Theological Opinions

[Rían]

Originally Posted by Count Comfect

Rian - on the minor quibble of the naming of the Torah, it is very much only the Pentateuch. The rest is the Tanakh (Torah, Nevi'im, Ketuvim, with the first letters made into a word... Nevi'im is Writings and Ketuvim Prophets, unless I have them in the wrong order). That's the correct meaning of the Hebrew words, however carelessly they made be utilized.

I disagree - and IIRC, Rad agrees with me. However, it may just be a change in use of the word.

Which ties into Rian's point, as Judaically Christ does NOT have final authority in interpretation.

Christ DOES have the final authority in interpretation IF one believes He is the Law-Giver, because the Giver of the Law has the most authoritative say in the matter. Officially, however, Judaism does not recognize Christ as the Law-Giver. But you seemed to be referencing Christianity, which is built on Judaism, and in Christianity, since Jesus is seen as God (the Law-giver), then any interpretation Jesus has is the final word on the matter.

But the interpretation of the lines about circumcision I stand by. The covenant IS the circumcision.

There is more than one covenant made by God.

The covenant illustrated by physical circumcision is one of them. I don't think the covenant "IS" circumcision; the covenant is illustrated or sealed by circumcision. The covenant "IS" for God "to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."

But it does mean that an uncircumcised Hebrew does NOT have God as his god.

UNLESS that uncircumcised Hewbrew comes under another covenant by which God says He will be our God - the covenant of faith. Even in the OT, God says that He wants us to circumcize our hearts (Deut 10:16; Deut 30:6, with an interesting forward-reference to Jesus' summation of the law in Matthew 22; Leviticus 26:41; Jer 4:4) And an interesting verse I'll quote, instead of just giving a reference, further illustrates that God's desire is circumcision of the heart, and physical circumcision is a picture -

Jeremiah 9:25,26
"Behold, the days are coming," declares the Lord, "that I will punish all who are circumcised and yet uncircumcised - ... and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised of heart."