Church and Synagogue Comparisons

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I was talking to a Jewish person who brought this to my attention. I really hadn’t thought very much about it so possibly others haven’t either. We have to remember that there was no New T. in writing at the time of Jesus, St. Paul, and the disciples. The first Christians were mostly Jews who believed in Jesus I believe. So, there was no pattern to set up a church by other than the synagogue. Here are some comparisons and I’m sure there are many more I’ve missed. The Old T. ( some oral, some written) and other oral teachings would have been taught to the first Christians by the disciples who were Jewish themselves.
I find this rather interesting and I hope others may too.

First off I watched midnight mass from St. Peter’s square or the Vatican on xmas eve. Oh, the beauty and the splendour! I have often wondered about the riches and sheer extravagance of it until I realized it is copied or I mean the ideas came from the Jewish Temple which we read about in Exodus chapters 25 to 27. The churches too or God’s house must be glorious and glamourous as portrayed in the Old T. temple. Only the very best for God.

An altar is built Gen 8-20 and Gen. 12-7 in the church although it is different than in the Jewish temple with sacrifice not required.

Holy garments, long flowing robes such as our priests or ministers wear are mentioned in Exodus 28 - 1-8. Priests and their special function is mentioned in Numbers 18- 1-7.

Popes and cardinals wear the Jewish kippahs or skull caps on their heads. I believe this was a later idea adopted by the Jews, not an Old T. custom.

There are elders in the Protestant churches. Cardinals, bishops etc. in the Catholic churches and many who surround the pope at the Vatican; not sure of the Catholic terms for it. These are mentioned in the Old T. in Numbers 11 - 16,17.

Holy water , anointing oil , and special garments are mentioned in Exodus 40 - 9-15
Ex.29-4
Psalm 133-2 Eccl - 10 Isaiah 1-6 Amos 6-6

Incense comes from - Exodus 37-29 30-8,25,30, Psalm 66-15 Ezek. 8 -11

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continued

Catholics have a first communion at age 10-12, I’m not sure.
Jewish boys have their bar mitzvah coming of age ceremony
at age 12-13. Girls have a bat mitzvah.

The pope carries the cross down the aisle. The rabbi carries the Torah ( the first 5 books of the Old T.) down the aisle.

The cross is the Christian symbol. The menorah or 8 light candlebra - sp- is the Jewish symbol. The Star of David is current now but it came in at a much later period than the Old T.

Christians celebrate the Lord’s supper. Jews celebrate Passover signifying not blood atonement for sins but their escape from Egypt. Blood was placed on the door so that the angel of death would pass over the Jews and not kill the first born in the family.

Prayer and Fasting - common in the Old T. Judges 20-26

Confession, forgiveness of sins - Lev. 26- 40-42 and in many places.

Laying on of hands : Numbers 27-18 -23

Prayer Intercession - Gen 18- 23-33

Offerings or tithes
Bible Readings
Candles
Sabbath - Sat. or Sun.
Excommunication from church or synagogue
Women had no participation in synagogue services in the Old T. or the first Christian churches
Lent - sacrifice practiced in churches
Cantor - singer in synagogue - Choir in church.
Orthodox Jews believe all people go to purgatory for one year after death.
Catholic church believes in purgatory.
Mikvah - bathing cleanliness and holiness required by Jews possibly similiar to Christian baptism re holiness

The end…Whew!
 
many of your comparisons, while possibly apt, do not relate to synagogue worship specifically. since Temple worship no longer exists since the destruction of the Temple, comparisons with OT descriptions of it cannot be called synagogue comparisons, nor can references to Temple worship and laws and practices surrounding it. also many of your comparisons are off the mark (age for 1st communion, position, status and role of elders etc). With a little more work and research you could make the point, as has been done many times before esp. by Catholics of Jewish heritage, that in the Early Church worship evolved within the Jewish community and in keeping with Jewish synagogue worship and indeed the first gatherings were in the synagoges themselves (with the communion meal held in homes). Needs some more research though.
 
I would have said that Bar Mitzvah (and Bat Mitzvah) are analogous to Confirmation as they are both coming of age celebrations where the young person confirms his acceptance of his faith.

In many synagogues (which are also called temples depending on the branch of Judaism), the Torah is kept secured in a locked container (ark) much as the Sacrament is kept locked in Catholic churches. Each secures what is most precious to it.

The Liturgy of the Word in the Catholic Church definitely has overtones of a Jewish shabbat service.
 
I may be wrong here, but doesn’t the synagogue service have a reading of the prophets and then a reading of the Law in the same way that Church readings have an Old Testament reading, then a New Testament reading, then a Gospel reading,
 
a_cermak said:
I would have said that Bar Mitzvah (and Bat Mitzvah) are analogous to Confirmation as they are both coming of age celebrations where the young person confirms his acceptance of his faith.

In many synagogues (which are also called temples depending on the branch of Judaism), the Torah is kept secured in a locked container (ark) much as the Sacrament is kept locked in Catholic churches. Each secures what is most precious to it.

The Liturgy of the Word in the Catholic Church definitely has overtones of a Jewish shabbat service.
Click to expand...
Not to mention, a Torah scroll can cost anywhere from 10k to 50k
Plus the cost of the Torah Crowns, which can easily be another 10k
 
JMBNH said:
I may be wrong here, but doesn’t the synagogue service have a reading of the prophets and then a reading of the Law in the same way that Church readings have an Old Testament reading, then a New Testament reading, then a Gospel reading,
Click to expand...
In synagouge, we have a Torah reading, so that (generally) we read through the entire Torah by the end of the year. Each Torah reading is accompanied by a haf-torah reading, which is a section from one of the prophets.
 
<<
Popes and cardinals wear the Jewish kippahs or skull caps on their heads.>>

The Kippoh (yarmulka) and zuchetto (Western clerical skull cap) are two entirely different pieces of headgear with two entirely different histories and origins. They also serve different purposes.

They are not even shaped the same way. They bear only the most cursory resemblance to each other.
 
The readings in both liturgies are seperated by psalms [sung and lead by a cantor]

The procession of the Gospel Book is like the procession of the Torah Scrolls …

As I understand the origins of the Liturgy: Most scholars [history and scripture] believe that in the earliest Christian practice:

The Liturgy of the Word most likely was celebrated in the synagogue on the Sabbath [by the jewish followers of Jesus and perhaps the first gentile converts] … then they gathered on the Lord’s Day for the celebration of the Liturgy of the Eucharist …

with the destruction of the Temple [AD(CE) 70] and the complete seperation of the ‘Christians’ from the Jewish community, the two Liturgies were combined into one and celebrated on theLord’s Day …

We owe a deep gratitude to the Jewish people for the richness of our liturgy … not to mention the huge deposit of faith found n the Hebrew writings and so much more :blessyou:
 
Thank you all for your replies.
I meant the comparison in a general sense.

Why did the pope, cardinals or whoever decide to wear the little caps? Where did the idea come from and what does it mean? I’m just curious.

Yada: Yes definitely ! No Judiasm, no Christianity. Christianity would not have existed. The Jews gave us Jesus. What a gift!
 
Iloveu2 said:
Thank you all for your replies.

Yada: Yes definitely ! No Judiasm, no Christianity. Christianity would not have existed. The Jews gave us Jesus. What a gift!
Click to expand...
We’re glad you liked the gift, but would you please stop trying to return him to us! 🙂 (sorry, couldn’t resist)
 
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