God chose to reveal Himself through a people called Israel. Throughout the entire Bible He identifies Himself as the God of Israel, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is incredible to me. As a Christian I have been taught that the Bible is God's self-disclosure, but this falls short--it is His self-disclosure to the world through a particular people. His identity is wrapped up in His dealings with this people. Not because they are better than any other, but because He has chosen this way. His certificate of authenticity to Gentiles such as myself is this: If the God of Israel goes back on any of His word to the people of Israel, then He is not worthy of worship. This is why I am neither reformed nor dispensational, though I have learned much from both groups of Christians. Both groups require me to overlook promises that God has made to the people to whom He has linked His identity.
Some might say that the New Testament changed this, but Jesus came as Messiah, the Annointed One promised to Israel. He was crucified as the King of the Jews. Every time "Christ" is mentioned in the epistles it is referring to Messiah as a distinctly Jewish concept. Gentiles didn't know what Messiah was. They needed Jews like Paul to tell them. (God promised to make Israel a "light to the nations" in Isa. 42:6, 49:6 and Matt. 5:14.) They even had to fabricate a new Greek word "Christos" to attempt to describe the concept of Messiah to Gentiles.
This all just amazes me. I do not have time right now to go in depth with this, but there it is. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is His name forever (Ex. 3:15).
8 comments:
Matt,
I am glad we are friends, but I do disagree with you. I have not said anything outrightly offensive in my posts, but it seems that I cannot post anything without iliciting this type of response from you.
I started this blog as a place for me to express what I am learning. I welcome questions, but not arguments. You of all people should know what it feels like to be on a campus that does not support the same views as you, and does not always appreciate the sort of questions God has brought you to ask. Please show me the same courtesy and graciousness that you want while you are on your journey.
Matt,
I would like to take a moment to apologize for hurting your feelings. I did it purposefully, and with a strong idea of how you would react. In fact, I did it intending to provoke the exact reaction seen on Kristin's blog, and I apologize for the pain I caused you.
I felt such action was necessary for Kristin's sake. Your posts and their tone were very hurtful to her, because they diminished her self-confidence, whatever your intention. She had great respect for you, based on shared experience, but your every post on her blog was phrased in such a way as to reduce her sense of self worth.
My posts were directed at you in a personal way, with an attack calculated to make you feel the way yours made her feel. I made certain to insult you personally so that you would turn your anger towards me, and away from her.
As Kristin has said, I do not care about insults directed towards me. I am not threatened by difference of opinion, dogma, or even doctrine. I am used to having my doctrine challenged, and hoped you might actually raise some substantial issues (and, by the way, accusations of being "cultish" and "judaizers" are so passé that Messianic Jews seldom worry about them any more).
I am not a pastor, nor do I claim to be an "esteemed theologian". I am actually a database analyst by profession. I am not trying to convert Kristin, who wants to be a missionary, and would be unlikely to receive smicha (Jewish ordination) as a Gentile, even as a convert.
What I did, I did for Kristin's sake, to reinforce her confidence. There may have been a better way to defend my sister in faith, but this is the method I chose.
Although I did not, as our not-so-anonymous poster suggests, "go for your n***", I did seek out your weaknesses and press at them.
I know that doing so has caused you pain and exposed you to ridicule, which was not my goal, and so I have deleted my comments.
I hope that you will accept this apology.
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