Letters    

ON ROMANISM VS. JUDAISM

Dear N. H.                                                                                                          May 18, 1991

    Thank you for your letter ... It is certain that the Pope and the Popish system is wicked, and that the roads leading to Rome have flowed with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. But the Jews in the Babylonian Talmud (Soncino Edition) say that Jesus Christ is in Hell in boiling excrement (Git. 56b-57a). The Jewish Encyclopedia (1901-1905) affirms as well that Jesus is in Hell (p. 172).

    The Jewish Encyclopedia calls Him a bastard, and on p. 170, it says his mother Mary "was known to be an adulteress." The Talmud says, "She who was the descendants of princes and governors played the harlot with carpenters" (Sanh. 106b).

    The Talmud declares Christ to have practiced sorcery (Sanh. 43a), while in Shabbethai 104b, and in Sanhedrin 67a, it calls Him the "son of Pandera" and "Ben Strada."

      The Toldoth Jesu is a Medieval rabbinic tale about Jesus, and declares that Judas "pissed upon Jesus, and they both became unclean" (chap. 4:43).

     In unedited versions, The Talmud declares Jesus was excommunicated for the thought of seducing a woman, and that in his ensuing grief, and confusion, He began to worship a brick (Sanh. 107b). The Jewish Encyclopedia affirms the same (p. 170). What Pope ever said such things?

OF JEWS AS PAGANS

Dear F. F.                                                                                                     October 30, 1987

     ...The Jews have not accepted the righteousness of God in the person of His Son (Proverbs 30:4). They are as great pagans as Moslems, Buddhists, or Hindus. "Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). It is at the name of Jesus that every knee shall bow (Philippians 2:10). Not Siva or Vishnu of the Hindus, not Allah of the Moslems, and not Buddha is able to save men from sin. Jehovah has provided one gate only into heaven, and even this is an act of grace.

     Christ Jesus, "being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:6-11).

TO A HATER OF JEWS

Dear P. C.                                                                                                    February 21, 1988

       ...I was amazed at your willingness to judge everyone with whom you disagree with being a Jew. But as I thought on these things, I did not pity you so much as I pitied them who have fed you such falsehoods. I hesitate to respond because I do not think it will do any good; however, in order to be faithful to truth, I must.

     I cannot believe you could be so easily led to believe that the "translators from Hebrew to Greek to Latin were primarily Jews." Neither were they Jews who translated the King James Bible.

    John Calvin was a Frenchman whose name was originally Chauvin or Caulvin, not Cohan. No, sir, he was not a Jew. I suspect you probably read that in material published by Sheldon Emry, pastor of the Lord's Covenant Church, although I will not even accuse him of such nonsense.

    Regarding the Jews: First, most Jews do not know what is taught in the Talmud. ...And, although the Jews declare that they were never in captivity, this does not alter the fact. Truth cannot be based upon falsehood; and, the statement by the Jews found in John 8:33 was never assented to by the Lord.

    Second, as early as 700 B. C., the Israelites were called Jews (See: II Kings 16:6). Although this should settle the argument, you do not accept the Bible as authoritative, so it remains an open-ended issue with you.

It is exceedingly dangerous to give anybody our eyes, our ears, and our time. We need to be sure who we are studying after, for as Paul warns, many there be who lie in wait to deceive.

    Third, one fact that you evidently do not understand is that the reason the Jews called Jesus, "Jesus of Nazareth" was to obfuscate every sign of His being the Messiah. When He was arrested in the Garden, Jesus was told the soldiers had come to arrest "Jesus of Nazareth." He could have said, "I am not He," because He was not: He was Jesus of Bethlehem.

    The fact the Jews called Him, "Jesus of Nazareth" does not mean it was true: it was in fact a lie, like the one spoken by the serpent in Eden when he told Eve, "Thou shalt not surely die." Peter used this surname of the Lord simply because it was the name by which He was popularly known, and under which He was crucified (John 19:19).

    Judah was taken into captivity 136 years after Israel. In Babylon, the people became commonly known as "Jews." Therefore, Paul identifies himself as a "Jew" (Acts 21:39; II Corinthians 11:22; and Philippians 3:5). Note: Paul says he was a Jew.

    Jesus was a Jew as He was from the tribe of Judah (Matthew 1:2; Hebrews 7:14). Paul declares He was "made under the Law" (Galatians 4:14). It is evident that this does not refer to civil, i.e. to Roman Law, because He observed the Passover. He was under Jewish, i.e. Mosaic Law.

     However, if the Scriptures are not our authority, there is no way to solve anything. This is the reason Peter declared the most fundamental knowledge of Spiritual things is predicated upon this single fact: "No prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation" (II Peter 1:20,21).

   The amanuenses of Holy Writ did not sit down and write because they had a hankering to write. Instead, they were "moved by the Holy Ghost," and Peter says it is of utmost importance that this be first established. "May God Smile On You."—Bach

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