Is the New Testament Jewish?
Abby had some reservations about her Jewish faith, so a rabbi suggested she read books by Jewish authors. Because most of the titles were unfamiliar, she chose the first ten books in a row, quickly determining that one of the books had been misplaced.
There is hardly a book more Jewish than the New Testament.
According to Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, a copy of the New Testament was mistakenly placed on a shelf of Jewish faith books in an Oxford University library, despite the fact that there is hardly a book more Jewish in authorship, content, and focus.
A book written by Jews
Most scholars agree that the New Testament writers were Jewish (with the possible exception of Luke). The writings were written for Jewish readers who had converted to Christianity, and the writers were well-versed in the Hebrew Scriptures, as evidenced by their numerous references to prophecies and practices found there.
Paul the Apostle, also known as Saul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle, a son of Abraham from the tribe of Benjamin and a Pharisee, wrote nearly half of the New Testament books. His familiarity with Jewish tradition, thought, and theology remained an integral part of his preaching, and the audiences to whom he preached were well-versed in the Hebrew Scriptures.
Paul hoped to convince both fellow Christians and Jews of his vision of redemption.
Paul saw himself as a member of a new Jewish sect, hoping to persuade both Christians and Jews of his vision of redemption; however, if the book only dealt with gentile issues, it could hardly be considered Jewish; this is true of all the New Testament writers.
A book written for Jews
The New Testament is written in the context of Judaism, with numerous references to the Hebrew Scriptures and a messianic theme; however, the Jewish festivals celebrated throughout the New Testament were not feasts of interest to gentiles.
A specific location
The prophet Micah foretold his birth in Bethlehem, and Matthew draws heavily on Hebrew Scriptures in his account of Joseph and Mary (Miriam)’s flight into Egypt and Herod’s slaughter of the innocents in the second chapter of his narrative.
A book of fulfilled prophecy
The phrase “it is written” appears frequently in the New Testament, indicating that the two testaments are complementary rather than contradictory. “The New Testament is regarded by Christians as the fulfillment of the prophecies and teachings contained in the Old Testament,” says Thomas Merton.
A book in the language of the Jews
The New Testament documents Jewish life in the Hellenistic Diaspora, when the spoken languages among Jews were Hebrew, Aramaic, and, to a lesser extent, Greek. The Hebrew origins of the Gospels can be demonstrated by retranslating them into Hebrew.
A book about Jews dealing with Jews
According to Alan Segal, the New Testament is better evidence for Hellenistic Judaism than the Mishnah is for first-century rabbinism, because the New Testament depicts Jews dealing with other Jews on issues that matter to the Jewish people. “Such comparisons are in their infancy,” Segal adds.
God’s righteousness was a familiar concept to Yeshua’s Jewish followers.
“Seek first [God’s] kingdom and his righteousness,” Yeshua says in the Sermon on the Mount, and the Book of Acts tells how Stephen, the first Jesus-believing Jewish martyr, stood before his accusers and cited the history of his people.
A book about Jewish history
The book of Hebrews is a summary of Jewish history, not Babylonian, Egyptian, or Roman history, written by a Hebrew to people of Hebrew ancestry who were familiar with their Scriptures, and it includes the names of unnamed martyrs, as well as those who were tortured, mocked, or scourged.
Is the New Testament anti-Semitic?
Many people mistakenly believe that the New Testament contains anti-Semitic overtones. While John’s gospel mentions Jewish opposition to Jesus, this is primarily a conflict between Jews who accept Jesus’ claims of messiahship and those who do not. The term “Jews” is frequently used in context to refer to the Jewish leadership coalition.
Jewish leaders who feared Yeshua, feared the loss of their power.
Some Jews who opposed Yeshua and later the apostles were Jewish leaders who feared losing their power as much as they feared increased oppression at the hands of Rome, while others were sincere Judaizers (Paul was one of them before he accepted Yeshua).
A Jewish book worth reading
The Sadducees were enraged not because these leaders were Jewish, but because they failed to follow the Jewish Scriptures. In terms of content and focus, there is hardly a book more Jewish than the New Testament; would it not be worthwhile to read?
Endnotes
Samuel Sandmel, A Jewish Understanding of the New Testament (New York: Ktav, 1974), p. 44; David Flusser, Jewish Sources in Early Christianity (Tel Aviv: Mod, 1989), p. 44.
Who were the New Testament books written for?
Christians regard the epistles of the New Testament as divinely inspired and holy letters written by the apostles and disciples of Christ to either local congregations with specific needs or scattered New Covenant Christians in general; or “catholic epistles.”
What is the difference between the Torah and the Bible?
The Hebrew Bible, also known as Tanakh, is a collection of Jewish holy books that is similar to the Christian Bible. Hebrew Bible refers to the entire set or collection of scriptures, including the Torah, whereas Torah refers to teaching and includes the first five books of the Hebrew Bible.
Is the Torah the same as the Bible?
Because the laws and customs passed down through oral traditions are considered part and parcel of God’s revelation to Moses and constitute the “oral Torah,” Torah is also understood to include both the Oral Law and the Written Law.
How long after Jesus died was the Bible written?
The four gospels of the New Testament were written over the course of nearly a century after Jesus’ death, and while they tell the same story, they reflect very different ideas and concerns. There is a forty-year gap between Jesus’ death and the writing of the first gospel.
Who wrote the 27 books in the New Testament?
Although St. Paul was not one of Jesus’ original 12 Apostles, he was one of the most prolific contributors to the New Testament, writing 13 or 14 of the New Testament’s 27 books, though only 7 of these Pauline epistles are accepted as entirely authentic and dictated by St. Paul.
What is the shortest book in the New Testament?
Jude is the sixty-fifth book of the Christian Bible and the twenty-sixth book of the New Testament, and it is one of the shortest books in the Bible, with only 25 verses.
Is the Torah the same as the first five books of the Bible?
The Torah is the first section of the Jewish bible, or the first five books, but Tanach is more commonly used to refer to the entire body of Jewish scriptures. Tanach is an acronym made up of the first letter of the words Torah, Nevi im (prophets), and Ketuvim (writings).
What are first five books of the Bible called?
The Torah is divided into five books: Be-reshit, Shemot, Va-yikra, Be-midbar, and Devarim, which correspond to Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy in the English Bible.
What religion is the Torah associated with?
The Torah is central to Jewish life, ritual, and belief; some Jews believe Moses received the Torah from God at Mount Sinai, while others believe it was written by multiple authors over a long period of time.
What is the difference between the Torah and the Quran?
The Torah Bible, also known as the Hebrew Bible, is full of laws, teachings, and instructions about Moses’ insights for Jews and Christians, whereas the Quran is about God Allah, aka Muhammad, and is for Muslims. The Torah Bible, also known as the Hebrew Bible, is full of laws, teachings, and instructions about Moses’ insights for Jews and Christians.
What do Jews call the Old Testament?
The Hebrew Bible, also known as the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament, or Tanakh, is a collection of writings that was originally compiled and preserved as the Jewish people’s sacred books.
Why is the Torah important to Christianity?
Because God’s commands are “everlasting” and “good,” a minority view in Christianity known as Christian Torah-submission holds that the Mosaic law as written is binding on all followers of God under the New Covenant, including gentiles.