I was reading about the early Christian church, which of course emerged out of Judaism since Christ Himself was Jewish. Most of the early converts to Christianity were Jews (like the disciples) until Peter and especially Paul was inspired by God to bring the Good News to the Gentiles.
The Roman Empire was in high form, which according to this book I’ve just begun* tolerated the Jews because for the most part they didn’t resist Rome’s expansion and weren’t known for trying to convert others to Judaism—so they weren’t a threat. I’m not sure what happened to the light of the world the Jews were supposed to have been, other than what this book reports: the Jews had learned their lesson when intermixing with people of other faiths. Intermixing led to idol worship and disobeying God. So they might do business with Gentiles, but socializing and marrying outside their faith was rare for fear of diluting their obedience to God.
But there were some in the Roman Empire who admired the Jewish faith. They were attracted to the high moral and ethical standing and the authentic worship of one true God. They liked the idea of being created in the image of God, thereby giving value to life. But for one reason or another (the demand for circumcision among them) many of those who admired the Jewish faith never officially converted. They were called “God-fearers” and lived on the fringe of the Jewish community within the Roman Empire.
Many of these God-fearers ended up converting to Christianity—circumcision wasn’t required but beside that, they worshiped one God who loved them. Such faith inspired moral and ethical living, which was a contrast to the decadence in Roman society. It’s likely that many of these God-fearers went from simply fearing a Creator God to having a relationship with a personal God, but it’s probably also true that some continued being simply God-fearers rather than Christians because they liked living on the fringe rather than committing to any form of religious life wholeheartedly.
So this reminded me of the many God-fearers in our society today. How many people acknowledge a Creator God, one who might prefer we live ethically, but don’t want to accept God’s personal involvement in everyday life? I can’t help but wonder why so many people are okay with simply believing in God, but don’t seem to want to get to know Him very well.
Today I’m praying for the God-fearers around me, that they would know the choice isn’t just ethical or moral. It’s more personal than that, yet being more personal doesn’t automatically equal handing over control with a restrictive result. God wants our lives lived to the fullest . . . so why would He assign us to live an unpleasant life? I can’t imagine living on the fringe of faith being a better place than jumping in!
*Why You Think The Way You Do/Glenn Sunshine/Zondervan
Join Me!