De-Judaizing the Bible for a Universal Christian Context
The concept of "de-Judaizing" the Bible for a universal Christian context refers to the theological understanding that the Christian faith, while rooted in Jewish tradition, transcends its particularistic ethnic and national boundaries to embrace all peoples. This perspective emphasizes that the distinctions once prominent in Judaism, such as Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, bondman and freeman, are abolished in the renewed person found in Christ [2].
Early Christian thought grappled with the relationship between the Old Testament and the emerging Christian community. Augustine, for instance, distinguished between the "carnal" understanding of the law held by some Jews and the "spiritual" understanding accessible to those with greater capacity, viewing the former as "milk-draught" and the latter as "solid food" [5]. This suggests a progression from a more literal, perhaps ethnically bound, interpretation to a universal, spiritual one. Tertullian also addressed Celsus's reproach that Christians used Jewish prophets, arguing for the Christian interpretation of these prophecies [6].
The kingdom of Christ is understood to be distinct from the national organization of ancient Israel. Charles Hodge explains that the Mosaic economy organized the Hebrews as a nation, directing their municipal, national, social, and religious affairs, and thus could not coexist with other national organizations. In contrast, the kingdom of Christ is designed to encompass all other kingdoms and can exist under various forms of civil government without interference [3]. This universal scope is further highlighted by the teaching that the Gospel of the kingdom, initially preached in Judea, would eventually be proclaimed "in all the world" [7].
John Calvin also addressed the tendency to reduce Old Testament promises to "present and corporeal blessings," arguing against the idea that the Jewish nation was merely "overloaded for a time with divine kindness" [4]. He contended that if circumcision was merely a "literal sign," then baptism would have to be viewed similarly, implying a deeper, spiritual significance to these ordinances that transcends their initial Jewish context [4]. This theological development underscores the belief that the Christian message is not confined to one people but is universally applicable, offering salvation to all human beings [1].
Sources
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 107: these passages as teaching the salvation of all men, if by all in this connection we must understand all human beings. But why limit the word to all men? Why not include angels and even irrational creatures? The answer is, because the Bible teaches that Christ came to save men, and neither angels nor irrational animals. This is only saying that all must be limited to the objects of redemption. Who they are is to be learned not from these general terms, but from the general teaching of Scripture. The all who are to he united in one harmon”
- Colossians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Colossians 3:11: Where--Translate, "Wherein," namely, in the sphere of the renewed man. neither . . . nor . . . nor . . . nor--Translate as Greek, "There is no such thing as Greek and Jew (the difference of privilege between those born of the natural seed of Abraham and those not, is abolished), circumcision and uncircumcision (the difference of legal standing between the circumcised and uncircumcised is done away, Gal 6:15) --bondman, freeman." The present Church is one called out of the flesh, and the present world-course (Eph 2:2), wherein such distinctions ex”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 123: of this world. The latter organized the Hebrews as a nation, and directed all their municipal and national, as well as their social and religious affairs. It, therefore, could not coexist in time and place with any other national organization. The kingdom of Christ being designed to embrace all other kingdoms, can exist under all forms of civil government without interfering with any. It was especially in this view that Christ declared that his kingdom was not of this world. His immediate design was to vindicate his claim to be a king, f”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 98: to them as dwindling down into present and corporeal blessings. If this dogma is received, what remains but that the Jewish nation was overloaded for a time with divine kindness (just as swine are gorged in their sty), that they might at last perish eternally? Whenever we quote circumcision and the promises annexed to it, they answer, that circumcision was a literal sign, and that its promises were carnal. 2536 11. Certainly, if circumcision was a literal sign, the same view must be taken of baptism, since, in the second chapter to”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 7: Augustine — Homilies on John — CHAPTER XVI. 12, 33 (continuea). (part 2): to the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the Gentiles foolishness; and to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, the power of God, and the wisdom of God;"(1) but to the carnal, as babes who held it only as a matter of faith, and to the spiritual, as those of greater capacity, who perceived it as a matter of understanding; to the former, therefore, as a milk-draught, to the latter as solid food: not that the former knew it in one way out in the world at large, and the latter in another way in their secret c”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 4: Tertullian IV, Minucius Felix, Commodian, Origen — CHAP. XXVIII.: And since this Jew of Celsus makes it a subject of reproach that Christians should make use of the prophets, who predicted the events of Christ's life, we have to say, in addition to what we have already advanced upon this head, that it became him to spare individuals, as he says, and to expound the prophecies themselves, and after admitting the probability of the Christian interpretation of them, to show how the use which they make of them may be overturned.[1] For in this way he would not appear hastily to assume so”
- Matthew (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Matthew 24:14: And this Gospel of the kingdom,.... Which Christ himself preached, and which he called and sent his apostles to preach, in all the cities of Judah; by which means men were brought into the kingdom of the Messiah, or Gospel dispensation; and which treated both of the kingdom of grace and glory, and pointed out the saints' meetness for the kingdom of heaven, and their right unto it, and gives the best account of the glories of it: shall be preached in all the world; not only in Judea, where it was now confined, and that by the express orders of Christ himself; but i”