There were two empires which existed in New Testament times: Roman Empire and Parthian Empire. More is known about the Roman Empire from a Biblical perspective because much of the New Testament comes from Paul’s writings, and he did his traveling within the confines of the Roman Empire. However, although Judaea was part of the Roman Empire, it seems this did not preclude travel between these two empires. There is evidence of this fact in Acts 2 where Jews and Jewish proselytes from Parthia were present in Jerusalem for Shavuot, or Pentecost (Ac 2:9).

In addition, the Bible states that while Paul was an apostle to the Gentiles, Peter was an apostle to the Jews (Ga 2:8). There is evidence that many of the original apostles took many trips into Parthian territory to spread the gospel by ministering to those of Jewish and Israeli descent.

The end of Paul’s first missionary journey within the confines of the Roman Empire marked the first big controversy. It seems Paul and Barnabas were not the only ones going throughout Asia Minor (Turkey today) teaching about Jesus Christ. However, these other groups were stating that one had to first become a Jewish proselyte before becoming a Christian and had to keep the Law of Moses as a perquisite for salvation (Ga 2:16). Paul wrote the book of Galatians to address this issue as well as to defend his authority and credibility. Indeed, there were those coming from Jerusalem to Antioch preaching this same doctrine (Ac 15:1). Paul and Barnabas strongly admonished them which then led to a trip to Jerusalem for a discussion with what has become known as the Jerusalem Council (Ac 15:2). Titus also accompanied Paul and Barnabas He was used as an example of a Gentile being a Christian but not being circumcised (Ga 2:1-3). There were believers from the Pharisee sect which strongly believed in keeping the Law of Moses for salvation and so, again, much debate ensued. However, Peter got up and told of his encounter of how God accepted Gentiles without circumcision and so everyone was then more willing to hear of Paul and Barnabas’ account (Ac 15:7-12).

Afterward, James reminded everyone of the prophecy in Amos (Am 9:11-12) which speaks of the temple of David being restored and even Gentiles worshipping God with Israel (Ac 15:13-18). It seems James recognized the current age would focus on the Gentiles. However, God would not forsake Israel, but would return and fulfill all his promises to them. The council and all those present then wrote a letter to the believers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia to admonish them to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood and things strangled, and to be sexually pure (Ac 15:29).

Although the Jerusalem Council made this statement, this did not end the debate. Paul had to deal with this issue continually. Paul consistently taught that keeping the Law did not lead to salvation; therefore, Gentiles did not need to be circumcised or follow other outward manifestations of being a Jew to be saved (Ro 8:1-4; 1Co 15:56; Ga 2:16; Pp 3:9; 1Tm 1:8-11). Paul also taught that from a spiritual point of view, there was no longer any difference between Jews and Gentiles (Ro 10:12) because God had now brought the two together spiritually as one body (Ep 2:14-18). He taught that the mark of a Christian is the circumcision of the sin nature and not anything physical (1Co 7:19; Cl 2:11). Teaching otherwise was ruinous to one’s faith (Tt 1:10-11).

Although this was an area of controversy in the early church, it really was not the major divisive force which drove Christian Jew and Christian Gentile apart. There is evidence that many Jews (Christian or not) and Gentile Christians were living together as late as the fourth century. This implies there was a blended culture which developed between the orthodox Jew and the Christian Jew. These Jewish believers were called “minim” by the orthodox Jews. Its Hebrew meaning is “believers,” but has been translated as “heretic” by later Jewish authorities. Owen Chadwick, a historian who has extensively studied early church history, as well as others, have often used the Jewish liturgy, “May the Nazarenes and the heretics be suddenly destroyed and removed from the Book of Life,” as evidence of the final separation of the orthodox and Christian Jews. However, it is likely that this was evidence of a resurgence of the Christian Jew and not the reverse.  Both Christian and orthodox Jews fought together in 132 AD to fight Emperor Hadrian’s push to abolish circumcision. However, the Christian Jews abandoned their support when Rabbi Akiva declared their military leader, Bar Kochba, to be the Messiah.

It’s always interesting how man is the one to create the derision which God never intended. We can’t seem to keep our biases at bay. If only we could look at everyone else as God sees them. It would change not only our lives, but those of the entire world. One day, it will happen. Are you looking forward to it?

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Many people are surprised that there are many connections between Christians and Jews. Some see them as quite diverse. After all, Christians believe Jesus Christ fulfilled the prophecies about the promised Messiah, but Jews don’t believe he did. Also, some Christians believe God has removed Israel from any of his future plans. However, let’s look at the commonalities:

 1. Both pay allegiance to the same God. While many modern Jews are somewhat agnostic, there are many Jews who still pray to the God of Abraham. This is the same God to whom we as Christians pray and serve. There are other religions that claim they worship and serve God; however, the characteristics of the god they serve are different. The God of the Christians and the Jews have the same characteristics.

 2. Both have the same history. The Jewish scriptures are the same as our Old Testament. Christians feel connected to the members of Jewish history just as do the Jews: Abraham, Moses, David, etc. These are key figures of the Jews but are key figures for Christians as well. Both revere them highly.

 3. Christianity would not exist without Judaism. Actually, the first Christians were Jews. For a while there were no Gentile Christians. Although not called Christians at the time, but people of The Way (Ac 9:2), they were all Jewish or Jewish proselytes. For a good period of time, these Christians were considered a sect of Judaism (Ac 28:22) because they still attended the synagogue and the temple in Jerusalem, and they still kept all the Jewish festivals. It was not until more Gentiles than Jews became Christians when Christianity was no longer considered part of Judaism. If one did not have a Jewish history, Paul and others taught that since salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ, there was no need to keep Jewish traditions (Ac 15). However, Paul was not against Jewish traditions—just that they were not essential for salvation.

 4. Both share a similar future. Many Old Testament prophets prophesied that Israel would spend an eternity with their Messiah when he sets up his kingdom. Some feel that because most Jews and the Jewish leaders at the time rejected Jesus’ message, God has altered his promises and given them to the Christians. However, Paul, who revealed the mystery of the church and the present time of the Gentiles, did not believe this (Ro 11:1). Paul stated that this present time is when Gentiles are the prominent Christian group (Ro 11:25), but Israel will again in the future accept Jesus as their Messiah and will rule with him (Ro 11:26-27). Yet,Christians are considered the Bride of Christ and will rule with him in his millennial kingdom (Ep 5:23; 2Tm 2:12).

 5. The “age of Gentiles” was made possible by the Jews. Throughout the past centuries, a lot of anti-Semitism has developed because they were labeled “Christ killers.” This has caused a large wedge to be created between Jews and Christians. That is very unfortunate, for, as you can see from this post that there are a lot of similarities. Actually, it is the Jewish leaders rejection of Jesus that has allowed the age of Gentiles to arise and provide Gentiles the opportunity to become Christians (Ro 9:30-33). When Jesus first came, his message was of his coming kingdom (Mt 4:17). Therefore, if the Jews had accepted that message, the millennial kingdom would have been established then. If that had occurred, what would have been the fate of Gentiles? One can only speculate. None of this caught God by surprise, though. It all went as God knew it would. Therefore, we as Gentiles can be grateful of our opportunity.

 6. Both Jews and Christians have been persecuted. This is not to say that other ethnic groups have not been, but these two groups have been persecuted most often. During the early church times in the Roman Empire, they were persecuted because they would only recognize one king and it was not Caesar but their beloved Jesus Christ. Christians have been labeled as exclusionary because we state there is only one way to God and that is through Jesus Christ (Ac 4:12). However, although that sounds exclusionary, it is really inclusionary because the offer of meeting Jesus Christ is offered to all. And, if one does not, they are not coerced. While history does not always bear out this sentence, it is true if one really follows the teachings of the Bible. The Jews are persecuted because if they are wiped out, God’s ultimate plan cannot come true. They are also a reminder of the reality of a one true God. I think most would have a hard time denying that the holocaust was not demonic in nature. If one believes the Bible, then Satan is real and his work is as well. He wants to be the ultimate victor and is the true mimicker of God. Others may not believe the Bible, but he does. He knows how crucial Israel is to the future of mankind and to God’s ultimate plan. Therefore, if they are no more, then God cannot complete His plan. Thankfully, the Bible also records the end and everyone, whether Jew or Gentile, who has put their faith in him will be on the victor’s side.

Although this has been a very brief summary, one can see that through Israel we have a lot to be thankful for. That is also one of the points of this website. We cannot be Christians and ignore the contribution that Israel has played in our genesis, our present state, and will be in our future. The world is forever tied to Israel. Please read by book, Why is a Gentile World Tied to a Jewish Timeline? For further information on this topic.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens