Terminology- Words Count- No “New Testament” for Me!

This was first posted on Israel Blogger.

Here’s another of my serious pet peeves.

We Jews must never use the term “new testament,” sic, for the Christian Bible. 

I’ve caught too many people using it blithely unaware of its actual meaning and significance. The basic theological foundation of Christianity is that they are the continuation or more exact the replacement of Judaism. They insist that their bible includes ours, which they call the “old testament.” Now, what’s a “testament?”

1. 1a:  a tangible proof or tribute b:  an expression of conviction :creed
2. 2a:  an act by which a person determines the disposition of his or her property after death b:will
3. a capitalized:  either of two main divisions of the Bible b archaic:  a covenant between God and the human race

Jews do not use that term for the TaNa”Ch, Bible, which is Torah, Navi and Kituvim, translated as “Five Books of Moses,” Prophets and Writings/Scrolls. My Tanach teacher, Dr. Yael Ziegler, always reminds us that Tanach isn’t a history book ; it’s a book of theology. Historically, after the narrative in it and to explain the meaning, we have the Oral Law.

Christianity claims that the very confusing narratives in their Bible, which begins after ours, is the continuation and new instructions and lessons. In their history, they even refer to themselves as the “new Jews.” But they aren’t Jews at all. They worship a dead human which goes against the very first Commandment, Shemot/Exodus Chapter 20. 

1God spoke all these words, to respond:		אוַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹהִים אֵת כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה לֵאמֹר:
2“I am the Lord, your God, Who took you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.		באָנֹכִי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים:
3You shall not have the gods of others in My presence.		גלֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים עַל פָּנַי:
4You shall not make for yourself a graven image or any likeness which is in the heavens above, which is on the earth below, or which is in the water beneath the earth.		דלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה לְּךָ פֶסֶל | וְכָל תְּמוּנָה אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׁמַיִם | מִמַּעַל וַאֲשֶׁר בָּאָרֶץ מִתַּחַת וַאֲשֶׁר בַּמַּיִם | מִתַּחַת לָאָרֶץ:
5You shall neither prostrate yourself before them nor worship them, for I, the Lord, your God, am a zealous God, Who visits the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons, upon the third and the fourth generation of those who hate Me,		הלֹא תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לָהֶם וְלֹא תָעָבְדֵם כִּי אָנֹכִי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֵל קַנָּא פֹּקֵד עֲוֹן אָבוֹת עַל בָּנִים עַל שִׁלֵּשִׁים וְעַל רִבֵּעִים לְשׂנְאָי:
6and [I] perform loving kindness to thousands [of generations], to those who love Me and to those who keep My commandments.		ווְעֹשֶׂה חֶסֶד לַאֲלָפִים לְאֹהֲבַי וּלְשֹׁמְרֵי מִצְוֹתָי:

And that's why it is very important that we recognize and make it clear that not only are Judaism and Christianity two separate religions, but their agenda is to replace us. To say that their bible is the "new" one plays into their hands.