“I am the good shepherd, and know [identities merged] my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” (John 10:14-16)
In the first century, what became known as the Christian Church was unquestionably a minority sect of Judaism.
“all the church…were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch…And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women…There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem…Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation. And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.
The disciples who Jesus chose / messiahed to become his twelve apostles assigned to witness to Israel were a unique group with time-specific qualifications.
“of these men which
- have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
- Beginning from the baptism of John,
- unto that same day that he was taken up from us,
- must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.
- That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell.” (Acts 1: 21-25)
Part of “this ministry” was to suffer as Jesus suffered. “The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” (John 15:20)
“But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life…they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel…they doubted of them whereunto this would grow…And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said…Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins…When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them. Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space; And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men…And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded [as Jews, subject to Jewish religious authority] that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.“ (Acts 5)
This clearly demonstrates at the first followers of Jesus were all law-abiding Jews and expected all followers of Yeshua to be the same.
The original group of believers was a subset of the larger group of Jewish believers in the fact of a prophesied Messiah in the holy scriptures who just didn’t accept Yeshua of Nazareth as being the fulfillment of the Messiah, some of whom are still waiting for Messiah to show up for the first time.
“my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:” (Romans 9:3-6)
Understanding the New Testament church as the Israel of God under Melchisedec YHVH’s Savior is a fundamental truth, essential for understanding the whole story.
Most historians agree that Jesus or his followers established a new Jewish sect…The first followers of Jesus were essentially all ethnically Jewish or Jewish proselytes. Jesus was Jewish, preached to the Jewish people, and called from them his first followers.
“These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 10:4-7)
Jewish Christians, as faithful religious Jews, “regarded their movement as an affirmation of every aspect of contemporary Judaism, with the addition of one extra belief-that Jesus was the Messiah…“characterised by combining the confession of Jesus as Christ with continued observance of the Torah and adherence to Jewish traditions such as Sabbath observance, Jewish calendar, Jewish laws and customs, circumcision, kosher diet and synagogue attendance, and by a direct genetic relationship to the earliest followers of Jesus.
[They] regarded Jesus to be the Messiah, the promised king who would restore the Jewish kingdom and independence. Jewish messianism has its root in the apocalyptic literature…promising a future “anointed” leader or messiah to restore the Israelite “Kingdom of God“, in place of the foreign rulers of the time. This corresponded with the Maccabean Revolt directed against the Seleucid Empire. Following the fall of the Hasmonean kingdom, it was directed against the Roman administration of Judea Province, which, according to Josephus, began with the formation of the Zealots and Sicarii…(6 CE), although full-scale open revolt did not occur until the First Jewish–Roman War in 66 CE…
it is increasingly accepted among scholars that “at the end of the 1st century CE there were not yet two separate religions called ‘Judaism’ and ‘Christianity'”.
The New Testament does not separate Jewish believers from Gentile believers. It unites us.
If this sounds heretical, please be judicious enough to investigate the historical facts detailed in the New Testament.
“Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles…without Messiah / Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Messiah Yeshua / Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Messiah / Christ...that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby…For
-
- through him we both have access
- by one Spirit
- unto the Father.
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God…keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (Ephesians 2:11-19, 4:3-6)
- “Let ALL the nations be gathered together,
- AND let the people [of God] be assembled…
- Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD,
- AND my servant whom I have chosen:
- that…I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
- I even I, am the LORD / YHVH / I Am; and beside me there is no saviour…
- I will work, and who shall let /stop it?…
- Thus saith the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel…Behold, I will do a new thing…
- This people have I formed for myself. They shall shew forth my praise.
- but thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel…Thy first fathers hath sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against me.” (Isaiah 43)
Peter was the first apostle to understand this new thing we call the New Testament assembly of believers.
“And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him, Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat [associate as equals] with them.
But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto them…
The proof of shared identity through YHVH’s indwelling spirit were the signs of the Holy Spirit controlling the new convert, as we see in the progression of this account.
“And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord [finally!], how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God? When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.” (Acts 11:1-18)
This is the fulfillment of prophecy.
“In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty,
- unto the residue of his people [Messianic Judaism],
- AND for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment [on what is right and wrong, i.e. seeks after righteousness],
- and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate [take sides with the God of Righteousness against the forces of evil]…
Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing…
I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.” (Isaiah 28:5-16)
Jesus had predicted this as well.
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall
- they cast out devils;
- they shall speak with new tongues;
- They shall take up serpents;
- and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them;
- they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” (Mark 16:15-18)
These miracles and wonders were the sign – an event predicted in advance as proof of God’s miraculous intervention, ergo presence – that the Jews needed to be convinced that the uncircumcised Gentiles could be indwelt with God’s presence and power like they were.
There were additional signs among the Gentiles – i.e. fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies – proving that YHVH’s savior had come not only to rule over Israel but to retake dominion over all the other peoples of the earth. Like prophecy in general, these are vague and can be argued to fit multiple interpretations. The Spirit of God who gave them is the only one who can accurately interpret them.
“Wherefore the LORD said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid…in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness. The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
Therefore thus saith the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale. But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel. They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.” (Isaiah 29:13-24)
“For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” (I Corinthians 1:10-24)
Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying,
Men and brethren…the Gentiles are turned to God:” (Act 15:12-19)
This, too, was fulfillment of prophecy.
“Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings…Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it: And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries…And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said…These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land. But I had pity for mine holy name…
Therefore say unto the house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land…And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it…I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock…so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am the LORD.” (Ezekiel 36:17)
Can we not recognize the parallel between the uncircumcised Egyptians crowding into the homes of the children of Israel to eat the passover at the Exodus, to whom God granted repentance unto life? Without question, there is lots of scriptural precedence allowing a multicultural body of believers to be saved from damnation. The offer that was made to this entire group at Mount Sinai was for leadership as sacral kings. This is not a requirement for salvation.
“in YHVH’s Chosen Savior / Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.” (Galatians 6:15-16)
Kingdom Come 