Was G-D Wrong?

Mid East Analyst & Commentator ^ | December 31, 2001 | Emanuel A. Winston

[Pete]

To convert a Jew to another religion plainly states that the all-seeing G-d was wrong in selecting the Jewish people to serve him.

Tell that to Peter.

[Illbay]

However, to be fair, it was equally wrong to gift such a book to an impressionable Jewish youngster.

I'd be interested to know if they distribute condoms in the schools in Israel.

[vmatt]

Recently, as a result of an article I posted, I was asked to comment on a recent event wherein a Hebrew teacher in a Jewish school in Israel burned a copy of the New Testament given to a 6th grade student by a Christian missionary.

My impression of Jews up to this time was dedicated, reasonable, studious and tolerant. Why didn't he just reason with the child and convince him why he should reject the Christian teachings of the New Testament and let him make up his own mind? This story reminds me of another famous personage who burned books and then turned to burning people.

[Romulus]

Neither the Catholic Church nor Islam protested.

Why are so many in love with this lie?

[Pete]

A couple of other points:

First, a Christian merely shares the message of the Gospel - any conversion is done by God.

Second, as you well know, Jesus was Jewish. Christianity is based on the fulfillment of the Jewish prophecy of a Messiah. The difference between Jews and Christians is that Christians believe that Jesus IS that Messiah while Jews do not. Although, obviously some Jews have and do believe. Peter was a Jew and the focus of his ministry was to preach the Gospel to Jews. (Paul's was targeted at non-Jews).

It is understandable that some Jews today might characterize Christianity as just "another religion" and the use of the word "sects" betrays the author's bias. The reality is that Judaism and Christianity, while separate, are inseparable. Islam, although an Abrahamic religion, is much more distant and any bundling of it with Christianity, when separating religions from Judaism, is misleading at best.

Having said all that, I, as a Christian, believe that the Jews are the chosen people God. I can believe that without be inconsistent. Further, I do not see a conversion of a Jew to Christianity as contradictory with God's plan. On the contrary, it is completely consistent with Biblical (both Old and New Testament) teaching.

[xzins]

The Jewish/Christian connection truly does pose a dilemma in terms of "conversion." On the one hand, both Christian and Jewish leaders will tell you that the two faiths are different religions. On the other hand, Christianity was founded by Jews...most notably, of course, Jesus, and secondarily by Peter and Paul. These had no difficulty seeing Christianity as an extension of Judaism. Therefore, Christianity has within its roots, for its Jewish adherents only, the possibility of continuing one's Judaism while believing in Jesus of Nazareth as the promised Jewish Messiah. That would certainly be a different BRANCH of Judaism, but Judaism is not unfamiliar with different Branches that work out their Jewishness in strikingly different manners: Hasidism, Reformism, etc.

[sanchmo]

If giving the New Testament to a modern Jew is wrong...
Was is wrong for David and Solomon to give their new Writings to the post-Mosaic Jews?
Was it wrong for Isaiah and Jeremiah to give their new Prophesies to the post-Davidic Jews?
Was it wrong for Ezra and Malachi to give their new Scriptures to the post-Exilic Jews?

Of course it wasn't, because they were all part of the continuing revelation. (Even if you don't presonally believe that, at the very least you must admit that they did). Likewise with the New Testament.

[r9etb]

To convert a Jew to another religion plainly states that the all-seeing G-d was wrong in selecting the Jewish people to serve him.

Translation: Christianity is wrong in its claim that Jesus was the Messiah.

I'd put more stock in what the guy has to say if he'd honestly state his position up front. (Though later he does strongly imply that Christianity is a violation of the First Commandment.)

One wonders whether this fellow would follow the Messiah at all -- given the number of words he's used to avoid clearly stating his real position on Christianity, I suspect he would not.

Which brings us to the real question: was G-d who was wrong, or was it Emanuel A. Winston, Mid East Analyst & Commentator?

[AnalogReigns]

The Jews were not instructed to proselytize or press other religions into accepting the Jewish 10 Commandments...

One of the things I find fascinating about Jewish belief and practice (among those who reject their Messiah Yeshua (Jesus)that is) is this LACK of proselytization. If Judaism IS the truth, and the rest of religions, including Christianity are distortions of the truth, you'd think for the love of others Jews would WANT to tell us that. I mean Christianity, according to Jewish thought, is actually blasphemy--in that we call a mere man, God ... If that doesn't condemn us in this life, surely it should in the next, correct? Why the entire lack of concern for the rest of humanity, being content just to practice Judaism while the rest of the world can go to hell?

On the other hand if perhaps other religions ARE good for other peoples, doesn't that simply say contemporary Jewish belief may very well be wrong? One way for God's chosen people and other ways for everyone else? Seems a very schizophrenic view of human nature...

Jesus directly fulfilled in detail HUNDREDS of messianic prophecies from the Torah--its too bad most Jewish people can't handle facing that and know their Messiah.

[Uglywhiteguy]

A person who is born of Jewish parents doesn't neseceraly believe what the scriptures say..to be born a Jew by race and to believe what the scriptures say are two different things...

Those who are born Jewish by race and believe the scriptures will believe that Christ is the Messiah and be saved just like Abraham...they will still be Jews, but be saved...they can also call themselves Christians because they believe that Christ is the Messiah...it's not really changing religions, just meeting places...

Christians believe just like Abraham, King David, Isaiah: that God would send a Messiah--Christ....

[sheltonmac]

BUMP

[is_is]

To convert a Jew to another religion plainly states that the all-seeing G-d was wrong in selecting the Jewish people to serve him.

The way i see it Jews and Christians worship the same God.....the problem is that the Jewish faith does not "know" him due to their denial of the savoir that God promised them....

God was/is not wrong in choosing the Jewish people as his "choosen people".....the Jews were wrong and missed the boat when they failed to recognize the "promised savior". God still watches over his choosen people and rejoices whenever one comes to "know" him.....God knew before hand that his choosen people would reject him as a whole.....

[BibChr]

Well, this is simple enough, if you believe the Torah:

First, dealing with the title: yes, "G-d" is wrong. There is no Biblical precedent for calling God "G-d." Anyone who does so shows he is not content with Biblical revelation.

Second, here is what the Torah says about Messiah, taken from the old American Standard Bible translation (where Jehovah is used for Yahweh):

15 Jehovah thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; 16 according to all that thou desiredst of Jehovah thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of Jehovah my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. 17 And Jehovah said unto me, They have well said that which they have spoken. 18 I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. 19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. 20 But the prophet, that shall speak a word presumptuously in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die. 21 And if thou say in thy heart, How shall we know the word which Jehovah hath not spoken? 22 when a prophet speaketh in the name of Jehovah, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which Jehovah hath not spoken: the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously, thou shalt not be afraid of him.
Debarim [Deuteronomy] 18:15-22

Now, let us single out three indisputable facts, and one inescapable inference, from this passage:

First, the three indisputable facts:

1. The Prophet will speak the very words of Yahweh (v. 18)
2. In spite of this, some in Israel will reject what He says, thus rejecting what Yahweh Himself says (v. 19)
3. Those Israelites who reject Yahweh's words through Messiah will suffer the judgment of God (v. 19)

Now, the inescapable inference, which I will develop in a four-point progression:

1. Yahweh Himself commands His people to love their neighbors as themselves (Leviticus 19:18)
2. Nobody would want himself, whom he naturally loves, to fall under the judgment of God
3. Therefore nobody should want his neighbor to fall under the judgment of God
4. Therefore those who affirm the words of Yahweh through the Messiah AND who love their neighbors would try to persuade their neighbors who reject His words to repent of that rejection, so as to avoid the judgment of God.

This isn't rocket science.

Dan
Biblical Christianity web site

[BlueHorseShoe]

You need to do some fact checking not the least of which is that no Jewish "race" exists. It is a "nation" and a religion. Not a race.

[is_is]

It is a "nation" and a religion. Not a race.

Every race has it roots somewhere....we all, even by the theory of evolution have common ancestors but at some point we split off in to "races"....The Jews IMHO are a race of people as much as say the North American Indian.....then you have the Aztecs.....who came from the same ancestors of the Native Indians but you have 2 seperate races.....alittle closer to home....how about the Mexicans.....are the a race??? sure they are....a newer race which is a combination of the original inhabitants and the spainards....

[malakhi]

One of the things I find fascinating about Jewish belief and practice (among those who reject their Messiah Yeshua (Jesus)that is) is this LACK of proselytization.

The difference is that Jews do not believe that you need to convert to Judaism in order to be 'saved'. We believe that the righteous of all nations will have a place in the World to Come. Judaism is more interested in actions than in beliefs. Additionally, the bulk of the Law applies to Jews only, not to gentiles. Christianity may be an acceptable form of monotheism for gentiles, even as it would be unacceptable for Jews. Converts are welcome, but we do not proselytize.

Jesus directly fulfilled in detail HUNDREDS of messianic prophecies from the Torah--its too bad most Jewish people can't handle facing that and know their Messiah.

Uh, nope, he didn't. There are only a handful of messianic prophecies in the Hebrew scriptures, and Jesus did not fulfill them. The 'hundreds' of 'prophecies' to which you refer are the result of Christians reading Jesus into the Tanakh, ripping passages completely out of context. Most of these so-called prophecies aren't even prophecies, let alone having anything to do with the messiah.

[malakhi]

The way i see it Jews and Christians worship the same God

We do, we just differ on our understanding of His nature.

the problem is that the Jewish faith does not "know" him due to their denial of the savoir that God promised them.

Your believing this does not make it true.

[Pete]

Uh, nope, he didn't. There are only a handful of messianic prophecies in the Hebrew scriptures, and Jesus did not fulfill them.

If you want that statement to fly you are going to have to provide a little more detail. Your comments, for example, on Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 would be of interest. Of course, that would just be a start - it is but a simple thing to find the entire 300+ list on the net.

[BlueHorseShoe]

You are very well aware of the reason Jews spell G-d so why the continual disrespect from you? You can't be that stupid but I have seen many times that you are arrogant. Not everyone believes exactly as you do. Imagine that.

Would you like to understand one of the big reasons Jews do not accept Jesus as the Messiah?

From Dennis Prager's book, The Nine Questions People Ask About Judiasm, Judaism does not believe that Jesus was the Messiah because he did not fulfill any messianic prophecies. The major prophecy concerning the messianic days is that "Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, nor shall they learn war anymore" (Isaiah 2:4; see also Isaiah 2:1-3, 11:1-10). World peace must accompany the Messiah, and should peace not come, the Messiah has obviously not come...