Do Jews Worship the Same God as the Christians do?

[Christian2]

Hello to all,

I asked this question on another discussion board and was very surprised by the responses I received.

My position is that Christians do believe that the God the Jews worship is the same God as the Christians worship, even though Jews do not believe that God is trinue in nature.

Someone told me that it was a silly question and I thought so too until I received responses.

So I am bringing this question to you all. What say you?

[puritan lad]

No. The god of Judaism is the Devil. (John 8:37-44)

[Christian2]

No. The god of Judaism is the Devil. (John 8:37-44)

Hello puritan lad,

So, what you are saying and how you are interpreting John 8:37-44 is that all Jews worship the devil, in the first century up to the present time. Or is Jesus saying that some Jews fall into this category?

So anyone who rejects Jesus as the Messiah and the Word of God worships the devil--this would include all non-Trinitarian people, not just the Jews.

[puritan lad]

I guess that would depend on how one defines a Jew. Jews, as a race, can be Christians, as most of the Apostles were. But one who rejects Christ does not worship the same God as Christianity. Jesus was very clear that when one rejects Christ, he does not believe Moses either (John 5:46).

For anyone who rejects Christ, Jesus's words in John 8 are clear.

“If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do."

They don't have to be involved in the actual worship of Satan to have Satan as their god. Satan is the founder of all false religion, which includes Judaism.

That's an issue that is really troubling in the modern church, as many treat Judaism as an "almost" Christian belief, and that all they need to do is add the New Testament to their otherwise adequate religion. But, according to John 5:46, one who rejects Christ does not believe the Old Testament either. God has one chosen people, His church.

[Christian2]

puritan lad,

Do you agree with the following statement:

The God of the Old Testament is the God of the New Testament.

[puritan lad]

puritan lad,

Do you agree with the following statement:

The God of the Old Testament is the God of the New Testament.

Absolutely. He hasn't changed one bit.

[Christian2]

puritan lad,

Do you agree with the following statement:

The God of the Old Testament is the God of the New Testament.

Absolutely. He hasn't changed one bit.

OK, I agree. Next question: Who are the Jews worshipping when they worship God? I think they would be highly insulted if you said Satan.

Would you agree that the Jews are worshipping the same God but not in fullness that He has revealed Himself through Jesus Christ?

[puritan lad]

OK, I agree. Next question: Who are the Jews worshipping when they worship God? I think they would be highly insulted if you said Satan.

You're probably right. If my memory serves correct, they were none to happy with Jesus Christ either.

On the side, if you are witnessing to a Judaists, you probably shouldn't begin by telling him that he is worshipping the Devil. Even though it is true, Jesus tells us to "be wise as serpents and harmless as doves" (Matthew 10:16). While "honesty" is the best policy, blunt honesty isn't always the best. Case in point...

WIFE: Does this dress make me look fat?
HUSBAND: No. It's your fat that makes you look fat.

My response to a Judaist would be a little more shrewd. However, for the Christian, we need to get past this nonsense that Judaists and Christians worship the same God. We don't.

Would you agree that the Jews are worshipping the same God but not in fullness that He has revealed Himself through Jesus Christ?

No. If they were God's children, they would love Jesus. Anyone who denies that Jesus is the Christ is a liar and an antichrist (1 John 2:22). Abraham was saved by the same gospel that saved us (Galatians 3:8). Without Christ, there is no salvation, regardless of race or religious tradition (Acts 4:12).

[Felgar]

No. The god of Judaism is the Devil. (John 8:37-44)

Mark 12:28-34

In the passage you gave Puritan, Jesus made it clear that those individuals were not abiding by the faith established by Abraham.

In the passage above we have an expert Jew who actually did understand the God of the Old Testament, and Jesus accepted him. Clearly Jews could have the same faith as Abraham and be thus saved; I would claim the expert was one of them.

Now, if a Jew hears the Good News and rejects it, then he never did worship the same God and all of Puritan's examples come into play. For one who serves the God of the OT will necessarily understand and accept Jesus and His message, as did the expert of the Law in Mark 12.

So I agree with you Puritan, when you say "If they were God's children, they would love Jesus."

[Deborah]

Regardless of what religion, they are God's Children if they follow what is written in Psalms 15 and Ezekiel 18
As Christians we have to keep to this just as the jews do to be Gods Children.

Edit you do have a point about John 8 though
A good point!

[Kurieuo]

It is sometimes alarming to hear to kind of God Christians "believe" they worship. Many have different conceptions, some believing God is more judgemental, others more compassionate, others more sovereign, others can't get past Christ's humanity, have a distaste if they refer to God as Father (due to say an abusive father), some believe he in some atemporal, others temporal, some omniscient, others omniscient except knowing our decisions, and so on and so forth.

Do individual Christians each worship the same God? Is it only necessary that God knows who he is, or is it necessary to have the right conception? Could a Christian be forgiven for having a wrong conception? I think perhaps this gets to the heart of the matter. For I only see Jews have a different conception of God. So I see that they do worship to same God, but perhaps not like the conception of God a Christian may worship.

Kurieuo

[Believer]

I personally believe that Jews do worship the same God (my psychiatrist is a Jew, and I have talked to him about it).

Genesis 1:26

26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

Genesis 1:26 clearly mentions that people were made in "our" image, "our" meaning God the Father, Son of God, and the Holy Spirit. So the Jews must acknowledge something there. There was more than one in the making, yet still one. However, they do only believe that Jesus Christ was only a prophet, not divine, and so the Holy Spirit is done away with as well. Genesis mentions a spirit in the Creation, but not the Holy Spirit, which was identified later. So I think it is safe to say that they do worship the same God, just not the whole picture that is written.

[Locker]

I half to chime in here:

When Jews hear language such as “Jews worshipping the devil” they instantly think of Auschwitz, pogroms, and wearing Gold Stars and thus resist the Christian message with a vengeance. This is not the way to win the hearts and minds of the lost either.

Yes, they do believe and worship the same God we Christians do. Jesus taught all near him to pray to the Father (God) — the same we pray too. Jesus was Jewish as well as his disciples. Jesus argued on God's behalf and confronted the people on who God really was. Some heard and others did not. Yes, Jews do worship the One True God but how can they ever meet the second person of the trinity using language like that?

They need to meet Jesus like we all do but this kind of speech forbids reason to think. It is true the Jews do not believe in the Messiah Jesus and thus do not have the second person of the divine trinity - thus God in the fullest sense and here I can see Puritan's point but not the same God —No.

[puritan lad]

Genesis 1:26 clearly mentions that people were made in "our" image, "our" meaning God the Father, Son of God, and the Holy Spirit. So the Jews must acknowledge something there. There was more than one in the making, yet still one. However, they do only believe that Jesus Christ was only a prophet, not divine, and so the Holy Spirit is done away with as well. Genesis mentions a spirit in the Creation, but not the Holy Spirit, which was identified later. So I think it is safe to say that they do worship the same God, just not the whole picture that is written.

The problem, if a Jew rejects Christ, he doesn't believe Moses either (John 5:46). I think Phillip Carrington summarizes it well.

"But in the New Testament period the temple system was central; after its destruction the Rabbis organized a new Judaism on enlightened Pharisee lines. But it was a new religion, not the old. The old religion died in the year A.D. 70, and gave birth to two children; the elder was modern Judaism without temple or priest or sacrifice; the younger was Christianity, which was proud of possessing all three."

Modern Judaism is not a Biblical religion, any more than Islam (Lest we forget, they are also Abraham's decendants.)

[puritan lad]

Yes, Jews do worship the One True God but how can they ever meet the second person of the trinity using language like that?

If you don't know the Second person of the Trinity, then you don't worship the same God. The only way a Jew can be saved is if he abandons his false religion and adopts the religion of his father Abraham, which includes Jesus Christ and His gospel (Galatians 3:8).

If you don't like the language, talk to Jesus (John 8:39-44), not me.