Jerusalem Perspective's Discussion Forum

Jerusalem Perspective's Discussion Forum, with over 325 registered members who have contributed over 850 articles, is an exciting marketplace of ideas. Some of the 120 topics under discussion are:

1. Did Jesus observe the Oral Torah?
2. Are Christians supposed to tithe?
3. When and why did the practice of assisted baptism start?
4. Evil spirits and dry places (Matt 12:43-45)
5. Laws of Purity: The daily life of the unclean
6. Can Gentiles be saved?
7. A fifth cup of Passover?
8. Was Acts Written in Hebrew?
9. The "Magi" of Christmas

I think the discussions are fascinating. Here are, for example, the five most recent posts (some edited for length):

Topic: Counting the Omer
Shmuel Safrai's article "Sabbath Breakers" shows that Luke 6:1-5 took place on the second Sabbath in the cycle of the counting of the omer. Counting omer is an interesting practice. Is anyone observing this? Although the Synoptic Gospels have Jesus rise from the dead two days after Passover, John's Gospel has Jesus' resurrection on the feast of first fruits, the day after Passover and the first day of counting omer. - SteveB

Topic: "New" Covenant, i.e., Luke 22:20
Josephus never used the term "covenant." There is a complete absence in Josephus of the concept of the land covenant and the covenant of circumcision. Only Luke among the gospel writers uses the term "new covenant" and since this term appears in Jeremiah 31:31, the term "new covenant" must be a genuine saying of Jesus...Josephus has altered texts relating to personalities that only appear in Luke-Acts. The alteration of the story of Lot is truly senseless. Only Luke among the gospel writers mentioned Lot and has Enochic references. Finally, Josephus is responding to Luke-Acts because only the Lucan Paul successfully targeted Jews of the Diaspora promoting a covenant-rooted ingathering of exiles. Therefore, we can conclude that Josephus, who "speaks as a committed Jew," rewrote sacred history in support of the cause of Jewish proselytism and did so sometime after Luke wrote his gospel. - randerson58

Topic: Does the rich man's banquet parable justify force?
In Matthew 22:9, the parallel to Luke 14:23, the word used is a form of the verb kalein, to invite. So, if one wanted, one could assume that Jesus used the Hebrew plural imperative kir'u (call; invite); however, my assumption is that Luke's anagkason (compel; urge) is the more original, as is his version of the parable...A rabbinic parable has one major point. According to Brad Young, this parable's focal point is the announcement, "The banquet is ready!" The shock -- or could we even say, humor -- of the parable is the giving of absurd excuses by the invitees. Likewise, Jesus' audience would have enjoyed immensely the host's command to his slave to go out and grab the homeless from the highways and byways and drag them to the banquet. What a brilliant and beautiful parable! - DB

Topic: Why did Luke use ebaptisthe in Luke 11:38?
The purity ritual of washing of hands is well established in Judaism from an early date. Hyam Maccoby asserts a date later than Jesus for the establishment of rabbinic law on this point. Bivin asks "would it be far-fetched to assume that the purity ritual of washing the hands before eating also was well established before Jesus' time"...Perhaps we are seeing a development over time, the practice beginning before Jesus, not binding on all Jews at the time of Jesus, and being fixed as Oral Torah somewhat after the time of Jesus? - SteveB

Topic: Yeshua's (Jesus') Yoke and Burden
Boomer, let me just share with you the reason I entered this forum. I am a Jew who keeps a Kosher home and who believes in Yeshua as the Messiah. Trying to understand the New Testament writings is difficult...I am more than happy to share; however, there are precious traditions when it comes to Judaism. Though there is room for many theories and beliefs within Judaism (and these Forum discussions) such things like the Shema and Sabbath, which have continued to keep the hope of Messiah and the Identity of the Jewish people alive, should be well understood before they are labeled man-made. Boomer, no hard feelings, but just keep in mind we Jewish folks love a good debate, especially over Torah! - JE