 In my discussions with people who are struggling with their commitment to Christianity, one of the themes that comes up repeatedly is their frustration with the idea that none of the major doctrines of Christianity seem to be rooted in the Jewish Scriptures, that when we read the Jewish Scriptures carefully, we don't find any of the basic doctrines of Christianity. For example, the Jewish Scriptures speak about God in a way far different than what Christianity has come to believe historically. Christianity speaks about God as understood as a trinity, as a divine being with three parts, and that one of these three parts will come to earth and take on human form. And people that read the Jewish Scriptures simply don't see this, that when we go through the Hebrew Scriptures and we try to find passages that actually speak about God and the nature of God, we don't see God described as a three-part being and who will come to earth and take on human form. A second theme that comes up is the question of the Torah and its commandments. We find in the Jewish Scriptures hundreds of times where we're told very clearly that the Torah is the source of our spiritual life, it's the source of spiritual blessing, the commandments are more precious than gold or sweeter than honey, and that the Torah and its commandments are eternally binding to be observed forever throughout our generations, and this is repeated many, many, many times. However, in the Christian Scriptures primarily through the teachings of Paul, we are taught that the Torah is a curse, and therefore one day will be nullified to be replaced with faith in the Messiah. And this is simply a concept that we don't find in the Jewish Bible. We don't find anywhere in the Jewish Scriptures that belief in the Messiah will replace the observance of the Torah. As a matter of fact, the Bible says clearly and specifically in many places, including for example Ezekiel chapter 37, that once the Messiah comes, people will enter into a more complete and perfect observance of the commandments, not that the commandments will be nullified. A third issue is what we do when we fail to observe the Torah. What do we do in wake of sin? And the Christian Scriptures basically teach that the only way to be forgiven for our sins is by believing that the Messiah died for them by suffering on the cross. And again, this is simply a concept that we don't find in the Jewish Bible. We don't find the Jewish Scriptures telling us repeatedly, over and over again, clearly and consistently, that the only way to be forgiven for our sins is by having the offering of God's Son, who will die on the cross in place of us, and that by believing in him, we can be forgiven. However, what the Jewish Scriptures do teach repeatedly and clearly is that if we sin, we can be forgiven for our sins if we turn from our sin and we turn back to God through the process of repentance. Finally, what do the Jewish Scriptures teach about God's chosen people, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? What the Christian Scriptures assert is that the Jewish people will ultimately be replaced one day by another entity, by the church, by those who believe in the Messiah. And that's essentially the thrust of what Christianity has taught for more or less 2,000 years, that the Jewish people, because they rejected the Messiah, Jesus, the claim that he was the Messiah, had been replaced by those who have faith in him, and that the church now is the true Israel. However, the Jewish Scriptures repeatedly teach us that the chosen people will be the actual descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the Bible repeatedly teaches us that God will preserve his covenant with us and preserve us as his chosen people forever, and give us the land of Israel as an eternal possession. And so we see here four major teachings of the church that are simply not to be found in the Jewish Scriptures.