Shalom, --
What are we supposed to do with "fulfilling the law"? What can Hanukkah teach Christians?
As 2018 comes to an end, this are some of the things I've been thinking about. Read on below for my latest news.
"Fulfill the Law" Does not Quite Mean What You Think
Andy Stanley recently published an article in Christianity Today called, "Jesus Ended the Old Covenant Once and For All." He was discussing his new book, Irresistible, which says that Christians need to distance themselves from the Old Testament because Jesus came to bring Judaism to an end. As you can imagine, I was pained.
In response, I posted a 3-part series about a key phrase that Stanley misunderstands, "to fulfill the law." This is a Jewish idiom that both Jesus and Paul used, that does not mean quite what Christians think it does. See the following:
Part 1: What "Fulfill the Law" Meant in its Jewish Context
Part 2: What Paul Says about Fulfilling the Law
Part 3: Is Christ the End of the Law?
I put the beginning of Part 1 at the end of this email.
Learning New Things from Hanukkah
Christians usually don't assume Hanukkah relates to them. But every year it teaches me new things about Christ! Here are a few things I've written about...
"Why are there so many spellings of Hanukkah?" You'll be surprised why this words varies so much. It can teach you about languages and even the name of God!
.- Hanukkah and Advent: The Most Hebraic Time of Year - This is actually one of my favorite times of year to reflect on how the Jewish and Christian stories merge together. (From 2014)
. - This conflict still separates us from our Bibles. Hanukkah celebrates the Jewish victory over Greek assimilation in 165 BC. Our Western culture, in contrast, largely adopted Greek patterns of thought. As a result, we struggle to understand Jesus' Eastern, Jewish preaching methods. For tools to bridge this divide, see the chapter "Greek Brain, Hebrew Brain" in Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus. I posted an excerpt on my blog.
Bargains on Books for My Friends
To bless my haverim, my "friends in study" and encourage them to study together, I set up a deal on multiple copies of my newest book, Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus.
One copy is only $12.99, and more are even cheaper. Three or more copies are only $10. With four, I'll send a little gift along with them. Wow!
Do you need a book for your next book club? Or, get some as a gift. Hurry! Only available until December 20. Go to this link.
Speaking and Travel Update
October: I did a weekend seminar in Indianapolis called "Through the Eyes of Jesus." You're welcome to listen in on my talk on Jesus' Bold Jewish Messianic Claims. I tell about a critical issue in my own faith journey, about what Jesus was really saying about his life and ministry.
November: I attended a week of conferences in Denver - ETS (Evangelical Theological Society), IBR (Institute for Biblical Research), and SBL (Society for Biblical Literature). I've gone for years, and as always it was a nerdy extravaganza! Some highlights:
- Hearing Richard Hays (Duke Divinity School) talk about reading the New Testament "figurally" and sharing a copy of Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus with him where I discussed his ideas (p 217-220).
. - Steve Notley's talk, "Has Bethsaida-Julias Finally been Found?" about the excavations going on at Bethsaida, an important setting in Jesus' life. Read my on-the-ground report from the dig in 2017. You can join in next summer!
. - Meeting with the directors of the Biblical Language Center, who have pioneered methods for teaching biblical languages that are extremely effective. I was honored to join their board recently. (I've taken both Hebrew and Greek from them.)
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I laughed to see a new book, 70 Hebrew Words Every Christian Should Know (Matthew Shlimm, Abdington 2018) because it strongly resembled my 5 Hebrew Words that Every Christian Should Know, that came out in 2014. Oh well, you can't patent a title idea. I bought a copy and it's actually pretty good.
Upcoming Speaking: January 2019 - I'll be doing a Winter Seminar Series on January 24-26 in Columbia, Missouri. You're welcome to join me! I also have tentative plans to speak in Lansing, MI and Napa Valley, CA in the spring - stay tuned for more later.
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Thanks again for your prayers over the past year. May the Lord bless your study and life in the coming year too!
Lois
What "Fulfill the Law" Meant in its Jewish Context
What did Jesus mean when he said that he “came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it”? (Matthew 5:17)
Pastor Andy Stanley recently published an article in Christianity Today called “Jesus Ended the Old Covenant Once and for All” which is based on the idea that to “fulfill the Law” means “to bring it to an end.” An honest reader can’t avoid noticing that this interpretation seems strained. In just the next few verses, we find Jesus saying quite forcefully the very opposite. What is going on here?
The key is that the phrase “fulfill the Law” is a rabbinic idiom. It is found several other places in the New Testament and in Jewish sayings too. Hearing it in context will shed light on its true meaning. Read more about it at this link...