simon kole

You call it "evolution."

The NT shows it is progressive revelation, first stated on this particiular issue in Jer 31:31, and then fully revealed in the NT.

schriverja

It's evolution, as opposed to progressive revelation, because the later stuff literally contradicts the earlier stuff. Progressive revelation would flesh out an incomplete picture. That's not what the passages cited show. The passages show that in the Torah and the Psalms, etc that the Law of God and the Jewish customs such as observance of the Sabbath or celebration of the Passover, etc would be considered a permanent institution that all YHWH followers should act upon forever. The Jeremiah reference, and the Hebrews references, and and the Galatians references, show that, no, the Law isn't permanent and the followers shouldn't have to act upon them. That's not fleshing out a fuzzy or incomplete picture, that's obsoleting it... That's contradicting earlier texts.

simon kole

You don't know it is an incomplete picture until it is completed. Only the artist knows that.

Frank

simon kole

Yeah, it can be frustrating when one's arguments and understanding of the material content of the texts is not adequate.

schriverja

Picture is a bad analogy, my bad. A better analogy is a story, such as the Star Wars trilogy. Say Return of the Jedi came out, and Obi-Wan Kenobi was suddenly alive, in the flesh. Or it came out that the Jedi were actually evil and the Sith were the good guys. This would clearly contradict the events of episodes IV and V. Elaborate plot contortions could be made to try to make the contradiction disappear, but they would still break consistency of the story.

schriverja

I understand you are completely ok with contradictions, you just go with whatever was written later, especially if Protestant-favorite Paul wrote it. I think this is because of your presupposition that the whole text should be taken as a whole text. But you haven't even attempted to show that this is a valid approach. Showing that more recent texts cite older texts doesn't show that it is unified. Sam Harris cites the Bible extensively in his book Letter to a Christian Nation, that doesn't mean that his book is unified with the Bible. Scientists cite earlier scientists all the time, it doesn't demonstrate that there is 100% agreement on the contents of their scientific arguments. People build upon the work of earlier people, especially when the earlier person was highly respected. It is my view that this is what is going on when the NT quotes the Hebrew Scriptures.

I am asking if you have checked your assumptions that the 'internal witness of the Holy Spirit' is a real thing, and not just a quirk of human psychology. Lot's of religions have an equivalent to the Holy Spirit. You think the adherents to those faiths are wrong, do you not? You think they aren't actually being witnessed to by the Holy Spirit. Presumably, you think that they are actually just hearing their own voices in their head, a combination of cultural indoctrination and wishful thinking. How have you demonstrated to yourself that the same can't be said for your own inner witness?

Sheshbazzar

Now simon, that is not nice at all. YOU LEFT OUT;
A few points about this prophecy. First, it specifically includes both "The House of Israel and The House of JUDAH."

Do you think Paul is in error in Romans 11:25-27 when he tells you;
If you, a Gentile, are now through faith accounted of the House of Israel, it is only by the adoption, and your ingrafting into that ONE tree of faith.
Thus Paul says to you; That 'root' being the natural olive tree, the descendent's of Israel according to the flesh; that is to say, the Jews, whether by birth, or by means of conversion to the religion of Judaism
In due time.

Both the prophesy. and Paul recognize that a 'blindness' would continue to hold blind those of that natural, 'good' (domesticated v.24) olive tree of The House of Israel and The House of Judah 'until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in'. (and 'The DOOR' is not yet shut; they are still coming in) This 'blindness' and rejection of The Gospel by Judaism was ordained by and caused by Yahweh Elohi Israel, and is for a purpose.

The prophesy of Jeremiah 31 (and Paul) goes on to the expectation of a better day and a future final fulfillment when Yahweh will put His LAW in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts;
And a time to come when men will no longer need to "teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know YAHWEH: for they shall ALL know Him, from the least of them unto the greatest"
Something that has obviously not yet been fully accomplished, or you yourself wouldn't be here trying to teach us of The Scriptures.

I'm afraid you do not actually understand the real Paul's position regarding The Law of Yahweh.
His preaching to the Gentiles was that they, The Gentiles, did not need undergo circumcision or follow legalistic Jewish practices to be accepted as fellow heirs to the promises, and admission into the Kingdom of Heaven. (as certain Jews zealous for The Law, but without understanding, were attempting to impose upon believing Gentiles as a required precondition of divine acceptance or of receiving His salvation.)
This was really nothing new, as to Gentile 'believers' (the Ger Toshavim- "the stranger(s) within (thy) gates") who were from the first institution of The Laws, excepted by law, from any requirement of obedience to most of these strictly Jewish obligations.)

Natural Israel, however is not granted any such liberties, because of the hardness of their hearts, The Law remains active and in full force that their transgressions of the commandments and sins might multiply and abound. UNTIL that time of Israel's national repentance, wherein the nation of Israel will at the last publicly cry out;
ברוך הבא בשם יהוה ברכנוכם מבית יהוה׃
"Baruch ha'Ba B'Shem YAHWEH! Barach'nu'chem meh'Beth YAHWEH!"
"Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of YAHWEH! We have blessed You from The House of YAHWEH!"
(Psa 118:26, Luke 13:35)
As of this day the natural branches of The House of Israel, and of The House of Judah still refuse to shout joyfully to the world that which is written.

Then, and only then, with a faithful recitation of these words by The House of Israel and The House of Judah, will they at the long last reap of this promise; "I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." (Jer 31:31)

And of course this also implies their long delayed acceptance and embracing of Him who spoke these words saying;
"I will declare Thy NAME unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise You." (Psalm 22:22, John 17:26 & Hebrews 2:10-13)



There is of course -another- power at work among the Gentiles, and all children of disobedience, even that one that directs the thoughts and the course of a huge, wealthy and powerful Babylonian 'worldy religion', That old 'Mother of Whores' and all of her her whoring daughters, oh so sucessfully decieving men against the truth
while operating in another name.




.
.

simon kole

Unless it was the intent of the author to do so and which, upon much closer examination of episodes IV and V in the light of episode VI, the continuity could be seen.

Perspicuo

You didn't...



... shuffle the cups fast enough so that we wouldn't notice that according to that God's Law is not eternal, that He changes His mind. And that therefore, it's bunk, Christianity is a fraud.