From: heb_roots_chr@mail.geocities.com
Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 1997 1:50 AM
To: Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup
Subject: Is the New Testament Scripture ???
To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
From: Craig Lyons
Subject: Status of the New Testament
From Craig:
**************
I guess I want to cut to the chase here...Do you believe that the NT is
inspired, infallible, and inerrant? The reason I ask that is the role it
plays in our discussions.
If shown that the NT is less than infallible, inerrant, and inspired, and
if shown that the NT is a collection of writings (esp Christologically)
that were altered subsequently after each successive Church Council, then
what authority should it have, or Paul's writing have in determining
anything?
It seems to me that the role of the NT is midrash only...a somewhat
accurate historical source with a few exceptions, detailing the oral
traditions of Yeshua as they were handed down and later added to and
subtracted from by redactors for their selfish ambitions, and of course,
Paul's ideas and theologies that often contradict Yeshua, as well as
himself in places.
In other words, how can we put our faith, trust, and hope for the world to
come in such a document and the doctrines it teaches that oppose Moses, the
Torah, the Prophets and the Writings?
Don't get me wrong,when the NT lines up with the Heb Scriptures, in the
mouth of 2 witnesses it is reliable, but when new doctrines that replace
the teachings and instructions of God in the OT are found....how can we
accept and believe them?
Please understand I once was a fundamentalist Baptist and Seminariar, went
with the program so to speak, but my love and zeal for God and His Word
caused me to study and study and study.....and I found information withheld
from me and the othes which, when evaluated by the overwhelming evidence
and facts, often were corrections for what I had read in the NT>
I dont desire to be an apostate so to speak, yet I fear and love God to
such a degree that I don't want to die and believe a lie.....either.
Are you acquainted with what I speak? How do you reconcile your hidden
thoughts that dont come out in your public ministry? Shalom brother.
Pastor Craig Lyons M.Div
Bet Emet Ministries [House of Truth]
902 Cardigan
Garland, Texas 75040
972-4963282
From Eddie:
***************
Craig,
I fear and love God also. I love God with all my heart,
soul and strength. I want to please Him in all that I say and all
that I do. I want Him to be pleased with me. I want to follow the
truth of the scriptures. I want the Holy Spirit to lead and guide me
in all the truth of the scriptures also.
You seem to indicate that you seek to study and learn and
understand the truth. Yet, being a "B'nai Noah" follower you:
#1) Do not believe that the NT is God ordained scripture
#2) You believe that salvation = faith and works
#3) You do not believe that Jesus is God
#4) Gentiles salvation comes by having faith in God and following
the "Unverversal laws given to Noah" rather than faith in
Yeshua/Jesus as Messiah
Even a "baby" believer in Yeshua/Jesus as Messiah has a better
Bible understanding of Bible truth's 101 than believing the above
doctrines.
You often quote the words of Jesus or the words of Paul as a
basis for proving your Bible point, yet you do not accept that the
book where their words are recorded is even accurate or God inspired.
If this is the case, how do you even know that they said the words?
You seem to have also accepted the doctrine that if the NT agrees
with what you believe then you accept it but if it disagrees with what
you believe then it was "corrupted". Because you believe only what
you want to believe and discard the rest, you have allowed your
understanding to be blinded by the divine truth's in God's Word that
the Holy Spirit is able to reveal to seeking hearts who want to know,
understand and follow the truth of God's Word.
It is a paradox to quote scripture from the NT and yet not
believe that it can be trusted as God ordained scripture. What
authority do you have to quote from it, if you don't believe it or that
it is only "Midrash" (stories and fables) ???
You cannot have it both ways. You cannot quote from the NT to
give credence to your Biblical arguments to justify your belief's
when you don't even believe that it is accurate or at best just
"Midrash".
Yet, you present your ministry as a "Hebraic Roots of
Christianity" ministry. You then use the TRUTH that Christianity has
departed from the roots of it's faith and use this truth as a
stepping stone to lead people astray and attempt to lead them to
also believe the "B'nai Noah" doctrine that:
#1) The NT is not scripture
#2) That the Messiahship of Jesus is not important for
salvation or life in the World to Come
#3) That Jesus is not God etc.
#4) That salvation is faith and works
These are WORSE heresies than the FACT that Christianity has
departed from the roots of it's faith.
A Christian that knows that he is saved by GRACE through faith,
that knows that Jesus is Messiah, that knows that Jesus is God, that
knows that the NT is God ordained scripture yet still thinks that "we
are not under the law" and "keeps Christmas and Easter" and "worships
on Sunday rather than the Sabbath" is in BETTER spiritual condition
than if he believed like you and the "B'nai Noah" movement which
teaches that you are saved by faith and works, that Jesus is not God,
that the NT is not scripture, and the Messiahship of Jesus is not
important and you only are only required to have faith in God and
follow the laws of Noah to merit life in the World to Come.
IF a Christian who believes that Jesus is Messiah EXCHANGES who
HE IS and what HE DID in purchasing our REMEMPTION when He
died on the tree and was resurrected the third day for the beliefs of
the "B'nai Noah" movement as I just listed then Messiah died in vain
(I Corinthians 15:14).
If a Christian EXCHANGES Messiah for the "roots of the faith" and
keeping the sabbath and the festivals then this is also vain
religion.
The return to the embracing of our faith and a renewed desire to
keep the Sabbath and the Festivals should ENHANCE our PRESENT
faith in Messiah and our walk in Messiah NOT REPLACE HIM.
ONLY MESSIAH gives LIGHT and LIFE to the Sabbath and Festivals
when we see HIM in them. Otherwise, they become vain ritual and
empy religion. Without Messiah who is EVERTHING (Luke 24:44,
Psalm 40:7), all that you have left is man-made religion.
Since the "B'nai Noah" movement and the "Netzraim" movement
shoves Jesus off the side of the road and he is NOT central to the
beliefs of the movement, all the Torah observance and
all the sabbath keeping and all the Festival keeping becomes vanity
and vain man-made religion in comparison.
As BELIEVERS in Jesus as Messiah, our renewed love for the
Torah, the sabbath and the Biblical Festivals should ENHANCE our
faith in Jesus as Messiah NOT replace it. Without Messiah, the Torah
brings death. With Messiah, the Torah brings life.
As we examine and study and embrace the Hebraic Roots of
Christianity, let's remember to keep Messiah at the CENTER of all
that we do. In this, God will be well-pleased with us.
Eddie Chumney