The 3 Giants

In deciding to become Torah observant, especially in an OT sense of the phrase, I've come to identify at least three theological Giants that require overcoming (i.e. developing defensible answers for):

1. What is Legalism, and how is Torah observance not Legalism?


2. Who is a Jew, and what implications does the answer to this question have on me as a Christian?


3. What to do with the Oral Traditions such as Halachah, the Midrashic writings and the Talmudic writings?

Discussion and Debate

Recently I was drawn into a discussion about the merits of studying more than one version of the bible. The idea was put forward that all biblical study should be limited to the King James Version (KJV) bible for the following reasons:

1. Reading more than one translation only leads to different perspectives, which allows more doctrinal variation and therefore more chance of error.
2. KJV is the most accurate anyway, so using any other translation is to use an inferior translation, leading to further error.
3. KJV is somehow more inspired than any other translation.

The discussion drifted into the ethics of allowing discussion and debate, reading widely and allowing people to come to their own views based on weighing the available evidence to establish what is "true".

One KJV-only advocate put his argument for keeping one translation and prohibiting open discussion and debate, like so [spelling, capitalization etc are all his]:

one thing i have seen throughout my life, is that people say things like open your mind to this or that, if i were to do this on a broad scale, i would go crazy because i wouldnt know where i stood on anything.

how then can we make a stand if everything is open to interpetation, and we open our minds to just about anything and everything?

will divorced and remaried people with living former spouces enter into the Kingdom of God or not?

will women who teach and preach enter into the Kingdom of God or not?

am i to allow the devil a chance to sway me doctrinally by opening my mind to his attacks?

in these last days i often want to throw up my hands and exclaim with Pilot, "what is truth"

opening her mind and listening to the serpant, is what got Eve in trouble and caused sin to enter into a world that was perfect before hand.

where and when do you draw the line between good and false doctrine?

in the 70's my generation opened their minds to "free sex" the occult, drugs and rebelous [sic] music, and the same old lie of satan was used back then about keeping an open mind, thats how the little foxes spoil the vine.

i heard a new phrase to me recentlyly about being so open minded that my brains would fall out.

if i stand for nothing wont i be in danger of falling for anything?

shall we allow the enemy of our soul the oppertunity to try and shoot holes in our faith, "the Truth" will stand on its own after we are dead and gone.

having an open mind, is what has allowed for gay clergy to minister the grace of God that has no heart breaking meaning for them. having an open mind is what allows many who call themselves christians to side with pro choice.

opening my mind to other possibilities, is as good as the enemy of my soul would have it, in his efforts to seduce me away from the truth and simplicity that is in Christ.

If Jesus had been open minded during His temptation in the wilderness, would he have passed His tests or comprimised with the devil?

How many new agers are saying that christians need to be open minded? should we be open minded about abortion? what about gay clergy should we be open minded about that? what about using aborted fetus'es for stem cell research or useing aborted baby collogen in make up products?

is there a line that we should not cross, and if so, how is that being open minded, and what of doctrine? should i open myself to catholic doctrine being a protestant? if i open my mind, am i not making an allowence that the new information could change my doctrinal stance?

for me, being open minded is what will pave the way for the one world church, that will embrace all religons including the occult and all of the eastern religons as well.

will calvinists and arminians reconcile their differences, concluding that both are right?

i just cant wrap my mind around all of this, sometimes i just wish i had died as a child before the age of accountability, so that i would be with Jesus and not had to deal with such confusion and conflicting ideologies.

our way is the truth, no our way is right your way is wrong, no listen to me i know the real truth, sometimes i wish i had never been born, i cant even find a church that still practises the old ways without all this new fangled music and serve god anyway you want to, cause its all good.

would to God i had died as a young christian, then i would be at peace not knowing the war that rages over what is truth and what is lie.

One feature that we have noticed about Jewish biblical study is their openness to discussion and debate. I once brought a Jewish friend along to my church and afterward he asked me how we worshipped in spirit and truth? Huh? What about the prayers, hymns and singing? I might give you that, he said but what about worshipping in truth? The minister preached for more than 45 minutes, what about that? That is only one person's opinion, he said, where was the discussion?

His point is that we only begin to approach the truth when we open it up to discussion and debate, allowing various perspectives to be put forward and their merits promoted and weighed against each other. Another person has said that a traditional synagogue is designed as a round with the presenter in the middle, so that it is more expedient for debating.

As long as the ground rules for discussion and debate listed by Zwirn are observed, there are many advantages to such a participative learning style. How would you have answered the statements and questions posed above by the KJV-Only advocate?

The Tabernacle and the Temple

I recently came across this quotation in the Torah Club commentary (Vol 5, p393):

"Moses said to God: "Will not the time come when Israel shall have neither Tabernacle nor Temple? What will happen with them then?" The divine reply was, "I will then take one of their righteous men and retain him as a pledge on their behalf, in order that I may pardon all their sins." (Exodus Rabbah 35.4)

Immanuel Kant agrees with Zwirnor

Although he finds it absurd, Immanuel Kant also concludes that Christians must be Jews after following the same logic as Zwirner. This was sent by Anne:

I am reading The God of Israel and Christian Theology by R.Kendall Soulen and found an interesting quote from Immanuel Kant (1793). Kant arguing for an 'enlightenment' understanding of religion, believes that Christianity's retaining the history of the Jews as an essential part of its doctrine, is absurd. He is quoted from his book p. 153 Religion Within the Limits of Reason Alone. While the intention of the quote is in support of Kant's argument, I think it is interesting in light of your comments about the Rabbi's (of Burbank?) understanding of Christian/Jew.

" [The] procedure {of appealing to the Jewish Scriptures}, wisely adopted by the first propagators of the teaching of Christ in order to achieve its introduction among the people,is taken as part of the religion itself, valid for all times and peoples, with the result that one is obliged to believe that every Christian must be a Jew whose Messiah has come. "(,italics in original )

Another thinker from another time and another place, and choosing another paradigm, has come to a very similar conclusion to that one which we are considering. Food for thought.

Indeed.

Priests v Prophets?

I recently bought Brown's "Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus" as a add-on product to Logos Bible Study Software [1].

Last year our minister preached a sermon that the Prophets argued that the Temple and its Sacrificial system of Atonement was unnecessary, instead repentance and prayer was sufficient.

Brown, presents a good essay rebutting this concept in Volume 2 of his work. The essence of his rebuttal is:

• The prophets were arguing against disengenuous worship, not an abandonment of God's commandments, which ordain the priestly order and prescribes the sacrificial system.
• Without genuine repentance from sin and heartfelt love for God, sacrifices and any other act of worship are worthless.

He cites many passages where the Prophets clearly articulated their reverence for the Temple and the work that God required there.

[1] Brown, M. L. (2000). Answering Jewish objections to Jesus, Volume 2: Theological objections (71). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.

Who is a Gentile?

I mentioned in a previous blog that I was reading the "Rabbi from Burbank" by Isidor Zwirn and Bob Owen.

His story, in many respects, is a poignant one: After being rejected by his fellow Jews for becoming a Christian, he found it difficult to be understood by Christians as well.

One of the problems he found was that Christians would not, could not accept that they were not Gentiles.

"The church people of any denomination I had occasion to meet were all courteous and respectful to me... ...When I appealed to them to search out and discover their own biblical roots in Abraham and Judaism, my words fell upon deaf ears. I tried to tell the Christians that they were not goyim as defined by the Jews, a somewhat derisive term that means "heathen" or "pagan," but they would not hear me and continued to refer to themselves as Gentiles." [1]

Christians are Jews too?! Through the spirit of adoption, through the teaching on being grafted in, through being considered as Sons of God, Paul teaches that we are all a part of the Seed of Abraham. Thus we too inherit the Promises.

[1] Zwirn, R I and Owen, B (1987). The Rabbi from Burbank. Tyndale House Publishers. Illinois. Page 77.

See also Carpe Deo: "Who is a Jew?" Revisited (carpe-deo.blogspot.com)

Educating Children in the Scriptures

In our church our Children's Sunday School is little more than a baby sitting organisation. The children know very little of what is in the scriptures. They mostly play games and do arts and crafts work while the adults attend the church service in the main auditorium.

There are no (age appropriate) learning objectives, assessment or certification. In the West if we think something is important each of these elements of education one not only included, they are demanded. Why are they not required when it comes to the education of our children of the scriptures?

I have noticed that such education of our children is abrogated by Christian Parents who either do nothing or if it can be afforded, send then children to Christian schools.

I came across Isidor Zwirn's biography "The Rabbi from Burbank". He describes a similar malaise amongst some synagogues he attended. His story is invaluable for the many insights he brings to me as a Christian of a lifestyle centred in Torah Study and how it has an impact on worldview, family life, community and society.

After reading his story I am challenged to

• Study the scripture in their original languages
• Review the Weekly Parasha reading with my son.

He goes on to list several scripture study principals which I have thought useful for noting here:

• Respect another person's point of view: argue one's point with the goal of gaining understanding rather than acceptance.
• If several of you disagree on a matter of exegesis or biblical interpretation, we will record them all. Then every student will investigate each one of them. After you have done so, then every one of you is to select the one that best fits your own need, and take it as your own.
• Whenever two major views seem to contradict each other, you must temporarily set them aside, and hope that a third view will eventually be found that will harmonise the two.
• Whether truth comes from a male or female, Jew or Gentile, black or white, or even from the mouth of babes we are to accept it (see Deuteronomy 1.17, Psalm 8.2 or 8.3).
• Research (doresh) with integrity results in knowledge and insight (1 Chr 16.11, Isaiah 55.6, Psa 9.11, 34.5, 34.11, 69.33).
• Knowledge and insight, plus obedience results in God's rich rewards (Deu 28.13, Isa 29.9).