In this episode of the Theopologetics Podcast I am joined by a close friend of mine, asking and answering the question, “Who is a Jew?” This will be the first in a periodic series discussing Israelology, the study of Israel and her people.
Music
- Paul Wilbur, Roni Roni Bat Zion, from the Jerusalem Arise! album, 2002
Promoted Resources
- Stand to Reasonwith Greg Koukl
- The Stand to Reason radio program is live on the air every Sunday 2-5 pm PST AM on 740 KBRT.
- Also available in podcast form; each episode is published to the podcast the day after it airs.
Terminology
- Israelology: the subdivision of systematic theology incorporating all theological doctrines concerning the people of Israel (Fruchtenbaum).
- Systematic Theology: the attempt to formulate an orderly, rational, and coherent account of the Christian faith and beliefs.
- Replacement Theology: also known as supersessionism, a view which holds that the Church has “replaced” Israel as God’s people and as the recipients of the promises originally made to them.
- Jew: any physical descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
- Gentile: any non-Jew.
- Samaritans: Jews by descent whose ancestors syncretized with pagans whom they married, and thus no longer worshipped God in truth, and were thus outside the Israelite community.
- Proselyte: a Gentile who completely converted to Judaism, and was thus treated as a Jew, but never called one.
Biblical References
- Jews
- The “people of the sons of Israel,” the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
- Distinguished by foreigners from themselves using the word “Hebrews”
- Genesis 14:13 (Abram the first “Hebrew”)
- Genesis 40:15
- Exodus 1:15-19
- “Jew” originally a member of the tribe of Judah or kingdom of Judah, distinct from Israelites
- Later extended to descendants of all the twelve tribes, distinguishing them from Gentiles
- Samaritans
- 2 Kings 17
- Ezra 4
- John 4:7-9
- Acts 8:14-17, contrasted with Acts 10:44-47
- Proselytes
- Suggesting Gentile believers are “spiritual Jews”
- Distinction between believing Jews and believing Gentiles
If a Jew is one descended from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob then what is the point you are trying to make here?
I’m confused because if the descent from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob makes one a Jew, and the twelve tribes came from Jacob, then why the distinction of the tribe of Judah as “Jew”? Would not the other tribes be Jews as well?
“Jew” originally a member of the tribe of Judah or kingdom of Judah, distinct from Israelites
2 Kings 16:5-6
Jeremiah 32:1-3,12; 40:11
Later extended to descendants of all the twelve tribes, distinguishing them from Gentiles
John 2:13
Acts 2:5; 14:1-2
Romans 3:29
The reason for the initial distinction is because the word “Jew” comes from the name “Judah”. But the term’s use expanded in Scripture to refer to all descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.