Understanding our Old Covenant heritage is crucial for grasping the identity and purpose of Christianity, which, despite appearing as a new religion, is deeply rooted in its Jewish origins. The question remains: did God envision a church without Israel? As we explore the connection between Christianity and its Jewish roots, it’s essential to examine what Jesus came to do and the relationship between the Gospel and the New Covenant. By understanding our grafting into the rootstock of Israel (Romans 11), we can unlock the fullness of God’s plan for our lives and appreciate the profound significance of our spiritual heritage.
The Metaphor of Grafting
The metaphor of grafting in Romans 11 powerfully illustrates the relationship between Jewish and Gentile believers. Through faith in Jesus Christ, Gentile believers are ‘grafted in’ into the rich heritage of Israel, partaking in the blessings and promises that flow from the patriarchs. This grafting transcends natural descent or human effort, resting solely on God’s sovereign mercy and grace. Notably, the manner of grafting isn’t specified – the focus is on being removed from the wild olive tree and being incorporated into the cultivated olive tree, symbolising a new identity and destiny rooted in God’s covenant promises.
Purpose of Grafting
The grafting analogy in Romans 11 is particularly apt when understood in the context of seed propagation and fruit tree cultivation. Fruit trees grown from seeds often don’t produce fruit true to the parent tree’s variety due to cross-pollination, resulting in unpredictable and sometimes undesirable traits. Grafting, on the other hand, allows for the replication of desirable traits by joining a branch from a parent tree to a rootstock, creating a genetically identical clone. This process ensures consistency and predictability in the fruit produced.
Implications for Church Doctrine and Theology
The grafting metaphor symbolises believers being incorporated into the faith-bearing fruit tree of Israel, sharing in its life-giving sap and demonstrating unity through the Jewish Messiah. According to Romans 11, Gentile believers are grafted into the cultivated olive rootstock, partaking in the spiritual nourishment and blessings of God’s covenant with Israel. This act highlights the inclusion of Gentiles into the salvation promise previously held by the natural branches (Jews) who were broken off due to unbelief. Notably, this grafting metaphor emphasises that the Church has not replaced Israel, but rather, Gentile believers have been incorporated into the existing olive tree, sharing in its rich heritage. However, this has practical implications: the newly grafted-in branches must not pursue doctrines or theologies that conflict with those received via the rootstock. Historically, the church (via Ecumenical councils) attempted to sever its Jewish roots by altering laws, doctrines, and traditions, gaining spiritual independence from its newfound Hebrew heritage. Yet, it appears that God desires a return to this heritage, embracing obedience to the New Covenant where the law is written on hearts, thereby bearing the same spiritual fruit as our Jewish rootstock.
Peter’s Vision: A Turning Point in Church History
Peter’s vision in Acts 10 was a watershed moment in the early church. While praying on a rooftop in Joppa, Peter saw a vision of a sheet filled with unclean animals being lowered from heaven, accompanied by a voice commanding him to “rise, kill, and eat” (Acts 10:13). However, this vision wasn’t about revising dietary laws; rather, it was a profound revelation about God’s plan to accept Gentiles into the Christian faith. As Peter himself noted, “God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean” (Acts 10:28), and he came to understand that “God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him” (Acts 10:34-35). This pivotal moment marked a significant shift in the early church’s understanding of God’s plan for salvation, extending beyond Israel to encompass people of all nations.
Benefits of Embracing Our Jewish Roots
Understanding the Hebrew roots of faith provides deeper insight into the Old Testament and its connection to Jesus, enriching one’s comprehension of the New Testament by revealing the foundational teachings and cultural context in which the faith originated. Key benefits include gaining a more complete view of biblical prophecies, appreciating the significance of Jewish traditions and feasts, and understanding the original Hebrew meaning of key scriptures, ultimately leading to a more profound and connected spiritual experience
By embracing the Jewish roots, can help build:
Enhanced biblical understanding
- Clarifies biblical continuity: A Hebrew roots perspective highlights the seamless, single story of the one God and his people running throughout both the Old and New Testaments, providing crucial context for the New Testament writings.
- Reveals nuances in scripture: Understanding the Hebrew language and its idioms reveals deeper meanings often lost in translation. For example, the Hebrew word for peace, shalom, means more than just “peace”; it also includes completeness, welfare, and health.
- Aids in interpreting the New Testament: Without understanding the Hebrew mindset of the biblical authors, one cannot fully grasp the meaning behind their message. This perspective helps resolve apparent contradictions in Paul’s writings concerning the Law by clarifying his Jewish frame of reference.
A deeper relationship with God
- Illuminates Jesus’s teachings: Jesus was a Jewish rabbi who taught from a Jewish frame of reference. Understanding the Jewish context of his words, such as when he references the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4–9), makes his teachings clearer.
- Encourages reverence for God’s law: From a Hebrew roots perspective, God’s laws (the Torah) are seen as a blessing and a guide for living a righteous life, not as a burdensome set of rules for salvation.
- Strengthens connection with God’s character: By studying the Word in a deeper way through its Hebraic context, believers can grow in their understanding of God’s character and walk in closer fellowship with him.
Connection to ancient heritage
- Connects to historical traditions: Exploring ancient customs, Jewish festivals (such as Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot), and the Sabbath helps individuals reconnect with the original practices that influenced early Christianity.
- Offers prophetic insights: Observing biblical holy days provides reminders of Jesus’s role in fulfilling prophecies related to his past and future acts, resetting believers’ focus on his work and future return.
- Fosters unity with believing Jews: Understanding the Jewish roots of faith can help bridge the gap between Christian and Jewish communities and build a sense of kinship as “one in Jesus”.
Exploring the Hebrew roots of faith provides a pathway to a richer understanding of Christian scripture and theology. It reveals how the promises, figures, and covenants of the Old Testament find their ultimate fulfilment in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah.
As Saint Augustine famously articulated, “the New is in the Old concealed; the Old is in the New revealed”.
This perspective confirms that the faith of Abraham and the prophets was not replaced by Christianity, but rather brought to its glorious completion. The Old Testament’s ceremonial law, dietary rules, and holy days were shadows pointing forward to Christ, and in him, their true meaning becomes clear. By examining the Hebraic context, believers can discover the rich foundations of the New Testament concealed within the older writings, deepening their awe and appreciation for God’s cohesive and long-foretold plan of salvation.