A free Bible correspondence course aimed at convincing Jews to accept Jesus as the messiah is being offered for mailing “to your home or office immediately… free and without obligation” by Morris Cerullo, the author of a 150-page paperback book entitled “Two Men From Eden.”
A subscription blank for the course, which is entitled “Besorot Shalom” (Gospel of Peace) and enclosed in the book, is being mailed to thousands of persons who were apparently not solicited in advance by the Morris Cerullo Evangelism Headquarters located in San Diego, California, which is distributing the book. The address given is a post office box number. The course promises to provide the true meaning of the “ancient manuscripts.”
While there is no hard evidence that the book is being mailed solely to Jews the fact that its thrust is directed at conversion is underlined by the Hebrew name of the course, the concept of Jesus as messiah and Cerullo’s claim in the book that 25,000 Jews in Israel are enrolled in a similar course prepared in Hebrew. In a postscript to the book, he writes: “Not knowing your faith, I ask you please not to feel offended at receiving this book. No ulterior motives were intended whatsoever. That is why it has come to you as a free gift.”
TRIES TO CONNECT ADAM AND JESUS
The book attempts to show that there are close parallels between Adam, who is described as the first sinner who was loved by God but also made to suffer, and Jesus, who is described as the “second Adam” of whom God demanded death to the sinner as well as compassion. The book cites many reasons for accepting Jesus as the messiah and provides many quotes taken from Isaiah. In addition, there are numerous quotes from Genesis, Psalms, the Prophets, as well as Luke, Matthew and John.
Cerullo gives acknowledgement for most of the Biblical quotations to the “New American Standard Bible by permission of Lockman Foundation.” The address of the Foundation is given as La Habra, California. The book also gives examples of Jews who were physically healed after accepting Jesus into their lives and provides a blank form which can be filled out by an individual attesting commitment to Jesus as the messiah.
David Mann, coordinator of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York’s special task force on missionary activity, recalled that Cerullo was the subject of controversy last year on the eve of Rosh Hashana because his television program entitled. “Masada” was widely advertised in the secular and Jewish media without indicating its true sponsor or nature. The film featured well-known Israeli personalities who were not aware of the “messages” that were interspersed during the program, Mann said.
The son of a Jewish mother and a non-Jewish father, Cerullo, 46, formerly of New Jersey, purchased 3 1/2 million Jewish names from various lists which he uses to mail his book and other missionary material.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
