For centuries, the Bible remains the most influential book in history. Since they are perceived to say, or thought to say, they exhibit an influential force just as humans. As a huge book, the Bible necessitates a particular approach to understand the entire work. In an attempt to interpret these works, significant differences in faith and practices have been identified, with there been different perceptions towards Christ ( Garber, 2010) . Despite the differences, there still exists a variety of contexts parallel in both contexts of the Christian and Jewish faith. From a critical evaluation of transformation from Jesus to Christ documentary, this paper seeks to answer significant questions pertaining to the Christian development from the Jewish tradition, major transformations, and Paul's role in the continued inauguration of the Christian belief systems.
From Jesus to Christ
From the epic story presented in the source, the first segment entailing the life of Jesus explores the significance of the message leading to the ministry's growth and crucifixion. Under the Roman Empire regime, Jesus underwent the normal stages of birth and nurture in the Jewish culture ( Frontline PBS, 2020) . At the beginning of the Jesus movement, the death of Jesus is marked as the beginning of the rift between Judaism and Christianity as well as the different forms of interpretation of the Bible due to diverse linguistics and cultural orientations ( Frontline PBS, 2020) . Within the third segment, the hostile relationship between Jews and Christians signifies the degree of antagonism between the beliefs. The events of the second and the third century conferred in the final segment reveal the growth of Christianity from the small Jewish sect to an official Roman Empire religion.
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Today’s Christian Perspectives
Essentially, the context of today’s Christian beliefs is deeply bound in the theoretical tradition and Jewish scripture heritage, and as a result, it would be illogical to attempt to make separations from the guidance of the ancient confessional traditions ( Scott, 1893) . The prophetic covenants to the Jewish people laid a rigid foundation to the new and better understanding of God, the continuing identity of the Jewish people, the Christian acknowledgment that Jews are in a covenant relationship with God, and the origin 'contempt teaching' between the two beliefs.
Aspects of Jesus teachings that break the traditional Jewish belief system
Within the circle of those who affirm Jesus, he (Jesus) affirms himself as the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament as the Son of God. Those with the same experiences of this Christ approve of Christianity, while those within the traditional belief system that claims that Christ is not yet their Messiah choose not to approve the teaching that God already sent his begotten son. Therefore, these teachings from Jesus as the gift already manifested to humans as prophesied breaks the Jewish belief system. In Matthew 5:17-48, Jesus admonishes his disciples to strictly observe the Law while he himself is presumed to show transgression, such as in the case of the sabbath ( Bible & Version, 1982) . In Mark 10:2-12, Jesus shows strictness to divorce and marriage subject while in Mark 7:5, he and his disciples disregard the Jewish belief system of washing hands before eating to emphasize internal purity- an elementary teaching of the Christian faith ( Bible & Version, 1982) . To the Jewish believers, a belief that Jesus was God becomes an impossibility since, in the course of 2000 years, Simon Bar Kochba and Shabbetai Zvi were other examples of human affirming themselves as prophesied Messiah sent by God to inaugurate his kingdom on earth in 132 CE and 1665 CE respectively.
Paul's role in the development of the Christian religion
The experience of Paul plays a crucial role in the validation of the Christian faith, which is evidenced in works as a missionary. As a persecutor of Christians, Paul represents the ongoing hostility and discrepancies between two beliefs, but upon encounter with Christ, he begins to affirm the very works he initially despised (Sanders, 2020). As an author of most New Testament books, which essentially complements the Christian faith's totality, Paul can be regarded as a primary pioneer of Christain religion (Sanders, 2020). The fact that Christianity extends beyond the jurisdiction of Israel to encompass the diverse world populations, Paul is accredited to be responsible for this solid inception and growth of Christianity since he is originally known to undergo rejection, sickness, and immerse hardship to spread the message to the gentiles (Sanders, 2020). It is through Paul’s role that the Christian belief system extended beyond the Mediterranean, which essentially abides by Jesus’ decree that God’s word should be spread all over the world (Mark 16: 15-16). Therefore, it is certain that Paul was the first greatest theologian of the Christian belief system who laid a solid foundation for this faith and religion.
Conclusion
Besides Christianity being the largest world religion, it geographically entails the most widely diffused faiths. Among the common groups affiliating with this faith includes the Roman Catholic Church, the protestant churches, and the Eastern Orthodox churches. More essentially, the major focus on these believes is the perception of the nature and significance of Christ. Through Jesus as the object of faith, Christianity has generated a set of new practices, cultures, and ideas and therefore transforming the religion into a system of belief. The essence of examining these beliefs and relating them to Jewish practices enables us to infer the transformations and growth of faith over time.
References
Bible, H., & Version, N. K. J. (1982). Nashville. TN: Thomas Nelson .
Frontline PBS. (2020, December 23). From Jesus to Christ. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN8FM1NCOSk
Garber, Z. (2010). Jesus in the Context of Judaism: Quest, Con-Quest, or Conquest? Editor's Introduction. Shofar , 28 (3), 1-13. https://artscimedia.case.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/77/2014/07/14235946/Jesus_Articles.pdf
Sanders, E. (2020, April 30). St. Paul the Apostle. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Paul-the-Apostle
Scott, H. M. (1893). The Teachings of Jesus and the Teachings of the Jews in the Time of Christ Respecting the Messiah and His Kingdom. The Biblical World , 1 (6), 408-419. https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/3135078.pdf
