G
grace_singh
Guest
well, it’s true that the original Christians were all Jews.
we can look to surviving Judeo-Christian communities and see something of the blend of Judaic belief and practice, and faith in the Messiah Jesus.
the Mar Thoma Christians, for example, who would keep kosher, worship on Saturday, seat men and women seperately in worship, and cover the head in worship, all observances and traditions found in their Jewish heritage, and some of which are still found in Catholic and Orthodox churches.
the reason Christians don’t keep the mitzvot is because we see Christ as the fulfilment of the Torah, the Living Word. we are no longer justified by keeping the Law, but by faith in the Messiah Jesus. who summed up the Law and Prophets with the commands to love God with all one’s heart and soul and might, and love one’s neighbor as one’s self.
we read passages like Jeremiah 31:31-33 as promising a new covenant which will not be like the one made with Moses on Sinai. this new covenant will be through and because of Christ Jesus, the Messiah, and will not be like the Mosaic covenant, but will fulfil God’s promises to His people. Jesus’ own words in the Gospels also back this reading, and clarify how Jesus saw Himself as the fulfilment of, and how He indicated that we are to be saved through faith in Him.
again, this all comes back to whether or not one believes He is the Messiah. Jews tend to argue that as He did not restore Israel, He could not have been the Messiah. yet Jesus spoke often of His seond coming, when these things will be fulfilled. so Jews and Christians wait for the same Messiah, to accomplish many of the same things. for us it will be His second coming, for most Jews, His first.
we can look to surviving Judeo-Christian communities and see something of the blend of Judaic belief and practice, and faith in the Messiah Jesus.
the Mar Thoma Christians, for example, who would keep kosher, worship on Saturday, seat men and women seperately in worship, and cover the head in worship, all observances and traditions found in their Jewish heritage, and some of which are still found in Catholic and Orthodox churches.
the reason Christians don’t keep the mitzvot is because we see Christ as the fulfilment of the Torah, the Living Word. we are no longer justified by keeping the Law, but by faith in the Messiah Jesus. who summed up the Law and Prophets with the commands to love God with all one’s heart and soul and might, and love one’s neighbor as one’s self.
we read passages like Jeremiah 31:31-33 as promising a new covenant which will not be like the one made with Moses on Sinai. this new covenant will be through and because of Christ Jesus, the Messiah, and will not be like the Mosaic covenant, but will fulfil God’s promises to His people. Jesus’ own words in the Gospels also back this reading, and clarify how Jesus saw Himself as the fulfilment of, and how He indicated that we are to be saved through faith in Him.
again, this all comes back to whether or not one believes He is the Messiah. Jews tend to argue that as He did not restore Israel, He could not have been the Messiah. yet Jesus spoke often of His seond coming, when these things will be fulfilled. so Jews and Christians wait for the same Messiah, to accomplish many of the same things. for us it will be His second coming, for most Jews, His first.