INTRODUCTION

    A. Every religion must answer a few basic questions: Who is God? How
         can we please God? What is God’s disposition toward mankind? 

    B. Each religion must at least have a claim to God, truth, reality and be
        able to answer pertinent questions of life and humanity definitively. A
        religion which would not claim or answer these things becomes a
        pointless waste of time. In some current movements of modern
        Judaism it is important to have such claims or answers, and irrelevant
        to search for them.

    C. Judaism has changed through the centuries to account for the fact that
         one cannot practice biblical Judaism today. Therefore to remain a
         Jew, one must remove much of the teaching and requirements of the
         Old Testament and replace them with ideas and teachings that are
         alien to those of the prophets, since it is now impossible to practice
         Judaism as described and demanded in the Old Testament. There are
         two predominate beliefs in Judaism today: the denial that Jesus of
         Nazareth is the Messiah, and that Judaism (in one form or another)
         must remain at all costs (i.e., to continue without Old Testament
        authority). In the minds of many Jews most anything can be changed
        except those beliefs.  The costs include the teaching about the Messiah
        (since that inevitably leads to Jesus of Nazareth and the end of
        Judaism), the ten commandments, Moses, Abraham, the prophets and
        belief in God. 

    D. At best the Old Testament is kept as a tradition, as a basis for the
         existence of Judaism, as a loose history, and as justification for the
         claim on the land rights of Israel. Though venerated, the Old
         Testament holds very little authority with them.

    E. The doctrines cited in this lesson come from several sources. Not all
        movements of Judaism agree on everything. Not all members of the
        same movement or synagogue agree on everything. There is no one
        Jewish statement of faith. Therefore the things discussed here do not
        represent all forms of Judaism. 

    F. Wherever there are two Jews you will find three opinions.

DISCUSSION

  I. WHO IS GOD?

    A. The Orthodox view is that, without question, Jehovah is God. He is
         the God described in the Old Testament.

    B. The Conservative view is that Jehovah is God, but there is the
        possibility among some in the conservative movement that scripture 
        may be wrong on that point.
 

    C. The Reform view is that there may be a God, but there is leeway given
         to the agnostic who says he cannot know if there is a God or not.

    D. The Reconstructionist view is that there is no God.

  II.       DOCTRINE OF SALVATION.

    A. What must a Jew do to be saved?

        1. He must keep the 613 laws (also called mitzvot) which are binding
            upon all Jews (but not Gentiles).

        2. The 613 laws are found in the written Torah (the five books of
            Moses) and expanded upon in the oral Torah (traditions handed
            down by the rabbis).

        3. There is an emphasis, however, that these things must be done, but
            not necessarily in faith. They could be done out of tradition without
            any real link to God or belief in scripture.

            a. Following the 613 laws is enough, it is more of action than belief.

            b. It is to be done. Intent or motive may not count for much.

        3. The Reconstructionists would claim that the laws in the Torah could
             be kept but only as a matter of tradition and culture. To them there
             is no salvation since there is no God.

        4. The Conservative idea is that people must be who they were
            intended to be. They  played the part meant for them and did their
            best. They were themselves as they were mean to be.

    B. What must a Gentile do to be saved?

        1. Jews do not believe Gentiles should become proselytes. They
            would discourage such except in cases where there is a marriage
            involved (husband or wife is Gentile).

        2. They do not believe Gentiles need to be under the 613 laws which
            are over Jews.

        3. The Jews understand that there is a different law for the rest of the
             world.

        4. That laws concerning Gentiles are the “Seven Laws of Noah.”

            a. Do not commit idolatry.

            b. Do not commit blasphemy.

            c. Do not commit murder.

            d. Do not have forbidden sexual relations.

            e. Do not commit theft.

            f. Do not eat flesh cut from a living animal.

           g. Establish courts of justice to punish violators of the other six laws.

        5. They would not ask a Gentile to leave 7 laws in favor of keeping
            613.

        6. There is in this a basic understanding of Patriarchy–there were
            separate laws for Jew and Gentile.

        7. If a Christian has never broken any of these 7 laws, will he be
            saved? No. Claiming Christ to be Deity is idolatry. A Christian
            would have to denounce Christ.  (This would also hold true for
            Hindu, Buddhist, Shinto, etc.)

        8. If a Moslem has never broken any of these 7 laws will he be saved?
            No. They do not accept that the written Torah (belonging to the
            Jews today) as the original Torah handed down by God. Nor do
            they accept the Seven Laws of Noah as binding on them.

        9. There is a bit of inconsistency in this. If the Torah is to be done, but
            not in faith, then why do the Gentiles have to fulfill the seven laws of
            Noah in faith?

  III. THE MESSIAH.

    A. Prophecy is accepted – there will be a Messiah.

    B. Prophecy is denied – prophecy of Who He will be is disregarded.

    C. Modern version of the Messiah.

        1. The Messiah can be in any generation.

        2. The earth must be ready for Him. He will come in a time of peace
             when the world is at its best.

        3. The Messiah can be any person.

        4. He will solve all the problems of the Jewish people.

        5. Menachem Mendel Schneerson was considered to be the Messiah.

            a. He was the leader of the Chabad Lubavitch sect.

            b. The Chabad Lubavitch sect grows from a small group devastated
                 by Nazi Germany to some 200,000 members world-wide.

            c. He died in New York in June 12, 1994, at the age of 92.

            d. He was expected to be resurrected.  Many came to his funeral
                 ready for him to return to life.

            e. Compare the prophesies of the Messiah in the O.T. to the life of
                Schneerson.

                1) Conception.

                     a) Isaiah 7:14: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a
                         sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and
                         shall call His name Immanuel.”

                     b) There was never such a claim regarding Schneerson’s
                          birth. His father was Rabbi Levi Yitzchock Schneerson,
                          and his mother was Rebbitzen Chana Schneerson, an
                          aristocratic woman from a prestigious rabbinic family.

                2) Place of Birth.

                    a) Micah 5:2: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are
                        little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall
                        come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose
                        goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”

                    b) Schneerson was born in Nikolayev, a town in the southern
                        Ukraine. He is not from old or from everlasting.

                3) Time of Birth.

                     a) Daniel 2:44: “And in the days of these kings the God of
                         heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be 
                         destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other 
                          people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these
                          kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.”

                     b) Schneerson was born April 18, 1902.

                 4) Rejection.

                     a) Psalms 2:1: “Why do the nations rage, And the people plot
                         a vain thing?  The kings of the earth set themselves, And
                         the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and
                         against His Anointed, saying,  ‘Let us break Their bonds in
                         pieces And cast away Their cords from us.’”

                     b) There was no plot or rage against Schneerson. Shortly
                          after his death he was awarded the Congressional Gold
                          Medal.

                5) Death. 

                    a) Isaiah 53:7-8: “He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
                        Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the
                        slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So
                        He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and
                        from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For
                        He was cut off from the land of the living; For the
                        transgressions of My people He was stricken.”

                    b) Schneerson died of old age. He suffered a stroke at age 90
                        and died two years later.

                6) There are other essentials of identifying the Messiah.

                    a) Part of the Godhead - Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a Child is
                        born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be
                        upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful,
                        Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of
                        Peace.

                    b) Tribe of Judah - Genesis 49:10 The scepter shall not depart
                        from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until
                        Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the 
                        people.

                         (1) To what tribe does Schneerson belong?
                         (2) Can it be proven?

                    c) Throne of David - Isaiah 9:7: “Of the increase of His
                        government and peace There will be no end, Upon the
                        throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and 
                        establish it with judgment and justice From that time 
                        forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will
                        perform this.”

                        (1) Schneerson was never a king.
                        (2) There is no kingdom for him to rule.

                    d) He would start a kingdom - Daniel 2:44 "And in the days of
                         these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which
                         shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left
                         to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all
                         these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.

                        (1) Schneerson was the seventh in line as leader of the
                              Chabad Lubavitch sect. He became leader after his
                              father-in-law died.
                        (2)  He started nothing.

  IV. THE END OF TIME.

    A. The Orthodox view concerning the end of time.

        1. There will be a resurrection of all the dead.

        2. The faithful Jews who kept the 613 laws will be rewarded.

        3. The faithful Gentiles who kept the 7 laws of Moses will be
            rewarded.

        4. All others will be punished.

    B. Reform.

        1. Emphasis is on life, not death.

        2. Is there an end of time and judgment? It is not taught.

    C. Conservative.

        1. 1.There may be an end of time, and there may not be.

        2. There may be a final judgment, and there may not be.

        3. We will be judged at death, but judged according to what we were
            to be.

  V. IDOLATRY - THERE IS A KIND OF IDOLATRY THAT EXISTS IN JUDAISM TODAY.

    A. Veneration of the Torah–the scrolls themselves.

    B. Remnants of the past.

        1. The Wailing Wall (Western Wall) - What General Titus left of
            Jerusalem.

        2. Jerusalem itself.
 

  VI. JEWISH STATEMENT OF FAITH.

    A. Moses Maimonides (12th century) condensed basic Jewish beliefs
         into a creed. The tenets of this creed are followed today by traditional
         movements of Judaism. There are 13 basic beliefs.

        1. God created everything - I believe with perfect faith that the
            Creator, blessed be His Name, is the Creator and Guide of
            everything that has been created; and he alone has made, does
            make and will make all things.

        2. There is only one God - I believe with perfect faith that the Creator,
            blessed be His Name, is One, and there is no unity in any manner
            like unto His, and that He alone is our God, who was, and is, and
            will be.

        3. God is not subject to physical laws - I believe with perfect faith that
            the Creator, blessed be His Name, is not a body, and that He is
            free from all the properties of matter, and that He has not any form
            whatever.

        4. God is the beginning and end - I believe with perfect faith that the
            Creator, blessed be His Name, is the first and the last.

        5. We should pray to God and no other - I believe with perfect faith
            that the Creator, blessed be His Name, and to him alone, it is right
            to pray, and that it is not right to pray to any being besides Him.

        6. The prophets are true - I believe with perfect faith that all the words
            of the prophets are true.

        7. Moses is the greatest prophet - I believe with perfect faith that the
            prophecy of Moses, our teacher, peace be unto him, was true, and
            that he was the chief of the prophets, both of those who preceded
            and of those who followed him.

        8. The Torah was given to Moses - I believe with perfect faith that the
            whole Torah, now in our possession, is the same that was given to
            Moses, our teacher, peace be unto him.

        9. There is no additional law but the Torah - I believe with perfect faith
            that the Torah, will not be changed, and that there will never be any
            other Law from the Creator, blessed be His Name.

        10. God knows everything - I believe with perfect faith that the
              Creator, blessed be His Name, knows every deed of the children
               of men, and all their thoughts, as it is said. It is He that fashioned
               the hearts of them all, that gives heed to all their works.

        11. God rewards and punishes - I believe with perfect faith that the
              Creator, blessed be His Name, rewards those that keep His
               commandments and punishes those who transgress them.

        12. The Messiah is coming - I believe with perfect faith in the coming
              of the Messiah; and, though he tarry, I will wait daily for his
              coming.

        13. There is a resurrection - I believe with perfect faith that there will
               be a revival of the dead at the time when it shall please the
               Creator, blessed be His name, and exalted be His Fame for ever
               and ever.  For Thy salvation I hope, O Lord

    B. There have always been those who have disagreed with this creed, or
         that there should be a creed.

CONCLUSION

    A. Judaism today has no firm statement of faith. One can accept the 13
         basic beliefs of Moses Maimonides, but have alternate opinions which
         contradict any or all of his 13 basic beliefs. Laws and traditions are
         everywhere, but opinions are just as valid. If there is no authority from
         God then one opinion is just as good as the next.

    B. The two beliefs which matter are: Jesus of Nazareth is not the
        Messiah, and Judaism must continue in one form or another.

    C. Judaism has no foundation today, It had to leave its foundation
        to continue. Thus it has been the home for all sorts of ideology that are
        completely foreign to the word of God. Simple questions become 
        complex. Statements of faith are held but contradicted.
 

William Howard
304 Crosswalk Drive
Auburn, GA  30011