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Antisemitism and the New Testament

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Many verses in the New Testament (NT) can be seen as critical of Jews, in particular the Pharisees, the dominant Jewish group of that era. The most famous verse in this respect is Matthew 27:25, which states "Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children". Other notable passages ascribe blame for Jesus' execution to the Jewish Sanhedrin and portray the Roman procurator Pontius Pilate as an unwilling authority forced to comply with the desires of a Jewish crowd. Criticism of Jews is not unique to the new testament: there are plenty of verses criticizing Jews in the Old Testament as well.

Other episodes in the New Testament paint a more positive picture of the Jews. For example, the New Testament says that Jesus is Jewish, is (along with John the Baptist) called rabbi, and is crucified with a sign calling him the "King of the Jews". Many Jews are portrayed as following Jesus and converting to Christianity, and it is said that "salvation is of the Jews" (John, 4:23).

Christian Views

Like most of the Bible, and indeed most of any religious book, different groups and individuals have interpreted these verses in different ways. Some Christians interpret some Biblical passages in one way while interpreting other passages in different ways.

Classical Christian views

  1. The classical Christian view, which is held by the majority of Christians, is that these verses are condemning those Jews that have not accepted Christian beliefs about God and Jesus. This is a theological and not a racial position, because Jews can be saved by converting to Christianity.

Modern Christian interpretations

  1. One iconoclastic claim holds that these verses are a critique of "Judeans", meaning specifically the Jews from Judea, as opposed to Jews from Gallilee or Samaria for instance. This is based on a translation of the Greek word Ioudaioi as Judeans rather than Jews. This view is becoming popular among Biblical scholars.
  2. Some hold that these verses are a critique of some Jews, or specific individuals, or some aspects of Judaism at the time of Jesus, but not of all Jews, nor of the Jewish faith in general, nor of any Jews today.
  3. Some hold that these verses are a critique by the flawed and human writers of the Bible that should not be interpreted as the word of God, but rather understood in the context of the time and the prejudices of the writers. People who hold this position generally do not believe that the entire Bible is literal truth.
  4. Some hold that these verses are a critique of the Pharisees as the moneyed, self-righteous establishment of the Jewish community. Some modern-day liberal ministers argue that well-to-do, churchgoing Christians, not modern Jews, are the group most comparable to the Pharisees whom Jesus criticized.

For views of Christian Biblical scholars, see below.

Views of Christian Churches

There are many Christian churches which have changed or clarified their teachings on this subject. A study of these churches, the changes the made, and important documents on this issue can be found in the entry on Christianity and anti-Semitism.

As one example, the Catholic Church reversed its views on Jews with a series of statements beginning in [[1965]. In the Nostra Aetate, Pope Paul VI proclaimed that:

  • "The Church believes that by His cross Christ, Our Peace, reconciled Jews and Gentiles. making both one in Himself".
  • "God holds the Jews most dear for the sake of their Fathers; He does not repent of the gifts He makes or of the calls He issues".
  • "the death of Christ ... cannot be charged against all the Jews, without distinction, then alive, nor against the Jews of today".
  • "the Jews should not be presented as rejected or accursed by God, as if this followed from the Holy Scriptures".
  • "the Church ... decries hatred, persecutions, displays of anti-Semitism, directed against Jews at any time and by anyone".

Jewish views

Most Jewish scholars and rabbis today consider themselves to be the heirs of the Pharisees. Thus verses that single out the Pharisees for criticism have more of a sting for modern Jews than many Christians realize. For views of Jewish Biblical scholars, see below.

Some say that the classical Christian posiion, while theological and not a racial position, nevertheless it has ethnocidal implications since a person who converts to Christianity ceases to be a Jew. Jews thus perceive this stance as an attack on the Jewish nation, even though it is not couched in racial terms.

Use of these verses

These verses have been used to incite prejudice and violence against Jewish people. Professor Lillian C. Freudmann, author of "Antisemitism in the New Testament" (University Press of America, 1994) has published a study of such verses and the effects that they have had in the Christian community throughout history. Similar studies have been made by both Christian and Jewish scholars, including, Professors Clark Williamsom (Christian Theological Seminary), Hyam Maccoby (The Leo Baeck Institute), Norman A. Beck (Texas Lutheran College), and Michael Berenbaum (Georgetown University).

Biblical scholarship

Most of the verses in question are attributed not to Jesus (who was himself a Jew) but to the authors of the New Testament. Jesus' disciples, Paul, and the first Christians were Jews, including the authors of the New Testament. By the time the New Testament was finished Christians already had begun to view themselves, and be seen as, a separate religion; they were no longer part of the Jewish community. Judaism itself was also undergoing significant change following the destruction of the Temple and the end of animal sacrifices. During the time the New Testament was written, a number of Christians shifted their emphasis from seeking Jewish converts to seeking gentile converts. Many biblical scholars observe that different books appear to be aimed at different audiences, and suggest that the intended audience may have influenced the writers.

Some of the New Testament was probably written for a non-Jewish audience, some time after the events they describe. Some scholars have sugested that some things Jesus said or did, or that Pharisees said or did, which were clear in meaning to Jewish contemporaries, would not have been quite as clear to the later Gentile authors or readers. They further suggest that these later Gospels were a selective account that interpreted Jesus' life so that it would be less threatening to the Roman authorities, and more congenial to Gentiles. But such an interpretation would not only reveal, it would add to, the growing gulf between Jews and Christians.

Thus, although the New Testament authors were not racially prejudiced against their fellow Jews, they may have displayed religious or theological prejudice against Jews who remained followers of Judaism rather than become Christians, particularly since Jews claimed to be the heirs to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob's covenant with God; heirs to the covenant of Sinai; and followers of the sacred scriptures -- the very sources of Christian legitimacy. Once Christianity established itself as a new religion, by converting gentiles and by not obeying Mosaic law, they were no longer of particular interest (let alone threat) to the Jewish leadership. But as long as Jews claimed to be following the same Bible that Christians believed prophesied Jesus's messianic status, they necessarily threatened Christian claims. Moreover, since Jesus was Jewish, the fact that Jews did not recognize Jesus as their Messaiah was an implicit threat to the legitimacy of Christianity and something that Christians had to explain, both to themselves and to potential gentile converts.

Detailed interpretations

Here are some references where scholars have gone through parts of the New Testament to try and decide the writer's (or writers') original message on Jews and Judaism:

This is one list of verses that some people believe to express anti-Semitism, or have been used to incite anti-Semitism. Individual scholars may add or omit a few verses here and there; it is unlikely that every scholar would point out precisely the same list of verses.

Note that in many cases where the summary uses the word "some", it is variously interpreted how many people are being referred to (see Christian views, above). Many of these verses can be interpreted or translated in other ways than those given in the summary.

Gospel of Matthew

3:7 John the Baptist calls some Pharisees and Sadducees a brood of snakes
12:34 Jesus calls some Pharisees a brood of snakes
15:3-7 Jesus calls some Pharisees hypocrites
15:12-14 Jesus refers to some Pharisees as blind guides leading the blind
16:6-12 Jesus warns his disciples to beware the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees
19:8 Jesus calls some Pharisees hard-hearted
22:18c Jesus calls some Pharisees hypocrites
23:13-36 In a long monologue, Jesus calls some scribes and Pharisees hypocrites, blind, fools, and the children of prophet-killers
26:59-68 The chief priests and council condemn Jesus to death.
27:17-22 The chief priests and elders persuaded a crowd to demand that Jesus, not Barabbas, be crucified.
27:62-66 The chief priests and Pharisees request a guard at Jesus' tomb
28:11-15 The chief priests bribe the guards to lie.

Gospel of Mark

3:6 Some Pharisees and Herodians plan to destroy Jesus
7:6-13 Jesus calls some Pharisees hypocrites
8:15 Jesus warns his disciples to beware the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.
10:5 Jesus calls some Pharisees hard-hearted
14:55-65 The chief priests and council condemn Jesus to death.
15:1-15 The chief priests moves the crowd to demand that Jesus, not Barabbas, be crucified.

Gospel of Luke

3:7 Jesus calls the multitudes a brood of snakes
4:28-30 The members of the synagogue in Nazareth expel Jesus and try to throw him down off the brow of a hill
7:30 Jesus says the Pharisees and lawyers have rejected the purposes of God
12:1b Jesus warns his disciples to beware the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocricy
13:15 Jesus calls the ruler of a synagogue a hypocrite
13:35a Jesus prophesies that Jerusalem is to be forsaken
22:63-71 The elders and chief priests and scribes condemn Jesus to death
23:1-25 A crowd and the chief priests demand that Jesus, not Barabbas, be crucified.

Gospel of John

5:16-18 The Jewish leaders are said to have persecuted Jesus and wanted to kill him
7:19-24 It is said that none of the Jewish leaders do (what is written in) the Torah
8:13-28 It is said that the Pharisees know neither Jesus nor the Father
9:13-41 The Jews and other Jews are condemned as guilty
10:8 The Pharisees are said to be thieves and robbers
10:31-39 The Jewish leaders are said to have picked up stones to throw at Jesus
11:53 It is said that the Jewish leaders realized that they would have to kill Jesus
11:57 It is said that the chief priests and Pharisees wanted to seize Jesus
12:10 It is said that the chief priests planned to kill Lazarus and Jesus
16:2-4 The disciples of Jesus will be expelled from the synagogues
18:28-32 The Jewish leaders are said to have demanded that Pilate sentence Jesus to death

Acts of the Apostles

2:23b Peter tells the men of Israel that they crucified Jesus
2:36b Again Peter tells the men of Israel that they crucified Jesus
3:13b-15a Peter tells the men of Israel that they killed the originator of life
4:10a Again Peter tells the men of Israel that they killed Jesus
5:30b Peter tells the members of the Jewish council that they killed Jesus
6:11-14 Some Jews are said to have brought false accusations against Stephen
7:51-60 Stephen shown as condemning the Jews for betraying and killing Jesus and the prophets
9:1-2 Paul is depicted as planning the arrest of disciples of Jesus
9:23-25 Jews are said to have plotted to kill Paul
9:29b Jewish Hellenists are also said to have tried to kill Paul
12:1-3a It is said that the Jews were pleased when Herod killed James
12:3b-4 Herod is said to have seized Peter also to please the Jews
12:11 Peter is said to have realized that the Jews wanted to kill him
13:10-11 Paul is said to have condemned the Jew Elymas as a son of the Devil
13:28-29a It is said that the Jews had asked Pilate to crucify Jesus
13:39d It is said that Jews cannot be forgiven by means of the Torah
13:45-46 Jews are said to have spoken against Paul
13:50-51 Jews are said to have encouraged persecution of Paul and Barnabas
14:1-6 Many Jews opposing Paul and Barnabas and attempting to stone them
14:19-20 Jews are said to have stoned Paul, thinking that they had killed him
17:5-9 Jews are said to have incited a riot, looking for Paul and Silas
17:13 Jews are said to have stirred up turmoil against Paul
18:6 Paul said to have told the Jews, "Your blood will be on your own heads!"
18:12-17 Jews are said to have brought accusations against Paul
19:13-19 Jewish exorcists are shown to be condemned
21:27-36 Jews are depicted as seizing Paul and as trying to kill him
22:4-5 Paul says that when he was a Jew he had persecuted Christians
23:2-5 Paul is said to have condemned the chief priest for striking Paul
23:12-22 Jews are said to have plotted to eat nothing until they kill Paul
23:27-30 Paul is said to have been nearly killed by the Jews
24:9 The Jews are said to have accused Paul of many crimes
25:2-5 Jews are said to have plotted to kill Paul
25:7-11 Jews are said to have continued to bring accusations against Paul
25:15-21 Jews are said to have spoken repeatedly against Paul
25:24 All Jews are said to have shouted that Paul must be killed
26:21 The Jews are said to have seized Paul and tried to kill him
28:25-28 Paul is said to have condemned the Jews for never understanding God.

See also: Christianity and anti-Semitism, Persecution of Christians

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