…that Protestants would improve themselves by reverting to Catholicism, would it not make sense by the same logic that both Catholic and Protestants would better ourselves by reverting to Judaism? WP
Not a reformed Jew. A messianic Jew maybe.
A Jew that believes that Jesus is the Son of God is a CHRISTIAN
Melanie
…The Jewish faith never progressed to that point.
Actually, the Ebionites were the Jewish Faith embracing Christ, so one could say that at least
some of the Jewish religion became Christian.
James’ people were probably the earliest Ebionites. One recalls that the first community in Jerusalem was largely very recently converted Jews in the city for the Religious festival of Pentecost.
*Peter (said) to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit. For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.”
He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.
They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers.
Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one’s need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.*
Acts 2:38-47
This actually would be a pretty good description of the Ebionites, who observed the Law of Moses, and were said to live a poor, communal existence for the most part. One remembers that Paul made an agreement to take a contribution to the mother church in Jerusalem, the community was known to be impoverished and following a spartan lifestyle (very “monkish” to modern reflection, I suppose
).
The first parishes for all of us were essentially synagogs, and a study of the development of the liturgy makes that very clear, all liturgies began as synagog services with the addition of the Table Blessing (normally done in home settings) which Christ commanded the Apostles to repeat in worship. The Table Blessing became our Eucharistic celebration.
Later under the influence of Paul’s theology the much larger Gentile church suppressed the Ebionites, principally for their commitment to the practice of the Mosaic Law. Today we might call it a set of particular devotional practices, but the Fathers of the Church then felt that the continued ‘devotion’ to the law was a denial of the saving power of Christ’s crucifixion or the regenerating power of baptism.
It is likely that many of these Jewish Christians and their synagog-churches perished in the revolts against Roma. They considered themselves to be the True Jews so it is possible that some (or even most) actively participated.
With the loss of the Ebionites we actually did lose the last Apostolic Jewish Christians…almost.
There are still Apostolic Christians who can make a strong claim to being Jews even into modern times. One could call them a remnant community (being rather unique) but they are actually fairly numerous. The
Knaniya Christians of Kerala, India (a province right along the ancient sea trade routes). They exist in both Orthodox and Catholic communities and are endomic, in other words they do not marry outside of their race (although there probably has been some admixture over time they do not as a rule permit it). Their liturgy derives from the Syro-Palestinian Liturgy of St James and they still also practice Jewish customs.
http://knanaya345.com/phy/clim/52015/aa87.jpg
They do not claim to be actual descendants of the community of Jerusalem, but scholastic inquiry seems to indicate that they derive originally from the Jewish Communities of Mesopotamia and probably also southern India.
It is very likely that the entire St Thomas Christian community (a much larger group altogether) can trace it’s origins back to these people through conversion and/or intermarriage with them, although only the Knaniya (Southists, as they are also known) are endomic and retain some Jewish customs.
*
Michael*
)
)
I really don’t worry about, it is just annoying.