Early Christians and their Jewish Context

As I stood in line at the grocery store, I overheard a conversation between two young men regarding the political relationship of the United States and Israel. As this conversation continued to process further in my mind, the thought became all the more clear that people do not understand the relationship between Christianity and its Jewish roots. If these two young men understood this concept, the geo-political relationship between the United States and Israel in which they were referring, might have taken a different tone.

While it might be tempting for the average Christian to disregard this consideration with the thought "I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you" (1) one must understand that this is essential to correct understanding and interpretation of the new testament. For example the earliest Christians did not consider themselves part of a new religion. They did not consider their faith to be a denial of Judaism, but rather the conviction that the messianic age had finally arrived. (2) If this simple truth is not understood, the new testament becomes increasingly difficult. Take Acts chapter ten verses nine through thirteen as evidence of this. In this chapter Peter has a vision regarding clean versus unclean animals. God, in this vision, commanded Peter to kill the animals. This vision absolutely nullified the Mosaic dietary restrictions in Peters mind. Imagine how liberating this must have been for someone still eating kosher. Restrictions such as these were one consideration as to why the Jews did not fellowship with the Gentiles. Yet being convinced that these restrictions were abolished assisted in leading to the divine appointment of Cornelius. (3)

Lastly, the wording of the second chapter of Acts should lead to some thought as well. The fact that Peter uses the prophet Joel in order to articulate the events of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, shows that the Hebrew scriptures were still considered authoritative to those Jesus followers gathered in the upper room during that event. (4) If the early Christians considered themselves a new religion, why would they use the texts of that religion they were trying to renounce to justify themselves?

While these are but a few thoughts used to show the correlation between the early Christians and the Jewish context in which they lived, it should be agreed that understanding this connection leads to a more correct interpretation of the new testament. If these simple truths were understood by those gentlemen at the grocery store, perhaps an easier connection could be made between a country founded on Judeo-Christian values, and the land in which this originated.

1. Genesis 12:3. Holy Bible New King James Version. Thomas Nelson. Nashville TN. 2018. Pg 9.

2. Gonzalez, Justo. The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation Vol 1. Harper One. New York. 2010. Pg 27.

3. Lea, Thomas. & Black, David. The New Testament Its Background and Message Second Edition. B&H Publishing. Nashville TN. 2003. Pg. 300.

4. Liberty University Week One Video Presentation. Dr. Robert Wayne Stacy