by J.D. Wood

Created on: September 09, 2008

In a nutshell, Christianity is an evolution of Judaism. It is a continuance of Judaism, with a fundamental schism, a series of events that goes roughly like this.

Judaism establishes the laws, the history, notable people, practices, scholarship and codes of the Judeo-Christian faiths in the Torah, the Five Books of Moses, and countless other texts.

Judaism has always called for a messiah. The legends and texts speak of it. The Jews believe he has yet to come. Christians believe he has already come, in the form of Jesus Christ.

Very generally speaking, Judaism calls for adherence to Old Testament laws, methods and traditions. Christianity, the New Testament, call for adherence to Jesus's interpretation of those laws, found in Romans. Judaism does not subscribe to the terms "Old Testament" and "New Testament". There is only one testament, and that is Torah.

Christians in essence believe that Jesus is...

A. Their spiritual savior, i.e. the promised Messiah.
B. God's son, one aspect of the Godhead and a third of the holy trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit)
C. The mediary between a vengeful, wrathful God and utterly flawed humanity. That is, He is considered the intercedent on our behalf. Catholics further take this intercedent definition and apply it to saints and, moreso, the Virgin Mary.

Judaism, in the mean time, continues to believe in the laws set forth in Leviticus, with changes being mediated by their sages and rabbis throughout the ages.

So it is that Christianity is rightfully considered an offshoot of Judaism. It is a fulfillment of a Judaic prophecy, by a Jewish man, involving Jewish people. Jesus interpreted the "Old" laws in "New" ways. Judaism generally does not like modernity, Reform notwithstanding. It is easy to see why the old rabbis and councilmen would be against someone as deviant as Jesus.

"It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven" (Luke 18:25), "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Rabbis at that time were patriarchs of society. They held high court, and gave high counsel. Traditional Judaism does not encourage the meek to prosper, that was an advent of Christianity. Traditional Judaism encourages family, scripture, and a more insular tone ("why don't you marry a nice Jewish girl?" Christianity is scripturally more open and accepting. It originated as a "Poor Man's Religion". Meek versus Wealthy.

Judaism is a covenant unto the people of Israel, made by God, in that they are his chosen people and that they shall adhere to his ways.

Christianity is the covenant between Jesus Christ and his followers, not necessarily a Jew, that he will deliver unto them the Kingdom of Heaven, raise them "up" in every conceivable fashion (Literally, to the sky, in society, in stature, in spirit, metaphysically and otherwise), and is capable of absolving them of their sins in the presence of God the Father. The premise being that God the Father would otherwise summarily sentence humanity's collective soul to eternal damnation without Jesus's intercedence.

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