When did Jesus convert to Christianity?

Question

At the time of the crucifiction, resurection, and ascention Jesus practiced Judaism, and it was many years before the advent of the Christian church, so when did Jesus become a Christian?

I ask this question because I have heard many of today's Christians claim that Jesus was the first and only true Christian. How could that be?

Answer 1

You're so right - Jesus was Jewish and a lot of Christians today seem to forget that. I wasn't sure if you're asking a serious question or whether you're just expressing frustration at how arogant and narrow minded some chrisitans can be but I'm going to take it as the former and hopefully alleviate the later in the process.

I'm studying theology at Oxford UK and if you look in depth at the Gospels (esp Matthew) they spend a lot of time trying to show that Jesus was the fulfillment of everything that it meant to be Jewish.
I don't know how familiar you are with the story of Moses for example? However the gospel writers seem to deliberately parallel it: So Jesus comes out of Egypt, passes through the waters (of baptism) then goes up a mountain to bring the new law (the sermon on the mount where he systematically takes each aspect of first century Jewish morality and makes it not just about externalities but about heart intentions - upping the game), he provides bread for his hungry followers talking about it as the "new manna" (John 6)... I could go on. Or we could take any of the other things that were important to a first century Jew in self identification - David, Abraham, the scriptures, the law, the passover, hanukka, the feast of tabernacles... Jesus claims that his body is the New Temple, he even claims to be the True Vine John 15 (the symbol for the Jewish people in the Old Testament literature) and calls his followers to be in him.

So this is the deal - The argument the gospel writers are putting forward is that Jesus himself was the only person to live the ideal Jewish life and indeed he was the embodiment of Judeism. By trusting in Jesus (the Jew) as opposed to ourselves (as a Jew - or not) we can be the people of God.

The Hebrew word for the assembled people of God throughout the OT was "Quahal" by Jesus' day this had been translated into the Greek word "Ekklasia" which Matthew quotes Jesus using twice about his followers whether they were Jewish or Gentile (highly shocking for a first century Jew). So in Jesus (the perfect Jew) we can be the assembled people of God. Most languages get their word for church from the Greek Ekklasia.

Although the Jews persecuted the Christians from the start (we know this from seccular, Jewish and Christian sources), Christianity remained a Jewish sect and it's leaders were for the most part highly committed to remaining so untill they were kicked out of the synagogues in AD 80 when they reformed Judeism at the council of Jamnia and decided to put a curse on anyone who made any variance on traditional Judeism.

Hope this is helpful.
Grace

Answer 2

It's good that you think that Jesus practiced Judaism, but did you ever ask yourself, what did the Pharisees have a problem with if he did the things that they said to do? They were always fussing about something after all!

Perhaps while Jesus was practicing Judaism, he MIGHT have let on that there was something else happening. Ya think?

You might read in the Old Testament some of the things that God, while the Hebrews were practicing Judaism, was telling a story about the coming of the Messiah. I think that you will find the words 'the Lord is my Salvation' in the Old Testament. It was true before the Word even showed up as Jesus the Christ.

If you have a Bible, try turning to Isaiah 52 and 53. And try reading Isaiah 61. What Jesus did was foretold. He appears in Genesis as well. Remember the Passover? The lamb was a type of Christ. Those that struck the door posts and trusted God for what he said didn't have their firstborn killed that night. That was a type of salvation, which was always of the Lord. In fact, jesus is called the 'Lamb of God.' And whoever believes in him with not die, but have life.

It's the same story, just that the 'type' manifested into the reality thereof. So by completing the perfection that is demanded of the Judaic Law, he carried away the sins of the world. All the world has to do is trust him, and as we both know, only some of the world does.

So the choice is made by any one of us, we just have to do it.

EDIT: I have to answer your question! lol

The thing is that the word 'Christian' didnt even come up until later. And anyone could call themself a Christian. But what is attached to the word is the idea that those that are Christian trust God through Christ. In that way, I guess Jesus was never really a Christian. He was the founder of those that are called to trust God through him. Do you get the distinction?

Answer 3

According to the Christian scriptures he was baptized by his cousin John and some interpret that to be the time he became a Christian. Jesus is quoted as speaking of his church. "On this rock I build my church", so that would indicate he was intentionally founding a church.

However, Christ is a title like messiah, and that means that those who bestowed that name on him made him the head of the Christian church. If he named himself Christ, then he simply decided he would be the head of his church. Christians are members of the church. As leader, Christ would not have been a member per se.

It seems illogical that Jesus Christ would have been a Christian at all if he is whom the church was named after. For example, in psychology there are Adlerians and Skinnerians, but Dr. Adler was not an Alderian, he was Dr. Adler, and Dr. Skinner was not a Skinnerian, he was Dr. Skinner. It is my view that Jesus Christ was not a Christian. He was Jesus Christ.

There is no evidence that Jesus ever stopped being a Jew. He participated in passover supper the night before his death. He was critical of several practices of the Jewish faith, but critical thinking is part of what makes a great leader.

Many of the practices of the first century church were initiated by Paul after Jesus's death.

Answer 4

Jesus (was and is the ) Christ. Christ is not His last name
that's who he is. Christ= Savior, Redeemer, Holy One,
King. Christians were not called Christians until about
30 years after jesus' death---at which time the Sanhedrin
(or Jewish church leaders) began referring to the followers
of Christ--as Christians. Previously, the followers of Christ
had been called children of 'THE WAY"...Jesus had preached that HE was the Way, the Truth and The Life. Jesus was never converted to Christianity because he WAS Christianity and HE is the foundation of the Christian church.
BUT, you are right, Jesus was a Jew and lived as a Jew
under the Jewish Law. In fact, He came to fulfill the LAW,
and HE began a new dispensation which is called GRACE.
We no longer need to live under the Law, but we live
under God's Grace. (A special place that Jesus paid for
with His life --on the Cross.)

Answer 5

I have heard it said on more than one occasion that many scholars today argue that Jesus never believed in the tenets of Christianity, at least not according to the historical record. They argue that Jesus was a Jewish apocalypticist, meaning that he preached that the end of time was close at hand, and that the forces of good would soon overthrow those of evil. The key word is SOON. Jesus told his followers that some alive in his time would not pass away before the end came (Matthew 24:34, Mark 13:30, and Luke 21:32). It was mostly Paul, they argue, that turned the religion OF Jesus into a religion ABOUT Jesus. So many scholars argue that Jesus was never a Christian, not on theological grounds, but on historical grounds. If you're interested, look up research on the historical Jesus, especially Jewish apocalypticism.

Answer 6

Ah, there is no fool like an old fool. Dragon or otherwise. Jesus was a Jew. His early followers were all Jews, except Paul. In the beginning they debated if the followers would first have to join the Jewish religion and they decided, no. The first time the followers of "the way" were called Christians was in Antioch. Whoever tells you that Jesus was a Christian just doesn't know their history.

Answer 7

Good question: Yeshua did not convert to Christianity. It's silly and ridiculous when people say "He started Christianity!" Where in the Good Book does it say that Yeshua condoned the eating of pork and worshiping on Sunday? No place does it say any of that...NONE! He did nothing but read, learn and teach from the Torah. Interestingly enough, people say that the Torah is for the Jews only. Well, if it is for the Jews only, and Yeshua knew it like the back of his hand, then that must mean that Yeshua was born a Jew, lived as a Jew, died as a Jew and will be forever a Jew.

Christianity is a man-made religion.
~Jael

Answer 8

How could this be? It couldn't. Jesus was a Jew. He may have been the first and only true follower of God. OR the first and only man to really obey his Father. Then the Christians followed Jesus ....to the extent that they were able. Jesus changed the rules of engagement, so to speak. Regardless, you are speaking of a situation where the claimants are skipping a few steps in their logic and forming a faulty conclusion. Technically, they are incorrect. Spiritually .... it transcends.

Answer 9

the name judaism came after the tribe juda.
the name christian came after the christ.
then we understand that these 2 religions are innovations. the proof is :
the name submission means Islam in arabic. so it didn't come after the name of a tribe, a prophet or an innovation. this is the name chosen by God.
mose never taught judaism.
jesus never taught christianity.
Muhammad taught Islam. it is found in his sayings and in the Quran also.
but what we found in the Quran, is that moses and jesus and all the prophets were muslims, and all submited to God , and all had one message = worship God alone and follow the commands of the prophets.
because the taurat was altered God sent jesus with the Gospel. and because there is no more Gospel nor taurat. God sent Muhammad with the Quran calling people for submission=Islam.

Answer 10

Christianity is a continuance of Judaism. Those who did not believe that Jesus was the messiah closed themselves to what the scriptures said.
Therefore I would say that practically Christianity = Judaism.