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	<title>Digging with Darren &#187; Interfaith</title>
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		<title>Engrafting or Replacement – Part 2</title>
		<link>http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2011/02/18/engrafting-or-replacement-%e2%80%93-part-2/</link>
		<comments>http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2011/02/18/engrafting-or-replacement-%e2%80%93-part-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:32:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Darren</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Church Fathers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Interfaith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christianity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[engrafting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gentiles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Justin Martyr]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oskar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[replacement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Skarsaune]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Temple]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Trypho]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/?p=1454</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In my previous post, I began examining where the Gentile dominated church began to ignore Paul&#8217;s warning in Romans 11 of becoming arrogant in their engrafting into the covenant people of God. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/grafting.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1459 alignnone" title="grafting" src="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/grafting-214x300.jpg" alt="grafting image" width="214" height="300" /></a></p>
<p>In my <a title="You can read it here" href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2011/02/09/engrafting-or-replacement-part-1/" target="_self">previous post</a>, I began examining where the Gentile dominated church began to ignore Paul&#8217;s warning in Romans 11 of becoming arrogant in their engrafting into the covenant people of God.</p>
<blockquote><p>But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Then you will say, &#8220;Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.&#8221; That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. (Romans 11:17-21, ESV)</p></blockquote>
<p>Although Paul had foreseen this problem arising among non-Jewish believers and placed his admonition in writing, his predication became manifest in the church of the late second century, despite his rebuke to the early believers. <a title="Find out about more about this work by Skarsaune here" href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2011/02/07/book-review-in-the-shadow-of-the-temple/" target="_self">Oskar Skarsaune</a> notes that during the lifetime of Justin Martyr (c. 100-165 C.E.) this problem had already arisen, and only grew by compound measure in the years following. The increasingly Gentile Christians began to look at themselves as not merely being engrafted into Israel, the covenant people of God, but replacing and superseding her.</p>
<p>Skarsaune reduces the situation to the following:</p>
<blockquote><p>But whereas in Paul the Gentiles are added to the true Israel of Jewish believers to share in their inheritance, in Justin it is the other way round: the few Jewish believers are added to the church of the Gentiles to share in their inheritance…While in Paul the Gentiles share in the promises given to true Israel, in Justin the promises are transferred from the Jewish people to the church of the Gentiles. This church replaces the Jewish people. It takes over the inheritance of Israel while at the same time disinheriting the Jews…. In this way, Christians of the second century were never able to assert their election in Christ without at the same time lashing out against the Jews. <sup class='footnote'><a href='#fn-1454-1' id='fnref-1454-1'>1</a></sup></p></blockquote>
<p>But we must ask ourselves why this line of antagonism came into being. While there were multiple factors involved, I would like to address two. Skarsaune astutely observes that</p>
<blockquote><p>the Jew had the religious and cultural security of hundreds of years of unbroken tradition. The Christians were newcomers with no prehistory, and they were painfully aware of it. The rabbis handed on a tradition of scriptural exegesis which could claim the authority of generations of excellent teachers, reaching all the way back to Moses on Mount Sinai. They had perfect command of the entire Old Testament, and they could argue their point from minute details in the original Hebrew text. And there was a basic consistency in their approach to the Bible: they not only recognized the Torah as divine, they also observed it.</p>
<p>The Gentile Christians were at an obvious disadvantage on all points. In many respects their interpretation of the Bible was startlingly new. They found meanings in biblical verses that no one had found there before. And they could quote no recognized tradition or authority to support them. Worst of all, they had no direct access to the original text, and their knowledge of the Old Testament was often limited to selected passages and proof texts. <sup class='footnote'><a href='#fn-1454-2' id='fnref-1454-2'>2</a></sup></p></blockquote>
<p>My first point is what Skarsaune labels as the &#8220;inferiority complex of the younger—the much younger—brother.&#8221; <sup class='footnote'><a href='#fn-1454-3' id='fnref-1454-3'>3</a></sup> One can easily see this as a reasonable factor in the antagonism of non-Jewish believers against their counterpart. It is often the case when one person with natural abilities, knowledge or influence is alongside another with inferior abilities, a resentment from the one of lesser abilities often drives them to antagonize the other party in an attempt to prove their equality. They have to reduce the other person in order to boost their own self-worth or esteem. In our historical example, the Jews did have the upper hand over the non-Jewish Christians in relationship to Scriptural knowledge and exegesis. They also enjoyed a command of the actual language of the Hebrew Scriptures (the church fathers would continually enlist Jewish tutors to teach them the Holy Tongue in order to study the Scriptures in their original language) that was far superior to even those who could understand the Hebrew text.</p>
<p>And as far as the Jews were concerned, Skarsaune reminds us that &#8220;there was a basic consistency in their approach to the Bible: they not only recognized the Torah as divine, they also observed it.&#8221; This is where a contrast began to be apparent between the Jews and the Gentile Christians. Whereas the Jews continued in their living out the precepts of the instructions given to them by the God of Creation at Sinai, the non-Jewish believers, feeling unbound to these instructions in any kind of literal way, began to find contempt for those who adhered to their plain intent. For the act of &#8220;doing&#8221; had become a spiritualization. To the non-Jewish Christian, the plain meaning of the commandments began to be pushed to the wayside as inapplicable, and a more mystical, allegorical interpretation began to emerge as a seemingly superior one.</p>
<p>It is typically understood that the distinctions of the commandments for the Jewish believers and the non-Jewish believer are clear from both the Jewish (i.e. the &#8220;Noahide&#8221; laws of Judaism) and the Christian (i.e. the &#8220;Council of Jerusalem&#8221; in Acts 15) perspectives. However, in Justin Martyr&#8217;s dialogue with Trypho, a Jew who does not recognize Jesus as the Jewish Messiah, we get a glimpse of the current Jewish perspective viewing Christianity within its original framework, being a sect of Judaism, rather than a new and separate religion. Trypho reprimands Justin and other Christians by asking, &#8220;how is it that you Christians, who claim to worship the God of the Bible, do not observe his law?&#8221; <sup class='footnote'><a href='#fn-1454-4' id='fnref-1454-4'>4</a></sup>. Even though Justin and most of his Christian brethren were non-Jewish, Trypho expected to see at least some semblance of the commandments being evident among them. In this we have the first evidences of how the &#8220;spiritualization&#8221; of the commandments damaging the witness of Christians among their Jewish brethren.</p>
<p>This brings me to my second point. Because of the sheer numbers of non-Jewish believers over Jewish believers pouring into this new, Messianic sect of Judaism, much of the original context of this faith became lost. Therefore, &#8220;<em>the church of the second century came to think of itself as essentially Gentile, a non-Jewish entity set over against the Jewish people as such</em>&#8221; <sup class='footnote'><a href='#fn-1454-5' id='fnref-1454-5'>5</a></sup> At this point, the church begins to lose its original, Jewish identity and creates a new one as somewhat of an antithesis to the Judaism which has been passed from Moses to Joshua, from Joshua to the Prophets, from the Prophets to Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, and then from Jesus to his disciples. We begin to have a disconnect between the followers of the Jewish Messiah and the historical biblical faith. Not only do we see this, but we see a new &#8220;people of God&#8221; claiming their &#8220;chosenness&#8221; over and above the covenant people of God. We see the development of a theoological system, by which the non-Jewish church claims the covenantal blessings that belong to the Jewish people, while leaving the covenantal curses for the Jews. Rather than remembering that non-Jewish believers have been brought &#8220;into&#8221; the existing family of God according to Ephesians 2, the predominant concept was that the non-Jewish believers were now the &#8220;new&#8221; people of God, and had replaced the disobedient, hard-hearted, stiff-necked Jews. This is Replacement Theology, a subtle theological strain which still infects our churches today.</p>
<div class='footnotes'>
<div class='footnotedivider'></div>
<ol>
<li id='fn-1454-1'><em>In the shadow of the temple : Jewish influences on early Christianity</em>. 2002 (267-268). Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press <span class='footnotereverse'><a href='#fnref-1454-1'>&#8617;</a></span></li>
<li id='fn-1454-2'><em>Ibid</em>. (p. 265-266). <span class='footnotereverse'><a href='#fnref-1454-2'>&#8617;</a></span></li>
<li id='fn-1454-3'><em>Ibid</em>. (p. 265). <span class='footnotereverse'><a href='#fnref-1454-3'>&#8617;</a></span></li>
<li id='fn-1454-4'><em>Ibid</em>. (p. 270). <span class='footnotereverse'><a href='#fnref-1454-4'>&#8617;</a></span></li>
<li id='fn-1454-5'><em>Ibid</em>. (p.268). <span class='footnotereverse'><a href='#fnref-1454-5'>&#8617;</a></span></li>
</ol>
</div>
<p><strong>Similar Posts:</strong>
<ul class="similar-posts">
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2011/02/09/engrafting-or-replacement-part-1/" rel="bookmark" title="February 9, 2011">Engrafting or Replacement &#8211; Part 1</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2011/02/07/book-review-in-the-shadow-of-the-temple/" rel="bookmark" title="February 7, 2011">Book Review: In the Shadow of the Temple</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2007/08/22/messianic-blessing-for-non-jews/" rel="bookmark" title="August 22, 2007">Messianic blessing for non-Jews</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2011/07/22/delitzsch-released/" rel="bookmark" title="July 22, 2011">Delitzsch Hebrew Gospels Released</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2006/08/08/blinded-to-the-gospel/" rel="bookmark" title="August 8, 2006">Blinded to the Gospel?</a></li>
</ul>
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		<title>Faith Meets Technology: New iPhone &#8220;Confession&#8221; App</title>
		<link>http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2011/02/09/faith-meets-technology-new-iphone-confession-app/</link>
		<comments>http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2011/02/09/faith-meets-technology-new-iphone-confession-app/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Feb 2011 17:57:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Darren</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Interfaith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Prayer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[app]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Apple]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Catholic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[confession]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iphone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[technology]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/?p=1420</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It appears there has been a &#8220;marriage in heaven&#8221; between faith and technology. The Apple iPhone has a new &#8220;Confession&#8221; app, approved by the Roman Catholic church (this would probably akin to a hechsher in Judaism). It appears that this virtual experience will allow a penitent to completely bypass the clergy. I asked a Catholic [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Confessapp-logo.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1424" title="Confessapp-logo" src="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Confessapp-logo.jpg" alt="Confession App logo" width="438" height="175" /></a></p>
<p>It appears there has been a &#8220;marriage in heaven&#8221; between faith and technology. The Apple iPhone has a new &#8220;Confession&#8221; app, approved by the Roman Catholic church (this would probably akin to a <a title="Educate yourself" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hechsher" target="_blank">hechsher</a> in Judaism).</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Confessapp1.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1425" title="Confessapp1" src="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Confessapp1.jpg" alt="appshot1" width="295" height="528" /></a><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Confessapp2.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1426" title="Confessapp2" src="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Confessapp2.jpg" alt="appshot2" width="295" height="528" /></a></p>
<p>It appears that this virtual experience will allow a penitent to completely bypass the clergy. I asked a Catholic friend of mine his thoughts about the app, and this was his response:</p>
<blockquote><p>Well, I think that anything that encourages Catholics to open themselves to the Grace afforded by Reconciliation is a good thing. I&#8217;m really surprised by this though. But since the apps purpose isn&#8217;t to provide Reconciliation, but only encourage and guide one through the process&#8230; I do think it should be free.</p>
<p>Now, as for the Sacrament of Reconciliation itself, I have 2 thoughts.</p>
<p>I don&#8217;t think that absolution comes through Reconciliation, only the Father can truly forgive us.</p>
<p>I do, however, think confession is good for the soul and it helps us as humans to have a counselor to help us acknowledge our faults. The penance that comes after Reconciliation gives us the means to be mindful of the times we have fallen short.</p></blockquote>
<p>Well spoken.</p>
<p>Read more <a title="article1" href="http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/110336/20110209/confession-application-apple-iphone-ipad-ipod-the-vatican-little-iapps.htm#" target="_blank">here</a> and <a title="article2" href="http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fasterforward/2011/02/confession_app.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
<p><a title="If you're interested" href="http://www.confessapp.com/" target="_blank">Application site is here.</a><strong>Similar Posts:</strong>
<ul class="similar-posts">
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2012/01/06/discipleship-misunderstanding-part-2/" rel="bookmark" title="January 6, 2012">Discipleship &#8211; Misunderstanding (Part 2)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2006/05/09/pirkei-avotchapter-1-mishnah-6/" rel="bookmark" title="May 9, 2006">Pirkei Avot&#8212;Chapter 1, Mishnah 6</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2006/03/01/terumah/" rel="bookmark" title="March 1, 2006">Terumah</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2005/06/30/ffoz-boaz-michael-speaking-locally/" rel="bookmark" title="June 30, 2005">FFOZ-Boaz Michael Speaking Locally</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2006/09/20/one-man-down/" rel="bookmark" title="September 20, 2006">One Man Down</a></li>
</ul>
<p><!-- Similar Posts took 3.775 ms --></p>
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		<title>Engrafting or Replacement &#8211; Part 1</title>
		<link>http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2011/02/09/engrafting-or-replacement-part-1/</link>
		<comments>http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2011/02/09/engrafting-or-replacement-part-1/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Feb 2011 13:19:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Darren</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Church Fathers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Interfaith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christianity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[engrafting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gentiles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Justin Martyr]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oskar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[replacement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Skarsaune]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Temple]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[theology]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/?p=1414</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The other day I reviewed the excellent work, In the Shadow of the Temple, by Oskar Skarsaune. Today, I would like to elaborate on a few of his thoughts in regard to the place of Jews and Gentiles in the people of God. In looking at the development of Christianity in the years after the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/JustinMartyr.png"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1417" style="margin-right: 2em; margin-bottom: 1em;" title="JustinMartyr" src="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/JustinMartyr-239x300.png" alt="Justin Martyr" width="239" height="300" /></a><a title="You can read it here" href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2011/02/07/book-review-in-the-shadow-of-the-temple/" target="_self">The other day</a> I reviewed the excellent work, <em>In the Shadow of the Temple</em>, by Oskar Skarsaune. Today, I would like to elaborate on a few of his thoughts in regard to the place of Jews and Gentiles in the people of God. In looking at the development of Christianity in the years after the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, Skarsaune observes some changes that begin to develop around the time of Justin Martyr (c. 100-165 C.E.). He notes the ever-increasing Gentile influx and subsequent sway over what has been to this point a sect of Judaism, and uses the writings of Justin Martyr (and others) to show how there began to be a rising arrogance and intolerance among non-Jewish believers for their Jewish brethren.</p>
<p>With regard to how non-Jewish believers began to view Jews and Jewish believers at this time, Skarsaune notes that the dialogue between the believing Gentile and the non-believing Jew grew to an intensity which had yet been unsurpassed in the history of Israel&#8217;s self-criticism. Skarsaune shows a change from what he labels &#8220;Jewish self-criticism&#8221; to &#8220;anti-Jewish slogans&#8221; in the dialogue against unbelieving Jews. Whereas the Church Fathers use many of the same words as the prophets of old in their condemnation of Israel&#8217;s failings (directed at the unbelieving Jew&#8217;s failure to recognize the Divine voice yet once again), there is a marked change from the prophetic voice which longs for repentance, and the condemning slander of voices such as Justin Martyr.</p>
<blockquote><p>All this changed radically when this way of preaching penitence to Israel passed into the hands of Gentile Christians without this deep sense of solidarity with Israel. In their hands, these harsh Old Testament words to Israel became a weapon to discredit the Jewish people as disbelieving by nature, while the Gentile Christians exalted themselves as more willing to believe and obey God. <sup class='footnote'><a href='#fn-1414-1' id='fnref-1414-1'>1</a></sup></p></blockquote>
<p>He shows evidence of this through the following quote from Justin Martyr:</p>
<blockquote><p>If you [Jews] will confess the truth, you yourselves cannot deny that we [Gentiles] are more faithful than you in relation to God. For we, having been called of God by means of the mystery of the cross, which is so despised and full of shame; and (suffering) punishments even unto death for our confession and obedience and piety, … we, I say, endure all things lest we should deny Christ even in word. But you were redeemed from Egypt with a high arm and a visitation of great glory [there follows an extensive enumeration of all the wonders  worked by God for the benefit of Israel during the desert wandering]. In spite of all this you made a calf, and eagerly committed fornication with the daughters of the aliens, and committed idolatry, and did so again afterwards when the land had been entrusted to you with such great power.… You are convicted by the prophets, even after Moses’ warnings, of having gone so far as to sacrifice your own children to demons, and of having, in addition to all this, dared so much against Christ, and still do dare. (<em>Dialogue with Trypho</em> 131.2—133.1) <sup class='footnote'><a href='#fn-1414-2' id='fnref-1414-2'>2</a></sup></p></blockquote>
<p>Skarsaune comments by saying</p>
<blockquote><p>For in Justin the enumeration of Israel’s sins is no longer meant to be a call to repentance and return to God. In Justin it has become something quite different: Justin takes the biblical record of Israel’s sins to mean that the Jews have a natural inclination toward disbelief and sin, while on the other hand the Gentiles have a natural inclination toward belief and obedience. The ruthless Jewish self-criticism contained in several passages in the Old Testament—unparalleled in the ancient world and one of the finest fruits of mosaic and prophetic teaching—is misused by Justin as if it were some kind of ethnological description of the peculiarities of the Jewish people. [3. <em>Ibid.</em> (p. 263).]</p></blockquote>
<p>We can see the correctness of his observation. No longer is the apex of the message repentance, but only vilification. To understand how this turn of events takes place, we have to get into the minds of those believers within this time period. Although we have no absolute way of do so, I believe Skarsaune does an excellent job at connecting the dots. He notes the following:</p>
<blockquote><p>In the second century one observes a marked change. The Christians of Gentile origin by now far outnumbered those of Jewish origin. Gradually, this fact came to influence the concept of the church. In Justin Martyr, the church is an essentially non-Jewish entity. It is made up of believing Gentiles, and over against this church of the Gentiles Justin places the Jewish nation as essentially non-believing. The border between believers and non-believers tends to coincide with the border between Gentiles and Jews. True, Justin knows of Jewish believers. <strong>But whereas in Paul the Gentiles are added to the true Israel of Jewish believers to share in their inheritance, in Justin it is the other way round: the few Jewish believers are added to the church of the Gentiles to share in their inheritance.</strong></p>
<p>This shift of perspective had far-reaching consequences. <strong>While in Paul the Gentiles share in the promises given to true Israel, in Justin the promises are transferred from the Jewish people to the church of the Gentiles. This church replaces the Jewish people. It takes over the inheritance of Israel while at the same time disinheriting the Jews</strong>. One might express this development by using Paul’s image from Romans 11. In Paul, God has cut off some of the branches of Israel’s old olive tree, and in their place he has grafted some wild branches—the Gentiles. In Justin, God has cut down Israel’s olive tree, and in its place he has planted an entirely new tree—the church of the Gentiles. Onto this tree he has grafted a few branches from the old tree—those branches are the believing Jews.</p>
<p>Once Christians began to think this way, they would naturally pose the question of election as an either/or alternative: Either the Jewish people or the (Gentile) church is the inheritor of the Old Testament heritage. No one in antiquity fostered the idea of God having two peoples; it had to be the church or the Jews. <strong>In this way, Christians of the second century were never able to assert their election in Christ without at the same time lashing out against the Jews.</strong> <sup class='footnote'><a href='#fn-1414-3' id='fnref-1414-3'>3</a></sup></p></blockquote>
<p>Skarsaune&#8217;s observations are adept. Although we haven&#8217;t seen any proof, per se, in his summary we can see a logical progression in which the spiritual superiority and arrogance of non-Jews is becoming a serious issue. The identity of the &#8220;people of God&#8221; is in question, and in order to define this term, someone has to &#8220;win&#8221; this title.</p>
<p>More to follow…</p>
<div class='footnotes'>
<div class='footnotedivider'></div>
<ol>
<li id='fn-1414-1'>I<em>n the shadow of the temple : Jewish influences on early Christianity</em>. 2002 (262). Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press. <span class='footnotereverse'><a href='#fnref-1414-1'>&#8617;</a></span></li>
<li id='fn-1414-2'><em>Ibid.</em> (p. 262-263). <span class='footnotereverse'><a href='#fnref-1414-2'>&#8617;</a></span></li>
<li id='fn-1414-3'><em>Ibid.</em> (267–268). Emphasis mine. <span class='footnotereverse'><a href='#fnref-1414-3'>&#8617;</a></span></li>
</ol>
</div>
<p><strong>Similar Posts:</strong>
<ul class="similar-posts">
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2011/02/18/engrafting-or-replacement-%e2%80%93-part-2/" rel="bookmark" title="February 18, 2011">Engrafting or Replacement – Part 2</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2011/02/07/book-review-in-the-shadow-of-the-temple/" rel="bookmark" title="February 7, 2011">Book Review: In the Shadow of the Temple</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2006/08/08/blinded-to-the-gospel/" rel="bookmark" title="August 8, 2006">Blinded to the Gospel?</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2007/08/22/messianic-blessing-for-non-jews/" rel="bookmark" title="August 22, 2007">Messianic blessing for non-Jews</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2005/08/28/islamic-christianity/" rel="bookmark" title="August 28, 2005">Islamic Christianity</a></li>
</ul>
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		<title>Day of Fire frontman Josh Brown now Messianic</title>
		<link>http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2011/02/01/day-of-fire-josh-brown-messianic/</link>
		<comments>http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2011/02/01/day-of-fire-josh-brown-messianic/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Feb 2011 11:03:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Darren</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Inspiration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Interfaith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Day of Fire]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Decyfer Down]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Josh Brown]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Messianic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pillar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rock]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Third Day]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Toby Mac]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/?p=1352</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Anyone who has known me any length of time knows both my passion for music, and my eclectic tastes. I may be listening to classical music one day, hard rock (Christian, of course) the next, and chassidic the day after. I first heard about Day of Fire from one of my employees back around 2003. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/album-day-of-fire.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1355" title="album-day-of-fire" src="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/album-day-of-fire.jpg" alt="Day of Fire album" width="350" height="350" /></a></p>
<p>Anyone who has known me any length of time knows both my passion for music, and my eclectic tastes. I may be listening to classical music one day, hard rock (Christian, of course) the next, and chassidic the day after. I first heard about Day of Fire from one of my employees back around 2003. I was immediately gripped by their driving guitars, haunting melodies and raw vocal delivery. Although front man, Josh Brown, sung for the Lord back then, he has a different melody today. Here is a little background on the band before I expound:</p>
<blockquote><p>The Alternative-Rock act <a title="Learn more at the official band site" href="http://www.dayoffire.com/" target="_blank">Day Of Fire</a> got its start in 2002 when vocalist Josh Brown, ex-frontman of <a title="Learn more" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_Devil_Jacket" target="_self">Full Devil Jacket</a>, returned to the music scene. Brown has gone into rehab after severe bouts with drug abuse; he began writing songs again with guitarist + songwriter Gregg Hionis and the pair began playing in their hometown of Jackson, Tennessee USA, enlisting the help of guitarist Phil X, Chris Chaney, bass player from Jane&#8217;s Addiction and drummer Gary Novak.</p>
<p>The band&#8217;s self-titled debut album was finally released in late 2004 on Essential Records; the 11-track set broke into the top 30 of the U.S. Christian Albums chart and the single &#8220;Fade Away&#8221; reached the #27 position on The Mainstream Rock Tracks.</p>
<p>Following the recruitment of guitarist Joe Pangallo, his brother Chris Pangallo on bass and drummer Zach Simms, Brown and Hionis recorded and released Day Of Fire&#8217;s sophomore effort, &#8220;Cut &amp; Move&#8221;, in mid-2006; they supported the record on the road with bands like <a title="Learn more at their official site" href="http://www.pillartour.com/" target="_blank">Pillar</a> and <a title="Learn more at their official site" href="http://www.decyferdown.com/" target="_blank">Decyfer Down</a> and the CD eventually peaked at #14 on the Top Christian chart. The two albums sold more than 150,000 copies combined.</p></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/DayOfFire.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1356" title="Day Of Fire (band shot)" src="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/DayOfFire.jpg" alt="Day Of Fire (band shot)" width="420" height="300" /></a></div>
<p>Today, Josh Brown is playing music to a different beat. After playing a show with <a title="Learn more at their official site" href="http://www.thirdday.com/" target="_blank">Third Day</a> and <a title="Learn more at their official site" href="http://www.tobymac.com/" target="_blank">Toby Mac</a> in 2004, he met up with an old friend who began to share with him some concepts of Torah with him. Over the next six years, he began re-reading the Bible and wrestling with some of the Torah thoughts presented to him that night after the concert. He came to a conclusion that as a believer, he should be keeping the Sabbath and God&#8217;s commandments, stating:</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t keep the Sabbath and the commandments of God because I have to do these things to accept the mercy of God and what Yeshua did on the cross. But I do these things because I love the God that wrote these commandments. That&#8217;s why I do them. Because I love Him and I want to know Him more. And I realize the only way I am going to know Him more is by doing what He has prescribed in the Bible for me to do. And as I do them more, I get to know Him more, because He really is the same yesterday, today and forever.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>In 2010, Josh Brown spent eight days living in his sukkah and celebrating his first Succot (Feast of Tabernacles) where he also performed his first Messianic concert.</p>
<p><strong>Want to know the whole story? </strong><a title="Listen to the interview here" href="http://www.messianicdirectory.info/lifestyles/staff/JoshB.html" target="_blank"><strong>You can listen to the interview here.</strong></a></p>
<p>Special thanks to <a title="Visit the online directory" href="http://www.messianicdirectory.info/" target="_blank">Messianic Directory</a> for this info.<strong>Similar Posts:</strong>
<ul class="similar-posts">
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2006/04/25/pirkei-avot-chapter-1-mishnah-2/" rel="bookmark" title="April 25, 2006">Pirkei Avot &#8211; Chapter 1, Mishnah 2</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2006/09/16/honoring-the-sabbath/" rel="bookmark" title="September 16, 2006">Honoring the Sabbath</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2010/06/10/justified-by-love/" rel="bookmark" title="June 10, 2010">Justified By Love?</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2011/02/18/engrafting-or-replacement-%e2%80%93-part-2/" rel="bookmark" title="February 18, 2011">Engrafting or Replacement – Part 2</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2008/01/22/yeshua-preserving-life-establishing-halacha/" rel="bookmark" title="January 22, 2008">Yeshua &#8211; Preserving Life, Establishing Halacha</a></li>
</ul>
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		<title>&#8220;Messianic&#8221; &#8211; Growing in Popularity</title>
		<link>http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2010/03/18/messianic-growing-in-popularity/</link>
		<comments>http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2010/03/18/messianic-growing-in-popularity/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Mar 2010 09:37:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Darren</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Interfaith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/?p=1004</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In the past years, I&#8217;ve had countless people ask me &#8220;what religion/denomination are you?&#8221; This has been a tricky question to answer in a way that people understand. I think Daniel Lancaster had one of the best answers, when he relates in one of his messages that he talked to a guy installing carpet in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft" title="Messianic &quot;Denomination&quot; choice" src="http://img.skitch.com/20100318-n9a28kr1np8ur3bdjaib61fdri.png" alt="Messianic &quot;Denomination&quot; choice image" width="304" height="265" />In the past years, I&#8217;ve had countless people ask me &#8220;what religion/denomination are you?&#8221; This has been a tricky question to answer in a way that people understand.</p>
<p>I think Daniel Lancaster had one of the best answers, when he relates in one of his messages that he talked to a guy installing carpet in his house about this question. When he was asked about what religion/denomination he was, Daniel responded, &#8220;We&#8217;re Christians who practice Judaism.&#8221; He said the carpet guy thought a little while, and then said, &#8220;You know&#8230; that makes perfect sense!&#8221; To which Daniel quipped &#8220;Even the carpet guy got it!&#8221;</p>
<p>Unfortunately, prior to hearing Daniel&#8217;s wisdom, I would often use the word &#8220;Messianic&#8221; in my first attempts to describe our religious persuasion. Hence, my experiences have not all been that well received. Whenever I&#8217;ve made mention of the word &#8220;Messianic,&#8221; the majority of the time it was like being on a sit-com: the world froze&#8230;all conversations immediately came to an abrupt halt, music on the overhead ceased to play in the supermarket and all heads turn in my direction, while the person who asked the question looks at me like a deer caught in the headlights. The general response is, &#8220;Messy-what?&#8221;</p>
<p>Well, recently, I was signing up for something online related to Christian music. I was asked to choose my &#8220;denomination&#8221; from a select list. I was sure I was going to have to choose &#8220;other&#8221; as my option. However, low and behold, there was &#8220;Messianic&#8221; in the options list. Couldn&#8217;t believe it. Evidently, Messianic Judaism is slowly garnering popularity and credibility within the Church. Although this is not an end-all, this really gave me a boost and gave me hope for our purpose of restoring of the roots of our faith among the Church. It shows me that people like myself are now beginning to be viewed with some sense of credibility, rather than some kind of fringe movement. It also shows me that we are being looked at as co-laborers in the Kingdom with our brothers and sisters, rather than a movement of opposition. This give me great encouragement and hope for the future.</p>
<p>May we all be united in our service to Hashem and His risen Messiah as we slowly turn the tide to help bring people into a fuller understanding of the practical applications of living out His Word.<strong>Similar Posts:</strong>
<ul class="similar-posts">
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2010/05/17/daniels-messianic-midrash-on-numbers-421-23/" rel="bookmark" title="May 17, 2010">Daniel&#8217;s Messianic Midrash on Numbers 4:21-23</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2005/05/24/torah-reformation/" rel="bookmark" title="May 24, 2005">Torah Reformation</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2009/02/26/messianic-remnants/" rel="bookmark" title="February 26, 2009">Messianic Remnants</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2010/06/10/justified-by-love/" rel="bookmark" title="June 10, 2010">Justified By Love?</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2010/04/13/opportunity-knocks-and-i-need-your-help/" rel="bookmark" title="April 13, 2010">Opportunity Knocks&#8230;And I Need Your Help!</a></li>
</ul>
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		<title>Honoring the Sabbath</title>
		<link>http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2006/09/16/honoring-the-sabbath/</link>
		<comments>http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2006/09/16/honoring-the-sabbath/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 17 Sep 2006 01:44:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Darren</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Dietary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Interfaith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Judaism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Personal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Torah]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://diggingwithdarren.com/blog/?p=141</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This weekend we are staying with relatives since we are back in our hometown. We are here for the weekend, because our family is giving us a baby shower this Sunday. Although they love us and love Hashem, they do not honor the Sabbath. This always presents some difficulty. Today is Shabbat and we just [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This weekend we are staying with relatives since we are back in our hometown. We are here for the weekend, because our family is giving us a baby shower this Sunday. Although they love us and love Hashem, they do not honor the Sabbath. This always presents some difficulty. Today is Shabbat and we just ran into this dilemma. Being in someone else&#8217;s home, we are not in control of what takes place. It is always a delicate balance of honoring Torah and being careful to not be a stumbling block to those whom might eventually find validity in Torah. With this situation in mind, I am very proud of my five-year-old son right now.<span id="more-141"></span></p>
<p>Just a little while ago our host just told us that they were going to order pizzas for lunch and wanted to know what kind we wanted. Privately, I told them that we would be happy eating leftovers from the night before, because we felt that spending money on the Sabbath would not be honoring the Lord. They responded that there were no leftovers and they had not bought groceries, so they would need to get something anyway. I dropped the issue in order not to be an offense.</p>
<p>A few minutes later, my son overheard them talking about leaving to go pick up the pizza. He told them, &#8220;We don&#8217;t have to go get anything. We can eat leftovers.&#8221; They responded by telling him that there weren&#8217;t any leftovers. His response was, &#8220;Well, we can just eat some crackers or something. It&#8217;s ok.&#8221; I wasn&#8217;t sure if he was just being accommodating or if he actually was conscious of it being the Sabbath and was trying to gently deter a loved one from unknowingly breaking the Sabbath.</p>
<p>A little while later I pulled him to the side to ask him why he was making those comments. His response was, &#8220;Because we&#8217;re not supposed to be buying things on the Sabbath.&#8221; Not only had he did his best to help another person honor the mitzvah, but he had done it in such a way that would not bring shame upon them. Maybe in the next year or so these words of his will move their hearts to honor Hashem in this area. For now, I am blessed to know my son is on his way to being shomer Shabbat.<strong>Similar Posts:</strong>
<ul class="similar-posts">
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2006/07/27/dear-levy/" rel="bookmark" title="July 27, 2006">Dear Levy</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2006/07/16/combatting-jews-for-jesus/" rel="bookmark" title="July 16, 2006">Combatting Jews For Jesus</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2008/08/28/getting-on-the-same-page/" rel="bookmark" title="August 28, 2008">Getting On The Same Page</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2008/08/14/ffoz-seminar-the-commandment-to-bless/" rel="bookmark" title="August 14, 2008">FFOZ Seminar &#8211; The Commandment to Bless</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2006/05/25/knocking-seminar-followup/" rel="bookmark" title="May 25, 2006">&#8220;Knocking&#8221; Seminar Followup</a></li>
</ul>
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		<title>Blinded to the Gospel?</title>
		<link>http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2006/08/08/blinded-to-the-gospel/</link>
		<comments>http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2006/08/08/blinded-to-the-gospel/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 Aug 2006 22:26:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Darren</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Apostolic Writings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Interfaith]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://diggingwithdarren.com/blog/?p=97</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I need your help. Recently, someone wrote this &#8220;defense&#8221; for their reasons they reject the notion of submitting to Torah, along with a few burning accusations, which I think are completely inaccurate, and actually a reversal of what I perceive. How would you gently respond to this? The whole understanding of scripture Old and New [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I need your help. Recently, someone wrote this &#8220;defense&#8221; for their reasons they reject the notion of submitting to Torah, along with a few burning accusations, which I think are completely inaccurate, and actually a reversal of what I perceive. How would you <em>gently</em> respond to this?</p>
<blockquote><p>The whole understanding of scripture Old and New is more based on the Holy Spirit. All the Apostles recognized what had been inspired by the Holy Spirit to be scripture and on the same level as all other scripture. When Jesus speaks a rhema word to us it is still from Jesus and equal to all other revelation from Jesus. The difference that we will have is our point of reference. The Jews had the old testament but because of the rebellion of the Jews and the grace of God for the Gentiles, God blinded the hearts of the Jews so that even though they had the Old Testament that foretold of the Gospel of God through His son Jesus, they didn’t even recognize Jesus when He stood right in front of them. The Jews were blinded for a reason and there will come a time when their blindness will be removed. </p>
<p>[People who live according to the Torah], however, willfully blinded themselves to the Gospel taught in the New Testament. Christ revealed many new things in the New Testament that can not be understood by containing it in the box of the Old Testament. (Read the parable of the new and old wine skin) These new things were a building towards where God is and moving away from where man was. The OT was God taking Himself and putting Himself on man’s level. Coming to dwell on earth and having man worship God in a physical way. The NT is God moving things closer to where He is and having man worship in spirit and truth. Remember Jesus saying that a time is coming and now is when man will neither worship here nor there but in spirit and truth. Moving things to a spiritual level is why you really can eat anything. Jesus himself says that nothing entering a man corrupts him but what comes out of the heart corrupts the man. Now this teaching doesn’t blend with the OT thought because in the OT it was physical so God had purity on a physical level. Now it is on a spiritual level. Does that mean all of the OT is cancelled out? – no. Does this mean Christians don’t obey the commandments of God – no way. For God wrote His law on our hearts. He tells us that. The concept that is different is very much contained in the life of Paul. He was a Jew, a very zealous Jew that killed the Christians because of the Law. Did he finally come to the realization that the Christians were right and he was wrong by studying the law more? No. By studying the law more he persecuted the Christians even more. It wasn’t until Jesus met him on the road to Damascus and revealed the new covenant to Paul that he was forever changed. This new covenant is covered in Jeremiah 31 and again in Hebrews 8. The new covenant comes into place because the Jews broke the old covenant and God turned away from them. If [this group of Torah-observant people] turns from the new covenant and places themselves back under the old covenant then you won’t be able to understand the mystery revealed in Jesus Christ. Mainly because it just won’t fit. What I saw in the old testament jews was pride, arrogance and anger when Jesus and the apostles tried to reason with them concerning the new covenant. Ironically that is the same thing I saw in [these people]…isn’t that incredible.</p></blockquote>
<p><strong>Similar Posts:</strong>
<ul class="similar-posts">
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2012/02/01/discipleship-vampire-christianity/" rel="bookmark" title="February 1, 2012">Discipleship &#8211; Vampire Christianity</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2011/06/29/life-without-limits/" rel="bookmark" title="June 29, 2011">Life Without Limits</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2011/02/09/engrafting-or-replacement-part-1/" rel="bookmark" title="February 9, 2011">Engrafting or Replacement &#8211; Part 1</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2011/02/18/engrafting-or-replacement-%e2%80%93-part-2/" rel="bookmark" title="February 18, 2011">Engrafting or Replacement – Part 2</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2010/07/02/god-hates-shrimp-but-approves-of-homosexuality/" rel="bookmark" title="July 2, 2010">God Hates Shrimp (But approves of homosexuality)</a></li>
</ul>
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		<item>
		<title>Dear Levy</title>
		<link>http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2006/07/27/dear-levy/</link>
		<comments>http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2006/07/27/dear-levy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 27 Jul 2006 12:26:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Darren</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Interfaith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Judaism]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://diggingwithdarren.com/blog/?p=87</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Recently Boaz Michael posted some emails he had received and asked for some input on how to respond to them. Here is one of the letters, and my response. I would like to hear how YOU would have responded. “Hi, I have a question about you people. I’m reform Jewish and not too religious. I [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Recently <a href="http://www.boazmichael.org" title="BoazMichael.org">Boaz Michael</a> posted some emails he had received and asked for some input on how to respond to them. Here is one of the letters, and my response. I would like to hear how <strong>YOU</strong> would have responded.<br />
<blockquote>“Hi, I have a question about you people. I’m reform Jewish and not too religious. I have a friend who is not Jewish but wears a yarmulke around, acts like the orthodox and he says I should believe in the Jewish messiah just like him so that I can be “complete”. How can you expect to trick us into believing that? Even though I don’t care that much, it seems wrong to walk around looking like religious Jews and teaching Christian things. He mentioned that you could answer my questions.”</p></blockquote>
<p>Dear Levy, </p>
<p>Thank you for your letter. Through your taking the time to write to us with your concerns, it shows me that you are serious about this matter, and I intend on giving you a genuine response.</p>
<p>First, let me say that it is not the intent of our organization (and presumably of your friend) to proselytize Jews—especially to a religion which condemns the righteous Torah of your forefathers. Unlike other organizations who use Jewish-type symbolism only in order to attract unsuspecting Jews for conversion attempts, our motives for Torah-observance are entirely different. Let me share a Scripture with you. The prophet Y&#8217;shayahu (Isaiah) says, </p>
<p>&#8220;And the foreigners who join themselves to Hashem to serve Him and to love the Name of Hashem to become servants unto Him, all who guard the Sabbath against desecration, and grasp My covenant tightly—I will bring them to My holy mountain, and I will gladden them in My house of prayer; their elevation offerings and their feast-offerings will find favor on My Altar, for My House will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.&#8221; (Isaiah 56:6-8)</p>
<p>Through this passage Hashem tells us that if we (non-Jews) bind ourselves to Hashem and His covenant (Torah), then we will find favor before Him. Yes, for the last two thousand years Christianity has been a religion in opposition to and in competition with Judaism. There is no question of this. Countless Jewish lives have been lost in the name of &#8220;Christianity.&#8221; And for us to lure you into a religion which is against the Torah or would lead you to serve &#8220;gods whom you have not known&#8221; (Devarim/Deuteronomy 13) would be unthinkable.</p>
<p>The reason we do these things is not as a lure, but out of our genuine desire to express our devotion to the Almighty. And in our expression, if we are truly desiring to serve the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, how can it help but look Jewish? When we begin to follow the ways of Torah, the expressions of our faith will inevitably have similarities with you and your brothers and sisters. Although we do not deny our belief in our Messiah who himself said &#8220;I have not come to do away with the Torah…&#8221; (Matthew 5:17), we do not agree with historical Christianity in regard to positions of our relationship with the Jewish people or Torah-observance. We do not wish for you to think we are in any way a threat to our Jewish brothers and sisters. It is our desire that we would all serve Hashem sincerely, rather than seeing one another as a threat. We seek to understand your position, and to act in ways that honor the Name of Hashem, rather than damage it.</p>
<p>The Shmonei also says, &#8220;May Your compassion be aroused, Hashem, our G-d, and give goodly reward to all who sincerely believe in Your Name. Put our lot with them forever, and we will not feel ashamed, for we trust in You. Blessed are You, Hashem, Mainstay and Assurance of the Righteous.&#8221; This is our prayer—that Hashem would put our lot with your people and that we might serve Him in love and in fear throughout our days.</p>
<p>Last, we have an open-door policy. If you wish to continue dialogue on this subject or any other, we welcome your comments, your criticism and your insights. I hope that this might give you at least a small glimpse into understanding where we are coming from, and hope that it helps you understand your friend a little better. Again, we appreciate you taking the time to write to us. Please feel free to contact us anytime.<strong>Similar Posts:</strong>
<ul class="similar-posts">
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2005/05/17/vision-quest/" rel="bookmark" title="May 17, 2005">Vision Quest</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2010/03/16/temple-mount-awareness-day/" rel="bookmark" title="March 16, 2010">Temple Mount Awareness Day</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2007/10/31/dear-friend/" rel="bookmark" title="October 31, 2007">Dear Friend&#8230;</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2006/07/16/combatting-jews-for-jesus/" rel="bookmark" title="July 16, 2006">Combatting Jews For Jesus</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2011/11/24/i-am-thankful/" rel="bookmark" title="November 24, 2011">I Am Thankful</a></li>
</ul>
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		<title>Combatting Jews For Jesus</title>
		<link>http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2006/07/16/combatting-jews-for-jesus/</link>
		<comments>http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2006/07/16/combatting-jews-for-jesus/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 16 Jul 2006 17:53:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Darren</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Interfaith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Judaism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Torah]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://diggingwithdarren.com/blog/?p=77</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I recently came across an article on aish.com entitled &#8220;The Conversion Vaccine,&#8221; subtitled The best defense to the ambitious &#8220;Jews for Jesus&#8221; missionary campaign. It&#8217;s an article on the attempts of Jews for Jesus to &#8220;evangelize&#8221; Jews in order to convert them to Christianity. The article accurately points out that the best resistance to such [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I recently came across an article on <a href="http://aish.com">aish.com</a> entitled <em>&#8220;<a href="http://www.aish.com/jewishissues/jewishsociety/The_Conversion_Vaccine.asp" title="Read the article for yourself">The Conversion Vaccine</a>,&#8221;</em> subtitled <em>The best defense to the ambitious &#8220;Jews for Jesus&#8221; missionary campaign</em>. It&#8217;s an article on the attempts of <a href="http://www.jewsforjesus.org/" title="Check out the JFJ website">Jews for Jesus</a> to &#8220;evangelize&#8221; Jews in order to convert them to Christianity. The article accurately points out that the best resistance to such missionaries is to simply be educated in the spiritual aspects of Judaism and to practice Judaism itself. They also accurately pointed out that Jews for Jesus does not have any power of influence over observant Jews in regard to conversion. Why? Because observant Jews know the Torah, and Jews for Jesus do not. Although Jews for Jesus makes up for its Torah ignorance in zeal, it does not carry enough weight for observant Jews to turn away from the Biblical mandate to beware of those who will lead you astray to serve &#8220;gods you do not know&#8221; (Deut 13, e.g. this one named &#8220;Jesus&#8221;).</p>
<p>Please don&#8217;t misunderstand me. I&#8217;m not saying Jews don&#8217;t need to know their long awaited Messiah. What I am saying, however, is that they don&#8217;t need to be convinced into thinking the law-breaking, Sabbath-violating Jesus that JFJ has created is their savior. He is not. The true Savior of all mankind, particularly of the Jews, is the Torah-loving, Sabbath-keeping Yeshua who is accurately portrayed in the Apostolic Scriptures if one reads them without an anti-nomian, anti-Semetic bias.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the damage JFJ has done in regard to Jews in regard to their search for Messiah has been catastrophic. Their blatant rejection of the Ways of the Almighty (found in His Torah) have pierced the hearts of Jews (and G-d fearing non-Jews) around the world. Here&#8217;s an example of what I&#8217;m talking about.</p>
<p>One of my very good friends&#8217; father is an elder in a local evangelical church. He doesn&#8217;t agree with the Torah-based lifestyle of his son. And in order to illustrate the point that the Law &#8220;really is done away with&#8221; he told the story of the JFJ missionary that came to their church. When he came, he specifically requested to be taken out to eat catfish&#8230;on <strong>Yom Kippur</strong>. Let&#8217;s just say I&#8217;m glad that I wasn&#8217;t around, because I would have been looking for a bomb-shelter. But it&#8217;s amazing the mercy our Heavenly Father has on us—even in our rebellion.</p>
<p>But here lies my question. How do you think his actions reflect to any Jew who is even slightly observant, much less devout? It would be like calling up a pastor to get spiritual counseling, and told to hang on while he stokes the fire in order to finish offering his child up to Molech. His credibility not only went out the window, but he was understood to be exactly what he was—a false prophet.</p>
<p>Sadly, JFJ has forced the majority of Jews into believing that everyone who believes in Yeshua as Messiah has the same anti-Law mentality. It has also caused them to create anti-missionary tactics and programs in order to combat this introduction of a false religion (the one that rejects the Law of G-d). Although the education of Jews to know their spiritual heritage is quite valuable, the downside of this is the staunch rejection of any idea that their Messiah has indeed come.</p>
<p>I have to admit, we need to be thankful to Jews for Jesus for at least one thing. With their introduction of the bait-and-switch Torah tactics that have been used time and again in order to trick some poor Jew into converting to their brand of Christianity based on the &#8220;common thread&#8221; of the Torah, many have come to realize the validity of the Torah (even though JFJ does not). It has created a rebirth of the Torah movement in our day (Baruch Hashem!), and created an environment to which we could recognize that the original Biblical faith is a Jewish one.</p>
<p>The JFJ addition to the equation is a double-edged sword of which only the Almighty will be able to sort out in the end.</p>
<p>Thanks, JFJ, for your life-touching ministry.</p>
<p>I&#8217;d like to hear your comments. Feel free to post them on this article with the comments link.<strong>Similar Posts:</strong>
<ul class="similar-posts">
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2009/03/02/520/" rel="bookmark" title="March 2, 2009">Yeshua &#038; The Rambam</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2009/05/28/brief-note-on-session-1/" rel="bookmark" title="May 28, 2009">Brief note on Session 1</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2007/02/12/5-minute-torah-mishpatim/" rel="bookmark" title="February 12, 2007">5 Minute Torah &#8211; Mishpatim</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2005/05/08/jerusalem-conference-05/" rel="bookmark" title="May 8, 2005">Jerusalem Conference 05</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2006/08/20/pirkei-avotchapter-1-mishnah-11/" rel="bookmark" title="August 20, 2006">Pirkei Avot—Chapter 1, Mishnah 11</a></li>
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		<title>Asian Christians Speak Out!</title>
		<link>http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2005/09/01/asian-christians-speak-out/</link>
		<comments>http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2005/09/01/asian-christians-speak-out/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 01 Sep 2005 14:29:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Darren</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Interfaith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Israel]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://diggingwithdarren.com/blog/?p=35</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Good news! There are actually some Christians in the world who are speaking out on behalf of Israel! The Jerusalem Summit convened, where over a thousand Christian leaders met together for the sole reason to support Israel, and made the following declarations: We have convened this conference to reaffirm the Christian position that the Holy [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Good news! There are actually some Christians in the world who are speaking out on behalf of Israel! The Jerusalem Summit convened, where over a thousand Christian leaders met together for the sole reason to support Israel, and made the following declarations:</p>
<p><em>We have convened this conference to reaffirm the Christian position that the Holy Land and its eternal capital, Jerusalem are the inheritance of the Jewish people forever. </p>
<p>We request that the implementation of the resolutions below be placed on the Christian agenda around the world.</em></p>
<p>Toward this end, the Jerusalem Summit proclaims:</p>
<ul>
<li>We commit to petitioning our respective governments to move their embassies to Jerusalem.</li>
<li>We commit to petitioning our respective governments to stop supporting biased UN resolutions that are anti-Israel.</li>
<li>We commit to petitioning our respective governments to cease funding the Palestinian Authority or to place effective restrictions on such funding to prevent its use for terror.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=88241" title="Israel National News story">Full story here.</a><strong>Similar Posts:</strong>
<ul class="similar-posts">
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2005/08/30/the-battle-for-jerusalem-has-begun/" rel="bookmark" title="August 30, 2005">The Battle for Jerusalem Has Begun</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2011/02/21/you-have-heard-that-it-was-said%e2%80%a6-but-i-say-to-you-part-1/" rel="bookmark" title="February 21, 2011">You have heard that it was said… But I say to you &#8211; Part 1</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2005/05/06/new-writings/" rel="bookmark" title="May 6, 2005">New Writings</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2011/10/30/book-review-the-tehran-initiative/" rel="bookmark" title="October 30, 2011">Book Review: The Tehran Initiative</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.diggingwithdarren.com/blog/2011/02/03/2nd-temple-era-coins-jugs-during-arms-raid/" rel="bookmark" title="February 3, 2011">Police find 2nd Temple-era coins, jugs during arms raid</a></li>
</ul>
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