Why Christians Should Know About

Things Jewish

by: Robert Somerville

Something Is Happening Out There!

Something extraordinary is taking place! It is on the cutting edge of Church renewal.

Essential Judaic contours of first century Christianity are being vigorously researched and
progressively restored to the spiritual value system of the church. Why?

Abraham's Seed

The Bible teaches that both Jews and Christians are the seed of Abraham. Abraham was
the first Jew and the Apostle Paul in his Galatian letter leaves no room for doubt that
even Gentile believers are his spiritual seed.

"And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to

the promise" (Ga 3:29) KJV

In view of this, we as Christians are considered both children of God by grace and
children of Abraham through faith. For this reason the religious system of Christianity
has historically been referred to as the "Judeo-Christian faith" and rightly so.

One's "faith" is a reference to those teachings in which one places confidence as being the
truth. Before Christians can come to a consensus on what is truth, there must be a return
to the foundations of our faith rooted in the Old Testament - Biblical Judaism.

Don't be apprehensive of the term "Judeo" or "Judaism." Judaism is the name that men
have attached to the formative stages of Biblical faith (Old Testament). Christianity is the
name that men have attached to the completing stage of Biblical faith (New Testament).
From this idea comes the historic reference "Judeo Christian" faith. It has been fittingly
said that "Judaism does not need Christianity to explain its existence, but Christianity
needs Judaism both to explain its existence and what it believes." That conclusion was
undoubtedly drawn from these words of admonition to the Church from the Apostle Paul:

". . . do not boast over the branches. If you do, consider this: You do not
support the root (Israel), but the root supports you (Church)" (Ro II: 18)
NIV

Christians have been known to boast of their spiritual superiority over the Jews. Such
boasting has led to a propensity for disassociating ourselves from them and consequently
alienating us from a rich Biblical heritage that God brought to us through them. Our
thinking has all too often been "If it's Jewish, it's risky, tainted or worse cursed."

The truth is that everything the Christian believer holds dear, both in word and spirit, is
inherently Jewish. Why? Because we are the seed of Abraham who was the first Jew and
all of our blessings of truth come through him and his seed. Through them the spiritual
blessings from God were made available to all humanity,

"...in thee (Abraham) shall all families of the earth be blessed." (Ge 12:3)
KJV

Salvation

Consider this statement of our Lord:

"Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is
of the Jews. " (John 4:22) KJV

Have you any idea what Jesus meant by that statement "salvation is of the Jews." Few
Christians do; it is just left hanging, cloaked in mystery. Understanding that little
statement could revolutionize your Bible study, your relationship with the Jewish people,
your vision into the purposes of God and your eternal destiny. Salvation involves much
more than redemption, it means total reconciliation (Col 1:20).

Judaism and Christianity share a common origin having been created by the same God.
The question should then arise, how can two religions created by the same God fail to
have many things, indeed most things in common? And if not, why not?

We must prepare ourselves to deal seriously with many long overlooked passages of
scripture. For example; if questioned, how would you attempt to explain the following
New Testament passage? (read carefully):

"What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of

circumcision? Much every way:..."(Ro 3:1,2).

Can this be true, is Paul serious, whatever did he mean? The Apostle Paul proceeds in his
letter to help us with his reasoning for arriving at this astonishing conclusion by stating:

"...chiefly (primarily), because that unto them (the Jews) were committed
the oracles of God." (Ro 3:2)
The very least that must be acknowledged is the following: It is from the Jews that we
have received two of God's most precious gifts; the Bible and our Messiah, Jesus.

On The Cutting Edge

What one considers to be on the "cutting edge" of progressive Biblical truth may vary in
opinion from individual to individual. Some may say it is the outpouring of the Holy
Spirit on the church, witnessed by the phenomenal or the manifestation of the miraculous.
Others may say it is the increased anointing for evangelism, or both. While these
manifestations may indeed be considered a movement of God, they are not new nor are
they "what's next." Therefore, the question remains "What is next?"

God, through the Holy Spirit, is preparing to restore His church to the biblical principles
found in the Judaic contours of its formative years. The way it will happen is not by an
"outpouring" of the Holy Spirit alone but through a Word of God revival. Here is the
promise of God:

"My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distill as the dew, as
the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:
(Deut 32:2).

The latter rain will be a rain of truth. If the Church needs anything today, it needs the
following: ". . . the washing of water by the word." (Eph 5:25-26)

Unity

Christianity has a myriad of differing denominations and associations within it. These
divisions do not exist because they differ on the witness of Jesus. They exist because we
differ on what the Book (Bible) teaches. We are together in believing on the Christ of the
doctrine but remain divided on the doctrine of the Christ. The technique employed by
most to maintain some semblance of unity has been, to devaluate the importance of
doctrinal unity. We tend to seek unity only in things redemptive and in the manifestations
of the miraculous.

Such unity is at best only partial and at worst hypocritical. This condition is not, in all
cases, willful avoidance of responsibility. In most cases it is the result of disappointing
experiences from former attempts at scriptural dialogue.

Why the existence of all of these doctrinal dilemmas and futile attempts at resolving
them? Why cannot preachers and theologians agree on what the Bible teaches? You must
know there has to be a fundamental cause for this situation! The answer is simple. We are
not using the same tools. We have resorted to more Greek or Hellenistic tools than
Hebrew tools for interpretation. It is largely the result of our forsaking or denial of the
foundation priniciples of Christianity rooted in Biblical Judaism. For the average
Christian that sounds like over simplification or maybe to the contrary, puzzling and
complex. But God is speaking this admonition to the hearts of many believers today.

A renaissance of first century Judeo-Christian teaching is occurring within the Church in

our time. It is revolutionizing Christian theology. It will impact all Christian believers.
Like the computer age, it is challenging but unavoidable. Why not be on the cutting
edge?