[crownsevenalphabet]

So, how can people of the land/from other nations become Jews ?


Either you are Jewish, or not, right ?


Esther 8 (King James Version) ¹⁷And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day. And many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them.



Esther 8 (New International Reader's Version) ¹⁷ They celebrated and enjoyed good food. They were glad and full of joy. That was true everywhere the king's order went out. It was true in every territory and every city. Many people from other nations announced that they had become Jews. That's because they were so afraid of the Jews.



Esther 8 (Darby Translation) ¹⁷And in every province, and in every city, wherever the king's commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day. And many among the peoples of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews had fallen upon them.

This post has been edited by crownsevenalphabet: 09 September 2009 - 08:27 AM

[Word of God]

crownsevenalphabet, on Sep 9 2009, 09:27 PM, said:

So, how can people of the land/from other nations become Jews ?


Either you are Jewish, or not, right ?


Esther 8 (King James Version) ¹⁷And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day. And many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them.



Esther 8 (New International Reader's Version) ¹⁷ They celebrated and enjoyed good food. They were glad and full of joy. That was true everywhere the king's order went out. It was true in every territory and every city. Many people from other nations announced that they had become Jews. That's because they were so afraid of the Jews.



Esther 8 (Darby Translation) ¹⁷And in every province, and in every city, wherever the king's commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day. And many among the peoples of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews had fallen upon them.

Spiritual Commonwealth - Salvation offerred to Gentiles
who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and are
truly born again

Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.
Zechariah 8:23


For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
Romans 2:28:29

Ethnic Israel - those comprising national, ethnic Israel
(as opposed to
Replacement Theology
in its various, pernicious forms)

Who Is a Jew, According to the Torah?

How do we define who is a born Jew and who is not? If one of your parents is not Jewish, are you still Jewish?

This subject is a hotly debated one, especially among the non-Orthodox Jewish groups, but I don't really intend to discuss the politics of it very much. I want to simply explain the Orthodox stance, and demonstrate that it is the original Jewish definition.

The original and current Jewish definition of a born Jew is someone whose mother is Jewish. Even though the Torah forbids a Jewish woman to marry a Gentile man, if she does, her children will still be Jewish.

The Torah also forbids a Jewish man to marry a Gentile woman, and if he does, his children by that woman will not be Jewish.

This annoys a great many people who wish to consider themselves Jewish, despite their non-Jewish mother. It is not my intention to annoy anyone. It is my intention to explain Judaism, and not to rationalize any dilution or changes in Jewish Law.

Please understand: if you are in that position, I hear your pain, and I understand and feel it. In no way do I claim that you do not have a Jewish heart, or Jewish feelings, or perhaps even the potential of a Jewish soul. I cannot know these things.

The question of being a Jew, however, is not the same thing, unfortunately. Having a Jewish heart and Jewish feelings does not make someone Jewish. One has to be Jewish according to Jewish Law.

A young woman (I'll call her Sheila) wrote me a while back, complaining about this concept. Her father is Jewish, but her mother is not. She demanded that I prove that the Torah attaches a persons Jewish lineage to the mother. Here are her arguments, and my responses to them.

Sheila wrote me: I am VERY upset to hear that people who are Jewish only by their father's side are not considered by the Orthodox to be Jewish, when in the Torah it firmly states that the father is the leader of the house and all the stories in Torah talked about Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Moses, etc.

I'm not sure what you mean by "Leader of the house." In any case, there is no indication that the Leader of the household passes along nationality. Tribal affiliation, yes, but not nationality. Let me demonstrate.

Were the Matriarchs Jewish? The answer is yes. (Of course, the word "Jewish" is not exactly the right word to use, since the word "Jew" came about only later, because of the Tribe of Judah, but never mind that for now. "Jewish" is the easiest term to use for this discussion, so we'll use that word.) The Matriarchs, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Leah, Bilha, and Zilpah, were all just as Jewish as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

What made Abraham Jewish? What made Sarah Jewish? Abraham's father and mother were not Jewish. Sarah's father or mother were not Jewish. What made Abraham and Sarah Jewish?

Abraham and Sarah were both Jewish because they converted.

Okay, then why was Isaac Jewish? Was it because his father was Jewish, or because his mother was Jewish? How can you tell? Does it make a difference, if they were both Jewish?

You might ask me, who says that Sarah was Jewish? It's pretty logical that Sarah was just as Jewish as Abraham, but in case you're not convinced, read my article "Was King David Jewish?" You'll find the link below.

For that matter, why wasn't Ishmael Jewish? His father was Abraham. Yet only Isaac became the ancestor of the Jews. Was it because Isaac's mother (Sarah) was Jewish, and Ishmael's mother (Hagar) was not? No, that is not the reason. It was because Isaac chose to serve Hashem, and Ishmael did not.

But according to you, Sheila, since you say that being Jewish is passed along by the father, Ishmael should also have been Jewish. Yet he was not. Apparently, being Jewish was passed along some other way. Was it through the mother? No, it wasn't that either, and I'll prove it.

Let's look at the next generation. Why was Jacob Jewish, when Esau was not? They both had the same mother, and the same father! The reason is because Jacob served Hashem, and Esau did not, and thus Hashem chose Jacob, but did not choose Esau.

All of Jacob's children served Hashem, and therefore Hashem chose all of them.

So we see that the Biblical stories of our ancestors do not show that Jewishness was passed along by the father (or the mother). There is no evidence of that at all.

When we, the children of Israel, stood at Mount Sinai and accepted the Torah, we accepted new Laws that we had never been expected to keep until then. And from then on, Jewish lineage was passed down by the mother, whether or not one accepted Judaism. (And I will prove that below, with Hashem's help.)

As to the stories in the Torah, there are stories of the Matriarchs as well. Our Mother Sarah, exactly like our Father Abraham, was a convert to Judaism. So was Rebecca, because her parents were not Jewish.

So why do most of the stories focus on the men? It is not because they were the carriers of Jewish nationality. It was because the stories that the Torah wants to teach us most often happened with the men. But there are plenty of stories about the women as well.

The stories of the Torah are not there to tell us simply how we are descended from Jews. That is not important, because we can all just convert if we wanted to. Besides, a simple lineage chart would suffice. The stories are there to teach us lessons, not to tell us how we are descended from Jews.

The stories also teach us that we will always carry the merits of our ancestors. Plus they give us object lessons to try to emulate.

Sheila wrote me again: Nowhere in the Torah does it state that only the mother is the passer of the Jewish blood.

And where does it say that the father is? But I shall demonstrate, with Hashem's help, that the Torah does say that the mother carries the Jewish lineage.

When the Torah speaks of the Law against marrying a non-Jew (Deuteronomy 7:3), here is what the Torah says:

Do not intermarry with them; do not give your daughter to his son, and do not take his daughter for your son.

For he will cause your son to turn away from Me, and they will worship the gods of others....

Now, that second verse is strange. The first verse gives the two possible examples: your daughter may not marry a Gentile man, and your son may not marry a Gentile woman. Both are forbidden, and both are mentioned in the first verse.

But the second verse cites only one example. "For he will cause your son to turn away from me...."

Okay, so which example is the Torah talking about? Let's try them in order.

Number 1: Let's say your daughter married a Gentile man. So why does the Torah say "He will cause your SON..." Who is the son? Shouldn't it say "He will turn your DAUGHTER away?"

Okay, so let's try the second possibility: your son married a Gentile woman. Again, why does the Torah say "HE will turn your son away?" It should say "SHE will turn your son away from Me...."

So we need to understand this. Who is this "he," and who is this "son?"

Well, what does the Torah means when it uses the word "son?" Let's look at some examples:

Exodus 2:18. "And they came to their father Re'uel." But they were the daughters of Jethro! (Jethro was also known as Chovev, as we see from Judges 4:11.) Why does the Torah call them the daughters of Re'uel? Re'uel was Jethro's father (Numbers 10:29), and we often find that the Torah calls a grandfather a father, and a grandson a son.

Genesis 20:12. "Furthermore, she is indeed my sister, my father's daughter, though not my mother's daughter, and she became my wife." Abraham was explaining that he had not lied. But was Sarah really his father's daughter? In fact, Sarah was his niece, the daughter of his brother. Therefore, Sarah was the daughter of Terach, her grandfather. So in a sense she was Abraham's sister.

And this is why Abraham told his nephew Lot "we are brothers..." (Genesis 13:8). The grandson of my father is like the son of my father. And that makes him my brother.

Genesis 29:5. Jacob asked the people of the city "Do you know Lavan the son of Nachor?" But Lavan was the grandson of Nachor, not the son of Nachor! Lavan was the son of Besu-el, who was the son of Nachor. In fact, Rebecca, Lavan's sister, told Eliezer "I am the daughter of Besu-el, who was the son of Milkah the wife of Nachor" (Genesis 24:24). So why did Jacob call Lavan the son of Nachor, when Lavan was the grandson of Nachor? Because a grandson is considered like a son.

But is this true of all a person's children? What if you your daughter marries a gentile man, and has a son. Is that child also considered your son?

Well, the Torah seems to say that it is. Where? In the verse we started with, in Deuteronomy 7:4. The Torah says "For he will cause your son to turn away." Who is "he?" Who does it mean by "your son?"

"He" means the Gentile son-in-law. Your son means your daughter's son. Since your daughter is Jewish, her daughter is Jewish. But your Gentile son-in-law might turn your grandson away from Hashem. In other words, if you let your daughter marry a Gentile, your son-in-law will cause your grandson to turn away from Hashem.

But what if it's your son who married a Gentile woman? Well, the Torah does not say "she will turn your son away from Hashem." The Torah does not warn us that the Gentile woman will turn the Jewish man away from Hashem. Why not? I'm not sure, but perhaps it's because if your son marries a gentile woman, he has already turned away from Hashem!

Okay, but what about your son's children? Won't their Gentile mother turn them away from Hashem? The answer is that the children of a Gentile mother are not Jewish in the first place, so the Torah is not worried about them being turned away from Hashem.

To make it clear: why doesn't the Torah say "she will turn your son away from Hashem?" Why isn't the Torah worried that your Gentile daughter-in-law will turn your grandson away from G-d? The answer is because the son of your Gentile daughter-in-law is not Jewish, and he is not considered your grandson (or son) at all.

Sheila asked: Do you decide what G-d accepts??

To which I responded: Of course not. We follow what the Torah teaches.

And Sheila wrote: But, men in power have decided to take away some of the laws of Torah.

And I answered her: But that doesn't make sense. If it were because men wanted power, then they would have given themselves the power of lineage. Instead, according to you they gave the power of Jewish lineage to the women!

Sheila wrote: I want to be Jewish for no other reason except than because I believe it and feel it stir in my heart.

Good, that is a beautiful thing. Then do it the right way. Do it the Torah way.


http://www.beingjewi.../whoisajew.html




Why did Paul circumcise Timothy?

http://www.thebereancall.org/node/1974

This post has been edited by VOICE: 09 September 2009 - 11:53 AM

[crownsevenalphabet]

Thank you, Voice :


Very interesting information. I plan to re-read the commentary a 2nd time.


I find some of my answer's are in these two scripture's you posted:


Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.
Zechariah 8:23



For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
Romans 2:28:29

[Word of God]

crownsevenalphabet, on Sep 10 2009, 01:54 AM, said:

Thank you, Voice :


Very interesting information. I plan to re-read the commentary a 2nd time.


I find some of my answer's are in these two scripture's you posted:


Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.
Zechariah 8:23



For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
Romans 2:28:29

Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt (tzizit) of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.
Zechariah 8:23


And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem (tzizit) of his garment:
Matthew 9:20


Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes (tzizit) in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:
Numbers 15:38




The Greek term ethnos literally just means "nation" or "people" or "ethnic group," although in the Bible it often refers collectively to all the other nations except for the Jews. Since most "nations" in biblical times had their own religion and their own gods, there is much overlap between what we today might distinguish: nation states vs. ethnic groups vs. religious groups. Thus, "Jews" in the Bible are both an ethnic group and a religious group.

The "Jews" of today have had a very long history and a complex heritage, including but not limited to the Jews of biblical times. Today they are both a religious group and an ethnic group, but not exclusively either of these (that is, many of today's religious "Jews" come from other ethnic groups, and some ethnic "Jews" today no longer practice the Jewish religion). In different historical eras and geographical locations, however, they have been called by a variety of different names (Jews, Judeans, Israelites, Israelis, Hebrews, Palestinians, etc.), each of which has a particular origin and meaning.

These terms are all inter-connected, but with some significant differences. They all refer to people who consider themselves the "Twelve Tribes of Israel," descendants of the "Twelve Sons of Jacob," and thus ultimately the "Children of Abraham." On the other hand, Arabs, Muslims, Samaritans, and even Christians also consider themselves to be descendants of Abraham, although in significantly different ways.



Ancient Jews, their Ancestors, and their Descendants:

Children of Abraham - people who claim Abraham as their father (whether literally or figuratively, by birth or by faith). This term can encompass Jews, Samaritans, and Christians:

• 
  
• Abraham (originally called Abram) eventually had two sons, even though his wife Sarah (originally called Sarai) was thought to be unable to bear any children (Gen 12-25):
  • Since Sarah was childless at first, Abraham's first son Ishmael was born to Sarah's slave Hagar (a common practice in ancient times; see Gen 16)
    
  • But Sarah herself later also had a son, named Isaac, and some rivalries developed between the mothers, which eventually split the family (Gen 21).
    
  • In the next generation, Isaac also had two sons, twins named Esau and Jacob (Gen 25), each of whom had numerous descendants themselves (Gen 35:23—37:1).
    
  • Jacob's name was later changed to Israel (Gen 32:28; 35:10; see "Israelites" below).

• Jews see themselves as the physical and spiritual descendants of Abraham, through his son Isaac and grandson Jacob.
  • Even though Isaac was younger than Ishmael, and Jacob was younger than Esau, the Jews consider themselves the ones chosen by God as the legitimate heirs of the covenent at Sinai, and via the incontravertable promises God made to Abraham (Gen 17:20-22; 22:16-18; 27:1-45; 49:1-12)

http://www.christian...s...st&p=335286

• Christians also claim to be Abraham's descendants (Gal 3; Rom 4), but through "faith" or spiritual "adoption" (Gal 4; Rom 8), rather than physical descent.

Hebrews - an alternate designation for the people of Israel, the Jews, both in ancient and modern times:

• In the OT, "Hebrews" refers to an ethnic group, esp. in contrast to the Egyptians (Gen 43:32; Exod 1:19) or other nations (Jonah 1:9).
  • Many scholars today think the word "Hebrew" is derived from "Eber," the name of one of Abraham's ancestors (Gen 10:24-25, 11:14-26).
    
  • Some scholars suggest that the word apiru or habiru (found in various Ancient Near Eastern documents) refers to early Hebrews.

• "Hebrew" also refers to the ancient Semitic language in which most of the Bible (Old Testament) was written.
  • By the time of Jesus, most Jews no longer spoke Hebrew, but rather Aramaic, a closely related Semitic language; yet many Jews still read the Bible in Hebrew.
    
  • Hebrew almost died out as a living language; but "modern Hebrew," based on biblical Hebrew, was resurrected in the 19th century.
    
  • In the NT, "Hebrew" sometimes refers more loosely to the Aramaic language commonly spoken at the time of Jesus (cf. John 19:13, 17, 20; etc.)
  
  
• 
  
• In the NT, one book is called "To the Hebrews" not because it was originally written in the Hebrew language, nor because it was addressed to Jews, but because it seems to have been addressed to Christians from a Jewish religious and/or ethnic background.

Israelites - the most common term for the ancient people belonging to the twelve tribes of Israel:

• One of the grandsons of Abraham was originally named Jacob, but later received the name Israel (Gen 25:26; 32:28; 35:10).
  • Note that this name is properly spelled Isr-A-E-L, not Isr-E-A-L, even though it is usually pronounced with a long "EE" in English.
  
  
• The twelve sons of Jacob (Gen 29:31—30:24; 35:16-20; summarized in 35:23-26) are considered to be the ancestors of the "twelve tribes of Israel" (Gen 49:28).
  • During the days of Moses, Joshua, the Judges, and the early Kings (Saul, David, Solomon), "Israel" and "Israelite" still refers to the whole people, from all twelve of the tribes.
  
  
• Following the split of the "Kingdom of David" in 922 BCE, the ten northern tribes comprised what continued to be called the "Kingdom of Israel," in contrast to the "Kingdom of Judah" in the South (which consisted of the tribe of Judah and the much smaller tribe of Benjamin).
  • Both of these kingdoms are eventually taken over by foreign empires (the Kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians in 721 BCE, the Kingdom of Judah by the Babylonians by 587 BCE).
    
  • Even before the time of Jesus, people were hoping for the reestablishment of the "Kingdom of Israel," meaning not just the ten northern tribes, but all twelve of the tribes of Israel.
  
  
• The modern state of Israel was not re-established until 1948, following World War II, but mandate of the United Nations.
  • Citizens of the modern state of Israel are called "Israelis," in contrast to the "Israelites" of ancient times.

Judahites / Judeans / Jews - closely related names stemming from slightly different historical circumstances and eras:

Judahites - a term for the inhabitants of the southern Kingdom of Judah after 922 BCE. Judeans - the Greek term for the inhabitants of Judea, the territory formerly called "Judah." Jews - a later English shorthand term dervied from the Greek word "Judeans"

Galileans - people in or from the Northern regions of Israel, esp. West of the Sea of Galilee (a.k.a. Sea of Tiberias, Lake of Gennesaret, etc.).

• The area inhabited by the several ancient Israelite tribes after the conquest of the land led by Joshua (1200's BCE).
  • Namely, the tribes of Issachar, Zebulun, Naphtali, and Dan (see Joshua 19:10-48; 20:7; 21:32).
  
  
• Part of the (Northern) Kingdom of Israel, after the death of King Solomon and the division of the kingdom (ca. 930 BCE).
  • Conquered by the Assyrians, along with the rest of the Northern Kingdom, in the 720's BCE (2 Kings 15:29; Isaiah 9:1).
    
  • Thus not inhabited by Israelites for several centuries, but by people resettled from other parts of the Assyrian Empire.
  
  
• Reconquered and resettled by the Judeans (Jews) during the period of the Maccabees (late 2nd Cent. BCE).
  • Yet geographically separated from the heart of Judea by the (hostile) region of Samaria.
  
  
• Part of the Kingdom of Herod the Great (40-4 BCE); then ruled by his son, the Herod Antipas (4 BCE - 39 CE; see Luke 3:1; 23:6-11).
  • Although culturally/religiously Jews, Galileans apparently had a distinct accent (Mark 14:70; Matt 26:69-75; Luke 22:59; Acts 2:7).
    
  • They may have been looked down upon by other Judeans (John 1:43-46; 7:41, 52) in the same way perhaps that
    
  • northerners of countries consider themselves to be more sophisticated (especially linguistically) than southerners.
    
  • Jesus himself was a Galilean Rabbi who had a mezuzah on his doorposts, fringes on his garments, a prayer shawl when
    
  • attending synagogue, a completely kosher diet - he was nationally and ethnically a circumcised Jewish male, legally
    
  • permitted to consitute one of the quorum of a minimum of ten men in any Jewish prayer service. He was allowed into
    
  • the Beit HaMikdash/Jewish Temple in Jerusalem with full Jewish rights. As an 'Orthodox Rabbi' he was permitted to teach from the sacred Torah scrolls, the Prophets and the Writings of King David and King Solomon (Psalms and Proverbs). He was from the tribe of Judah and the line of David, both which could be proven from Temple records.

Palestinians - originally refers to all the inhabitants of the geographic region of Israel, then called by the Romans -Palestine; now refers more specifically to certain sub-groups:

• "Palestine" was the name given by the Romans to the territory of Israel after the Second Jewish War against Rome (132-135 CE)
  • It was derived from the name "Philistines," ancient enemies of the Hebrews who also lived in the same territory. As a nomenclature it was mean't as an insult and parody to a conquered Jewish people.
  
  
• In the 19th and 20th centuries, "Palestinians" referred to all the people living in the Holy Land.
  • Thus including Palestinian Jews, Palestinian Arabs, and Palestinian Christians.
  
  
• Today, "Palestinians" generally refers to the non-Jewish Arabs living in Israel, including those from there but now living in exile in other countries.
  • Note that while most modern Palestinians are Muslim, there still are some Palestinian Arab Christians.

Israelis - the citizens and inhabitants of the State of Israel, since its independence in 1948.

• The term "Israelis" (in the modern State of Israel) should not be confused with "Isaraelites" (the ancient inhabitants), as explained above.
  
• Although most inhabitants of Israel today are Jews (including some Palestinian Jews and many Jewish immigrants from other parts of the world), some citizens of Israel are Arabs, Muslims, and/or Christians.

Terms Used for Non-Jewish Groups in the Ancient World:

Samaritans - people from the region of Samaria (the ancient Northern Kingdom of Israel, whose capital city was also called Samaria):

• The Samaritans only accepted the Pentateuch (the Torah, the first five books of the HB) as canonical.
  
• Jews and Samaritans disdained each other, due to centuries of conflict and rivalry.
  
• The Gospel of Mark never mentions Samaritans, while the Matthean Jesus explicitly instructs his disciples to avoid Samaritan villages (Matt 10:5-6).
  
• In Luke's Gospel, a Samaritan village rejects Jesus (Luke 9:52-53), but Jesus also uses a Samaritan as the compassionate central character of a parable (Luke 10:29-37), and one of the ten lepers cleansed by Jesus is a Samaritan (Luke 17:11-17).
  
• In John, Jesus encounters a Samaritan woman at a well, and accepts the hospitality of a Samaritan village (John 4).
  
• Samaria becomes a center of missionary activity in the early Church (Acts 1:8; 8:4-25).

Gentiles - a general term referring to any and all people who are not Jews and who are not Jews ethnically or nationally and who are not Jewish Christians:

• Nations: the Greek term ethnos literally means "nation," but if it seems in the Bible to refer to all the other nations, outside of Israel, it is often translated "Gentile."
  
• Greeks: can refer either specifically to the people from Greece (2 Macc 4:10-15), or more generally to any Greek-speaking person living in the Eastern part of the Roman Empire (Mark 7:26; John 7:35; etc.).
  
• Romans:
  • official representatives of the Roman Emperor or Empire (John 11:48, Acts 25:16)
    
  • those who pledged allegiance to Rome (Acts 16:21)
    
  • citizens of the city and/or empire of (Acts 22:25-29)
    
  • Jews who had been born in Rome or resided there (Acts 2:10)
  
  
• Barbarians - a term used for people outside the Hellenistic and/or Roman worlds (depending on who the speaker is).

Christians - not just one ethnic or national group, but all people who believe in Jesus as the "Christ"

• The term "Christian" is derived from the Greek word Christos, equivalent to the Hebrew word Messias, both of which simply mean "the anointed one" (John 1:41; 4:25), and are used as the most common Messianic titles for Jesus of Nazareth.
  
• "Christian" is first applied to the predominantly Gentile believers in the Greek-speaking city of Antioch, the capital of the Roman Province of Syria and third-largest city of the Roman Empire (Acts 11:26); it is used only two other times in the entire NT (Acts 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16)
  
• These Gentiles, before being called "Christians", probably referred to themselves as "believers," "disciples," "brothers/sisters," or "saints," while outsiders may have called them "Nazarenes" (Acts 24:5), or followers of "the Way" (Acts 9:2; 18:25; 19:9, 23; etc.).
  
• the first believers in Jesus mentioned in the New Testament were Jewish believers and were the first of the Nazarenes residing in Israel. Jewish believers today are called Jewish Christians, Christian Jews, Messianic Jews or Messianic Jewish believers.

You are a Gentile Christian .

This post has been edited by VOICE: 09 September 2009 - 05:12 PM

[crownsevenalphabet]

Thank you, Voice :


These scriptures YOU provided are very important in understanding my question
I have asked within this topic :




Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt (tzizit) of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.
Zechariah 8:23


And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem (tzizit) of his garment:
Matthew 9:20


Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes (tzizit) in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:
Numbers 15:38




p.s.
You are a Gentile Christian .

This post has been edited by VOICE: Today, 06:12 PM

--------


I fully - - - GET-it - - - Did you think because of my Cherokee Indian blood connection,
that I am claiming I am an Amerindian From Israel ?


I do claim the Davidic bloodline, however, it is through my surname related to the
British Crown.

Let us not get side-tracked on that opposition, ok ?

Anyway, being a grafted Gentile into the Vine, is very rewarding for me and my
salvation is beyond some DNA facts of the matter.

Our spiritual anointing is in the blood of Jesus Christ the Messiah, . . .

. . . heritage is surface data, . . . important to many, now that my historical family
history roots are recorded for future generations, I have done my task required.

My greatest accomplishment will be heavens gate, which is my concentration since
all the other lesson's about surnames was a past lesson to find out that when you
open the closet, skeleton's fall out - - - then you really see the generations of sin
and deceit in a surname - - - then I realized that only grace can be applied to the
matter, since I cannot undo the cold hard facts of abuse by descendants, plantation
owner's, etc.


- - -




- - -






http://i99.photobuck...eHemofJesus.jpg



excerpt


http://daughtersofgo...igh-priest.html


CHRIST, OUR HIGH PRIEST, TOUCHING THE HEM OF HIS GARMENT,
PARALLEL'S THE `BANNER` IN THE WILDERNESS . . .

by : Betty C. Clark
Sunday, 11-09-08


The bleeding woman story, in the New Testament, believed she should touch the hem of the garment of Christ . . .


Matthew 14:36


King James Bible
And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.


WHAT WAS THIS BELIEF BASED UPON ?

ANSWER :

The blue string attached to the wing of the Priest garment [shawl],
was a Hebrew custom. To understand this custom of garment attire,
please review the following study :



http://www.messianic...en-garments.jpp


The New Testament clearly defines Christ wearing a prayer shawl
with the traditional blue tassel (cord/string) attached to the wing
of the hem of the garment.



excerpt

http://scriptures.lds.org/en/bd/h/36

Hem of Garment

An important part of an Israelite’s dress, owing to the regulation of Num. 15: 38-39. It was really a tassel at each “wing” or corner of the tallith or mantle (Matt. 14: 36). The law required that it should be bound with a thread of blue, the color of heaven. The strict Jews to this day wear these tassels, though they are usually concealed. The Pharisees made them conspicuously large (Matt. 23: 5). It would be the tassel that hung over the shoulder at the back that the woman with the issue of blood came and touched (Luke 8: 44; also Ex. 28: 33-34).



The Leviticus Law of the Breastplate of Judgment and all the High Priest garment requirements, carry forth the theme of the blue cord attached to the wing of Jesus’ prayer shawl.

[Word of God]

crownsevenalphabet, on Sep 10 2009, 07:35 AM, said:

Thank you, Voice :

I fully - - - GET-it - - - Did you think because of my Cherokee Indian blood connection,
that I am claiming I am an Amerindian From Israel ?


I do claim the Davidic bloodline, however, it is through my surname related to the
British Crown.

Let us not get side-tracked on that opposition, ok ?

Anyway, being a grafted Gentile into the Vine, is very rewarding for me and my
salvation is beyond some DNA facts of the matter.

Our spiritual anointing is in the blood of Jesus Christ the Messiah, . . .

You are a Gentile Christian saved by grace alone. You never were a member
of ethnic national Israel or the Jewish people before you were 'saved' and you
are not a member now.

You are a Christian of non- 'Davidic' Gentile parents.

A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
Luke 2:32