laws, the role of the Temple ? were passionately disputed among the believers-in-Jesus.? (Page 139) Another quote taken from the book emphasizes this point even further. ?The communities that eventually became ?Christianity? separated neither rapidly nor painlessly from Judaism and continued to have strained relations with Rome, including periods of persecution.? (Page 139) Jumping a little ahead, another fact that emphasizes the point that Judaism and Christianity were soon to split is the fact that Raymond Brown and John Meier argue that there should be a spectrum of positions, with at least four basic types of ?Jewish/Gentile Christianity.? This spectrum is laid out on page 146 of Mary Boys? book. On one extreme, Believers-in-Jesus must fully observe Mosaic Law. Next on the spectrum, Believers-in-Jesus need not be circumcised but must observe some Jewish practices. Further down the spectrum, Gentile believers-in-Jesus needs neither be circumcised nor keep the dietary laws of Judaism. And finally, on the other extreme end of the spectrum, Believers-in-Jesus need have no lasting connection to Judaism. As you can see, by this point in time, the two religions are pretty much split, although it has not been formally accepted that the two are separate. Still, there are more details that favor the eventual split between Judaism and Christianity. Jesus? vision for the renewal of Israel was an intimate relationship with a merciful and gracious God. Jesus was a very generous and forgiving man. He forgave many scandalous people, and for this some people looked down upon him for doing this. They felt threatened by this treatment. Jesus? outreach to these people included sinners, tax collectors, and prostitutes. This infuriated some of the more comfortable people. They had nothing to worry about because they were model citizens and they didn?t feel that what Jesus was doing was right. And again, they felt threatened by his acti...
