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Ask The Pastor
March 7, 2004
>Question:
Pastor Buddy! Hello! I have a rather detailed question.
Hi Liz,
It looks like you have a lot of questions.
>OK well let me start by thanking you for providing
such services for those of us who have a million questions and don't know where
to turn.
You are welcome.
>OK umm, i am full aware that Christianity came from
Jewish roots right?
Christianity came from Jesus Christ. The mother of Jesus was Jewish. His
Father was God.
>That Jesus seperated the religion into Christianity
for his believers and Judaism for those who didn't right?
Not quite the case. Judaism as we know it today was established after
Christianity. But it was established by Jews who did not believe in Jesus as
Messiah.
>Well OK i know that the dfferences of both Judiasm
and Christianity are many since both have several denominations within them
although they come from the same roots. I remember a while ago when i didn't
know much but wanted to get closer to God i wanted to become Jewish because
since Jesus was Jewish i felt that there tradtitions and beliefs/practices would
get me closer to him.
The Bible says that we are not to know Jesus after the flesh any longer. He
is no longer Jewish. He is the resurrected Lord of all men. When a person is
born again they become part of His kingdom. In
the kingdom of Jesus there are no racial distinctions.
>Little did i know they don't accept Jesus as
anything but a prophet.
Judaism taught that Jesus was a sorcerer. They do not accept Him as a
prophet.
>I also learned religion is not what saves you.
Good lesson to learn.
>But for some reason some tradtions have always
drawn me so curious beyond words about the Jewish religion.
There a several Jewish religions. Some are much more conservative than
others. Some Jews do not believe in God at all. A great many Jews are secular.
Less than half of all Jews are religious. But their religion is like
Christianity, in that there are a number of denominations.
>But i have accepted i cannot believe what they do
because i KNOW Jesus is our Messiah and i love him with all my heart and accept
him as my savior.
Wonderful.
>I have a question about their tradtions though.
When Jesus was still Jewish did they have Bar/Batmiztvas?
Not in the same sense as you see it today. But when a son reached the age of
13 (12 in some cases) he became a son of the Law. This was not available to
girls. (At the time.)
>Was circumsision i big deal then to?
Circumcision was a very big deal. But circumcision is practiced pretty much
world wide today, including Christians and Muslims.
>Did they have their Jewish dances those where they
dance in a circle and sing Hebrew songs and all those things or was it something
developed after Judaism and Christianity became seperate beliefs?
It really depends on the group. Much of what you see as Judaism today is a
later development.
>If it was practiced before when Jesus was still
Jewish why didn't we carry those tradtions into our Christian faith being as it
came from Jewish roots?
Jesus did not come to make us Jews. He came to give us new life. As for
traditions among Christians, this again depends on the group. Some Christian
groups dance as part of their worship. Others do not.
>Why don't we have Bar/Batmiztvas? and other similar
traditions?
Because there is no Biblical precedent of a Bar/Batmiztva. It is not taught
in the Bible. It simply became a later tradition.
>I know the biggest difference from us Christians
and Judaism is that Jews don't accept Jesus as their Messiah but why didn't we
carry over practices that early Christians who were once Jews practiced?
I'm not sure which practices you are referring to? But the important thing to
keep in mind is that Christianity is multi-cultural. It is designed for people
to be able to worship God in their own cultural
traditions.
>Why don't we wear Yamecas(can't spell that the
thing the males wear on their heads) Why don't we wear clothing that came from
our Hebrew decendecny for like traditiona
No one wore a yarmulke during the time of Christ. This was a later tradition.
The Bible teaches that a man is not to cover his head.
This help?
Buddy
Bro. Buddy Martin - Ask
the Pastor
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Lawrence "Buddy" Martin
email: Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org
Web: http://www.ChristianChallenge.org
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