Answering questions few dare ask.
My book is written from a conservative point of view but is very controversial.
The most enormous controversy surrounding my book for Messianic Jews and most other traditional Christians is over the divinity of Yeshua. I have tried to raise questions few dare ask, and that has put me out on a limb by myself.
I have been asked more than once how I can consider myself “Messianic” or a “believer” without believing in the divinity of Yeshua. I am confident that the earliest Jewish Believers in Jerusalem and their near descendants did not believe in the deity of Yeshua, and I think my book provides good evidence for this. This information puts me in good company.
The original “Gospel” or good news message of the earliest Jewish believers in Jerusalem was “Messiah crucified” (1 Corinthians 1:22–23, Romans 5:6-21). The simple message is if we accept Yeshua’s atonement, God’s provision for our sins, we will be “saved.”
However, today, it is common to hear from Christian circles that those who do not believe in Jesus will go to hell as if unbelief in Yeshua’s divinity is the transgression, rather than our sins. I propose in my book that this is a second “Gospel” message placed on top of the origin good news message by a group outside of the Land of Israel that hijacked the Messianic faith in its earliest stages. This erroneous message is reflected in the writings from the Johannine community (such as the book of John) – probably written in Ephesus and other so-called “primitive hymns” and “confessions” scattered throughout the text. It is not enough to believe in Yeshua’s atonement. Now one must also confess that “Jesus is Lord” in order to be saved (Romans 10:8-9).
We have gone from the primary stumbling block “Messiah Crucified” to a new unnecessary stumbling block “Jesus is Lord.”
How could the early Messianic faith have lost its way so quickly? The Jewish believers in Jerusalem shortly after the death of Yeshua were leading the Messianic faith as revealed to us in the book of Acts. Shortly afterward, a Roman hammer fell on the Jewish people in Israel. The first Jewish revolt against Rome ended with the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE. The Jewish stronghold at Masada fell shortly afterward. The second Jewish revolt concluded in 135 CE with the destruction of the city of Jerusalem.
During these periods of devastation and afterward, the Jewish believers in Israel were no longer in the driver’s seat of the Messianic movement. Their influence in guiding the young Messianic faith was quickly lost, and another group took over the reins.
I raise many questions in my book that I feel should be answered by truth seekers. Why are there so many passages in the New Testament that contradict a divine Yeshua? Who were the real descendants of the earliest Jewish believers from Jerusalem and what did they believe? Why does the book of John have a myriad of significant historical conflicts with the Synoptic texts? Why is the Yeshua in the book of John portrayed so differently than the Yeshua in the Synoptics? Why are all the texts that speak about the preexistence and divinity of Yeshua outside of the book of John from supposed early “hymns” or “confessions” and not from the primary writer’s pen? For example, most scholars say Philippians 2: 5-11 was an early “hymn” of the “church” and not written by Paul! Why are these verses in his letter, out of context with the rest of his message?
For a discount on the softcover of my book, go to my website (RevivingtheReformation.com) and buy the book from me using the promo code “Goodreads.”
Like me on Facebook – “Reviving-the-Reformation.”
The most enormous controversy surrounding my book for Messianic Jews and most other traditional Christians is over the divinity of Yeshua. I have tried to raise questions few dare ask, and that has put me out on a limb by myself.
I have been asked more than once how I can consider myself “Messianic” or a “believer” without believing in the divinity of Yeshua. I am confident that the earliest Jewish Believers in Jerusalem and their near descendants did not believe in the deity of Yeshua, and I think my book provides good evidence for this. This information puts me in good company.
The original “Gospel” or good news message of the earliest Jewish believers in Jerusalem was “Messiah crucified” (1 Corinthians 1:22–23, Romans 5:6-21). The simple message is if we accept Yeshua’s atonement, God’s provision for our sins, we will be “saved.”
However, today, it is common to hear from Christian circles that those who do not believe in Jesus will go to hell as if unbelief in Yeshua’s divinity is the transgression, rather than our sins. I propose in my book that this is a second “Gospel” message placed on top of the origin good news message by a group outside of the Land of Israel that hijacked the Messianic faith in its earliest stages. This erroneous message is reflected in the writings from the Johannine community (such as the book of John) – probably written in Ephesus and other so-called “primitive hymns” and “confessions” scattered throughout the text. It is not enough to believe in Yeshua’s atonement. Now one must also confess that “Jesus is Lord” in order to be saved (Romans 10:8-9).
We have gone from the primary stumbling block “Messiah Crucified” to a new unnecessary stumbling block “Jesus is Lord.”
How could the early Messianic faith have lost its way so quickly? The Jewish believers in Jerusalem shortly after the death of Yeshua were leading the Messianic faith as revealed to us in the book of Acts. Shortly afterward, a Roman hammer fell on the Jewish people in Israel. The first Jewish revolt against Rome ended with the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE. The Jewish stronghold at Masada fell shortly afterward. The second Jewish revolt concluded in 135 CE with the destruction of the city of Jerusalem.
During these periods of devastation and afterward, the Jewish believers in Israel were no longer in the driver’s seat of the Messianic movement. Their influence in guiding the young Messianic faith was quickly lost, and another group took over the reins.
I raise many questions in my book that I feel should be answered by truth seekers. Why are there so many passages in the New Testament that contradict a divine Yeshua? Who were the real descendants of the earliest Jewish believers from Jerusalem and what did they believe? Why does the book of John have a myriad of significant historical conflicts with the Synoptic texts? Why is the Yeshua in the book of John portrayed so differently than the Yeshua in the Synoptics? Why are all the texts that speak about the preexistence and divinity of Yeshua outside of the book of John from supposed early “hymns” or “confessions” and not from the primary writer’s pen? For example, most scholars say Philippians 2: 5-11 was an early “hymn” of the “church” and not written by Paul! Why are these verses in his letter, out of context with the rest of his message?
For a discount on the softcover of my book, go to my website (RevivingtheReformation.com) and buy the book from me using the promo code “Goodreads.”
Like me on Facebook – “Reviving-the-Reformation.”
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