I was recommended a book a few of years ago in which the author praised his new-found resource that had given him a deeper understanding of the Bible. He went on to talk about his time spent conversing about the Scriptures with Jewish acquaintances.

I have noticed several biblical resources that approach the Scriptures, even the New Testament, from a Jewish point of view. Does that seem odd, a Jewish perspective on the New Testament?

This is not a criticism, but what kind of biblical understanding I should expect from a person who has rejected Jesus as the Christ, and who embraces interpretations of the Old Testament handed down over the centuries.

Those of the Jewish faith can say truthful things. Yet, Jesus rejected the traditions of the Jewish elders of His day. At the same time, the Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day rejected Him and demanded His death. I don’t think the best teacher for a believer in Christ is someone who rejects Jesus as the Christ.

A while back I purchased a new Study Bible. I asked a friend of mine to look it over and give me his opinion. He alerted me to the fact that the primary author of the notes on the Old Testament regarded the Bible as nothing more than ancient literature. The author of the notes believed the message of the Old Testament to be metaphor, not composed of genuine historical content. I would not count that scholar to be a reliable teacher.

Yet, does it really matter?

“YES!” Your source of information has always mattered to God!

Do you know why Jesus rebuked and silenced the demons who correctly and openly identified Him as the Holy One of God (Luke 4:34-35)?

Do you know why Paul rebuked the girl with a spirit of divination who correctly identified him and his missionary companions as bond-servants of the Most High God (Acts 16:16-18)?

Those spirits were described as unclean, evil and demonic. They were not considered to be reliable teachers. They might have been able to say something truthful, but they would not be reliable witnesses in all things. They were not in pursuit of the will of God.

• Will a believer of the Jewish faith lead you to Jesus Christ?
• Will an expert in ancient literature point you to the resurrected Jesus?
• Will a proclaimed believer who openly rebels against God’s word give you enlightenment regarding God and His word?
• Will a sincerely religious person who denies that Jesus is the Son of God be able to  take you into the depths of God’s wisdom?
• Will a non-believer strengthen your faith in God and encourage your heart toward your eternal hope?

Is truth important to you? 

Do you desire a strong faith and a fulfilled hope (expectation)?

   So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

   --Romans 10:17

Paul wrote of the hidden wisdom of God:

   For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.

   --1 Corinthians 2:10

We don’t need a Jewish perspective or a scholarly point of view.

We have the Spirit of God.

Mark Stinnett

April 26, 2026

(The following was adapted from a conversation with friend who is a horticulturist. Her insights are presented followed by my own thoughts in italics.)

Growing fruit costs a plant an enormous amount of energy. Compare the amount of calories/energy in an apple with the leaves and bark of an apple tree, the latter leaving a terrible taste and few calories gained. More energy, flavor, scent, design and color go into the fruit than the rest of the plant. Plants are designed for their fruit to be taken to where it can multiply and grow. It doesn't matter that energy is hard to come by, photosynthesis being the only source. Plants that live year after year store energy to survive the winter dormancy and come back in the spring, but fruit and its seeds are the major channel into which collected energy is funneled.

This illustrates the principle taught by Jesus in the parable of the lost sheep in which a shepherd took great risks to find a lost sheep. God has given great energy and cost to save mankind from sin. How much energy, time, and money will we give for lost sheep?

Fruit is a vehicle for seeds: future plants. While the plant spends an enormous amount of energy on its fruit, the fruit is simply a means of transportation for seeds. The plant's 'goal' by producing fruit is to provide opportunities for more plants like itself to germinate and grow. The fruit itself is used up in the process, eaten or decomposed. Ultimately, a germinated seed is the result of a 'successful' fruit.

Did you ever think of yourself as the fruit of someone else’s efforts in the Lord? While you are directly connected to the vine (the Lord) others have taught, provided examples, and encouraged you. God used other Christians to plant seeds of Christianity in the ‘soil of your heart.’ You, in turn, are constantly dropping seeds on the many types of soil around you. Paul wrote to the church at Corinth: “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.” (1 Corinthians 3:6 NIV) Do your part in the kingdom of God.

The plant has no control over which fruit/seed becomes another plant. Plants are not concerned with which specific fruit/seeds are successful. They focus on producing as much good fruit/seeds as they can. The more fruit/seeds the plant produces, the better chance that some survive.

Do you try to evaluate the ‘soil’ of other people’s hearts? Jesus didn’t. He preached, taught, healed, and helped all kinds of people. He never looked at someone and decided that they were not a good ‘prospect.’ He simply planted seeds. The Apostle Paul said that he adapted himself to different circumstances in order that he might win some to Christ. (See 1 Corinthians 9:19.)

There are many kinds of fruit. Each plant species produces a different kind of fruit. Each is well-adapted to its environment and designed specifically to be carried by a certain means. Whether by animal, wind, water, or person, each fruit/seed has a successful but often unique way of traveling and becoming a new plant.

You are the ‘touch of Christ’ in your world. You touch your family, friends, fellow Christians, coworkers, neighborhood acquaintances, and many others in a unique way. Just as the Apostle Paul was uniquely suited to carry the gospel to the Gentile world, you may be uniquely suited to plant the seed of God’s word in someone’s heart.

Like nature, our task is not to analyze conditions, past success, or probable future success. God simply asks us to plant and water the seeds of His word. He will provide growth where the soil of the heart is fertile. For now, it is springtime in the kingdom of God, a time for planting and watering.

Mark Stinnett

April 19, 2026