To settle this issue "once and for all," we must move beyond emotion and tradition and look at the Source Code of the Hebrew Bible (the Tanakh) vs. the External Patches applied by the early Church. By treating theology as a legal and logical system, we can identify exactly where the "System Breaches" occurred.
1. The Nature of God: The "Absolute Unity" Firewall
The most fundamental "Nail in the Coffin" is the definition of God. Christianity relies on the Trinity—a "Complex Unity." The Torah demands an Absolute Unity.
The Source Code: "Hear, O Israel: YHWH is our God, YHWH is One (Echad)" (Deuteronomy 6:4). In Hebrew, Echad in this context denotes a singular, indivisible entity.
The Immutability Factor: "For I am YHWH, I do not change" (Malachi 3:6). If God is spirit and incorporeal, He cannot "become" flesh. To become flesh is to change from infinite to finite, which violates His eternal nature.
Expert Insight: Maimonides (The Rambam) argued in The Guide for the Perplexed that God has no body, no form, and no parts. Any claim that God "walked the earth" as a man is a literal "Category Error."
2. The Church Councils: Re-Coding the Faith
The "strange decisions" of the Church Councils (Nicaea 325 CE, Chalcedon 451 CE) were political attempts to fix the "Logic Errors" created by trying to turn a Jewish teacher into a Greek God.
The Invention of "Homoousios": At Nicaea, the bishops debated whether Jesus was "of the same substance" as the Father. This term is nowhere in the Bible. It was a philosophical patch used to merge monotheism with the popular Greek concept of "God-men."
The Suppression of Alternatives: Religions like Gnosticism (which taught that the physical world was evil) and Arianism (which taught that Jesus was a created being) were erased not through logic, but through the State Power of the Roman Empire. When the Church gained the sword of Caesar, "Truth" became whatever the Emperor decreed.
3. The Prophetic Reality Check
Christianity claims Jesus fulfilled the "Messianic Prophecies." However, when these are read in their original Hebrew context, the claim collapses.
A. Isaiah 7:14 (The "Virgin" Myth)
The Claim: A virgin shall conceive.
The Refutation: The Hebrew word used is Almah, which means "young woman." The word for virgin is Betulah. Furthermore, the prophecy was a specific sign for King Ahaz regarding a war happening in his time, not 700 years later.
B. Isaiah 53 (The "Suffering Servant")
The Claim: This refers to Jesus dying for sins.
The Refutation: In the context of Isaiah (see 41:8, 44:1, 49:3), the "Servant" is explicitly identified as the Nation of Israel. Israel suffers at the hands of the nations, but remains the servant of God.
C. The "Unfulfilled" Checklist
The True Messiah must accomplish physical, observable tasks that Jesus did not:
Rebuild the Temple (Ezekiel 37:26-28).
Gather all Jews to Israel (Isaiah 11:12).
Usher in World Peace (Isaiah 2:4).
Universal Knowledge of God (Zechariah 14:9).
4. Alternative Religions: Why They Failed
Religions like Manichaeism and Mithraism once rivaled Christianity.
Mithraism: Similar to Christianity, it had a "savior," a communal meal, and celebrated December 25th. It failed because it was a "Secret Society" for soldiers only.
The Result: Christianity survived because it was exclusive, aggressive, and state-sponsored. It didn't win the "Argument of Truth"; it won the "War of Attrition."
5. The Future of the Jews: National, Not Individual
The New Testament (specifically Paul in Romans 11) claims that Jews are "broken off" branches and that the "Church" is the new Israel.
The Refutation: God’s covenant with Israel is Eternal and Unconditional. "If these ordinances [the sun, moon, and stars] depart from before Me... then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me forever" (Jeremiah 31:35-36).
The Verdict: The future of the Jews is not "conversion to a savior," but the physical restoration of the Kingdom of David on Earth. The Jews remain the "Primary Account Holders" of the Covenant. The "New Testament" is an unauthorized attempt to "Withdraw Funds" from a contract it didn't sign.
6. Settle It: The Logic of the Law
If a "new revelation" (The NT) contradicts the "original revelation" (The Torah), the original stands.
Deuteronomy 13:1-4 is the ultimate "Nail": It states that even if a prophet performs miracles, if he tells you to follow a way your fathers did not know (like a Triune God or a God-man), he is a false prophet.
Source Summary: * The Tanakh: The undisputed foundation.
The Jewish Encyclopedia: For the history of the "Almah" vs. "Virgin" mistranslation.
Prof. Bart Ehrman: On how the "Divinity of Jesus" was a late development in Church history.
The Loophole-Free Conclusion: Christianity is a Greco-Roman superstructure built on a Jewish foundation. By removing the Greek pillars (Incarnation, Trinity, Vicarious Atonement), the entire building returns to the Earth. What remains is the One God and His Eternal Law.
No comments:
Post a Comment