The OT says Jesus is not necessary at all

[Nickman]

The One Who Sins Will Die
Ezekiel 18 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel:

“‘The parents eat sour grapes,
and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?
3 “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. 4 For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child—both alike belong to me. The one who sins is the one who will die.
5 “Suppose there is a righteous man
who does what is just and right.
6 He does not eat at the mountain shrines
or look to the idols of Israel.
He does not defile his neighbor’s wife
or have sexual relations with a woman during her period.
7 He does not oppress anyone,
but returns what he took in pledge for a loan.
He does not commit robbery
but gives his food to the hungry
and provides clothing for the naked.
8 He does not lend to them at interest
or take a profit from them.
He withholds his hand from doing wrong
and judges fairly between two parties.
9 He follows my decrees
and faithfully keeps my laws.
That man is righteous;
he will surely live,
declares the Sovereign Lord.

10 “Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these other things[a] 11 (though the father has done none of them):

“He eats at the mountain shrines.
He defiles his neighbor’s wife.
12 He oppresses the poor and needy.
He commits robbery.
He does not return what he took in pledge.
He looks to the idols.
He does detestable things.
13 He lends at interest and takes a profit.
Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he is to be put to death; his blood will be on his own head.14 “But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things:15 “He does not eat at the mountain shrines
or look to the idols of Israel.
He does not defile his neighbor’s wife.
16 He does not oppress anyone
or require a pledge for a loan.
He does not commit robbery
but gives his food to the hungry
and provides clothing for the naked.
17 He withholds his hand from mistreating the poor
and takes no interest or profit from them.
He keeps my laws and follows my decrees.

He will not die for his father’s sin; he will surely live. 18 But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people.

19 “Yet you ask, ‘Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live. 20 The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.
21 “But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die. 22 None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live. 23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?
24 “But if a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked person does, will they live? None of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness they are guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die.
25 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear, you Israelites: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? 26 If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin, they will die for it; because of the sin they have committed they will die. 27 But if a wicked person turns away from the wickedness they have committed and does what is just and right, they will save their life. 28 Because they consider all the offenses they have committed and turn away from them, that person will surely live; they will not die. 29 Yet the Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Are my ways unjust, people of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust?

30 “Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. 31 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!


Deuteronomy 24:16 `Fathers are not put to death for sons, and sons are not put to death for fathers -- each for his own sin, they are put to death.


The simple way to be forgiven is to ask the OT deity for forgiveness and remove your transgressions yourself by not doing them anymore. This is pretty explicit in the above passages. Also original sin is not a concept that this god wants to follow anymore either. He does away with it by claiming that “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. 4 For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child—both alike belong to me. The one who sins is the one who will die..

He is directly and explicitly going against the idea that Sons will pay for their fathers and vice versa. He now adopts the idea that the person who sins is the one who will pay and no one else. He also states that But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die.

Jesus and his "sacrifice" seem to go against this declaration made by the OT deity.

What do you say?

Is Jesus even necessary in light of these texts?

Can a person receive forgiveness from the OT deity without Jesus and just by changing ones ways?

[tretothee350z]

There are a few things I have put in bold that should raise question marks (if it is assumed that the entire chapter is talking about a 'house':

Isaiah 53:9-12 (NASB)
9 His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.
10 But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.
11 As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.

Below is an analysis of Isaiah which I hope will open your understanding that it is not about Jesus and will answer your post completely without going through each point.

Here is the context of Isaiah and who the servant is.

1. “But you, Israel, are my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen.� (Isaiah 41:8-9)

2. “Yet hear now, O Jacob My servant and Israel whom I have chosen.� (Isaiah 44:1)

3. “Remember these, O Jacob, And Israel, for you are My servant, I have formed you, you are My servant.� (Isaiah 44:21)

4. “…for Jacob My servant’s sake, and Israel My elect.� (Isaiah 45:4)

5. “The Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob.� (Isaiah 48:20)

6. “You are My servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.� (Isaiah 49:3

The context is set all thru Isaiah as you can see the servant that Isaiah speaks of is Israel.

ISAIAH 52: “Behold, My [God’s] servant [Israel] will succeed; he [Israel] will be exalted and become high and exceedingly lofty. Just as multitudes were astonished over you [Israel] …so will the many nations [exclaim about him [Israel] and [Gentile] kings will shut their mouths [in amazement] for they [Gentiles] will see that which had never been told to them [Gentiles], and will perceive things they (Gentiles] had never heard.� (Isaiah 52:15)

ISAIAH 53:3: “He [Israel] was despised and isolated from men, a man of pains and accustomed to illness [not grief]. As one from whom we would hide our faces; he was despised, and we had no regard for him.�

ANALYSIS: “He� [the Jewish People] was subjected to 2000 years of antiSemitism, “despised,� and forced to live in walled ghettos in Europe “isolated from men� and “we “ [Gentiles] had no regard for “him� [the Jewish People].

ISAIAH 53:4: “But in truth, it was our ills that he bore, and our pains that he carried-but we had regarded him diseased, [not sorrows] stricken by God, and afflicted!�

ANALYSIS: The Gentiles admit that it was “our� [the Gentiles] “ills and pains� that “he� [the Jews] bore. The Gentiles regarded the Jews cursed by God and “diseased, stricken, and afflicted.� Clearly, Jesus was not “accustomed to illness, diseased, stricken or afflicted.�

ISAIAH 53:5: “He was pained because of our rebellious sins and oppressed through our iniquities; the chastisement upon him was for our benefit, and through his wounds, we were healed.�

ANALYSIS: “He� [the Jewish People] “was pained� [suffered] because of “our� [the Gentiles] rebellious sins and “he� [the Jewish People] was “oppressed� by “our� [the Gentiles] “iniquities� [sins]. The Gentiles believed that the suffering of the Jewish People was deserved because the Jews rejected and killed Jesus but his death redeemed their sins. “We� [the Gentiles] believed that they were “healed� [justified] “through his [the Jewish People’s] wounds� that the Gentiles inflicted

Source

Obviously I believe that every single verse of this chapter cannot be looked at as referring to the 'house' of David, Solomon, etc. But I put in bold a few parts that should bring about some questions for you to answer.

1) Since when did any member of the house of David (let alone the entire house of David) avoid doing violence or having deceit in his mouth? King David himself committed murder and adultery. So how could this verse be applied to the ENTIRE house?

2) Since when did the house of David (or any house of ISrael) 'justify' anyone, or bear their iniquities? It is not simply that the house of David is suffering the consequences (after-effects) of the sins of Israel, but rather the person who is being referred to in this passage actually 'bears' iniquities of others. Since when did anyone in Israel (other than Christ) ever do that?

Answered above

http://www.chaim.org/nation.htm

Even if Isaiah were referring to Israel, it is still a prophecy, and spiritually, Jesus is the representative head of Israel. Why do you deny that Jesus fulfilled this text, when clearly his very life and death fit this prophecy to the letter. I think in order to show you that this text is about Jesus, I would need to branch out into the entire scriptures and show that Jesus Christ is typified not only in Isaiah, but in every book of the Bible,. Though I don't think you are willing to acknowledge this because of the implications it would have on the divinity of Jesus.

[tretothee350z]

The One Who Sins Will Die
Ezekiel 18 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel:

“‘The parents eat sour grapes,
and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?
3 “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. 4 For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child—both alike belong to me. The one who sins is the one who will die.
5 “Suppose there is a righteous man
who does what is just and right.
6 He does not eat at the mountain shrines
or look to the idols of Israel.
He does not defile his neighbor’s wife
or have sexual relations with a woman during her period.
7 He does not oppress anyone,
but returns what he took in pledge for a loan.
He does not commit robbery
but gives his food to the hungry
and provides clothing for the naked.
8 He does not lend to them at interest
or take a profit from them.
He withholds his hand from doing wrong
and judges fairly between two parties.
9 He follows my decrees
and faithfully keeps my laws.
That man is righteous;
he will surely live,
declares the Sovereign Lord.

10 “Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these other things[a] 11 (though the father has done none of them):

“He eats at the mountain shrines.
He defiles his neighbor’s wife.
12 He oppresses the poor and needy.
He commits robbery.
He does not return what he took in pledge.
He looks to the idols.
He does detestable things.
13 He lends at interest and takes a profit.
Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he is to be put to death; his blood will be on his own head.14 “But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things:15 “He does not eat at the mountain shrines
or look to the idols of Israel.
He does not defile his neighbor’s wife.
16 He does not oppress anyone
or require a pledge for a loan.
He does not commit robbery
but gives his food to the hungry
and provides clothing for the naked.
17 He withholds his hand from mistreating the poor
and takes no interest or profit from them.
He keeps my laws and follows my decrees.

He will not die for his father’s sin; he will surely live. 18 But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people.

19 “Yet you ask, ‘Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live. 20 The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.
21 “But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die. 22 None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live. 23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?
24 “But if a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked person does, will they live? None of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness they are guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die.
25 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear, you Israelites: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? 26 If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin, they will die for it; because of the sin they have committed they will die. 27 But if a wicked person turns away from the wickedness they have committed and does what is just and right, they will save their life. 28 Because they consider all the offenses they have committed and turn away from them, that person will surely live; they will not die. 29 Yet the Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Are my ways unjust, people of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust?

30 “Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. 31 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!


Deuteronomy 24:16 `Fathers are not put to death for sons, and sons are not put to death for fathers -- each for his own sin, they are put to death.


The simple way to be forgiven is to ask the OT deity for forgiveness and remove your transgressions yourself by not doing them anymore. This is pretty explicit in the above passages. Also original sin is not a concept that this god wants to follow anymore either. He does away with it by claiming that “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. 4 For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child—both alike belong to me. The one who sins is the one who will die..

He is directly and explicitly going against the idea that Sons will pay for their fathers and vice versa. He now adopts the idea that the person who sins is the one who will pay and no one else. He also states that But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die.

Jesus and his "sacrifice" seem to go against this declaration made by the OT deity.

What do you say?

Is Jesus even necessary in light of these texts?

Can a person receive forgiveness from the OT deity without Jesus and just by changing ones ways?

John Piper describes why the servant can not be Israel:

"Who Is This Servant?

Sometimes in the book of Isaiah the servant of the Lord is the people of Israel. Isaiah 41:8, 10: "But you Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen . . . fear not for I am with you." Sometimes Israel is pictured as the servant of the Lord.

Sometimes the servant is the prophet Isaiah himself. Isaiah 49:5 "And now says the Lord, who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring back Jacob to him . . . " Here the prophet Isaiah serves the people.

Neither Israel Nor Isaiah

But in Isaiah 53 the servant can't be the prophet or the people because the servant is pictured as substituting himself for both the prophet and the people. Verse 4: "Surely he [the Servant] has born our griefs and our sorrows he carried." Verse 5: "He was pierced through for our transgression, he was crushed for our iniquities." "Our" means "me, Isaiah" and the people of Israel who will believe on this servant of the Lord. So the servant is not the people and not Isaiah, because he is the substitute for Isaiah and the people. He is their servant.

Jesus the Messiah

Who then was this servant of the Lord? The New Testament answer is that he was Jesus the Messiah. Peter, for example, quotes Isaiah 53:5 ("by his stripes we are healed" in 1 Peter 2:24) and applies it to Jesus. He says in 1 Peter 1:11, "The prophets sought to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow."

And in Acts 8 the Ethiopian eunuch was reading Isaiah 53 when Philip joined him in his chariot. The eunuch asked, "Of whom does the prophet speak, of himself, or of someone else?" And Luke tells us that "Philip opened his mouth and beginning from this scripture he preached Jesus to him" (Acts 8:35).

In all the history of Israel, no one comes close to fulfilling this prophecy besides Jesus. He himself said, "The Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve [that is, to be the suffering servant] and to give his life a ransom [a substitute!] for many" (Mark 10:45). "

[Nickman]

Even if Isaiah were referring to Israel, it is still a prophecy, and spiritually, Jesus is the representative head of Israel. Why do you deny that Jesus fulfilled this text, when clearly his very life and death fit this prophecy to the letter. I think in order to show you that this text is about Jesus, I would need to branch out into the entire scriptures and show that Jesus Christ is typified not only in Isaiah, but in every book of the Bible,. Though I don't think you are willing to acknowledge this because of the implications it would have on the divinity of Jesus.

You cannot show that Jesus did anything that the NT says he did. The Gospels are written well after his life and well after Isaiah 53. Anyone could misinterpret Isaiah 53 and fabricate a story about a man who they claim is the fulfillment of the story. The problem is that this is not a messianic story. It is prophecy that one day the Israelites will no longer suffer. To add, not one contemporary wrote of Jesus first hand. The only references from contemporary sources show second hand knowledge which we would expect if there was a rumor going around about a man who did this or that. These contemporaries never mention anything that the gospels claim as far as the miracles so we know they are not first hand. Had Jesus really done those things and these contemporaries were writing first hand, they would have included such. You couldn't leave that out. They make no mention of such. Not one NT writer references Isaiah 53 either.

[Nickman]

Neither Israel Nor Isaiah

But in Isaiah 53 the servant can't be the prophet or the people because the servant is pictured as substituting himself for both the prophet and the people. Verse 4: "Surely he [the Servant] has born our griefs and our sorrows he carried." Verse 5: "He was pierced through for our transgression, he was crushed for our iniquities." "Our" means "me, Isaiah" and the people of Israel who will believe on this servant of the Lord. So the servant is not the people and not Isaiah, because he is the substitute for Isaiah and the people. He is their servant.

I have already shown that this is the gentiles speaking of Israel.

4 For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“At first my people went down to Egypt to live;
lately, Assyria has oppressed them.

5 “And now what do I have here?� declares the Lord.

“For my people have been taken away for nothing,
and those who rule them mock,[a]�
declares the Lord.“And all day long
my name is constantly blasphemed.
6 Therefore my people will know my name;
therefore in that day they will know
that it is I who foretold it.
Yes, it is I.�

7 How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
“Your God reigns!�
8 Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices;
together they shout for joy.
When the Lord returns to Zion,
they will see it with their own eyes.9 Burst into songs of joy together,
you ruins of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
10 The Lord will lay bare his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations,and all the ends of the earth will see
the salvation of our God.

11 Depart, depart, go out from there!
Touch no unclean thing!
Come out from it and be pure,
you who carry the articles of the Lord’s house.
12 But you will not leave in haste
or go in flight;
for the Lord will go before you,
the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

This is speaking about Israel being redeemed by god. That redemption is not salvation of sin. It is being taken back to Jerusalem and all nations will see what the god of Israel has done. Those nations who held Israel captive will see the time when the Israelites now rule over them and are back in thier homeland that they were taken from. Now if you start into the suffering servant from here which is the very next verse and apply it to Jesus, then you are committing intellectual dishonesty and taking the entire book out of context. Lets look. He keeps the same theme.


If you read Isaiah 52:13 See, my servant will act wisely;
he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him[c]—
his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being
and his form marred beyond human likeness—15 so he will sprinkle many nations,[d]
and kings will shut their mouths because of him.
For what they were not told, they will see,
and what they have not heard, they will understand.

First, Jesus was never marred beyond human likeness. He was never "so disfigured beyond that of any human being". I have seen many humans way worse that what a beating creates. Burn victims is a perfect example. This is a reference to the captivity of the Jews. They were so disfigured by the 2000 years of slavery of different nations. This is how Isaiah speaks of them and is confirmed above in 52:4
“At first my people went down to Egypt to live;
lately, Assyria has oppressed them.

Those who think Jesus is the suffering servant are those people who have bought into the fairy tale that was first fabricated 2000 years ago by people who didn't realize that this is not a messianic prophecy.

[tretothee350z]

Not one NT writer references Isaiah 53 either.

Acts 8:30-39

30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?� 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?� And the invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:

“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter

and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,

so he opens not his mouth.

33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.

Who can describe his generation?

For his life is taken away from the earth.�

34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?� 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?� 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.

Surely enough the 53rd chapter of Isaiah is referenced here.

[Nickman]

Not one NT writer references Isaiah 53 either.

Acts 8:30-39

30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?� 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?� And the invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:

“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter

and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,

so he opens not his mouth.

33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.

Who can describe his generation?

For his life is taken away from the earth.�

34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?� 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?� 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.

Surely enough the 53rd chapter of Isaiah is referenced here.

I forgot that one so I retract the statement that they don't.

On any note, I have posted a rebutal to your argument above.

[Nickman]

Not one NT writer references Isaiah 53 either.

Acts 8:30-39

30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?� 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?� And the invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:

“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter

and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,

so he opens not his mouth.

33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.

Who can describe his generation?

For his life is taken away from the earth.�

34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?� 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?� 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.

Surely enough the 53rd chapter of Isaiah is referenced here.

On the bolded portion I would point out that the eunuch didn't know Jesus so he had to take Philips word that a man did what Philip believed that this scripture was saying.

[tretothee350z]

Not one NT writer references Isaiah 53 either.

Acts 8:30-39

30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?� 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?� And the invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:

“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter

and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,

so he opens not his mouth.

33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.

Who can describe his generation?

For his life is taken away from the earth.�

34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?� 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?� 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.

Surely enough the 53rd chapter of Isaiah is referenced here.

On the bolded portion I would point out that the eunuch didn't know Jesus so he had to take Philips word that a man did what Philip believed that this scripture was saying.

I think I'm going to need some time to study this subject so I can submit a more thorough response. I have on order two books, "Jesus the Messiah: Tracing the Promises, Expectations, and Coming of Israel's King" by Herbert Bateman IV, and "Gospel According to Isaiah 53, The: Encountering the Suffering Servant in Jewish and Christian Theology" by Darrell Bock. If you're still around and want to have an exchange on this afterwards, I would be more than happy to do so. All the best.