Christianity vs. Judaism
Last updated: 2026-04-13
While Christianity and Judaism share the foundation of the Old Testament scriptures, the central difference is the identity of Jesus of Nazareth: Christians believe He is the promised Messiah and the fulfillment of all Old Testament types and prophecies, while Judaism holds that the Messiah has not yet come. This creates distinct views on salvation, the efficacy of the law, and the necessity of Christ's substitutionary atonement for the forgiveness of sins.
📖 The Fulfillment of the Covenant
The Reformed tradition, and Particular Baptists in particular, maintain that the Old and New Testaments are unified in their substance, as both present Christ as the only Mediator (39 Articles of Religion Art. VII). Christians believe that the Old Testament ceremonies and types—such as the priesthood, the temple, and animal sacrifices—were shadow-preparations for the reality of Christ, who has now come. Consequently, as On the Incarnation of the Word Sec. 40 observes, with the arrival of the 'Holy of Holies,' the old system of prophecy and animal sacrifice in Jerusalem reached its divinely intended end. The differences between the Testaments are matters of administration rather than substance (Institutes of the Christian Religion Ch. 11 §1).
Sources: 39 Articles of Religion Art. VII · On the Incarnation of the Word Sec. 40 · Institutes of the Christian Religion Ch. 11 §1
⚖️ Justification by Faith Alone
A critical theological divergence concerns how a person stands righteous before God. Historic Reformed theology, including the 1689 LBCF Ch. 11 §6, asserts that the justification of believers under the Old Testament was the same as under the New: by grace through faith in the promised Messiah. Judaism today typically emphasizes covenantal living and the observance of the Law (mitzvot). In contrast, the Christian faith, as articulated in the Second Helvetic Confession Ch. XV, teaches that we are justified by faith alone, apart from the works of the law, solely because Christ bore our sins and imputed His righteousness to us.
Sources: 1689 LBCF Ch. 11 §6 · Second Helvetic Confession Ch. XV
❤️ The Gospel Hope
Ultimately, the gospel message is that we are more sinful than we dared believe, yet more loved in Christ than we dared hope. Christianity claims that Jesus is the exclusive way to the Father, a claim that distinguishes it from the broader scope of contemporary Judaism. As it is written: "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). This is the assurance that our standing before God rests entirely upon the finished work of Christ rather than our own efforts: "And in none other is there salvation: for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
Sources: John 14:6 · Acts 4:12
Christians respond to Jewish objections by demonstrating from the Old Testament scriptures that the prophecy of the Messiah has been historically and spiritually fulfilled in the person of Jesus. While Judaism maintains that the Messiah is still expected, the Reformed tradition points to the cessation of prophecy, the destruction of the Temple, and the conversion of the Gentiles as clear biblical evidence that the Christ has already come.
📖 The Fulfillment of Prophecy
The primary response to Jewish objections is that the Old Testament itself provides the timeline and criteria for the Messiah's appearance. As noted in On the Incarnation of the Word — Section 40, the cessation of prophecy and the destruction of the Jerusalem temple are clear indicators that the 'Holy of Holies' has already arrived. The scriptures prophesied that the kingdom and the priesthood would remain until the true Righteousness appeared; since these have ceased, the Messiah must have come. As the Scripture says: "The law and the prophets prophesied until John" (Matthew 11:13).
Sources: Matthew 11:13 · On the Incarnation of the Word — Section 40
⚖️ The Mediator of the Covenant
The Christian faith maintains that the covenant promises were never intended to be understood in isolation from Christ. The ancient sacrifices and the Davidic kingdom were types pointing toward the ultimate sacrifice of the Son. In the Institutes of the Christian Religion — Chapter 6 §2, it is argued that the holy fathers lived under the Old Testament but always aspired to the New, as their salvation was always founded upon the person of the Mediator. As the psalmist prayed: "Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself" (Psalm 80:17).
Sources: Psalm 80:17 · Institutes of the Christian Religion — Chapter 6 §2
✨ The New Covenant Reality
The New Testament declares that the first covenant, being a shadow of things to come, has been made obsolete by the advent of Christ. While Israel was historically separated for a time to preserve the promise, the gospel is the unfolding of the eternal counsel of God to all nations. We are now invited to see that the Law could not justify the conscience, but Christ, as the Mediator of a better covenant, provides true reconciliation. As the Apostle writes: "In that he saith, A new covenant he hath made the first old. But that which is becoming aged and waxeth nigh unto vanishing away is nigh unto vanishing away" (Hebrews 8:13).
Sources: Hebrews 8:13
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