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RECOVERING THE TRUTH & A COMING TO A CORRECT UNDERSTANDING OF JESUS
Bet Emet Ministries ^ | Unknown | Craig Lyons

Posted on 07/01/2003 10:22:12 AM PDT by ksen

RECOVERING THE TRUTH & A COMING TO A CORRECT UNDERSTANDING OF JESUS

Jesus and all his followers were Jews who were faithful to Biblical Judaism and never intended to separate from or start a new religion; after their deaths the Gentile Christian church will condemn the Jewish Christians as heretics...in time fruit of the Jewish Church (Gentile Christianity) will destroy it's mother

We have a unique paradox in Biblical history; one which touches every follower of Jesus yet today and which reaches to the very core of our own culture and time. It is impossible to understand Jesus or his message until we come to a correct understanding of the events that fashioned such persecution of the Jews by the Gentile believers and which contributed to the alteration of the faith of Jesus as can be found to have existed in the first century of Second Temple Judaism. As stated earlier the first and greatest division in the early church concerned the relationship of the followers of Jesus to Judaism; it shaped everything that was to follow. One of the greatest problems facing Christianity today is how to reconcile what it has become with G-d's intended vision for the Gentile nations of the world whereby they become part of the Israel of G-d and not "replace" it with a religion of their own creation. The answers for such a problem come only when one personally acquaints himself with an unbiased presentation of the facts of the tragic events of this part of Biblical history and traces the repercussions of such events down through the corridors of history and ultimately seeing the shock waves from them that are present in our own religious beliefs systems and cultures of today.

Today many scholars tell us the truth today about the early church and courageously break from "church traditions" and "mind control" to present the facts concerning these "events" and the corruption of the early faith of the historical Jesus by the Gentile "converts" who would later steer the direction of this "faith" throughout recorded history. It is so simple today to find this information, but sadly few look or even know the need to see if "they be in the faith." That being the case, we accept the "spin" of religious leaders down through history and the real message of Jesus is never heard, or at best, is overlooked for more "orthodox teachings" espoused which have taken it's place. Keith Akers, in his The Lost Religion of Jesus, states the case as well as any. Jewish Christianity consisted of those early Christians who followed the teachings of Jesus, as they understood him, and also remained loyal to the Jewish law of Moses as they understood it. Messianic Judaism was not to replace Judaism with a new faith; it was the goal and zenith for which the prophets wrote and hoped. This simple statement is of profound importance, because the Jewish Christians were eventually rejected both by orthodox Judaism and by orthodox Gentile Christianity. The understanding of the Jewish follower of Jesus was not that of orthodox Christianity (as it came to be where Jesus is seen more like the sun-g-dmen of the Gentile nations than a human messiah). Likewise the Jewish follower of Jesus possessed an understanding of the law of Moses that was the same as orthodox Judaism, but yet this view would later be rejected under the influence of Paul and his churches. Jerome's celebrated comment in the fourth century summarizes this dual rejection: "As long as they seek to be both Jews and Christians, they are neither Jews nor Christians" [Letter 112] (Akers, The Lost Religion of Jesus, p. 7).

The Jewish Christians considered Jesus to be the "true prophet" who would lead the people back to the eternal law that commanded simple living and nonviolence. They saw in Jesus their hopes for physical redemption and the fulfillment of the prophets. It was their hope that the Law would go forth from Zion with Jesus at its head as the long awaited Messiah and King of Israel. It was their hope that the enemies of Israel would be vanquished by the word of this anointed one of the LORD as taught in the Psalms of Solomon (no not the psalms you are familiar with but a separate Jewish books that was recognized by Jews as authoritative in the first century). The law, which was cherished by all G-dfearing Jews, had been given to Moses; indeed, it had existed from the beginning of the world, and was intended to be cherished and observed by both Jew and non-Jew alike because in the Commandments one finds the unique Covenant stipulations of his Covenant before G-d. In sharp contrast with the gentile Christian movement, which emerged in the wake of Paul's teaching, Jewish Christianity strove to make the Jewish law stricter than the Jewish tradition seemed to teach ("you have heard it said but I say unto you...'much more'"). Such was the Jesus' love for G-d and His Word. But this cannot be said for the Gentile churches which strove to find ways to lay aside the law for the laxity that was taught under the disguise of "grace." In other words, the non-Jews loved the large "gray areas" that came from the teaching of Paul and others who negated the Law through their own personal "revelations" and their own personal "gospels" (Paul is found saying in Rom 2:16 16: In the day when G-d shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel and again in 2 Tim 2:8 8: Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel). It is a little early in this article to address this concept but if you study continues you will reach a point in your understanding and knowledge where you will see beyond any doubt that the "gospel of Paul" replaced the "gospel of Jesus and Judaism."

Jewish Christianity is the blind spot in virtually all accounts of Jesus. Everyone agrees that Jesus was a Jew and that his initial followers were Jews. Yet of the thousands of books written about Jesus, almost none acknowledge the central importance of Jewish Christianity; at least until the end of the previous century and the beginning of the present one. That was true up until the latter part of the last century when Jewish, as well as European scholars began to reevaluate the Jewish Jesus and contrast the Historical Jesus with the Christ of Faith. There are many who are eager to focus specifically on the Jewishness of Jesus, until they get to the point of examining those of his followers who, like their teacher, were also Jewish, and in doing so see for themselves that actually nothing really changed within this community of the closest followers of Jesus until the early fourth century when Rome would effectively destroy the Jewish "followers of Jesus" by declaring them official heretics. The power of Rome would propagate a Gentile understanding and not a Jewish understanding of Jesus (see Constantine's Easter letter if you have any doubts).

The "Jewishness" of these early Christians does not refer to their ethnic group or nationality, but rather to their beliefs. Paul was a convert to Judaism (H. Maccoby, The Mythmaker, Paul And The Invention Of Christianity) and only later converted to Judaism; first a Sadducee, and after rejection by the Chief Priest he turned to the Pharisees, again only to be rejected by them for his prior cruelty to them as an agent of the Temple police who routed them out and killed them (the Messianic believing strict branch of the Pharisees called Nazarenes/Essenes). Paul also preaches freedom from the law and therefore explicitly rejects Jewish beliefs. Paul, and some of the other Jews who became Christians, renounced the law of Moses and, therefore, were not part of Jewish Christianity. The churches of Paul today (vast majority of Christianity as it exists today) lay outside the true faith of Jesus and will continue to do so unless they encounter the truth about this man of Galilee and the truth about their own religious history.

Without understanding Jewish Messianic Judaism or "intended Christianity", we cannot understand the historical Jesus let alone the earliest church nor the corruption of it within the New Testament correctly. Lacking this knowledge we are doomed to misinterpret most of what we read in the New Testament and our worship let alone our conduct will be in error...much of which is defined as sin in the Torah.


TOPICS: Apologetics; General Discusssion; Theology; Worship
KEYWORDS:
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To: ET(end tyranny); JesseShurun
Sure that isn't Nogahide?
181 posted on 07/01/2003 4:22:47 PM PDT by drstevej
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To: milan
This has to do with "worldly" wisdom and prudence...such as the physicist who puts more faith in background radio interference as the proof for a "big bang" than he does in faith in God. The physicist is very wise, but may not know the things of God.

No. Excuse me. He was speaking to certain of the Pharisees (not all of them). Those who teach for doctrine the traditions of men. I stand by my story.

182 posted on 07/01/2003 4:23:39 PM PDT by Invincibly Ignorant
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To: ET(end tyranny)
let's see the Plan of Salvation, which was with God before the Universe began, which was revealed to Abraham and Isaac, even symbolically acted out,and passed on down the line, was that Jesus would come and tell the gentiles to follow the Noahide Laws? Whoopee!
183 posted on 07/01/2003 4:25:24 PM PDT by JesseShurun (The Hazzardous Duke)
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To: Invincibly Ignorant
That is the dumbest thing I have ever read.
184 posted on 07/01/2003 4:27:48 PM PDT by milan
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To: JesseShurun
let's see the Plan of Salvation, which was with God before the Universe began, which was revealed to Abraham and Isaac, even symbolically acted out,and passed on down the line, was that Jesus would come and tell the gentiles to follow the Noahide Laws? Whoopee!

Let's see. God's plan for "who should not perish but have everlasting life". Become converted, have nothing to contribute & stand on the sidelines and heckle. Ya that's it. Whoopee.

185 posted on 07/01/2003 4:28:31 PM PDT by Invincibly Ignorant
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To: jboot
Is that what that is. I thought they just didn't know how to spell it, or were afraid or something.
186 posted on 07/01/2003 4:28:35 PM PDT by irishtenor (Red Green is my hero.)
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To: JesseShurun
LMHOROTF!
187 posted on 07/01/2003 4:28:51 PM PDT by restornu
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To: milan
That is the dumbest thing I have ever read.

Guess you don't read much.

188 posted on 07/01/2003 4:29:06 PM PDT by Invincibly Ignorant
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To: Invincibly Ignorant
No. Excuse me. He was speaking to certain of the Pharisees (not all of them). Those who teach for doctrine the traditions of men. I stand by my story.

Jesus said many things which apply to everyone. Just because He was speaking with the pharisees at the time does not mean that the saying was directed solely at them (God gave Moses the ten commandments for the Jews...guess they don't apply to me!?!). It was something which shows that worldly wisdom is not enough to see what God reveals to His own.

189 posted on 07/01/2003 4:36:31 PM PDT by milan
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To: Invincibly Ignorant
Guess you don't read much.

Not of what you posted...no.

190 posted on 07/01/2003 4:37:31 PM PDT by milan
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To: Invincibly Ignorant
I'll get to you in a minute, my computer is fighting off the viruses I always seem to get attacked with over here
191 posted on 07/01/2003 4:40:25 PM PDT by JesseShurun (The Hazzardous Duke)
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To: restornu
see--you know your little Jesse is a funny guy!
192 posted on 07/01/2003 4:42:18 PM PDT by JesseShurun (The Hazzardous Duke)
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To: Invincibly Ignorant
no that's not balogna, that's meadow muffins from after when the cows went home.

you are so tiresome and you know it. Flesh dies, Spirit does not. Man cannot save himself, God has to. Jesus didn't die as God and no one claims He did, just the opposite Do you even know what the Plan of Salvation was and is? Have you even read the OT and if you took lessons I hope you didn't pay for them cause you should get your nickel back

193 posted on 07/01/2003 4:47:51 PM PDT by JesseShurun (The Hazzardous Duke)
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To: JesseShurun
you are so tiresome and you know it. Flesh dies, Spirit does not. Man cannot save himself, God has to. Jesus didn't die as God and no one claims He did, just the opposite Do you even know what the Plan of Salvation was and is? Have you even read the OT and if you took lessons I hope you didn't pay for them cause you should get your nickel back

Honestly, what incredibly ignorant posted was the dumbest thing I have ever read. It was like a 13 year old going on a writing rant...it was repetative, not backed up by fact, and highly opinionated...and just plain stupid. My 6 year old daughter could have formed a better arguement.

194 posted on 07/01/2003 4:51:25 PM PDT by milan
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To: JesseShurun
My 6 year old daughter could have formed a better arguement.

Actually, my 6 year old daughter just formed a better arguement...for a piece of candy.

195 posted on 07/01/2003 4:53:21 PM PDT by milan
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To: milan; Invincibly Ignorant
he likes to be the bride at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral, the ham on the cheese sandwich
196 posted on 07/01/2003 4:53:37 PM PDT by JesseShurun (The Hazzardous Duke)
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To: JesseShurun
Ha-ha < / nelson>
197 posted on 07/01/2003 4:58:32 PM PDT by milan
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To: drstevej
sure that isn't nogahyde

Thou shalt kill only sleek soft mountain goats for thy four wheeled chariot, excepting Ezekiel's: Leather to the Corrinthians, Chapter 14:3

198 posted on 07/01/2003 5:01:41 PM PDT by JesseShurun (The Hazzardous Duke)
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To: JesseShurun
You're a regular Christian comedian!! You should do that professionally.
199 posted on 07/01/2003 5:05:27 PM PDT by milan
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To: drstevej


And now, the end is near;
And so I face the final curtain.
My friend, I'll say it clear,
I'm so full of hot air I'm burpin'

Yes, I bought the lie
(that reeks of fields of cow-pies)
that Jesus was no more than Man, for
He did it Yah weh

Regrets, I've had a few;
But then again, I failed to mention
My church kicked me out, I hit the streets
And laughed off my excommunication

I planned each charted course;
Each careful step along the byway,
And sailed right off into the abyss, for
I did it Yah weh

Yes, there were times, I'm sure you're right
I chewed off more than I could bite
And through it all, still filled with doubt,
I ate up what others spit out.
I faced it all and I stood tall;
And did it Yah weh.


200 posted on 07/01/2003 5:06:39 PM PDT by Alex Murphy (Athanasius contra mundum!)
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