Question from a Seeking Jew

[Jew_Man_73]

antiaphrodite:

wow. thank you for the info!

You’re welcome. Anytime. I’m glad it helped.

 

[Jew_Man_73]

“I am the way, the TRUTH and the life; no one comes to the Father but by me” John 14:6

I am in awe of the way the Holy Spirit is working in your life, and how humble of heart you seem to be. Thank you for letting this forum help you along your path, and thanks to all for your wonderful and intelligent posts. This is must-read stuff!!!

God Bless!

Thank you for your encouragement. I appreciate it. By the way, I just read that verse the other day. (I’ve been rereading the book of John this week.) In fact, I just read John 8:1-11 today. I like this passage. I think this passage was portrayed in a flashback sequence in The Passion of the Christ, wasn’t it?

 

[Jew_Man_73]

jimmytoes:

I don’t really know of any prostelitizing (sp) group of Catholics other than foriegn missionary religious orders. Groups like the Hebrew Catholic Association are more there to answer questions if someone comes to them…
I’ll continue to pray for you. It’s not our job to convince you, that’s between you and the Holy Spirit. Thank you for your enerjetic use of this thread. You and I joined about the same time, and it’s been a good learning experience for me.

Thank you. I’m glad you’ve learned somehting from this thread as well. (I know I have.) That’s very encouraging to know. And thank you for your prayers, they’re always welcome!

 

[antiaphrodite]

Jew_Man_73:

By the way, I just read that verse the other day. (I’ve been rereading the book of John this week.) In fact, I just read John 8:1-11 today. I like this passage. I think this passage was portrayed in a flashback sequence in The Passion of the Christ, wasn’t it?

i think so…one of the best films ever!

 

[Jew_Man_73]

Hi everyone,
I just wanted to let all of you know about something good that happened to me today. I haven’t been feeling well today (spiritually, emotionally). I’ve had alot on my mind, and I’ve spent alot of time in thought and prayer today. I’ve been reading my TANAKH and my New Testament and really asking G-d for some guidance. I wasn’t sure if I had a right to do this, but as I was praying, I asked Him for a sign. Any sign. I didn’t care what it was, just send me something to indicate if I was on the right path. I was feeling very down and beaten at this point, and I just wanted G-d to manifest Himself to me somehow.
About an hour after I finished praying, I went to check my mail. Inside was a card from the local Catholic church I’ve been attending. When I opened it, I saw that it was from the RCIA director. She wrote a note inside, telling me that she had been thinking about me alot lately and that she had been praying for me several times a day. She wrote that she hoped I was doing well and to please call her if I needed anything. She closed the note by writing that she cared about me, and that she wished G-d’s blessings to be with me. I was stunned. It meant alot to me, to say the least. It’s also interesting that I received this card an hour after I finished praying. I think G-d was communicating with me. What do you all think?
When I showed the card to my roommate, he thought it was wonderful. His exact words were, “Obviously G-d is speaking to you.” (By the way, my roommate is Protestant, and he has just recently started attending this church as well. He’s been visiting several various Protestant denominational churches, and says he hasn’t found G-d in any of them. So far, he loves this Cathiolic church. Just today, after I received the card, he went through some of the Messianic prophecies with me. We compared the notes in my Jewish study Bible to the notes in my Catholic study Bible.) I just wanted to share this with all of you, because it meant alot to me.

 

[Jew_Man_73]

antiaphrodite:

i think so…one of the best films ever!

I agree. Even if you’re not a Christian, you can’t deny the awesome power of that film. It made me cry like a baby.

 

[Jew_Man_73]

Hi everyone,

 I hope I'm not annoying anyone, but I want to share a passage from the gospels that I really like.  I bookmarked it.  It's John 8:1-11:

      "Then each went to his own house, while Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.  But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them.  Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle.  They said to him, 'Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery.  Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.  So what do you say?'  They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him.  Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.  But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, 'Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.'  Again he bent down and wrote on the ground.  And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders.  So he was left alone with the woman before him.  **Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, 'Woman, where are they?  Has no one condemned you?' She replied, 'No one, sir.'  Then Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn you.  Go, [and] from now on do not sin any more.'  **(Emphasis mine.)

I’ve been thinking about this passage most of the day. It’s stuck out in my mind for two reasons. First, it’s beautiful. Second, the law commanded that the woman be stoned, but Jesus didn’t do that. It sounds like he forgave her, which he has the power to do if he’s G-d. (And by the way, that brings me back to the first point. That’s beautiful.) Is this what you all mean when you say that Jesus came to complete the law? Instead of receiving death as the penalty for our sins, Jesus gives us forgiveness and life?

 

[Zooey]

I love that story, too!! I love the way that Jesus shows such amazing gentleness of spirit…First, He gives everybody a chance to calm down. Then, He speaks those words of forgiveness…And, yes, that is exactly what the passage is telling us! Jesus has the power to forgive. He has the love to forgive. After all, as God, it is His law that has been broken!
And He says, too, “Go & sin no more”, which is such a beautiful moment to me. It is as though He is saying, “You can be a whole new person now. You don’t have to be who you used to be”.

By the way: Far from annoying, you are a real source of joy & inspiration. God bless you. You are in my prayers.

 

[Jew_Man_73]

Zooey:

I love that story, too!! I love the way that Jesus shows such amazing gentleness of spirit…First, He gives everybody a chance to calm down. Then, He speaks those words of forgiveness…And, yes, that is exactly what the passage is telling us! Jesus has the power to forgive. He has the love to forgive. After all, as God, it is His law that has been broken!
And He says, too, “Go & sin no more”, which is such a beautiful moment to me. It is as though He is saying, “You can be a whole new person now. You don’t have to be who you used to be”.

By the way: Far from annoying, you are a real source of joy & inspiration. God bless you. You are in my prayers.

Thank you for your prayers, and the encouragement. I can use them both. That’s the impression I got from this passage too. I felt like Jesus was telling the woman that her past didn’t matter; she could make a fresh start and be a new person. That’s what I thought was so cool about it.

By the way: My roommate told me today that he’s always beleived that Jesus was writing the sins of the Pharisees in the sand. I don’t know if this is true, but it’s an interesting thought. Also, I haven’t gotten any further than Acts. I tried moving on to Romans, but got kind of confused. I’m rereading the gospels and Acts right now.

 

[antiaphrodite]

yep, Jesus gave us forgiveness and life.

and no, you’re not annoying.

 

[Jew_Man_73]

antiaphrodite:

yep, Jesus gave us forgiveness and life.

and no, you’re not annoying.

Thank you. I’m glad I’m not.

 

[antiaphrodite]

Jew_Man_73:

I agree. Even if you’re not a Christian, you can’t deny the awesome power of that film. It made me cry like a baby.

i was a wreck when i watched that movie! at first i tried to be “quiet and dignified”, i was in a public place, etc. etc. but when the Virgin ran to meet her Son, i lost it! i just bawled!

 

[Jew_Man_73]

antiaphrodite:

i was a wreck when i watched that movie! at first i tried to be “quiet and dignified”, i was in a public place, etc. etc. but when the Virgin ran to meet her Son, i lost it! i just bawled!

I am so glad I saw it in a private setting! Just me, the priest, and the RCIA director in the church library. I was a mess, and I can’t imagine seeing it in a theater! They had to stop the DVD several times because I was so upset!

 

[antiaphrodite]

Jew_Man_73:

I am so glad I saw it in a private setting! Just me, the priest, and the RCIA director in the church library. I was a mess, and I can’t imagine seeing it in a theater! They had to stop the DVD several times because I was so upset!

yeah, i kinda envy you that you got to watch it the first time in private!

 

[Zooey]

It is truly an amazing experience to watch…I was on the brink of tears. I was not crying, but I was trembling with the emotion. And when Jesus was beaten, I flinched with every blow.
I seemed to be carrying a great weight of tension in myself. A number of others have said the same thing…That the ending–where we see Jesus rising from the dead–was the point at which we were finally able to relax. Up to that point, it was almost unbearable.
It is agreat gift that Mel Gibson has given us, I believe, to be able to not just watch, but to experience…
I think that I have to say that I feel some envy at the thought of seeing it in an intimate setting, too…But I think that would be almost unbearably poignant.

That is an interesting thought about Jesus writing about the Pharisees. That would make sense. I guess I just thought that he was letting the situation decompress. But your friend could be right!! That would make sense…
God bless.

 

[VociMike]

Jew_Man_73:

Hi everyone,

 I hope I'm not annoying anyone, but I want to share a passage from the gospels that I really like.  I bookmarked it.  It's John 8:1-11:

I once read an interesting analysis of this passage, which I have largely forgotten It went something like this. The Pharaisees thought they had Jesus trapped. If He had said “yes, she must die” they would have reported Him to the Romans for violating Roman law. If He did not say this, He would be violating the law of Moses. With His answer, He (a) upheld the law of Moses (for only the innocent could participate in stoning, and they were clearly not innocent), while (b) demonstrating mercy and forgiveness.

BTW, very interesting, whoever mentioned it, about Jesus perhaps writing down the sins of the would-be stoners. Maybe just a few names would have been enough…

 

[Jew_Man_73]

antiaphrodite:

yeah, i kinda envy you that you got to watch it the first time in private!

I believe it was for the best. I’m just curious: Were there alot of people in the theater getting upset when you went to see it? I remember watching news reports on TV at the time, and the reporters were saying that people all over the country, Christian and non-Christian, were crying and screaming in the theaters. At the time, the news reports made me angry, because I was very much against the film. This was because of all the articles I had read written by various rabbis.

 

[Jew_Man_73]

Zooey:

It is truly an amazing experience to watch…I was on the brink of tears. I was not crying, but I was trembling with the emotion. And when Jesus was beaten, I flinched with every blow.
I seemed to be carrying a great weight of tension in myself. A number of others have said the same thing…That the ending–where we see Jesus rising from the dead–was the point at which we were finally able to relax. Up to that point, it was almost unbearable.
It is agreat gift that Mel Gibson has given us, I believe, to be able to not just watch, but to experience…
I think that I have to say that I feel some envy at the thought of seeing it in an intimate setting, too…But I think that would be almost unbearably poignant.

That is an interesting thought about Jesus writing about the Pharisees. That would make sense. I guess I just thought that he was letting the situation decompress. But your friend could be right!! That would make sense…
God bless.

I agree with you. I was tense throughout the entire film, until Jesus rose from the dead. That’s when I relaxed. When I sat down to watch it, I knew it was going to be graphic. I normally don’t watch films like that, but I decided beforehand not only to watch but also to watch it all without covering my eyes. I did this because I wanted to see what all the fuss was about in the media and because I felt that this was an important film that I should watch in its entirety. I felt like I wouldn’t be giving it a fair chance if I refused to watch some of it. To say that it was graphic is an understatement, but I’m glad I watched it. I’ve studied crucifixion before, and the movie seemed to be as accurate as it could be without the actor actually being crucified himself.
And I also thought what my roommate said was interesting. He said he heard that from his former pastor years ago. I just find it to be a really cool idea, personally. That would add alot more impact to Jesus’ statement of casting the first stone.

 

[Jew_Man_73]

VociMike:

I once read an interesting analysis of this passage, which I have largely forgotten It went something like this. The Pharaisees thought they had Jesus trapped. If He had said “yes, she must die” they would have reported Him to the Romans for violating Roman law. If He did not say this, He would be violating the law of Moses. With His answer, He (a) upheld the law of Moses (for only the innocent could participate in stoning, and they were clearly not innocent), while (b) demonstrating mercy and forgiveness.

BTW, very interesting, whoever mentioned it, about Jesus perhaps writing down the sins of the would-be stoners. Maybe just a few names would have been enough…

As for the Pharisees clearly not being innocent, that crossed my mind while I was reading that passage. Why didn’t they stone her themselves, without getting Jesus involved? It makes me wonder if maybe they were the ones committing adultery with the woman, so they could take her to Jesus and have someone to accuse in order to trap him. I also love his response. If Jesus really did write down the sins of the Pharisees that day, it would have made it even more humiliating for them if they actually had committed adultery with the woman.

 

[Jew_Man_73]

Hi everyone,

I was just thinking about something, and wanted to ask a question. Is baptism similar to a mikveh? (As far as purpose, etc?) Did Christian baptism originate with the Jewish mikveh, for example? I’ve noticed some similarities between the two, such as the cleansing aspect. Also, I’m wondering if John the Baptist was referring to mikvehs when he said,

‘…One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the holy Spirit.’ --Mark 1:7,8

My roommate told me that John’s baptism was temporary, and that everyone who was baptized by him had to be baptized again after Jesus went back to Heaven. Is this true? If it is, was this actually a mikveh, and did baptism evolve from mikveh? If anyone has any insights, I’d love to hear them. Thanks.