Christianity?

Question

I've been raised jewish my entire life, in a community full of christians. I've been trying to explore other religions, and the reasons people believe in them. However, I cannot seem to grasp why so many people believe in Christianity. I understand that every religious theory attracts someone, but I can't imagine why so many people choose to become or continue being christian. I am not critiscizing christianity at all, rather I would like to know some reasons why anyone who is christian and using Yahoo answers believes in christ/ the bible etc. It would eally help me to become more open minded and embrace my heavily christian neighbors.

ok here are some details id also like to know:
how can god have a son? how is there only one god if there are three in the trinity?

also:
please do not tell me "its the same reason you believe in judism." judism is so entirely different. and i dont believe in some aspects of it.

and explain how you have a relationship with christ. Have you ever met the man? I highly doubt that you are that old.

Answer 1

I was raised in a Christian family, so do not know anything different. I grew up with Bible stories, both Old and New Testament. My family celebrated Christmas. I find it hard to imagine being anything but Christian.

Over the years I have studied the Old Testament, and have learned of the many references to Jesus Christ coming in the Meridian of Time. The book of Isaiah is full of predictions and references to Jesus Christ. It is an easy leap to believe that Jesus was born, and did die on the cross for us.

You asked how God can have a son. There is no true answer to that at this time. The New Testament tells us that the Spirit of God overshadowed Mary, and she conceived. That doesn't tell us much, does it? The actual process is unknown to us, but we know that God can do anything he wants. He has the power and ability to cause Mary to conceive, and she bore a child that she named Jesus.

I believe that I do have a relationship with Jesus Christ. I have studied the New Testament, and I have studied the doctrines of my chosen religion, and I do believe that I am doing what Jesus Christ would have me do.

I have many friends who are Jewish, and I respect their beliefs. I appreciate their willingness to learn a little about my religion, and I try to learn about theirs in return. I am pleased that you are open-minded enough to ask questions. Now, I recommend that you ask your Christian friends and neighbors these same questions, so that you can discuss them at length.

Answer 2

I worship the same God that you do. I know him in a different way than you do though. I know him in as Jesus. I am led by him in the form of the Holy Ghost. I understand that the same God that you serve came to Earth, robed in flesh, in the person of Jesus. He now dwells in my soul, in the form of the Holy Ghost.
Wouldn't you like to have your God living within you being?
I do not believe in the trinity, where God is suppose to have two equals with him on the Throne. I believe this is liken to blasphemy. God stands alone. He needs no help. He shares his glory with no one. If this was the only form of Christianity there was, then I could see how you, as a Jewish person, would have a hard time understanding how anyone could believe it. Because after all, doesn't the Bible tell us that, the Lord our God is one Lord. He has no equal.
I serve only 1 God and Jesus is his name. He is the the great creator. The very God of Jacob and Issac.

Answer 3

Interesting, in that I am "part" Jewish (but according to custom, completely Jewish) and grew up in predominantly Jewish neighborhoods in New Jersey.

I guess what helped me was in trying to see the bigger picture regarding Christianity and Judaism, and relying in Scripture, and not what some Rabbi or Christian minister had to say, but rather very carefully going through Scripture.

I made some astounding observations.

Do you know what the tree of the knowledge of good and evil represents? What teaches, in Scripture, a knowledge of good and evil? The Law!

Adam and Eve abandoned faith in God.

Ancient Israel is described as being stiff-necked, rebellious and faithless, and that the law was there as a witness AGAINST them.

I saw in Judaism a people who worshipped the Law moreso than God, placing the Law on par with, or above God.

I experienced the condition that, the more I tried to keep the Law, the more I found myself condemned by the Law. I became more proud and arrogant.

But Judaism is built and based around the Law; the Law is everything, and getting out of that mindset was very hard.

Yet the hints are there:

Habakkuk 2:4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

Abraham lived by faith. We can too.

.

Answer 4

You may be interested to know that Jesus Christ came to the Jews first. The "Gospels" of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the first four books of the new testament, tell of His life and ministry to them. We believe Him to be the promised Messiah foretold of by the prophets, that the living God has fulfilled His promise. Christians are the Jews and gentiles who have entered into the new covenant, through Jesus, between God and mankind. Our only proof is the indwelling Holy Spirit of God. Here are some links that may help you to learn more. May God reveal and light your path.

More questions edit:
how can god have a son?
...Mary conceived Him by the Holy Spirit.
how is there only one god if there are three in the trinity?
...God has revealed Himself in these three ways.
how you have a relationship with christ?
...As you do any relationship.. time together and love.
...He responds through His Spirit
Have you ever met the man?
...Yes, Spiritually, almost everyday since He touched my heart.

Email any questions or if you want further explanations.
I would be glad to help or find the answers for you.

Answer 5

There Jews who also believe in Jesus but who are not Christians.
Christians believe that Jesus is the Messiah the Savior promised by G-d.
You do not have to believe the same way as your Christian neighbors in order to be respectful or even friends . Just be polite and if they are decent people they will be respectful of you . If they are not turn and walk away .
Live your life as the best Jew that you can and be a good witness to your neighbors by the way you act and the things that you do .

Answer 6

Unlike all other religions, Christianity alone possesses a founder who transcends death and who promises that His followers will do the same. All other (false) religions were founded by men and prophets whose end was the grave. As Christians, we take comfort in the fact that our God became man, died for our sins, was killed, and was resurrected the third day. The grave could not hold Him. He lives and He sits today at the right hand of God the Father in heaven. The living church has a living Head.

Answer 7

We believe that Jesus is the Messiah whose coming was prophecied in the Old Testament. We believe this because many of the Messianic prophecies were fulfilled in His birth or by Him during His life. We believe that the remainder of the Messianic prophecies will be fulfilled by Jesus when He returns to set up His earthly kingdom.

Jesus said that He came not to destroy the law or the prophets, but to fulfill. He was the ultimate sacrifice for sin when He was crucified. He arose from the grave to show us that we can have eternal life through Him.

Answer 8

God revealed Himself to us through Christ. We've come to know Him (Christ), that He is real, and that in Him there is life abundantly and life eternal! True Christianity is more than just a religion, it's a relationship with a real being - Christ. When you get to know Him, nothing else can satisfy! That's why the Apostle Paul, who was a Jew and a Hebrew of Hebrews, gave up all he had accomplished Judaism to follow Christ. It's like he said in Philippians 3: 4-11 :

"If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.

7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead."

Answer 9

I am a Christian. I derive my joy and my strength from my savior Jesus Christ the Son of God. I serve a risen Lord. Pretty much the difference I see between Judaism and Christian is you are waiting for Messiah to come and I am waiting for Him to return. I think your Messiah and mine are one and the same but until that day of redemption we will have to wait to find out for sure.

Answer 10

In all honesty, I believe in Jesus because of you...or more specifically, because of the Jewish (Hebrew) people...God's chosen people. I believe the word of the one true God, the God of Abraham when he told Abraham, "...through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed."

The Jewish scriptures contained well over 300 prophecies about the Messiah who would save the whole world and, according to eyewitness and other accounts in the New Testament, Jesus fulfilled all of them.

If you want a point of commonality, the apostle Paul makes it very clear that we owe our salvation to the nation of Israel and that, when God is satisfied that the "full measure" of Gentiles have accepted him through Jesus, that "ALL Israel will be saved". In my opinion at least, God's covenant with the nation of Israel wasn't abolished by Jesus, it was fulfilled...through him, all nations were blessed with the opportunity to have a relationship with the one true God. To put it another way, Jesus made it possible to share in the inheritence that God promised to the nation of Israel. Now I could see why that might both Jewish people...not many people would want to share an inheritance. However, since God's kingdom is infinite, adding us to "family" doesn't in any way diminish the rewards God will give the nation of Israel.

Regarding the trinity question, I follow the same ONE true God that you follow. If God is a singular being, then why does the Old Testament make so many plural references to him. Elohim is a plural noun, "let US make man in OUR image", "let US confound their language", etc... Many scriptures in the Torah and other parts of the Old Testament refer to the "Spirit" of God, David mentions "my LORD sitting beside my LORD", and several passages talk about God appearing in human form (one even refers to a "son").

Christianity is NOT polytheistic (though some churchs have made it so)...God is ONE...the Hebrew word for "one" (eXad) used in Genesis to describe marriage and in Deuter. to describe God as "ONE" has a root meaning of "unity"...that makes sense in terms of two people becoming one in marriage, but how in terms of God unless he is a multi-faceted but completely united being? God the father (that loves us), God the son (that walked among us) and God the Holy Spirit (that dwells in all of us)...all fully God but interacting with us in different ways.