The following articles are related to the topic of JUDAISM

Singin’ the Blues

Back in the 1950s Melvin Endsley wrote the song titled, "Singin' the Blues," which was so popular it was recorded by more than one hundred artists. The first line starts: "I never felt more like singin' the blues." That sentiment seems to afflict many these days. It probably has been the case that almost every generation feels negatively about the ... read more »

Salvation Is from the Jews

No Christian can be anti-Semitic toward the Jews. Christ was a Jew, and that by divine intent. In a conversation with a Samaritan woman, Jesus declared: "[S]alvation is from the Jews" (John 4:22). The focus, of course, was upon his personal identity as the Messiah (vv. 25-26). All people are indebted to the Hebrew nation for the Savior. Christians are ... read more »

The Controversy Rages: Mel Gibson’s “The Passion”

The American public has awaited eagerly the debut of Mel Gibson's movie, "The Passion of the Christ" ("passion" = "suffering"). And as the time of its release approaches, controversy rages in the religious community - fanned mightily by the largely left-leaning media. Some news outlets have suggested that the actor's feature production is "troubling," perhaps even "anti-Semitic." The popular star, ... read more »

Jesus Christ: Church Inspector

In preparation for those grand visions which would constitute the book of Revelation, the apostle John was confronted by the risen Christ on the island of Patmos. Jesus was said to be "in the midst" of the seven golden lampstands that represented seven congregations of the Lord's body in Asia (Rev. 1:13, 20). Later, Christ was characterized as "he who ... read more »

Does Psalm 22 Prophesy the Crucifixion of Christ?

Recently a gentleman sent us the following message. In the Bible you're using, you have a serious, misleading mistranslation - "They pierced my hands and my feet ..." The text should read: "Like a lion (Hebrew KeAri), they are at my hands and feet." The fundamentalists Christian interpreters actually changed the spelling of the word from KeAri (like a lion) ... read more »

The Rescue of Christ — So-Called

Solomon once declared that "of the making of many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh" (Eccl. 12:12). Truly, books roll from the presses by the millions - year after year. Not infrequently books reveal that they have been buttressed by "much study" which generates a "weariness of the flesh." Some of them ... read more »

The Dynamics of the Doxology

The term "doxology" derives from two Greek words, doxa, signifying "praise, honor, glory," and logos, "utterance." A doxology then, is a brief expression of praise. It has been more formally defined in the following way. "The name is given to brief forms of praise to God (or to Christ, or to the Trinity), the models of which were taken over ... read more »

Ishmael: His Hand Against Every Man

When Abram was seventy-five years old, God promised him that through his "seed" the nations of the earth would be blessed. But as yet, the patriarch had no offspring. A decade rolled by and still no child blessed the home of Abram and Sarai. Finally, Sarai suggested that a child be produced by a union between Abram and Hagar, Sarai's ... read more »

Paul’s Condemnation of Will-Worship

The church at Colossae was troubled by a heretical movement that seriously compromised the integrity of the Christian gospel. It was a conglomerate mixture of Judaism, asceticism (radical self-abuse), and proto-Gnosticism. For an extended discussion, see Lightfoot (1892, 71-111). One aspect of the heresy depicted by Paul was this: Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will-worship, and ... read more »

Who Is Paul’s “Man of Sin”?

In his first letter to the Christians in Thessalonica, Paul spoke of the return of Christ and the glories associated therewith. Because some of these saints apparently misunderstood the instruction of that initial epistle, or had been influenced by false teaching, the apostle was constrained to write a second letter, attempting to correct the erroneous ideas entertained by the Thessalonians. ... read more »