Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: djdaneh@pacbell.com (Dan'l DanehyOakes) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Christian attitudes w/ Jews Message-ID: Date: 14 Apr 91 04:23:34 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Pacific * Bell, San Ramon, CA Lines: 114 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu I'm one of the people Our Moderator cited who believes that the Law was completely superceded. I'm not trying to restart the debate, and won't respond (if I can restrain myself:*) to flames on the subject, but thought an answer from the very liberal point of view should be heard. In article gt5614b@prism.gatech.edu (Butera, Robert J.) writes: >1) What is a good Christian attitude toward the salvation of the > Jewish people? That as many as possible should be saved. This is also a good Christian attitude toward Buddhists, Hindus, Moslems, Atheists, Agnostics, and Born- Again Pagans. > I could take the New Testament as it is, which > says quite clearly that those who don't acknowledge Jesus Christ > as our savior will not achieve salvation. Really? Where? I don't recall that. I recall passages saying that salvation is only through Jesus, but it does not NOT *NOT* say "only through belief in Jesus Christ," or "only through the Church," or "only through being a Christian." If you acknowledge that Jesus is God-the-Son-of-God, then *of* *course* salvation is only through Him; where else but from God can salvation come? And what "part" of God but the Mercy would it come through? But we must not impose the limitations of our understanding upon God. We *know* that through Christ we can be saved, and we believe. But God, all-powerful, may save others through Christ without their belief. Remember the story of those who said "We never knew you, Lord." I do not say that this means non-Christians *will* be saved, for that is not for us to know. But it is also not for us to place limits on God's action by saying they *can't*. > But others have told me > that the Jews are God's chosen people and He has His own plans for > them. The Jews themselves will happily tell you that; so will the Bible. >2) I've heard many say that we Christians are not "under the law", and > thus not subject to the much of the customs and observances in the > Old Testament. Please provide me with scriptural support for this. Gladly. From the NIV, Acts of the Apostles, Ch. 15, vv. 7-10: ...Peter got up and addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among yu that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?" And also Ch 15, vv. 23-29: ...The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings. We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul -- men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell. Three of these four things are very specific and clear; the fourth, "abstain... from sexual immorality" is somewhat debateable as to precisely what it means. But at any rate, it seems clear that as Gentiles, we are not subject to the whole unbearable weight of the Law of Moses, but only to these four requirements -- and, of course, the two Great Commandments. Of course, if you are of Jewish descent you may feel required to follow the whole of the Law. > Also, if this is so, how do we know what to follow from the OT and > what not to? See above. The Roach [When Robert Butera says those who don't acknowledge Christ will not be saved, I suspect he was thinking of Mat 10:32-3: "Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven". And parallel in Luke 12:8-9. --clh]