A Much Clearer Picture

I have previously written about the schism that developed between Messianic Judaism/Christianity and mainline Judaism in the first and second centuries, but there was something missing. I had studied this in preparation for one of my previous posts, but could not recall which book. The good news is, I have found the book, and the necessary reference.

Much of Judeo-Christian history has been marked with tragedy, oppression, and virulent discrimination. No small number of Jews have been forcibly converted to Christianity over these last 2,000 years, so much so that there is an unmistakable anti-Christian sentiment in many Jewish communities the world over.

In cases where Jews did choose to become Christian, whether by free will choice or by coercion, it almost always came with a test of their new faith. In his book, “Restoring the Jewishness of the Gospel”, David H. Stern makes mention of people being asked to eat a ham sandwich. This is nothing new, and Jewish converts have long been regarded with suspicion throughout history.

Many Spanish Jews were watched closely upon conversion to Catholicism, to ensure no one was keeping the Shabbat, keeping Kosher, or any other practices traditional to Jews. In some cases, they were even made to sign contracts like this one,

“Profession of Faith, from the Church of Constantinople:

“I renounce all customs, rites, legalisms, unleavened breads and sacrifices of lambs of the Hebrews, and all the other feasts of the Hebrews, sacrifices, prayers, aspersions, purifications, sanctifications and propitiations, and fasts, and new moons, and Sabbaths, and superstitions, and hymns and chants and observances and synagogues, and the food and drink of the Hebrews; in one word, I renounce absolutely everything Jewish, every law, rite and custom. . . . and if afterwards I shall wish to deny and return to Jewish superstition, or shall be found eating with Jews, or feasting with them, or secretly conversing and condemning the Christian religion instead of openly confuting them and condemning their vain faith, then let the trembling of Cain and the leprosy of Gehazi cleave to me, as well as the legal punishments to which I acknowledge myself liable. And may I be anathema in the world to come, and may my soul be set down with Satan and the devils.”

Is it any wonder that so many Jews are put off by anything involving Christianity? Is it any wonder that they continue to reject faith in Messiah when faced with such as this? Imagine the painful choices they faced, convert and lose literally everything they are, or face whichever consequences result from refusing. It would be entirely unbearable.

When interacting with our Jewish brethren, it is important to consider that history. It is a big part of why Jewish Christians are regarded as traitors lost to their people, and why so many Jews believe that one cannot be Jewish and Christian at the same time. It is also why Messianic Jews are routinely denied aliya to Israel. In the eyes of the State of Israel, and mainline Judaism, Messianic Jews are not Jews. It is that simple. If they are not Jews, they have no right of return.

“Profession of Faith, from the Church of Constantinople: From Assemani, Cod. Lit., I, p. 105,” as cited in James Parkes, The Conflict of the Church and the Synagogue (New York: Atheneum, 1974), pp. 397-398.