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The First Idiot In Heaven
On Earth, Jesus taught a strict message to Israelites about obeying the law–or else. But after Christ returned to heaven, He gave a new message of pure grace to the apostle Paul, telling Paul to take the message to Gentiles–all the non-Israelite nations. Ever since then, people have confused these two messages, trying to do law, while talking about grace. But it's either/or–not both. This video introduces you to the Scriptural teaching of two One to Israelites, and one to Gentiles. “For I (Paul) was entrusted with the gospel of Uncircumcision (no law), according as Peter (was given) the Circumcision gospel” Galatians 2:7.
339 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 18, 2013
This book was extremely good, thought provoking and cleared up a lot of things for me. I believe Mr. Martin Zender has a revelation about the Circumcision believers verses the uncircumcision believers that every one who believes in Jesus NEEDS desperately!
November 17, 2024
DOES THE MODERN CHURCH MISUNDERSTAND JESUS’ MESSAGE TO ISRAEL?
Martin Zender bills himself as “the World's Most Outspoken Bible Scholar”; he also does a syndicated radio show with Dan Sheridan. He has written a number of other books, such as as 'How to Quit Church Without Quitting God: 7 Good Reasons to Escape the Box,' 'How to Be Free from Sin While Smoking a Cigarette,’ 'Martin Zender Goes to Hell,’ 'The Really Bad Thing About Free Will,' etc.
He wrote in the Introduction to this 2012 book, “Obviously, the words of Jesus are perfect… Jesus Himself said, ‘I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ [Mt 15:24] Why have we not believed these simple words? Is it too shocking to think that---while on Earth---Jesus preached a national rather than a universal message? Too tough to admit that Jesus emphasized the law of Moses (the law given to Israel), rather than grace?... Am I a lost sheep from the house of Israel? I’m Dutch and English, actually---with a little French mixed in. Does that mean Jesus was not sent to ME? The shocking answer is: that’s exactly what it means. When Jesus was on EARTH (this is the key), He preached a national message to Israelites. Period. Which means that the words in red are not meant for [Gentile] men and women … or the other nations. Nor were the Ten Commandments meant for any non-Israelites.” (Pg. 17)
He continues, “Are you bold enough to entertain a new thought? What if we, who are not Israelites, have a different gospel---in the BIBLE---than the one meant for Israel? What if this other gospel even has another name?... a different set of requirements … than the gospel given to Israel? And---think of this---what if this gospel promises an enormously better destiny than the one promised to Jewish believers? Were faithful Israelites ever promised Heaven? Not once. Jesus Himself said, ‘The meek shall inherit the EARTH.’ (Mt 5:5)… Israelites never dreamed of getting lifted from Terra Firma. Why would they; Jesus never spoke to them of such a thing. And neither did their prophets… Back to my question. What if this different gospel… the one that caters to those of us who are not-so-perfect?) DOES take people to heaven? Wouldn’t that be mind-boggling?... Imitating the walk of Jesus would not have gotten me into heaven… it would, instead, have kept me on Earth to rule the other nations.” (Pg. 18-19)
Of the Faith/Works debate over Romans 4:5 vs. James 2:20, he comments, “Many Bible … commentators have made pretzels of themselves trying to explain … James and Paul are deliberately irreconcilable. James writes to Israelites, Paul to the nations. James is of law; Paul is of grace… James is the gospel of the Circumcision, Paul of the Uncircumcision.” (Pg. 48) He adds later, “Now you know why the Bible has sometimes confused you more than blessed you… You have tried to make the law expounded upon by James ‘match up with’ the grace revealed through Paul. You have tried to make the earthly destiny of the Israelites gel with the heavenly destiny of non-Israelites… Now you know the secret. None of these disparate messages are supposed to agree. They are written to two different groups of people, with two different destinies… Now you know why you, a Gentile, cannot live like the Jewish Jesus Who trod the roads of Palestine. It’s not your fault: You were not meant to live and walk like the earthly Jesus. Only Jews are meant to do that, and not even they can do it until Jesus Christ returns to write the law… on the tablets of their hearts.” (Pg. 52-53)
He states, “Remember, for hundreds and thousands of years, there was only one religion, and one people in touch with God, and only one way to get to God----through that chosen nation, a priesthood nation. This is the way it was, and, to a Jew, the way it always would be… THEY owned the franchise on God. THEY held the Scriptures…. Israel’s task was to eventually bless all the nations of the Earth, but---by God---the Earth’s inhabitants had better come through THEM; they’d better pay their dues; they’d better acknowledge their benefactors---and some degree of groveling is expected, thank you very much. This is how an Israelite thought…” (Pg. 124)
He states, “Paul’s letter are the latest, greatest revelations to human beings from the Creator of the universe.” (Pg. 139)
He argues against the Preterist interpretation of eschatology: “if these modern Preterists were correct, then we are now on the New Earth, prophesied in Revelation, chapter 21, and indeed have been on it since A.D. 1070. On the New Earth, ‘death will be no more…’ But no… At a recent funeral, the corpse seemed fairly dead to me. Suffice it to say, the earthly kingdom has not yet come. When Christ returns to Earth, God’s promises to Israel will be literally fulfilled, during the Millennium.” (Pg. 165)
He contends, “Everything in the universe will be headed up in Christ. Christianity, fatally ignorant of this truth, teaches the opposite…. Apparently, Christ died for every sin except one (unbelief), and this sin will ultimately---in spite of the cross---eternally ban billions from his presence, they say… Teachers and ministers---eager to embrace the poison of eternal torment---foist it onto gullible hearts.” (Pg. 220)
He argues, “Historically, Israel has a faith problem. They were unable to grasp even terrestrial truth, let alone truth belonging to the celestial sphere. I do not mean to disparage Israel. They are stuck in a God-inspired hardness (Rom 9:18; 11:7-8) and won’t emerge until God finishes calling His celestial saints.” (Pg. 241-242)
He concludes, “The modern Christian message… insists the new life in God begins by the free, uninfluenced exercise of the human will… and the power of that will to ‘accept Jesus.’ So the thing that Paul calls down curses upon in Galatians, chapter 1---mixing the evangel of grace with elements of law---he would pronounce a double curse upon today. Today, the clergy fail to even start people with a pure message---and then they add law (‘obey the Ten Commandments’) after that.” (Pg. 301)
Many Christians (and certainly most Jews) will reject Zender’s interpretation of ‘Israel,’ but others may find this work stimulating.
Martin Zender bills himself as “the World's Most Outspoken Bible Scholar”; he also does a syndicated radio show with Dan Sheridan. He has written a number of other books, such as as 'How to Quit Church Without Quitting God: 7 Good Reasons to Escape the Box,' 'How to Be Free from Sin While Smoking a Cigarette,’ 'Martin Zender Goes to Hell,’ 'The Really Bad Thing About Free Will,' etc.
He wrote in the Introduction to this 2012 book, “Obviously, the words of Jesus are perfect… Jesus Himself said, ‘I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ [Mt 15:24] Why have we not believed these simple words? Is it too shocking to think that---while on Earth---Jesus preached a national rather than a universal message? Too tough to admit that Jesus emphasized the law of Moses (the law given to Israel), rather than grace?... Am I a lost sheep from the house of Israel? I’m Dutch and English, actually---with a little French mixed in. Does that mean Jesus was not sent to ME? The shocking answer is: that’s exactly what it means. When Jesus was on EARTH (this is the key), He preached a national message to Israelites. Period. Which means that the words in red are not meant for [Gentile] men and women … or the other nations. Nor were the Ten Commandments meant for any non-Israelites.” (Pg. 17)
He continues, “Are you bold enough to entertain a new thought? What if we, who are not Israelites, have a different gospel---in the BIBLE---than the one meant for Israel? What if this other gospel even has another name?... a different set of requirements … than the gospel given to Israel? And---think of this---what if this gospel promises an enormously better destiny than the one promised to Jewish believers? Were faithful Israelites ever promised Heaven? Not once. Jesus Himself said, ‘The meek shall inherit the EARTH.’ (Mt 5:5)… Israelites never dreamed of getting lifted from Terra Firma. Why would they; Jesus never spoke to them of such a thing. And neither did their prophets… Back to my question. What if this different gospel… the one that caters to those of us who are not-so-perfect?) DOES take people to heaven? Wouldn’t that be mind-boggling?... Imitating the walk of Jesus would not have gotten me into heaven… it would, instead, have kept me on Earth to rule the other nations.” (Pg. 18-19)
Of the Faith/Works debate over Romans 4:5 vs. James 2:20, he comments, “Many Bible … commentators have made pretzels of themselves trying to explain … James and Paul are deliberately irreconcilable. James writes to Israelites, Paul to the nations. James is of law; Paul is of grace… James is the gospel of the Circumcision, Paul of the Uncircumcision.” (Pg. 48) He adds later, “Now you know why the Bible has sometimes confused you more than blessed you… You have tried to make the law expounded upon by James ‘match up with’ the grace revealed through Paul. You have tried to make the earthly destiny of the Israelites gel with the heavenly destiny of non-Israelites… Now you know the secret. None of these disparate messages are supposed to agree. They are written to two different groups of people, with two different destinies… Now you know why you, a Gentile, cannot live like the Jewish Jesus Who trod the roads of Palestine. It’s not your fault: You were not meant to live and walk like the earthly Jesus. Only Jews are meant to do that, and not even they can do it until Jesus Christ returns to write the law… on the tablets of their hearts.” (Pg. 52-53)
He states, “Remember, for hundreds and thousands of years, there was only one religion, and one people in touch with God, and only one way to get to God----through that chosen nation, a priesthood nation. This is the way it was, and, to a Jew, the way it always would be… THEY owned the franchise on God. THEY held the Scriptures…. Israel’s task was to eventually bless all the nations of the Earth, but---by God---the Earth’s inhabitants had better come through THEM; they’d better pay their dues; they’d better acknowledge their benefactors---and some degree of groveling is expected, thank you very much. This is how an Israelite thought…” (Pg. 124)
He states, “Paul’s letter are the latest, greatest revelations to human beings from the Creator of the universe.” (Pg. 139)
He argues against the Preterist interpretation of eschatology: “if these modern Preterists were correct, then we are now on the New Earth, prophesied in Revelation, chapter 21, and indeed have been on it since A.D. 1070. On the New Earth, ‘death will be no more…’ But no… At a recent funeral, the corpse seemed fairly dead to me. Suffice it to say, the earthly kingdom has not yet come. When Christ returns to Earth, God’s promises to Israel will be literally fulfilled, during the Millennium.” (Pg. 165)
He contends, “Everything in the universe will be headed up in Christ. Christianity, fatally ignorant of this truth, teaches the opposite…. Apparently, Christ died for every sin except one (unbelief), and this sin will ultimately---in spite of the cross---eternally ban billions from his presence, they say… Teachers and ministers---eager to embrace the poison of eternal torment---foist it onto gullible hearts.” (Pg. 220)
He argues, “Historically, Israel has a faith problem. They were unable to grasp even terrestrial truth, let alone truth belonging to the celestial sphere. I do not mean to disparage Israel. They are stuck in a God-inspired hardness (Rom 9:18; 11:7-8) and won’t emerge until God finishes calling His celestial saints.” (Pg. 241-242)
He concludes, “The modern Christian message… insists the new life in God begins by the free, uninfluenced exercise of the human will… and the power of that will to ‘accept Jesus.’ So the thing that Paul calls down curses upon in Galatians, chapter 1---mixing the evangel of grace with elements of law---he would pronounce a double curse upon today. Today, the clergy fail to even start people with a pure message---and then they add law (‘obey the Ten Commandments’) after that.” (Pg. 301)
Many Christians (and certainly most Jews) will reject Zender’s interpretation of ‘Israel,’ but others may find this work stimulating.
March 1, 2013
Probably the very best book detailing Paul's epistles and how and why they were different from the writings of the Apostles. All done with Zender's very humorous way with words. Spoiler alert: Paul is "the first idiot in heaven."
February 27, 2018
One of the best books I've ever read that clears up the apparent discrepancies between the teachings of the pre-cross Jesus and the gospel that the risen post-cross Christ gave directly to Paul.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews