January 2013

by Everett Ramsay, DD

From the book:  Commentary of the New Testament

Matthew 5:17-20: 

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets:  I am not come to destroy. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.  Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven:  but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” 

Jesus Christ made it plain that He did not come to alter or eliminate the law.  He came to fulfill the law, especially that which is related to the covenant of Abraham.  The ceremonial law was not removed or done away.  It was fulfilled in Christ.  The law is still there. 

by Pastor Don Elmore

I looked on the website to find what the Jews themselves say in answer to the question:  “Where Did The Jews Come From?”  I found many which said the following:

“The Jews originate from the region of Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq).  Originally, the Jewish people were called Israelites or sons of Israel, after the last Jewish Patriarch Jacob, who was also named Israel.  The Israelites were composed of twelve tribes, of which the tribe of Judah was one.   Although they were briefly unified in the 10th Century BC under the Kings David and Solomon, they eventually split into two kingdoms — one called Israel (with ten tribes) and one called Judah  (with the remaining two tribes).

In a series of expulsions ending in 722 BCE, the tribes living in the Kingdom of Israel were expelled and SUBSEQUENTLY DISAPPEARED ONLY TWO TRIBES REMAINED Judah and Benjamin, alongside Jewish priest in the Kingdom of Judah.  As Judah was the dominant tribe of the southern Kingdom (indeed, the kingdom was called Judah), the remaining Israelites became Judaites or Judaeans and eventually just Jews.”

As a second witness, we look at the definition of “What Does ‘Jew’ Mean” from The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, p. 397 — depending on the context, Yehudah variously means:

1. Son of Jacob and Leah (named Judah)
2. Tribe descended from Judah
3. Nation of the southern kingdom under the dynasty of David, as distinguished from the northern kingdom of Ephraim or Israel
4. Land of Judah.

Did you catch what they are saying?  The term “Jew” or “Jews” in the Old Testament Scriptures never refers to the northern ten tribes of Israel, but only to Judah, the tribe of Judah, the southern house of Judah, or the land of Judah.  Furthermore, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were never referred to as “Jews.”

by Pastor Mark Downey

March 10, 2013

Scripture Reading:  Revelation 22:14-15

Lies:  Kol Nidre

We've been lied to, as the real meaning of the word 'devil' in Scripture has been misinterpreted as some kind of malevolent spirit-being or biped monster.  The devils are two-legged for sure, but there's nothing supernatural about people who lie for a living. The Greek word for the New Testament devil is diabolos and simply means false accuser, calumniator and slanderer.  Nowhere is it used of a superhuman-being tempting men to sin.  When Jesus spoke of the Pharisees being of their "father the devil," Christ was speaking figuratively of the parent corporation "Babylon" from whence the 'traditions of the elders', or Judaism, came.

The Big Lie of Nimrod, the mongrel king of Babylon, was that he declared himself God. "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil" (I John 3:8).  Here we have the classic contrast between the truth and lies. Jews, or those who carry the tradition of false accusation from ancient Babylon, cannot believe Jesus because He speaks the truth.  "He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you [jews] do not hear, because you are not of God" (John 8:47).