From: btiffany@pbs.org
Newsgroups: alt.messianic
Subject: Re: Clean And Unclean Un / Maccoby book
Date: 1 Sep 92 12:53:24 GMT
Organization: PBS:Public Broadcasting Service, Alexandria, VA

Robert A. Levene writes:

> 3.  See Hyam Maccoby's brand new book "Judas Iscariot and the Myth
>     of Jewish Evil" for more about #2, and a pretty good comeback
>     to those consider rejection of Jesus an evil act.

Rejection of the Messiah may merely be ignorance, not evil.  It may also be
blindness, due in large part to the actions of those purporting to be acting
in His name.  That is certainly understandable.

I have noticed in western Christianity (or at least much of what I've seen
in America) this peculiar idea that people will be condemned for rejecting
Yeshua.  I've even heard people say there is "only one sin" people will be
judged for:  rejecting Jesus.  But the Bible says everyone was already
condemned.  People are judged for their sin, not for refusing the payment
for it.

This seemingly insignificant detail -- admittedly a fine line of distinction --
has led folks like TA to develop a false doctrine which would have us believe
that Israel (or the generation of Jews alive at the time Messiah first came
and laid down His life as a willing sacrifice) was destroyed by God for
rejecting Messiah.  But what I see in the Bible is that God had already spoken
through the prophets that Israel would be judged and dispersed among the
nations -- eventually to be regathered -- because of sin, for unfaithfulness
to HaShem.  This was the state of affairs by the time Yeshua came.  Whereas it
is true that accepting Messiah would have saved Israel from judgment, it is
not true that judgment came for rejecting Him.  Judgment was already coming
for sin.  So it is with the nations today (America perhaps foremost), and so
it is with individual men.

Think of Rob Strom's young son, may the Lord bless him.  At age 2 he was
sinking in the water, not because he refused help, but because he couldn't
swim.  If he were to accept rescue, as I'm sure he did (he probably would not
have actually had the opportunity to refuse rescue, as we are allowed the
opportunity to refuse Yeshuat Adonai, Calvinism notwithstanding), he would
not drown.  The difference here is that he was very aware that he was sinking
and needed help.  Many men do not recognize this about themselves.  You gotta
realize you're lost before you can be found.  (The analogy also breaks down in
that Rob's son was sinking through no fault of his own; it wasn't his fault he
was only 2 and couldn't swim!  But you get my point.  Well, maybe RL doesn't
:-), but most everyone else will.)

"Moreover, if [the Jews'] stumbling is bringing riches to the world -- that is,
if Israel's being placed temporarily in a condition less favored than that of
the Gentiles is bringing riches to the latter -- how much greater riches will
Israel in its fullness bring them!"  -- Rav Sha'ul in Romans 11:12

Yeshua said to Yerushalayim:  "You will not see Me again until you say,
'Baruch haba b'Shem Adonai!'"

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

     /\			And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal
____/__\____		life, and this life is in His Son.  He who has the Son
\  / || \  /		has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does
 \/--++--\/		not have the life.
 /\  ||  /\						-- 1 John 5:11-12
/  \ || /  \
----\--/----		-- Bruce Tiffany
     \/  
Newsgroups: alt.messianic