Early Christians believed that the Jews had fallen out of favor with God for the crucifixion (“God-killers”) and were therefore driven from their homeland by the Romans (c. AD 135) and dispersed through the nations of the world.  Christians believed that their own religion superseded Judaism. After its legalization, Christianity spread through medieval Christendom, seeming to confirm all those ide...  Read More

[Pilate] took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.”  And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”  (Matthew 27.24-25)Matthew here portrays the Jewish crowd accepting responsibility for the crucifixion of Jesus, and Peter (Acts 2.22-23; 3.13-15; 4.10), Stephen (Acts 7.52) and Paul (1 Thessalonians 2....  Read More

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...  Read More

Judaism was a legally accepted religion in the Roman Empire and Christianity began as a sect within it.  After the death of the apostles the growing separation between the two faiths opened the door for the birth of an antisemitic streak in Christianity.The gradual shift of worship from the Sabbath to Sunday (the Lord’s Day) was a key division between the two faiths.  The resurrection occurred on ...  Read More

Jesus was a Jew.  So were all His apostles.  So were the first 3,000 converts to Christianity on the day of Pentecost.  How then did hostility develop between Jews and Christians that would eventually evolve into antisemitism?John the Baptist and Jesus were not out to start a new religion.  They stood in the tradition of the prophets, wanting to retain the foundations of the Abrahamic faith while ...  Read More

Despite the horrific lessons we should have learned from the Holocaust, antisemitism is once again rearing its ugly head, this time among people who should know better: political and religious conservatives.In earlier blogs, I explained that believers in Jesus, both Jew and Gentile, are part of a new covenant.  Israel of the old covenant was destroyed by the Romans for rejecting Christ (as Jesus p...  Read More

Paul argues that God has not rejected Jewish people and points to himself as an example.  He is accepted, not because he’s Jewish, but because he’s a Jewish CHRISTIAN.  Jews that haven’t accepted Jesus as the Christ Paul calls “hardened” (Romans 11.1-10).Paul then argues that the hardening of the Jews has opened the door of salvation to the Gentiles (Romans 11.11) – a wonderful thing.Then Paul say...  Read More

The leaders of Israel rejected Jesus and crucified Him, and Jesus warned them that they would lose their place (and be replaced!) for doing so (Matthew 21.43).  Does that mean God is finished with the nation of Israel and there is no future for her in the land as a nation?  Paul responds to that very question in Romans 11.I ask, then, has God rejected His people?  By no means!  For I myself am an ...  Read More

The Old Testament lays out a promise program regarding Israel and her land.  Living in the land Israel has the opportunity to obey or disobey God’s law.  Prolonged disobedience (God is very patient!) results in Israel being removed from the land and dispersed into the nations.  But Israelite repentance can bring about a return to the land of Israel.There is no indication that this cycle cannot be ...  Read More

God promised a land to Abraham’s descendants (Genesis 12.1) and centuries later Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and through the wilderness to the border of that land that eventually they made their own.  Moses’ law several times reveals a pattern for the relationship between the Israelites and that land.First, if Israel obeys God’s law she will enjoy blessing, prosperity, and peace in the la...  Read More

I have encountered a growing tendency toward antisemitism among evangelical Christians, based in part on acceptance of long-debunked conspiracy theories and in part on a distorted understanding of biblical theology.  Over the next few blogs I’d like to address the theological issues involved.Interpreting the Bible (especially on this issue) is a bit complicated because first we must work forward f...  Read More

I want to write one more blog about the changes we have made in the music that we use in our worship service.When we moved into our spacious new auditorium in June 2003, young people began to come forward wanting to do contemporary music.  No one, not even the young people, wanted to eliminate hymns; they simply wanted to add contemporary music to the blend.  We did what many churches do – had ble...  Read More