6/22/2023 0 Comments Scripture on jews as a bywordThe Church teaches that both Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture form one sacred deposit of the word of God ( Dei Verbum, 10). The Catholic Faith, on the other hand, is not a “religion of the book,” rather, it is the religion of the “Word” of God ( Catechism of the Catholic Church, 108). This tradition of relying on the Bible as the sole means of receiving God’s revelation, however, is fairly recent as it was only introduced in the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation. For most Protestants, the only reliable source of divine revelation is the Bible. Hydrogen and Oxygenīut are the above presuppositions true? Perhaps the greatest difference between Catholics and Protestants is the way the two groups view the means of receiving divine revelation. After all, one would think, if someone can quote that much Scripture, he must know what he is talking about. The individual Christian is the authoritative interpreter of the Bible.Īnd without even the slightest hint of defense or a discerning pause the unsuspecting Catholic allows his friend’s presuppositions to go unchecked and in many cases adopts them as his own. The Bible-alone tradition is the way the Church has received revelation from the beginning, and…ģ. The Bible alone is the means of divine revelationĢ. Having Scripture in a Mezuzah case, on a wall plaque, or in a tattoo does no good if we are not living by its precepts.It is an all too common occurrence, Catholics leaving the Church because one well-intended Bible-believing Christian challenged their faith by asking one question, “Where is that in the Bible?” Suddenly, the scope of truth has been confined to a single book, the Bible, without either party realizing that they have bought into a collection of unexamined presuppositions. Much more important than screwing Scripture to the doorpost is internalizing God’s Word, as Moses taught, “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts” (Deuteronomy 6:6). Whether or not we display a Mezuzah, we should never look upon it as a good luck charm, a pathway to holiness, a demon repellant, or a source of power in itself. Posting a Mezuzah can serve to remind a Christian family to love God, teach the Scriptures to their children, and praise the Messiah Jesus for His atoning blood. Biblically, there is nothing wrong with hanging a Mezuzah in one’s home. Many Jews will touch their fingers to their lips when they enter or exit a door and then touch the Mezuzah, thus “kissing” the Mezuzah and the Word of God it contains.Īlthough hanging a Mezuzah is a Jewish custom, some Christians display the Mezuzah on their doorpost and use it as a testimony of their love for God’s Word and as a conversation starter to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. A special recited blessing accompanies the placement of the first Mezuzah in a home. The Mezuzah is affixed to the right side of the doorpost (as one enters the home or room). The Mezuzah is also seen as a symbol of God’s protective blessing and watchful guardianship over the house and its residents. The Mezuzah is more than a decoration it’s a declaration that the residents of a home are Jewish and a constant reminder to those who live there of their faith. Some Ashkenazi Jews will also write a phrase containing the name Adonai in coded form on the back of the Mezuzah. This name, in this context, also serves as an acrostic for a Hebrew phrase meaning “Guardian of the doorways of Israel.” When the Mezuzah is rolled up, left to right, and placed in the Mezuzah case, the scroll is positioned so that God’s name Shaddai can be read through an opening in the case. On the other side of the Mezuzah is written one of the Hebrew names for God, Shaddai. These verses comprise the Jewish prayer called Shema Yisroel, which begins with the words “Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.” Deuteronomy 6:9 contains the basis for the practice of hanging the Mezuzah: “Write on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” The writing on a kosher Mezuzah is always done by a sofer, a trained Jewish scribe, using a special quill and indelible black ink. On one side of the Mezuzah are written specified Hebrew verses from the Torah: Deuteronomy 6:4–9 and 11:13–21. Observant Jews consider the Mezuzah to be a holy object and honor it as such. The word Mezuzah, which literally means “doorpost,” can also refer to the glass, wood, or metal case in which the parchment is stored. A Mezuzah is a small piece of parchment containing Scripture that is kept in a small case or tube attached to the doorpost of a Jewish home.
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