Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!lll-winken!sun-barr!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: timh@ide.com (Tim Hoogasian) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Jewish nation's position with God Message-ID: Date: 18 Oct 90 07:25:40 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: IDE, San Francisco Lines: 64 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article ok@goanna.cs.rmit.oz.au (Richard A. O'Keefe) writes: >The thing which shocked >me most was the discovery that I had more in common morally and >theologically with him than with a particular person who appropriated >the name of Christ. actually, a position of anti-Semetism is impossible for a *Christian*. the thrust of Christianity was not that Judaism was somehow perverse (since, the apostles were Jews to begin with, anyway!) but that the form of it taught and practiced by the rabbinical authorities had much more in common with legalism (practicing the *letter* of the Law, while lacking the *spirit* of the Law) than with the Law which God had presented them. (i'll avoid a lengthy discourse on Justification by Faith, since Paul has more than adequately :-) addressed that issue in Galatians.) anyway, the point is that Christians and Jews should not perceive themselves as at odds on what the Law says, since Christianity did not "abolish" the Law, but rather superceeded it. the Law was Perfect. and by it's very per- fection, it was a ministry of death to those who attempted to live legally perfect lives, since to break the smallest part of the Law constituted the breaking of the *whole* of the Law. the Law's purpose was to expose man's sinful nature, revealing his inability ever save himself, and direct him to seek the mercy of God, who was the only one who could justify him. Christ did fulfill the Law. and in doing so, broke its chains on humanity. all that is required is that we *trust Him alone* to forgive and save (just- ify) us, and we are freed from the bondage of the Law. one question that the legalists invariably miss (avoid? gloss over?) is that Abraham never had the Law. His *faith* was counted to him as righteousness! this is where Judaism (or for that matter, *any* religion based upon the works of men, for their justification) and Christianity come into conflict. It's not that the Law is "bad", but Christianity points to faith in Christ as our means of justification, not to the Law. >But the Jewish >religion stands in a peculiar relationship to the Christian: unless you go >down the path of Marcion >you find that the Jewish religion is not so much wrong as surpassed. which was the whole point of Christ's sacrifice. however, Christ is a stumbling block to the Jews because they do not wish to believe that the Messiah has already come. it's understandable that the Jews would not wish to believe that Jesus was the Messiah, since if they acknowledged even the possibility, then they have to answer some very difficult questions about why He was put to death. > I hope >that somehow, the Lord will continue to redeem His special people. He will. God made a promise (covenant) to the Jewish people that they were his *chosen* people. they were to be His Kingdom of Priests to the rest of the world. just because the Jews have left God (once again) does not mean that God has renounced His promise to them, or that He's finished with the nation of Israel. --- -- Tim | ARPA: timh@ide.com Hoogasian | UUCP: sun!ide!timh (415) 543-0900 =============================================================================== #define DISCLAIMER "Are you nuts? I don't represent anyone, let alone myself!"