Where It Started
For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelled in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well. 2 Timothy 1:5 NASB
First dwelled – Where does the Bible start? You’ll immediately respond, “Why, in Genesis, of course!” and that is textually true, but it might not be spiritually true for you. You see, for most Western Christians (or even ex-Christian Messianics), the spiritual origin of their faith begins somewhere between Matthew and John, most likely in John 3:16. Their faith isn’t actually grounded in the foundation documents. It’s grounded in the experience of salvation and that usually means some relationship to “Jesus.” So, naturally, a Jesus-faith has to begin with a Jesus story, and the Tanakh (the Old Testament) is relegated to past history—interesting (maybe) but irrelevant. Of course, if you’re Messianic then you know Moses matters, but I suspect (based on my experience alone) that your theology is still fundamentally apostolic (and Greek). Your orientation to the Bible still starts with Paul and “Jesus” and looks back to Moses, not forward from Moses. Take a moment and reflect on this. Does it strike a nerve? Remember that no Jew starts with anything in the novus testament. Our cultural heritage is significantly different than the authors of the Bible.
Including Paul—and all the rest of the apostles, as it happens. What this means is that we must read Paul as a Jew. If we don’t, well, we’ve made a fatal error. As Andrew White notes, “without Judaism, Christianity has nothing to say.”[1] Or worse. Without a Jewish point of view, Christianity is idolatry. Now let’s apply this.
Paul writes, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written: ‘But the righteous one will live by faith’” Romans 1:16-17 NASB. “From faith to faith” is an odd expression for us, but it doesn’t seem to bother Paul at all. In fact, it might be an idiomatic way of saying the same thing that he wrote to Timothy, that is, the “faith” found in the Jewish way of life, a faith that was present in Timothy’s grandmother and mother, was communicated to Timothy (and hopefully to us) as a continual stream of prophetic revelation from Moses to Yeshua. No modification, no alteration, no abdication. It’s straight Moses with a Yeshua chaser.
Perhaps you’re shaking your head in agreement. “Yes, that’s true. Moses delivered God’s message.” If that’s how you feel, then you’re on the way toward a truly Jewish Messiah. Just be sure that all the heritage you consumed from birth hasn’t subtlety altered the way you read the text. That you recognize the Jewish idioms in the apostolic writings, and the Jewish allusions. The hints in the Gospels. The grammar. The vocabulary. The assumptions of the disciples. All those things that make the Scriptures a Jewish document. The faith Paul endorses probably didn’t begin with your grandmother or your mother so you’ll have to start that legacy yourself.
Topical Index: faith, heritage, Jewish way of life, Paul, 2 Timothy 1:5
[1] Canon Andrew White, Older Younger Brother, p. 46.
Born again? The power of the gospel is salvation for all who believe. They are on the way toward a truly Jewish Messiah. Hear hear! – your current commentary study on Romans. I love it.
This is a particularly poignant TW for me. My Dettmer grandmother was Lutheran and she converted to RCC to marry my Catholic grandfather Lauber. All my known ancestors came from the old Prussian region of the Rhine River area on both sides of the river today known as France and Germany where low German was spoken by all. Their English included many Yiddish (a German dialect with words from Hebrew) phrases that were still used by my parents two centuries after emigration from Europe. I have no known Jewish ancestors but Kramer (no umlaut) is no stranger as a Jewish name.
I learned that the term Ashkenazi means Germanic, the old Prussian empire region of central Europe. My family genealogical research is published in my book “Faith and Foundations – The Germanic Pioneers of Waterloo County Ontario”. To my knowledge I have no Jewish ancestors but I now self describe as “Messianic” only.
My Dettmer gm was an advocate of all “God” religions having merit without criticism and as such I was raised. As we know from the bible grandmothers have significant influence on their families. I certainly do. My continuing analysis of my Christianity demanded that I change my paradigm. Thanks Skip for giving me a much less onerous Ph.D on biblical studies to do so than you have had but one who came to the same conclusion nevertheless.