Supersessionism is the general Christian Mishnaic doctrine, if you will, that implies or outright states that Christianity has superseded Judaism. The dangers of supersessionism is that it adulates Christianity as it is proffered at any given time, rather than actual Biblical Christianity, which was itself no different than Biblical Judaism. Not all hold the view of supersessionism, of course, but it is a common belief amongst Catholicism and the many denominations that stem from the Reformation.

   The difference between the two is that Catholicism carried forward some of the early period’s (second century AD) anti-Jewishness whereas Protestantism, estranging itself from anything Catholic, took up a Pharisaical study of the Bible and New Testament. The post-Reformation period, especially amongst the Calvinists (Reformed and Presbyterian denominations), saw several Pauline statements in Romans as implying that Christians are the true Jews and the true Israel, and therefore the old are the false Jews— or at the very least just the corporate Jews (actual sons of Isaac) and therefore all the promises in the Scriptures do not necessarily imply them; they refer to the church corporate. Nothing could have been further from Paul’s mind.

   This “gentilizing” of the New Testament and allegorizing of the “Old” is one of the chief components that maintains supersessionism, largely because Christian talmudism allows the Pauline comments to be used to establish doctrines, a talmudism now robbed of the original Jewish meaning. A self-serving cultural interpretation, now robbed of the original meaning, is given the equal status as the word of God. Ignorance, in other words, is being promoted as the work of the Spirit of God; and from such a source doctrines and outlooks are being formed. Paul’s semi-Hasidic comments will be viewed in context later in this article.

   The early Christians, or the sect of Nazarenes as the Jewish element was called, believed correctly that Christianity was the fulfillment of all that was foretold by Moses and all the prophets. Thus it was a fulfillment of their own religion’s expectations and not its destroyer. Once again, ever since the words of Moses there was the prediction that “that prophet” would come, and that the people were to hearken unto him or vengeance would be taken. This was elaborated upon through prophets for close to 1,500 years. Daniel was even given a complex cipher to peg the arrival of the Messiah, the Prince. His was one of the last direct prophecies and, interestingly, one to make sure that Messiah and Prince were conflated so that there should be no confusion that the one proclaimed to come from the heritage of David was one and the same with the Saviour.

   But no where did it say this Messiah would destroy Judaism. Matthew 5 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”

   Thus thousands upon thousands of Jews believed that he came when they saw the ministry of Jesus or when they heard the preaching of the Apostles. All were dumbfounded (including the apostles) when they heard that the Gentiles were also believing and even actively seeking the message of Jesus the Christ. Yet at the same time many of the Jews were amazed, as were the Gentiles, that Israel, on the whole, would not believe. This was a great concern for both groups, and it can be found as the underlying theme of some of Paul’s dissertations in his epistles. If Christ is the Saviour of the world, why aren’t his own people embracing him and rejoicing?

     To all this the prophets bear witness: Psalm 118

I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD. The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death. Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter. I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation. The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.

Especially Isaiah 49

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; And said unto me, Thou art my servant, in whom I will be glorified. Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.

And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength. And he said, It is too small a thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee. Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places. They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them. And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted. Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.

Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted. But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. Thy children shall make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee.

Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the LORD, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth. For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away. The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell. Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been? Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.
 

Isaiah 53 is another good one. 

Daniel 9: 26

And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

These are but a few quotations, amongst the many on the site. Jesus was rejected by his people, but after the Cross the nations were seeking after Jesus Christ. Gentiles by the thousands that knew not and cared not of God aforetime were casting off their idols and believing in the God of Israel. This too was proclaimed. It is one of the most obvious and most significant and oft-repeating themes in the prophecies— that the nations themselves would turn and worship God. I cannot imagine who is so ignorant of history that they do not realize this started only at the Cross.

Isaiah 42: 1-9

Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them. (See One Covenant)

Isaiah 60: 1-6

Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD.

Isaiah 55: 3-5

Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.

   Everything was happening as God had declared through the prophets. God had given “him” for a covenant for the people. This covenant was foreshadowed in David’s Psalms referring to the “Son” and the “Lord” who would be at God’s right hand. It is even foreshadowed by God’s relationship with David, David who was given such mercies and forgiveness without sacrifice because he loved God more than anything. Through him, God would raise up the Messiah. The sure mercies of David would follow those who likewise loved God with all their hearts.

   Nothing was being superseded; the great expectation had come: the Messiah. This is verified by the book Acts of the Apostles, which clearly shows the teachings of the Apostles. This was written by Luke the physician, the frequent companion of Paul, and most of it details what he personally witnessed. This book shows that none had any perception that Judaism was done away with. On the contrary, the believers were zealous of the laws and the customs, as Acts 21 (19-25) confirms: “And when he [Paul] had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his [Paul] ministry. And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and [James] said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the Torah: And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs. What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come. Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them; Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the Torah. As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.”

   We know from history and from the NT that Christians, even the Gentiles, worshipped in the synagogues and listened to the laws, as James advised in Acts 15:21 concerning the instructions to the Gentiles mentioned above: “Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day.” James’ advice was good. In order to follow the laws, any Gentile could go and learn at the synagogue. It was neither practical nor affordable for the apostles to pay for transcriptions of the Scriptures and send them out in order for the Gentiles to learn the ways of the law. The nations followed the advice, and went to the local synagogue.

   So where has supersessionism come from?     

   Certainly not from the Lord himself, else the apostles would have known. Indeed, by their amazement that the Gentiles were believing we can deduce that Christ did not even teach the apostles the scriptures. Why? Both questions are valid. The last first: Because one can study the Scripture for themselves. At the very least study expresses a desire to “seek” and to find. One can also say that to reveal all the scriptures to his apostles would be to reveal what man could not comprehend while looking at Christ: that God has come in the flesh.

   The Scriptures and the New Testament’s earliest books show no supersession. They speak of fulfillment. No supersessionism comes from Christ, the apostles and from the study of the scripture.

   Where did it come from then? The source is multifactoral. One was mentioned above: an interpretation— gentilizing, if you will— of what was said; a talmudic use of New Testament books and their comments and arguments; also partially from the anti-Jewish sentiment that developed after the schism of c. 90 AD and the Council of Jamnia (academy at Yabneh); and partially from the inculcating effects of Gnosticism. We must go back and do a little retracing.

   Fulfillment was clearly the mindset of the Apostolic Fathers (the immediate successors to the Apostles). Scripture was regarded as the authority, and the words of Christ were the first words to attain equal status. Even after the schism of c. 90 AD, there were instances, as in Polycarp’s case, where Church leaders were still taught their Hebrew from the Rabbis. The schism, however, was crucial in separating the basic lay Christian from Judaism. It wouldn’t be long before a supersession mentality developed. This can be seen in the case of the epistles of St. Ignatius (early 2nd century.) (See “Old Testament”). Moreover, the concept of the “Lord’s Day” developed. Worship for Christians was now on Sunday. (This is actually reflected in one late NT book, Revelation. Post Reformation Phariseeism used this to bolster the concept of the Sunday Sabbath, not knowing this book had remained in dispute as authentic through the Reformation, and was not accepted by any of the Reformers as apostolic.) Nazarenes and the Gentile Christians were thus also becoming separate. (See Nazarenes)

   It must be admitted that a number of books are now included in the NT though they were clearly written after the apostolic period. The Johannine works, the Pastorals, 2nd Thessalonians, Ephesians and Colossians all reflect either a later eschatology, philosophy or contain a heavy 2nd century AD literary style. It was their unfortunate canonization which helped eradicate early Christianity’s Judaism  from the minds of later Christians.

   Gnosticism’s methodology, even when not employed to heretical purposes, could be directed subtly to interpret basic passages in Scripture in an esoteric way. And the rise of this methodology in the late 1st century and its flowering in the mid 2nd century was directed at proving the supersession of Greek or Gentile Christianity. One must also add here that the destruction of the Temple was crucial as well, as it scattered believers from coming to the one nodal point that anchored all Jews and Christians. (See Gnosticism)

     As Gentile Christianity separated from Judaism in the 2nd century, it eventually lost the implicit knowledge that underscores the entire New Testament writings: beneath it all is an understanding of the authority of Scripture, and in light of this everything must be read. This is even more lost in the Post-Reformation era. Use and disuse not only helped set what books should be used in the NT compilations, but it has made mental minhags equally binding. (See Canon of the New Testament) It is a mental minhag that the “Old” has passed away (which means Judaism), and that “New” has come and means, naturally enough, the status quo of the last, say, 350 years of Protestant traditions; for the Catholics it goes back even further. But to go back too far is to uncover that Roman Catholicism is a christianized Roman religion of the Caesars, only now with the names of the gods and their functions changed to that of “saints.”

   Naturally, in becoming the “Old Testament” the Scripture lost much of its authority and influence, and Christianity became a firmly rooted religion in the Greek and Roman philosophical interpretation reflected in and inspired therefore by what would become late New Testament books. This has escalated until the present time, and almost all in the New Testament writings are subject to interpretation from the perspective of succeeding non-Jewish cultures and religious denominations, each often justifying its own customs from the books. This is possible because, unlike the Scriptures, nothing (or very little) in the NT is written: “Thus saith the LORD.” They are letters encouraging the believers to hearken unto the Scriptures. Some are pesheristic; some are commentary.

   This “gentilizing” or catholicizing of Christianity (reflected in later New Testament books) is what directly allowed the heretical movement of Gnosticism to grow so feverishly. Although Gnosticism originally twisted the Scriptures, Marcion’s heresy of the mid 2nd century would do away with them entirely. He not only helped promote but also reflected the growing idea of a separation of Christianity from Judaism, such as was clearly declared in Ignatius’ letters. Gnosticism would even go to the extreme of separating the God of the Hebrews from the Father of Jesus. Though denounced and fought against by Christian clergy, Gnosticism did subtly influence Christian thought. Anti-Jewish polemics were commonplace in the 2nd century even before Marcion, and these no doubt helped embolden him to come up with his new Docetic anti-Jewish Gnosticism. The attitude these polemics carried can be gleaned from a couple of passages thought to have been added to certain authentic NT books, such as 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16, at a later date.

   The fact is, however, that Gnosticism was (and is) in all its forms a gross heresy. Furthermore, the extenuation upon this fact is that although Christianity recognized that and denounced it, there were elements of error in the Church that helped embolden certain brands of Gnosticism, and, conversely, forms of Gnosticism— specifically Marcion’s— lasted long enough to bolster the “Old” and “New” view in mainstream Christianity.

   Marcion’s heresy would last a few hundred years, suffer persecution equally as other Christians during the Roman Empire, and even evangelized to make new converts, as Marcion himself pioneered in the image of his favorite apostle, Paul. He read into Paul’s words an anti-Jewish flavor (after physically expurgating copies of his epistles where pro-Jewishness was obvious), and then went on crusades and missionary journeys to establish churches. If it had not been for Marcion’s view of forbidding marriage or at the very least demanding celibacy, Marcionism would no doubt still be around today. The truth is, Marcionism did not literally “breed” another generation and thus it eventually died out.

   However, an integral and more lasting part of modern supersessionism is the talmudism directed by orthodoxy at legitimate and accepted passages of NT books. This is often centered on Paul’s comments in Romans 2 and 3. Paul himself made very clear in Romans, in his analogy of the olive branch, that the branch does not possess the root but visa versa. That is why it is so amazing that the vast majority of Christians think that it was right for Christianity to become a distinguishable Greek religion from classic Nazarene Judaism. Jews are often confounded as well, thinking Paul established a new religion because of the way he was later interpreted by 2nd century anti-Jewish Gnostics who helped pioneer, unfortunately, their idea of the “Old Testament” as the designation of the Scriptures. Although Gentiles were not commanded to take up every facet of Judaism and its customs, much of the moral, hygienic, and judicial laws were encouraged. The attitudes created by the Scriptures, plus many of the customs, would indeed have acted as a buffer against many of the unfortunate and avoidable things that have overwhelmed Christianity since then (especially all the cults and denominational divisions).

   While Marcion would literally amend some of the books to remove the Jewishness of the statements, today, although not physically expurgating the Jewishness, the Post Reformation and Catholic talmudism in effect has removed the original meaning. Let us look at Romans 2:

   “Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God. For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfill the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”

     So far, this is basic Hasidic teaching. There is even a modern sect of Hasidism called Breslover Hasids (named after the city of Breslav where it originated) that like to call themselves bris lev, meaning in Hebrew “circumcision of the heart.” It is astonishingly sound and based on the Scripture that one is to be circumcised of heart first. However, the interpretation is made by Pharisaical Post Reformation Christians (Presbyterians and all the Reformed denominations) that this is referring to the Christian merely by the virtue they acknowledge Christ. While this is not excluding Gentile Christians by any means, the exclusive interpretation is not correct. It allows a Christian of today to remain purely metaphysical to the laws of God and the Scriptures and consider himself and established Christianity as “Israel,” no matter what the Christian status quo might be, leading to a host of misinterpretations of prophecies and misapplication of scriptures.

     It is, not surprisingly, a very ancient Jewish teaching to differentiate between those who truly believe and the basic, to be blunt, slob who is merely born of Isaac and lives like the world. This attitude can even be found in the very priestly and strict Qumran sect. They had a distinct hatred for outsiders and considered all others to be wicked, whether Jews or Gentiles, and all of their sect, whether Jews or Gentiles, to be the righteous. (Jews of the Second Temple Period did not possess an exclusive mentality. The Pharisees themselves loved to make converts, or at least proselytes.)

   A similar inward idea is being expressed by Paul. But with time the Jewish undercurrent which is implicit in it has been forgotten by Christianity, allowing a more metaphysical approach to the topic in which men and women who know nothing of Jewry are allowed to consider themselves the true Israel merely because they have made the mental recognition of Jesus as the Messiah. This has allowed the greatest degree of Supersessionism into the Church— the Church is Israel by virtue of being the Church. Paul, however, does distinguish between the two, based not on flesh but  . . . Let’s let Paul continue:

    “What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.”

   So even corporately there was advantage in being a Jew, even in the slob who took for granted his education and upbringing, yet in his heart really did not believe in God. The implicit understanding of what is meant by “the inward Jew” has been lost, lost probably in many Jews  and in most Christians: to have the very instructions of the oracles of God is the great advantage. No law or prophecy was given in vain— understand and respect that the laws of God are from his heart, and go do them with a right heart knowing it is for the good of his creation that they were given. None shall be spared judgment for their error.

   Indeed, Paul’s entire dissertation began with:

         “Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another.”

     Supersession is further accomplianced by confusion over another Pauline statement. Galatians 2:

   “But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision [Gentiles] was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision [Jews] was unto Peter; (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do. But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

   Well, yet again, this is the teaching of the Torah, though it may be polluted by many teachers. Moses frankly declared unto the children of Israel that if their heart was right and they kept to these things God would dwell with them. The two cannot be separated, but the heart must, obviously, come first, not just a vain appearance. Paul was making it clear that the Gentiles coming with him were Jews by nature, keeping to the laws of God from the motivation of a pure heart. This was an enormous rebuke to hypocritical Jews. It is, in light of Paul’s other comments, an enormous rebuke to modern “metaphysical Jewry” and supersessionism, in that neither the Protestants or Catholics practice anything similar to what the early Christians did.

   This confusion is further compounded by the fact that the current Christian bible is based on the Pharisaical recension of the Babylonian texts, later copied and recopied by the Masoretes. During the time of the apostles all recensions were in use, and in Palestine the more dominant conflated texts from Egypt and Palestine were used in addition to the Babylonian. Therefore when Paul declares in Galatians 3 “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree”—

     No modern Christian understands anymore that Paul is referring to an element of the law called “the curse” of the law, a codicil at the end in which Moses tells everybody what will happen to them for breaking the laws of God. The modern Masoretic reading in the Codex Leningradis of 1008 AD (which is the basis of the modern non-Greek Christian Bible) reads “blessings and cursings” and “a blessing and a curse” while the conflated text, which is implicitly understood to be behind Paul’s speaking, reads “the blessing and the curse,” as it still reads in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the aforementioned Palestinian or Egyptian conflated texts. 

   From the Codex Leningradis: (Deut. 11:26) “Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.”

LXX: “Behold, I set before you this day the blessing and the curse.”

The Masoretic Text can better be understood at Deut. 30 in light of this. “And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee, And shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.”

   To remove the curse of the law is not to remove the law, as it is often read by supersessionists, who then expound their own expansion of their concept to support that the laws and customs —Judaism— have been done away with. This is clearly not what Paul was saying. 1 Corinthian 7: “Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.”

   Paul is not always clear or complete in a book here or there. But the massive amount of authentic Pauline literature does make his point clear. And it is no different than that of Moses or the prophets. One does not inherit the resurrection from just the appearance of righteousness, from the keeping of rituals and laws. Moses said time and time again “if your hearts are right.” The prophets bear witness that the blood of bulls and goats justified no man. No ceremony, no ritual can save a man from his sins and cleanse him from his unrighteousness. The purpose of the law is to declare the righteousness of God. Man is to walk in it to do it, for the good of his own life, of all men, and of all God’s creation. Many of the customs highlight deep things about the law, remind us to do them, and to keep them.  

     One must also view Paul’s statements in this light: that he was not always redressing the established view, but often was combating many lay idiots in Judaism who proffered many inaccurate doctrines and outlooks. There is always a certain brand of slob who is sure they are right. They are usually loud mouths and troublemakers, and like today they simply derive their ideas from partial readings of scripture and loads of interpretation heaped thereon.

     Certainly in like manner as many Jews of the time, Christianity has developed loads of customs and rituals that many Christians feel are ordained or are equal with the written commands because they endorse talmudism of the NT. Yet it is only Judaistic customs and rituals that are condemned as “old” and opposing to grace or salvation. That is the dominant view of Traditionalists. Yet there is no scriptural basis for it. We are faced with what Paul had to confront: there was no scriptural basis for “salvation by the works of the law.” Moses and the prophets never contained it— but it was popular exegesis based on a statement here or there. Jews are now faced with “grace” being the works and mental outlooks of Biblically unsound Gentile traditions.

   Modern supersessionism is especially interesting considering the teachings of Paul (and many Jews before him) that salvation cannot come by such a means of rituals and works. Today, there is clearly a habit to associate Jewish customs and rituals with “works” and Christian customs and rituals with “grace and salvation.” For a Jew to keep to the customs and laws is “old” and opposing to grace; for a Christian, it is the institution of a New Covenant. The Jew says “Law”; the Christian says “Grace.” The Jew is condemned as a Judaizer; the Christian is praised for bringing the gospel. Yet it is the Christian who is actually Gentilizing and not bringing the gospel. He has taken grace and made it works in that he says it is required for the Jew to abstain from Judaism. Such things Paul did not teach. Grace today has become the preaching of Gentile works and customs, traditions and mental minhags. (See Grace verses Works)

   Once again we confront what Paul confronted— an old formula now taken up by the Evangelicals: works verses grace. The Jews represent heartless works and self righteousness whereas the Christian represent grace and salvation. Yet it is the Christian of the post Reformation period (and Catholicism) who has preached gentilizing as Christianity unto the Jews. Is this not a work, causing the Jew to become gentilized? But since gentilizing is not a problem addressed in the New Testament, it is not one readily recognized today as the preaching of works. This reveals the weak heel of Evangelicals, who often stick to the formulae of 2000 years ago rather than using them to expose similar falsehoods in their own teachings.

   Paul does address this clearly when he says, “Let each man remain as he is called.” Neither he or any apostle ever taught customs as salvation, not Jewish ones, not Gentile ones. To call the Jewish ways “old” and to try and actively gentilize Jews shows many of the Christian elements today to be akin to the Judaizers that Paul was preaching against.

   One is somehow reminded of the old story of the Rabbi surrounded by the company of beautiful women when walking to the synagogue. Other Jews chide him later in the synagogue, and he rightfully replies: “Better to be thinking of the Torah when surrounded by pretty women than thinking of pretty women when studying the Torah.” Silence. Substance has been forgotten on both sides, and appearances are becoming dominant.

   As we conclude now, we must assert with dogma: there has been no supersession. All are called on to believe. At last, believe. Cast aside the appearance of righteousness and take up the substance of it. Whether Jew or Gentile, he is the God of all flesh. In Abraham shall all nations be blessed. From Abraham’s heritage came the law (guidance), the prophets (inspiration) and the covenant of grace (forgiveness) for all mankind.

   The problem for Judaism to grapple with was how do the Gentiles fit into fulfillment differently? Since the Gentiles saw at Egypt, heard at Horeb, wandered for 40 years and entered Canaan, just why would it be any different for them now that Christ came? There was no distinction then between Jew and Gentile. In Moses it was written: (Exodus 12:48) “And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.” (Deut 31: 11-12) “When all Israel is come to appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing. Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law. One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.”

     The answer is: that these are the laws for the betterment of all mankind and they are not the pathway to salvation. All mankind is to walk in them. That grace was given in Abraham long before the law is evident. It was not necessary that a Gentile become a Jew, something that the Judaizers didn’t appreciate. No where above is it commanded the “stranger” to be circumcised and become a Jew— else he is not a stranger anymore. He is counted a Jew. But the “stranger” is mentioned above, that he is to keep the law. This is not a loophole God used to confuse. Nor is it an accident. There is something implicit behind it: a separation of rituals and symbols, and judicial laws. Circumcision and conversion are in view in the first instance; in the second we see this is not in view, nor the rituals of conversion.

   True belief in God is not require to merely keep to rituals and judicial laws. What is necessary is that both believe. And in believing, the works of righteousness would follow naturally from a willing heart. Once again, Moses stressed the heart.

   Paul did not oppose this. He enforced it. The “strangers” mentioned above are not called “Jews.” They were not converts. They were no proselytes, per say. Instructions were being given that all must abide by the laws in the land. The difference can be seen in Timothy who, being born of a Jewess, preferred the things of his Jewish heritage and willingly was circumcised by Paul. This no doubt pleased many of the Jews, for even 2000 years ago Jewry favored the idea of a maternal line for Jewishness. They knew Timothy was born of a Jewess, and this no doubt made it more offensive to them if he was not circumcised. Also, in light of the above quotation from Deuteronomy, Paul perhaps understood that there was a difference between the actual State of Israel and Gentile believers scattered abroad. If a Gentile lived under the actual Israeli theocracy, he would no doubt be required to keep the customs of the land, etc., as it is implied above. Conversion, however, which does imply a desire in the heart of the person, could not be enforced upon the stranger, as it is also implied above. Salvation, however, was not gained through this method, nor does Moses imply above that it is. “If your hearts are right and you keep these things I will dwell with you,” etc.

     To be a Jew and to be able to inherit the resurrection were always two different things, for it is inward and not outward, it is of the heart and not of the flesh. If a Gentile Christian seeks more understanding and instruction while sojourning in this world, and prefers the knowledge of all of God’s signs and symbols and laws given unto Israel, which are teaching tools, and tools to help faith, then let him come forward and be circumcised and become a Jew or a Righteous Proselyte. He is not taking on a different religion. He is building the wall of a defensed city. Let not the Jew say that a Christian Jew is not a Jew. The Temple has been built in his defensed city, and there he calls upon the name of the LORD. But let no man judge you for rituals. Salvation shall always be by grace, and nothing shall replace faith. But there are degrees of learning and understanding. There are the fields and the defensed cities. He who prefers the defensed cities which God has built, let him come forward and be Israel. As Paul said: “What advantage hath a Jew? Much every way.”

   Those who have fallen prey to “Christian” cults and mainstream Christianity’s bizarre morals will know what I mean by calling biblical Judaism a “defensed city.” There is so much more safety when God is the paramount thought, not “dynamic” preachers that only rise to the top because the non-Jews forgot what was implicit behind the Lord saying “the Gentiles exercise lordship over their own.” Knowledge of the laws and the scriptures of God protect one from Gnosticism, cult adulation of men, and many bizarre teachings inspired by an insidious study of the Bible to come up with new laws and regulations. One will find that God likes lots of free thinkers and ingenious people. But he does require that they love him first, and that they live a life in accordance with his laws. Forgetting this, Christianity has become a bog of denominations, and salvation is proved by how correct one’s mental minhags are, their doctrines, theories, and, dreadfully once again, their level of esoteric gnosis. Judaism never addressed uniformity of mind and cultural outlook for the very reason God did not create mankind to be clones. The Torah governs behaviour . . .but not thoughts. The heart was to come first, be independent of command, to be willing to love God and be ready to do his will. The Torah was created to help men learn of God and to behave properly as an absolute base minimum, and then from there, from the kind of society this attitude would create, go on to discover and create many beautiful things.

   The fetters of Gnosticism clutched Christian minds only when they started to walk away from the root out of which they were grafted. This led to supersessionism, justifying the road they now walked on, and this led many a Christian down a path of unusual doctrines and into a multiplicity of denominations and cults. In the end now, all do what is right or convenient in their own minds. They approach the scripture to justify their new mindset or old tradition while at the same time overlooking the plain and clear commands of God contained therein. And this kind of attitude comes only before the end . . .or a tremendous reformation.