Why were early Christians expelled from the Synagogue?

[Elijah John]

Why were early Christians expelled from the Synagogue?

For believing Jesus is the Messiah?

For believing Jesus is God?

Or both?

[tigger2]

Which Christians? When?

Before or after 135 A.D.?

[Elijah John]

Which Christians? When?

Before or after 135 A.D.?

Before, around the time the Gospel of John was written.

[tigger2]

[Replying to post 3 by Elijah John]

Will you give me a source for this?

[Elijah John]

[Replying to post 3 by Elijah John]

Will you give me a source for this?

What source? Do you doubt early Christians were expelled? Or that the earliest Christians considered themselves Jews? And that there was a parting of the ways between normative Judaism and the emerging Christianity?

I thought it was common knowledge that the early Christians were expelled from the synagogue for their embrace of Jesus.

https://www.debatingchristianity.com/fo ... 221#949221

Polonius in post # 6 of this thread alludes to the event. I do believe he draws from a well of common knowledge. As do I from almost every book on the Historical Jesus that I have read.

The OP seeks to understand whether that expulsion was because of their embrace of Jesus as Messiah? Or because some thought he was God in the flesh? Or both.

So why the question, what does the Watchtower teach you about this subject?

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 1 by Elijah John]

The gospels and the book of Acts remain our most detailed source of information about first century Christianity (The gospel of John has been dated by some as early as the end of the first century). If we hold to the bible narrative the Chrstians were viewed as Jewish Apostates promoting rebellion against the law. The religious leaders evrntually threatened anyone accepting Jesus as the Messiah with expulsion.

[tigger2]

[Replying to post 5 by Elijah John]

The final rift between Christians and Judaism came sometime shortly after 135 A.D. Before this schism the Jews would have killed them (never mind merely expelling them) if they entered the synagogues and proclaimed Jesus as God. In spite of problems in some synagogues concerning Jesus being the Messiah, the Christians as a sect of Judaism still had access to most synagogues until the final breakup.

If the trinity (or just the deity of Jesus) had really been taught (or believed) by the first Christians, the schism between the Jews (who considered such a teaching "an unpardonable offense") and Christians would have been immediate, irrevocable, and incredibly intense. But that is not what caused the greatest and final split between the sect of the first Christians and the Jews. Nor is it what caused Christians after 135 A.D. to rid themselves of "Jewish" aspects of the new religion (probably including the use of the Divine Name).

"The Jewish belief that the parting of the ways came not at Stephen’s martyrdom but after Bar Kochba’s war against Hadrian [132-135 A. D.] is now gaining ground. Previously there had been no event sufficiently striking to sever the ties. Christians frequented the synagogues: they were still a Jewish sect. But Bar Kochba was hailed by Aqiba as the Messiah. This the Christians could not condone and they stood aside. .... The Jews regarded the Christians as renegades: the Christians would not fight for Aqiba’s Messiah. The die had fallen and there was no recalling the past." - Encyclopedia Britannica, p. 167, Vol. 13, 14th ed.

Noted Christian Bible historian, Philip Schaff writes: " (A.D. 132-135). A pseudo-Messiah, Bar-Cochba (son of the stars, Num. 24:17), afterwards called Bar-Cosiba (son of falsehood), put himself at the head of the rebels, and caused all the Christians who would not join him to be most cruelly murdered." – p. 37, History of the Christian Church, Vol. II, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1995 reprint.
- - - - - - - - - - - -

It was the generation following the destruction of the Temple which brought about a final rupture between Jews and Christians .... In the third rebellion against Rome [132-135 A.D.], when the Christians were unable to accept bar Kochba as their Messiah, they declared that their kingdom was of the other world, and withdrew themselves completely from Judaism and everything Jewish. The alienation process was completed. Judaism and Christianity became strangers to each other .... A wall of misunderstanding and hate was erected by the narrow zealotries of the two faiths. [pp. 152, 153, Jews, God and History, Max I. Dimont, A Signet Book, 1962.]

"Cochba [bar Kochba] ... tortured and killed the Christians who refused to aid him against the Roman army." - p. 42, Greek Apologists of the Second Century, Robert M. Grant, The Westminster Press, 1988.
"Another Christian apologist, Justin [Martyr], tells how ... Bar Kochba, the leader of the insurrection, ordered Christians alone to be executed if they would not deny and curse Jesus the Messiah." - Ibid.
"After the war the Jerusalem church, once Jewish, consisted only of Gentiles." - Ibid.

http://examiningthetrinity.blogspot.co ... ians.html

[polonius]

[Replying to post 1 by Elijah John]

The gospels and the book of Acts remain our most detailed source of information about first century Christianity (The gospel of John has been dated by some as early as the end of the first century). If we hold to the bible narrative the Chrstians were viewed as Jewish Apostates promoting rebellion against the law. The religious leaders evrntually threatened anyone accepting Jesus as the Messiah with expulsion.

RESPONSE: No. The Jews had no trouble accepting that Jesus might be the Messiah. But they condemned any who believed he was divine.

Acts 5

34 But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel a teacher of the law, respected by all the people, stood up and ordered the men to be put outside for a short time. 35 Then he said to them, “Fellow Israelites,[e]consider carefully what you propose to do to these men. 36 For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him; but he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and disappeared. 37 After him Judas the Galilean rose up at the time of the census and got people to follow him; he also perished, and all who followed him were scattered.�

There was also one called the Egyptian.

So there were four Messiah-candidates in the first century. No problem unless one of them was believed to be divine!

[brianbbs67]

[Replying to post 1 by Elijah John]

The gospels and the book of Acts remain our most detailed source of information about first century Christianity (The gospel of John has been dated by some as early as the end of the first century). If we hold to the bible narrative the Chrstians were viewed as Jewish Apostates promoting rebellion against the law. The religious leaders evrntually threatened anyone accepting Jesus as the Messiah with expulsion.

RESPONSE: No. The Jews had no trouble accepting that Jesus might be the Messiah. But they condemned any who believed he was divine.

Acts 5

34 But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel a teacher of the law, respected by all the people, stood up and ordered the men to be put outside for a short time. 35 Then he said to them, “Fellow Israelites,[e]consider carefully what you propose to do to these men. 36 For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him; but he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and disappeared. 37 After him Judas the Galilean rose up at the time of the census and got people to follow him; he also perished, and all who followed him were scattered.�

There was also one called the Egyptian.

So there were four Messiah-candidates in the first century. No problem unless one of them was believed to be divine!

I seem to remember a certain governor asking Paul if he was that Egyptian.

[polonius]

Paul was born and raised in Tarsus, a Mithraic center. It can be argued that is where the various teaching he introduced into Christianity came from.