Is the New Testament a Fundamentally Anti-Jewish Text?

People believe that the New Testament has anti-Jewish statements due to a misinterpretation of its various books. For example, in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus conflicts with Jewish leaders. In this book, the chief priest plays a crucial role in determining that Jesus should die through crucifixion. From this, people began assuming that Jews killed Jesus. In the Gospel of John, Jews are referred to as "the father of the devil," whereas Jesus rebukes Peter very harshly by calling him "Satan" himself, which denotes an even stronger condemnation. These scriptures do not promote anti-Jewish sentiment but address issues prevalent in the Jewish community. The New Testament is not anti-Jews because Jesus was a Jew, the New Testament was written by Jews, and hate speech does not reflect God's divine will, for God inspired every portion of the Bible, including the New Testament.

Firstly, the New Testament cannot be anti-Jewish because Jesus himself was Jewish, and through him, all people are blessed. Acknowledging Jesus' Jewish identity is crucial for understanding Judaism within the New Testament (Boyarin, 2012). Jesus' birth fulfils God's promise to Abraham, showing that the Jewish people are central to God's plan. For instance, Revelation refers to Jesus as the "Lion of Judah" (5:5), highlighting his Jewish heritage. Since Jesus was Jewish, the New Testament, which fulfils Old Testament prophecies, cannot be anti-Jewish. Jesus' teachings often drew from his Jewish culture to address broader issues, making it clear that the New Testament critiques are not against Jews but against societal and cultural issues of the time. The assumption that the New Testament is anti-Semitic is not correct because Jesus himself was a Jew who used his culture to make people aware of the ills that were happening not only in the Jewish culture but also in other cultures.

Additionally, the New Testament was written by Jewish authors who sought to teach both Jews and non-Jews about God's will. These authors did not aim to portray Jews as evil but rather to address issues within their community. For example, Paul, a Jewish author, used Jewish traditions to teach and convert others to Christianity, emphasizing the Jews' role in preserving God's word (Romans 3:2). Paul's writings show that he did not view Jews as inherently evil; he identified with them and acknowledged their vital role in God's salvation plan. The authors of the New Testament, inspired by God, wrote to promote understanding and adherence to God's commandments, not to condemn the Jewish people. They were mainly drawn from their own cultural and religious backgrounds. The traditions and culture of the Jews were very fundamental to Paul; hence, most of his books were aimed at making people aware of the Jewish mode of life and baptizing those lost into Christianity again. The New Testament authors held the Jewish community responsible before God for His word and plan and wrote to deliver the divine message and counsel—not to propagate hate.

Moreover, God has a divine will for all people, and He inspires the Bible. Such a belief that the New Testament is anti-Semitic denies God's divine will for all people. God's divine will is for humanity to live by the commandments to achieve eternal life. When Jesus came into the world to spread the gospel, he appointed twelve disciples. This was meant to ensure that he reached more people. Also, the Bible is divinely inspired, and God inspired the authors to write it. The prophecy had no origin from humans but from God, as they were guided by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). Stating that the New Testament is anti-Jewish assumes that the apostles wrote from their own will and not from the will of God. Sending his son to the world manifested God's love and will for everyone, including the Jewish community. When people interpret the New Testament as an anti-Jewish book, it promotes a vicious stereotypical cycle of the Jewish people (Ahuvia, 2021). Like all others, the Jewish people are part of God's will for salvation, and through the various books of the Bible written by different authors, God communicates his message to all people.

The New Testament was meant to teach Christians how to live by God's commandments. It provides various teachings Christians should live by and condemns Christians who sin even though they know right from wrong. God sent his son to the world so that Christians could be saved. Jesus, through His teaching of the Bible, more so in the New Testament, says that the greatest commandment is loving the Lord with one's heart, soul, and mind; the second is loving one's neighbor as oneself. Through loving God and neighbor, one would not commit sins that go against their love for God and their neighbor. Christians are reminded of God's love and encouraged to live according to this word. Jesus states that if Christians keep the commandments, they will receive eternal life. As people know what is expected of them, God expects them to obey his word and keep the commandments as stipulated in the New Testament. If they fail, they will be punished, and that does not exclude the Jewish people alone but all who like to disobey God's word. 

The critique in the New Testament is not distinct to the Jewish people but applies to all sinners. The view that the New Testament only critiques the Jewish people is not accurate, as even the Gentiles are criticized, often more harshly than the Jews. If the New Testament is considered anti-Jewish, it should also be viewed as anti-Gentile because they are also harshly criticized for their actions. Various passages criticize the way of life of the Gentiles. For instance, Paul states that the Gentiles did not know God and considered them sinners by default (Young, 2024). The harsh critique imposed on the Jews is also seen in the Gentiles, as they are viewed as sinners. They are also described as people who live in drunkenness and idolatry, all of which are sins. The view that certain people would automatically enter the kingdom of God because of their nationality is disputed. For anyone to be in the kingdom of God, they must be born again. Nationality or religious tradition does not qualify one as part of the kingdom of God. Christ was born of the will of God, while man was born of the will of flesh. To enter the kingdom of God, therefore, one is required to be born of the Spirit. They are to apprehend the eschatological gift, that is to say, born of the spirit and not the flesh. The natural existence of an individual cannot guarantee their entry to heaven. The same way that the Jews are critiqued in the Bible is the same way the Gentiles and other ethnicities are criticized, thus refuting the claim that the New Testament is anti-Jewish.

In conclusion, the belief that the New Testament is anti-Jewish results from a misunderstanding of its content. The fact that Jesus was Jewish proves that the New Testament is not anti-Jewish, as they are the chosen people of God, since Jesus emanated from their race. The people who wrote the New Testament were Jewish and only sought to bring awareness of the problems occurring among Jews. The New Testament teaches Christians to live by and condemn Christians who sin, even though they know right from wrong. Other ethnicities, such as the Gentiles, were also rebuked for their sins. Paul states that the Gentiles were sinners by default, and if the New Testament is viewed as anti-Jewish, then it should also be considered anti-Gentiles. The New Testament not only criticizes these two ethnicities but also all the sinners who do not live by God's commandments.