Who is a Jew?
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Perhaps you're referencing circumcision?
I am referencing the covenant that makes men "a people for His prized possession out of all peoples on the face of the earth"... "a nation of kings and priests".
Only the faithful (whether of Jewish decent or otherwise) are affected by the promises:
"For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, 15 because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.
16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 17 (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; 18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be."
This was written to non-Jewish believers: "Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham."
...
"Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ. 17 And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. 18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise."
Only those who are "in Christ" receive the promises.
This is elementary and easy to understand... unless we backslide and know people by their flesh again: "So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!"
I am referencing the covenant that makes men "a people for His prized possession out of all peoples on the face of the earth"... "a nation of kings and priests".
Only the faithful (whether of Jewish decent or otherwise) are affected by the promises:
"For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, 15 because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.
16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 17 (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; 18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be."
This was written to non-Jewish believers: "Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham."
...
"Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ. 17 And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. 18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise."
Only those who are "in Christ" receive the promises.
This is elementary and easy to understand... unless we backslide and know people by their flesh again: "So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!"
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Circumcision? Yeah, that's different.
We know that, as revealed in the New Testament, this covenant:
"When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. 2 And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: 4 “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. 8 Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”
Or this:
“2 I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
When they came into Canaan the Lord said:
“To your descendants I will give this land.”
(The former is a reference to the latter.)
This is a covenant of faith in Christ. That's the mystery explained in the verses I cited and others in the NT. Abraham obtained the promises of the covenant by faith.... just as everyone else does.
Paul explains the mystery thus:
"Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ."
We know that, as revealed in the New Testament, this covenant:
"When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. 2 And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: 4 “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. 8 Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”
Or this:
“2 I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
When they came into Canaan the Lord said:
“To your descendants I will give this land.”
(The former is a reference to the latter.)
This is a covenant of faith in Christ. That's the mystery explained in the verses I cited and others in the NT. Abraham obtained the promises of the covenant by faith.... just as everyone else does.
Paul explains the mystery thus:
"Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ."
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You pointed out Romans 11. I would ask you what Romans 11:14 means?
"I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14in the hope that I may provoke my own people to jealousy and save some of them. "
Paul has no illusions that the world will still be full of people who reject Jesus. And that includes Israel, by my reading. Some remnant will be saved, but can I not already count people who claim to be jews, and look like middle-easterners, among those who claim Christ? So then, if they can be saved, what am I to say of those who are not saved?
They are my equal?
They are to be given equal weight in my decisions when they speak, though they be sinners, and as such Enemies of Christ?
Romans 5:10 tells me
"For if, when we were enemies of God, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! "
And Christ himself confirms this, though the Talmudist and Zionist use this passage to claim that Christians are "racists," out of John 8:44
"You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. "
But against this charge of Racism, if you read the entire context of John 8, you see that Jesus is not claiming against Israel, he's claiming against those who refuse Jesus for what he says he is.
This is confirmed from John 8:23 (though the entire section is about this relationship and the consequences of Jesus having been sent in flesh). This is not a saying of Condemnation, but a straightforward identification of Jesus's role, and a warning.
"But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”
and he continues to clarify this distinction, I think most clearly
"42Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. 43Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! 46Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” "
"I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14in the hope that I may provoke my own people to jealousy and save some of them. "
Paul has no illusions that the world will still be full of people who reject Jesus. And that includes Israel, by my reading. Some remnant will be saved, but can I not already count people who claim to be jews, and look like middle-easterners, among those who claim Christ? So then, if they can be saved, what am I to say of those who are not saved?
They are my equal?
They are to be given equal weight in my decisions when they speak, though they be sinners, and as such Enemies of Christ?
Romans 5:10 tells me
"For if, when we were enemies of God, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! "
And Christ himself confirms this, though the Talmudist and Zionist use this passage to claim that Christians are "racists," out of John 8:44
"You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. "
But against this charge of Racism, if you read the entire context of John 8, you see that Jesus is not claiming against Israel, he's claiming against those who refuse Jesus for what he says he is.
This is confirmed from John 8:23 (though the entire section is about this relationship and the consequences of Jesus having been sent in flesh). This is not a saying of Condemnation, but a straightforward identification of Jesus's role, and a warning.
"But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”
and he continues to clarify this distinction, I think most clearly
"42Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. 43Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! 46Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” "
K
Yes, as I said, Jews are blinded for a time. Some believe all Israel will be saved, some believe a remnant. Either way God will keep the covenant He made with Abraham. Romans 11 makes it clear who is being spoken of, the Jew. Israel is the nation that was born in a day. God will bring the Jews back to this place, just as He promised.
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Ok, but we're back to the original question, who in the world is actually a Jew?
Nobody keeps Moses.
Nobody can lineage to Jacob.
All that remains are some middle-easterners who, for the most part, openly reject Jesus, which means they are children of Satan, at best, and AntiChrist at most powerful.
Nobody keeps Moses.
Nobody can lineage to Jacob.
All that remains are some middle-easterners who, for the most part, openly reject Jesus, which means they are children of Satan, at best, and AntiChrist at most powerful.
K
25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, 26 and in this way[e] all Israel will be saved. As it is written:
“The deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
27 And this is[f] my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.”
28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29 for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. 30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now[h] receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. 32 For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.
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Something to think about: many thru the centuries have joined Israel, claiming to have become Jews by making Judaism their religion. But this cannot legally/spiritually happen.
It's easy to forget when the New Covenant came into existence the Old Covenant was done away with.
Therefore, all who claim to be Jews who followed the OT Law after Jesus' resurrection did so under a law that no longer existed & was done away with.
Ashkenazi people are not Jews.
It's easy to forget when the New Covenant came into existence the Old Covenant was done away with.
Therefore, all who claim to be Jews who followed the OT Law after Jesus' resurrection did so under a law that no longer existed & was done away with.
Ashkenazi people are not Jews.
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Galatians 3:28-29
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
You just don't understand the implications???
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
You just don't understand the implications???