Clifford Denton discusses the first Jewish revolt against the Roman Empire and the resulting fall of Jerusalem and the razing of the Temple in 70 AD.

In the last study, we considered how the fall of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD contributed to the early separation of the Christian Church from its Jewish roots. This week we continue to look briefly at the background history that preceded and followed this fall, bringing into focus what have come to be called the First and Second Jewish Revolts. We do this both to focus on this important aspect of Israel's history, and also to establish a sense of the context into which Jesus and his followers came.

Background: the Road to Separation

In the last few studies we have been assessing the reasons for the separation of the Christian Church from its Jewish roots, focusing especially on the early years. We have been seeking to establish a balanced understanding, noting that it was not so simple as an exclusion from the Synagogue associated with a curse against Christians. There was initially a more gradual assessment of the new movement within Judaism.

Nevertheless there was also a distinct theological difference caused by the proclamation that Jesus was the expected Messiah. Misunderstandings, as well as theological differences, led to the early Christian Church being kept at arm's length. Elements of separatism from within the Christian Church also began to develop.

Misunderstandings, as well as theological differences, led to the early Church being kept at arm's length by the Jews.

The background to this was Israel's national oppression by Greece and then Rome, and the reactions against this by various Jewish leaders and factions who sought to bring about deliverance by physical force (these attempts then magnified themselves later, when Israel was in the Diaspora and the Christian Church had found new roots within the Gentile world).

In particular, the First and Second Jewish Revolts against Rome help us to understand the response of the nation of Israel to the colonial domination of foreign powers. Despite Israel as a whole rejecting Jesus as Messiah, these revolts continued to express the Jewish Messianic hope. They expected that the Messiah would bring physical deliverance for the nation. This mindset contrasted greatly with the message of Jesus and the apparent 'otherworldliness' of his movement, and further contributed to the separation of the Christian Church from its Jewish roots.

The Messianic hope of the Jews, especially in the face of Roman colonial domination, contrasted Jesus' otherworldly message and forced Christians and Jews further apart.

The First Jewish RevoltHalf Shekel from the First Jewish Revolt against Rome (see Photo Credits)

The First Jewish Revolt was from 66-74 AD. This was the revolt that led to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD. One of the main historical sources for this event is the historian Josephus who was an eye witness and participant (see quotes from Josephus included in last week's study). Modern historians warn us that there may be some bias in Josephus's description of the revolt because of his own need to protect his status in the eyes of Rome. Nevertheless, we have detailed accounts of the years when Israel rose up against Rome and of the catastrophes that followed.

Among the reasons for the revolt was hatred toward the corruption and bad government of various Roman procurators, as well as a general resentment towards the occupying forces. Add to this the social, economic, national and religious restraints that Rome put on this covenant nation and here was a fermenting situation ready for eruption at any time.

The First Jewish Revolt, which led to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, was born of resentment towards the occupying power.

Discontent eventually led to a dispute between Greeks and Jews in Caesarea when some of the Greek population chose to build too close to a Synagogue. This was in the year 61 AD, and Nero ruled in favour of the Greeks, but discontent continued and flared up into street fighting in 66 AD. Coincident with this, the procurator Florus ordered that seventeen talents be taken from the Temple treasury, causing an aggressive response from some of the Jews and resulting in his ordering Roman soldiers to punish the population. The resistance grew, however, causing Florus to make a temporary retreat to Caesarea.

The remaining cohort of troops in Jerusalem failed to enforce law and order and this also became the spark for groups of revolutionaries including the Sicari and Zealots to begin more open fighting with the Romans. Fervour that had been pent up for years erupted, and soon the majority of the population of Judaea and Galilee joined these revolutionary groups. By the year 67, the Idumeaeans and Samaritans had also joined the growing revolt.

Roman Intervention

Agrippa II came from Alexandria to Jerusalem to try to quell the revolt but failed to get the support of Florus for mediation. In the early days of the revolt, the High Priest and leaders of the parties of the Sadducees and Pharisees were concerned to maintain peace and the Temple rituals, so were keen to bring a peaceful end to the uprising. However, the Zealots conquered a number of fortresses including Masada. They occupied the Temple and put an end to the daily sacrifice to the Emperor of Rome.

Agrippa summoned three thousand troops but failed to eliminate the Zealots. This led to an escalation of the conflict with Rome. The Zealots set fire to the palaces of Agrippa, Berenice and the High Priest. This was by way of a statement against the disparity between the wealthy in Jerusalem and the poverty of other members of the nation. The Antonia Fortress was captured and then the whole city was liberated from the Romans. This was accompanied by bloodshed in other parts of the land.

The conflict escalated and even the intervention of 3,000 Roman troops failed.

Cestius Valus, the Roman Governor of Syria, brought an expedition to Jerusalem in the autumn of 66 but was caused to retreat and suffered major defeat near Beth-Horon, where most of his army was massacred. This resulted in a growing support for the revolt, including from the priests in Jerusalem who needed to preserve their popularity.

The Arrival of Vespasian

The Romans re-grouped in Galilee. Meanwhile, Nero sent orders from Greece to his general, Vespasian. He arrived in 67 and took the city of Sephoris, then advancing with three legions into Galilee, putting many of the Jews to flight. The prominent fortress of Jotapata was taken, followed by Tarichaea, Gamla (see left) and Mount Tabor. At the end of 67, and after great bloodshed, Galilee was under the control of the Romans.

The loss of Galilee was dispiriting to the occupants of Jerusalem. Some would have negotiated with the Romans at this point. There was inner conflict among the Jewish factions and the Zealots eventually took full control of the city. In 69 AD, however, further disputes arose and three factions emerged in Jerusalem. The Roman troops marched on Jerusalem, by which time the three factions had divided the city into three fortresses.

When the Romans laid siege on Jerusalem in 70 AD, inner conflict had led to the city being divided into three fortresses.

The death of Nero in 68 called Vespasian back to Rome in the summer of 69, where he was proclaimed Emperor. Titus, his son, took command of the Roman troops in the land of Israel (as an important aside, within the time-frame of this conflict: it is likely that Johanan Ben Zakkai fled from Jerusalem and was given permission by Vespasian to settle in Jabneh, which later became a school for the study of Torah and the centre for the development of Rabbinic Judaism). Nevertheless the siege of Jerusalem was begun early in the year 70 by Titus and the horrific consequences of the fall of this great city and of the Temple followed, as we outlined in the last section.

One can read Josephus and come to the conclusion that divided factions among the Jews contributed to an almost self-destruction at the end of this conflict. The glory had indeed departed from the Temple.

For Reflection and Comment

Read Matthew 24:2 and Deuteronomy 28. Does this help us understand the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70? Read Luke 19:41-44 and refer to the Book of Lamentations. What should a Christian's attitude be to the fall of Jerusalem?

Next time: The Jewish Revolts (Part 2)

Last week we re-printed part of an interview with Lance Lambert, in which he gives a Messianic perspective on the future of the Jewish people. Interviewed by Gary Clayton, he concludes by assessing the significance of lsraeI's fortieth anniversary in the light of scripture and world events.

I believe that in many ways the fortieth anniversary of modern IsraeI's history has to be deeply significant. Indeed, there has hardly been a phase in the past forty years that has not been of significance.

It is surely noteworthy that most of the political and military analysts examining the Middle East situation in 1946 and 1947 — before the State of Israel was created — found it hard to believe that Israel would survive. Even after her first year it still seemed incredible that she could have lasted so long. There have been five wars in the forty year period, three of which could easily have seen the liquidation of both state and nation. lt is remarkable that every war has ended not only in Israeli survival, but in triumph — including the first, a war of independence.

Triumph and survival

People tend to attribute this survival to Jewish intelligence and ingenuity, but as someone who is both a Jew and an Israeli, living in and being part of the nation, I realise what a miracle it is that we have come through. But this is not the only miracle. Anyone examining the economy of Israel can see that it has been disastrously managed. Red tape and bureaucracy have caused enormous problems, which is surprising when we remember that throughout the world Jews are regarded as shrewd and successful businessmen.

Yet forty years on, despite such mismanagement, Israel has a viable economy. This to me is as great a miracle as the one of political stability. It is truly remarkable therefore that Israel has reached her fortieth year.

The question we need to ask is what this new phase actually signifies. Some believe that IsraeI's wars and troubles are over and that she is going to move into a period of peace and establishment, but l cannot subscribe to that view. My intuition and understanding of the prophetic word tell me that Israel faces further war and suffering in the years immediately ahead. I expect that this will herald the beginning of a much greater fulfilment of God's purposes for the nation. The fortieth anniversary is just the start.

My intuition and understanding of the prophetic word tell me that Israel faces further war and suffering in the years immediately ahead. The fortieth anniversary may herald a much greater fulfilment of God's purposes for the nation.

Hakhel: The Solemn Convocation

An event took place in Israel last year during the Feast of Tabernacles which went practically unnoticed by the outside world, yet it was one which I feel has great significance. This was the re-enaction of a ceremony which had not been held in Jerusalem for over 2,500 years, not in fact since the time when the last kings of Judah were in the land. It is called the Hakhel, a solemn convocation. This was always summoned in the Sh'mittah, or seventh year, when the land had to lie fallow.

During this ceremony the high priest would gather the people in the Temple and ask the king to read the law from the book of Deuteronomy. For the first time in two and a half millennia, the two chief rabbis gave notice that they were going to hold this ceremony at the western wall, and asked President Chaim Herzog if he would represent the king while they took the place of the high priest. I was present with a group of Messianic believers. It was a most moving and remarkable event with more than thirty-five thousand people present, the largest crowd I ever seen at the western wall.

In 1987 during the Feast of Tabernacles, the Hakhel ceremony was re-enacted in Jerusalem for the first time in over 2,500 years.

Unearthly Sounds

It began with a fanfare of military trumpets to announce the arrival of the president, and then a strange, unearthly sound suddenly filled the air. I wondered what it was, but looking up l saw seven men on the western wall dressed in the garb of Levites, blowing seven silver trumpets. From the south-west corner of the temple wall came the sound of a further seven blowing similar instruments, and the two groups echoed one another back and forth. These silver trumpets were being blown for the first time in thousands of years so as to call together the meeting, the solemn convocation.

The law was read and there was much prayer, which I found very moving. There was a strong sense of the Spirit of God and there could hardly have been one Messianic Jew present who was not deeply moved, even to tears. The prayer was for Israel to be given the gift of repentance; for her to return to the Lord and for the Lord to renew her so that she would be able to walk in his ways, forsaking all unrighteousness.

Moving prayers were said for Israel to be given the gift of repentance, for her to return to the Lord and for the Lord to renew her so she would be able to walk in his ways.

We all felt it was a most important event, and coming at the beginning of the new Jewish year of 5748, the fortieth anniversary of Israel, we could not help but wonder what it might herald. It could indicate the beginning of a movement of the Spirit of God to establish the Messianic community and turn the nation towards the Lord.

On the one hand this new phase in Israel's history may see even more war and suffering, on the other it may see the establishment of the nation in new and deeper ways than ever before, particularly on a spiritual level.

Prophecy of Conflict

Looking at Israel and the global situation, I recollect that it is now 14 or 15 years since I first began warning people that we could be in the run-up to the fulfilment of the prophecy in Ezekiel 38 and 39 concerning war against Israel:

In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety. You and all your troops and the many nations with you will go up, advancing like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land (Eze 38:7-9).

Viewing the Middle East through Israeli eyes, it seems clear to me that events are being moved into place in readiness for this prophecy to be fulfilled.

Reflections on the Gulf War

The Ayatollah has received something of a setback in the Gulf as a result of the involvement of Western powers, with lraq's re-arming by the French, the West Germans and the British naturally prolonging the war. The involvement of the United States in bringing its navy into the Gulf with 14 of its warships and the re-flagging of Kuwaiti ships under the Stars and Stripes have likewise prolonged the conflict, as has the Soviet Union's own massive military assistance to Iraq.

It is hard to believe that this war has gone on for more than eight years, resulted in over a million deaths and continues with still no sign of an end in view. Israeli intelligence believes that there will be at least another two years before there is any outcome. Had Iraq and Iran been left to themselves, lraq would probably have collapsed long ago. Her economy is in ruins and her second-largest city practically a ghost town, with no ships able to get in or out of her port. The oil fields in the north have been partially wrecked and Baghdad has been under continuous threat of bombardment by missiles. The Iranians number about 70 million people and are determined to win this war. Morale is quite high and although the economy has suffered it is still functioning.

Iraq, meanwhile, is in colossal debt. She numbers just under 16 million people and suffers from poor morale. I believe Iran will win this war, and so far every month that passes makes it seem even more likely. The other Arab and Islamic leaders are all afraid of Iran. An American intelligence report based on a three and a half month's study stated that it did not matter if there were forty American ships in the Gulf or a hundred, Iran would still win. Not long ago a number of unofficial delegations comprising high-ranking Soviet officials went to Tehran. This may be significant since the American presence in the Gulf is quite likely to trigger a Soviet response.

In the end, Iran may get desperate to conclude the war and so might decide to do some kind of deal with the Soviet Union. I am not predicting that this will necessarily happen, but we should watch out for such developments as they could be significant in the light of Ezekiel's prophecy in chapter 38, concerning the evil scheme of the 'country from the far north' to advance with many nations against Israel.

Agenda against Israel

For many years people have asked what would happen if Iran won the war. The answer is simple, since their oft-stated aim is the 'liberation' of Jerusalem and the liquidation of Israel. I have no doubt that once victory over Iraq is complete they will seek to thrust through Jordan and press on to the mountains of Moab and Gilead.

Iraq is also an enemy of Israel, and this is why the latter has been only too happy for Iran and Iraq to have been at each other's throats for so long. I believe that, once the war is over, the victors' attention will shift to Israel.

I believe that once the Gulf War is over, the victors' attentions will shift to Israel.

Syria, meanwhile, is in a quandary. Her economy is in ruins and she is dependent on Saudi Arabia to bail her out. The Kuwaitis, Saudis and other sheikhs have been pouring large sums of money into Iraq to keep her afloat and Saudi Arabia recently questioned whether she would continue to support Syria in view of the latter's antagonistic attitude towards Iraq. Not so long ago at the Islamic Conference at Amman Jordan's King Hussein tried to bring about a reconciliation between Syria and Iraq. The one thing Syria and Iraq have in common is that both are violently opposed to Israel.

Glasnost: real openness or window-dressing?

In Mikhail Gorbachev the Soviet Union has the youngest and most popular leader for decades. As a result of his glasnost ('openess') policy he has an excellent public image. He appears a much more open, contemporary and compassionate leader, yet it is hard to believe that a man who was for many years a leader in the KGB could ever really be as good as he sounds. I do not know of a single Jew released from Soviet Union who does not regard glasnost as little more than an exercise in window-dressing. Many of them are concerned that the West is being taken in by this new approach.

I believe that the Soviet Union's real plan is to let out some ten thousand or so Jewish activists who are considered to be trouble-makers but keep the remaining three million Jews where they are. There is no doubt, however, that this community will come home to Israel in the end, and that it will be by divine dictate. I am certain of this because of the prophetic words of Isaiah 43:3-6:

For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour...do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you up from the west. I will say to the north, "Give them up!" and to the south, "Do not hold them back". Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth.

Some good things are happening in Israel and we have to be thankful for them. We live in a country battling for its life, one in which most young people have been involved in at least one war before reaching their twenties, and which has problems no other nation has. If we have special problems, however, we have special promises as well; promises made by God through the prophets. They are promises no other nation has.

If Israel has special problems with conflict and survival, it also has special promises made by God that no other nation has.

'Jacob's Tears', DVD documentary by Hatikvah Films (2015, 1 h 44 mins, available from the publisher for £15, or click here to stream immediately for £9.99)

How does one explain the 'why', 'what', 'where' and 'how' of the greatest catastrophe in Israel's national history (known as the Shoah in Hebrew), which took place less than 100 years ago in a highly civilised, cultured European country, during the twelve year reign of Hitler's Third Reich?

A DVD produced by Hatikvah Films, narrated by Peter Darg and Richard Climpson and presented by the late Lance Lambert, is a thought-provoking, arresting narrative of the Holocaust – presenting both Jewish and German viewpoints.

The Seeds of the Holocaust

The seeds of the Holocaust were planted in the German psyche well before World War II. During the 1930s, Hitler became the most successful politician of his era, uniting the Germans by blaming the Jews for the country's post-WWI political, economic and social woes. This created a climate for virulent anti-Semitism.

In 1930 after re-creating and enlarging 'the throne of Satan' (Rev 2:13), an ancient stone altar in Pergamum, as part of the new Nazi rally grounds in Nuremberg, Hitler used the enormous arena to accommodate the masses, who offered their adulation in raised-arm salutes to their Fuhrer. "Heil Hitler" means 'salvation comes from Hitler'.

This DVD by Hatikvah Films, presented by the late Lance Lambert, is a thought-provoking, arresting narrative of the Holocaust, presenting both Jewish and German viewpoints.

Sister Joela Kruger of the Evangelical Sisters of Mary explains the spiritual dynamic in Germany during that time. Hitler sought to eradicate the Christian witness there and to transfer the peoples' allegiance to himself - hence the conflict of the two crosses: the broken swastika and the true Cross of Jesus Christ.

Tragically the Church was silent, even after the horrific events of Kristellnacht on 9 November 1938. German Jews were set upon by the SS and SR, beaten, their homes attacked and looted and their synagogues burnt to the ground. Some brave Christian leaders - Dietrich Bonhoeffer amongst them - did speak out against Hitler, but NOT (significantly) against his treatment of the Jews.

Looking East

As the gas chambers of Auschwitz and Dachau became the hideous killing factories for European Jewry and other despised ethnic groups, Hitler turned his eyes towards Jerusalem. Being a prominent foreshadowing of anti-Christ, he allied himself with the Mufti of Jerusalem. Both men held an endlessly hostile attitude towards the Jewish people and they signed an agreement for the 'extermination' of the Jews.

By 1942, a German conquest of the Middle East seemed a distinct possibility. The British held the Mandate in Palestine (as it was then known) but the country was very vulnerable, completely surrounded by armed and dangerous enemies. The Germans were strategically placed to overcome the Allies but failed to capitalise on their advantage. The Allied victory at El Alamein secured the national homeland of the Jews – the land of Israel; many saw this as a victory by the finger of God.

Curses and Blessings

Many Germans today acknowledge that the Holocaust left a nation under a curse. Families have suffered generationally from the commitment of their forebears to the Third Reich. But praise God, those who come to Christ in repentance have the curse broken by Christ's work on the cross. What grace has been poured out to all sinners!

Is Germany cursed or blessed? Commentaries by Dr Harald Eckhert, Chairman of European Coalition for Israel and Dr Jurgen Buhler, Executive Director of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem are emotionally revealing. Some Germans have led the way into deep repentance for their nation's sins against the Jews. The late Basilea Schlink of the Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary in Darmstadt was a guiding light, leading the way. The nation has been rebuilt, is prospering and secure. Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that Germany owes its nationhood to the State of Israel. Both countries maintain a loyal, reliable and strong alliance. As Dr Eckhart asks with fear and trembling "can we as a nation match up to the grace that the Lord has poured out upon us?"

Some Germans have led the way into deep repentance for the nation's sins against the Jews, and God has poured out grace upon them. But anti-Semitism has not been entirely eradicated.

Sister Joela Kruger says that not all Germans are repentant. There is another form of anti-Semitism taking root there. It is opposition to the State of Israel. God's judgement has nevertheless been suspended to give Germany an opportunity to become a sheep nation (Matt 25:32). But he will have the last word.

DVD

I commend the DVD to all who have a desire to understand the role Germany played on the world stage during the 12 years of the Third Reich. The scenes and images on the DVD are familiar to some but traumatising for others - there is a warning about allowing children to watch it.

God Almighty does not change. He has said that whoever blesses Israel will be blessed, BUT whoever curses Israel will be cursed. Let us too, as a nation, take warning.

Clifford Denton begins a two-part study on what happened to Jews and Christians under the rule of Rome.

Every nation needs its own land. It is within its land that a nation establishes its particular way of life. Part of God's covenant with Israel was to give them the Land of Canaan. The people would be kept safe in this land providing that they followed the ways of God revealed through Moses. However, at their low times, Israel came under the rule of other nations.

This was the case at the time of Jesus and his first disciples: Rome ruled Israel. The climax of Roman occupation came with the fall of the Temple in AD 70. This coincided with the early days of the spread of the Gospel and so contributed to the separation of the Christian Church from its Jewish roots.

People and Land

After the wilderness years following their deliverance from Egypt, the children of Israel finally inherited their own land. Under Joshua they took possession of the Land of Canaan and established the nation, first under the judges and then under the kings. This was in fulfillment of the covenant promise given to Abraham:

On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates --the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites. (Gen 15:18-21)

The conditions that the Lord gave for Israel's ongoing possession of the Promised Land were made clear through Moses. It is important to remember the precise terms of this Covenant.

Blessings for obedience:Man tending grain, Israel.

Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God:

Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.

The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. (Deut 28:1-7)

Curses for disobedience:

But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:

Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country. Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Cursed shall be the fruit of your body and the produce of your land, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out. The Lord will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you set your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the wickedness of your doings in which you have forsaken Me...

The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them; and you shall become troublesome to all the kingdoms of the earth...

Your ox shall be slaughtered before your eyes, but you shall not eat of it; your donkey shall be violently taken away from before you, and shall not be restored to you; your sheep shall be given to your enemies, and you shall have no one to rescue them. Your sons and your daughters shall be given to another people, and your eyes shall look and fail with longing for them all day long; and there shall be no strength in your hand. A nation whom you have not known shall eat the fruit of your land and the produce of your labor, and you shall be only oppressed and crushed continually. (Deut 28:15-33)

These are not words to treat lightly. Christians should not stand in judgment over Israel, and use these words to support a persecution mentality towards Jews. It is in God's hands alone to work out his purposes according to the covenant that he made. He placed Israel at the centre of his covenant plan for the whole world. God's purposes are far higher, more complex and more loving than most of us realise, and so we must be careful how we read some of the harder scriptures, lest we misunderstand. Indeed, it is the role of those grafted into the Israel of God to comfort and pray for Israel the nation.

The covenant blessings and curses mentioned in Deuteronomy 28 are not words to treat lightly, but Christians should also be careful to not stand in judgment over Israel.

Israel itself must understand her own destiny as a nation and be aware of the covenant conditions that God has made. It is not for us to interfere in some of the major issues between Israel and God, especially regarding judgment. Indeed, we have already noted how this is understood by some leaders and interpreters of Torah. For example, in Popular Halachah: A Guide to Jewish Living,¹ we read in the chapter entitled Serving the Creator:

Because of the sins of our forefathers, we were driven from our land, the land of Israel. Exile, dispersion and suffering caused many of our people to neglect the study of the holy language (Hebrew), to forget the Torah and to assimilate among the gentiles. But God has promised the eternity of the Jewish people: "And yet for all that, though they be in the land of their enemies, will I not cast them away, neither will I abhor them to destroy them utterly, nor will I break my covenant with them; for I am the Lord their God." (Leviticus 26:44) And it is said: "For I, the Lord, I have not changed; and you, sons of Jacob, you have not ceased to be." (Malachi 3:6)

Go forth and search for the nations of old; where are they today? They have vanished! Not so the people of Israel who live on forever more. What is the secret of their survival? There is but one answer: The Torah! "And you who cleave unto the Lord your god, you are alive, everyone of you, to this day." (Deuteronomy 4:4) Our sages explained it this way: The children of Israel who clung to God, the Source of Life, have come to possess life everlasting.

If Israel would return to God in true repentance, then will He fulfill unto us His promise which He gave us through the prophets, His servants, to gather in the remaining exiles from the four corners of the earth, to restore us to the land of our inheritance, and bring us the Messiah who will rebuild the Temple and restore Divine Worship and the holy mountain, in Jerusalem.

These covenant issues are between Israel and God alone. Indeed, when God has brought enemies to rule over Israel these enemies are on their own path to God's judgment. This, for example, is what we understand from the prophet Daniel. Right up to the end times, the nations that come against Israel will eventually be judged by God. In Daniel 11:45-12:1, we read of the antichrist movement of the last days:

...he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him. At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book.

When God has brought enemies to rule over Israel, these enemies are also on their own path to God's judgment, and will eventually fall.

Historically, the nations of Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome came against Israel. They are now no more, while Israel survives and goes on to the end time purposes of God. Those who come against Israel have already built up reasons for God's judgements on themselves.

Nebuchadnezzar had a dream where he saw an image of a statue representing the world empires that would be used in Israel's history (see right). They would all disappear. The gold head represented Babylon, the silver upper body depicted the Medes and Persia, the bronze lower body stood for Greece and the iron legs were Rome (the feet of iron and clay represent the empire of last days).

It was into this context that Jesus, when Israel was under Roman rule, predicted the fall of the Temple and yet also, in Matthew 24, Luke 21 and Mark 12, spoke of the continued purposes of God for Israel outworked through suffering.

For Study and Prayer

• Study Deuteronomy 28, 2 Chronicles 7:12-14, Jeremiah 31:31-37, Romans 11. What is the relevance of these covenant principles to the fall of the Temple in 70 AD?
• How should this make us reflect on Britain's relationship with the nation of Israel?

Next time: The Fall of Israel under Rome (Part 2)

References

1 Edited by Avnere Tomaschoff, and sponsored by the World Conference of Jewish Organisations (1985)

Clifford Denton looks at how early Christians were increasingly excluded from Jewish community and religious life.

The early distancing of Christians from the Jewish community was eventually to lead to a complete separation. It was, however, a process more than a single event. It began with theological differences within the Jewish community - next came exclusion from the synagogues.

The Process

When the early followers of Jesus boldly proclaimed the Gospel message, and the community of believers in Jesus the Messiah was growing in number, there were inevitable reactions in the Jewish community. One of the reactions was that believers were not welcomed in the Synagogues, being considered heretics. In this study we will consider the degree to which this contributed to the parting of the ways between Church and Synagogue in the early days of Christianity. We propose that though the separation began in the first century AD, it was the beginning of a gradual process rather than of that of a sudden break.

Last week, we reviewed how theological differences emerged when the Gospel message was preached in Jerusalem and then moved progressively outwards to the whole world. The writings of the New Testament contain the foundational beliefs that drew attention to the fact that a notable new movement was beginning. This new movement brought an interpretation of the Tanakh (Old Testament) that was founded on the belief that Yeshua (Jesus) is the expected Messiah. In addition, other writings indicate that a summary of the beliefs of the early Christian Church was in circulation in the first century AD. This, as well as the witness of the growing community of believers in Jesus, provoked reaction from the Jewish community.

However, in the eyes of the leaders of the Synagogues, this was not going to be a theological debate alone, but the emergence of a new branch of Judaism. In their eyes, an heretical movement was beginning that had to be stopped, so the Synagogues themselves took steps to separate from the new movement. There is no doubt about this. The subject for discussion, however, is the rate at which the action of the Synagogues, in cutting themselves off from the perceived heresy, took place.

In the eyes of Synagogue leaders, Christianity was an heretical movement that had to be stopped. So they took steps to separate themselves from it.

Synagogue Traditions

The root meaning of Synagogue is 'meeting place'. Israel, from its earliest days, was a community of families with communal practices of studying, worshipping, sharing meals and meeting together in various ways, interpreting Torah for the good of the community. Each person was a member of the community and there were also rules for exclusion. Indeed, exclusion for certain reasons was a Biblical principle. In Deuteronomy 23 we have some of the conditions:

He who is emasculated by crushing or mutilation shall not enter the assembly of the Lord. One of illegitimate birth shall not enter the assembly of the Lord; even to the tenth generation none of his descendants shall enter the assembly of the Lord. An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter the assembly of the Lord; even to the tenth generation none of his descendants shall enter the assembly of the Lord forever... (Deut 23:1-3ff)

Biblical Injunctions

The strongest reason for exclusion from the community was idolatry and the worship of false gods:

And I will set your bounds from the Red Sea to the sea, Philistia, and from the desert to the River. For I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you. You shall make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against Me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you. (Ex 23:31-33)

The level of exclusion ranged from a lower degree ban (nidduy) to a complete excommunication (herem). In its severest form the life of a person could be taken for bringing uncleanness or guilt into the community, such as with the sin of Achan:

Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the garment, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that he had, and they brought them to the Valley of Achor. And Joshua said, "Why have you troubled us? The Lord will trouble you this day." So all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones. Then they raised over him a great heap of stones, still there to this day. So the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of Achor to this day. (Josh 7:24-26)

Later Interpretation

As the community of Israel formed its traditions from its early days, and later, when the community meeting place was centred on a building called the Synagogue, the rules for inclusion and exclusion from the community were developed (the timescale of this development has been a matter of interpretation of the evidence - not an easy matter as much of the traditions were oral traditions and their codification and development was gradual).

Nevertheless, it is clear that the leaders of Israel sought to interpret the injunctions of Torah to keep its community free of sin and, particularly, free of false gods. The history of Israel in the days of the Kings and of the Prophets shows the immensity of this task, as the nation declined and rose again depending on their ability to remain devoted to the One True God.

John's Gospel

John's Gospel gives evidence that the followers of Jesus were watched carefully and, in the context of tradition, judgments were made as to whether a movement was arising that was heretical and which should result in the ban or excommunication from the Synagogues.

There is the example of the man who was born blind.

But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight. And they asked them, saying, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" His parents answered them and said, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself. His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue. (John 19:18-23)

Jesus himself came under scrutiny, as could be expected of a new Rabbi.

But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: "Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?" Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again: "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them." These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him. Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue. (John 12:37-42)

And Jesus warned that his followers would find opposition from the other sects of the Jewish community.

These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you. (John 16:1-4)

Exclusion from the Synagogue was based on the desire to keep heresy out of the community and preserve the purity of the people, as God himself had commanded. The dramatic ministry of Jesus was bound to cause response from the Jewish leaders, as also was the ministry of the Apostles. The context was a nation that expected to judge new movements arising from within its community. We can understand that this was inevitable whilst also mourning the fact that error was made when the disciples of Jesus were misjudged.

Israel was a nation that expected to judge new movements arising within it, according to a desire to keep heresy out of the community and preserve the purity of the people, as God himself had commanded.

The Prayer Book

One of the traditions of the Synagogue was the set patterns of worship. Today we have the fully codified Prayer Book, and this is the result of many years of development. The Prayer Book is a useful resource for Christians to use in studying the background considered here.

One of the most significant points of codification was at Javneh, in the north of Israel, around AD 90, when Rabbi Gamaliel II and his colleagues gathered together to work to preserve the purity of Torah. It is possible that the Amidah was modified at this time. The Amidah is the 'standing prayer' that contained 18 benedictions (Shemoneh-Esreh). These benedictions were blessings for Israel. A 19th addition was made to this at some time, possibly at Javneh. It became the twelth in the sequence and became known as the Birkat ha-Minim – the Benediction concerning the heretics. Though this was included in the Benedictions – blessings - it was in fact a curse. It was a curse on heretics so that Israel might retain its blessings from God.

Around AD 90, the Amidah benedictions – blessings for Israel – were modified to include a curse on heretics, that Israel might retain its blessings from God.

The Curse against Heretics

Thus the prescribed daily benedictions, at some point (probably at Javneh), contained this curse on heretics. Links can be found with the Gospel of John and, at some point in the development of the curse, specific mention of the Notzrim (Nazarenes, ie Christians) was made. When Christians were considered to be an heretical sect, the curse would be directed at them. The question is, how soon did this happen?

In the section on Amidah in Volume 2 of Encyclopedia Judaica, it says of the 12th Benediction that it:

...asks God to destroy the malshinim ("slanderers" or "informers"), all His enemies, and to shatter the "kingdom of arrogance". The text of this benediction, called in the Talmud Birkat ha-Minim ("Benediction Concerning Heretics"), underwent many changes. It concludes with Barukh..shover oyeyim u-makhni'a zedim ("Blessed...Who breakest the enemies and humblest the arrogant")

On the development of Amidah we read (p839):

Fixed community prayers gradually came into being in the Second Temple period. People would meet for joint prayers and, in the course of time, "orders of prayer" developed. At first, these differed widely from group to group. There is, however, no reason to assume that the orders of prayer were instituted at any given time by a central authority. It is almost certain that by the end of the Temple period the 18 benedictions of the weekly Amidah had become the general custom. However, their exact sequence and the content of the individual benedictions probably still varied...

There is explicit testimony that the seven benedictions for Sabbaths and the festivals and the nine for Rosh Ha-Shanah were accepted as the norm by the schools of Hillel and Shammai (Tosef. Ber 3:13). Soon after the destruction of the Temple, the Amidah was "edited" finally in Jabneh, by Rabban Gamaliel II and his colleagues. Even then, only the order, general content, and benediction formula were standardized; the actual wording was left to be formulated by the individual worshipper or reader. Attempts to reconstruct the "original" text of the Amidah or to ascertain the date when each section was "composed" are pointless, especially in view of the ruling that benedictions were not to be written down (Tosef., Shab. 13:4...)

Summary of a Complex Issue

In order to understand our present position, it is important to note the details of this significant contribution to the separation of Jesus' disciples from the Synagogue. It was no small thing and could be justified on biblical grounds.

In summary, a curse against heretics was added to the daily prayers of the Synagogues, in the tradition of the Jewish community always being vigilant to keep itself from following false teaching and false gods. This curse has been directed at Christians, but it is also directed at other supposed heretics.

The question still remains as to whether this antagonism, strongly emanating from the Synagogues, was so strong against Christians as to cause a separation with Judaism. Did it spark a dramatic split, or contribute to a gradual one? This is an important question in relation to the separation of the Christian Church from its Jewish roots. We would be wise to see their separation as gradual rather than sudden – if we are to understand that other factors were at work too. The blame is not all at the door of the Synagogue.

Overview

If we start with the premise that the exclusion of early Christians from the Jewish community was engineered mainly by the Synagogue leaders, then it would have been hard for a follower of Jesus to belong to the Jewish community. When we read the Gospel accounts in the light of this view, we may deduce that the Jewish leaders had already established a strong principle of exclusion, even at the time of Jesus. If one also assumes that the 12th Benediction of the Amidah was specifically directed at the Christians, then the idea may be cultivated that Christianity had no hope of remaining a branch of Judaism, and the fault lay mainly with the Jews.

If, on the other hand, one considers that the 12th Benediction was of a more general nature and against all forms of heresy, and that some Synagogues (not all), perhaps much later, chose to include Christians as a specific example of what they saw as heretics, then the picture at the time of Jesus and the Apostles is much different. In this case we would picture the Jewish leaders, as was usual, investigating a new Rabbinic movement with the possibility of exclusion but not yet a certainty. This is the view taken by Dr Wilson in Our Father Abraham, seeking to put the Jewish response to the growth of Christianity in its proper perspective, seeing the exclusion principle as contributing gradually, but alongside other factors, to separating the Christian Church from its roots. In his conclusion he writes (p72):

It appears that the expression "to put out of the synagogue" must be taken in an informal rather than a formal sense. Perhaps Jesus alluded to this action when he warned that his disciples would be "beaten in synagogues" (Mark 13:9; cf. Acts 5:40). In any case, since there is little collaborative textual evidence that formal excommunication was practiced during this formative period of the Church, aposynagogos may have reference to a kind of informal ostracism.

Hare may be correct in suggesting that this form of pressure by public censure was likely "directed not so much against faith in Christ per se as against those activities of Christians which were regarded as objectionable by the synagogue-community involved (cf. Acts 18:5-7, 13)". Thus, we conclude tentatively that the Fourth Gospel may refer to a kind of ad hoc, spontaneous community disapproval to the preaching that "Jesus was the Christ." This action would amount to removing someone from the synagogue more by group outrage than by formal ban. It is probable that only later, when Synagogue and Church had come close to the brink of final separation, were any formal bans imposed. [emphasis added]

For Reflection and Comment

How might the Christian Church, without compromising the Gospel, demonstrate that followers of Jesus are not an heretical sect, and heal the rift with Israel and the Jews?

Next time: The fall of Israel under Rome.

Clifford Denton continues to examine the early separation between Christianity and Judaism, looking at their theological conflicts.

One of the main factors contributing to the early rift between the Christian Church and the Jewish community was a theological conflict that emerged as biblical prophecies were interpreted through the revelation of Jesus as the expected Messiah. We will consider here the beginnings of this theological separation.

Parting of the Ways

In Chapter 4 of Our Father Abraham, Marvin Wilson considers the parting of the Church from the Synagogue. This parting of the ways was a gradual process over many centuries, but the beginnings are found in the biblical account. In Acts 5:40 we read, "They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go." Wilson writes:

The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15)...was an alpine event. Its decision would have profound implications for both Church and Synagogue in the years to come. By calling this council, the Church took a clear stand on the issue of gentile circumcision (Acts 15:5, 28-29). This most ancient of all covenant rites would not be a prerequisite to join the still fledgling messianic community which had rapidly expanded into the gentile world. (p52)

In later years, Christian theology would be the subject of many councils, and the creeds of the Christian Church would be crafted. New divisions would begin to occur in the Christian Church itself as various denominations and sects emerged. It was inevitable, however, that the separation of Christians from the sects of Judaism would occur in the early days of the Apostles.

Dr Wilson continues:

The picture of the Church which we are able to draw at this mid-century juncture is composite. It comprised essentially three main groups. One segment was made up of traditionalists from the circumcision party. They were conservative Jewish believers, most likely from the sect of the Pharisees, and were closely tied to Temple worship and Jewish Law...the Ebionite sect probably represented the remnants of this movement, a group which did not die out until the fourth century. A second distinguishable group was the free-thinking Hellenistic party. The Hellenists had one foot planted in the turf of Judaism.

But the other, more firmly set in Greek soil, caused this group to lean to the West. A third segment held to a middle or mainstream position. It reflected the thinking of the council and presumably also the majority of the Jerusalem church (see Acts 15:22). Some of its leading voices were James, Peter ("an apostle to the Jews"), and Paul ("an apostle to the Gentiles" cf. Gal. 2:8). Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit (Acts 15:28), this influential group sought to be open to Gentiles and yet sensitive to the Jews. (emphasis added)

The Christian movement began so powerfully, and the zeal of the early believers was so great, that it could not avoid drawing attention to itself. It was recognised as a heretical sect of Judaism and so caused response from the leaders of the Jewish community who foresaw coming division. The followers of Jesus were seen as emerging from the background of Jewish life, interpreting their message from the Hebrew Scriptures, continuing to visit the Temple, preaching their message among the Jews and interpreting their faith out of Jewish symbols and traditions.

Thus the first points of division can be seen in the Bible itself, before ever a Church Council emerged in later generations.

Theological Issues

Church creeds and doctrines crystallised over the centuries as a response to many issues of contending for the faith, but this began with the Apostles. We have already mentioned the meeting in Jerusalem (Acts 15) that has come to be known as the Council of Jerusalem. As further issues came up, so discussions took place and positions were taken. The New Testament writings introduced many statements of faith, even before systematic creeds were drawn up. Paul highlighted issues of doctrine that had to be made clear as congregations in the Gentile world faced various questions. Paul's writings, in themselves, marked a separation point from other forms of Judaism.

The New Testament writings introduced many statements of faith before systematic Christian creeds were ever drawn up.

In the Introduction to the Mishnah (translated by Danby, OUP, 1933) is an interesting confirmation of this separation based on the writings of the New Testament. The sects of Judaism codified the oral traditions while the Christian Church received the New Testament, signifying the theological parting of the ways. The Mishnah became the foundation of the Talmud and the New Testament became the basis of future creeds of the Christian Church:

The Mishnah may be defined as a deposit of four centuries of Jewish religious and cultural activity in Palestine, beginning at some uncertain date (possibly during the earlier half of the second century B.C.) and ending with the close of the second century A.D. The object of this activity was the preservation, cultivation, and application to life of 'the Law' (Torah), in the form in which many generations of like-minded Jewish religious leaders had learned to understand this Law. These leaders were known in turn by the names Soferim ('Scribes') and Tannaim (lit. 'repeaters', teachers of the Oral Law).

The latter taught the religious system of the Pharisees as opposed to that of the Sadducees. Until the destruction of the Second Temple in A.D. 70 they had counted as one only among the schools of thought which played a part in Jewish national and religious life; after the Destruction they took the position, naturally and almost immediately, of sole and undisputed leaders of such Jewish life as survived. Judaism as it has continued since is, if not their creation, at least a faith and a religious institution largely of their fashioning; and the Mishnah is the authoritative record of their labour. Thus it comes about that while Judaism and Christianity alike venerate the Old Testament as canonical Scripture, the Mishnah marks the passage to Judaism as definitely as the New Testament marks the passage to Christianity. (emphasis added)

First Century: the Separation Begins

The Apostolic Council of Jerusalem was around 49 AD. 1 and 2 Corinthians was written around 54-55 AD, Romans around 55 AD and Hebrews in the 60s. Peter and Paul's martyrdoms were around 64 AD. Matthew was written in the 60s, Revelation in the late 80s or early 90s. Thus the date of the destruction of the Temple (70 AD) is embedded in the dates surrounding the significant writings and formation of the doctrines of the Christian Church.

Already the ministry of Jesus had been pivotal in the Jewish world, his crucifixion being around 30 AD. His followers then became living witnesses to their faith and so the Christian community was noticeable in the world of Judaism, it being inevitable that their beliefs would be scrutinised by the leaders of the Jewish community.

The destruction of the Temple in 70 AD is embedded in the dates surrounding the New Testament writings, and followed the pivotal ministry of Jesus, so the Christian community was already well-known in the world of Judaism.

Other early Christian writings give indications of the way theological ideas began to form among believers. For example, around 95 AD Clement, secretary of the Roman Church, wrote to the Corinthian congregation. He viewed this congregation as what we might consider to be on a par with the Essene community of Qumran, fulfilling what was prefigured in the Old Testament. Later, in his second letter, we see him treat Paul's writings on an equal footing to the Scriptures of the Old Testament. Others such as Ignatius of Antioch have left letters which build up clues to the early theology of the Christian Church.

Statement of Faith

What emerged is called the kerygma. It is a Greek word meaning, 'proclamation, announcement, preaching'. CH Dodd (The Apostolic Preaching, 1936), and others, examined early Christian writings to discover the core of Christian preaching in the early days of the Apostles. The ancient kerygma as summarised by Dodd from Peter's speeches in Acts was:

1. The Age of Fulfillment has dawned, the 'latter days' foretold by the prophets.
2. This has taken place through the birth, life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
3. By virtue of his resurrection Jesus has been exalted at the right hand of God as Messianic head of the new Israel.
4. The Holy Spirit in the church is the sign of Christ's present power and glory.
5. The Messianic Age will reach its consummation in the return of Christ.
6. An appeal is made for repentance with the offer of forgiveness, the Holy Spirit, and salvation.

Jesus Christ, of course, was the center of this ancient kerygma. The cross and resurrection are crucial to the kerygmatic preaching of Jesus. Another useful summary is found in Chronological Charts of the New Testament (Zondervan, 1981, p120) by H Wayne House:

1. The promises by God made in the Old Testament have now been fulfilled with the coming of Jesus the Messiah (Acts 2:30; 3:19,24; 10:43; 26:6-7, 22; Rom 1:2-4; 1 Tim 3:16; Heb 1:1-2; 1 Pet 1:10-12, 2 Pet 1:18-19).
2. Jesus was anointed by God at his baptism as Messiah (Acts 10:38).
3. Jesus began his ministry in Galilee after his baptism (Acts 10:37).
4. He conducted a beneficent ministry, doing good and performing mighty works by the power of God (Mark 10:45; Acts 2:22; 10:38).
5. The Messiah was crucified according to the purpose of God (Mark 10:45; John 3:16; Acts 2:23; 3:13-15, 18; 4:11; 10:39; 26:23; Rom 8:34; 1 Cor 1:17-18; 15:3; Gal 1:4; Heb 1:3; 1 Pet 1:2, 19; 3:18; 1 John 4:10).
6. He was raised from the dead and appeared to his disciples (Acts 2:24, 31-32; 3:15,26; 10:40-41; 17:31; 26:23; Rom 8:34; 10:9; 1 Cor 15:4-7, 12ff.; 1 Thess 1:10; 1 Tim 3:16; 1 Pet 1:2, 21; 3:18, 21).
7. Jesus was exalted by God and given the name 'Lord' (Acts 2:25-29, 33-36; 3:13; 10:36; Rom 8:34; 10:9; 1 Tim 3:16; Heb 1:3; 1 Pet 3:22).
8. He gave the Holy Spirit to form the new community of God (Acts 1:8; 2:14-18, 33, 38-39; 10:44-47; 1 Pet 1:12).
9. He will come again for judgment and the restoration of all things (Acts 3:20-21; 10:42; 17:31; 1 Cor 15:20-28; 1 Thess 1:10).
10. All who hear the message should repent and be baptised (Acts 2:21, 38; 3:19; 10:43, 47-48; 17:30; 26:20; Rom 1:17; 10:9; 1 Pet 3:21).

It was impossible for the differences in theology to go unnoticed as being a divergence from orthodox Judaism. Christianity, nevertheless, grew out of the Jewish background with common roots in the Tanakh, not as a new religion in the Gentile world, where it might have gone unnoticed. The centrality of Jesus the Messiah made it impossible for the Apostles to be silent and the fact that the oral traditions of Judaism (later codified as the Mishnah) made different emphasis, made it impossible for theological conflicts to be avoided.

It was impossible for Christianity to be ignored as a simple divergence from orthodox Judaism. The centrality of Jesus the Messiah made it impossible for the Apostles to be silent, and the difference between Christian doctrine and the Jewish oral traditions made theological conflict unavoidable.

Jewish Symbols

It was for the very reason that Christianity emerged from the background of Judaism that conflict occurred. On the one hand these are two branches of the same tree and, on the other hand, they are conflicting interpretations of the same Scriptures. On page 55 of Our Father Abraham, Dr Wilson presents Christianity as a radical reinterpretation of Jewish symbols and therefore ready to spark off reaction and potential parting of the ways:

The two Testaments exhibit strong continuity, but also a discontinuity. Many Old Testament institutions and themes are radically reinterpreted in the New Testament, often in ways – despite their foreshadowing – that the majority in New Testament times was unable to discern. In addition, the embodiment of the Torah in Jesus created a major tension. Jesus subordinated many of the central symbols of Judaism to himself, and the New Testament writers continued that subordination.

Thus, Jesus became the Temple (John 2:19-21) and the atoning sacrifice ("the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" – John 1:29). At Passover the matzah, "unleavened bread," represented his body (Mark 14:22); likewise, the lamb sacrificed at Passover symbolized Jesus' sacrificial death (1 Corinthians 5:7). In addition, Jesus declared himself Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:27-28). He also distinguished the ritually clean from unclean (Mark 7:1-23). In sum, in early Jewish Christianity the "Sabbath, Temple, Law, sacrifices are christologically reinterpreted by the One who is greater than them all." (quoted from P. Richardson, Israel in the Apostolic Church, CUP, 1969). The overall effect was that the first-century Jewish community largely considered these teachings strange and antiritualistic, a threat to established religious beliefs of the day.

On the one hand, Christianity and Judaism are two branches of the same tree. On the other, they are radically conflicting interpretations of the same Scriptures.

For Reflection and Comment

How might the Christian Church, without compromising the Gospel, restore theological balance and heal the rift with Israel and the Jews?

Next time: Exclusion from the Synagogue.

Having begun our survey of the separation of the Christian Church from its historical roots, we now consider aspects of our inheritance: what legacies have the Jews given us?

The history of Israel reveals many things. Above all, the Jewish people are a living witness to the covenant faithfulness of the One True God. In addition, however, despite much failure to attain the highest goals of Torah, the Jewish people passed on to the Christian Church a testimony of Biblical interpretation and lifestyle, giving enough light on God's relationship with (and requirements of) mankind for the Christian Church to enter into its inheritance.

Unfortunately, because of the failure of Israel to live up to the perfect standards of Torah, the Christian Church has largely failed to give credit where it is due. We will make a brief survey of just a little of what the Christian Church owes to the Jewish people. First an important comment.

Good but not Perfect

No-one claims that Israel was perfect. Indeed, God did not choose Israel because of its size:

The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy... (Deut 7:7-9)

Nor did they displace other nations on merit:

Do not think in your heart, after the Lord your God has cast them out before you, saying, 'Because of my righteousness the Lord has brought me in to possess this land'; but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out from before you. It is not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart that you go in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord your God drives them out from before you, and that He may fulfill the word which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Therefore understand that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people. (Deut 9:4-6)

The prophets constantly echoed the theme of imperfection which, at its lowest point, even resulted in exile from the Land:

If you do not carefully observe all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, the Lord your God, then...it shall be, that just as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good and multiply you, so the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you and bring you to nothing; and you shall be plucked from off the land which you go to possess.

Then the Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you shall serve other gods, which neither you nor your fathers have known - wood and stone. And among those nations you shall find no rest, nor shall the sole of your foot have a resting place; but there the Lord will give you a trembling heart, failing eyes, and anguish of soul. (Deut 28:58-65)

The Book of Lamentations shows the anguish of a fallen nation:

How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow is she, who was great among the nations! The princess among the provinces has become a slave! She weeps bitterly in the night, her tears are on her cheeks; among all her lovers She has none to comfort her. All her friends have dealt treacherously with her; they have become her enemies.

Judah has gone into captivity, under affliction and hard servitude; She dwells among the nations, she finds no rest; all her persecutors overtake her in dire straits. The roads to Zion mourn because no one comes to the set feasts. All her gates are desolate; her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness. Her adversaries have become the master, her enemies prosper; for the Lord has afflicted her because of the multitude of her transgressions. Her children have gone into captivity before the enemy. (Lam 1:1-5)

Contemporary View

Even a contemporary comment recognizes the failure of Israel to achieve perfection. In Popular Halachah: A Guide to Jewish Living (edited by Avnere Tomaschoff, 1985), we read in the chapter entitled 'Serving the Creator':

Because of the sins of our forefathers, we were driven from our land, the land of Israel. Exile, dispersion and suffering caused many of our people to neglect the study of the holy language (Hebrew), to forget the Torah and to assimilate among the gentiles.

Our Expectations

We do not need to labour the point further. We acknowledge that Israel has not been a perfect light to the Gentiles. However, there are two errors we can commit as we respond to this. The first error is to expect perfection from Israel. The second is that, on account of the imperfection, we neglect all the good that has been done for the Christian Church because of the testimony of Israel.

It is only by God's grace that the Christian Church exists at all. With the biblical testimony of Israel to help us understand God's ways and draw near to him, we must remember that all good is from God. However, we can still validly consider these things from the human level. We would not even have our Bibles if it had not been for the Jewish people who had to walk the hard road before us, write down what they heard and experienced, and bring the Scriptures to us through many generations.

If we had received the truth in our Bibles another way, we would not have had the living testimony that Israel brings, showing their full humanity. Imperfect though this human testimony is, it is nevertheless a good and useful testimony, the one from which we learn. If they had not walked the hard path of seeking to respond to God, and failing, would we not have failed in the same way?

Imperfect though their testimony is, Israel provides a vital living testimony of true humanity seeking God. If they had not walked this hard path before us, would we not have failed in the same ways they did?"

When we look at the Jewish inheritance we must consider it, from our human standpoint, as good but not perfect. We should not seek to emulate their failures, but we can learn from their experiences and, starting from that point, we can use the Scriptures to seek out the good roots of that testimony.

If we keep this testimony alongside us as we also seek to walk with God, we can ignore what is imperfect and learn from what is good. We can also give credit where it is due for all that the Jewish people have given to the whole world. Their testimony came at great cost.

Jewish Communities

To investigate what we owe the Jews we simply need to look into their community life, in which there is much variety. In our day, among the people in the Land of Israel as well as in Jewish communities around the world, we can observe everything from atheism to devotion to the God of their Fathers. In the midst of this variety, we discover every aspect of God's dealing with the Jews and of their response to him.

In the Home

Jewish communal life shows us that community is built on family. Our first picture is therefore not of the Synagogue, but of the home. The focal point of the home is the family mealtime. This is most strongly emphasized at the Shabbat table, where we hear prayers to God, blessings on the children and between husband and wife, the sharing of bread and wine, and the candle-lighting ceremony to remember the light of the Sabbath, pointing to rest in God.

Jewish traditions are not necessarily straight from the Bible but they are generally a response to this heritage. In this case, the response is to the biblical emphasis on the Sabbath; to thank God for His provision, to bless one another and centre one's spiritual growth in the family.

Education and Worship

On other occasions, the home becomes a centre for education. We can picture the father studying from the teaching of God, leading evening prayers or talking to his children about the Scriptures and about God. We see an emphasis on education in the home and remember how God said to Israel:

And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deut 6:6-9)

If we were to look around a Jewish home in more detail, we might see the mezuzah on the door (parchment including these verses from Deuteronomy). Similarly, at a Synagogue we would see the tefillin (small boxes also containing verses) on the arms and forehead of the men in prayer. These are among the constant reminders of Torah's centrality to the lives of the Jews.

From Synagogues to Churches

In the Synagogue we would hear Torah read on a yearly cycle, again emphasising that Torah is central to the life of the Jew. But the Synagogue is not only a place of congregational meeting- it is also a House of Prayer and a House of Study. Here there are echoes back to the days of the Temple (there are also echoes in the function of Christian church buildings).

The Jewish people passed on to the Christian Church models of prayer, worship, and honouring the Bible as the teaching of God, in both the home and the community.

From the Jews we have not only inherited the Scriptures and their testimony, but also models of communal life, prayer, worship, teaching, celebration and devotion."

Our knowledge of the One True God comes from our Jewish inheritance. If the Jews had not been zealous to remember the Shema (the Hebrew word for hear) then how would Gentiles have responded to the coming of Jesus? Without this heritage, the Church would have all too readily drifted into even more idolatry than has occurred over the years of Christianity. The Shema is from the Book of Deuteronomy:

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. (Deut 6:4-5)

The Feasts

What would the Christian Church have made of the Feasts of the Lord had not Israel faithfully celebrated the Feasts on a yearly cycle? How would they have understood Passover (and in relation to this, Communion) without the rooting in the Passover Seder of the Jews? From the time of Moses until today, the Passover Seder has developed and been celebrated in ways interpreted by the Rabbis. We are free to look through the traditions into what the Bible says, but we have the Jewish interpretation as a place from which to begin.

Witness to the World

Then there is the wider fruit of Israel's Torah-consciousness. It was always God's intention that this Nation should be the light to the world. Instead of a book of philosophy, God prepared a people to live out his purposes, observable by all nations. In the midst of a pagan world, Israel has been a witness to the living God who dwelt among his people, and also to the ethical and legal requirements of a nation under God.

Instead of a book of philosophy, God prepared a people to live out his purposes as a witness to all nations."

It is true that the Christian influence on the world's legal and moral stance has been great. Nations such as Britain and America have attempted to frame their constitutions on biblical principles. However, the first nation to show the way was Israel. They demonstrated that the Living God enters into the affairs of men not just through dry commandments but through living relationships and we have seen the outworking of this giving vision and hope for our own nations.

Suffering

In all of this, Israel has suffered the consequences of being the chosen nation in covenant relationship, demonstrating every aspect of man's need, his relationship with God, his failings and successes. God came to earth in Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah) through the relationship he had been building with the people of Israel. The suffering of Israel, on account of their inability to live out this relationship to the full, brought us necessary teaching, so that we all might inherit what was first offered to them.

Faith and Works

Israel is built from families, and yet it is a nation, a corporate entity. There is a balance here that the Jews teach us between family and nation.

There is also a balance between faith and works. Every nation is bound to its own inheritance of land. The nation of Israel teaches us the very meaning of inheritance: an inheritance (in biblical terms) is something that God gives and yet which you also work for. Israel is a society that sees faith and works in balance- and as a consequence, Jews have achieved success in every area of human endeavour, even in the Diaspora.

We can therefore learn about the biblical balance of work and faith by observing the Jews (this has long been the starting point for the work ethic of Christian believers, and we must not forget it).

Christian Inheritance

The Christian Church has entered into the inheritance of the Jews, not to replace the Israel of God, but live as part of the Israel of God's family of faith rooted in Messiah:

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh...that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. (Eph 2:10-22)

From Inheritance to Biblical Root and Fruit

We can go on and on taking examples from every area of life to emphasise the indebtedness of the Christian Church to the Jewish people, and each of us should be careful to study this and give credit where it is due. Though Israel was not perfect, and even though individual Jews cannot fulfill their Covenant response to God unless they have faith in Yeshua the Messiah, we have good examples from Jewish life of the inheritance into which we were adopted. Every study of Jewish response to God is an example to us. This was touched on by Paul in 1 Corinthians 10.

Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ...Now these things became our examples...

When we read the Psalms, we ought to read them in the context of Israel's experience, out of which they were written. When we read the prophets we should study first the context of the history of Israel, as we seek to know God and the prophetic understanding of our own day. When we read the Torah we should consider how Israel responded to God through his teaching. We will find lessons for every part of life. If we look at the practices of the Christian Church and the fruit of Christianity among the nations, we must realise that all practical application of biblical principles began with the Jewish people.

We must realize that through history and across the world, all practical application of biblical principles began with the Jewish people."

Then we must go back to the Bible itself and study what is biblical, what is a good tradition and what is not useful from Jewish tradition, thereby maturing in our own response to Scripture. We have years of Christian history to consider too, in our appraisal of what the life of faith is meant to be. In all our searching, we must remember that our biblical inheritance was passed on to us through Israel and the Jews.

The most important truth of all is that Jesus the Messiah comes one hundred per cent from a Jewish background. The testimony of Jesus is perfect, but he would not want it to be detached from the background of Judaism from which he emerged - as King of the Jews. The perfect message of Jesus is not in isolation from this context.

Apart from Jesus, Israel did not fulfil the prophecy of the suffering servant of Isaiah 53. But they have suffered for us in passing on an inheritance, and we must recognise this as part of our own heritage.

For Study and Prayer

Consider Romans 11 in light of what we have studied.

Next time: Theological Conflict

When Christianity loses its Hebraic foundations, it loses its vital focus on community...

Introduction

Following on from our previous study, we recall that Paul would have seen no new concepts in his apostolic ministry. He used the Tanakh (Old Testament) as his Scriptures. He understood the glorious revelation of what God had in mind in all the years leading up to that time, now fulfilled through Jesus. For example, he would have understood:

• how the covenant with Abraham was to be fulfilled.
• how the New Covenant that Jeremiah foresaw (Jeremiah 31) was fulfilled in Jesus the Messiah.
• that what God promised for Israel came to clarity through Jesus.
• in what manner Israel was to be a light to the Gentiles.
• the basis of the Olive Tree metaphor.
• that sin needed a permanent remedy.
• the types and shadows of the Tabernacle in the wilderness.
• the balance of Law and Grace.
• the heart principles of Torah.
• the balance of justice with mercy and of faith with works.

He would also have reflected on the Feasts and Sabbath and seen the reason for the days of preparation for the coming Messiah. And his mindset would have been the building up of the Covenant family of God.

Revelation of the Word

Paul's revelation of Jesus, a bright shining light from the dim shadows of understanding, would have stood in context because of his rabbinical training. The preparation of his understanding of the Tanakh (Old Testament) makes the revelation of the Gospel not only rooted, but also understood through the contrasts that were made.

Take, for example, the concept of salvation. This was not a new concept with the New Testament. It is a constant theme with over 150 direct references in the Old Testament, of which over 60 are in the Psalms. The Psalms deal with mankind's response to all the travails of life. Their application is first to the trials of this life, developing into a Messianic expectation that looks to a permanent separation of the righteous from the wicked, and to an eternal life free of the pressures in this life.

For Paul, the revelation of Jesus made perfect sense in view of the Old Testament, in which concepts like salvation and the coming Kingdom are constant themes."

Jesus confirmed this when he spoke the parables of the Kingdom, bringing faith and hope to those who were downtrodden with no human means of escape or salvation. There are also glimpses of the future Kingdom in the Tanakh, such as in Job and the Psalms:

For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! (Job 19:1-27)

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever. (Psa 23:4-6)

It needed the revelation that Paul had directly from Jesus to understand the greatness of the salvation brought through Jesus. This did not change, but shed fresh light on his earlier training in the Scriptures. The whole world needs this same revelation. This is the Gospel message, echoed by the writer of the Hebrews:

Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? (Heb 2:1-4)

Paul would have known that the Hebrew word for salvation- Yeshua -became the name and ministry of the Son of God, whom Christians re-named Jesus.

Without the revelation of the eternal purposes of God, it is only ever possible to interpret the Bible in earthly terms."

Without the revelation of the eternal purposes of God, it was only possible to interpret the shadows of the Gospel message in earthly terms. Even with the scholarship of the Rabbis, there was misunderstanding and disagreement about the future hope for Israel:

For Sadducees say that there is no resurrection -- and no angel or spirit; but the Pharisees confess both. (Acts 23:8)

From the same source material as the Jewish Rabbis of his day (the Tanakh – Old Testament), however, Paul understood its true fulfilment in the life, ministry, sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus. His understanding linked Heaven to earth. There was both a promise for eternal life and an application to this life.

The Man and the Message

Pause, and imagine Paul travelling from place to place through the countries surrounding the Mediterranean. He was both the man and the message. He was a prepared vessel, ready to share the Good News of Salvation from his very inner being, from the foundation of the Gospel to its fulfillment in Jesus.

He traveled from place to place sowing the good seed, pouring himself out, as it were (Phil 2:17). All this was before the Church Councils that re-defined Christianity as a new thing, separate from its Hebraic foundations.

Now let us turn briefly to the application Paul had in mind for building community on this earth.

Community

One of the most important consequences of the Gospel message, understood against its Hebraic background, is that it is linked to community. It was Greek philosophical thinking that turned the message of salvation into an other-worldly theological concept, often overly detached from application to this world. The Gospel of salvation can become the end, not the beginning, preached Sunday after Sunday to those already converted, forgetting the fact that we should be building a mature witnessing community in this world.

Paul and the other apostles had a 'this-world' perspective of the Gospel: it was a beginning, not an end, to be played out in community."

Paul and the early Apostles would have had a 'this-worldly' perspective of the Gospel message, emanating from their Hebraic background of being rooted in the community of Israel. Salvation is personal but the consequence, on this earth, is to strengthen family and community.

Greek Humanism

By way of contrast, consider what Greek philosophy has imposed on the Christian Church. Greek humanist thought would have been unimaginable to Paul on his apostolic journeys, as he sought to invite Gentiles into the ancient family of faith promised to Abraham and fulfilled in Jesus.

Contemporary author and lecturer John Carroll has seen in humanism what many Christians have not seen. In Humanism: The Wreck of Western Culture (Fontana, 1993), he has a telling message relating to the post-Reformation Church. Carroll's main thesis is that the Greek philosophies, on which humanism is founded, fail to answer the deepest questions of mankind – namely those associated with death.

In his book, Carroll also sees elements of failure in the Church as well as in the humanistic world. The humanism of the Renaissance was not completely washed away from the emergent Church of the Reformation. The author makes a brief, but perceptive, analysis of the Protestant Church that emerged at the time. He writes of the great work that was done in many ways to bring the message of personal salvation, but he also notes that this was at the expense of community:

The Puritan's constitutional inability to relax in the world combined with its reliance on his own conscience to undermine the role of both priest and church. Protestantism is in essence, under Calvin's huge shadow, a conglomerate of one-man sects loosely held together by a common metaphysics. Its achievement was to create another powerful individualism with which to counter the new humanistic individualism. The cost was the decline of community. Once there is a faith alone and Calvin's conscience, the vital unifying role of family, village and town has been eclipsed. The Reformation threw out the incense and holy water, the chanting, the bleeding madonnas and most of the sacraments. It burned the relics and smashed the statues; it banned the dancing. It found, however, that the Church it occupied had cold floors and bare walls. The communal warmth had gone. (p62, emphasis added)

Paul's Gospel message emerged from the community of Israel, and was based on a covenant community that expanded to include those saved from the Gentile world. When the Hebraic roots of the Gospel message are neglected, Greek shadows replace them and so the Gospel loses its community setting. This is one of the most important aspects of restoring the Hebraic foundations of the Gospel message.

When the Hebraic roots of the Gospel message are neglected, Greek shadows replace them and the Gospel loses its sense of community."

In the section entitled 'Salvation: Escape or Involvement?' in Our Father Abraham, Marvin Wilson echoes the same thoughts:

The Hebrews boldly affirmed their God-given humanity. Again and again in Scripture we see that their identity was found in society, not in isolation from others. They did not view the earth as an alien place but as a part of creation. It was on earth alone that human beings' highest duty and calling could be performed – namely, that of bringing glory to their Maker through the praise of their lips and the work of their hands. (p179, emphasis added)

For Study and Prayer

If Paul visited a church in the Western world today, would he recognise it as emerging from the Middle Eastern context of his day?

Next time: Our inheritance from Israel and the Jews

In the light of the recent death of Sir Nicholas Winton at age 106, Charles Gardner shares the story of John Fieldsend, rescued from Auschwitz through Sir Winton's Kindertransport project and taken in by a Sheffield family...

Heini and Arthur Fiege

Snatched from the jaws of the Nazis in the nick of time, Heini Fiege escaped to England to begin a new life. It was a traumatic parting for Heini and his brother Arthur, aged seven and ten at the time, but their parents could see the writing on the wall and willingly gave up their boys for adoption to save them from the horrors of Auschwitz, where they were to perish within a few short years.

Heini and Arthur thus became beneficiaries in 1938 of the Kindertransport project of Sir Nicholas Winton, who died on Wednesday aged 106. A young stockbroker at the time, he arranged the rescue of thousands of Jewish children from Czechoslovakia and other places under German occupation.

Despite the heartbreak, which affected him for much of his life, Heini and his brother found new hope as they grew up in Sheffield comforted by the love and devotion of a Christian couple, Les and Vera Cumpston, and their son John.

Growing up in Sheffield

Shortly after their arrival in Sheffield, foster father Les became the butt of neighbourhood jokes as he set about building an elaborate air-raid shelter in the garden of their home in the southern suburb of Handsworth. But of course, like Noah building an ark on dry ground, he was thoroughly vindicated when the city was heavily blitzed by the Luftwaffe on the nights of 12th and 15th December 1940.

Les was under-manager of Tinsley Park Colliery at the time and later moved to Worksop following promotion to Inspector of Mines and Quarries for Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and South Yorkshire.

Following the lead of his older brother, Heini anglicized his name to John Fieldsend, preferring the English equivalent of his second name Hans. Not surprisingly perhaps in view of his parents' example, John also discovered a personal faith in Christ and, although he qualified as an engineer with practical experience of working on aircraft during his time in the RAF, he felt a strong call to preach the gospel full-time and became a successful Anglican vicar overseeing a thriving church in Bayston Hill, Shropshire.

Dwelling on his past was difficult to face at first, but in time he felt drawn to re-focus on his Jewish roots, referring to himself as a Messianic Jew – one who follows Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew) as Messiah.

He later became involved in the leadership of the Church's Ministry among Jewish people (CMJ), a 200-year-old Anglican society dedicated to the spiritual re-birth of Israel. Following his time at CMJ he joined the Ministry Team at Moggerhanger Park, home of the original magazine Prophecy Today, taking responsibility for developing the work of the Centre for Biblical and Hebraic Studies.

50th Anniversary Reunion

The Jewish aspect of his identity had taken a leap forward when TV personality Esther Rantzen arranged an emotional 50th anniversary reunion between Sir Nicholas Winton and some of those children he rescued as part of her very popular That's Life! programme.

Sir Nicholas had kept forged copies of the children's identity documents (forged to speed up the process of officialdom for what he knew to be a dire emergency). And these were used to track down the likes of John, who had lost most of his relatives in the Holocaust.

A Wondering Jew

In his recently published book, A Wondering Jew (reviewed here), John recalls visits made to the Children's Memorial in Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum in Jerusalem (see picture opposite), which commemorates the one-and-a-half million children who died at the hands of the Nazis.

As we listened to the names of the children being read out on an endlessly looping tape – which took several days to go round – I realized that had my journey from Czechoslovakia been delayed by only about five weeks, my name would have been on that tape! It was a very dramatic experience...

John's ministry has taken him all over Britain and to many parts of the world, and on one occasion in South Africa, after sharing his story and speaking about Jewish and Gentile reconciliation through Jesus, he was approached by a man who "rather hesitantly confessed that he had spent the war years as a member of the Hitler Youth...This was not the first time, nor would it be the last, that I had been challenged to practice what I had just preached!"

John and his wife Elizabeth celebrated their golden wedding in 2011. Now 84, John is a regular speaker at the Holocaust Museum in Laxton, near Newark in Nottinghamshire.

Clifford Denton concludes his study of the Apostle Paul's attitude to Torah.

In order to recover Christianity's intended relationship with Israel, we must study the way they grew apart. There are a number of historical factors that began in the First Century and continued up to the present day – it was a gradual process more than a one-off event. It is important to consider each of these factors carefully.

In this study we will continue to consider Paul's attitude to Torah. It was inevitable that theological differences would occur between the disciples of Jesus and the existing rabbinical sects, so the developing tension would always have the potential of causing a rift. Nevertheless, when we read Romans 11:11 we might wonder if the Christian Church has fulfilled its particular calling to provoke the Jews to jealousy, when some branches of Christianity are all but unrecognisable as the authentic fulfillment of Old Covenant promises.

Has the Christian Church become so estranged from its roots that it now fails to provoke Jews to jealousy with its fulfilment of Covenant promises?"

It is therefore reasonable to reassess Paul's perspectives in order to recover the balance we need.

Need for balance

Above all, nevertheless, we must remember who we are in the Lord Jesus as we study these things and not lose our New Covenant inheritance through any form of imbalance. Time and again, Paul emphasised that disciples of Jesus were saved by grace. Theirs was a walk of faith, according to the life of the Holy Spirit. We must not detract from this wonderful liberating truth. We who are saved by faith must not return to the external obligations of ritual halakhah.

Yet, Paul also knew that the Lord Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, had taught:

Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfil. I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matt 5:17-19)

There is a balance for New Covenant believers to achieve between walking in the liberation of grace through faith, and not rejecting God's law."

Paul the Apostle taught the life of the Spirit; he also had the depth of understanding of Torah to use the Scriptures to teach heart principles. For example, he used Deuteronomy 25:4 (concerning feeding oxen who tread the grain) to argue the case to care for those who teach the Gospel (see 1 Cor 9:9, 1 Tim 5:18).

Linking the New with the Old

The New Testament is not a new law book to replace the Law of Moses, so we will find only a few examples of Paul's way of thinking to link back to Torah. The more we consider this, however, the more serious our own quest to connect new with old should appear. Consider, for example, a principle illustrated in passages such as Ezekiel 26:2-3:

Son of man, because Tyre has said against Jerusalem, 'Aha'...Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against you...

Tyre came to nothing because the people did not respond correctly to the Babylonian captivity of Judah, thinking they should mock the people whom their God had abandoned. Could Paul's understanding of this be behind his statement in Romans 11:18-21:

...do not boast against the branches...do not be haughty but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either...

Paul's biblical mindset led to his understanding of weighty matters concerning the God of Israel, some with important prophetic significance.

For fear of Judaising, many Bible teachers have barely begun to handle the Scriptures so fluently as Paul."

For fear of Judaising, many Bible teachers have barely begun to handle the Scriptures so fluently as Paul. Over the centuries there have been many alternative standpoints from which Scripture has been taught. Let us, therefore, consider these.

Two extremes

In Our Father Abraham, Marvin Wilson gives the example of Marcionism- a set of Church teachings originating in Rome with Marcion of Sinope, in the 2nd Century AD. Wilson writes (p108):

To some degree, Marcion appears to have been influenced by the dualistic teachings of Gnosticism. Thus he held that the world, with its appalling evils, was created by a Demiurge (a term Gnostics borrowed from Platonism). This cruel god of battles and bloody sacrifices, so Marcion contended, was revealed in the pages of the Old Testament. He insisted that since an evil world could not be created by a good God, the Old Testament was really the Demiurge's book and hence of lesser status than the New. The Old was the great antithesis of the New and thus was demeaned as being imperfect, offensive, and unedifying.

But the New Testament, Marcion insisted, revealed the true God in the coming of Christ from heaven. Unlike the Demiurge, this God was a God of love. Marcion argued that the New Testament, being Christ's book (not that of the Demiurge), was unquestionably superior to the Old Testament. Furthermore, in his quest to demote the Old Testament from its recognized position of authority, he began to extol the writings of Paul, which held that Christians were "free from the Law" (cf Galatians 5:1). He contended firmly that the Church was wrong in attempting to combine the gospel with Judaism. Indeed, Marcion's principle goal was to rid Christianity of every trace of Judaism. Hence Marcion became the archenemy of the "Jew God".

Wilson goes on to point out that Marcionism is still prevalent in the Christian Church today albeit in another guise. By contrast, he also writes of another sect of Early Christianity called the Ebionites (p25):

The Ebionites, a Jewish-Christian sect which flourished for several centuries after A.D. 70, are most likely a continuing reflection of the Judaizing movement. An ascetic group, committed to poverty as a life-style, the Ebionites upheld the whole Jewish Law but rejected Paul's letters on the grounds that he was an apostate from the Law.

These are two extreme examples of the many views Christians have taken on Paul's teaching. They show that the consequences of our worldview, mindset or way of thinking can be profound, ranging from antinomianism to legal bondage.

Olive Tree Theology

In Restoring the Jewishness of the Gospel (Jewish New Testament Publications, 1988) David Stern explores three types of theology, which he terms Covenant, Dispensational and "Olive Tree". Of the first two he writes (p16):

Christian theologians have usually followed one or two approaches in dealing with this subject. The older and better known one is generally called Replacement theology or Covenant theology, although it is also appearing these days under other names; it says that the Church is "Spiritual" Israel or the "New" Israel, having replaced the "Old" Israel (the Jews) as God's people.

More recently there has developed in Protestant quarters Dispensational theology, which, in its more extreme form, says that the Jewish people have promises only on earth, while the Church has promises in heaven.

David Stern goes on to remind his readers of the Olive Tree metaphor of Romans 11, inventing the term "Olive Tree theology". This was the way that Paul considered the Covenant community to be defined. Gentiles are grafted by faith into an existing body in which Jesus the Messiah is central, and where the roots go back to the Patriarchs and the Covenants.

Paul defined the New Covenant community as branches grafted by faith into an existing tree, rooted in the Patriarchs and Old Testament covenants, in which Messiah Jesus is central."

How does the Torah fit into Paul's Olive Tree theology? Since Covenant history for Israel was Torah-based (intended to be understood in the right way), we from the Gentile world, with a different background to our lives, must be careful not to read into what he says through our own preconceptions, thereby misunderstanding what he is really teaching us.

Let us consider Paul's way of thinking a little more.

Paul's Way of Thinking

We can start in a number of places to anchor Paul's way of thinking. Following David Stern, Romans 11 is one place, where Paul brings balance to his teaching to the Romans about how the Gentiles were saved by grace through faith, entering the existing community of Jewish disciples of Jesus the Messiah.

Acts 15 is another place, where we see Paul and the other apostles and elders grappling with issues of halakhah for Gentile converts and deciding that the Torah is not to be a set of obligations, but is to be learned, in its fulfilled sense, through the Holy Spirit. A new and living halakhah was being launched into the world by the power of the Holy Spirit, but the Covenant heart was still founded on the Torah of God.

We could also start in Galatians and find a strong word against the wrong interpretation of Torah which deprives the believer of his freedom in Messiah.

Wherever we start, we must conclude that Paul does not teach that the Torah is replaced by something else. Instead, Paul leads the believer to trust in God and live by faith, recognising the value of the written Torah as a guide and inspiration. He shows great trust in God rather than man (including those Rabbis who, with strongly held traditional interpretations, did not recognise the Messiah) for the willingness to guide each believer on to maturity, within the context of the believing community.

Wherever you start in Paul's writings, he does not teach that the Torah is replaced by something else. Instead, he leads believers to trust in God and live by faith, valuing the Torah as a guide and inspiration."

In Romans 7:12 he recalls that though the flesh is too weak to obtain salvation for a person by striving for righteousness, the Torah is nevertheless holy:

Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.

In writing to Timothy, he upholds the Torah as the foundation of teaching:

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim 3:16-17)

Here, we must interpret 'Scripture' as the existing Tanakh (Torah, Prophets and Writings – what came to be called the Old Testament by Christians). The New Testament was still emerging and was not yet united as a single document.

Walking with God

Yet, we sense that Paul is urging his students on to a personal walk with God rather than the ritual lifestyle that typified Israel before the coming of Messiah and the giving of the Holy Spirit. He also exhorted Timothy:

But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust. (1 Tim 1:8-11)

Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. (Gal 3:24-25)

Paul sees that New Covenant faith is like the faith of Abraham that leads a person to walk with God. That is the goal of Torah. He sees Jesus the Messiah as central to the fulfillment and goals of Torah, like the objective one sees through a telescope when one is on a journey (to a destination). This is the "end" or "goal" of the Torah in Romans 10:4, which is the pivot point of the teaching in the Letter to the Romans, where Paul shows the chief and central context of the Torah is Jesus the Messiah:

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. (Rom 10:4)

Thus Paul's mindset is completely Christ-centred whilst also being Torah-centred. He sees beyond his Rabbinical training whilst not denying his roots. He sees a need for the grace of God and the fulfillment of the sacrificial system for sin permanently accomplished in Jesus, so that the punishment for sin of those who believe is also nailed to the cross (Col 2:14). He exhorts us to freedom in Jesus and a walk in the Spirit of God with the Torah on our hearts.

Paul's mindset is completely Christ-centred whilst also being Torah-centred: he urges believers on to freedom in Jesus and a personal walk with God with the Torah on our hearts."

Those who read Paul as denying Torah and breaking from Covenant history have not understood his background, and have misunderstood his message of freedom from sin in the power of the Holy Spirit.

A Balanced Perspective

Since Paul is so central to the teaching of the New Testament, many books have been written concerning his relationship with Torah. The secret is to first assess the context of Paul's call and understand the background from which he came. Then it is possible to walk through this theological minefield without danger, recognising the error of those who are reading into the Scriptures what they have already decided that Paul would say, to justify their bias.

The issue is balance. Paul does not exhort us to come under the yoke and limits of rabbinic Judaism. This led to the powerful letter the Galatians. Salvation is by grace alone and through faith, leading to a walk in the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God is the gift of God to a disciple of Jesus. The authority of the rabbis to interpret Torah had, inevitably, become bondage to external show rather than spiritual relationship.

Nevertheless, we must recognise that the roots of Judaism are also the roots of Christianity. Christianity must not be a replacement but a fulfillment of Torah. Indeed a new form of legalism within Christianity, perhaps equivalent to a sect of Rabbinic Judaism, is not the goal either, but a continuity of biblical Torah founded in covenant history which leads to the faith of Abraham in the context of knowing all of God's teaching. Paul leads us to a maturity which bears the fruits of justice and mercy through love, whilst living humbly in the protection of Jesus for the shortcomings of our lives.

Paul encourages us towards the faith of Abraham: walking with God, knowing his teaching and bearing the fruits of his Spirit, whilst living in the protection of Jesus for our own short-comings."

The curse of the law (Gal 3:13) was the curse for disobedience (Deut 27). It was this curse that Jesus took upon himself so that we could be free, not to sin but to walk with God under the leading of his Spirit. It was not that the Torah of God was a curse, but that we needed help because of our inability to attain the righteousness that is at the heart of Torah.

For Study and Prayer

In Ephesians 5:18 Paul writes, "be filled with the Spirit." In a similar passage, Colossians 3:16, he writes, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly." How might a Christian fulfill Romans 11:11 by a balanced walk in word and Spirit?

Next time: Paul and the spread of the Gospel.