THE FACTS OF LIFE

[jeremiah1five]

Hebrews was written to the Hebrews/Jews for it speaks extensively about the Judaic religion and Messiah's effect on Judaism. James writes to the "twelve tribes scattered," another obvious. But don't think that because the other letters and gospels don't readily identify Jews or Hebrews that in your mind and by default they are writing to Gentiles? Self-serving.
Read carefully.

Fact One: The New Covenant is made between God and the House of Israel.
Fact Two: Gentiles are NOT Israel.

Fact Three: The writings discuss things in the Judaic religion, their covenants, their promises, their history, their prophets, their culture, their language, their rituals and practices, everything in these writings address Jewish issues and concerns.

Fact Four: Before the destruction of the Temple everything that happened from John the Baptist to Jesus to the Feast of Harvests happened to ISRAEL and while the Temple STILL stood everything that did happen in Israel was Jewish and included NO GENTILES.
In the minds of the Jews, Messiah's coming affected THEM and everything happening had to be sorted out and matched up with the covenants in the OT and the prophecies of the Old Testament. Gentiles would have NO KNOWLEDGE of the things Jewish Christians (Peter, James, Paul, John) discussed in their writings to JEWISH CHRISTIANS about this New Covenant they were coming to find themselves in.

Fact Five: 3000 Jews were saved on the day of the Feast of Harvest. Being a major Feast in the Jewish religion/Law Jews from all over Israel and Gentile lands - even Rome (and Spain) - came to this feast as good observant Jews would. Study the languages these people witnessing the apostles speak and locate them on the map. Gentile lands. So, if these visitors recognized their language spoken isn't it reasonable that they also came from these areas in Gentile lands?

Fact Six: Now that these Jews are saved and filled with the Holy Spirit they went back to their homes after their feast to Gentile lands, and as observant Jews went to their synagogues on the seventh day, shared their experiences with their Judaic brethren and more Jews became saved and filled with the Holy Spirit.

Fact Seven: Being that the Messiah (Jesus) was hung on a tree, and the Law stating that anyone that hung on a tree was cursed, these Judaic brethren could not reconcile Messiah's cross with what Moses said in their Law so a split occurred and a good bet is that these Jewish Christians in these Gentile lands were excommunicated from Judaism and their synagogues and began to gather in their homes.

Fact Eight: As the years went on and while the Temple still stood the events that occurred to Jews and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as per Joel's prophecy occurred to the Jews as part of the New Covenant God made with the House of Israel and in their minds was totally a "Jewish thing" as Christ was in the process of building His Church which in these first several decades was populated by Jews since it is a Jewish Covenant and that Jews were being saved through word of mouth in these Gentile towns and cities like Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi, Thessalonica, etc., and these Jewish fellowships grew.

Fact Nine: In time Judaizers got fed up with these Jewish Christians and their Messiah on a tree that persecution took place and even MORE Jewish Christians left their homes and either went back to Israel or settled still in other Gentile lands and took Jesus with them.

Fact Ten: By the time Paul came out of Arabia and began his travels with Barnabas the New Covenant Church was populated by Jewish Christians in many Gentile locations and lands that Paul upon first coming to a city went into the synagogues and soon learned that these Judaizers didn't want to hear about a Messiah that hung on a tree (stumbling stone), so Paul and Barnabas found the Jewish Christians in their various homes and in time left, and when retuning to Antioch or Ephesus he wrote his letters to the Jewish Christians in these Gentile cities and discussed the effect Israel's Messiah had upon the Jewish religion.

What more is there to say? It was a Jewish Covenant and Jews populated these Jewish home churches and all the writings of the New Covenant epistles we have today as part of our canon were written to Jewish Christians in Gentile lands?
ALL the covenants God made, first with Abram the Hebrew and to his seed which were later the children of Israel and Moses and the giving of the Law this people that came out of Egypt comprised over 3 million Jews and were called the "Great Congregation" and the New Covenant Church Christ said He was to build is a continuation of the Great Congregation Church of "called out [one's]" (Gr. "ekklesia') founded by God in the desert at the time of the Tabernacle.

The New Covenant mentioned in Jeremiah and along with the prophecies of Isaiah, Hosea, Joel, and the rest of these Jewish prophets God made this New Covenant with the House of Israel and NO GENTILES were part of it.
Every mention in the New Covenant writings are discussions of the effect Israel's Messiah had upon their Law and covenants (Abraham) and that these writings were addressed to Jewish Christians.

 

[101G]

Fact Two: Gentiles are NOT Israel.

are you sure? are Jews Jew? Romans 2:28 "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:"Romans 2:29 "But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God."

101G.

 

[101G]

Fact Three: The writings discuss things in the Judaic religion, their covenants, their promises, their history, their prophets, their culture, their language, their rituals and practices, everything in these writings address Jewish issues and concerns.

ERROR, it was written and Made to all people. and as a matter of FACT, the Levitical priesthood is no nore, nor is the Mosiac Covenant.
with the priesthood changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.

Fact Five: 3000 Jews were saved on the day of the Feast of Harvest. Being a major Feast in the Jewish religion/Law Jews from all over Israel and Gentile lands - even Rome (and Spain) - came to this feast as good observant Jews would. Study the languages these people witnessing the apostles speak and locate them on the map. Gentile lands. So, if these visitors recognized their language spoken isn't it reasonable that they also came from these areas in Gentile lands?

was not Job saved, and was already keeping the FEAST DAYS? so that's nothing new. gentiles been serving God before it became a nation.

and was not Moses Father-in-law a priest of the the Modt High, Jethro? and he was not Jewish ..... on the OUTSIDE... (smile)... Yikes!

101G.

 

[TedT]

FACT WHATEVER:
HEBREWS 12:5-11 is specifically and pointedly written to the legitimate children of GOD, verse 6, unless you find such children only among the Jews, then this thesis is wrong.

 

[jeremiah1five]

are you sure? are Jews Jew? Romans 2:28 "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:"Romans 2:29 "But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God."

101G.

https://berean-apologetics.community.forum/threads/when-is-a-jew-not-a-jew.890/

 

[jeremiah1five]

FACT WHATEVER:
HEBREWS 12:5-11 is specifically and pointedly written to the legitimate children of GOD, verse 6, unless you find such children only among the Jews, then this thesis is wrong.

Hebrews was written by a Hebrew to other Hebrews, specifically, Israel.

 

[Complete]

@Jeremiah1five said in the OP:-
Fact Eight: As the years went on and while the Temple still stood the events that occurred to Jews and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as per Joel's prophecy occurred to the Jews as part of the New Covenant God made with the House of Israel and in their minds was totally a "Jewish thing" as Christ was in the process of building His Church which in these first several decades was populated by Jews since it is a Jewish Covenant and that Jews were being saved through word of mouth in these Gentile towns and cities like Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi, Thessalonica, etc., and these Jewish fellowships grew.

'Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren,
that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you,
(but was let hitherto,)
that I might have some fruit among you also,
even as among other Gentiles.
I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians;
both to the wise, and to the unwise.
So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel
to you that are at Rome also.'
(Romans 1:13-15)

'Is He the God of the Jews only?
is He not also of the Gentiles?
Yes, of the Gentiles also:'
(Romans 3:29)

'For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body,
whether we be Jews or Gentiles,
whether we be bond or free;
and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.'
(1Corinthians12:13)

'But when I saw that they walked not uprightly
according to the truth of the gospel,
I said unto Peter before them all,
If thou, being a Jew,
livest after the manner of Gentiles,
and not as do the Jews,
why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?'
(Galatians 2:14)

 

[jeremiah1five]

'Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren,
that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you,
(but was let hitherto,)
that I might have some fruit among you also,
even as among other Gentiles.
I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians;
both to the wise, and to the unwise.
So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel
to you that are at Rome also.'
(Romans 1:13-15)

'Is He the God of the Jews only?
is He not also of the Gentiles?
Yes, of the Gentiles also:'
(Romans 3:29)

'For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body,
whether we be Jews or Gentiles,
whether we be bond or free;
and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.'
(1Corinthians12:13)

'But when I saw that they walked not uprightly
according to the truth of the gospel,
I said unto Peter before them all,
If thou, being a Jew,
livest after the manner of Gentiles,
and not as do the Jews,
why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?'
(Galatians 2:14)

The Gentiles Saul is referring are Gentile proselytes unless the context identifies hard-core, uncircumcised, non-covenant idol-worshiping Gentiles.


Proselyte in the Septuagint
The term προσήλυτος (prosēlytos) appears in the Septuagint primarily as the Greek translation for the Hebrew גֶר (ger), meaning “sojourner” or “foreigner.” The term גֶר (ger) denoted an alien or foreigner who dwelled in Israel’s land and shared a relationship with its inhabitants. In the Septuagint, προσήλυτος (prosēlytos) is associated with an immigrant who is to be protected by the Jewish people. The relationship of a προσήλυτος (prosēlytos) with the Jewish people is indicated by the Septuagint’s rendering of Exod 22:21, “And you shall not harm a proselyte, neither shall you afflict him; for you were proselytes in the land of Egypt.” This status of proselytes also implied a degree of observation with Jewish custom and law. Exodus 23:12 explains that the Sabbath commandment to rest on the seventh day also applied to the proselyte. The proselyte was distinctly separate from the Jewish people: “The proselyte who is among you will advance over you to a great height, and you will go down very low” (Deut 28:43 LXX).


Proselytes in the New Testament
Despite the proliferation of the term προσήλυτος (prosēlytos) in the Septuagint, New Testament references to proselytes are sparse. By the time of the New Testament writings, a proselyte was specifically a gentile convert to Judaism. Jesus declared, “Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you cross over the sea and the land to make one proselyte, and when he becomes [a proselyte], you make him twice as much a son of Gehenna as yourselves” (Matt 23:15). The label of προσήλυτος (prosēlytos) is also applied in the same way in Acts 2:10 (2:11 in Greek); 6:5; 13:43.


Proselytes in Rabbinic Literature
Schiffman describes circumcision as one of four of the rabbinic requirements for a proselyte (Schiffman, Who Was a Jew?,19). Becoming a Jewish convert entailed:

• Commitment to the entire Torah
• Immersion in water
• Sacrifices
• Circumcision

Schiffman states that in the rabbinic period, following the destruction of the temple in AD 70, sacrifices were no longer required of proselytes. This requirement manifested itself in other ways (Schiffman, Who was a Jew?, 30–32). However, Collins maintains that neither baptism nor sacrifice was a requirement before the late first century AD (Collins, “A Symbol of Otherness,” 163–65).


The Proselyte and the “God-Fearer”
Cohen argues that the desire to place proselytes in distinct and well-defined socio-religious classes is a modern tendency, and one that does not reflect the plethora of positions into which ancient proselytes belonged (Cohen, “Crossing the Boundary and Becoming a Jew,” 31–33). Ancient accounts tell of many sympathizers who are not described as proselytes or converts, and yet are sympathetic to the plight of the Jewish people. Acts 13:43 refers to many Jews and the “God-fearing converts” (σεβομένων προσηλύτων, sebomenōn prosēlytōn). σεβομένων (sebomenōn)—translated “fearing,” “God-fearing,” or “devout”—is connected to the title, “God-fearer” (θεοσεβές, theosebes). However, this term is often used in Graeco-Roman literature to speak of fearing the pagan gods of Rome and Greece, and did not necessarily connote a reverence for the God of the Jewish people. Kraabel clarified that the term “God-fearer” was not a distinct class of “semi-proselytes,” but a general term to describe a gentile who also worshiped the God of the Jews (Kraabel, “Disappearance of “God-Fearer,” 121). Cohen agrees with Kraabel, rejecting the notion that there existed such sharp definitions of those sympathetic with the Jewish people. Cohen argues that there were multiple “levels” of Jewish sympathizing that were welcomed by the Jewish community, but not always with well-defined boundaries and distinctions (Cohen, “Crossing the Boundary,” 13–15, 33).
-- Lexham Press, 2016.

When newly minted Jewish Christians returned from the Feast of Harvests (Pentecost) they returned to their homes and synagogues in many Gentiles cities and towns (Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi, Thessalonica, Rome, etc.) All one need do is study the locations of the tongues listed spoken by the eleven disciples and see on a map Jews, those majority of Jews and their descendants that did not return to Jerusalem and Israel when Cyrus gave the OK, but only a remnant returned stayed in Gentile (non-Israel) lands and in places in-between. These Jewish Christians took with them the Holy Spirit experience, an outline of Peter's sermon, and Jesus and the first thing these original "holy-rollers" did was tell everyone they met about their born-again experience, and when sabbath came around shared Jesus Messiah with their Jewish brethren and many more became saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. At these seventh day meetings Gentile proselytes would be in attendance and would hear first hand the witness and testimony of these Jews who had an encounter with the Holy Spirit and then proselytes were becoming saved in all the lands they lived which had a synagogue and Jewish Christians were present. Christ was building His Church as per promise and as per covenant. And it was populated with Jews.

Being that Jews who lived in Gentile lands and cities they had their own separated community separate from idol-worshiping Gentiles. This and the middle wall partition as well as Gentiles having nothing to do with Jews or their religion would be the last to hear about Messiah, Holy Spirit, who was Abraham, etc., and were completely oblivious to Jewish issues, concerns, and matters. And Jews wanted nothing to do with the hated Gentiles - especially Romans and Italians, etc. From Pentecost to Saul's first letter (Gal. A.D. 54) was about 20 years and in all that time Jews and Gentile proselytes were being saved. So, be careful when you read the word Gentile. The only people close to the Jews that would hear the good news would be circumcised Gentile proselytes.

 

[koberstein]

Hebrews was written to the Hebrews/Jews for it speaks extensively about the Judaic religion and Messiah's effect on Judaism. James writes to the "twelve tribes scattered," another obvious. But don't think that because the other letters and gospels don't readily identify Jews or Hebrews that in your mind and by default they are writing to Gentiles? Self-serving.
Read carefully.

Fact One: The New Covenant is made between God and the House of Israel.
Fact Two: Gentiles are NOT Israel.

Fact Three: The writings discuss things in the Judaic religion, their covenants, their promises, their history, their prophets, their culture, their language, their rituals and practices, everything in these writings address Jewish issues and concerns.

Fact Four: Before the destruction of the Temple everything that happened from John the Baptist to Jesus to the Feast of Harvests happened to ISRAEL and while the Temple STILL stood everything that did happen in Israel was Jewish and included NO GENTILES.
In the minds of the Jews, Messiah's coming affected THEM and everything happening had to be sorted out and matched up with the covenants in the OT and the prophecies of the Old Testament. Gentiles would have NO KNOWLEDGE of the things Jewish Christians (Peter, James, Paul, John) discussed in their writings to JEWISH CHRISTIANS about this New Covenant they were coming to find themselves in.

Fact Five: 3000 Jews were saved on the day of the Feast of Harvest. Being a major Feast in the Jewish religion/Law Jews from all over Israel and Gentile lands - even Rome (and Spain) - came to this feast as good observant Jews would. Study the languages these people witnessing the apostles speak and locate them on the map. Gentile lands. So, if these visitors recognized their language spoken isn't it reasonable that they also came from these areas in Gentile lands?

Fact Six: Now that these Jews are saved and filled with the Holy Spirit they went back to their homes after their feast to Gentile lands, and as observant Jews went to their synagogues on the seventh day, shared their experiences with their Judaic brethren and more Jews became saved and filled with the Holy Spirit.

Fact Seven: Being that the Messiah (Jesus) was hung on a tree, and the Law stating that anyone that hung on a tree was cursed, these Judaic brethren could not reconcile Messiah's cross with what Moses said in their Law so a split occurred and a good bet is that these Jewish Christians in these Gentile lands were excommunicated from Judaism and their synagogues and began to gather in their homes.

Fact Eight: As the years went on and while the Temple still stood the events that occurred to Jews and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as per Joel's prophecy occurred to the Jews as part of the New Covenant God made with the House of Israel and in their minds was totally a "Jewish thing" as Christ was in the process of building His Church which in these first several decades was populated by Jews since it is a Jewish Covenant and that Jews were being saved through word of mouth in these Gentile towns and cities like Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi, Thessalonica, etc., and these Jewish fellowships grew.

Fact Nine: In time Judaizers got fed up with these Jewish Christians and their Messiah on a tree that persecution took place and even MORE Jewish Christians left their homes and either went back to Israel or settled still in other Gentile lands and took Jesus with them.

Fact Ten: By the time Paul came out of Arabia and began his travels with Barnabas the New Covenant Church was populated by Jewish Christians in many Gentile locations and lands that Paul upon first coming to a city went into the synagogues and soon learned that these Judaizers didn't want to hear about a Messiah that hung on a tree (stumbling stone), so Paul and Barnabas found the Jewish Christians in their various homes and in time left, and when retuning to Antioch or Ephesus he wrote his letters to the Jewish Christians in these Gentile cities and discussed the effect Israel's Messiah had upon the Jewish religion.

What more is there to say? It was a Jewish Covenant and Jews populated these Jewish home churches and all the writings of the New Covenant epistles we have today as part of our canon were written to Jewish Christians in Gentile lands?
ALL the covenants God made, first with Abram the Hebrew and to his seed which were later the children of Israel and Moses and the giving of the Law this people that came out of Egypt comprised over 3 million Jews and were called the "Great Congregation" and the New Covenant Church Christ said He was to build is a continuation of the Great Congregation Church of "called out [one's]" (Gr. "ekklesia') founded by God in the desert at the time of the Tabernacle.

The New Covenant mentioned in Jeremiah and along with the prophecies of Isaiah, Hosea, Joel, and the rest of these Jewish prophets God made this New Covenant with the House of Israel and NO GENTILES were part of it.
Every mention in the New Covenant writings are discussions of the effect Israel's Messiah had upon their Law and covenants (Abraham) and that these writings were addressed to Jewish Christians.

Baruch Hashem Adonai
Y'varechecha Adonai v'yishmerecha.