Summary of New Testament From a Jewish Point of View Class - 10/31/2022

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We had another great discussion!  Jo Ann, Dan, Steve, Karen, Dave, David, Randy, Robin, Amy, Jessica, and Norky attended.

Below is a summary written by Dan of what went on:

We discussed the Epistle of Jude today. The core of this epistle is an appeal to these early believers to resist false teachers. The epistle was not directed to a specific group of believers in any particular location. Early on there is an exhortation to "earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints" (King James version, I think). It refers to "the faith" as some set of agreed upon beliefs, but does not state what "the faith" was. Likewise, the letter contains a lengthy section condemning "godless men" who have infiltrated the body of believers, but does not name or explain what their particular false teaching was. These "godless men" were, among things, accused of being sexually immoral and leading others into sexual immorality. David Philips talked of the danger such people could be to a group of believers. They would give the whole group of believers an evil reputation, and would confirm suspicions that the larger community already had about the believers. 

As is our habit, our discussion was wide ranging. Jo Ann described the founder of Focus on the Family, Dr. James Dobson, using his helpful advice on child rearing as a means of advancing a conservative political agenda. Someone shared the saying "the nail that sticks up gets nailed" as describing the plight of Jewish people in the diaspora. David Philips pointed to the possibility of people with different political orientations discussing issues "with open hearts" arriving at new understandings. Karen spoke of accepting political outcomes, saying that although people vote, God decides in the end. Our extended discussion centered on the Jewish tradition of eating food.

From Jo Ann:

We decided to begin the book of Revelation next week.

Again, please comment if anything needs to be added to this summary.


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