Posts Tagged ‘Judaism’
Jewish Sects: Essenes
by Fred A. Shewmaker Origin, Name, and Organization via Truth Magazine, XVI: 12, pp. 6-7 January 27, 1972 There is no record in the Bible that the Essenes ever existed. Their importance as far as Christians are concerned can probably be easily gauged by this fact. Certain scholars have speculated about the influence of the…
Read MoreJewish Sects: Pharisees
by Fred A. Shewmaker Proselytes and Traditions via Truth Magazine, XVI: 7, pp. 8-9 December 16, 1971 The Pharisees were by far the largest sect among the Jews. They are mentioned in the New Testament more often than other Jewish sects. The origin of this sect is somewhat obscure. Peloubet wrote, “They were founded in…
Read MoreJewish Sects: Zealots and Herodians
by Fred A. Shewmaker via Truth Magazine, XVI: 14, pp. 6-8 February 10, 1972 Josephus referred to the Zealots as “the fourth sect of Jewish philosophy,” as we noticed in the first article of this series, “Some Terms Considered.” In that article, we classified the Zealots as a political party. However, we also observed that…
Read MoreJewish Sects: Sadducees
by Fred A. Shewmaker Origin, Influence, and Theological Outlook via Truth Magazine, XVI: 10, pp. 6-8 January 13, 1972 The Sadducees were second in importance to the Pharisees of the five Jewish Sects. They are mentioned in the Bible far more than the remaining three sects. This sect emerged after the return from Babylonian captivity.…
Read MoreJewish Sects: Some Terms Considered
by Fred A. Shewmaker via Truth Magazine XVI: 6, pp. 9-11 December 9, 1971 Available sources of information on this subject are quite limited, and much of the information available is questionable regarding its accuracy. Nevertheless, I believe that studying this subject will be profitable. Those who pursue such a study should better understand the…
Read MoreJewish Sects
by Fred Shewmaker via Truth Magazine Some Terms Considered Pharisees Sadducees Essenes Zealots and Herodians
Read MoreThings Foretold
by Terry Wane Benton Peter drove a point home to the Jews who did not believe in Jesus but gave lip service to believing their scriptures. It is impossible for them to actually believe the Old Testament scriptures, the scriptures the Jews claimed to believe because the Old Testament scriptures are “those things which God…
Read MoreI am grateful for the support of your site
Question: I have used lessons from the site the past few years to help in the creation of my own. I am writing to you after looking over the lesson on Judaizing teachers. It is helpful because you give the background that keeps things in their context, which is important. I am extremely grateful for…
Read MoreA Conversation with a Rabbi
by Jefferson David Tant As the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah approached, the Atlanta Journal ran a story, focusing on its observance by a Chabad-Lubavitch sect of the Hasidic movement. This is an ultra-conservative denomination in Judaism. I wrote a letter to the young rabbi mentioned in the article, and from that was able to set…
Read MoreJesus was nothing more than a good Jewish man
Question: Note: I basically left this note as it was received. Incidentally, before I delete your nonsense comments of alleged religious significance. I don’t understand why you call the Jewish Essene Rabbi Yehoshua, (who lived over 2000 years ago) Jesus and/or Christ. Also, Yehoshua ate Kosher and you eat pork. Yehoshua did not eat meat…
Read MoreI can’t believe you waste time discussing imagination
Question: I cannot believe that you would waste so much time discussing total bonker imaginings. The fact that none of the persons who wrote about Jesus personally knew him seems to escape your grey cells. They lived three hundred years after he died!! You know nothing of what the leaders of the Sanhedrin said! How could you? You…
Read MoreMy friend has turned to Judaism and I’m upset
Question: I have a friend who I’ve tried to convert for about many years who has recently taken up Judaism. I’m very upset for obvious reasons and there’s a part of me that finds it very offensive. I’m trying to keep my “judging” in check especially with all the goofy eating rules, but I’m not…
Read MoreJewish Feasts and Festivals
by Kyle Campbell via Truth Magazine In order to fully understand the Jewish religion and people, and to gain a greater perspective of a number of events in the New Testament, one needs to study the Jewish feasts and festivals. The Jewish feasts and festivals were scheduled at specific times in the annual calendar and they…
Read MoreWere the Gentiles allowed to go into the synagogues?
Question: Were the Gentiles allowed to go into the synagogues? Answer: Gentiles were allowed to come to the temple complex, but they were restricted to remain in the outer court, the court of the Gentiles. The question is whether some similar restriction forbade Gentiles from entering synagogues. We know that Gentiles did believe in God.…
Read MoreWhat are endless myths and genealogies?
Question: Regarding I Timothy 1:4-6: In verse 4 what are the myths and endless genealogies being talked about? And in verse 6 and verse 3 who are the “some men” or the “certain men” who are teaching false doctrine? Thanks. Answer: “As I urged you when I went into Macedonia — remain in Ephesus that…
Read MoreWhy do the Jews teach different doctrines from the New Testament?
Question: I was wondering why the Jews think Satan isn’t evil and of God to test people. They think that hell isn’t eternal. And that the Messiah will be a normal man, not the Son of God, who will rebuild the church in Israel and bring people back to Judaism. If the New Testament doesn’t…
Read MoreIsn’t Hinduism older than Judaism? And other questions about early history.
Question: Isn’t Hinduism older than Judaism? Why does my textbook always talk about dates as far as 10,000 years back? For example, “farming methods were discovered almost 10 thousand years ago in Mesopotamia” is in a 9th-grade geography book. In one post you said animals were herbivores before the flood. How, if some animals’ teeth…
Read MoreCan a Jew go to heaven?
Question: Can a Jew go to heaven? Answer: We use the word “Jew” in two different senses. A person can be a Jew because of his ancestry; that is, he descends from Jewish people. A person can also be a Jew because that is the religion he practices. As an ethnic group, Jews can be…
Read MoreCould “Mighty God” in Isaiah 9:6 refer to a man?
Question: Can you look at these two web sites for me and tell me your thoughts? Hopefully, you can refute them. http://muslim-responses.com/Isaiah_Prophecy/Isaiah_Prophecy_ http://www.jews-for-allah.org/Jews-and-Muslims-Agree/no-trinity.htm Answer: I generally don’t do reviews of other people’s writings. However, I will address a common point the two you selected brought up and show you how they are playing games. In…
Read MoreHow can one become a Jew?
Question: In Esther 8:17, how can one become a Jew? Answer: “And in every province and city, wherever the king’s command and decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a holiday. Then many of the people of the land became Jews, because fear of the Jews fell upon them” (Esther 8:17).…
Read MoreWas the Hebrew lineage ever determined through the females in history?
Question: Regarding biblical lineage: Was there ever a time in the course of history when Hebrew lineage was recorded through the female? Answer: Lineage was traced through the males throughout the Bible. The only exception is in the case of Jesus because his father was God. You can see this in all the lineages where the…
Read MoreAre there such things as “mamzers” — good and bad seeds?
Question: I am confused about good seeds and bad seeds and the children produced from the joining of good and bad seed; called “mamzers.” Could you give me some help, please? If there are children, they are supposed to be void — neither good or bad. Would I be considered one for my father was…
Read MoreIs there a group of Jews today who still believe they are God’s chosen people?
Question: Is there a group of Jews today who still believe they are God’s chosen people? Answer: As best that I can tell, most, if not all, in the Jewish faith believe that they are God’s chosen people. There are variations on exactly what is meant by being the chosen people, but I have found…
Read MoreJudaizing Teachers
Text: Galatians 5:1-6 I. In the beginnings of the church, Christians first came from the ranks of the Jews A. The Jews had a hard time at first with the gospel being preached to Gentiles – Acts 11:1-3 B. As the gospel spread to the Gentiles, trouble arose as some Jewish Christians began to argue that the…
Read MoreWhy would the Sadducees bother claiming to be religious?
Question: In Matthew 22:23-31, it says that the Sadducees said there was no resurrection. Also, Acts 23: 8 says the Sadducees didn’t believe in angels or spirits. If they didn’t believe in angels or spirits, then why believe in the words of the Old Testament? If the Sadducees didn’t believe in the resurrection, then why did…
Read MoreIs Judaism Calvinistic?
Question: Does the Jewish religion teach predestination, foreordination and election? Do they teach that David was born in sin? Do they teach that God hates some people before they were born just because He hated Esau before he was born? Answer: Modern day Judaism is divided into three main sects and several smaller fragments. According…
Read MoreIs Talmudism different from Zionism?
Question: Is Talmudism different from Zionism? Answer: Zionism is the movement dedicated to creating and maintaining a country for Jewish people in the region that is now called Israel. Talmud is the Hebrew word for “instruction.” It has come to mean the body of rabbinical commentary on Jewish law, ethics, customs, and stories. The Torah…
Read MoreIs There Salvation Outside of Christ?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Acts 4:1-14 I. In the summer of 2002, Catholic theologians made the news. A. From an article by Alan Cooperman, Washington Post, August 18, 2002 A committee of the U.S. conference of Catholic Bishops has negated the death of Christ, and invalidated his declaration, “Ye must be born again” (John 3:3-7).…
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