B
Ben_Masada
Guest
Ben,
You keep saying how laughable and unbelievable the New Testament is, but how much more unbelievable is it than the Old Testament?
Ben,
You keep saying how laughable and unbelievable the New Testament is, but how much more unbelievable is it than the Old Testament?
Well my friend, you have all the right in the world to your opinion. Now, here’s mine: Let me startle you with the following statement, then I’ll explain it: If Israel existed at the time of Noah, there would have been no Flood.Hmmmm, Jesus said, according to John the Apostle (4:22), “.…because salvation is from the Jews.” Jesus was a Jew, so our Salvation does come FROM the Jews. No problem.
And in 30 CE, the Romans destroyed Jesus.I’m not sure what you mean. In 70AD, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem.
You are not concerned with it! What do you have to fear? God ahead, check it out and bring me your views about that? I make nothing up; I just add logic to solve confusion.[Well, yes I do. I look to 2000 years of teaching, all guided by the Holy Spirit. You’re making it up as you go along.
I’ve seen this argument raised numerous times (no, you’re not the first). I’ll look at it again, Ben. It didn’t convince the millions of Jews who converted, Ben, so I’m not concerned with it. But I will look at it for you.
Yes, that’s right. From my researches in the NT, that’s exactly the conclusion I have arrived to. Never mind who the Apostles thought Paul was. They had enough reasons not to stand against Paul.Well, I think we’ve come to a crucial question. You are saying that Jesus is preached differently by Paul than He is by the apostles, is that right?
We know Paul’s way well, but in your opinion, who do the apostles say that He is?
Well, when you say this is true, but this is fabricated, guess what? That’s a re-write.And last but not least, I am not re-writing the NT but adding logic to understand what is too confusing.
Ben:![]()
Ben, I feel that I understand Israel’s role in Salvation more than most Catholics, and certainly more than most Christians. And Israel is the first-born Son and chosen to join the New Church first. But as promised to Abraham, this Covenant was for all the world, not just the first-Born. Esau-Jacob taught us this, in a way.Well my friend, you have all the right in the world to your opinion. Now, here’s mine: Let me startle you with the following statement, then I’ll explain it: If Israel existed at the time of Noah, there would have been no Flood.
Do you remember why was the Flood necessary? Because the Earth had become corrupt and the inhabitants had become depraved. (Gen. 6:12)
After the Flood God promised Noah that He would never doom Mankind again to such universal catastrophe. (Gen. 8:21) But what if Mankind became corrupt again? How would God make good His promise to Noah?
Isarael was on the make with the choice of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Israel was to be the pledge to guarantee God’s promise to Noah that the world would be saved from another such catastrophe. That’s what Jesus had in mind when he told the Samaritan woman that salvation is of the Jews. (Notworthy’s edit. correction: “…is from the Jews” carry on) The salvation of Mankind. It’s absolutely illogic that Jesus could have ever meant it to be himself on an individual basis.
I know it’s hard for you to understand the place of Israel in the Counsel of God. But please, don’t discard it as a thing of nonsense. There is a lot to study about this.
Ben:
But that little tidbit has nothing to do with my point. Go back and read my original point over, Ben.And in 30 CE, the Romans destroyed Jesus.
Ben:![]()
A few little things I didn’t understand in this post of yours: First, you seem to differentiate Catholicc from Christians.Ben, I feel that I understand Israel’s role in Salvation more than most Catholics, and certainly more than most Christians. And Israel is the first-born Son and chosen to join the New Church first. But as promised to Abraham, this Covenant was for all the world, not just the first-Born. Esau-Jacob taught us this, in a way.
And its perfectly logical for Jesus to mean Himself. Israel, due to the Covenant Promises and Curses was meant to die, according to Deuteronomy. The only way to break out of a Covenant is for one of the parties to die (we hear this in the vows of the Wedding Covenant, “… til death do us part”). If Israel would have died, then what would mankind benefit. But if God died, then the Covenant could be renenewed without the curse.
But God couldn’t die… or could He?
Salvation comes from the Jews…
Sorry my friend, but none of the above sounds re-writing to me but a work on what exists with the purpose to get some harmony out of contradiction.Well, when you say this is true, but this is fabricated, guess what? That’s a re-write.
When you say Jesus couldn’t have claimed to be God because He was a loyal Jew, guess what? That’s a re-write.
Paul started the Christian sect and sucked the Nazarene sect into his little kingdom, guess what? That’s a re-write.
A few little things I didn’t understand in this post of yours: First, you seem to differentiate Catholicc from Christians.
Does it meant you don’t consider Catholics Christians?All Catholics are Christians. Not all Christians are Catholic.
Second, you say that “Israel chose to join the new Church first.” I am lost here. What does Israel have to do with Church? The Church is the Catholic Church. The Jews were the first Catholics. Many joined. I don’t know how accurate this is, but I had heard that by the end of the 1st century, fully 2/3rds of the Jews had converted to the Catholic Church.
Third, the Abrahamic Covenant was with Israel only. With the whole world were only two covenants: The Edenic and the Noahite covenants.
The token of the Abrahamic Covenant was the circumcision, and Gentiles have nothing to do with it.
The Mosaic Covenant had curses, one of which was death, and Israel hadn’t suffered it yet. That was my point. I could care less about whether Gentiles were a part of the Abrahamic Covenant.
Now, with regards to the releasing of a party to the Covenant, God never broke His Covenant with Israel. According to Jeremiah 46:28, of the other nations, the Almighty will make an end of them
but of Israel, He will only chastise as we deserve. When did I say God broke His Covenant. God will never break a promise. So one of God’s promises was the curse of death to Israel under the penalties of the Mosaic Covenant. The only way to release Israel from this death was by the death of God - hence, Jesus the Messiah.
Irrelevant, although interesting and enlightening. But irrelevant to this conversation.There was a time though when Judah had rejected the “Waters of Shiloah.” I mean, God’s free protection according to the Covenant.
(Isa. 8:6) As a result, God had passed judgment on Judah for its removal from existence, but because of His promise to David in I Kings 11:36, that Judah would remain forever as a Lamp in Jerusalem, Israel, the Ten Tribes had to redeem Judah. This is translated by Isaiah 9:8, when the Divine decree against Judah fell upon Israel instead. That’s when God rejected the "Tent of Joseph, the Ten Tribes, and reconfirmed Judah. (Psalm 78:67,68) Since then, God may chastise the new Israel from the stock of Judah but he will never break His covenant with us. (Jer. 31:35,36)
Ben:![]()
The only harmony you are looking for is the one that fits your preconceived notions. Hence, the re-writes.Sorry my friend, but none of the above sounds re-writing to me but a work on what exists with the purpose to get some harmony out of contradiction.
Ben:![]()
The Jews were the first Catholics. Many joined. I don’t know how accurate this is, but I had heard that by the end of the 1st century, fully 2/3rds of the Jews had converted to the Catholic Church.
QUOTE]
This is incorrect for several reasons:
Christians did not enjoy the privi lege (yes the word privilege comes from here) of the Jews exempting them from having to participate in state religious ceremonies (see Christians and the lions)
The Jews were involved from 70 c.e. onwards through to 135 c.e. in massive uprisings against the Roman empire and Christians did not join them in this enterprise
Catholicism accused all first century c.e. Jews of deicide (and continued to do so until 1965 except for the SSPX who still do)
One third of the Jews died fighting the Romans. If in addition 2/3 had converted there would have been zero Jews. As you can see we’re still here.
OK… what’s that got to do with it? I stated that the Jews were the first Catholics. 100% of Christian converts through the first 15 years or so were Jews. Cornelius led the first trickle of Gentiles, and then the council of Jerusalem made it easier for Gentiles to convert.This is incorrect for several reasons:
Christians did not enjoy the privi lege (yes the word privilege comes from here) of the Jews exempting them from having to participate in state religious ceremonies (see Christians and the lions)
Again, irrelevant. After the little episode with St. Stephen, “Stone-Gate” if you will, there was a rising anxiety between Christians and Jews. This was long before 70.The Jews were involved from 70 c.e. onwards through to 135 c.e. in massive uprisings against the Roman empire and Christians did not join them in this enterprise
irrelevant…Catholicism accused all first century c.e. Jews of deicide (and continued to do so until 1965 except for the SSPX who still do)
No, the 1 million or so Jews killed in the Roman fighting would not have fit into this equation.One third of the Jews died fighting the Romans. If in addition 2/3 had converted there would have been zero Jews. As you can see we’re still here.
I meant to say, who do the apostles say Jesus is?Never mind who the Apostles thought Paul was.
The Jesus whom the apostles preached about, would make of the converts staunch defenders of the Jewish Law. (Acts 21:20)
May God Bring His Light to our minds.This just goes to show that we do need Church tradition to explain the Bible. Here’s someone who read the story, but didn’t understand the kind of story it was.
This is a “clever answer” story. Jesus, like a lot of rabbis, loved to teach by asking questions or getting people to make comebacks. He knew that this woman was clever and would be able to make clever comebacks, so Jesus got her to argue with him.
There are other “clever answer” stories in the Bible, but Jesus usually ends them by trumping the clever or right answer to make the person realize that he needs to do what he says, or to do more than that.
In this case, Jesus was evidently so pleased by the woman and her answer that he felt no need to use her answer to tell her that she wasn’t living right or doing enough. He set her up as a good example, instead.
Don’t forget about meI meant to say, who do the apostles say Jesus is?
No that is not right. Jesus is not the Father incarnate. Jesus in the “Word,” the second “person” of the One Triune God. That is why Jesus always talks of His Father in Heaven. The Trinity is a very Holy Revelation from Jesus, the Son of God, and cannot be found in Scripture before the New Testament. There are prefigurements and prophecies in the Old Testament, but no more.About the passage above mentioned what I saw is that, talking to that woman, Jesus learn from her. That is one of the details that convinced me that, he is just a human and not our Father incarnated.