Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg have given readers all over the world a new perspective of the story of Jesus. In their novel, Sitting at the feet of Rabbi Jesus we learn more in depth about the Jewishness of Jesus’ life and how Israel was during his day. They help us see Jesus’ story through first century Jewish eyes. The story unfolds and becomes clearer when looking at it in this perspective and we better understand His purpose here on earth.…
Superficially, one can draw a rough parallel between the rise of Islam and the rise of Christianity. The first encounter between Islam and the Jews represents a case of religions in conflict.” Again, the author compares the rise of Christianity and the rise of Islam to explain how relations between the two were so different. It is phrased in a form of a question as a quick way to summarize the earlier text, and answer a question the book is…
the dozens of Gospels that did not become part of the New Testament, reveal the truth about…
At the onset of Jesus’ ministry, people recognized His message as one being authoritative. He preached the kingdom of God with a conviction and focus unknown before His arrival. Many Jewish religious leaders during the time of Jesus’ ministry had their own interpretations of scripture, but Jesus’ message confronted and exposed the falsehood of the Jewish leaders; and the despised Him for it. The Jewish leaders tried on many occasions to expose Jesus’ message as one of falsehood, but when they tried; His message of truth always prevailed.…
The Gospel is a record of Christ’s life and teachings in the first four books of the New Testament. It is written up of 4 different accounts. The first being Mark which was written roughly around the years of A.D 55 to A.D 70. The second gospel written was by Matthew, this was written around the year A.D 80. The third book of the gospels is Luke, this was written also around the period of A.D 80 and lastly, the last gospel written is the Gospel of John which was written around A.D 100.…
Tension between Jewish Christianity and Gentile Christianity was one big cat fight to say the least. The two groups did not get alone with each other, in fact they barely interacted with one another. The separation between the two led to misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility even though Judaism had a major influence on Christianity. Jewish Christianity and Gentile Christianity had their similarities that they didn’t come to appreciate until years later.…
The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the Jewish religion, Judaism, by attending a religious service and talking with the members of the Jewish faith in order to get to know their values, traditions, and demeanor. I will visit the Hebrew congregation synagogue in Reston, Virginia in order to attend a religious service and converse with members of the Jewish faith. This analysis will also incorporate any misconceptions that were found after learning more about the religion through interacting with members of the Jewish faith and spending time at their place of worship. This paper will aim to test my assumptions and preconceptions of Judaism through my research and interaction with people of its faith during my attendance at the religious service.…
This account of persecution is part of a general theme of a polemic against the Jews that starts with the Pharisee rejection of Jesus's ministry and continues on with his trial before the High Priest, his crucifixion, and the Pharisees' refusal to accept him as the Jewish Messiah. This theme plays an important part in a number of Christian doctrines ranging from the release of Christians from obeying the many strictures of the Old Testament Law to the commandment to preach to all nations (meaning to Gentiles as well as Jews).…
A foundational part of being Jewish is to struggle. Throughout history, the Jewish people have struggled both physically - with the hardships that they had to face – and intellectually - with what is called a cognitive dissonance. In fact, one of the earliest struggles can be traced back to the prophet Jacob, who had to struggle with God himself. By writing this paper, I wish to explain why ‘to struggle’ is such a foundational part in the Jewish tradition through the story of ‘Jacob’s wrestling with God’ and two other examples which are the story of ‘King David and Bathsheba’ and ‘Abraham and Sarah’.…
There are hundreds of thousands of religions all over the world. Some of them we know about and some of them we don’t. Usually, one thing that most religions have in common is a founder or the head figure of the religion that any particular religion revolves around. This one person is the teacher and everyone else is the follower. Two major religions that are still extremely active in today’s world are Christianity and Islam. These two religions are very similar in many ways, yet unique in their own right. One similarity is their belief in God, and one difference is who the messenger is. Christian’s believe it is Jesus, who is the son of God, and Islam’s believe it is Mohammad, who is the messenger of God. Throughout the course of this paper I will trace the lives of Jesus and Mohammad historically; compare the impact of the death of each person on his perspective religion; describe the ways each individual was and is worshiped; and explain how their messages are being carried out in the world today.…
Judaism is one of the oldest religions practiced in the world today. Although the basic rituals and traditions have been modified over the millenniums, the covenants between the people of this faith and their higher power have remained the same. The history is long and the journey has been difficult for this group. This paper involves an interview with a dedicated individual who has personal information that will assist in the understanding to why this religion continues to exist today.…
Briefly describe the different varieties of Judaism at the time of Jesus, including their responses to the Roman rule.…
Around the time of Jesus’s birth and rise to prominence, Jewish people in the Roman empire were being widely oppressed and exiled, sent into diaspora and shunned from their home in Judea and sent to Babylonia. They were publicly insulted by important figures such as the Roman philosopher Seneca who resented Jews and said in De superstition, “The customs of this accursed race have gained such influence that they are now received throughout the world.” He and many other social figures believed that Jews were a threat that needed to be addressed. Jesus offered a beacon of hope to these oppressed Jews, preaching about compassion and equality for all and diminishing the importance of the wealthy and material possessions. Religiously, however, not all Jews were open to the religious change that Jesus was pushing for. While some Jewish people viewed him as the long-awaited Messiah coming to save them from their trials, others resented his non-traditional ways. Jesus ultimately…
Christianity has a close relationship with Judaism, both historically and theologically. Jesus, the twelve disciples, the author of most of the New Testament, and the members of the earliest Christian churches were all Jews. Jesus’ family followed Jewish customs and Jesus frequently quoted the Hebrew Bible. Jesus’ followers believed him to be the messiah, a Jewish figure predicted in the Jewish Bible.…
The long, rich history of Judaism gives the western world its shape today. The laws, traditions, culture, and values are directly attributable to Judaism. Judaism most prominently began with the founder of the Hebrews known as Abraham, who began to worship a figure called "Elohim." Historically, the teachings of Judaism were also subscribed by nomadic tribes, which settled in present day Palestine, near Mt. Sinai. The people of these tribes did not label themselves as Hebrews, and referred to G-d as the G-d of Abraham. The beginning of the story came about as G-d promised Abraham a son, and in the course of the events doubting that his old wife could give him a son, he had Ishmael with his maid, Hagar. Later, G-d's prophecy would be fulfilled with the birth of Isaac, by his wife Sarah. Due to their belief system, the tribe proliferated the idea that Isaac and his descendants were chosen by G-d to carry forward Abraham's holy ancestry. Isaac was the forefather of what was to become the 12 tribes of Israel. These twelve original tribes were later enslaved for several generations in Egypt. In Egypt, the Jews were persecuted and sold into slavery. It was not until Moses, a Hebrew, adopted by the pharaoh, realized his duty to release his people from their oppression. He eventually led the people from Egypt into the desert where they wandered for 40 years.…