But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, Romans 11:13 NASB Apostle of Gentiles – What does Alexander the Great have to do with Paul the apostle? Most people probably couldn’t answer this question, or, if they could, they would suggest that…
“Moreover the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.” Deuteronomy 30:6 NASB Circumcise your heart – Most of us don’t realize that circumcision of the heart is a concept that originates in the Tanakh. Some…
Anders Runesson’s paper[1] on the influence of paradigm assumptions for understanding Paul is a treasury of insights into the structure of paradigms. Runesson shows that the Christian assumption present in the theological paradigm that Paul established a new religion founded on the teaching of Christ, a religion that was opposed to “Jewish legalism,” is not…
On the recent trip to Israel, Bob Gorelik, Skip Moen, Moshe Kempinski, Jeremy Gimpel and Yoav Bruck all provided insights into Jewish thought, the Jewish way of life and connections to the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and Christianity. Among these audio downloads are discussions concerning the afterlife, the Trinity, halachah, rabbinic background to the New…
“Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow;” Acts 21:23 NASB Do this – If you are still struggling with Paul’s view of the Torah, try reading the story in Acts 21. James’ instructions to Paul should settle the issue once and for all. Let’s recap. When…
For out of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn…
I recently listened to a lecture series by the late Dwight Pryor entitled Paul, The Law and the Church. Knowing that Pryor was the founder of The Center for Judaic Christian Studies, I was anticipating an insightful investigation of the Jewish character of Paul’s life and work. But the longer I listened, the more I…
if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow-countrymen and save some of them. Romans 11:14 NASB Move – What have we done? That ought to be the paramount question for our time. I don’t mean what have we done to human dignity, social engineering, planetary capitalism, and the suicide of integrity. I mean what…
These are the statutes and the judgments and the laws which YHWH has given between Him and the sons of Israel, in Mount Sinai, by the hand of Moses. Leviticus 26:46 Laws – Did you realize Yeshua and all His followers believed in more than one Law?There was the Law of God, written by the…
“Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees;” Acts 23:6 I am – “I am a Pharisee,” says Paul. Do you think we hear what he proclaimed? I doubt it. Most of us think of Paul as a Christian convert from Judaism. Most of us think of the Pharisees as the bad guys. We…
