Following Christ Rediscovering the Jewish Faith of Jesus

by Buerer, Harry

• ISBN13: 9781958211632
• ISBN10: 195821163X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2023-10-28
• Publisher: HigherLife Publishing

Summary

Christianity has obscured the fact that Jesus taught Judaism. This loss is visible in many ways, such as the misinterpretation of many New Testament Scriptures. This book rediscovers the unyielding, even strengthened, commitment to the Law by Jesus and the New Testament authors. With both Bible citations and historical references, this book restores a full understanding of the gospel of the Jewish kingdom. Because Jesus taught Judaism, His followers in the New Testament obeyed the Torah with a New Testament freedom and power. They did not ignore, disdain, or dismiss the Torah as obsolete, which Christianity habitually does today. The reader will be equipped to resist that historical Christian habit and enjoy an Old Testament walk with God with New Testament forgiveness, freedom, and power. Once armed with this perspective on Jesus, the teacher of Judaism, the reader will understand the New Testament and the gospel with far greater clarity and accuracy. The Christian will be able to see how the Old Testament Law is empowered by the New Testament, rather than discarded. Many people love the Bible more than their tradition; many Christians have a high view of Scripture; and many Jews are curious about Jesus. Readers need only the suppleness, curiosity, and receptivity produced by a hunger for God and His truth. Fully invested in growing in their faith, they are curious to understand the link between Judaism and Christianity.With willingness to re-think, readers will find many corrections to what they have always been taught. The author reviews many Bible passages using the traditional interpretation and demonstrates powerfully that those interpretations cannot be correct. He shows how the same passages affirm instead that Jesus and his early followers taught Judaism, and offered not a replacement, but rather the power to fulfill the Mosaic law, rather than discard and abandon it. The book shows how traditional Christian interpretation and practice has historically dismissed Judaism as the opposite of the gospel, when in fact it is the heart of the gospel in Jesus’ preaching and that of his followers.

Author Biography

The son of Baptist missionaries, Harry Buerer was born in the Philippines. After college at Western Baptist College, he earned his Master’ s Degree at Western Seminary. His excellence in math and music dovetailed with leadership skills, and he has long served churches as music director. His background in theology and biblical languages drew him into further study of Jesus’ roots in Judaism. He and his wife of thirty years resided in Portland, Oregon prior to her passing. His blog, OldWine.blog, explores the Jewish roots of Christianity in the Bible with action tips for readers.

Table of Contents

1: What Do We Mean by Jewish Faith? 2: Judaism as the Default 3: Birth Prophecies and Narratives 4: The Prophesied Kingdom 5: The Parable of the Wineskins 6: Jesus' Message  7: Affirmations of Judaism 8: Controversies 9: The Passion 10: Restore the Kingdom? 11: The Message of the Apostles 12: The Message of Paul 13: Conclusion