3.6. Early Jewish and Christian Practice (How Should God’s People Live Their Daily Lives?)

Property

Essenes

Early Jesus Movement

See “From Jesus to Christ” Part 2 1:34:20 to 1:35:17.

Women

Slaves

Economic class

See “From Jesus to Christ” Part 1 1:25:45 to 1:30:18.

The power of the sword

The power of immunity from the sword

The rhetorical force of willingness to die

Different views:

“Be fruitful and multiply” is the first commandment that God gives to humans. A man and a woman together can create life, which is the closest a mortal can ever come to God, the creator of all life.
(The dominant view in Rabbinic Judaism)
Women/sex/desire are defiling and are incompatible with spiritual holiness.
(The more strict Essenes, Qumran Community, and early Christian monasticism)
Abstinence from sex is the highest ideal, but monogamous sexual relationships are okay.
(The less strict Essenes, Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians)
Children are necessary to perpetuate the species or spread a religion.
(Only works if you think the physical world will last another generation)

Different views:

Gentiles are not welcome.
(At least some Jews at the time took a hard separatist position.)
Gentiles are welcome if they keep all the commandments, including circumcision and avoiding pork.
(At least some Jews at the time allowed Gentiles to join as equals under equal requirements.)
Gentiles are welcome if they keep those few commandments God gave to Noah (the ancestor of all nations), not the commandments given only to the Israelites at Sinai.
(Acts 15, the most radical break in the Jesus movement from Essenes and other Jewish groups.)
Being Christian means not being Jewish, so none of the laws are binding on any Christians even if they were born Jewish.
(Probably not original intent of Paul’s letter to the Galatians, but it was interpreted that way in later generations.)

Should Christians today practice faith the same way the early Christians did?