Why did the church disconnect from its Jewish heritage? How did it lose the idea that the Messiah would literally restore Israel and rule for 1,000 years? These questions go hand in hand with why the church became persecuted.

If you missed Part 1 of this series, you can catch up here.

The Church Abandons the Jewish People

As the decades passed after Jesus’ ascension, Roman oppression began to interfere with Jewish life in Judea. The Jewish people suffered heavy taxation, unfair tariffs, favoritism towards aristocracy, and the corrupt priesthood. Finally, they had endured enough and openly revolted against Rome. A loose and somewhat antagonistic confederacy formed among all notable factions—except one. The early church, now with some established Gentile members, believed they were seeing the times that Jesus had prophesied. This would end in disaster.

Almost to a man, the Christians fled Jerusalem, many heading for Petra. Judea became embroiled in open revolt, and despite some early, shocking Jewish victories, Rome’s might ultimately prevailed. Many Jewish people had been slaughtered, and livelihoods were lost. But perhaps just as terrible in the Jewish mind, the Temple had been destroyed. The defeat was total. The significance of the Christian “sect’s” absence had not gone unnoticed either.

As the Jewish representation in the church declined, some of the unique Jewish thought and mindset disappeared.

When the Jewish people were slowly admitted back into Jerusalem, many Christians also returned. However, the church included more Gentiles now. The Jewish people viewed them with more suspicion, as these Christians had not been fellow collaborators. A gulf was widening.

Because Jewish representation in the church declined, some of the unique Jewish thought and mindset disappeared. The church sadly failed to realize it was losing vital heritage and perspective. These believers only seemed to retain that they, the faithful of God, had maintained that aforementioned “unbroken line” back to Abraham and that the Messiah would return to set up His Kingdom. As the faithful of God, they would gain the inheritance.

Jewish Heritage Erased

As the decades again flew by, more Gentiles joined the fold. More Jewish thought and perspective was lost. The Jewish people weren’t completely without representation, but their numbers dwindled.

Then came the Bar Kochba Revolt in AD 132. The Jewish people were oppressed again, but now they had a brilliant and charismatic leader: Simon Bar Kochba. Simon was hailed as the Messiah who would liberate the Jewish people and restore the land of Israel.

Immediately, the Christians rejected Simon Bar Kochba as the Messiah. They would have no part in this revolt. Once again fleeing to safer areas, the “faithful of God” sat this one out. As before, the Jewish people scored some impressive victories early on. Simon set up a provisional government and even minted coins.

Unfortunately, Rome again descended upon the rebellious province in overwhelming force. The Judean countryside was devastated. Tens of thousands of Jewish people were killed; many others were enslaved and forcibly relocated. But Rome wanted to impose further humiliation to ensure the Jewish people would never forget the consequences. The Romans renamed Judea after the Jewish people’s historical enemies, the Philistines; hence, they coined the name Palestine. They leveled Jerusalem entirely and rebuilt it as a pagan city called Aelia Capitolina. 

The Romans renamed Judea after the Jewish people’s historical enemies, the Philistines; hence, they coined the name Palestine.

The period of the Jewish Diaspora technically began after the first revolt, but now it had government backing, and many Jewish people were dispersed throughout the Roman Empire. However, this time the devastation had brought contemplation to the Jewish mind and the church. What was the Jewish people’s place in God’s plan? What was God trying to show His people? Indeed, who were His people?

To the onlooker, it seemed something had gone horribly wrong. The Jewish person’s world had collapsed. The Temple was gone. The priesthood was gone. Only the rabbis and sages remained, and they were puzzled. How had they been so badly mistaken? How had they erred with their thinking?

Judaism was in crisis. From this crisis arose new schools of Jewish thought to answer these questions. In Jewish minds, the older ways of understanding lacked coherence and unity. The old system and understanding had failed them. Judaism had now struck out on a different path. If the Jewish people were to survive, they needed to adapt. 

The Jewish-Christian Split

Where was the church in all of this? The church had observed similar things. The beliefs and mindsets of the Jewish people had failed them. The way that the Jewish people had understood the coming of the Messiah had been misplaced; they had made the wrong choice. Something was inherently wrong with Jewish ideals.

The church believed the Jewish people were to be pitied and prayed for. It was hoped that they, along with others, would come to know the truth of Jesus as taught through His church. They would be welcomed with open arms if they became Christians. They would also be heirs of the promise of the “faithful of God” and the “Israel of God” (Galatians 6:16).

As the years moved along, more Gentiles entered the church. With them came Western thought and philosophy. Jewish thought prevailed only in limited areas, and by then it wasn’t even recognized as Jewish. As Judaism peeled off into its own new world, jettisoning problematic teachings, the church likewise diverged to forge its own destiny. Doubtlessly, a number of believers had not forsaken their ancient roots, but their influence was minimal.

In light of the perceived failures of literalism, more thought was given to allegory. It appealed to the intellect and was admirably used to fend off pagan influence. It also managed to gain Rome’s ire. No longer could Christianity be viewed as a Jewish sect. The Christians were seen as a new phenomenon subject to inquisition and persecution. As these Christians soon showed that they would not bow to Caesar, the Romans’ suspicions were justified. The split between the Jewish people and Christians was complete.

Holy Scripture remained very much revered at this point. The church bishops by and large were very clear on certain issues, one being that a person cannot work his way into heaven. However, the pragmatic approach of the Jewish mind was missing. The connection was gone because it was viewed as leading to error. By the time Athanasius of Alexandria attended the Great Council of Nicea in 325, the idea that the biological descendants of Abraham were still God’s Chosen People was gone. It wasn’t that the church had “replaced” Israel; in their minds, the church was the continuation of Israel. Even today, the Eastern Orthodox Church avoids using the word replaced, whereas much more recent denominations use that word.

Thus, the literal meaning of Israel—and the great promise of the Millennial Kingdom—became tragically superseded.

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About the Author

Athanasius of Alexandria stepped off the ferry after it had been secured in the Prosphorion Harbor. The Imperial City’s great walls met his awed gaze. Alexandria was not small by any means, but this was Constantinople, New Rome. The emperor had built this metropolis as the Roman world’s new capital, ushering in a new day. The sun shone off of the great ramparts, flags whipped in the sea breeze, and the sound of excited tumult mixed with the general noise of commerce filled the air. Athanasius could barely contain himself.

On one hand, the young man, the right hand of Bishop Alexander, was full of wonder at what the Lord had done. On the other hand, part of him wondered, Could this all be a trap?  With memories of persecution still fresh in his mind, he wanted to be cautious. His parents had both been martyrs for the faith; was he about to join them?

The emperor had invited all of the bishops of Christendom to the royal city. Grave doctrinal issues faced the church—salvation itself was at stake. In a manner similar to the “Memoirs of the Apostles,”¹ Emperor Constantine hoped that the bishops could gather in conciliar fashion and that the Holy Spirit would clarify what the church must teach through conviction, debate, and the Holy Scriptures themselves. Athanasius knew that first council in Jerusalem very well—wherein the fates of the Gentiles and what was expected of them had hung in the balance. 

The Roman World’s Christian Makeover

The decor was starkly different as Athanasius entered the city proper. His own city was still very much pagan. Egyptian gods were celebrated in every possible way: statues, wall reliefs, frescos, even mundane pottery. While the Imperial City was not yet devoid of paganism, symbols of Jesus’ followers greeted him everywhere. There were crosses, doves, lions, and lambs. Bells rang from great churches. The very air felt purified here. As Athanasius approached the great halls, he could see the centurions waiting. Roman soldiers had once plucked many believers away, taking them to a cruel death.

Yet here they were. Instead of pagan symbols emblazoned on their shields, there was the sign of the cross. Instead of glaring at him, they seemed genuinely excited to see yet another representative had braved the journey. Instead of meeting him at a spear point, they embraced him. As the sun shone warmly on the scene in the new city, it seemed like the promised Kingdom of Christ had come. The apostle Paul’s mission to bring the gospel to Caesar himself had finally been accomplished. Surely the promises that God made to Abraham’s children had indeed been fulfilled through the church’s triumph. In an incredibly short period, the world had been flipped on its head.

In today’s world, it’s hard to envision the absolute upheaval that was seen in the lifetime of people like Athanasius. Persecutions were brutal and widespread. Believers often had to meet in secret. At any moment, they could be rounded up and martyred. Now? Well, now the emperor himself had confessed Christ. At the stroke of his pen, the world had completely changed. 

The church’s persecution was almost a unique part of Roman policy and practice. As a rule, the empire had no issue with the many religions within it; there was a general tolerance—on two conditions. First, the adherents must not endanger Roman authority. Second, the religion needed to be established, not something new. While Rome respected older religions, new ones were suspect and potentially dangerous.

Initially, Rome had no quarrel with the early believers as a whole. Why? In that answer lies the groundwork for the eventual dismissal of the Jewish people’s heritage.

The Early Church’s Jewish Identity

The early church was nearly exclusively Jewish. As Jesus preached in Judea and Galilee, many Jewish hearts were convinced that He was the Messiah. As these Jewish believers grew in number, they were hard-pressed to see a huge difference between themselves and their non-believing brethren. The Jewish believers had not abandoned the beautiful and storied traditions and ceremonies of Judaism. If anything, those traditions all made sense now, as they could view them through the Messianic lens. The Jewish people who did not believe in Jesus mostly regarded these believers as just another sect that had splintered off. Most did not have that same zeal of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. 

The Romans viewed these early believers as just another sect of the ancient Jewish religion, which often had high regard in Roman circles during more peaceful times.

The Romans viewed these early believers as just another sect of the ancient Jewish religion, which often had high regard in Roman circles during more peaceful times. They marveled that the Hebrews worshiped Solo Mensis ² with the mind alone; they did not use an idol as a physical medium. These Christians seemed to toe the line as far as they could tell.

These Jewish believers saw one unbroken line, stretching all the way back to Abraham. They saw how God had promised them blessings, inheritance, deliverance, and the Messiah. If Jesus had risen from the dead, then one day, even the land of Israel would return to them. For now, they would content themselves with their rich Jewish heritage and their new traditions and observances handed down from the apostles: baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and meeting on the first day of the week. They revered their Holy Scriptures and circulated the letters from the apostles whenever they could. The faithful of Israel would continue this unbroken line as God had moved yet again in the hearts of His people.

The faithful of Israel would continue this unbroken line as God had moved yet again in the hearts of His people.

For those of us who maintain the unique relationship between God and the Jewish people, it seems like the early church was off to a good start. There was no real dichotomy yet between the church and Israel in the minds of those first believers. These believers were Jewish; the church was Jewish. Paul highlighted this connection in his letter to the Galatians when he coined the phrase the Israel of God (Galatians 6:16). To the believers of Paul’s day, this wasn’t a divisive term meant to disinherit the biological children of Abraham because they were biological. They understood what Paul was saying. In later times, this verse would be used divisively, and it still is today, as the original meaning became lost to time. 

In our next article, we’ll explore how the early church drifted away from the Jewishness of Scripture and toward unbiblical doctrine concerning God’s Chosen People.

Endnotes
¹ Early in church history, believers often referred to the collected writings of the New Testament writers as the “Memoirs of the Apostles.”
² Greek philosopher Plutarch wrote of General Pompey entering the Temple and boldly advancing into the holy of holies. The general was shocked and fascinated to see no idol. Thus he remarked, “These noble Jews worship Solo Mensis.”

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