Jews and Christians: what is the difference between them?

Jews and Christians... What is the difference between them? They are followers of related faiths belonging to the Abrahamic religions. But many differences in their understanding of the world often led them to hostility and persecution from both sides. Tensions between Jews and Christians have existed since ancient times. But in the modern world, both religions are moving towards reconciliation. Let's look at why the Jews persecuted the first Christians. What was the reason for centuries-old hostility and wars?

Relations between Jews and Christians in the early period

According to some researchers, Jesus and his disciples professed a doctrine close to the sectarian movements of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Christianity initially recognized the Jewish Tanakh as sacred scripture, which is why at the beginning of the 1st century it was considered an ordinary Jewish sect. And only later, when Christianity began to spread throughout the world, it was recognized as a separate religion - the successor of Judaism.

But even in the first stages of the formation of an independent church, the attitude of Jews towards Christians was not very friendly. Often Jews provoked the Roman authorities to persecute believers. Later, in the books of the New Testament, Jews were attributed full responsibility for the torment of Jesus and their persecution of Christians was recorded. This became the reason for the negative attitude of the followers of the new religion towards the Jews. And later used by many Christian fundamentalists to justify anti-Semitic actions in many countries. Since the 2nd century AD. e. Negative sentiments towards Jews in Christian communities only increased.

Christianity and Judaism in modern times

For many centuries, strained relations existed between the two religions, which often resulted in mass persecution. Such incidents include the Crusades and the preceding persecution of Jews in Europe, as well as the Holocaust perpetrated by the Nazis during World War II.

Relations between the two religious movements began to improve in the 60s of the twentieth century. Then the Catholic Church officially changed its attitude towards the Jewish people, eliminating anti-Semitic elements from many prayers. In 1965, the Vatican adopted a declaration “On the attitude of the Church towards non-Christian religions” (Nostra Aetate). In it, the thousand-year-old accusation against the Jews for the death of Jesus was lifted and all anti-Semitic views were condemned.

Pope Paul VI asked forgiveness from non-Christian peoples (including Jews) for centuries of persecution by the church. The Jews themselves are loyal to Christians and consider them a related Abrahamic religion. And although some religious customs and teachings are incomprehensible to them, they still favor the spread of the basic elements of Judaism among all peoples of the world.

Judaism and Christianity. 11 differences

The reason for the tragic tension between Christianity and Judaism cannot be explained simply by differences in religious beliefs and dogmas, which also exist in relation to all other religions. If you look from the Jewish side, you can assume that the reason is a long history of Christian persecution. However, this is not the root cause, since persecution is a consequence of the already existing conflict between Christianity and Judaism. This problem is more relevant than ever in our time.

A time to reflect on the future of relations between Jews and Christians. After all, only now have representatives of Christian churches openly admitted that the cause of crimes against Jews is primarily religious intolerance. In the 20th century, anti-Semitism took on a form that was dangerous to Christianity itself. Then certain circles of the Christian world began to reconsider their positions.

There followed an apology from the Catholic Church for centuries of persecution of Jews. Protestant churches, for the most part, call for an understanding of God's mission for the Jewish people in this world. It is difficult to judge the current position of Orthodoxy on this issue, since this position is simply not expressed.

It is necessary to talk about the problems that have arisen between Christians and Jews, starting with an analysis of the contradictions into which the church found itself, declaring itself the New Israel. The first Christians declared that they were not a new religion, but consistent successors of Judaism. All Christian concepts are taken from the promises and prophecies of the Hebrew Holy Scripture (TaNaKha). The very central image of Christianity is Jesus, not just a savior, but also the Moshiach promised to the Jewish people, a descendant of King David. By the way, the origin of Jesus presented in the New Testament raises a lot of fair questions.

The Church insistently declared that it was a direct continuation of that Divine action in history, the main part of which was the chosenness of the people of Israel. Meanwhile, the Jews continued to exist, claiming that the Bible belonged to them, that their understanding of the Bible was the only legitimate one, and branding the Christian interpretation as heresy, lies and idolatry. This mutual opposition created a climate of hostility and rejection that made the already complex Judeo-Christian relationship even more contentious.

The reluctance of the Jews to accept the new teaching gave rise to many problems for Christian theology, including one of the main doctrines - missionary, the essence of which is to convey the Gospel, i.e. "Good news" to those who do not know about it. The Jews, however, were originally in a different category, being the first recipients of G‑d's promise but rejecting it. In the eyes of Christians, Jews became living evidence of stubbornness and blindness.

Jewish history in Christendom has been marked by alternations of more or less severe oppression, relative tolerance, expulsions and periodic pogroms. Ideologically, Christianity is completely imbued with the philosophy of Judaism. The answers offered by Christianity to questions about the meaning of existence, the structure of the Universe, the human soul, birth and death, and eternity are based on ideas formulated long before the appearance of Jesus Christ. They are given in the Torah.

It is an undeniable fact that most people still do not know about such a close spiritual relationship between the two religions and that the basis of all moral values of the Western world is not just Christian values, but values borrowed from Judaism. Even the ten cardinal commandments offered in the Gospel, which have become the basis of Western morality, are known to every Jew as the ten cardinal commandments given by G-d to the people of Israel on Mount Sinai.

Yet Christianity is different from Judaism, otherwise it cannot be a different religion. The outstanding scholar of our time, Rabbi Nachum Amsel, cites ten such differences.

First difference. Most of the world's religions, including Christianity, support the doctrine that those who do not believe in this religion will be punished and will not receive a place in Heaven or the World to Come. Judaism, unlike any significant world religion, believes that a non-Jew (who does not necessarily have to believe in the Torah, but who keeps the seven commandments given to Noah) will definitely have a place in the World to Come and is called a righteous non-Jew (Sanhedrin, 56b).

Second difference. In Christianity, the most important idea is faith in Jesus as a savior. This faith in itself gives a person the opportunity to be saved. Judaism believes that the highest thing for a person is to serve God by doing his will, and this is even higher than faith. There is a verse in the Torah that says, “He is my God, and I will glorify Him.” In discussing how a person can glorify and exalt G-d, the Talmud answers that it is through actions. Therefore, the highest form of becoming like G-d is doing something, not feeling or believing. Faith must be manifested in actions, not words.

Third difference. The core belief of Judaism is the belief in one G-d. There cannot be any other higher power in the world except G‑d. In addition to believing in the concept of God, Christianity believes in the concept of Satan as the source of evil, which is a force opposed to G-d. Judaism is very specific about the belief that evil, like good, comes from G-d and not from another force. A verse from the Holy Scripture reads: “I [G-d] create the world and cause disasters.” (Ishayahu, 45:7). The Talmud tells the Jew that when trouble comes, the Jew must recognize G‑d as the Just Judge. Thus, the Jewish reaction to obvious evil is to attribute its origin to G‑d and not to any other force.

Fourth difference. Judaism holds that G‑d, by definition, has no form, image, or body, and that G‑d cannot be represented in any form. This position is even included in the thirteen fundamentals of faith of Judaism. On the other hand, Christianity believes in Jesus, who as God took on human form. G‑d tells Moses that a man cannot see G‑d and live.

Fifth difference. In Christianity, the very purpose of existence is life for the sake of the hereafter. Although Judaism also believes in the World to Come, this is not the only purpose of life. The prayer “Aleynu” says that the main task of life is to improve this world.

Sixth difference. Judaism believes that every person has a personal relationship with G‑d and that every person can communicate directly with G‑d on a daily basis. In Catholicism, priests and the Pope serve as intermediaries between G-d and man. Unlike Christianity, where the clergy is endowed with sublime holiness and a special relationship with G-d, in Judaism there are absolutely no religious actions that a rabbi can perform that any individual Jew cannot perform. Thus, contrary to what many people believe, a rabbi does not have to be present at a Jewish funeral, a Jewish wedding (the ceremony can be performed without a rabbi), or when performing other religious activities. The word "rabbi" means "teacher." Although rabbis have the authority to make official decisions about Jewish law, a Jew who is sufficiently trained can also make decisions about Jewish law without receiving orders. Thus, there is nothing unique (from a religious point of view) about being a rabbi as a member of the Jewish clergy.

Seventh difference. In Christianity, miracles play a central role, being the basis of faith. In Judaism, however, miracles can never be the basis of faith in G-d. The Torah says that if a person appears before the people and declares that G-d appeared to him, that he is a prophet, shows supernatural miracles, and then begins to instruct people to violate something from the Torah, then this person should be killed as a false prophet ( Devarim 13:2-6).

Eighth difference. Judaism believes that a person begins life with a “clean slate” and that he can achieve good in this world. Christianity believes that man is inherently wicked, burdened with Original Sin. This prevents him from achieving virtue, and so he must turn to Jesus as his savior.

Ninth difference. Christianity is based on the premise that the Messiah has already come in the form of Jesus. Judaism believes that the Messiah is yet to come. One of the reasons why Judaism cannot believe that the Messiah has already come is that in the Jewish view the messianic times will be marked by significant changes in the world. Even if these changes occur naturally and not supernaturally, then universal harmony and recognition of G-d will reign in the world. Since, according to Judaism, no changes occurred in the world with the appearance of Jesus, then, according to the Jewish definition of the Messiah, he has not yet come.

Tenth difference. Since Christianity is aimed exclusively at the next world, the Christian attitude towards the human body and its desires is similar to the attitude towards ungodly temptations. Since the next world is a world of souls, and it is the soul that distinguishes man from other creatures, Christianity believes that man is obliged to nourish his soul, and neglect his body as much as possible. And this is the way to achieve holiness. Judaism recognizes that the soul is more important, but one cannot neglect the desires of one's body. So instead of trying to deny the body and completely suppress physical desires, Judaism turns the fulfillment of these desires into a holy act. The Holiest Christian priests and the Pope take a vow of celibacy, while for a Jew creating a family and procreating a family is a holy act. While in Christianity the ideal of holiness is a vow of poverty, in Judaism, wealth, on the contrary, is a positive quality.

I dare to add an eleventh distinction to Rabbi Nachum Amsel. In Christianity, a person is responsible for the sins he has committed before God; they can be corrected by repentance and confession before a priest, who is endowed with the power, in the name of God and Jesus Christ, to let them go in peace. In Judaism, sins are divided into two categories: sins against G-d and sins against man. Sins committed against G-d are forgiven after a person’s sincere repentance before the Almighty himself (no intermediaries are allowed in this matter). But even the Almighty himself does not forgive crimes against a person; only the offended party, that is, another person, can forgive such crimes. Thus, a person is necessarily responsible to G‑d, but this does not exempt him from responsibility to people.

Jewish roots of Christianity. First of all, we must note the form of worship in Christianity, which has signs of Jewish origin and influence. The very concept of church ritual, namely the gathering of believers for prayer, the reading of Holy Scripture and a sermon, follows the example of worship in the synagogue. Reading passages from the Bible is the Christian version of reading the Torah and the Book of the Prophets in the synagogue. The Psalms, in particular, play a very important role in both Catholic and Orthodox liturgy. Many early Christian prayers are excerpts or adaptations of Jewish originals. And what can we say about many wordings in prayers, like “Amen”, “Hallelujah”, etc.

If we turn to one of the central events of the New Testament - the Last Supper, we will see that there is a description of the real Passover seder, obligatory for every Jew on the holiday of Passover.

Needless to say, the very existence of similarities did more than just exacerbate the conflict. It became impossible for the Jews to consider Christians as mere bearers of an unfamiliar and completely alien religion, since they laid claim to the heritage of Israel, tending to deprive the Jewish people of the reality and authenticity of their religious existence.

Is there one God for Jews and Christians?

Christianity as an independent religion is based on the dogmas and beliefs of the Jewish people. Jesus himself and most of his apostles were Jews and were raised in Jewish traditions. As you know, the Christian Bible consists of two parts: the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament is the basis of the Jewish religion (Tanakh is the sacred scripture of the Jews), and the New Testament is the teachings of Jesus and his followers. Therefore, for both Christians and Jews, the basis of their religions is the same, and they worship the same God, only they observe different rituals. The very name of God both in the Bible and in the Tanakh is Yahweh, which is translated into Russian as “Existent.”

How are Jews different from Christians? First of all, let's look at the main differences between their worldviews. For Christians there are three main dogmas:

The original sin of all people.
Second coming of Jesus.
Atonement for human sins by the death of Jesus.

These dogmas are designed to solve the main problems of humanity from the Christian point of view. The Jews do not recognize them in principle, and for them these difficulties do not exist.

Devoted Faith

Finally, an ideology comparable in both Christianity and Judaism is the concept of committed faith. For both religions, this is described in the Book of Exodus, which is the second book of the Jewish Torah (Hebrew Bible) and the Christian Old Testament. Here God demands complete submission and explicitly states that people should have no other gods because “I the Lord your God am a jealous God” (Exodus 20:5). It follows that if people do not believe exclusively in this one god, they will be punished.

Having looked at the key similarities between both religions, in the next section we will discuss some of the differences in beliefs between Judaism and Christianity.

Ways to atone for sins

Due to the difference in worldview, the next difference appears - atonement for sins. Christians believe that Jesus atoned for all the sins of people through his sacrifice. And for those actions that the believer himself has committed, he bears personal responsibility before the Almighty. He can atone for them only by repenting to the clergyman, since only representatives of the Church in the name of God are endowed with the power to forgive sins.

The Jews believe that only by their deeds and actions can a person achieve forgiveness. They divide sins into two types:

committed against the orders of God;
crimes against another person.

The first are forgiven if the Jew sincerely regrets and repents of them to the Most High. But in this matter there are no intermediaries in the person of priests, like Christians. Other sins are crimes that a Jew committed against another person. In this case, the Almighty limits his power and cannot grant forgiveness. A Jew must beg for it exclusively from the person he has offended. Thus, Judaism speaks of separate responsibility: for offenses against another person and for sins and disrespect for God.

Because of such differences in views, the following contradiction arises: Jesus' forgiveness of all sins. For Christians, he is endowed with the power to forgive the sins of all who repent. But even if a Jew can equate Jesus with God, such behavior still fundamentally violates the laws. After all, as mentioned above, a Jew cannot ask God for forgiveness for sins committed against another person. He himself must make amends to him.

A Jew-Christian is the greatest shame for a Jew. After all, you are a stranger to both Christians and Jews

This is not true. Christianity was created in the bosom of Israel. The Mother of God, who is revered by millions of Christians, was a daughter of Israel, who loved her people just as every beautiful woman loves her people. The Apostle Paul, the greatest teacher of all Christianity, was a Jew. Therefore, the belonging of a Christian, especially a shepherd, to this ancient family, dating back four thousand years, is not a disadvantage, but a wonderful feeling that you are also involved in Sacred history.

I am completely alien to national prejudices, I love all peoples, but I never renounce my national origin, and the fact that the blood of Christ the Savior and the Apostles flows in my veins gives me only joy. It's just an honor for me.

Attitude to other world religious movements

Almost all religions in the world adhere to the same doctrine - only those people who believe in the true God can go to Heaven. And those who believe in another Lord are essentially deprived of this right. To some extent, Christianity also adheres to this doctrine. Jews have a more loyal attitude towards other religions. From the point of view of Judaism, anyone who follows the 7 basic commandments that Moses received from God can go to Heaven. Since these commandments are universal, a person does not have to believe in the Torah. These seven commandments include:

The belief that the world was created by one God.
Don't blaspheme.
Obey the laws.
Don't worship idols.
Don't steal.
Don't commit adultery.
Do not eat from living things.

Compliance with these basic laws allows a representative of another religion to enter Paradise without being a Jew. In general terms, Judaism is loyal to monotheistic religions such as Islam and Christianity, but does not accept paganism due to polytheism and idolatry.

Moral codes and laws

Both Christianity and Judaism are bound by moral codes and laws.

The Jewish people are primarily bound by the Talmud—the teachings and commentaries of the rabbis—and the Ten Commandments dictated directly by God to Moses on Mount Sinai. Jews consider the Ten Commandments to be the basis for the rest of the commandments.

It is important to note! The Ten Commandments are related to God and prescribe moral principles in both religions. They were originally established in Judaism and continued in the Christian tradition.

Christianity goes beyond the Ten Commandments and also places great emphasis on the teachings of Jesus. It focuses on love of God and love of neighbor. This is considered the greatest commandment and the central tenet of the Christian faith.

On what principles is a person’s connection with God based?

Jews and Christians also look differently at ways of communicating with the Almighty. What is the difference? In Christianity, priests appear as intermediaries between man and God. The clergy is endowed with special privileges and exalted in holiness. Thus, in Christianity there are many rituals that an ordinary person does not have the right to perform on his own. Fulfilling them is the exclusive role of the priest, which is a fundamental difference from Judaism.

Jews do not have such a religious ceremony that is performed exclusively by a rabbi. At weddings, funerals or other events, the presence of a clergyman is not required. Any Jew can perform the necessary rituals. Even the very concept of “rabbi” is translated as teacher. That is, simply a person with extensive experience who knows the rules of Jewish law well.

The same applies to the Christian belief in Jesus as the only savior. After all, the Son of God himself claimed that only he could lead people to the Lord. And, accordingly, Christianity is based on the fact that only through faith in Jesus can one come to God. Judaism looks at this problem differently. And as stated earlier, anyone, even a non-Judaizer, can approach God directly.

The Role of Jesus

Both Jews and Christians believe that the word of God was transmitted through prophets, with special emphasis placed on Moses by Judaism and Jesus by Christianity. For Christians, Jesus is the Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary and the incarnation of God himself. The belief that Jesus was the messiah is a central tenet of Christianity.

Judaism, on the other hand, does not accept this role attributed to Jesus by the Christian faith. And instead believes that he was born an ordinary person, and not a prophet or messiah.

In fact, the Jewish people believe that the Messiah has not yet come in the future. They hope that God's chosen Messiah figure will eventually appear on Earth and begin his reign.

Therefore, it is significant that they completely reject the Christian concept of Jesus as the messiah.

According to the Christian faith, Jesus was the very messiah the Jewish people were waiting for.

Therefore, Christians believe that Jesus died on the cross for their sins and that he subsequently rose again.

Jews reject this idea because, as stated, they do not accept Jesus as the messiah or prophet of God. In particular, people of the Jewish faith do not believe in the resurrection. And some claimed that Jesus' disciples simply removed his body to deceive people into believing in the resurrection.

Thus, the common Jewish belief is that Jesus was an ordinary man and not the Son of God or the messiah.

Difference in the perception of good and evil

Jews and Christians have completely different perceptions of good and evil. What is the difference? In Christianity, the concept of Satan, the Devil, plays a big role. This huge, powerful force is the source of evil and all earthly troubles. In Christianity, Satan is presented as a force opposite to God.

This is the next difference, since the main belief of Judaism is the belief in one omnipotent God. From the Jewish point of view, there cannot be any higher power other than God. Accordingly, a Jew will not separate good into God’s will, and evil into the machinations of evil spirits. He perceives God as a fair judge, rewarding good deeds and punishing sins.

Judaism - what kind of religion is it?

Judaism is the oldest monotheistic religion, whose followers were born Jewish or converted to this faith during their lives. Despite its ancient age (more than 3000 years), there are not many followers of this movement - only about 14 million people. Moreover, it was from Judaism that such movements as Christianity and Islam emerged, which today have the largest number of followers. What do the Jews profess?

Judaism is the faith (religion) of the Jewish people

The main idea of religion is faith in the One God, Yahweh (one of the names of God) and observance of His commandments, which are set out in the Torah. In addition to the Torah, the Jews also have the Tanakh, another sacred text, the belief in the holiness of which has become one of the fundamental differences from Christianity.

Based on these two documents, Jews hold the following views:

Monotheism - believe in One God the Father, who created the earth and man in His Image and Likeness.
God is Perfect and Almighty and is also presented as the source of Grace and Love for all. He is not only God for man, but also a loving Father who has mercy and helps to be saved from sin.
Dialogues can take place between man and God, i.e. prayers. To do this, you do not need to make sacrifices or any other manipulations. God wants to approach man directly and does this according to His desire. All a person has to do is strive for dialogue and the holiness of God.
The value of a person who is created in God's Image is enormous. He has his own purpose from the Lord, which consists in endless and comprehensive spiritual improvement.
In the history of mankind there are great people and prophets, about whose lives the Old Testament writes. Among them are Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, Elijah, Isaiah and other sages who are fundamental figures in Judaism and role models.
The main moral principles of religion are love for the Almighty and for one’s neighbor;
The basis of religion is the Ten Commandments, which a Jew must strictly observe.
The doctrine of openness of religion, i.e. opportunity for anyone to apply to it.
The teaching about the coming of the Messiah - a prophet and king who will save humanity.

These are not all the theses of Judaism, but they are fundamental and allow us to form an opinion about this religion. In fact, it is the closest to Christianity in its beliefs, but still has significant differences.

Read about religion:

Evidence of the Christian Faith
Orthodoxy and Islam
Orthodoxy and sectarianism

Attitude towards original sin

In Christianity there is such a thing as original sin. The ancestors of mankind disobeyed God's will in the Garden of Eden, for which they were expelled from paradise. Because of this, all newborns are initially considered sinful. In Judaism, it is believed that a child is born innocent and can safely receive blessings in this world. And only the person himself determines whether he will sin or live righteously.

Attitude to worldly life and worldly comforts

Also, Jews and Christians have completely different attitudes towards worldly life and consolations. What is the difference? In Christianity, the very purpose of human existence is considered to be life for the sake of the next world. Of course, Jews believe in the world to come, but the main task of human life is to improve the existing one.

These concepts are clearly visible in the attitude of both religions to worldly desires, the desires of the body. In Christianity they are equated with ungodly temptations and sin. People believe that only a pure soul, not subject to temptation, can enter the next world. This means that a person must nourish the spiritual as much as possible, thereby neglecting worldly desires. Therefore, the Pope and priests take a vow of celibacy, renouncing worldly pleasures in order to achieve greater holiness.

The Jews also recognize that the soul is more important, but do not consider it right to completely renounce the desires of the body. Instead, they turn their performance into a holy act. Therefore, the Christian vow of celibacy seems to Jews to be a strong departure from religious canons. After all, creating a family and procreation is a holy act for a Jew.

The two religions have the same different attitudes towards material wealth and wealth. For Christianity, taking a vow of poverty is an ideal of holiness. Whereas for Judas, accumulation of wealth is a positive quality.

In conclusion, I would like to say that Jews and Christians, the differences between whom we have examined, should not be pitted against each other. In the modern world, each person can understand the holy scriptures in his own way. And he has every right to do so.

Afterlife

Additionally, Judaism and Christianity also have different ideas about the afterlife.

Christians believe in the resurrection of soul and body, and in eternal heaven or hell.

On the other hand, Judaism focuses on time on Earth now rather than a potential afterlife. The concept of an afterlife does not have much meaning in Judaism. There are many different views on the afterlife among the Jewish people.

In addition to these differences in beliefs, there are also several differences in practice between Judaism and Christianity, which we will explore below.