This is certainly true. If you don't believe the Gospel that Jesus and Paul brought, was first given to Israel, as Scriptures teach, then there is no real way for a productive conversation.
Glad we agree.
First, there is no "Jewish covenant", there are God's Covenants. "Faith" means "unconditional belief in God shown by works". This was true of Abraham, Caleb, Shadrack, David, Zacharias, Simeon, Cornelius and every example of Faithful man in the Bible.
First problem.
“For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about; but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, the wages are not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,”
Romans 4:2-5 NASB2020
For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about; but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.” Now to
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No works are necessary for faith. Abraham was not justified by works. In fact, works in general are not necessary but the faith is what is credited as righteousness.
There was a Priesthood covenant that God gave Levi as a Mercy to Israel after the golden Calf, a Law that Abraham didn't have. But there was no "Jewish Covenant", at least not in the Holy Scriptures. You are free to provide me with such a covenant that Jews made, but your source would be outside of the Holy Scriptures.
The old covenant of laws were given to Moses to give to Israel. I have heard them call the Jewish covenant or the laws of Moses. No big mystery here.
Israel, according to God, were Gentiles in Egypt before God sent Moses to bring them out of sin. (Egypt)
I would not use the title of gentile since the Israelites were the descendants of Jacob which was a descendant of Isaac which was a descendant of Abraham. The knew of God so their religious beliefs were not pagan like the Egyptians.
And any "Stranger/gentile" that chose to join themselves to their God, were also considered Israelites. No different that the servants of Abraham. And yes, "unconditional belief in God, shown by works, has always been a requirement of repentance.
Agree except for the works part. As the scripture states salvation is by faith not works. The law was impossible to follow perfectly which led to Christ.
It seems, given the warnings of Jesus and the Prophets and Paul, concerning men who "profess to know God, or that call Jesus Lord, Lord, or that "Come in Christ's Name", that a man shouldn't just accept popular religious philosophy taught by the promoters of this world's religious system.
Learning doctrine, even that preached by the different denominations, does require discernment but the scriptures exhorts the Christian to belong to the body of Christ.
Instead, for me, these warnings mean that I should go to God's Word to find out what HIS New covenant actually is. You can read it for yourself. I believe it is true that the New Covenant, was the change in the Priesthood, as it is written. That we are still required to "Yield ourselves" to God, and become "servants to His Righteousness" as Paul teaches, but no longer engage in the Jews version of the sacrificial "works of the Law" that the Jews religion, who didn't believe God, Moses or His Son, were promoting.
I’m not sure if I am understanding you correctly here. While I agree with you that by the time Jesus came to earth the Jewish version of the old covenant had become quite corrupted. As Jesus stated He did not come for the sake of their traditions. However, even in its purest form, Jesus fulfilled the law and was the only man that was able to keep it perfectly. This covenant remain only for the Jews that did not or have no faith in the redemptive sacrifice of Christ. The promises that God made to Israel remain in effect until God fulfills them at the end of the time of the gentiles and not before.
You are omitting the first thing Paul teaches both Jew and gentile, at least according to the Scriptures.
The promoters of the "Jews Religion" that rejected God's Commandments and Judgments and persecuted God's Church, accused Paul of teaching against God's Laws, as also promoted by "many" who call Jesus Lord, Lord in the world God placed me in. Here is what Paul told them;
Acts 24:
13 Neither can they prove the things "whereof they now accuse me". 14 But this I confess unto thee, that after the way "which they call heresy", so worship I the God of my fathers, believing "all things" which are written in the law and in the prophets:
And of course he does, this is where the Gospel of Christ can be found.
Paul doesn’t agree with you. Here is what Paul says that the gospel is:
“Now I make known to you, brothers and sisters,
the gospel which I preached to you, which you also received, in which you also stand, by which you also are saved, if you hold firmly to the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I handed down to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.”
1 Corinthians 15:1-8 NASB2020
Now I make known to you, brothers and sisters, the gospel which I preached to you, which you also received, in which you also stand, by which you also are saved, if you hold firmly to the word which I
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Secondly, Paul, of course, worships the same God of Israel but just believing in the law does not mean that he followed them. Here are Paul’s words on the matter.
“Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
Romans 8:1-4 NASB2020
Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law c
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The Christian walks in the Spirit and are not bound by the law. So it would be quite inconsistent that in one place Paul stated that he follows the law and then in another teach that the law is weak and not necessary for salvation.
It is a deceitful practice to cherry pick Scriptures for the purpose of defending, justifying and promoting a philosophy that cannot stand, if every Word of God is considered.
This is correct.
That is the philosophy of your adopted religion.
Now we are getting personal and not remaining civil.
The Bible teaches that the Gospel of Christ was given to Israel. And certainly Zacharias and Simeon and Anna are proof of this teaching.
Is. 48:
17 Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. 18 O that thou hadst hearkened "to my commandments"! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:
What if all these Scriptures are right, and the religious philosophies of this world that you have adopted and are now promoting, is the deception?
Shouldn't a man believe what is actually written?
It is in fact quite deceitful to assign context without understanding what is being taught.
Isaiah 48 brings the prophesy of the redeemer not the gospel of good news. In fact, Jesus is telling them that He will come because Israel has been a rebel from birth. They have never been able to keep God’s commandments perfectly. They have profaned His name. The gospel was not given to them but will be given by the redeemer in the future.
““You have not heard, you have not known. Even from long ago your ear has not been open, Because I knew that you would deal very treacherously; And you have been called a rebel from birth. “For the sake of My name I delay My wrath, And for My praise I restrain it for you, In order not to cut you off. “Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. “For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another.”
Isaiah 48:8-11 NASB2020
“You have not heard, you have not known. Even from long ago your ear has not been open, Because I knew that you would deal very treacherously; And you have been called a rebel from birth. “For the sak
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Those "Christians" in Matt. 7:22,23, certainly promoted a gospel, and believed in was of Christ.
They were false prophets (Matt 7:15). They did not promote the gospel but were “sheep in wolf clothing”. There are many people now that claim faith in Christ and even do works in His name that have evil in their hearts. This is nothing new. In fact read the parable of the soils which teaches the different levels of faith.
Perhaps you might consider the Scriptures shown to you, and the questions posed at you, so you can become a "Doer" of the Christ's Sayings, not just a word here, and another word over there, but "Every Word" that proceeds out of His Mouth, given they were given to Him by the God and Father of all.
I will exhort you that learn the gospel if good news and be saved by the grace of God through faith not by works (Eph 2:8-10). Now read Paul’s words that follows:
“Therefore remember that previously you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the people of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who previously were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the hostility, which is the Law composed of commandments expressed in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two one new person, in this way establishing peace; and that He might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the hostility.”
Ephesians 2:11-16 NASB2020
Therefore remember that previously you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— remember that you wer
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Christians are not part of the old covenant. Christians are not Israel. Christian are not under the law. No one has even been justified by the law and no one will ever be justified by the law.
