Uncovering Fake "Good News"
The simple “Good News” or “Gospel” message of the early first-century Messianic faith can be summarized in two words: “Messiah crucified” (1 Corinthians 1:22-23). To receive salvation, all one needed to do was to return/repent and accept this free gift. The concept of “Messiah crucified” was not a conundrum demanding to be believed, but a free gift inviting acceptance.
This revolutionary truth was quickly overshadowed by a secondary but false “Gospel” message that has dominated Christianity for 1900 years. Now one must also confess that “Jesus is Lord” in order to be “saved” (Romans 10:9-10). My book Reviving the Reformation explains how this happened.
The book of John, a late addition to the New Testament texts, is the premier book promoting the deity of Yeshua. The multitude of historical and theological inconsistencies uncovered in its pages, however, invalidates its authority (see Reviving the Reformation).
A slightly later group of believers also embedded “hymns” and “confession” into the New Testament text that promote the deity of Yeshua. These grafted writings became rapidly fused into the whole. The traditional Church continues to promote this fake “Good News.”
A few weeks ago, I was listening to the Moody Christian Radio program called “Open Line” – a question and answer program on the Bible. Someone sent an email question: “How do I answer someone who is in the church who says that Jesus is not God?” After a good chuckle, the host responded to the question by quoting two passages. He mentioned how he has been getting this question quite a bit lately.
The first passage mentioned was Colossians 1:15-20. In my book Reviving the Reformation, I give evidence to show that these verses were most likely not written by Sha’ul (Paul). A footnote in the ESV Study Bible on this passage suggests the same: “Praise to Christ. In a strongly moving and poetic way, which some scholars think is a quotation from an early Christian hymn” (ESV Study Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008). It is disturbing that the origin of this passage along with Philippians 2:5-11 and 1 Corinthians 8:5-6 are not questioned more than they are. Could it be that Sha’ul could only broach the preexistence and deity of Yeshua by quoting from supposed early “hymns” or “confessions?” Something is wrong with this picture.
The second passage cited was from Romans 9:5. Most English translations are like the Holman: “The ancestors are theirs, and from them, by physical descent, came the Messiah, who is God over all, praised forever. Amen.” This English translation as well as the one the “Open Line” host used clearly states that Yeshua the Messiah is God. In a footnote, however, the Holman proposes another translation of the Greek: “The ancestors are theirs, and from them, by physical descent, came the Messiah [period]. God, who is over all, be blessed forever” (Holman Christian Standard Bible, 2009). David Stern in the Complete Jewish Bible translates this verse similarly: “The Patriarchs are theirs; and from them, as far as his physical descent is concerned, came the Messiah, who is over all. Praised be Adonai for ever! Amen” (Complete Jewish Bible, 1998). These alternative translations separate the human Messiah Yeshua from God.
Our preconceptions often guide our translations. Let’s look at a few other examples.
I have been told that in Acts 3:15 Yeshua is called “the Author of life” which is how most modern English Bibles translate this verse. Therefore, it is said, Yeshua must be God if he is the “Author of life.”
According to the Strong’s Lexicon, the Greek word translated “author” here means: “a chief leader: - author, captain, prince.” The Holman also gives other translation choices in the footnotes: “Or the Prince or the Ruler.” These other translations, which appear to be more consistent with the rest of the New Testament as a whole, do not support the deity of Yeshua.
It has been said that Yeshua is worshiped in the New Testament. Therefore, he must be God since only God can be worshiped – see Matthew 28:9 and 28:17. The ESV Study Bible thus comments on Matthew 28:9: “By allowing this act of worship, here and in v. 17, Jesus accepts the acknowledgment of his deity, as only God is to be worshiped” (ESV Study Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008).
The Gingrich, Greek NT Lexicon explains this Greek word for "worship" to mean: “(fall down and) worship, do obeisance to, prostrate oneself before, do reverence to, welcome respectfully depending on the object – 1. to human beings. – 2. to God. – 3. to foreign deities. – 4. to the Devil and Satanic beings. – 5. to angels. – 6. to Christ.”
In a parable in Matthew 18, no one says the servant in Matthew 18:26 “worships” his master. The ESV says the servant “fell on his knees” before his master. It is curious that in Mark 5:6, most translations do not have the man with an unclean spirit worshiping Yeshua – they say he “fell down before him” (ESV) or “knelt down before him” (Holman) or “bowed down before him” (NAS). David Stern in the Complete Jewish Bible translates Matthew 28:9 “they fell down in front of him” and Matthew 28:17 “they prostrated themselves before him” (Complete Jewish Bible, 1998).
One’s point of view determines the translations of these passages, not an incontrovertible definition of a word. If one believes that Yeshua is God, then Yeshua is worshiped by his disciples. If one understands Yeshua to be fully human, then Yeshua’s disciples do not worship him as God but show him profound respect as their king Messiah.
It is common for “defenders of the faith” to present “proof texts” using altered text or biased translations. Seekers of the truth should question carefully any New Testament texts or translations that speak to the deity of Yeshua.
This revolutionary truth was quickly overshadowed by a secondary but false “Gospel” message that has dominated Christianity for 1900 years. Now one must also confess that “Jesus is Lord” in order to be “saved” (Romans 10:9-10). My book Reviving the Reformation explains how this happened.
The book of John, a late addition to the New Testament texts, is the premier book promoting the deity of Yeshua. The multitude of historical and theological inconsistencies uncovered in its pages, however, invalidates its authority (see Reviving the Reformation).
A slightly later group of believers also embedded “hymns” and “confession” into the New Testament text that promote the deity of Yeshua. These grafted writings became rapidly fused into the whole. The traditional Church continues to promote this fake “Good News.”
A few weeks ago, I was listening to the Moody Christian Radio program called “Open Line” – a question and answer program on the Bible. Someone sent an email question: “How do I answer someone who is in the church who says that Jesus is not God?” After a good chuckle, the host responded to the question by quoting two passages. He mentioned how he has been getting this question quite a bit lately.
The first passage mentioned was Colossians 1:15-20. In my book Reviving the Reformation, I give evidence to show that these verses were most likely not written by Sha’ul (Paul). A footnote in the ESV Study Bible on this passage suggests the same: “Praise to Christ. In a strongly moving and poetic way, which some scholars think is a quotation from an early Christian hymn” (ESV Study Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008). It is disturbing that the origin of this passage along with Philippians 2:5-11 and 1 Corinthians 8:5-6 are not questioned more than they are. Could it be that Sha’ul could only broach the preexistence and deity of Yeshua by quoting from supposed early “hymns” or “confessions?” Something is wrong with this picture.
The second passage cited was from Romans 9:5. Most English translations are like the Holman: “The ancestors are theirs, and from them, by physical descent, came the Messiah, who is God over all, praised forever. Amen.” This English translation as well as the one the “Open Line” host used clearly states that Yeshua the Messiah is God. In a footnote, however, the Holman proposes another translation of the Greek: “The ancestors are theirs, and from them, by physical descent, came the Messiah [period]. God, who is over all, be blessed forever” (Holman Christian Standard Bible, 2009). David Stern in the Complete Jewish Bible translates this verse similarly: “The Patriarchs are theirs; and from them, as far as his physical descent is concerned, came the Messiah, who is over all. Praised be Adonai for ever! Amen” (Complete Jewish Bible, 1998). These alternative translations separate the human Messiah Yeshua from God.
Our preconceptions often guide our translations. Let’s look at a few other examples.
I have been told that in Acts 3:15 Yeshua is called “the Author of life” which is how most modern English Bibles translate this verse. Therefore, it is said, Yeshua must be God if he is the “Author of life.”
According to the Strong’s Lexicon, the Greek word translated “author” here means: “a chief leader: - author, captain, prince.” The Holman also gives other translation choices in the footnotes: “Or the Prince or the Ruler.” These other translations, which appear to be more consistent with the rest of the New Testament as a whole, do not support the deity of Yeshua.
It has been said that Yeshua is worshiped in the New Testament. Therefore, he must be God since only God can be worshiped – see Matthew 28:9 and 28:17. The ESV Study Bible thus comments on Matthew 28:9: “By allowing this act of worship, here and in v. 17, Jesus accepts the acknowledgment of his deity, as only God is to be worshiped” (ESV Study Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008).
The Gingrich, Greek NT Lexicon explains this Greek word for "worship" to mean: “(fall down and) worship, do obeisance to, prostrate oneself before, do reverence to, welcome respectfully depending on the object – 1. to human beings. – 2. to God. – 3. to foreign deities. – 4. to the Devil and Satanic beings. – 5. to angels. – 6. to Christ.”
In a parable in Matthew 18, no one says the servant in Matthew 18:26 “worships” his master. The ESV says the servant “fell on his knees” before his master. It is curious that in Mark 5:6, most translations do not have the man with an unclean spirit worshiping Yeshua – they say he “fell down before him” (ESV) or “knelt down before him” (Holman) or “bowed down before him” (NAS). David Stern in the Complete Jewish Bible translates Matthew 28:9 “they fell down in front of him” and Matthew 28:17 “they prostrated themselves before him” (Complete Jewish Bible, 1998).
One’s point of view determines the translations of these passages, not an incontrovertible definition of a word. If one believes that Yeshua is God, then Yeshua is worshiped by his disciples. If one understands Yeshua to be fully human, then Yeshua’s disciples do not worship him as God but show him profound respect as their king Messiah.
It is common for “defenders of the faith” to present “proof texts” using altered text or biased translations. Seekers of the truth should question carefully any New Testament texts or translations that speak to the deity of Yeshua.
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