The Distortion: 2000 Years of Misrepresenting the Relationship Between Jesus the Messiah and the Jewish People
Overview
What Mel Gibson missed in The Passion of the Christ! In this timely, eye-opening, and important new book, Drs. John and Patrice Fischer respond to ancient questions being raised once again, due to the release of the popular film, The Passion of the Christ. "The Jews killed Jesus; they rejected their own Messiah." "Jews just don't believe in Jesus, and never have!" These statements, although common, are not true! The Distortion exposes how these misunderstandings began, how they continued through the last two millennia, what it has cost, not only the Jewish people, but also the Church.
The Distortion covers a number of pertinent topics, including the reliability of the Gospels, their supposed anti-Semitism, the prevalence of anti-Semitism in the church, a modern script for the passion story, cinematic choices that could lead to anti-Semitic conclusions, and whether or not the Jewish people have responded to God’s plan. The Distortion reveals how the facts of the New Testament gradually got distorted in the minds of people, and shows what can be done to rectify something that has led to travesty and tragedy for 2000 years.
Top Highlights
“As odd as it might sound, for the past 2000 years, the truth about the real relationship between Jesus the Messiah and the Jewish people has in fact been distorted.” (Page x)
“‘Discovery after discovery has established the accuracy of innumerable details’” (Page 13)
“The Gospels reveal that Shimon and Andrew, and Ya’akov and Yochanan, were owners of major fishing operations. They could come and go as they pleased; they controlled their own schedules and lives, indicating that they were men of wealth. This assessment is confirmed by the size and quality of Shimon’s house in Capernaum; it is larger than most found in that city. In addition to their extensive education in the religious texts of Judaism, their business background and expertise ensured that they were practical and pragmatic, not gullible or ignorant.” (Page 13)
“Therefore, it is often difficult to appreciate the reliability and precision that accompany oral transmission in societies accustomed to, and trained for, this form of communication and education. Before the advent of the printing press, written literature had to be hand copied to enable its wide circulation and distribution. When texts are hand copied, mistakes known as ‘copyist’s errors’ inevitably creep in. Given these circumstances, the accuracy of orally transmitted material clearly exceeded that of written material.” (Page 5)
“Sociological and anthropological studies have been conducted of societies with an oral orientation. Such studies (for example, Ong’s Orality and Literacy) have described and demonstrated how verbal accounts and historical events are orally transmitted over many generations with incredible precision and accuracy.” (Page 6)
Praise for the Print Edition
...biblically sound, historically accurate, and deeply relevant.
—Dr. Michael Rydelnik, Professor of Jewish Studies, Moody Bible Institute
...words that can bring healing between Christians and Jews, and Jews and Messiah.
—Russell Resnik, Exec. Dir., Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations
...a credible, objective view on a subject dark with misunderstanding.
—Dr. Ruth Fleischer, Chair, Union of British Messianic Jewish Congregations
...turns the traditional Christian perspective on its head; suggests ways to put it right side up.
—Elliot Klayman, Exec. Dir., Messianic Literature Outreach
Product Details
- Title: The Distortion: 2000 Years of Misrepresenting the Relationship Between Jesus the Messiah and the Jewish People
- Authors: John Fischer and Patrice Fischer
- Publisher: Messianic Jewish Publishers
- Publication Date: 2004
- Pages: 126
About John Fischer and Patrice Fischer
Patrice Fischer D. Min., teaches Old Testament and Hebrew at St. Petersburg Theological Seminary and is adjunct professor of linguistics at the University of South Florida. She has a BA in Radio-TV-Film from Northwestern and an MA from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.
Born in Budapest, John Fischer has doctorates in biblical and historical studies. He is rabbi of Congregation Ohr Chadash in Clearwater, Florida; Director of Menorah Ministries; VP for Academic Affairs at St. Petersburg Theological Seminary; and head of Netzer David Intl. Yeshiva. He is the author of numerous books and articles and served as the editor for The Enduring Paradox.
About Messianic Jewish Publishers
In 1941, The United States is drawn into World War II. During that same year, Dr. Henry Einspruch publishes his classic book, The Yiddish New Testament, a breakthrough in evangelistic literature for Jewish people. Over the following decades, the publications of Lederer/Messianic Jewish Communications have been widely used to impact thousands of Jewish people with the Good News of Messiah. These books and tracts have been distributed in the Orthodox Jewish community, have been given out to Jews in the former Soviet Union, and have been used by Messianic congregations and Jewish outreaches all over the world. Messianic Jewish Publishers mission is two-pronged: Reaching out to Jewish people with the message of Messiah and teaching the non-Jewish spiritual family about their Jewish roots.
