Did Paul Appoint Rabbis to Lead First-Century Congregations?

We seem to take for granted this idea that there should be rabbis in modern Messianic synagogues.  What is the New Testament precedent for such a title?  We see that plural elders were appointed in local communities.  But where is the mention of the office of Rabbi?  Does anyone know?

How to Systematize Messianic Theology

So I was thinking about adding a doctrinal statement in the FAQs section and then I got a little sidetracked and started contemplating how to systematize Messianic Theology.  The problem is figuring out how to adapt the protestant systematic framework to a Jewish framework.  But here's my initial list:

Theology Proper (G-d)

Nomonology (Law)

Trinitology (Trinity)

Pneumatology (Ruach)

Christology (Moshiach)

Bibliology (Scripture)

Hamartiology (Sin)

Soteriology (Salvation)

Ecclesiology (Community)

Antropology (Man)

Israelology (Israel)

Anyone have any suggestions as to categories or how to order the categories?  There should be a category for covenant as well but I can't think of a suitable Greek term that would come close to...I'd say Britology (as in the Hebrew "brit" for covenant) but that sounds too much like Britain...

Complete Mitzvot Categorized by Topic

Link

Mitzvot That Apply Today (In Exile and In the Land)

Link

Carl Kinbar's Definition of Judaism (It's Interesting)

So I'm all for dialogue and learning from other people's points of view.  Carl Kinbar today gave an interesting definition for Judaism.  Here it is:

A Useful Discussion with Carl Kinbar

So today on James' blog I had a discussion with Carl.  He made the assertion that the Talmud is a mandatory authority based on "clear" rulings.  I disputed this and Gene naturally chimed in saying that I was arrogant to argue against Carl's opinion.

So I cited a link to something which, all reasonable minds will agree, PROVES that there is nothing "clear" about the Talmudic decision-making process:

See here.

Enjoy.

Responding to Frequently Asked Questions

So I was toying with the idea of including a FAQs section.  Here is something I just came up with.  Let me know if anything should be changed.  Then, after the changes are made, I'll add a FAQs tab at the top of the screen.

Here's what I just came up with after breakfast:

Netanyahu Draws Line in the Sand

Link

Confused and Hungry at Wednesday Night Church (on Yom Kippur)

Was Adam There with Eve When Eve Ate the Forbidden Fruit?

Here's the passage:

3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God,knowing good and evil.”

6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 

I never realized it before but it sounds like Adam was there, doesn't it?  What are your thoughts?  And why is this detail mentioned?

More Updates to Links Section

Be sure to let me know if there's any other helpful sites that should be included.

The Bullies of the Messianic Movement: How the MJRC Codified Racial Segregation and Class-Based Citizenship

Yom Kippur Starts Tonight (Tuesday) At Sundown

Just so you know...

MJRC Presents a Codification of Messianic Halacha! YIKES!!!

So I only found out about this yesterday after Gene and Carl Kinbar made fun of me for wanting to discover the principles of halacha.  It turns out that the MJRC has done precisely what I feared.  They created a codification of Messianic halacha.  I'm guessing this was VERY recent.  Here's the link:

The Danger of Disregarding Precedent

"Stare decisis et non quieta movere"   (stand by decisions and don't disturb the undisturbed)

In 200 C.E., Yehuda haNasi broke with precedent.  He took a legal system based on oral transmission and converted it into a written tradition.  

What's the big deal with violating precedent?  Who cares, right?  

You should.  And here's why...