Dear Friend,

The more scientific strata of our culture spends much time discussing and debating origins - the origin of the cosmos, earth, life, or species. As Christians, do we know our origins?

Many of us, it seems, have forgotten the origins of the church. It's there plainly written in the New Testament for all to see, yet all do not see it.

Some consider the church an American invention, others a breakoff of Roman Catholicism, but all assume wherever and however the church originated it was an exclusively gentile club - no Jews allowed! Why? Some church fathers despised Jews. And some of the most influential reformers denounced them. And for centuries the average European Christians were taught they were the "Christ killers."

And today a substantial part of the church holds the doctrine of Supersessionism (Replacement Theology), which teaches that Christianity has totally and irrevocably replaced Israel in God's plan and He has no further use for the nation of Israel or the Jewish people. A simple search of our own environment would seem to confirm this: there are virtually no Jews in our American evangelical churches today! Thus, we may conclude, we should in every way possible distance ourselves from Jewish people - and feel quite smugly correct in doing so. Jesus, however, would beg to differ.

You see, in the church's embryonic period, Jesus chose as His closest companions and successors in training twelve very Jewish men. They may have immediately connected their number with the twelve tribes of Israel. Jesus later seemed to confirm this implied symbolism when He promised these Jewish men they would one day rule on "twelve thrones" over the "twelve tribes" of the fully regenerated nation of Israel: "In the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging [ruling] the twelve tribes of Israel" (Matthew 19:28).

This fact causes us to pause and remember the church was by divine design founded squarely in a Jewish culture. It was deeply rooted in chosen Jewish men, the Jewish homeland, the Jewish capital, the Jewish (Old Testament) Scriptures, and the Jewish language. For years it had exclusively Jewish congregations with Jewish leaders who met in a Jewish temple or Jewish synagogues. Even the "apostle of the gentiles" was a Jew, Paul (Romans 11:13).

Most compellingly, the church had, and still has, a Jewish Savior, born in a Jewish tribe, Jewish village, and Jewish home. Given a Jewish name (Yeshua), He was born of a Jewish mother, had Jewish siblings, and was raised and taught a trade by a Jewish father (Joseph). He lived His entire life immersed in Jewish culture - studying Jewish Scriptures, attending Jewish synagogues, listening to Jewish rabbis, observing Jewish ordinances, keeping the Jewish Sabbath, celebrating Jewish festivals, and even defending the Jewish faith: "Ye worship ye know not what. [But] We know what we worship; for salvation is of the Jews" (John 4:22).

So thoroughly Jewish was Jesus that even the spiritually blind Roman governor, Pilate, couldn't miss seeing it. Thus, the unsaved pagan by unrecognized inspiration ordered an unmistakable message posted atop Jesus' cross, "JESUS OF NAZARETH KING OF THE JEWS," and refused to remove it when the Jews objected (John 19:19). Thus, the origin of Christianity was, and still is, utterly Jewish!

Though we in the postmodern ekklésia correctly maintain a doctrinal separation from Christ-rejecting Judaism, Jesus’ call of the original apostles as described above reminds us there yet abides a strong, unbreakable link between the church and Israel. And both Jesus (Matthew 23:39) and Paul (Romans 11:26-27) plainly foretold us a remnant of Israel will yet turn to Jesus in the last days. Hence, the comparatively recent emergence and increasing growth of Messianic Judaism.

So, let us see and celebrate God’s hand in the surprising success of Zionism, the incredible reestablishment of modern Israel in May 1948, and its amazing preservation despite being encircled by violently hateful Arab nations. What, then, should you do?

Appreciate our Jewish founding. Love Jews. Support Israel. Never sympathize with those wishing to harm Israel. Never agree with professing Christians who mock or disparage Jews or are indifferent toward their misfortune. If Christians at all, they have utterly forgotten their origins and are unconsciously deeply grieving their Savior. But don't stop there.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Pray our nation, confused and sinful as it is, may yet maintain support of Israel. Pray for the repentance of Jews and share with them your faith in Messiah Jesus every chance you get. Pray for every anti-Semite on earth to be convicted of hating the original covenant people and only chosen nation of God.

And keep doing these things until our Jewish Savior returns to establish His kingdom in the Jewish homeland and Jewish capital co-inhabited by spiritually reborn Jews and Gentiles and co-ruled by Jewish apostles and Christian (Gentile) overcomers!

And, for the record, this is penned by a goy . . .

Shalom, and Maranatha Yeshua,

Greg Hinnant
Greg Hinnant Ministries