{"id":1355,"date":"2017-04-14T02:53:47","date_gmt":"2017-04-14T02:53:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/takingeverythoughtcaptivetoobeychrist.wordpress.com\/?p=1355"},"modified":"2017-04-14T02:53:47","modified_gmt":"2017-04-14T02:53:47","slug":"the-false-fascinations-of-jewish-myths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/the-false-fascinations-of-jewish-myths\/","title":{"rendered":"The False Fascinations of Jewish Myths"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cTherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth.\u201d + Titus 1v13b-14<\/em><\/p>\n

In the context of this passage, Paul is writing to Titus who Paul has left in Crete in order to help establish the newly founded church there. One of the immediate issues surrounding these verses is the issue of false teachers. Apparently, some of these people were dabbling in \u201cJewish myths.\u201d We don\u2019t know exactly what the particulars are of these myths, but we do know that they were falsehoods perpetuated by Jewish tradition and culture. From the verses above, Paul contrasts \u201csoundness in faith\u201d with \u201cJewish myths.\u201d It is clear that Jewish myths are directly opposed to sound doctrine. Paul even associates these Jewish myths with \u201cturning away from the truth.\u201d Clearly, Jewish myths are not something that Christians are to dabble in.<\/p>\n

However, if you think that this was just a problem that was facing the 1 st century church in Crete, think again. All it takes is a stroll into your local Christian bookstore to see that 21 st century American Evangelicals are still caught up in Jewish myths. I am not exaggerating. There are authors like Jonathan Cahn and John Hagee who write Jewish \u201cprophecy\u201d books about blood moons and harbingers; all prophecies that are false. These guys continue to just pump out book after book on this stuff and people keep eating them up. You would think that one would become suspicious of a man who writes prophecy books for a living. I\u2019ve even seen books that give methods for \u201cdecoding\u201d end times charts based on Jewish rituals and traditions. These books should be filed away in the \u201cJewish Myth\u201d section; or better yet the \u201cFiction\u201d section. Consider even a book like Mark Batterson\u2019s \u201cCircle Maker.\u201d The book is all about a particular way to pray based on a Jewish legend! Apparently modern Christians don\u2019t believe that Titus 1v14 applies to them.<\/p>\n

The worst part about all of this is that Jewish myths are super lame. Why is it that so many American Evangelicals are caught up in these Jewish myths? I am afraid that part of the reason is that we have become bored with the gospel. Instead of reading theological books that teach us deeper truths about our Lord, many would just rather settle for the \u201cMystery of the Shemitah.\u201d Unfortunately Jesus just isn\u2019t fascinating, thrilling, exciting, or attention-gripping enough for many of us. We\u2019re not satisfied with Jesus. We prefer silly Jewish myths. So we get what our itching ears long for.<\/p>\n

However, the problem is not that Jesus is actually boring. The problem is that we are sinners. If we find the gospel to be mundane, it is not because the gospel actually is. The problem is not with the gospel, the problem is with us. So many people fill their spiritual stomach to the brim with Jewish myths and falsehoods, so much so that there is no more room for the glory of Christ. May we beg God to cause our hearts to leap within us when we read of Christ and His work in the Scriptures. May God make us so full on Christ that we spoil every sinful appetite for Jewish myths.<\/p>\n

It is a shame that so many self-identifying Christians prefer a book of Jewish mysteries over books about the gospel of Jesus Christ \u2013 which is the greatest mystery in the history of existence \u2013 and it has been revealed and clearly made known to us in God\u2019s Word. The mystery of the gospel has been known to us! Let us explore its depths, for we could never reach the end of them. The gospel is big enough to thrill our hearts and captivate our fascinations for all eternity. And for those in Christ it will. The news that Christ died for sinners is the greatest news in the history of the world. We should long to know every detail of it. Whenever someone says that something is the greatest thing in the world, it is always hyperbole. But when we say that the gospel of Jesus Christ \u2013 His substitutionary life, death, and resurrection on behalf of guilty sinners \u2013 is the greatest news ever, it is never hyperbole. If anything, it is an understatement.<\/p>\n

May the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ fill your fascinations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cTherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth.\u201d + Titus 1v13b-14 In the context of this passage, Paul is writing to Titus who Paul has left in Crete in order to help establish the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":685,"featured_media":1374,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[179,205,214,246,274,277,283,388,434,478,481,557,562,579,678,679,680,687,694,699,783,793,832,854,855,856,869,927,992,1061,1105,1126,1237,1254,1257,1264],"class_list":{"0":"post-1355","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-culture","8":"tag-batterson","9":"tag-bible","10":"tag-blood","11":"tag-cahn","12":"tag-christ","13":"tag-christian","14":"tag-circle","15":"tag-doctrine","16":"tag-end","17":"tag-false","18":"tag-fascinations","19":"tag-god","20":"tag-gospel","21":"tag-hagee","22":"tag-jenkins","23":"tag-jesus","24":"tag-jewish","25":"tag-john","26":"tag-jonathan","27":"tag-joshua","28":"tag-maker","29":"tag-mark","30":"tag-moons","31":"tag-mysteries","32":"tag-mystery","33":"tag-myths","34":"tag-news","35":"tag-paul","36":"tag-prophecy","37":"tag-rituals","38":"tag-scripture","39":"tag-shemitah","40":"tag-theology","41":"tag-times","42":"tag-titus","43":"tag-tradition","44":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/04\/the-darkness.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5024,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/70ad\/","url_meta":{"origin":1355,"position":0},"title":"70AD","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"June 13, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"In this lecture I teach on Josephus and the Jewish War for Hope Baptist Church's church history class. My notes were not manuscripted so all you get is the audio. I also wrote and drew things on a white board while teaching, so sorry you don't get to see that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Church History"","block_context":{"text":"Church History","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/church-history\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/06\/MOSHED-2022-6-13-15-17-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/06\/MOSHED-2022-6-13-15-17-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/06\/MOSHED-2022-6-13-15-17-2.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/06\/MOSHED-2022-6-13-15-17-2.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/06\/MOSHED-2022-6-13-15-17-2.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2186,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/four-marks-of-gospel-centered-church\/","url_meta":{"origin":1355,"position":1},"title":"Four Marks of a Gospel-Centered Church","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"June 27, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\"When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. And let our people learn to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "theology"","block_context":{"text":"theology","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/theology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/06\/architect-church-photo3-l-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/06\/architect-church-photo3-l-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/06\/architect-church-photo3-l-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/06\/architect-church-photo3-l-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/06\/architect-church-photo3-l-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/06\/architect-church-photo3-l-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1348,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/the-most-dangerous-false-teacher\/","url_meta":{"origin":1355,"position":2},"title":"The Most Dangerous False Teacher","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"April 13, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"My church is currently going through book of Titus in our Sunday worship service. I recently had the responsibility to preach two sermons on Titus 1v10-16. Titus 1v10-16 deals with the problem of false teachers and the pastor\u2019s responsibility to rebuke them. Without a doubt false doctrine can cause catastrophic\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Preaching"","block_context":{"text":"Preaching","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/preaching\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2175,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/protecting-gospel-purity-in-the-church\/","url_meta":{"origin":1355,"position":3},"title":"Protecting Gospel Purity in the Church","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"June 20, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\"The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Preaching"","block_context":{"text":"Preaching","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/preaching\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/06\/great-ocean-walk-couple_gor_r_1374425_1150x863.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/06\/great-ocean-walk-couple_gor_r_1374425_1150x863.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/06\/great-ocean-walk-couple_gor_r_1374425_1150x863.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/06\/great-ocean-walk-couple_gor_r_1374425_1150x863.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/06\/great-ocean-walk-couple_gor_r_1374425_1150x863.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2093,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/a-walk-through-titus-3v3-7\/","url_meta":{"origin":1355,"position":4},"title":"A Walk Through Titus 3v3-7","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"June 13, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\"For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "theology"","block_context":{"text":"theology","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/theology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/06\/fly-fishing-missouri_82110_600x450.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/06\/fly-fishing-missouri_82110_600x450.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/06\/fly-fishing-missouri_82110_600x450.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3064,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/martin-luther-on-the-holy-spirit\/","url_meta":{"origin":1355,"position":5},"title":"Martin Luther on the Holy Spirit","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"September 7, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"There is much confusion in today's world on the person and the work of the Holy Spirit. Not only is there confusion but evangelicalism is inundated with clearly false teaching on the role of the Holy Spirit. The other night I was reading Martin Luther's Smaller Catechism and was struck\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faith"","block_context":{"text":"Faith","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/faith\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/09\/martin-luther-9389283-1-402.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1355","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/685"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1355"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1355\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1374"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1355"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1355"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}