Caveats, 4 of 6

In the previous essays of this series I made the following parallel: Early Gentile Christianity's relationship to Judaism and Jewish believers is parallel to Protestantism's relationship to contemporary Orthodoxy. Allow me to make clear that this parallel is far from exact and is also problematic. Where Orthodoxy and Protestantism are the same (both Christian), Judaism …

Comparing Orthodoxy to Judaism, 3 of 6

In the last essay I ended by saying that the church, being a new creation, was not obligated to the Mosaic Law (the Torah), but to a new law of love (Gal. 5:14). This is not to imply that this new church was antinomian. Even a cursory reading of Paul's letters indicates that he assumed …

The Law (Torah) and the Gospel, 2 of 6

In the previous essay I observed that, according to N.T. Wright, the significance of the doctrine of justification by faith has to do with the basic requirements for Christian table fellowship. Wright's claim is based on a particular understanding of the Judaism of Jesus' and St. Paul's day. Within Protestant circles Judaism was historically considered …