Do Protestants think/believe that the Jews of Christ's day believed in Sola Scriptura?

Question

Just curious considering how Christianity is rooted in Judaism.

"The Bible" didn't exist at the time of Jesus, but the scriptures of the OT certainly existed, even if not written down.

So, my question is, do Protestants think that the Jews of that day believed that all answers to their faith could be found solely in the scriptures, or did they place equal authority to tradition?

Thank you, Suzanne. I guess I should have also asked if modern day Jews believed that scripture alone was all they needed, or if they placed authority in tradition.

Mama Pajama, I think you answered a follow up question I should have asked.

a) What do Protestants believe?

b) What do Jews believe today, and what do they think Jews back then believed?

(both on the subject of "scripture alone", which although a concept invented by Protestants, could very well have been a concept that people believed in before it was given a name).

Mama Pajama, thanks again for the great information you provided. I will check that out some.
FWIW, the reason I asked is because I am currently in RCIA (Catholic class for adults), which I started just to learn more about Christianity without really thinking I could ever believe what the Catholics do. However, I think the brainwashing is working :) One big issue I'm trying to overcome though is my preconceived notion of Sola Scriptura (a notion I developed from having it pounded in my head all my life from Protestant friends and the generally Protestant culture of America).
Having read the Gospels recently, I got to wondering about what Jews, like Christ, believed about the sole authority of scripture. Your information, plus the things implied in the NT, make it pretty obvious that Jews relied on tradition just as Catholics do.

I thank you all.

Mama Pajama, you've given me some good stuff to research.

In the end, James really addressed the crux of my question.

Thanks.

Answer 1

There was nothing approaching BibleAlone(OT/Tanach Alone) in the Judaisms until the Karaites( rejectors of Rabbinic Tradition and the Talmuds) of the early Middle Ages and they really had their own oral tradition by which they interpreted the Tanach.

Even the Sadducees who rejected the Oral Torah or its interpetation and application by the Pharisees, did not go by the Bible alone, which for them was the Written Torah(1st 5 books of the" Old testament")

There was no one Jewish canon of the OT until after the AD1st centuryCE and the one that won out was the Pharisee Palestinian/Jamnian Canon .

The Mosaic Oral Tradition was crucial to the development and evolution of Israelite Religions(including the Samaritan) and the Apostolic Oral Tradition was crucial to the development of the Christianities, including the Protestantisms that developed out of Medieval Catholicism.
Actually even Bible Alone protestants have their own spin on Apostolic Tradition( the canon of the New testament and the creeds) as well as their own church traditions (such as was of interpreting the Bible and current and past events and writing church histories) and they also have their own often conflicting magisteria( teaching offices)

Answer 2

Am Yisrael Chai!

Mama_pajama said: "...calling people Rabbi before the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE didn't happen so when I sometimes see people call Jesus a rabbi..it makes me laugh as the term didn't exist for almost a hundred years yet."

I wonder how many Christians see the irony in that the NT denigrates the Pharisees yet it's the Pharisees who became the rabbis. They think Jesus was one of those evil Pharisees! Yet if there actually was a man called Jesus, what he taught was very much the same thing the Pharisees taught. Read "The Mythmaker, Paul and the Invention of Christianity" by Hyam Maccoby to understand why the supposedly divinely-written NT contains so much anti-Semitism.
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Answer 3

important! The branch exchange right into a branch of powers not a branch of botherhood. It exchange into God's answer to scale down corruption. the concern that created the protestants exchange into corruption interior the Catholic Church management. yet as a protestant i'm never looking down on my Catholic brothers and sisters. there remains in basic terms one Church. Us protestants you could in basic terms think of people like a seperation of powers. And in case you think of roughly that is been working, the Catholic Church has had a complicated time abusing that is skill now that it does not have all the skill. in spite of the fact that, I admit skill is abused to a pair volume at the two ends yet standard curiously to be lots greater under administration. We pull against one yet another and save each and every thing in verify. From what i will word the Church on the instant takes on 3 common kinds. The Catholics, classic Protestants and Evangelical Protestants. All share the comparable center severe doctrines on the character of Christ. Christ risen and Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one. this is an olive branch from me to you. Peace, Love and advantages Mike BTW all authority to guard the know-how belongs to God not the Church. I believe God will proceed to guard His word. And bear in mind if not for the Protestant stream you probable might have in no way even examine the Bible. returned it exchange into God's artwork not guy, not the Catholics or the Protestants that made that happen.

Answer 4

The concept of Sola Scriptura didn't come about until much later...it means "Scripture Alone" and guides the idea that the Bible is the only authority for faith and worship and practice.

Since it came about much later, the Jews wouldn't have believed in it.

However, many Jews believed that the Torah (the first 5 books of the OT) were perfect and all they needed for the practicing of their faith.

Christianity is indeed rooted in Judaism. Jesus was a Jew. He never came to abolish the OT Law, but rather to fulfill it for us.

Answer 5

Christianity is not 'rooted' in Judaism - that's just what Christians say for authenticity.

Christianity contradicts most, if not all, of what Judaism believes and teaches.

They are two entirely different religions and do not, as some have suggested here, 'go hand in hand'.

The NT is not relevant to Judaism, and neither is Jesus because it is clear from what it says in the Tanakh (Jewish bible) that he could not have been the real messiah.

GEOMATIC

Yes, I know that Jesus lived and died a practising Jew. But if you knew anything about Judaism you would know that Christianity contradicts it; if people really wished to behave like Jesus, they would be Jewish!!

Jesus never stated nor implied that the Judaic laws could or should be set aside or that G-d's covenant with the Jews was being replaced or made redundant.

So the only people who are really adhering to the same religion as Jesus, are Jews.

GREEKS

- LOL LOL, it's YOU who has failed to understand. Christians have to believe that their religion is 'rooted' in Judaism, otherwise theirs makes no sense whatsoever. Christianity developed decades after Jesus died. Yes, the first Christians were Jews but we are discussing Christianity TODAY, presumably? So what I say is accurate. If you don't believe me or don't understand what I mean, just check out:

http://www.whatjewsbelieve.org/

- This will swiftly show you that Christianity has little or nothing in common with Judaism.

EDIT TO SUZANNE

Oh dear, yet AGAIN you speak on behalf of Jews and yet AGAIN you are wrong. No Jew 'reveres' the Talmud; it is not considered a 'holy' book in the way the Torah is, for example. The Talmud is not part of the Tanakh. It is commentary.

I'll say to you again: stop being so arrogant. Stop answering on behalf of Jews when you do not know the facts.

AM YISRAEL CHAI


EDIT TO ASKER

please be advised that Suzanne does not speak on behalf of Jews, she herself is not Jewish and she has yet again given you INCORRECT info!

Answer 6

Well folks, it seems this question has hit a raw nerve for some folks out here in cyberspace. So let me try -in my humble opinion- try to clear up a few misconceptions on this topic.

1)RELIGIOUS BIBLE BELIEVING JEWS during the time of Jesus believed in the Bible (5 Books of Moses) and the Prophets and Writings as we have them today. Religious Jews believe in them today as 100% Divinely inspired.
2)Jesus NEVER claimed that he was GOD in the flesh. This is a teaching of the non jewish christian church which was taken over by non jews who had come from that kind of thinking background that a man can be a god. This was blasphemous to Judaism, ALL of the Biblical Scriptures and yes, even to Jesus. Anyone who believes that God is/was/could be a human or corporeal in any way shape or form is an idolater, sorry for all you pagans out there, but the sad fact of the matter is that once you read the Hebrew Bible WITHOUT interpretation of a christian tradition, there is absolutely NO evidence for a corporeal God. This is not something that I made up but even paul when he traveled in his missionary journeys was known as a believer in the "unknown God", ie incorporeal.
3)Jesus did not "rail against the Pharisees" since he was a Pharisee himself having been taught from his youth the teachings of our Faith (ie Judaism). They were "in the seat of Moses and everything that they tell you listen...". Yes, he was against minutia and hypocrisy, but then again who isn't when it comes to Govt stupidty and beauracracy of any sort?
There are always a few rotten apples in every system, but the core was always kept pure and just as it had been given to Moses on Mt Sinai in front of over 2 million people (when has that ever happened in the history of recorded man?)!
Yeh traditions. You don't like them? Too bad! They existed from day 1 of the Torah (Bible) being given by God on Mt Sinai. EVERY single commandment contains a "oral tradition" as to how, when, where a person should do it. Even the most sublime commandment of LOVE THY NEIGHBOR has to have had a "tradition' as to what love is AND UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES IT APPLIES! These "traditions" were given to the Pharisees and Rabbi's who came after them and recorded in the Talmud and then codified in the Code of Jewish law where it remains as the "traditions" of the Prophets. If Jesus was around today he would undoubtedly read it to you in a Synagogue (not a Church as he hated idolatry and self worship as much as any teacher in his day).
These traditions are simply the explanations of observing the commandments under various circumstances. 2000 years of bad publicity by the Christian Church has simply blinded the sense of vision of every christian who is prejudiced (read ignorant) on Jews and Judaism from the day he/she is born! Admit it folks! Why even the name of JEW has been used in a discriminatory matter for the last couple centuries (if not more) in dictionaries! So what do YOU expect for non jews to think about Jews and Judaism???
I think I've said enough for now and all I can do is to pray for each one of you non Jews to look at Scripture with an open mind. If you are interested in looking at Scripture from an objective point of view, see the following links below...I dare you! :)

or just do a search on google for Bnai Noah or Bnai Noach

Answer 7

The Jews of Christ's day did NOT believe in Sola Scriptura -- and for the most part, they still don't. Although Sola Scriptura was taught by God, men always seek to interject their own philosophies into God's teaching. That's why the Talmud exists, which Jews revere as much (and in some cases, MORE) than the Tanakh. But God never authorized this.

Jesus preached that ONLY God's words were to be followed. That's one of the main reasons why the Pharisees (which are the direct forefathers of today's Talmudic Jews) hated Him so much -- because He sought to take away their power.

Answer 8

OK... What in Christ's name is Sola Scriptura?

P.S. The Torah ( I.E. first 5 books) were there most certainly, since the times of Moses.

Answer 9

People with your type of logic and ability to mix historical facts with fiction amaze me.

1. Not all Bible believers are Protestants. Remember that in History Martin Luther offered our people a chance to join with him. We compromise our beliefs a little, and he provides us protection from the 1000 years of persecution at the hand of the Catholic Church. Some agreed and became reformers (mostly Peter Waldo's folks), but the rest of us said, "No" and the he began killing us himself.

2. Just look at Jesus and the Apostles. What did they do? What did they say? What was the #1 fight Jesus kept having over and over with the religious crowd of His day?

They loved their man-made tradition and venerated Moses, Jesus hated their tradition because it made the Commandments of God (scripture) null and void. For this He called them hypocrites and empty tombs.

3. The entire New Testament is an apologetic about how Jesus was the Messiah as recorded in scripture.

Answer 10

there was division among the Jews of Christ's day... just as there is today... among Jews and among those who claim to be "Christian"... Christianity is not "rooted" in Judaism. The Church was commissioned by Christ on the day of Pentacost following His assention to Heaven. From that moment The Law, as given to The Nation of Israel (the Jews) was no longer the substitution for The Way to Heaven... The Way, Christ Jesus, now is the Only Way. The Church is compleatly seperate from The Law of The Nation of Israel. Now even those of The Nation of Israel must come to God through Christ. then they too will become of The Church and have the hope of entering Heaven.

The Church is NOT The Roman "catholic"