by Mary 14 Replies latest jw friends
Devon McBride said: Although, most Jews don't know much about the NT or the Christian Greek Scriptures because that part of the bible is irrelevant to their beliefs.
Surprisingly Devon, there are more Jews that know the NT more thoroughly than alot of Christians. Alot of Orthodox Jews do study the NT, simply so they know what they're up against when Christians either try to blame them for murdering the Messiah, or when they try converting them.
Isn't it amazing how almost every passage of scripture can be messaged to mean about anything someone wants to make it mean. That's why there are so many different religious beliefs claiming the same source, the bible. It would seem that God could have provided a more clear source of spiritual guidence for his children.
Ken P.
Surprisingly Devon, there are more Jews that know the NT more thoroughly than alot of Christians. Alot of Orthodox Jews do study the NT, simply so they know what they're up against when Christians either try to blame them for murdering the Messiah, or when they try converting them.
I disagree. Very few Jews are familiar with the NT. Only those who may have studied Religion in school. I was born and raised Jewish. I went to a Jewish school until third grade. My Great Grandfather was a Rabbi in Austria in the early 1900s. Now I consider myself agnostic. Orthodox Jews do not study the NT. There is no reason to since the NT writings are not important to their beliefs. Just studying the Hebrew Scriptures is enough to refute Christians. Orthodox Jews study the Tanach (Hebrew Scriptures) and the Talmud. Traditional Jews do not consider anyone who accepts Jesus to be Jewish and since the NT authors converted to Christianity, the NT is looked upon as a Christian book and not important to Jews. There are multiple Jewish web sites dedicated to educating Jews on refuting Christians. One is www.jewsforjudaism.org
My two young nephews live in Texas which is considered part of the bible belt. Their synagogue does teach them how to refute Christian Missionaries but they do not learn about the NT. They are taught why Jews don't believe Jesus is the Messiah and all scripture used comes from the Tanach, not the NT.
Only those who may have studied Religion in school.
Well, the ones I've spoken to seem to know more about the NT than the Catholics do......then again, that's not saying much!! LOL! One thing I've found interesting is the differences in how Christians and Jews interpret the Old Testament. I had always assumed that they viewed it the same way. I found out differently in one of my classes and I find it quite fasinating to get the Jewish perspective and interpretations of the OT......
The vast majority of French Orthodox Jews know very little about the N.T. -- as well as about Judaism before the end of the 1st century A.D., except pharisaism which is the direct ancestor of rabbinism; they have only a vague idea about the other ancient Jewish schools, such as the Hellenistic (the Septuagint, Philo or Josephus), Sadducee (which is only caricatured in the Talmud as well as the NT) or Essene (Dead Sea Scrolls), not to mention the early Judeo-Christian sects (such as the Nazoreans).
This of course does not apply to Jewish scholars. Martin Buber comes to mind, who acknowledged Jesus as a "brother". The split between Christianity and Judaism is generally ascribed to Paul, not to Jesus.
