Apologetics Argument Final Paper

.docx

School

Liberty University *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

500

Subject

Religion

Date

Dec 6, 2023

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by BaronWaterPenguin11

This paper will critique the worldview of Judaism as it compares and contrasts with orthodox Christianity and present evidence from various resources as justification that the Christian worldview is the one true religion. Judaism and Christianity have many common beliefs. They are both monotheistic religions and share a part of their Bible. Because Jesus and his disciples were Jews, the Jewish Bible was their Bible, and yet, as activists from within, they found fault in Jewish beliefs and practices. It is almost impossible, however, to understand Jesus' life and teachings without a basic knowledge of the Judaism worldview. In Exodus 20:2, the first commandment God gave Moses reinforces their belief that God is unique in his oneness. "You shall have no other Gods." In this one commandment, God commands faith, hope, love, worship of God; reverence for holy things; and prayer. He forbids idolatry; superstition; spiritism; tempting God; sacrilege; attendance at false worship. This one commandment was the beginning of the first monotheistic perspective that distinguished Judaism from the other ancient Near East polytheistic religions. 1 The opening words of the most common Jewish prayer are found in Deuteronomy 6:3-5, forming the basis for the Jewish belief that there is only one God. "Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God is one." They believe God has made a special agreement with them, using prophets to reveal that agreement to Jewish followers. The God of Israel, the creator, is distinct from everything else. Their God rewards good deeds and punishes evil. Holiness lies at the very heart of the Torah's message to Israel. Before God singles out Israel as his "treasured possession… a kingdom of priests and a holy nation ( Exodus 19:5–6 )" God instructs Moses: "Speak to the whole Israelite community and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God, am holy ( Lev. 19:1–2 )." Judaism believes that simplicity is the key to mastering life. Jews elevate the natural by subjecting it to divine regulation. They sanctify themselves by abstaining from eating whatever they want, working whenever, having sex with whomever, or keeping whatever they earn. A day of fasting, prayer, study, and introspection in the synagogue on Yom Kippur leaves the Jewish follower with a renewed sense of purity and wholeness. Most Jews believe their Messiah has not yet come, but he will one day. In Judaism, Jesus was just a human, not the son of God. He was not a prophet but rather an excellent teacher and storyteller. Jews do not think of Jesus as a prophet. The Torah does not mention the word, Jesus. Another Jewish belief is that only God can save souls, not Jesus. In the Jewish view, Jesus did not rise from the dead. Judaism, in general, does not recognize Jesus as the Messiah. 2 1 Thomas A. Robinson and Hillary P. Rodrigues, World Religions, A Guide to the Essentials ( Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2006) 51. 2 Martin S. Jaffee, “One God, One Revelation, One People: On the Symbolic Structure of Elective Monotheism,” Journal of the American Academy of Religion no. 4, (2001) 753-775.

Some people believe that Judaism is a religion of deed, not creed. However, while brief, the statement is a cosmic generalization. Part of the beauty of Judaism lies in its mixture of deed and creed into mitzvot, sacred acts, or divine commandments. Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik put it beautifully when he said that Judaism combines "rituals and ethics into one performance . . . Judaism was the first to tell the world that God is interested in our ethics and that we, therefore, serve Him by constantly imitating Him . . . God does not have one set of rules for rituals, and a different set for acting toward our fellow man." 3 In Judaism, Torah is the heart of their faith. For nearly 4,000 years, including 2,000 without a homeland, any common geographical location, and any support from the outside, Judaism survived because of the Torah. The word Torah means teaching, and it refers to the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. Scribes have copied the text for more than 2,500 years. At first glance, those first five books tell the story of the creation until Moses' death. A closer look reveals the keywords that have guided the Way called Judaism. Judaism and Christianity both believe in one God, the creator of the universe, who is mighty and good and. He reveals his Word through prophets, and he answers prayers. "In Judaism, however, their one God is unique, whereas in Christianity, God is one in his nature, but there are three persons constituting the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." 4 In Judaism, some beliefs are acceptable for non-Jewish people but not for Jews. One such belief concerns the triune God of Christianity and, according to Deuteronomy 6:4: "Hear O Israel, The Lord our God, the Lord is One." This commandment to believe in God's absolute oneness was explicitly given to the Jewish people of Israel. The concept expressed in this verse (Deuteronomy 6:4) not only refutes the plurality of God but also asserts that God is the only true existence. In the Hebrew Bible, God transcends above everything else. "I am the first and I am the last and besides Me there is no other." (Isaiah 44:6) Something transcending time and space cannot be described as consisting of three different aspects. While Judaism believes that God manifests Himself to His creation (humanity) in many ways (i.e., as a judge or a protector), God's essence itself is indivisible and, therefore, without any possibility of distinction. When we attribute such distinctions to God's essence in Christianity, we negate His absolute Oneness and unity. 3 David Holzer, The Rav: Thinking Aloud (Miami: Holzer Publishing, 2009). 286-287. 4 Andrew Wilson, Editor, International Religious Foundation, 1991.

Jewish people commonly think of sin in terms of criminal behavior and normally, they do not believe they are sinners. Good and evil are always possibilities for man in the Jewish faith, but his dignity and basic goodness require that he be free to tip the scales in either direction and generally, he will choose the good. According to the Bible, salvation in Judaism is given by God, bestowed upon the Israeli nation in Deuteronomy 28:23. In the following verses, Moses continues to chastise God's chosen people about what will happen if they disobey God's law. Moses tells them that they will be sent out into a desolate land full of suffering and hunger. The next chapter advises that repentance will restore their blessings. (Deut. 30:1-10). While Judaism places the responsibility for sins on the individual. Much like Christianity, the Messianic Jew puts their faith in the Messiah's atonement of sins and will receive salvation. In traditional Judaism, following God's law affects the present, as does disobedience. Like Christians, Messianic Jews know that salvation applies to the here and now and there and then. In Judaism, one's relationship with God must be based on three components: repentance, good deeds, and a life of devotion. The question is whether these three things, albeit meritorious, can restore one's relationship with God. We may find an answer when considering what was God's remedy for man's disobedience in biblical times. God provided a way to "cover'' man's sin when he instituted Yom Kippur. Modern Judaism observes Yom Kippur on the Day of Atonement, and fervent Jews' hope for forgiveness is based on the three essential principles: repentance, prayer, and the merits of the Patriarchs. The Bible teaches that God was preparing a people to be holy unto him. Being Holy would separate them from the nations and set them apart for God. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were risen up by God to father what would become Israel. These men were not chosen because they were special, but God bestowed upon them his unmerited favor so God could use them to see his plan to the end to redeem mankind. Until the earthly incarnation of Jesus, God’s full plan of redemption was not known. They relied on God’s promise to send a savior for them. In Genesis 3:15, God promised a Seed would come. He made the same promise to Abraham and said the Seed would be from Abraham’s genealogy. (Genesis 15) “Salvation is of the Lord” (Jonah 2:9), so it was trusting faith—faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob-that brought salvation to the people of Israel prior to the cross. Having a Christian worldview is not just expressing a personal faith, nor is it just a theory. The Christian worldview encompasses all aspects of life. According to James Orr,

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help