Messianic Judaism As Completion Of Jewish Faith
Messianic Judaism, in the view of some Christian traditions, represents the completion of the Jewish faith through the recognition of Jesus as the Messiah. This perspective often emphasizes that the Old Testament prophecies find their fulfillment in Christ [1, 7]. For instance, the apostle Paul describes Christ as "the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes" (Romans 10:4), suggesting a culmination rather than an abolition of the law's purpose.
The concept of a "fullness of time" is central to this understanding, referring to the divinely appointed moment for the Messiah's advent [8]. This period was anticipated by prophets, with Daniel's prophecy of "seventy weeks" being a notable example [8]. From this viewpoint, the Jewish people were prepared for the coming of the Messiah, and their faith, particularly its sacrificial system, pointed towards Christ's ultimate sacrifice [1].
The national conversion of the Jews is a significant eschatological expectation within some Christian traditions, particularly Reformed theology [4]. Charles Hodge argues that this conversion is anticipated based on God's original covenant with Abraham, promising that through his seed, all nations would be blessed [4]. This future conversion is often linked to an extraordinary outpouring of the Holy Spirit, leading to a spirit of grace and supplication among the Jewish people [10].
However, the idea of Messianic Judaism as a "completion" can be contrasted with historical warnings against "Judaizing" within early Christianity. Charles Hodge notes that early in the Church's history, there was a tendency to substitute the Gospel with a "spiritualized" but still essentially Judaic system [2]. This involved reintroducing Jewish doctrines concerning the merit of works, the necessity of external rites, and a focus on an external, visible kingdom [2]. John Calvin also addressed the Jewish understanding of circumcision and its promises as merely "literal" or "carnal," arguing that such a view diminishes the spiritual significance of these signs and their fulfillment in Christ [3].
From a Jewish perspective, fulfilling the entire Torah is sometimes understood as encompassing the rejection of idol worship, which is considered a foundational principle [9]. This highlights a different emphasis on what constitutes the core of Jewish faith. The "folly of the Jews," as described by Hodge, was their refusal of God's provided righteousness in Christ, instead trusting in their "own righteousness" [5]. Augustine, in his homilies, describes Christ as a "stumbling-block" to the Jews and "foolishness" to the Gentiles, yet to those called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power and wisdom of God [6].
Sources
- Hebrews (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Hebrews 11:40: provided--with divine forethought from eternity (compare Gen 22:8, Gen 22:14). some better thing for us-- (Heb 7:19); than they had here. They had not in this world, "apart from us" (so the Greek is for "without us," that is, they had to wait for us for), the clear revelation of the promised salvation actually accomplished, as we now have it in Christ; in their state, beyond the grave their souls also seem to have attained an increase of heavenly bliss on the death and ascension of Christ; and they shall not attain the full and final glory in body ”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 78: from the Gospel, and substituting Judaism, somewhat spiritualized, but still essentially Judaic. It is notorious that the Jewish doctrines of the merit of works; of the necessity and saving efficacy of external rites; of a visible kingdom of Christ of splendour and worldly grandeur; of an external church out of whose pale there is no salvation; of the priestly character of the ministry; and of a church hierarchy, soon began to spread among Christians, and at last became ascendant. This being the case it would be strange if the Jewish doct”
- 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”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 88: § 5. Conversion of the Jews. The second great event, which, according to the common faith of the Church, is to precede the second advent of Christ, is the national conversion of the Jews. First, that there is to be such a national conversion may be argued, — 1. From the original call and destination of that people. God called Abraham and promised that through him, and in his seed, all the nations of the earth should be blessed. He entered into a solemn covenant with him engaging to be his God and the God of his posterity to the latest gen”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 23: man’s “own righteousness” is that which would render him righteous, then “the righteousness of God,” in this connection, must be a justifying righteousness. It is called the righteousness of God, because, as said before, He is its author. It is the righteousness of Christ. It is provided, offered, and accepted of God. Here then are two righteousnesses; the one human, the other divine; the one valueless, the other infinitely meritorious. The folly of the Jews, and of thousands since their day, consists in refusing the latter and trusting t”
- 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”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 133: of the Messianic period, was the effusion of the Holy Spirit. To secure that blessing for the Church his ascension was necessary. He was exalted to give repentance and the remission of sins; to gather his people from all nations and during all ages until the work was accomplished. His throne in the heavens was the proper place whence the work of saving men, through the merits of his death, was to be carried on. 4. Again our Lord told his sorrowing disciples, “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I wil”
- Galatians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Galatians 4:4: But when the fulness of time was come,.... The time agreed and fixed upon between God and his Son from all eternity, in the council and covenant of peace, when the Son of God should assume human nature; which time was diligently searched into by the prophets, was revealed unto them, and predicted by them; as more generally that it should be before the civil government ceased from Judah, and before the destruction of the second temple; and more particularly by Daniel in his prophecy of the "seventy weeks", towards and about the close of which there was a general expe”
- Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Nedarim 25a.13: The Gemara asks: And let him administer an oath: That you fulfill the entire Torah. The Gemara answers: Fulfilling the entire Torah could indicate specifically the denial of idol worship, which is also deemed fulfilling the entire Torah, as it is taught in a baraita : Idol worship is so severe a sin that anyone who denies it is considered as though he concedes to the truth of the entire Torah. The opposite is true for someone who worships idols. Therefore, the Jewish people could have claimed that fulfilling the entire Torah denotes nothing more than not prac”
- Zechariah (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Zechariah 12:10: Future conversion of the Jews is to flow from an extraordinary outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Jer 31:9, Jer 31:31-34; Eze 39:29). spirit of grace . . . supplications--"spirit" is here not the spirit produced, but THE HOLY SPIRIT producing a "gracious" disposition, and inclination for "supplications." CALVIN explains "spirit of grace" as the grace of God itself (whereby He "pours" out His bowels of mercy), "conjoined with the sense of it in man's heart." The "spirit of supplications" is the mercury whose rise or fall is an unerring test of the sta”