| Letter#25 The People
of the Book
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| My dear Mr. Isaacs: |
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| You have no doubt
noted that I have been stressing those principles I believe to be of basic religious
import, and in so doing have had to revert back to things already dealt with, though from
a different angle. I insist that a Judaism which exists without divine authority; a
Judaism of descendants of a people who have already fulfilled their mission, is not the
Judaism of God as outlined in the Old Testament, and therefore has no moral right to
command man's obedience. The dignity of man permits of, in fact demands obedience to the
authority of a God-made religion, if such exists. Prior to the First Pentecost Day, the
one and the only religion that could command obedience, in the name of God, was the
Judaism under the God-given authority of the High Priests and the Sanhedrin. Since that
historic ecclesiastical dividing day, the one religion that could rightly exercise
authority in the name of God, and demand obedience thereto, centered in the Church under
the supreme guidance of the Vicar of the High Priest of the New Covenant, St. Peter, and
those who were to succeed him, as Bishop of Rome. To synagogians this is tabooed. This is not surprising, for they know not the Judaism of the Old Testament as an organic, unchangeable doctrinal belief that was to culminate in a Messiah, who, by His atonement, would open heaven's gate for man, which was closed by the sin of Adam. A realization of this comes like a revelation to Jews who pass from the Synagogue to the Church. They have to unlearn nine-tenths of the historical and doctrinal notions in which present-day Jewry is intellectually submerged. Repeating what Mohammed said, Jews pridefully declare themselves to be the "people of the Book." Yet that "Book," the First Volume of God's Library, indicts the Judaism of today with being unauthoritative, as it lacks the credentials to enable it to function as a God-made religion, being devoid of a priesthood with sacrificial, interpretative and judicial power. The Book, like our American Constitution, is of no use, as far as carrying out its purpose is concerned, unless there are legitimate authorities functioning, designated in the Book, who conduct, define and enforce its mandates. God wants His will obeyed; therefore it is reasonable to expect God to make provision for man to be guided, and to be furnished with the means by which His will can be carried out. What it is reasonable for man to expect God to do, God has done. God inspired the Book. In it are the provisions made for the priesthood of Aaron to interpret His will, to offer sacrifices, with authority to enforce penalties for disobedience thereto. The Book commands absolute obedience to the decrees of the priests and judges under the severest penalties (Deut. 17:12). Here are some of the death penalties, by stoning or burning that are recorded in the Book. Adultery (Lev. 20:10), (Deut.22:18-21); blasphemy (Lev. 24:14); habitual drunkenness (Deut. 18:21); false testimony (Deut. 19: 16, 19); harlotry (Gen. 28:24); idolatry (Lev. 20:2); incestuousness (Lev. 20:11); man-stealing (Ex. 21:16; Deut. 24:7); rape (Deut. 22:25); sabbath-breaking (Ex. 31:4; 35:2); striking parent (Ex. 21:15,17); unchastity (Lev. 21:9; Deut. 22:21, 23); witchcraft, false prophesy (Ex. 22: 18; Lev. 20:27; Deut. 13:5; 18:20). The sins just enumerated, like the crimes named in civil statutes, evidence the existence of an authority to enforce them. Where is that authority in Jewry today? Nowhere, having been superseded by the authority instituted by the Messiah, the King of the Jews, who imposed spiritual in place of physical punishments for disobedience. The story of it is told in the Second Volume of God's Book, which is an extension, elevation, and fulfillment of the things basic to Christianity to be found prefigured in Volume One. No one can properly understand what is in Book One without studying Book Two; nor can he properly understand Book Two unless he studies Book One. An intelligent, prayerful study of them leads from the Synagogue to the Church; from the High Priest who once reigned in Jerusalem to the Pope in the Vatican City. To assert that God, who provided man with priestly guides, from the days of Moses and Aaron until the last high priest of Israel, left man to wander spiritually without any priestly aid since then, seems to border on blasphemy. Such a notion inferentially charges God with being unmerciful; with having abandoned man to his capricious tendency, by leaving him without priestly guidance. If that were true there would be no remedy for the doctrinal chaos seen in present-day Jewry, and in Protestantism as well. No, God is not unmerciful, He fully provided for the spiritual guidance of man. God gave man the two volume Book of Books. But before so doing God provided the means by which its contents could be known in an intelligent and orderly manner including the carrying out of His will which is expressed therein. Immediately after God gave Israel the Law, she was given her priesthood of Aaron. Immediately after mankind was given the Gospel, the Law in its fulness, the Son of God instituted His universal priesthood, without genealogy, for guidance of man through life to salvation. I regret to say that the Jews of our day are not the "people of the Book." If they were, they would accept the proffered outstretched arms of Jesus as their Messiah, for He is what the Book said the Son of David would be. |
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