In a Facebook group someone posted the following video, and I responded to it. Both are reproduced below:
The Major Teachings of Christianity Are NOT Found in the Old Testament – Rabbi Michael Skobac
https://youtu.be/pvKPhZMPPk8
Here was my quick response.
I'm a gentile Christian and watched the video. I don't have time for a full refutation or debate, but here's a quick rebuttal.
Regarding the Trinity, the Tanakh does teach the doctrine of the Trinity. Most Christians think it does so only implicitly. Some, like Anthony Rogers, think it teaches it explicitly. I recommend Anthony Rogers' youtube videos and articles online which show how the Trinity is in the Tanakh/Old Testament. I'll link to them in another comment below.
Regarding the Torah, Jesus said in Matt. 5:17ff. that He didn't come to destroy the law and the prophets, but to fulfill them. The moral precepts and general equity of the Torah [indeed also of the Nevi'im and Kethuvim] are still binding. For example, the prohibition against idolatry, murder, theft, perjury in bearing false witness etc. But the ceremonial aspects of the law including sacrifices and the food laws have been fulfilled in Moshiach/Christ so that they don't have to be observed anymore. Animal blood sacrifices [and other bloodless sacrifices like grain offerings etc.] are no longer necessary because of Yeshua's/Jesus' sacrifice on the cross is sufficient for the forgiveness of sins through faith and repentance. The laws regarding ritual purity served their purpose to distinguish the people of God from the unclean gentiles. They were an object lesson to the people of God to remain holy. But now that the Kingdom of God is extended to the gentiles, these ceremonial aspects no longer apply. For example, the distinction between clean and unclean meats was meant to distinguish Jewish members in God's holy covenant community from unholy gentiles outside the covenant. Now that the covenant is for nations, these ceremonial aspects are no longer required. It is not wrong to still observe them, but they are no longer required of either Jews or Gentiles. Though, requiring their observance for acceptance before God is wrong.
Regarding the idea that the church replaces Israel, that's a misunderstanding of the New Testament on the part of many Christians. It's not that the Church replaces Israel, rather the Church is the further application and expansion of the concept already found in the Tanakh. In the later writings of the prophets there developed the concept of the distinction between Israel as a whole and Remnant Israel who comprised the faithful members of Israel. A subset within Israel. The Church is meant to be the visible separation of faithful Israel from unfaithful Israel. If Yeshua is the Messiah, then to deny His Messiahship is to separate oneself from Remnant Israel.
Regarding faith in Jesus for salvation, Christianity rightly understood affirms the need for repentance from sins and a striving for holiness. It merely grounds forgiveness of sins in the atonement God the Father provided in the sacrifice of Jesus rather than the blood sacrifices commanded in the Torah. The sacrifices described in the whole Tanakh tell us that forgiveness requires blood atonement. Blood sacrifices have never been abrogated. Jesus is the fulfillment of those sacrifices. If the Trinity is true as Trinitarians like Anthony Rogers say, then Jesus is Adonai along with the Father and the Holy Spirit. In which case, believing in Jesus not trusting in a merely human messiah, but trusting in Adonai who has taken the form of humanity by incarnation. This is anticipated and foreshadowed by the many times Hashem manifested in physical form. For example when He was "walking in the cool of the day" in Gen. 3:8. When Adonai and two angels appeared in human form to Abraham in Gen. chapters 18-19. Adonai actually ate the food presented to him by Sarah and Abraham. When Moses and the Elders beheld the God of Israel in a human form [which included hands] in Exodus 24:10-11. When the Angel of YHWH and the Word of YHWH [who was the pre-incarnate Jesus] appeared in the Tanakh and is sometimes referred to and identified as YHWH [often later dropping the descriptive phrase "Angel of" and "Word of" and calling the figure YHWH simplicitur]. For example, in 1 Sam. 3; Zech. 3; Judges 6; Gen. 16; Exo. 3.
Watch the videos and debates of Anthony Rogers on youtube in defense of the Trinity and the Deity of Christ. Also check out my blog in defense of the Trinity. I have great links to other resources as well as "articles" I wrote myself. Anthony Rogers is my favorite living defender of the Trinity among many defenders I appreciate.
The Trinity in Jewish and Christian Scripture by Anthony Rogers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8ziIyc7IQE&list=PLuXxHEHGRVu9Et4L2kxCdoUCcJeheDJST&index=2
Anthony Rogers' Youtube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/Ousias1/videos
A Playlist of SOME of Anthony Rogers' Debates in Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_dVwumQ0-k&list=PLshImU6jwhvz8X0uDbNJPxdchOVyPoO6f
Anthony Rogers' Articles at Answering Islam on the Trinity and Islam:
https://www.answering-islam.org/authors/rogers.html
ALL of Anthony Rogers' Debates in MP3:
Did Eve Believe Her Firstborn Child Was the Messiah, God Himself? PART ONE & PART TWO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd__Dr9g9Ew&list=PLnLlymBIRkYZVLpacWElLK7zOmEAl95_H
My Own Blog in defense of the Trinity:
Rabbis Who Thought For Themselves Part ONE
http://www.messianicjudaism.me/yinon/2011/11/02/rabbis-who-thought-for-themselves/
Rabbis Who Thought For Themselves Part TWO
http://www.messianicjudaism.me/yinon/2011/12/01/rabbis-who-thought-for-themselves-part-ii/
The Jewish Life of Christ by Arnold Fruchtenbaum [21 lectures in mp3]
https://www.deanbibleministries.org/bible-class-listing/messages/series/the-jewish-life-of-christ
Michael L. Brown's introductory responses to Jewish Objection to Jesus [32 Youtube Videos]:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7oY5wh5KEc&list=PLOSesbHxQr2Ta7WjFBut_bjLRWwMSYepK&index=2
Useful Books in Defense of Jesus' Genuine Messiahship:
Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament by G. K. Beale (Editor), D. A. Carson
Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus (5 volumes) by Michael L. Brown
The Real Kosher Jesus by Michael L. Brown
Jewish New Testament Commentary by David H. Stern
Messianic Judaism: A Modern Movement with an Ancient Past by David H. Stern
Jesus the Messiah: Tracing the Promises, Expectations, and Coming of Israel's King by Herbert Bateman IV, Gordon Johnston and Darrell Bock
The Messiah in the Old Testament by Walter C. Kaiser
Messianic Christology by Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum
Footsteps of the Messiah by Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum
Are You the One Who Is to Come?: The Historical Jesus and the Messianic Question by Michael F. Bird
The Messianic Hope: Is the Hebrew Bible Really Messianic? by Michael Rydelnik
Behold Your King: Prophetic Proofs that Jesus is the Messiah by William Webster
Return of the Kosher Pig by Itzhak Shapira
The Gospel According to Isaiah 53: Encountering the Suffering Servant in Jewish and Christian Theology by Darrell Bock (editor) and Mitch Glaser (editor)
All the Messianic Prophecies of the Bible by Herbert Lockyer
The Prophecies of the Old Testament Respecting the Messiah by John Gill (written in the 18th century)
The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah by Alfred Edersheim (the original written in the 19th century and which is now in the public domain)
Messiah in Both Testaments by Fred John Meldau (introductory material on the subject)
Christology of the Old Testament by E.W. Hengstenberg (written in the 18th century)
Three Views on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament (Counterpoints: Bible and Theology)
Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament Christopher J. H. Wright
A Zeal For God Not According to Knowledge: A Refutation of Judaism's Arguments Against Christianity, 2nd Edition by Eric V. Snow
Christ in All the Scriptures by A.M. Hodgkin (originally published 1922)
[Recommended by Steve Hays]
The Servant King: The Bible's portrait of the Messiah by T. D. Alexander and Alec Motyer
Look to the Rock: An Old Testament Background to Our Understanding of Christ by Alec Motyer
The Christ of the Prophets by O. Palmer Robertson
The Messianic Hope: Is the Hebrew Bible Really Messianic? (NAC Studies in Bible & Theology) by Michael Rydelnik
The Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy: Studies and Expositions of the Messiah in the Old Testament by Michael Rydelnik (Editor), Edwin Blum (Editor)
The Meaning of the Pentateuch: Revelation, Composition and Interpretation by John H. Sailhamer
Refuting Rabbinic Objections to Christianity & Messianic Prophecies by Eitan Bar
How the New Testament Quotes the Old Testament by Messianic Jew Arnold Fruchtenbaum
http://arielb.org/archives/794
//Literal Prophecy Plus Literal Fulfillment: Pshat
The first category is known as “literal prophecy plus literal fulfillment,” reflecting the rabbinic pshat, which refers to the simple meaning of the text. The example of this first category is found in Matthew 2:5 6.//
//Literal Plus Typical: Remez
The second category of quotations can be labeled “literal plus typical.” In rabbinic theology it was known are remez or “hint.” An example of this category is found in Matthew 2:15.//
//Literal Plus Application: Drash
The third category is “literal plus application,” correlating with the rabbinic drash. The example of this category is Matthew 2:17 18.//
//Summation: Sod
The fourth category is “summation” or “summary.” The meaning of sod is “secret” or “mystery” or “something unknown.” The example of the fourth category is found in Matthew 2:23.//
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