The Bible, Israel, and Antisemitism: Part 9: The Church Replaces Cursed Israel
The first Christians were Jews, but it didn’t take long for the gospel to be accepted by Samaritans (Acts 8) and then Gentiles, first through Peter (Acts 10) and then Paul (Acts 13-28). Though there appears to be a Jewish minority in most churches, the influx of Gentiles creates problems in cultural and religious practice. Must Gentile Christians be circumcised? Observe the Sabbath? Eat kosher food? Observe Jewish feasts?
In Acts and Paul’s epistles we can see these problems being addressed, and the practical upshot is that there is a drift away from traditional Jewish practice, and this drift (as we noted in the blog about Sabbath to Sunday) distanced the church from its Jewish roots, transforming Christianity into a whole new religion.
How, then, were Christians to view Jews and Judaism?
The fall of the Jerusalem Temple in AD 70, fulfilling Jesus’ predictions (e.g. Matthew 22.7, 24.1-2; Luke 19.41-44) and then the crushing of the final Jewish revolt under Bar Kokhba (AD 132-136) destroyed Judea as a recognizable Jewish political entity and, from a Christian perspective, confirmed God’s judgment against the nation of Judea. These events also were taken to confirm the replacement of the Old Covenant of Moses (the Law) with the New Covenant of Jesus and the replacement of Israel and the Jews with the Church and the Christians as God’s “holy nation” (e.g. 1 Peter 2.9-10 cf. Matthew 21.43). Theologians call this replacement theology or “supersessionism” (i.e. the new supersedes the old).
This replacement theology is found in the earliest Christian writings after the apostles. The first seventeen chapters of the Epistle of Barnabas, written sometime between AD 70-132, reinterpret Old Testament rituals as shadows and pictures that pointed to and were overtaken by the greater New Testament truths.
Justin Martyr (AD 100-165), a pagan philosopher who converted to Christ around AD 130 wrote Dialogue with Trypho, recounting his debate with Trypho, a learned Jew. The Dialogue is the longest and most detailed early Christian engagement with Judaism and explains how Christianity has superseded Judaism.
If Christianity superseded Judaism and the destruction of the Jewish state was God’s judgment, it was not a large step for Christians to believe that the Jews were judged and cursed for crucifying Jesus – for killing God – an idea that became a driving force in Christian antisemitism.
More on that in the next blog…
In Acts and Paul’s epistles we can see these problems being addressed, and the practical upshot is that there is a drift away from traditional Jewish practice, and this drift (as we noted in the blog about Sabbath to Sunday) distanced the church from its Jewish roots, transforming Christianity into a whole new religion.
How, then, were Christians to view Jews and Judaism?
The fall of the Jerusalem Temple in AD 70, fulfilling Jesus’ predictions (e.g. Matthew 22.7, 24.1-2; Luke 19.41-44) and then the crushing of the final Jewish revolt under Bar Kokhba (AD 132-136) destroyed Judea as a recognizable Jewish political entity and, from a Christian perspective, confirmed God’s judgment against the nation of Judea. These events also were taken to confirm the replacement of the Old Covenant of Moses (the Law) with the New Covenant of Jesus and the replacement of Israel and the Jews with the Church and the Christians as God’s “holy nation” (e.g. 1 Peter 2.9-10 cf. Matthew 21.43). Theologians call this replacement theology or “supersessionism” (i.e. the new supersedes the old).
This replacement theology is found in the earliest Christian writings after the apostles. The first seventeen chapters of the Epistle of Barnabas, written sometime between AD 70-132, reinterpret Old Testament rituals as shadows and pictures that pointed to and were overtaken by the greater New Testament truths.
Justin Martyr (AD 100-165), a pagan philosopher who converted to Christ around AD 130 wrote Dialogue with Trypho, recounting his debate with Trypho, a learned Jew. The Dialogue is the longest and most detailed early Christian engagement with Judaism and explains how Christianity has superseded Judaism.
If Christianity superseded Judaism and the destruction of the Jewish state was God’s judgment, it was not a large step for Christians to believe that the Jews were judged and cursed for crucifying Jesus – for killing God – an idea that became a driving force in Christian antisemitism.
More on that in the next blog…