The Reformation and the Jewish People: Part II

by Jeffrey Gutterman

    In the previous article we discussed the unique persecution that the Jewish people have experienced throughout history despite being such a small percentage of the world’s population. The spiritual foundation for this is found in Genesis 3:15 where we first read of a promised redeemer. We examined the Abrahamic Covenant with its provision for the lineage through which Messiah would enter the world. We also observed in Matthew 23:7 that the Jews will come to faith and call their Messiah back for His Second Coming.

   In this article we will examine the early days of the church to see the foundations that were laid that affected the relationship of the Jews and the people of the Reformation.

   The early first century church was Jewish. The New Covenant is a Jewish Covenant made with the Jewish people.

   Romans 11:26-27 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “ He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”This is My covenant with them When I take away their sins.”

    Jesus was a Jew and His teachings never contradicted the Tanakh.

   Matthew 5:17,18 17“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.“For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

   All of the Apostles and all the New Testament authors were Jewish. To those who question Luke’s Jewishness, think about his profession. He was a doctor….enough said.

   As a result of the predominately Jewish leadership in the church, even outside of Israel, the churches throughout the world were heavily influenced by Jewish, Hebraic teachings and attitudes. The church was established by the Jewish Messiah, with a following that was dominated by Jews and Jewish beliefs.

   So how did the church become so de-Judaized?

   This is probably the single most important reason that the Church became a persecutor of the Jewish people.

The first additions to the ones that followed Jesus were known as Followers of The Way or Nazarenes. They were considered a sect within Judaism and were treated by the Romans and most Jews, as Jews. To the Apostles, Gentiles were not savable and they considered that only Jews could become one of their number.

   In Acts 2:41, on the day of Pentecost (that is the Jewish Feast of Shavouot- the Feast of Weeks),  3000 were saved.Acts 2:41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.

   Acts 2:5 tells us who the 3000 were. Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven.

   At this point there still were no Gentiles in the group. The first Jewish Believers never left the faith of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob but rather came into a more personal relationship with Yahweh through the New Covenant which was mentioned first in Jeremiah 31:31-33, and was fulfilled by the birth, death, burial and Resurrection of Jesus.

   These Jewish people who followed the Jewish Messiah were following COMPLETE Judaism, which was improved over the previous covenants. Yeshua, Jesus, did not start a NEW religion. He heralded a New Covenant. He came to redeem mankind through Yahweh’s Chosen People. God is God of all people and He fulfilled the promise of Genesis 12:3, in that through Messiah Jesus He blessed “all the families of the earth.” 

    We know that Peter received a vision in Acts 10 and then did something that was unthinkable for a Jewish person- he entered into the house of a Gentile who was a devout believer and God fearing. Peter saw the Holy Spirit poured out on these Gentiles and he ordered their baptism in the Name of Jesus.

    Now as time passed, and Rabbi Saul, (Paul) joined the fold they find that they have a distinct problem on their hands. Many Followers of Jesus still believe that in order for a Gentile to become one of them, they must become proselytes first and then they could be baptized. Others believed that the Gentiles could become believers and still not have to become proselytes.

   Acts 15 relates the Council at Jerusalem that was held to resolve this. Some wanted the Gentiles to become proselytes; some said that they could become saved just by faith. Peter and James were influential in the decision handed down in Acts 15 :28-29.

   28 “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.”

   They only asked that Gentiles do four things: abstain from 1) food sacrificed to idols, 2) blood, 3) the meat of strangled animals and sexual immorality. Truly, there still was a distinction in lifestyle between Gentile believers and Jewish believers but they were now part of the same group in Christ as far as their spiritual salvation was concerned.

    The Jewish Christians continued to live among their unbelieving Jewish brethren and still attended synagogues. They were Jewish in every sense of the word. Paul even went first to the synagogue on his missions; if a synagogue existed in the town he visited.

   Acts 17:1-2 (1) And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, (2) And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

   Now we reach the time of the revolt against Rome from 66 AD to 70AD. The Jewish believers were torn between their nationalistic feelings and their remembering of the warnings that Jesus gave them.  These are related in Luke 21:20-24. 20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near.“Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are in the midst of the city must leave, and those who are in the country must not enter the city because these are days of vengeance, so that all things which are written will be fulfilled. (23)“Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days; for there will be great distress upon the land and wrath to this people; and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

    The Jewish Christians chose not to fight. The Romans, who had laid siege to the city of Jerusalem, suddenly, for no apparent reason, withdrew. This gave the Hebrew Christians the opportunity to flee to the mountains. The Romans returned and by 70 AD the city and the Holy Temple had been destroyed by the Romans. The Hebrew Christians saw the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy and even more Jews came to believe in Messiah.

    As time passed the Jewish Christians still sought to live with the other Jews and slowly but surely they were tolerated back into the society. There was an uneasy tension but they were allowed to leave mostly in peace.