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The conviction that Judaism was the one true religion given by God for all men and that it was destined to become the universal religion for all mankind was a peculiarity of the Jews. No other religion in the world and time made any such pretensions or cherished such aspirations. It was an exclusiveness the rest of mankind did not understand and therefore doubly resented. It is today as well. Such a belief in the future universality of the "true religion," the coming of an age when "the Lord shall be King over all the earth," when "the Lord shall be one and His name One," led to efforts to convert the Gentiles to the worship of the one true God and to adherence to both faith and obedience according to the revelation He had given. Thus Judaism became the first great missionary religion of the Mediterranean world.
Judaism's religious influence was exerted chiefly through the synagogues, which the Jews set up for themselves, but which were open to all whom interest or curiosity drew to their services. To Gentiles, in whose mind these services, consisting essentially of readings from the Scriptures and a discourse, along with prayers and hymns of praise, were inviting. In that time period in the Hellenistic world (Greek influenced), polytheism (belief in many gods) and idolatry was so decisively prevalent, that the souls of men cried out for something more. Such was the difference between the Gentile and the Jew. As a Gentile came to renounce heathenism and adopt Judaism along with observations such as the Sabbath, Festivals, and conformity to the rules of clean and unclean foods which were necessary conditions of social intercourse, it was seen to be a respectable degree of commitment and conversion on behalf of the Gentile that he be accepted alongside the Jew as God's people. This was before faith in Christ which only solidified such a commitment. The rejection of idolatry by the Gentile was an acknowledgment of the whole law, since one who renounces idolatry is called in Scripture a "Jew."
Gentile "believers" were called religious persons who "worship, or revere God," although in a strict sense they resided both inside and outside of the mainstream of Judaism. Yet, they were expected to share with "Jews by birth" the favor of the God they had adopted, and were encouraged in this hope by their Jewish teachers. It was not uncommon for the next generation to seek incorporation in the Jewish people by circumcision, thus becoming a full-fledged "convert to Judaism." These Gentiles were seen as the ones "clinging to the skirt (prayer shawl) of the Jew" (Zech. 8:23).
Zech 8:23 23 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you. (KJV)
Oh, by the way, this passage is prophetic and is yet to occur.
Answer for yourself: How is it that Gentiles will follow the Jews to Zion to learn of God if we Protestants and Catholics have all truth? Why are we trying to convert Jews to Christianity when the picture of the world to come is that Gentiles will come up to Zion and set at the feet of the Jews and Rabbis as we learn of God from them? Maybe Israel is the light unto the Gentiles after all! Think on that for a while.
Much confusion has arisen from the habit of describing such Gentile adherents of the synagogue as a class of proselytes or semi-proselytes, and trying to find a category for them in Jewish law. Jewish law knows no such semi-proselytes, nor any other kind of proselytes than such as have, by conversion and immersion/mikvah. not only become members of the Jewish church but has been naturalized in the Jewish nation. One should NOT make a distinction where none existed.
"Proselytes are such as have resolved to change over to the true religion, and are called proselytes because they have become naturalized in a new and godly commonwealth, renouncing the mythical fictions and adhering to the unadulterated truth." Under the Laws of Noah (7 commandments containing some but not all the Laws of Moses unless fully converted), proselytes enjoy equal rights in all respects with the native born Jews, as is only just, inasmuch as they have left country, friends, and kinfolk for the sake of virtue and holiness. There can be no question that Philo means by "proselyte" one who has deserted his false gods and his people to cast in his lot with the Jews.
Tacitus (a roman historian) speaks of proselytes as such as "practice circumcision like the Jews." A proselyte is not one who had merely embraced the monotheistic theology of Judaism, but has addicted himself to the Jewish ordinances and customs, and in doing so severed himself from his people, friends, and kinsmen; for which reason he is to be treated with peculiar benevolence. He has become a naturalized citizen of a new religious commonwealth in which he has a full quality of rights and duties with born Jews. NOTICE a proselyte was considered as part of Israel!
In the Greek Bible, "proselyte" is the usual translation of the Hebrew "ger." The older associations of this word were both civil and social. The "ger" was an alien immigrant, or the descendant of such an immigrant, resident in Israelite territory by permission, without any civil rights. This is the position of the "ger" in the older Hebrew legislation and in Deuteronomy. They are distinguished from foreigners (nokrim), who may be casually and temporarily in the country, and from the descendants of the ancient Canaanites. Israelites are commanded not to oppress these aliens, who had no legal protection; and they are frequently presented as objects of charity.
Later, in the Persian period, the word "ger" comes to be applied to foreigners (men of other than Jewish descent) who joint themselves to Jehovah, or to Israel as the worshippers of Jehovah. Thus in Isaiah 14:1, in the restoration, when God reestablished Israel in its own land, "the 'ger' (converts the Jews have made in the exile) will join themselves to them and attach themselves to the house of Jacob." Such converts are described in Isa. 56:6ff.
"The aliens who join themselves to Jehovah to minister unto him, and to love the name of Jehovah, to be his servants, every one that keeps the Sabbath from profaning it, and hold firmly to my covenant (laws), I will bring them to my holy mountain and make them rejoice in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be acceptable upon my altar, for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah who gathers the dispersed of Israel, yet will gather others unto him (Israel), besides those that are gathered of (Israel) himself."
The laws for the "ger" (Gentile proselyte) or "gerim" (Gentile proselytes) in Lev. 17-25 put them, so far as religious duties and privileges go, in all respects on the same footing with Israelites by birth; they are subject to all the obligations of the Law, precisely as the "gerim" (proselytes) in the rabbinical law are. This is true, not only of religious commandments and prohibitions but also civil law: "You shall have one civil law; the proselyte (ger) shall be treated like the native born, for I am the Lord your God." For living as a resident alien ("ger," in the original civil sense) in the land of Israel the verb is "gur," as in sojourn; for conversion to Judaism and adoption into the people as well as their religion a new form was needed and created, the "ger in a religious sense" understood as "becoming a proselyte."
A favorite figure in the Psalms for the confident security of the religious man is having a refuge, or shelter, beneath the wings of God, or beneath the shade of his wings, as the young of birds do under their mother's wings for safety from danger. The same figure is frequently employed of conversion. The proselyte came beneath the wings of the Shekinah; one who converts a Gentile brings him under the wings of the Shekinah. The origin of this use is doubtless Ruth 2:12, where Boaz speaks for the Moabitish convert the reward for her goodness to Naomi from "the God of Israel, beneath whose wings thou are come to take refuge."
The legislation in the middle books of the Pentateuch (first 5 books of the Bible) thus puts the "gerim" on the same footing with native Israelites, not only before the civil law, but in religious duties and privileges, and Philo repeatedly emphasizes this parity of the naturalized and the native Jew as one of the notable features of the Mosaic Law.
The Passover was the most distinctively national of all the festivals, but the law admits the proselyte to it, though no foreigner, no settler, no hired servant may eat of it. For such participation it is necessary that one be circumcised, "for no uncircumcised man shall eat of it" (Ex. 12:48). In Num. 9:14 it is assumed that the proselyte is circumcised, and the only requirement is that he shall conform strictly to the ritual of the Passover: "Whether proselyte or native, you shall have the same ordinance." This Scripture puts the proselyte on the same footing as the native in all the commandments contained in the Law. "As the native born Jew takes upon himself to obey all the words of the Law," so the proselyte takes upon him all the words of the Law. The authorities said, "if a proselyte takes upon himself to obey all the words of the Law except one single commandment, he is not to be received." Thus Paul would say in Gal. 5:2 to the Galatians: "I solemnly warn every man that gets himself circumcised (Paul was referring to conversion to Judaism) that he is under obligation to fulfill the whole law (613 commandments)". Since Paul was reared as a Pharisee, he made reference to both the Written Law and the Oral Law in this passage.
The initiatory rite by which a man was made a proselyte comprised three parts: circumcision, immersion in water (mikvah/baptism) and the presentation of an offering in the Temple. In the case of a woman there was no circumcision, and after the destruction of the Temple no offering could be made. Circumcision alone is prescribed in the Written Law. The offering of a sacrifice is, thus, not one of the conditions of becoming a proselyte, but only a condition precedent to the exercise of one of the rights which belong to him as a sacrificial meal. As soon as he was circumcised and immersed, he was in full standing in the religious community, having all the legal rights and powers and being subject to all the obligations of the Jew by birth. He had "entered the covenant." It is interesting to note that this immersion of conversion was different from other immersions of purification in that the presence of official witnesses was required for conversion. Two scholars would stand by him and rehearse to him orally some of the lighter and some of the weightier commandments. When he had been immersed and had come up from the water (following circumcision if a male), one is like an Israelite in all that he does. In the case of the woman proselyte, women made her sit in the water up to her neck, while two scholars recited the same commandments, both positive and negative and it was assumed that the initiatiant assumed "the yoke of the commandments." As the Israelite came into the covenant only by three things, circumcision, immersion, and sacrifice, precisely so the proselyte comes into the covenant by the same three things. Israel was circumcised before leaving Egypt, they were baptized in the Sinai desert, and after they pledged themselves to keep all God's commandments they were sprinkled with the blood of the covenant sacrifice.
Now listen well. The status of a proselyte who embraces Judaism is at the moment of his reception like that of a "new born child" or as if "born again." Being "born again" is not a Christian concept by and of itself.
Answer for yourself: Don't you find it rather strange that Christianity has stolen the term and uses it but has dropped the original meaning which meant one' conversion and acceptance of the 613 Commandments for full conversion to Judaism? That is but one example of Replacement Religion for you.
It goes without saying that before a Gentile proselyte converted to Judaism that it was customary that before his initiation that he adhere to the seven Laws of Noah which were given to all heathen to observe if they lived within the land of Israel. The laws of Noah were the foundation from which one pursued righteousness.
The sincere and genuine proselyte (fully converted through circumcision, immersion, and having brought a sacrifice) is called "ger zedek," or "righteous proselyte" (Psalm 118:20). They are such as embrace the religion from religious motives, "for the sake of God," and therefore live in conformity to His will revealed in the Oral and Written Laws as they pledged themselves at their reception. Another name for such converts is the "get emet," or "true proselyte." To the righteous proselytes are sometimes applied texts in the Old Testament which speak of the righteous, or of such as fear God, the "truly righteous." We call them those who fear God or God-fearers. In the daily prayers in the Temple petitions for God's blessings upon the righteous proselyte are invoked.
The word "ger" by itself having come to mean proselyte or convert to Judaism who has received circumcision and baptism not only into the religion of Judaism but into the Jewish people, occasioned the necessity to find a distinctive term for the resident alien.
The "ger toshab" was an alien but not a full convert to Judaism. He was a resident in Jewish lands by permission on the condition that while he resides that he would:
Upon his circumcision he would become fully Israel and a full convert and his status would then change from a "ger toshab" to a "ger tzedek".
The "ger toshab" is not a proselyte or a "semi-proselyte" and was not considered a convert to Judaism at all. The "ger toshab" as uncircumcised, also was called the "ger arel," and is not to be confused with the circumcised proselyte "ger ben berit" who has come into the covenant of God with Israel (ger mahul). The "ger toshab" was a heathen and was allowed to eat "carrion" or the flesh of animals not correctly slaughtered which no Israelite or proselyte could partake. The "ger" to whom an Israelite may give it in Deut. 14:21 is the "ger toshab". Also, it was permissible to take usury from a "ger toshab" as with any heathen, but forbidden to take usury from an Israelite or "true proselyte;" the "ger zedek."
Since the 18th century another category of proselytes emerged, the "Ger sh'ar" or the "proselyte of the gate" which is distinct from the "ger zedek," or full proselyte or God-fearing Gentile. The "ger sha'ar" or "proselyte of the gate" suggests converts who lingered at the door of the synagogue as derived from passages in the Bible which speak of the "ger (alien) who is in thy gates" or residents in Israelite towns and cities (Ex. 20:10, Deut. 5:14).
In the 4th century a question arose as to whom the 4th Commandment concerning the Sabbath applied to, the "ger zedek" or "ger sha'ar" and the former opinion prevailed. In other words the full-convert is required to observe and keep the Sabbath, having become as one born in the land, while the ger toshab was not, yet he still could choose those things that pleased God if he so desired (Isa. 56). Often such "strangers" are listed with names in Deut. along with the widows, orphans, and the landless Levites. He we find the proselyte of the gate who was likewise often the object of charity.
The attitude of the religious leaders of Judaism toward proselytes differed in different circumstances, and individual teachers had their own beliefs. Rabbi Shammai would have nothing to do with one who was not prepared to give implicit assent, before knowing its contents to the unwritten Law as well as the written Law. Many had bad opinions of all proselytes, fearing that with persecution that they would fall back into their old ways because they were naturally bad people. It is for this reason the Scriptures had so often admonished Israelites not to give them offense by word or deed. The School of Hillel, unlike the School of Shammai, welcomed converts, and admitted them even though their knowledge was imperfect and the observance of Judaism faulty. Hillel, to whom Jesus agreed, coined a motto: "Be one of the disciples of Aaron, a lover of peace, following after peace, loving mankind, and drawing them to the Law (religion)." A tradition illustrating the different temper of the two masters states that a foreigner came to Shammai saying, "Make a proselyte of me, on condition that you teach me the whole of the Law while I stand on one foot." Shammai drove him off, beating him with a measuring stick, whereupon he gave Hillel the same proposition. Hillel received him as a proselyte and taught him: "What you do not like to have done to you, do not do to your fellow man. This is the whole of the Law; the rest is explanation of it. Go and study and learn it."
Proselytes are dear to God, for you will find that the same things are said about them as about Israel:
The parallels are striking and it shows that God puts no difference between them in a spiritual sense.
The preaching of Christianity made converts among proselytes to Judaism as well as among the looser adherents of the synagogue. There was such, according to Acts 2 and Acts 10, among the converts on the Day of Pentecost as Gentile converts from all 70 nations had come up to celebrate the Festival of Shavuot (Pentecost).
There were, on the other hand, proselytes to Judaism who came over from the Gentile church at times. In times of persecution Christians sometimes joined the Jews to evade the test applied by the Roman officials to adore the emperor, to which Jews were not subject. Later, Christian emperors would make conversion of Christians to Judaism a crime in itself with severe penalties both for the Christian convert and the Jew who converted him. Against all such attempts of pagan or Christian rulers to shut up Judaism in itself and prevent its spread in the first three centuries the Jews persisted in their missionary efforts to make the religion God had revealed to their fathers the religion of all mankind. It is with this understanding that we will continue in the next newsletter our study in the Book of Acts.
As a Gentile Christian you find the example of what is required of you as: