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[This is part of an ongoing series titled “Lost in Translation”; in 2012 when this first was posted, Sinaite DVE/Admin2 had four articles lined up, please check:
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A TEXT OUT OF CONTEXT… IS JUST A PRETEXT
Why Jews Cannot Accept the New Testament
By Rabbi Bentzion Kravitz
Classic Christian belief claims that only by believing in the messiah, can people be totally forgiven for their sins. Romans states that—
“The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.” [Romans 11:26]
However, the original verse from Jewish scriptures states that the redeemer will come to Zion and to those who turn away (repent) from sin. These two diametrically opposed statements represent a critical theological difference between Judaism and Christianity. As Isaiah states,
“A redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression.” [Isaiah 59:20]
To continue this discussion about atonement of sin, the New Testament incorrectly quotes Psalms to make it appear that the body of the messiah (offered on the cross) is more desired than sacrifices.
“Sacrifices and offering thou hast not desired, but a body Thou hast prepared for Me.” [Hebrews 10:5]
In truth, the correct translation of this passage is,
“Sacrifices and meal offerings Thou hast not desired; My ears Thou hast opened.” [Psalms 40:6]
Another verse from the Jewish bible confirms the Jewish understanding of Psalm 40:6 by stating that God wants obedience more than sacrifices.
“…Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice…”
[1 Samuel 15:22]
Additionally, sin offerings were meant for unintentional sins only (see Leviticus 4) and served to motivate repentance. In the Jewish bible, the animal blood sacrifice[8] was not the main ingredient in removing sin. Even a perfect sacrifice not accompanied with sincere repentance could never achieve atonement for the individual.
“The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.” [Proverbs 15:8]
How do we attain atonement for sins, today, when we no longer offer sacrifices in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem? The Jewish prophet Hosea (Chapter 14) taught us that when there is no Temple, our prayers replace sacrifices as the act to arouse our authentic feelings of remorse and repentance.
“Offer your lips (of prayer) in place of the bulls (of sacrifices).” [Hosea 14:2]
Although the context substantiates the correct understanding, Christian translations avoid the association of sacrifices and prayers. Instead, they often delete the reference to the sacrificial bulls by mistranslating the verse as “Offer the fruit of our lips”, as found in the Christian King James Bible and New American Standard editions.
Another passage that clearly instructs the Jews to replace sacrifices with prayer is found in the Old Testament, book of Kings, chapter 8.
“When Your people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way You shall send them, and they pray to the Lord toward the city which You have chosen and the house which I have built for Your name, then hear in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.” [1 Kings 8:44-45]
Some Christians attempt to validate their claim for the essential need of blood sacrifices by claiming that the Old Testament, Leviticus 17:11 states,
“There is no remission of sin without the shedding of blood.”
But this statement does not appear anywhere in Jewish Scriptures! (Emphasis ours) In fact, Leviticus 17:11 reads,
“For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.”
Although this verse states that blood serves as a tool to attain atonement for sin, it does not say that blood is only way to achieve this. In truth, the Jewish bible contains several examples of achieving atonement through various means without blood, such as—
“Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them.” [Numbers 16:47]
The closest reference to Christianity’s fabricated version of the Leviticus 17:11 passage concerning blood and atonement actually appears in the New Testament. Amazingly, this passage actually substantiates the Jewish understanding and significantly contradicts the Christian argument. How so? Because it states that a person can almost claim that blood makes atonement.
“And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness…” [Hebrews 9:22]
One of the most shocking contradictions in the New Testament appears in Hebrews where the Jewish prophet Jeremiah is deliberately misquoted. Why did this happen? Christians want to give the impression that God has rejected or no longer cares for the Jewish people.
“For they did not continue in My covenant and I did not care [9] for them…” [Hebrews 8:9]
But Jeremiah’s words were totally different! He taught that although the Jewish people may have behaved like an unfaithful wife, God remains a faithful husband and will not break His covenant with them. The verse actually states,
“My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them…” [Jeremiah 31:32]
God also stated that He would never break His covenant with the Jewish people.
“I will not reject them or abhor them so as to destroy them completely, breaking my covenant with them…” [Leviticus 26:44]
Throughout the New Testament, there are countless more contradictions and inconsistencies rooted in blatant mistranslations.
To prove the virgin birth, Matthew incorrectly quotes the prophet Isaiah and states,
“Behold a virgin shall be with child and shall bear a son and they shall call His name Immanuel.” [Matthew 1:23]
But Isaiah actually wrote,
“Behold the young woman is with a child and shall bear a son and she will call His name Immanuel.” [Isaiah 7:14]
The Old Testament original is in the present tense (is with child) and speaks about a specific (the) “young woman” (not “a virgin”) who is pregnant during his lifetime. Furthermore, chapter 8 of Isaiah clearly identifies the woman as Isaiah’s own wife and the child as their own! For those who want to explore this passage in greater depth, I have written an extensive explanation that is available upon request.
Yet another contradiction appears in the New Testament when Matthew tries to prove that an Old Testament prophesy was fulfilled when the infant Jesus returned from Egypt.
Matthew incorrectly quotes Hosea as saying,
“…out of Egypt did I call my Son.” [Matthew 2:15]
The verse in Jewish scriptures actually says,
“When Israel was a youth I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.” [Hosea 11:1]
In addition, in the Old Testament, the people of Israel are referred to in the singular as being God’s son.
“Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, ‘Israel is My son, My firstborn.’” [Exodus 4:22]
This verse also highlights the Christian misinterpretation of the identity of the suffering Servant of God described in Isaiah 53. Christians claim the suffering Servant refers to Jesus, but it actually refers to the people Jewish as a single group suffering because of the nations of the world.
[8] Leviticus chapter 5 gives examples of non-blood sacrifices offered by individuals who could not afford an animal.
[9] Most Christian translations say, “disregarded them”, whereas others incorrectly say, “rejected.”
DVE@S6K
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