An Investigation into the Early Jewish Christians’ Beliefs

Looking carefully to the history of early Christianity and its development, we can see that it is different with contemporary Christianity. This thesis claims that the early Jewish Christianity was in fact orthodox Christianity and the early Christians were Jews who had observed Mosaic Law and considered Jesus as messiah. The debate over the Law and obedience to it and the domain of Jewish Law and rules has been controversial issues between followers of Jesus. It should be noticed that words and teachings of Jesus, his apostles and the early period of Paul’s propagation are presented here, and the controversies that are based on Jewish Law and religiosity are discussed. On the other hand, some answers could be found for ideological and theological issues that appeared in later Christianity which caused the formation of councils to settle those controversies. Based on these components, contemporary theology has been formed by setting aside the early Judeo-Christians’ beliefs during the history. By examining the early Jewish Christians’ beliefs, it becomes clear that there are no exaggerated expressions such as divinity of Jesus, incarnation and redemption and so on in Jesus, and his apostles’ teachings, nor in the Jewish Christians’ beliefs. Rather, Jesus was concerned about the Law, and his apostles followed his way, too. But later beliefs are more different from Jesus and the apostles’ teachings. Such disagreement could be clearly seen in the New Testament and some other non-canonical texts and in some Christian discoveries. Even though many of Jewish Christian’s early primary texts have been deleted from the list of canons. After the empowerment of two religious forces –rabbinic Jewish and Christianity supported by empire, Judeo-Christians began to be rejected by both societies, and from fourth century onwards, there was no trace of them in mainstream Christianity.