October 2026

SCRIPTURAL POSITION 

 Therefore you must remember from where you have fallen and you must now repent and you must do the works you did at first ... Rev 2:5 

The Apostolic Age – How Did Early Christian Writings Breed an Anti-Semitic Atmosphere in the Church?

SATAN PLANTED THE SEED OF ANTI-HEBRAISM AT EPHESUS 

As Believers in Yeshua, we are to model His life. We see throughout the Gospels, Yeshua's primary priority was to honor and revere His Father and to fulfill all that His Father had instructed. By this He fulfilled the First and Great Commandment, to love ADONAI His Father with His whole heart, mind, soul, and strength. When Christianity departed from our Father's Torah, we abandoned His Teachings and Ways, His Word (Jn 1:1), our First Love. Hence, we are guilty of breaking the First and Great Commandment. When we depart from Torah we forsake the Eternal One Who is preeminent over all things, Who gave us His First Love, Torah, His highest blessing to His Redeemed Children in order that we walk pleasing unto Him. When we bring honor and glory to His Name, we receive His approval and experience blessings from the One Who is All in All. Mt 6:9-10; Lk 16:17; Jn 17:4 

YESHUA, THE APOSTLES AND NOTZERIM LIVED AND TAUGHT TORAH 

• The New Covenant references Yeshua observing Torah throughout His earthly ministry: Mt 5:17-19: Jn 14:15, 21, 15:10; 1 Jn 3:22-24, 5.3 
• The Epistles document that Yeshua, His disciples, the Apostles and Notzerim faithfully observed the Sabbath and Torah, Acts 13:42-43, 14:1. 15.21, 16:13, 17:1-4, 17:18, 19:8-10; Rom 3:31 

OVERCOMER'S REWARD 

The one who has ears must now listen to what the Spirit is saying . . . to the one who overcomes, I shall give him permission to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of ADONAI. Rev 2:7 

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 

Post Pentecost/Shavuot, Gentile Believers began to fill the synagogues, outnumbering Jewish Believers. By late first century (80 C.E.) after the death of the Jewish Apostles, Gentiles took leadership over the congregations. These leaders interpreted the destruction of the Temple in 70 C.E as a sign that the Eternal One was finished with the Jewish People. 

EARLY GENTILE CHRISTIAN WRITINGS 

· DIDACHE 80-90 C.E. (GREEK TEACHING) This Christian discourse is anti-Semitic against Jews and Judaism throughout the entire text. The only time the writer refers directly to Jews is the passage in which he calls them "hypocrites" and encourages his readers "Do not let your fasts coincide with those of the hypocrites. They fast on Monday and Thursday so you must fast on Wednesday and Friday" (Didache 8) 

· EPISTLE OF BARNABAS 80-120 C.E. The author of this virulently influential anti-Semitic early writing is unknown. However, it was recognized by the early Ekklesia and nearly made it into the canon of the NT, using toxic words such as, "Even though ADONAI performed many miracles in Israel, the Jewish people were 'abandoned'." (4:14) 

· IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH 35-107 C.E. Considered one of the most influential men in the early Ekklesia, ha is known to have originated the Hellenistic Greco/Roman-based Christian religion entrenched with paganism. His many writings are a witness to his violent contempt toward the Jews and Torah Teachings, making many anti-Semitic promulgations, sowing violent hatred toward the Jews in the Ekklesia. He contended that the Jews were in league with the devil and warned his readers to be on guard against their evil practices. 

"Ignatius saw Jewish followers of Yeshua as nothing but legalists and Judaizers. He despised the observance of Shabbat [Sabbath] in favor of the Ishtar sunrise 'Lord’s Day' Sun-Day. Theologians claim that it is scarcely possible to exaggerate the importance of the Ignatian letters to modem Christian institutions. Ignatius promoted the 'infallibility of the church' and the 'universal church.' He was described as a hierarchy-loving Christian politician with a Hellenistic autocratic mindset. It was Ignatius who taught that deacons, presbyters and bishops were a separate category of people infused with ‘Jesus-like authority' to be lords over people. He even gave himself the nickname Theophorous (the God-bearer)" A. Roth, AENT p.829 

Ignatius wrote, "If anyone celebrates the Passover along with the Jews or receives emblems of their feast, he is a partaker with those that killed the Lord and His Apostles" Roberts and Donaldson, The Ante-Nicene Fathers. Vol. 10 

These men have greatly influenced and shaped Christianity into what it is today. One of the pervasive themes of the Early Church Fathers was their anti-Jewish and anti-Torah rhetoric. Instead, they emphasized manmade tradition, which was heavily influenced by paganism. Unfortunately, we see the continuation of such rhetoric in Christendom today. Let us hear Yeshua's words in Mark7:8-9. 'You leave the Commandment of Elohim and hold to the tradition of men' And He said to them, ‘you have a fine way of rejecting the Commandment of Elohim in order to establish your tradition!’