However, each group held a different perspective upon the fulfillment of the Hebrew Scripture. Thus we find that the early Christians went to the same places of worship as the Jews, and they used the same Scripture as the Jews. Paul could reason with the Jews from the Hebrew Scriptures because both Jews and Christians recognized the divine authority of these sacred writings. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and for three weeks he argued with them from the scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” ( Acts 17:1-3 RSV) Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. Scripture tells us that he went to Thessalonica for three consecutive Sabbaths: We are told that it was Paul’s custom to go to the synagogues and preach. And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue said to them, saying, “Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.” ( Acts 13:14-15 NKJV) The Bible records it this way:īut when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. The Apostle Paul went to the synagogue to preach the message that Jesus was the promised Messiah. But they were no match for Stephen, who spoke with the great wisdom that the Spirit gave him. Some others from Cilicia and Asia also argued with him. We read the following in the Book of Acts:īut some men from Cyrene and Alexandria were members of a group who called themselves “Free Men.” They started arguing with Stephen. We also find that Stephen, the first martyr, was confronted in a synagogue while he was preaching Jesus. Since the Jews and Christians both believed in the divine authority of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Christians used these Scriptures to show the Jews that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah. The Bible says:Īnd daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. The early Christians went to the temple every day to preach and teach Jesus to the Jewish people. This episode is also recorded in the Book of Acts:Īnd as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them. Later, we again find Peter and John teaching at the temple in Jerusalem. Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time for prayer, at three o’clock in the afternoon. We read the following in the Book of Acts: They did this to proclaim Jesus as the Messiah. We also discover that the early Christians went to the Jewish places of worship to the temple and the synagogues. The Early Christians Went to Jewish Places of Worship to Preach Jesus No other written works carried God’s divine authority.Ģ. They believed this limited group of writings, and only these writings, were the sacred Scripture which God had given to the human race. They also reject the writings known as the “Old Testament Apocrypha.” They understand the Hebrew Scriptures as the only sacred writings possessing divine authority.īefore the New Testament was written, we find the first Christians holding the same perspective toward the Hebrew Scriptures as the Jews. They reject the idea that the Hebrew Scripture is the “Old” Testament because they do not accept the New Testament. It alone is the sacred Scripture that has been revealed to humanity. The traditional Jewish belief is that the Hebrew Scripture, or the Old Testament, is the Word of God. The Hebrew Scriptures Alone Are God’s Revealed Word The following observations need to be made about this issue:ġ. It is important to understand the differences between the traditional Jewish view of the Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian view. Is the Bible the Ultimate Source of Authority – Question 7ĭo Jews view the Old Testament in the same way as Christians? Is it the final standard for all matters of faith and practice? What is the traditional Jewish view of the Bible by those who believe the Hebrew Scriptures are God’s divinely inspired Word for humanity? What Is the Jewish View of the Authority of Scripture?
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