Evidence That Christianity Is Tied to Judaism

Evidence That Christianity Is Tied to Judaism

To answer this question, we need to distinguish between "tied" theologically (salvation) and "tied" historically/narratively (origin).

Based on the New Testament (NT), Christianity is NOT tied to Judaism for salvation, yet it is VERY TIED in terms of root, promise, and God's identity. Here is evidence from the NT for both sides:

1. Evidence of NOT Being Tied Theologically (the Mosaic Law)

Paul on the Law: In Galatians 2:16, Paul is firm: "We know that a person is not justified by works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ." Circumcision and food regulations are no longer binding (Acts 15:19-20).

The New Covenant: Hebrews 8:13 states that the old covenant has become "obsolete and growing old and ready to vanish away," replaced by a superior New Covenant.

2. Evidence of Being VERY Tied Narratively and by Promise (Root of Faith)

Lineage and Genealogy: Matthew 1:1 specifically identifies Jesus as "the son of David, the son of Abraham." Christianity did not start a new religion, but claims to be the fulfillment of God's promises to Israel.

Salvation "First" for the Jew: Paul in Romans 1:16 states that the Gospel is God's power "first to the Jew, but also to the Greek."

The Olive Tree Metaphor: In Romans 11:17-24, Paul describes Gentile Christians as wild branches grafted into the natural olive tree (Israel). So Christians "partake" of the spiritual root of Judaism, not cut it off.

Worship and Psalms: The early church continued to worship at the Temple (Acts 3:1) and read the Jewish Scriptures (the OT) as God's Word (2 Timothy 3:16).

NT Conclusion:

Christianity is "Fulfillment Judaism." It is ceremonially law-separated, but in promise, Scripture, and God's identity, it remains one root. Paul even warns Gentile Christians not to be arrogant toward the Jews, because "you do not support the root, but the root supports you" (Romans 11:18).

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About the Septuagint (LXX)

To understand the Septuagint (LXX) in detail, we must see it not merely as a "Greek translation," but as a bridge of civilization that proves how Christianity was born from the womb of Hellenistic Judaism. Here is a detailed explanation:

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1. What It Is and Its Origin (The Name "Seventy")

Meaning of the Name: Septuagint comes from the Latin word for "Seventy," referring to the 70 (or 72) Jewish translators.

Legend (The Letter of Aristeas): It is told that King Ptolemy II Philadelphus (Egypt, ~285–247 BC) requested six translators from each of the twelve tribes of Israel (total 72) to Alexandria to translate the Torah into Greek for his library. This translation was supposedly completed in 72 days and inspired by God.

Historical Fact: This translation was born because the Jewish community in the diaspora (especially Egypt) had already lost their everyday Hebrew and only spoke Koine Greek.

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2. Scope and Translation Process (Not Done All at Once)

Early Stage (3rd Century BC): Only the Five Books of Moses (the Torah) were translated.

Later Stages (2nd–1st Century BC): The Prophets, the Writings, and the deuterocanonical books (Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, etc.) were translated, but by many different translators with varying quality.

Canonical Difference: The LXX contains books that are not in the Masoretic Hebrew canon (Tanakh). These are what Protestants later called the Apocrypha, but are considered canonical by the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.

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3. Linguistic Characteristics and Style

Literal vs. Free Translation:

The Torah was translated very literally (often sacrificing Greek grammar) to preserve the holiness of each word.

The books of Isaiah and Job were translated more freely and poetically.

Neologisms (Newly Coined Words): The LXX created new theological terms not found in classical Greek, for example:

ἁμαρτία (hamartia) = sin (changed from the meaning "missing the mark" to "moral offense against God").

διάθηκη (diatheke) = covenant (not merely a contract/legal will).

The Name of God: The LXX translated the sacred name YHWH (Yahweh/Tetragrammaton) as Κύριος (Kyrios = Lord), which the NT later used to refer to Jesus as Lord.

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4. The Role of the Septuagint in the New Testament (NT)

This is the most important point for your previous question:

The NT Quotes the LXX, Not the Hebrew Text: Of the approximately 300+ OT quotations in the NT, about 90% follow the LXX text, not the Masoretic Hebrew text. Example: Matthew 1:23 quotes Isaiah 7:14 about "virgin" (parthenos), whereas the Hebrew text uses almah (young woman).

NT Theological Language: Key NT terms (such as Evangelion = Gospel, Parakletos = Comforter/Advocate, Ekklesia = Church/Assembly) were born from LXX vocabulary.

Narrative Proof: The LXX was the "Bible" of the apostles. When Paul preached in diaspora synagogues, he read from the LXX, so Gentile Christians could directly access the Scriptures without learning Hebrew.

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5. Canonical Status and the Early Church

The Early Church's Bible: The 1st-3rd century church only knew the LXX as Scripture. They did not distinguish between "canonical" and "apocryphal" books as post-70 AD Rabbinic Judaism did.

Struggle over Authority: In the 2nd century AD, when debates with Jews arose, the rabbis rejected the LXX and returned authority to the Masoretic Hebrew text (which they standardized). Meanwhile, the church increasingly affirmed the LXX as an inspired translation.

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6. Textual Variants and Theological Influence

Because the LXX was translated from older Hebrew manuscripts (3rd century BC) than the Masoretic manuscripts (7th-10th century AD), the LXX often preserves different readings. Important examples:

The ages of the patriarchs in Genesis 5 and 11: The LXX gives different (older) numbers than the Masoretic text.

Psalm 22 (LXX 21): Quoted by Jesus on the cross (Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?), but the NT follows the LXX/Greek form, not the original Hebrew text.

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7. Long-Term Impact

The Latin Church Father: Jerome (4th century) initially wanted to translate from the Hebrew (the Vulgate), but he too acknowledged that the LXX was the translation used by the apostles.

Eastern Liturgy: The Eastern Orthodox Church to this day still uses the LXX as the basis for its official Old Testament, not the Hebrew text.

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Conclusion

The Septuagint is the strongest physical evidence that Christianity was not born from a "new religion" that cut ties, but rather inherited and sanctified a version of diaspora Judaism that had already been Hellenized. Even when Rabbinic Judaism later rejected the LXX, the church actually preserved it—showing that Christianity's root is indeed in the soil of Judaism, but it chose a different linguistic and interpretive branch from post-Temple Judaism.