This is Part 1 in our series on “Athens or Jerusalem? Establishing the Spiritual Heritage of Jesus’ Followers”

“Consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.” (Rom. 11:18)

Long before modern psychology, biology or sociology, the Bible understood that to live well in the present, and have confidence for the future, we must know our past and where we came from. Knowledge of our beginnings is central to biblical faith, which begins with Genesis, ”be’resheet” in Hebrew, which means “in the beginning.” The New Testament, too, begins with “A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Mt. 1:1).

In order to get acquainted with the faith family we are part of, the Prophets appeal to us to, ”Look to the rock from which you were cut… Look to Abraham your father…” (Isa. 51: 1-2). Connecting with our history and “roots” (to use a popular term) in Israel...