A FALSE ALLEGORICAL SYSTEM OF THOUGHT WAS DEVELOPED BY SOME OF THE TEACHERS IN THE EARLY CHURCH. This equated many of the Jews with unfaithful characters in the history of the Old Testament.
The Jews were thought to be the “elder son”, the children of Hagar , carnal children.
Christians were thought to be the “younger sons”, the children of Sarah and Abraham, spiritual children.
The Jews were thought to be represented by Cain, and Jesus was represented by faithful Abel, the good shepherd.
The Jews were considered to be the sons of Esau. Christians were seen as the sons of Jacob.
The Jews were seen as the sons of Manasseh, the elder son of Joseph, while Christians were thought to be the sons of Ephraim, the younger son who received the first blessing given by Jacob.
The Jews were thought to be derived from the family of Judas, the betrayer,- the carnal disciple; Christians were seen as the true, faithful Jewish disciples.
The Jews were even thought to be incarnations of Satan, based solely on the words found in John, ch.8,v.44.
AGAINST THIS TEACHING :-
These allegories are unsubstantiated in scripture.
The words spoken by Jesus in John, ch.8,v.44.could apply to those in mankind who remain in violent opposition to God and His Messiah, and who are in constant rebellion against God and His will,- See examples in Romans,ch.1, v.18-32, and Ephesians ch.2,v.1-3.
The Jews, as every other person in other races, have every possibility of receiving forgiveness through the grace and mercy of God and so become children of God by faith in the Lord Jesus, as He made plain in John, ch. 8,v.12.
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