Yahshua (Jesus) and
Judaism
Versus
Paul
and Christianity
by Scott Nelson
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Featured Chapters and Articles
*Heaven
or Hell? What is at Stake? Chapter 2
*The Law
stands, and more of Paul's doctrinal errors
Chapter 14
*The
Problem with the Book of Hebrews
*How the name "Yahshua" became
"Jesus"
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Welcome
Are you like me in that while you were raised in a God fearing environment, you knew some truth existed in the doctrines you had become familiar with, yet at the same time some things just didn't add up? And, when you ask the difficult questions are you tired of being told in so many words that the height of all understanding is understanding that you don't understand? If this sounds like you, welcome to this home page for the ongoing writing of my book, Yahshua/Jesus and Judaism versus Paul and Christianity.
In spite of the fact we as humans cannot know everything, it is absolutely necessary that we make sense of what we do claim to know. What we tout as fact must add up and be consistent within itself. Solomon said;
Yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding. If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding: Then you will understand righteousness and justice, Equity and every good path. Proverbs 2:3-5,9 NKJV
Today, much is peddled under the guise of truth/understanding in both Christianity and Judaism that simply does not add up. The age old controversy over understanding 'the sovereignty of God', and 'who has eternal life' are two larger issues involved.
In my search for sense-making understanding I have come to some conclusions that are intellectually satisfying but have left me without good standing in either the Jewish or Christian communities. Both sides would call my positions heresy.
At the same time, I fully acknowledge that God has been involved in the lives of individuals of both Jewish and Christian persuasions. For myself, I was raised in Protestant Evangelical Christianity and was very active in it for many years. I saw numerous answers to prayer as I continued to struggle for better understanding. For the most part, I now attribute these 'miracles' to one or both of two things. Firstly, to God's indescribable love and mercy toward man in spite of his ignorance and errors, and secondly, to the latent power of raw faith. No longer do I interpret them as proof of possessing superior doctrine.
A problem stems from man's tendency
to evaluate himself in terms of absolutes. People tend to see themselves as either good
or evil, and therefore deserving either all of heaven or all of hell. Man
seems blind to the fact that he was given the capacity to grow in favor
with God. Where a person stands in favor with God could be illustrated as a scale from 0-10, 10 being ultimate favor with God, and 0, no favor.
Today, the best of individuals in either Christianity or Judaism might rate at
2. On the other hand, someone like the prophet Daniel might rate around 8+, Moses and Elijah 9, and
Yahshua
10. But a rating of 2 can appear impressive in a world where the general level
is 1 or lower. It's a matter of perspective that appears twice as good as
others. It is far easier to pat one's self on the back for what he is not, as opposed to turning around and facing the fact that
he is nothing near
what he could be.
Jewish and Christian doctrine has responded by sedating its followers from the pain
of this reality with a concept of the sovereignty of God borrowed from Greek (Hellenistic)
philosophy. In short, it suggests that we are who, and what we are, because God has
for-ordained it to be so. In effect, this puts the blame for man's pathetic condition
back on God. At the
same time this ultra-sovereign picture of God allows man to see himself as the best there
is. This always leads to a sense of pride. The natural outflow from pride
is to believe one has found the exclusive way to salvation, and all others are
doomed to hell. This bigoted posturing is particularly repulsive. It is rampant...
understood, but not always spoken, in most factions of
Christianity and some Jewish sects. The self-serving
aspects of this fear mongering should be evident. It is nothing short of psychological extortion.
No one has cornered the market on eternal life. The truth happens to be one of the good news/bad news scenarios. Eternal life in a better place is relatively easy to obtain. It is the Kingdom of God that is much more difficult to enter, and there is a difference!
The writing of the book Yahshua/Jesus and Judaism versus Paul and Christianity is motivated by the desire to address these and other seemingly irreconcilable problems. As the title suggests, the teachings of Yahshua and that of Paul, the supposed apostle, are not at all compatible with each other. It is Pauline doctrine that is the source of most of the problem in Christianity. Paul's understanding of God was shared by many of the leading first century Hellenistic Pharisees, and much of modern Rabbinic Judaism fondly traces its roots back to this same sect.
In my book, I show how after his conversion experience, Paul continued to be in severe error in his understanding of God and Yahshua's teachings and mission. I also show how he continually abused the Hebrew Scriptures to help sell his faulty doctrines. I show that he misinterpreted his own conversion experience as a meeting with his own glorious destiny, when in reality, it was nothing more than an ultimatum to stop the persecution of the Messianic believers. Because of what Paul believed concerning his destiny, he naturally became conceited and continually tried to upstage the very apostles who had spent over three years with Yahshua. He was too proud to learn from them, but instead had to receive his doctrine by "divine revelation". Paul was the first of the Mohameds, Joseph Smiths, and the like, who had special new revelations.
Not only do I expose Paul as a false apostle, but I also show that he is in all probability the very false apostle and "liar" Yahshua commended the Ephesian congregation for exposing as recorded in the book of Revelation. I also show that Paul's doctrine is responsible for the anti-Semitic doctrine of replacement-theology. This is the teaching that God has made Christianity the new true Israel. Anti-Semitism so saturated the pews of both Catholic and Protestant churches throughout history that it could be argued the holocaust itself could not have occurred had it not been for the general 'who cares' attitude of Christians toward the Jews. This attitude found its legitimacy in replacement-theology. This arrogant and obnoxious doctrine could not be further from the truth. Israel is still God's center piece... rating far above Gentile Christianity. I say this as a Gentile myself!
What I present as the truth of the gospel of Yahshua is nothing new. In an age when the world is on the fast track to destruction, many preachers, priests, and rabbis, are calling their flocks to return to the older principles of a few generations ago. I suggest we need to go back much further. We need to return to the teachings that Yahshua left with the men he had trained for over three years. His doctrine was unquestionably the purest Judaism. The first Messianic believers in Jerusalem before the advent of Paul were 100% Jewish and Law-abiding, (observant) for nearly twenty years before they ever heard the notion that the Law had been 'superseded'. They continued to abide by the Law of Moses, including the offering of burnt offerings, right up to the destruction of the Temple almost forty years after Yahshua ascended to heaven. These well established facts of history should cause some question about a maverick like Paul who spent no more than a few minutes only hearing the voice of Yahshua on the road to Damascus.
Purpose
of this site
The purpose of this website is to offer what has been accomplished in the
writing of Yahshua/Jesus and Judaism versus Paul and Christianity
to those who are interested. It is being written because I firmly believe that God's patience with
man is fast coming to an end. Yahshua will be returning soon to ascend the
throne of his father David and establish the Kingdom of God on earth...
the Messianic age foretold by the prophets. The truth needs to be known that Law-less
doctrine, as well as presumptuous grace doctrine, will not be tolerated much
longer.
It is also my hope that others will offer moral support and constructive
criticism in the interest of the truths that have been outlined. At the end of each chapter is an
input link for those who have something to offer. Even if input
concerns minor things such as spelling or grammar, it will be greatly appreciated.
In the outline below, the chapters titles are highlighted as links to that chapter.
Shalom in Yahshua,
Scott
Read some of the positive input received from other visitors in
Comments and Reviews
Outline
Preface
Why do people believe what they do?
On teachers and institutions
Translations and terminology
Chapter 1
Introduction
Lost on the lake
Parallel philosophy
The truth must make sense
Who I am
Oh to be God's pet
Difficult questions
Chapter 2 Heaven, or
Hell? What
is at Stake?
Introduction
There
is more than one Book of Life
The leaves of the tree of life
A challenge
Moses and the Book of Life
Yahshua on the kingdom of heaven
Two books... two judgments
Doing Yahshua's commandments/The will of the Father
There is still hope
Other kingdom passages, and how they fit the two-book picture
The parable of the wedding feast
The wise and foolish virgins
The parable of the lazy servant
The parable of the unforgiving servant
The parable of the tares explained
Zacchaeus
Erroneous Christian doctrines of salvation
The Protestant evangelical doctrine of the need to be "born again"
No one... ...except through me
Catholicism and salvation through the 'eucharist'
Motives of preservation at all cost
Christianity a positive influence on society?
Christianity hindering those from entering the kingdom
The worst and most damaging doctrine of salvation
Chapter 3 Calvinism, and
The Attributes of Deity
part 1
Introduction
Defining God
Labeling the positions
Calvinists and intellectual suicide
Calvinist doctrine
Scriptures indicating God has limited His knowledge
Summary of part one
Notable Quote: Thomas Jefferson
Chapter 4
A Working Model and Other
Popular Calvinist Scriptures
Concerning the Attributes of Deity part 2
A working model
John the Baptist
King Cyrus
What about prophecy?
What about prophesied evil?
Other popular Calvinist passages
Psalm 139:16
Isaiah 54:16
Isaiah 45:7
The song of Moses
Peter's denial of Yahshua
Chapter 5 Paul
and Romans 9/ The
Attributes of Deity part
3
Paul and Romans 9
A closer look at Paul's proof texts
Jacob and Esau/loved and hated before birth
Paul's proof from Moses
Hardening Pharaoh's heart
Paul anticipates objection a second time
The potter and the clay comparison
Origins of Paul's concept of deity
Yahshua's disciples even assumed timeless destiny
When and why this type of thinking came about
Conclusion
Chapter 6 What
is the Infallible Word of God?
All or nothing?
More errors in NT
Can't God protect His word?
A few errors in the Hebrew Bible!
Conclusion
Chapter 7
Paul the False Apostle
Introduction
His apostleship was unrecognized by others
"I wanna talk about me!"
His claim of apostleship stands alone
Our view of early church is polarized
Paul's claims of apostleship
Paul, the greatest apostle!
The book of Revelation
When was it written?
To whom was it written?
Paul and the Ephesians
Chapter 8 Paul, a Liar?!
Introduction
Paul and the Jerusalem Council
The lie
Paul's lie to the Sanhedrin
Paul's lie to King Agrippa
Chapter 9 Paul,
a Coward?!
Introduction
Setting the stage
The boast
The run
Festus' decree
Chapter 10 Yahshua's
Prophecy Concerning Peter
Did Peter Endorse Paul?
Introduction
The Prophecy
concerning Peter
Correlation of Peter's and John's prophecy
Unraveling John's prophecy
first
Still unraveling John's prophecy/Past precedence for help
John's prophecy finally unraveled
Back to Peter
Conclusion
Chapter 11 Who was the
12th Apostle?
There are only twelve
Peter calls for a replacement for Judas
Who was Matthias?
The author of the mysterious Q source?!
Conclusion
Notable Quotes
Chapter 12 The Book of Hebrews
Who
wrote the book of Hebrews?
Is Hebrews better than Paul's letters?
Style of thought
The subject matter/doctrine of Hebrews
Like Melchizedek... how?
Yahshua: King and priest in one
Yahshua: Descendant of both David and Levi
Graph of Yahshua's physical
bloodlines
The new covenant?
Extortive threat-tactics of the author of Hebrews
Conclusion
Chapter 13 What about burnt offerings?
Introduction
Intentional and unintentional sin
Did God say He had no desire for burnt sacrifices?
Yahshua commanded others to offer burnt offerings
Burnt offerings after Yahshua's ascension!?
What then did Yahshua's sacrifice accomplish?
What Yahshua's sacrifice accomplished for man
What Yahshua's sacrifice accomplished for himself
Vicarious atonement?
Addressing child sacrifice
God: the author of human sacrifice?
Conclusion
Chapter 14 The Law stands,
and more of Paul's doctrinal errors
Notable Quote: Thomas Jefferson
Paul was anti-Law
The book of Romans
Romans 3
God calls some, "righteous"!
Paul's greatest lie
Abraham justified by faith?
Grace and mercy versus Law and works?
Which laws stand?
Every "jot and tittle"
What part of the written?
Chapter 15 Is
Yahshua Israel's Messiah? (part 1)
Introduction
Yahshua will establish the Law.
Messiah must be descendant of David.
Yahshua's genealogy
Perceived problems with the records
King and priest in one
Yahshua, descendant of both David and Levi
Yahshua's Bloodline Chart
Yahshua's Supposed Divinity, preexistence, and virgin birth.
Virgin birth?
Preexistence?
Was Yahshua God in the flesh?
Isaiah 43:10,11
Isaiah 9:6,7
Yahshua speaking as God the Father?
Yahshua indicated YHWH was his God.
Chapter 16 Is Yahshua
Israel's Messiah? (part 2)
Prophecies concerning Messiah
Prophecies Yahshua made
The number
The photograph
Carbon 14 dating
The shroud could not be work of a forger
Reason for the shroud's existence
Conclusion
Chapter 17 Conclusion
Why must we have Paul?
From another angle
It's about Yahshua, his bride, and the Kingdom of Heaven
Signed
Appendix
Abortion in Prophecy
Answer
to question; "Why was this man born blind?"
How the name Yahshua became Jesus.
Notable
Quotes Concerning Paul
Ode to the Pharisees
Passover
dates 26-34 A.D.
Statement
of faith
The Name, a modern parable.
The Rich Young Ruler Synoptic
Parallel
The Trinity?! (New insight into Matthew 28:19)
Was Einstein right?
We're missing part of the book of Job!
666 in UPC barcodes
Questions and Answers
Question 1 "...what did Jesus accomplish to you?"
From Mr. Schoenblum
Question 2 Dietary
Law (Peter's vision) To eat, or not to eat... part 1
Question 3 Did
Yahshua pronounce all food clean? To
eat or not to eat... part 2
Question 4 "As a Jew, I can’t see what you’ve 'given up' as a Christian."
Question 5 If we can disregard Paul's words, what about the Gospels? What parts are the word of God?
Debates
Debate 1 The "Oneness" Debate
With OvadYah Avrahami