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Some Jewish Witnesses For Christ

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Title: Some Jewish Witnesses For Christ

Author: Aaron Bernstein

 
Release date: October 12, 2011 [eBook #37734]

Language: English

Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/37734

Credits: Produced by Louise Davies, Jerry, Julia Neufeld and the
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SOME JEWISH WITNESSES FOR CHRIST ***

Produced by Louise Davies, Jerry, Julia Neufeld and the
Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

 SOME

 JEWISH WITNESSES

 FOR

 CHRIST.

 BY

 Rev. A. BERNSTEIN, B.D.

 _Price One Shilling and Sixpence._

 PRINTED AT THE

 OPERATIVE JEWISH CONVERTS' INSTITUTION,
 PALESTINE HOUSE, BODNEY ROAD, LONDON, N.E.

 1909.

PREFACE.

This book has grown very considerably in the making, and what was
expected to form a comparatively small pamphlet has become quite a
substantial volume. It is probable that if still more time could have
been spent upon it, its size would have been greatly increased, for the
fact of the matter is that there have been and are many more Jewish
witnesses for Christ than can readily be enumerated. But the author has
all along been very desirous that his work should appear in the
Centenary Year of the London Society for Promoting Christianity amongst
the Jews, the same year which has seen the production of the History of
that Society written by its gifted and deeply lamented Secretary, the
late Rev. W. T. Gidney. The two books are companion works of reference,
and in relation to Jewish missions they are both of inestimable value.
In some degree the one supplements the other, because the biographies
indicate many of the results of the various missionary enterprises
recorded in the History.

That Hebrew Christians should publish the arguments which have convinced
them that Jesus is the Messiah, not merely for their own vindication,
but rather to lead others to the same conviction, is not at all
surprising. It is, however, peculiarly noteworthy that their literary
efforts have not been limited to those of an apologetic nature, but
that, on the contrary, they have made valuable contributions to almost
all the departments of human knowledge. The learned author has rendered
this one of the most pleasing features of his work, and it has evidently
afforded him no little gratification to exhibit clearly the vast
erudition of his numerous brethren.

The Rev. F. L. Denman, the other Secretary of the Society, has read the
proofs, and has done all in his power to secure accuracy, yet as many
authorities have been consulted, and all are not of equal reliability,
it is probable that some errors have been overlooked, and those to which
readers kindly draw attention will be corrected in any future edition.

 H. O. ALLBROOK,
 _Principal of the Operative Jewish
 Converts' Institution._

JEWISH WITNESSES FOR CHRIST.

INTRODUCTION.

THE history of the Mission to the Jews is coeval with the history of the
Christian Church. The names of Christ's disciples mentioned in the
Gospels are nearly all those of Jews, and in the Epistles a great many
of them are of Jewish converts. But the general reader of the New
Testament does not realize the fact, because it was the fashion among
the Jews at that time to assume Greek names. For instance, several of
St. Paul's relatives bearing Greek names became Christians, but we
should not know that they were Jews if the Apostle had not written,
"Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen." Again, "Lucius, and Jason, and
Sosipater, my kinsmen" (Rom. xvi. 7 and 21). Whilst where we have not
this information with regard to other such names, we take it for granted
that they were Gentiles. For instance, Zenas, mentioned in Titus iii.
13, is naturally taken by the general reader for a Greek, yet scholars
maintain that he had formerly been a Jewish scribe or lawyer.

The aim of this work is to shew that God had at all times in the history
of the Christian Church a considerable number of believing Israelites
who, after their conversion to Christianity, rendered good service to
their fellowmen and to the Church of Christ at large. Out of this
company of "the remnant according to the election of grace," only a very
few comparatively have their names recorded in history. The names of the
great majority are written in the Book of Life alone. But as in the
prophet Ezekiel--Noah, Job and Daniel--and as in the Epistle to the
Hebrews--the short list of the Old Testament saints--are the
representatives of a large number, so may the converts mentioned in this
book be considered as representatives of a vast number of their brethren
who had the courage and the grace given them to take up the cross and
follow Jesus.

Yet, of course, to give a mere nomenclature, or catalogue, of persons
would not signify much unless it were followed by a description of the
life and work of the persons concerned. The material thereto is
abundant--there is a vast literature upon the subject--as will be
presently seen, with the exception of that which refers to Jewish
converts of the Eastern Church. The sublime maxim, "One soweth and
another reapeth," is peculiarly applicable to a biographical writer. He
cannot and must not be original, but has to state the facts in the life
of the person whom he attempts to delineate, just as he finds them
recorded in books, or letters, or as he knows them from personal
observation. But it is obvious that the latter can only be the case when
the subject of a biographer's writing is a contemporary and known to
himself.

The following are the sources from which the writer has immediately
drawn his information:--

(1.) "The Jewish Encyclopædia." Every contributor to this remarkable
work of 12 volumes is well-known in the literary and religious world as
a reliable authority upon the subject of his article.

(2.) "Juden Mission, a history of Protestant Missions among the Jews
since the Reformation," by Pastor de le Roi, well-known and esteemed in
the churches on the Continent and beyond its borders.

(3.) "Christen und Juden," by the late Rev. A. Fürst, D.D., formerly a
Missionary and Pastor at Amsterdam, and well acquainted with Spanish
literature.

(4.) "Jewish Witnesses that Jesus is the Christ," by the Rev. Ridley
Herschell (father of Lord Chancellor Herschell), who gives his
autobiography and the lives of several personal friends.

(5.) "The People, the Land and the Book," by B. A. M. Schahiro, of the
Bible House, New York.

(6.) "The Hebrew C

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