Posted on 12/20/2015 11:45:00 AM PST by amorphous
Mark for later reading
Uh, no. "Acknowledge," homologeo, to assent, confess, profess. The immediate context is that Jesus is the Christ, which everyone who denies, in the preceding verse, is described as an "anti-Christ."
A Jewish unbeliever who rejects that Christ is the Messiah is damned, and without Christ they have nothing.
It seems likely that its audience was largely gentile rather than Jewish
Which is entirely irrelevant, since the verse is true for all, regardless if they are Jews or Gentiles. Both Jews and Gentiles are regarded as guilty under the law, and thus cannot be saved except through Christ.
Likewise.
It only occurred to me recently - which doesn't preclude the two witness prophecy having two layers (two people as well as two groups of people). Prophecies often are multilayer.
Without getting into the same long drawn out argument over who gets into heaven and who doesn’t, going on for 2,000 years now, perhaps we can just agree that Christ will do the judging - not you or I.
I'll stick with the clear teaching of scripture which judges all unbelievers to hell, thank you very much.
Ping...
We have a common enemy determined to destroy both Jews and Christians. This is a promising development.
This is wonderful news.
We are nearer the end of the Church Age.
I look forward to the Rapture, the Tribulation, His 2nd Coming, the Battle of Armageddon, and the establishment of His Millennial Kingdom.
Then Eternity in a place that has been prepared.
God is Good. God is in control.
Let there be Peace on Earth.
If you'd like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
..................
Perhaps. Small group, if differences could be set aside to work on moral clarity vis a vis that common enemy, it would be a positive. Reading the thread, for many overcoming differences may be difficult.
We have to start somewhere. The Catholic Church has really dragged behind most American Protestants/Evangelicals in accepting the unique relationship of the Jewish people to the same Jehovah recognized by both, and for Christians, the paradoxical but necessary role the Jewish establishment played in bringing about the sacrifice of Jesus that is central to their faith traditions. Now that the RCC has finally seen the light, one can hope.
Jewish eschatology contains numerous references to an alliance between Esau (Rome, the West) and his father-in-law Ishmael (Islam) against the Jewish people toward the end of years.
Could there be a better example of this alliance than...
The American-led (P5+1) nuclear "deal" with muslim terror state Iran against Israel? This "deal" is also fully supported by the Pope who speaks for 1.2 billion souls.
The noose, then, is tightening around Israel's neck as a result of both Western submission and acquiescence to raging Islam. All this was predicted long ago.
Jews await their final redemption from the clutches of Esau and Ishmael.
1 John 2:23
Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father. He that confesseth the Son, hath the Father also.
***working to maintain the divide***
The divide is that one must confess that Christ is the Son of God, the Messiah. If you deny the Son, you do not have the Father. As Christians we cannot continue to try and find an end run around this for the Jewish people. They must confess Christ. This states they do not want to be proselytized. As a Catholic, I don’t understand how they can agree not to share the Gospel, especially with the Jewish people, when Christ specifically said to preach the Gospel to all! If we truly love the Jewish people, then we must share the greatest News the world has ever known!!
That's true, though I'm skeptical as to the impact on the serious secular concerns facing both faith by this "partnership", it is a start.
I’ve wanted to know how they differ because even John the Baptist had to ask Jesus if He was the Messiah and the only reason I could think of is that John’s view was based on what he had learned locally and wasn’t privy to what Jesus taught the disciples or the public after his death which described the second coming.
Do you know any good authors teaching the Jewish position based on the books of the Bible only?
For an orthodox Jewish view of the messiah take a look at http://www.orthodox-jews.com/moshiach.html#axzz3uunPkcx0
Ping to this thread, and to this post containing the remarkable Ann Barnhardt “Boston Speech”, with which you are probably already familiar; but wow! Her summary of the deeper meaning of the progression of Biblical history is stunning!
If I don’t get back to you for Christmas, do have a blessed and meaningful one, dear FRiend!
The noose is also around the necks of believing Christians in the West, as the current administration demonstrates daily. God help us.
I read further through the thread and see what you mean about the Christians unable to accept the pope’s recent claim that there is no need to try to convert Jews. It’s like the Trump/Cruz disputes on FR in which one or the other group is going to stay home and not vote if their guy isn’t nominated, etc. Unfortunately, only a small minority of “religionists” in any religion truly understand the heart of their belief system — 5% to 10%. So I reiterate that at least among the 5% to 10% of enlightened Christians, persons of the Jewish faith are to be respected, and perhaps a similar percentage of observant Jews return the favor. I hope the benefits of this movement towards each other continue to “sink in” to both groups.
Be that as it may, many Jews ARE accepting Christ daily. More and more Messianic Congregations are popping up worldwide; even in Israel.
Blessings.
Merry Christmas.
ping
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