What Is "Judaizing?"

Lars Enarson, March 2007.

You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we [Jews] worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews." (Jn 4:22)

In his conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well, Yeshua made it very clear that God's salvation for mankind comes from the Jewish people. Ps 147:19-20 says, "He has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel. He has done this for no other nation; they do not know his laws. Praise the LORD." And Paul wrote in Romans 3:1-2, "What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? Much in every way! First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God."

It is true that everything belonging to our salvation has come to us from the Jewish people: our Bible, our Savior, the apostles, the gospel and the Messianic assembly itself.

Not only is it true of the past, it is also true about the future. It is to Jerusalem that the Messiah will return. The salvation of the Jewish people will bring life from the dead for the world. Jerusalem will be the throne of the Lord and the praise of all the earth.

Yeshua did not say that salvation was from the Jews but is from the Jews. This has never changed. Several years ago our friend Reuven Doron pointed out in a conference that the text in John 4 can also be translated as "salvation is Jewish." The gospel and every single doctrine and practice contained therein is originally from the Jewish people and their Scriptures.

Based on these facts, it would seem that love and appreciation for the Jewish people would be an integral part of Christian faith. The sad witness of history is, however, the very opposite. There is no institution or religion in the history of mankind that has been as cruel towards the Jewish people as the official Christian Church. What is the reason for this?

Dr. Magnus Zetterlund, who is doctor of New Testament Exegesis at the University of Lund in Sweden, has done a thorough research regarding the beginnings of the Christian Church in the second century. He has documented some of his findings in his book "The Emergence of Christianity at Antioch." He writes,

"In the beginning of the second century the Jesus-movement is transformed and Christianity as we know it today emerges as a non-Jewish religion, where Jewish identity is incompatible with being a Christian."

He continues, "During the development of Christianity from a forbidden religion to state religion, the contempt for Jews and Judaism becomes, however, a natural part of Christian theology. The very opposite of Christianity is not, as one would suppose, Greek-Roman religion, but Judaism. What started as a Jewish Messianic movement has in a relative short time – one hundred years – developed into a religious movement that in every basic aspect contradicts its origin."

The Word "Judaize"

The word "Judaize" comes from the Greek word 'Ioudaizo.' The word is found one time in the Greek New Testament and one time in the Septuagint Greek translation of the Old Testament. The first is in the context where Paul confronted Peter in Antioch for not following the truth of the gospel. Gal 2:14 says,

"When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, 'You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?'"

Where NIV Bible uses the phrase "to follow Jewish customs," both the NKJV and the NASB translates it as "to live like Jews." Both Darby's and Young's literal translations of the Bible use, however, the English transliterated Greek word 'Judaize.' A literal translation of the last sentence is, "How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to Judaize?" What did Paul mean?

The context has to do with table fellowship, a highly sensitive issue among the Jewish people, especially in those days. The preceding verses say,

"When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray." (Gal 2:11-13)

If we go to Acts 10:28-29 we read when Peter visited Cornelius and the first Gentiles were saved. Peter told the Gentiles who had gathered, "You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean [Peter was referring to the vision about the sheet that came from heaven with all kinds of unclean animals]. So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection."

In the next chapter we read,

"The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him and said, 'You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.'" (Acts 11:1-3)

The Torah does not specifically say that it is forbidden for a Jew to eat together with a Gentile. But since table fellowship has to do with covenant relationships through breaking bread together, Jewish faith had implemented this application from the Torah.

In Ephesians Paul explains that Gentiles who have come to faith, have been brought near to God through the blood of Messiah and therefore the wall of separation between Jew and Gentile, caused by the Jewish ordinances from the Law, has been torn down. We are one body together in the Messiah.

"But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace." (Eph 2:13-15 NASB)

Jews and Gentiles have become one new man in the Messiah. The wall of separation has been torn down. This is the truth of the gospel that Peter was contradicting when he withdrew from the non-Jewish believers at Antioch and no longer ate with them. With the powerful vision from heaven fresh in his mind, he started out right when he visited the house of Cornelius and boldly defended his actions before the other apostles in Jerusalem. But later on he gave in to the pressure from some Jewish believers from Jerusalem who had come to Antioch.

What was the problem? The problem was that these Jewish believers still could not accept that a Jew could eat with a Gentile, even if he had been born again and become new creature in the Messiah. They demanded that these Gentiles must convert and become Jews first in order to be accepted as covenant partners. The same incident is most likely is referred to also in Acts 15:1, "Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: 'Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.'"

The only place in the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament where the Greek word 'Ioudaizo' appears confirms the above. It is found in the Book of Esther after the victory over Haman's evil plan to kill all Jews where we read, "In every province and in every city, wherever the edict of the king went, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them." (Est 8:17) It says that many people of other nationalities "Judaized" because fear of the Jews had seized them. The literal meaning of the word "Judaized," which is brought out in basically every single Bible translation, is that "they became Jews."

Having to convert and become a Jew by being circumcised in order to get saved is a contradiction of the gospel. This is what Peter was doing when he withdrew from fellowship with the non Jewish believers in Antioch. By his actions he tried to force them to Judaize before he would accept them and Paul rebuked him to his face.

Today the word Judaize has a very different meaning in the Church, than it has in the Bible. To Judaize has become a very anti Semitic term, implying that a person has fallen from the faith and is risking eternal hellfire. It is often used about a person who has begun to practice anything that is viewed as Jewish customs, such as observing the Sabbath and following the food laws of the Bible. The NIV translation of Gal 2:14 is colored by 1900 years of anti Jewish theology when it translates 'Ioudaizo' as "to follow Jewish customs." This was not the first century meaning of the word.

The reason for this change in the meaning of the word Judaize goes back to the very DNA of the Christian religion. As stated earlier, Christianity arose in the second century after the apostles as a new religion, not primarily in opposition to pagan customs and practices, but in opposition to anything Jewish. If salvation is from the Jews, or as it also can be translated that "salvation is Jewish," it is not difficult to understand that the change that took place in the second century was the work of the devil. Paul called the demonic force behind it "the secret power of lawlessness." It is the very force that prepares the way for the antichrist.

"For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming." (2 Th 2:7-8)

With the greatest solemnity we say to all of you before God, "Beware of people, leaders or preachers who attack or show contempt towards the Torah and towards things that are Jewish!" Do not follow them! They are blinded by an anti-Christian spirit.

The First Non Jewish Believers

In the Book of Acts we can read about how it was in the beginning when the first Gentiles were saved.

"At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. …The men replied, 'We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people.'" (Acts 10:1-3, 22)

In the Swedish Bible there is a note to the word "God-fearing." It says, "The expression 'God-fearing' refers to Gentiles, who without being circumcised and thereby completely convert to Judaism, confessed faith in the God of Israel. Such "God-fearers" (half proselytes) were warmly received by the Jews, who only demanded that they keep the important rules regarding the Sabbath and clean and unclean food."

In other words Cornelius lived a quite Jewish lifestyle. He kept the Sabbath and the kosher laws of the time, went to synagogue and practiced the Jewish prayers, for instance at three in the afternoon as we see further on in the text. He loved the Jewish people and gave alms to the poor among them. "One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, "Cornelius!" Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is it, Lord?" he asked. The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.'" (Acts 10:3-4)

Such a Jew-loving Gentile, living a righteous Jewish lifestyle, observing both the Sabbath and the food laws, was graced by heaven to be the first Gentile to receive salvation and the baptism of the Spirit! Friends, God never changes! He is the same yesterday, today and forever, there is no shadow of turning in Him. If Cornelius, who kept the Jewish Sabbath, food laws and prayers, found such favor with God, it is still the exact same today for every Gentile. No, believers from a Gentile background do not have to Judaize, I. e. convert and become Jews through circumcision. They should remain non-Jews. But one thing is certain: living a Jewish lifestyle and practicing Jewish customs like Cornelius did is far more pleasing to God than "Christianizing pagan customs", trying to make them fit the Bible.

Remember, salvation is Jewish! If you try to remove everything Jewish from your walk with God, there will be nothing but paganism left. There is a story about a frustrated pastor, telling his flock, "In this church we do not use Hebrew expressions! We speak English here!" One of his loyal followers shouted, "Amen!" (Amen is of course one of the most used Hebrew word in the synagogue.)

Yeshua warned his disciples, "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." (Matt 16:6) Friends, this applies just as much to Christian theology. Beware of the teachings of men! Theologians say, "The Sabbath is not for today! Jesus only confirmed nine of the Ten Commandments." Besides that he himself kept the Sabbath, Mark 2:27 clearly records him telling the people, "The Sabbath was made for man." How much more clearly can it get? A child can read that! There is truly no blindness like theological blindness. "Jesus said, 'If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.'" (Jn 9:41)

To Judaize does not mean to practice Jewish customs. In the Bible Judaize simple means "to become a Jew." After Christianity arose in the second century as a non-Jewish religion, where eventually everything connected to the Jewish people became forbidden, the meaning of the word changed to include following Biblical Jewish practices such as Sabbath observance, abstaining from clean foods, honoring the Biblical feasts etc.

During the time of the Reformation in the 16th century, the word Judaize got yet another meaning. As the Bible became available to ordinary people in their own language, many discovered the Hebrew roots of the first century, apostolic faith in the New Testament and began to observe the Sabbath and the Biblical Feasts. A Christian version of the Siddur, the Jewish Prayer Book, was even translated into German. Both Luther and Calvin were very anti Jewish and brutally persecuted these believers. They were tortured, imprisoned, beheaded, drowned or burnt at the stake.

At this time the word Judaize was transformed into a transitive verb (like the word evangelize), and came to mean causing others to adopt Jewish customs. Someone who did this was called a Judaizer, which today is a highly derogatory, anti Semitic term.

Do not ever let any misinformed preacher rob the commandments in the Word of God from your life! We read about our Lord, "on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read." (Lk 4:16) Shouldn't we be like him?

"Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. …I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit — just as it has taught you, remain in him. And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him." (1 Jn 2:6, 26-29)

That we do not need anyone to teach us does not mean that we do not need pastors or teachers. It just means that each one of us has a responsibility to find out if what they say is true or not. That is the power of the new covenant. "No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest." (Heb 8:11)

What we are teaching here is nothing new. There have always been faithful followers of the Messiah throughout the centuries. They have, however, always been persecuted by both the Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant main line churches. Millions of them have become martyrs. Here are two examples of old hymnals from the 16th century, sung by cruelly persecuted believers in Transylvania, who still held on to the first century Messianic faith of Cornelius, including the Sabbath.

"Buried lay the old teachings of Christ …but to us, the least of all, the most insignificant on earth, to us the poor and despised ones, You have revealed it."

Yeshua promised us that before he returns, everything will be restored back again as it was in the beginning. "To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things." (Mk 9:12) We are living in these exciting times on the threshold of Messiah.

                                                                                                       the source: thewatchman.org