During the Second Temple Period, as foreign rule led to worsening conditions among many in the Jewish community, people turned their attention from the difficulties of this life to the ideal state of the next life, which led naturally to the question: How can one enter the blissful realm of God? There were several erroneous theories that claimed credence as the answer, but all of them were Inadequate Means of Salvation.
The most common of these erroneous notions is that one's pedigree determines one's part in God's program, but...
The second most common of these erroneous notions is that one's good behavior determines one's part in God's program, but....
A third common erroneous notion is that the efficacy of temple offerings determine one's part in God's program, but....
A fourth common erroneous notion is that circumcision determines one's part in God's program, but....
salvation.[19]
Most people recognized that God is more selective than to allow national identity to be the main criterion for entrance into the kingdom. God may give preference to His people, but simply being a Jew does not guarantee a place in eternity. God also demands obedience from His people (which evinces the prime criterion: faith.) Those who would live within His realm must demonstrate that they are subject to His rule. They must live righteously, just as He commands;[20] and when they sin, they must repent.[21]
People also generally recognized that righteous living does not eradicate the guilt of a person's disobedience; that God must provide some means of atonement. Those who sought tangible means found a likely candidate in the temple sacrifices but misunderstood the purpose of those sacrifices, thinking they accomplished more than ceremonial purification.[22]
When it comes to salvation, there are no right deeds or right sacrifices; there is no right lineage or right initiation. These are all inadequate means of salvation. There is only one way, and that is the way God established. None of these proposals for salvation offers adequate means, which is why God supplied another.
For the Bibliography and Endnotes, see the pdf here.
The most common of these erroneous notions is that one's pedigree determines one's part in God's program, but...
- Contrary to what some think, the right lineage does not guarantee access to heaven (Matt 3:7-9).
Exod 32:13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: 'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever."
Deut 9:27 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Overlook the stubbornness of this people, their wickedness and their sin.Later, Moses employed the notion to encourage those who might doubt God's abiding commitment to the nation.
Deut 4:37 Because he loved your forefathers and chose their descendants after them, he brought you out of Egypt... 38 to drive out before you nations greater and stronger than you and to bring you into their land to give it to you for your inheritance, as it is today.David's service led God to favor Solomon, even after the David's apostasy.[4]
1 Kgs 11:12 Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.... 32 But for the sake of my servant David and the city of Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, he will have one tribe.... 34 But I will not take the whole kingdom out of Solomon's hand; I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of David my servant, whom I chose and who observed my commands and statutes.Successive kings received similar dispensation, even some who were undeserving.[5]
1 Kgs 15:4 Nevertheless, for David's sake the LORD his God gave [Jeroboam] a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and by making Jerusalem strong.
2 Kgs 8:19 Nevertheless, for the sake of his servant David, the LORD was not willing to destroy Judah [despite Jehoram's sin]. He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever. [=2 Ch 21:7]
2 Kgs 19:34 I will defend this city [despite Judah's sin] and save it, for my sake and for the sake of David my servant. [=19:34c; = Isa 37:35]Throughout its use in scripture, benefit from the "merit of the fathers" is limited to this life.[6] During the first century, however, some extended the advantage to the next life as well.[7] John the Baptist encounters leaders who assume that being Abraham's descendants assures them of God's approval and (by implication) a place in heaven, and he disabuses them of that notion.[8]
Matt 3:7 ...when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father. I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.This view was in the minority, as most recognized the value of the "merits of the fathers" was in this life. Paul uses the idea in his metaphor of the olive tree, although with regard to national preservation and not individual salvation.[9]
Rom 11:18 do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.... 28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs,The theme also appears in rabbinic literature, again, with reference to this world.[10]
b Sot l0b R Hanin b Bizna [4th c] said in the name of R Simeon the Pious 1273-300 or 291-310].....a Bat Kol...proclaimed [to Judah] "You rescued Tamar and her two sons from the fire. By your life, I will rescue through your merit three of your descendants from the fire." Who are they? Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah [Dan 3].
b Yoma 87a Happy are the righteous! Not only do they acquire merit, but they bestow merit upon their children and children's children to the end of all generations; for Aaron had several sons who deserved to be burned like Nadab and Abihu, as it is said: "That were left" [Lev 10: 12], but the merit of their father helped them.
b San 104a Manasseh [Hezekiah's son, will] not be included [in the world to come] because of Hezekiah's honor [becausel a father confers no [such] privilege on a son. For it is written, Neither is there any one who can deliver out of my hand [Deut 32:39].The "merit of the fathers" is a biblical as well as a rabbinical doctrine, but it does not pertain to eternity and, therefore, does not assure access to God for their descendants. The right lineage does not gain entry to heaven.[11]
The second most common of these erroneous notions is that one's good behavior determines one's part in God's program, but....
- Contrary to what some think, the right deeds do not gain access to heaven (Luke 18:9-14).
Lev 26:3 If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands.... 9a I will look on you with favor.... 12 I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.
Deut 5:33 Walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.
Deut 30:16 For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.Good deeds do not establish a relationship with God or determine one's access to Him.[13]
Isa 64:6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
Dan 9:18 Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.Some in Second Temple Judaism, elevated the importance of good deeds, making them the primary, even sole criterion for justification before God and, by implication, the determinant for securing one's place in heaven.[14] Jesus encounters people who assume that doing good works assures them of God's approval and (by implication) a place in heaven, and he disabuses them of that notion.
Luke 18:9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' 13 "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' 14 "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."This was also the assumption of a young administrator who thought he had met God's requirements.[15]
Matt 19:16 Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?" ... 17c If you want to enter life, obey the commandments." 18 "Which ones?" the man inquired. Jesus replied," 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself." 20 "All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"The right deeds (good works) are insufficient to warrant justification or to secure an individual's salvation .[16] Good behavior does not gain access to heaven.
A third common erroneous notion is that the efficacy of temple offerings determine one's part in God's program, but....
- Contrary to what some think, the right sacrifices do not guarantee access to heaven (Heb 9:9-10, 13; 10:4).[17]
Heb 9:9 ...[animal] sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. 10 They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations.... 13 ...the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean.
Heb 10:1 The law [has] a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2 If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3 But those sacrifices are [lit. "in them is,'] an annual reminder of sins, 4 because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.... 11 [Animal I sacrifices.. .can never take away sins.Rabbinic literature includes the view that the sacrifices on Yom Kippur help to secure entrance into the world to come.
m Yoma 8:8 [F]or graver sins [penitence] suspends punishment until the Day of Atonement arrives and effects atonement.... 9 For transgression from man towards God the Day of Atonement effects atonement; but for transgression between a man and his fellow man the Day of Atonement does not effect atonement until he shall have first appeased his fellow man.
b Yoma 86a [I]n what case does repentance suspend punishment and the Day of Atonement procure atonement? In such as involve extirpation, death-penalty through the Beth din and in actual negative commandments.Animal sacrifices are ceremonial, though, and have no soteriological effect. Temple offerings do not gain access to heaven.
A fourth common erroneous notion is that circumcision determines one's part in God's program, but....
- Contrary to what some think, the right initiation does not guarantee access to heaven (Acts 15:1,7-9).
Acts 15:1 Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: "Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved." ...5 [When the council met later] some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses." ...9 [Peter responded: "God] made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."The corollary is that being a gentile actually excludes a person from heaven, an argument some in Galatia may have been espousing.
Gal 2:15 "We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners"Nevertheless, as Paul states clearly and repeatedly, circumcision has no bearing on
salvation.[19]
Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Gal 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
Gal 6:15 Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation.Converting to Judaism and undergoing circumcision does not gain access to heaven.
Most people recognized that God is more selective than to allow national identity to be the main criterion for entrance into the kingdom. God may give preference to His people, but simply being a Jew does not guarantee a place in eternity. God also demands obedience from His people (which evinces the prime criterion: faith.) Those who would live within His realm must demonstrate that they are subject to His rule. They must live righteously, just as He commands;[20] and when they sin, they must repent.[21]
People also generally recognized that righteous living does not eradicate the guilt of a person's disobedience; that God must provide some means of atonement. Those who sought tangible means found a likely candidate in the temple sacrifices but misunderstood the purpose of those sacrifices, thinking they accomplished more than ceremonial purification.[22]
When it comes to salvation, there are no right deeds or right sacrifices; there is no right lineage or right initiation. These are all inadequate means of salvation. There is only one way, and that is the way God established. None of these proposals for salvation offers adequate means, which is why God supplied another.
John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Acts 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.
1 Tim 2:5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,Jesus is the only adequate means of salvation.
For the Bibliography and Endnotes, see the pdf here.
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Jim Skaggs