{"id":40217,"date":"2019-01-15T05:12:23","date_gmt":"2019-01-15T10:12:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/blog\/?p=40217"},"modified":"2020-01-28T08:59:56","modified_gmt":"2020-01-28T13:59:56","slug":"why-the-jewish-roots-of-christianity-are-important-an-interview-with-curt-landry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/blog\/2019\/01\/why-the-jewish-roots-of-christianity-are-important-an-interview-with-curt-landry\/","title":{"rendered":"Why the Jewish Roots of Christianity are Important: An Interview with Curt Landry"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Curt<\/a>The church was created by Jesus, who was born Jewish. His early followers were both Jewish and Gentile, and the church’s early culture was rooted in Judaism and a Jewish understanding of God’s relationship to his people. Over time, Christianity became increasingly more Roman than Jewish. How did this transformation affect the church’s identity?<\/p>\n

Bible Gateway interviewed Rabbi Curt Landry<\/a> (@curtlandrymin<\/a>) about his book, Reclaiming Our Forgotten Heritage: How Understanding the Jewish Roots of Christianity Can Transform Your Faith<\/em><\/strong><\/a> (Thomas Nelson, 2018).<\/p>\n

\"Buy<\/a><\/p>\n

Explain how Christianity has Jewish roots.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Curt Landry:<\/strong> The church was birthed through Jesus who was born Jewish and yet primarily rejected by his family and his people. He was adopted by both Jewish and Gentile followers whose early culture was rooted in Judaism. Therefore, the early church was simply considered a \u201cJewish sect,\u201d but by AD 365 Constantine and the various councils removed the majority of the Jewish culture from \u201cChristianity\u201d and gave it a more Roman expression. In doing so the church lost its identity and its purpose was distorted.<\/p>\n

[Read the Bible Gateway Blog, Did You Know That the Founder of Christianity Was Jewish?<\/em><\/a>]<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Why is it important to understand Christianity\u2019s Jewish heritage?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Curt Landry:<\/strong> Romans 11:18<\/a> says, \u201c\u2026remember<\/em> that you do not support the root, but the root supports<\/em> you.\u201d There are over 800 references in the Old Testament through to the New Testament regarding the roots of Christianity.<\/p>\n

When we understand the history of the disconnect of the church from her Jewish roots, we’re better equipped for God\u2019s reconnect. Replacement theology teaches that the Christian church has fully replaced Israel and the Jewish people as God\u2019s chosen. It also teaches that all promises and prophecies have been transferred from Israel to the church, and therefore the state of Israel and the Jewish people no longer have an active roll and are simply a political accident.<\/p>\n

This identity theft has robbed the church of an understanding of the deep and rich covenant heritage they have in their faith; we’re interpreting Scripture based upon a Hellenized Greek filter instead of reading it through the eyes of one who understands the culture of the people who were speaking and being spoken to. Replacement Theology makes God a liar and keeps the church blind to the prophetic fulfillment regarding Israel\u2013which is happening before our very eyes.<\/p>\n

The apostle Paul warns: \u201cFor I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in\u201d (Romans 11:25 NKJV<\/a>).<\/p>\n

[Read the Bible Gateway Blog, Unlocking the Secrets of the Old Testament Feasts: An Interview with Michael Norten<\/em><\/a>]<\/p>\n