Lesson Four
The Split
Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of G-d. Then Yeshua cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me.”
John 12:42-45
“These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers G-d service.”
John 15:1-2
Introduction
- We are almost ready to begin digging into the Epistle to the Hebrews. We have been setting the historical stage.
- Acts has taught us about the likely recipients:
- They remained in the Temple worship system until at least 58 CE – participating in the prayers and sacrifices.
- They remained a integral sect of ‘Judaism’ and were well-regarded by the people, and considered pious.
- They continued in the synagogue system, meeting daily – and treating the 7th day as the Sabbath.
- They went through a cultural (not theological) shift in order to include Gentiles.
- The primary opposition to them:
- Sadducees: Resurrection and Yeshua
- Pharisees: Some, Yeshua
- Both: Gentile inclusion. This is the big one.
Acts: Historical and Cultural Context
- Acts 15:1-11: What is this passage about? What does do the words “circumcision” and “saved” mean to a Jew living in Jerusalem around 40 CE?
- Verse 1: ethos of Moses, verse 5: nomos of Moses
- Acts 15:10: What is the “yoke on the neck”? Xref Deut 30:10-14; 1John 5:2-3; Rom 10:4-9
- Acts 15:11 gives unique insight into the entire topic. The issue of what “saved” means is being clarified for the Jews of the day. Getting “saved” does not depend upon ethnicity. SHOCK!
- 15:20;28-29: Needed things for those turning to G-d:
- Abstain from pollution of idols (meat etc.)
- Abstain from fornication
- Abstain from things strangled
- Abstain from blood
- Why these things? These are purity and fellowship issues.
- Is that all? It is a start so that…15:21, they could participate and learn more.
- ‘Circumcision’ is almost always used to denote ritual conversion to ‘Judaism’. 1Cor 7:19 shows that the word ‘circumcision’ is not usually speaking of 8-day old circumcision, but ritual conversion.
- Acts 18:18-21; 20:1-10: Why did Paul cut off his hair? Num 6:1-21: This is around 57 CE. Paul was still doing Torah things even the voluntarily ones. Keeping the feasts was optional for those unable to get to Jerusalem. So was a Nazarite vow.
- Acts 20:7: Havdalah meeting for believers. Paul’s contact with a dead person.
- Acts 21:17-27: Myriads and myriads of believers in Jerusalem. 20,000+.
- All zealous for the Torah.
- It was rumored that Paul was not observant, and was teaching others the same. This was a false allegation.
- Acts 21:27: Proof of observance: Pay your vow and 4 others.
- Sacrifices: 1 lamb (trespass), 1 ewe (sin), 1 ram (peace), unleavened bread – all multiplied by 5. Plus sacrifice for purification of contact with a dead person (Eutycus).
- Acts 21:28: The accusation made against Paul was the same as against Yeshua and Stephen – with the twist of adding Gentiles. This is the same charge brought against Paul by modern theologians. All false allegations.
- Acts 22:3-4: Paul’s credentials.
- Acts 22:21: The dividing line was… Gentiles.
- Acts 23:2-3: The issue for the ‘Chief Priests’: resurrection of the dead.
- Acts 24:10-11: Paul asserts that the charges are false.
- Acts 24:17: offerings = prosphora, sacrifices
- Acts 28:17-20: The last we see Paul he maintains that he was always observant.
The Split
- John 3; 19:39: Nicodemus = Nakdimon ben Gurion. One of the three wealthy men (and Ben Kalba Sabbua and Ben Tzitzit ha-Kessit) that financed the first Jewish War (66-71 CE). A secret follower of the Master.
- Luke 21:20: Most believers fled Jerusalem in 66 CE to Pella (modern Jordan).
- Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai: a disciple of Hillel. In 69 CE he escaped Jerusalem and surrendered to Vespasian. He reconstituted the Sanhedrin in Yavneh. He was a friend of Nakdimon. His teachings (like Hillel’s) are very complimentary of Yeshua’s. He had five primary disciples:
- Eliezer ben Hyrcanus
- Yehoshua ben Chananiah
- Yose Ha-Kohen
- Shimon ben Nataniel
- Eleazar ben Arach (Mishna Avot 2:8)
- Eliezer ben Hyrcanus is the most quoted tannaim in the Talmud. He was married to Gamliel II’s sister. Akiva was his disciple. He was excommunicated. He was accused of being a believer and learned from Ya’akov ben Chalfai [James son of Alphaeus].
- Gamliel II took over the Sanhedrin in about 73 CE. He was very anti-Gentile. He was very opposed to believers. At his direction, Samuel ha-Katan composed the 12th benediction to the Amidah: Birkat ha-Minim: In order to curse believers in the synagogue prayer services.
- After destruction of Jerusalem [Josephus says for killing James], believers are not in good regard with the rest of ‘Judaism’.
- ‘Believers’ = ma’aminim
- ‘Heretics’ = minim
- Minim also an acronym = Ma’aminim Yeshua Nozri + plural ‘im’ [i.e. ‘Believers in Yeshua the Nazarene’]
- The ‘last straw’ was the inclusion of Gentiles. This was something that the rest of ‘Judaism’ could not abide. The split began around 62 CE and was not complete until the 3rd Century.
Summary
- The split between believers and the rest of ‘Judaism’ was not primarily over Yeshua. It began with Yeshua and resurrection. Where Pharisees finally separated from believers was over inclusion of Gentiles.
- Supercessionism and Dispensationalism were later theological inventions to distance ‘Christianity’ from ‘Judaism’ –and all things that appeared ‘Jewish’. This is the basis for theological bias against the Temple, the sacrifices, and the Torah.
- These theologies post dated the Epistle to the Hebrews by many years. Hence, the message of Hebrews is one of an encouragement about what was central to our faith and practice: Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua.