A Muslim who I have conversed with in peaceful dialogue directed me to a
video by Yisroel Blumenthal did on Acts 21.
Yisroel Blumenthal is the writer and author of Contra Brown, The Elephant
and the Suit and is a Rabbi who deals with Christian objections to Rabbinic Judaism.
The main argument is presented "If Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice for
sins, why did Paul make a nazarite vow at the temple which entailed a sin offering?"
That is basically their point regarding this subject.
Firstly, Let's deal with Blumenthal's claim that The Jewish Believers
understanding and Paul's understanding and he goes into Acts 21 on this
subject. A very common claim made not only by Blumenthal, but Muslims and
atheists have also claimed is "Paul taught something different from James
and Jesus" or "The three synoptic Gospels teach Jesus is a man
whereas John says he is God", which is an absolute canard.
I think Mr Blumenthal and others will agree that the honest thing to do
with any book is to read a passage within in it's context. To claim that the New
Testament writers wrote contradictory messages shows that the person is
unwilling to take the time to reconcile the contradictions, Besides, many more
can be found in the Hebrew Bible, which can all be reconciled and the Talmud
which I am sure the Rabbis have given superlative answers regarding the 63
tractates.
If Blumenthal wants to dispute the Deity of Christ, here are some articles
addressing some objections raised against the Trinity:
http://answering-judaism.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/the-trinity-is-not-truth.htmlhttp://answering-judaism.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/classical-trinitarian-objections.html
http://answering-judaism.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/response-to-tovia-singer-on-did-authors.html
http://answering-judaism.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/challenge-from-facebook-unitarian.html
Anyway, Paul would not have contradicted the apostles, According to his
letter to the Galatians, he goes up to Jerusalem to get a historical account of
the events and even mentions James in passing in a disinterested comment.
"Galatians 1:11 I want you to know, brothers and
sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. 12 I did not
receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by
revelation from Jesus Christ.
13 For you have heard of my previous way of life
in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy
it. 14 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and
was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when God, who
set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased 16
to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my
immediate response was not to consult any human being. 17 I did not go up to Jerusalem
to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I
returned to Damascus.
18 Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem
to get acquainted with Cephas[b] and stayed with him fifteen days. 19 I saw
none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I assure you
before God that what I am writing you is no lie."
He had to check with the apostles, in this case James and Peter, to confirm
what he had received from the Lord. Keith Thompson speaks on this issue in his
article which can be found here: http://www.answering-islam.org/authors/thompson/paul-historical.html
Also, Jesus says to the apostles in John 14 the following:
"25 “All this I have spoken while still with you.
26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the
world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
We are told in the same Gospel that if everything Jesus did was written
down, the whole world could not contain it. Nevertheless, the things that Jesus
said to the apostles would be brought to remembrance, hence, they would of
taught the things Jesus taught TO Paul.
Furthermore, Jesus said himself that he came to give his life as a ransom
for many in Matthew 20:28 and Mark 10:45, not to mention he opened the minds of
the disciples to understand the scriptures in Luke 24:44-48:
"44 He said to them, “This is what I told you
while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about
me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
45 Then he opened their minds so they could
understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The
Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance
for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations,
beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to
send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been
clothed with power from on high.”"
This is coming from Jesus himself, Not from Paul, or even the apostles
themselves, but this is Jesus revealing to them what he came to accomplish as
the Messiah of the Jews and the entire earth.
Now in that same point, Blumenthal rightly points out that rumours were
spreading about Paul that he was telling the Jews to abandon the Torah, but
James told Paul to demonstrate to the Jewish believers that he is NOT
abandoning the Law of Moses and put down the rumours.
He does mention about the Nazarite vow that Paul had to pay within the
context and that the nazarite vow included a sin offering.
His point here is to say the reason that the Nazarite vow was something
that James told Paul to pay because it was Paul who came up with the idea of
Jesus being the final atonement although such a fantasy tale is repudiated by
the New Testament itself.
Even the apostle Peter in his second letter says:
"2 Peter 3:14 So then, dear
friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found
spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s
patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the
wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters,
speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are
hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the
other Scriptures, to their own destruction."
Peter himself claims that Paul's letters are just as inspired and
authoritative as the TANAKH itself, so why on earth is Blumenthal making this
claim that Paul is contradicting the Jewish Believers in Jesus (inlcluding
James), when the same context of the New Testament, Paul had gone TO the
disciples for instruction? Not to mention in the same book of Acts in chapter 9
verse 19, Paul spends several days WITH the disciples, as well as having a
leading role in the council of Jerusalem with JAMES AND PETER.
In case Blumenthal wishes to dispute whether
or not 2 Peter was by Peter, Keith Thompson in his article and video "Documentary: Defense of Apostle Paul" (Formerly called"The
Historical Case for Paul’s Apostleship") on his youtube account, makes a
strong case from early church fathers, that 2 Peter was regarded as
authoritative, Even by Clement of Rome and also the writer of the Epistle of
Barnabas.
Furthermore, The James at the Jerusalem council would of noticed Paul was
teaching error and would pointed it out regarding the rumour of telling the
Jews not to follow Moses. Why am I bringing this up? the Jerusalem Council didn't
tell the JEWISH believers to give up the ceremonial laws, it was the Gentiles
that they told they not bound to keep the ceremonial laws. Thus, the apostles
themselves would have kept the Torah but told the Gentiles were free from the
ceremonial laws. The Jews were NOT told to do this, it was a rumour that was
spread about Paul despite the fact he had already been at the council and
participated in the council.
Contrary to the claims of Blumenthal, Paul did NOT come up with some new
fangled doctrine that was contrary to James and the Jewish believers.
Blumenthal's claim stems from the Jewish believers observing the sacrificial
system, including the Levites (who Blumenthal said were not believers later on)
thus the claim Jesus was a sacrifice to end all sacrifices wasn't there.
Firstly, HOW does Blumenthal know that? He doesn't he know the disciples didn't
regard Jesus as the final sacrifice even when following these observances? absence
of evidence is not evidence of absence. Also, The Levites, if they were unbelievers,
may of been aware of the apostles teaching and didn't really care that much, as
far as they were concerned, the sacrifices were a duty they performed, so the
Levites if they were not believers would not even think about this point.
Even with the Nazarite vow, the apostles teaching STILL had Christ as the
vicarious atonement and that the sacrifices pointed to Jesus. There is NO
evidence from the text, even implicitly that James is telling Paul to repudiate
his teaching about Jesus being the final sacrifice. The only time an apostle is
chastised by another, Is when Paul chastises Peter for siding with the
Judaisers. Acts 21 shows Paul making sure he doesn't hurt his testimony to the
Jewish believers, that he observed the Torah and was NOT encouraging Jews to
break it. There is nothing implicit about denying Jesus as the only means of
atonement, it's simply not there. To point of fact James alludes to the
decision at the Jerusalem council regarding the Gentiles.
Blumenthal then speaks about him and his friend looking at commentaries on
the book of Acts to see what Christians had to say but couldn't find an answer
even with the discussion with one of the staff members by email.
His questions
1. Why were the members of the Jerusalem church still bringing offerings to
the temple after the death of Jesus?
2. Why was this particular act chosen as a demonstration of Paul's loyalty
to the law of Moses?
I won't mention the commentators that speak on the subject, but they can be
found in the video that Yisroel Blumenthal did on Acts 21 which can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmKpuQaZJQ4
He requested that the professor did not answer with they were bringing the
offerings as a symbolic remembrance of the death of Jesus when the Levites who
ran the temple were regular Jews and not believers and did not know about
Christianity and furthermore this act they are asking Paul is meant to be a demonstration
that Paul is loyal to the Mosaic Law and that the Jewish believers including
the disciples did not believe that Jesus died for everlasting atonement.
Once again, The Jerusalem church DID do it as a memorial to Jesus, the same
principles apply with the feasts and Sabbath. The book of Hebrews talks about
ALL these ordinances pointing to Jesus. The Sabbath, the sacrifices and the
feasts were all pointing to him. The disciples simply recognized the
fulfillment of the Torah had come and had culminated in Christ. Also, Blumenthal’s
appeal to the Levites would not help solidify his point about the Jerusalem
church at all, I have no idea how they prove his assertion. If they did not
believe in Christ, The objection brought by Blumenthal is not brought to the apostle’s
attention; the opponents of the faith in New Testament never raise the
objection. If Blumenthal dismisses the answer given to him by the professor's
colleague, I am not sure what to suggest to him.
Also, I believe the Nazirite vow was taken by Paul to show the HIGHEST
dedication to God in a position that was not a priestly occupation. A Nazarite
vow is a very serious obligation with strict requirements outside of a priestly
function, so what better way to demonstrate loyalty to the Torah than sabbath
and wearing tefillin? This I believe is why James suggested the Nazirite vow
rather than an ordinary offering.
Not to mention I had just spent the majority of the article going through
the New Testament to show that Paul's message is not something he conceived
away from the apostles, but something he got directly from the apostles, who in
turn got it from Jesus.
Lastly, Sam Shamoun when addressing Shabir Ali on Acts 21 as well as Acts
16 and Galatians 2 in a video on YouTube notes that the Jewish believers kept
the law of Moses not for their salvation, but for their sanctification. The video can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GU1ii5ahf9o
Hope this article has been a help.
Answering Judaism.
Addendum: Yisroel Blumenthal has responded to this article itself but I am holding off my response until he has looked at the Pauline Conspiracy articles. I may however look at his points about Protestantism in a future article.
07/10/2017 edit. I changed the plan a while ago and wrote the Pauline conspiracy regardless. Sorry for the plan change and going back on my word.
Addendum: Yisroel Blumenthal has responded to this article itself but I am holding off my response until he has looked at the Pauline Conspiracy articles. I may however look at his points about Protestantism in a future article.
07/10/2017 edit. I changed the plan a while ago and wrote the Pauline conspiracy regardless. Sorry for the plan change and going back on my word.
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