Jewish Views on Christianity & The Historical Jesus (Discussion with Rabbi Tovia Singer): Episode 9

Pulling The Thread Podcast: Tracing Jesus Before Christianity Emerged, Jesus the Jew within Judaism!

Summary: A Thought-Provoking Conversation with Rabbi Tovia Singer Exploring the Complexities of the Jewish Perspective on Christianity, the Historical Jesus, Pauline Theology, the Challenge of Discerning Fact from Mythology, and the Importance of Understanding Historical Context. The interview explores contrasting views on the afterlife, sin, and repentance, delves into the historical Jesus and Pauline theology, and touches on the Ebionites, Marcion, and the concept of Messiah. The conversation highlights the complexity of religious history and the importance of understanding the historical context of ancient texts. Episode Description: Jeramiah Giehl and Rabbi Tovia Singer engaged in a thought-provoking Podcast interview exploring various aspects of Judaism and Christianity. Rabbi Tovia Singer discusses his personal journey of confronting missionaries and evangelism groups targeting Jews for conversion, which inspired him to dedicate himself to addressing critical accusations against Judaism. The conversation delved into offensive tactics used by some Christian groups and stressed the significance of education in effectively responding to these claims. Singer also discussed the issue of proselytizing and the responsibility of Jews to be a guiding light to others. The interview delves into the complexities of identifying the historical Jesus and the influence of Pauline theology on Christian perspectives of salvation. Singer emphasizes the use of the "criteria of embarrassment" to identify historical events in the Gospels and explores the impact of Albert Schwitzer's work on the Quest for the Historical Jesus. They also explore the Jewish and Christian beliefs about the afterlife, particularly the concept of hell, and the divergent views on what happens to a person after death in the Jewish tradition. Singer cleverly used the behavior of children to illustrate their lack of moral precepts and selfish tendencies. He drew a parallel to adults who behave childishly and are criticized for their immaturity. He then discussed King David's humble confession in Psalm 51 and how he sought forgiveness from God with a broken and contrite heart. Singer stressed that rituals and sacrifices cannot save, but rather true devotion to God and a humble heart. The conversation illuminated the differences and similarities between the two religions' perspectives on sin and repentance. It also explored the Ebionites, a group that rejected Paul's views and allegedly denied the Virgin Birth and Resurrection. The impact of Marcion on the Church and his views on Paul were also discussed, as well as the Toldot Yeshu, a compilation of unflattering anecdotes about Jesus and its influence on Jewish perception of him. Throughout the interview, the complexity and multifaceted nature of religious history emerged, including the challenge of discerning fact from mythology in ancient texts. Understanding the historical context in which these texts were written was emphasized as crucial for interpreting their true meanings. Chapters & Topics 00:07 Interview with Rabbi Tovia Singer on Let's Get Biblical and Outreach Judaism 11:21 Historical Jesus Scholarship and Pauline Theology 22:38 Contrasting Views of Afterlife in Judaism and Christianity 30:41 King David's Confession and the Broken Heart 35:33 Views on Sin and Repentance in Judaism and Christianity 40:05 The Historical Jesus and the Talmud 50:11 The Meaning of Messiah in Jewish and Christian Traditions 56:45 The Ebionites and Pauline Christianity 1:00:31 Discussion on Marcion and Toldot Yeshu 1:04:42 Monotheism vs Paganism in Ancient Near East 1:16:31 The Virgin Birth and Isaiah's Prophecies Keywords: the Apostle Paul, the Historical Jesus, Messiah, Christianity, Jews, Isaiah, Christians, Hell, Salvation, Original Sin, Replacement Theology, Tanakh, Monotheism, King David, Christian Bible, Josephus, Philo, the Ebionites, Tanakh, New Testament, Anti-Missionary, Jews for Jesus, Outreach Judaism --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pullingthethreadpodcast/support