Other episodes in the New Testament paint a more positive picture of the Jews. For example, the New Testament says that Jesus is Jewish, is (along with John the Baptist) called rabbi, and is crucified with a sign calling him the "King of the Jews". Many Jews are portrayed as following Jesus and converting to Christianity, and it is said that "salvation is of the Jews" (John, 4:23).
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2 Jewish views 3 Use of critical verses 4 Biblical scholarship 5 Detailed interpretations 6 External Links |
Like most of the Bible, and indeed most of any religious book, different groups and individuals have interpreted these verses in different ways. Some Christians interpret some Biblical passages in one way while interpreting other passages in different ways.
There are many Christian churches which have changed or clarified their teachings on this subject. A study of these churches, the changes the made, and important documents on this issue can be found in the entries on Christianity and anti-Semitism and Christian-Jewish reconciliation.
As one example, the Catholic Church reversed its views on Jews with a series of statements beginning in 1965. In the Nostra Aetate, Pope Paul VI proclaimed that:
Most Jewish scholars and rabbis today consider themselves to be the heirs of the Pharisees. Thus verses that single out the Pharisees for criticism have more of a sting for modern Jews than many Christians realize. For views of Jewish Biblical scholars, see below.
Some say that the classical Christian position, while theological and not a racial position, nevertheless has ethnocidal implications since a Jew who converts to Christianity is often no longer considered to be Jewish. Some Jews thus perceive this stance as an attack on the Jewish nation, even though it is not couched in racial terms.
These verses have been used to incite prejudice and violence against Jewish people. Professor Lillian C. Freudmann, author of "Antisemitism in the New Testament" (University Press of America, 1994) has published a study of such verses and the effects that they have had in the Christian community throughout history. Similar studies have been made by both Christian and Jewish scholars, including, Professors Clark Williamsom (Christian Theological Seminary), Hyam Maccoby (The Leo Baeck Institute), Norman A. Beck (Texas Lutheran College), and Michael Berenbaum (Georgetown University).
Occasionally, these verses have also been used to encourage anti-Christian sentiment amongst non-Christians. Christian apologists argue that by taking isolated verses out of context, people distort the message of Christianity, setting up a straw man caricature to knock down.
Most of the verses in question are attributed not to Jesus (who was himself a Jew) but to the authors of the New Testament. Jesus' disciples, Paul, and the first Christians were Jews, including the authors of the New Testament. By the time the New Testament was finished Christians already had begun to view themselves, and be seen as, a separate religion; they were no longer part of the Jewish community. Judaism itself was also undergoing significant change following the destruction of the Temple and the end of animal sacrifices. During the time the New Testament was written, a number of Christians shifted their emphasis from seeking Jewish converts to seeking gentile converts. Many biblical scholars observe that different books appear to be aimed at different audiences, and suggest that the intended audience may have influenced the writers.
Some of the New Testament was probably written for a non-Jewish audience, some time after the events they describe. Some scholars have sugested that some things Jesus said or did, or that Pharisees said or did, which were clear in meaning to Jewish contemporaries, would not have been quite as clear to the later Gentile authors or readers. They further suggest that these later Gospels were a selective account that interpreted Jesus' life so that it would be less threatening to the Roman authorities, and more congenial to Gentiles. But such an interpretation would not only reveal, it would add to, the growing gulf between Jews and Christians.
Thus, although the New Testament authors were not racially prejudiced against their fellow Jews, they may have displayed religious or theological prejudice against Jews who remained followers of Judaism rather than become Christians, particularly since Jews claimed to be the heirs to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob's covenant with God; heirs to the covenant of Sinai; and followers of the sacred scriptures -- the very sources of Christian legitimacy. Once Christianity established itself as a new religion, by converting gentiles and by not obeying Mosaic law, Christians were no longer of particular interest (let alone threat) to the Jewish leadership. But as long as Jews claimed to be following the same Bible that Christians believed prophesied Jesus's messianic status, they necessarily threatened Christian claims. Moreover, since Jesus was Jewish, the fact that Jews did not recognize Jesus as their Messiah was an implicit threat to the legitimacy of Christianity and something that Christians had to explain, both to themselves and to potential gentile converts.
Here are some references where scholars have gone through parts of the New Testament to try and decide the writer's (or writers') original message on Jews and Judaism:
Christian Views
For views of Christian Biblical scholars, see below.
Views of Christian Churches
Jewish views
Use of critical verses
Biblical scholarship
Detailed interpretations
See also: Christianity and anti-Semitism, Persecution of Christians