Abraham's Burial Site


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Topic: Religions > Atheism
User: "You Think"
Date: 23 Jul 2007 08:27:14 AM
Object: Abraham's Burial Site
Abraham's Burial Site
For 714 years, entering the Jewish forefathers' grave had been forbidden by
law to all non-Muslims -and now it is once again.
In 1981, Dr. Seev Jevin, Director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, forced
himself through a narrow opening in the underground grave chamber of the
Machpela cave, where Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were believed to be
buried. He did this under strict observation by the Islamic Waqf. Behind
bolted doors in Yitzhak Hall, the secret entrance in the southeast wall was
opened. Jews had long suspected that the entrance to the real burial
chamber must be here, and because of that they placed their prayer slips of
paper in wall cracks on the exterior of the building at this same location.
The discovery that Dr. Jevin made in 1981 was concealed for political
reasons. However, now that Hebron has been handed back to the Muslims,
he has recounted to Nachrichten aus Israel (News from Israel) how he
forced himself through a narrow entrance, went down 16 steps and crawled
along a 20-meters long, 60-cm high and 100-cm wide tunnel in order to
finally reach a 3.5 x 3.5 meter room. The chamber, tunnel and steps were all
made of the same worked stones as the building exterior. They were a
homogenous group of building materials belonging to Herodian-era
construction, identical to those used in the Jerusalem temple.
Dr. Jevin determined that plaster covering the black walls in the grave
chamber dated from a later time and was designed to hide the original
Herodian stones. "This is a customary tactic of the Muslims by which they
attempt to cover up the original," said Dr. Jevin.
Behind broken-off plaster, he discovered Latin script, dating to Crusader
times, containing the names Jacob and Abraham. It was obvious Christians
regarded this location as a holy place. Could this room be the true burial
chamber?
Earlier Moshe Dayan, both Israel's Defense Minister and an amateur
archaeologist, had been curious about this site. Following the Six Day War,
he and 12-year-old Michal lowered themselves with a rope through the 30-
cm, narrow opening into this chamber, which was 20 cm from the blocked
floor opening in Yitzhak Hall. They measured this chamber but found no
bones. Now, Dr. Jevin was standing in this same underground chamber. He
was prepared to break off his search when he stumbled on a floor plate.
Suspecting a hollow space underneath, he lifted the plate, found a hole and
slid through the narrow opening. Now Dr. Jevin found himself in a 3.5 x 4
meter room from which a passage to a second smaller oval room led. He
recalled the Talmud (Baba Bathra 58,770), which indicated two caves and
recalled that the name "Machpela" itself means "double cave."
So Dr. Seev Jevin became the first Jew to discover the true burial chamber
of his ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Jacob-three floors below the north
grave chamber. In a nearby chamber in the cave, their wives Sarah,
Rebekah and Leah would be resting.
With uncanny silence surrounding him, Dr. Jevin looked around full of awe
and found clay shards dating from Israelite times, perhaps from Abraham's
era-artifacts almost 4,000 years old. He found pieces of a lamp and also an
intact wine jug. Could this be the jug in which monks washed the bones of
the forefathers in 1119 A.D., as old texts explain?
The archaeological find proves that Machpela is a Jewish burial place and
that hundreds of years prior to Mohammed it had been a holy place for the
Jews. Now Palestinians maintain that "Jews are foreigners in Hebron." Also,
when the Muslims succeeded in removing almost all Jewish traces from the
halls above, only the actual grave chamber itself remained Jewish. The still
walled-in passage in the tunnel pointed towards an underground labyrinth,
perhaps a Herodian necropolis.
Muslims falsified Jewish holy places, converting them into "lifelong" Muslim
holy places. From the Jewish temple mount in Jerusalem they made their
third holy place al-Aqsa and are now converting Solomon's stables into a
mosque. At the same time they are protesting Israel's Judaizing of
Jerusalem.
"And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron
the silver, which he had made in the audience of the sons of Heth, four
hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant. And the field of
Ephron which was in Machpelah which was before Mamre the field and the
cave, which was therein, and all the trees which were in the field, that were
in all the borders round about were made sure. Unto Abraham for a
possession in the presence of all the children of Heth and all went in the gate
of the city and after this Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the
field of Machpelah before Mamre, the same in Hebron the land of Canaan.
And the field and the cave that is therein were made sure unto Abraham for
a possession of a burying place by the sons of Heth." (Genesis 23:16-20)
"...and his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him (Abraham) in the cave of
Machpelah in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar, the Hittite, which is
before Mamre." (Genesis 25:9)
What is important is that Abraham obtained the burial place by paying the
full price, which signified under law that he and his posterity had in so doing
bought legal rights to this land. The Armana letter said this 1,400 years
before Christ and it is still local legal custom today. Abraham rejected all
offers of Ephron to bury his dead in Hittite graves, because that would not
have given him perpetual rights. Abraham stood on the fact that the contract
mentioned that he had obtained the cave and the trees which surrounded it
and that according to both the law of that time and today he had rights to
harvest from that ground.
In the Bible, Machpela is mentioned three times; this is the cave which has
guarded its secret for 4,000 years as the burial place of the Jewish
forefathers. Dr. Jevin was the first to bring its secret to light. He recounted
to NAI that Hebron has once again become a political challenge.
Before King David conquered Jerusalem, he reigned for seven years from
Hebron. Around the end of 1 B.C., Herod had artisans, who were adorning
the second temple, construct a 60-meter long and 32-meter wide holy
building, which has been regarded as a holy place to the present day.
Whoever sees the construction over the Machpela cave site can imagine
how the earlier exterior walls of Jerusalem appeared. Hebron and Jerusalem
belong together.
The Byzantine Christians overlaid part of the Jewish construction and made
a basilica out of it. The grave sites of the forefathers became from this time
forward a holy place for Jews and Christians. An eyewitness from the sixth
century, Antonius the Martyr, said, "Jews and Christians entered the four
walls through separate entrances." After the Holy Land was conquered by
the Muslims, the Jewish/Christian prayer site was converted to a Muslim
one.
In the 12th century, the Crusaders made a church out of the site, and 150
years later the Mame-lukes made it a mosque once again and added two
minarets, wall decorations, and a marble facade. For 700 years, from 1267
to June 8, 1967, the Muslims forbade Jews and Christians access to the
Machpela cave. During this time, Jews could only approach the steps on the
east side and only to the seventh step, where they would stick their prayer
papers in wall crevices, behind which ran eight grave chambers-a newly
discovered fact which they didn't know. So it was drafts of wind that
carried their letters of petition directly to Abraham's bosom.
Around the turn of the century, archaeologists Aly Bey, L.H. Vincent, J.H.
Mackay and Pierotti made more contemporaneous measurements of the
site, but only Dr. Jevin got into the actual (and unknown) burial chambers,
because the Waqf commissioned him to examine the already-known
chamber to determine whether or not foreigners had caused damage.
Thereby he had discovered the grave of his ancestors and proved that this
spot was primarily a holy site of the Jews-which was not made known due
to political considerations.
* * *
by News Agency NAI
(An exclusive story translated from German and reprinted with permission
of News Agency NAI)
.

User: "JTEM"

Title: Re: Abraham's Burial Site 23 Jul 2007 10:53:12 AM
"You Think" <ut_a...@yahoo.uk> wrote:

Abraham's Burial Site

For 714 years, entering the Jewish forefathers' grave had
been forbidden by law to all non-Muslims -and now it is
once again.

I think you should go to war, offer up your own life in a
battle over what you believe is an empty room.
Think about it. How could killing tens of thousands of
people -- maybe even your own family included -- not
be worth all that empty space? It would be your's!
YOUR'S, and not some palestinians! You'd own all those
molecules floating around between the walls!
Kill! Kill! Kill! Slaughter! Slaughter! Slaughter!
.
User: "Geoff"

Title: Re: Abraham's Burial Site 23 Jul 2007 12:07:00 PM
JTEM wrote:

"You Think" <ut_a...@yahoo.uk> wrote:

Abraham's Burial Site

For 714 years, entering the Jewish forefathers' grave had
been forbidden by law to all non-Muslims -and now it is
once again.

JTEM...what's the point in responding to this twit. He's just regurgitating
theist web tracts. IMHO, twits like this deserve nothing less than the
killfile. I can take McCoy and his ilk. At least they have something
original to say. I haven't even plonked Duke. But this crap is less than
worthless.
.

User: "Matt Silberstein"

Title: Re: Abraham's Burial Site 23 Jul 2007 05:40:15 PM
On Mon, 23 Jul 2007 08:53:12 -0700, in alt.atheism , JTEM
<jtem01@gmail.com> in
<1185205992.924683.163390@r34g2000hsd.googlegroups.com> wrote:


"You Think" <ut_a...@yahoo.uk> wrote:

Abraham's Burial Site

For 714 years, entering the Jewish forefathers' grave had
been forbidden by law to all non-Muslims -and now it is
once again.


I think you should go to war, offer up your own life in a
battle over what you believe is an empty room.

Think about it. How could killing tens of thousands of
people -- maybe even your own family included -- not
be worth all that empty space? It would be your's!
YOUR'S, and not some palestinians! You'd own all those
molecules floating around between the walls!

Kill! Kill! Kill! Slaughter! Slaughter! Slaughter!

So you have no problem with someone destroying the Washington Monument
and Lincoln Memorial, right? You think that burning crosses on
someone's lawn is meaningless. If the Muslims want to practice
religious discrimination, let them.
--
Matt Silberstein
Do something today about the Darfur Genocide
http://www.beawitness.org
http://www.darfurgenocide.org
http://www.savedarfur.org
"Darfur: A Genocide We can Stop"
.
User: "JTEM"

Title: Re: Abraham's Burial Site 24 Jul 2007 01:11:34 AM
Matt Silberstein <RemoveThisPrefixmatts2nos...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:

So you have no problem with someone destroying the
Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial, right?

There really was a Washington. There really was a
Lincoln.
.
User: "Matt Silberstein"

Title: Re: Abraham's Burial Site 24 Jul 2007 06:23:10 AM
On Mon, 23 Jul 2007 23:11:34 -0700, in alt.atheism , JTEM
<jtem01@gmail.com> in
<1185257494.650618.42450@k79g2000hse.googlegroups.com> wrote:

Matt Silberstein <RemoveThisPrefixmatts2nos...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:

So you have no problem with someone destroying the
Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial, right?


There really was a Washington. There really was a
Lincoln.

Did you have a point? You have removed the context so it is hard to
tell. It seems like you are saying that you would go to war to protect
those monuments and that your action is justified because the people
existed, even if they died long ago.
--
Matt Silberstein
Do something today about the Darfur Genocide
http://www.beawitness.org
http://www.darfurgenocide.org
http://www.savedarfur.org
"Darfur: A Genocide We can Stop"
.
User: "JTEM"

Title: Re: Abraham's Burial Site 24 Jul 2007 10:05:17 AM
Matt Silberstein <RemoveThisPrefixmatts2nos...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:

Did you have a point?

Yes, that people are willing to kill (or even die) to "own"
some empty rooms that never contained anything of
any spiritual value.
This isn't the tomb of Abraham.
You may argue that it's no different than fighting for
the Lincoln Memorial, though that would be in error.
Nobody here has said that the Lincoln Memorial is
worth the potential deaths of their families, for one
thing. And, the Lincoln Memorial really is the Lincoln
Memorial -- so if anyone did argue that, at least they
would be making an informed decision.
.
User: "Matt Silberstein"

Title: Re: Abraham's Burial Site 24 Jul 2007 12:21:48 PM
On Tue, 24 Jul 2007 08:05:17 -0700, in alt.atheism , JTEM
<jtem01@gmail.com> in
<1185289517.177085.8430@o61g2000hsh.googlegroups.com> wrote:

Matt Silberstein <RemoveThisPrefixmatts2nos...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:

Did you have a point?


Yes, that people are willing to kill (or even die) to "own"
some empty rooms that never contained anything of
any spiritual value.

I was not aware that you were in charge of what was of spiritual value
for others.

This isn't the tomb of Abraham.
You may argue that it's no different than fighting for
the Lincoln Memorial, though that would be in error.
Nobody here has said that the Lincoln Memorial is
worth the potential deaths of their families, for one
thing.

I was not aware that "here" was the only place where things are said.

And, the Lincoln Memorial really is the Lincoln
Memorial -- so if anyone did argue that, at least they
would be making an informed decision.

--
Matt Silberstein
Do something today about the Darfur Genocide
http://www.beawitness.org
http://www.darfurgenocide.org
http://www.savedarfur.org
"Darfur: A Genocide We can Stop"
.
User: "JTEM"

Title: Re: Abraham's Burial Site 24 Jul 2007 01:25:54 PM
Matt Silberstein <RemoveThisPrefixmatts2nos...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:

I was not aware that you were in charge of what
was of spiritual value for others.

Strawman. This is not the tomb of some guy named
Abraham, and the only significance it has is the
fairytale that it is the tomb of Abraham.

I was not aware that "here" was the only place
where things are said.

Strawman. "Here" is where we are in an exchange,
and nowhere else.
.
User: "Matt Silberstein"

Title: Re: Abraham's Burial Site 24 Jul 2007 03:54:35 PM
On Tue, 24 Jul 2007 11:25:54 -0700, in alt.atheism , JTEM
<jtem01@gmail.com> in
<1185301554.521945.99610@w3g2000hsg.googlegroups.com> wrote:

Matt Silberstein <RemoveThisPrefixmatts2nos...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:

I was not aware that you were in charge of what
was of spiritual value for others.


Strawman.

Nope, but you snipped out the context, didn't you. Here is what you
wrote:

Yes, that people are willing to kill (or even die) to "own"
some empty rooms that never contained anything of
any spiritual value.

As I said, you seem to have decided that you have the power to
determine spiritual value.

This is not the tomb of some guy named
Abraham, and the only significance it has is the
fairytale that it is the tomb of Abraham.

SFW?

I was not aware that "here" was the only place
where things are said.


Strawman. "Here" is where we are in an exchange,
and nowhere else.

But here is not the only source of comments on what in the U.S. is
worth defending. Certainly people have said that the flag is worth
dying over. Is that better?
--
Matt Silberstein
Do something today about the Darfur Genocide
http://www.beawitness.org
http://www.darfurgenocide.org
http://www.savedarfur.org
"Darfur: A Genocide We can Stop"
.
User: "JTEM"

Title: Re: Abraham's Burial Site 24 Jul 2007 08:21:41 PM
Matt Silberstein <RemoveThisPrefixmatts2nos...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:

As I said, you seem to have decided that you have
the power to determine spiritual value.

We're talking about something that doesn't exist, you do
know that.... right?
We're talking about some empty rooms which are claimed
to be the tomb of Abraham, but are not.

This is not the tomb of some guy named
Abraham, and the only significance it has is the
fairytale that it is the tomb of Abraham.


SFW?

So it's the fairytale that is important here. The very
same fairytale might just as easily been told about
a different location, and most likely was before one
particular spot came to be so closely associated
with it.

Strawman. "Here" is where we are in an exchange,
and nowhere else.


But here is not the only source of comments on what
in the U.S. is worth defending.

Sure. And I've frequently made fun of a lot of those
people making such comments.... "Defense of
Marriage" a good example.
But, just the same, I am not required to support or
attack anyone else's position on every other supposed
"issue" before commenting on this one.
.
User: "You Think"

Title: Re: Abraham's Burial Site 24 Jul 2007 08:55:54 PM
"JTEM" <jtem01@gmail.com> wrote in message news:1185326501.619927.161850@o61g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
.. Christianity - The Only Hope
(Acts 1:1-3 NASB)
1 The first account I ?1?composed, ?a?Theophilus, about all that
Jesus ?b?began to do and teach,
2 until the day when He ?a?was taken up to heaven, after He
?b?had ?1?by the Holy Spirit given orders to ?c?the apostles whom He
had ?d?chosen.
3 To ?1?these ?a?He also presented Himself alive after His
suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period
of forty days and speaking of ?b?the things concerning the kingdom of
God.
[1]
The Risen Lord's Promise of the Spirit (1:1-5)
1:1 The Book of Acts opens with a reminder. Luke, the beloved physician,
had written to Theophilus previously-a writing which we now know as The
Gospel According to Luke (see Luke 1:1-4). In the last verses of that
Gospel, he had told Theophilus that immediately prior to His Ascension,
the Lord Jesus had promised His disciples that they would be baptized with
the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:48-53).
Now Luke is going to continue the narrative, so he goes back to this
thrilling promise as a starting point. And it is fitting that he should do
so, because in that promise of the Spirit lay concealed in germ form all
the spiritual triumphs unfolded in the Book of the Acts. Luke describes
his Gospel as the former account, or the first book. In it he had recorded
the things that Jesus began both to do and teach. In Acts he carries on
the record by recounting the things that Jesus continued to do and teach
through the Holy Spirit after His Ascension.
Notice that the Lord's ministry was one of both doing and teaching. It was
not doctrine without duty, or creed without conduct. The Savior was the
living embodiment of what He taught. He practiced what He preached.
1:2 Theophilus would remember that Luke's previous book ended with the
account of the Savior's Ascension, here described as His being taken up.
He would also remember the tender last instructions the Lord had given the
eleven apostles before He left.
1:3 For the forty days between His resurrection and Ascension, the Lord
had appeared to His disciples, offering the strongest possible proofs of
His bod ily resurrection (see John 20:19, 26; 21:1, 14).
During this time, He had also discussed with them the affairs of the
kingdom of God. His primary concern was not with the kingdoms of this
world, but with the realm or sphere where God is acknowledged as King.
The kingdom is not to be confused with the church. The Lord Jesus offered
Himself to the nation of Israel as King but was rejected (Matt. 23:37).
His literal kingdom on earth was therefore postponed until Israel repents
and receives Him as Messiah (Acts 3:19-21).
At the present time, the King is absent. However, He does have an
invisible kingdom on earth (Col. 1:13). It is made up of all who profess
allegiance to Him (Matt. 25:1-12). In one sense it consists of everyone
who claims to be a Christian; that is its outward aspect (Matt. 13:1-52).
But in its inward reality it includes only those who have been born again
(John 3:3, 5). The kingdom in its present condition is described in the
parables of Matthew 13.
The church is something entirely new. It was not the subject of ?OT?
prophecy (Eph. 3:5). It is composed of all believers from Pentecost to the
Rapture. As the Bride of Christ, the church will reign with Him in the
Millennium and share His glory forever. Christ will return as King at the
end of the Great Tribulation, destroy His foes, and set up His reign of
righteousness over all the earth (Ps. 72:8).
Although His reign from Jerusalem lasts for only one thousand years (Rev.
20:4), yet the kingdom is everlasting in the sense that all of God's foes
will have been finally destroyed, and He will reign eternally in heaven
without opposition or hindrances (2 Pet. 1:11).
1:4 Luke now relates a meeting of the Lord with His disciples as they
assembled together in a room in Jerusalem. The risen Redeemer commanded
them to remain in Jerusalem. But why in Jerusalem, they might well wonder!
To them it was a city of hatred, violence, and persecution!
Yes, the fulfillment of that Promise of the Father would occur in
Jerusalem. The coming of the Spirit would take place in the very city
where the Savior had been crucified. The presence of the Spirit there
would bear testimony to man's rejection of the Son of God. The Spirit of
truth would reprove the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment-and this
would take place first in Jerusalem. And the disciples would receive the
Holy Spirit in the city where they themselves had forsaken the Lord and
had fled to save their own skins. They would be made strong and fearless
in the place where they had shown themselves to be weak and cowardly.
This was not the first time the disciples had heard of the Promise of the
Father from the Savior's lips. Throughout His earthly ministry, and
especially in His Upper Room Discourse, He had told them of the Helper who
would come (see Luke 24:49; John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7, 13).
1:5 Now, in His last meeting with them, He repeats the promise. Some, if
not all of them had already been baptized by John with water. But John's
baptism was outward and physical. Before many days would pass,? 2 they
would be baptized with the Holy Spirit, and this baptism would be inward
and spiritual. The first baptism identified them outwardly with the
repentant portion of the nation of Israel. The second would incorporate
them into the church, the Body of Christ, and would empower them for
service.
Jesus promised that they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many
days from now, but there is no mention of the baptism in fire (Matt. 3:11,
12; Luke 3:16, 17). The latter is a baptism of judgment for unbelievers
only and is still future.
[2]
There can be no more urgent question at this present time than just this:
What is Christianity? I say that because this Gospel is the only hope in
the world today. Everything else has been tried and found wanting.
Everything else has failed. You will not find hope with the philosophers
or with the statesmen, and you will not find it in the so-called religions
of the world. Here is hope, and here alone.
"But," someone may say, "surely you can't claim that there is any hope in
the Gospel either, because it has been tried now for 2,000 years and has
obviously failed quite as much as the various other things to which you've
referred."
The only reply to that is the one that was given so perfectly by the late
G. K. Chesterton when he reminded us, "Christianity has not been tried and
found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried." That is the
simple truth. The world, speaking generally, has never tried Christianity.
It has talked a lot about it, but it has not really tried it. So I argue
that this is still the only hope for the world. Therefore it is urgent
that we should ask what Christianity is. Or, to put the question another
way, what is the Christian church? What is her business, and what is her
message?
It can be put like this: Why am I, or why is anyone else, a preacher of
the Gospel? There is only one answer to that question. I am a preacher
because I believe I have been called; because in my little way God has
given me a burden; because I know by personal experience, by the
experience of others, and by experience garnered from the reading of
history that there is nothing under heaven that can enable men and women
to conquer and to master life and to have a hope that cannot be dimmed
except this Gospel. Therefore, the most urgent task in the world today is
to make the Gospel known to men and women. And this is the function of the
Christian church.
But as we all know, the great tragedy is that there is utter confusion
with regard to what the Gospel is, what the church is, and what Christians
are supposed to do. I call your attention to this, God knows, not because
I am anxious to be controversial but because I have a burden for the souls
of men and women. I would not be a preacher were it not for that. That is
what originally put me in the ministry and makes me go on. I see the
confusion. I see men and women bewildered, asking, "What is Christianity?
What is the church?" And I am not surprised that they are bewildered.
Furthermore, this confusion is not confined to men and women outside the
church. Indeed, I have an increasing fear that the confusion of those
outside has been produced mainly by the so-called Christian church
herself. A man who has held the highest position in one of the religious
denominations and is well-known as one who speaks in the name of
Christianity has recently said that he thinks certain things should be
done at once, and the first is that the church must give up the foolish
habit of having two services on a Sunday. "One is enough," he says, "and
let's have it at nine o'clock in the morning so that having got that out
of the way, we can then give ourselves to what we want to do." He also
says that if he had the power, he would decree that there should be no
reading of the Bible at all for twelve months-this in the name of the
church and of Christianity! And then he says that any preaching that is
done in the one and only service at nine o'clock in the morning should,
for at least a year, be on a political text alone.
I call attention to this because it is so typical of what is being said at
the present time. Is it surprising that men and women are in a state of
confusion? Speaking generally, the current idea is that the Christian
message is, after all, nothing but a kind of teaching with regard to how
our affairs should be ordered-that is why it is held that all texts should
be political. It is said that the main business of the church is to deal
with injustices and to do the work of reform and that in the Sermon on the
Mount we have a kind of social charter. People who say this are never
interested in the Old Testament; they generally dismiss it in toto, and
they have no use for the apostle Paul. Instead, they point to the ethical
teaching of Jesus. "There's your political program," they say. "There's
your political charter, and all you must do is apply it as best you can.
You must not even read the Bible, but pick up these general principles,
and try to put them into practice."
Others say that Christianity is mainly an elevated, optimistic view of
life, a sort of philosophy. Having found out how life can be lived on a
higher plane and having experienced a moral uplift, you try to get others
to adopt these principles.
And then there are others who, perhaps nearer to the Christian position,
regard Christianity as being mainly a matter of morals and of conduct.
They say that what makes people Christians is that they have adopted this
ethical teaching and put it into practice. So by living a good life, they
have made themselves Christians.
Common to all those teachings is the view that what really matters is the
kernel of moral teaching that is to be found in this book that we call the
Bible. Unfortunately, the Bible is cluttered up with a lot of unimportant
history. Most of it is false, with a lot about miracles that obviously are
not true and that no one with any scientific understanding can possibly
believe for a moment. We must get rid of all that, they say, and find this
kernel that is hidden away in all the husks and straw. Having extracted
this kernel, we can ignore the Bible and start with the political or moral
situation. Then we must try to persuade people to put these things into
practice. That is the common idea of the Christian message and the common
notion with respect to the function of the Christian church.
Now I want to deal with all this, and that is why I am calling your
attention to the first three verses in the book of the Acts of the
Apostles. Look at it like this: What is the origin of the Christian
church? Surely that is the question to ask. You do not start with the
twentieth century. Here is something that can be traced back nearly 2,000
years. So surely, if you want to know what the church is and what
Christianity is, your duty is to go back to the very beginning and
discover how the church started and what she did.
I think you will agree with me that the question of authority is primary
and fundamental. When people think they have the right to announce, "This
is what I think Christianity is, and this is what the church should do,"
then we have the right to ask, "Can that be fitted into what we have here
in the book of Acts? What is our authority in these matters? Are we
competent to decide what the Christian church is? Can we divorce ourselves
from the history of nearly 2,000 years and say that we do not care what
happened in the past, this is what we say now?" Of course, you can say
that if you like, but the question is: Have you any right to call that
Christianity?
Surely, common honesty demands that we say that we have only one authority
on the origin of the church, and it is the authority of the Bible. Here in
the Acts of the Apostles a man is writing who is undoubtedly Luke, the
evangelist. He says, "The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus." This
is a reference to the Gospel of Luke, which has a similar introduction.
In Luke 1:1-4 Luke writes:
Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration
of those things which are most surely believed among us, even as they
delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and
ministers of the word; it seemed good to me also, having had perfect
understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in
order, most excellent Theophilus, that thou mightest know the certainty of
those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.
Two words are important in this passage and should not be passed over.
"Eyewitness" is the Greek word autoptai-auto meaning "that which is of
itself," and opsomai meaning "to see." "To see for yourself" would be an
eyewitness. It is a medical term which means to make an autopsy. In fact,
what Dr. Luke is trying to say is, "We are eyewitnesses who made an
autopsy, and I am writing to you about what we found."
The second important word Dr. Luke uses is ministers, which is the Greek
huperatai, meaning "an under-rower on a boat." In a hospital the
"under-rower" is the intern. Dr. Luke is saying that all of them were just
interns under the Great Physician. What Dr. Luke is telling us is that as
a physician and a scholar, he made an autopsy of the records of those who
had been eyewitnesses.
The first four verses of this chapter form a tremendous beginning. Luke
wrote his gospel to give people certainty and assurance about the Lord
Jesus Christ.
My friend, how much assurance do you have? Do you know that you are a
child of God through faith in Jesus Christ? Do you know that the Bible is
the Word of God? I feel sorry for the person who is not sure about these
things. Do you wobble back and forth and say, "I am not sure about my
salvation or the Bible. I guess I do not have enough faith." Not having
enough faith may not be your problem. Your problem may be that you do not
know enough. You see, ". faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word
of God" (Rom. 10:17). If you really knew the Word of God, you would
believe it. Those who are ignorant of the Bible have the problems. The
problem is not with the Bible or with the Lord Jesus Christ; the problem
lies with us.
[3]
That is why these books were written. We do not have exact information
concerning Theophilus, but it is generally assumed that he was a man in
some prominent position, a man of culture and of learning, who had heard
various reports about Christianity and wanted to know more. He found Luke,
a doctor and a most competent historian, who had accompanied the apostle
Paul and so was in a very good position to know exactly what the story
was. They got in touch, and Luke wrote to Theophilus saying in effect, "I
will give you an account of exactly what happened. I will tell you why we
believe what we believe. I will tell you the story." And he did it in two
parts-the first, the Gospel, and the second, this book of the Acts of the
Apostles. My argument is that we must go back and consider this story. We
are not only honor-bound to do that, but we must, if we want to understand
it.
What is the story? Well, there were a handful of people whom the
authorities in Jerusalem regarded as ordinary, simple, unlettered, and
ignorant men and women. There were just twelve men essentially, and a
number of others with them. They had nothing to recommend them, no great
names, no degrees, no money, no means of communication or of advertising.
They had nothing at all-they were nobodies. And yet what we know to be a
fact is that this handful of ignorant and unlettered people "turned the
world upside down," to use Luke's phrase in chapter 17:6. Within about two
centuries Christianity became the most powerful force in the great Roman
Empire. By the beginning of the third century it had become such a
powerful force that a Roman emperor named Constantine deemed it a wise
move to make the Roman Empire officially Christian.
I am not concerned to consider that fact now. All I want to ask is: How
was it that this small group of people ever got into a position in which
they could shake the whole Roman Empire so that it became officially
Christian within such a short space of time? Was it because they preached
politics that these people turned the ancient world upside-down?
Christianity is a phenomenon of history. It is a fact. The Christian
church is one of the most vital facts in the total history of the world.
We cannot understand that history without bringing in the story of the
church. But does this modern idea as to what the church is and what her
message is account for what has already happened? My answer is that it
does not. So not only do honesty and common sense tell us to come back to
Acts, but if we really want to have an understanding of what Christianity
means, we are compelled to come back here. Only one thing can account for
the phenomenon of the Christian church and this amazing history that has
continued through the centuries, in spite of the world, the flesh, and the
devil and the malignity of men and of hell, and it is the explanation
given in this book of Acts.
Therefore I propose to hold the message of Acts before you. I shall not
preach systematically through the book, but I shall pick out certain
themes that are put before us here. I feel that the modern world is very
much in the position of Theophilus. At any rate, anyone considering these
things who is not a Christian is in the position of Theophilus. You have
become interested. You want to know what Christianity is. Perhaps you are
in trouble in your moral life or in your married life. Perhaps you have
some running sore of the soul, something that gets you down. And you say,
"I've tried this and that-I wonder what the Christian church has to
offer."
All right, Theophilus, you want to know, and fortunately we are able to
tell you. I am not here to tell you what I think about Christianity. I am
not here to tell you what I think the Christian church should do. I am in
the position of Charles Wesley, saying, "O for a thousand tongues to sing
my great Redeemer's praise." My own personal opinion is that even two
services on a Sunday are not enough. How can people be satisfied with but
one statement? The world is dying all around us, and it needs to hear the
Word of God. These early Christians went everywhere, and they spoke and
they preached, and that is the explanation of this tremendous phenomenon
of the church.
So let us see what Acts has to say to us. First, what was the message that
these people preached? Luke told Theophilus quite plainly.
That is a summary of the whole of the Gospel of Luke and also of the other
Gospels. What does it mean? Here are some of the great principles.
The starting point, the fundamental thing, is that Christianity is about
Jesus. "I've written to you already about Him," said Luke in effect, "and
I'm going to tell you more about Him." Christianity is not a teaching-it
is a person. It is not merely a moral outlook that is to be applied in the
realm of politics. You start with a historical person. Luke was a pure
historian. He was giving an account of events and of facts.
The Lord Jesus Christ was the theme of the preaching of the early church.
He is the theme of the Gospel of Luke. He is the theme of the Acts of the
Apostles. This is the tragic thing that has been forgotten at the present
time. "What we need," people say, "is the application of His teaching."
But it is not. What you need is to know Him and to come into a
relationship with Him. You do not start with His teaching-you start with
Him. This is the message: "All that Jesus began both to do and teach." Our
Lord Himself said to his disciples, "Ye shall be witnesses unto me" (Acts
1:8). He was sending these men out to preach. He said, "You are not simply
going to preach My teaching. You are going to preach about Me."
As you read the book of Acts, you will find that our Lord's disciples
always preached "Jesus, and the resurrection" (Acts 17:18). They went to
people and told them about this person. This was the whole of their
teaching. You never find them starting with the political or social
situations. They said, "Listen, we have something to tell you about a
person whose name is Jesus."
And what did the disciples say about Him? The facts are all-important. In
the Gospel Luke gave facts, and here in Acts he gives them again. But he
does not stop at that; he is equally concerned about the meaning, the
significance, of these facts. And he expounds that. He writes not only
about all that Jesus did, but also all that He taught. The two must always
go together-our Lord's acts and His teaching.
There is also this most extraordinary addition that our Lord himself made:
"Ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in
Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8). This is
truly staggering. Here was a Jew, born in poverty, one who worked as a
carpenter, who began to preach at the age of thirty and after some three
years was crucified on a cross, dying in utter weakness, and was laid in a
tomb. But here he was, telling these men they would be witnesses to Him
"unto the uttermost part of the earth." Here is a message for the whole
world.
I emphasize that because there are people who say that the Christian faith
is all right if you happen to be interested in religion, but if you do not
happen to have a religious mentality and outlook, then it does not matter,
you can just take up what you like. But that is shown to be a lie by our
Lord's words. Here is a message that is to be proclaimed to the ends of
the earth. Why? Because something happened in this person, Jesus, that
affects every single individual who ever has been or ever shall be in this
world of time.
Now if Christianity were merely a philosophy or a political idea, no one
would be bound to believe it. There are rival schools of philosophy; there
are rival teachings and theories, and one person believes this and another
that. But what we are facing here is not what you and I believe, but
facts, and the facts are about this person called Jesus-what He did and
what He said and the meaning of His person. So there is nothing more
tragic than when men and women say, "Shut your Bibles; the facts don't
matter at all. What does it matter whether Jesus was a man, or God as well
as man?" They have got it all wrong. It is the person who matters most of
all.
So let us go on and follow what Luke says. We have seen that he begins,
"The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began
both to do and teach." And that word "began" is emphatic. Luke is saying
to Theophilus that all that he has written in the Gospel is nothing but
the beginning. This is vital. It is why Luke wrote his Gospel. Here was a
man interested in Christianity who wanted to know what it was all about.
"I'll tell you," said Luke. And he told the story that is unfolded in the
twenty-four chapters of his Gospel. And here he sums it all up in two
words-it is all that "Jesus began both to do and teach."
You may say to me that you know about Jesus. Do you? Do you realize what
His life means? Do you realize its significance? What did Jesus begin to
do? In his Gospel Luke tells us who Jesus was. And the first thing we want
to know is how He was born. Was He a man like every other man? Luke's
answer is that He was not. Luke tells us how the angel Gabriel went to
Mary and told her that she was supremely blessed among women, that she was
going to bear the Son of the Highest, and that He would be great. He would
occupy the throne of His father David, and of His kingdom there would be
no end. Read it all in the first chapter of Luke's Gospel. Mary was
perplexed and asked how this could be since she was a virgin. Gabriel
said:
The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall
overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of
thee shall be called the Son of God.
.. -Luke 1:35
That is what Luke tells us, and this means that Jesus came into the world.
He was not just born like everybody else. He came out of eternity into
time; he came from heaven to earth. This is Christianity. Whatever may be
your moral and political views, the question confronting you is this: How
are you related to the fact that the babe of Bethlehem is the eternal Son
of God?
But He not only came into the world, He did many other things. He worked
miracles. Oh yes, that is an essential part of the gospel message.
"But," you say, "modern men and women don't believe in miracles. They
can't. They have a scientific outlook."
Yet Luke refers Theophilus back to his first treatise, the Gospel, where
he told him about our Lord's miracles. Our Lord attracted attention. The
miracles were signs, and people came and watched. Luke tells us that when
certain Pharisees went to see Him one day, "the power of the Lord was
present to heal them" (Luke 5:17), and He created a great stir. There is
no Christianity apart from these things.
But our Lord also did something else. Though He knew that His enemies in
Jerusalem hated Him and were determined to kill Him, and though He knew
that Herod the king, who would be in Jerusalem for the Passover, wanted to
kill Him, nevertheless, "he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem"
(Luke 9:51). He went there and was arrested. At His trial He would not
speak and was condemned to death. He was forced to carry a cross through
Jerusalem until He staggered, and it had to be put on the back of somebody
else. Then they nailed Him to the cross, and He died. Two of His friends
took down His body and laid it in a tomb. But He burst asunder the bands
of death. He arose triumphantly out of that tomb. He appeared to a chosen
number of His disciples and other people, as Luke tells us here: "To whom
also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs,
being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to
the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3). And then, standing with them on the Mount
of Olives, He ascended from their midst into heaven.
It is all here. This is history. Luke the physician, Luke the historian,
wanted to help this intelligent man, Theophilus. Theophilus had said, "I'd
love to know what Christianity is. I'm amazed at you people. I see what
has happened to you, and I hear you preaching. I can see the effects. I
want to know what this is."
So Luke said in essence, "Theophilus, if you want to know, listen-this is
it-it is Jesus. This is what He began to do. He came. He taught. He worked
miracles. He gave Himself. He died. He was buried. He rose again, and He
ascended into heaven."
Luke emphasizes the Resurrection. There would be no Christian church were
it not for the Resurrection. Here in Acts is the history of the church.
Here is the account of this amazing institution that turned the world
upside-down and has continued throughout the centuries. It is all due to
the fact that Jesus who was dead is alive again and has given "many
infallible proofs" of it. These are facts.
"Theophilus," says Luke in effect, "you must believe these facts. There is
no explanation except Jesus. This is what He began to do."
But Jesus also began to "teach," and again I can do nothing but summarize
this teaching for you. It is all in the Gospels. He taught concerning
Himself. He said, "Before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:58). He called
Himself " 'the Son of man." He said, "Ye have heard that it was said by
them of old time . but I say unto you" (Matt. 5:21-22). He claimed to have
unique authority. He claimed, indeed, to be the Son of God. That is what
He began to teach.
He went on to tell His followers why He had come into the world. This is
the most staggering event that has ever happened. Why did He do it? "The
Son of man," he said, "came not to be ministered unto, but to minister,
and to give his life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). He said He had come
into the world because it was the only way by which anybody could be
saved. He said He was sent by His Father: "God so loved the world, that he
gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
But nobody understood Him. Luke had reminded Theophilus of that in the
Gospel. In chapter 24, two people were walking on a road from Jerusalem to
Emmaus. They had been with Him and had believed in Him, but now, after His
death, they were utterly cast down. Then suddenly, as they were walking
along, Jesus, the risen Jesus, joined them and listened to their
conversation. Earlier that day certain women who belonged to their company
had been in the garden where Jesus had been put in the tomb and had
reported to the disciples that the tomb was empty, and this is what we
read: "Their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them
not" (Luke 24:11).
The two people walking to Emmaus did not recognize Jesus when He joined
them. They told this stranger what had happened and said, "But we trusted
that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel".
(Luke 24:21 NASB)
21 "But we were hoping that it was He who was going to ?a?redeem
Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these
things happened.
[4]
24:21 The travelers, in contrast to Israel's leaders, hoped that Jesus
would prove to be their nation's deliverer (cf. 1:68; 2:30, 38; 21:28),
namely the Messiah whom they evidently saw as a political liberator. Of
course Jesus did redeem Israel by His death on the cross, but they were
speaking of physical deliverance from Rome and the establishment of the
kingdom. Their reference to the third day since Jesus' death implied that
they had expected something important to happen by then. The fact that
nothing had happened disappointed them.
Possibly these disciples were not yet believers. They appear not to have
recognized that Jesus was more than a prophet or a political Messiah but
the divine Son of God.
"Observe that the verb is 'hoped,' not 'trusted' (as in KJV); there is a
big difference between trusting Jesus as our Deliverer and Savior and
hoping that he will prove to be our Deliverer and Savior."521
However another possibility is that they were believers who had simply
become discouraged by Jesus' death (cf. John the Baptist, 7:19).
[5]
They had thought His teaching was wonderful; they had seen His miracles.
They had said that this must be the Messiah. But He could not be, of
course, for He had been crucified. He was dead.
And then our Lord began to speak to them:
O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
ought not the Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his
glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them
in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
.. -vv. 25-26
24:25-27 Jesus then lovingly chided them for not realizing that this was
exactly the pathway which the prophets of the ?OT? had foretold for the
Messiah. First, He must suffer, then he would be glorified. Beginning at
Genesis and continuing through all the books of the Prophets the Lord
reviewed all the Scriptures which referred to Himself, the Messiah. It was
a wonderful Bible study, and how we would love to have been with Him then!
But we have the same OT, and we have the Holy Spirit to teach us, so we
too can discover in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
[6]
Later that evening, in Jerusalem, our Lord came among the disciples. They
were terrified; they could not believe it was really Him. He had told them
repeatedly that He was going to die and rise again, but they had never
taken it in. Yet here He was appearing among them, and He said, "Why are
ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and
my feet, it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh
and bones, as ye see me have" (vv. 38-39). And He ate a bit of broiled
fish and honey. Then He began to speak again: "These are the words which I
spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be
fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets,
and in the psalms, concerning me" (v. 44).
If you want to understand Christianity, do not shut your Bible-open it,
read it! Read the books of Moses, the prophets, the Psalms; they all point
to Him. Study your Bible. It is ignorance that blinds men and women of
this generation and keeps them outside of Christ. So do not have a hurried
service at nine o'clock so you can go out and play golf and bathe in the
sea-listen for your life! Here is the only message of hope for you.
Then our Lord went on telling His disciples the meaning of His coming.
Luke writes: "Then opened he their understanding, that they might
understand the Scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and
thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third
day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his
name among all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem" (Luke 24:45-47). There
is his own explanation of why He came and why He did all He did. It is the
only way anybody can be saved. Every one of us is born in sin. We are born
under the wrath of God. We do not know Him, and we are evil by nature. Our
greatest need is to be reconciled to God, to have our sins forgiven, to
know God as our Father, to be blessed by Him, and to start as a child of
God. And Jesus came in order that men and women might know this. This is
His message-not that we improve the world but that you and I be redeemed.
You may set out with your political program. You may say, "Now, if we can
get this onto the statute book this year, then that, then the other ." But
you may be dead before tomorrow morning and be in eternity facing God and
the judgment.
How can this message be made known? The answer is this: Jesus. In effect
He said to the disciples, "I'm going to send you out to preach, and I want
you to tell people that repentance and remission of sins is only possible
in My name. Preach it among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. I do not
care what color, class, or creed people are. The human race is one;
humanity is one in sin, one under the wrath of God, one in its destiny in
hell. And there is only one Savior. Tell them about Me, and be witnesses
to Me."
"That is what Christianity is all about," said Luke to Theophilus in
effect. "That is what I told you in my former treatise. But now I want to
tell you a little bit more. 'The former treatise have I made, O
Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach.' This is the
vital emphasis-'all that Jesus began.' " This means He has not finished!
He is going on with it.
Luke said, "Listen, Theophilus, I have a second treatise. I've told you
what He began to do; you've got it, you've read it-that's the Gospel. I
want to tell you now what He's continuing to do."
This is important because the modern teaching that Jesus of Nazareth was
just a man, though a very fine moral and political teacher, would have us
believe that He was like other teachers-Plato, Socrates, and all the rest.
He was in the world, and He died. "Well," people say, "that's all right if
you're interested in such people, but the thing that really matters, of
course, is the teaching." They may "prove" to you that Plato and Jesus
never existed. "But it doesn't matter," they insist, "we've got the
teaching. All that remains is for us to apply it."
But the answer to that is that Jesus Christ is still active. It is what He
does that matters, not what we do; and the message of the Christian church
is not only one of what He has done but of what He is doing. He is going
on. He is still working. And the book of Acts tells us about the further
acts of Jesus. Some people say it ought to be called the Acts of the Holy
Spirit. That is quite wrong. It is Jesus who dominates.
How is Christ still active? Well, this book tells us that He is seated at
the right hand of God in the glory everlasting. After His resurrection He
Himself told us something that is demonstrated so clearly in this book. He
said to those men, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go
ye therefore, and teach all nations".
(Matthew 28:18-20 NASB)
18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "?a?All authority
has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19 "?1??a?Go therefore and ?b?make disciples of ?c?all the
nations, ?d?baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and
the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo,
?a?I am with you ?1?always, even to ?b?the end of the age."
[7]
28:18 All authority. See 11:27; John 3:35. Absolute sovereign
authority-lordship over all-is handed to Christ, "in heaven and on earth."
This is clear proof of His deity. The time of His humiliation was at an
end, and God had exalted Him above all (Phil. 2:9-11).
28:19 therefore. I.e., on the basis of His authority, the disciples were
sent to "make disciples of all nations." The sweeping scope of their
commission is consummate with His unlimited authority. in the name of the
Father . Son and . Holy Spirit. The formula is a strong affirmation of
trinitarianism.
28:20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. The
kind of evangelism called for in this commission does not end with the
conversion of the unbeliever. I am with you. There's a touching echo of
the beginning of Matthew's gospel here. Immanuel (1:23) "which is
translated, 'God with us'"-remains "with" us "even to the end of the
age"-i.e., until He returns bodily to judge the world and establish His
earthly kingdom.
[8]
They were to preach the Gospel and to disciple the nations. I know of
nothing more comforting and encouraging than that wonderful, blessed
statement. This world is not in the hands of the politicians; it is in the
hands of this living Jesus, this risen Christ. This is the message: God
the eternal Father, the Creator, the Owner of all things, has handed over
the business of this world and its redemption to His Son. And He has "all
power . in heaven and in earth."
And in this wonderful book of Acts we see Jesus demonstrating some of that
power. He sent the Holy Spirit down upon the early church. That was a
manifestation of His power. Then He began to give power to His disciples.
We will see Peter and John walking up to the temple one afternoon at the
hour of prayer and healing a man who lay paralyzed on a mat, so that he
went into the temple walking and leaping and praising God. That is
Christianity. Not simply a political, moral program, no, no-but the living
Jesus who has all power, giving power.
What else did our Lord go on to do? Well, there was a man called Saul of
Tarsus, a Pharisee and a bitter opponent of the first Christians. Here was
a man who hated our Lord and hated His cause and did his best to put it to
an end by going out and having believers thrown into prison and even put
to death. Saul was so keen on this persecution that he went to the high
priest at Jerusalem and asked for authority to go down to Damascus to
exterminate the little Christian church there. So they gave him authority,
and off he went, "breathing out threatenings and slaughter" (Acts 9:1),
confident he would be able to destroy the church.
What happened? Ah, this Jesus revealed Himself to Saul of Tarsus. About
midday Saul saw a light in the heavens "above the brightness of the sun"
(Acts 26:13). Paul said, "Who art thou, Lord?" And the answer came back,
"I am Jesus whom thou persecutest" (Acts 9:5). Jesus was continuing to
act. He floored Saul. He humbled him. He cast him down. He led him to
repentance. Jesus saved him.
So the story does not end at the Ascension. Jesus Christ continues to act
with all power. Nothing is impossible for Him, and here He is, calling out
men and women, saving them, building up His kingdom. He instructed them
after His resurrection, "speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom
of God" (Acts 1:3). He said in effect, "This is how it will happen. I am
sending you out, just a little handful, but I will be with you. I am with
you all the way, even until the end of the ages. Go out and disciple the
nations; bear witness to Me."
But thank God, Jesus does not stop even at that. The Bible tells us that
in heaven, "he ever liveth to make intercession for them".
(Hebrews 7:25 NASB)
25 Therefore He is able also to ?a?save ?1?forever those who
?b?draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to ?c?make
intercession for them.
[9]
7:18-25 A Better Hope and Covenant
Again, Psalm 110:4 was quoted, this time with the emphasis on "oath." The
concept of oath stems from the discussion of God's oath to Abraham in
6:13, 16-17. The "old requirement" (7:18) was the law (7:19). Since
Christ's priesthood had been established by an oath, he guarantees a
better covenant (7:22). His priesthood is eternal and perfect (7:23-25).
[10]
He has taken human nature back with Him into heaven, and there He is
seated at the right hand of God. He is our representative, our great High
Priest. He takes our feeble, unworthy prayers, and He transmutes them with
all the glory of His own intercession at the very throne of God. He still
remembers our weak and fallible frame. He "was in all points tempted like
as we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:15). And why? It was in order to
"succor them that are tempted"-you and me (Heb. 2:18).
So when you read your New Testament you will find the apostle Paul able to
say he was on trial, and all his friends forsook him, but "the Lord stood
with me, and strengthened me" (2 Tim. 4:17). In the court the Lord stood
by His servant, and Paul knew He was there. What did it matter that all
Paul's helpers had forsaken him, Demas and the rest of them? The Lord
stood by him. Paul was able to say,
(Philippians 4:13 NASB)
13 I can do all things ?1?through Him who ?a?strengthens me.
[11]
And our Lord will continue to act.
(Hebrews 10:13 NASB)
13 waiting from that time onward ?a?until His enemies be made a
footstool for His feet.
[12]
Our Lord is just waiting. There are a few more people to be saved. We
pray, "O come now, Lord Jesus," but He says, "No, not yet. We are going to
wait, because I want to save some more." He is giving you an opportunity,
friend, if you are not saved. Psalm 110:1 says, "The Lord said unto my
Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy
footstool," referring to the second coming of Christ to the earth. But in
the meantime He is waiting for more of the human family to come to Him.
[13]
That is the message, and when we read the book of Revelation, we see Jesus
continuing to act, and we see what He will yet do. His people are
persecuted and killed, the whole church seems to be disappearing, but He
intervenes, and there is judgment; eventually He will come riding that
blessed white horse. He is at the present time saving us as individuals
out of this present evil world, putting us into His glorious kingdom,
preparing us for the Day that is coming when He will return.
And what then? In Acts 1:10-11 we read: "Two men stood by them in white
apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into
heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so
come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." If you think that
Jesus finished when He died and was buried, listen to the message of Luke,
listen to this treatise written to Theophilus-it is written to you. He
will come again, even as He went. He will return, in bodily, visible
fashion, riding the clouds of heaven, surrounded by the holy angels. And
He will judge the world in righteousness and set up His glorious kingdom,
to which there shall be no end.
That is the message of Christianity. That is what has made the church what
it is. Do men and women need to be told about some kind of program that
will give them better conditions? That is not our greatest need. Our
greatest need is to know God. If we were all given a fortune, would that
solve our problems? Would that solve our moral problem? Would that solve
the problem of death? Would that solve the problem of eternity? Of course
not.
The message of Christianity is not about improving the world, but about
changing people in spite of the world, preparing them for the glory that
is yet to come.
This Jesus is active and acting to that end, and He will go on until all
the redeemed are gathered in, and then He will return, and the final
judgment will take place, and His kingdom will stretch from shore to
shore.
That is the message that turned the ancient world upside-down.
It is the only message, and I want to ask you a simple question: What does
this message mean to you? What is your idea of Christianity? What do you
think the business of the church is? Do you say, "I don't want your
sermons, I don't want your argumentation-I just want to feel that I've
said my prayers and paid my respects, as it were, to God, before I go out
and do what I like"? Is that it? Do you think Christianity is something
that you can take up and use as a minimum, in the hope that it will
somehow put you right? Or is it the most amazing and astounding thing that
ever happened or ever will happen? Is it the thing by which you live, the
thing that you long to know and to experience more and more? Do you
realize that this Jesus came into the world to save you from hell, from
the punishment that your sins and mine so richly deserve?
Do you realize now that the essence of Christianity is not that it calls
you to do something, but rather that it tells you what Jesus came into the
world to do for you
[14]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Lit made
a Luke 1:3
b Luke 3:23
a Mark 16:19; Acts 1:9, 11, 22
b Matt 28:19f; Mark 16:15; John 20:21f; Acts 10:42
1 Or through
c Mark 6:30
d John 13:18; Acts 10:41
1 Lit whom
a Matt 28:17; Mark 16:12, 14; Luke 24:34, 36; John 20:19, 26; 21:1, 14; 1
Cor 15:5-7
b Acts 8:12; 19:8; 28:23, 31
[1]New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Ac 1:1-3). LaHabra,
CA: The Lockman Foundation.
OT Old Testament
? 2 (1:5) Between Christ's resurrection and ascension were forty days. Ten
additional days elapsed before Pentecost. But the Lord did not say exactly
how many days, perhaps to keep the disciples in a state of expectation.
[2]MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. (1997, c1995). Believer's Bible Commentary
: Old and New Testaments (Ac 1:1). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[3]McGee, J. V. (1997, c1981). Thru the Bible commentary. Based on the
Thru the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.) (4:244). Nashville: Thomas
Nelson.
a Luke 1:68
[4]New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Lk 24:21). LaHabra,
CA: The Lockman Foundation.
521 521. Ibid.
[5]Tom Constable. (2003; 2003). Tom Constable's Expository Notes on the
Bible (Lk 24:21). Galaxie Software.
OT Old Testament
[6]MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. (1997, c1995). Believer's Bible Commentary
: Old and New Testaments (Lk 24:25). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
a Dan 7:13f; Matt 11:27; 26:64; Rom 14:9; Eph 1:20-22; Phil 2:9f; Col
2:10; 1 Pet 3:22
1 Or Having gone; Gr aorist participle
a Mark 16:15f
b Matt 13:52; Acts 1:8; 14:21
c Matt 25:32; Luke 24:47
d Acts 2:38; 8:16; Rom 6:3; 1 Cor 1:13, 15ff; Gal 3:27
a Matt 18:20; Acts 18:10
1 Lit all the days
b Matt 13:39
[7]New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Mt 28:18-20). LaHabra,
CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[8]MacArthur, J. J. (1997, c1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic
ed.) (Mt 28:18). Nashville: Word Pub.
a 1 Cor 1:21
1 Or completely
b Heb 7:19
c Rom 8:34; Heb 9:24
[9]New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Heb 7:25). LaHabra,
CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[10]Hughes, R. B., Laney, J. C., & Hughes, R. B. (2001). Tyndale concise
Bible commentary. Rev. ed. of: New Bible companion. 1990.; Includes index.
The Tyndale reference library (668). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House
Publishers.
1 Lit in
a 2 Cor 12:9; Eph 3:16; Col 1:11
[11]New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Php 4:13). LaHabra,
CA: The Lockman Foundation.
a Ps 110:1; Heb 1:13
[12]New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Heb 10:13). LaHabra,
CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[13]McGee, J. V. (1997, c1981). Thru the Bible commentary. Based on the
Thru the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.) (5:573). Nashville: Thomas
Nelson.
[14]Lloyd-Jones, D. M. (2000). Authentic Christianity (1st U.S. ed.) (5).
Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books.
.

User: "Matt Silberstein"

Title: Re: Abraham's Burial Site 24 Jul 2007 10:55:41 PM
On Tue, 24 Jul 2007 18:21:41 -0700, in alt.atheism , JTEM
<jtem01@gmail.com> in
<1185326501.619927.161850@o61g2000hsh.googlegroups.com> wrote:

Matt Silberstein <RemoveThisPrefixmatts2nos...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:

As I said, you seem to have decided that you have
the power to determine spiritual value.


We're talking about something that doesn't exist, you do
know that.... right?

No, I don't know that.

We're talking about some empty rooms which are claimed
to be the tomb of Abraham, but are not.

SFW? Who put you in charge of what others consider important?

This is not the tomb of some guy named
Abraham, and the only significance it has is the
fairytale that it is the tomb of Abraham.


SFW?


So it's the fairytale that is important here.

You don't get to decide what others should care about.
[snip]
--
Matt Silberstein
Do something today about the Darfur Genocide
http://www.beawitness.org
http://www.darfurgenocide.org
http://www.savedarfur.org
"Darfur: A Genocide We can Stop"
.
User: "JTEM"

Title: Re: Abraham's Burial Site 25 Jul 2007 05:20:09 AM
Matt Silberstein <RemoveThisPrefixmatts2nos...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:

We're talking about something that doesn't exist, you do
know that.... right?


No, I don't know that.

Well you should.
But, please, give it a rest. Seems like you're emotionally
invested in... well... in something that you feel is similar
enough to the topic here for you to confuse the two.
I'm really not intereste in your baggage.
Someone posted an article written by somebody who
wants us all to get upset about... well... nothing.
Oh yes: Non Muslims aren't going to be allowed to
visit something that isn't the tomb of Abraham.
I'm not going to lose any sleep over that, no matter
how much you or the original author wants me to.
.
User: "Matt Silberstein"

Title: Re: Abraham's Burial Site 25 Jul 2007 07:48:16 AM
On Wed, 25 Jul 2007 03:20:09 -0700, in alt.atheism , JTEM
<jtem01@gmail.com> in
<1185358809.507690.140530@o61g2000hsh.googlegroups.com> wrote:

Matt Silberstein <RemoveThisPrefixmatts2nos...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:

We're talking about something that doesn't exist, you do
know that.... right?


No, I don't know that.


Well you should.

But, please, give it a rest. Seems like you're emotionally
invested in... well... in something that you feel is similar
enough to the topic here for you to confuse the two.

I have no idea what you are talking about.

I'm really not intereste in your baggage.

It is clear that you are not interested in what anyone else things
except yourself. You consistently see yourself as the judge of what
is, or should be, important to others.

Someone posted an article written by somebody who
wants us all to get upset about... well... nothing.

And you are the decider of what matters

Oh yes: Non Muslims aren't going to be allowed to
visit something that isn't the tomb of Abraham.

Excepting, of course, that they have and do.

I'm not going to lose any sleep over that, no matter
how much you or the original author wants me to.

I can tell that you won't lose sleep over the concerns of others.
--
Matt Silberstein
Do something today about the Darfur Genocide
http://www.beawitness.org
http://www.darfurgenocide.org
http://www.savedarfur.org
"Darfur: A Genocide We can Stop"
.
User: "JTEM"

Title: Re: Abraham's Burial Site 26 Jul 2007 12:07:32 AM
Matt Silberstein <RemoveThisPrefixmatts2nos...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:

It is clear that you are not interested in what anyone
else things except yourself.

Okay, try this: I am very, very & most sincerely sorry
that the Palestinians did not enjoy 40 solid years of
(often brutal) occupation and repression, and that when
they could not fight the Israelis militarily they instead
fought them other ways.
.
User: "RU Liken IT Yet!"

Title: Re: Abraham's Burial Site 26 Jul 2007 09:12:36 AM
"JTEM" <jtem01@gmail.com> wrote in message news:1185426452.798346.113830@l70g2000hse.googlegroups.com...

Matt Silberstein <RemoveThisPrefixmatts2nos...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:

It is clear that you are not interested in what anyone
else things except yourself.


Okay, try this: I am very, very & most sincerely sorry
that the Palestinians did not enjoy 40 solid years of
(often brutal) occupation and repression, and that when
they could not fight the Israelis militarily they instead
fought them other ways.

Parable of The Good Shepherd
(John 10:1-18 NASB)
Parable of the Good Shepherd
1 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door
into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is ?a?a
thief and a robber.
2 "But he who enters by the door is ?a?a shepherd of the sheep.
3 "To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear ?a?his voice, and
he calls his own sheep by name and ?b?leads them out.
4 "When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the
sheep follow him because they know ?a?his voice.
5 "A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him,
because they do not know ?a?the voice of strangers."
6 This ?a?figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not
understand what those things were which He had been saying to them.
7 So Jesus said to them again, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am
?a?the door of the sheep.
8 "All who came before Me are ?a?thieves and robbers, but the sheep
did not hear them.
9 "?a?I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved,
and will go in and out and find pasture.
10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that
they ?a?may have life, and ?1?have it abundantly.
11 "?a?I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd ?b?lays down His
life for the sheep.
12 "He who is a hired hand, and not a ?a?shepherd, who is not the
owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees,
and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
13 "He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about
the sheep.
14 "?a?I am the good shepherd, and ?b?I know My own and My own know
Me,
15 even as ?a?the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and ?b?I lay
down My life for the sheep.
16 "I have ?a?other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring
them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become ?b?one flock
with ?c?one shepherd.
17 "For this reason the Father loves Me, because I ?a?lay down My
life so that I may take it again.
18 "?a?No one has taken it away from Me, but I ?b?lay it down on My
own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to
take it up again. ?c?This commandment I received from My Father."
[1]
This is taught in Scripture: "The good shepherd lays down his life for the
sheep" (John 10:15); "greater love has no man than this, that a man lay
down his life for his friends" (15:13); "being high priest that year he
prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; and not for that nation
only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God
that were scattered abroad" (11:51-52); "Christ loved the church and gave
himself for it" (Eph. 5:25). [2]
Jesus, the Good Shepherd (10:11-18)
10:11 Many times the Lord Jesus used the expression "I am," one of the
titles of Deity. Each time He was making a claim to equality with God the
Father. Here he presented Himself as the good shepherd who laid down His
life for the sheep. Ordinarily, the sheep were called upon to lay down
their lives for the shepherd. But the Lord Jesus died for the flock.
-- When blood from a victim must flow,
-- This Shepherd by pity was led,
-- To stand between us and the foe,
-- And willingly died in our stead.
- Thomas Kelly
10:12 A hireling is one who serves for money. For instance, a shepherd
might pay someone else to take care of his sheep. The Pharisees were hire
lings. Their interest in the people was prompted by the money they
received in return. The hireling did not own the sheep. When danger came,
he ran away and left the sheep to the mercy of the wolf.
10:13 We do what we do because we are what we are. The hireling served for
pay. He did not care about the sheep. He was more interested in his own
welfare than in their good. There are many hirelings in the church
today-men who choose the ministry as a comfortable occupation, without
true love for God's sheep.
10:14 Again the Lord speaks of Himself as the good shepherd. Good (?Gk.?,
kalos) here means "ideal, worthy, choice, excellent." He is all of these.
Then He speaks of the very intimate relationship that exists between
Himself and His sheep. He knows His own, and His own know Him. This is a
very wonderful truth.
10:15 It is unfortunate that this verse is punctuated as a new sentence.
Actually, it is better read as follows: "... and I know My sheep, and am
known by My own, just as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father." This
is truly a thrilling truth! The Lord compared His relationship with the
sheep with the relationship that existed be tween Himself and His Father.
The same union, communion, intimacy, and knowledge that there is between
the Father and the Son also exists between the Shepherd and the sheep.
"And I lay down My life for the sheep," He said. Again we have one of the
many statements of the Lord Jesus in which He looked forward to the time
when He would die on the cross as a Substitute for sinners.
10:16 Verse 16 is the key to the entire chapter. The other sheep to whom
the Lord referred here were the Gentiles. His coming into the world was
especially in connection with the sheep of Israel, but He also had in mind
the salvation of Gentiles. The Gentile sheep were not of the Jewish fold.
But the great heart of compassion of the Lord Jesus went out to these
sheep as well, and He was under divine compulsion to bring them to
Himself. He knew that they would be more ready than the Jewish people to
hear His voice.
In the latter part of the verse there is the very important change from
the fold of Judaism to the flock of Christianity. This verse gives a
little preview of the fact that in Christ, Jew and Gentile would be made
one, and that the for mer distinctions between these peoples would
disappear.
10:17 In verses 17 and 18, the Lord Jesus explained what He would do in
order to bring both elect Jews and Gentiles to Himself. He looked forward
to the time of His death, burial, and resurrection. These words would be
utterly out of place were the Lord Jesus a mere man. He spoke of laying
down His life and taking it again by His own power. He could only do this
because He is God. The Father loved the Lord Jesus because of His
willingness to die and rise again, in order that lost sheep might be
saved.
10:18 No one could take the Lord's life from Him. He is God, and is thus
greater than all the murderous plots of His creatures. He had power in
Himself to lay down His life, and He also had power to take it again. But
did not men kill the Lord Jesus? They did. This is clearly stated in Acts
2:23 and in 1 Thessalonians 2:15. The Lord Jesus allowed them to do it,
and this was an exhibition of His power to lay down His life. Furthermore,
He "gave up His Spirit" (John 19:30) as an act of His own strength and
will.
"This command I have received from My Father," He said. The Father had
commissioned or instructed the Lord to lay down His life and to rise again
from among the dead. His death and resurrection were essential acts in
fulfillment of the Father's will. Therefore, He became obedient unto
death, and rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures.
[3]
Practicality
The reason John wrote this book is given in verse 31 of chapter 20. "But
these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son
of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." That is
why I love this Gospel. When someone says he doesn't know if he believes
Jesus is really God, I can say, "Invest two hours of your life reading the
Gospel of John straight through. Ask the Lord to show you if He's real.
And, believe me, He will!" Because John was written so people might
believe that Jesus is God, I think it is the most powerful tract you can
share with anyone. I suggest you have on hand many copies of John's Gospel
in order to share with people who are skeptical or questioning.
The second reason John wrote his Gospel was, "that believing ye might have
life through his name." He wrote it for those of us who already believe.
The Greek word translated "believing" speaks of a continual action.
Therefore, John is saying the more we believe, the more life we will
experience. Thus, John wrote to convince the skeptic, but also to provoke
the believer toward a continual, growing belief in the Savior.
"By your love shall all men know you are My disciples," said Jesus (John
13:35). As we study this Gospel of love, my prayer is that, like its
author, we will be transformed and changed from glory to greater glory as
we fall in love with Jesus all over again.
[4]
Shepherds never drove the sheep, never beat the sheep, never pushed the
sheep. They led the sheep. Go to Israel today, and you'll see shepherds
just walking along with a stream of sheep following right behind them.
Americans tend to drive themselves and others. Not so a Middle-Eastern
shepherd. So, too, Jesus, the Good Shepherd, doesn't drive me. He leads
me. In other words, He goes first through the valley of the shadow of
death before He ever asks me to go through it. Scripture declares that
Jesus, our Shepherd, our Leader, was tempted in all points like as we are,
yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). Consequently, there is nothing you will
ever face He hasn't felt or isn't feeling presently. Gang, Jesus doesn't
send you into battle or drive you into any given trial. He doesn't
pontificate or preach. He leads.[5]
Jesus was the Good Shepherd who left the ninety and nine to find one who
was lost (Matthew 18:12). He was the Great Communicator who conversed with
one woman at a well (John 4:7). He was the gifted Teacher who sought out
one man in a tree (Luke 19:5).[6]
Jesus, the Good Shepherd. In another statement asserting his identity as
the Messiah, Jesus claimed to be the Good Shepherd (cf. Psalm 23). John
describes this illustration in great detail in chapter 10 of his Gospel,
in one of the strongest identifications of Jesus Christ with God. The Good
Shepherd gives his life for his sheep. The Good Shepherd knows his sheep,
and the sheep know him. The Good Shepherd gives his sheep eternal life and
will protect them successfully at all costs. Paralleling his own shepherd
like ministry with that of the Father, Jesus concludes his discussion by
declaring, "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30). [7]
Can we consider one last analogy from the Bible? How about the sheep with
the shepherd? Many times Scripture calls us the flock of God. "We are his
people, the sheep he tends" (Ps. 100:3). We needn't know much about sheep
to know that the shepherd never leaves the flock. If we see a flock coming
down the path, we know a shepherd is nearby. If we see a Christian ahead,
we can know the same. The Good Shepherd never leaves his sheep. "Even
though I walk through a very dark valley, I will not be afraid, because
you are with me" (Ps. 23:4).
God is as near to you as the vine is to the branch, as present within you
as God was in the temple, as intimate with you as a husband with a wife,
and as devoted to you as a shepherd to his sheep.
[8]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
a John 10:8 a John 10:11f a John 10:4f, 16, 27 b John 10:9 a John 10:5,
16, 27 a John 10:4, 16, 27 a John 16:25, 29; 2 Pet 2:22 a John 10:1f, 9 a
Jer 23:1f; Ezek 34:2ff; John 10:1 a John 10:1f, 9 a John 5:40 1 Or have
abundance
a Is 40:11; Ezek 34:11-16, 23; John 10:14; Heb 13:20; 1 Pet 5:4; Rev 7:17
b John 10:15, 17, 18; 15:13; 1 John 3:16 a John 10:2 a John 10:11 b John
10:27 a Matt 11:27; Luke 10:22 b John 10:11, 17, 18 a Is 56:8 b John
11:52; 17:20f; Eph 2:13-18; 1 Pet 2:25 c Ezek 34:23; 37:24 a John 10:11,
15, 18 a Matt 26:53; John 2:19; 5:26 b John 10:11, 15, 17 c John 14:31;
15:10; Phil 2:8; Heb 5:8
[1]New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Jn 10:1). LaHabra, CA:
The Lockman Foundation.
[2]Shedd, W. G. T., & Gomes, A. W. (2003). Dogmatic theology. "First one-
volume edition (3 vols. in 1)"--Jacket. (3rd ed.) (746). Phillipsburg,
N.J.: P & R Pub.
Gk. Greek
[3]MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. (1997, c1995). Believer's Bible Commentary
: Old and New Testaments (Jn 10:11). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[4]Courson, J. (2003). Jon Courson's Application Commentary (434).
Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.
[5]Courson, J. (2003). Jon Courson's Application Commentary (521).
Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.
[6]Courson, J. (2003). Jon Courson's Application Commentary (609).
Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.
[7]McDowell, J. (1997, c1991). Josh McDowell's handbook on apologetics
(electronic ed.). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[8]Lucado, M. (2001, c1998). Just like Jesus (electronic ed.) (68).
Nashville: Word Publishing.
.

User: "Matt Silberstein"

Title: Re: Abraham's Burial Site 26 Jul 2007 09:09:53 AM
On Wed, 25 Jul 2007 22:07:32 -0700, in alt.atheism , JTEM
<jtem01@gmail.com> in
<1185426452.798346.113830@l70g2000hse.googlegroups.com> wrote:

Matt Silberstein <RemoveThisPrefixmatts2nos...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:

It is clear that you are not interested in what anyone
else things except yourself.


Okay, try this: I am very, very & most sincerely sorry
that the Palestinians did not enjoy 40 solid years of
(often brutal) occupation and repression, and that when
they could not fight the Israelis militarily they instead
fought them other ways.

And now your true views come out a bit. Why do you support people
targeting civilians? Why do you support terrorists? And is it only
Jewish civilians that you approve of blowing up or all theists?
--
Matt Silberstein
Do something today about the Darfur Genocide
http://www.beawitness.org
http://www.darfurgenocide.org
http://www.savedarfur.org
"Darfur: A Genocide We can Stop"
.
User: "JTEM"

Title: Re: Abraham's Burial Site 27 Jul 2007 03:39:07 AM
Matt Silberstein <RemoveThisPrefixmatts2nos...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:

And now your true views come out a bit.

Oh, okay, "anyone who doesn't rubber stamp my words
is an anti-semite...."
Right. Sure.
You give yourself FAR too much credit.
Are is this all part of your ***** strategy? You know,
like the way you read the story that started this thread,
and kept pretending the issue was other things?
Whatever the case may be, you'd got a mighty large
amount of emotional baggage that you're carrying...
.
User: "Matt Silberstein"

Title: Re: Abraham's Burial Site 27 Jul 2007 08:49:08 AM
On Fri, 27 Jul 2007 01:39:07 -0700, in alt.atheism , JTEM
<jtem01@gmail.com> in
<1185525547.212282.9560@o61g2000hsh.googlegroups.com> wrote:

Matt Silberstein <RemoveThisPrefixmatts2nos...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:

And now your true views come out a bit.


Oh, okay, "anyone who doesn't rubber stamp my words
is an anti-semite...."

Right. Sure.

You give yourself FAR too much credit.

And you are far too dishonest to converse with. You keep making
dishonest snips and distorting context. You refuse to respond to
evidence or argument.

Are is this all part of your ***** strategy? You know,
like the way you read the story that started this thread,
and kept pretending the issue was other things?

Way I read it? You mean like how you lied about some "call to action"?
And then made up things about a war?

Whatever the case may be, you'd got a mighty large
amount of emotional baggage that you're carrying...

Projection is such an interesting phenomenon.
--
Matt Silberstein
Do something today about the Darfur Genocide
http://www.beawitness.org
http://www.darfurgenocide.org
http://www.savedarfur.org
"Darfur: A Genocide We can Stop"
.