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Jewish Believers in Jesus: The Early Centuries

Publisher:
, 2007
ISBN: 9781441253750
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Overview

Jewish Believers in Jesus: The Early Centuries examines the formative first five centuries of Christian history as experienced by individuals who were ethnically Jewish but who professed faith in Jesus Christ as the Messiah. Offering the work of an impressive international team of scholars, this unique study examines the first five centuries of texts thought to have been authored or edited by Jewish Christians, including the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, the New Testament Apocrypha, and some patristic works. Also considered are statements within patristic literature about Jewish believers and uses of oral traditions from Jewish Christians. Furthermore, the evidence in Jewish, mainly rabbinic, literature is examined, and room is made for a judicious sifting of the archaeological evidence. The final two chapters are devoted to an enlightening synthesis of the material with subsequent conclusions regarding Jewish believers in antiquity.

In the Logos edition, this volume is enhanced by amazing functionality. Scripture citations link directly to English translations, and important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Perform powerful searches to find exactly what you’re looking for. Take the discussion with you using tablet and mobile apps. With Logos Bible Software, the most efficient and comprehensive research tools are in one place, so you get the most out of your study.

Resource Experts
  • Addresses the historical, social, literary, and religious aspects of Jewish believers in Jesus
  • Examines Jews in the first five centuries who continued to practice their tradition but acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah
  • Includes five centuries of text either authored or edited by Jewish Christians
  • Introduction
  • Jewish Believers in Jesus in the New Testament and Related Material
  • The Literary Heritage of Jewish Believers
  • Jewish Christian Groups According to the Greek and Latin Fathers
  • Other Literary and Archaeological Evidence for Jewish Believers
  • Conclusion and Outlook

Top Highlights

“Fundamental to the new perspective is not only that Judaism is a religion of grace, but also that justification by faith, regarded (with Schweitzer and Wrede) now as not the center of Paul’s soteriology, was stressed by Paul only for the sake of the Gentile mission. Paul’s theology concerns, therefore, not a universal human problem, but specifically the salvation of Gentiles.” (Pages 103–104)

“In these various terms for the community and its leaders, therefore, we see the community’s strongly eschatological understanding of itself as the nucleus of the messianically renewed Israel.” (Page 60)

“A ‘Jewish Christian’ is a Jewish believer in Jesus who, as a believer, still maintains a Jewish way of life.4” (Page 5)

“At the Jerusalem council it was James’s careful argument from Scripture, citing a prophecy in which it was clear that Gentiles who join the messianic people of God do so precisely as Gentiles (Acts 15:14–19), that finally settled the matter. Based on James’s argument, the so-called apostolic decree, issued by the council, denied that Gentile believers must obey the Torah, with the exception of four specific prohibitions (Acts 15:29) drawn from those the Torah itself requires not only of Israelites but also of Gentiles resident in Israel (Lev 17–18).46 In effect, observing these prohibitions would make clear that Gentile believers had indeed been morally purified by faith and the Spirit, such that there need be no barrier to fellowship between Jewish and Gentile believers in Jesus.” (Page 74)

“For Israel, Torah-keeping is a positive issue,42 even after Christ.43” (Page 291)

This is a first-rate contribution by top scholars to our understanding of Jews who believed in Jesus during the first few centuries of Christianity. Not only does the volume address in depth the many complexities of the historical, social, literary, and religious aspects of Jewish believers in Jesus, it also admirably engages the very construction of scholarship on the topic. This is a comprehensive work of meticulous and careful scholarship that should be the standard reference on the subject for years to come.

—Jeffrey S. Siker, professor and chair, Department of Theological Studies, Loyola Marymount University

Uniquely, Jewish Believers in Jesus attempts to distinguish early Christians not by ideology but by ethnicity, examining Jews in the first five centuries who continued to practice their tradition but acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah. . . . Well organized, with excerpts and references in the original languages, the text is thoroughly documented with a comprehensive bibliography of over 100 pages, and indexes of ancient sources, modern authors, and subjects. The extensive research makes this book an excellent resource for any discussion of Jewish believers in Jesus in the early centuries. . . . Recommended.

—Choice

[T]he abundance of source material will be of great use to anyone wishing to investigate these topics or periods. The material provided will lead to further study of ‘Jewish believers’ or may help one to find another designation for this group of Jewish disciples of Jesus.

—Review of Biblical Literature

This is probably the most comprehensive treatment of the subject matter in decades and is likely to remain unsurpassed for some time to come.

—Journal for the Study of the New Testament Booklist

Jewish Believers in Jesus presents an abundance of information that will no doubt be welcomed by ancient church historians and scholars of Judaism alike. The findings of the contributors of this anthology demand that a new paradigm be found to replace F.C. Baur’s thesis concerning the history of Jewish and Pauline Christianity in the first century. The articles are clearly written, conventional in outline, and would make excellent reading for college students.

—Bulletin for Biblical Research

Reidar Hvalvik is a professor of New Testament studies at MF Norwegian School of Theology in Oslo, Norway. His publications include The Struggle for Scripture and Covenant: The Epistle of Barnabas and Jewish-Christian Competition in the Second Century, an introduction to the theology of Acts, and an introduction to the New Testament (both in Norwegian).

Oskar Skarsaune is a professor of church history at MF Norwegian School of Theology in Oslo, Norway. His many publications include The Proof from Prophecy: A Study in Justin Martyr’s Proof-text Tradition, Incarnation—Myth or Fact?, and In the Shadow of the Temple.

Reviews

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  1. Brian Crawford

    Brian Crawford

    7/29/2021

    I serve with Chosen People Ministries, a mission to the Jewish people, and this is one of my favorite books ever. Such a good resource for recovering the lives, practices, and beliefs of the oldest of our Jewish brothers and sisters in the faith. It is a treasure trove of information, citations, footnotes, and things to mine for future studies.
    Reply
  2. Barnabas

    Barnabas

    12/20/2020

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