What Born Again Meant to New Testament Jews

What the New Testament Says about the Jew Past Pastor David F. Reagan © Copyrighted by David F. Reagan. As long as this notice is included, permission is granted to re-create and distribute this material (electronically or in print course) for individual use or for small groups. All other rights (such as employ in books, periodicals, on spider web pages, etc.) are reserved and must be obtained by permission from the author. Contact David Reagan at Antioch Baptist Church, 5709 Due north. Broadway, Knoxville, TN, 37918 – (865) 688-0780 – Fax (865) 689-1611 – doit55@juno.com

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INTRODUCTION

What does the New Testament say near the Jew? Does the New Testament forever condemn the Jewish people as Christ-killers who eternally have the claret of Christ on their hands? Or is this teaching simply the sorry excuse of hatemongers looking to justify their pernicious wickedness? What does the New Attestation really say nigh the Jew? That is the purpose of this brief treatise. If you are a Jew, these words are for you.

The Jewish people understand that when ii Jews are discussing a bailiwick they are likely to have three opinions. However, they sometimes practise not understand the differences between those who claim to follow Christ. Many know that Martin Luther, the father of the Protestant reformation, encouraged the persecution of the Jews. However, few know that he also wrote a newspaper encouraging the persecution of the group known equally the Anabaptists–the forerunners of the nowadays twenty-four hours Baptists. Today, the Jews of Russian federation know that the Russian Baptists suffered alongside of them in that land. Please do not think of all Christians as historically antisocial the people of State of israel. Even today, Baptist believers form one of the strongest blocks of supporters for the nation of State of israel. Our love is very existent and is an integral part of our faith. Let me explain.

If there is 1 belief that is central to the Baptist religion, it would exist the belief that the Bible is the absolute potency for all truth. Nosotros believe that annihilation left to homo reasoning, philosophy or tradition has a faulty foundation. All truth must either go on from or be tested past the Discussion of God.

Our Bible consists of the Quondam and New Testaments leap together as 1 book. Our Old Testament is the aforementioned as the Jewish Tenach. Since the Quondam Attestation is three times as long as the New Testament, 75% of our Bible is the same as yours. That is a lot of common heritage.

We know that no one can back up anti-Semitism from the Tenach. And then, does the New Attestation teach a hatred of the Jewish people? The reply is a resounding "NO"! In fact, though the New Testament is very honest in discussing the differences between the Jews and the true Christians, most of what is taught about the Jew is admittedly positive. My belief in the say-so of the New Testament is the reason for my potent love for the Jewish people. Then delight read on and observe out what the New Testament really says about the Jew.

1. Salvation is of the Jews

Jesus spoke to a Samaritan woman in Sychar well-nigh eternal life. She wanted to talk about the correct place to worship God. Was it on Mount Gerezim as the Samaritans believe or in Jerusalem equally believed by the Jews. Jesus answered her plainly, "Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews" (John 4:22).

And so, in that location information technology is plain and simple. God's way of conservancy came to man through the Jews. Jesus came to fulfill the law and not to destroy it (Matt.5:17). Despite what some accept taught, Jesus did not oppose the teaching of the Tenach. He fulfilled it! God sent salvation to homo through the Jewish people.

2. God'southward Word Came Through the Jews

When some early on Christians claimed that the Jews had no reward, the apostle Paul disagreed with them. "What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is in that location of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, considering that unto them were committed the oracles of God" (Rom.3:1-2). The oracles of God were His spoken and written words. In other words, God'due south give-and-take has come to homo through the Jews. Even the New Testament was written by Jews. Without the Jew, I would non have my Bible. I am very thankful for this bully gift!

3. God'due south Gifts to Homo Came Through the Jews

Beyond the gifts of salvation and God'due south discussion, there are other gifts that God has given to human being and these also came through the Jews. Paul, in another place, speaks of the "Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the mankind Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for e'er" (Rom.9:4-5). To Israel was given the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the police, the service of God, the promises and the fathers. Although these gifts were properly to Israel, all flesh has benefitted from them. Take, for instance, the giving of the law. The constabulary was for Israel. Even so, today, all good government is in some style based on the ten commandments. God has given to man many gifts through the Jewish people.

The last souvenir mentioned is very special. It is the souvenir of my Savour Jesus Christ. I know that yous may non believe in Jesus. However, I nevertheless give thanks yous for the gift of my precious Enjoy! Paul, in reference to Jesus, said, "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift" (II Cor.nine:fifteen). I must say the aforementioned. When Jesus came to this earth, "he took non on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham" (Hebrews ii:16). He came to this globe as "the son of David, the son of Abraham" (Matthew ane:1).

I realize that the concept of one who is both completely God and completely human may seem foreign to you lot, simply the concept originally comes, not from the New Testament, merely from the Jewish Tenach. Call back about these words taken from the prophecy of Isaiah (nine:6): "For unto united states of america a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall exist upon his shoulder: and his proper noun shall exist chosen Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Male parent, The Prince of Peace." How could these divine titles be given to one who was no more than than a human being? Yet, I must go on.

4. The Jews Rejected Jesus equally Their Messiah

The apostle John said of Jesus, "He came unto his own, and his own received him not" (John 1:xi). The phrase, "his own", refers to the Jewish people. This is not a argument of hatred just of uncomplicated fact. The Jews, as a whole, still refuse Jesus as their Messiah. Of course, there are some other passages which are used as a ground for hatred but those who utilise them for hatred are misusing them. Consider the following.

The apostle Peter preached, "Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a human being approved of God among yous by miracles and signs, which God did past him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know; [h]im, beingness delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked easily accept crucified and slain" (Acts ii:22-23). And so, at that place y'all have information technology. Peter said to the men of Israel that they by wicked easily took and crucified Jesus. And throughout the ages, wicked men calling themselves Christian have used this passage and a couple of others to phone call Jews Christ-killers and to persecute the Jewish people.

Simply is this the truthful educational activity of the New Testament? No. While it is true that the apostles held the Jews responsible for their part in the crucifiction of Jesus, they also recognized the responsibility of others. According to the police force of the Romans, the Jews could non have crucified Jesus themselves. Just this is non all. Heed to the prayer of Peter and the other apostles fabricated shortly after the statement made in the to a higher place paragraph.

"Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the body of water, and all that in them is: Who past the oral fissure of thy retainer David hast said, Why did the infidel rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood upward, and the rulers were gathered together confronting the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of State of israel, were gathered together, For to practice whatsoever thy mitt and thy counsel determined earlier to be washed" (Acts 4:24-28).

Did you read that? Yes, the people of Israel were guilty. Only so were the Gentiles and Herod and Pilate. Yous see, the whole world is guilty for the rejection of Jesus. We had him hither offered to the states and we all rejected him! Right before the verse that says his own received him not (John 1:11), nosotros read, "He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not" (John 1:10). His own received him not; the world knew him not. We all rejected him and we all are guilty of his blood by our membership in the race of homo! There is no New Attestation justification for whatsoever sort of mistreatment of the Jews. Anyone who teaches this has rejected the New Attestation!

5. The Jews Attempt to Establish Their Own Righteousness

Another New Attestation education concerning the Jews regards the mode in which they seek to know God and obtain salvation. You must exist the judge as to whether this is true or not. Speaking of the Jewish people, Paul states, "For I carry them tape that they take a zeal of God, but not according to cognition. For they being ignorant of God'due south righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God" (Romans 10:2-three).

I realize that this statement may seem offensive. I enquire that you withhold your anger and think about what Paul is saying. He credits the Jew for having a great zeal of God and for working hard to establish their own righteousness. Is this not true of the true-blue Jew? He works very hard to live righteously. His zeal is seen in the care with which he obeys the traditions of the fathers.

So, of what does Paul say the Jew is ignorant? He is ignorant of God's righteousness. How can that exist? A Jew certainly understands the greatness of God's righteousness. His ignorance must be of something most God'south righteousness. But what? The reply is found in the testimony of the apostle Paul.

In the book of Philippians, Paul tells of the things of which he could boast; "Circumcised the 8th twenty-four hours, of the stock of State of israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the police, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the police, blameless" (Philippians iii:5-six). Yet Paul did non trust in his ain righteousness. In fact, he said that, "what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ" (Philippians 3:7). He counted all things but loss that he might win Christ and "be plant in him, not having mine ain righteousness, which is of the police, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God past faith" (Philippians 3:nine).

Every religion in the world including Judiasm and virtually who claim to be Christians have devised some plan by which they tin can use their ain efforts to become righteousness. The Bible teaches that a man cannot earn his own salvation–and not simply in the New Testament. Ecclesiastes 7:20 teaches: "For at that place is not a simply human upon the earth, that doeth practiced, and sinneth not." Solomon said, "for at that place is no human being that sinneth not" (I Kings 8:46).

Therefore, no man can achieve perfect righteousness. As a consequence, all men including Jews are under a curse. Deuteronomy 27:26, after the giving of the law, states, "Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen." Notice, the man who does not do all the words of this law is said to be cursed. Withal, all men neglect in the law at some signal. David said of flesh, "They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: at that place is none that doeth skillful, no, not one" (Psalm xiv:3).

The trouble of the Jew is that even though a perfectly righteous life is what God requires, he cannot live it. Yet, he continues to try to earn his righteousness by his ain efforts. Equally a upshot, some Jews are defenseless up in seeking and declaring always new rules and regulations for the achieving of righteousness while virtually Jews accept given up and notice only the most outward and traditional signs of their Jewishness. Is it not strange that so many Jews are practicing atheists? Their religion has not given them peace.

God'due south way is found in imputed rigtheousness. Again, the original teaching of this doctrine comes from the Tanach. Abraham "believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness" (Genesis 15:6). That is imputed righteousness. Man believes and God imputes righteousness on him. Only whose righteousness is placed on us. Paul trusted in the imputed righteousness of Jesus. Our sin is placed on Jesus while the righteousness of Jesus is placed on u.s.. God "hath fabricated him to be sin for united states, who knew no sin; that we might exist fabricated the righteousness of God in him" (II Corinthians 5:21).

This is the essence of true Christianity. Jesus Christ died on the cantankerous for my sins. I believe in him as my Lord and Savour. In the power of his resurrection I live and accept eternal life. His righteousness in first imputed to me and by his strength in me I daily grow closer in living in that righteousness. Paul taught of salvation, "That if thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thime heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt exist saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation...For whosoever shall phone call upon the proper name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:9-10,xiii).

half dozen. The Jews Volition Still Receive Their Kingdom

One reason that true Christians are and so supportive of the nation of State of israel and Jews in general is that we believe what God told Abraham, "I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee" (Genesis 12:three). Another reason is the knowledge that the Jews volition withal have their kingdom. Yes–this too is taught in the New Testament.

Right before Jesus ascended up into heaven after his resurrection, his disciples asked him, "Lord, wilt thou at this fourth dimension restore again the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6). Jesus did not tell them they were mistaken about the restoration simply rather answered, "It is not for you lot to know the times or the seasons, which the Begetter hath put in his ain ability" (Acts i:7). The restoration would come but the time was non to exist revealed.

Paul taught that, "incomprehension in office is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the the Gentiles be come in" (Romans 11:25). In other words, the times of Gentile domination will one day come up to an stop. "And so all Israel shall be saved: as information technology is written, At that place shall come up out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn abroad ungodliness from Jacob; For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take abroad their sins" (Romans 11:26-27). Other passages in the New Testament also ostend this truth that Israel will over again be the eye of God's kingdom on world some twenty-four hour period in the future. Oh, what a glorious day that will exist!

7. Even Now Some Jews Will Come to Jesus equally their Messiah

Paul asks, "Hath God bandage away his people?" (Romans 11:1). He answers, "God forbid...God hath non cast away his people which he foreknew" (Romans 11:1-ii). He goes on to tell how that Elijah thought that he was the only i who had remained faithful to God. Yet God reminded him that there were still vii m men who had not bowed the knee joint to the image of Baal. Paul so concludes, "Even so then at this present fourth dimension also in that location is a remnant co-ordinate to the election of grace" (Romans xi:5). There ever have been and ever will be Jews who recognize Jesus every bit their true Messiah. Perchance the Lord is speaking to you lot right now.

CONCLUSION

Paul declared, "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved" (Romans x:1). He further testified, "I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh" (Romans 9:2-3). Paul knew that each individual must accept or pass up Jesus Christ on their ain. Yet, he loved his people so much that he would have been willing to surrender his identify in heaven if it would have meant their salvation. What an expression of beloved!

Yet, a greater honey than this was described by the prophet Isaiah. He spoke of a human being who was "despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not" (Isaiah 53:iii).

Just this human being did not suffer for his ain sins just for our sins. "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: however we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes nosotros are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own manner; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of united states of america all: (Isaiah 53:4-half dozen).

The prophecy of this chapter does not fit Isaiah nor anyone else in the history of the world except Jesus Christ. Jesus is truly the all-powerful 1; the Messiah of Israel. Whether you receive him or not, I volition all the same love y'all. My love is not based on you having my faith. But, oh, how I wish y'all could know the peace that comes by believing in Jesus! Will you at least consider him?

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