Rebuttal #6 to Reason #6

This will probably be my last posting for the next week or so as my family and I will be heading off on a much-needed vacation.  Please pray for safe travel, clean hotel rooms, and a wonderful time as this has been a personally tough year for my family due to the death of my brother-in-law.

However, and before I leave, this blog had to post at least one more rebuttal to Asher Norman’s Twenty-Six Reasons Why Jews Don’t Believe in Jesus.  And here is Rebuttal #6 to Reason #6:

Mr. Norman provides three faulty reasons why he considers Jesus to be a false prophet.  Let’s look at each of the rationales and then debunk it.

First, Norman argues through illogical logic (and not Scripture which is key!) that Jesus cannot be both God and a prophet and then eisegetes two Gospel verses — Matthew 14:5 and John 4:44. 

Let’s look at Matthew 14:5 in context.  Matthew 14:5 is about the beheading of John the Baptist and not Jesus’ prophethood.  However, I suspect Norman does not count on anyone looking up the passage in question.

John 4:44 is interesting and I will give the writer credit for some twisted but unique logic.  First, he argues that Jesus cannot be a prophet because of the Christian understanding of the Trinity and then he argues that the Trinity is a later addition to the Christian faith.  He wants to have his argument and eat it too. 

Ultimately this is a very easy response to deal with at this level.  Norman either purposely or not ignores the doctrine of the Incarnation in which Jesus is both fully man (and able to be a prophet) and fully God at the same.  I would think that Norman would understand this doctrine or at least read about it since he writes about the Trinity so much.

Second, Norman argues that two specific prophecies of Jesus did not come true — Matthew 12:38-40 and Matthew 24:34,

The author is banking on the fact regarding Matthew 12:38-40 (prophecy of Jonah and Jesus’ time in the grave) that the typical reader is unaware of two response.  First, the Jewish response is that any part of a day is considered the entire day (day and night).  Second, and this one is important as well.  Not everyone believes that Jesus died on Friday.  Some argue for Thursday and some even argue for Wednesday.  The simple reason is that any Jewish holy day is considered its own Sabbath and so the argument that the Sabbath in question must have happened on Friday is one based on assumption and not clear fact.  Just something to think about…

Regarding Matthew 24:34 and the use of the word generation as an argument of a false prophecy, Norman has again failed the basic hermeneutical test of Scripture.  What is the original meaning of the word genea which is translated as generation?  Genea would be better understood as family or descendants.  In other words, the Jewish people as a collective or whole will not pass away until all things come to pass.  Norman’s arguments against the prophethood of Jesus then ultimately fail.  Jesus was/is a prophet and He is who claimed to be … God.

Third, Norman claims that Mark’s use of Zechariah 13 perfectly illustrates that Jesus was a false prophet because Zechariah 13:2-7 is about a false prophet.

Here again the writer is banking on the fact that the reader will not read the passage for himself.  Verses 2-6 are about a false prophet.  However, verse 7 is in a different context and purpose than the preceding section.  How can one know this to be true?  God in the first person describes this Shepherd by the first person “my“.  I don’t believe Mr. Norman would want to be known as someone who described the Shepherd of God as a false prophet.  Would he?  Perhaps if the writer included the verses he misrepresents in the text of the book it would help.  Actually it would go to disprove his argument.

Look for Rebuttal #7 next week.  Have a blessed one and remember that Yeshua HaMashiach is none other than Jesus of Nazareth.  Shalom.