NTS Misunderstandings Linked to Christianity


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	Misunderstandings Linked to Christianity

		The foundational teachings of Christianity become more difficult to understand when false ideology has seeped in to its roots. The end result is lost Christian knowledge and concepts, which leads to lost souls. People begin to question their Christian faith. What makes Christianity any different than any other "religion"? Why is it important to be one? Is not God the God of all religions? The answer to these question can only be found when false teachings that try to poison Christianity's roots have been acknowledged and done away with. For this reason, it is very important to clarify false statements and misunderstandings often represented by others within and without Christianity that attempt to contradict its teachings. This page addresses the topic of misunderstandings. See this page for reference of false statements. The Jewish Bible: The Law, the Prophets, and the Writings The New Testament Misunderstanding: It has been said that Christianity is a new religion separate from Judaism, and because of it the Old Testament books are no longer important to read or understand. Answer: The Old Testament is still important to read and interpret. The books found in the Old Testament are what Jesus' apostles used to quote God's word in the New Testament writings. They were also used to prove Jesus was God's biblically ordained Messiah. There are many Old Testament passages that predict the Messiah event as shown to be fulfilled through Jesus. The Law, Writings, and the Prophets make up the Jewish Scripture called the Tanakh, otherwise known to Christians as the Old Testament. The Christian Old Testament which in Judaism is called the Tanakh was acknowledged as God's word to His people including at the time of Jesus. In fact, Jesus made it quite clear that it is God's spoken word to His people. *John 4* 22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. The Law Misunderstanding: It has been said that Jesus changed some of the Law. Answer: Jesus did not change any of the Law. God used the Law to prove Jesus did not sin, which God could only do if obeying the Law (all of it) was important. The first main element (His perfection) shows how Jesus obeyed the Law. It was through Jesus' obedience to the Law that His character was perfected. [Note there are two different meanings for the word perfect: "perfect" as in sinless and "perfect" as in becoming complete in character which is achieved through suffering. For further info on this topic, see Be Ye Perfected.] 1 Peter 2 21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. Hebrews 5 8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him. How could Jesus have been obedient to the law if He had changed it? *Matthew 5* 17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Notice Jesus says "I am not come to destroy...but to fulfill" (v. 17). Scripture is not changed but fulfilled through Jesus. "Till heaven and earth pass" (v. 18). It has not yet "passed." Jesus said we are to keep His Commandments. *John 14* 15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. In the book of Revelation, John says we are to keep the Commandments. *Revelation 14* 12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. Paul reaffirmed that we are to keep the Commandments through obedience to the Law. *Romans 3*3 1 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. New Testament quoting Old Testament Paul quoted from original Jewish Law when he referred to Christ as the Passover Lamb. (By which Jesus achieved His death and resurrection, the second main element of Christianity). *1 Corinthians 5* 7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Notice how the New Testament Scripture uses Old Testament Jewish Scripture to prove its fulfillment. How can we understand the prophecies which Jesus fulfilled unless we first know the prophecy the New Testament claims He fulfilled as written in the Old Testament? The prophecies of the Old Testament prove the legitimacy of the New Testament while the New Testament shows legitimacy of the Old, both acccomplished through its fulfillment. When the New Testament shows fulfilling of the Old Testament, the Old Testament proves the truth of the New. It is all required understanding when explaining how Christianity is the true religion from God. No other religion can claim such miraculous prophetic accuracy! The New Testament shows the fulfilling of the Old Testament in not just its law, but also the prophecies of the Writings and the Prophets. *The Prophets* This is a prophecy from Isaiah found in "the Prophets": *Isaiah 5312 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath* poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. It shows its fulfillment through Christ in the book of Mark. *Mark 15* 25 And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. 26 And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 27 And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left. 28 And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors. *The Writings* Here is a prophecy in the Writings from *Psalms* as found in Jewish Scripture: *Psalm 22* 18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. And its fulfillment in Jesus: *Matthew 27* 35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet,They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. All of the above verses of the New Testament books quote Scripture verses from the original Jewish texts known as the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings because the New Testament writers were Jewish and believed in the God of their Scripture. And they believed that their beloved Leader, the Jewish Jesus, fulfilled the Messianic prophecies found in them. Christianity is not a European religion. It is a Jewish religion. The first seeds of the Christian Church were mostly all Jewish and believed that the coming of the Messiah, whom they believed to be Jesus, was a fulfillment of prophecy according to Jewish Scripture. Interestingly, most of what is known as Jewish Scripture is Israeli Scripture handed down through Moses to the twelve tribes of Israel (particularly, the first five Books of Moses). Ten of the twelve original tribes became "lost" when they, under the name of the country of Israel, were taken from their homeland after a major war with Assyria (2 Kings 17). The Jewish people are the ancestors of the two remaining tribes who governed themselves under the name of Judah. Although they too became exiled (2 Kings 24-25), they later regained their land (Ezra 1-10). As Judah, they have kept and carried down the tradition of their Scripture since. Jesus is from the tribe of Judah (Matt. 1; Luke 3) which makes Him very Jewish. Like the Jewish people, Jewish Scripture is important to Jesus but more so. Jesus as the God of the Old Testament gave the Jewish Scripture to His prophetic writers and then in the New Testament came down to earth in the form of Man to fulfill it. Jesus proved through His fulfillment of Jewish Scripture how important the Jewish Scripture is to Him and to God. Since Christianity began with Him, no religion could be more Jewish than Christianity. "Christianity" is a word applied to those who believe in Jesus as God and Messiah, and their Savior, because this is how Jesus described Himself to be as verified and proven through Old Testament Jewish Scripture (Luke 24:12-53). "Christianity" is the Hebrew "Messiah" translated in Greek, used to describe followers of Christ (the Messiah). The word was first used in Antioch, an ancient Greek first-century city, where it was gaining many followers at the time it was coined (Acts 11:26). If a current Christian denomination misunderstands or does not teach these simple understandings about Christianity, it is not the fault of original and first century Jewish Christians who began it. Because Christianity had its roots in Judaism, it teaches (as did Jesus) the New Testament is not changed or destroyed but fulfilled through Jesus *(Matt. 5:17-19).* The New Testament, which can actually be called the Jewish New Testament because of its fulfilling of the Old, did not exist at the time of Jesus' apostles. The apostles were writing the pages that would later become the New Testament. The time when the New Testament books were written by the apostles, the fact that there is verifiable proof of who wrote them, and the fact that they all quoted from Jewish Scripture which they lived and believed by proves the authenticity of New Testament Scripture. And the fact that those apostles who wrote the New Testament books always quoted from and lived by Jewish Scripture alone proves their authenticity! If it was true that Jesus changed some of the Law (and thus changed some of Jewish Scripture), comparingMatthew 5:17-19 ("I am not come to destroy...but to fulfill") and John 14:15 ("If ye love me, keep my commandments") would make Jesus seem a bit contradictory, wouldn't it? As Jesus' obedience to the Law proved Jesus' obedience to the Father, disobedience to the Law proves us to be sinners, sinners who need the God, Messiah, and Savior predicted in the Old Testament (Rom. 3:23). Keeping the Law of God will not get our way in to heaven since it is by the grace of God we are saved (Eph. 2:8), but we still do our best to keep it. Roman 3 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. Because the Law is established and kept through Christ, it is important for a Christian to know how it is kept through Christ. The New Testament teaches us how. (Further info on how to keep the Law through Christ: The Law). Proof of the importance of keeping the Law can also be found from early Christian writings that date after the apostolic writings. Hegesippus (A.D. 110 –180) (possibly a Jewish convert to Christianity) was a Christian chronicler in the second Century. Most of his works are lost. Here is a passage from what little is remaining that he wrote: On my arrival at Rome, I drew up a list of the succession of bishops down to Anicetus, whose deacon was Eleutherus. To Anicetus succeeded Soter, and after him came Eleutherus. But in the case of every succession, 14 and in every city, the state of affairs is in accordance with the teaching of the Law and of the Prophets and of the Lord (Kirby "Hegesippus"). Notice Hegesippus said that the bishops' teachings in the churches were "in accordance with the teaching of the Law and of the Prophets and of the Lord." Of course! This is because the bishop's teachings were those teachings that were handed down to him since apostolic times as taught by the Jewish Jesus (the Lord) and His apostles. *[Hegesippus also wrote about the Lord's family, including James.]* Jesus' apostles gave us the New Testament books so that we could understand the Old Testament and Jesus' fulfillment through it. Question: Are there books outside of the New Testament that are legit? Answer: If anyone tries to present a book that does not coincide with Jewish Scripture in teaching and prophecy fulfillment, it is a document that is not inspired of God. An example of this is the gnostic writings. Sometimes they contain writing that coincides with teachings found in Jewish Scripture, but not all the time. And it is this sometimes that can lead one to believe it is inspired of God. It is very important to learn and understand original Jewish Scripture so that we are not lead astray by teachings that may contradict it. The Sabbath The Sabbath holds its importance as one of the Ten Commandments, the major part of the Law, and its meaning as taught by Jesus (Matthew 7:12). Question: Did Jesus do away with the Sabbath? Answer: No. Like the rest of the Law He fulfilled it. One of the Laws is remembering the seventh day Sabbath.Hebrews 4 says that Jesus is our Sabbath in prophecy, but it does not say that we are no longer to remember the Sabbath. Nowhere in the New Testament writings does it say that we are no longer to remember the Sabbath. In fact, many of the writings chosen for canonization show that the apostles and the early Christians did keep the Sabbath. They believed in keeping the Law and this was one of them. Jesus did not change law. He came to fulfill it (Matt. 5:17-19). The Sabbath was fulfilled at His crucifixion for as He was laid to rest in a tomb so also do we find rest in Him as our salvation (Matt. 11:28-30; Heb. 4:1-9). The seventh day Sabbath is fulfilled in Christ. Because of its fulfillment, we fashion our lives after the practice of Yeshua who is Lord of the Sabbath in how to remember it. We work every day to serve God in all that we do. We do not just serve Him on Sabbath or Sunday. We live the life of a Christian every day of the week. (Go here for more info on Sabbath.) A false statement: Before the time of Constantine, Jesus was respected as a man but not worshiped as a God. Wrong! There are many New Testament verses that show Jesus was worshiped as a God. Jesus was worshiped when He was a baby. Matthew 2 11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh. When the magi visited Jesus, they worshiped Him. After Jesus calms a storm, His apostles worship Him. Matthew 14 33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God. Notice the apostles worship Jesus because they believe He is the Son of God. Only God is to be worshiped. Revelation 22 8 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. 9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God. The angel tells John not to worship him or anyone else. "Worship God" (v. 9). Question: Did Jesus' followers worship Jesus because they believed Him to be God? Answer: Yes. Jesus' followers believed Jesus to be God as God's only begotten Son which is why they called Jesus the Son of God (Matt. 14:22). John calls Jesus God. John 1 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John believed Jesus came down from heaven and was born in the flesh (man) as God and that Jesus was called God's only begotten Son as God. John 1 14 And the Wordwas made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. 16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. After Jesus' resurrection, Thomas calls Jesus God. John 20 27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. Did Jesus call Himself God? Answer: Yes. Jesus called Himself the Son of Man. Matthew 16 13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say thatI the Son of man am? 14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. Jesus knew the title "Son of Man" belonged to God's Son. Daniel 7 13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. So did the Jewish leaders, which is why when when they ask Jesus if He is "the Christ, the Son of the Blessed," Jesus claims the"Son of Man" title in front of them and they called it blasphemy and condemned Jesus to die. Mark 14 61 But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? 62 And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 63 Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses? 64 Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death. Notice Jesus quotes Daniel 7:13 when He calls Himself "Son of Man" (v.62). It was not just the Jewish leaders who knew Jesus claimed to be God. The Jewish people were aware of it. John 10 31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? 33The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. They called it blasphemy and wanted to stone Him because they knew Jesus called Himself God (v. 33). Jesus calls Himself I Am... John 8 58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. ...the title Gad called Himself when speaking to Moses on the Mount. Exodus 3 14 And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel,I Am hath sent me unto you. Question: Are there sources outside of Scripture that show Jesus' followers called Him God? Answer: Yes. One such example is found in part of a letter that Pliny the Younger (governor of Pontus and Bithynia from A.D. 111-113) wrote to the Emperor Trajan in reference to the Christians during his time period: Meanwhile, in the case of those who were denounced to me as Christians, I have observed the following procedure: I interrogated these as to whether they were Christians; those who confessed I interrogated a second and a third time, threatening them with punishment; those who persisted I ordered executed. For I had no doubt that, whatever the nature of their creed, stubbornness and inflexible obstinacy surely deserve to be punished. There were others possessedof the same folly; but because they were Roman citizens, I signed an order for them to be transferred to Rome...They asserted, however, that the sum and substance of their fault or error had been that they were accustomed to meet on a fixed day before dawn and sing responsively a hymn to Christ as to a god, and to bind themselves by oath, not to some crime, but not to commit fraud, theft, or adultery, not falsify their trust, nor to refuse to return a trust when called upon to do so. When this was over, it was their custom to depart and to assemble again to partake of food--but ordinary and innocent food. Even this, they affirmed, they had ceased to do after my edict by which, in accordance with your instructions, I had forbidden political associations. Accordingly, I judged it all the more necessary to find out what the truth was by torturing two female slaves who were called deaconesses. But I discovered nothing else but depraved, excessive superstition. (Kirby "Pliny"). Notice the believers met on a certain day before sunrise and would "sing responsively a hymn to Christ as to a god." Constantine I who legalized Christianity lived between A.D. 280 - 337 and obviously was not born until approximately 200 years after this letter had been written which means after the above occurrence had taken place. Neither Constantine (nor the First Council of Nicaea, a council convened by Constantine in A.D. 325 to clarify the foundational teachings of Christianity) could have started the worship of Jesus as God rather than just adored as a man. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Works Cited Kirby, Peter. "Hegesippus." Early Christian Writings, 2018, http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/hegesippus.html. Accessed 28 August 2018. Kirby, Peter. "Pliny the Younger."Early Christian Writings, 2018, http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/pliny.html. Accessed 28 August 2018.