Question from a reader:

Good morning, brother. I have a question and I think you are the most appropriate person to ask...

Would you be able to explain to me what exactly is an 'Orthodox Jew'?

I know what google says, and I also know that Jews don't believe in Jesus to be the son of God and I have read many of your comments explaining why.

I also know that Orthodoxy is Christianity's first branch and Orthodoxy believes and celebrates Jesus. (I grew up Orthodox). So, to me, those two terms don't really fit together. What am I missing?

If you don't mind giving me a couple of minutes of your time to share your knowledge and explanation on this, I would greatly appreciate it! As always, have a great day. Looking forward to hearing from you :)

My Answer:

Hi,

You may need clarification on "Orthodox Judaism" and "Orthodox Christianity." They are not related.

In a nutshell, "Torah Judaism" became impossible to practice after the 2nd Jerusalem Temple was destroyed in 70 CE since biblical Judaism requires sacrifices at the Temple. After that disaster, the Pharisees ("Prushim") came to be known as "Rabbis," and Judaism formally became "Rabbinic Judaism." The use of Rabbinic books (the Talmud etc.) and their authority had been increasing since around 200 BCE.

The historic Yeshua ben Miriam (later recast as Jesus, son of Mary) and his disciples were all "Rabbinic Jews." As Yeshua saw the increasing emphasis placed on the rabbis and the Oral Torah (the developing Talmud), he argued they were replacing the Teaching of God with the teachings of men. Yeshua was not a "Karaite" (see below); they did not yet exist, but the Rabbinic shift in authority concerned him. For the most part, Rabbinic Judaism succeeded and became "Judaism," which most people today accept as the Jewish religion.

Around 320 CE, Roman Emperor Constantine created Christianity ("Catholicism" or Universalism) out of Yeshua's Way Sect, coupled with a Roman sect condemned by John in Revelation as the Nicolaitan heresy (not everyone agrees with me on this connection, of course). These historic developments resulted in two main religions from Avraham's lineage: Rabbinic Judaism and Catholicism. BOTH fundamentally altered "biblical religion," but there was no choice without the Temple.

In 610 CE, Islam arose as Muhammed began giving his alleged Koran revelations. Islam eventually invaded Europe and split the land controlled by Catholicism roughly in half, creating "the Great Schism of 1054." Catholicism west of the Islamic caliphate remained "Roman Catholicism." The Bishop of Rome was declared Pope of the "true Apostolic Christian Church Universal" (i.e., Roman Catholicism). To the east of the Islamic divide, the Bishop of Constantinople became known as the "Patriarch" of the "Orthodox Catholic Church." Both power structures claim to be the original Church established by Constantine. The Orthodox Catholic world continued as before with local patriarchates (Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, etc.). The Patriarch of Constantinople does not wield the same authority over Orthodox Christians as the Pope over Roman Catholic Christians.

Meanwhile, most Jews continued as "Rabbinic Jews." While there is some debate (of course), a man named Anan ben David (c. 715 – 795 or 811?) is the likely founder of a Talmud-rejecting Jewish sect known as the Karaites or Ananites. Other non-Rabbinic groups exist, such as Samaritans. The primary division among Rabbinic Jews before the late 1800s was between Ashkenazi and Sephardic. These are usually considered the European-Jewish Rhineland Jews (Ashkenazi) and the Jews of Spain, North Africa, and the Middle East (Sephardic Jews).

In the late 1800s, a group of Ashkenazi Jews sought to "modernize" Judaism and created Reform Judaism. In response and rejection of their reforms, a group of traditional Ashkenazi Jews separated themselves from the Reformers and created "Orthodox Judaism." Orthodox Jews claim to be the original Jews, not a movement started in the 1800s, but big O, Orthodox Judaism did not exist as such before that (unless one accepts their claims to be the original Jews dating back to the Pharisees). Another group of Jews decided the Reform had gone too far to the left and the Orthodox too far to the right, so they created the Conservative Movement as a balance point. Today the Conservative Movement has moved far to the left, and the newish Union of Traditional Judaism has broken off from them. There are now a few other Ashkenazi movements as well. All are "Rabbinic Jews."

Although there is no official "Orthodox" definition or power structure, the "Orthodox Movement" declared Sephardic Jews would be accepted as "Orthodox" as well. Most Sephardic Jews are OK with that and acknowledge themselves as Orthodox, although we don't technically have movements. Sephardic Judaism says a Jew is a Jew.

No "Jews" accept Yeshua (or Jesus) as God incarnate or Messiah. Any Jew who does is a heretic under clear Jewish law. The God of the Bible does not incarnate like the Pagan gods, as believed to do, and Yeshua didn't meet the main Messianic requirements (hence their belief in a yet future second coming or advent). Jews who "accept Jesus" remain Jews under the Covenant but are not religiously Jewish and are often ostracized from the Jewish community.

This hopefully clarifies the issue. Write back any time.

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