Tuesday, March 2, 2010

In Store Now - Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus vol. 5

The long-awaited final volume to an excellent series is here!  I've received several calls from people looking for the fifth and final volume to Michael Brown's series Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus.  The wait is over.  This volume covers traditional Jewish objections.  Michael Brown has done the church a great service in providing these volumes.  Baker Books published the first four volumes and they cover a wide range of objections including General and Historical Objections (vol. 1), Theological Objections (vol. 2), Messianic Prophecy Objections (vol. 3), and New Testament Objections (vol. 4).  In reading the previous four volumes I learned not only a lot about Jewish apologetics but my general understanding of the Old Testament has benefited as well. This last volume answers questions like the following:

"We have an unbroken, authoritative chain of oral tradition going back to Moses.  Who are you to teach us what our Bible says?"

"The Torah (along with the rest of the Hebrew Bible) is unintelligible without rabbinic traditions."

"Modern computer studies have demonstrated that the Torah and the Oral Law are divinely inspired."

"Traditional Jews are the people of the Book.  Read the Hebrew Scriptures and ask yourself, 'Who follows these laws and commandments?' Traditional Jews."

"According to Psalm 19, the Torah is able to save and convert the soul."

An Appendix is included entitled "Unequal Weights and Measures: A Critique of the Methodology of the Antimissionaries." 

Brown has proven himself to be a capable scholar with a heart for the Jewish people.  This volume promises to open us (Gentiles) to an entirely different world.  For example, as I scanned the book I came across a discussion of what a Jew should do if he lives in, or is temporarily lodged in, a high rise building.  Since it is forbidden to operate an elevator on the Sabbath I discovered there is such a thing as a "Sabbath elevator."  "This is a specially programmed elevator that stops on every floor automatically, thus bypassing the need for the Jew to push the button and thereby be guilty of working on the Sabbath."  (128)  

The book is a paperback with 341 pages and sells for $20.00.

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