Saturday, September 14, 2024

Christianity 101: How did we get from Jesus to Christianity?

Christianity 101: How did we get from Jesus to Christianity?


Image source: inspiredpencil.com

The term "Jewish Christian" might seem like an oxymoron to those not well-versed in theology or religious history. How can someone follow both Moses and Jesus at the same time? Yet, in the early days of the Christian movement, during the first hundred years after Jesus, encounters with Jewish Christians (also known as Judeo-Christians) were common both in the Holy Land and in the diaspora.

During his ministry, Jesus of Nazareth focused solely on Jews, referring to them as "the lost sheep of Israel" (Matthew 10:5; 15:24). His disciples were specifically instructed not to approach Gentiles or Samaritans (Matthew 10:5). Even when Jesus ventured beyond his homeland, he did not preach to pagans, nor did his disciples during his lifetime. The mission of the eleven apostles to "all the nations" (Matthew 28:19) is a concept that emerged after the Resurrection, likely inspired by Paul, and is not found elsewhere in the Gospels, except in the longer ending of Mark (Mark 16:15), which is absent from older manuscripts. Jesus' focus was exclusively on Jews.

The Acts of the Apostles tells us that the early community of Jesus' followers consisted of 120 Jewish individuals, including the eleven apostles and Jesus' mother and brothers (Acts 1:14–15). This is the last mention of Mary in the New Testament, although there are further references to Jesus' male siblings in Acts and Paul's letters. James, referred to by Paul as "the brother of the Lord," is depicted as the leader of the Jerusalem church (Acts 15:19; Galatians 1:19). According to another passage by Paul, Jesus' married brothers also served as missionaries of the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:5).

On Pentecost after the crucifixion, Peter and the apostles transformed from scared fugitives to passionate advocates for Jesus, persuaded by the divine Spirit. Their powerful message in Jerusalem converted 3,000 new followers, who joined by believing in Peter's teachings and being baptized.

Early followers of the Jerusalem Jesus movement didn't give themselves a specific name, but their movement was called "the Way" (Acts 9:2, 19:9, 24:14). The term "Christians" or "Messianists" (Christianoi) first appears in Acts 11:26, referring to members of the Antioch community in northern Syria.

How did the original Judeo-Christians of Jerusalem compare to their Jewish neighbors? In many essential ways, they were indistinguishable. The Judeo-Christians saw themselves as Jews, adhering to Jewish customs and dietary laws. They meticulously followed the Mosaic Law, and the apostles, along with their followers, regularly visited the Temple of Jerusalem for both private and public worship. It was at the Temple that they performed charismatic healings, as documented in Acts 3:1–10 and 5:12, 20, 25, 42. According to Acts 2:46, the entire Jesus party gathered for daily prayer in the sanctuary.

 

Even Paul, who was a vocal critic of mandatory Jewish customs in his churches, was known to visit the Temple during his trips to Jerusalem. On one occasion, he fell into a trance while praying in the House of God (Acts 22:17). Later, he underwent the prescribed purification rituals and commissioned the priests to offer sacrifices on his behalf (Acts 21:24–26).

In addition to their adherence to the Law of Moses and worship in the Temple, the early Jewish Christians embraced the practice of "breaking of the bread" (Acts 2:46). This act was not merely symbolic but a genuine meal that served a dual purpose: nourishing the participants and symbolically uniting them with each other, their Master Jesus, and with God. While the frequency of this rite isn't explicitly stated, it appears to have been a daily occurrence, much like the sacred dinners of the fully initiated Essenes described by Jewish writers Philo and Josephus, as well as the Community Rule of the Dead Sea Scrolls. "And day by day, attending the Temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food with glad and generous hearts" (Acts 2:46). Conversely, Acts 20:7 notes that Paul in Troas broke bread on the first day of the week, and the Didache, the earliest Christian treatise (late first century C.E.), also mandates that bread should be broken and thanksgiving (Eucharist) performed each Sunday (Didache 14.1).

The Jerusalem Jewish Christians also practiced a form of religious communism. "No one said that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had everything in common" (Acts 4:32). Unlike the Essenes at Qumran, they were not formally required to divest themselves of their property and goods, but there was strong moral pressure to do so; failing to comply would have been deemed improper.

 

Before the inclusion of gentile members, the followers of Jesus were seen by the people of Jerusalem as part of a Jewish movement or sect. They were similar in number to the Essenes and shared customs like daily solemn meals and living off a common fund. In the late 50s of the first century, they were known as the "sect of the Nazarenes" (Acts 24:5, 14). Later, patristic literature referred to these Judeo-Christians as the Ebionites or "the Poor." The church historian Eusebius (260–339 C.E.) noted that up until the Bar-Kokhba war (the Second Jewish Revolt against Rome [132–135 C.E.]), all 13 bishops of Jerusalem, starting with James, the brother of Jesus, were from the "circumcision" (Ecclesiastical History 4.3,5).

 

Acts marks a significant demographic shift in the Jesus movement around 40 C.E. with the admission of the Roman centurion Cornelius's family in Caesarea (Acts 10). This was followed by the gentile members of the mixed Jewish-Greek church in Antioch (Acts 11:19–24; Galatians 2:11–14), and many pagan converts of Paul in Syria, Asia Minor, and Greece. This influx ended the Jewish monopoly in the movement, giving birth to both Jewish and gentile Christianity.

 

Let's delve into this fascinating historical moment with a bit more flair and engagement.

In the Cornelius episode (Acts 10), the Roman centurion and his entourage experienced a Pentecost-like ecstasy that left Peter astonished and convinced him to baptize them immediately. This event was quite exceptional, as no further conversion of a gentile is recorded in the Holy Land anywhere in the New Testament.

 

Fast forward to the late 40s C.E., in the vibrant city of Antioch, Syria, where the once-novel became commonplace. Emigré members of the Jerusalem church were joined by gentiles evangelized and baptized by Judeo-Christians from Cyprus and Cyrene (North Africa). The mother church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to manage this new mixed community. Barnabas, recognizing the need for support, quickly brought his friend Saul/Paul from Tarsus in Cilicia to help oversee the burgeoning church.

In Antioch, Jewish and gentile Christians coexisted harmoniously, sharing meals and fellowship. Peter himself participated in these communal meals during his visits. However, the arrival of some zealous representatives from the Jerusalem church, led by James, the brother of Jesus, disrupted this harmony. Their disapproving stance led all Jewish Christians, including Peter and Barnabas, to cease their table fellowship with the Greek brethren, with the notable exception of Paul.

 

This division shattered the unity and fraternity of the new mixed church. Outraged by the hypocrisy, Paul confronted Peter publicly, marking the first major conflict in Christendom (Galatians 2:11–14).

After Paul’s first successful missionary journey to Asia Minor, the entry of pagans into the Jesus fellowship became a particularly acute issue. A council of the apostles, attended by Paul and Barnabas, was convened in Jerusalem, at which James the brother of the Lord and head of the mother community overruled the demands of the extremist members of his congregation and proposed a compromise solution (Acts 15:19–21): Gentiles wishing to join the church would be exempted from the full rigor of the Law of Moses, including circumcision, and would merely be required to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from the consumption of blood, from eating non-ritually slaughtered meat, and from certain sex acts judged particularly odious by Jews.

These rules were necessarily intended for gentile converts in the diaspora. In Jerusalem different conditions prevailed, for gentile Christians could not join their Judeo-Christian coreligionists in the Temple as non-Jews were prohibited under threat of instant death to set foot in the area of the holy precinct reserved for Jews.

The Jerusalem council of the apostles marked a pivotal moment in the divergence of Jewish and gentile Christianity. While they found common ground on some core beliefs and eagerly anticipated the imminent second coming of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, and the inauguration of the Kingdom of God, they also had their differences. Paul, for instance, was adamant that these events would occur within his own lifetime (1 Thessalonians 4:15–17).

 

However, their perspectives diverged in other areas. The original Judeo-Christian practices, such as baptism (a rite of purification) and the breaking of bread (a solemn communal meal), underwent significant transformations in the gentile church under Paul's influence. Baptism evolved into a mystical participation in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, while the communal meal became a sacramental reenactment of the Last Supper. These differences eventually led to animosity and a growing anti-Jewish sentiment within the gentile church.

 

Two of the oldest Christian writings provide valuable insights into the divergences between these two branches of Jesus' followers. The Didache, or Doctrine of the Twelve Apostles, likely composed in Palestine or Syria, stands as our last major Jewish-Christian document preserved in its entirety. On the other hand, the Epistle of Barnabas represents one of the earliest expressions of gentile Christianity, replete with anti-Jewish sentiments.

 

The Didache, dating back to the latter half of the first century C.E., likely predates some New Testament writings. Its religious framework is essentially a concise version of the Mosaic Law, emphasizing the love of God and neighbor, complemented by the "golden rule" in its negative Jewish form: "Whatever you do not want to happen to you, do not do to another" (Didache 1.2). This contrasts with the positive Gospel version: "Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them" (Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:31).

The Didache advocates for a lifestyle akin to that of the early Jerusalem community depicted in Acts, promoting religious communism: "Share all things with your brother and do not say that anything is your own" (Didache 4.8). It appears to endorse the observance of the entire Mosaic Law, or at least as much of it as feasible (Didache 6.2).

 

Baptism is described as an ablution, a purification rite, with a spray of water as an alternative to immersion if pools or rivers are unavailable. Communal prayer involved reciting the "Our Father" three times daily. The Eucharist, or thanksgiving meal, was celebrated on the Lord's Day (Sunday) (Didache 14:1). This meal was both a real dinner and a symbol of spiritual nourishment, with no reference to the Lord's Supper in the Pauline sense.

 

In the Didache, teaching authority was vested in itinerant prophets, as also mentioned in Acts 11:27–28. These prophets were supported by bishops and deacons, who were not appointed by apostolic successors, as was customary in gentile churches, but were democratically elected by the community.

One of the most significant aspects of the Didache’s doctrine is its portrayal of Jesus. This early Judeo-Christian text does not incorporate Paul’s theological concepts of the redeeming Christ or John’s divine Word or Logos. Remarkably, Jesus is never referred to as the “Son of God” in the Didache. This term appears only once, and it is used to describe the Antichrist, “the seducer of the world” (Didache 16.4). The sole title given to Jesus in the Didache is the Greek term "pais," which can mean either servant or child. Given that Jesus shares this title with King David in relation to God (Didache 9.2; see also Acts 4:25), it is evident that it should be interpreted as God’s “Servant.” Thus, the Didache employs the most humble Christological designation for Jesus.

 

In essence, the Jesus depicted in the Didache is primarily an eschatological teacher, anticipated to return soon to gather and lead the dispersed members of his church to the Kingdom of God. The Pauline and Johannine notions of atonement and redemption are absent in this early record of Judeo-Christian life. Passed down by Jewish teachers to Jewish listeners, the image of Jesus in the Didache remains closely aligned with the earliest traditions underlying the Synoptic Gospels, and the Christian community described in the Didache resembles the Jerusalem church depicted in Acts.

The transformation of Jesus' image from a charismatic prophet to a superhuman figure coincided with a significant geographical and religious shift. As the Christian gospel spread from the Galilean-Judean Jewish culture to the pagan realms of the Greco-Roman world, the perception of Jesus evolved. During this time, under the organizational brilliance of Paul, the church developed a hierarchical structure led by bishops, supported by presbyters and deacons. The diminishing Jewish influence paved the way for a rapid "gentilization," leading to the de-judaization and anti-judaization of early Christianity. This shift is evident in the Epistle of Barnabas, one of the earliest works of gentile Christianity.

 

This letter, falsely attributed to Barnabas, Paul's companion, was actually penned by a gentile-Christian author, likely from Alexandria, around the 120s C.E. It nearly became part of the sacred scriptures and is included in the oldest New Testament codex, the fourth-century Codex Sinaiticus, but was ultimately deemed non-canonical by the church. A reference to the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem dates it after 70 C.E., while the lack of mention of the Second Jewish Revolt against Rome (132–135 C.E.) suggests it was written before 135 C.E.

 

The Epistle of Barnabas is a hybrid work. It combines moral instructions (Barnabas 18–21), based on a Jewish tractate on the way of light and the way of darkness, also found in the Didache 1–5 and the first-century B.C.E. Community Rule among the Dead Sea Scrolls, with a lengthy anti-Jewish diatribe (Barnabas 1–17). The author portrays two opposing groups, simply referred to as "we" (Christians) and "they" (Jews), with the dispute centered on the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), which both groups claimed as their own.

 

Let’s keep in mind that Barnabas is on a mission to enlighten his readers with "perfect knowledge" (gnosis) by unveiling the true essence of key Biblical concepts like Covenant, Temple, sacrifice, circumcision, Sabbath, and food laws. He passionately argues that the Jews have misunderstood the Old Testament by taking its institutions and precepts literally. Instead, these should be interpreted allegorically, following the popular exegesis in Alexandria. According to Barnabas, the laws of Moses have been given a spiritual makeover in the new law revealed by Jesus (Barnabas 2:5). Sacrifice, he says, shouldn't be about ritual slaughter but should come from a broken heart. Forgiveness of sin isn't achieved through animal sacrifices but through the mystical sprinkling of Christ's blood (Barnabas 5:1–6).

 

Barnabas is heavily influenced by Paul's ideas, which were ignored by the author of the Didache. He believes that those with gnosis understand that the true circumcision of the heart is granted not by physical mutilation but through the cross of Jesus (Barnabas 9:3–7).

 

For Barnabas and his gentile Christian followers, the covenant between God and the Jews was a sham; it was never ratified. When Moses descended from Mt. Sinai with the Law, he saw the Jews worshipping the golden calf and shattered the two stone tablets inscribed by God's hand, nullifying the Jewish covenant. This covenant had to be replaced by the one sealed with the redemptive blood of "beloved Jesus" in the hearts of Christians (Barnabas 4:6–8, 14:1–7).

 

Barnabas presents a more sophisticated portrayal of Jesus compared to the Didache’s depiction of the “Servant” of God. Barnabas refers to Jesus as “the Son” or “the Son of God” over a dozen times. This “Son of God” is described as having existed for all eternity and being active even before the creation of the world. It was to this preexistent Jesus that God spoke the words, “Let us make man according to our image and likeness” at the foundation of the world (Barnabas 5:5, 6:12). Barnabas implies the quasi-divine nature of Jesus by explaining that the Son of God took on a human form because, without such a disguise, no one could look at him and survive (Barnabas 5:9–10). The ultimate purpose of the descent of “the Lord of the entire world” among humans was to suffer in order to destroy death and demonstrate the reality of resurrection (Barnabas 5:5–6). This perspective aligns closely with, and perhaps even extends beyond, the Pauline-Johannine vision of Christ and his salvific work.

 

The divergence between Jewish and gentile Christianity is evident at this stage, with the Epistle of Barnabas marking the beginning of the church’s doctrinal evolution along exclusively gentile lines. About fifty years after Barnabas, the bishop of Sardis, Melito, accused the Jews of deicide, stating, “God has been murdered … by the right hand of Israel” (Paschal Homily 96). Consequently, Jewish Christianity no longer made sense.

 

The Didache represents the final bloom of Judeo-Christianity. Following Hadrian's suppression of the Second Jewish Revolt in 135 C.E., Jewish Christianity began its decline. Justin Martyr, who was executed in 165 C.E., proudly noted that by his time, non-Jews significantly outnumbered Jewish members in the church (First Apology).

 

From then on, Judeo-Christianity, the elder sister that adhered to Mosaic precepts while blending them with an early form of faith in Jesus, gradually became a fringe phenomenon. Judeo-Christians either rejoined the Jewish community or were absorbed into the gentile church.

 

So, how did the original Judeo-Christians of Jerusalem stack up against their Jewish neighbors? In many essential ways, they were quite similar. Judeo-Christians considered themselves Jews, and their outward behavior and dietary customs were distinctly Jewish. They faithfully observed all the rules and regulations of Mosaic Law. The apostles and their followers regularly visited the Temple of Jerusalem, the heart of Jewish worship, for both private and public worship. It was there that they performed charismatic healings (Acts 3:1–10; 5:12, 20, 25, 42). According to Acts, the entire Jesus party gathered for prayer in the sanctuary every day (Acts 2:46). Even Paul, who was a major opponent of the obligatory performance of Jewish customs in his churches, was a Temple-goer during his visits to Jerusalem. He once fell into a trance while praying in the House of God (Acts 22:17) and on another occasion, he underwent the prescribed purification rituals before commissioning the priests to offer sacrifices on his behalf (Acts 21:24–26).

 

In addition to their devotion to the Law of Moses and worship in the Temple, the early Jewish Christians embraced the practice of "breaking of the bread" (Acts 2:46). This act was not merely a symbolic ritual but a genuine meal that served a dual purpose: nourishing the participants and symbolically uniting them with one another, their Master Jesus, and with God. While the exact frequency of this rite is not specified, it appears to have been a daily occurrence, reminiscent of the sacred dinners of the fully initiated Essenes, as described by Jewish writers Philo and Josephus, and the Community Rule of the Dead Sea Scrolls. "Day by day, attending the Temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food with glad and generous hearts" (Acts 2:46). Conversely, Acts 20:7 mentions Paul in Troas breaking bread on the first day of the week, and the Didache, the earliest Christian treatise (late first century C.E.), also instructs that bread should be broken and thanksgiving (Eucharist) performed each Sunday (Didache 14.1).

 

The Jerusalem Jewish Christians also practiced a form of religious communism. "No one said that any of the things which they possessed was their own, but they had everything in common" (Acts 4:32). Although they were not formally required to relinquish their property and goods, as was the case with the Essenes at Qumran, there was strong moral pressure to do so; failing to comply would have been deemed improper.

 

Before the inclusion of gentile candidates, the affiliates of the Jesus party were seen by the ordinary folks in Jerusalem as representatives of a Jewish movement or sect. They were similar in number to the Essenes and shared customs like the daily solemn meal and living off a common fund. In the late 50s of the first century, the followers of Jesus were known as the “sect [hairesis] of the Nazarenes” (Acts 24:5, 14). Later patristic literature referred to the Judeo-Christians as the Ebionites or “the Poor.” The church historian Eusebius (260–339 C.E.) noted that up until the Bar-Kokhba war (the Second Jewish Revolt against Rome [132–135 C.E.]), all 13 bishops of Jerusalem, starting with James, the brother of Jesus, were from the “circumcision” (Ecclesiastical History 4.3,5).

 

When we look closely, we see that Acts marks a significant demographic shift in the Jesus movement. Around 40 C.E., the family of the Roman centurion Cornelius in Caesarea was admitted into the church (Acts 10). This was followed by the gentile members of the mixed Jewish-Greek church in Antioch (Acts 11:19–24; Galatians 2:11–14), and many pagan converts of Paul in Syria, Asia Minor, and Greece. With these new members, the Jewish monopoly in the movement ended, giving birth to both Jewish and gentile Christianity.

In the Cornelius episode (Acts 10), the Roman centurion and his entourage experienced a Pentecost-like ecstasy that left Peter astonished and persuaded him to baptize them on the spot. This event, however, was quite exceptional, as no further conversion of a gentile is recorded in the Holy Land anywhere in the New Testament.

 

Fast forward to the late 40s C.E., in the bustling Syrian city of Antioch, where the once-novel became frequent. Emigré members of the Jerusalem church were joined by gentiles evangelized and baptized by Judeo-Christians from Cyprus and Cyrene (in North Africa). The mother church in Jerusalem dispatched Barnabas to manage this new mixed community. Barnabas, in turn, hurried to Tarsus in Cilicia to persuade his friend Saul/Paul, already a believer in Christ, to join him in overseeing the new church.

 

In Antioch, Jewish and gentile Christians coexisted happily and shared meals together. Peter, when visiting the community, willingly participated in their common meals. However, the arrival of some extra-zealous representatives from the Jerusalem church, led by James, the brother of Jesus, changed everything. Their disapproving attitude compelled all the Jewish Christians, including Peter and Barnabas, but notably not Paul, to stop their table fellowship with the Greek brethren (Acts 11:2). As a result, the union, fraternity, and harmony in the new mixed church vanished. Outraged, Paul confronted Peter and publicly called him a hypocrite (Galatians 2:11–14), sparking the first major row in Christendom.

After Paul’s first successful missionary journey to Asia Minor, the entry of pagans into the Jesus fellowship became a particularly acute issue. A council of the apostles, attended by Paul and Barnabas, was convened in Jerusalem, at which James the brother of the Lord and head of the mother community overruled the demands of the extremist members of his congregation and proposed a compromise solution (Acts 15:19–21): Gentiles wishing to join the church would be exempted from the full rigor of the Law of Moses, including circumcision, and would merely be required to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from the consumption of blood, from eating non-ritually slaughtered meat, and from certain sex acts judged particularly odious by Jews.

These rules were necessarily intended for gentile converts in the diaspora. In Jerusalem different conditions prevailed, for gentile Christians could not join their Judeo-Christian coreligionists in the Temple as non-Jews were prohibited under threat of instant death to set foot in the area of the holy precinct reserved for Jews.

The Jerusalem council marked the divergence of Jewish and gentile Christianity. While both groups agreed on key beliefs like Christ's return, the resurrection, and God's Kingdom, they had different views on other matters. Paul influenced gentile practices, transforming baptism into a mystical act and the communal meal into a sacramental event. These differences eventually led to animosity and anti-Jewish sentiment in the gentile church.

Two of the oldest Christian writings provide a fascinating glimpse into the differences between the two branches of early Jesus followers. The Didache, also known as the Doctrine of the Twelve Apostles, likely composed in Palestine or Syria, stands as our last major Jewish-Christian document preserved in its entirety. On the other hand, the Epistle of Barnabas is one of the earliest expressions of gentile Christianity, marked by its anti-Jewish sentiments.

 

The Didache is generally dated to the latter half of the first century C.E., potentially predating some New Testament writings. Its religious program is essentially a summary of the Mosaic Law, emphasizing the love of God and neighbor, and includes the so-called "golden rule" in its negative Jewish form: "Whatever you do not want to happen to you, do not do to another" (Didache 1.2). This contrasts with the positive Gospel version: "Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them" (Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:31). The lifestyle advocated in the Didache mirrors that of the primitive Jerusalem community described in Acts, including religious communism: "Share all things with your brother and do not say that anything is your own" (Didache 4.8). It appears to recommend observing the entire Mosaic Law or as much of it as possible (Didache 6.2).

 

Baptism is depicted as an ablution, a purification rite, with a spray of water as an alternative to immersion if pools or rivers are unavailable. Communal prayer involved reciting the "Our Father" three times daily. The thanksgiving meal (Eucharist) was celebrated on the Lord’s Day (Sunday) (Didache 14:1). It was both a real dinner and a symbol of spiritual nourishment. Notably, there is no reference to the Lord’s Supper in the Pauline sense.

 

In the Didache, teaching authority was vested in itinerant prophets, much like those mentioned in Acts 11:27–28. These prophets were supported by bishops and deacons, who were not appointed by apostolic successors as was customary in gentile churches but were instead democratically elected by the community.

 

One of the most intriguing aspects of the Didache’s doctrine is its portrayal of Jesus. This early Judeo-Christian text does not incorporate Paul’s theological concepts of the redeeming Christ or John’s divine Word or Logos. Remarkably, Jesus is never referred to as the “Son of God” in the Didache. The only instance of this term appears in reference to the Antichrist, described as “the seducer of the world” (Didache 16.4). The sole title given to Jesus in the Didache is the Greek term "pais," which can mean either servant or child. Given that Jesus shares this title with King David in relation to God (Didache 9.2; see also Acts 4:25), it is evident that it should be interpreted as God’s “Servant.” Thus, the Didache employs the humblest Christological designation for Jesus.

 

In essence, the Jesus depicted in the Didache is primarily an eschatological teacher, anticipated to return soon to gather and lead the dispersed members of his church to the Kingdom of God. The Pauline and Johannine notions of atonement and redemption are conspicuously absent in this earliest account of Judeo-Christian life. Passed down by Jewish teachers to Jewish listeners, the image of Jesus in the Didache remains closely aligned with the earliest traditions underlying the Synoptic Gospels, and the Christian community described in the Didache mirrors the Jerusalem church depicted in Acts.

 

The transformation of Jesus' image from a charismatic prophet to a superhuman figure coincided with a significant geographical and religious shift. As the Christian gospel spread from the Galilean-Judean Jewish culture to the pagan Greco-Roman world, the church, under Paul's organizational brilliance, adopted a hierarchical structure led by bishops, presbyters, and deacons. This shift led to the diminishing Jewish influence, paving the way for a rapid "gentilization" and subsequent de-judaization and anti-judaization of early Christianity. This evolution is evident in the Epistle of Barnabas, one of the earliest works of gentile Christianity.

 

This letter, falsely attributed to Barnabas, Paul's companion, was actually penned by a gentile-Christian author, likely from Alexandria, around the 120s C.E. It nearly became part of the sacred scriptures, being included in the fourth-century Codex Sinaiticus, but was ultimately deemed non-canonical by the church. The letter references the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem, dating it post-70 C.E., but its lack of mention of the Second Jewish Revolt (132–135 C.E.) suggests it was written before 135 C.E.

 

The Epistle of Barnabas is a hybrid work. It combines moral instructions (Barnabas 18–21), based on a Jewish tractate on the way of light and darkness, also found in the Didache 1–5 and the first-century B.C.E. Community Rule among the Dead Sea Scrolls, with a lengthy anti-Jewish diatribe (Barnabas 1–17). The author portrays two opposing groups, "we" (Christians) and "they" (Jews), with their dispute rooted in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), which both sides claimed as their own.

Barnabas seeks to enlighten his readers with "perfect knowledge" (gnosis) by unveiling the true meanings behind key Biblical concepts such as Covenant, Temple, sacrifice, circumcision, Sabbath, and food laws. He argues that the Jews have misunderstood these Old Testament institutions and precepts by interpreting them literally, whereas they should be understood allegorically, in line with the exegesis popular in Alexandria. Essentially, the laws of Moses have been spiritualized in the new law revealed by Jesus (Barnabas 2:5)

Barnabas emphasizes that sacrifice should not involve ritual slaughter but should instead demand a contrite heart. Forgiveness of sins is not achieved through the killing of animals but through the mystical sprinkling of Christ's blood (Barnabas 5:1–6). The ideas of Paul, which are overlooked by the author of the Didache, are central to Barnabas's thought. He asserts that those with gnosis understand that the grace of true circumcision of the heart is granted not by physical mutilation but through the cross of Jesus (Barnabas 9:3–7).

For Barnabas and his gentile Christian followers, the covenant between God and the Jews was never valid; it was nullified when Moses, upon seeing the Jews worshiping the golden calf, shattered the stone tablets inscribed by God's hand. This act rendered the Jewish covenant void, necessitating its replacement by the covenant sealed with the redemptive blood of "beloved Jesus" in the hearts of Christians (Barnabas 4:6–8, 14:1–7).

Barnabas presents a significantly more sophisticated image of Jesus compared to the Didache’s portrayal of Him as merely the “Servant” of God. Barnabas refers to Jesus as “the Son” or “the Son of God” over a dozen times, emphasizing His divine nature. This “Son of God” is depicted as having existed for all eternity, actively participating in the creation of the world. It was to this preexistent Jesus that God spoke the words, “Let us make man according to our image and likeness” at the foundation of the world (Barnabas 5:5, 6:12).

 

Barnabas further implies Jesus’s quasi-divine nature by explaining that the Son of God took on a human form because, without such a disguise, no one could look upon Him and survive (Barnabas 5:9–10). The ultimate purpose of the descent of “the Lord of the entire world” among humanity was to suffer in order to conquer death and demonstrate the reality of resurrection (Barnabas 5:5–6). This perspective aligns closely with, and perhaps even extends beyond, the Pauline-Johannine vision of Christ and His salvific work.

 

The divergence between Jewish and gentile Christianity is already evident at this stage, with the Epistle of Barnabas marking the beginning of the church’s doctrinal evolution along exclusively gentile lines. About fifty years after Barnabas, the bishop of Sardis, Melito, accused the Jews of deicide, stating, “God has been murdered … by the right hand of Israel” (Paschal Homily 96). Consequently, Jewish Christianity no longer holds any relevance.

 

The Didache represents the last gasp of Judeo-Christianity. Following Hadrian's suppression of the Second Jewish Revolt in 135 C.E., Jewish Christianity began its decline. Justin Martyr, who was executed in 165 C.E., proudly observed that by his time, non-Jews significantly outnumbered Jewish members within the church (First Apology).

 

As time went on, Judeo-Christianity, the elder sister that adhered to Mosaic precepts while embracing a primitive faith in Jesus, gradually became a fringe phenomenon. Judeo-Christians slowly disappeared, either rejoining the Jewish community or being absorbed into the gentile church.


Need more information on who Barnabas was, and what The Didache is?  Click below!
Who was Barnabas in the Bible?
What is The Didache?


Please note:  sources for this article include Biblical Archaeology Society and BibleRef.Com.


~~~
Bruce holds degrees in Computer Science, Biblical History, and American History from Temple University and Liberty University; he has also completed a Doctorate in Educational Organizational Leadership at Abilene Christian University.  He is a member of the Epsilon Pi Tau Honor Society, Golden Key Honor Society, Historical Studies Honor Society, and the Saber and Scroll Society.  He has worked in educational technology for 30 years and specializes in building infrastructures for schools that work to support the mission of technology in education in the classroom.  He has also served as a classroom teacher in computer science, history, and English classes at both the high school and College levels.  His baseball career spanned almost 15 years, from high school through Division I college ball and experience in MLB.  He has coached players at various levels from ages 8 through 18.

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