Teaching Choral Concepts

Review

     This is a unique book that explains many cultural and doctrinal differences all the Christian world should recognize and understand. 

Christianity has Jewish roots. Christ descended from the Kings of Judah and was first sent to the House of Israel. Though the Romans forced the Jews from their native land and compelled them to integrate with foreign cultures, Judaism survived. Now, after almost 2000 years, the Jews have returned to their ancestral homeland with their language, culture and religion largely intact. 

Though Jews comprise less than half of one percent of the world's population, they have won 22% of the Nobel prizes and made disproportionately high contributions in the fields of medicine, law, mathematics and numerous other academic pursuits. 

This book, written by a Jewish Christian, gives a unique overview of Jewish culture today. After posing the difficult question, how does one define a "Jew," it explains the various factions of their religious heritage and evaluates their spiritual vitality today. It reflects on the results of world-wide anti-Semitism and explains why Jews don't accept Jesus as the Son of God nor as their Messiah. It looks at unique differences between Christians and Jews regarding the Law of Moses, the nature of sin, the doctrine of resurrection, and other teachings such as views of death and the purpose of life. 

The destruction of the first temple, which resulted in the Babylonian captivity, and the destruction of the second temple, which resulted in the Roman scattering of the nation, are treated as two events that changed Judaism forever. The book concludes by citing the need to carry the doctrines of Christ to the Jewish nation in these last days. 

Table of Contents

Introduction, 11
I Have Graven Thee Upon the Palms of My Hands, 11
Christianity Has Jewish Roots, 12
Christ Was Sent to the House of Israel, 13
Salvation Is Of the Jews, 13

1. The Jew: Both an Enigma and an Anomaly, 15
A Culture Preserved for 2000 Years, 15
Significant Accomplishments and Unique Contributions, 16
Are Jews Smarter Than Non-Jews?, 17

2. How Does One Define a "Jew?", 19
The 1950 Knesset "Law of Return", 20
The Halakhic Definition, 20
A Particular Nationality?, 21
A Particular Race?, 21
A Particular Religion?, 22
A Cultural Definition?,23
A Descendency Definition?, 23
Identification With the Total Jewish Experience, 24
There Is No Universally Accepted Definition, 24

3. A Diminished Spiritual Vitality?, 27
Where Is the World's Jewish Population Today?, 27
A Diminished Vitality?, 28
Why Did All These People Flock Together?, 29
A Disturbing Poll, 30
The Plight of Twentieth-Century Judaism, 31
There Can Be No Religion Without Faith and Feeling, 32
The Category of Spiritual Experience Is Absent, 34
A Fertile Field for Preaching the Gospel of Christ, 35

4. The Divisions of Judaism, 37
Orthodox Judaism, 37
Reform Judaism, 39
Conservative Judaism, 41
Reconstructionism, 42

5. Christianity and Anti-Semitism, 45
Jewish Lack of Differentiation Between Gentiles and Christians, 45
Early Christian Fathers Blame the Jews for Christ's Crucifixion, 47
Medieval Christian Charges Against the Jews, 48
The Doctrine of Servitus Judaeorum, 49
A Comparison: Adolf Hitler and John Chrysostom, 49
Martin Luther's Anti-Semitism, 51
Jews Slain by the Crusaders, 52
The Decisions of Christian Councils, 52
Spain's Edict of Expulsion, 53
The Spanish Inquisition Persecuted the Jews, 53
Deuteronomy 28 Promised Persecution, 54

6. Why Jews Don't Accept Jesus as the Son of God, 55
The Jewish Shema, 55
The Term Elohim, 57
Other Evidence Which Shows the Plurality of God, 59

7. Why Jews Rejected Jesus as Their Messiah, 61
Jesus Failed to Fulfill Jewish Messianic Expectations, 61
The Scriptural Standard for Measuring a Prophet's Authenticity, 63
Messianic Expectations to Be Fulfilled in a Second Advent, 64
Why Many First-Century Jews Were Converted to Jesus, 65
Many Jews Today Still Look for the Messiah's Coming, 66

8. A Jewish Paradox, 67
The Inspiration and Permanence of the Law of Moses, 68
The Doctrine of Resurrection 70
The Coming of the Messiah, 71
Reflections on Traditions and Dogma, 73

9. Jewish Attitudes Toward Sin, 75
"Original Sin" Not a Jewish Belief, 75
"Original Sin" a Late-Adopted Christian Doctrine, 76
Can One "Think a Sin?, 76
Is It the Body or the Soul that Sins?, 77
The Yetzer Ha-ra: Inclination to Sin, 78
Differing Beliefs on the Nature of Repentance, 79

10. Two Dates That Changed Judaism Forever, 85

The Babylonian Captivity
The Oral Law Committed to Writing, 85
The Founding of Synagogue Worship, 87
Scribes Become Spiritual Leaders, 87
The Mishnah Gains Eminence with the Rise of the Rabbis, 88
The Talmud,88
A Contrast: Jewish Legalism and Christian Creedism, 89

The Destruction of the Second Temple
Moral Deeds Substituted for Altar Sacrifices, 90
Officiating Priests Replaced by Pious, Ordinary Men, 92

11. Bias in Jewish Bible Translations, 95
Examples of Unintentional Translation Errors, 96
Examples of Errors Based on Traditional Biases, 96
Genesis 1:2, 97
Isaiah 9:6, 98
Isaiah 53:5?8, 100
Isaiah 7:14, 101
Doctrinal Biases Should Be Set Aside in Scriptural Translations, 103

12. Putting Words in Jesus' Mouth, 105
A Siege Mentality: Keeping Jews from Examining Jesus' Messianic Claims, 105
What Did Jesus Mean?, 107
Scripture Twisting-Portraying Passages Incorrectly through Altered Meanings, 109
A Poignant Reply, 113
A Plea for Literacy, Historical and Doctrinal Honesty, 114

13. Like Lambs to the Slaughter, 115
Where Was Their Will to Live?, 115
Jewish Uprising Against Their Tormentors, 116
Passive Acceptance of Gentile Pogroms, 116
Four Attitudes Concerning Jewish Deaths, 118
Negative Observations on the Nature of Man, 121
Positive Observations on the Nature of Man, 121
Conclusion, 123
The Need for Internalized Worship, 123
Pray That the Jews May Recognize Their Messiah, 124

Endnotes, 127
Index, 135
About the Author, 143

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