Forum: The close relationship of Christians and Jews
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As Christians believe that they are the respondents and that God is the initiator in all of their important dealings with one another, the question must be asked ‘what is God’s plan for their mutual endeavors, for the human history of this world?’ The apostle Paul offers the classic answer to this question when he insists that God chose one particular people to be his instrument of salvation for all the world -- the Jewish people, one of whom is Paul. In his letter to the Romans Paul spells this out with total clarity.
Christians tend to forget that Jesus is a Jew, and that he foresaw all of reality through Jewish eyes. The New Testament has not replaced the Old Testament. Together they constitute the Bible, which is the most basic of Christian documents.
The long denial of Christians with their Jewish bonds is untenable. To be a true Christian one is committed to God’s plan for this world. That demands the recognition, that Paul the Apostle clearly understood, of the central place of the Jewish people in that plan.
Christianity is understood by most people to be quite different from Judaism. That does not, however, require one to believe God has abandoned the Jewish people.
This is a delicate and difficult area. It is part of the present day agenda for Christians, nevertheless. Marvelous advances have been made in inter-religious understanding in our time. The close relationship of Christians and Jews, while it has shared in some of these advances, is barely acknowledged, however.
The Christian’s understanding of God and God’s plan comes from the Jews. As difficult as this is to accept it remains fact. It is long past time that it be dealt with more honestly and more directly.
