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[Anti-Semitism] [Anti-Semitic Decrees] [No Longer "Christian"] [Rising Tide] [Replaced?] [Terms to Avoid] [Sharing Faith]

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Anti-Semitism in the Church
A Required Response to the Charge
that Messianic Judaism is Apostasy
by Messianic Pastor Ari Levitt*,
ThM, ThD, DMin, MBA, CNHP

Page 4

Ms. Nero’s Article Continues My Response

This is not to say that Jesus started a new religion because He didn’t.[21] There is a sharp difference between Judaism and Christianity, but they do not overlap – Christianity transcends, it is superior.[22]

[21] Ms. Nero fatally contradicts herself on this point. Her entire argument up to here has been that “Jesus” started a new religion that is superior to Judaism. She now emphatically states that He did no such thing, which has been the main thrust of my discussion so far. Thus informed, the reader should probably, therefore, disregard everything in the left column above this line.

If it is true that: (a) Judaism is “old,” “what was,” or “inferior”; that (b) Christianity is “new,” “what now is,” or “superior” to Judaism; and that (c) “Jesus” is the founder of Christianity, then “Jesus” must have started a “new” or “superior” religion, one which neither He Himself nor any of His Shliachim [Apostles] followed, since, as we have already pointed out above, Yeshua and all of His Shliachim lived as Torah-observant Jews until the day they died. Let me emphasize this in the strongest possible terms: for Yeshua, Sha'ul (Paul), Kefa (Peter), Yochanan (John), and the other writers of the B'rit Chadasha to have lived one way while teaching another way of life would have been the ultimate hypocrisy.

[22] There is absolutely no difference whatever between true Biblical Judaism and true Biblical “Christianity”—they are exactly the same, except the proper modern term for “true Biblical Christianity” as practiced by those who wrote the B'rit Chadasha is “Messianic Judaism.”

The “difference between Judaism and Christianity,” to which Ms. Nero continues to erroneously refer, lies not between true Biblical Judaism and true Biblical Christianity. As we have repeatedly pointed out, they are exactly the same thing. The only differences that exist are between (a) man-made Rabbinical Judaism, which accepts the non-Biblical oral traditions as equal to, or even superior to, the Bible, and (b) man-made apostate Christianity, which accepts the non-biblical traditions of the Gentile “church” as equal to, or even superior to, the Bible, and which denies its historical and theological connection to Israel.

God changed[23] His way of having a loving and saving relationship with mankind through what now is, thus making Judaism outdated. The parable of the Householder who planted His vineyard was also “the nail in the coffin” for Judaism. After G-d The Father, the vineyard owner saw that Judaism wasn’t working and sent His prophets and His Son whom they slew, then He decided to …

[23] The G-d of the Bible doesn't change.

Don't be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor turning shadow. (Ya'akov 1:16-17)

“For I, the LORD, don't change;…” (Mal. 3:6a)
 

“…miserably destroy those wicked men, and…let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons….The kingdom of G-d shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof” (Matthew 21:33-43).[24]

 

[24] When Yeshua spoke of “those wicked men” in Matt. 21:41 (and elsewhere), He was not talking to faithful Israel, but to the corrupt religious leaders in Jerusalem. Ms. Nero has taken the parable she sites totally out of its Biblical context. When you take Scripture out of context you can prove anything you want to prove. For example, in two different places the Bible says, “There is no G-d.” Check it out for yourself: Ps. 14:1; Ps. 53:1. Go ahead, I'll wait here till you get back.

In Matt. 21:23, Yeshua is speaking to “the chief kohanim [priests] and the elders of the people” who were challenging His authority to teach and perform miracles. They said, “By what authority do you do these things? Who gave you this authority?” The context clearly demonstrates that they were more concerned about their authority over the people than they were about serving their G-d.

Historically we know that the “chief priests” were members of the sect of the Sadducees, who were most “liberal” in their theology, denying the existence of angels or other spirit beings, and denying everything supernatural. Since they denied the supernatural, then they could not possibly have accepted a “supernatural” Tanakh (Bible) or a “supernatural” G-d who gave it to men. They held office only as political appointments from the Roman government, and derived their authority over the people not from G-d, but from Rome.

It was to these unbelieving priests, not to G-d’s faithful Israel, that Yeshua said:

“Therefore I tell you, the Kingdom of G-d will be taken away from you [unfaithful priesthood], and will be given to a nation [faithful Israel] bringing forth its fruits.” (Matt. 21:43)

How can we be sure that Yeshua was speaking to the priests? Let Scripture interpret Scripture:

"When the chief kohanim [priests] and the Perushim [Pharisees, it was the Pharisees who held the Oral Tradition as equal to the Scriptures] heard His [Yeshua’s] parables, they perceived that He [Yeshua] spoke about them. (Matt 21:45)

The same admonitions apply equally well to the corrupt religious leaders of apostate Christianity today. The Kingdom of G-d will be taken away from them and given to those who “bring forth fruits” of righteousness. Since “fruits” are those outward signs that identify the nature of the tree, then living in obedience to the teachings of a Holy G-d are the “fruits” that identify a righteous member of G-d’s holy community.

That was the destruction of Jerusalem, the Temple, the death of about one million Jews, and their dispersion. Judaism is passé, therefore there is no “Completed Jew” in Christianity as the Messianic Jewish Movement proclaims. [25]

[25] The destruction of the Temple in 70 CE ended the authority of the Sadducees over the people and re-assigned the “priesthood” to all Believers. It had absolutely nothing to do with G-d rejecting His Chosen People. Ms. Nero also neglects the historical fact that the destruction of Jerusalem resulted in multiple tens of thousands (Acts 21:20) of Messianic Jews being dispersed throughout the world. It is through their spreading of the Good News of Messiah that Ms. Nero was able to hear about Him, even though she has so obviously rejected His true message.
 

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*Ari Levitt is the shem kodesh of Dr. Rickard (Ari) Levitt-Sawyer. Except where otherwise specifically indicated, the opinions expressed on this website are my own, are sometimes highly speculative in nature and subject to differing intrpretations, and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of MJAA, IAMCS, MBI, UMJC, or any other  organization or individual. If you disagree with my opinions, please CLICK HERE before contacting me about it.


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