Jews and Gentiles in the Early Jesus Movement: An Unintended Journey

315 Pages·2013·1.28 MB·English

by  Abel Mordechai Bibliowicz

Praise for Jews and Gentiles in the Early Jesus Movement
“An important work . . . Sensitive and deeply researched . . . In the deepest sense, a
profound theological work.”
—Professor Clark M. Williamson, Christian Theological Seminary,
Indiana; author of Way of Blessing, Way of Life:
A Christian Theology
“ An original and plausible claim that goes beyond most of modern scholarship . . . a
solid contribution to the study of anti-Judaism in early Christianity.”
—Professor Joseph B. Tyson, Religious Studies, Southern
Methodist University; author of Marcion and
Luke-Acts: A Defining Struggle
“In methodical and precise fashion Bibliowicz takes the reader through the relevant
ancient Christian texts bearing on the question at hand. In so doing, he proposes
an intriguing, compelling thesis. The book should prove to be a major voice in the
ongoing debate.”
—Brooks Schramm, Professor of Biblical Studies,
Lutheran Theological Seminary
“ Impressive work . . . With this impassioned study available to us, it will no longer
be possible for us to ignore the unintended ways the unthinkable came to be and
still say ‘we did not know.’”
—Professor Didier Pollefeyt, Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies,
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Belgium; coauthor of Anti-
Judaism and the Fourth Gospel and Paul and Judaism
“ May this book find a wide readership among people devoted to the cause of the
healing of memories between Jews and Christians.”
—Professor Peter C. Phan, Chair of Catholic Social Thought, Georgetown
University; President of the Catholic Theological Society of America
“A significant contribution to our understanding of the Christian-Jewish relation-
ship in the first centuries of the Common Era.”
—Professor John T. Pawlikowski, Director, Catholic-Jewish Studies
Program, Catholic Theological Union, Chicago; author of
The Challenge of the Holocaust for Christian Theology
“ Well-researched and thorough. Intelligent and thoughtful . . . accessible, the argu-
mentation compelling.”
—Professor M. Murray, Bishop’s University, Canada; author of
Playing a Jewish Game: Gentile Christian Judaizing in the
First and Second Centuries C.E.
“Mr. Bibliowicz’s book will challenge all readers to reexamine their foundational
religious narratives as to how they regard ‘the other.’ And this exercise may be as
painful as it is necessary.”
—Rev. Michael McGarry, C. S. P. President, The Paulist Fathers;
author of Christology after Auschwitz
“An intrepid excursion into the Christian discourse . . . The quest of an intellec-
tual, a humanist . . . Interesting and, in fact overwhelming . . . A timely and honest
engagement of the Christian texts, authors, and scholars by a Jewish intellectual.”
—Burton L. Mack, – Professor of Early Christianity, Claremont School
of Theology, California; author of A Myth of Innocence:
Mark and Christian Origins
“ A detailed and insightful exploration of the writings of the early Jesus move-
ment . . . argues convincingly that the origins of Christian anti-Judaism are to be
found among early non-Jewish followers of Jesus who were in conflict with Jesus’s
disciples and first followers . . . a must read.”
—Tim Hegedus, Professor of New Testament, Waterloo Lutheran
Seminary, Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada
“The most important and comprehensive reconstruction of the origins of Christian
anti-Judaism . . . Standing on a brilliant and insightful reconstruction of Paul, and
on a quite shocking (but perhaps compelling) reading of Mark—the author offers
a number of original and, in some cases, quite compelling theoretical reconstruc-
tions of the context and purposes of early Christian texts . . . a work of sublime
moral passion . . . must be considered by every thoughtful Christian, not just by
specialists and scholars.”
—David P. Gushee, Distinguished University Professor of Christian
Ethics and Director, Center for Theology and Public Life,
Mercer University; author of Kingdom Ethics:
Following Jesus in Contemporary Context
“Bibliowicz uses solid scholarship to engage large and difficult topics while man-
aging to be balanced and clear . . . invites Christians to walk a deep journey toward
truth . . . and suggests a compelling nuance that the conflicts in the early texts were
between Jewish and Gentile followers of Jesus, not between Jews and Christians.”
—David L. Coppola, Executive Director, Center for
Christian-Jewish Understanding,
Sacred Heart University
“A meticulous study . . . a mammoth endeavor . . . goes beyond others in his inter-
pretation of the evidence, tracing and documenting distinctions and tensions in
the early Jesus movement.”
—N. A. Beck, Professor of Theology and Classical Languages,
Texas Lutheran University; author of Mature Christianity
in the 21st Century: The Recognition and Repudiation of
the Anti-Jewish Polemic of the New Testament
“ The topics Bibliowicz engages are complex. Although some of his interpretations
are controversial . . . Gentile Christians should set aside apologetical agendas and
honestly ponder the challenges put forward by the author.”
—Dale C. Allison, Jr. Professor of New Testament and Early
Christianity, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary; author of
Constructing Jesus: History, Memory, and Imagination
Jews and Gentiles in the Early
Jesus Movement
An Unintended Journey
ABEL MORDECHAI BIBLIOWICZ
JEWS AND GENTILES IN THE EARLY JESUS MOVEMENT
Copyright © Abel Mordechai Bibliowicz, 2013.
All rights reserved.
First published in 2013 by
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN®
in the United States— a division of St. Martin’s Press LLC,
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
Where this book is distributed in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world,
this is by Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited,
registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills,
Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS.
Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies
and has companies and representatives throughout the world.
Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United States,
the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries.
ISBN: 978–1–137–28109–8
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bibliowicz, Abel Mordechai.
Jews and Gentiles in the early Jesus movement : an unintended
journey / by Abel Mordechai Bibliowicz.
pages cm
ISBN 978–1–137–28109–8 (hardcover : alk. paper)
1. Bible. N.T.—Criticism, interpretation, etc. 2. Judaism (Christian
theology)—Biblical teaching. 3. Church history—Primitive and early
church, ca. 30-600. 4. Christianity and other religions—Judaism.
5. Judaism—Relations—Christianity. 6. Judaism—History—
Post-exilic period, 586 B.C.-210 A.D. I. Title.
BS2545.J44B53 2013
261.2(cid:2)609015—dc23 2012040885
A catalogue record of the book is available from the British Library.
Design by Newgen Imaging Systems (P) Ltd., Chennai, India.
First edition: April 2013
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To Ronnie
Gideon, Yonatan, and Michal
Pablo, Samia, and Shiri

Contents
List of Tables ix
Foreword
Norman A. Beck xi
Foreword
Clark M. Williamson xiii
Personal Introduction xv
Preview xix
The Protagonists xxiii
Timeline xxv
Acknowledgments xxvii
1 The Anti-Jewish Strand in the New Testament 1
2 The Anti-Jewish Strand—The First Years 11
3 The Anti-Judaic Strand in Paul 21
4 The Anti-Judaic Strand in Mark: The Need to Explain 39
5 The Anti-Judaic Strand in Matthew: The Saga of
the Jewish Followers of Jesus 49
6 The Anti-Judaic Strand in Luke/Acts: Yearning
for Respectability 59
7 The Anti-Judaic Strand in John: Estrangement 67
8 The Anti-Judaic Strand in Revelation: Judaism within 87
9 The Anti-Jewish Strand—The Embryonic Stage Summary 93
10 Supersession 103
viii Contents
11 The Anti-Jewish Strand in Hebrews 115
12 The Anti-Jewish Strand in Barnabas 139
13 The Second-Century Protagonists 151
14 The Anti-Jewish Strand in Ignatius 167
15 The Anti-Jewish Strand in Justin: The Dialogue
with Trypho the Jew 173
16 The Anti-Jewish Strand in Melito 179
17 The Anti-Jewish Strand in Chrysostom 185
18 Recapitulation 193
Appendix I: Paul in Modern Scholarship 225
Notes 231
Bibliography 265
Thematic Index 283
Tables
1.1 Anti-Jewish Bias in Mark 4
1.2 Anti-Jewish Bias in Matthew’s Use of Q Material 5
1.3 Matthew’s Increased Anti-Jewish Bias in Material
Originating in Mark 5
1.4 Anti-Jewish Bias in Matthew and in His Use of
Unidentified Sources 6
1.5 Luke’s Increased Anti-Jewish Bias in Material
Originating in Mark 6
1.6 Anti-Jewish Bias in Luke’s Use of Q Material 7
1.7 Anti-Jewish Bias in Luke’s Own Material and in
His Use of Unidentified Sources 7
1.8 Anti-Jewish Bias in Acts 8
1.9 Anti-Jewish Bias in John and the Johannine Epistles 9
1.10 Anti-Jewish Bias in Paul 9
1.11 Anti-Jewish Bias in Revelation 10
1.12 Anti-Jewish Bias in Hebrews 10
1.13 Anti-Jewish Bias in 1 Peter 10
3.1 Views on the Revised Paul 33
13. 1 The Emergence of a Compromise Creed 155