Post by John on Sept 12, 2009 12:04:06 GMT -5
What is a Jew?
this is a very complex question that could fall under socio-cultural, religion, etc. it has a variety of answers. on "avahat elohim" (theloveofgod.proboards.com) i posted this when tonga asked me what i thought a jew was:
bt what do you guys think?
shalom
this is a very complex question that could fall under socio-cultural, religion, etc. it has a variety of answers. on "avahat elohim" (theloveofgod.proboards.com) i posted this when tonga asked me what i thought a jew was:
that is a very complex question! ou can be ethnically hebrew (which people also call "jewish), you can follow the religion of judaism (and even if you are a gentile you are called "jewish" if you follow judaism by some people); you can be ethnically hebrew and follow judaism (which can be called "jewish). ..etc
so it all depends on who you are talking to.
my definition: a hebrew who follows judaism. a gentile can follow judaism as a gentile, but not a hebrew. the gentile is a ben noach, ger tzedek, ger toshav, etc. but NOT a hebrew.
now, the words "hebrew" "jewish" "judaism" "israelite" and scuh have all become interchangeable so it becomes a very complex question. here is my def of terms:
hebrew: a person born of abraham isaac and jacob- this is an ethnicity
jewish: an ethnic hebrew who follows judaism is "jewish." something cannot be "jewish", as the meaning of "jewish" in that context would be something within the culture of the hebrews.
jew: a hebrew of judah
israelite: a hebrew of israel improper
judaism: the religion of God, given to the hebrews to be communicated to the goyim.
and that is my definition! but not all hebrews are sons of abraham spiritually. you can be literally a son of abraham, but this does not make you an inheritor of the promise of abraham, as you have to follow judaism to do so.
(now, this is where i say we do not inherit the promise through the works of the law, but by trusting in the messiah who did the works of the law for us, and then had his righteousness imputed onto us... yet after this happens we are still to live as children of light following Torah, for if we live like children of the darkness than we never recieved imputation or that imputation was taken away).
technically, a jew proper is always a hebrew, but a hebrew is not necassarily a jew proper. a jew proper is a TYPE of hebrew who descended from judah. those of Israel are hebrews, but not all hebrews are necesarily israel. but israel proper is the nation as a whole, consisiting of all the sons of abraham, the remnant of true believers perserving them, which perserves the world.
this is getting confusing even to me, so i will stop here.
shalom
so it all depends on who you are talking to.
my definition: a hebrew who follows judaism. a gentile can follow judaism as a gentile, but not a hebrew. the gentile is a ben noach, ger tzedek, ger toshav, etc. but NOT a hebrew.
now, the words "hebrew" "jewish" "judaism" "israelite" and scuh have all become interchangeable so it becomes a very complex question. here is my def of terms:
hebrew: a person born of abraham isaac and jacob- this is an ethnicity
jewish: an ethnic hebrew who follows judaism is "jewish." something cannot be "jewish", as the meaning of "jewish" in that context would be something within the culture of the hebrews.
jew: a hebrew of judah
israelite: a hebrew of israel improper
judaism: the religion of God, given to the hebrews to be communicated to the goyim.
and that is my definition! but not all hebrews are sons of abraham spiritually. you can be literally a son of abraham, but this does not make you an inheritor of the promise of abraham, as you have to follow judaism to do so.
(now, this is where i say we do not inherit the promise through the works of the law, but by trusting in the messiah who did the works of the law for us, and then had his righteousness imputed onto us... yet after this happens we are still to live as children of light following Torah, for if we live like children of the darkness than we never recieved imputation or that imputation was taken away).
technically, a jew proper is always a hebrew, but a hebrew is not necassarily a jew proper. a jew proper is a TYPE of hebrew who descended from judah. those of Israel are hebrews, but not all hebrews are necesarily israel. but israel proper is the nation as a whole, consisiting of all the sons of abraham, the remnant of true believers perserving them, which perserves the world.
this is getting confusing even to me, so i will stop here.
shalom
bt what do you guys think?
shalom
