Why isn't Christianity another form of Judaism.

[AeonJ]

Why is it its own religion?

It seem to come from Judaism.

I'm confused because Mormonism comes from other parts of Christianity. And we still belong to the same group.

 

[TasteForTruth]

Why is it its own religion?

It seem to come from Judaism.

I'm confused because Mormonism comes from other parts of Christianity. And we still belong to the same group.

Mormonism shares common doctrines and such with traditional Christianity, but I believe it is incorrect to say that "Mormonism comes from other parts of Christianity." God does not put new wine into old bottles. I'd say that Mormonism represents a new dispensation of the Gospel, not a recycling of remnants of the Gospel from a previous dispensation.

Just my two cents.

 

[eachallberg]

Judaism is concerned about a small place in the world.

Christianity encompasses beyond the world.

I would say that Mormonism is influenced by Christianity and other sources.

 

[SonOfTheWest]

Why is it its own religion?

It seem to come from Judaism.

I'm confused because Mormonism comes from other parts of Christianity. And we still belong to the same group.

Huge amounts of anthropology, history, archeology,etc to answer that question. Judaism itself was influenced by the cultures surrounding the tribes. With the exception of extreme geographical isolation. Cultures, and things derived are rarely homogenous.

 

[Ran77]

Why is it its own religion?

It seem to come from Judaism.

I'm confused because Mormonism comes from other parts of Christianity. And we still belong to the same group.

I would say it has to do with Judaism rejecting Jesus as the Savior. That seems to be the major factor and it creates a wide gulf between the two groups.

 

[someguy14]

Huge amounts of anthropology, history, archeology,etc to answer that question. Judaism itself was influenced by the cultures surrounding the tribes. With the exception of extreme geographical isolation. Cultures, and things derived are rarely homogenous.

It's easy to confuse, yet wise to shed light.

Pearls are beautiful, only unto those that truely recieve them.

Only God is fully aware. How correct are those that truely heed Gods words.

 

[Tigger45]

Why is it its own religion?

It seem to come from Judaism.

I'm confused because Mormonism comes from other parts of Christianity. And we still belong to the same group.

Judaism is to Christianity as a caterpillar is to a butterfly

 

[Xpistis sopheiaX]

They are intertwined to an extent, but IMHO Christianity is an entirely different religion.

 

[Senecharnix]

The Way is the truth. Judaism rejected it and the religion that became Christianity, which wandered away from the Way to become a pagan-polluted travesty about Yeshua rather than Yeshua's religion. Mormonism is just another branch of Christianity. In some ways, however, it is closer to the Way than is most of the remainder of Christianity....

 

[mmksparbud]

I've always thought it was---Christ did not come with some new fangled religion. He came as the hoped for Messiah, the sacrificial lamb that the whole sanctuary service was all about. The jews were supposed to have told the whole world about the one God and the coming Messiah--they, instead, became hoarders of His light and weighed it down with hundreds of added laws and became exclusive instead of inclusive.
Had they accepted Christ as the Messiah, He still would have had to die, that's what He came to do for our sins. But He would not have been beaten, scourged, would not have had a crown of thorns and spat on and crucified. He would have offered Himself as the Lamb and been sacrificed by the High Priest instead of the animal--like Abraham almost did Isaac. They then would have spread the message unto all the world. But God knew what would happen, and the bible foretold what they would do.
Christianity, to me, is the fulfilled old testament. Almost fulfilled. It will be totally fulfilled when He returns. I'm sure many would denounce me!

 

[cyberlizard]

Why is it its own religion?

It seem to come from Judaism.

I'm confused because Mormonism comes from other parts of Christianity. And we still belong to the same group.

when it first started the christian believers were a mere branch of the Judaisms of its day. It was a Judaism which embraced non-Jews.

then came the destruction of the temple which saw the Jews (including Jewish believers) outlawed from Jerusalem.

Then came the Fiscus Judaicus which taxed people not only for being Jewish, but simply leading a Jewish lifestyle... therefore if you were a gentile you got taxed for living like a Jew... this didn't help.

then came the second jewish revolt and the arrival of a false Messiah called Bar Kochba who was really popular... the fact that many believers would not support his uprising against Rome led to the ostracising of Jewish believers (and their God-Fearing gentile friends).

Things went downhill.

Slowly over the centuries, believers and Jewish non-believers went their separate ways.

As the church began to be influxed by more and more gentiles from the philosophical academies, our faith became increase Platonic in outlook and began a shift from the Jewish life in the here and now with all its dirt and grit towards a spiritual life focussed on the hereafter as exemplified by the teachings of people like Augustine.

Other people that put spanners in the works were people like John Chrysostom who in his time was probably the most popular and influential teacher and theologian... the problem was he was rabidly anti-Jewish and the diatrible he spouted did nothing to secure improved relations.

Saying all this though, the idea of a single monolithic entity called the 'Church' is actually a myth. During the early centuries, there were many many factions and sects within the Church. Eventually one sect rose to supremacy and we refer to this as orthodoxy, though this did not occur until the fifth century. Many people blame Constantine but it was not really his fault. His mother had converted to the illegal religion of 'the Way'. After his vision and appointment to emperor he supported the 'church' and acted as a governer. Though he never actually converted and remained a pagan idol worshipper. He was baptised very shortly before his death. However before this time, his involvement with the councils which sought to concretise orthodoxy (and stabilise his political kingdom) cannot be downplayed.

Despite this, through the early centuries and in fact all the way through the history of the Church, there have been various sects who have either lived like Jewish people or remained observant of the Sabbath and the like. For example Romania and Transylvania had a strong Sabbath movement during the 1100's to the 1600's. Also according to Church historians the were elements within the Church who continued to keep the anniversary of our Master's death on the 14th Nisan (the day of Passover) rather than hold it on a date (later referred to as Easter).

During the third century, a book was written by some Jewish people called 'the Story of Shimon Kefa'. The book was a polemic about how to manage believers. The reason for this book being written was that although the 'church' was theologically at odds with the few species of Judaism which remained at the time in regards to Jesus being Messiah, there were few other real theological differences in either theory or practise. The book makes a good ponting out that followers of the way lived as Jews in pretty much all areas including the festival days.

The latter point is interesting as people are generally taught these days that Paul's writings did away with all that 'stuff', but during the early centuries the understanding of Paul was somewhat different than during the Church of today. In fact is some quarters even into the third and forth centuries Paul was often viewed as a heretic whose teachings were deemed to be at odds with Moses, the Prophets, Jesus and the other Apostles.

The rest as they say is history.

There are lots of good books on the subject and I can recommend a few if required.



Steve

 

[thesunisout]

Why is it its own religion?

It seem to come from Judaism.

I'm confused because Mormonism comes from other parts of Christianity. And we still belong to the same group.

Judaism is the religion based on the Old Covenant that God had with the Jewish people. This covenant was temporary and predicated on the expectation of a New Covenant:

Jeremiah 31:31

Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah

As Paul has revealed, if the Old Covenant was sufficient a New Covenant would not be necessary:

Hebrews 8:6-10

But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.

For he finds fault with them when he says: "Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people

Jesus Christ, the Jewish Messiah, is the fulfillment of this promise, and so Christianity is the religion of the New Covenant that God has made with the entire world:

Matthew 5:17

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

Luke 22:20

And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

Mormonism shares a lot of similarities with Islam, in that they both claim to be extra-biblical revelation by prophets who came after Jesus Christ, even though Jesus clearly said He was the last one who would be sent:

Matthew 21:33-39

"Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.

"The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. Last of all, he sent his son to them. 'They will respect my son,' he said.

"But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him and take his inheritance.' So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

They also both teach another gospel, and preach another Jesus. Both Joseph Smith and Muhammad received this 'revelation' from angels:

2 Corinthians 11:3-4

But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.

Galatians 1:8-9

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed

As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

Scripture tells us the source of extra-biblical revelation from angels:

2 Corinthians 11:14

And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

 

[someguy14]

Gods word is good.

 

[Albion]

Why is it its own religion?

It seem to come from Judaism.

I'm confused because Mormonism comes from other parts of Christianity. And we still belong to the same group.

By rights, Christianity should be a variety of Judaism, but the experience of the early disciples who tried to approach the matter in that way was of being forced out of the synagogues. Therefore, I'd say that Christianity is not considered a kind of reformed Judaism because of the unwelcoming attitude of the (other) Hebrews. There is little about Christianity--doctrinally speaking--that made that inevitable.

There is a question as to whether Mormonism really does belong to the same group, however. I know that Mormons insist it's so, but the Christian community in general is divided on the subject, and if the answer is that it is NOT part of that group, the reason is because of substantial, critical, departures from the Christian essentials.

So that's quite different from the relationship of Christianity to Judaism.

 

[ananda]

Why is it its own religion? It seem to come from Judaism. I'm confused because Mormonism comes from other parts of Christianity. And we still belong to the same group.

Mainstream Christianity follows its founder, Paul. Paul and his followers divorced "Jesus Christ" from "Yehoshua Messiah" & the Torah, and thus we have mainstream Christianity. Paul's doctrines are elevated to primary importance, while Messiah's doctrines are generally considered outdated or for a prior dispensation.

Messianics, in general, follow primarily Yehoshua Messiah & His Torah, relegating Paul to a position of lesser importance.

 

[Albion]

Mainstream Christianity follows its founder, Paul. Paul and his followers divorced "Jesus Christ" from "Yehoshua Messiah" & the Torah, and thus we have mainstream Christianity. Paul's doctrines are elevated to primary importance, while Messiah's doctrines are generally considered outdated or for a prior dispensation.

That's pure bunk. Everything Jesus said--that we have--is in the BIble and considered to be the Word of God, inerrant, and authoritative. There's no question about that.

 

[ananda]

That's pure bunk. Everything Jesus said--that we have--is in the BIble and considered to be the Word of God, inerrant, and authoritative. There's no question about that.

What makes you believe that the Bible is wholly "inerrant"? also, which Bible is inerrant?

 

[Albion]

What makes you believe that the Bible is wholly "inerrant"? also, which Bible is inerrant?

What makes you think that Christians believe "Messiah's doctrines are generally considered outdated or for a prior dispensation?"

 

[eachallberg]

If the bible is the Word... That means the bible or the words in it, created everything (according to the author of John).

 

[ananda]

What makes you think that Christians believe "Messiah's doctrines are generally considered outdated or for a prior dispensation?"

I'll be glad to answer your question when you answer mine.