Over the last six months I have had more diagnoses added than I would certainly like.
My readers may be aware of the more obvious ones, rheumatoid arthritis being in the title. I also have psoriatic arthritis, a close "relative" of RA, if you will, with fibromyalgia and my anterior uveitis rounding out the roll call list.
I have had added since then:
chronic costochondritis, a painful rib condition which aches, rubs, stabs, and makes breathing difficult, especially as one gets more tired or is in more pain.
central sensitization: honestly I am a little confused by this one, as the descriptions sound so like fibromyalgia, but whatever. Basically, as in fibro, your brain and nerves are ultra sensitive to pain sensations. Again, I don't quite get the difference, but whatever.
and lastly, I think I have Degenerative Disc Disease, as my MRI (that I got to wait forever for) shows mild (thankfully) disc dissection. This is basically a drying out of the disc between the vertebrae. Mine is at level T 10-T 11, so that includes the last three or four ribs--also explaining why my ribs hurt so bad in February. ( Disc Dissecation) ( Degenerative Disc Disease).
I also have mild disc compression in nearly all my cervical vertebrae.
I can try exercise to strengthen my back muscles to see if that helps--and I have an appointment with a physiatrist in about three weeks---been waiting two months for that one. So maybe they will have some ideas on getting the tendency towards pain down.
I just found out about my MRI today...and I have to say it has been a bad day for me. My heart is so heavy. Yes, it is all mild. But I am a pessimist for myself. I look at this news and think to myself what will I be like in another ten years? Will I even be able to walk--assuming the discs gave way completely? I can barely stand to ride in a car to these appointments, never mind driving on my own. I have driven less than a mile a couple of times, and my back does not take kindly to the bouncing.
I know, I know, I can hear so many people telling me to not be negative, or not to worry, or whatever.
The thing is, ever diagnosis is a mourning process. Every diagnosis, when chronically ill smacks you over the head, saying, HEY! Did you maybe manage to forget your illnesses? Cuz here's another one! So it basically makes you mourn EVERY diagnosis over again. And, adding them up, makes life seem even more hopeless for following one's dreams.
I am mourning so many dreams and hopes that seem too far from my reach at this point...Every diagnosis is a hard hit. Especially if your other diagnoses were already making life difficult, getting more that make it more difficult is not a happy day. Today was not a good day, and I doubt that tomorrow is, either, just because I have to cry several more times before its ok. Until the next time I realize how little I can do...and how little other people understand what trying to live a "real" life is like...and what missing out on everything you want to do is like.
Rheumatoid Awareness
Friday, April 26, 2019
Sunday, April 21, 2019
A Deeper Look Into John 5.31-47
31 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is true.
33 “You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. 34 Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. 35 John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.
36 “I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You study[c] the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
41 “I do not accept glory from human beings, 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God[d]?
45 “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?” John 5 ( NIV )
We will go over the witnesses listed here, and how they intertwine.
Jewish law stated that no man could testify on himself--a minimum of two was needed--and NOT just Jewish Law, but Greek and Roman Law as well ( Lyons ) ( Stedman):
15" One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses." Dt 19 (NIV )
While I do not follow Mishna teachings (the writings of the rabbis), there can be interesting things in these--for example: The Mishnah records the teaching of the rabbis that none may be believed when he testifies of himself (Ketuboth 2.9) (Mack )
" "He is asserting that if of himself he were to bear witness to himself, that would make it untrue” in a court of law. "...[[the]illustration where an innocent man accepts the guilty verdict of the jury as final ;and stating that he was guilty if the jury said so], Jesus said, “My witness is not true,” and meant that, in accordance with the law, His own testimony apart from other witnesses would be considered invalid (or insufficient to establish truth)." (Lyons )
It is important to note, so that we will not be swayed by false teachers saying "look, Christ said His testimony wasn't true"; it is not that His testimony is false--it is that people may not believe without proof. Stedman also points out that "[b]ecause we live in a fallen age, when people claim many things for themselves, we do not know whether to believe them or not. Because we cannot trust everybody -- it would be naive to do so -- the Law prescribes that there must be witnesses, people who will corroborate another's testimony." ( Stedman ) " in public affairs or jurisdictional matters the truth of one individual was not enough, how truthful it might be. " ( Contradicting Bible Contradictions)
Questioning Christ as to whether He was the Messiah, as the leaders are in this section, is a second stage of checking if He was the Christ--also an example for us to remain a Berean, and look deeply at each and every Biblical teaching and if it lines up with the Word. Check every teacher, check every commentary--does it line up with the Word fully.
Since He was being Questioned, Christ brings forth five different witnesses to prove He was who He was; John, His authenticating miracles, the Father, the Scriptures, and Moses.
Few of the time held that John the Baptist was not an actual prophet, so using his witness, which, surely, the leaders had heard of, was a powerful tool.
"But if we say, 'Of human origin'--we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet." Matthew 21.26 ( BibleHub)
"Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet." Matthew 14.5 ( BibleHub)
John the Baptist pointed out four important things about Christ:
First, he announced him to be the long-expected, long-predicted Messiah [23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord'. John 1:23 ( NIV )]
...Secondly, John announced Jesus to be "the Lamb of God." [29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29 ( NIV )]
Thirdly, John announced Jesus to be the "Baptizer with the Holy Spirit," [33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ John 1:33 (NIV )] ... Fourthly, John declared Jesus to be "the Son of God," [34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One. John 1:34 (NIV )] " (Stedman )
John 5.34 has an interesting point from Christ. He doesn't need the testimony of humans, being that He knows who He is through and through. However, perhaps with human testimony, Stedman states that while we might ignore God's voice, we might hear and understand the experiences of another human, and thus become a believer. ( Stedman)
As a final side note, John the Baptist has been described as a lamp in 5.35, a great honor to John, for though he was not the Christ, he held the honor of being the one to testify about the light. "John was a lamp. He was not a light, he was a lamp. A lamp bears the light, but it is not the light itself". ( Stedman ) (BibleStudyCourses )
"6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world." John 1 (NIV )
The second witness was Christ's authenticating miracles. Jay Mack has an excellent page dedicated to this topic, but it is basically three miracles that were signs to the leaders of the faith that the Messiah had come. ( Mack ) I highly recommend reading this page, and getting a big boost to your understanding of the Word.
The third witness is God Himself, John "could have chosen either of two Greek words for another, allos or heteros. The two words are basically synonymous with a slight nuance. Whereas heteros means another of a different kind, allos means another of the same kind".: (Mack ) This "another of the same kind" means, of course, God the Father. Further, Christ is pointing out that He has fulfilled the past nine centuries of prophecy to the letter.
It is especially intriguing that Christ says that these people have searched the Scriptures, they KNOW them, and were unable to see Him.
I have, myself, read part of the Old Testament with the goal of seeing Christ in it. I really thought it would be more difficult to see Christ in those passages...but it was a bit of a shock to have Him leaping out of the pages as I read. He appeared constantly.
It may seem strange that such educated Biblical scholars could miss such an important part of the Word...but is it really? How many people have you known who could find any verse without the help of a internet search engine, gave excellent theological advice...yet vanished and left God? I have known several, and it was surprising to me that those who "knew" so much could lose themselves and never see His Light in the Word. Heartbreaking.
The theologian Godet comments, "We see from this passage how Jesus beheld Himself in the mirror of the O. T. There, He recognized His own figure so clearly that He thought it impossible to study the book sincerely and not come to Him immediately." ( Stedman)
"43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?" John 5
Many scholars believe that the "someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him" refers to the Antichrist. Here Christ stands, fulfilling the truth of the Word, yet we will not leave the glory of the world for the Glory of God. We will wait, instead, for the one who will say the words, complete the actions,etc., that we "long" to hear and have happen to "our glory", yet we will be caught in destruction of the biggest lie to hit the earth. In other words "you cannot drink the cup of God and the cup of demons " (Stedman )
The third and forth witness are really quite similar, being God and the Word.
The fourth witness was (and is) the Tanak. The Tanak is a three fold collection of the Old Testament; the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings. The Tanak if taken as it is written, without our adding ideas to it as is a "fun" common practice, will lead one to see Christ as the Messiah. As Jay Mack pointed out, Christ has fulfilled nine centuries of prophecy concerning the Messiah, and as such, is the Messiah. ( Mack)
"39 You study[c] the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life." John 5.
It was the goal of the people, as of today, apparently, to "win" their way to God, rather than simply letting God save us. How many people have you heard, read of, or talked to, who stated that they were "pretty good" or a "good person" and that that would save them? Or that they had done "good" things in their lives, and that that would count enough to save them. We are still arrogant enough to believe the lie that we can save our own selves. While I have never had anyone say the following, Ray Stedman has: " I have heard people say, "When I stand before God I will have a lot of things to say to [H]im. I don't think [H]e has treated me very well. I've had a bad deal in life and I'm going to tell [H]im so." But on that day they will stand absolutely mute before God, their own memories testifying that [H]e is right and they are wrong.(Stedman )
Paul writes in Galatians 3 about such things--
5"So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? 6 So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." Gal 3 ( NIV )
11 "Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.”[f] 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.”[g] 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”[h] 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit." Gal 3 (NIV )
Truly, while good works are indeed good, and something we should strive to do as a good witness of our God and His affect in our lives, we would be as lost as the Pharisees and Sadducee of old to think that we could follow the laws perfectly
The Law (Torah) was and is of importance. For one, it certainly proves that we are sinful above all else. The Law was a guardian, to help keep the people safe until Christ came to cover our sins. "The Torah is a tutor because all 613 commandments are viewed as a unit and present an impossible standard. To break one is to break them all. The only person to ever keep all 613 perfectly is the Meshiach [Messiah]. The purpose of the Torah was to reveal the need for a Savior. The continued failure of trying to live up to an impossible standard should have prepared their hearts for the coming of a Prophet like Moses..." (Mack )
24 "So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian." Gal 3 ( NIV )
The fifth and final witness was Moses. The following passages are considered, even among non-Messianic Judaism to be speaking of the Messiah, and are classically used by messianic Jews to prove His Messianic state ( Mack):
Gen 49:10 ( NIV), Num 24.17 (NIV ) Deut 18.15-18 (NIV )
45 “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?” John 5
"Accusing the Jews of not believing in Moses seems to be a very strange thing to say. If anybody believed in Moses, wouldn’t it be the Jews? But, in reality, it was, and is true. The Jews of Jesus’ day believed in Moshe as he had been interpreted through the Oral Law.... Today, Orthodox Jews believe in Moses as the Oral Law, the Gomorrah and the Talmud have reinterpreted him. They don’t believe in the Moshe of the TaNaKh. Because if they had accepted Moses as only the TaNaKh depicts him, they would have recognized that Jesus was the Messiah. Like the Roman Catholic Church, they substituted their traditions for Scripture with tragic results." ( Mack)
In other words, the Leaders of the time had basically replaced the Tanak with their own Tanak, much like many faiths have replaced the Bible with books or "inspirations" of their own. If I pick up an "Our Daily Bread" and decide it has replaced the Bible...I am going to miss some majorly important things. Check the Bible with the Bible. Believe me, it will line up, even if you think it won't. God's Word is so perfectly written, and written down (but inspired by God) by so many authors, yet is glides smoothly across the ages. Try getting that many authors to maintain a story line that long. It won't work, and there will be major flaws in the story line.
Putting any book at the level of (or worse, above) the authority of the Word is a deadly trap. Beware.
33 “You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. 34 Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. 35 John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.
36 “I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You study[c] the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
41 “I do not accept glory from human beings, 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God[d]?
45 “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?” John 5 ( NIV )
We will go over the witnesses listed here, and how they intertwine.
Jewish law stated that no man could testify on himself--a minimum of two was needed--and NOT just Jewish Law, but Greek and Roman Law as well ( Lyons ) ( Stedman):
15" One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses." Dt 19 (NIV )
While I do not follow Mishna teachings (the writings of the rabbis), there can be interesting things in these--for example: The Mishnah records the teaching of the rabbis that none may be believed when he testifies of himself (Ketuboth 2.9) (Mack )
" "He is asserting that if of himself he were to bear witness to himself, that would make it untrue” in a court of law. "...[[the]illustration where an innocent man accepts the guilty verdict of the jury as final ;and stating that he was guilty if the jury said so], Jesus said, “My witness is not true,” and meant that, in accordance with the law, His own testimony apart from other witnesses would be considered invalid (or insufficient to establish truth)." (Lyons )
It is important to note, so that we will not be swayed by false teachers saying "look, Christ said His testimony wasn't true"; it is not that His testimony is false--it is that people may not believe without proof. Stedman also points out that "[b]ecause we live in a fallen age, when people claim many things for themselves, we do not know whether to believe them or not. Because we cannot trust everybody -- it would be naive to do so -- the Law prescribes that there must be witnesses, people who will corroborate another's testimony." ( Stedman ) " in public affairs or jurisdictional matters the truth of one individual was not enough, how truthful it might be. " ( Contradicting Bible Contradictions)
Questioning Christ as to whether He was the Messiah, as the leaders are in this section, is a second stage of checking if He was the Christ--also an example for us to remain a Berean, and look deeply at each and every Biblical teaching and if it lines up with the Word. Check every teacher, check every commentary--does it line up with the Word fully.
Since He was being Questioned, Christ brings forth five different witnesses to prove He was who He was; John, His authenticating miracles, the Father, the Scriptures, and Moses.
Few of the time held that John the Baptist was not an actual prophet, so using his witness, which, surely, the leaders had heard of, was a powerful tool.
"But if we say, 'Of human origin'--we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet." Matthew 21.26 ( BibleHub)
"Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet." Matthew 14.5 ( BibleHub)
John the Baptist pointed out four important things about Christ:
First, he announced him to be the long-expected, long-predicted Messiah [23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord'. John 1:23 ( NIV )]
...Secondly, John announced Jesus to be "the Lamb of God." [29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29 ( NIV )]
Thirdly, John announced Jesus to be the "Baptizer with the Holy Spirit," [33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ John 1:33 (NIV )] ... Fourthly, John declared Jesus to be "the Son of God," [34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One. John 1:34 (NIV )] " (Stedman )
John 5.34 has an interesting point from Christ. He doesn't need the testimony of humans, being that He knows who He is through and through. However, perhaps with human testimony, Stedman states that while we might ignore God's voice, we might hear and understand the experiences of another human, and thus become a believer. ( Stedman)
As a final side note, John the Baptist has been described as a lamp in 5.35, a great honor to John, for though he was not the Christ, he held the honor of being the one to testify about the light. "John was a lamp. He was not a light, he was a lamp. A lamp bears the light, but it is not the light itself". ( Stedman ) (BibleStudyCourses )
"6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world." John 1 (NIV )
The second witness was Christ's authenticating miracles. Jay Mack has an excellent page dedicated to this topic, but it is basically three miracles that were signs to the leaders of the faith that the Messiah had come. ( Mack ) I highly recommend reading this page, and getting a big boost to your understanding of the Word.
The third witness is God Himself, John "could have chosen either of two Greek words for another, allos or heteros. The two words are basically synonymous with a slight nuance. Whereas heteros means another of a different kind, allos means another of the same kind".: (Mack ) This "another of the same kind" means, of course, God the Father. Further, Christ is pointing out that He has fulfilled the past nine centuries of prophecy to the letter.
It is especially intriguing that Christ says that these people have searched the Scriptures, they KNOW them, and were unable to see Him.
I have, myself, read part of the Old Testament with the goal of seeing Christ in it. I really thought it would be more difficult to see Christ in those passages...but it was a bit of a shock to have Him leaping out of the pages as I read. He appeared constantly.
It may seem strange that such educated Biblical scholars could miss such an important part of the Word...but is it really? How many people have you known who could find any verse without the help of a internet search engine, gave excellent theological advice...yet vanished and left God? I have known several, and it was surprising to me that those who "knew" so much could lose themselves and never see His Light in the Word. Heartbreaking.
The theologian Godet comments, "We see from this passage how Jesus beheld Himself in the mirror of the O. T. There, He recognized His own figure so clearly that He thought it impossible to study the book sincerely and not come to Him immediately." ( Stedman)
"43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?" John 5
Many scholars believe that the "someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him" refers to the Antichrist. Here Christ stands, fulfilling the truth of the Word, yet we will not leave the glory of the world for the Glory of God. We will wait, instead, for the one who will say the words, complete the actions,etc., that we "long" to hear and have happen to "our glory", yet we will be caught in destruction of the biggest lie to hit the earth. In other words "you cannot drink the cup of God and the cup of demons " (Stedman )
The third and forth witness are really quite similar, being God and the Word.
The fourth witness was (and is) the Tanak. The Tanak is a three fold collection of the Old Testament; the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings. The Tanak if taken as it is written, without our adding ideas to it as is a "fun" common practice, will lead one to see Christ as the Messiah. As Jay Mack pointed out, Christ has fulfilled nine centuries of prophecy concerning the Messiah, and as such, is the Messiah. ( Mack)
"39 You study[c] the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life." John 5.
It was the goal of the people, as of today, apparently, to "win" their way to God, rather than simply letting God save us. How many people have you heard, read of, or talked to, who stated that they were "pretty good" or a "good person" and that that would save them? Or that they had done "good" things in their lives, and that that would count enough to save them. We are still arrogant enough to believe the lie that we can save our own selves. While I have never had anyone say the following, Ray Stedman has: " I have heard people say, "When I stand before God I will have a lot of things to say to [H]im. I don't think [H]e has treated me very well. I've had a bad deal in life and I'm going to tell [H]im so." But on that day they will stand absolutely mute before God, their own memories testifying that [H]e is right and they are wrong.(Stedman )
Paul writes in Galatians 3 about such things--
5"So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? 6 So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." Gal 3 ( NIV )
11 "Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.”[f] 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.”[g] 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”[h] 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit." Gal 3 (NIV )
Truly, while good works are indeed good, and something we should strive to do as a good witness of our God and His affect in our lives, we would be as lost as the Pharisees and Sadducee of old to think that we could follow the laws perfectly
The Law (Torah) was and is of importance. For one, it certainly proves that we are sinful above all else. The Law was a guardian, to help keep the people safe until Christ came to cover our sins. "The Torah is a tutor because all 613 commandments are viewed as a unit and present an impossible standard. To break one is to break them all. The only person to ever keep all 613 perfectly is the Meshiach [Messiah]. The purpose of the Torah was to reveal the need for a Savior. The continued failure of trying to live up to an impossible standard should have prepared their hearts for the coming of a Prophet like Moses..." (Mack )
24 "So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian." Gal 3 ( NIV )
The fifth and final witness was Moses. The following passages are considered, even among non-Messianic Judaism to be speaking of the Messiah, and are classically used by messianic Jews to prove His Messianic state ( Mack):
Gen 49:10 ( NIV), Num 24.17 (NIV ) Deut 18.15-18 (NIV )
45 “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?” John 5
"Accusing the Jews of not believing in Moses seems to be a very strange thing to say. If anybody believed in Moses, wouldn’t it be the Jews? But, in reality, it was, and is true. The Jews of Jesus’ day believed in Moshe as he had been interpreted through the Oral Law.... Today, Orthodox Jews believe in Moses as the Oral Law, the Gomorrah and the Talmud have reinterpreted him. They don’t believe in the Moshe of the TaNaKh. Because if they had accepted Moses as only the TaNaKh depicts him, they would have recognized that Jesus was the Messiah. Like the Roman Catholic Church, they substituted their traditions for Scripture with tragic results." ( Mack)
In other words, the Leaders of the time had basically replaced the Tanak with their own Tanak, much like many faiths have replaced the Bible with books or "inspirations" of their own. If I pick up an "Our Daily Bread" and decide it has replaced the Bible...I am going to miss some majorly important things. Check the Bible with the Bible. Believe me, it will line up, even if you think it won't. God's Word is so perfectly written, and written down (but inspired by God) by so many authors, yet is glides smoothly across the ages. Try getting that many authors to maintain a story line that long. It won't work, and there will be major flaws in the story line.
Putting any book at the level of (or worse, above) the authority of the Word is a deadly trap. Beware.
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RA Awareness Day
