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Articles of Lasting Interest from Yavo Digest

INDEX
Articles A-D
Articles E-I
Articles J-N
Articles O-S
Articles T-W



Jesus Spoke Hebrew!  Says Who? -- Dr. Roy Blizzard
"What evidence do we have that established unequivocally that Hebrew was the language Jesus spoke and in which He taught?"

Roots: A Christian Response to Israel -- David Bivin
"In Jeremiah 11:16, the metaphor of a thriving olive tree is used to symbolize the people of Israel and references made to branches that have been broken off.  Paul uses the same metaphor in describing how Christians have been grafted into Israel (Romans 11:17-24)."

The Expressions of Praise: Our Hebrew Legacy -- Dr. Roy Blizzard
"We can see that there are many different forms of praise, and that each form is designed to express unique elements of worship."

The Highest Form of Worship -- Dwight A. Pryor
"Thirty minutes on your knees in prayer is time better spent than three hours of study in a book."  IS THIS TRUE TO THE HEBREW MIND?

Why Study Hebrew Language and Culture? -- Kenneth R. Mullican, Jr
"Why should I be interested in the Jewish roots of my Christian faith?  My faith has served me well for many years just as it is.  My salvation is secure; I'm heaven-bound; I'm working for the Lord.  Besides, I'm a medical microbiologist, not a theologian.  Why study Hebrew language and culture when I'm not even Jewish?"

How to Study the Bible -- Dr. Roy B. Blizzard
"You must first learn to study the Bible lexically...contextually...scripturally...historically...prayfully."

Jesus a Jew? Says Who? -- Dr. Roy Blizzard and David Bivin
"As surprising as it may seem, many Christians are not aware that Jesus was a Jew.  As a matter fact, when some hear it said that he was, they get indignant and even mad."

Do Gentiles Need Hebrew? -- David Bivin
"Some scholars have come to recognize the importance of Hebrew for an understanding of the New Testament books.  This is true especially in Israel where an increasingly bold study of this literature, free of traditional Jewish-Christian polarization, is being made by masters of Hebrew and Greek."

Understanding the New Testament from a Hebrew Perspective. -- Peter Michas
"Should we not approach our studies of the New Testament by returning to the original concepts stemming from Hebrew words, thoughts, and traditions of Jesus' day? ... Students of the Old Testament do not necessarily need to have the New Testament to know God, ... but the reverse is not true."

The Names of God. -- Dr. Roy B. Blizzard
"Although God is known by many names, it is of the utmost importance to stress that He is One."

Is the New Testament Anti-Semitic? -- Dr. Ken Hanson
"The first thing we have to do is recognize, not just the literary context of Jesus' statements, but the cultural context, in which Christian theologians have never been versed."

Brit--Covenant -- David Bivin
"Hebrews 12:24 speaks of Jesus as the mediator of 'a new covenant.'  This is a reference to the well-known prophecy uttered by Jeremiah: '"The time is coming" declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah"'" (Jeremiah 31:31).

Paul the Pharisee -- Dr. Brad H. Young
"In modern discussion, sadly, Paul has been turned into a Greek Jew who is more at home in the Stoic philosophy taught in Tarsus than sitting at the feet of Gamaliel immersed in the teachings of the Pharisees in Jerusalem.  Paul is a Pharisee.  In fact, the Pharisees are the strong spiritual leaders of the time.  Christians have wrongly attacked the Pharisees."

Is Paul Against the Law? -- Dr. Brad H. Young
"Either Paul is a schizophrenic, or some of his interpreters have neglected key aspects of his thought while basing their interpretations only upon selected texts divorced from their place in Paul's overall message."

Son of Man -- Messiah -- Son of God -- Rachel Bargiel
"'Son of God' does not appear as a title in the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament. ... So, the term, 'Son of God' is principally Hellenistic."
The Cross as an Event -- Dr. David Flusser
"Not only is faith in the Cross at the root of Christian faith, the event of the Cross is itself at the root.  Jesus did not die as a martyr solely--many, many good men have been killed as crudest criminals.  The Cross is much more than martyrdom."

The Political Messiah and the Temple -- Dr. Brad H. Young
"The episode of the temptation of Jesus in the Gospels is perhaps the most misunderstood of all stories in the documents which relate his life and teachings."

Jewish Followers of Yeshua in the Church -- Ken and Lenore Mullican
"A Jewish person does not lose his Jewishness when he accepts Yeshua as his Messiah."

The People of Qumran:  Are we repeating their mistakes today? -- William V. McDonald
"a sectarian group which broke away from the historical community ... calling and believing themselves to be the only elect."  COULD THIS BE YOUR CHURCH?

The Role of Women in First Century Judaism and the Church -- Dr. Roy B. Blizzard
"The woman's principal responsibilities were domestic; the man's religious.  Therefore, the woman was not required to go to synagogue, to put on talit (the prayer shawl) or tefillin (phylacteries), but she had the liberty to do so if she so desired."

Theological Errors Due to Separation from Hebrew Roots -- Dan Rodriguez
"The historical facts are clear.  The farther westward the Church spread, the more it was Hellenized.  By the fourth century, it had evolved into a grotesque disfiguration of the dynamic organism Jesus intended His followers to become."

The Son or the Vineyard? -- Dr. Brad H. Young
"Is it possible that Christians may not have understood this parable properly? Although many people strongly believe that they are correct when they say that ..."

Who Is Jesus? -- Dr. Roy B. Blizzard
"Jesus didn't hide who He was.  In everything He says and everything He does, He establishes who He is.  Nowhere does He refer to Himself as 'Son of God,' as the term is commonly used in Christianity. 'Son of God' is not Hebraic."

Women Disciples -- Rachel D. Levine
"One aspect of all these Gospel accounts that is most striking is that the presence of women in these situations is reported as a normal happening and not an extraordinary situation.  Parallel to these accounts are the Jewish traditions of women seeking out certain scholars and teachers and studying with them."

Women in First Century Judaism -- Rachel D. Levine
"Judaism did not need a women's lib movement in the first century of the Common Era.  In fact, the Jewish women of that day had already achieved a status both religiously and within the community that their present-day sisters have yet to attain."

Evidence for Hebrew as the Spoken Language in Judea -- Martin J. Mann
"It is hardly conceivable that a commentary or manual of instruction would be written in a language other than the vernacular of the people for whom (the Dead Sea Scrolls) were intended."

"Verily" or "Amen"?  What Did Jesus Say? -- Dr. Robert L. Lindsey
"As in so many stories in the Gospels, Jesus' preoccupation with the writings and works of the Old Testament prophets is striking, and it is perhaps not astonishing to find a parallel to his way of speaking in an incident in the twenty-eighth chapter of Jeremiah."

Meditation in Hebrew Perspective -- Dr. Marvin R. Wilson
The word properly means to "emit a sound," to "murmur," to "mutter," to "speak in an undertone."



Questions and Answers -- As I See It -- Dr. Roy Blizzard
Q: When are you and/or your colleagues in Israel going to complete a translation of the Bible from the original Hebrew into English?
A: The answer to the question is, it would be much easier and more beneficial for us to ...
Q: I heard a pastor say recently that you do not need to know Hebrew or Greek in order to understand the Bible.
A: Unfortunately, this pastor is sadly misinformed.  The Bible is not simple.  What is simple is ...
Q: I have seen the name "Jesus" written Y'shua and Yeshua--which is correct?
A: We learn from inscriptions dating from the 1st century that ...
Q: Isaiah 45:7 states "I create evil."  Is that what it really says?  Does God create evil?
A: Isaiah 45:7 does say that God creates evil.  The fact is, He also created the devil and ...
Q: No place in the Bible is gambling mentioned; however, I have been told that usury is the same as gambling.  Where does this come from? I don't buy this--even if I do not gamble.
A: Usury is the charging of interest on money (or other things) borrowed.  However, implied in the term "usury" is not just interest, but ...
Q: I wonder if you could help me in my quest for the meaning of the symbol of the Star of David chosen by the Zionists to mark the flag in Israel.
A: The question regarding the star of David is one that seems to come up on a regular basis.  Much of what has been written, or is being said currently ...


MORE As I See It
Q: I have heard of an Aramaic Bible... What do you know or recommend concerning Aramaic versions?
A: "This question of the spoken language is especially important for understanding the doctrines of Jesus."
Q: I have been told that it is unnecessary (or optional) to be re-baptized after repenting for a substantial back-slidden lifestyle.  Is this scriptural?
A: As far as I am concerned, yes.  For believers, there is no such thing ...
Q: I have felt for years that believers should be more aware of the High Priesthood of our Lord.
A: Jesus is called a "priest after the order of Melchizedek" because Melchizedek's priesthood was ...
Q: Are verses 17 and 18 of Mark 16 part of Jesus' commission or not?
A: David Bivin responds -- "The last twelve verses of the commonly received text of Mark ..."
Q: Just exactly what does "taking the kingdom by force" mean in Matt. 11:12?
A: The key to the understanding of this passage is to be found in an ancient Jewish commentary ...
Q: What is the correct Hebrew rendering of the Scriptures in Isaiah 45:7 and 54:16? Does God really create evil?
A: Two things are necessary to understand these passages.  One is that the devil ...
Q: Why war, abortion, murder, suicide, if God is in control?
A: Why do we think that God is always in control? Because we have ...
Q: Is it correct to assume that there was NEVER a "good angel called Lucifer."
A: In its earliest form, the force of evil is represented as a created being, created by God, ...


STILL MORE As I See It
Q: What is your view on "doctrinal error" and the questioning of doctrine?
A: Not only are we to question what we perceive to be error, we are obligated; ...
Q: In reference to Luke 4:20, please refresh my memory about the part where "Jesus sat down."
A: Many scholars believe this passage is a clear reference to a seat mentioned in ...
Q: Can you please clarify the misconception that the Jews crucified Christ?
A: All five of these statements are in error and represent grave misunderstandings that have led to ...
Q: What sin did Adam and Eve commit?
A: The biblical text simply states that the sin of Adam and Eve was that of ...
Q: "According to Jewish teachings, a fetus is not an independent entity until it takes the first breath on its own." Is this really what Jews believe?
A: Actually, the rabbis believed, and it remains a basic view in Judaism today, that life ...
Q: Is it necessary to have a witness when one is baptized? Can we baptize ourselves?
A: In Judaism, there was no such thing as what we know today in Christianity as ...
Q: Can you give a verification of where I can find information that a rope was tied around the ankle of the priest ...
A: There is a tractate in Mishnah Yoma that tells us about the service of the high priest ...
Q: When will the truth about Christmas and Easter be expounded upon?
A: The real question is not when will the truth be expounded upon, but ...
Q: I am concerned about how one receives eternal life.
A: Unfortunately, very little of what we thought the New Testament says ...
Q: Are the spiritual gifts practiced today alien to first-century Christianity?
A: There is no such thing as a gift of tongues, or a gift of faith, or a gift of ...


Bible Scholars: Question the Answers

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6/24/13
Last updated 22 February 2024