Early Symbol Of Judeo-Christianity
Because we believe in the same God as the Jewish people, the God who created heaven and earth, the covenant God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the God who gave us our moral law in the Ten Commandments, because of all of this we are Judeo Christians.
This symbol of Judeo Christians goes back to the First Century. This ancient symbol gives us an understanding, visually, of how the early church viewed itself. They knew the teaching of Paul in Romans 11:16-18, when he said that the Gentiles were grafted into Israel. 11:16-18, when he said that the Gentiles were grafted into Israel.
“If the first fruit is holy, so is the whole batch of dough; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. But if some of the branches were broken off and you—being a wild olive—were grafted in among them and became a partaker of the root of the olive tree with its richness, do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, it is not you who support the root but the root supports you.”
Paul tells us this in Ephesians 2:11-22, “You who are not Jews by birth, here is what I want you to remember. You are called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “circumcised.” But they have only been circumcised in their bodies by human hands. Before you believed in the Messiah, you were separated from Him. You were not considered to be citizens of Israel. You were not included in what the covenants promised. You were without hope and without God in the world. At one time you were far away from God. But now you belong to (Messiah Yeshua) Christ Jesus. He spilled His blood for you. This has brought you near to God. Messiah Himself is our peace. He has made Jews and Gentiles into one group of people. He has destroyed the hatred that was like a wall between us. Through His body on the cross, Messiah set aside the law with all its commands and rules (for conversion). He planned to create one new people out of Jews and Gentiles. He wanted to make peace between them. He planned to bring both Jews and Gentiles back to God as one body. He planned to do this through the cross. On that cross, Messiah put to death their hatred toward one another. He came and preached peace to you who were far away. He also preached peace to those who were near. Through the Messiah we both come to the Father by the power of one Holy Spirit. So you are no longer outsiders and strangers. You are citizens together with God’s people. You are also members of God’s family. You are a building that is built on the apostles and prophets. They are the foundation. Messiah Himself is the most important stone in the building. The whole building is held together by Him. It rises to become a holy temple because it belongs to the Lord. And because you belong to Him, you too are being built together. You are being made into a house where God lives through His Spirit.”
Today we are still Judeo Christians, still grafted in, and still being built as a holy temple together unto the Lord.
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