Deut 13:1 Be careful to observe only that which I enjoin upon you: neither add to it nor take away from it.
***Then I gather you are accusing Christians of ‘adding’ to it, much as the mormons ‘add’ to the new testament. And this would be a legitimate complaint, if Jesus were not the Messiah and God Himself. So, once again I ask you to focus on that aspect of history.
Kevmo:
Plus, while we’re at it, when are you going to acknowledge the historical claims of Jesus as Messiah and G-d Himself?
SF:
Deut 13:2-5 If there appears among you a prophet or a dream-diviner and he gives you a sign or a portent, saying, “Let us follow and worship another g-d” — whom you have not experienced — even if the sign or portent that he named to you comes true, do not heed the words of that prophet or that dream-diviner. For the LORD your G-d is testing you to see whether you really love the LORD your G-d with all your heart and soul.
***Oh, very good. I love that passage. However, Jesus does not tell us to follow another g-d, he tells us to follow Jehovah with all our hearts. That is whom we HAVE experienced. So all you need to answer is: Is Jesus God? Is He Jehovah? He certainly CLAIMED it, even as you acknowledge here. And He was rightfully put to death for that claim, if He was NOT God. All you need to prove is that Jesus was NOT God Himself.
Follow none but the LORD you G-d, and revere none but Him; observe His commandments alone, and heed only His orders; worship non but Him, and hold fast to Him.
***On this, we can agree. If Jesus is God, He fulfills the old testament law and paid for our sins and deserves our worship. If He is Not God, then he’s just one among many who claimed to be messiah and he blasphemed by claiming equality with God & was rightully put to death for blasphemy. So the issue presented to you is, how do you examine whether or not Jesus was actually God? How do you check into the historicity behind the claims of christ? You’ve expressed a curiosity about the ‘new testament’ — there is a reason for that. God wants you to examine these claims. Honestly.