WHO'S ON FIRST

WHO’S ON FIRST?

Monday, February 05, 2018

  A week ago under the title FIRST OF ALL I wrote “How we define base-line sanity is lens determining, which is why I pondered and wrote on the question in December. (How does our view of sanity affect our attitude toward others?) Here’s another lens exercise: 1. Which is older, Judaism or Christianity? 2. What personal and/or cultural difference does my answer make?“ Today the responses:

  My first thought was Judaisim, of course, but knowing you ask thought provoking questions not easy ones I gave the question more thought.  Nations of people have been practicing Judaism longer than Christianity but Christianity really started with creation.  Those practicing the  Christian faith established the church after the birth of Jesus.  Unless we think back to creation there is a danger of not recognizing God as the Creator.  One of the problems of our culture and the churches today is the failure to recognize God as the Creator, to know (epiginosko) Him, understand His attributes and truly worship Him as He desires.  If we don't recognize God as creator, study His Word and practice our faith, we may be swept up by the declining culture in which we live.  Our prayers become 'want lists' and lack petitions of thanksgiving, praise,  worship, confession and submission.  Sharon

  I believe there is no difference in age.  The old testament is the history of both faiths.  The difference comes with how we deal with Jesus.   Jim

  If you believe that God in His omniscience knew that mankind will and does sin, then He had a plan for man's redemption prior to the time of creation.  If that is true then Judaism and Christianity are the same age.  Prior to the birth of Jesus in human form salvation was seen as a future event.  After the resurrection salvation is seen as a current plan awaiting our acceptance.  God sees time in its entirety while humans see only a portion of time.

The difference that this answer makes is that we then see all persons as redeemed by their faith either in the Messiah that was to come or by the one that has come.  Unfortunately not all will accept that gift.

Jan

  If we look at it world history wise then Judaism is older, Jesus born a Jew, advertently or inadvertently founding a religion built upon Judaism; a new sect. Seeing Christianity this way limits it to a religion with subgroups, Methodists, Lutherans, Baptists et al, thereby a life-view with limitations as opposed to with infinite sight thru the lens of God’s Word.

  “Christian” (KJV Act.11:26; 26:28; 1Pet.4:16), and the later “Christianity” are man’s finite restrictive terms. “in Christ” (KJV 78 times) reflects God’s infinity, as should we.

  Being that all things, believers delightfully so, are “in Christ”, thereby that which we latter day “saints” (KJV OT 35 times, NT 61) refer to as Christianity was/is/continues as existent. It is definitely not a development of Judaism. For me to think other than timeless sets boundaries on my vision of life and all matters pertaining to.

  How we deal with eternal infinite Jesus makes the difference . . . in this life and the next. “in Christ” is not defined by two vertical lines on a world history wall chart!

EBB4