Introduction + Questions

[Noamx]

Hi everyone,

Well basically, I registered here because I have a few religious questions I didnt know where to ask, so I thought to ask here. It seems like I dont have sufficient privilege to make new thread in the appropriate forum for that, so I was hoping if I can please ask the questions here and you can answer them here, thanks.

Well basically, I'm from Israel and I belong to Judaism. I'm not very religious but I'm also not Christian, but I'm interested in the concept of the messiah in Christianity. From a quick look at the New testament and a simple google search, I wasnt able to really find out a few things I wanted to know.

If there are any religious christians here, I was hoping if you can please answer a few questions I have. Thanks.

1) Where in the scriptures does it say Jesus is the messiah, or is it not explicitly stated, but is implied in different words? If so, where / what book in the scriptures, does it say so?

2) If Jesus was jewish, how come Christians arent considered jews?

3) If I go to a jewish Synagogue for praying, is it worth talking about Jesus or asking about him, or they would get angry at me?

4) Are the pics of what jesus looked like around the Internet are real, or nobody really knows what he looked like?

5) Is the Old Testament, the same one in Judaism, is identical to the one in Christianity, or what are the differences, if there are any?

6) Does all Christians believe Jesus is the messiah, or this isnt 100% widely accepted on among christians?

7) If jesus is the messiah, why do christians sometimes call him the Christ instead?

 

[Michie]

Hi and welcome! This is just the intro forum. Your questions can be answered here: Messianic Judaism

You’ll get more responses I’m sure.

 

[Noamx]

Hi and welcome! This is just the intro forum. Your questions can be answered here: Messianic Judaism

You’ll get more responses I’m sure.

Any clue why it says everywhere else I dont have the privilege to start thread?

I hope I can get answers here anyways.

 

[Michie]

Any clue why it says everywhere else I dont have the privilege to start thread?

I hope I can get answers here anyways.

It might be because you are not a Christian. You can contact staff about it and see what can be done.

 

[Michie]

I’ll post a link to this thread in their forum for you.

 

[Michie]

Done. Hopefully they can answer your questions for you.

 

[Noamx]

Done. Hopefully they can answer your questions for you.

Awesome.

 

[tampasteve]

Hi everyone,

Well basically, I registered here because I have a few religious questions I didnt know where to ask, so I thought to ask here. It seems like I dont have sufficient privilege to make new thread in the appropriate forum for that, so I was hoping if I can please ask the questions here and you can answer them here, thanks.

Well basically, I'm from Israel and I belong to Judaism. I'm not very religious but I'm also not Christian, but I'm interested in the concept of the messiah in Christianity. From a quick look at the New testament and a simple google search, I wasnt able to really find out a few things I wanted to know.

If there are any religious christians here, I was hoping if you can please answer a few questions I have. Thanks.

First, welcome! To answer one of your questions, only people that choose the faith "Christian" have free reign across the forums, people of other faiths are not allowed to post in the "Christian Only" forums. However, you can participate in a fair amount of other forums.

1) Where in the scriptures does it say Jesus is the messiah, or is it not explicitly stated, but is implied in different words? If so, where / what book in the scriptures, does it say so?

Briefly because he fulfilled many/most of the prophesies marked are clearly messianic as well as others that are not so clearly messianic. He also explicitly confirms it in several places in the New Testament.

2) If Jesus was jewish, how come Christians arent considered jews?

Some Christians identify as "Messianic Jews" and follow many Jewish customs. But mainstream Jewish people will never recognize a Christian as a Jew, they are either recognized as apostates or in the case of gentiles, they were never Jewish at all according to mainstream Judaism.

I myself was a convert to Judaism that found my way back to Christianity. I do not currently identify as a "Messianic Jew", but strictly I suppose you could say that I am.

3) If I go to a jewish Synagogue for praying, is it worth talking about Jesus or asking about him, or they would get angry at me?

Most Jewish synagogues will not appreciate talk about Jesus. Messianic Synagogues would be fine with it. Many Jewish people still attend non-Messianic synagogues but also believe in Jesus, they just don't proselytize to other Jews.

4) Are the pics of what jesus looked like around the Internet are real, or nobody really knows what he looked like?

No one really knows, but I would say he looked more or less like any other 1st century Jewish person.

5) Is the Old Testament, the same one in Judaism, is identical to the one in Christianity, or what are the differences, if there are any?

Briefly, yes, it is the same. I tend to use both an Artscroll Tanak as well as a standard KJV or CSV Bible.

6) Does all Christians believe Jesus is the messiah, or this isnt 100% widely accepted on among christians?

100% accepted, if not they are not "Christian".

7) If Jesus is the messiah, why do Christians sometimes call him the Christ instead?

Christ comes from the Greek Christos which means "anointed one" and is a common translation for Messiah or Messiach.

 

[HTacianas]

Hi everyone,

Well basically, I registered here because I have a few religious questions I didnt know where to ask, so I thought to ask here. It seems like I dont have sufficient privilege to make new thread in the appropriate forum for that, so I was hoping if I can please ask the questions here and you can answer them here, thanks.

Well basically, I'm from Israel and I belong to Judaism. I'm not very religious but I'm also not Christian, but I'm interested in the concept of the messiah in Christianity. From a quick look at the New testament and a simple google search, I wasnt able to really find out a few things I wanted to know.

If there are any religious christians here, I was hoping if you can please answer a few questions I have. Thanks.

1) Where in the scriptures does it say Jesus is the messiah, or is it not explicitly stated, but is implied in different words? If so, where / what book in the scriptures, does it say so?

2) If Jesus was jewish, how come Christians arent considered jews?

3) If I go to a jewish Synagogue for praying, is it worth talking about Jesus or asking about him, or they would get angry at me?

4) Are the pics of what jesus looked like around the Internet are real, or nobody really knows what he looked like?

5) Is the Old Testament, the same one in Judaism, is identical to the one in Christianity, or what are the differences, if there are any?

6) Does all Christians believe Jesus is the messiah, or this isnt 100% widely accepted on among christians?

7) If jesus is the messiah, why do christians sometimes call him the Christ instead?

1) There are what many would say are allusions to Jesus as the Messiah in the old testament. The "suffering servant" of Isaiah 53 is one. The new testament records that after his resurrection Jesus met with his apostles and "opened their eyes" to the scriptures that foretold of him as the Messiah.

2) The earliest Christians considered themselves Jews. Gentile converts to Christianity were regarded the same as proselytes to Judaism. The Book of Revelation refers to heretical groups in the words "...I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.", see Rev 2:9.

3) It's not a good idea to bring up Jesus in a synagogue. Many Jews consider Jesus to be a false god and are insulted by the mention of his name.

4) The pictures of Jesus are merely artistic representations of him. They vary greatly from one society to another and from one culture to another.

5) Christianity has historically used the Septuagint version of the old testament. The modern Jewish bible does not contain as many books and traditionally follows the Masoretic Text.

6) All Christians believe that Jesus is the Messiah. It is a cornerstone of the Christian faith.

7) "Christ" is a Greek word meaning "anointed one" and has the same meaning as Messiah. But Aramaic and Arab Christians have different terms for it.

 

[Joined2krist]

Welcome to CF!

 

[lsume]

Hi everyone,

Well basically, I registered here because I have a few religious questions I didnt know where to ask, so I thought to ask here. It seems like I dont have sufficient privilege to make new thread in the appropriate forum for that, so I was hoping if I can please ask the questions here and you can answer them here, thanks.

Well basically, I'm from Israel and I belong to Judaism. I'm not very religious but I'm also not Christian, but I'm interested in the concept of the messiah in Christianity. From a quick look at the New testament and a simple google search, I wasnt able to really find out a few things I wanted to know.

If there are any religious christians here, I was hoping if you can please answer a few questions I have. Thanks.

1) Where in the scriptures does it say Jesus is the messiah, or is it not explicitly stated, but is implied in different words? If so, where / what book in the scriptures, does it say so?

2) If Jesus was jewish, how come Christians arent considered jews?

3) If I go to a jewish Synagogue for praying, is it worth talking about Jesus or asking about him, or they would get angry at me?

4) Are the pics of what jesus looked like around the Internet are real, or nobody really knows what he looked like?

5) Is the Old Testament, the same one in Judaism, is identical to the one in Christianity, or what are the differences, if there are any?

6) Does all Christians believe Jesus is the messiah, or this isnt 100% widely accepted on among christians?

7) If jesus is the messiah, why do christians sometimes call him the Christ instead?

You might read Isaiah Chapter 53.

 

[ralliann]

Hi everyone,

Well basically, I registered here because I have a few religious questions I didnt know where to ask, so I thought to ask here. It seems like I dont have sufficient privilege to make new thread in the appropriate forum for that, so I was hoping if I can please ask the questions here and you can answer them here, thanks.

Well basically, I'm from Israel and I belong to Judaism. I'm not very religious but I'm also not Christian, but I'm interested in the concept of the messiah in Christianity. From a quick look at the New testament and a simple google search, I wasnt able to really find out a few things I wanted to know.

If there are any religious christians here, I was hoping if you can please answer a few questions I have. Thanks.

1) Where in the scriptures does it say Jesus is the messiah, or is it not explicitly stated, but is implied in different words? If so, where / what book in the scriptures, does it say so?

Hi There and welcome!
The Gospel of John....
John 4:25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

2) If Jesus was jewish, how come Christians arent considered jews?

Messiah established a new covenant. Not based upon the circumcision in the flesh, but of the heart.

3) If I go to a jewish Synagogue for praying, is it worth talking about Jesus or asking about him, or they would get angry at me?

I don't think they would like it. It would offend them I think.

4) Are the pics of what jesus looked like around the Internet are real, or nobody really knows what he looked like?

No, not real. We do not know what he looked like.

5) Is the Old Testament, the same one in Judaism, is identical to the one in Christianity, or what are the differences, if there are any?

Yes, I believe so.

6) Does all Christians believe Jesus is the messiah, or this isnt 100% widely accepted on among christians?

Yes, or they would not be Christians

7) If jesus is the messiah, why do christians sometimes call him the Christ instead?

Just language
As The Gospel of John shows
25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

 

[Soyeong]

Hi everyone,

Well basically, I registered here because I have a few religious questions I didnt know where to ask, so I thought to ask here. It seems like I dont have sufficient privilege to make new thread in the appropriate forum for that, so I was hoping if I can please ask the questions here and you can answer them here, thanks.

Well basically, I'm from Israel and I belong to Judaism. I'm not very religious but I'm also not Christian, but I'm interested in the concept of the messiah in Christianity. From a quick look at the New testament and a simple google search, I wasnt able to really find out a few things I wanted to know.

If there are any religious christians here, I was hoping if you can please answer a few questions I have. Thanks.

Hello and welcome to the forum.

1) Where in the scriptures does it say Jesus is the messiah, or is it not explicitly stated, but is implied in different words? If so, where / what book in the scriptures, does it say so?

For example, Matthew 1:16.

2) If Jesus was jewish, how come Christians arent considered jews?

Jesus did not come to start his own religion worshiping a different God, but rather he came as the Messiah of Judaism in fulfillment of Jewish prophecy. He set a perfect example of how to practice Judaism by setting a sinless example of how to walk in obedience to the Torah and he spent his ministry teaching his followers how to practice Judaism by word and by example. In Acts 21:20, they were rejoicing that tens of thousands of Jews were coming to faith who were all zealous for the Torah, so Jews coming to faith were not ceasing to obey it or converting to a different religion. This means that there was a period of time between the resurrection of Jesus and the inclusion of Gentiles in Acts 10 during which most Christians were Torah observant Jews, so Christianity at its origin was the form of Judaism that recognized Jesus as the prophesied Messiah, and that is the form of Christianity that I seek by faith to practice. However, since then, tensions caused the two groups to polarize with Jews tending to follow the Torah, but not the Messiah, and with Christians tending to follow the Messiah, but not the Torah that he spent his ministry teaching. Gentiles are able to become joined with Israel through faith in Messiah without becoming Jews.

3) If I go to a jewish Synagogue for praying, is it worth talking about Jesus or asking about him, or they would get angry at me?

It depends on the synagogue, but that is a real possibility. The problem with idolatry that that is falsely misrepresents the nature of who God is, so Jesus had been anything less than the exact expression of God's nature (Hebrews 1:3), then worshiping him would have been idolatry.

4) Are the pics of what jesus looked like around the Internet are real, or nobody really knows what he looked like?

Pictures of Jesus from around the world tend to adopt the ethnic traits of that region, such as pictures of him in South African having dark skin, or with pictures of him in Asia having slanted eyes. No one knows exactly what he looked like, though he most likely looked like an average person from the Middle East.

5) Is the Old Testament, the same one in Judaism, is identical to the one in Christianity, or what are the differences, if there are any?

I think the main difference is the order of the books.

6) Does all Christians believe Jesus is the messiah, or this isnt 100% widely accepted on among christians?

Yes. "Christ" is the Greek equivalent of "Messiah" and a Christian is a follower of Christ.

 

[returntosender]

Any clue why it says everywhere else I dont have the privilege to start thread?

I hope I can get answers here anyways.

You have to post so many times, I think it is 6 before you can start a thread. Some threads are restricted such as if you're married you can't post in the singles thread, etc.

 

[HARK!]

1) Where in the scriptures does it say Jesus is the messiah, or is it not explicitly stated, but is implied in different words? If so, where / what book in the scriptures, does it say so?

Shalom Noamx,

Welcome.

I think that you'll find this short video filmed in Israel to be very interesting:

 

[Noamx]

Thanks for the replies mates. To be honest with you, I tend to be more Agnostic in my beliefs, which means, I dont believe, or not believe, in God or in religious related statements, so I'm basically neutral on my point of view about these things, because there's no proof they are true, no proof they are false, in my opinion, so Agnosticism suits my beliefs to some extent. However, if I wanted to be a Messianic Jew, I wouldnt be able to do so in Israel, because almost nobody here would appreciate someone who is like that, so I gave up on trying to do so. Yeah, sad story. Can you explain what you think about all this?

 

[sunshineforJesus]

Hi and welcome.

 

[tampasteve]

Thanks for the replies mates. To be honest with you, I tend to be more Agnostic in my beliefs, which means, I dont believe, or not believe, in God or in religious related statements, so I'm basically neutral on my point of view about these things, because there's no proof they are true, no proof they are false, in my opinion, so Agnosticism suits my beliefs to some extent.

I have a few agnostic friends in real life. We get along just fine and have had some really good conversations about religion. Openness and willing to hear each other out really goes a long way, even if we disagree in the end.

However, if I wanted to be a Messianic Jew, I wouldnt be able to do so in Israel, because almost nobody here would appreciate someone who is like that, so I gave up on trying to do so. Yeah, sad story. Can you explain what you think about all this?

To be honest I have never felt "at home" in Messianic Synagogues, they just did not work for me. That could be because the really "good" ones are few and far between. When I was on that path I felt much more comfortable between a Reform congregation and Chebad house in my area, both were very welcoming and understanding. You can still attend a mainstream synagogue and hold messianic beliefs, IMO.

 

[Soyeong]

Thanks for the replies mates. To be honest with you, I tend to be more Agnostic in my beliefs, which means, I dont believe, or not believe, in God or in religious related statements, so I'm basically neutral on my point of view about these things, because there's no proof they are true, no proof they are false, in my opinion, so Agnosticism suits my beliefs to some extent. However, if I wanted to be a Messianic Jew, I wouldnt be able to do so in Israel, because almost nobody here would appreciate someone who is like that, so I gave up on trying to do so. Yeah, sad story. Can you explain what you think about all this?

I know a Messianic family who lived in Israel who had to come back to the US for the safety of their children, so it is sadly not easy to be a Messianic Jew in Israel, though there communities of Messianic Jews there. I think that the countless miracles that it is has taken for the preservice of the Jewish people is proof that God exists. What other nations continues to thrive after the nations who have warred against it have vanished?

 

[ChavaK]

Hi everyone,

Well basically, I registered here because I have a few religious questions I didnt know where to ask, so I thought to ask here. It seems like I dont have sufficient privilege to make new thread in the appropriate forum for that, so I was hoping if I can please ask the questions here and you can answer them here, thanks.

Well basically, I'm from Israel and I belong to Judaism. I'm not very religious but I'm also not Christian, but I'm interested in the concept of the messiah in Christianity. From a quick look at the New testament and a simple google search, I wasnt able to really find out a few things I wanted to know.

If there are any religious christians here, I was hoping if you can please answer a few questions I have. Thanks.

1) Where in the scriptures does it say Jesus is the messiah, or is it not explicitly stated, but is implied in different words? If so, where / what book in the scriptures, does it say so?

2) If Jesus was jewish, how come Christians arent considered jews?

3) If I go to a jewish Synagogue for praying, is it worth talking about Jesus or asking about him, or they would get angry at me?

4) Are the pics of what jesus looked like around the Internet are real, or nobody really knows what he looked like?

5) Is the Old Testament, the same one in Judaism, is identical to the one in Christianity, or what are the differences, if there are any?

6) Does all Christians believe Jesus is the messiah, or this isnt 100% widely accepted on among christians?

7) If jesus is the messiah, why do christians sometimes call him the Christ instead?

I accidentaly double posted, see the next one for my response.