A Handbook on the Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith

by Craig A. Evans; David Mishkin

Publisher:

Hendrickson

, 2019

Overview

This handbook serves as an introduction to the Jewish roots of the Christian Faith. It includes Old Testament background, Second Temple Judaism, the life of Jesus, the New Testament, the early Jewish followers of Jesus, the historical interaction between Judaism and Christianity, and the contemporary period.

It is no longer a novelty to say that Jesus was a Jew. In fact, the term “Jewish roots” has become something of a buzzword in books, articles, and especially on the internet. But what does the Jewishness of Jesus actually mean, and why is it important?

This collection of articles aims to address those questions and serve as a comprehensive yet concise primer on the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. A Handbook on the Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith consists of thirteen chapters, most of which are divided into four or five articles. It is in the “handbook” format, meaning that each article is brief but informative. The thirteen chapters are grouped into four major sections: (1) The Soil, (2) The Roots, (3) The Trunk, and (4) The Branches.

Key Features

• Provides a scholarly but accessible overview of a variety of relevant topics
• Presents a comprehensive yet concise primer on the Jewish roots of the Christian faith
• Explores the importance of the Jewishness of Jesus for Christians and Jews today

Contents

Part I: The Soil

• Chapter 1: God’s Plan for Israel
• Chapter 2: God’s Plan for the Nations
• Chapter 3: Messianic Prophecies
• Chapter 4: Appointed Times
• Chapter 5: Tabernacle and Temple

Part II: The Roots

• Chapter 6: The Jewish World of Jesus
• Chapter 7: The Jewish Life and Identity of Jesus
• Chapter 8: The Jewish Teachings of Jesus

Part III: The Trunk

• Chapter 9: The Jewish Disciples
• Chapter 10: The Jewish Paul
• Chapter 11: The Jewish Message: Resurrection

Part IV: The Branches

• Chapter 12: The Parting of the Ways
• Chapter 13: The Mending of the Ways

Top Highlights

“According to God’s commandment (Gen 2:17), Adam and Eve should have been put to death on the very day that they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but God in his grace had another plan. God took an innocent animal and, killing it, made garments of skin to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve. A death did in fact take place on that day; but it was the death of an innocent substitute which allowed the sinful couple to live on. Substitutionary atonement, as later reflected in the sacrificial system of the Torah, became the divine means for restoring sinful human beings to a limited relationship with the holy God (Merrill 2006, 228). A full and final restoration would require something more.” (Pages 10–11)

“‘I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.’” (Page 163)

“Second Temple Judaism. This was one of the key factors leading to the Third Quest (Witherington 1997), which has focused on understanding Jesus as a Jew in a Jewish world.” (Page 2)

“The Torah begins and ends with blessing and therefore any attempt to understand the Torah’s plot must include God’s priority to bless Israel and the nations.” (Page 15)

“It is best, therefore, to regard Gen 17 as a covenant renewal which focuses on the specific area of Abram’s lapse of trust: the seed.” (Page 14)

Contributors

• Eitan Bar
• Golan Brosh
• Michael L. Brown
• Kevin Chen
• Thomas Damianos
• Craig A. Evans
• George H. Guthrie
• Sheila Gyllenberg
• Noam Hendren
• Larry W. Hurtado
• Brian J. Kinzel
• Andreas J. Köstenberger
• Jason Maston
• Scot McKnight
• David Mishkin
• Russell Morton
• Seth D. Postell
• Ray Pritz
• Brian S. Rosner
• Jim R. Sibley
• Paul T. Sloan
• Erez Soref
• Yohanan Stanfield
• Andreas Stutz

Praise for the Print Edition

So just how Jewish is the Christian teaching about Jesus? The answer is quite a lot. So much so that it is just about everywhere. That is what A Handbook on the Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith shows so admirably. A reading of this book will demonstrate just how rooted the Christian faith is in Jewish hope.

—Dr. Darrell L. Bock, Executive Director for Cultural Engagement and Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary

This helpful and well-informed work edited by Evans and Mishkin rightly highlights the Jewish identity and context of Jesus and his earliest followers.

—Craig S. Keener, F. M. and Ada Thompson Professor of Biblical Studies, Asbury Theological Seminary

This excellent Handbook provides an exceptionally fine resource for studying the Jewish roots of Jesus and Christianity. It is a mine of useful information, with effective and concise discussions of a broad range of pertinent subjects, presented by a team of outstanding scholars. A particular strength is the fact that a good number of contributors are Jewish believers in Jesus who have a special sensitivity to the continuities between Jewish and Christian worlds. The Handbook is positive in its orientation and, given the variety of contributors, amazingly coherent. Readers will come away with a richer understanding of the whole Bible and the history of salvation.

—Donald A. Hagner, George Eldon Ladd Professor Emeritus of New Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary

Product Details

• Title: A Handbook on the Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith
• Editor: Craig A. Evans and David Mishkin
• Publisher: Hendrickson
• Publication Date: 2019
• Pages: 375
• Resource Type: Handbook
• Topic: Christianity

About the Editors

Craig A. Evans , PhD, DHabil, is the John Bisagno Distinguished Professor of Christian Origins at Houston Baptist University in Texas. He is a frequent contributor to scholarly journals and the author or editor of over eighty books, including Jesus and His Contemporaries.

David Mishkin serves on the faculty of Israel College of the Bible in Netanya, Israel. He is the author of The Wisdom of Alfred Edersheim and Jewish Scholarship on the Resurrection of Jesus.