15) Why Study the Bible Through a Jewish Lens? - Part 1: Historical and Cultural Context

Introduction

In this lesson, we will start part one of a five-part lesson to answer the question, "Why study the Bible through a Jewish lens?" There are many reasons we should read the Bible through a Jewish lens, and most of you may not even know this was an option or even considered it. This lesson intends to introduce you to the Jewishness of the Bible and topics we will cover in more detail in later modules. I will also address some conflicts/concerns/rebuttals that these perspectives give rise to within the Christian Church. Some of the topics we will cover in this study are:

1. Historical and Cultural Context

2. Restoring the Jewishness of Jesus

3. Reestablishing the Torah and Its Relationship to the Sinai Covenant

4. Recognizing the Jewishness of Paul

5. Readopting the Jewish Apocalyptic Gospel and the Full Gospel Message

Now, let’s start by looking at the historical and cultural context of the Bible.

Historical and Cultural Context

Comprehending the Bible through a Jewish lens allows us to understand the historical and cultural contexts in which the texts were written. The Jewish lens includes the languages, traditions, and practices essential for accurately interpreting the meanings of various passages.

Without the proper context, we risk misinterpretation and drawing inappropriate conclusions. We have already explored the importance of context in earlier lessons and how worldview shapes your interpretation of the Bible. I encourage you to return to those lessons for even more information.

It is likely no secret by now that much of this discipleship study will be looking at the Bible through a Jewish lens. As a Christian, primarily "raised" in the Christian church, specifically the reformed Christian church, I often am asked, "Why do you study the Bible from the Jewish perspective?" On one hand, this question always bothers me. My first thought is, "Why wouldn't I want to study the Bible from the Jewish perspective?" The Bible is written by Jews about Jews and is engulfed with Jewish culture. I see that so clearly now that I often forget that it didn't always read that way to me, and others likely won't notice the Jewishness at first, either. However, the Jewishness of the Bible is there. Not to mention, the last several decades of historical studies have clarified the first-century Jewish message. The findings from the scholarly world are slowly trickling down to the church level, and the realization that Jesus is Jewish and that changes everything is growing. Many have come to realize that we have lost connection to Judaism, to the Jewish people, and to the Jewish Messiah. As I have rediscovered that connection, I have read my Bible like never before, and it makes more sense now than it ever has in all my years as a Christian.

On the other hand, I think when people ask me the question, "Why do you study the Bible from the Jewish perspective?" it highlights the extent and effect replacement theology has on the modern Christian mind. Some people have a problem with the Jewish perspective of the Bible. There will always be skeptics and pessimists for any viewpoint challenging the status quo. That is expected and, frankly, one of the primary themes we see in the New Testament. Jesus and the apostles were constantly encountering naysayers. Studying the Jewishness of the Bible makes some people feel uncomfortable. It challenges a lot of the core tenets of the evangelical Christian faith. Judaism has been labeled as a false religion by many Christian churches solely on the grounds of Jews not recognizing Jesus as the Messiah. Some people see studying the Bible from a Jewish perspective as dangerous, with fears of legalism and sacrificing the spirit of the word for the letter of the law. Most of the fears or concerns with the Jewishness of the Bible are deeply rooted in Replacement theology.

The Anti-Jewish Bias

Replacement theology, also referred to as supersessionism, is the idea that the Christian church, or followers of Jesus, have replaced or superseded the people of Israel as God's chosen people. We will explore this in detail in later modules. Still, I want to briefly introduce you to the concept and define it for our conversation. I honestly think that the reality of the Bible being written by Jews about Jews and their culture does not even occur to the majority of us. It was not apparent to me for many years as a Christian.

I think that many Christians, to some degree, have an unrealized bias towards the Jewish people. All scholars and historians who study early Christianity will agree that Christianity started within Judaism. It represented a sect that differed from greater Judaism in one way and one way only; they believed that the anticipated Messiah was Jesus. When the rest of the Jewish community still awaited the Messiah, the early Christians thought they had already found the Messiah. The early believers were all Jews. It was not until the Gentiles started to come to faith in the God of Israel and Jesus that we saw a shift in the culture of the early Christian movement.

Despite the reality of the early Jesus movement being all Jews, a modern-day bias against the Jewish people still remains. Because not all of the Jews accepted Jesus as the Messiah, we automatically categorize Judaism as another religion altogether. We classify Judaism as another religion despite early Christianity being a sect of Judaism. I am reminded of this pamphlet sold in Christian bookstores that outlines all of the world's religions and describes Christianity and the core tenets of the faith. It then proceeds to compare Christianity to all other religions and cults found across the globe. In this pamphlet, Judaism is listed as another religion/cult.

We either consciously or unconsciously see Judaism as this distasteful, yucky thing that is the opposite of Christianity. Yet, Judaism is the religion that promised a Messiah would come. Judaism always stood in opposition to the early religions of the world. They recognized the one true God and ushered in monotheism. Judaism is founded on this one true God approaching one man, Abraham, and teaching him and his descendants how to worship and serve the one true God. Judaism is the religion that Jesus was born into and raised in. The same religion that Jesus practiced. The same religion was practiced by Jesus' disciples and the early apostles. This same religion practiced by the New Testament writers is the foundation of the Christian faith. This is Judaism, yet we see it differently than our early Christian counterparts.

And we may think, "The Jews didn't get it right. The Jews killed Jesus." But I ask, "Did the Jews kill Jesus?" Do we put the death of Jesus on every Jew alive at the time and upon generations of Jews after that? Or was it a small group of Jews who were primarily responsible for his death? Was Pilate and the Roman government not involved as well? Saying that the Jews killed Jesus would be like saying all Germans alive at the time of World War 2 are responsible for the Holocaust. When in fact, it was Hitler and his Nazi party that bore the primary responsibility for the Holocaust.

We will dive deeper into our anti-Jewish tendencies and study how the Jews have been persecuted by not only the world but specifically by the Christian church in future modules. And this is one of those topics that blows my mind when you stop and think about it. How does Christianity, a religion based on recognizing Jesus as the Messiah, founded on the teachings of Jesus, with a heavy emphasis on the two greatest commandments from the law of Moses: love God and love your neighbor, end up being a religion that denies its Jewish roots? How does this same Christian religion go on to do the opposite of love your neighbor and persecute the Jewish people for centuries after the death and resurrection of Jesus? How does that happen? If there was ever a sign that the train had gone off the rails, the fact that the Christian church eventually went on to kill in the name of "love your neighbor" should have been a red flag. The Reformation was undoubtedly a step in a better direction. Still, it is far removed from the theology of the early church. As a Christian, you may have never faced the reality of the history of the Christian church. I strongly encourage you to study this history. As the old saying goes, "Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it." So, what is the history of the early church?

Messianic Judaism - The Closest Viewpoint of the First Century Followers of Christ

So, we have addressed the anti-Jewish bias; what does a Jewish perspective look like? I should mention that a lot of studies from a Jewish perspective stem from Messianic Judaism. Messianic Judaism starts with the assumption that Christianity was originally Jewish. In the beginning, the community of Jesus' followers was Jewish. Jesus, the apostles, and all the first disciples were practicing Jews who considered themselves part of Israel and the Jewish people. They did not envision themselves as authors of a new religion; they believed themselves to be a sect within greater Judaism—a reformation movement inspired by the teachings of Jesus (Yeshua) of Nazareth and their conviction that he is the long-promised Messiah King. They belonged to what would become known as the sect of the Nazarenes, a first-century Jewish school of disciples centered around Jesus. They did not hold Jesus or the gospel message in antithesis to the Law (Torah) of Moses or the rest of the Biblical narrative. In fact, the full gospel message is the heart of the Jewish narrative, and the story of Jesus is one part of the overarching story.

Within a few decades after the death of Jesus, the charter members of this movement took a vote (Acts 15), and they expanded the membership to include non-Jews. This decision did not, at first, alter the fundamental Jewish nature of the institution. Over time, we do see tension develop between greater Judaism and this sect of the Nazarenes, also referred to as Christians. The two groups would diverge in time, and history would be forever changed.

The modern Messianic Jewish movement appears to be growing. It was born from Christian missionary efforts to evangelize Jews. In the late nineteenth century, Jewish believers in Jesus began to take ownership of their faith, working to establish an authentic Jewish expression of their allegiance to Jesus, the Jewish Messiah. Can Jewish people keep the Old Testament law and their ancient traditions while following Jesus as their rabbi and Messiah? Well, it's happening worldwide, and it's modern-day Messianic Judaism. It has begun to emerge as an independent sect of Judaism, much as the communities of the original apostles established. Messianic Judaism today also includes a predominant number of Gentile participants. Many Gentile participants have entered seeking a more historically authentic form of Christianity.

Many people within the Christian Church community see Christianity through this same Jewish lens. Messianic Judaism does see greater Christianity differently. The two have much in common through their shared devotion to Jesus as the Messiah. Both the Messianic Jewish community and the Christian community are co-laborers for the kingdom of God. But Messianic Judaism sees the overarching narrative differently and primarily sees it through Jewish eyes.

This shift from the traditional Christian perspective to a Jewish perspective is not simply cosmetic, meaning it is not about adding some fancy Hebrew words to the study of the Bible. It is about comprehensively restoring Jesus and the apostles into the Jewish context. This is a disruptive idea, and although more and more Christians are willing to embrace that, it does pose many challenges. And with any time you have challenges, concerns will arise. One of my primary goals during this study will be to cater to the established Christian mind approaching this Jewish perspective for the first time. My goal is to be careful and balanced and bring an inspiring theology that informs Christians positively about the foundations of their faith.

This perspective and study of the Bible will collide with Replacement Theology. Suppose your entire paradigm or religious outlook is based on the idea that the church has replaced the Jewish people or canceled the Torah. In that case, you will be challenged and have concerns as you move through this Jewish perspective of scripture. You will find tension sometimes, but I intend to challenge you and make you think outside the box. I intend to open your mind to the realization of another perspective and frankly encourage you to move toward a perspective that is honestly a more Biblical way to understand early Christianity and to understand the teachings of Jesus and the apostles. This is a perspective that I believe is vital to the Christian Church and should not be ignored.

How Does a Jewish Lens Affect How We Should Approach the Jewish People?

Another ironic reality related to our relationship to the Jewish people, their land, and their scriptures is the fact that Paul actually teaches the early Gentile believers what their relationship with the Jewish people should look like. In facing the reality that many of the Jewish people did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah, Paul begins to write in Romans 11:

I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works [being Jewish]; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. (Romans 11:1-6, ESV Bible)

So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean! (Romans 11:11-12, ESV Bible)

For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? (Romans 11:15, ESV Bible)

Here, Paul reminds the Gentiles of God's relationship with Israel. He has not neglected his people. In fact, it is God's will that grace would come to the Gentiles to make the Jewish people jealous. Paul gives the Gentiles a stern reality check regarding Israel:

But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. (Romans 11:17-23, ESV Bible)

Paul goes on to further iterate that this hardening of Israel is part of God’s plan:

Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved (Romans 11:25-26, ESV Bible)

As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (Romans 11:28-29, ESV Bible)

Do we heed Paul's advice? Do we continue to acknowledge the Jewish people as beloved for the sake of the forefathers? Paul says that their calling is irrevocable. Yet it seems as if the Christian Church has not only forgotten about these passages but has forgotten about Israel altogether.

And you may say, "Wait a minute, I do think Israel is God's chosen people!" And even if that is your perspective, I will challenge you and suggest that your reading and interpretation of the Bible have been influenced by replacement theology. Have you ever thought that Jesus came to cancel God's law, do away with the old covenant, start a new religion, or do away with Judaism? If so, you have been influenced by replacement theology. Suppose you think Paul used to be a Jew and converted to Judaism and spoke against the law of Moses and the Jewish people. If so, you have been influenced by replacement theology. The anti-Jewish bias is not always obvious, but it is embedded in the very fabric of our Christian theologies.

Summary

In conclusion, studying the Bible through a Jewish lens offers a profound opportunity for Christians to reconnect with the roots of their faith. By understanding the historical and cultural contexts, the Jewishness of Jesus, and the early Christian movement's origins within Judaism, believers can gain a richer and more authentic understanding of the Scriptures. This perspective challenges us to reevaluate traditional interpretations and confronts the biases that have influenced our theology. Embracing the Jewish perspective deepens our appreciation for the Bible's message and fosters a greater sense of unity and respect for our Jewish brothers and sisters. As we continue this journey of exploration and reflection, may we open our hearts and minds to the transformative power of studying the Bible through a Jewish lens. In the next lesson, we will continue our discussion on exploring the Bible through a Jewish lens by restoring the Jewishness of Jesus.