Who is the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53? Dr. Brown Responds to Rabbi Singer
https://youtu.be/ZkGv0AEUFF4
Showing posts with label Jewish Objections. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jewish Objections. Show all posts
Monday, March 28, 2022
Who is the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53? Dr. Brown Responds to Rabbi Singer
Sunday, September 19, 2021
A Quick Response to the Claim that the Major Teachings of Christianity Are NOT Found in the Old Testament
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.//
Monday, August 30, 2021
An Orthodox Jew Questions Two Comings of the Messiah Answered by Dr. Michael Brown
An Orthodox Jew Questions Two Comings of the Messiah
https://youtu.be/kxOJhTf-KJ8
Two main objections to Christianity include:
1. Why did Jesus' prophecies about His soon return fail? Doesn't that prove Jesus is a false prophet? Secular critics press this issue.
2. If Jesus is the Messiah, how come the Kingdom of God with all its promised blessings including the defeat and elimination of evil, the arrival of world peace and universal prosperity not come to pass? This is especially pressed by non-Messianic Jews. Since they see those things as the indications of the arrival of Mashiach/Messiah.
I think Partial Preterism does a great job at responding to the first objection. The problem is that some partial preterists eventually come to full preterist conclusions. And among those, some take it further and conclude that Jesus was a failed prophet because the resurrection of the dead didn't take place [among other predictions]. So, the preterist response has its minor drawbacks and disadvantages.
I also think Postmillennialism can do a lot to lift some of the burden and release some of the pressure of the second objection. As Isa. 9:6-7 says:
7 OF THE INCREASE OF HIS GOVERNMENT and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Jesus' parable of the leaven leavening the whole lump takes time [Matt. 13:33]. So does the increase of Messiah Jesus' government. The stone of Dan. 2:35 gradually grows to fill the whole earth. It doesn't arrive from heaven and land on earth fully grown as a mountain [representing the Kingdom of God]. It arrives as a stone that grows like a seed.
Matt. 13:31 He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field.
32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."
This parable of the mustard seed is a clear allusion to Belteshazzar's vision of a great tree that represented his kingdom that was to be judged [Dan. 4]. Whereas Belteshazzar's tree/kingdom was chopped down, Jesus' mustard tree grows and remains.
Jason cites Ps. 110:1. There's a sense in which 1 Cor. 15:24-26 is the apostle Paul's exegesis and application of Ps. 110:1, and it has postmillennial implications. See the following article:
AN EXEGETICAL DEFENSE OF POSTMILLENNIALISM FROM I CORINTHIANS 15:24-26: The Eschatology of the DIXIT DOMINUS by Gregg Strawbridge
Critics of postmillennialism often object by pointing to present world problems as undermining the viability of the postmil position. But that's looking at history in our short lifespan. When the big picture of history is viewed, it's clear that the world has gotten better since the coming of Christ. A lot of it has to do with the influence of Christians and the Christian worldview and it's affects on science, human dignity, morality, philosophy, government, economics etc.
There were multiple comings of Yahweh in judgment on various nations in the Old Testament using the same cosmic language used by Jesus. Given that background it's highly likely that some form of preterism is true [partial preterism is within the bounds of orthodoxy, but full preterism isn't]. In which case, Jesus' coming did happen in 70 AD with the destruction of Jerusalem just as He predicted. That leaves room for a final coming of Jesus to usher in the New Heavens and New Earth/Eternal State. See Kenneth Gentry's books and mp3s on the subject. Also Gary DeMar's books.
For a good introduction to partial preterism either watch R.C. Sproul's freely available lecture series "The Last Days According to Jesus" linked below, or read his book with the same title.
The Last Days According to Jesus by R.C. Sproul
See also the classic books in defense of preterism freely available here:
The Destruction of Jerusalem: An Absolute and Irresistible Proof of the Divine Origin of Christianity by George Peter Holford
OR
The Parousia by James Stuart Russell
The Christ Has Come by E. Hampden-Cook
Hampden-Cook's book argues for full preterism, and Russell's nearly does so. But I recommend them nevertheless because much of what they contain can be used to support partial preterism and weaken the objection that Jesus was a failed prophet.
Refuting the errors and heresy of Full Preterism:
Read Ken Gentry's and Sam Frost's critiques of full preterism. Frost himself was once a full preterist.
Why I Left Full Preterism by Sam Frost;
When Shall These Things Be?: A Reformed Response to Hyper-Preterism by Keith Mathison and other authors;
Have We Missed the Second Coming?: A Critique of the Hyper-preterist Error by Kenneth Gentry
Neither partial preterism or postmillennialism need to be true to weaken the force of the two original objections. Even if false, opponents of Christianity have to refute preterism and/or postmillennialism if they are going to continue using those objections.
The added advantage of appealing to both preterism and postmillennialism is that there are multiple lines of evidence for their truth, and those evidences support the inspiration of the Bible because it involves the 1. fulfillment of Jesus' predictions of judgment, and 2. the fulfillment of the prophecies in both the OT and NT of the Messiah's reign spreading around the world.
Christianity is the world's largest religion, and as a living philosophy and way of life it has had more impact on the world [past and present] than any other ideology/worldview. Maybe Moses has had more influence than Jesus. But if Christianity is true, then that falls in line with and adds to Jesus' influence. Since Moses is a forerunner and Biblical type of Jesus. Some might say that earlier ideologies and religions may have also influenced Judaism and Christian. In which case, they they have had more influence. For example, Zoroastrianism et alii. But those are not living, but virtually dead philosophies of life. Besides, if Christianity is true, then given Common Grace we'd expect the positive aspects of non-Christian ideologies to have some influence on or have parallels to Christianity. Whether Persian religions, Greek philosophy, Roman law et cetera.
Saturday, July 17, 2021
FIRST EVER ORTHODOX VS MESSIANIC DEBATE IN HEBREW! with English subs
Messianic Jew Eitan Bar Debates [non-Mesianic] Rabbi Haim Shitrit in Hebrew.
Dr. Tony Costa and Dr. Michael Brown Discuss Some Jewish Objections Against Jesus as the Messiah
Dr. Tony Costa and Dr. Michael Brown Discuss Some Jewish Objections Against Jesus as the Messiah
https://youtu.be/oiptK_KBAmg
Sunday, May 23, 2021
Where In the Old Testament Is Human Blood Taught to be Acceptable for Atonement?
On Facebook I encountered an atheist who said he was familiar with the disputes between non-Messianic Jews and believers in Jesus [i.e. Gentile Christians and Messianic Jews]. He thought the Jewish arguments against Christianity are better than the arguments for Christianity. At one point he asked the following.
//can you point to one verse that God allows human blood for atonement?//
The following was my answer:
1. Jesus isn't a MERE human. Yes, Jesus was truly human, but He was (and is) also truly God. While only the human nature of Jesus died [NOT the Divine nature], the divine PERSON endured the sufferings of death and died substitutionarily for sinners on their behalf. As a Protestant I hold to penal substitutionary atonement [though, that's consistent with being coupled with other subsidiary theories of the atonement]. Being Divine, Jesus' sufferings and death are of more value [infinite] than that of finite creatures and therefore could atone for an infinite amount of creatures if necessary.
2. This is also why it's natural to think that the animal sacrifices weren't the ultimate solution for atonement. How could inferior animals atone for superior humans who ARE moral agents? Whereas animals are not moral agents, and don't even rise to the level of human sentience. To use a poor analogy, that's like accidentally destroying a gold wedding ring and offering to make up for it with a beer can ring tab. The OT predicted the coming of the Messiah, and it makes sense for much of the Mosaic Covenant and its laws to be figurative or symbolic or emblematic of the future Messiah's work.
3a. When God was angry with the people of Israel, Moses offered himself to be punished in their place. So the concept of human substitution wasn't completely foreign to a Semitic mindset.
Exo. 32:32 Yet now, if You will forgive their sin --- BUT IF NOT, I pray, BLOT ME OUT OF YOUR BOOK WHICH YOU HAVE WRITTEN."
3b. Even Judah offered himself in the place of Benjamin when there was the threat to arrest Benjamin for allegedly stealing the silver cup. Unbeknownst to them it was their brother Joseph who was testing them. It's interesting that it's JUDAH that offers this exchange/substitution. The Davidic line is from the tribe of Judah. For us Christians, this is a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of Jesus who is the heir to the Davidic throne.
4. We Christians believe Isaiah 53 clearly teaches the death of the Messiah as an atonement for sin. I understand that Non-Messianic Jews reject this. I've heard their arguments. I think the Christian arguments are better. See Michael Brown's responses, for an example.
5. Daniel 9:24-26 is another passage Christians believe predicts the atoning death of the Messiah. Of course, Jews reject this interpretation, and atheists think that the book of Daniel is riddled with false and failed prophecies. Atheists believe that the ones that were fulfilled were postdictions and that the book itself was written much later than is claimed [e.g. cf. the recent debate at Modern-Day Debate between 2 atheists and 2 theists].
6. In Numbers 25 when the Israelites committed harlotry and idolatry, God commanded the rebellious leaders of the people [who were HUMAN like Jesus] to be executed in order to turn away the anger of the LORD as a kind of atonement. Jesus is the Federal Head of His people similar to how these leaders were representatives of the people. Similar to how they were punished to save the people under them, so Jesus was punished in the place of His people [BTW, as a Calvinist my default position is Limited Atonement, but I'm open to other views as well].
Num. 25:
1 Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab.
2 They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.
3 So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel.
4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Take all the LEADERS of the people and HANG THE OFFENDERS before the LORD, out in the sun, THAT the FIERCE ANGER of the LORD may TURN AWAY from Israel."
That doesn't just sound like mere expiation [removal of sin or guilt], but surprisingly even the stronger idea of propitiation [i.e. turning away wrath].
7. We Christians believe that the command by God for Abraham to sacrifice of Isaac was emblematic of God's sacrificing His Son in our place. Right before Abraham was going to carry it out the Angel of the LORD [whom many Christians think is the pre-incarnate Jesus] told Abraham to stop and not harm Isaac. Then a ram was found nearby which was evidently provided for by God to be the substitute for Isaac. God had many reasons for commanding the sacrifice of Abraham. Some include
1. To show that Abraham's commitment to his God was no less than other pagans' devotion to their gods.
2. To indicate for all time afterwards that God rejects human sacrifice [we can discuss Jephthah if you like].
3. As a figure of Christ' sacrifice, the unique Son of God, just as Isaac was the unique son of Abraham.
Notice the prophecy in Gen. 22:14
Gen. 22:14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, "In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided."
That's the same area in which Jesus was crucified. For the Christian, the crucifixion of Jesus was the place and time when that prophecy was fulfilled and provision of final atonement was provided.
Some after thoughts:
Regarding #2, I found this quote from chapter 5 of A.W. Pink's Divine Covenants:
It is true that great relief was provided by the ceremonial law, for provision was there made for obtaining forgiveness. The means for effecting this was the sacrifices— "the life—blood of an irrational creature, itself unconscious of sin, being accepted by God in His character of Redeemer for the life of the sinner. A mode of satisfaction no doubt in itself unsatisfactory, since there was no just correspondence between the merely sensuous life of an unthinking animal and the higher life of a rational and responsible being; in the strict reckoning of justice the one could form no adequate compensation for the other. But in this respect it was not singular; it was part of a scheme of things which bore throughout the marks of relative imperfection" (P. Fairbairn).
Friday, April 19, 2019
Miscellaneous Additional Links in Favor of Jesus' Messiahship
This blog is an extension of my blogpost: What Do You Think About The Messiah?
As time goes by I'll be posting additional and miscellaneous links relevant to Jesus' Messiahship and Identity on this blogpost.
In Psalm 2:12, is Kiss the Son a mistranslation by the Christians?
The Skull Crushing Seed of the Woman: Inner-Biblical Interpretation of Genesis 3:15 by James Hamilton
Christian Responses to Christ Myth Theories
Preaching Christ From The Old Testament
The Disputation at Barcelona
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)