Today
1500 CE
1000 CE
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Islam (625 CE)
500 CE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Buddhism - - Taoism - - Confussianism
0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Judaism
500 BCE
1500 BCE
2000 BCE - - - - - - - - - Hinduism
2500 BCE - Christianity
Although there are those who would contend that Judaism began with the call of Abraham and Christianity began with Christ, the fact of the matter, Biblically speaking is that Christianity was the very first world religion and Judaism was a branch off at the time of Christ as we will see.
In the beginning God created all things out of nothing and crowned His creation with the creation of humanity. In Genesis chapters one and two, when God is running the show, all is perfect. In Genesis chapter three, when man begins running the show, all hell breaks loose, literally. Eve and Adam disobey God and eat of the fruit of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and this disobedience brings a curse. Yet, because God is love, because God created humanity to love, He stepped in and promised to send a Savior, a Christ, for all people, thus the Christian Church. People throughout the Old Testament were made right with God, were justified by God’s grace through faith in the coming Messiah, Jesus. Notice that this is, was, and always will be a covenant of faith and grace, not flesh and DNA.
Now notice, when God called Abram, He did not make a new covenant with Abram. God reiterated His covenant made to all people that a Savior for all people, that through the Seed of Abram, all nations would be blessed. In other words, God narrowed the line of fulfillment so that through the family of Abram the Savior would be born. Again, the covenant continues to be a covenant of faith and grace, not flesh and DNA.
When Jesus is born, the first people to be call Christians are those Jewish people who put aside their Jewish roots and embrace Jesus as the One sent, promised to Abram and to Adam and Eve and all nations. Those who rejected Jesus became what is known today as Judaism. Even Jesus Himself spoke of the fact that God can raise up children of Abraham from stones (Matt. 3:9). Thus, the true Israel, the true people of God, the true children of Abraham are those who are His by His grace, through faith in Jesus, not because of flesh or DNA. Just as the people of the Old Testament were save by faith in the one coming so in the New Testament we are saved by faith in the One who has come, Jesus, the Messiah.
1500 CE
1000 CE
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Islam (625 CE)
500 CE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Buddhism - - Taoism - - Confussianism
0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Judaism
500 BCE
1500 BCE
2000 BCE - - - - - - - - - Hinduism
2500 BCE - Christianity
Although there are those who would contend that Judaism began with the call of Abraham and Christianity began with Christ, the fact of the matter, Biblically speaking is that Christianity was the very first world religion and Judaism was a branch off at the time of Christ as we will see.
In the beginning God created all things out of nothing and crowned His creation with the creation of humanity. In Genesis chapters one and two, when God is running the show, all is perfect. In Genesis chapter three, when man begins running the show, all hell breaks loose, literally. Eve and Adam disobey God and eat of the fruit of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and this disobedience brings a curse. Yet, because God is love, because God created humanity to love, He stepped in and promised to send a Savior, a Christ, for all people, thus the Christian Church. People throughout the Old Testament were made right with God, were justified by God’s grace through faith in the coming Messiah, Jesus. Notice that this is, was, and always will be a covenant of faith and grace, not flesh and DNA.
Now notice, when God called Abram, He did not make a new covenant with Abram. God reiterated His covenant made to all people that a Savior for all people, that through the Seed of Abram, all nations would be blessed. In other words, God narrowed the line of fulfillment so that through the family of Abram the Savior would be born. Again, the covenant continues to be a covenant of faith and grace, not flesh and DNA.
When Jesus is born, the first people to be call Christians are those Jewish people who put aside their Jewish roots and embrace Jesus as the One sent, promised to Abram and to Adam and Eve and all nations. Those who rejected Jesus became what is known today as Judaism. Even Jesus Himself spoke of the fact that God can raise up children of Abraham from stones (Matt. 3:9). Thus, the true Israel, the true people of God, the true children of Abraham are those who are His by His grace, through faith in Jesus, not because of flesh or DNA. Just as the people of the Old Testament were save by faith in the one coming so in the New Testament we are saved by faith in the One who has come, Jesus, the Messiah.
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