Is there value? | SermonIndex

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NateMarshall Jun 12, 2012

An honest question:

Is there value in seeing Scripture from a Jewish perspective?
Is reading resources like Mishnah and Talmud worth our time to gain a perspective on the Old Testament?

Because this is the literature Jews were reading at the time our Savior was born, and it's from this perspective that the disciples were being called from, but Jesus was also always refuting or asking questions of the Rabbis of his time as well.

I'm interested to know what you think.

sermonindex Jun 12, 2012

I think it can offer us a better perspective in regards to context, yes. As long as we understand that they are not on par with scripture I think there can be some benefit to it.

Krispy

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pilgrim777 Jun 12, 2012

Truth is found in many ways. You can know the Lord without the Jewish perspective, because Jesus is a person and He communicates to us by revelation and illuminates our understanding by the Holy Spirit, which is available to all men. All men do not know Jewish History or understand Hebrew. There is some truth in the Mishnah and Talmud, but because it is full of mixture (non-truth) it can become a swamp of quicksand. There is a little truth sprinkled in many things, but it is not always expedient or profitable to "dine" on these things.

Nevertheless, you have liberty to read according to your relationship with the Lord.

"Little guy in the eye", scratches below the surface and comes up with fascinating truths that have actually helped me in practical ways. Truth always does!

http://littleguyintheeye.wordpress.com/2011/12/11/daily-tidbits-121111-human-arm/

When the Lord says, "Is My arm too short that it cannot save", I realize He is talking about His Word for God is a spirit and has not arms, legs, eyes, ears, etc. But He knows how to explain spiritual realities to us through the physical things that He has made. I enjoy reading many things and I "hold fast to that which is good."

I have not read everything (for instance, he has a 2500 page work on the Mark of the Beast and the Mark of God, that I am slowly getting through).

His name is Levi Ben David and I enjoy many of his writings, especially "Shadows of Messiah".

Here is link to his summation on "The Mark of the Beast".
http://markofthebeastormarkofyah.blogspot.com/

Much of his "Mark of the Beast" rings true with me, but I am only just past the beginning.

Pilgrim

sermonindex Jun 12, 2012

Hi Brother Nate. I'm not repeating this because I feel anyone has more of an advantage nor is above another in Any way whatsoever, but I have to prefice what I need to say with this so that no one will accuse falsely - I'm coming from a Jewish family background and just needed to say that for anyone who thinks I'm anti-Jew. I also feel that we should be willing to defend them and The Word with our lives.

My answer to you studying the talmud or mishnah is, No.

There are several reasons, but I feel to hold back on much. But those are written by men and they take great liberty of personal interpretation and I've had Messianic friends to stumble over the writings of men. The sad part was that their children Loved Jesus, when their parents threw Jesus out of their house and every Christian book and CD that was "Christian".
Not that that happens to everyone that studies these things - but if exploring the arcane, so to speak, can do that to the mature - I'd take that as a precaution.
When a man endorses the Talmud for Christians to read or quotes from it in the sense of making it seem a book that is truthful - I back off and away from that man. He doesn't fully understand that it even contradicts itself - because it is written by men - telling us what 'GOD' is saying. That's blasphemous to 'speak for GOD' but actually be speaking for your own ideas and then to see the whole of GOD's people, the Jews - follow those books more than they follow their own Prophets. Grieviously heart rendering.

The best thing that any of us can do for them and ourselves is get into cross-referencing the N.T. with the O.T. and learning well the books of the prophets from the O.T..
This is where those called Jews are lacking and need us to stick with it - because they've gone since leaving Babylon on the writings and interpretations of men they call Rabbis.

Those books did to true Judaism, what the Catholic 'fathers' did to Christianity - identically.
THAT is why Jesus was angry with them and accused them of putting extra burdens, etc on the people - Because they "went beyond what was written".

GOD Bless you and I pray I haven't caused any offense to you.

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NateMarshall Jun 13, 2012

Hey Jesus-is-GOD

I'm not offended by that at all. I hope no one else is either. That's very insightful.

I've heard many times of Christians that get into Messianic Judaism and then end up becoming obsessed with the tradition and liturgy of Judaism, to the extent of rejecting Messiah. This seems to be a pretty fair warning to me. I guess my end goal is simply to understand the fullness of what the Holy Spirit is saying in Scripture. He's the author, he lives in me, and therefore he can tell me, and I suppose he could even zap (for a lack of better words) the cultural knowledge into my head if he wanted to (Bezalel and Oholiab, anyone?). I do feel, though, that I want that Messianic understanding of Scripture. I want to be one of the men on the road to Emmaus that had the fullness of Christ revealed to them in the Scriptures.

But that's a very good exhortation: do not go beyond what is written. Know the text, and not just the text, but the author of the text.

sermonindex Jun 13, 2012

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sermonindex Jun 13, 2012

Amen, Brother Nate.
I find such pleasure in the e-sword and other Bible programs. If you have one and have Torrey's Treasury of Scripture Knowledge to refer to, that cross-references each verse - what a wealth for tying the New with the Old and witnessing tool to Jewish folks and even those that are Christians but have read too much of the works of men -- whether Catholic, Protestant, Jehovah Witnesses or Jewish - His Word is spirit and life and the only truth on this earth.
When not just studying, which I love to do - I like to read in the spirit and pray in my mind at the same time - asking that He open my understanding - which I feel is the most amazing experience of our being untied with Him, The Word of GOD.

The LORD Bless you for your heart for Him and for others.
I know you'll get what you've asked Him for. Amen.