If somebody asked
you: "Is the New Testament
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a Christian book? " is there
an obvious yes to that answer?
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Stick around today
on Back To Our Roots
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and we're going to explore
this and so many more things.
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Great to have you with us.
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Welcome to Back To Our Roots.
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I'm Pastor Alex
Schlussler and I'm Rachel Hyman,
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minister of music, and we're
so happy that you've joined us
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for today's program. We have
a very, very interesting topic
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today. We're going to be talking
about is the New Testament
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a Christian book?
And maybe for some people
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they would hear
that and go: "Excuse me?
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That's a pretty obvious thing. "
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But as we get into it today in
this show, you're going to see
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that it's not so cut
and dried as we may think.
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You know, Rachel, the
whole idea of New Testament
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it appears in the book
of Jeremiah chapter 31.
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That's the first
time that it comes up.
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And in Hebrew it's the
term B'riyt HaHhadashah
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which literally means not
testament but new covenant.
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Hmmm. We're going to be
dealing with that today.
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You know, Rachel,
both of us were raised
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in Jewish
families and Jewish homes.
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And maybe one of the
hardest things to understand
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is what do Jewish people
think about the New Testament?
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Well when we hear new it's
kind of disrespectful in a way
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and slightly
offensive because we feel like,
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you know, that's
the second testament.
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The Old Testament...
that's the first testament.
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And when we hear new it almost
sounds like the Old Testament
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has been done away
with... taken over.
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Exactly. And that is
a very common thing -
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and not even just with
Jewish people - to think about
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the New Testament.
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Even within Christianity,
you know, there's this idea
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of old vs. new. And we're
going to get into that in depth.
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You know, growing up
as a young Jewish man
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in south Florida, if
someone asked me the question
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"What did I think
about the New Testament? "
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I don't know that
I could have answered
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because I don't know
that if I... Exactly. Yeah.
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My first thought would have
been that's not for us at all.
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Yeah. That's the
Christian's book.
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Exactly. But you
know, it couldn't be farther
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from the truth
- hmmm - you know.
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The New Testament is
extremely Jewish. Totally.
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It was written by
Jews. That's right.
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It was written in a period
of history where everything
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was revolving around the
Jewish people. So as I said,
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we have some really
interesting things to get into.
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And before we go any further
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we have a very special guest.
He is our resident theologian:
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Alexander Bolotnikov.
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So I'm going to invite
Alex - or Sasha as we call him -
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come on. Join us, Sasha.
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Our Russian friend. Yes. It's
great to have you again, Sasha.
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Thank you for
having me on your program.
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Yeah, Sasha is a great
blessing. I've known him
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for a whole bunch of years.
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We've had the opportunity
to travel around the world.
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And so we've walked the
streets of Germany together,
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and we look forward to a
lot of new things coming.
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Sasha, today we're talking
about is the New Testament
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a Christian book or
is there more to it?
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And I want to ask you
from a theological perspective
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and not getting too deep, but
from a theological perspective
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what's the
difference if we were to say
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Old Testament/New Testament?
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And I know that you've
talked with me and said
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you know, it's probably
better put to say old covenant/
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new covenant or first
covenant/ second covenant.
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What do you think about
that? Actually... actually yes.
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The Bible does not
talk about the testaments.
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In fact, Jesus Himself
never calls the Old Testament
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Old Testament. He
uses the term "scripture" -
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Hebrew scripture -
because it's written in Hebrew.
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And He also uses
the term in Luke 24:44
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saying: "the law of Moses,
the prophets and the psalms"
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which is actually an
equivalent of tri-parted
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Hebrew canon was known as
Tanakh, Torah nevi'im, ketuvim.
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Which is the Torah
which people would know is
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the first five
books of the Bible. Right.
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And the prophets are
the prophetic writings
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and the writings are
Psalms and Ecclesiastes
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and so on, right? Nevertheless
the Bible talks about
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the covenant. And the
word covenant in itself is very
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interesting. Because
basically the same word,
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the same wording is used in
a marriage relationship. Right.
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So it's how God builds
the relations with His people.
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And that's the Hebrew word
beriyt. Yeah, beriyt... exactly.
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So when we were
talking prior to the show
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you shared something with
me that was really interesting.
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And that's that the old...
I don't want to say old...
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but the first
covenant... maybe better put...
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the first covenant was based
on the things that went around
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the temple. Exactly.
Explain that a little bit.
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Actually old is not a bad term
as long as it's the covenant
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because if you are talking
about the epistle of Hebrews
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of course first or old
covenant, both terms are used.
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Right. It's really the
center of this old covenant
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was the
sanctuary... the temple...
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the symbolism.
And in fact, if we go
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back into the prophecies
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Isaiah talks about the way
how God actually, initially
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planned the role of the temple.
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It talks about the
mountain of the house of God
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becomes higher
than all other mountains
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and all people stream
up onto this mountain.
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And there is a nice
Hebrew song: For from Zion
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the Torah shall come
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and the word of the law
from Jerusalem. Right, right.
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So the initial
idea of the old covenant
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was to put Jerusalem as
the center of divine worship
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for the entire world. Right.
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So when we get to the
book of Jeremiah in particular
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chapter 31 where God
speaking through the prophet
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begins to express this
idea that OK, where the center
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of worship was, as
you said, the temple
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and everything was
painted around that,
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now God starts to paint a
new picture in Jeremiah, right?
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Exactly, exactly. What
Jeremiah is prophesying
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and again we have this discourse
in the epistle of Hebrews
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describing this...
That's chapter 8? Yes.
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It's chapter 8 and
then it goes into chapter 9.
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But in Jeremiah in chapter 31
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it speaks about the
new covenant where the law
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will be in the heart.
Right. And this cannot be taken
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out of the context
because in the temple
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knowing - based on Hebrews,
based on the interpretation
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given in the
epistle of Hebrews -
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the old covenant
is in the temple.
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So the law in the
temple was inside the ark
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which was located in the Most
Holy Place. Right. Beautiful!
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That's where God's
presence was there.
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It was the divine glory,
the Shekinah, Schechinah -
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right - was there.
And it's interesting
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it was once I took the
group of ministers to Israel
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and the Rabbi spoke to
us and he blithely said
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that: "You know, Christian
Shekinah is in Hebrew terms
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that's the Holy Spirit. "
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He... the Rabbi knows
that. So he professed that.
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Yeah, but this makes sense.
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If you look at the
way how Jesus describes
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in the gospels,
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that's talking the
Shekinah is the Holy Spirit.
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Right. And so going to...
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You think Jews look
at the Shekinah glory
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as the Holy Spirit? Yes! Yeah,
that's... the Spirit of God
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the Ruach Adonai, the
Spirit of God or Shekinah,
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this is used in Hebrew
literature interchangeably.
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So what we have is nice words
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Jesus speaks to the
Samaritan woman. Right, right.
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When she asks Him:
"Where is the place of worship?
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Where are we
supposed to worship?
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In Jerusalem or on Mount
Garazim which Samaritans use?
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Where is the truth?
" And Jesus first said
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"Well, you Samaritans don't
know what you're talking about
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because salvation is of Jews. "
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But then He said:
"The time will change. "
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"The time is coming and
now is when the true worshipers
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will worship God in
truth and in spirit. "
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Not upon the mountain
but in truth and in spirit.
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So that moving
then... This experience of God
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from an external one now
to an internal experience.
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Exactly. And that's what
Jeremiah was speaking about.
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So if we're...
The glory of God...
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What Jesus is
pointing: the glory of God,
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the Shekinah, the Holy Spirit,
moves from the location -
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from geographical
location inside the Most Holy -
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into the hearts of the
believers. Into us... exactly.
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And Paul... that's the new
covenant... Paul now speaks:
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"You are the temple of God,
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not in Jerusalem, and the
Holy Spirit lives in you. "
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So that's the only
difference we can see
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between the old and the new.
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It's where the
Holy Spirit is located:
00:10:05.27\00:10:07.99
in the geographical location
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or inside the
individual believer. Exactly.
00:10:10.97\00:10:14.33
So I've heard people
also talk in the context that
00:10:14.53\00:10:19.07
the gospels, you know,
primary stories about Jesus,
00:10:19.17\00:10:24.01
that they find within
that that Jesus in some way is
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speaking against the old
covenant or the New Testament.
00:10:27.44\00:10:31.58
So when Jesus is preaching
- and so much of what we read,
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you know, obviously in
the New Testament - is Him...
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one of the things we have
to look at is what authority
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did Jesus appeal
to when He's speaking?
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Was there a change?
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Where did Jesus get His ideas,
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you know? Because
He's talking about love;
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He's talking about grace;
He's talking about forgiveness;
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He's talking about
salvation; and, of course,
00:10:54.57\00:10:56.38
the message of
the kingdom of God.
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Are these things
exclusively New Testament ideas?
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Or these are things
that we find throughout
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the first
covenant? Absolutely not.
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First of all, Jesus -
no matter what people say -
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"eye for an eye,
tooth for a tooth" -
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Jesus does not
contradict the Torah.
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Because the problem often is -
especially among the Christians
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that many Jews pick on this -
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Christians do not actually read
00:11:22.75\00:11:24.97
what the laws of the Torah
actually are saying. Um-hmm.
00:11:25.17\00:11:28.30
And "eye for an
eye, tooth for a tooth"
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particularly Jews are
first is the restitution.
00:11:31.35\00:11:34.80
It's not the... You
know, it's not the commandment
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allowing some kind
of brawls or quarrels.
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It's the way how to be...
You know, if you made a damage
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you pay restitution.
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I mean, what Christians
are supposed to do now?
00:11:46.47\00:11:49.85
According to Jesus, do you
assume that if I wreck your
00:11:50.05\00:11:53.79
car I say: "Oh, give me another
car, I'll wreck it again? "
00:11:53.89\00:11:58.12
You know, Jesus does
not condone irresponsibility
00:11:58.42\00:12:02.68
in relations.
What Jesus is talking
00:12:02.78\00:12:05.69
the Torah talks to offender.
00:12:05.89\00:12:08.56
If I offended, I
have to pay restitution.
00:12:08.76\00:12:11.00
What Jesus is talking
is to the offended one
00:12:11.20\00:12:14.53
not to go for a wedge.
00:12:14.74\00:12:16.80
Not to go sue this
person but be nice in relations.
00:12:17.01\00:12:21.37
So if we read Torah carefully
00:12:21.51\00:12:24.46
the Sermon on the Mount
does not bring any contradiction
00:12:24.66\00:12:28.77
to its laws.
Right. In fact, in fact...
00:12:28.87\00:12:32.34
You know, to study and I
hope that in future programs
00:12:32.54\00:12:36.88
we'll be able to
touch deeper on this.
00:12:37.08\00:12:38.73
When you look at
the Sermon on the Mount,
00:12:38.93\00:12:41.20
you know, it's typically called
that but really this is...
00:12:41.50\00:12:44.13
this is a teaching - a
very in-depth teaching -
00:12:44.23\00:12:47.31
that Jesus is giving
on understanding the Torah
00:12:47.41\00:12:50.68
and we could even
say on the accepted
00:12:50.78\00:12:53.46
Rabbinic teachings of the time.
00:12:53.56\00:12:55.16
He's commenting on all of that
through the Sermon on the Mount.
00:12:55.30\00:12:59.31
Oh exactly! See, when
talking about the Jewish book
00:12:59.41\00:13:01.90
the Sermon on the Mount
cannot be understood without
00:13:02.10\00:13:06.26
the proper context
understanding that Jesus is
00:13:06.36\00:13:10.27
as a Rabbi presents
to the public His school.
00:13:10.47\00:13:15.34
The Sermon on the Mount
is basically a program speech
00:13:15.54\00:13:19.48
about what He's going to
teach His disciples about.
00:13:19.58\00:13:22.97
That's right. He
sets the standard.
00:13:23.18\00:13:24.58
He said: "If your
righteousness will not exceed
00:13:24.78\00:13:28.67
the righteousness of
Pharisees and scribes
00:13:28.77\00:13:32.25
you're not going to enter.
" And see, the term He uses
00:13:32.45\00:13:36.11
it's only in the gospel of
Matthew: the kingdom of heaven.
00:13:36.31\00:13:39.72
Um-hmm. Which all other
gospels and Matthew, too,
00:13:39.92\00:13:42.61
also uses "the kingdom of God. "
00:13:42.71\00:13:44.64
These are two different terms.
00:13:44.84\00:13:46.27
The kingdom of heaven
is basically the school.
00:13:46.47\00:13:50.09
That's why we have all
these parables He explained.
00:13:50.29\00:13:53.01
This is the school
which... the title of His school
00:13:53.21\00:13:56.81
He is going to
teach His disciples.
00:13:56.91\00:13:58.36
So He said: "My standards
in My school which I call
00:13:58.56\00:14:02.15
the kingdom of heaven -
that's the one that teaches you
00:14:02.25\00:14:05.11
how to get saved - My standards
are higher than the ones
00:14:05.21\00:14:09.69
which are in a similar
school you can find among the
00:14:09.79\00:14:12.59
Pharasaic Rabbis. "
And so in this context
00:14:12.69\00:14:16.42
you can see that the sermon
does not contradict the Torah.
00:14:16.62\00:14:21.84
In fact He said you know: "I
did not come to teach against
00:14:21.94\00:14:25.20
Torah" - right - "or
prophets. " Right, right.
00:14:25.30\00:14:29.14
So really, if people
feel like He did contradict
00:14:29.28\00:14:32.72
the Torah, really if
they spend more time reading
00:14:32.82\00:14:35.43
the Torah - what Jesus was
reading - they'll clearly see
00:14:35.63\00:14:38.14
that Jesus was totally in sync.
00:14:38.24\00:14:40.09
Exactly. The biggest
problem which Christians have
00:14:40.29\00:14:43.85
is that because of the
stigma the Old Testament...
00:14:44.05\00:14:47.99
And coming from the Russian
Jewish background, the national
00:14:48.20\00:14:51.02
language is even more obvious.
00:14:51.12\00:14:52.84
The Old Testament is
called actually, literally
00:14:53.04\00:14:56.24
dilapidated testament. Ummm.
00:14:56.45\00:14:58.45
So people are... Broken down.
Almost like despised almost.
00:14:58.55\00:15:01.24
Yeah, yeah. It's kind of
something which disintegrates.
00:15:01.34\00:15:05.49
You know it's so old... dead.
00:15:05.69\00:15:07.41
You know, the
real tragedy of that
00:15:07.61\00:15:10.66
is that so much of
what we desire to understand
00:15:10.86\00:15:14.72
from the writings of
Paul, from the writings of John
00:15:14.92\00:15:17.83
if we don't put those things
in the context of which they
00:15:18.03\00:15:20.50
were written, in that
Old Testament context...
00:15:20.60\00:15:23.01
For example, to understand
the book of Revelation
00:15:23.21\00:15:26.17
we understand that we've
got to go to the book of Daniel.
00:15:26.37\00:15:28.80
Exactly. But that becomes
the key. But even more than that
00:15:29.01\00:15:31.82
most people don't know
that there's more quotes -
00:15:32.02\00:15:35.24
direct and indirect - from
the Old Testament in the book of
00:15:35.44\00:15:38.37
Revelation than any other book.
00:15:38.47\00:15:40.24
So if you don't... If
we don't become students
00:15:40.44\00:15:43.52
as well of the Old
Testament we're going to miss
00:15:43.62\00:15:46.85
what scripture is saying.
00:15:47.06\00:15:49.31
And just for a little
bit I wanted to talk about
00:15:49.51\00:15:51.89
Paul some. Because, you know,
00:15:52.09\00:15:54.36
Paul is getting placed on
him this stigma that Paul was
00:15:54.56\00:15:58.35
very much
anti-Torah and anti-Jewish.
00:15:58.38\00:16:01.58
And Paul's the one that
did away with all of that.
00:16:01.78\00:16:04.50
From the Rabbis often you
get much worse statements about
00:16:04.61\00:16:09.47
Paul than about Jesus.
00:16:09.57\00:16:11.95
And it's again because of
the Christian interpretation
00:16:12.15\00:16:15.45
and
understanding of Paul. Right.
00:16:15.65\00:16:18.20
And again, that could
be such a deep subject.
00:16:18.60\00:16:21.89
But I think it's
like what Rachel said.
00:16:22.09\00:16:24.27
Whenever we look at these
things and Paul's writings
00:16:24.47\00:16:27.59
seem to contradict New
Testament or seem to move us
00:16:27.80\00:16:31.84
away from things
that... OK, wait a minute.
00:16:31.94\00:16:34.11
Paul seems to be
inferring that the Old Testament
00:16:34.21\00:16:37.47
is done away with and that the
Torah of God is no longer valid
00:16:37.57\00:16:40.45
and all of that. Let
me propose that maybe
00:16:40.55\00:16:43.50
the problem is not
what Paul's saying.
00:16:43.61\00:16:45.09
The problem may be is
how we're interpreting.
00:16:45.19\00:16:47.58
Or better, it's like we've
put on a pair of glasses...
00:16:47.78\00:16:50.36
we've put on a pair of
glasses that's filtering
00:16:50.46\00:16:53.17
the scriptures in a wrong way.
00:16:53.28\00:16:54.67
One of the big problems in
our reading of the New Testament
00:16:54.77\00:16:58.12
is that we don't understand
how rabbinically this book
00:16:58.32\00:17:02.63
is written. And what I mean is
00:17:02.73\00:17:04.90
there is a thing which is
called rabbinic shorthand.
00:17:05.11\00:17:07.50
When rabbis write
their sermons or other things
00:17:07.70\00:17:10.92
they would use one or
two words that point to the
00:17:11.12\00:17:14.56
passage of the scripture.
And you won't understand
00:17:14.66\00:17:18.79
the thought unless you go
back to the original passage
00:17:18.89\00:17:22.49
and you read it in its entirety.
00:17:22.69\00:17:25.31
Those two words
just are they like today
00:17:25.51\00:17:28.95
in the Internet. When you
see a link you have to click.
00:17:29.06\00:17:33.59
To get the fullness of
it. Yeah. If you don't click,
00:17:33.79\00:17:36.96
you don't know what
is it talking about.
00:17:37.17\00:17:39.12
And that's how the statements
are often taken out of context
00:17:39.32\00:17:44.63
and understood
absolutely incorrectly.
00:17:44.83\00:17:48.97
We need to be less lazy. Yes.
00:17:49.07\00:17:50.75
The study of scriptures requires
lots of time... diligence, time.
00:17:50.95\00:17:55.82
Right. Well and one of
the goals of this show is not
00:17:56.02\00:18:00.93
that we're going to be able
to teach everything there is.
00:18:01.03\00:18:03.10
Obviously. Of course.
This is a lifetime of study.
00:18:03.30\00:18:04.99
But we're hoping that
you, as our friend, family,
00:18:05.20\00:18:07.78
those of you that are following
the shows as we progress -
00:18:07.88\00:18:10.40
the programs as we progress
- that you will begin to get
00:18:10.51\00:18:15.31
a hunger within you.
And understand that as we've
00:18:15.41\00:18:18.30
said in the past, yeah,
you can come to know Jesus
00:18:18.40\00:18:21.12
but as we did into the roots -
00:18:21.32\00:18:24.94
the Hebraic roots of
it as Sasha was sharing -
00:18:25.14\00:18:27.40
you know these little things
about how a rabbi would take
00:18:27.60\00:18:30.20
his notes and understand.
Would the average person
00:18:30.30\00:18:32.82
begin to find that out? No.
But when you see that there's
00:18:33.02\00:18:36.35
something way
deeper to it - um-hmm.
00:18:36.45\00:18:38.62
Hopefully it's going to
get us all to begin to say:
00:18:38.82\00:18:41.82
"OK, there's more to this
00:18:41.92\00:18:43.29
and I really want
to know who Jesus is. "
00:18:43.32\00:18:45.29
When Jesus had completed
His ministry and He ascends
00:18:46.73\00:18:51.05
to heaven and at a
certain time after that
00:18:51.15\00:18:54.91
we start getting some writings,
right? Matthew and Luke
00:18:55.11\00:18:58.22
and these guys... they
start writing down the accounts.
00:18:58.32\00:19:01.45
And then we have Paul, of
course, and Peter and James.
00:19:01.75\00:19:05.31
And they're all...
You know, this begins
00:19:05.51\00:19:08.42
30, 40 years
after Jesus is gone.
00:19:08.62\00:19:11.48
Right? A lot of people believe
that most of these things
00:19:11.68\00:19:14.74
were written before 70 AD
00:19:14.84\00:19:16.81
just because there's not
any mention of the temple being
00:19:16.92\00:19:20.04
destroyed. But my
point is when they're writing
00:19:20.07\00:19:23.76
and they're referring to
scripture and they're talking
00:19:23.86\00:19:25.90
what scripture are
they talking about?
00:19:26.10\00:19:27.53
What are they referring to?
00:19:27.63\00:19:29.00
Is Paul
referring to the gospels?
00:19:29.07\00:19:32.12
Impossible.
Exactly. The only scripture
00:19:32.32\00:19:35.81
which existed in
the first century
00:19:36.01\00:19:39.03
was the Hebrew scripture - the
Torah, prophets, and writings.
00:19:39.24\00:19:44.84
Right. And this is always...
00:19:44.94\00:19:47.76
In fact, often there is
a discussion even among the
00:19:48.06\00:19:52.08
Christians about the church
gives the canon of scripture.
00:19:52.18\00:19:57.32
And this is absolutely not true.
00:19:57.53\00:19:59.37
If we look at the
statements of Jesus
00:19:59.57\00:20:02.11
recorded in the
gospels, Jesus constantly
00:20:02.31\00:20:05.13
refers back to Hebrew scripture.
00:20:05.23\00:20:08.40
John chapter 5:
"Search the scriptures
00:20:08.60\00:20:12.66
because through them you
hope to find eternal life.
00:20:12.86\00:20:16.74
And they speak about Me. "
00:20:16.94\00:20:19.23
And those scriptures
He's talking about can't be
00:20:19.43\00:20:22.40
the New Testament at that point.
00:20:22.60\00:20:24.32
He talks to the
Pharisees. Now but can He...
00:20:24.52\00:20:27.92
Is it possible, Sasha,
that yeah, He's talking directly
00:20:28.12\00:20:31.32
to the Pharisees. Is it possible
that this is also prophetic?
00:20:31.42\00:20:34.28
Is He speaking about
what would be coming?
00:20:34.58\00:20:37.25
Could maybe we consider that?
00:20:37.45\00:20:39.13
Not at all because in the
context you cannot take this
00:20:39.33\00:20:44.11
text out of...
5:39 out of context.
00:20:44.21\00:20:47.11
Before that He
had a whole discussion
00:20:47.31\00:20:50.56
about His authority -
right - to heal the sick,
00:20:50.76\00:20:56.22
to give resurrection of life.
00:20:56.36\00:20:58.85
And He raises the discussion
00:20:59.05\00:21:02.80
as an objection to
Pharasaic accusation
00:21:03.00\00:21:06.07
that He breaks
the laws of Torah.
00:21:06.17\00:21:08.99
And that's why He
brings His own authority.
00:21:09.19\00:21:11.78
As you often teach
in your sermons, Alex,
00:21:11.98\00:21:14.77
that the difference what
we often have this problem
00:21:14.97\00:21:18.57
with the Pharisees, they
have problem with Jesus teaching
00:21:18.67\00:21:22.64
on His own authority. Exactly.
00:21:22.74\00:21:25.68
And really what Sasha's talking
about if I can interject,
00:21:25.78\00:21:28.78
you know, even today
within Rabbinic Judaism
00:21:28.98\00:21:33.53
the tendency is not...
00:21:33.73\00:21:35.65
When I say Rabbinic
Judaism vs. Biblical - right -
00:21:35.85\00:21:38.92
Rabbinic is the Judaism that
exists today under the authority
00:21:39.02\00:21:42.42
of the line of rabbis. Exactly.
00:21:42.52\00:21:44.53
When a rabbi teaches today
00:21:44.83\00:21:47.29
they teach on the
authority of their teachers
00:21:47.49\00:21:49.60
and their teachers before
them, and this is something
00:21:49.70\00:21:51.66
that we can trace back
even way before Jesus' time.
00:21:51.86\00:21:55.58
In other words, a rabbi
wouldn't look and wouldn't say
00:21:55.78\00:21:58.76
"This shirt is blue. " He
would say: "On the authority
00:21:58.96\00:22:01.83
of whoever his
rabbi was before him
00:22:01.93\00:22:04.46
I say that this shirt is blue. "
00:22:04.66\00:22:06.50
And this is what leads to
what Sasha is talking about
00:22:06.70\00:22:09.04
is that when Jesus
taught He would say
00:22:09.24\00:22:11.88
"Well you have heard it said
such and such but I say this. "
00:22:12.08\00:22:15.93
This was the real
controversy with Him, right?
00:22:16.06\00:22:18.66
Exactly. But He
taught on His own authority.
00:22:18.76\00:22:20.62
Every time we look
at the New Testament
00:22:20.82\00:22:23.48
we have to understand
that Jesus does not criticize
00:22:23.68\00:22:28.23
the scripture - the Hebrew
scripture - exactly - but He
00:22:28.43\00:22:31.19
criticizes the oral tradition
that sometimes incorrectly
00:22:31.29\00:22:36.07
interprets the Hebrew scripture.
00:22:36.17\00:22:39.58
Right, right. So
as we wrap this up
00:22:39.78\00:22:44.59
just a little bit, I guess when
we speak about the difference
00:22:44.79\00:22:48.41
between the old
and the new covenant
00:22:48.51\00:22:50.30
maybe the easiest way
for people to understand
00:22:50.50\00:22:53.41
is that in what we
call the Old Testament
00:22:53.51\00:22:56.19
this was really an
external experience.
00:22:56.30\00:22:58.78
And as we move into the
New Testament - new covenant -
00:22:58.98\00:23:01.61
God has now taken it
and moved it to an internal,
00:23:01.81\00:23:05.19
very personal experience,
right? Yeah, the old covenant
00:23:05.29\00:23:08.20
was external experience
because Jesus has not come
00:23:08.40\00:23:12.10
into this earth and
all His plan of salvation
00:23:12.20\00:23:16.09
was demonstrated
in symbols. Hmmm.
00:23:16.19\00:23:18.70
So moving on. Rachel, you
know I've sung in the past
00:23:18.80\00:23:24.29
and I know that
you've got an amazing voice.
00:23:24.39\00:23:25.95
I want to invite you
to head over and get ready
00:23:26.05\00:23:29.49
and we're going to have a
song. All right. And Rachel's
00:23:29.59\00:23:31.42
brought a very
special friend with her.
00:23:31.52\00:23:33.79
Martin is going
to accompany her.
00:23:33.89\00:23:36.76
And she's doing a song
that's called Etz haChayim.
00:23:36.96\00:23:40.72
Sasha, real briefly
what's that about: Etz haChayim?
00:23:40.93\00:23:43.50
This is a song about the Torah.
00:23:43.60\00:23:45.46
The revelation of God.
00:23:45.66\00:23:47.51
The Etz haChayim means
the Tree of Life. Right.
00:23:47.72\00:23:50.79
So let's go to Rachel now
as she sings the beautiful song
00:23:50.99\00:23:54.55
Etz haChayim...
He's the Tree of Life.
00:23:54.75\00:23:57.12
Thank you for that song.
00:27:39.58\00:27:40.98
He's the Tree of Life for
those who take hold of it.
00:27:41.18\00:27:43.34
Well friends, we want
to thank you for joining us
00:27:43.45\00:27:45.12
on today's program
and we really look forward
00:27:45.22\00:27:48.13
to you joining us
again in the future.
00:27:48.23\00:27:49.85
On behalf of myself
and my co-host Rachel
00:27:50.16\00:27:53.06
May the Lord
bless you and keep you.
00:27:53.36\00:27:54.90
May the Lord make His
face to shine upon you always.
00:27:55.10\00:27:57.31
Thank you and join us
again on Back To Our Roots.
00:27:57.45\00:28:00.51