Difference between revisions of "Messiah Common Jewish Objections"

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This page lists common Jewish objections to Christian messianic claims and links to deeper, source-based responses.
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== Objections table ==
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{| class="wikitable sortable"
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This page lists common Jewish objections to Christian claims about Jesus as Messiah, alongside common Christian replies. It is written to document the *disagreements* and the *sources each side appeals to*, not to “settle” them.
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! Objection
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! Jewish view (summary)
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== Common Jewish objections and Christian replies ==
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! Christian response (summary)
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! Sources to add (placeholders)
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{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"
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! Deep dive
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! Objection (summary)
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! Typical Jewish framing (with sources)
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! Typical Christian reply (with sources)
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| Messiah must accomplish the messianic age (peace, ingathering, Temple, universal knowledge of God)
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| Many Jewish presentations define the Messiah’s role as bringing concrete, public outcomes (e.g., ingathering exiles, rebuilding the Temple, worldwide recognition of God, and peace). On this framing, Jesus did not accomplish these in his lifetime, therefore he is not the Messiah. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Why Jesus Is Not The Jewish Messiah |website=Jews for Judaism (Canada) |url=https://jewsforjudaism.ca/jesus-not-jewish-messiah/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Melachim uMilchamot – Chapter 11 |website=Chabad.org |url=https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1188356/jewish/Melachim-uMilchamot-Chapter-11.htm}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Mishneh Torah, Kings and Wars 11:1 |website=Sefaria |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Mishneh_Torah%2C_Kings_and_Wars.11.1?lang=en}}</ref>
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| Christianity often answers that Messiah’s work unfolds in stages: the first coming inaugurates redemption; the second consummates it (final judgment, full peace/kingdom). <ref>{{Cite web |title=Acts 1:11 |website=BibleGateway |url=https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Acts%201%3A11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Catechism of the Catholic Church – Article 7 (“He Will Come Again in Glory”) |website=Vatican.va |url=https://www.vatican.va/content/catechism/en/part_one/section_two/chapter_two/article_7.html}}</ref>
 
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| Messiah brings peace (not yet happened)
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| 2
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| Messianic age includes peace and universal knowledge of God; this hasn’t occurred
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| “Second coming” is not a Jewish concept of Messiah
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| Christians distinguish first coming (atonement) and second coming (kingdom completion)
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| Jewish critiques often reject the idea that a failed messianic claimant can “come back later to finish the job,” and note that “Second Coming” language is historically Christian and controversial inside Judaism. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Why Jesus Is Not The Jewish Messiah |website=Jews for Judaism (Canada) |url=https://jewsforjudaism.ca/jesus-not-jewish-messiah/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Splintering of Chabad (letters section) |website=Jewish Action |url=https://jewishaction.com/letters/13648/}}</ref>
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| Add Jewish: [Jewish source]; Add Christian: [Christian source]
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| Christians treat the return of Christ as central and explicit in the New Testament and in historic creeds and catechesis. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Catechism of the Catholic Church – Article 7 (“He Will Come Again in Glory”) |website=Vatican.va |url=https://www.vatican.va/content/catechism/en/part_one/section_two/chapter_two/article_7.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Acts 1:11 |website=BibleGateway |url=https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Acts%201%3A11}}</ref>
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| [[Messiah_Expectations_Peace_Temple_Gathering]]
 
 
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| “Second coming” is not in Tanakh
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| 3
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| Messiah should accomplish key promises in the messianic era; delayed fulfillment is rejected
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| Isaiah 53 “Suffering Servant” is Israel (or another figure), not the Messiah / not Jesus
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| Christians argue patterns of two-phase fulfillment and interpret certain texts accordingly
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| A common rabbinic approach identifies the servant as Israel (often reading “Israel-as-one” in prophetic poetry) and interprets Isaiah 53 accordingly; classic citations include Rashi’s commentary. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Rashi on Isaiah 53:3 |website=Sefaria |url=https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/590811}}</ref>
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| Add Jewish: [Jewish source]; Add Christian: [Christian source]
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| Christians often read Isaiah 53 as messianic and see it echoed in New Testament language about Jesus’ suffering and atonement. <ref>{{Cite web |title=1 Peter 2:24–25 |website=BibleGateway |url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+2%3A24-25&version=NIV}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Luke 24:26 |website=BibleGateway |url=https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Luke%2024%3A26}}</ref>
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| [[Messiah_Expectations_Peace_Temple_Gathering#Two-stage_claims]]
 
 
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| Isaiah 53 is Israel, not Messiah
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| 4
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| Servant interpreted as Israel/righteous remnant; context supports corporate reading
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| Jeremiah 31 “New Covenant” is with Israel/Judah and is Torah-written-on-the-heart — not a “new religion”
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| Christians argue individual reading fits details; link to NT usage (without circularity)
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| Jewish readings stress that Jeremiah explicitly says the covenant is with the House of Israel and the House of Judah, and that the text describes deeper fidelity to Torah rather than its replacement. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Jeremiah 31 and the New Covenant |website=Aish.com |url=https://aish.com/jeremiah-31-and-the-new-covenant/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Jeremiah's New Covenant – “Is There a Conspiracy…?” |website=Jews for Judaism |url=https://jewsforjudaism.org/knowledge/weekly/jeremiah-s-new-covenant-is-there-a-conspiracy-to-hide-the-truth}}</ref>
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| Add Jewish: [Jewish source]; Add Christian: [Christian source]
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| Christians commonly cite Hebrews’ use of Jeremiah 31 to argue that Jesus mediates the promised covenant fulfillment. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Hebrews 8 (re: Jeremiah 31) |website=BibleGateway |url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+8&version=NIV}}</ref>
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| [[Isaiah_53_The_Suffering_Servant]]
 
 
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| Jeremiah 31 New Covenant is with Israel; Torah remains
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| 5
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| Covenant renewal promises Torah “on the heart,” not abolition
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| God’s unity/incorporeality: Messiah is not God; incarnation conflicts with Jewish monotheism
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| Christians argue covenant is renewed/fulfilled; debate what “law” means
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| Jewish sources frequently emphasize God’s oneness and incorporeality (e.g., Maimonides’ principles) and reject worship of any human; related texts include “God is not a man…”. <ref>{{Cite web |title=The Thirteen Principles of Faith (Principle 3: God is incorporeal) |website=My Jewish Learning |url=https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-thirteen-principles-of-faith/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Maimonides #3 – God's Incorporeality |website=Aish.com |url=https://aish.com/48924072/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Numbers 23:19 |website=Sefaria |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Numbers.23.19}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Deuteronomy 6:4 (Shema) |website=Sefaria |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Deuteronomy.6.4}}</ref>
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| Add Jewish: [Jewish source]; Add Christian: [Christian source]
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| Christians argue that the New Testament teaches Jesus’ divinity and incarnation, and that this is compatible with monotheism as understood in Trinitarian theology. <ref>{{Cite web |title=John 1:1 |website=BibleGateway |url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+1%3A1&version=NIV}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Philippians 2:6–11 |website=BibleGateway |url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians+2%3A6-11&version=NIV}}</ref>
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| [[New_Covenant_Jeremiah_31]]
 
 
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| God is one and not a man / divine incarnation rejected
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| 6
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| Strict monotheism; God is incomparable; incarnation is rejected
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| “Proof-texting” and context: Christian readings sometimes detach verses from their plain sense (peshat)
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| Christians argue God’s oneness does not exclude complexity; debate texts like Daniel 7
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| Jewish critiques often say New Testament arguments mine passages out of context, and that peshat (linguistic/literary/historical context) should govern meaning. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Christian Proof-Texting |website=Jews for Judaism |url=https://jewsforjudaism.org/knowledge/articles/christian-proof-texting/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Approaches to Bible Commentary (peshat method) |website=My Jewish Learning |url=https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/jewish-bible-commentary/}}</ref>
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| Add Jewish: [Jewish source]; Add Christian: [Christian source]
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| Christians respond that Scripture has multiple “senses” (literal and spiritual) and that typology/fulfillment readings are legitimate within apostolic and church interpretive tradition. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Catechism of the Catholic Church – “The Holy Spirit, Interpreter of Scripture” (CCC 115–119) |website=Vatican.va |url=https://www.vatican.va/content/catechism/en/part_one/section_one/chapter_two/article_3/iii_the_holy_spirit%2C_interpreter_of_scripture.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Matthew 2:15 |website=BibleGateway |url=https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Matthew%202%3A15}}</ref>
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| [[Daniel_7_Son_of_Man_and_Kingdom]]
 
 
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| Prophecy and context disputes (proof-texting)
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| 7
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| Christian readings sometimes ignore historical context or Hebrew nuances
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| Original sin / inherited guilt is not a Jewish doctrine
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| Christians argue typology, patterns, and canonical context; but must respect original setting
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| Many Jewish explanations reject “original sin” as inherited guilt, emphasizing individual moral responsibility (often appealing to Ezekiel 18 and related texts). <ref>{{Cite web |title=The Jewish View of Sin |website=My Jewish Learning |url=https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-jewish-view-of-sin/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ezekiel 18:20 |website=Sefaria |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Ezekiel.18.20}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Deuteronomy 24:16 |website=Sefaria |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Deuteronomy.24.16}}</ref>
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| Add Jewish: [Jewish source]; Add Christian: [Christian source]
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| Christianity often grounds original sin in Romans 5 and summarizes it in catechetical teaching (while still distinguishing inherited condition from personal culpability). <ref>{{Cite web |title=Romans 5:12–19 |website=BibleGateway |url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+5%3A12-19&version=NIV}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Compendium of the Catechism – Q76 “What is original sin?” |website=Vatican.va |url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html}}</ref>
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| [[Messiah_Prophecies_Overview]]
 
 
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| Original sin / inherited guilt is rejected
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| 8
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| Individuals are responsible for their own sin; inherited guilt is not standard Judaism
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| Sacrifices and Temple service: Judaism expects restoration; Christianity says Jesus’ sacrifice is final
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| Christians distinguish inherited nature vs inherited guilt; atonement logic differs
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| Some Jewish sources (e.g., Rambam) expect a return of full Torah observance including sacrifices in messianic times; there is also intra-Jewish debate (some argue sacrifices may not return). <ref>{{Cite web |title=Melachim uMilchamot – Chapter 11 (re: sacrifices) |website=Chabad.org |url=https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1188356/jewish/Melachim-uMilchamot-Chapter-11.htm}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Mishneh Torah, Kings and Wars 11:1 |website=Sefaria |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Mishneh_Torah%2C_Kings_and_Wars.11.1?lang=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Animal Sacrifices and the Messianic Period |website=Jewish Virtual Library |url=https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/animal-sacrifices-and-the-messianic-period}}</ref>
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| Add Jewish: [Jewish source]; Add Christian: [Christian source]
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| Christians frequently appeal to Hebrews to argue that Jesus’ sacrificial offering is “once for all” and fulfills/ends the sacrificial system as a means of atonement. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Hebrews 10:1–14 |website=BibleGateway |url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+10%3A1-14&version=NIV}}</ref>
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| [[Original_Sin_Jewish_and_Christian_Views]]
 
 
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== Publishing workflow ==
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== Notes ==
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When you create a deep-dive page:
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<references />
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# Include 2–3 Jewish sources representing mainstream views
 
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# Include 2–3 Christian sources representing mainstream views
 
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# Summarize both sides fairly before you argue
 
  
 
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[[Category:Messiah]]
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[[Category:Jesus]]
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[[Category:Christianity and Judaism]]

Latest revision as of 18:55, 15 January 2026


Common Jewish Objections (with drill-down pages)

Sources note: This page aims to represent both Jewish and Christian views fairly. Where a claim describes a Jewish position, it should be supported by Jewish sources (Tanakh, rabbinic texts, or mainstream Jewish explanations). Where a claim describes a Christian position, it should be supported by Christian sources (New Testament, early church, or scholarly references).




This page lists common Jewish objections to Christian claims about Jesus as Messiah, alongside common Christian replies. It is written to document the *disagreements* and the *sources each side appeals to*, not to “settle” them.

Common Jewish objections and Christian replies

# Objection (summary) Typical Jewish framing (with sources) Typical Christian reply (with sources)
1 Messiah must accomplish the messianic age (peace, ingathering, Temple, universal knowledge of God) Many Jewish presentations define the Messiah’s role as bringing concrete, public outcomes (e.g., ingathering exiles, rebuilding the Temple, worldwide recognition of God, and peace). On this framing, Jesus did not accomplish these in his lifetime, therefore he is not the Messiah. [1][2][3] Christianity often answers that Messiah’s work unfolds in stages: the first coming inaugurates redemption; the second consummates it (final judgment, full peace/kingdom). [4][5]
2 “Second coming” is not a Jewish concept of Messiah Jewish critiques often reject the idea that a failed messianic claimant can “come back later to finish the job,” and note that “Second Coming” language is historically Christian and controversial inside Judaism. [6][7] Christians treat the return of Christ as central and explicit in the New Testament and in historic creeds and catechesis. [8][9]
3 Isaiah 53 “Suffering Servant” is Israel (or another figure), not the Messiah / not Jesus A common rabbinic approach identifies the servant as Israel (often reading “Israel-as-one” in prophetic poetry) and interprets Isaiah 53 accordingly; classic citations include Rashi’s commentary. [10] Christians often read Isaiah 53 as messianic and see it echoed in New Testament language about Jesus’ suffering and atonement. [11][12]
4 Jeremiah 31 “New Covenant” is with Israel/Judah and is Torah-written-on-the-heart — not a “new religion” Jewish readings stress that Jeremiah explicitly says the covenant is with the House of Israel and the House of Judah, and that the text describes deeper fidelity to Torah rather than its replacement. [13][14] Christians commonly cite Hebrews’ use of Jeremiah 31 to argue that Jesus mediates the promised covenant fulfillment. [15]
5 God’s unity/incorporeality: Messiah is not God; incarnation conflicts with Jewish monotheism Jewish sources frequently emphasize God’s oneness and incorporeality (e.g., Maimonides’ principles) and reject worship of any human; related texts include “God is not a man…”. [16][17][18][19] Christians argue that the New Testament teaches Jesus’ divinity and incarnation, and that this is compatible with monotheism as understood in Trinitarian theology. [20][21]
6 “Proof-texting” and context: Christian readings sometimes detach verses from their plain sense (peshat) Jewish critiques often say New Testament arguments mine passages out of context, and that peshat (linguistic/literary/historical context) should govern meaning. [22][23] Christians respond that Scripture has multiple “senses” (literal and spiritual) and that typology/fulfillment readings are legitimate within apostolic and church interpretive tradition. [24][25]
7 Original sin / inherited guilt is not a Jewish doctrine Many Jewish explanations reject “original sin” as inherited guilt, emphasizing individual moral responsibility (often appealing to Ezekiel 18 and related texts). [26][27][28] Christianity often grounds original sin in Romans 5 and summarizes it in catechetical teaching (while still distinguishing inherited condition from personal culpability). [29][30]
8 Sacrifices and Temple service: Judaism expects restoration; Christianity says Jesus’ sacrifice is final Some Jewish sources (e.g., Rambam) expect a return of full Torah observance including sacrifices in messianic times; there is also intra-Jewish debate (some argue sacrifices may not return). [31][32][33] Christians frequently appeal to Hebrews to argue that Jesus’ sacrificial offering is “once for all” and fulfills/ends the sacrificial system as a means of atonement. [34]

Notes

  1. ↑ Why Jesus Is Not The Jewish Messiah, Jews for Judaism (Canada)
  2. ↑ Melachim uMilchamot – Chapter 11, Chabad.org
  3. ↑ Mishneh Torah, Kings and Wars 11:1, Sefaria
  4. ↑ Acts 1:11, BibleGateway
  5. ↑ Catechism of the Catholic Church – Article 7 (“He Will Come Again in Glory”), Vatican.va
  6. ↑ Why Jesus Is Not The Jewish Messiah, Jews for Judaism (Canada)
  7. ↑ The Splintering of Chabad (letters section), Jewish Action
  8. ↑ Catechism of the Catholic Church – Article 7 (“He Will Come Again in Glory”), Vatican.va
  9. ↑ Acts 1:11, BibleGateway
  10. ↑ Rashi on Isaiah 53:3, Sefaria
  11. ↑ 1 Peter 2:24–25, BibleGateway
  12. ↑ Luke 24:26, BibleGateway
  13. ↑ Jeremiah 31 and the New Covenant, Aish.com
  14. ↑ Jeremiah's New Covenant – “Is There a Conspiracy…?”, Jews for Judaism
  15. ↑ Hebrews 8 (re: Jeremiah 31), BibleGateway
  16. ↑ The Thirteen Principles of Faith (Principle 3: God is incorporeal), My Jewish Learning
  17. ↑ Maimonides #3 – God's Incorporeality, Aish.com
  18. ↑ Numbers 23:19, Sefaria
  19. ↑ Deuteronomy 6:4 (Shema), Sefaria
  20. ↑ John 1:1, BibleGateway
  21. ↑ Philippians 2:6–11, BibleGateway
  22. ↑ Christian Proof-Texting, Jews for Judaism
  23. ↑ Approaches to Bible Commentary (peshat method), My Jewish Learning
  24. ↑ Catechism of the Catholic Church – “The Holy Spirit, Interpreter of Scripture” (CCC 115–119), Vatican.va
  25. ↑ Matthew 2:15, BibleGateway
  26. ↑ The Jewish View of Sin, My Jewish Learning
  27. ↑ Ezekiel 18:20, Sefaria
  28. ↑ Deuteronomy 24:16, Sefaria
  29. ↑ Romans 5:12–19, BibleGateway
  30. ↑ Compendium of the Catechism – Q76 “What is original sin?”, Vatican.va
  31. ↑ Melachim uMilchamot – Chapter 11 (re: sacrifices), Chabad.org
  32. ↑ Mishneh Torah, Kings and Wars 11:1, Sefaria
  33. ↑ Animal Sacrifices and the Messianic Period, Jewish Virtual Library
  34. ↑ Hebrews 10:1–14, BibleGateway
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