Yuku free message boards
Username or E-mail:
Password:
Forgot
Password?
Sign Up
Grab the Yuku app
Search:
RSS
Email
Virtual Yeshiva Discussion Forums
>
Counter-Missionary Forum
>
TRINITARIAN challenge to Protestant Christians
0 Points
Search this Topic:
«Prev
1
2
3
4
5
…
16
17
Next»
Jump
Add Reply
Forum Jump
Counter-Missionary Forum
Counter-Missionary Education
Hebrew Language Education
Noahide Forum - בני נח
Ask The Rabbi
Knowing Your Orchard
Weekly Parsha Discussion
General Judaism Forum
Responding to Islam Forum
<< Previous Topic
Next Topic >>
Re: TRINITARIAN challenge to Protestant Christians
Author
Comment
Thomas
Re: TRINITARIAN challenge to Protestant Christians
#1
[-]
Posts
: 356
Sun, 11-Nov-07 19:54:39
Reply
Quote
More
My Recent Posts
I haven't been paying too much attention to this, since I am not too interested in Trinitarian doctrine. I think that most, if not all, of the trouble in this area began when the emperor Constantine demanded that the council define God. By his logic, we have to know whom we worship before we can worship, according to the account I read. I believe that this idea is incorrect, We might not be able to define God, yet we can worship Him for the things we do know about Him.
As I have become aware of the Arius versus What's his name controversy, I have been impressed that it should never have been a controversy, certainly not one that resulted in killings of heretics.
I was very interested to read of Malachi's background. Malachi, back when Walter Martin was still the "Bible Answer Man" I came to the conclusion that he was off on many issues. I felt like how could I criticize such a prominent servant of God, but know I wish that I had been more vocal. Those "big hitters" in Christian apologetics were not necessarily speaking the truth about the NT. I ceratinly am not looking into any Walter Martin book. I, unlike Malachi, never bought one. It grieves me that people like that were considered authoritative and it grieves me worse that people turned away from the NT because those kind could not answer their questions.
The question that Chaim wants me to answer, and hopefully UriYosef hasn't banned me by the time I get this written, is similar to what Sophiee keeps bringing up about new doctrine that the early Jews did not know. First, a new prophet bringing new revelation is not a violation of Deuteronomy 13:1 (which is 12:32 in Christian versions). The prohibition is against a person adding to or subtracting from the comandments of G-d, not against G-d revealing new things. The whole Tanach is full of new information. If G-d could not add new revelation, then the Bible would have stopped with Deuteronomy.
Chaim's question is what reason Jews would have to look for anything beyond the teachings of the Tanach. I already have answered this, but to summarize: (1) Because a new prophet is foretold in Deuteronomy 18, the Jewish reader should understand that if a new prophet is coming, he might bear an important new message. (2) There are unanswered questions in the Tanach about how atonement is provided for. For example: The Torah commands animal sacrifice, but it is clear in the Tanach that animal sacrifice does not provide cleansing from sin and in many cases, atonement was provided without animal sacrifice. Repentance is a prerequisite to receiving atonement (in the NT also), but is it possible that my little repentance did such a great work as atonement? The Jewish reader should wonder and be open to an explanation of the details. Closing the ears and saying, "I know all I need to know," is an attitude that none of the righteous Israelites had in the Tanach accounts.
None of these issues implies that the Jewish reader should be willing to allow anything contradictory to what was already revealed in the Tanach. I have taken great efforts to try to explain that the NT does not in any way contradict the Tanach, and that the plan of salvation by Jesus is in complete accord with the Tanach.
I repeat that no one should feel compelled to accept anything that he or she does not believe is right. Unlike many church doctrinaires, I believe that true heresy is a willful attitude involving the practice of sin, not confusion on doctrine. If the Christians here don't believe that, then I would challenge them to do a study of every mention of heresy in the NT and see that the connection is consistent. It is interesting that I took the same course as Malachi claims to have taken. I dropped all church teachings as far as I could and tried to learn only what the NT says. The only difference appears to be that Malachi gave up when he encountered some things that didn't seem to make sense and no one of the "experts" could answer him. I, on the other hand, kept pounding away until I found that if I took the NT just for what it said, it does make sense.
It would be too long here to tell what I believe on the subject, but if anyone tries to understand and obey what the Bible says, Tanach and NT, I am not about to kick him out of church, much less behead him, even if he says that the Son is not eternal. G-d will demand what person has, not what he does not have. No Jew is going to be called on the carpet on Judgment Day for not believing Jesus was the eternal Son of God. He is going to be called on the carpet for not obeying Moses and for holding to traditions of men that teach him that repentance and good works effect his atonement, when all the Tanach says is that those who repent and do good works receive atonement. If he is to be called on the carpet, it will be for not loving G-d with all his heart and not loving his neighbor as himself.
<< Previous Topic
Next Topic >>
Add Reply
Forum Jump
Counter-Missionary Forum
Counter-Missionary Education
Hebrew Language Education
Noahide Forum - בני נח
Ask The Rabbi
Knowing Your Orchard
Weekly Parsha Discussion
General Judaism Forum
Responding to Islam Forum
Share This
Email to Friend
del.icio.us
Digg it
Facebook
Blogger
Yahoo MyWeb
«Prev
1
2
3
4
5
…
16
17
Next»
Jump
Virtual Yeshiva Discussion Forums
>
Counter-Missionary Forum
>
TRINITARIAN challenge to Protestant Christians
Click to subscribe by RSS
Click to receive E-mail notifications of replies