So
how did the Church and Synagogue Split?
So how did
the Church and Synagogue Split?
Rabbi
Gavriel Moreno-Bryars
Please
read this prayerfully, and with an open mind, it will challenge many
preconceptions people may have about history of the Church.
Many
Christians & Jews are unaware of the fact that for the first 40
years (up to 70 years) after Yeshua (Jesus) ascended into heaven, to sit
at the right hand with all Power & Authority, believers in Yeshua
were predominately Jewish. These
Jewish believers still followed Torah, kept Kosher, kept Shabbat, and
worship in the
Temple
and synagogue.
The
issue of keeping Torah deserves one (or more) articles by itself.
Today I’d like to discuss how the Messianic Believers (later
called Christians) split from the Synagogue.
First we must understand that it was a gradual process, with
Gentiles forming Churches separate from the synagogue around 100 AD/CE.
Jewish believers remained involved in the Synagogue as late as
200-300 AD/CE. Also the
split was not any one groups fault, but was a split driven by History,
Doctrine, and later Anti-Semitism.
Until
68-70 AD/CE believing & non-believing Jews coexisted, sitting in the
same synagogue, and attending the same temple.
Early believers kept all the Feasts of God (see last weeks
article). This included Passover, which is a prophetic sign of His
sacrifice for all who will believe.
Persecution was rare, and limited to individual locations.
Even Sha’uls persecution was limited in scope.
Jerusalem
was between 1/3 & ½ believers in Yeshua before the destruction of
the
Temple
. Even James’s martyrdom
was more of a political assassination by Herod to please certain
leaders, than organized persecutions by the Jewish people.
While many Jews did not agree that Yeshua was Messiah, they
respected the believers for their lifestyle & devotion.
The
first major split occurred between 68-70 AD/CE.
As Roman armies gathered to besiege
Jerusalem
, Believers were able to flee the city, heeding Yeshua’s words in Matt
24. By a miracle of G-d, the
Romans lines split, and the believers literally walked out, and fled to
Pella
(see Josephus). This action
labeled the believers as traitors in the eyes of many Jews.
Rome
destroyed the city, leaving thousands dead, many crucified. Many
Jewish groups (Zealots & Sadducees) were destroyed leaving the
Pharusim (Pharisees) and Messianic Believers (Jewish Christians if you
prefer) the main 2 groups left. With
the Pharisees being the dominate religious group in
Judea
.
Between
70 – 100 AD/CE another major change began, as large numbers of
gentiles accepted Jesus. As
the Apostles died (or executed), Gentile leadership began to emerge,
often bringing Greek though processes, not Hebrew, into scripture.
This Hellenization of the Faith was to later have a negative and
devastating effect on the Church (allowing Paganism to enter into the
Church). Before 70 AD/CE all
leaders in
Jerusalem
were Jews, after, all were Gentiles.
In
90 AD/CE The council of Yaneh (Pharisees) changed the Amadah (standing
prayer) to include a curse against the Minim (unbelievers including the
sect of the Nazarene, i.e. Messianics). This
was done as the Jewish Leaders struggled to redefine Judaism in response
to the destruction of the Temple, and the inability to sacrifice (note:
sacrifice was no longer needed, as trust in Yeshua provided atonement
for all sin, this was done 40 years (one generation) before the temple
was destroyed, this is important, as G-d would never leave His children
without a way to atone for their sin).
By
105-300 AD/CE Gentiles dominated many parts of the faith, it is at this
time that Anti-Semitic elements in the Church began forcing change in
the worship, including “changing the Shabbat, to Sunday”, no longer
celebrating the feasts, often replacing them with Pagan feasts.
The
Bar Kokhba revolution in 132-135 AD/CE furthered the split.
Rabbi Akiba (responsible for the first codification of the
Mishneh) declared Bar Kokhba as Messiah,
forcing Believers to not support the revolution because they would not
support a false Messiah. This
was unforgivable to the average Jew.
The
final split came from the Gentilization of the church, as Jews made up
only a small minority. Many
Anti-Semitic leaders arose, condemning: all keeping of feasts, keeping
Kosher, Keep of biblical Shabbat (the changing of Shabbat to Sunday was
never taught in scripture, it is a man made tradition), the Jewish, and
the rejection of Torah. These
ung-dly doctrines were all codified by a "questionable
Christian"
Constantine
. Who deified himself, and
used the Church as a powerbase to unite the empire.
Overnight, Pagan priests of Zeus became Priests of Christ.
Pagan statues became saints, Pagan temples became Christian
cathedrals. Some Church
leaders even fought to have Christian Scripture separated from the Old
Testament (First Testament or Tanakh), and to have Christ no longer one
wide YHVH (Mistranslated today as Jehovah, another article for the
future). This was based on
Gnostic teachings that were declared heresies, but still color thinking
today.
The history from then on is blood shed, hate and rejection.
While
many may reject this analysis, it is based on fact, and well documented
in History. If you want
references, besides Holy Scripture, please see “Our Father Abraham”
& Two Babylon’s.
Shalom! |
