Jewish Roots Of Christianity

How Jewish is Christianity? The question of how Jesus' followers relate to Judaism has been a matter of debate since Jesus first sparred with the Pharisees. The controversy has not abated, taking many forms over the centuries. In the decades following the Holocaust, scholars and theologians reconsidered the Jewish origins and character of Christianity, finding points of continuity. Understanding the Jewish Roots of Christianity advances this discussion by freshly reassessing the issues. Did Jesus intend to form a new religion? Did Paul abrogate the Jewish law? Does the New Testament condemn Judaism? How and when did Christianity split from Judaism? How should Jewish believers in Jesus relate to a largely gentile church? What meaning do the Jewish origins of Christianity have for theology and practice today? In this volume, a variety of leading scholars and theologians explore the relationship of Judaism and Christianity through biblical, historical, theological, and ecclesiological angles. This cutting-edge scholarship will enrich readers' understanding of this centuries-old debate.

Although the roots of Christianity run deep into Hebrew soil, many Christians remain regrettably uninformed about the rich Jewish heritage of the church. Our Father Abraham delineates the vital link between Judaism and Christianity, exemplified by the common ancestry of the two faiths traceable back to Abraham. Marvin Wilson calls Christians to reexamine their Semitic heritage to regain a more authentically biblical understanding of what they believe and practice. Wilson, a trusted voice among both Jews and Christians, speaks to both past and present, first developing a historical perspective on the Jewish origins of the church and then discussing how the church can become more attuned to the Hebraic mindset of Scripture. Drawing from his own extensive experience, he also offers valuable practical guidance for salutary interaction between Christians and Jews. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter make this book especially suitable for use in groups—Christian, Jewish, or interfaith—as readers strive to make sense of their own faith in connection with the other. The second edition of Our Father Abraham features a new preface, an expanded bibliography of recent relevant works, and two new chapters: one that discusses Jewish-Christian relations after the Holocaust and another that reflects on Wilson’s own fifty-plus-year career as an evangelical Christian deeply committed to interfaith dialogue. As Christians and Jews feel a growing need for mutual support in an increasingly secular Western world, Wilson’s widely acclaimed book will offer encouragement and wise guidance toward this worthy end.

This volume delineates the link between Judaism and Christanity, between Old and the New Testaments, and calls Christians to reexamine their Hebrew roots so as to effect a more authentically biblical lifestyle.

A major new work on the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest sacred documents of Judaism, which reveals their surprising connections to early Christianity. “A luminous treatment of a fascinating subject! Highly recommended!”—Scott Hahn, author of The Fourth Cup From award-winning scholar John Bergsma comes an intriguing book that reveals new insights on the Essenes, a radical Jewish community predating Christianity, whose existence, beliefs, and practices are often overlooked in the annuls of history. Bergsma reveals how this Jewish sect directly influenced the beliefs, sacraments, and practices of early Christianity and offers new information on how Christians lived their lives, worshipped, and eventually went on to influence the Roman Empire and Western civilization. Looking to Hebrew scripture and Jewish tradition, Bergsma helps to further explain how a simple Jewish peasant could go on to inspire a religion and a philosophy that still resonates 2,000 years later. In this enriching and exciting exploration, Bergsma demonstrates how the Dead Sea Scrolls—the world's greatest modern archaeological discovery—can shed light on the Church as a sacred society that offered hope, redemption, and salvation to its member. Ultimately, these mysterious writings are a time machine that can transport us back to the ancient world, deepen our appreciation of Scripture, and strengthen our understanding of the Christian faith. “An accessible introduction . . . This is a handy entry point for readers unfamiliar with Essenes or those interested in the Dead Sea Scrolls.”—Publishers Weekly

Christianity is Jewish? The rediscovery of the Jewish roots of Christianity raises lots of questions: Why were these roots forgotten for so long? And how do they affect us today? Do Gentile Christians need to obey the Jewish Law? What about Messianic Jews? Does God have a plan for Gentile Christians? And what about modern Israel? To answer these questions, we need to dive back into history to find out what happened: how Christianity was separated from so many of its Jewish roots, why Christians persecuted the Jewish people, and how this changed the Church and the way it understood its basic doctrines. Then we'll be ready to understand how God is changing hearts, leading so many to repent of these actions in the past, and how he is restoring Christianity's Jewish roots again. In this seminar, now in book form, you will learn a different kind of Church history, starting with God's plan for Jews and Gentiles in the body of Messiah, then learning how the Church turned away from and rejected that plan, and finally how God is now reconnecting the Church to its Jewish roots. This is itself a fulfillment of prophecy. And there is much more yet to come. The restoration of Christianity to its Jewish roots has only just begun!

A Handbook on the Jewish Roots of the Christian Faithis a comprehensive handbook that serves as an introduction to the Jewish roots of the Christian Faith. It includes Old Testament background, Second Temple Judaism, the life of Jesus, the New Testament, and the early Jewish followers of Jesus. It is intended as a resource for college and/or higher education. It is no longer a novelty to say that Jesus was a Jew. In fact, the term Jewish rootshas become something of a buzzword in books, articles, and especially on the internet. But what does the Jewishness of Jesus actually mean, and why is it important? This collection of articles aims to address those questions and serve as a comprehensive yet concise primer on the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. It consists of thirteen chapters, most of which are divided into four or five articles. It is in a "handbook" format, meaning that each article is brief but informative. The thirteen chapters are grouped into four major sections: (1) The Soil, (2) The Roots, (3) The Trunk, and (4) The Branches. Craig A. Evans, PhD, DHabil, is the John Bisagno Distinguished Professor of Christian Origins at Houston Baptist University in Texas. He is a frequent contributor to scholarly journals and the author or editor of over seventy books. Evans resides in Houston, TX. David Mishkin, PhD, serves on the faculty of Israel College of the Bible in Netanya, Israel. He is the author of The Wisdom of Alfred Edersheimand Jewish Scholarship on the Resurrection of Jesus.

A revelatory exploration of the Jewish roots of the Last Supper that seeks to understand exactly what happened at Jesus’ final Passover. “Clear, profound and practical—you do not want to miss this book.”—Dr. Scott Hahn, author of The Lamb’s Supper and The Fourth Cup Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist shines fresh light on the Last Supper by looking at it through Jewish eyes. Using his in-depth knowledge of the Bible and ancient Judaism, Dr. Brant Pitre answers questions such as: What was the Passover like at the time of Jesus? What were the Jewish hopes for the Messiah? What was Jesus’ purpose in instituting the Eucharist during the feast of Passover? And, most important of all, what did Jesus mean when he said, “This is my body… This is my blood”? To answer these questions, Pitre explores ancient Jewish beliefs about the Passover of the Messiah, the miraculous Manna from heaven, and the mysterious Bread of the Presence. As he shows, these three keys—the Passover, the Manna, and the Bread of the Presence—have the power to unlock the original meaning of the Eucharistic words of Jesus. Along the way, Pitre also explains how Jesus united the Last Supper to his death on Good Friday and his Resurrection on Easter Sunday. Inspiring and informative, Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist is a groundbreaking work that is sure to illuminate one of the greatest mysteries of the Christian faith: the mystery of Jesus’ presence in “the breaking of the bread.”

For Christians, the Old Testament is mysterious and often unexplored. This book offers a broad, yet basic, study of Judaism for Christians who are curious about the origins of their faith. The entire Bible and every one of its authors were Jewish. Jesus was a Jewish teacher and his apostles were Jewish. Jesus spoke primarily to a Jewish audience. This study will seek to answer questions like: - Who is a Jew? - Do all Jews share the same beliefs? - Why don't Jews believe that Jesus was the Messiah? - When did Jews become Christians? Christians, Muslims and Jews all look to Abraham as their father. Both Christians and Jews look to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as our forefathers. Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah are our Matriarchs. These are our common ancestors. God chose a people through who a Messiah could come. No othe4r Jew in history has rivaled Jesus in the magnitude of his influence. The words and deeds of Jesus the Jew have been and are an inspiration to countless millions of men and women. This study will explore how Jews pray. Readers will also explore how some of the Jewish prayer rituals are in practice in Christian churches everywhere. Communion has its roots in the Jewish blessings over wine and bread. At the last supper, Jesus the Jew took two of the most common prayers to instruct his disciples to remember him. The Christian Call to Confession has its roots in Yom Kippur, the Jewish High Holy Day of Atonement. You can see baptism in the Jewish mikveh, the ritual bath. As you might guess Jews and Christians look at the meaning of the Messiah differently. There is much Messianic prophecy in Jewish scripture. This reader will guide Christians in their understanding that Jews look at the Messiah as more a question of what not who. In Jewish Holy Days and Festivals, readers will explore Shabbat, the Sabbath Day. It has been said, "More than the Jews have kept the Sabbath, the Sabbath has kept the Jews." The Sabbath is on