Podcasts about century judaism

We read from the Hebrew text of Psalm 110:4 - "Yehovah has made AN OATH and will He will not be comforted [with any other decree], “You are a Cohen or Priest forever through The WORD of Melchizedek.” English translations usually express this as “The Order of Melchizedek,” but based on the context of Psalm 110:4, it is not about a religious or spiritual group, order, or society.The Hebrew root supporting "The Order" of Melchizedek is D-V-R (Dalet-Vet-Resh), which is about Yehovah's SPEECH or WORD. Therefore, I am suggesting that we should understand “the Order of Melchizedek” not as some kind of religious order but rather as a COMMAND and OATH from the WORD of Yehovah delivered to the nation through Yehovah's messengers of Heaven who made regular visits to the House of the Sons of Tzadok at Qumran. This very well might explain one of today's Jewish Orthodox Songs of the Sabbath - “Shalom Aleichem.”  Could the lyrics of this song for the Sabbath Day have come from the early first-century Zadokite believers in Yeshua who were known to be associates and supporters of the Prophets, Priests, and Judges of the House of Tzadok? Is it possible that this song inadvertently slipped past the ancient Rabbinic censors and, through Rabbinic tradition, managed to make it into the weekly liturgy of today's Judaism?Today, we will also ask why Paul wrote the words of Colossians 2:16-19. And also, why Yeshua said to Nicodemus in John 3, The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”Yeshua answered and said to him, “Are you the Teacher of Israel and do not know these things?"These matters and so much more will be addressed in this study of the Qumran Zadokites.This is Episode 143 and PART 29 in a series of studies about the Qumran Zadokites, the New Covenant or "New Testament" writings, and Judaism.Support the show

We read from the Hebrew text of Psalm 110:4 - "Yehovah has made AN OATH and will He will not be comforted [with any other decree], “You are a Cohen or Priest forever through The WORD of Melchizedek.” English translations usually express this as “The Order of Melchizedek,” but based on the context of Psalm 110:4, it is not about a religious or spiritual group, order, or society. The Hebrew root supporting "The Order" of Melchizedek is D-V-R (Dalet-Vet-Resh), which is about Yehovah's SPEECH or WORD. Therefore, I am suggesting that we should understand “the Order of Melchizedek” not as some kind of religious order but rather as a COMMAND and OATH from the WORD of Yehovah delivered to the nation through Yehovah's messengers of Heaven who made regular visits to the House of the Sons of Tzadok at Qumran. This very well might explain one of today's Jewish Orthodox Songs of the Sabbath - “Shalom Aleichem.”  Could the lyrics of this song for the Sabbath Day have come from the early first-century Zadoite believers in Yeshua who were known to be associates and supporters of the Prophets, Priests, and Judges of the House of Tzadok? Is it possible that this song inadvertently slipped past the ancient Rabbinic censors and, through Rabbinic tradition, managed to make it into the weekly liturgy of today's Judaism? Today, we will also ask why Paul wrote the words of Colossians 2:16-19. And also, why Yeshua said to Nicodemus in John 3, "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?” Yeshua answered and said to him, “Are you the Teacher of Israel and do not know these things? These matters and so much more will be addressed in this study of the Qumran Zadokites. This is Episode 143 and PART 29 in a series of studies about the Qumran Zadokites, the New Covenant or "New Testament" writings, and Judaism.

The Truth Barista and Amazing Larry continue their crucial introduction to the Book of Revelation. The Truth Barista shares the situation of the seven Asia Minor Messianic Congregations relating to 1st Century Judaism and the rising persecution of the Roman Empire.Visit HighBeam Ministry, The Truth BaristaCheck out the Frothy Thoughts Blog!Check out The Truth Barista Books!

For most Messianics I know who celebrate Chanukah, they hear a great deal about the military exploits of the Maccabees and the rededication of the Temple. Many of them honestly take the time to flip through the Books of 1&2 Maccabees in the Apocrypha, the principal historical record that influences our understanding of the wars fought by the Maccabees. When Jerusalem was recaptured and the Temple was rededicated, much more really did take place. This goes beyond the lives of Judah Maccabee and his brothers. Sadly, too many congregations and fellowships that honor Chanukah are not that familiar with this period of complicated history—not only for what took place in the Second Century B.C.E., but how it would influence the First Century C.E.

Rabbi Pinchas Allouche, the founding Rabbi of Congregation Beth Tefillah (https://www.bethtefillahaz.org/) presents his virtual presentation "Lessons From My Teacher, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz." Rabbi Allouche is a respected rabbinic figure, a renowned lecturer, and a prominent author of many essays on the Jewish faith, mysticism, and social-criticism. Besides his academic pedigree, Rabbi Allouche is richly-cultural, having lived in France, where he was born, South Africa and Israel. He is also fluent in English, Hebrew, French and Italian. Rabbi Allouche is a member of AIPAC's National Council, and a member of the Vaad Harabanim, the Orthodox Rabbinic Council of Arizona. Rabbi Allouche's wise, profound, and sensitive perspective on the world and its people, on life and living, is highly regarded and sought-after by communities and individuals of all backgrounds. Rabbi Allouche is also tremendously involved in the Jewish community of Greater Phoenix, and he teaches middle-school Judaics at the local Jewish Day School. Rabbi Allouche is also a blogger for many online publications including the Huffington Post, and The Times of Israel. Rabbi Allouche was listed in the Jewish Daily Forward as one of America's 36 Most Inspiring Rabbis, who are "shaping 21st Century Judaism." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-librarh https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash

Essenes, Zealots, Pharisees. This week we continue to look at the major Jewish reactions to the introduction of Hellenism and the changing world of 1st Century Judaism.   Visit our website: http://www.outofashesministries.org/Join us LIVE each Saturday at 10am Central for worship, prayer, and teaching: http://www.outofashesministries.org/live/Donate: http://www.outofashesministries.org/give/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OutofAshesMin/Contact Us: contact@outofashesministries.org The post The Silent Years: Part 4- Essenes, Zealots, & Pharisees appeared first on Out of Ashes Ministries.

Rabbi Dr. Goldie Milgram, the Executive Director of Reclaiming Judaism (http://www.reclaimingjudaism.org/) presents her lecture, Wisdom from Reb Zalman: Embracing the Jewish Spirit before an audience at Temple Chai (templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Rabbi Dr. Zalman Schachter-Shalomi lived a calling to reach and touch people in deeply spiritual, supportive, and Jewishly profound ways. He developed effective approaches to bridging science and spirituality, pre-war European and 21st Century Judaism, patriarchy and feminism, tradition and innovation, Jewish faith and many faiths. Come be challenged and inspired, as Rabbi Goldie Milgram, one of his emissaries, and volume co-editor of Wisdom from Reb Zalman | Embracing the Jewish Spirit (Reclaiming Judaism Press), shares and convenes discussion of his fascinating and instructive encounters with students and colleagues worldwide. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library

How did Paul interact with Judaism? Does our definition of Gospel fit within how Paul understood the Gospel? Scot dissects these answers these questions and more from the last section of E.P. Sander's book. Most of Sander's book breaks down the false assumptions of Judaism that tainting understand Paul in his context. This section takes all the insightful information about 1st Century Judaism and draws helpful insights to gaining a greater understanding about Paul's letters.

Douglas Rushkoff, media theorist, writer, and graphic novelist, joins Dan and Lex for a conversation reflecting on the decade since he published his book Nothing Sacred: The Truth About Judaism, in which he advocated for "open source Judaism." Rushkoff argues that that 21st Century Judaism should be based on contemporary interpretations of the traditional pillars of iconoclasm, abstract monotheism, and social justice. If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here. To access full shownotes for this episode, click here!

Dan and Lex close out their three-episode series on Intermarriage: The New Normal in this episode. They explain why they don't think intermarriage is bad for American Judaism, explore questions of what it means to be a "Jewish leader," and discuss shifts away from binary, either-or ways of thinking. If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here. To access full shownotes for this episode, click here!

Guest scholar Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson shares his dynamic and inspiring vision for a compelling and relevant 21st Century Judaism  

We are continuing our series on Redeeming Humanity, looking at how God redeems us through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. This week we were looking at how easy it is to exclude people and look to keep everything safe but how Jesus talks of the overwhelming grace and generosity of God. There was an expectation in 1st Century Judaism (as is shared in Christianity) that there would be a great feast at the end of time where the saviour of the world, the Messiah, would be its host. This came from a passage in Isaiah 25 describing this feast. By Jesus’ time the feast had been re-defined to exclude the gentiles that Isaiah talked of being welcomed. Jesus tells the parable to point out that God’s grace was so much bigger than people wanted to believe. Will based the talk on Luke 14: 15-24

Called to Change One Life at a Time!

Called to Change One Life at a Time!

Called to Change One Life at a Time!

Called to Change One Life at a Time!

The self-described "Yankee Jewish Feminist who teaches in a predominantly Christian divinity school in the buckle of the Bible Belt" Dr. Amy-Jill Levine joins the show to talk Jesus' Jewishness, the Pope reading her books, The Good Hamas, women in 1st Century Judaism, how to read Jesus' parables and "Short Stories by Jesus."

This episode of CS the first of a couple summary reviews we'll do. My plan is to continue on as we have, pausing occasionally to in one episode catch us up in broad strokes on what we've covered so far.My hope is to avoid the whole, “Can't see the forest for the trees” thing. For those listeners where English is a second language, that phrase is an idiom that means the loss of perspective behind too many details.Though I want to give a clean straight narrative for our story of the Church, we can't help but bounce around ab it between times & places. It's just the nature of trying to examine all of church history, instead of its course in one location. Still, I hope to build a basic sense of historical flow. To that end, stopping every so often to step back and provide a quick summary of the material we've covered so far seems appropriate.Overviews won't have nearly the detail as a regular episode, but they will have a lot more names & dates since it's a culling & gleaning of what the last so many episodes have covered.Okay, here we go with our first Overview . . .While the Christian Faith began as an inordinately tiny sect within 1st Century Judaism, it grew rapidly, first among Jews, then among Gentiles. This growth can be attributed to two main causes. First, was the generally lethargic spiritual condition of the ancient world, most especially in those regions dominated by the Roman Empire. Several factors conspired to make people ripe for the message the Gospel proclaimed. Second, was the spiritual dynamic provided by early followers of Jesus. They demonstrated an exceptional lifestyle that attracted others. Even while Rome followed an official policy of opposition to the Faith, the number of its adherent grew.Early Christianity is divided by historians into 2 periods: the Apostolic & Post-Apostolic.The Apostolic lasts from the mid-1st Century to the early 2nd when the last of the Apostolic Fathers died. The Apostolic Fathers are counted not only as the original disciples of Jesus and their peers but their direct followers; men like Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch & Polycarp.The Post-Apostolic period stretches from the early 2nd Century to the beginning of the 4th. During this time the leadership of the church moved from direct dependence on the Apostolic Fathers to local church leaders, known as pastors. As the decades passed, these local lead pastors morphed into bishops who oversaw a growing episcopal structure.This period was marked by episodic & regional persecution of Christians in Roman lands. It wasn't until the mid to late 3rd Century that persecution became a widespread policy. It ended with the arrival of Emperor Constantine and the Edict of Milan in 313. Names associated with this time are Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Origen.Besides persecution, the main challenge the Post-Apostolic church faced was presented by heresy.Early Christians heeded the New Testament's repeated call for maintaining correct belief and refuting false teaching. The Faith wasn't just the philosophical ramblings of a sun-burnt sage. It was rooted in historical events both ancient & recent. When aberrant teachers attempted to hijack core & cardinal doctrines, bishops gathered to study what their Scriptures said and arrive at a consensus. In this way, they refuted the challenge of such groups & teaching as Docetism and its later evolution, Gnosticism.  They rebuffed Marcionism, the Ebionites, Manachaeists & the aberrant teaching of Montanus. The greatest threat rose from a Bishop named Arius who denied Jesus' deity.  Though Arianism was officially quashed at the First of the Great or what are called Ecumenical Councils held at Nicaea in 325, it continued to be espoused in many regions for the next century and a half. The Council of Nicaea established the orthodox Christian position today known as Trinitarianism, which holds that God is one in essence while three in persons. While 300 bishops signed the Nicaean Creed, many of them went away from the Council unsettled about the terminology used in the Creed to define the correct view of God. The task of sharpening the terms & arriving at the proper description of the Biblical doctrine of the Trinity was left to the Cappadocian Fathers some time later.The Post-Apostolic period is also when the Church Fathers realized the need to provide a definitive list of books that comprised the Bible. The work of several councils finally closed the Canon during this time.The Post-Apostolic Period was followed by what's often called Catholic Christianity; not to be confused with ROMAN Catholic. The term ‘catholic' means universal and stands in contrast to the many often subtle doctrinal challenges that arose following the Council of Nicaea. This period, stretching from the beginning of the 4th Century to the end of the 5th saw 7 major Church Councils that all met to address some new or renewed challenge to orthodoxy, specifically as it related to the theological can of worms the First Council at Nicaea opened, and maybe we should say, sought to close. You see, once the Church settled on the Trinity as the right way to understand God, the main questions were;1) How do the persons of the Godhead relate to one another?2) How are we to understand the person of Jesus? How do we reconcile Him as both God & Man?This second issue ended up in sometimes bloody brawls as advocates of different positions used the debate to secure political favor & religious prestige.During this period of Catholic Christianity, 4 cities rose as the gravitational centers of the Christian world; Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, & the new capital of the Empire, Constantinople. Alexandria, Antioch & Constantinople were all in the East while Rome was alone in the West. The main contest for prestige & power was between Alexandria & Antioch which used 2 different ways of interpreting Scripture and understanding the Person & Nature of Christ. Alexandria had a long reputation as a center of scholarship but Antioch continually produced excellent preachers. Since the Church at Constantinople, being near the royal palace, was the premier church in terms of securing imperial favor, whoever was the bishop there tended to secure favor for his side of the debate. It infuriated many of the bishops at Alexandria that Antioch kept providing new leaders for the Church at Constantinople. The supreme example of all this is the verbal and at times physical brawl that took place between Cyril of Alexandria and Nestorius from Antioch, who became Bishop at Constantinople.It was during this time as well that the Church at Rome emerged to become, not just the lead church in the West, but over the entire Empire. One of the reasons for this is the generally excellent leadership the Roman Bishops provided. When the Eastern churches were wracked by debate, Rome often played a mediating influence or lent a perspective that resolved the issue.What encouraged Rome's emergence as the lead church in the Faith was the claim of some Roman Bishops that they were spiritual heirs to Peter's spiritual hegemony. That claim was not without considerable push-back by many, but it eventually proved persuasive so that Rome was given tacit, if not outright honor as the lead church.Again, it was during this era the Ecumenical Councils were convened. They were concerned largely with settling the Christological disputes tearing apart the Church. The First Council of Nicaea in 325 & First Council of Constantinople in 381 condemned Arianism. The Council of Ephesus in 431 condemned Nestorianism and affirmed Mary as the Theotokos; that is the "Mother of God."The Council of Chalcedon just 20 years later affirmed that Christ had two natures; He was fully God and fully man, yet was one person. It specifically condemned Monophysitism, the belief that Jesus' divine nature overwhelmed his human nature. Following Chalcedon, several groups broke with the orthodox, or what we would call from this time, Catholic position; again, not Roman Catholic. The term simply means what was the accepted position of the Church & churches of the Roman World. The churches of Egypt, headquartered at Alexandria tended to be Monophysite while the churches that moved into the East followed a distorted view of Nestorius' & began to adopt the idea that Jesus was not only of two natures, He was two persons in a single body. As we've seen in previous episodes, it's unlikely Nestorius himself believed that, though his opponents claimed he did, and his later followers do seem to have moved in that direction.One of the most significant events of this period occurred in late February of 380. Emperor Theodosius I signed the Edict of Thessalonica which made Catholic, Trinitarian Christianity the official state religion of the Roman Empire. Prior to this the Emperors Constantius II & Valens favored Arian flavors of the Faith. Theodosius I declared the Trinitarianism of the Nicene Creed as the perennial position of the Empire. While there were going to be all kinds of problems associated with making Christianity the State religion, what ensured it would really go awry was that Theodosius went further and in effect outlawed unbelief; any belief but Catholic Christianity was deemed heretical. Heretics weren't just put out of the Church, they were put out of life!It didn't take long for the Church to avail itself of the Imperial organizational structure, adopting similar geographical borders. They even kept the old imperial name – Diocese. Bishops oversaw the various dioceses. The bishop's home was known as a seat, or see.Back-tracking a bit, when Christians were being persecuted during the 2 and 3rd Centuries in the West, many of them fled for refuge to the East and the Sassanid Empire, the long-time enemy of Rome. Though the Sassanids were Zoroastrians, they welcomed the Christians because, you know, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.When Rome became a Christian State, the Sassanids feared the Christians would become a kind of religious Fifth Column and began persecuting them. The once vibrant Persian church was decimated and many of these Eastern Christians fled even further East, becoming what is today referred to as the Church of the East.As we've seen in recent episodes, Monasticism became a standard feature of Christianity during the time of Catholic Christianity and carried on for centuries after in the Middle Ages.While there are dozens of names associated with this time, we'll limit our list to a few as we wrap up this episode.There are the Cappadocian Fathers: Basil the Great, his brother Gregory of Nyssa and their friend, Gregory of Nazianzus.There's the Popes Damasus I & Leo the Great.We've mentioned Cyril of Alexandria & his nemesis, the defrocked & banished Nestorius.There's the astoundingly gifted Bishop of Milan, Ambrose and his student who eventually outshined his teacher – Augustine.This is the time of Jerome & the Golden-tongued Chrysostom.It's the time Attila the Hun and Alaric whose Goths sacked Rome.It's the age of the Vandals who are such brutes they give their name to bad behavior.This is also the time of an interesting character whose life has become a thing of legend – Patrick of Ireland. We'll take a look at him soon.The Era of Catholic Christianity ends in the late 5th Century with the Fall of the Western Roman Empire. This is of course an arbitrary line we draw, especially when we consider that the Eastern Empire saw itself as the continuation of the Empire for another thousand years.But most historians see the Fall of the Western Roman Empire as a momentous event that leveled a blow to the European mindset it took centuries to recover from. Thus, the period between the Roman Empire and the Modern Era is called the Middle Ages. And while it's been fashionable for a long time in the popular idea of history to see the Middle Ages as Dark and a long stretch when nothing of much consequence happened, the more astute student knows the Middle Ages were a time of amazing development.

This episode of CS is titled – “Transitions”We ended the previous episode with Jesus on the cross just outside the walls of Jerusalem late Friday afternoon. The Jewish leaders & Romans thought that was the last of the enigmatic trouble-maker from Galilee. For that matter, His followers thought that was the end as well.If that HAD BEEN the end of Jesus' story, how might history have labeled Him?Modern skeptics who consider the resurrection a mythic post-script, added by Jesus' later followers, cast Jesus as a religious & social reformer; one whose goal was to turn the stiff formalism of 1st Century Judaism into a more personal & intimate faith in God. These skeptics recast the miracles attributed to Jesus as myths meant to explain the effect of His charismatic personality on others. They contend Jesus didn't really turn a few fish & loaves into fish sandwiches for thousands; He merely used the generosity of a young boy to provoke the crowd to share with one another. He didn't really walk on water, He merely came along the shore in a low lying mist. And He didn't really rise from the dead; His example of love for God and others merely inspired the disciples to follow His example. His MEMORY endured, not His literal person; says the skeptic.So, WAS Jesus merely a reformer? Was His mission just to return Judaism to something Moses would have given a hearty thumbs-up to?While Moses would indeed endorse Jesus, He wasn't merely one of the many prophets God sent to call people back to Himself. Moses would approve of Jesus because all Moses did pointed to & prepared the way for Jesus. Jesus was the original Former, not a RE--former; He was, the “I AM” Who spoke to Moses from the burning bush & commissioned him to lead Israel out of bondage, into the Promised Land.This becomes clear when we consider the words of Jesus at that last meal He shared with His disciples. When He took the cup to inaugurate the rite of Communion, He said something remarkable. “This is the NEW COVENANT in my blood which is shed for you.” Those young men sitting round that table could not mistake what Jesus meant, for it was something that had been burned into them since childhood. Jesus made claim to the cherished promise of the Prophet Jeremiah who in ch. 31 said,“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord.  But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”Jesus laid claim to that promise, saying He was its fulfillment & what He was about to do in going to the cross would activate the New Covenant. Jesus didn't come just to reform Judaism or refresh the covenant Moses mediated with Israel. He came to consummate that covenant and initiate a new, based not on the performance of the Mosaic Law, but on abiding faith in Him.Of course, if Jesus had remained in the tomb, He'd be nothing but a miniscule footnote to the history of the 1st Century, if that! à Just one more in a long parade of Jewish trouble-makers who had a little flurry of popularity among some malcontents. Nothing of consequence would have followed.But His resurrection changed everything. It turned His timid band of followers into men of unquenchable vision & voracious determination. Only the resurrection can account for the dramatic change that took place in those who'd followed Jesus.In writing to the Corinthians some years later, the Apostle Paul said that in His post-resurrection appearances, Jesus was seen by some 500 at one time—not just the original handful of disciples. It was this critical mass of witness that made sure the news of His resurrection wasn't suppressed by the authorities. And it was the surety Jesus had been dead, then made alive that compelled His followers to remain faithful, even in the face of martyrdom.So, after a brief stint back in their home region of Galilee, the disciples permanently relocated to Jerusalem. It was reasonable that the center of their movement be at the heart of the Jewish world.Though Jesus said His followers would one day come from all over the world, those first believers had a difficult time seeing the Church as anything other than fundamentally Jewish. They met as a large group in the temple courtyard where they listened to the disciples teach on the life & words of Jesus. Because it was the way education was practiced in the 1st C, it didn't take long until a standard, stock story developed. This oral tradition formed the core of what was used by Matthew, Mark, & to a certain degree by Luke, when they wrote their Gospels. John already knew of those accounts & chose instead to write a story of Jesus that filled in some of the details not included in the official oral tradition.After the large group had listened to the teaching by the apostles, they broke into smaller groups to gather in homes where they shared a meal, prayed, & discussed what they'd just learned.There was little organization to this early movement of Jesus' followers as they felt their way forward. Despite that lack of organization their faith blossomed & their community became marked by a remarkable love, attractive to others. Their numbers grew.They went by different labels. Some called them Nazarenes, meaning followers of Jesus of Nazareth. Others disparagingly called them "Christians" linking them to Jesus & His humiliating death on a Roman cross. They called themselves simply "People of the Way."The church grew in relative peace for a few years till their numbers became too large for the Jewish ruling Council, the Sanhedrin, to ignore any longer. As the apostles taught about Jesus, they realized a good part of what the Jews had been told their Scriptures meant was wrong. Some of the more bold believers began voicing their criticisms of contemporary Judaism. They ran afoul of the authorities & persecution began. When Stephen, a young Christian leader was executed for blasphemy, it sent a shock wave through Jerusalem. It was now clear Jesus' followers were under an official ban.While the 1st generation leaders, called “the apostles,” stayed in Jerusalem to tend to the needs of the Church, younger leaders moved to Samaria & Syria where they founded new communities. Churches sprang up in Damascus, Antioch, Egypt & other locales.These new communities, while still primarily Jewish in composition, were made up of Jews more acclimated to the Greco-Roman culture of the Mediterranean world than those in Jerusalem. When word reached the mother church in Jerusalem that new fellowships were springing up in other places, the apostles sent delegates to these new communities to establish a connection. One of the representatives they sent out was an elder named Barnabas. He visited the church in the Syrian capital of Antioch, 3rd largest city of the Roman Empire, with a population of a half-million. The church there was something new; a mixture of Jewish & Gentile believers. It was at Antioch the followers of Jesus were first called “Christians.”The readiness of Jewish believers at Antioch to welcome Gentiles into their fold shifted the focus of missionary activity from Jerusalem to Antioch. It was at Antioch that one man rose to leadership who would, next to Jesus, have the greatest impact on Christianity - Saul of Tarsus, or as he's more commonly known, Paul.Paul's hometown was the Roman city of Tarsus, capital of Cilicia in what is today South Central Turkey, 20 miles from the Mediterranean Sea. The famous Roman General Pompey the Great had made Tarsus the center of Roman government in the area, granting its residents the treasured Roman citizenship. Tarsus was also a center of Greco-Roman culture. Paul was born to Jewish parents there, making him a unique mixture of Roman, Greek & Jewish. This all conspired to make him an effective instrument for spreading of the Gospel.After his early education in Tarsus, Paul moved to finish his training in Jerusalem under the great Jewish scholar Gamaliel. He became a member of the ultra-strict sect known as the Pharisees. Paul finished his training just as the followers of Jesus ran afoul of the authorities in Jerusalem. Whether Paul was a member of the Sanhedrin or merely their agent, it was he who presided at the execution of Stephen, lending those doing the deed their authority. Paul then embarked on a campaign to harass the Christians in the environs of Jerusalem. When the church there was effectively driven underground, he received official permission to carry his campaign of harassment to Damascus where rumors said Christians were thriving.But when Paul finally entered Damascus it was a very different man from the one who'd set out from Jerusalem a few days before. In a vision of the risen Christ, Paul realized Jesus was indeed the Messiah & the Gospel he'd been trying to stamp out wasn't a dangerous heresy; it was the Truth of God.When he returned to Jerusalem, the leaders of the Church were wary of him. After all, this was the guy who'd just ravaged them. But when it became clear he was a genuine believer, the apostles embraced him.Well à sort of.In reading the book of Acts & a couple of Paul's letters, we're left with the impression while the core leadership at Jerusalem accepted Paul's conversion as legitimate, they preferred he find another church to attend. That church turned out to be Antioch where Paul partnered with Barnabas who became one of the leaders there.This would be a good place to talk a bit about the different perspectives on the nature of the Christian life that developed between Jerusalem & Antioch. Let's call it the difference between 1st & 2nd Generation Christianity.1st Generation Christianity was thoroughly Jewish in orientation and centered in Jerusalem.2nd Generation Christianity was still officially headquartered at Jerusalem with the apostles as the authority. But the focus of activity shifted to urban centers outside Israel. An increasing number of Gentiles were now being won to the faith. As cultural Jews, 1st Gen believers continued to cast their faith in Jewish forms.They kept kosher, observed the Sabbath, circumcised their sons; that's a Jewish, & not at all Gentile, sort of thing.2nd Gen believers counted the ritual aspects of the Mosaic law as having been meant to point to Jesus & consummated by Him. They felt there was now no need to engage in or observe such rituals any longer. A kosher diet, keeping the Sabbath, & circumcision weren't considered essential practices in following Jesus.What made things messy is that there was a protracted period of tension as 1st Generation Christians contended with 2nd Geners over the expected lifestyle of Jesus' followers.Even though Acts 15 sees the leadership of the church in Jerusalem deciding the matter in favor of the 2nd Generation position, diehard 1st Gen advocates continued to promote the idea that if believers wanted to have a God-approved lifestyle they had to adhere to the Mosaic law; whether Jew or Gentile. These "Judaizers," as they were called, proved to be one of the Apostle Paul's biggest trials. They dogged his steps, infiltrating churches he'd planted after he left, claiming they were there to complete what Paul had only begun. They sought to turn Paul's converts to Jesus à to Moses. Some of Paul's letters are eloquent & at times scathing rebuttals to the problems introduced by the Judaizers.The debate between 1st & 2nd Generation believers didn't end with the early church. It endures to this day. Modern-day Judaizers known as legalists insist on a set of behavioral guidelines as necessary to demonstrate genuine faith. Whether it be dress, diet, or devotion; a certain level of giving, service, or submission--rules are set up that prescribe the “acceptable” lifestyle. Such legalists see the preaching of grace as dangerous; a license to excuse sin.But the grace described in the New Testament is no license to sin. For Paul & those 2nd Generation Christians who carried the Gospel throughout the Mediterranean world, if someone genuinely believed in Christ, they'd been born again & WOULD demonstrate a new life commensurate with the life & teaching of Christ.The person who truly loves God can do as he/she chooses because he/she chooses to love God.That wraps up this episode. As we close, if you subscribe to CS via a podcast portal like iTunes or Podbean, head over to sanctorum.us to check out the CS site.