Just Published! Jesus or Yeshua: Exploring the Jewish Roots of Christianity

Today ScriptureSolutions  published a new booklet written by Louis Lapides. This brief  book can be found for Kindle at Amazon.

Jesus or Yeshua: Exploring the Jewish Roots of Christianity by Louis Lapides

It came to no surprise to me that when I first became a Jewish follower of Yeshua, I was going to have a cultural crisis trying to fit into a Gentile Church.  I lasted a few months before I started asking inevitable questions, "I'm Jewish. Jesus is Jewish. His first followers were Jewish. The New Testament was written by Jews and a lot of the concepts they discussed have a powerful Hebraic background.  Then why is Christianity so "not-Jewish"?

Jesus or Yeshua: Exploring the Jewish Roots of Christianity provides the reader with some of the findings I came upon as searched for answers to my questions. For me a lot of the issues were resolved when I studied the origin of most of the terminology used by Christians when describing their beliefs and practices.  When I was growing up attending Hebrew school in preparation for my Bar Mitzvah I never expected that Rabbi Printz would tell me that the mass practiced by the Catholic Church across the street from our temple was actually based in the Jewish Passover.  Nor was I told that baptism has it's origins in the Jewish practice of immersion or mikveh used when Gentiles would turn from their paganism and convert to Judaism.

Attending a church for me at age 23 was a shocker as I describe in my opening chapter.  Here is a sample section from that chapter that will give you an idea of what Jesus or Yeshua: Exploring the Jewish Roots of Christianity is all about.

Here’s a shocker . . . Jewish people don’t feel at ease in a Christian church. The first time I attended a Protestant congregation, a Southern Baptist one, I couldn’t avert my eyes from the 10-foot tall stained glass mosaic of Jesus looming behind the pastor. I imagined for a few moments the man from Galilee was about to step out of the window, float over to my pew and ask whether I noticed the “Jews Not Welcome” sign at the church’s front door. “Of course,” I would respond, “But Jesus, aren’t you . . . .?”

Upon further reflection I figured out why I experienced the heebie-jeebies on my initial visit. As a Jewish seeker of truth, I was convinced I was cheating on the God of Israel. Why did worshipping in a Gentile Christian church make me feel like I was unfaithful? Was I cheating on my Bar Mitzvah? Was I betraying Abraham or Moses?
Was it the pastor’s perfectly pressed suit and tie graced by his Southern Baptist grin? It could have been the Sunday morning promise of that evening’s Lord’s Supper that did not turn out to be the smorgasbord I anticipated. I left the service feeling spiritually fulfilled; however, I was famished.
I slowly discovered my discomfort stemmed from the culturally alien environment of a Gentile church. I couldn’t blame them. It wasn’t their fault they were not Jewish. Yet it didn’t feel like I was at Temple Bnai Abraham, the house of worship I attended as a child in Newark, New Jersey.
Each time I entered a church building all I could see were crosses, wall-to-wall beaming Gentiles and hearing the words “Christ” and “Christian” sprinkled into every conversation. I later heard that such church-talk is labeled “Christianeze,” and all Christians learn the lingo quite quickly.
I did not fit. Church did not feel Jewish. The jargon was not Jewish. The terminology caused me to cringe, asking, “What have I gotten myself into?” When the pastor referred to me as a Baptist kid, I knew it was time to delve deeper into this Christian faith that was launched 2000 years ago by courageous Jewish followers of Jesus. I needed to know what happened to a messianic movement started in Israel that now feels more like it was birthed in Nashville, Tennessee (and I happen to love Nashville and its music).

I would love for my readers and friends of ScriptureSolutions to read  Jesus or Yeshua: Exploring the Jewish Roots of Christianity and gain from this book what I learned on my safari through Christianity not looking for the "lost ark of the covenant" but simply the "lost Jewish roots" of Christianity. Check out the book and please let me know if it was helpful.

Just Published! Jesus or Yeshua: Exploring the Jewish Roots of Christianity

Introducing Scripture Solutions

People have asked where they can obtain copies of my sermons, links to articles and updated information on projects I am involved in.  To fulfill these requests, ScriptureSolutions.com is a new website I am launching today.

ScriptureSolutions.com contains many of the messages I have given over the past years. These are sermons that are biblically based and centered on giving the listener wise and easy-to-follow responses to God's word.

I have a strong convictions the Word of God is being neglected in many pulpits today and too much erroneous theology is being taught by individuals who dare to call themselves teachers of the scriptures.  In the name of progressive theological thought the Bible is taking a beating by those who are subjecting the biblical text to their own thinking rather than place their own thinking in submission to the precious Word of the Lord.

As a result of errant teaching Christians are hearing messages that question the basic tenets of the faith regarding the authority of the Scriptures, salvation, the person of Christ, Jesus' second coming and the relationship of Christianity to other religions.  The church is suffering from the poor teaching of a new generation of Christian "intellectuals" who question conservative Christianity in favor of a more progressive, emergent brand of the faith.

Young, biblically uneducated followers of Jesus are being duped by the teaching of today's misguided Christian intelligentsia and I am deeply concerned.  Hence, the need for ScriptureSolutions.com.

In addition to my commitment to the expository teaching of the Scriptures, I provide a strong emphasis on the Jewish background of the Scriptures in my messages.  Many passages in the New Testament have been wrongly interpreted by well-meaning biblical scholars due to their lack of sensitivity to the first century Jewish influence on the New Testament.  Let us not forget the majority of the New Testament was penned by Jewish followers of Jesus who remained committed to their Jewish roots and customs.

Currently, a strong opposition to the preeminence of Israel exists in the teaching of both evangelical traditional and left leaning progressive theologians.  The list of theologians who fail to see God has a present-day plan for the Jewish people is growing.

A need exists to take a stand on the biblical importance of Israel from both the Jewish Scriptures and the New Testament. Apart from any political commitment to Israel or due to the fact Israel is America's only democratic ally in the Middle East, the Bible is clear on God's unending commitment and covenants He has made with Israel.

Furthermore, since I have earned two master degrees in Old Testament and Semitic Languages, I am devoted to focusing on the continuity of the Jewish Scriptures with the New Testament.  Too many teachers of God's word either omit preaching from the Old Testament, use the Old Testament merely as a resource to prove the Messiahship of Jesus or fail to see the value of the Jewish biblical text as profitable for today's Christians.

It is my conviction the Old Testament text must be understood first as though there is no New Testament. With that deep comprehension of the Jewish text,  the expositor needs to bring New Testament truth as a light to bear on the older covenant.

One cannot start with the New Testament and work backwards to interpret the Old Testament.  Instead, the Old Testament principles must be understood first before interpreting the New Covenant.

Replacement theologians who believe the church has superceded Israel and all the promises God made to Israel has been fulfilled in the Church are commonly deficient in Old Testament theology. These biblical academicians ignore Old Testament passages that contradict their erroneous view of Israel evidenced through the blurry lens through which they interpret the New Testament.

In a strong sense, Scripturesolutions.com is also an apologetics website - a messianic research institute of biblical theology.  Please feel free to re-post the blogs you find to be helpful in defending the faith to others.  Suggestions for additional articles are always welcome.

ScriptureSolutions.com will grow as I add more sermons, write more resources, share new projects and grow in my own understanding of the messianic faith.

My goal is to shape ScriptureSolutions.com into a refuge for an individual to utilize where they can be sure they will be hearing messages based on the centrality of the biblical text and not religious gimmicks or contemporary, unbiblical trends that sweep through the church like a tornado leaving the wreckage of innocent lives in its path.

ScriptureSolutions.com should be a haven for individuals who are not committed to Christianity, but are searching and asking questions.

If churches or groups want to invite me to come speak or present a series on a contemporary topic, ScriptureSolutions will provide an avenue to contact me.

I close with the mission statement of ScriptureSolutions.com with the hope you'll visit the site over and over, read the blogs, download the messages and share your comments:

Recognizing the lack of a biblical focus in many churches and ministries throughout the United States, Scripture Solutions is dedicated to an expository perspective on the Word of God as communicated through the sermons and printed materials of Louis Lapides.

 In addition, Scripture Solutions has set its sights on shedding light on much of the questionable teaching in today’s congregations and seeks to enlighten believers about false doctrine permeating Christianity both on an individual and corporate level.

Introducing Scripture Solutions

Down to the Basics

A balanced pile of smooth river stones . . . what does it mean?

It speaks to me of simplicity and symmetry.

I've spent a chunk of my life thinking a certain symmetry of achievements will make me happy: big house, fat salary, cars, success, fame and a bunch of other things. If I could only amass certain items I'd have the symmetry I wanted. Yet I've had some of those things and now that I'm looking at the latter end of my life, I realize my life lacks the very thing I wanted - symmetry. Why? Because I left out simplicity.

I could organize and put my life together but if I am using the wrong stones, it doesn't matter how good I look. A good looking appearance made out of the wrong building blocks will soon crumble and fall.

When I hit forty, I wanted to stop achieving for a while. I hit a plateau. I knew half my life was over and all I saw ahead of me was more steps on the ladder. I looked at my job and the stepping stones still ahead of me; I looked at my son who was 3 at the time and realized I needed to pour my life into his. My marriage was rocky . . . some issues belong to me and some to my spouse. I was not happy. So I made myself happy by getting involved in my son's life.

Achieving personal and monetary success was boring me. I wanted something more than a pile of good-looking stones.

Even my relationship with God was not cutting it. I needed something more than God could give me. That may sound irreverent; however, it is an honest statement that some religious people are afraid to utter. God said, "It is not good for man to be alone." He never said, "All you need is a relationship with Me . . . your Creator." Yet I'm sure some Christian can pull enough verses together to make a case to say "all you need is God." That might work using your concordance; however, it doesn't work in the human soul.

Hitting forty was my crisis. I asked myself one morning while working out at Gold's Gym attempting to get a hard body, "What in the world is this all for? I can't keep living day in and day out serving God, barely paying bills, trying to be the best Dad and knowing something else is missing."

Hitting fifty was suppose to be the start of a new era . . . the golden years. A lot of wonderful friends celebrated this important day with me. I felt appreciated but rather than being the golden year's, the fifties turned out to be fool's gold. A lot of symmetry but I was missing the simplicity of what I truly wanted in life.

When I turned sixty I felt like hiding in shame. In fact, I refused to celebrate because I had not found true happiness yet. My older son was in college and my precious younger son was poised at the cusp of adolescence. My marriage was still far removed from giving me what I wanted in life.

In a summer visit to see my parents in South Florida, I went into a Publix market to do an errand for my mother. I watched this couple in their 80s interacting in the check out line. "Morty, go get me the pickles. I forgot to get the pickles." His response? "Get it yourself. Why can't you remember anything?" A light bulb went off for me. These two people . . . after at least 30-40 years of marriage . . . did not like each other and ended up bitter and took it out on one another. I said, "I don't want to end up in life like the embittered Morty and his crabby wife. I'd have nothing to look forward to other than age and sickness and a jar of pickles. I must do something drastic to get back to the simplicity of life."

Then I realized what I need the most is the simplicity of a loving relationship. Like the pile of smooth stones, the bottom rock is a healthy and fulfilling marriage . . . and everything else stands on that one thing.

I don't buy the myth that after awhile the romance is gone or the thrill leaves the marriage. What happens is the romance is replaced by decorating a home, the kids, the job and the recreation money buys you. The romance is never gone if everything else is built on the bottom smooth stone. But once that stone is replaced, the decision has been made to seek joy elsewhere.

What have I learned after 60 years? It is not good for man (and woman) to be alone. Everything else really doesn't matter much. if it takes simplifying your life in order to get to that point, then do it. I don't care how high you've piled those stones and how impressive your pile looks. Without a loving, warm relationship with someone of the opposite sex, you've built your life on a pile of dust that will blow away when you die.

This is my life path. I want one thing. I want the bottom stone . . . that stone that has been smoothed out by years of remaining in the river of life and allowing the waters to smooth out the rough edges.

I still have my rough edges and still need more time in the river, but I know what the raging waters of life are doing to my soul, and I like it. My life path is a road to simplicity . . . a life where the so-called blessings of life never have a chance to destroy the relationships in life that matter the most.

Life needs to be simplified not complicated by our possessions, luxury SUVs and stock portfolios. I am unimpressed by anything but two people who really love each other. Now that's an accomplishment. That's a life path worth walking on.

Written by Louis Lapides January 2008 and re-posted from his EONS page.

Down to the Basics