The Jewish Church? That might seem to some an unusual combination of words, because when we think of a Jewish house of worship, we think of a synagogue, and when we think of a Christian house of worship, we think of a church. What may have been forgotten is that the Christian church actually began in Jewish synagogues centuries ago. These early Christians believed that what they were doing was part of Judaism.
The eventual separation sparked the beginning of Christian anti-Semitism. Thankfully, that division is slowly healing today as many Christians and Jews grow closer together.
On this episode, Father Sam Clark, an ordained Anglican minister, reveals that "the early church was actually a sect within Judaism where they continued to worship as Jews but also believed that Jesus was the Messiah. The head of the church was in Jerusalem, just like Judaism, and there was no separation from the Jewish heritage."
In 2007, Father Sam was invited to serve as the first executive director of the newly established Christian Friends of Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum and Memorial in Jerusalem. He now serves as PJTN'S director of programs and development and offers educated insight into the history of Christianity and how it split away from its Jewish roots.
The fact is that Jesus was born into a Jewish family who kept Torah and observed the feasts. He prayed in synagogues and taught Torah to the multitudes of followers. All of this is clearly stated in the Gospels, when read from a Hebraic understanding. Sadly, most Church leaders have done a poor job in educating Christians about the Hebrew roots of Christianity.
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Learn more about these roots in this informative episode of Focus On Israel: