Monday, July 8, 2013

Resource Review: Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus

Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus

Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus by Michael L. Brown is an excellent resource for any apologist, minister or layperson. After some nudging from his close friends, particularly Sid Roth, around 1996, Michael Brown began putting this work together. Brown is a specialist in Jewish debate and dialog. He also has a live radio show and international apologetic ministry with special emphasis on reaching the Jewish community.

The Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus series currently consists of the following four volumes:

  1. General and Historical Objections
  2. Theological Objections
  3. Messianic Prophecy Objections
  4. New Testament Objections

Christianity historically arose out of Judaism and consequently the arsenal of objections by the Jewish community to Jesus have not been in short-supply. In fact, in Matthew 28:13-15 the Jews blamed the empty of Jesus on the disciples themselves.

As usual with Logos resources, each Scripture citation within the body of the text is linked to my favorite translation (ESV) as well as citations of other resources also in my library. This enables you to hover your mouse or arrow over the verse or resource to see the verse or other information while you read. Each volume in this resource set follows a similar format. Brown writes,

"I begin with a concise statement of the objection, followed by a concise answer to the objection, which is then followed by an in-depth answer, including citations of important sources as needed, also considering possible objections to our answers. For those interested in more detailed discussion, substantial endnotes have been provided, although in this volume, because of the breadth of the material cited—which required well over five hundred endnotes..."

Brown has taken his research and experience and has distilled it for our consumption in what is currently a four-volume set. In the preface to volume four Brown writes, "However, when I completed the writing of volume 4, the manuscript came to more than 650 pages, and because such a lengthy volume would have been unwieldy, it was agreed that there would have to be a fifth volume, devoted exclusively to traditional Jewish objections." Brown estimates that the entire work will eventually total more than 1,500 pages. This reader and many others look forward to volume-five.

Craig Keener, Professor of New Testament Studies, at Palmer Theological Seminary writes, "Brown’s answers to objections are carefully thought out, honest, and well researched. His work provides a useful model on how to do apologetics for all who are interested in articulating and defending the Christian faith."

One of the advantages of having Logos is that it brings all of your resources together in one search engine. Preparation for a sermon or lesson that would have taken hours of study can quickly be whittled down with search capabilities and exegetical and Bible passage guides. If you do not have Logos click here to learn more. Click the link below to add this resource to your Logos library.



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