Page 348 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

JUDAISM

the World Council of Churches (WCC) is having blood sacrifices, no Day of Atonement. By rejecting
dialogue. The dialogue committee is called the “Sub- Christ Jesus, they have rejected the great High Priest
unit on Dialogue with People of Living Faiths.” The very and the great once-for-all atonement which was made
fact that the unbelieving Jews are called those of a for sin.
“living faith” shows that the WCC believes these Jews 2. Judaism is a Jesus-hating religion. The Jewish
are already saved without the necessity of a personal leaders of Jesus’ day, ignoring the fulfilled prophecies
faith in the blood atonement of Jesus Christ. Some thing and His miraculous ministry, rejected Him as Messiah,
which is already alive and possessing faith has no need hating Him with bitter, jealous, unquenchable hatred.
of receiving life and faith! Speaking to the World They arranged for his crucifixion and spread lies to hide
Council General Assembly in Vancouver, Canada, in His glorious resurrection. These Jewish leaders had a
1983, Jewish Rabbi Marc Tanenbaum said, “Jews and name; they were called Pharisees. Even while Christ was
Christians are bound together by the affirmation of the walking among them, speaking the most glorious words
value of every human being as a child of God, deserving ever heard by mortal ears and doing the most marvelous
nurture and respect.” The WCC represents more than miracles ever witnessed on earth, they expressed their
300 denominations and 500,000 professing Christians. deep hatred toward Him. They slanderously referred to
Many more examples could be given, but this should Him as an illegitimate child. They pointed to His lack of
suffice to show the trend. Judaism is increasingly formal education, inferring that He was ignorant. They
accepted as a “living faith” by many professing said He was demon possessed and called Him a
Christians. Thus, unsaved Jews are said to be God’s blasphemer. They lied against Him; attempted to trick
children, and the sad fruit of this principle is opposition Him into doing or saying something wrong. Yet Christ
to biblical evangelism. loved these men, as He loves all men, and He would
Three Great Facts about Judaism have forgiven and saved them had they repented and
1. Judaism is a man-made religion which has rejected turned to Him. Did He not say to them, “And ye will not
Jesus as the Messiah. God created the Jewish nation to come to me, that ye might have life” (Jn. 6:40)? He
prepare for the coming of Christ. Israel is God’s chosen would; they would not. Lk. 19:41 says He beheld the
nation. Through Israel, God gave the Scriptures (Ro. rebellious city of Jerusalem and wept over it. Yet God
3:1-2) and the Saviour (Ro. 9:4-5). The law was not also is Holy, and the Son of God denounced these hard-
given as a way of righteousness, but as a light to point hearted men with great severity because of their
to Christ (Ro. 3:19-22; Ga. 3:24). The Jewish leaders apostasy and the fact that they were leading multitudes
turned the law of God into a religion of self- to hell (Mt. 23:13, 15, 23-28,33).
righteousness (Ro. 9:31-32), and they rejected the The Pharisees are still alive today. They are leading
Messiah (Jn. 1:11; Mt. 26:59, 65-67; 27:20-23; Acs the religion of Judaism! Consider the following facts:
2:36). The Pharisees added their own tradition to the “... all leading Jewish authorities agree that modern-
same authority as the law of God (Mt. 15:1-9). After day Judaism is undiluted Pharisaism. This is clearly set
Jesus rose from the dead, the guards ran and told the forth in the most authoritative writings on the subject,
Jews what had happened. The Jewish leaders paid the The Pharisees: The Sociological Background of Their Faith.
soldiers a large bribe to tell the lie that Jesus’ disciples The author is the distinguished Jewish scholar and
stole his body (Mt. 28:12-15). This was the beginning religious leader, Rabbi Louis Finkelstein, Chancellor and
of “Judaism.” God showed His rejection of Judaism by Professor of Theology at the Jewish Theological
ripping the temple veil apart from top to bottom when Seminary of America, and president of the American
Christ died (Mt. 27:51), thus signifying that the Academy for Jewish Research. In his foreword, in
atonement is complete and the way into the presence of tracing the background of ‘the unchanged faith in
God is open for all who come by faith in Christ, both Rabbinic Judaism,’ Dr. Finkelstein writes: ‘Pharisaism
Jews and Gentiles. When the Roman armies leveled became Talmudism: Talmudism became Medieval
Jerusalem in 70 A.D., they destroyed the Jewish temple, Rabbinism, which became Modern Rabbinism, but
and ever since, the Jews have not had a temple, nor throughout these changes of name, inevitable
have they had their required sacrifices. While great adaptation of custom, and adjustment of Law, THE
numbers of Jews today care nothing for any religion, SPIRIT OF THE ANCIENT PHARISEE SURVIVES
even for Judaism, the orthodox Jews continue to keep a UNALTERED.’... The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia says
form of some of the O.T. law, largely obscured under a under ‘Pharisees’: ‘The Jewish religion as it is today
covering of man-made tradition. They have a form of traces its descent, without a break, through all the
the Passover, for example, and circumcision, and some centuries from the Pharisees. ... The Talmud is the
of the other rites; but it is without saving grace; it is largest and most important single piece of (their)
without God. They have no high priest, no temple, no literature Pharisaism’” (Joseph P. Kamp, American

348 Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity