Christianity is Jewish
by Edith Schaeffer
L 'Abri Fellowship (1975);
Tyndale House,
Wheaton, IL
l980; 224 pp.
''For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, so that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope" (Rom. 14:4)
I am tempted to continue quoting chapter 15 of Romans as an introduction to Mrs. Schaeffer's wonderfully lucid, enlightening and exciting overview of "the things that were written aforetime". But I'll restrain myself and reserve verses 5 & 6 of the chapter as a fitting conclusion to this writing. For me, Romans l5 is God's own magnificent manifesto of the basis for true Christian unity and the foundation for the heartfelt Christian love. These thrilling themes of unity and love flow from the God-breathed verses of the Bible, but they are also dominant ideas that permeate the pages of this ever timely book, Christianity is Jewish. Before taking pen in hand to write this review, I thoughtfully and prayerfully read Romans 15 twice over. Again, before making a final draft, I re-read those verses which sum up so clearly what the author of this book seeks to express: there is not only a unifying theme throughout all the Scriptures but there is a real, solid unity of believers as the offspring of God, brought together as the seed of Abraham, the father of all believers, as they fit into God's unique plan of salvation and redemption. It is the unity of those who are born of the Spirit and are washed in the Blood of the Lamb!
I would encourage the reader to, even now, set aside my puny words in favor of my example of reading Romans 15. If you never get a chance to read Edith Schaeffer's concise survey of God's unique and inimitable program of salvation in all its straightforward simplicity from Genesis through Revelation; even if you fail to get back to this review, for that matter, direct contact with this meaty portion of the Word of God could abundantly bless your soul and stir up hope in your heart.
UNITY - LOVE- HOPE: these are the spiritual ingredients that Edith Schaeffer mixes and blends so clearly and cleverly in Christianity is Jewish. The author traces the biblical history of the sacrifice of an innocent animal from the time of Adam and Eye, on down through the story of the ages. She shows God's relentless insistence and His loving consistency in requiring nothing but the shed blood as a covering for humanity's transgression and the one and only way of restoring fellowship with Him. Simple, clear diagrams, following select chapters, graphically pinpoint the forbidden path of selfishness and rebellion opposing the God-directed avenue of submission and obedience. Two altars are displayed: one, representing the true worship of God offered by righteous Abel; the other, depicting the receptacle for "the works of his own hands" - the false worship that Cain so stubbornly insisted on. Two simple lines converge here at the altars, then widen as mankind goes its separate ways. Perpendicular to the lines are the names of the "faithful ones" on one side, and the labels that have been given to various man made religions on the other. God's unfailing love and His tender compassion on erring humanity is detailed in descriptions of the ongoing sacrifice of the lamb. Abraham's substitutionary sacrifice of the providential ram instead of the death of his son, Isaac. The Passover lambs replace the sacrifice of the firstborn son of Israel. The yearly pageants of God's pardon are summarized in these accurate, encouraging words:
"He will abundantly pardon? On what basis? Does one have to keep the law? Well, if it were on the basis of the law, the Ten Commandments, and the deeper areas of what is going on inside our minds and emotions, attitudes and reactions where men can't see them - if it is to be on the basis of doing and being what would fit in with the requirements of our own standards, let alone God's standards - what chance would anyone of us have for being 'abundantly pardoned' and returned to a place of communication with the God of the ages? Then, you see, we follow the line of the Lamb all the way from Abel, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and come to stand (in our imagination) in the Holy of Holies to see that the lid of the mercy seat fits perfectly - no cracks! It covers the Law, and when the blood of the Lamb is sprinkled upon it on the Day of Atonement, the significance is that for each one WHO COMES BELIEVING the law has been covered by the blood of the lamb. The High Priest represents the whole congregation."
From the in-depth study of Jewish customs and practices by the renowned scholar, Alfred Edersheim, and his exhaustive work entitled The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, published in the late 1800's to more recent studies that explore implications from the Law, the emphasis is often on such an abundance of legalistic and ecclesiastical trivia that the legitimate associations between Law and grace are sometimes blurred. Our focus can drift from "the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus", our understanding gets darkened and, like the Galatians of old, we can be dragged back into bondage. On the other hand, our author puts her Old Testament emphasis, not on the hidden symbolism of complicated rituals and ceremonies, but rather on the teaching and commands of the Messiah:
"Religious leaders then, and now, so fuzzy up or blur the truth that they cause their own ears to be closed to hearing, their eyes to seeing, their minds to understanding. The Pharisees had added so much religiosity contained in additional lists of laws and ceremonies that they couldn’t recognize the truth when the Son of God spoke audibly to them. This generation is no better. We need to sweep away the hindering dust and smog which has been put between the Old and New Testaments in one form or another. Today the thing of first importance is TO BELIEVE the writings of Moses REALLY BELIEVE THEY ARE TRUE; then in Jesus' own teaching, we are prepared to BELIEVE HIS (Jesus') WORDS."
The Holy Ghost is preparing real Christians, true believers for "troublous times". There is no compromising with sound doctrine, but we need not be put off by the emphasis the Lord places on certain accepted truths. God, who takes pleasure in His people, wants us to learn from and enjoy one another. We can not only rejoice together in the great and wonderful gift of salvation, but we can go on to banquet together and feast on the abundance of grace that is found in the very Word of God. This is the kind of encouragement Edith Schaeffer is prompting in her book. This is a similar exhortation that we find in our concluding verses:
"Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ"
(Rom. 15:5 & 6).
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