resources on his blog concerning Islam. It's definitely worth taking a look.

Christian Apologetics - Life and Doctrine: Islam / Muslim

Islam vs Christianity - Debate - Shabir Alley vs Dave Hunt

I'm a Christian and I disagree with many of the teachings of Islam when it comes to the identity of Jesus and how do we become acceptable to God. In otherwise - the very heart of the Gospel. Unfortunately, I think that Shabir Alley did a better job arguing in favor of Koran and and against the Bible than Dave Hunt did arguing for the Bible and against the Koran. Shabir Alley was able to win this debate. Thankfully, winning a debate doesn't make you right...just the winner. I disagreed with Alley's attempt to paint the Bible as violent and chauvinistic without proving that the Koran isn't. Alley didn't have to really because Hunt did not challenge him enough.

Walter Martin and Seventh-Day Adventist

I admire the work that Walter Martin did while he was alive and active. One of the things that I admire about him is that he was constantly learning and if he found out he thought something that was not true, he publicly changed his position. Some people are too proud to admit when they are wrong. He wasn't. A case in point is that once upon a time, he thought that the Seventh-Day Adventist Church was a cult, but after much dialog and changes to the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, he changed his opinion. My Pastor found the following Debate on YouTube.





This was great! It really shows how we must be careful to allow scripture alone to be boss when it comes to judging matters of faith and practice.

The Case For Christianity Conference

I just heard from Mariano about an apologetic conference called "The Case for Christianity Conference" It will be November 6 and 7 at Calvary Chapel Golden Spring. This is going to be awesome and some of the best apologists we have today!

The Bible Answer Man Is Coming To Northern California

Friday & Saturday, September 18-19, 2009 Hank Hanegraaff will be speaking in Fremont, California! at the California Christian Apologetics Conference 2009 “Engaging the Culture for Christ” There will be a book table and Hank Hanegraaff will be available after the event for brief questions and autographs. Saturday Speaking Schedule: 11:30 AM-12:45 PM Fatal Flaws Workshop 4:30 PM-5:15 PM Christianity in Crisis: 21st Century Plenary Session 5:15 PM-5:45 PM Questions and Answers Plenary Session Location: Harbor Light Church 4760 Thornton Avenue Fremont, CA 94536 To Register: http://www.standfortruthministries.org/ccac09.htm For more information Email: conference@standfortruthministries.org

Bible Defended: Is there a Connection Between Jesus and Apollonius of Tyana

Here is my next entry in my series of posts answering the charges that many people have leveled on Twitter that Jesus is not unique, but at best Christianity borrowed and at worst, stole, key characteristics from other myths and legends to come up with Christian doctrines about Jesus the Christ. This installment will directly address the character of Apollonius of Tyana. Just how serious of a charge is it that Jesus and Apollonius are similar enough to say that Jesus is a copy of Apollonius? Well, no threat at all.

First and foremost when you look up the records that we have of what was said of Apollonius, anyone must confess that he and Jesus lived very different lives. The details don't just match up. Instead of enumerating each of these, I'd like to instead focus on a very important counter point.

We have only one source for the life of Apollonius written by a man named Philostratus and can't be dated any earlier than 217 AD! That almost 200 years that the Christian Church had been around and more than 100 years since the last book of the New Testament was written, no matter how you choose to date the New Testament. If there had been any borrowing or stealing, I'd say that it was Philostratus taking from Christianity not the other way around! It's far more likely. There are way fewer secular attestation for Apollonius than for Jesus. We can't even be sure that Apollonius was a real person. So what motive would Philostratus have for embellishing Apollonius' life. He was commissioned by an empress, Julia Domna, wife of Septimius Severus, to write a biography for Apollonius most likely to counter the influence of Jesus on Roman civilization. If you want to read the biography of Apollonius it is online.

Sources
Apollonius of Tyana: A Rival to Christ?
Was the story of Jesus stolen from Apollonius of Tyana?
Apollonius of Tyana also did miracles and rose. What about him?

Joe Wilson: 'I Am Not Going to Apologize Again' -- Politics Daily

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Joe Wilson has stated that he will not apologize anymore for calling Obama a liar during his speech before congress last week. I don't believe that we should keep asking him to apologize but I think we need to ask what he is apologizing for. Is Wilson apologizing for calling the President a liar at an inappropriate time or is he apologizing for his out burst because the President was telling the truth? Which is it? I want some clarification. When I look at Obama's plan and listen, I can't find any proof that the President wants to extend medical evidence to illegal immigrants. This means that I have no idea what Wilson was referring to.

Joe Wilson: 'I Am Not Going to Apologize Again' -- Politics Daily

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And In Other News ... The President Calls Kanye A Jackass

I have heard that Obama has made off-the-record comment calling Kanye West a "jackass" for interrupting Taylor Swift (who?) acceptance speech. This is what had happened:







I think we need to pray for Kanye West. He is going through


source

Christian Apologetics - Life and Doctrine: Jewish / Judaism : One Messiah or Two Messiahs?, part 1 of 2

This time Mariano explores the question as to whether Judaism postulates two messiahs or only one messiah that comes twice. This is worth contemplating!

Christian Apologetics - Life and Doctrine: Jewish / Judaism : One Messiah or Two Messiahs?, part 1 of 2