More about Predestination

Did God really want Isaiah to harden Israel's hearts, blind their eyes, and deafen their ears? This introduction to the book of Isaiah and study on Isaiah's vision in chapter 6 unlocks important ideas from the New Testament about the Jewish rejection of Yeshua's message. Join the Green Room class from February 2013 for the first lesson in the series "Isaiah in the New Testament." Download the original class handout as a PDF below.

The Sequence of Providence

Predestination or Free Will? Is there such a thing as free choice, or are we all just acting out a script? And if God's in charge of everything, why does he let bad things happen? Here's a short introduction to Theodicy from a Messianic Jewish perspective.

The Stumbling Stone

What about the Jewish people who rejected the Messiah? Did God "harden" their hearts? Why did they stumble over Yeshua, and what were the implications? Did the Messianic promises fail? Romans 9 is a pivotal passage for understanding Paul's theology regarding Messiah and Israel. This teaching takes the most difficult chapter of the Epistle to the Romans head on from a Messianic Jewish perspective.

So then he has mercy on whomever he wils, and he hardens whomever he wills. (Romans 9:18)

What Advantage? (Revisited)

If Gentile believers receive the a share in the kingdom and the world to come and also enjoy the blessings promised to Abraham, what advantage does a Jewish believer have? What's the point of being a Jew at all? Does the inclusion of the Gentiles negate Jewish identity and priority? These are the questions that the Apostle Paul takes up in the much-misunderstood and often-misinterpreted ninth chapter of the book of Romans.

More than Conquerors

Does God predestine some people for salvation and others for torment? Where does that leave free choice? In this teaching on Romans 8, we look beyond the weary argument about predestination and free will to try to understand the words of the Apostle Paul from within the context of the argument he is making. Take a closer look at the meaning of resurrection and the hope in which we were saved.

Download the original class notes as a pdf in the link below.