Restoring the Jewishness of the Gospel: A Message for Christians

The Church apart from its vital organs (Jews) is only a half truth and as such has been on life support. We need resurrection power to bring dry bones to life and put muscle and flesh back on the body. The prophets are calling to us (gentiles) to be the light that points back to the people of promise who first brought forth the Light of the World. This book is an excellent primer to change generational paradigms that are only furthering us away from our created purpose and wreaking havoc on all of creation as we can sense the very rocks are crying out.

Dr. David H. Stern has provided a thought- provoking call to Christians in his Restoring The Jewishness of the Gospel. In this call to action, Dr. Stern suggests that we, as Christians, have been misled in our thinking about God's covenants and the Jewish people. He points out that several verses in the New Testament could have alternate translations. He does an excellent job of critiquing Hebrews 8:6, which I will leave for you to discover. However, this critique led my wife and me to discover Hebrews 8:13, NIV version, "By calling this covenant "new," He has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear." As opposed to the Tree of Life version, "In saying "new," He has treated the first as old; but what is being made old and aging is close to vanishing.This is a remarkable difference. Words and phrases like 'obsolete' and 'soon disappear' are vastly different from 'old and aging' and 'close to vanishing'. The first translation gives me the impression of replacement, as in Replacement Theology because the implication I get is the old covenant(s) have no relevance and disapeared soon after this was written. The second, while conveying the idea of diminishing of the old covenant(s), perhaps a great deal, but still conveys the idea of not completely going away. Dr. Stern has me thinking that the phrase 'close to vanishing' might need re-translated, but not being proficient in language translation, I can only venture my guess. This brings me to my main points. You may disagree with Dr. Stern on his translation interpretation, but his point that Christians need to return to thinking like the original Christians, who were Jewish, is a valid point. Secondly, witnessing to lost Jewish people should be a major concern to Christians because God thought so much of the Jewish people that He allowed His own Son to be born as a Jewish individual. If we're not humbled by that, we should be.

Q:“What did you like or dislike? What did you use this product for?A: The Gentilized church which formed after the Apostles died morphed their original concepts onto Heathen practices. I do not condemn Easter and Christmas for their apparent overlay of Gentile heathenism. They still draw attention to Jesus of Nazareth and preach the message of his birth, death and resurrection. But the bigger focus ought to be on his teaching. He was called a Rabbi in the actual Koine Greek language New Testament writings. Oh, yeah, there is no word “Church” in that original Bible, that’s “Synagogue” in letters by Paul and others like that letter by James chapter 2. It’s just a Greek word meaning a meeting hall. Hebrew guys used it for hundreds of years before Jesus and forever since.The seven feasts of Israel and their history aren't the subject of much study by evangelicals. (For me, I see no parallel between what Jesus had been nicknamed as Lamb and that Passover lamb dinner meal which was not a sacrifice for sins even in the Egypt event. Thus, my conclusion that his being murdered at Passover is a Greek Cultural Gospel doctrine but that doesn't match how the Torah lists goats as the official Temple sacrifice for Passover. Yom Kippur also had two goats and that is celebrated in Autumn.)Many gospel passages show Jesus of Nazareth as observing them. When he was in Jerusalem for the dedication of the Temple it should be known that is Hanukkah, translated into New Testament Greek language word and then into English or…. Their meaning is lost on most Christians because of the "Jewishness" of those festivals which many see as antithetical to "the Church" which is in fact gentilized and has a No-Judaizing allowed mind set. It is taught that returning to the actual format of Judeo-Christianity would be returning to weaker things and that only "the Church" has God's Spirit and teaches Grace. All the New-testament is an addendum to the Old-testament not a replacement. Jesus said he did not come to destroy the Torah. But modern Church teaching said he "fulfilled” (an English Word translation from a Greek translation from Matthew’s chapter 5 Original's Hebrew word) it denying that meaning of the Torah could now be run through the shredder. Dr. David Stern addresses that passage and that misconceived teaching.He, Jesus introduced his topic explaining that He did NOT come to DESTROY the LAW. The word Torah does not equate to "Law", the meaning of the word 'Torah' is "teaching" or "instruction". Since most of the first 5 books of the Bible called the Torah read as history then they are not just 613 rules. And regulations of behavior should not be rejected as if opposing what Jesus of Nazareth taught, it is what he endorsed.“Think not, that I have come to subvert the Law or the prophets : I have come not to subvert, but to establish.For, indeed, I say to you, Till heaven and EARTH pass away, one lota or One Tip of a letter shall by no means pass from the law, till all be accomplished.Therefore, whoever shall violate one of the LEAST of these COMMANDS, and shall teach MEN so, will be called little in the KINGDOM of the HEAVENS, but whoever shall practice and teach them, will be called great in the KINGDOM of the heavens. For I tell you, that unless your RIGHTEOUSNESS excel [more of the] SCRIBES and Pharisees, you shall never enter into the KINGDOM of the HEAVENS.” - Matthew 5:17-20Since Jesus told his followers to obey the Pharisees in Mt 23 then a common interpretative of the Koine 'pleion ton' as "more than" but literally said "more of".Dr. Stern takes only a few pages to open the case wide of how misconceptions changed the reading of scripture and its very translating.In the gospels, Jesus was projected as a future Jewish King and the Son of David the Jewish King of the tribe of Judah which Jacob prophesied over in Genesis 49:8-12, including "A scepter will never depart from Judah, nor a ruler's staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and the people obey him.” I note that obedience requires rules. The original Biblical rules are mitzvah - (Judaism) a good deed performed out of religious duty.Much of what people write on this book is a passionate appeal to restore the actual pattern of apostolic Christianity while adding their own text not mentioned in Dr. Stern's book. This book inspires one that way and opens eyes in that direction. I noted that too many Christians are quoting John MacArthur saying "All Catholics and Jews are going to Hell". Jews are a FAMILY starting with Judah, son of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of THE Man Abraham. The Family Tribe of Judah (Yehudah) existed for centuries in Egypt and after the Exodus the Torah was then given on the 50th day creating the "Jewish Religion" as moderns call it. Jews are a family, not a religion.Jesus, the Jewish man, had Brothers and Sisters whose families would have called out "Uncle Yeshua." Their children could call him grand-uncle Yeshua and their children calling him great-grand-uncle…. Today some Jewish people might still be able to call him their Uncle and that is a family at a kosher picnic to respect.

There's more details that could be shared and I hoped to go deeper, but this isn't a bad starting point to understanding the gospels.

Recommend to everyone who has a KJV, NLT, MSG, AMPL, NIV, GTN, ETC...I really wish ALL Christian Fellowships (aka "Churches") would use this Bible. I wish I'd grew up with this Bible. This Bible can change the state of the heart, soul and world. It's the closest read to THE HEART of our Creator.As people are trading in coats for the Holidays and sending their old ones to those in need...this is the Bible I would keep and trade in all others. I am so thankful for this version.

Do you want to reach Jews with the Gospel? This is a great place to start. Do you want to see a road of reconciliation between Jews and Gentiles? This is a great place to begin. Do you struggle with understanding concepts of Law/Torah/Grace and how they pertain to both historic and modern Christians? I'd start here. Do you want to know what Messianic Judaism is and where it both marries and deviates from Orthodox Christianity? I'd read this as it is by one of the modern day leaders and scholars of the Jewish Sect. At only 79 pages and with resources to boot in the back of the book, it's a great introduction for all these questions. Get it. Read it. You will not be disappointed, but you may be a bit challenged.

Conteúdo claro, equilibrado e esclarecedor!

alles ok

Life your prayer is to worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth then,,then this is the truth you need.

This booklet should be a must read for all pastors & Christians.I have already bought 4 more to give away & as soon as more are in stock I will order more to give away.

Such a great book! Really eye opening and full of information.