What Does the Torah Say About Christians?
Judaism
Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.
The short answer is: the Torah says nothing about Christians, because Christianity didn't exist when the Torah was written — scholars broadly date the Pentateuch's composition between the 10th and 5th centuries BCE, well over a thousand years before the emergence of the Christian movement. Asking what the Torah says about Christians is a bit like asking what the Iliad says about the internet.
What the Torah does say is relevant context, though. It consistently frames Israel as a people set apart for a covenantal relationship with God. Deuteronomy 7:6 states:
For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.Deuteronomy 7:6 This chosenness language is echoed in Deuteronomy 14:2 and Leviticus 20:26 Deuteronomy 14:2Leviticus 20:26, and it's important: the Torah's framework is Israel-centric, not a universal taxonomy of future religious groups.
Regarding non-Jews (which Christians would be, in the vast majority of cases), the Torah's ethical commands do extend outward in places. Leviticus 19:18 famously commands:
Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.Leviticus 19:18 Rabbi Akiva (c. 50–135 CE) called this verse the greatest principle in the Torah. Later rabbinic tradition — particularly the Talmudic concept of the Sheva Mitzvot B'nei Noach (Seven Noahide Laws) — extended a basic moral framework to all humanity, including non-Jews. But that's rabbinic elaboration, not Torah text itself.
Some medieval Jewish thinkers, like Maimonides (1138–1204 CE), grappled directly with Christianity's relationship to Torah. He viewed Christianity as a form of idolatry for Gentiles due to its Trinitarian theology, though he acknowledged it spread monotheistic awareness. Others, like Rabbi Menachem Meiri (1249–1316 CE), argued Christians qualified as "nations bound by the ways of religion" and deserved full ethical protections under Jewish law. This remains a live debate in Orthodox scholarship today.
Bottom line: the Torah itself is silent on Christians. What Judaism says about Christians is a post-biblical, rabbinic, and medieval conversation — not a Torah one.
Christianity
Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.
Christianity views the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament) as divinely inspired scripture — but of course, it doesn't mention Christians either, for the same chronological reason: it predates Christianity entirely. Christian theology, however, has developed rich frameworks for understanding the Torah's relationship to Christian identity.
The dominant Christian reading, going back to Paul of Tarsus in the 1st century CE, is that the Torah pointed forward to Christ. Christians aren't the subject of the Torah; they're, in Pauline terms, the fulfillment of its promises. The church fathers and later Protestant Reformers like John Calvin (1509–1564) distinguished between the Torah's moral law (still binding), ceremonial law (fulfilled in Christ), and civil law (specific to ancient Israel). This tripartite division remains influential in Reformed theology today, though it's contested by scholars like Douglas Moo who argue for a more unified view of Torah.
The New Testament does quote Torah extensively. Paul cites Leviticus 19:18 — "love your neighbour as yourself" Leviticus 19:18 — as a summary of the entire law (Galatians 5:14, Romans 13:9). So while the Torah doesn't address Christians, Christians have historically claimed it as their own heritage and read themselves into its narrative as spiritual heirs of Abraham.
It's worth noting that 1 Corinthians 11:32 reflects early Christian thinking about divine discipline and judgment 1 Corinthians 11:32, but this is New Testament commentary on the Christian life — not Torah content. The Torah itself remains silent on Christians as a category.
Islam
Not applicable. This question concerns the content of the Torah (Tawrat) regarding Christians specifically, which is a matter of Jewish and Christian textual scholarship. While Islam does regard the Torah as a revealed scripture (though believed to have been altered over time) and has views on Christians (Nasara) as People of the Book, the Quran does not address what the Torah says about Christians as a distinct topic. Stretching an answer here would misrepresent the Islamic tradition.
Where they agree
Both Judaism and Christianity agree on a foundational point: the Torah does not mention Christians, because it predates Christianity by well over a millennium. Both traditions also share the Torah text itself (Jews as the Tanakh's Torah; Christians as the Old Testament's Pentateuch) and both cite Leviticus 19:18's command to love one's neighbor as a cornerstone ethical principle Leviticus 19:18. Both also acknowledge Israel's covenantal distinctiveness as described in Deuteronomy Deuteronomy 7:6Deuteronomy 14:2, even if they interpret what that means for Gentile Christians very differently.
Where they disagree
| Issue | Judaism | Christianity |
|---|---|---|
| Who is the Torah written for? | Primarily for the Jewish people as Israel's covenant document; non-Jews have a separate (Noahide) framework | For all humanity; Christians are spiritual heirs of Abraham and read themselves into the Torah's promises |
| Does Torah's chosenness language exclude Christians? | Generally yes — chosenness is Israel's particular covenant, not transferable Deuteronomy 7:6 | Generally no — Paul argues Gentile believers are "grafted in" (Romans 11) to Israel's covenant tree |
| Is the Torah's law still binding? | Yes, fully binding on Jews; non-Jews follow Noahide laws Leviticus 20:26 | Debated: moral law binding, ceremonial law fulfilled in Christ; major disagreement among denominations |
| Medieval theological assessment | Maimonides viewed Christianity critically; Meiri was more accommodating — no consensus | Torah is preparatory scripture pointing to Christ; largely unified on this reading since the 2nd century CE |
Key takeaways
- The Torah predates Christianity by over a thousand years and contains no mention of Christians whatsoever — the question is historically anachronistic.
- The Torah does describe Israel as a 'holy people' set apart by God (Deuteronomy 7:6, 14:2), a chosenness concept that Judaism and Christianity interpret very differently.
- Leviticus 19:18 — 'love thy neighbour as thyself' — is the Torah's most-cited ethical command in both Jewish and Christian traditions, and both claim it as foundational.
- Medieval Jewish scholars like Maimonides and Meiri disagreed sharply on how to categorize Christians under Jewish law — this debate continues in Orthodox scholarship today.
- Christianity reads the Torah as pointing forward to Christ, claiming it as scripture for all believers; Judaism maintains it as Israel's covenant document with a separate framework for non-Jews.
FAQs
Does the Torah mention Christians anywhere?
What does the Torah say about non-Jews, which most Christians are?
How do Jewish scholars view Christians in light of Torah values?
Do Christians consider themselves bound by Torah law?
Judaism
For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.
The Torah frames the discussion through three recurring principles: Israel’s consecrated identity, covenant loyalty, and exclusive worship of the God of Israel. Deuteronomy 14:2
Israel is portrayed as a people set apart for God—holy and uniquely chosen—which shapes how Israel relates to surrounding nations. Deuteronomy 14:2 Deuteronomy 7:6
Covenant faithfulness is non‑negotiable; disloyalty invites sanction, and maintaining holiness entails separation from practices that compromise allegiance to God. Deuteronomy 7:6
Verbal desecration of God’s Name is treated as a grave offense, underscoring reverence for God at the heart of Israel’s communal life. Leviticus 24:15
The wider biblical record reiterates that Israel is to worship no other gods, a baseline that informs evaluations of any non‑Israelite worship. 2 Kings 17:35
Scholars acknowledge that applying these broad Torah norms to later communities (such as Christians) is an inference from these texts, not a direct Torah designation, and debate centers on the extent and tone of separation versus engagement. Deuteronomy 14:2 Deuteronomy 7:6 Leviticus 24:15
Christianity
Not applicable. Concerns Jewish scripture/practice (Torah); the question is specific to the Torah’s framing rather than Christian doctrine.
Islam
Not applicable. Concerns Jewish scripture/practice (Torah); the question is specific to the Torah’s framing rather than Islamic doctrine.
Where they agree
Within the cited Jewish scriptures, there is clear agreement on Israel’s consecrated status and the obligation of exclusive worship of the God of Israel. Deuteronomy 14:2 Deuteronomy 7:6 2 Kings 17:35
Where they disagree
| Issue | Nature of Disagreement (within Jewish interpretation) | Texts |
|---|---|---|
| Application to later groups | How, and how strictly, Torah norms of holiness and exclusive worship should be mapped onto post-biblical communities is debated among interpreters. Deuteronomy 14:2 2 Kings 17:35 | Deut 14:2; 2 Kgs 17:35 Deuteronomy 14:2 2 Kings 17:35 |
| Boundaries of speech about God | While Leviticus legislates accountability for blasphemy, interpreters discuss how far this extends in intercommunal contexts. Leviticus 24:15 | Lev 24:15 Leviticus 24:15 |
Key takeaways
- The Torah presents Israel as a holy, chosen people, shaping its stance toward surrounding nations. Deuteronomy 14:2 Deuteronomy 7:6
- Exclusive worship of the God of Israel is a foundational norm in the biblical record. 2 Kings 17:35
- Speech about God is governed by serious accountability, underscoring reverence at the core of communal life. Leviticus 24:15
FAQs
Which Torah passages are most relevant for thinking about later communities?
What baseline standard of worship does the Hebrew Bible articulate?
How central is covenant obedience to Israel’s identity?
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