bible-truths.com/forums
=> Email to Ray => Topic started by: Craig on June 08, 2006, 11:54:40 AM
-
Dear Ray:
I have this question in my file in case you didn't have the time to answer me. Here it goes.
In your E-mails and Replies "Who are the Jews and the Gentiles," you are telling people what I have been trying to tell them and convince them for years. Here is my question.
Are the Israelites who did not accept Judaism and remained in their Mosaic religion classified as Gentiles? Is it possible that when Paul said "Jews and Gentiles," the word "Gentile" was meant to be members of the so called "Lost Tribes of Israel" who drifted away from God to be brought back? Reading Acts 15:19,23 where the word "ethnon" may be used to mean "the other 'tribes' which we are concerned with" lead me to believe so. If idolaters and pagans are Gentiles, where do we (or NT) put the Ten tribes? I know they still exist and I am not talking about Samaritans.
In God's Service,
Ben
Dear Ben:
You seem to make a great distinction between "Mosaic religion" and "Judaism." What is the difference? Judah, Levi and Benjamin corrupted the laws of Moses as did the Norther Ten Tribes. The BOTH went into captivity for this--Israel to Assyria and Judah to Babylon. So how are they different? Are there tribes on earth today practicing true and pure Mosaic Law as opposed to the Orthodox Jews? I don't know how to answer your question. Are there descendants from the Ten Tribes alive today? Of course. Who are they? Who knows? And what religion are they? And are they truely pure blooded Israelites? I don't think so. The heads of state, for example of English, Scotland, Ireland, France, Germany, and Russia were practically all second cousins.
God be with you,
Ray
-
Dear Ben:
I don't have the time to debate you endlessly. I will make just one comment bellow in your email..........
Dear Ray:
Mosaic Laws were given c.1250 B.C. Until exile in c.597 B.C., over 500 years, Israelites followed the Laws and traditions as given to Moses.
COMMENT: Ben, ALL ISRAEL corrupted themselves long before 597 B.C. Israel assuredly DID NOT "follow the Laws and traditions as given to Moses." Read Deut. 31:28 and dozens of other Scriptures: "For I know that after my death YE [ye means 'ALL of you'--ALL of the twelve tribes] WILL UTTERLY CORRUPT YOURSELVES, AND TURN ASIDE FORM THE WAY WHICH I HAVE COMMANDED YOU...." Can't get much clearer or to the point than that.
God be with you,
Ray
When they were dispersed by Assyrians and Babylonians, wherever they went, the took their religion as it was with them. When Judeans were taken to Babylonia, they had to make some justifiable changes in their religion so they could survive. If we analyze the Babylonian Talmud, we will see the influence of the Babylonian religion at that time. Those changes encouraged others to make more changes which ended up in, what is later called, the Talmud hence "Judaism."
Life would have been much easier if those remnants of non-Jewish Israelites disappeared from the earth. But they didn't. When they dispersed, they lived among other nations as small communities minding their own business, not claiming anything. Other nations accepted them, because they were following the uncorrupted basic Mosaic religion which is the basis of Christianity and Islam. To my knowledge, these communities still exist in the Middle East, North Africa, Egypt, Turkey, Russia, Baltic countries to count a few. In Germany during the WWI, the German government gave them certificates to make sure that they will not detained as Jews. Some served in the German army. Russia treated them equal to Russians while discriminating the Jews. Their worshiping place was/is a "Temple" not synagogues because to my knowledge, they were/are still making animal sacrifices as instructed in the Old Testament wherever the local government permits. Both Muslims an d Orthodox Christian (Greek, Russian and Coptic) churches accepts them and welcome them. Did they remain pure? I don't know. All I know is that they don't allow anyone to convert to their religion. I don't think too many families left. I am sure you'll find some more information in German and Russian archives and libraries.
Coming back to my original question of "Gentiles." As far as I know, during the time of Christ, those "lost" Israelites, particularly those who remained in the Middle East, had adopted the Greek language, many of Greek traditions but still kept their religion and ethnicity. They were nick-named "Greeks." They were keeping the holidays and attending the services. Trust me, if they were pagan Greeks, they would not have been let to enter the synagogues. So, reading the New Testament with this background, something tells me that what theologians translated as Gentiles, like in the Old Testament era people, are actually "Ethnon" i.e., people of the same ethnic background, i.e. non-Jewish Mosaic Israelites to be united with others and go back to Mosaic religion and reject Talmudic Judaism. That is where Christ came in. Better now?
God be with you,
In God's Service,
Ben