There are objections raised that are good and airtight, bad ones with no substance and flat out strange and seem to be only made by people for the sake of it.
As most know, Christians believe that Christ came to fulfill the Law that we couldn't and that he was the only one to carry it out perfectly.
However, one of the weirdest objections that has been asked of me by two Jews was "If Jesus fulfilled the Law, How did he fulfill the Laws pertaining to women?".
Well firstly, Christians sometimes throw the statement out without realising what they are saying.
Secondly, In Rabbinic Judaism, a man who keeps the Torah is considered tzadik or righteous, even though he doesn't keep the laws pertaining to women. He still fulfills the requirements given to him even if he doesn't do the ones that are specific to the woman and likewise with a woman not doing commands only given to men. The Torah as we know contains 613 laws, but there are specific Laws given to a specific gender, such as a woman cleansing herself of menstrual bleeding after childbirth or a man who needs to wash himself after being rendered unclean as a result of nocturnal emission.
Thirdly, Christ would have fulfilled the Laws pertaining to his gender i.e. male, thus he would be righteous and eligible in scripture to fulfill the Law on our behalf, EVEN IF HE DIDN'T CARRY OUT THE LAWS APPLICABLE ONLY TO WOMEN. I am not shouting here, I am simply emphasising a point.
To be honest, there are some objections that are just strange but nevertheless need putting down.
Thanks for reading.
Answering Judaism.
"As most know, Christians believe that Christ came to fulfill the Law that we couldn't and that he was the only one to carry it out perfectly."
ReplyDeleteIt's impossible for a Jew to understand how you can possibly believe this. Here are just a few of the mitzvot the god-man violated. Specific passages can be provided if required:
1.Be fruitful and multiply.,
2.Sabbath Observance
3.Failure to Honour Torah Sage
4.False Prophecy
5.Not Honouring Parents.
There are many other instances. Sinless Jesus? Don't think so.
1. What is your point?
ReplyDelete2. Where? If you are referring rubbing grain between your hands, that hardly classifies as work.
3. Where?
5. Jesus didn't say don't love them at all, he was saying to care for him more than them. There is a case where Jesus condemned the Pharisees for refusing to help their parents.
4. Where?
1. Procreation
ReplyDelete"Be fruitful and multiply" (Genesis 1:28). This obligates a person to marry and have children. Jesus remained single his entire life. He also encouraged others to disobey this commandment by recommending celibacy (Matthew 19:12). This is the first mitzvah mentioned in the Tanakh-given to humanity not just the Jewish people.
2. Sabbath Observance
"The seventh day is a Sabbath to the L-rd your G-d. Do not do any work" (Exodus 20:9). Jesus defended his "hungry" disciples when they plucked grain on the Sabbath. This is agricultural labor and is unquestionably a violation of the Sabbath.
Christian apologists insist that Jesus was revealing the true meaning of the Sabbath when he said, "The Sabbath is not made for man; man is made for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27)." This is untenable. Deuteronomy 17:8-13 says that we are to follow the Jewish High Court in disputes of Jewish law and this requirement is recognized by Jesus himself (Matthew 23:2). With whom is he arguing in Mark? It is the same Jewish legal authorities who are Biblicaly authorized to interpret the Law!
If Jesus meant that they were starving and their lives were threatened, the Gospel account must be fictional.1 Talmudic (Pharisee) law agrees this would be a reason to violate the Sabbath (Talmud Yoma ch.8). The Rabbis would not have quarreled with Jesus if this were the case. If there was no danger to life, then plucking grain violates the Sabbath and the apostles were probably guilty of theft for eating from a field not theirs.
3.Not Honoring a Torah Sage
"Honor the face of an elder [zaken] " (Leviticus 19:32). Zaken does not simply mean an old person; for that is the subject of the first half of the verse ("You shall rise before an old person [seiva]"). This is a commandment to respect Torah scholars. Judges and religious leaders are typically called zaken in the Bible (Exodus 24:14, Leviticus 4:15, Numbers 11:25, Deuteronomy 22:16, 25:7). If Jesus did not violate this by calling them "vipers," no one ever did (Matthew 23:13-33).
4. False Prophecy
Deuteronomy 18:20 prohibits false prophecy. The same passage defines false prophecy: "the word does not materialize or come to pass." As the New Testament asserts that Jesus is a prophet (Acts 3:22) one must regard as false prophecy the following statement: ".this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place." (Matthew 24:34).
This statement follows a description of signs of the End of Days. "This generation" of course died about 2,000 years ago and the prediction was never actualized.
5. Not Honoring Parents
"Honor your father and mother" (Exodus 20:12). Jesus ignored his mother when she came to visit. "Someone told him, 'your mother and brother are standing outside, wanting to speak to you' He replied to him, 'who is my mother, and who are my brothers?' Pointing to his disciples, he said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers" (Matthew 12:47-49). He goes on to state whoever does the will of the Father is his kin. This is dishonorable conduct wrt his own mother by any objective measure.
Stay tuned for an article response to what you have said. If the Lord Wills I can address these in an article.
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