1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.2 He was in the beginning with God.3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
The Witness
6 There came a man sent from God, whose name was John.7 He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him.8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.
The True Light
9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
The Word took on Humanity:
14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.15 John testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’”16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.
JOHN 3 God’s Love for You, Jesus Speaking:
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.18 He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.19 This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.20 For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.21 But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”
JOHN 5
Eternal Life through the Son:
JESUS said: 31 “He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.32 What He has seen and heard, of that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony.33 He who has received His testimony has set his seal to this, that God is true.34 For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure.35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand.36 He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
Jesus and the Father
18 For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God. 19 Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.”
JESUS said: 20 “For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel.21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.22 For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son,23 so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.”
JESUS said: 24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”
JOHN 18 Jesus Arrested
28 Then they (Jewish officials) led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium, and it was early; and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover.29 Therefore Pilate went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”30 They answered and said to him, “If this Man were not an evil doer, we would not have delivered Him to you.”
JOHN 18,19 Jesus on Trial
33 Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”34 Jesus answered, “Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?”35 Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?”36 Jesus answered, “My kingdomis not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” 37 Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” 13 Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.14 Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold, your King!”15 So they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!” Pilate *said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”
JOHN 19 Jesus Crucified
16 So he handed Him over to them to be crucified. 17 They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha.18 There they (the soldiers) crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between.19 Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It was written, “JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
JOHN 21 The Empty Tomb
1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb.2 So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”3 So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb.4 The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first;5 and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in.6 And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he *saw the linen wrappings lying there,7 and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself.8 So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed.9 For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.10 So the disciples went away again to their own homes.
Jesus is Alive
11 But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb;12 and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying.13 And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means,Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’”18 Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.
24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.25 So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
26 After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands and reach here your hand and put it into My side and do not be unbelieving, but believing.28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”
30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus isthe Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
The study of Mankind’s earliest religious beliefs is a fascinating topic. Archeologists and historians have identified evidence of such activity from 3500-4000 BC in Egypt and Mesopotamia. The type of religious activity they have found is Polytheistic, because the deities vary depending on the culture, and there are multiple deities within cultures. Secondly, the objects of this worship are typically celestial objects, and deities fashioned after humans and animals, which are assumed to have special power over the circumstances of human existence.
The Two Assumptions regarding Mankind’s Earliest Religious Beliefs:
For the evolutionist who assumes that mankind developed over billions of years, polytheism would be a logical candidate for mankind’s earliest religious beliefs. As mankind gradually developed simple rational capabilities, they would have also developed simple religious beliefs.
However, for the person who assumes the accuracy of the biblical record, a different picture of mankind’s earliest religious beliefs is presented. According to the Bible, mankind started out with Monotheism, not Polytheism! From the beginning of man’s existence, mankind in general, worshipped the Most High God, Creator of heaven and earth. In this blog we will learn what the Bible record says about mankind’s earliest religious beliefs, and its relationship to the polytheism discovered by archeology.
Objection to the Biblical Record:
Some knowledgeable reader may immediately raise an objection: How can the Bible tell us anything about those earlier times when it was written by Moses who lived around 1500 BC? It is true that Moses wrote the earliest books of the Bible around 1500 BC. However, some of what Moses wrote describes events and people who lived thousands of years previously. So for this part of the biblical record, Moses no doubt wrote down what had been transmitted orally through previous generations, or had existed previously in a simpler written form.
So the real question becomes: How valid are the sources that Moses used in writing his account? I maintain that the sources which Moses used are at least as reliable as the artifacts found by archeologists. Many Jewish scholars have accepted Moses’ source material as valid for thousands of years since. Jesus Christ Himself quoted Moses frequently. So until someone can prove that what Moses wrote is fictitious, I will assume it has validity.
The Creator God
We will start in the Book of Romans, Chapter One. In verse 19, the Apostle Paul says that since the time of Creation (heavens, earth, and all life forms) God has held human beings responsible for acknowledging Him as the Omnipotent and Supernatural Creator. Verse 20 says that God has made Himself known to mankind through the things God has created. In other words, the heavens, the earth, and all life forms are THE EVIDENCE that a SUPERNATURAL BEING must have brought them into existence.
Creation of a Universe so infinitely beyond man’s capabilities, is evidence of an Omnipotent Creator. And Creation of a Human Being with rational and emotional capabilities, and all life functions directed by a astounding DNA code, is evidence of an All Knowing Source of Life as its Creator.
Mankind’s Earliest religious beliefs in the Creator God:
Next, Paul describes a period of time when the human race, in general, worshipped this SUPERNATURAL CREATOR. They saw all the magnificent evidence of HIM in the Creation (heavens, earth, life forms). Paul uses the following phrases to describe mankind’s initial knowledge of God, and their decision to move away from Him. Rom 1: v21-25.
1. ……although they (mankind) knew God, they…….v21
2. … they changed the glory of the incorruptible God, and ….v23
3. …. they exchanged the truth of God, and ……..v25
4……they had worshipped and served the Creator……v25
It is abundantly clear that earliest mankind had seen God’s Creation, knew Him as the Creator, recognized some of God’s attributes, and worshipped Him as the Creator. But they would eventually replace this knowledge of the Most High God with man-made religion.
Rejection of the Creator God:
The Worship of the Creator, at some point in time, gave way to a rejection of the Creator. (later in this document we will consider two times when this happened) The text, Rom 1:21-32, is very clear as to the primary reason behind the transition to man-made religion. Mankind’s first step was to give up their previous understanding of the Creator God and their Worship of Him. And for each step they took away from the Creator God, mankind went further into confused thinking and immoral behavior.
Here are the steps of the decline:
1. Mankind came to a point when they chose not to recognize or honor God as Creator. v21
2. This choice caused mankind’s thinking to become futile, dark, and foolish. v22
3. Mankind then substituted man-made, god-images to worship in place of God the Creator. They were images of man, birds, beasts and creeping things. V 23
4. God honored their choice, but it resulted in unclean lusts and dishonoring of their physical bodies. v24
5. Mankind had exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshipped the creature, rather than the Creator. v25
6. This was just the beginning of mankind’s descent into sexual perversion and moral depravity.
7. God gave them up to vile passions, women with women, men with men. v26-27
8. The decline continued further ……….See Verses 26-32
Mankind’s Two Starts with the Creator God:
Mankind had two distinct “Starts” with the Creator God. They were separated by a period of 1650 years. In each case these “Starts” began with a single human family. A family which had an intimate knowledge of the God of Creation. Sadly, both of these “Starts” ended in a rejection of God.
The first “Start” was immediately after Creation and began with the very first family of Adam and Eve. At the beginning, all was well between mankind and God, but that began to change immediately. Their son Cain killed his brother Abel, and then wandered off on his own. And 1650 years later, civilization had descended into a rejection of God, moral depravity, and violence. This period came to an end when God wiped out civilization with the Great Flood. There is no biblical record of polytheistic worship prior to the flood. However, it may have existed considering civilization’s rejection of the Creator God.
The second “Start” happened immediately after the Great Flood, and began with Noah’s family of eight, whom the Creator God had protected through the Flood. Once again, at the start, mankind worshipped the Creator God. But true to form, they soon rejected Him. This time it took only 200 years before mankind in general, had descended into Polytheism. They created their own
gods and began the practice of worshipping man-made images. The transition to Polytheism may have happened at different times in various branches of the human family because of their migration patterns.. But we know from both archeology and the Bible, that it was firmly in place in Mesopotamia when Abraham’s family resided in Ur of Chaldea.
Timeline of the Shift in Mankind’s Earliest Religious Beliefs:
Creation (Start point)
Worship of the Creator by Adam and Eve
Rejection of the Creator by mankind in general
Atheism and Violence rampant in civilization
The Flood destroys all but eight individuals( 1650 years after Creation)
Worship of the Creator by Noah’s extended family
Rejection of the Creator by mankind in general
Polytheistic religions are practiced
Abraham’s culture in Chaldea was polytheistic (250 years after Flood)
The Patriarchs During Civilization’s Two Rejections of God:
If we use the records of genealogy starting with Adam and Eve in Genesis 1-12, we can discover some interesting facts about the people who lived during the two periods of decline. Following is a more detailed timeline that includes the lifetimes and other information about the Patriarchs. They were the male heads of families who lived during these periods. They were part of the culture that twice moved moved away from the God of Creation.
The Start after Creation:
The first thing to notice about the generations after Creation was the length of their lives indicated by the horizontal line after each patriarch’s name. Genesis gives us the following data about each patriarch: His age when his First son was born, and the years the Patriarch lived After the birth of his First son. From that is calculated his Length of Life. These 3 numbers are shown just above each Patriarchs horizontal line. A small vertical line represents the first son’s birth.
Notice how long Adam lived, 930 years. Now notice the generations of sons and grandsons listed below Adam. Question: How many generations of children had Adam known by the time he died at 930 years after Creation?
Answer:
2nd Generation Cain, Abel and Seth
3rd Enosh
4th Cainan
5th Mahalaleel
6th Jared
7th Enoch
8th Methusaleh
9th Lamech lived until 872 years after Creation
10th Noah was born 1054 years after Creation
Answer: 8 generations, because Lamech was still alive but Noah had not yet been born when Adam died 930 years after Creation.
The Population Explosion:
Notice the typical age when each Patriarch had his first son. For Adam it was 130 years. The earliest shown is 65 years, the oldest (with the exception of Noah’s which seems out of line with the others) is 187. These numbers do imply that these patriarchs fathered children for a longer period than in our experience. Their long lives, plus a longer period of fathering children, would have created an exponential population explosion.
The Four Patriarch Witnesses:
Probably the most important information for our topic, are the patriarchs which have a DOUBLE, DASHED horizontal line next to their name. These 4 patriarchs have either implied or stated information in the text that identifies them as individuals who believed in the Creator God. Let’s consider each of them.
Adam:
The senior patriarch and head of the human race had an experience with the Creator God which would have forever convinced Adam as to the One and Only True God. (You can read it in the first 2 chapters of Genesis) Adam would have been the ultimate Witness to the existence and the attributes of the Creator God after his experience in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve could not identify any human parents. They were personally linked to the Creator God. Not only that, imagine the impact of Adam’s witness to the early human race when we consider the number of generations of grandchildren he would have been able to tell about the Creator God. For 930 years, his account must have been difficult for anyone to dispute or ignore. Adam was the Primary Witness for the God of Creation.
Enosh:
One of Adam’s grandchildren. Besides his key dates, the record tell us one significant aspect of Enosh’s life. It says in Gen 4:26 that “in Enosh’s days(life) men began to call on the “Name of the Lord.” The exact details of the statement are hidden, but we can conclude one thing: That during Enosh’s lifetime a significant number of the human family believed enough in God that they would begin to call, or reach out to Him. It could mean that prior to this time men believed in God the Creator, but now they began to call out to Him for their daily needs. Or, it could imply that during his generation, the greater majority of men believed and worshipped the Creator God. Either way it points to a general awareness of God the Creator during Enosh’s lifetime.
Enoch:
Enoch was a 7th generation grandson of Adam. His biography is one of the most astounding of the patriarchs. It was a powerful prophetic sign of God’s hope and desire for the human race. In Gen 5:24 it says about Enoch that “Enoch walked with God and was not, because God took him.” What a witness Enoch’s life must have been to his contemporaries and descendents. Not only did he believe in God, he had personal relationship with Him. And the statement “God took him” was a prophetic sign of things to come. Think of Elijah, Jesus Christ, and the promise to all those who would eventually believe in, and follow Christ.
Noah:
A 10th generation grandson of Adam, Noah and his family of eight were the only survivors of the Flood which wiped out civilization about 1650 years after Creation. Noah had a personal relationship with the Creator God and was obedient to him. In the text, Noah is called “a just man, perfect in his generation, and Noah walked with God” Gen 6:9
The Testimony of the Four Witnesses from Creation to the Flood:
The lifetimes of the four witnesses overlapped during the period from Creation to the Flood. The flood happened about 1654 years after Creation. As mentioned, Adam’s witness lasted for 930 years after Creation. The witness during Enosh’s life may have lasted until his death 1140 years after Creation. However, Noah was born 1054 years after Creation, so Noah could have known Enosh for about 80 years before Enosh died. And Noah lived until 350 AFTER the Flood! So the torch was passed by faithful witnesses from Creation, up to and through the Flood.
The Condition of Mankind Prior to the Flood:
The world’s population must have been in the hundreds of thousands by the time of the Flood. Did the testimony of the patriarchs have any impact on the beliefs or civility of mankind prior to the Flood? It was the total absence of belief in the Creator, and the total lack of civility of the world’s population, that brought the Flood upon the earth. Here are some descriptions of behavior at that time:
“the sons of God…...took wives for themselves of all whom they chose” Gen 6:2
“God saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” Gen 6:5
“The earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.” Gen 6:11 “All flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.” Gen 6:12
“And (God) spared not the old world…………...bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly” 2Pet 2:5
The Creator God could only find Noah’s family of eight who respected God’s warning and obeyed His instructions. The rest of mankind had no interest whatsoever. It was a sad commentary on the priorities of the human race when they chose to forget the One True God of Creation, the God of their fathers.
In spite of their rejection of God and moral depravity, there is no biblical record that mankind prior to the Flood had practiced Polytheism. It seems highly likely that they would have, in that they had given up on Noah’s testimony and his God. And with a “God vacuum” mankind typically tries to fill it with their own gods. So they may have invented their own gods, but there is no biblical record for it.
Notes Regarding the First Start:
1. The human race has a serious bias to drift away from what they know about the True God. This happens in spite of the faithful witness of a minority. The result is a general corruption and collapse of society.
2. Adam and Eve were intimately aware of the Creator God in that they were eye-witness subjects of His creative work, and He had communicated with them.
3. Evil, and rejection of the Creator God, was evident in the couple’s first children as Cain slew his brother Abel out of jealousy over a worship offering to God.
4. At the beginning, human beings had much longer lifespans than we do today, and longer periods of fertility. This was probably due to the pristine nature of the human DNA, having had no prior negative mutations.
5. Longer lifespans and longer fertility periods resulted in an exponential population explosion. This meant that grandparents would live to see 6 or 7 generations of grandchildren, and their children, and their children, etc.
The Start after the Flood:
The generations which began after the Flood began with Noah, his 3 sons and their wives. One noticeable feature about people after the Flood, is that their lifetimes were considerably shorter than those prior to the Flood. Their lifespans began declining to around 200 years. Secondly, the age at which they fathered the first son was quite consistent, about 30 years. This would have produced a lessor population explosion than at Creation, but still potentially greater than our experience today.
The record of the patriarchs after the Flood has only their names and pertinent ages. There were about 9 generations until we reach the patriarch Abram or Abraham, and his wife Sarah. Because of the 30 year generations, there would only be about 290 years after the flood until Abraham’s birth.
Polytheism 250 years after the Flood:
After the Flood, we have a different record of mankind’s departure from the Creator God. We can safely assume that Noah and his family were convincing witnesses to the Creator based on their experience before and through the Flood. But as we have learned, mankind has strong tendency to turn away from what they know about God. We do have one important record of man’s thinking about God during this period. They conspired to build the Tower of Babel in order to reach God, or be like God. This ended with God’s dispersion of mankind across the globe. We do have the genealogical record from Noah’s sons, Ham, Shem, and Japeth. Sadly, the primary thing we learn about this period is that by the time of Abraham, civilization had become immersed in Polytheism and Image Worship.
Polytheism in Mesopotamia:
It was about 200 years after the Flood that Nahor was born. Nahor was the father of Terah, and Terah was the father of Abram. When Abram received a call from God, he and his father and grandfather were living in Ur of Chaldea in Mesopotamia. Joshua 24:2 describes the indigenous religion of that area as Polytheism (other gods). This has been confirmed by archeology which shows that these people were worshippers of the Moon, and also had a pantheon of gods in the image of man. They worshipped mages of these gods who were supposed to control all of their basic necessities and fortunes. There were gods and goddesses for rain, crops, fertility, etc. One fascinating fact about this departure from God, is that Noah, “the preacher of righteousness,” was still alive when it happened. Not only that, Noah’s life
until 350 years after the Flood, overlapped with Abraham’s who was born 292 years after the Flood.
Notes about the Second Start:
1. The second “Start” had different players but the same outcome. It ended with a rejection of the knowledge of the True God of Creation.
2. Mankind had two fresh starts worshipping the God of Creation. They chose to walk away from Him both times.
3. This time the rejection of God resulted in Polytheism and man made Image Worship.
4. Noah and his 3 sons were the faithful witnesses for the True God AFTER the Flood, as they had been BEFORE the Flood, Their witness did not have a major effect this time either. Apparently, the remembrance of the Creator God’s intervention with the Flood, meant nothing to mankind. Most of them probably decided it had never happened. Or that it was small local flood.
5, Noah’s lifetime overlapped with Abraham’s lifetime.
Conclusions for Mankind’s Earliest Religious Beliefs:
1. At two separate times, mankind’s earliest religious beliefs centered on the God of Creation. The Most High God had revealed Himself through Creation and the Flood, and was acknowledged by the human family that was closest to those events. However, over the course of time, mankind gradually decided to replace the One True God with many anthropomorphic gods and goddesses of their own imagination. And they represented these gods with statues and images of their invention.
2. In subsequent human history, this same type of shift, away from God, has been repeated many times. What happened after the Most High God revealed Himself by a miraculous deliverance of Israel from the clutches of Pharaoh, and permanently placed them in the land of Canaan? How many generations passed before the Israelites started chasing after the polytheistic gods of their neighbors? It got so bad that God banished 10 tribes of Israel to wander the world, and two tribes to Babylon for 70 years of captivity.
3. Think of God’s most important intervention in human history, the sending of Christ Jesus to be the Savior of the world. Mankind had the opportunity to see and worship the Righteousness of God Himself with their own eyes. There were a few who embraced Him, but mankind in general either rejected or dismissed Him. They put Him to death after 33 years.
4. In modern history the same “falling away from God” has happened repeatedly. Think of the last 200 years of history in America. In the early 1800’s and soon after, religious revival was sweeping the country. Many Bible preachers covered America with Bible based preaching about the One True God and Salvation through Jesus Christ. This revelation was embraced by so many as to have a noticeable, positive affect on society, here and abroad. Thousands were repenting and turning to Christ. New church gatherings began all over the land. New orphanages, hospitals, universities were created in the Name of the Lord. Many missionary outreaches were initiated to foreign lands.
Compare that time with the moral condition in America today. Some of the same church denominations that embraced the Bible based faith in 1800, are now denying the beliefs on which they were founded. The biblical principles which provided the foundation for past generations, are now forbidden to be taught in the public schools. And the result is the same as it was 6000 years ago. The majority of Americans have turned to their Idols. The decline in morality from 1800 until today has been shocking, and violence has become a way of life.
5. Throughout history, the human race has displayed a serious flaw in their most basic motivation. Whenever they are confronted with the truth about the True God of Creation, they consistently choose to reject Him and replace Him with their own gods. The One True God always begins His revelations with short, but explosive impact on mankind, but the impact soon fades into a long, gradual decline into unbelief. Thankfully, the One True God has never given up on mankind’s rejection of Himself. Throughout history He has continued to display His Power and Love by periodic, supernatural revelations of His existence and character. However, He has warned mankind that His revelations will not continue forever. There will be a limit to His patience. Jesus described it like this:
“But as the days of Noah were, so also will be the Coming of the Son of Man. For as in the days before the Flood, they were eating, drinking marrying and giving in marriage until the day Noah entered the ark, and(they) did not know until the Flood came and took them all away. So also will be the Coming of the Son of Man………………………………… Therefore be ready, for the Son of Man is Coming at an hour you do not expect.” Matt 24: 37-44
A LOOK AT PENTECOST (33 AD) WHEN ORTHODOX JEWS BECAME
THE FIRST CHRISTIANS.
WHEN ORTHODOX JEWS BECAME THE FIRST CHRISTIANS
INTRODUCTION
You may know that Christians had their beginnings at a Jewish feast of Pentecost in Jerusalem about 33 AD. But did you know that from 33 AD until about 50 AD, this new group of Messiah followers was primarily Jewish Orthodox? These Jews had come to believe that Yeshua, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, was the Jewish Messiah of Israel. This agreed with hundreds of prophetic statements found in their Torah and Tanakh (Old Testament). But this belief did not change their identity as Jewish Orthodox. They considered the arrival of Messiah to be the natural completion and fulfillment of their Jewish Orthodox faith. In this blog we will explore this phenomenal beginning when Orthodox Jews became the first Christians.
BEFORE PENTECOST, 30 AD
In the beginning of the 3 year ministry of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, He named 12 Apostles who were to be His team. One of them, Judas, was lost because of betrayal, but was replaced by Matthias. These men were all Orthodox Jews, as was Jesus Himself. These men were close companions of Jesus Christ for 3 years, and eye-witnesses of His teaching and miracles.
The Apostles were there when He was arrested by some of the Jewish religious leaders and turned over to the Roman Governor to be crucified. When the first reports came in that He was alive, they were present. They soon saw Him in person, along with 500 other individuals. For 40 days after his resurrection they lived with, ate with, and enjoyed the presence of their resurrected Savior. At the end of the 40 days, they thought that He might re-establish the long awaited kingdom to Israel. Instead, He instructed them to stay in Jerusalem until the Feast of Pentecost. He said that they would receive special Power and be made His witnesses throughout the earth.
THE MIRACLE OF PENTECOST, 33 AD
Sure enough, when Pentecost arrived, the 12 apostles and other observant Jews totaling 120, were praying in an upper room in Jerusalem. Without warning they were suddenly engulfed by the visible and rushing wind of G_D1 the Spirit descending on each of them. They began speaking in other languages. This was the promised energizing and empowering Spirit of G-D.1 It changed them from sometimes cowardly followers, into fierce advocates of the Savior who they knew had conquered death. These Orthodox Jews didn’t realize it then, but they had become the first members of a special group later called “the Body of Christ.” This group would consist of all who would confess that “Jesus Christ is Messiah and Lord.”
The Apostles’ new confidence brought them to the streets of Jerusalem where thousands of visitors from distant nations had gathered for the Feast Day. They were mostly Orthodox Jews, but also a few Gentile proselytes. When the Apostle Peter and others began to proclaim to the crowds about the resurrected Christ, a miraculous phenomenon occurred. Peter and the other Apostles were speaking in their native Judean language. However, the crowds of people were hearing them speak in the listeners’ native languages. And there were dozens of different languages represented! It must have been bedlam!
PETER SPEAKS
Some listeners concluded the speakers were drunk! Peter assured them this was not the case. He went on to proclaim that Jesus Christ was the promised Jewish Messiah. That G_D had vindicated Christ by raising Him from the Dead. He explained that everyone, in every nation, needed to confess Jesus Christ as Lord, be baptized, and be cleansed of their sin. And that very day 3000 more individuals made that choice. They joined the Apostles as members of the special group that would be called by the Greek word, ekklesia, or, “called out ones.”
THE RESULT OF PENTECOST
In the days and weeks following Pentecost, the Good News of Christ was carried “back home” by those who had heard it at Jerusalem. And in some cases “home” was a thousand miles away, in every direction. The Apostles themselves took to the highways and began spreading the “Good News” that Jesus Christ was Lord and Coming King. There are unofficial reports that certain Apostles made it as far as India, and China. Wherever and whenever a person heard and accepted the news that Christ had Risen and was Lord, that person experienced the same indwelling of G-D’s Spirit.
WHEN ORTHODOX JEWS BECAME THE FIRST CHRISTIANS
Immediately after the events of Pentecost, a new association of people appeared in Jerusalem. By outsiders, this new group of believers was considered an offshoot of the Pharisees. The Pharisees were Orthodox Jews who believed in a resurrection. And these new believers not only believed in Yeshua’s’ resurrection, they were expecting Him to return and establish His Kingdom any day now. They had a noticeable love and care for each other which made them seem like one large family. Some even sold properties and brought the proceeds to the Apostles for their work. The Apostles and disciples continued to proclaim the Good News in Judea and Samaria and a number of miraculous signs and healings accompanied their efforts.
The new believers and the Apostles continued to frequent the Temple, but they spent much time meeting together in public places or in their homes.2 When they met together, their main activities were studying what the Apostles had taught them about Yeshua, praying, and the Breaking of Bread.2 The latter was something Yeshua had shared with the Apostles on the night he was betrayed.
The term “Christian” would not be created or applied to this group of believers until approximately 15 years later. As we look back, we can say that Pentecost began a 15 year period when Orthodox Jews were the first members and leaders of a group that would later be named “Christian.”
This new group of Christian believers was never called by the name “church.” There was no word “church” in the Greek or Hebrew language. The Greek word used to describe the Christian believers was “ekklesia,” a secular term used to describe any group of individuals selected or “called out” to a specific cause or task. Applied to the Christians, it meant they had been “called out” to the cause of Christ.
THE JEWISH CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP
The Apostles themselves were convinced that Pentecost was a Jewish event. They were dumbfounded when reports came in that a few Gentiles were also responding to the Good News. Interpreting Pentecost as a Jewish event made sense because it was the Orthodox Jews who owned, and revered, the Torah and Tanakh. The latter described the events of the Messiah’s Coming, His Death, and Resurrection. In addition, Christ had come from the Jewish lineage of King David, and represented the G_D of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
This Jewish composition and leadership of the “ekklesia” would continue for at least 15 years. The recognized leaders of the group continued to be the 12 Apostles in Jerusalem. The New Testament would not be written until about 55 AD. Until then, it was the word of the Apostles that was the authoritative truth for the new believers. In the meantime, the Good News spread farther and farther from Jerusalem. And the numbers of Gentiles who responded continued to grow.
THE APOSTLE PAUL
It was about 50 AD when the Jewish believers in Antioch decided that some decisions would have to be made regarding the many Gentiles who had responded to the Good News. The issue came to head largely as a result of the conversion of Saul, the ultimate Orthodox Jew. After Pentecost, he was assigned by the Jewish religious hierarchy to find and hunt down these new believers in Yeshua and to commit them to prison. Miraculously, on one of his ”witch hunts” he was accosted by the Risen Christ in such a way that he too, “bowed his knee” to the Savior.
Paul then became one of the strongest advocates in proclaiming the Good News. From his conversion soon after Pentecost, until about 50 AD, Saul, now Paul, spent most of his time preaching around his hometown of Tarsus. For about 15 years Paul was far removed from the Apostles in Jerusalem. His primary mission, given to him by Christ, was to go to the Gentiles. In addition, he was given special revelation about the nature of this new message of the Good News.
ANTIOCH
One place where Paul did meet with believers was at the town of Antioch in Syria. Antioch was about halfway between his hometown of Tarsus and Jerusalem. It was here in Antioch, about 50 AD, that questions were raised: “What should we advise all these Gentiles who have now embraced Christ?” “If they are now Jews, should they be circumcised?” It was Paul’s strong conviction that the answer was NO, based on what had been revealed to him. This resulted in strong disagreements at Antioch between supporters of Paul, and those Jewish believers (called Judaizers) who said Yes.
THE JEWISH COUNCIL OF APOSTLES
To resolve this issue the Antioch believers decided to ask for the opinion of the Orthodox Jewish Apostles in Jerusalem. They were considered the total authority on all matters concerning Jesus of Nazareth. Paul and Barnabas were among those who went from Antioch about 50 AD to meet with the Apostles in Jerusalem. In the meeting, the Apostle Peter recounted the first occurrence of Gentiles turning to Christ. Paul then described how that many Gentiles were responding to the Good News and were receiving the evidence of the indwelling Spirit of G_D. The Apostle James referred to the Tanakh’s mention of Gentile conversion.
Then the Apostle James issued his conclusion that: NO, the Gentile believers should not be required to have circumcision or to keep all the Law. Instead, the Apostles recommended that Gentile believers should simply avoid idols, fornication, strangulated meat and blood. This decision by the Jerusalem Apostles about 50 AD began the separation of the Christ followers from Orthodox Judaism.
PAUL’S MISSIONARY JOURNEYS
It would still be many years before the separation was complete in the regions far from Jerusalem. Paul and Barnabas had begun their extensive missionary journeys in Turkey just before the Jerusalem Council. Their practice when entering any town was to first visit the synagogue and ask for a hearing. Many Jews and Gentiles accepted what they had to say. However, Paul was often driven from town by a larger group of Orthodox Jews who did not accept the Message of Christ. Over time the separation became complete. And it was at Antioch that the Jewish and Gentile believers in Christ were first called “Christ’s Ones,” “Christians.” And in the Apostle Paul’s letters about 60 AD, he clarified for all time that a new entity was now in existence. It was called the “Body of Christ,” or, “Christian believers”, consisting of both Jews and Gentiles.
THE ETERNAL IMPACT
For many years after Pentecost 33 AD, the apostolic leadership and the majority of the Christ followers were Orthodox Jews. As noted, these Apostles had no idea of what the Lord was planning when He had asked them to remain at Jerusalem until Pentecost. They had no plan of their own for the future. No organizational model. They were simply ordinary men who were energized and directed in their decisions by the indwelling Spirit of the living G-D. Because they had no preplanned agenda, G-D was able to create this new and eternal group of Christ followers.
G-D has added to this new group of Christians in every century since Pentecost. The total number of the those who have confessed Christ as Messiah and Lord, from every nation on earth, must number in the Billions. And every one of them is known personally by Yeshua. As He once said. “I know my sheep, and I am known by them.”3
THE ANTICIPATED KINGDOM
And every one of these believers, from Pentecost until now, has been, or is waiting for the promised conclusion, when the resurrected Messiah and Lord will return to establish His Kingdom. “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.”4 And when that Kingdom appears, there will be 12 Messianic Orthodox Jews in a place of high honor. There names will be inscribed on the 12 foundations of the City of God. They are known as the 12 Apostles of the Lamb. 5
Notes:
1. I have used G_D in this article in deference to any orthodox Jews who do not write out the name of the Creator.
2. Acts 2
3. John 10:14
4. Matthew 6:10
5. Rev 21:14
The Servant of the Most High God described by Isaiah in 700 BCE.
Isaiah 53 in the Complete Jewish Bible:
1 Who believes our report? To whom is the arm of Adonai revealed? 2 For before him he grew up like a young plant, like a root out of dry ground. He was not well-formed or especially handsome; we saw him, but his appearance did not attract us. 3 People despised and avoided him, a man of pains, well acquainted with illness. Like someone from whom people turn their faces, he was despised; we did not value him.
4 In fact, it was our diseases he bore, our pains from which he suffered; yet we regarded him as punished, stricken and afflicted by God. 5 But he was wounded because of our crimes, crushed because of our sins; the disciplining that makes us whole fell on him, and by his bruises* we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, went astray; we turned, each one, to his own way; yet Adonai laid on him the guilt of all of us.
7 Though mistreated, he was submissive — he did not open his mouth. Like a lamb led to be slaughtered, like a sheep silent before its shearers, he did not open his mouth. 8 After forcible arrest and sentencing, he was taken away; and none of his generation protested his being cut off from the land of the living for the crimes of my people, who deserved the punishment themselves.
9 He was given a grave among the wicked; in his death he was with a rich man. Although he had done no violence and had said nothing deceptive, 10 yet it pleased Adonai to crush him with illness, to see if he would present himself as a guilt offering. If he does, he will see his offspring; and he will prolong his days; and at his hand Adonai’s desire will be accomplished.
11 After this ordeal, he will see satisfaction. “By his knowing [pain and sacrifice], my righteous servant makes many righteous; it is for their sins that he suffers. 12 Therefore I will assign him a share with the great, he will divide the spoil with the mighty, for having exposed himself to death and being counted among the sinners, while actually bearing the sin of many and interceding for the offenders.”
