Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!spool2.mu.edu!sdd.hp.com!ucsd!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: Herberg_David@tandem.com (David Herberg) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Why a New Testament? Message-ID: Date: 22 Jan 91 07:51:02 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Tandem Computers Lines: 92 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article usul@auc.UUCP (Ron McBay) writes: [Several good questions, which follow] These questions reveal a common misunderstanding among non-Christians about the purpose of Christ's earthly life. That is, they acknowledge Him as a *message* bearer rather than as a *sin* bearer and savior. > Why was it necessary for there to be a New Testament? Was the message > that God gave to the Jews incomplete? Did new times require a different > message? The New Testament is really a misnomer. It is the continuing revelation of God to His creation, which is separated from His immediate presence by sin. The Old Testament spans 3500 years of interaction between God and humans. The New Testament is simply the final chapter in the Old Testament, the denouement, if you will, in the great epic called existence. The message actually preached by Jesus is no different from that in the Old Scriptures. So much is it the same that many of Jesus' detractors, both contemporary and modern, have claimed that He merely reiterated the past, and brought nothing new. What *is* new, however, is the fulfillment or completion of hundreds of prophecies throughout history, beginning in the Garden of Eden after the first sin. That God Himself took on the punishment (death) decreed for sin from the beginning of time. Because Jesus was without sin, his undeserved death is held as a substitutionary price to be paid for our sin. Even this was prophesied 600 years earlier (Isaiah ch. 53, among others). So the "new" part of the New Testament was that not only did God tell the truth throughout history, He actually came through on his ancient promise of reconciliation and salvation. And the actual details of that salvation became much clearer. > Do Christians believe that Christ's message in the New Testament applies > to the Jews also, or does it only apply to Gentiles? Absolutely. The Bible says, "to the Jew *first*, and also the Gentile." [emphasis mine] It's just sad that so many Jews don't believe that the God that carried them out of bondage in Egypt has also carried them out of bondage to sin. But the Bible also predicts that there will be a believing remnant even in the last days. We see this in the form of _Jews_for_Jesus_ and other Messianic Jewish congregations throughout the world. Christianity is not contrary to Judaism; it is the completion of it. > If the New Testament also applies to the Jews, > then what did the Jews do wrong that required Christ to > come and deliver a new message? The Jews, like everybody else, "have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Sin is the hardest concept for non-Christians to accept, because it runs against our pride and the Satanic lies we all have believed ever since the Garden: "You can be [like] God." This is the basis for all the cults and false "self-help" religions. But getting back to your question, Christ was not required to deliver a new message. He was required to die in subtitution for us. There was 1,300 years (at least; maybe 4000) of animal sacrifices as a substitutionary payment for the sins of the people. This scapegoat was but a model for the ultimate sacrifice God paid on our behalf by coming to earth in human flesh and dying on the cross. > Why aren't Christians required to keep kosher > if the same God (i.e., the God of Abraham), told the Jews to do so? This is just one aspect of Old Testament life that was not destroyed by Christ, but fulfilled. All prophecy throughout history points to Him. Once He came, the need for much of the Levitical practices went away. Even more important to the ancient Jews than the dietary laws was the system of Temple sacrifices. To underscore Christ's words on the cross, "It [His work on earth] is finished," God simultaneously rent the curtain to the Holy of Holies inside the Temple, and even allowed its utter destruction a few years later. Although the Temple was absolutely necessary for many of the Levitical rites, there hasn't been a Temple for 1,920 years. Read the book of Hebrews for a complete explanation of how these laws were fulfilled, and not destroyed, and the book of Acts to understand the 1st century controversy over this issue, and the book of Romans for the definitive pronouncement on Christian liberty. > I have never been able to understand how Christians (and Moslems) can > believe that the same God delivers separate messages to the Jews, > Christians and Moslems. It seems to me that there should be one truth > that applies to all people for all time. You are absolutely right. Christians know there is one truth only. It's just that many, out of fear of offending somebody, refuse to share the good news. I hate to think that some people remain unsaved because I was afraid to share the good news. I am only thankful to God that His provision for redemption can cover even these sins of mine. I pray for your success, Ron, in finding the truth. David Herberg, Herberg_David@tandem.com