Label Mill
And Agrippa replied to Paul, “In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian.” Acts 26:28 NASB
Christian – So here it is. That famous verse used by Christian apologists to claim that Paul’s message was the Christian gospel intended to convert both Jew and Gentile into the Church. What could be more evident? Agrippa is nearly convinced to become a Christian.
But, not so fast. David Stern’s commentary on this passage and on Acts 11:26 where the term is first introduced helps us sort out the difference between first century thinking and the historical revision of the Church. “Greek Christianoi, which could also be rendered, ‘Messiah people’ or, as in other translations, ‘Christians.’ I think the name ‘Christianoi’ was applied to Gentile believers by Gentile nonbelievers. Why? Because Jewish believers would have designated their Gentile brothers in faith by the same term they used for themselves, ‘people belonging to the Way’; while the Jewish nonbelievers of Antioch wouldn’t have thought enough about Gentile believers in Yeshua to have given them a special name. Probably the Gentiles of Antioch kept hearing about Christos (“Christ”); and being unacquainted with the Jewish notion of ‘Messiah,’ they designated Yeshua’s followers by what they supposed was their leader’s name.”[1]
With this in mind, Agrippa’s exclamation is the equivalent in Jewish parlance of, “In a short time you will persuade me to become a follower of your Messiah.” This removes the anachronistic implications of “Christian” from Agrippa’s remark. Since there was no “church” as we understand the term after Constantine, Agrippa’s statement cannot be taken as an acknowledgement of subsequent Christianity. Paul himself claims to be a follower of the Way, completely Torah observant and in line with the traditions and teachings of Jewish thought. He never uses the term “convert” about himself or any other Jew. And in his defense, he constantly refers to Jewish history, Jewish prophets and Jewish thought. As Pamela Eisenbaum states, “Paul was not a Christian.”[2] Why would we even imagine that he tried to make Agrippa one?
Here’s the problem. We are reading texts whose meaning depends on the vocabulary and culture of the first century. But we come to these texts with 21st Century assumptions. We must constantly and consistently remove our presuppositions about the words and their implications before we can understand what was said two thousand years ago. And when we do this, we discover that the New Testament is thoroughly Jewish. Its language is Jewish. Its thought is Jewish. Its Messiah is Jewish. As Boyarin comments, “the implication of my argument is that Christianity hijacked not only the Old Testament but the New Testament as well by turning that thoroughly Jewish text away from its cultural origins among the Jewish communities of Palestine in the first century and making it an attack on the traditions of the Jews, traditions that, I maintain, it sought to uphold and not destroy, traditions that give the narrative its richest literary and hermeneutical context.”[3]
Christian? No, not really. “Christian” is a term that is loaded with non-Jewish connotations and theology. “Christian” is a term that now describes believers in a system of thought far removed from the culture and vocabulary of the early Jewish Messianic followers. “Christian” is a new religion, introduced by Origen, Marcion and Augustine.
But not Paul.
So what are you? What am I? Does our trust in YHWH and His Messiah demand a label? Or a way of life?
Topical Index: Christian, Acts 26:28
Goooood question… “So what am I?” I must admit that I experienced somewhat of a small identity crisis early one morning recently as I was being admitted to the hospital for a simple day procedure and the admittance lady was asking me a whole host of questions at 4:30 am…when she suddenly asked the next question on her list, “And what religion are you?” I struggled and stammered for a few awkward moments, before she kindly smiled and said, “that’s OK, honey, I understand.”….”Noooo, you DON”T understand”, i thought to myself….I’m a strong Believer and Bible teacher, but I don’t know what label to give myself anymore (that Skip Moen has really messed with my identity…in a good way:))…so how would YOU answer a simple question like the nice hospital lady asked? I want to be ready NEXT time.
Oops, my comment below was supposed to go here. 🙂
And when you come right down to the word “testament” that is for the dead (I.e. Last will and testament). Maybe the correct translation should be “covenant”. The old and renewed covenant. Just sayin’
This is excellent…with all the controversry going around about ‘going back to the CHRISTIAN roots…this should lay that puppy down.
I’ve had this experience too. However, if I was previously a Baptist – and Baptist creed is to follow the Bible – then after discovering a clearer view of Yeshua, I would be a Baptist all the more. I attend a church that worships on Sabbath, but in almost everything else sees Torah as “Too Jewish”. Technically, the church’s creed is “The Bible and the Bible only”…. so I have found it more helpful to think of myself as sticking to the spirit of our church’s creed even more now.
A while ago I dropped using the phrase “Hebrew Mindset”, and instead pointed out the same concepts as being ‘more biblical’. People don’t want to hear about the original language, it seems too scholarly – “Do we need a Ph.D in Hebrew to be saved?!?!”. But mercifully, God has preserved many of these concepts in story form. The Hebrew ideas of grace, truth, and life – are often well-illustrated in the biblical narrative.
So maybe, before we kick ourselves out completely from our congregations (I know many have already left), we should stay in as the REAL Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, ect? Or is this staying in Egypt?
Funny, I always thought you needed 2 PhD’s in order to be saved. 🙂 Since I have only 1, maybe that’s why I am so confused.
We still visit several congregations but find it very difficult when it comes to the potluck. It’s truly luck to find something that isn’t laced with pork and if we didn’t know ahead of time I generally don’t bring anything that I know we can eat. My bad! The trouble is Gabe that as time goes on and your mind begins to think Hebraically you have nothing in common with what’s being sung and taught making attending an annoying waste of time. When you say something you become the aroma of death to them. It’s difficult at best.
As for the label thing we still don’t have a word for it yet. Perhaps if it weren’t so confusing I’d go with Hebrew since it means to cross over. I like that so much more the convert. I once converted to Christianity but now I’ve crossed over from paganism to biblical faith. Wow what we put ourselves through to accommodate others!
Question… What is my label? follower of Yeshua Messiah.
Skip, THIS IS EXCELLENT!!! Thank you so much!
Dee, we’re right there with ya! What is our “title?” I’ve been telling people I’m a messianic, or sometimes I say “gentile messianic” or “grafted in messianic.” They look at me like I just grew a 2nd head!
When asked what religion I am, if there is time available to engage a discussion, I might respond, “Tell me first, what religion are YOU?” Without knowing what the questioner understands, it’s hard to give a helpful response.
Tom Brown, Jr., is America’s most famous tracker. An American Indian, Stalking Wolf, taught Tom to learn to track when Tom was just a boy. Stalking Wolf warned Tom about the dangers of naming. Yes, names are helpful for mutual identification. But if you’re learning to track, and to observe in the wilderness, you can be so distracted with naming the flowers, the paw prints, the trees, etc., that you are robbed of the mystery, the complexity, and the beauty in the wild things. Sure, we might all know what an “oak” tree is. But the name itself “says nothing about how that tree’s roots grab the earth, how it sings in a wild storm…and nothing…of the five foods and the four medicinal parts of that tree, or of the birds and animals that live in and around it.” Those were Tom’s words.
Could that be us? It’s easy to put a label on people. Christian. Jew. Messianic. Orthodox. Non-denominational. Etc. But those names say nothing about the mystery, the complexity, and the beauty of the way of life we have chosen. For that, people need to observe us closely, track us, if you please. The trick is getting them to WANT to look at us that closely.
Absolutely love this thought Tom. I don’t like labels. The view is too narrow when you look thru a label!
Keepin’ It Kosher
~ Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool ~ (Isaiah 1.18)
Jesus (oops!) Yeshua was (oops!) “is” a Jew. No surprise here. He was born where?- and to whom? Simple enough. – Jewish, – through and through. Thoroughly-totally, our Messiah is kosher and? – He is (not was!) holy (qodesh), “set apart” for sacred use. He is (not was!) the “set apart” One. The Anointed One. The Christ.
The week of Passover, the final week in the life of the Messiah “takes up” quite a bit of space in the four gospels, – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Why is this so? There seems to be such a heavy emphasis upon His last days with us and we are witnesses to so many of the prophetic details the Messiah fulfilled.
Between the four writers and the four books, there seems to be an affirmation of the declaration (or announcement) of Peter’s confession: “You are the Christ, the son of the Living God,” and the witness of John the Immerser- “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the Jews..” (oops!) Sorry! “who takes away the sins of the Gentiles!” (oops!- there I go again) Have patience with me, my memory is getting kind of slow.. ~ who takes aways the sins of the world ~ And that he died for all, that they which live should not from now on live to themselves, but to Him who died for them, and rose again (?) He is risen from the dead? ~ But now is Christ risen from the dead, and (has) become the firstfruits of them that slept !! “Firstfruits?” – There’s more to follow?
You Talkin’ To Me?
~ And you He has quickened, (made alive) who were dead in trespasses and sins; in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—
The Label Mill –
Once “labeled” a Sinner. Now called Son! And when we pray, we (may now, -with His permission!) say- “ABBA- Father!” For this “former sinner” is now a son, a saint, a steward and a soldier!
This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance.. (Full acceptance??- by everyone? both Jew AND Gentile?)
“Christ Jesus (Yeshua HaMashiach) came into the world to save sinners”–and I am the worst of them.” (1 Timothy 1.15) Paul, I’m a bit confused.. are we at the top of this “list of sinners,” -or at the bottom? Either way, this,- is my “confession” also, – as He died for me too!
Hmm.. which prayer did God hear? ~ And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a (respectable?) Pharisee and the other a tax collector..”The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: (this prayer didn’t make it past the ceiling!) ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.… (oy!) (And then, to “list’ all of his good deeds, – “as if!” God is so “impressed with his goodness!”) ‘I fast twice a week; and I pay tithes of all that I get.’ (Offensive and odorous prayer!)
~ But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, THE sinner!’…
And lest there be any doubt of it.. Here are the words of our own dear Savior: ~ I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted ~ (Luke 18.13)
(Therefore) ~ Humble yourselves in the sight of the LORD, – and.. (Hallelujah!) – He will lift you up!! ~ (James 4.10) And??? God will give grace to the humble!! ~ God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble ~ God’s favor (btw) is a “good thing!” Amen?
This rising from the dead (activity?) is totally new! Nothing short of a “gamechanger” (a whole new world!) – in the very least!
Not one, (no, not one!) of all the “leaders” of all the world religions (both old and new) can lay claim to rising from the dead! (Let me know if you hear of one!) No, – it is Christ and Christ alone who can not only “claim” this, but to have over 500 witnesses to attest to the fact! (Just the facts m’am!)
He is not here. He is risen, – just as He said!
And?? (there’s more?)
~ Wherefore He is (now) able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them ~ (Hebrews 7.25)
And??
~ He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, – how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? ~ (Romans 8.32)
~ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
And The Answer Is?
~ No, – in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
A Settled Faith
~ For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, -no power in the sky above or in the earth below–indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord ~
Therefore
O magnify the LORD with me,
Ye people of His choice.
Let all to whom He lendeth breath
Now in His Name rejoice!
For love’s blest revelation,
For rest from condemnation,
For uttermost salvation,
To Him give thanks.
Let all the people praise Thee.
Let all the people praise Thee,
Let all the people praise Thy Name
Forever and forevermore.
O praise Him for His holiness,
His wisdom, and His grace;
Sing praises for His precious blood
Which ransomed all our race.
In tenderness He sought us
;
From depths of sin He brought us;
The way of life then taught us.
To Him give thanks.
Had I a thousand tongues to sing,
The half could ne’er be told
Of love so rich, so full and free,
Of blessings manifold;
Of grace that faileth never,
Peace flowing as a river
From God, the glorious Giver.
To Him give thanks.
(Leila N. Morris, 1906)
~ Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD! ~ (Psalm 150.6)
Enroll me please
Please enroll me for daily plus other teaching opportunities. Thanka
The New Testament is not Jewish. It is for all of humanity not just Jews. The Creator of all that is chose GREEK to reveal His Word—His New Covenant—to humankind.
Hi James,
I haven’t heard from you in so long. Nice to see your name here again. I hope you are doing well.
Now a comment: While most of the NT was written in Greek, all of it was written by Jews with Jewish ideas, terms and persuasion. There is no historical doubt about this. If you meant that the PURPOSE of the NT was to teach both Jews and Gentiles, then I am in total agreement, but that is not quite the same as saying that the NT is not Jewish. It is most certainly a Jewish document but it intends to reach a much wider audience. While the new covenant is for all those who come into the Kingdom, this also does not mean that the new covenant is for just anyone. To be a member of the Kingdom, one must embrace what is required under the “new” covenant, and that, of course, means embracing the perspective of the Jewish authors.
“Christian” is a term that is loaded with non-Jewish connotations and theology. “Christian” is a term that now describes believers in a system of thought far removed from the culture and vocabulary of the early Jewish Messianic followers. “Christian” is a new religion, introduced by Origen, Marcion and Augustine.”
I must agree that that’s an excellent description of what we have today in the universal church: a NEW religion, introduced by Origen, Marcion and Augustine, far removed from the culture and vocab of the early Jewish Messianic followers. So when asked now, I call myself a Torah-observant follower of Yeshua HaMashiach. Sometimes it opens a door for discussion. More often people go “tilt” — especially our local Catholic hospital admissions (where I usually go). I tell them to write “other” realizing that I don’t really want a nun to come pray with me anymore than I want a protestant chaplain. (When you’re really sick, the last thing you want to do is explain why you no longer believe their stuff.) So I pray, my husband prays and we text others who are of similar mindset, even in the middle of the night. That’s what we do for each other.
Yes, funny. I think I would ask for BOTH the nun and the pastor and then try to show them that they follow a religion born out of Greek philosophy in the second century. It would be a great way to pass the time while I am waiting for someone to actually show up in the emergency room (I wonder if “emergency room” isn’t actually an oxymoron).
Hmmm, as we all struggle with this ‘term’ or ‘label’ is it because it is not a religion but a citizenship? Are we not citizens of YHVH’s Kingdom; the Commonwealth of Israel?
Be that as it may, we still live in a world that asks our religion. It is awkward. Here are terms I’ve heard:
Believer (in Y’shua)
Whole Bible Believer
1st Century Believer
The Way
Israel
Covenant People
Torah Observant
Messianic
Hebrew Roots
The problem with these labels, especially Hebrew Roots and Messianic, is that folks will go home and look it up on the internet and because the movement is highly fractured they may assume you believe something you don’t. Very frustrating.
I like the poster who said they ask the question what religion are they? It would seem that that open doors.