Jesus was a Jew.
Let me say that again.
Jesus was a Jew.
Jesus was a failed messiah, one among many.
Jesus is not coming back.
Now can we have a serious conversation about Jesus, Christianity, Judaism and the relationship among the three?
From the beginning, from the very beginning Christianity has been anti-Judaism and anti-semitic. At times over the last 2000 years that anti-semitism has been open, blatant, and violent. Today I would venture to say that 99% of Christians are anti-semitic and do not know it. For those among them with loving hearts, I would say their anti-semitism is unintentional; it simply proceeds out of ignorance.
The earliest Christian writing we have [only a copy, no original documents], I Thessalonians, is from Paul from ca. 49 CE. In that document he says [I Th 1:10] that Jesus rescues us from the wrath to come: Point 1. He also says [I Th 2: 14-15] that the Jews killed Jesus: Point 2. He also implies in verse 16 that the Jews have been replaced [he says God's wrath has overtaken them]: Point 3.
Point 1: Paul stole Jesus, a Jewish messiah, and turned him into a hellenistic divine deliverer, on the road to making Jesus a divine figure,i.e. God. For Paul Jesus died for human sin. There was NOT the first Jewish followers of Jesus understanding. Jesus was a Jewish messiah who ultimately failed in that role.
Point 2: In this earliest document Paul says the Jews killed Jesus, completely exonerating the Romans. This lie will continue to be reinforced throughout his letters, the Gospels, and the rest of the New Testament.
Point 3: Supersessionism! Paul begins the long, sad history of Christians claiming Jews, Judaism, and Jewish scripture have been replaced, surpassed, superceded by Chriatianity. The Epistle to the Hebrews will claim everything about Judaism--scripture, prophets, Law--has been superceded. The Epistle of Barnabas from the early second century will claim the "Old Testament" is really a Christian document. Melito of Sardis, a Christian Bishop, will claim the Jews killed God, the charge of deicide that has plagued Judaism ever since.
Does this mean we throw Jesus on the trash heap of history? No! But this is a call to understand him in context and seek meaning and purpose in his teachings and in the God-likeness----I did not say he was God-----he embodied.
No comments:
Post a Comment