The
testimony of the Christian scriptures. The 21st chapter in the
book
of Acts reports that the normal activities of the members
of the Jerusalem Church included the offering of animals for
the explicit purpose of the expiation of sin. The book of Acts
describes how four members of the Jerusalem Church had
taken a Nazirite vow. This means that they had voluntarily
brought themselves into a situation where they would be
required (by the law of Moses) to bring an animal as a sin
offering.
of the Jerusalem Church included the offering of animals for
the explicit purpose of the expiation of sin. The book of Acts
describes how four members of the Jerusalem Church had
taken a Nazirite vow. This means that they had voluntarily
brought themselves into a situation where they would be
required (by the law of Moses) to bring an animal as a sin
offering.
It
is clear that these people saw in the temple
offerings a valid method for the expiation of sin. If they
believed as Paul did, that Jesus died for their sins once and for
all, then there would be no point in bringing a sin offering in
the temple. The fact that the Jerusalem Church still
participated in the temple offerings after Jesus had died, tells
us that they did not see in Jesus’s death an all atoning
sacrifice. These people were not Evangelical Christians.
offerings a valid method for the expiation of sin. If they
believed as Paul did, that Jesus died for their sins once and for
all, then there would be no point in bringing a sin offering in
the temple. The fact that the Jerusalem Church still
participated in the temple offerings after Jesus had died, tells
us that they did not see in Jesus’s death an all atoning
sacrifice. These people were not Evangelical Christians.
You can't have it both ways.
Numbers Chapter 6 בְּמִדְבַּר
Num 6:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When either man or woman shall clearly utter a vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to consecrate himself unto the LORD,
Num 6:3 he shall abstain from wine and strong drink: he shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or dried.
Num 6:4 All the days of his Naziriteship shall he eat nothing that is made of the grape-vine, from the pressed grapes even to the grapestone.
Num 6:5 All the days of his vow of Naziriteship there shall no razor come upon his head; until the days be fulfilled, in which he consecrateth himself unto the LORD, he shall be holy, he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long.
Num 6:6 All the days that he consecrateth himself unto the LORD he shall not come near to a dead body.
Num 6:7 He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die; because his consecration unto God is upon his head.
Num 6:8 All the days of his Naziriteship he is holy unto the LORD.
Num 6:9 And if any man die very suddenly beside him, and he defile his consecrated head, then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day shall he shave it.
Num 6:10 And on the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, to the priest, to the door of the tent of meeting.
Num 6:11 And the priest shall prepare one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt-offering, and make atonement for him, for that he sinned by reason of the dead; and he shall hallow his head that same day.
Num 6:12 And he shall consecrate unto the LORD the days of his Naziriteship, and shall bring a he-lamb of the first year for a guilt- offering; but the former days shall be void, because his consecration was defiled.
Num 6:13 And this is the law of the Nazirite, when the days of his consecration are fulfilled: he shall bring it unto the door of the tent of meeting;
Num 6:14 and he shall present his offering unto the LORD, one he-lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt-offering, and one ewe- lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin-offering, and one ram without blemish for peace-offerings,
Num 6:15 and a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil, and their meal- offering, and their drink-offerings.
Num 6:16 And the priest shall bring them before the LORD, and shall offer his sin-offering, and his burnt-offering.
Num 6:17 And he shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace-offerings unto the LORD, with the basket of unleavened bread; the priest shall offer also the meal-offering thereof, and the drink-offering thereof.
Num 6:18 And the Nazirite shall shave his consecrated head at the door of the tent of meeting, and shall take the hair of his consecrated head, and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace-offerings.
Num 6:19 And the priest shall take the shoulder of the ram when it is sodden, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them upon the hands of the Nazirite, after he hath shaven his consecrated head.
Num 6:20 And the priest shall wave them for a wave-offering before the LORD; this is holy for the priest, together with the breast of waving and the thigh of heaving; and after that the Nazirite may drink wine.
Num 6:21 This is the law of the Nazirite who voweth, and of his offering unto the LORD for his Naziriteship, beside that for which his means suffice; according to his vow which he voweth, so he must do after the law of his Naziriteship.
http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0406.htm
The Jerusalem Church which was established by Jesus, and which was guided by his disciples, did not believe in this teaching of Paul. They did not believe that faith in Jesus could effectively atone for their sins.
Paul's salvation program:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of god – not the result of works, so that no one may boast” -Ephesians 2.8-9
“But when the goodness and loving kindness of god our savior appeared, he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy.” Titus 3.4-5
“...they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in christ jesus, whom god put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith.” Romans 3:24-25
“christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.” Galatians 3:13
“I do not nullify the grace of god; for if justification comes through the law, then christ died for nothing.” Galatians 2:21
But what does Hashem say?
“Rather, the matter is very near to you – in your mouth and in your heart – to perform it.” - Deut 30:14
“Now, O Israel, what does Hashem, your G-d ask of you? Only to fear Hashem, your G-d, and walk in His ways and to love him, and to serve Hashem, your G-d, with all your heart and with all your soul, to observe the commandments of Hashem and His decrees, which I command you today, for your benefit.” Deut 10:12-13
“As I live – the word of Hashem – I swear that I do not desire the death of the wicked one, rather the wicked one's return from his way, that he may live. Repent, repent from your evil ways! Why should you die, O House of Israel?” Ezekiel 33:11
Surely, if you improve yourself, you will be forgiven. But if you do not improve yourself, sin rests at the door. Its desire is towards you, yet YOU CAN CONQUER IT.” - Genesis 4:7
So...who's salvation plan should one choose? Paul's, chas v'shalom? Or Hashem's?
“See I present before you today a blessing and a curse. The blessing: that you hearken to the commandments of Hashem, your G-d, that I command you this day. And the curse: if you do not hearken to the commandments of Hashem, your G-d, and you stray from the path that I command you today, to follow gods of others, that you did not know.” -Deut 11:26-28
Paul's salvation program:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of god – not the result of works, so that no one may boast” -Ephesians 2.8-9
“But when the goodness and loving kindness of god our savior appeared, he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy.” Titus 3.4-5
“...they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in christ jesus, whom god put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith.” Romans 3:24-25
“christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.” Galatians 3:13
“I do not nullify the grace of god; for if justification comes through the law, then christ died for nothing.” Galatians 2:21
But what does Hashem say?
“Rather, the matter is very near to you – in your mouth and in your heart – to perform it.” - Deut 30:14
“Now, O Israel, what does Hashem, your G-d ask of you? Only to fear Hashem, your G-d, and walk in His ways and to love him, and to serve Hashem, your G-d, with all your heart and with all your soul, to observe the commandments of Hashem and His decrees, which I command you today, for your benefit.” Deut 10:12-13
“As I live – the word of Hashem – I swear that I do not desire the death of the wicked one, rather the wicked one's return from his way, that he may live. Repent, repent from your evil ways! Why should you die, O House of Israel?” Ezekiel 33:11
Surely, if you improve yourself, you will be forgiven. But if you do not improve yourself, sin rests at the door. Its desire is towards you, yet YOU CAN CONQUER IT.” - Genesis 4:7
So...who's salvation plan should one choose? Paul's, chas v'shalom? Or Hashem's?
“See I present before you today a blessing and a curse. The blessing: that you hearken to the commandments of Hashem, your G-d, that I command you this day. And the curse: if you do not hearken to the commandments of Hashem, your G-d, and you stray from the path that I command you today, to follow gods of others, that you did not know.” -Deut 11:26-28
THE TRADITIONAL JEWISH
RESPONSE
TO CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES
Yisroel
C. Blumenthal
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