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For the Christians (Abrahamic only)

Walkntune

Well-Known Member
The "Thief" on the cross is an interesting subject, we don't know much about him except that he was being EXECUTED by the Romans, something petty theft never warranted, so he was more likely an "Insurrectionist", which is not against Jewish Law. He could have very well been a perfectly Torah obedient Jew, but among the Zealots for example.

Other than that, why do you suppose he accepted Jesus as Msesiah while the others didn't? Perhaps he had a more righteous standing than them and recognized him as such.
He only admitted he was a sinner and that he did deserve his punishment. He would not have been punished unless he was a lawbreaker. They only lived by law.
No reason to assume thief does not mean thief unless we want to manipulate the meaning of the passage other than what it says.
 

CMike

Well-Known Member
a person who was righteous at heart and adhered to Gods righteousness from the heart, would not need a law telling them that it would be wrong to divorce your wife or marry multiple wives.

Jesus was above the mosaic law because what he taught were 'principles' which are far more superior to 'laws'. Laws are given for certain circumstances, but principles are eternal truths.

when you live by eternal truths, you dont need ANY laws.

Dvarim Chapter 13

1. Everything I command you that you shall be careful to do it. You shall neither add to it, nor subtract from it.

Jesus thought he was superior to G-D? That is extremely arrogant, blashphemous, heretical.
 

CMike

Well-Known Member
but here is the issue, Jesus didnt spell out the 613 mosaic laws as part of his teachings.

When he said that we should obey all the laws, how do you know he meant the 613 mosaic laws? He may not have!

His teachings included laws which were vastly different to the mosaic law. The law on divorce for example...Jesus said NOT to divorce ones wife. His followers understood his teaching to mean that polygamy was no longer acceptable. So for a christian, Jesus teachings are above the mosiac law and we cannot assume to think that Jesus was encouraging the keeping of that law which was opposed to his instructions about marriage & divorce.
That makes no sense.

Obeying all the laws, means obeying the 613 commandments which are all the laws.
 

CMike

Well-Known Member
And God can change the directions if he sees fit.

He directed Noah to build an ark... he didnt require that of your or I.

And he directed christians to put faith in the Messiah Jesus.... 'faith' ... not works of mosaic law.

That's sort of true. He commanded Noah to build an ark, that was specifically directed at Noah.

However, the 613 laws were directed at all jews, and the 7 laws of Noach are directed at all non jews.
 

CMike

Well-Known Member
but here is the issue, Jesus didnt spell out the 613 mosaic laws as part of his teachings.

When he said that we should obey all the laws, how do you know he meant the 613 mosaic laws? He may not have!

His teachings included laws which were vastly different to the mosaic law. The law on divorce for example...Jesus said NOT to divorce ones wife. His followers understood his teaching to mean that polygamy was no longer acceptable. So for a christian, Jesus teachings are above the mosiac law and we cannot assume to think that Jesus was encouraging the keeping of that law which was opposed to his instructions about marriage & divorce.
The Torah does allow for divorce. In fact, G-D specifically gives laws dealing with divorce.
 

captainbryce

Active Member
The Law given to Abraham about circumcision is not necessarily the same thing as that given to Moses.
Actually it was. And that's why God threatened to kill Moses when he didn't obey the law of circumcision. If the law all Abraham all of a sudden didn't apply to Moses, why the threat? And why did Joshua have to re-institute it after Moses had broken the covenant?

As for separating from the people among you, I believe that may refer solely to the forbidden races, as Josephus implies,
Yes, that would be GENTILES! Any "race" that was not the Jews were considered Gentiles.

but Ezra would be quoting a law that does not exist.
It DID exist, because Ezra said that it was instituted as a law.

Ezra 10:2-3
Let us now make a covenant with our God to divorce our pagan wives and to send them away with their children. We will follow the advice given by you and by the others who respect the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law of God.

Now are you suggesting that the "law" part of it ONLY applied to marriage and children, and not to the people in general (as the context of the scripture seems to imply). Because if so, this is yet another example of you cherry picking the scripture!

The individual Law given to Abraham about circumcising his entire household and all his servants is completely separate from the one given to the Jews that they shall circumcise their children, and we see that when the Law was given, apparently the Jews did not circumcise themselves in the second generation since the Exodus, even after being with Moses all that time, they had to be reminded to do it in order to celebrate Passover.
NO cherry picker, that's NOT what it says! The commandment NEVER changed. It was the same commandment during the time of Moses as it was for Abraham. Moses BROKE the covenant (and was threatened/punished) for it. That's why the Jews weren't circumcising anymore. But they took it up again AFTER Moses to re-establish the covenant. There is nothing in scripture that says that it was only meant for "their children". The command was that EVERY MALE AMONG THEM (including slaves) would be circumcised. And even IF the law had change (which it didn't of course), then you'd be contradicting your own point about how the OT laws never changed.

As you can see, the commandment is to circumcise your offspring. "Every male (offspring) of you is to be circumcised".
That's NOT the commandment, and that's not what it says. You added the (offspring) part yourself. Here's what it says:

Genesis 17:10-11
10 This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep: Each male among you must be circumcised. 11 You must cut off the flesh of your foreskin as a sign of the covenant between me and you.

Keep reading,

And every male who doesn't have it done will be cut off. But that's not a commandment to undergo it.
Yes, actually it is because it says to right there in the black and white of Genesis 17:11. Sorry, but your just wrong!

Were the generations of Israel who had to circumcise themselves before they could obey Passover instantly cut off because they had not had it done?
The answer is YES. That's why they went ahead and got circumcised (so that they could be part of the covenant again). If they were not cut off then they would have been able to participate in Passover.

Let me also add, since I should have been more clear, I was referring to converts and those who weren't of the literal seed of Israel.
Right. Because whenever you get caught saying something that is just flat out WRONG, you have to go back and amend what you previously said in order to somehow make it right. Because you're one of those people that just can't ever admit to being wrong! Trust me, I figured that out about you a long time ago! :rolleyes:

A "treaty of friendship" is much different than going in to eat at their house.
Are you friggin kidding me? Now you're just grasping at straws. :sarcastic

Besides, if Jews believed in the whole "Separate yourselves from people around you" as you are interpreting it here, even Orthodox Jews wouldn't even do business with gentiles. They wouldn't even live in the same city, even in isolated neighborhoods. New York would be verboten! Besides, Israel is breaking the Torah by even having foreign relations by your interpretation.
First of all, it's not my interpretation, it's what it actually says! Secondly, most Jews DO seperate themselves from the people around them. It's called the country of Israel - do you watch the news? Thirdly, I think that Jews haved always cherry picked God's word, and applied it ONLY if/when it seems convenient for them to do so at the time. I think this has been the running theme with the Jewish people ever since the Old Testament days (which is why God established the new covenant to replace the old). Jews have NEVER obeyed the whole law! When's the last time Jews stoned their children for disobeying? When's the last time Israel executed a citizen for practicing homosexuality? They don't even obey OT laws today, they only obey the ones that they find convenient.

As you can see, neither of those come from the Law given by Moses. The specific command given to Abraham may or may not be directly applicable as well, otherwise, why would Leviticus 12:3 even be given?
OT laws are not just given ONCE. They are often repeated throughout scripture many times (in several different ways). But if the law once given doesn't change (as you seem to believe) then you are invalidating your own point. The commandment given to Abraham applies until forever, or age-long, or until the end of the Old Covenant, or however you want to put it. But one thing is certain, that would include MOSES, and all subsequent generations of Jews at least until after Jesus dies!

Moses was nearly put to death for not circumcising his son, so this law was apparently known to him at his time.
That's the point I am making! Ergo, the law of Abraham always applied to Moses' generation. And the law was that EVERY MEMBER OF THE HOUSEHOLD be circumcised, not just infants.

So the commandment to be circumcised is not an official commandment in the Mosaic Law, technically speaking, at the very least for Foreigners, who were allowed to be converts but simply weren't allowed to eat at the Passover. Why even include a ruling that only the circumcised can eat of the Passover?
The commandment is official because when one breaks it, they have in fact broken the covenant! It came before the laws of Moses and applies to every generation after Abraham. Being a "convert" meant being circumcised, and therefore allowed to participate in Jewish celebrations. If you were not circumcised, you are not a convert and therefore have no place at Passover. With all due respect, I no longer think that you know what you're talking about anymore. I think that you're seriously under-analyzing (a euphemism for cherry picking) what scripture says and arbitrarily deciding what laws to apply to whom. But I highly doubt that most Christians, Muslims OR even Jews would agree with your interpretation on this point, and I don't see how your view can be justified with the plain reading of the text.

Even then, if the circumcision law was to be for all generations, anyone who teaches to break it is thus a false prophet.
Which according to you is Moses! And that's why your argument is self-defeating.

Where does that put Paul?
Paul didn't break the covenant. Paul WAS circumcised himself, and he circumcised other Jews. Paul taught that Gentiles didn't have to be circumcised when other Jews were falsely teaching that they did. Paul was right because Gentiles were never given a commandment to be circumcised in the first place. In fact, IF Gentiles were required to become circumcised, that would completely invalidate the point of Jews being circumcised.

So one way or another, you are left with two conclusions:

1) Even if you go by Pre-Mosaic Law, circumcision was absolutely necessary to perform on your offspring, and its for all generations, so anyone who speaks otherwise is a condemnable false teacher.

2. If you believe this law has changed because some prophet came along and said otherwise, than you somehow have to prove that he's a real prophet.
You just created a false dichotomy. The true conclusion (the one that can be reconciled with scripture without cherry picking) is this:

Circumcision was absolutely necessary to perform on ALL males who were to be included into the old covenant (including adults, slaves, and converts, and not limited merely to your own offspring), and this would be a requirement until the old covenant is replaced with the new covenant established by sacrifice of Jesus Christ (prophesied in Jeremiah 31), which would include Gentiles. Because since the new covenant also includes Gentiles, the purpose of circumcision no longer exists. And no, I don't have to "prove" a belief to you. I believe in Jesus Christ and I believe that he died for the sins of everyone who believes in him (as he said). You do not, but I don't require that you prove your belief to me.
 

captainbryce

Active Member
The "Thief" on the cross is an interesting subject, we don't know much about him except that he was being EXECUTED by the Romans, something petty theft never warranted, so he was more likely an "Insurrectionist", which is not against Jewish Law. He could have very well been a perfectly Torah obedient Jew, but among the Zealots for example.
The bible doesn't say he was a petty thief, it describes him as a "criminal". It doesn't say what his crimes were, but it absolutely implies that he was deserving of execution (he even says so himself):

Luke 23:40-41
40 But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? 41 We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.”

Would a Jew who was perfectly observant in Torah law say that he deserved to die for his crimes? I think not!
 

Sleeppy

Fatalist. Christian. Pacifist.
What's the need for multiple temples? When we will have our temple built, we will all be out of exile and back to our homeland where God's house stands. No need for more than one temple...



It is no one's will. If we actually knew the real repercussions to our sins, then we simple wouldn't do it anymore. Who says they have been delayed or prevented? Prevented by whom?


I believe they will build the final kingdom when we are done with the tikkunim.

um.. okay...
I'm sorry, I mean no disrespect but I just don't see what you are trying to accomplish with these questions. What do they have to do with the OP. Can you get to the point please?

Here's my point..

Isaiah 66:1

Thus said Jehovah: The heavens are My throne, And the earth My footstool, Where is this -- the house that ye build for Me? And where is this -- the place -- My rest?

How is it that you and your forefathers designated borders, for both you and God?.. And call everything you've touched, or could spill blood on, holy?

Yet, what God forms even before the womb- breathing an inheritance of His Spirit into Adam- and rules over in the Earth, by His own hands, you call ineffective. How? By some other word spoken elsewhere? Isn't mankind a congregation of tabernacles and temples?

So, what is verifiable beyond text, or even language?

You've hoped, and hoped, and hoped. But while you build up your own homes (in all of God's holy land), and use your own footstools, God's is somehow unfinished, and neglected- by words and texts, and spilling blood. Do you believe Muslims will not continue to claim what you've claimed?

You say that no one's will is being done. How is this possible? Shouldn't you recognise God, as God? King over all kingdoms of Earth?.. Especially, considering that He's bound Himself, and everything created, by His word, which every prophet claims they've given accurately, and by the detail.

Here's the point..

Why are we arguing and fighting for what God has in His hands, already?

If it is easier for the heavens and Earth to 'pass away' than for the Law to become void, or even reformed, then how is it made void and reformed?

Jeremiah 31:32

Not like the covenant that I made with their fathers, In the day of My laying hold on their hand, To bring them out of the land of Egypt, In that they made void My covenant, And I ruled over them -- an affirmation of Jehovah.

Isaiah 65:17

For, lo, I am creating new heavens, and a new earth, And the former things are not remembered, Nor do they ascend on the heart.
 

captainbryce

Active Member
"Faith" means obedience to what he taught, which means compliance with the Law as he taught.
Where do you get this nonsense from? That's not what faith means! Faith means believing that Jesus Christ is the promised messiah who died for our sins. Believing and obedience are two different things. Christians are disobedient sometimes (for which we are expected to repent and ask forgiveness). But when we fail that doesn't mean we have lost faith. You're conflating two separate concepts.

All too often it seems Christians have tried to reinvent what "Faith" means into something that's so abstract that it has no solid ground.
No my friend, that's what YOU just did. Faith means "faith", not obedience.

Faith - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Meanwhile, these same people have a severe problem with the idea of "faith" in what he actually taught. Go figure.
Kind of like Moses huh! :rolleyes:
 

Shermana

Heretic
And so, our Antinomian uses a modern English dictionary to define the word for "Faith".

It gets better and better.

Isn't it interesting that they have such a problem with the idea of having faith in what he taught?

And yes, failing can in fact be a symptom of lost faith depending on what you are being disobedient about.

Why would a person with faith be disobedient exactly? Rebelliousness and losing the eye on the prize is the only explanation.
 
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Shermana

Heretic
The bible doesn't say he was a petty thief, it describes him as a "criminal". It doesn't say what his crimes were, but it absolutely implies that he was deserving of execution (he even says so himself):

Luke 23:40-41
40 But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? 41 We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.”

Would a Jew who was perfectly observant in Torah law say that he deserved to die for his crimes? I think not!

If he was an insurrectionist, he would surely deserve death according to Roman Law.

http://www.jrbriggs.com/the-ironies-of-the-easter-story/04/

3. Insurrectionists:
The two criminals on the cross were not thieves as many people think, but insurrectionists (lestai in the Greek), the same crime for which Barabbas was imprisoned. Therefore, there were three insurrectionists – four if you include Jesus – in the Passion story. Think of the irony: one insurrectionist was crucified but forgiven. One insurrectionist was crucified, but was not forgiven. One insurrectionist was released before the crowds and one insurrectionist took the penalty for all. If Jesus were labeled an ‘insurrectionist’ stirring up crowds with the truth (also think of the life of Paul) how are we to live? Does living out the truth stir others?

The translation of "Criminal" is not necessarily correct, otherwise Barabbas was just a petty criminal too, right?
 

Shermana

Heretic
So much for letting me have the last word, Eh Captain Bryce? Couldn't contain yourself.

I'll say this, I don't know enough of the Rabbinical interpretations of Circumcision, there are Rabbis who have said it's not necessary for converts, and I may in fact be wrong, in which Paul would also be completely wrong (my argument would be giving Paul some benefit of the doubt) and I'm not feeling like responding to your huge block of text, and your condescensions and personal remarks and total ignoring of the specifics of my points and writing off the Jews as cherry picking isn't my idea of something I want to spend an hour doing, so I'll just admit that I may in fact be wrong about the circumcision issue, and thus, Paul would indeed be a false prophet. I find it interesting that you take my position that Gentiles were never commanded to be circumcised, yet your idea of being "Grafts" to the Tree, whatever it is since it's convoluted, somehow doesn't involve them being members of the House of Israel.

It is YOUR argument that is self defeating. So once again, I'm not quite sure whether the law of circumcision was meant for gentile converts, I was just saying my personal opinion on the matter as of now, I have more research to do on the subject as to whether Gen 17:10-12 is considered binding even after the Law of Moses.

Regardless, the very issue itself is a non-issue to begin with, you completely brushed off the heavily supported position that Acts 10 is not about the Dietary Laws whatsoever, and we don't know whether Cornelius was a circumcised Torah obedient convert, who was "Devout" and "God-fearing" or not.

Now if you'd like to have a serious discussion on Paul, feel free to respond to this thread:

http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/same-faith-debates/155187-acts-25-8-i-have-done.html

Where Paul himself admits that he didn't violate Jewish Law whatsoever.



Until then, you really need to tone it down, I'm quick to forgive but you are skating on very thin ice with my patience. I am still asking for your humbling. By your own interpretation, I shouldn't even be friendly with you whatsoever, or is that "Grasping at straws"? As far as I'm concerned, you're an enemy to my god and my beliefs, so how should I treat you in accordance to the law in your interpretation? Shouldn't "separate yourselves" in your logic also mean "Don't even communicate with"?

You would think the Rabbis would not even allow Arabs and Armenians and Thai and Chinese workers to be citizens! Hey Rabbis, we have Captain Bryce to tell you what the Law REALLY means, even though what Ezra says isn't specifically found in the Law as he says it.
 
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Shermana

Heretic
He only admitted he was a sinner and that he did deserve his punishment. He would not have been punished unless he was a lawbreaker. They only lived by law.
No reason to assume thief does not mean thief unless we want to manipulate the meaning of the passage other than what it says.

What part about "Theft was not an executable crime" do you not want to accept?
 

captainbryce

Active Member
And so, our Antinomian uses a modern English dictionary to define the word for "Faith".
What else would I use to define a word that was translated into the modern English concept of faith? If faith meant obedience, then it would have been translated that way. :rolleyes:

Isn't it interesting that they have such a problem with the idea of having faith in what he taught?
You mean in the way that you interpret his teachings (but only sometimes). :sarcastic

And yes, failing can in fact be a symptom of lost faith depending on what you are being disobedient about.
And by the same logic, depending on what you are being disobedient about, IT MAY NOT BE! Did you even think that one through?

Why would a person with faith be disobedient exactly?
Because we are human beings, we have a sinful nature, and sometimes we don't do what's best for us. We make mistakes and we learn from them, but that doesn't mean we lose our faith.

Romans 3:23-25
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.

Rebelliousness and losing the eye on the prize is the only explanation.
That's YOUR explanation derived from a warped, arbitrary, inconsistent, illogical, and hypocritical interpretation of the bible. But that's not the majority interpretation of scholars or adherents to Christianity OR Judaism.
 

captainbryce

Active Member
If he was an insurrectionist, he would surely deserve death according to Roman Law.
That wasn't my question. I asked would an observant Jew believe that he deserved DEATH even if he obeyed all of the Torah - YES or NO? Again, we don't know what his crime was, only that he felt that he deserved his punishment!

The translation of "Criminal" is not necessarily correct, otherwise Barabbas was just a petty criminal too, right?
I didn't add the word "petty", YOU DID. Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussein, and Osama Bin Laden were all criminals too. Would you describe any of their acts as petty? We don't know whether the criminal on the cross' acts were "petty" or not. Only that he was sentenced to death, and that he believed it was appropriate for his crimes. THAT'S IT!
 

Shermana

Heretic
What else would I use to define a word that was translated into the modern English concept of faith? If faith meant obedience, then it would have been translated that way. :rolleyes:

Well then let's play your game:

Faith:

Faith | Define Faith at Dictionary.com


Definitions 1, 3, 4, and 5 all fit with what I'm saying. I know you'll say "Nuh uh" but as anyone else who is actually being objective here reading can see, "Faith" does in fact include, in English at least, the idea of having "Faith" in the teachings. But I appreciate you showing your absolute obstinancy to the idea that you actually have to believe in what Jesus taught. So in your belief, you don't have to actually believe in what Jesus taught, right? Got it.

noun
1.
confidence or trust in a person or thing: faith in another's ability.
2.
belief that is not based on proof: He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact.
3.
belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion: the firm faith of the Pilgrims.
4.
belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit, etc.: to be of the same faith with someone concerning honesty.
5.
a system of religious belief: the Christian faith; the Jewish faith.



You mean in the way that you interpret his teachings (but only sometimes). :sarcastic

As opposed to your interpretation?

And by the same logic, depending on what you are being disobedient about, IT MAY NOT BE! Did you even think that one through?

Can you rephrase that into something understandable?

Because we are human beings, we have a sinful nature, and sometimes we don't do what's best for us. We make mistakes and we learn from them, but that doesn't mean we lose our faith.

How is a mistake based on "Sinful nature" not an act of rebelliousness and losing the eye on the prize? Be specific. It seems you're simply restating exactly what I stated with a pitiful "nuh uh" in an attempt to put it in your own words.

Romans 3:23-25
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.

That does absolutely nothing to disagree with what I said.

That's YOUR explanation derived from a warped, arbitrary, inconsistent, illogical, and hypocritical interpretation of the bible. But that's not the majority interpretation of scholars or adherents to Christianity OR Judaism.

Once again Bryce, all you are capable of doing is clawing and brushing aside at what I said and dismisisng and naysaying but ultimately you have failed to actually disprove what I said.

The only other possibility would be ignorance and failing of memory.

So by all means, please explain how "sinful nature" does NOT involve rebelliousness and willfully disobeying. And this time actually provide a substantial reply, thanks.
 

Shermana

Heretic
That wasn't my question. I asked would an observant Jew believe that he deserved DEATH even if he obeyed all of the Torah - YES or NO? Again, we don't know what his crime was, only that he felt that he deserved his punishment!

Irrelevant. We don't know if he meant "I deserve death" according to Roman or Jewish Law. For someone who complains about red herrings, you serve them like it was a Sushi buffet!

I didn't add the word "petty", YOU DID. Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussein, and Osama Bin Laden were all criminals too. Would you describe any of their acts as petty? We don't know whether the criminal on the cross' acts were "petty" or not. Only that he was sentenced to death, and that he believed it was appropriate for his crimes. THAT'S IT

I understand you want to brush aside substantiated, well-founded and well supported ideas like that the crime was for being an insurrectionist and totally ignore my links as if your answer is the only one that's valid, but there's good reason from the Greek, and again with the example of Barabbas that you totally ignored and dodged, that it's referring to Insurrectionists.

http://www.jesuswalk.com/7-last-words/2_paradise.htm
http://mark-bradford.com/blog/?tag=thief-on-the-cross
http://books.google.com/books?id=8W...&q=Thief on the cross insurrectionist&f=false

As Grant says in the above, he was most likely a Zealot.

Out of curiosity, do you accept the possibility that maybe some of the links I post are right and that if you disagree you should actually go over them and point out where they are wrong? Cause if you're not, you're not in the right forums, you should be in the DIR if you're just out to preach your view without actually debating. I have to ask if YOU are ever willing to admit that you are wrong, as you claim I'm not.

Do you acknowledge at the very least that they most definitely weren't "thieves" since theft was not a death penalty crime or is that asking too much from you?

So do I get the last word this time or do you feel posessed to deny me what you granted again?
 
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captainbryce

Active Member
So much for letting me have the last word, Eh Captain Bryce? Couldn't contain yourself.
If you wanted to end the debate, then why do you keep bringing up my name and asking me questions? I already told you not to do that unless you expect me to respond. I can therefore only imagine that you wish me to continue.

I'll say this, I don't know enough of the Rabbinical interpretations of Circumcision,
No kidding. I think that fact has been made obvious at this point!

there are Rabbis who have said it's not necessary for converts, and I may in fact be wrong,
Hallelujah, a breakthrough! :clap

in which Paul would also be completely wrong (my argument would be giving Paul some benefit of the doubt)
How do you figure that would make Paul wrong? Wouldn't that view be completely consistent with what Paul taught about circumcision in Galatians and Philippians? :confused:

and I'm not feeling like responding to your huge block of text, and your condescensions and personal remarks and total ignoring of the specifics of my points and writing off the Jews as cherry picking isn't my idea of something I want to spend an hour doing,
Convenient, but ultimately predictable! :sleep:

so I'll just admit that I may in fact be wrong about the circumcision issue, and thus, Paul would indeed be a false prophet.
I fail to see how this specific issue (that he adheres to) would make him a false profit, but not Moses (who broke his own covenant).

I find it interesting that you take my position that Gentiles were never commanded to be circumcised, yet your idea of being "Grafts" to the Tree, whatever it is since it's convoluted, somehow doesn't involve them being members of the House of Israel.
Again, it's not my position, it's PAUL's position (the same guy who coined the "grafted" concept in the first place). He defined the parameters of what it means to be grafted, not ME. And since he defined it as Gentiles not being under the law of Moses, I don't see how you can continue to argue otherwise. There is no logic to your position here! You brought up "grafting" and your trying to redefine what it means from the guy who coined it!

It is YOUR argument that is self defeating. So once again, I'm not quite sure whether the law of circumcision was meant for gentile converts, I was just saying my personal opinion on the matter as of now, I have more research to do on the subject as to whether Gen 17:10-12 is considered binding even after the Law of Moses.
That sounds like a giant contradiction to me. You say that my argument is self-defeating when you admit that you don't even know what you're talking about now. How strange! In any case, while it is indeed refreshing to hear you finally admit to being wrong about something, as well as to ceasing trying pass your opinion off as fact, please don't go through anymore trouble on my part. Remember, I'm not here to convince you that my belief is correct. It's okay to agree to disagree!

Since we're throwing out "personal opinions" now, I'll conclude this particular point by giving you my opinion on the issue of circumcision.

A) Gentiles don't need to be circumcised (since they were never part of the old covenant, nor ever commanded to become part of the old covenant).

B) Jews who believe in their heart that they are still under the old covenant should still be circumcised AND have their children circumcised in accordance with Jewish laws. If they are Christians, and they believe in their heart that there is no longer any difference between Jews and Gentiles in the eyes of God, then they may forgo circumcision in favor of inclusion into the new covenant of Jesus Christ.

Regardless, the very issue itself is a non-issue to begin with, you completely brushed off the heavily supported position that Acts 10 is not about the Dietary Laws whatsoever, and we don't know whether Cornelius was a circumcised Torah obedient convert, who was "Devout" and "God-fearing" or not.
A) I never said Acts 10 was about dietary laws. That was a straw-man argument! The point of vision concerning clean and unclean meat was to let Peter know that he should administer to Cornelius (a Gentile), and other Gentile believers in God.

B) We know that Cornelius was not circumcised because he was a Gentile. If he was an observant convert, then Peter's vision in context no longer makes any sense. The whole point of the vision is that he was NOT an observant convert, and yet still a god-fearing man. That's why the scripture says in verse 44: "The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles.". Why would they be astonished if these Gentiles were Jewish converts? That doesn't make any sense, and when things don't make sense, it's because they're not true!

Now if you'd like to have a serious discussion on Paul, feel free to respond to this thread:

http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/same-faith-debates/155187-acts-25-8-i-have-done.html

Where Paul himself admits that he didn't violate Jewish Law whatsoever.
We'll see!

Until then, you really need to tone it down, I'm quick to forgive but you are skating on very thin ice with my patience.
I'm not interested in the patience of someone who evokes my name in a troll-like manner and accuse me of lying, only to later admit that he doesn't know what he's talking about. If you're having a problem with your patience simply because I've pointed out the failures of your argument, that's not my problem. There is no reason for you to be getting emotional about this, especially after baiting me in such a way. Perhaps you should tone down your emotions a bit.

By your own interpretation, I shouldn't even be friendly with you whatsoever, or is that "Grasping at straws"?
It is, because that's not my interpretation of what you should be doing. What I think you should be doing is what Christ taught (ie: love thy neighbor, et al). My argument was about what pre-messianic Jews believed that they should be doing. Totally different!

As far as I'm concerned, you're an enemy to my god and my beliefs, so how should I treat you in accordance to the law in your interpretation? Shouldn't "separate yourselves" in your logic also mean "Don't even communicate with"?
It should, but then that begs the question of why you would even come to this forum at all, and ignite discussions about the merits of Christianity to Gentiles. Unless of course you're a troll! It's a pity that you see me as an "enemy to your God" simply because I am a Gentile Christian. But I'm glad the truth finally comes out, because deep down, this is what all observant Jews truly believe...ISN'T IT? For what it's worth, I don't see you as an enemy of my God, only as someone who is ignorant and knows not what he does (or says).

You would think the Rabbis would not even allow Arabs and Armenians and Thai and Chinese workers to be citizens! Hey Rabbis, we have Captain Bryce to tell you what the Law REALLY means, even though what Ezra says isn't specifically found in the Law as he says it.
I go back to a question that's been asked (and avoided) several times already: When's the last time Israel executed a homosexual for being gay? I'm not expecting an answer at this point, but your silence on this question makes my point for me!
 

captainbryce

Active Member
Definitions 1, 3, 4, and 5 all fit with what I'm saying. I know you'll say "Nuh uh" but as anyone else who is actually being objective here reading can see,
And who might that be exactly? You or the other Jews here? :rolleyes:

"Faith" does in fact include, in English at least, the idea of having "Faith" in the teachings.
This fact was never in dispute. You are once again attacking the straw man! I said that faith means something different than OBEDIENCE. You said it meant the same thing!

So in your belief, you don't have to actually believe in what Jesus taught, right?
Wrong. I do believe in what he taught.

As opposed to your interpretation?
Yes. Because that would be the Christian interpretation (you know, the people who actually believe in Christ)!

Can you rephrase that into something understandable?
I'll just make is simpler altogether by highlighting the relevant portion of your statement: "failing can in fact be a symptom of lost faith depending on what you are being disobedient about"

How is a mistake based on "Sinful nature" not an act of rebelliousness and losing the eye on the prize?
Rebelliousness isn't the issue. The issue is whether or not one who is rebellious has lost faith. Rebellion isn't always the result of losing faith; it is most often the result of putting your own selfish desires ahead of God (in spite of one's faith).

That does absolutely nothing to disagree with what I said.
Yes it does. You see, your argument is that sin is the result of lost faith. I've just shown you that sin is the result of our own nature. It has nothing to do with faith because everyone is guilty of sin. We are REDEEMED from our sins because of our faith, but faith doesn't erase our sinful nature. That's why we must still die and be reborn. Only then will we no longer have a sinful nature!

So by all means, please explain how "sinful nature" does NOT involve rebelliousness and willfully disobeying. And this time actually provide a substantial reply, thanks.
I believe I just did here. But let me know if you still don't understand something. You're welcome! ;)
 

Shermana

Heretic
Don't be giving me false hopes by telling me you're giving me the final word Bryce. Sigh. If I wasn't trying to show brother Dantech just how full of steaming excrement you Antinomians are, I'd let YOU have the last word.

If you wanted to end the debate, then why do you keep bringing up my name and asking me questions? I already told you not to do that unless you expect me to respond. I can therefore only imagine that you wish me to continue.

YOU were the one who gave me the last word. Of course I am going to continue if I have to prove that your arguments are fallacious.

No kidding. I think that fact has been made obvious at this point!

Hallelujah, a breakthrough! :clap

I highly doubt you'd ever admit the same thing.

How do you figure that would make Paul wrong? Wouldn't that view be completely consistent with what Paul taught about circumcision in Galatians and Philippians? :confused:

If I am wrong about circumcision, then Paul is wrong too! Simple.

Convenient, but ultimately predictable! :sleep:

Convenient to not want to spend an hour responding to your fallacious insults and assertions as if your interpretations are matter of fact? Indeed.

I fail to see how this specific issue (that he adheres to) would make him a false profit, but not Moses (who broke his own covenant).

Where did Moses break his own covenant? Was he supposed to examine every Israelite to see if they were circumcised? If circumcision for converts is absolutely necessary, and converts are to be a graft to the Tree (something I'm not sure you made anything close to a cohesive point about) to the House of Israel, then Paul is wrong. I tried to give him some leeway even!

Again, it's not my position, it's PAUL's position (the same guy who coined the "grafted" concept in the first place). He defined the parameters of what it means to be grafted, not ME. And since he defined it as Gentiles not being under the law of Moses, I don't see how you can continue to argue otherwise. There is no logic to your position here! You brought up "grafting" and your trying to redefine what it means from the guy who coined it!

See Bryce, here's another problem, all you can do is just accuse me of redefining this or that, as if your interpretation is the only one that's right. He defined it as being a part of the House of Israel. This is not just my interpretation. (Although many of your positions are only your interpretation.)

This is actually a very common position among Messianics and gentile antinomians alike. Sorry to say, but your attempt to brush off my point as "Redefining" is actually THE classical view. It is you who is the revisionist. On this issue at least.

HHMI: Gentiles Grafted In

That sounds like a giant contradiction to me. You say that my argument is self-defeating when you admit that you don't even know what you're talking about now. How strange!

You have no idea what you're even talking about. I admitted that I may not know for sure what the official position on this has been. Your argument is self defeating in that you believe in someone who you believe contradicts the Mosaic Law as a prophet in the Mosaic tradition.

In any case, while it is indeed refreshing to hear you finally admit to being wrong about something,

It would be 10000x more refreshing to hear you say it.

as well as to ceasing trying pass your opinion off as fact

Irony overwhelming.

, please don't go through anymore trouble on my part. Remember, I'm not here to convince you that my belief is correct. It's okay to agree to disagree!

I'm here to show how full of bologne you are when you pass off yours as fact.


Since we're throwing out "personal opinions" now, I'll conclude this particular point by giving you my opinion on the issue of circumcision.

A) Gentiles don't need to be circumcised (since they were never part of the old covenant, nor ever commanded to become part of the old covenant).

B) Jews who believe in their heart that they are still under the old covenant should still be circumcised AND have their children circumcised in accordance with Jewish laws. If they are Christians, and they believe in their heart that there is no longer any difference between Jews and Gentiles in the eyes of God, then they may forgo circumcision in favor of inclusion into the new covenant of Jesus Christ.

Okay, and that's your opinion. I think the "New Covenant" is simply an extension and expansion of the "Old", not doing away with any of the old.

A) I never said Acts 10 was about dietary laws. That was a straw-man argument! The point of vision concerning clean and unclean meat was to let Peter know that he should administer to Cornelius (a Gentile), and other Gentile believers in God.

Wow, we agree on something, I guess I must have totally misunderstood you when you brought up Acts 10.
B) We know that Cornelius was not circumcised because he was a Gentile.

Wrong. Roman converts to Judaism were not unheard of, and it's very possible they were circumcised. The text says he was "Devout" and "God-fearing". We know the Noahide laws were a much later development that have no evidence in the early period, so it was likely either total convert or not.

If he was an observant convert, then Peter's vision in context no longer makes any sense.

Sure it does. There was still the biological issue. Converts may not have been fully included as full blooded Israelites as they are today. Back then there was no "Judaism". It was "Righteous stranger".

The whole point of the vision is that he was NOT an observant convert, and yet still a god-fearing man. That's why the scripture says in verse 44: "The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles.". Why would they be astonished if these Gentiles were Jewish converts? That doesn't make any sense, and when things don't make sense, it's because they're not true!

How could he have been "devout" exactly?
We'll see!

Hope to see you there.

I'm not interested in the patience of someone who evokes my name in a troll-like manner and accuse me of lying,

You called ME a liar, get it straight.

only to later admit that he doesn't know what he's talking about.

I admit that I'm not fully read on the issue, is that a problem?
If you're having a problem with your patience simply because I've pointed out the failures of your argument, that's not my problem.

My patience issue is your personal comments and condescending attitude, which I don't deal with well. I don't mind disagreement and you poking holes in my argument. But your attitude is the issue here.

There is no reason for you to be getting emotional about this, especially after baiting me in such a way. Perhaps you should tone down your emotions a bit.

You have made several personal comments, hypocrite. And this is an emotional issue to me to show how Antinomians are wrong to my Hebrew brothers.

It is, because that's not my interpretation of what you should be doing. What I think you should be doing is what Christ taught (ie: love thy neighbor, et al). My argument was about what pre-messianic Jews believed that they should be doing. Totally different!

What Christ taught was clarification of the Law. Which obviously contradicts with your interpretation that I'm supposed to completely separate from gentiles.

It should, but then that begs the question of why you would even come to this forum at all, and ignite discussions about the merits of Christianity to Gentiles. Unless of course you're a troll! It's a pity that you see me as an "enemy to your God" simply because I am a Gentile Christian. But I'm glad the truth finally comes out, because deep down, this is what all observant Jews truly believe...ISN'T IT? For what it's worth, I don't see you as an enemy of my God, only as someone who is ignorant and knows not what he does (or says).

I don't think you quite understood what I meant. If I'm supposed to separate myself from the peoples as you interpret it to mean, I shouldn't even be combatting gentile Christians in the first place.

I go back to a question that's been asked (and avoided) several times already: When's the last time Israel executed a homosexual for being gay? I'm not expecting an answer at this point, but your silence on this question makes my point for me!

There are several reasons for this, such as the Oral Torah, which you can kindly ask the Judaism DIR all about.
 
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