Thoughts on question 1

[starship.jrm]

1. The great and unfortunate animosity that developed between the
early Christians, most of them converted Jews, arose because the Jews
saw only that the Christians were throwing away 2000 years of
religious teaching, while the Christians were trying to show that
their faith in Jesus as the Messiah was the fulfillment of that very
teaching. What characteristics of human beings made this necessary?


People are usually happy or get mad when they hear the gospel
preached. In the beginning of Acts 22 we see two parts of Paul’s
gospel the brought out Jewish opposition. The offer of salvation to
Gentiles, on the same basis as Jews, and the resurrection of the body.
Paul’s heavenly vision in the temple sending him to the Gentiles was
an unthinkable and blasphemous notion. At this the crowd of Jews
raised their voice and shouted him down and wanted to have nothing to
do with Paul. To them he is as repulsive as an unclean Gentile.

The ethnic pride of the Jews showed they were not fit to evaluate
Christianity. Their reaction should be a warning to us today. When we
hear gospel truths, which don’t match our own ethnic pride and
prejudice, we should embrace them and not substitute a blind, violent
mob type mentality against them.