The Complexity of the Judaisms Within the Jesus Movement

 

A major shock for me, during the first decade of research on my Christian Biblical Heritage, was discovering that my religion had not been passed down “intact and unbroken” from Jesus to me. But the facts led me to understand that my religion began as a Jewish sect and was then transformed into local Gentile religions spread throughout the Roman Empire. Later they were consolidated by Roman Emperor Constantine the Great and became the Roman Catholic Church, which was divided by the Great Schism of 1054. Then Luther created Protestantism which splintered into multiple new religions. Each religion began as “beliefs in the minds of individuals,” attracted followers, created institutions, and later became denominations.

 

At times I wanted to walk away from it all, but I also discovered that Christian Biblical Heritages played major roles in ending feudalism, founding universities, the spread of the double entry accounting system – plus the rise of science, capitalism, American democracy, and more.  The bottom line, in my opinion, is the world we know today would not exist without Christian Biblical Heritages.

 

That was going on when I first met Rabbi Jeffrey Leynor. My research had taken me back to the roots of my Biblical Heritage – the Movement of Yeshua (the Jesus of History & the Jewish Jesus). I was just becoming aware of “the complexity of the Judaisms” of the Late Second Temple Period. Jeffrey was intrigued by my use of “Judaisms” to describe the roots of his religion – Rabbinic Judaism. After the Temple was destroyed in 70 CE, Jews and Christians spent the next five-hundred years laying the foundations upon which modern Judaism and Christianity are built.

 

Today, almost everyone agrees that Jesus and the original members of his movement were all “Jewish.” But very few people realize “Jewish” didn’t mean they were all practicing one Judaism. “Jewish people belonged to multiple “Judaisms.” No one ever asks -- Which Judaisms did Jesus and his followers belong to before they became part of the Jesus Movement?  Below are some of the most influential “Judaisms” of that time.

 

● Zadokite Judaism

 

● Samaritans

 

● Enochic Judaism

 

● Sadducees

 

● Pharisees

 

● Essenes

 

● Hasidim

 

● Prophetic Messianic Movements

 

● Zealots and the Sicarii

 

Each of the above groups maintained the authority and unique revelation of Israelite sacred texts and contended that it was the “real Israel” that stood as the legitimate heir of the Israel reflected in those sacred texts. Each group also consented to the recognition of or at least existence of other competing “Israels,” albeit in a dependent and hierarchical manner.

 

In the view of each group, “their Israel” reflected the

final reflection of God’s role and purposes for all Israel.

 

The original followers of Jesus reflected brought with them beliefs and ideas from their “former Judaisms,” which were initially composed of Galileans, whose perspective on Jewish nationalism was often more zealous than their Judean counterparts. Disagreements that separated them before became members of the Jesus Movement became internal issues of the Jesus Movement.

 

There were also conflicts with Jews who did not accept Jesus’ messianic claims or agree with his teachings about the Kingdom of God. In addition to those conflicts, there were conflicts with the ruling hierarchy of the Temple. And, always lurking in the background, were Roman officials and their military forces. Conflicts with the Romans could result in deadly consequences. Amid all of the other challenges Jesus faced within his own group, some of his members had been members of the Zealots and the Sacarii – they wanted to ignite a military conflict with the Romans.

 

The above knowledge transformed the way we view the teachings of Jesus. He addressed issues related to conflicts within his own group. In dealing with those conflicts, he also addressed issues that were dividing the Jewish people and their nation. He was master teacher of the sacred Jewish texts and he focused are portions that had the power to unite Jewish people – and even include Gentiles. That was something that amazed and was very important to Jeffrey and me!

 

Shalom,

Jim Myers

 

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* SOURCE & Recommended Reading -- The Judaisms of Jesus’ Followers: An Introduction to Early Christianity in Its Jewish Context by Juan Marcos Bejarano Gurierrez (Click here for more information).