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Question 10

Bercot says the Jews later “jettisoned the Septuagint” because Christians were “nailing them” with Septuagint-only prophecies (body prepared in Psalm 40/“46,” “they pierced my hands and my feet,” angels worshiping in Deut. 32:43, “in his name Gentiles will trust,” and especially Isaiah 7:14’s *parthenos*); how should Christians respond when a community reshapes its textual authorities to avoid unwanted conclusions, and where do you see similar pressures today—either in scholarship, church culture, or your own instincts to prefer the text/interpretation that feels less costly?

Another way to ask: Bercot says some Jews later rejected the Septuagint because Christians used it to argue for Jesus from certain prophecies. How should Christians respond when a group changes which texts it trusts to avoid hard conclusions, and where do you see similar pressures today in scholarship, church culture, or in yourself?

Direct Answer Bercot’s teaching suggests Christians should respond by holding firmly to the Scriptures the apostles and early Church used (especially the Septuagint), and by honestly recognizing that communities may shift textual authorities when the text leads to costly conclusions—something believers must resist in their own handling of Scripture.

Support from Transcript:

He says the Jewish leaders “totally rejected the Septuagint” and commissioned Aquila to translate from the Masoretic because “Christians were nailing them with the Septuagint, particularly as to the Messianic prophecies.”
He claims “many of the Messianic prophecies are found only in the Septuagint,” naming incarnation, crucifixion, deity of Christ, Gentiles turning to God, and virgin birth.
He gives examples where the Masoretic “totally misses the point”: Hebrews 10:5 “a body you have prepared for me” vs “My ears you have opened”; Psalm 22 “They pierced my hands and my feet” vs “Like a lion… at my hands and my feet.”
He says Isaiah 7:14 was the prophecy that “irked the Jewish rabbis the most,” because the Septuagint uses *parthenos* (“a physical virgin”).
He describes later Jewish rejection as deliberate suppression: ordering synagogues to quit using Septuagint, endorsing Aquila/Theodosian/Symmachus; Justin and Irenaeus portray this as an attempt to escape Christian argument.

Discussion Follow-ups The transcript directly addresses Jewish pressure, not modern examples. But what are the “less costly” readings you feel tempted to choose when Scripture challenges your assumptions or comfort?

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