Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 4
The teaching describes a “fierce struggle” in the second century between Christians and unbelieving Jews over Scriptures, including the claim that banning the Septuagint helped remove “a key Messianic prophecy”; how does this framing reorient your view of who you trust to preserve Scripture—Jewish leadership after rejecting Christ or the apostolic church—and why?
Another way to ask: If some Jewish leaders rejected the Septuagint and removed a Messianic prophecy, who do you trust more to preserve Scripture after Jesus—post-Christ Jewish leadership or the apostolic church? Why?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
The transcript frames the conflict as a contest between “unbelieving scribes and Pharisees” and “believing Christians,” pushing the listener to trust the apostolic church’s Scriptures over post-Christ Jewish leadership. The reason given is that the apostles themselves largely quoted the Septuagint, and Jewish rejection of it is portrayed as partly motivated by resisting Christian messianic arguments.
- He says that from “the beginning of the second century… there was a fierce struggle” over Scripture between Christians and “the unbelieving Jews.”
- He claims Jews “suddenly banned the Septuagint” and sponsored “a new translation… because the Christians were using the Septuagint… very effectively.”
- He adds that “some of the Messianic prophecies appear only in the Septuagint,” and “one key one… appears only in one of these seven books… So if you can eliminate those seven books, you eliminate a key Messianic prophecy.”
- He notes Jews accused Christians of “corrupted Scriptures,” while Christians replied the Jews had “corrupted the Scriptures, taking away… and altering the text.”
- He argues Christians followed apostles: “the apostles… nearly always quoted from the Septuagint… they were going to follow the practice of the apostles.”