Modern Judaizers

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“Do Not Be Called Rabbi.” Mt. 23:8

A relative of mine is an ordained evangelical pastor in SW Michigan. He and another gentleman have written a short booklet arguing against modern Judaizers in this area. The booklet is called What Christians Should Know About Rabbinic Judaism.

It is written from an anti-Catholic, evangelical (sola scriptura) point of view.

The essence of the argument is that Christians do not need the Jewish Talmud (of all things) to understand the Bible or to understand Jesus or nascent Christianity.

They summarize various of these points as follows:

"*Jesus was born under the Law * (Gal 4:4). It was a time of great spiritual confusion with rabbis, synagogues, a corrupt priesthood, a corrupt Temple, bent Scriptures, legalistic rabbinic rules, and political unrest, which ended in the dispersion of the Jews in 70 A.D. (…) God doesn’t tell us to sift through that mess for our faith and conduct. That’s laid out for us in the epistles, where the word “rabbi,” and the concept of a rabbi, never occurs. (…)

“The apostles fought a tough battle to remove Christianity from Judaism. Acts…Romans…Galations,…Hebrews…slam the door on any kind of Judaism.”

Ibid, page 36.

I think we’ve seen the scriptural data that the authors cite above, but I for one never pulled it together in such a succinct way as they have stated above. There is a general acceptance of the Pharisees in scripture as representing Rabbinic Judaism. In my own reading of information about the Talmud, I never quite appreciated how Rabbinic Judaism emerged and how it has behaved ever since.

(That is to say, the rabbis came up with the idea of the Oral Torah, a lot of interpretations and traditions that are not in scripture, yet these were used to replace the Judaism of scripture.)

This is a good introduction to the subject, albeit from the point of view that I have explained above.

**What Christians Should Know About Rabbinic Judaism ** (no date), Chuck May and Dave DeWitt. 55 pages. Relational Concepts, 18237-174th Avenue, Spring Lake, MI 49456
 
**Jesus warned us about these kinds of people;

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” (Mt 7:15)**

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, Ora Pro Nobis Peccatoribus!

mark
 
Crumpy said:
“Do Not Be Called Rabbi.” Mt. 23:8

A relative of mine is an ordained evangelical pastor in SW Michigan. He and another gentleman have written a short booklet arguing against modern Judaizers in this area. The booklet is called What Christians Should Know About Rabbinic Judaism.

It is written from an anti-Catholic, evangelical (sola scriptura) point of view.

The essence of the argument is that Christians do not need the Jewish Talmud (of all things) to understand the Bible or to understand Jesus or nascent Christianity.
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I haven’t read this particular book - but as to the premise:
  1. I agree that the Talmud is not “law” (though Orthodox Jews would disagree of course as their view is that the “oral law” was also given at Mt. Sinai) and that, in fact, Jesus was critical of many of the traditions contained within the “oral law” (now documented in the Talmud) which, even if well intentioned, often led losing sight of the spiritual meaning of the “law”.
  2. I disagree, however, that with the suggestion that the studying or at least familiarity with the Talmud would not be helpful in understanding nascent Christianity or Jesus. By definition, an understanding of what Jews at the time of Christ understood is immensely helpful in understanding Jesus’ teaching. In fact, ironically, there is a fair amount of material in the Talmud which supports some Christian doctrine - but what is therefore revelealed within the Talmud is the internal tension within Judaism of the time of concepts of the Messiah - what the jewish people’s expectations were, and a better understanding of why many Jews rejected Jesus, but also why the apostles and disciples ultimately believed (assisted, of course, critically by the Holy Spirit).
There is a danger in these teaching (if taken to its extreme) - there was an early Christian heresy that suggested we need not even read the “old testament” - that everything we needed was contained in the new testament (Marcion heresy). Of course, Augustine was correct when he said the “Old Testament is the New Testament concealed, and the New Testament is the Old Tesatment revealed” - we need them both - we need to understand the prophecies and teachings of the Old Testament to fully appreciate the teaching of the New Testament and, again, while we don’t “need” the Talmud in the same way, it evidences an understanding of the believes, hopes and fears of the Jews at the time of Christ.

Blessings,

Brian
 
I wish I understood more of the Old Testament and perhaps all of you here can correct and add to my understanding.

The Old Testament contained the 10 Commandments and the protective laws in Leviticus.

Then, as I understand Jewish history, over time the Levite priestly class went through the two dispersions by Babylon and Assyria. Finally, coming up to the few hundred of years prior to the birth of Jesus, the only remaining ruling class of the Jews were the Hasmonians.

King Herod I married into the Hasmonians, there he killed his wife, her grandmother and their two sons. King Herod I essentially gained political and religious control of the Jews.

I’ve read that by the time of Jesus’ birth, the Jews had 613 commands.

There are multiple accounts of Jesus’ objection to the accumulation of these commands:

Shining the cup on the outside when the inside of the cup is filthy
Placing bars so high that no one is allowed into God’s kingdom
His picking of wheat and healing on the Sabbath
Explaining how He was the fulfillment of the law
the Good Samaritian - Jewish law then forbidded contact with the Samaritans
overturning the money changers tables

As a Bible believing Christian, I see the connection of the New Covenant (the Body and Blood covenant) as well as the words that Jesus spoke to the Apostles,
“Receive the Holy Ghost; whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.” (John 20:22-23)

Modern day Judaizers.

Catholics have 10 Commandments and the Two Great Commandments from which to form a conscience. In the gray areas, they have their most wise and holy priest and his advisors determine the deposit of their faith.

I think this article, at its depths, revolves around contraception, abortion, homosexual acts, women priests, etc. Solving the problems of morality in our generation, which they have no one person to look toward for guidance.
 
Barbkw said:
I wish I understood more of the Old Testament and perhaps all of you here can correct and add to my understanding.

The Old Testament contained the 10 Commandments and the protective laws in Leviticus.

Then, as I understand Jewish history, over time the Levite priestly class went through the two dispersions by Babylon and Assyria. Finally, coming up to the few hundred of years prior to the birth of Jesus, the only remaining ruling class of the Jews were the Hasmonians.

King Herod I married into the Hasmonians, there he killed his wife, her grandmother and their two sons. King Herod I essentially gained political and religious control of the Jews.

I’ve read that by the time of Jesus’ birth, the Jews had 613 commands.

There are multiple accounts of Jesus’ objection to the accumulation of these commands:

Shining the cup on the outside when the inside of the cup is filthy
Placing bars so high that no one is allowed into God’s kingdom
His picking of wheat and healing on the Sabbath
Explaining how He was the fulfillment of the law
the Good Samaritian - Jewish law then forbidded contact with the Samaritans
overturning the money changers tables

As a Bible believing Christian, I see the connection of the New Covenant (the Body and Blood covenant) as well as the words that Jesus spoke to the Apostles,
“Receive the Holy Ghost; whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.” (John 20:22-23)

Modern day Judaizers.

Catholics have 10 Commandments and the Two Great Commandments from which to form a conscience. In the gray areas, they have their most wise and holy priest and his advisors determine the deposit of their faith.

I think this article, at its depths, revolves around contraception, abortion, homosexual acts, women priests, etc. Solving the problems of morality in our generation, which they have no one person to look toward for guidance.
Click to expand...
I agree with your ultimate conclusion - but re: history and the Hebrew scriptures - a few “macro” corrections (since you asked -:).
  1. There were 12 tribes of Israel (the levites being just one tribe - the priestly class). 10 of the 12 tribes were exiled to Assyria - 2 to babylonia - the latter two are “jews” as we know them today (for the most part) as they were allowed to return to rebuilt the temple - the other 10 tribes are “lost” (for now) into the Gentile nations - though God knows who they are.
  2. There are 613 commandments in the mosaic law - Jesus followed all of them. What he criticized was the “oral” law which supplemented the laws actually in scripture.
  3. The new covenant, I agree, started with Jesus fullment of the “law” - that is all of the 613 commandments that relate to sacrifice and temple - the “moral law” - 10 commandments remains (all but the sabbath being expressly reiterated in the NT) and Jesus said you could sum up the guiding principles of the “law” and teachings of the prophets in the golden rule. By definition, if one truly loves God with all their heart and treats their neighbor as themselves, they will be fulfilling and following all of the 10 commandments.
Blessings,

Brian
 
The essence of the argument is that Christians do not need the Jewish Talmud (of all things) to understand the Bible or to understand Jesus or nascent Christianity.
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The Babylonian Talmud is an incredibly complex piece of work. Translated into English, along with modern commentary, the Talmud can run upwards of 70 or more volumes. It would require a lifetime of intense, persistent study to gain even a modicum of understanding of this great work.

There is also the Jerusalem Talmud, which is a separate work from the Babylonian Talmud.

Moses, did in fact, spend over a month on Mt. Sinai learning the Torah. We read this in the Old Testament.

Some Jewish scholars explain it this way: The Torah is the like the class notes a student takes at a lecture. The Talmud, or oral tradition, is the lecture itself.

I tend to cringe whenever I hear of “anti-Judaizers”. After all, Jesus Christ was a Jew, as were his earliest followers. Catholicism sprung from Judaism, and in fact, much of Catholic liturgy and prayer can be traced back to Judaism.

I also cringe whenever I hear of someone that wants to suppress information and knowledge of a religious nature. It’s no one’s business to censor what I want to read, especially when it involves my own personal religious beliefs. People that advocate this kind of censorship usually have an agenda. In this case, these “anti-Judaizers” could quite possibly be anti-semites.

As you stated in your post, the publication originates from the evangelical movement, with an anti-Catholic bent. That’s enough information for me to stay away.
 
GerardMajella: I was careful to advertise and qualify the origin of the remarks. That said, the New Testament “slams” Judaizers, as I said in my original post.

In its document of several years ago, entitled The Jewish People and Their Scriptures (free download at ewtn.com), the Pontifical Biblical Commission also rejects Talmudic, rabbinic Judaism (paragraph 22).

It says though that --in a broad general way-- the Church should shy away from all that Jewish scholarship on scripture study, even if it has to disagree with Judaism on the interpretation of scripture.
 
GerardMajella: I was careful to advertise and qualify the origin of the remarks. That said, the New Testament “slams” Judaizers, as I said in my original post.
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Anti-semitism has a long, and sordid history. As Catholics, we are obliged to condemn anti-semitism in all its forms.
 
Crumpy said:
It says though that --in a broad general way-- the Church should shy away from all that Jewish scholarship on scripture study, even if it has to disagree with Judaism on the interpretation of scripture.
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One could get this take from reading scriptures, [like Zechariah’s prophesy in Chapters 11 & 12 ] …until we come to Paul’s Olive Tree explanation in Romans 11.

11:25-33 Lest you be wise in your own conceits, I want you to understand this mystery, brethren: a hardening has come upon part of Israel, UNTIL THE FULL NUMBER OF THE GENTILES COME IN, and so ALL OF ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED; as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; “and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”
As regards the gospel they are enemies of God, FOR YOUR SAKE; but as regards election THEY ARE BELOVED FOR THE SAKE OF THEIR FOREFATHERS. FOR THE GIFTS AND THE CALL OF GOD ARE IRREVOCABLE. …For God has CONSIGNED ALL MEN TO DISOBEDIENCE, THAT HE MAY HAVE MERCY UPON ALL." … FOR WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO HAS BEEN HIS COUNSELOR ?"

So, are we in the Millennial Kingdom NOW ? Has the nation of Israel and Judiazers been left behind ? Will there be an UNCOMING literal Millennial Kingdom on Earth for them … after the Church Age is fullfilled in God’s Plans ?

Someone explain this MYSTERY to us !
 
Crumpy said:
GerardMajella: I was careful to advertise and qualify the origin of the remarks. That said, the New Testament “slams” Judaizers, as I said in my original post.

In its document of several years ago, entitled The Jewish People and Their Scriptures (free download at ewtn.com), the Pontifical Biblical Commission also rejects Talmudic, rabbinic Judaism (paragraph 22).

It says though that --in a broad general way-- the Church should shy away from all that Jewish scholarship on scripture study, even if it has to disagree with Judaism on the interpretation of scripture.
Click to expand...
I guess I was tripping over my own words. I think I wanted to say

It says that – in a broad and general way – the Church should not shy away from all that Jewish scholrship on scripture study, even it is has to disagree with Judaism on the ultimate interpretation of scripture.

I don’t think this is radical or anything. I’ve read that Christian pastors have studied under rabbis for a long time.

The document from the PBC referrred to above also rejects any Biblical basis for anti-semitism.
 
I find it ironic that so many evangelical churches condemn Catholics for being stuck on works. In my understanding, Judaizers were those who insisted on ritual and certainly promoted the types of actions of external piety that Jesus so constantly condemned in His ministry on earth. I wish my Latin were better, these same groups insist that unless you were immersed, all you got was wet. What is the Latin for “Works Alone?”
 
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