The First Christians: Jewish or Something New?

The First Christians: Jewish or Something New?

Introduction: Did Jesus’ Followers Start a New Religion?

When Jesus walked the earth, his followers were all Jewish. After his death, they continued worshiping in synagogues, following Torah, and celebrating Jewish feasts.

Yet, by the time Christianity spread across the Roman Empire, it became a separate faith. How did this happen?

This article explores:
✔ Who were the Nazarenes and Ebionites?
✔ Did the first Christians keep Torah?
✔ What caused Christianity to split from Judaism?

1. The First Christians Were Jewish

Jesus' earliest followers—including Peter, James, and John—did not see themselves as starting a new religion. They believed:

✅ Jesus was the Messiah promised in the Hebrew Scriptures.
✅ The Torah and Jewish customs were still valid.
✅ Gentiles (non-Jews) could join, but how? This became a debate.

A. The “Nazarenes” – The First Jewish Christians

  • In Acts 24:5, Paul is called a leader of “the sect of the Nazarenes”—an early name for Jesus’ followers.
  • The Nazarenes believed Jesus was the Messiah but still kept Jewish laws and customs.

B. The Church in Jerusalem – Led by James, Jesus’ Brother

  • Acts 21:20 – James (Ya’akov), the head of the early church, tells Paul:

    “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and they are all zealous for the Torah.”

  • Jewish Christians continued to worship at the Temple in Jerusalem (Acts 2:46, Acts 3:1).

✅ The early church was fully Jewish and saw Jesus as the completion of their faith, not a replacement for it.

2. Did Early Christians Still Follow Torah?

Yes! The first believers in Jesus still followed Jewish customs, including:

✔ Sabbath (Shabbat) – They worshiped in synagogues on Saturday (Acts 13:14, 17:2).
✔ Kosher Laws – Peter’s vision in Acts 10 suggests he had never eaten non-kosher food, even years after Jesus’ death.
✔ Temple Worship – They prayed in the Temple daily (Acts 3:1, 5:42).
✔ Circumcision & Jewish Identity – Jewish Christians circumcised their children (Acts 16:1-3).

So, what changed?

3. The First Great Debate: Should Gentiles Follow Jewish Law?

As Jesus’ message spread beyond Jews, a major question arose:

💬 Do Gentiles need to keep Torah to follow Jesus?

A. Paul vs. the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15)

  • Some Jewish Christians (Pharisees who followed Jesus) insisted that Gentiles must be circumcised and obey Torah (Acts 15:1-5).
  • Paul & Barnabas disagreed, arguing that Gentiles could follow Jesus without full Torah observance.
  • The Decision:
    • Gentiles did not need circumcision (Acts 15:19-20).
    • They should avoid idolatry, sexual immorality, and eating blood (based on Leviticus 17-18).

✅ Jewish believers continued following Torah.
✅ Gentiles were not required to fully convert to Judaism.

This was the first step toward Christianity becoming a separate movement.

4. The Ebionites: The Other Jewish Christian Group

Not all Jewish believers agreed with Paul’s decision. Some continued to teach that:
✅ Jesus was the Messiah, but not divine.
✅ The Torah must be fully followed.
✅ Paul was wrong in his teachings.

This group, known as the Ebionites, remained a Torah-observant Jewish Christian sect for centuries.

💡 Why It Matters: The existence of groups like the Ebionites shows that early Christianity was diverse, and debates over Jewish law shaped its future.

5. How Did Christianity Separate from Judaism?

Although Jesus’ followers were Jewish, Christianity eventually became its own religion. Why?

A. The Roman Destruction of the Temple (70 CE)

  • In 70 CE, the Romans destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem.
  • This was a turning point for both Judaism and Christianity.
  • Judaism restructured around rabbinic teaching (no more sacrifices).
  • Christianity spread beyond Jewish communities and became more Gentile-dominated.

B. The Jewish Revolts (66-135 CE)

  • Jewish Christians did not join the Jewish revolts against Rome.
  • Rabbinic Judaism distanced itself from Jewish Christians, seeing them as traitors.

C. The Rise of Gentile Christianity

  • As more Gentiles converted, they outnumbered Jewish believers.
  • Greek and Roman influences replaced Jewish customs.
  • Sunday replaced Saturday Sabbath by the 2nd century.

6. The Final Break: The Council of Nicaea (325 CE)

By the time of Emperor Constantine, Christianity was no longer seen as a Jewish sect.

  • The Council of Nicaea (325 CE) defined Christian doctrine.
  • Jewish practices were discouraged (Passover was replaced by Easter).
  • The Roman Church officially broke from Jewish roots.

💡 By the 4th century, Christianity was fully separate from Judaism.

Conclusion: The First Christians Were Jewish, But Christianity Changed

✅ Jesus’ first followers were Jews who kept Torah and worshiped in synagogues.
✅ The first great debate was about whether Gentiles needed to follow Jewish law.
✅ Christianity gradually separated after the Temple was destroyed (70 CE).
✅ By the time of Constantine (325 CE), Christianity had fully broken from Judaism.

Next: The Early Church & the Formation of Christian Doctrine

In the next article, we explore:
🔹 How was Jesus officially declared God?
🔹 When was the New Testament compiled?
🔹 How did Catholicism emerge as the dominant Christian tradition?

Explore the Full Series

🔹 Jesus in History: What We Know for Certain
🔹 Jesus as a Jewish Rabbi: Torah and Law
🔹 The First Christians: Jewish or Something New?
🔹 The Early Church & Christian Doctrine
🔹 Christianity Divided: Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant
🔹 Trump’s Evangelicals vs. Biblical Christianity
🔹 Where Does Christianity Go From Here?

📌 Read the full series and discover where Christianity is heading next.

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