Which of Jesus' teachings were applicable only to the Jews?

[7seasrekeyed]

Some more Bible verses for us to meditate about:

1Then Jesus addressed the crowds and His disciples. 2"The Scribes," He said, "and the Pharisees sit in the chair of Moses. 3Therefore do and observe everything that they command you; but do not imitate their lives, for though they tell others what to do, they do not do it themselves.

Does this teaching apply to Christians?

oh you bet your sweet bippy (no idea what that is) that it does

is it really so difficult to understand? well, let's have a look see

Jesus is saying do what is right and do not imitate the hypocrites who tell you what to do but yet do not do it themselves

there now

not so hard after all

 

[7seasrekeyed]

For me to have to educate myself on the Jewish names and custom terminology is taking away my time for understanding what the Bible teaches. Shall we in this country begin using the correct names of people and places around the world instead of the anglicized versions we use today. I've been to Firenze, have you?

it's ok

just use the vernacular and anyone who wants to edumacate themselves beyond that are free to do so

I always looks things up if I am not sure of the meaning

I have broadened by education that way but I understand that is not for everyone

 

[Issachar92]

oh you bet your sweet bippy (no idea what that is) that it does

is it really so difficult to understand? well, let's have a look see

Jesus is saying do what is right and do not imitate the hypocrites who tell you what to do but yet do not do it themselves

there now

not so hard after all

shh... dont tell em its that simple! Im writing a commentary on that verse. Spoiler alert: The commentary on that verse is longer than the new testament. Ya dont gotta read the commentary, just buy it

 

[Marcelo]

Most people in here think that ALL that Jesus preached (while on earth) applies to Christians, and the minority think that SOME of His teachings were only for the Jews.

Let’s assume the first group is right and see what happens:

IF ALL THAT JESUS PREACHED IS FOR CHRISTIANS:

Salvation will be practically impossible because nobody sells their possessions and give the money to the poor; nobody obeys the scribes and Pharisees; most Christians don’t wash one another’s feet; and practically nobody keeps the Law as Jesus did;

Theologians will continue to have the hard work of trying to explain why Christians don’t have to obey some of Jesus’ teachings;

Many Bible “teachers” will continue to call Paul a false apostle.

Now let's assume that the second group is right.

IF SOME TEACHINGS ARE ONLY FOR THE JEWS:

Salvation will be possible according to what Jesus taught (through Paul) after His resurrection;

Theologians will have much less work;

There will be no reason to call Paul a false apostle;

Even if later on this minority prove to be wrong, no harm will have been done because if they were in the majority group they wouldn’t obey those teachings anyway.

 

[Hizikyah]

John 3:36, “He who believes in the Son possesses everlasting life, but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of Yah remains on him.”

John/Yahanan 12:48, "He who rejects Me, and does not follow My words has One Who judges him. The word that I have spoken, the same will be used to judge him in the last day."

John/Yahanan 5:24, "Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word, and believes him who sent me, has eternal life, and doesn't come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life."

John/Yahanan 6:63, "It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words (Instructions) that I (Yahshua/Jesus) speak to you, they are Spirit, and they are life everlasting."

There is only One we must hear and obey;

John/Yahanan 5:46-47, "For had you believed Mosheh, you would have believed Me, for he wrote about Me*. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"

*Mosheh wrote:

Deuteronomy 18:18-19, "I (YHWH) will raise up for them a Prophet (Yahshua/Jesus) like you from among their brothers, and I will put My words in His mouth, and He will tell them everything I command Him. Whoever will not listen to My words, which He speaks in My Name, I will judge him for it"

"listen" is word #8085 - שָׁמַעshama` {shaw-mah'}

Brown-Driver-Briggs (Old Testament Hebrew-English Lexicon)
A primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively to tell, etc.)

Hebrew Word Study (Transliteration-Pronunciation Etymology & Grammar) - 1) to hear, listen to, obey

To discount His words is error

John/Yahanan 14:23, "Yahshua answered, and said to him: If a man loves Me, he will keep My teachings and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."

2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Messiah, that each one may receive his reward according to what he has done in the body, whether righteous or evil.”
​

 

[Nehemiah6]

Salvation will be practically impossible because nobody sells their possessions and give the money to the poor

There is a difference between salvation (being justified by grace through faith and receiving the gift of eternal life) and being a disciple. We see in Scripture that many sold their possessions and gave to the their poorer brethren after they were saved. We also see in Scripture that we are commanded to work, provide for our families, and share our blessings with others.

nobody obeys the scribes and Pharisees

However, we have the written Word of God, with all of God's commandments under the New Covenant. The scribes and Pharisees were attempting to uphold the Old Covenant, but had also added the traditions of men to their teachings.

most Christians don’t wash one another’s feet

True. Some Christians do. But the point of that was humble service to other Christians.

and practically nobody keeps the Law as Jesus did

And nobody can do that or will do it. However, since "love is the fulfilling of the Law", Christians who walk in the Spirit do fulfill the Law.

 

[7seasrekeyed]

Most people in here think that ALL that Jesus preached (while on earth) applies to Christians, and the minority think that SOME of His teachings were only for the Jews.

Let’s assume the first group is right and see what happens:

IF ALL THAT JESUS PREACHED IS FOR CHRISTIANS:

Salvation will be practically impossible because nobody sells their possessions and give the money to the poor; nobody obeys the scribes and Pharisees; most Christians don’t wash one another’s feet; and practically nobody keeps the Law as Jesus did;

Theologians will continue to have the hard work of trying to explain why Christians don’t have to obey some of Jesus’ teachings;

Many Bible “teachers” will continue to call Paul a false apostle.

Now let's assume that the second group is right.

IF SOME TEACHINGS ARE ONLY FOR THE JEWS:

Salvation will be possible according to what Jesus taught (through Paul) after His resurrection;

Theologians will have much less work;

There will be no reason to call Paul a false apostle;

Even if later on this minority prove to be wrong, no harm will have been done because if they were in the majority group they wouldn’t obey those teachings anyway.

really?

only a few of the many people in this forum have replied and continue to reply

did you do a secret poll on the rest?

you saying the same things over and over even though it has been demonstrated to you (and others) that Jesus spoke in parables, He used metaphors, He used hyperbole and was not speaking to the entire Jewish population when He spoke to the rich young man. actually, the last has been covered in some detail at various times in this forum and certainly in this thread

Paul also used metaphor, hyperbole and expressions.

do you not even notice that if you contend that a person has to DO certain things, you are saying it is grace plus what you do?

so in fact you are making a rather poor argument for your case

Jesus and Paul taught the same thing. some of you either refuse to see that or simply can't see it

Paul is not a false Apostle and Jesus in not Old Testament only

this is false teaching

 

[Issachar92]

Peter wasnt playing around when he said folks will twist Paul's letters! Most false doctrines come from that source, they twist what Paul said and build a doctrine on it, thats what Marcion did, the first big gnostic preacher.

But Marcelo how do you know which teaching is for the Jews only, and which is to you in the gospels? How does one decide? I really wanna know. And I hope the answer aint "whatever i dont like dont apply"

 

[Hizikyah]

Peter wasnt playing around when he said folks will twist Paul's letters! Most false doctrines come from that source, they twist what Paul said and build a doctrine on it, thats what Marcion did, the first big gnostic preacher.

Marcionisim is crazy...
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Marcionism and Marcionites… What is Marcionism?[/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Mar·cion·ism: the doctrinal system of a sect of the second and third centuries a.d. accepting some parts of the New Testament (Paul) but denying Christ's corporality and humanity and condemning the Creator God of the Old Testament.[/FONT]


and for refrence;

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]2 Peter/Kepha 3:15-17, "And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability."[/FONT]

 

[Marcelo]

Peter wasnt playing around when he said folks will twist Paul's letters! Most false doctrines come from that source, they twist what Paul said and build a doctrine on it, thats what Marcion did, the first big gnostic preacher.

But Marcelo how do you know which teaching is for the Jews only, and which is to you in the gospels? How does one decide? I really wanna know. And I hope the answer aint "whatever i dont like dont apply"

I don't know for sure which teachings are for Jews only -- all I have are my own opinions.

I sent my question to a respected Christian site (I can't publicly reveal the site name without their permission) and they gave me the answer below, but they can't say which teachings are only for Jews.

My question is in blue

Question 551593: Before the cross Jesus preached (personally) to the Jews: Matthew 5:23 "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember..." Matthew 19:17 "If you want to enter life, keep the commandments." Matthew 5:19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches people to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven... Luke 6:30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Luke 12:33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. After the cross Jesus preached (through Paul)a different gospel. Does this mean that some of Jesus' teachings (before the cross) are no longer in effect?

Answered by: xxxxxxxxx

Answer:

Thank you for your question. It can be confusing trying to reconcile the “Gospels” with the rest of the New Testament.

The best way that I can answer your question is to think of the ministry of Jesus as a transitional period between the Old Testament and the New Testament. He had to show the Jews that He respected the Old Testament and was actually the culmination of it.

Remember that Jesus did not come to “destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” (Matthew 5:17) During the process of fulfilling the purpose of the Law and the word of the Prophets regarding His First Coming, Jesus did two things. He taught things to bring conviction upon Jews for their hypocritical righteousness, and He began to teach principles of God’s love and grace that would move them beyond the Law.

(here was a long list of Bible verses that I omitted in the interest of brevity)

Time and time again, Jesus taught various Jews to do things which they probably couldn’t do to prove to them their own selfishness or other types of hypocrisy, proving to them that they could never perfectly fulfill the Law. He wanted them to understand, just as the Apostles would later teach, that the Law was put in place in order to show Israel and the rest of the world that we are sinners. If they were to brag about how righteous they were, and yet fall short in any way, it was as if they broke the whole Law. Therefore, as the time would come for His crucifixion, they would realize that He was their only hope of truly being reconciled to God…through faith in the blood of Jesus alone.

So, many of the principles that Jesus taught continue to be relevant for the whole New Testament period. We simply need to recognize when Jesus was speaking to Jews while they were still technically under Old Testament Law to prove a point, versus timeless principles that we as Christians can apply today in our Christian walks.

Thanks for the question. I hope this clears things up a little for you. Have a nice day.

 

[Hizikyah]

We can trust Yahshua's words, it's not like He lied or said this and changed His mind

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Mat 24:35, “Heaven and earth may pass away, but My teachings will not pass away.”[/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]John/Yahanan 14:26, "But the Comforter – the Holy Spirit which YHWH will send in My Name will teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I (Yahshua/Jesus) have said to you."[/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]John/Yahanan 6:63, "It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words (Instructions) that I (Yahshua/Jesus) speak to you, they are Spirit, and they are life everlasting." [/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]John/Yahanan 12:48, "He who rejects Me, and does not follow My words has One Who judges him. The word that I have spoken, the same will be used to judge him in the last day."[/FONT]

 

[Issachar92]

Its the usual "Jesus commanded impossible things to show people how they cant obey".
If you feel its difficult -> Its Jesus proving a point that nobody can obey to the jews under the old covenant
If its grace and love related -> Thats the new covenant

Thats how it usually is.

But in all honesty, lets say that ALL of what Jesus said is old covenant, for argument's sake. Does it get any easier in Paul's writings?

Galatians 5:19-21 and 1 Corinthians 6:9 and verses like that, lay down the same qualifications. Romans 2:6-7 matches John 5:28-29 pretty much. As does the verse in Philippians that my memory cant find right now.

 

[Issachar92]

We can trust Yahshua's words, it's not like He lied or said this and changed His mind

Mat 24:35, “Heaven and earth may pass away, but My teachings will not pass away.”


John/Yahanan 14:26, "But the Comforter – the Holy Spirit which YHWH will send in My Name will teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I (Yahshua/Jesus) have said to you."


John/Yahanan 6:63, "It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words (Instructions) that I (Yahshua/Jesus) speak to you, they are Spirit, and they are life everlasting."


John/Yahanan 12:48, "He who rejects Me, and does not follow My words has One Who judges him. The word that I have spoken, the same will be used to judge him in the last day."

And might I add brother:

Matthew 28:19-20
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Notice it says have commanded past tense. It dont say, sit around and wait for me to send Paul with a different doctrine up his sleeve. That would make no sense.

 

[Hizikyah]

And might I add brother:

Matthew 28:19-20
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Notice it says have commanded past tense. It dont say, sit around and wait for me to send Paul with a different doctrine up his sleeve. That would make no sense.

Wonderful post, I think this and Yahshau beingthe one we must hear and obey passage about the most compelling evidence, it is clear, Yahshua/Jesus told them to teach others what He taught them and he even says to the gentiles/nations! So we see His doctrine is for all Jew and non-Jews

And might I add brother:

Matthew 28:19-20
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Notice it says have commanded past tense. It dont say, sit around and wait for me to send Paul with a different doctrine up his sleeve. That would make no sense.

all nations...to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you

"nations" is word
1484. ethnos
Strong's Concordance
ethnos: a race, a nation, pl. the nations (as distinct from Isr.)
Original Word: ἔθνος, ους, τό
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: ethnos
Phonetic Spelling: (eth'-nos)
Short Definition: a race, people, the Gentiles
Definition: a race, people, nation; the nations, heathen world, Gentiles.

very clear

 

[Endoscopy]

it's ok

just use the vernacular and anyone who wants to edumacate themselves beyond that are free to do so

I always looks things up if I am not sure of the meaning

I have broadened by education that way but I understand that is not for everyone

I prefer to read a translation where I don't have to look up word after word because it is for those who use those words daily. I worked in electronics for 35 years. I can break out with verbiage that only an electronics tech or engineer can understand without an electronic dictionary. Even then it would distract from the issue I was making.

 

[Marcelo]

only a few of the many people in this forum have replied and continue to reply. did you do a secret poll on the rest?

I was talking about the people participating in this thread.

Jesus spoke in parables, He used metaphors, He used hyperbole and was not speaking to the entire Jewish population when He spoke to the rich young man.

"Sell all you have and give the money to the poor" is not a figure of speech. We see in ACTS that the Christians did sell their properties and shared the money with those in need. "Pluck out your eye" is in fact a figure of speech because it doesn't make sense to do it in order to be saved and nobody in the N.T. did that.

Jesus and Paul taught the same thing.

Most Bible interpreters say that in some cases they did not.

Paul is not a false Apostle

Of course he is not

 

[MattforJesus]

"Pluck out your eye" is in fact a figure of speech because it doesn't make sense to do it in order to be saved and nobody in the N.T. did that.

Well I wish I would of understood this a little better when I was a babe in Christ,for now I do not have a right eye,a right hand,and a left foot,and it sucks that now that I understand what is means I cannot get those items back.

No marriage for me,no bride,no happiness,for I am a cripple,all because I did not understand the scriptures correctly.

See why it is important to understand the scriptures correctly.See what pain and suffering it brings when we do not understand the scriptures correctly.

My life is ruined because I did not understand that I really did not need to pluck out my eye,and cut off my hand,and foot.

Now no woman wants me,and it puts me up in the rankings of the elephant man.All because I did not understand I really did not have to pluck out my eye,and do away with body parts.

 

[7seasrekeyed]

I prefer to read a translation where I don't have to look up word after word because it is for those who use those words daily. I worked in electronics for 35 years. I can break out with verbiage that only an electronics tech or engineer can understand without an electronic dictionary. Even then it would distract from the issue I was making.

I already gave you permission! (I like to take things up a couple of levels cause it gets boring otherwise but that's just me)

you don't have to explain. you can go all electronics anytime you want and I would look up what I did not understand

again, I was born that way

no apologies

carry on

one thing though...my salvation doesn't depend on it

 

[7seasrekeyed]

Peter wasnt playing around when he said folks will twist Paul's letters! Most false doctrines come from that source, they twist what Paul said and build a doctrine on it, thats what Marcion did, the first big gnostic preacher.

But Marcelo how do you know which teaching is for the Jews only, and which is to you in the gospels? How does one decide? I really wanna know. And I hope the answer aint "whatever i dont like dont apply"

and then there's all that doctrines of demons and stuff

apparently both Jesus AND Paul got real serious about that

yup. both of them

Jesus:

Matthew 24:23-25

23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is the Christ, or, Here; believe it not. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 Behold, I have told you beforehand.


Paul:

1 Timothy 4

4 But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 through the hypocrisy of men that speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron; 3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by them that believe and know the truth. 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it be received with thanksgiving: 5 for it is sanctified through the word of God and prayer.



so we have false prophets and false doctrines from the false prophets

and Jesus told us and Paul reiterated it

they almost seem to speak the same language


people seem to be making their own Christs' cause some of the Christs some people are preaching are not the Son of God

 

[7seasrekeyed]

Well I wish I would of understood this a little better when I was a babe in Christ,for now I do not have a right eye,a right hand,and a left foot,and it sucks that now that I understand what is means I cannot get those items back.

No marriage for me,no bride,no happiness,for I am a cripple,all because I did not understand the scriptures correctly.

See why it is important to understand the scriptures correctly.See what pain and suffering it brings when we do not understand the scriptures correctly.

My life is ruined because I did not understand that I really did not need to pluck out my eye,and cut off my hand,and foot.

Now no woman wants me,and it puts me up in the rankings of the elephant man.All because I did not understand I really did not have to pluck out my eye,and do away with body parts.

don't you hate it when that happens?

so now you don't sin anymore though...right?