An Account of My 2015 Email Debate with Two Jewish Apologists, Jared and May – Part 3 on My Interest in Debating a Rabbi

Jared April 12, to me, May

Hi Randall,

Hope you’re having a good weekend.

Thanks for your lengthy response, I’m in the midst of constructing a reply.

In the meanwhile however I wanted to ask if you’d have any interest in debating scripture, the concept of the messiah, whether it is Jesus etc with a Rabbi I am friendly with? He has had friendly televised debates (YouTube) with other pastors and Christian Ministers. Curious if it’s something you’d be interested in given you are both active in promoting and teaching your beliefs and views on scripture

Randall Johnson April 12, to Jared, May
Hmmm, never done that before and not sure I’m the debater type. I’ll consider it.

Jared April 12, to Tovia, me, May
Thank you – it’s not some form of trap – but rather just an opportunity for the audiences interested in scripture (there are millions of us) to hear the views of two learned men with opposing views.

On your blog you share your thoughts on several key issues in the bible that many would find challenging (as I have) and it would be great to discuss some of these.

I have carbon copied Rabbi Tovia singer on to this reply to

A) Make an introduction and

B) See if something like this is doable.

No pressure at all irrespective

–May April 13, to Jared, me, Tovia
Hello, Randall.

A couple of weeks ago I replied to your blog post on the thread you and Jared were in. I was just curious if you read it and, if so, if you had any insights or reflections on what I wrote.

Shalom in your home, May

Randall Johnson April 13, to Jared, May
I actually read a transcript of Rabbi Tovia’s interaction with the Jews for Jesus director, Jhan Moskowitz, and felt his approach was unfair and inflammatory. There are numerous debates available, and one I saw and am still watching, is between Blumofe and Brown. I don’t think there needs to be another added to this mix.

Jared April 13, to me, May
Perhaps you should watch his most recent debate that took place at Houston Baptist University a few months ago with Dr. Craig Evans – https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ok9Esd9QX9E

This was a peaceful and respectful debate.

You have to understand that Jews for Jesus aggressively target Jewish people with deceptive techniques. They portray themselves as Jewish – and lure people with Jewish symbols and traditions only to be preaching gospel.

Imagine if there was a Jewish group standing outside your church with Cross symbols and pictures of Yeshua and welcoming congregants in to their “churches” which were in actual fact synagogues. I suspect you wouldn’t approve of such an approach.

In any case Tovia is a good man and a fair man. Please watch the link I sent : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok9Esd9QX9E

Randall April 13, to Jared, May
I watched the link and was tempted to quit at one point because he was not debating but running on and on about his life growing up. It is good to know a person’s background and reason for what they do, but didn’t seem appropriate in a debate. He did redeem himself towards the end however. Gave me some points to consider. But I still feel that there are more than enough debates available on the internet. I don’t need to add to them.

I’m a bit bothered that Jews For Jesus can’t use symbols that are important to them and be accepted as Jews because they believe Jesus is the Messiah. All the first followers of Jesus were Jewish. Why now is it wrong to claim you are a Jew if you follow Jesus? And if you believe your message is important for all to hear, why can you not preach it? I also don’t see that as a valid excuse for Rabbi Singer to respond the way he did.

Jared April 13, to me, May
Jews for Jesus can preach all they want however it’s the way they go about their deception which is a problem. They don’t just believe Jesus is the Messiah they also adopt the trinity belief.

The moment you adopt that belief you are committing idolatry – and therefore cannot pose as Jewish.

“you shall have no other gods besides me, for their is no saviour besides me”
“God is not a man that he should lie, not a human that he should change his mind”

I could go on – there are hundreds of passages in the Torah that explain the idolatry these Jews for Jesus people are committing. Instead of posing as something they’re not they’d be better being transparent and calling themselves Christians if they hold those beliefs.

As for the Messiah – this is a Jewish concept that has been adopted by Christianity – only we have not changed the criteria of what the Torah explains about the Messiah, i.e., that he will be a King and not divine, that he will be normal and have his own family and children, that he will come at a time when the world is at peace and everyone believes in the God of Israel – Hashem. I could go on…

Many have come and gone who could have been the Messiah but no one has met the criteria. Nowhere at all in the Torah does it say the Messiah will come and then die and disappear for 2000 years and then come back. If that was the case your or I could be the Messiah – as could have Moses, Abraham or Elvis.

Finally G-d makes it very clear in the Torah that he does not want human sacrifice and that sin atonement comes through prayer and repentance. You only need to read the story of Manasseh as a case in point.

Anyway – understand you’re not keen to debate and that is absolutely your right. Just figured you might be interested in the chance to share your views on scripture to an audience who has a passion for it.

Randall Johnson April 13, to Jared, May
I feel much more adept at responding through email and would be happy to try to speak to the arguments you just put forward, though I am guessing these have all been responded to as well in video/debate formats.

Maybe you could clarify for me what you think Rabbi Singer was saying when he argued that true believers in God would be preserved by God. I understand he is saying that Jewish followers of Jesus were not preserved since 70 BCE (that seems obviously wrong to me) but that Pharisaic Jews were preserved, but I’m wondering how or if he applies that to the victims of the Holocaust. Would he say that because they were killed and not preserved by God they were not genuine believers in the one true God?