Irreconcilable Views of Salvation in Early Christianity and Early Judaism

In the first century, Jews and Christians had more in common than both groups had with polytheistic pagans. Jews and Christians agreed about convictions such as the existence of one true God, the non-existence of the pagan deities, the significance of God’s revelation in the works of creation, the greater significance of God’s revelation in the Scriptures and in the history of Israel, the reality of God’s future judgment, the need for repentance of sins, the need for obedience to the will of God, and the hope of the restoration of creation in a new world. However, there were also disagreements, not only regarding details of the proper interpretation of Scriptural texts and of personal behaviour, but regarding very basic questions linked with the procurement and the reality of salvation. The disagreements in these areas were so fundamental that John calls the Jews’ rejection of Jesus the Messiah and the resultant Jewish animosity toward Jesus’ followers "satanic" (Rev. 3:9), while Jews cursed Christians in synagogue prayers from the late first or early second century onward. This session focuses on the fundamental questions of the presence of God, the forgiveness of sins, and the nature of the people of God.