Is Ben Shapiro OK without Jesus?

So, is Ben Shapiro okay without Jesus? It's time for The Line of Fire with your host, biblical scholar and cultural commentator Dr. Michael Brown. Your voice for moral sanity and spiritual clarity. Call 866-34-TRUTH to get on The Line of Fire. And now, here's your host, Dr. Michael Brown. We have Jewish related questions. 866-34-TRUTH.

8, 8, 4. If it's Jewish today, regarding Israel today, regarding Jewish background to the New Testament, regarding Messianic prophecy, Hebrew language. That is kosher for Thoroughly Jewish Thursday. also just want to alert you that we got in stock now the turn the tide books are our first thousand or so copies so we'll have these ready for your pre-orders remember this is a twofold series from revival to Reformation first book seize the moment how to fuel the fires of revival and then second book turn the tide how to ignite a cultural awakening you can read each one independently but how to ignite a cultural awakening will really help you understand what steps practically we can take as God's people to bring about positive change in the world around us you'll be inspired you'll be challenged and I believe you'll find a place for yourself in this so just go to the line of fire org 100% of the monies that come in for this go right back out to ministry so it's a great way to stand with us and to get a signed numbered pre copy of the book go to the line of fire dot org and you can order right in the home page when you're there if you're not getting our monthly frontline newsletter make sure you click subscribe so we can pour that into you it's digital it's free every month all at the line of fire dot org a friend of mine sent me a clip a YouTube colleague sent me a clip asking for my response to it it is remarks by Andrew Clavin so Andrew is a well-known novelist became even better known as one of the key people at daily wire along with the best-known Ben Shapiro and then Michael Knowles Matt Walsh etc so Andrew would be a professing Jewish Christian obviously be very comfortable using those words he was on my show some years ago shared some of his own testimony and background and he has something very interesting to say now Ben has actually interviewed Andrew I've seen clips haven't watched the whole interview asking him about coming to faith etc and Ben's very happy to interact with Christian leaders and it's very much for Christian values and Christians living as Christians etc but Ben himself as a modern Orthodox Jew does not believe in Jesus does not denigrate faith in Jesus does not believe in Jesus many people have asked over the years boy Dr. Brown won't you debate then I'd love to I think it'd be edifying and and very helpful for viewers and listeners when I shot him a note some years ago we very respectfully shot a note back thanking me but saying he doesn't enjoy religious debates and that was that and I don't know that it would benefit his goals to debate me because he doesn't want to denigrate faith in Jesus he doesn't want to denigrate Christians and what they believe I don't think he'd be afraid to debate anyone on a subject that he's happy with but I don't know that it would help him or his cause or what he's doing to do that in any case some interesting comments from Andrew Clavin and it's just a clip so I don't have the full comments from Andrew Clavin and then it's reaction a Christian Instagram channel with a strong response so I'm gonna play the whole thing it's about a minute and a half and then I'm gonna add my comments to it let's listen I look at Ben's life and I think if Ben were to embrace Jesus Christ it would cause devastation to his family to the people who love him to the people who listen to him to his position in the world I just have this feeling that God has put this guy where he wants him to do what he wants him to do and as you know I feel that you know the Jews you know what that is that's heresy look at how he ends this as you know I don't believe the Jews were abandoned by God this is how destructive this doctrine of dual covenant theology is the notion that the old covenant was not revoked and the Jewish religion is valid and the Jews are still God's chosen people that idea is so evil and poisonous that it prevents people from wanting the salvation of Jewish people you cannot evangelize Jews if you try to evangelize a Jew you're an anti-semite this is a heresy this needs to be called out as heresy shame on any Christian podcaster and any Christian leader who refuses to evangelize the Jews and who believes in this dual covenant theology that is a obstacle to the preaching of the gospel of Christ that is an anti Christian gospel shame on you for not preaching the gospel to all creatures and letting the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ yes 100% shame on anyone who will say well we don't evangelize Jewish people because Jews don't need Jesus they have their own covenant with God shaman anyone who would say that now there was there's one tiny comment in the midst of the commentary saying that that if you believe the Jews are still God's chosen people as an hour no of course Jews are still God's chosen people the Word of God is quite emphatic on that their rejection of the Messiah as a people our rejection my people of the Messiah as a people as a as leadership that does not negate our chosenness for service Paul's explicit on that Romans 11 28 and 29 even though as far as the Gospels consider their enemies for your sake for the Gentiles now by Jewish rejection the Gospels go on to the Gentiles which were for your sake as far as election as far as chosenness as far as calling they're still loved because of the patriarchs for the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable but the fact that Jews are chosen by God for a mission and purpose does not mean individual Jews are saved so this strong rebuke is absolutely necessary now I want to unpack what Andrew Klavan saying in a moment all right he's not making a blanket statement about all Jews he himself is a Jewish believer in Jesus but this strong rebuke of dual covenant theology is absolutely merited absolutely right and something we've shouted from the rooftops along with other Jewish believers for decades which is ultimately the most anti-semitic thing you could do is withhold the good news of the Messiah from a Jewish person now there are Christian ministries working within Israel that are there only to serve the Jewish people and and to do humanitarian work and to build bridges etc and as they work there they say okay we will not proselytize that the whole reason is not to say Jews don't need Jesus it's not to affirm dual covenant theology for example the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem does not affirm dual covenant theology but it is there not to proselytize it is there to serve and to build bridges etc so if they use that as a secret entree hey we're here to do this and we're not here to proselytize and then they were secretly proselytizing that would be dishonest and Jewish people for good reason have suspected Christians have wrong motives over the years oh we just love you want to bless you unless you don't believe if you stop believing then we'll turn on you we'll get hostile or no no we're just here to serve and and you know we just want to help all we see your synagogue had some needs we'd like to help you know repair the synagogue or or fix the guard down front and it's just our secret way of coming in there to proselytize and because in the past Jews have been subject to forced debates and and forced conversionary sermons that have to sit in synagogue when when some Christian cleric would come in and preach a message them they'd be required to sit and listen a conversionary message or they be forced to have a public debate then afterwards all their Talmuds the Jewish literature would be burned or they'd be expelled from cities so yes there is a reason for sensitivity there is a reason for Jewish people having their hands up a little bit like whoa whoa whoa why are you here but this idea that God has a separate covenant with the Jewish people and that Jews can be saved without Jesus as a fundamental denial of the entire New Testament and I would say a right interpretation of the Hebrew Bible as well but it is a fundamental denial of the entire New Testament why because if Jesus is not the Messiah of Israel he's the Savior of no one he came to his own first he the very term Messiah Mashiach and then in Greek Christos that's a Jewish term and it derives from the Hebrew Bible the anointed one ultimately the messianic King he came to his own people was it saying in Matthew 1 21 123 free shall save his people call him Yeshua for he will save his people from their sins it starts with Israel during his earthly ministry said I'm sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel Matthew 10 then with the Great Commission where does it go you'll be witnesses Luke 24 beginning in Jerusalem and then acts 1 Jerusalem Judea Samaria to the ends of the earth and the initial movement is all Jewish only Jewish this this is where it starts so the idea that there's a separate covenant for Israel it completely violates every syllable of the New Testament which is built on the faith on the foundation of Jesus Yeshua being the Messiah of Israel and therefore the Savior of the whole world and you say but but well Jews don't need him because they have their own covenant then why did he come what it was for the gentile he didn't come as a gentle why was he incarnate as a Jew why was he born King of the Jews why did he die King of the Jews why is he returning to Jerusalem why is the gospel according to the Paul Romans 1 16 to the Jew first and also to the Gentile and on and on we go let's be even more fundamental if he's not the Messiah of Israel he can't save anybody if he didn't fulfill Scripture what does Jesus say after his resurrection to the two on the road to a mass the two disciples how foolish and slow of heart you are to believe everything's written in the prophets everything's written the Moses and the prophets and beginning there he opens up their minds it's the Hebrew Bible that prophesies him the Hebrew Bible that gives the Torah and lays out its purposes is the very Bible the very text that prophesies that he's the Messiah why does judgment come on Jerusalem was the temple destroyed because his own people rejected him there are consequences and who did the messages come in the book of Acts as was quoted in that video let all the house of Israel no acts 236 that God has made this Yeshua whom you crucified both Lord and Messiah and it's over and over in acts the second chapter the third chapter and on and on through the book of Acts the message going to the Jewish people first the first believers being all Jews the question was can you be a Gentile and believe in Jesus do you have to become a Jew first that's how Jewish the whole movement was if righteousness comes by the law Paul writes in Galatians 2 then Messiah died in vain then Messiah died in vain if there is a way for a human being to get right with God to have sins forgiven to be righteous enough to be accepted if there is a way for a human being to do it outside of Messiah's blood then he died in vain it is that clear is that explicit in Scripture he didn't just come to the Gentiles to say okay the Jews have their own covenant I'm gonna be incarnated as a Gentile or as a Jew go as a prophet to the Gentiles and tell them hey follow me no he is the way the truth and the life no one comes to the Father except through him who does it say that to first a Jewish audience and to whom does Peter say there's salvation and no other so I quoted John 14 6 after acts 4 12 there's salvation and no other there's no one in the name under heaven give them a memo whereby we must be saved that's Peter preaching to Jewish leadership of course there is no other way there is no other way and that's why we preach the gospel the good news of Messiah to the Jew first and also to the Gentile well what about Ben Shapiro then and Andrews comments we'll come back to that this is Michael Ellison founder of Trivito Wellness being aware of the dangers of homocysteine is crucial to protecting our health this natural occurring amino acid that the body creates plays a vital role but when elevated in excess it can pose significant risk to our health one 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comm order today and use promo code brown 25 to receive 25% off your order as a new customer 100% of your order proceeds from your first order will go to support the line of fire radio broadcast 1-800-771-5584 or online at trivita.com it's the line of fire with your host dr. Michael Brown get on the line of fire by calling eight six six three four truth here again is dr. Michael Brown welcome welcome to thoroughly Jewish Thursday your Jewish related calls eight six six three four truth shout out to our friends at Trivita we appreciate their great wellness supplements that help us broadcast on these great stations if you'd like to find out more call 800-771-5584 find out what they have available see what works for you if you go online you can go to trivita.com use the code brown 25 if you do okay before I go to the phones and before I give some updates relative to the war in Gaza right now and the conflict with Iran let's come back to Andrew Clavin's comments about Ben Shapiro I think Ben's doing a tremendous amount of good he's got a massive online following right before the show I checked out of curiosity to see what he was up to on X formerly Twitter it's six point six million followers I remember his daily wire was growing and interacting with Jeremy boring who runs daily wire and just amazed at the growth that he said it's just organic and suddenly Ben's numbers taking off he'd he had a name for himself before that as a young man even as a teenager but I think he does a tremendous amount of good I think he has a tremendous amount of wisdom and it's based on a number of things first we're created in the image of God and there things innately within us secondly there are things you learn by experience and upbringing and if you have a good upbringing and values with which you're raised that helps and then of course is Judaism is a great help as much wisdom in Judaism much beauty in Judaism there there are world views that are very healthy and helpful and the sages of Israel were sagacious they were sages in many ways with with tremendous insights into many many different things so and then Ben just as a student of history etc has a lot of good stuff to say and a lot of wisdom so Andrew saying well maybe God positioned him here and he's okay if if he put his faith in Jesus it would devastate his family and and and the standing of the Jewish community etc okay let's break that down first thing is this following Jesus is often devastating following Jesus is often costly Yeshua said in Matthew 10 parallel in Luke 12 that he didn't come to bring peace to earth none of his first mission but rather the sword the sword of division and it's going to set a father against a son or a daughter a mother against a daughter or son it a brother against a sister that will happen look it happens in families where they're all secular and one of the kids becomes ultra-orthodox and then the they can't have the family over for meals because they're you know they're not kosher and so on and and it creates all these conflicts that does happen so the issue is not will it create conflict the issue is what is right and what is true if Jesus is not the Messiah of Israel if he did not rise from the dead then no one should believe in him no one should put their trust in him every professing Christian on the planet should throw in the towel and say our faith is wrong if he did rise from the dead then every person on the planet including every Jewish person needs to recognize that God has made him Messiah and Lord and and and has raised him up and set him at his own right hand there is no in between there is no both and it is either or and either there is a way for us to be saved forgiven cleansed without the Messiah without his blood without his grace or there's not and there are rabbi friends I've gotten to know over the years some well-known like rabbi Shmueli others that are not well-known would be known more in the counter missionary circles brilliant men devoted men god-fearing men and I would dare say that the way they and many of their families live would put your average American Christian to shame in terms of devotion in terms of standards in terms of hours spent every day in prayer and study in terms of even commitment to family life and things like that very very sincere you say hypocrites okay they're hypocrites in every religion we've seen our more than our share in our own Christian circles they're hypocrites in every religion but just don't don't rely on the convenient excuse that everyone that doesn't fit your paradigm is a hypocrite no I've been personally challenged with a broken heart thinking could these men still be lost and I have to say yes without question of course because we all fall short because none of us are good enough to get in because we're all stained by sin and based on God's standards based on who God is based on on his holiness the reality is that the best of us the most devout rabbi the most devout Muslim the kindest atheist the most devout Christian in ourselves on a very best day we fall infinitely short and we need mercy and that mercy comes to us through Jesus Yeshua the Messiah and if we reject it we reject mercy we reject eternal life we are lost that's a fundamental thing that we have carried as Jewish believers our entire lives the pain of our people some of whom are very devout very devoted very sincere and yet still lost it's one thing to look at some worldly person right it it's one thing to look at a negative stereotype so you look at for example a radical Islamic terrorist slaughtering people in Allah's name it's easy to see how lost that person is but maybe you have a very nice Muslim neighbor when you talk about God oh they fear God and they want to honor God and they're very careful on how they live and so on it there's more painful to think of them being lost you know it's one thing to think of like an atheist like Stalin and all of his murder stuff or chairman Mao it's another thing when you got a neighbor that's one of the nicest people you ever met super helpful and sacrificial they happen to be an atheist it's one thing to look at some worldly Jew like Howard Stern okay he's obviously lost or to look at some hypocritical rabbi that's get caught you know with some funding scheme and stealing money it's another thing when you deal with someone that's very sincere and very devoted and they spend hours every day studying praying and wanting to to know the truth and you say well they're still lost without the Messiah that's why in my book our hands are stained with blood I have a whole chapter called so near and yet so far to try to communicate to you the weight of this the burden that's why Paul in Romans 9 was in such agony Paul was in tremendous agony and Romans 9 for his own people say I I would I'd be cut off from the Messiah I would actually do I would be cursed and cut off from the Messiah if that would if that would save my people he was willing to do that he said I have continual sorrow unceasing anguish all the time he's saying I carry this I feel this I bear it all the time that is intense but that is the spiritual reality of having a burden for your people say yeah but if Ben became a follower of Jesus it would hurt somebody's first you know calculate if I do this it'll succeed here my business will do first you don't calculate you just honor God and do what's right second you do what's necessary for the saving of your own soul and the forgiveness of your own sins and and by you taking the step maybe the rest of your family will come and others will come maybe that's a key to many thousands of other Jewish people be saved for his Christian audience that would be wonderful that would be a gain right you said but he could lose certain people you don't worry about who you lose or who you gain you worry about what's right and true in God's sight so those were Andrew Clavin's own words not Ben Shapiro's own words but I want to urge every one of you don't target we're gonna target the Jews for evangelism but love Jewish people like you love everybody else I'm urging you I'm urging my Gentile Christian friends pray for the salvation of Jewish friends colleagues co-workers ask God for open doors ask God for ways that you can genuinely express your love your solidarity your concern for them as fellow human beings look for opportunities to share your testimony with wisdom and sensitivity and if the door is open lead them to Jesus Yeshua the Messiah and if they have questions just point them to our website our Jewish website real Messiah calm real Messiah calm if you've got Jewish related questions about the Messiah that's the place to go real Messiah calm tons of free resources there okay we'll be right back and we'll go straight to the phones with our friend Yonatan in Israel hey friends Michael Brown here my delight to serve as your voice for moral sanity and spiritual clarity we are living in such urgent times today friends that all of us are in the line of fire there's a target on your back there's a target on my back if you simply seek to live by biblical values or just conservative moral values you could be canceled you could be cast out you could be put down you could be silenced I'm here to say friends that I am not about to be silenced and I don't believe you are either it is time for us to stand up it is time for us to say enough is enough it is time for us to push back in Jesus name not fighting the way the world fights no overcoming evil with good overcoming hatred with love overcoming the flesh with the power of the Spirit overcoming lies with truth and that's what we're here to do on the line of fire broadcast and friends it's not just a broadcast it is a movement of people around the world God's people standing up saying enough is enough and saying Lord here we are send us use us I want to urge you today to join our support team because we are on the front lines together and we are literally touching people around the world in America in the nations in Israel and together with your help we're gonna amplify this voice and spread this movement around the globe so I encourage you go right now to the line of fire dot org the line of fire dot org click donate monthly support the line of fire dot org click donate monthly support when 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Michael Brown get on the line of fire by calling eight six six three four truth here again is dr. Michael Brown Shalom Shalom it is thoroughly Jewish Thursday Michael Brown delighted to be with you you've got a Jewish related question eight six six three four truth let's go over to our friend Yoni in Israel hey how you doing my buddy are you there Yonatan are you there oh we didn't lose our friend there well you can you can call back if it's not too late you can still call back I always like to talk to you former ultra-orthodox Jew on his own spiritual journey and we're trying to be a blessing in his life I will go over to Arizona our friend James welcome to the line of fire are you there okay truth team do we have a settings issue in the studio here is there something wrongly set on your dial there that I am NOT hearing our callers because everything else is coming in perfectly well our feet is so my team your team let's troubleshoot and find out what's going on update on the situation in Israel I suggested that in response to the unprecedented assault from Iranian airspace on Israel over the weekend that Israel might do two things something initial symbolic saying you don't do this you don't cross these lines even though 99 percent of the missiles were intercepted even though with the help of America UK France Jordan Saudi Arabia even though the Iranian attack was rendered virtually harmless no matter what Israel has to say you cross lines you cannot cross and I suggested they may do something immediate short-term symbolic just to say don't do this and then a major long-term plan may be taken a nuclear reactor something else that could take months even years to plan to say we're gonna make you pay for this the immediate thing that did happen was that Israel took out some senior Hezbollah commanders so that was an immediate strike and some were reporting it as that's the Israel saying okay it's not Iran but it's an Iranian proxy and we're taking out two of your big leaders so they did that immediately there are reports that as much as the u.s. has urged Israel not to go into Rafa which is the last stronghold of Hamas in Gaza to say we need to concentrate on getting you married humanitarian aid to all the suffering Palestinians there there are reports now that America is saying okay don't attack Iran back don't don't escalate nobody wants this to escalate in the Middle East really in the world don't don't don't escalate things but go ahead into Rafa we won't try to stop you from going in so there are reports about that that I have been reading and this would be Israel's way of saying okay we're gonna we're gonna take out the rest of Hamas and and their strongholds that remain and Israel also saying the only possible way that we can see the hostage is freed as many are still alive the only possible way we can see them freed is if we we decimate Hamas even more the only reason they gave up the hostages in the first place was because it was such a sudden dramatic turn and their losses were so massive so quickly they had to do something to just try to slow the tide so that would be the speculation my own feelings are that right now we are not about to see a massive escalation that we are not about to see World War three breakout that we are certainly not about to see the end of the world and in that regard we need to calm down there are many things God is doing in the earth at once one of which is the Great Commission where every tribe and language every people will hear the good news of the Messiah and there is much work that remains to be done there are several billion people that never even heard the name Jesus and wouldn't know if you're talking about a person or a place or what if they heard it and they're still be reached and there's must that much has to change within the church within the body of Christ for us to be who God has called us to be before that the Messiah comes and sets up his kingdom on the earth and there are many things still that must unfold with the salvation of Israel so I look at this as a critical moment I look at this as another birth pang on the way to the coming of the Messiah to the return of the Messiah but I do not believe that Israel is going to escalate in a major way in such a way that Iran escalates in a major way and then you end up potentially with a nuclear war or with Russia China us drawing in I don't see that happening yet and by all means we pray Lord your will be done and let there be restraint on leaders who are not sinking rationally it's a good prayer to pray in your shoes name all right let us try again James are you there in Arizona yes yeah I can go ahead my question is on Genesis chapter 1 the Hebrew better see what I looking is that written in the construct state or in the absolute and if it is written in the construct state I'm I'm trying to understand why you know people say you know if it's written like when God began to create does that change anything theologically as far as you know whether there matter there before God began a creator or did actually create everything right right so let me try to explain your question for those who don't know Hebrew there are two primary ways that Genesis 1 1 is understood in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth that's reflected in most of our English translations it's reflected in the ancient Greek the Septuagint it's reflected in the Targum and Aramaic so it's ancient and it's even reflected in the rewording in John's prologue in the beginning was the word it is reflecting that same kind of language the other way of reading it which is well known in the medieval rabbinic commentators is when God began to create the heavens and the earth the earth being formless and void the Spirit of God hovering over the face of the waters etc then God said let there be light so the construct would be a form where bereshit is in the beginning of in the beginning of something so if it is bereshit bara it is in the beginning of he created which is grammatically not the norm it would be as if the Hebrew was bereshit burrow that you had an absolute form there bereshit or infinitive form excuse me bereshit burrow in the beginning of the creating of God the heaven and the earth so it's a little bit more complex but it's possible however there is a usage in Hosea 1 which says to he lot d bear I do not so the the beginning of he spoke of the Lord spoke to Hosea so it would be a similar kind of thing where we know we have construct we have an of form in the beginning of tiki lot is is construct and then the word that follows is just a regular verbal form not infinitive just a regular verbal form so in the beginning of he spoke so it's an unusual form it is possibly construct but many would argue the most natural way of reading it is bereshit literally in a beginning meaning in the beginning of all beginnings God created that being said theologically is there any difference or in terms of what actually happened you could argue that it's not talking about creation of matter that matter was already here and this is when God begins to work on what's already here but it's also quite natural to say okay well if you're talking about God creating the heavens and the earth that's everything so when he began to create the heavens and the earth it's not presupposing that you just had a mass the whole universe was a pre existed shapeless mass but when God began his work of creating the whole so in both cases sir you could say that this is kreatio ex nihilo creation out of nothing that the different readings only kind of put put you at a different vantage point from what happened some would argue that that the latter reading the when God began to create is not supposing creation out of nothing but you could just as easily read it like that so hopefully I explained in a way it's helpful to you and didn't completely lose all of our listeners all right thank you yeah you are very welcome eight six six three four eight seven eight eight four let's go to sherry and Napa Valley California welcome to the line of fire hi hey I was just thinking about bench apparel and I think about him sometimes and you know when I read his stuff and see what he says but when I think of him I think of like in Romans 2 when it talks about people without the law you know which are the people who didn't know the Jewish law or that and they are doing in their conscience tells them what to do and sometimes accuses them and they're trying to do what's right and then I was thinking about Romans 8 where it says a lot of the spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death and so I was entertaining those two in my mind for Ben a lot of times it's like so someone doesn't understand for some reason however they're blocked that Christ came as the Messiah and there's terrible blocks you know that among the Jewish people so I think that in time of ignorance God winks sometimes and it doesn't I don't think that we should think Ben is going to hell or is condemned I think we should pray for him but I don't think we should think that we know that he has some kind of doom coming so here's that here's the question I don't I don't pronounce a verdict on a human being they're gonna stand before God right I can say that according to Scripture if someone rejects Jesus is Messiah and Lord they are lost according to Scripture so God is the judge of each individual heart someone might say well they don't believe in Jesus because they know who he is but what they're doing is through him anyway their people can come up with all kinds of explanations but I have a few questions for you all right number one why was Paul so broken-hearted for his people why was he burdened for their lostness why did he talk about them being cut off if if it's just hey God understands we don't all get it we're ignorant why was he so burdened why was he so broken-hearted why did Peter preach repentance with such urgency what if he warned them of coming judgment if they didn't repent if it's he says in Acts 3 that that you were ignorant you didn't know what you were doing when you rejected him but now he's risen from the dead so repent so that's the first question why that urgency why that burden that's one number two how Ben has heard the gospel more than the vast majority of Jews worldwide and through history he's heard it articulately he's heard it through Christian leaders he sat and done interviews he's surrounded by by fine Christians he's had opportunity endlessly so why would he still be ignorant what in other words why if he's not accountable then how is any Jew accountable so those are my those are my two questions why the burden in the New Testament why the warnings why the pain why Paul saying he wished that he himself was cut off from the Messiah that's one thing and then the other thing of if n is not accountable and responsible then then who would be all right we've got a break so you get to think about it and then we'll come back on the other side of the break are you experiencing fatigue heart palpitations or tingling in your hands and feet these may be signs that you are deficient in vitamin b12 which may increase your risk of serious cardiovascular conditions without you even knowing it I'm Paul Burnett a board-certified doctor of holistic health and director of wellness services at Trivita and I have some exciting news for you introducing Trivita's HCY guard the breakthrough sublingual b12 natural supplement scientifically formulated to support maximum absorption and support healthy levels of homocysteine what is homocysteine you may ask well it's an amino acid that when elevated can cause damage to the lining of your arteries which over time increases your overall risk for a cardiovascular event Trivita's HCY guard is highly absorbable because of its sublingual form and because of its methylated form of b12 which enhances its bioavailability maximizing its crucial role in reducing unhealthy levels of 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Michael Brown get on the line of fire by calling eight six six three four truth here again is dr. Michael Brown welcome welcome to 30 Jewish Thursday on the line of fire by the way Palestinian Authority has applied for full status in the UN UN Security Council we've been voting United States is absolutely they will veto that request and headline in Times of Israel says Israeli Israeli envoy slams UN for even considering full status for Palestinian Authority okay sherry I go back to you thanks for holding so what are your thoughts well Jesus loves them you know and Romans 11 tells us that the Jews were blinded and I understand that this is what I want to say what about what you were saying about Paul Paul it broke his heart and it should break all of our hearts when someone is not being able to communicate with Jesus to love him and his holiness to be in his presence to experience that and so some people may be following the light they know but they have not entered into that fullness with Christ well none of us enter in the way we maybe could but I think that part of the sorrow and part of our burden for anyone who has not entered into that relationship with Jesus is that is why we have sorrow and that's why we have the burden and that's why we have the power in us to bring them so hang on so hang on it's not because they're lost and there was the broken heart the wish that you would cut yourself off from Jesus forever just so they could enjoy relationship with him now but they're gonna be saved in with him forever you'd cut yourself off from from him forever for that he fell right because he knew they were law in other words they were blinded that's judgment we've been given over to judgment that that's that's the whole his whole thing is that Israel is not saved now and is under judgment and it's heartbreaking and who could know it better than a Jewish person I'm telling you is a Jewish person that's dealt with my people for over 50 years so it's heartbreaking we pray but what does it say in 2nd Corinthians 4 for the god of this world has blinded the minds of those who don't believe so everyone outside of Messiah is blinded in one way or another and and look remember what Paul says if righteousness could be gained by the law then Messiah died in vain Jesus didn't need to die if someone like Ben Shapiro or my rabbi friends if they could make it in without his death then he died in vain so I would just urge you to have a more broken heart and to pray even more fervently these are things that have broken my heart for 52 years but again I didn't need Jesus just because I was shooting heroin at the age of 15 I needed him because I was a human being and like all of the human beings had fallen short all have sinned what's Paul's whole point in Romans 1 & 2 to say every and into the third chapter everybody Jew and Gentile has fallen short and is under wrath Romans 3 23 for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God Romans 6 23 for the wages of sin is as death so that's the reality that we're all under and and if if Ben could make it in without the Messiah then no I don't I don't believe anyone makes it in without the Messiah but I think there are very there are things deep within us that are happening we don't know what's happening in him right now and we don't know what will happen on his death bed I'm all for that I'm all for that I'm with you on that look I have I have Jewish family members that died they'd heard the gospel they were they came to church services with me they my dad was reading the New Testament and passed away suddenly so I hope that something happened in this heart that in his last moments that something happened I have that hope absolutely so Sherry I love that I share the hope with you I I trust that God's at work in Ben I thank God for the good that he does there are things he says I can learn from same with Dennis Prager and others you know wise with much to learn from and yet you know Dennis would say schmooey would say I'm sure Ben would say now there's some of the most prayed for people in the world people praying for their salvation so keep praying for him yes I I do not make a judgment on his eternal fate right now other than to say if he dies rejecting Messiah of course he's lost like everyone else but I pray that he'll come to know the Messiah and have a transformative experience with God and be used even more powerfully by God even if it costs him a lot in this world hey thank you for your call and for your heart I very much appreciate it let's go over to Brian in Kentucky welcome to the line of fire hey dr. Brown good to be with you I had a question so I may have I'm a messianic Jew myself I may have tossed this question to you in the past why did God wait to reveal the Trinity that's always been a question I've wondered and but I'm gonna add a new angle to it because this is something I've kind of struggled with for a long time as somebody raised in Reform Jew deism who became a Christian later and I guess I'm going to put it like this why did God wait to reveal the Trinity knowing that that kind of gives a new that gives rabbinic Jews an angle to run with when they debate against the Trinity because if if God had just said I'm a Trinity from the beginning rabbinic Jews wouldn't really be able to argue against anything but he waits and it becomes this thing of like well you never said it until 4,000 years into the earth's existence it must clearly conflict with monotheism does that make sense what I'm saying why except I right except I don't see it like that I see out of the gate God is revealing his complex unity I see out of the gate in the scriptures that he's seen and unseen that he comes and walks among us while he remains hidden in his glory and I see that it just becomes clearer when the Messiah comes into the world so look here's my question for rabbinic Judaism there is no rabbinic Judaism without the rabbi's there is no traditional Judaism without the traditions how come there's not a statement anywhere in the Hebrew Bible that explicitly says you must follow the oral law not a syllable and every every reference to the law of Moses in the entire Hebrew Bible every single one is in reference to what is written and yet the whole of traditional Judaism is that there was an oral tradition that was passed on through the generations it's not there there's zero evidence of it in the Hebrew Bible of a binding authoritative tradition going back oral tradition going back to Moses a traditional Jew would say no it's all presupposed you you deduced it from here and that's like okay I'll use that logic but even more I'll show you in the written text aside from right out of the gate what do we make of not said down but Salome no kid but a no Genesis 1 26 what do we make of let us make man what was actually mean what should we what should we take away from that first thing when we get to Genesis the 18th chapter and Yahweh comes in physical form with two angels and appears to Abraham and they talk face-to-face at length and then the two angels go on to Sodom in Genesis 19 what do we make of that what do we make of Jacob saying that that he saw God face-to-face pineal what do we make of the fact that announced Sinai and Exodus 24 that that 74 Israelites Moses Aaron there Aaron's two of the sons and the 70 elders go up on Mount Sinai and they saw the God of Israel who is otherwise unapproachable etc what do we do with the fact that there are many many references to the ruach to the spirit in the Hebrew Bible including the hero the the teaching the Israelites and leading the Israelites and he's the one who's grieved how can you grieve just a power you can't grieve a machine you can't grieve a computer you can't grieve a wall you grieve a someone with personality so you have these things there you have references to the son and the father raising up the son etc so it's all there it just becomes clearer when we get into the New Testament writings there are Jewish scholars who would argue that the Judaism of Jesus Day recognized two powers in heaven they recognized an ancient of days type of figure and a younger son type of figure there are others that talk to angelic beings in such exalted form that they shared Yahweh's name so yes the revelation is there's one God one God only that's emphasized throughout the New Testament New Testament emphatically says what the Hebrew Bible says there's one God and one God only but he's complex in his unity and he always has been I'd be happy to debate the Trinity just based on the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament God does not say I'm a Trinity in that explicit way it's deduced from who the Father is who the Son is and who the Spirit is but all that traces back to what's found already in the Hebrew Bible what is interesting is over the centuries rabbinic Judaism develops in a certain way that now downplays the personality of the Holy Spirit and downplays the idea of ancient Israelites actually seeing God face-to-face I would say that as time develops it's rabbinic Judaism that develops away from the clear biblical testimony and then once that's locked in then you have Church tradition locked in here in terms very unfamiliar to Judaism it's centuries down in church history and developed of rabbinic history that you now have things so far apart the first century setting and just using the Hebrew Bible I don't see them as far apart at all so that's my response to you yeah thank you that's very helpful that that that clears up a lot and I'm going to check out the text you had mentioned because that that that makes a lot more sense when you think about the clues already being there yeah and absolutely you can appreciate that answer thank you sure thing so in short you can go to real Messiah calm real Messiah calm look up objections and theological objections you'll see some of that and then volume 2 of answering Jewish objections to Jesus volume 2 we get into things in great depth hey friends why not stand with us and helping reach the lost sheep of the House of Israel is it worth a dollar a day to do that and is it worth a dollar a day to get many resources sewed back into you every single month go to the line of fire dollar let's do something together to see our people save the line of fire dot org click on donate monthly support shout out of thanks in advance