How could a faith whose founder was Jewish, whose apostles were Jewish, and whose first congregations were predominantly Jewish, develop a tradition so often directed against Jews? The answer to this question leads directly to the heart of the Bible. It leads to the relationship between the Old and New Testaments, between Israel and the Church, between God’s covenant with his people and the message of the Messiah. For the history of Christian anti-Judaism does not begin with hatred, but with a particular way of reading the New Testament texts. Anyone who wants to understand why the relationship between Christians and Jews developed so dramatically over the centuries must first understand how the New Testament differs from the Old Testament and, at the same time, how they are remarkably similar.
The difference between the Old and New Testaments lies less in a contrast than in a different focus within the same history of salvation. Both parts of the Bible tell of God’s actions, his faithfulness, and ultimately, redemption. However, while the Old Testament...
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This is a very well written article. Yes, the Old Testament is vitally important to know and understand. Because it reveals the folly of sin, evil, and wickedness on past nations. And, how God’s love for Israel never wavered even in times of His punishments upon His people.
When the mind, heart, and soul is truly reborn [transformed], then, and only then, can we abide and wholeheartedly desire to fulfill the two greatest commandments of Christ’s law.
And these two greatest commandments do not provide any excuses for not loving the Jews or anyone else as ourselves.
Matthew 22:36-40
36Â Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37Â Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38Â This is the first and great commandment.
39Â And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40Â On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
When the church abandoned a literal/ normal/ plain/ grammatical/ historical method of interpreting the Scriptures it lost a proper understanding of both testaments. For it lost its true context. This is the true understanding the Apostle Paul wrote about in 1 Cor 10:1-13; specifically verse 6 – “Now these things (the OT) became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.” Â Even more telling is that in writing to the Corinthians he calls the fathers of Israel “our fathers.” Jews and Gentile are all in the same boat. When anyone falls into the trap of interpreting Scripture through reason and experience rather than letting the simply testimony of Bible speak, wrong theology followed by wrong actions occurs.