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What Happened to the Jewish Church? |
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What Happened to the Jewish Church? |
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1. What Do You Mean "Gentile Believers"?
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One of the most staggering truths I have discovered from
God's word, the Bible, is that the origin of the Church of
Jesus Christ was totally Jewish. That lesson is derived from
a very close reading of Acts chapter 10, which focuses on a
major change in the Apostle Peter's life, in his understanding
of God's plan of salvation. Peter, who dwelt in Joppa, had
experienced a vision revealing to him that the things God had
made clean (in the vision, certain unclean animals Jews
were not allowed to eat), Peter should no longer call "unclean".
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Shortly after receiving this vision, Peter was sent for by
Gentiles who lived in Caesarea, to come to them and
preach the good news. Peter went to Caesarea and shared the Gospel
of salvation in Yeshua with the Gentiles who received his word and
were baptized in the Holy Ghost while he was yet preaching!.
My reading then took me to verse-
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Acts 10:45 And they of the circumcision which
believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter,
because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift
of the Holy Ghost. (KJV)
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What this scripture reveals is that the Jewish
believers in Messiah ("they of the circumcision" that accompanied
Peter to Caesarea), were stunned at learning that Yeshua's
salvation would also be extended to the Gentiles!
This was the first time that the totally Jewish church had
witnessed the Gentiles come to salvation. What this indicates
is that the astonishment of the Jewish Church could only mean that
the Church that was born or empowered at Pentecost- must have been
totally Jewish in nature.
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2. What Do You Mean "Jewish Believers"?
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(1,950 Years Later...)
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In the days when the BBS's ruled (personal computer
bulletinboards), I once wrote an email message to a brother
in the LORD, explaining to him how blessed I was at my recent
visit with a Messianic Jewish Congregation. I told him about
the vibrant praise to a living King that I had witnessed there,
among the Jewish believers in Christ. That quieted the message
traffic for a season, afterwhich this brother responded to me
with a question;
"Excuse me, but what do you mean, 'Jewish believers'"?
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My reaction to that question was that of wonder, not criticism.
I was bewildered that this person had no idea that there were
thousands of Jewish people who have received Yeshua, as their Messiah.
This experience led me to ask a major question of history. The question
is this:
"How did the Church of Jesus Christ get the astonishment of the Jews
recorded in Acts 10:45, when seeing that Gentiles too, were partakers
in God's salvation plan, to this last days Church which is surprised
to hear of a Jewish person who believes in Yeshua (Jesus) as Lord?"
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The answer to that question lies in an investigation of the historic
record of the period between these two events. It is difficult subject
matter, but one I know holds a blessing for those seeking absolute truth
about the unity of the body of Christ. I say that because absolute truth
is where God dwells and what He is, therefore discovering truth will draw
us closer to Him.
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3. Church Origin
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A starting point for this investigation is the Church
born at Pentecost. We read in Acts chapter two of the 120
on whom the Baptism of the Holy Ghost fell that day. The
startling point is that all 120 of these disciples of Yeshua
were Jewish. Every one of the disciples, Mary, the mother
of Yeshua and the rest, were children of the promise, born
of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
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Not only is that number of souls in Acts chapter two
entirely Jewish, but another number associated with that
day "three thousand souls" (verse 41) were also Jewish.
The term "Christian", is completely legitimate as it is a
Biblical term used by the Apostle Peter under the inspiration
of the Holy Spirit [1st Peter 4:16], where he wrote the Greek
term "christianos". However, it is a keen observation
to realize that this term (whomever generated it) was not
coined and not used at the time of the day of Pentecost.
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No new religion started that day, but rather a fulfillment
of everything believers lent faith to in the Old Testament (Tenakh).
The promise of salvation in God's Messiah is present in those writings
from start [Genesis 3:15], to finish [Malachi 4:5] which holds the
promise of the coming of John, the Baptist, the announcer of the
Messiah's coming.
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The approximate 3,120 souls we find trusting in Jesus
as Lord by the end of Acts chapter two, believed those promises,
and what's more they believed that Yeshua of Nazareth was the fulfillment
of those promises and also the fulfillment of the law for
righteousness sake. And everyone of these souls were Jewish.
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And there were others, all Jewish without exception
who understood, the salvation in Yeshua the Messiah.
- The shepherds in fields who came to give honor to the
newborn King-
- Simeon who at the Temple at the time of
Messiah Yeshua's circumcision praised God that his
eyes had seen the Messiah, before His death.
- In Acts chapter 4, five thousand Jewish people again,
at the hearing of the preaching of Peter believed on
Yeshua as LORD.
- And in Acts chapter 8, the Ethiopian eunuch had a
burning desire to be baptized in the name of Yeshua,
in fact practically demanded it, at the hearing
of the good news of the Gospel from Philip.
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The support for this claim that all these added to Messiah's Church
were entirely Jewish, lies in those events of Acts chapter 10, crucially
important to the understanding of the matter. As mentioned earlier we find
Peter again with a new vision from the LORD, showing Him that salvation would
be opened to all men. The Gentiles, formerly known as pagans and heathens,
to them grace would also be extended. Read Acts 10 closely for a huge blessing.
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What you will find is that under Peter's anointed
preaching, that the Holy Ghost fell on the Gentiles at
Caesarea who listened, as Peter, the Jewish Apostle
delivered the Gospel to them. Peter's reaction and the
reaction of His Jewish brothers and sisters in Messiah
[found in Acts 10:45] is the key to understanding that
this was the first occasion of the Gentiles being
brought into the Church.
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We Gentiles today should not be shocked at
hearing today, that we indeed have brothers and sisters
in the Lord Jesus Christ that are Jewish, after all they
are the way the Church began. Let's embrace them!
Let's extend a hand to them in fellowship, and in
fulfillment of Messiah Yeshua's prayer of John 17:20,21.
Let's be a blessing to them, and them to us. Because
their faith in Yeshua, God's Messiah, is our faith.
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4. Church Leadership
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After Acts 10 we have the entire salvation by grace
plan of the Gospel revealed for both Jews and Gentiles.
They were one, brothers and sisters all- in the risen
Saviour. But I wish to indicate that the leadership of
this Church was of the Jews. Is there any question
of this?
- In Acts 2:42 we see the Church continuing steadfastly
in the Apostle's doctrine, yet uncorrupted by the evil one.
- In Acts 9 we see one of the most fervent Jews of the
time period, chosen by God to be a minister to the Gentiles,
Paul (Rabbi Sha'ul) the Apostle.
- In Acts 15:1-6 we see the Apostles sought after to
settle a huge question in the Church.
- In 1st John chapter one we see John, a Jew, speaking
from the authority of the Apostles as one who writes to the
Church under the qualifications of those who "have heard",
who "have seen with our eyes", who "have looked upon",
who "our hands have handled" the actual Messiah who is
Yeshua of Nazareth.
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This was the reality of the Jewish leadership of a Church
that was one in Spirit- a Church who shared all things in common.
This was the Church- who both Jew and Gentile, received God's promised
Messiah of Israel.
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But even in during Jude's time, we hear Jude give warning to
cling to the doctrine of the Apostles, and to beware of the corruption
that was to come...
Jude
3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of
the common salvation, it was needful for me to write
unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly
contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the
saints.
4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who
were before of old ordained to this condemnation,
ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into
lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our
Lord Jesus Christ. (KJV)
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Part II
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