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God Fearers - Gentiles & the God of Israel
Historians, scholars, and theologians agree that first-century Christianity was a sect of Judaism, but where does that information place first-century Gentile Christians? What did it mean to be a Gentile who practiced Judaism in the days of the apostles? These are not just academic questions; they are at the heart of today s growing Messianic Jewish movement. How do non-Jews engage in the modern Messianic Jewish revival?
Toby Janicki marshals the latest scholarship on late Second-Temple-Era Judaism and early Christianity to introduce his readers to the first Gentile disciples of Yeshua, a class of people called God-fearers. God-Fearers brings balance and solid answers for non-Jews seeking to practice the Jewish roots of their faith.
Toby Janicki marshals the latest scholarship on late Second-Temple-Era Judaism and early Christianity to introduce his readers to the first Gentile disciples of Yeshua, a class of people called God-fearers. God-Fearers brings balance and solid answers for non-Jews seeking to practice the Jewish roots of their faith.
- GenresTheology
160 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2012
5 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
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March 20, 2021
Review of God-Fearers by Toby Janicki
This book is excellent and came to many of the same conclusions that I had come to in my own research, namely that because Jesus did not come to abolish Torah (Matt 5:17) that Gentiles in Messiah do still have some relationship to the Torah. In Matthew 5:17 Jesus says “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill them.” The Torah, the Law is not abolished. In fact Jesus in Matthew 5:19 says “So anyone who breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever obeys them and teaches others to do so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
I mention this because a close reading of the New Testament reveals that the Apostles and Jewish Christians continued to engage in the Temple rituals until the Temple was destroyed. Jesus in Matthew 5:23-24 says “So then, if you bring your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother and then come and present your gift.” Jesus assumes that his followers would be offering gifts on the altar. Matthew 8:4 “Then Jesus said to him, “See that you do not speak to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest, and bring the offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” Jesus commands the healed leper to “bring the offering that Moses commanded”. In Acts 2:46 we read “Every day they continued to gather together by common consent in the temple courts, breaking bread from house to house, sharing their food with glad and humble hearts,”. Acts 3:1 “Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time for prayer, at three o’clock in the afternoon.” This prayer service in the Temple was also the one when the sacrifices occurred.
The Apostles were happy to meet every day at the Temple and continued to join in with the sacrifice and prayer service even after Jesus had Risen again! In Acts 21:26 we read “Then Paul took the men the next day, and after he had purified himself along with them, he went to the temple and gave notice of the completion of the days of purification, when the sacrifice would be offered for each of them.” Here we have Paul going to the Temple and paying for a sacrifice to happen for himself and for each of the Jewish Christians.
I long ago abandoned the Tripartite Division of the Law into Moral, Ceremonial and Civil as an artificial construction that makes very little sense of what the Bible actually says. It is purely an invention of Thomas Aquinas that finds its way into Reformation thought.
The author based upon Acts 15 claims that the Apostles agreed that Gentiles in the Messiah would be under the category of Ger Toshav ("resident alien") that is a Gentile living in the Land of Israel who accepts to follow the Seven Laws of Noah. Acts 15 even lists the regulations of the Ger Toshav ("resident alien").
I had come to this conclusion before on my own but it was nice to have that confirmed. The difference between Messianic Ger Toshav and Jewish Ger Toshav being that in the Messiah the Ger Toshav were no longer second class citizens but rather “joint heirs” and “Sons of Abraham”.
Toby Janicki does a great job in tracking down the concept of “God Fearers” in both the Early Church Fathers and in the Rabbinical writings. He shows that up until the 400s many Christians were still following many of the Jewish feasts until the ecclesiastic establishment started to crack down.
Highly recommended.
This book is excellent and came to many of the same conclusions that I had come to in my own research, namely that because Jesus did not come to abolish Torah (Matt 5:17) that Gentiles in Messiah do still have some relationship to the Torah. In Matthew 5:17 Jesus says “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill them.” The Torah, the Law is not abolished. In fact Jesus in Matthew 5:19 says “So anyone who breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever obeys them and teaches others to do so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
I mention this because a close reading of the New Testament reveals that the Apostles and Jewish Christians continued to engage in the Temple rituals until the Temple was destroyed. Jesus in Matthew 5:23-24 says “So then, if you bring your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother and then come and present your gift.” Jesus assumes that his followers would be offering gifts on the altar. Matthew 8:4 “Then Jesus said to him, “See that you do not speak to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest, and bring the offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” Jesus commands the healed leper to “bring the offering that Moses commanded”. In Acts 2:46 we read “Every day they continued to gather together by common consent in the temple courts, breaking bread from house to house, sharing their food with glad and humble hearts,”. Acts 3:1 “Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time for prayer, at three o’clock in the afternoon.” This prayer service in the Temple was also the one when the sacrifices occurred.
The Apostles were happy to meet every day at the Temple and continued to join in with the sacrifice and prayer service even after Jesus had Risen again! In Acts 21:26 we read “Then Paul took the men the next day, and after he had purified himself along with them, he went to the temple and gave notice of the completion of the days of purification, when the sacrifice would be offered for each of them.” Here we have Paul going to the Temple and paying for a sacrifice to happen for himself and for each of the Jewish Christians.
I long ago abandoned the Tripartite Division of the Law into Moral, Ceremonial and Civil as an artificial construction that makes very little sense of what the Bible actually says. It is purely an invention of Thomas Aquinas that finds its way into Reformation thought.
The author based upon Acts 15 claims that the Apostles agreed that Gentiles in the Messiah would be under the category of Ger Toshav ("resident alien") that is a Gentile living in the Land of Israel who accepts to follow the Seven Laws of Noah. Acts 15 even lists the regulations of the Ger Toshav ("resident alien").
I had come to this conclusion before on my own but it was nice to have that confirmed. The difference between Messianic Ger Toshav and Jewish Ger Toshav being that in the Messiah the Ger Toshav were no longer second class citizens but rather “joint heirs” and “Sons of Abraham”.
Toby Janicki does a great job in tracking down the concept of “God Fearers” in both the Early Church Fathers and in the Rabbinical writings. He shows that up until the 400s many Christians were still following many of the Jewish feasts until the ecclesiastic establishment started to crack down.
Highly recommended.
Read
April 2, 2019Personal Notes:
"We are seeking to restore something that has been lost for almost 2,000 years". -Introduction
-What has been lost? The primitive Church of Jesus Christ, including its original organization and the doctrines & ordinances necessary for salvation.
-The original church as organized by Jesus Christ was not based on the Torah, the Law of Moses, or Jewish social laws. The original church was based on what the Torah is based on, which is continual revelation from Jehovah to his people given through his ordained servants. In His church, that chain goes from Jehovah, to his apostles & prophets, then to the body of the church. Ephesians 2:19-20- "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone".
-This book tried to separate which laws apply to Jews & which laws apply to Gentiles, and to fit Christianity within the framework of Judaism. But the purpose of the church was to "gather together in one ALL things (or people) in Christ" (Ephesians 1:10), and to create something new where all people had access to have a covenantal relationship with him
Ephesians 1:18-19, "For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God".
-Higher law instituted by Christ was not meant to mend Judaism, but to replace many religious & cultural practices of the day and to create a new religious order.
Luke 5:37-38: "And no man putteth new wine (new laws & applications) into old bottles (old laws & applications); else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.
38 But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both (Jew & Gentile) are preserved."
Doctrine= eternal truth that does not change but doesn't give direction what to do (ex: God is our Father). Application= specific principles and laws derived from the doctrine. The doctrine of the Old & New testament is the same. But the laws and applications can and do change through revelation from God.
Law of Moses:
-Intended as a spiritual law taught by temporal ones. Was a preparatory law to teach faith & obedience. But obedience to the law does not bring salvation. The law is only meant to point to the source of salvation.
-Law of sacrifice was not limited to the Israelites. Sacrifice started with Adam & Eve, and continued throughout the old testament with all the prophets. They were not the first to have the law.
-From my understanding, this book argues that the Jews should follow the temporal aspects of the law as outlined in the Torah, and a "God-fearer" (or Gentile who has not fully converted to Judaism but believes Jesus Christ to be Jehovah), should follow some temporal laws, but not the laws that make the Jews different because that would be encroaching on their "specialness". Gentiles are to mostly just to follow the spiritual principle behind the law.
Truth- Jesus Christ fulfilled the law as given in the Torah and outlined a new law. Much of the temporal aspects were done away as He, the last great sacrificed, fulfilled the demands the law was intended to foreshadow.
Role of Jews:
-Covenant that will be the house of the Messiah
-Trusted first with the covenants of God. However, "First shall be last & the last shall be first"
-Came unto His own, and His own received Him not
-Jews will "roar as a lion" & ravage the unrighteous gentiles in the last days
-Give record of Jehovah (the bible) to the Gentiles
Role of Gentiles:
-Be grafted into the house of Israel. Israel is the tree, Gentiles are the graft. The tree is dying, so the graft is brought in to save the roots. The roots don't save the graft, the graft (gentiles) save the root (Jews) and gather covenant Israel in the last days.
-Jehovah is no respecter of persons. Salvation is not about blood. Covenants are universally offered as God "works among the children of men according to their faith". Luke 4: Jesus points out that miracles were done for the Gentiles who believed, instead of for the Jews who did not believe.
"We are seeking to restore something that has been lost for almost 2,000 years". -Introduction
-What has been lost? The primitive Church of Jesus Christ, including its original organization and the doctrines & ordinances necessary for salvation.
-The original church as organized by Jesus Christ was not based on the Torah, the Law of Moses, or Jewish social laws. The original church was based on what the Torah is based on, which is continual revelation from Jehovah to his people given through his ordained servants. In His church, that chain goes from Jehovah, to his apostles & prophets, then to the body of the church. Ephesians 2:19-20- "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone".
-This book tried to separate which laws apply to Jews & which laws apply to Gentiles, and to fit Christianity within the framework of Judaism. But the purpose of the church was to "gather together in one ALL things (or people) in Christ" (Ephesians 1:10), and to create something new where all people had access to have a covenantal relationship with him
Ephesians 1:18-19, "For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God".
-Higher law instituted by Christ was not meant to mend Judaism, but to replace many religious & cultural practices of the day and to create a new religious order.
Luke 5:37-38: "And no man putteth new wine (new laws & applications) into old bottles (old laws & applications); else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.
38 But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both (Jew & Gentile) are preserved."
Doctrine= eternal truth that does not change but doesn't give direction what to do (ex: God is our Father). Application= specific principles and laws derived from the doctrine. The doctrine of the Old & New testament is the same. But the laws and applications can and do change through revelation from God.
Law of Moses:
-Intended as a spiritual law taught by temporal ones. Was a preparatory law to teach faith & obedience. But obedience to the law does not bring salvation. The law is only meant to point to the source of salvation.
-Law of sacrifice was not limited to the Israelites. Sacrifice started with Adam & Eve, and continued throughout the old testament with all the prophets. They were not the first to have the law.
-From my understanding, this book argues that the Jews should follow the temporal aspects of the law as outlined in the Torah, and a "God-fearer" (or Gentile who has not fully converted to Judaism but believes Jesus Christ to be Jehovah), should follow some temporal laws, but not the laws that make the Jews different because that would be encroaching on their "specialness". Gentiles are to mostly just to follow the spiritual principle behind the law.
Truth- Jesus Christ fulfilled the law as given in the Torah and outlined a new law. Much of the temporal aspects were done away as He, the last great sacrificed, fulfilled the demands the law was intended to foreshadow.
Role of Jews:
-Covenant that will be the house of the Messiah
-Trusted first with the covenants of God. However, "First shall be last & the last shall be first"
-Came unto His own, and His own received Him not
-Jews will "roar as a lion" & ravage the unrighteous gentiles in the last days
-Give record of Jehovah (the bible) to the Gentiles
Role of Gentiles:
-Be grafted into the house of Israel. Israel is the tree, Gentiles are the graft. The tree is dying, so the graft is brought in to save the roots. The roots don't save the graft, the graft (gentiles) save the root (Jews) and gather covenant Israel in the last days.
-Jehovah is no respecter of persons. Salvation is not about blood. Covenants are universally offered as God "works among the children of men according to their faith". Luke 4: Jesus points out that miracles were done for the Gentiles who believed, instead of for the Jews who did not believe.
January 8, 2015
Not very impressed. FFOZ has gone off the reservation on the topic of the G-dfearers. When they (FFOZ) departed from the One Law movement they swung way to far the other way. They completely miss the point Sha'ul (Paul) makes concerning the role of the non-Jew in the congregation of G-d. They maintain that non-Jews are mere second rate citizens in the congregation and they should not be found in Messianic synagogues but rather they should gather with their own kind in Churches.
Toby denies that G-dfearers are required to observe the Sabbath and Festivals of G-d, but may do so if they want, even though the scriptures clearly state that the G-dfearers are to do so.
It has been a very difficult read because of the many erroneous and incomprehensible conclusions expressed by Toby. I know FFOZ has within the last several years felt the need to delve into the topic of the G-dfearer but I caution those that read this book to beware as most of the conclusions are based on false doctrine concerning the non-Jew. They have an opinion of the non-Jew and have a difficult time lining that doctrine with what the New Testament has to say.
FFOZ puts out many good resources. Their Torah commentaries are superb. However, when it comes to the New Testament, Sha'ul (Paul) and the G-dfearers they simply don't have a clue.
Toby denies that G-dfearers are required to observe the Sabbath and Festivals of G-d, but may do so if they want, even though the scriptures clearly state that the G-dfearers are to do so.
It has been a very difficult read because of the many erroneous and incomprehensible conclusions expressed by Toby. I know FFOZ has within the last several years felt the need to delve into the topic of the G-dfearer but I caution those that read this book to beware as most of the conclusions are based on false doctrine concerning the non-Jew. They have an opinion of the non-Jew and have a difficult time lining that doctrine with what the New Testament has to say.
FFOZ puts out many good resources. Their Torah commentaries are superb. However, when it comes to the New Testament, Sha'ul (Paul) and the G-dfearers they simply don't have a clue.
February 18, 2013
Great book. Explains a lot. Didn't give it 5 stars because I think it could have been organized better.
June 30, 2022
This book was very well written. It was balanced and yet honest and direct. The second appendix was repetitive but other than that a highly sound book. I would definitely recommend it.
December 22, 2024
I read this book over three Sabbaths. I am still left with a lot of questions. I felt the overall conclusion was a gentile may or may not observe the Torah, it’s up to them. I read somewhere once, and it could have been from FFOZ, that remaining a gentile is a way to prove God’s love. That hit me pretty hard as I was, still am but less so, considering conversion to Judaism. I was raised in a “Replacement Theology” Sabbitarean Christian sect. I felt growing up that the church was too stringent and not nearly as Jewish as they needed to be. Finding FFOZ felt really good. Along with studying what FFOZ has to offer I’ve been dabbling with academic Biblical study as well.
This book is well researched and contains some valuable insights into Jewish perceptions of Gentiles. I felt this book leans Noahide. I think Gentiles, particularly those who wish to be a part of Messianic Jewish communities need something more prescriptive. This, by and large, is the issue facing the Noahide movement as well. There doesn’t seem to be any prescriptive way for a Gentile to worship and live in the fullness of God. Mainstream churches teach replacement theology which is chock full of antisemitism and Judaism doesn’t seem to want much to do with gentiles, can you blame them?
As I stated at the beginning of this review, I’m left with more questions than answers. At least I have good questions to ask but I am unsure of where to find the solutions. I think the biggest question I have is what does Jesus’s sacrifice mean? What does it mean if no one is set free of the law as Paul cryptically wrote? What does it mean if some humans have no law or very few? How are we to pray and when? What does God want from the non-Jew? This book very clearly explains that non-Jews who follow God have been around since the beginning of time but I still don’t understand how we can integrate within the greater body of Christ.
I am sure there is more material to read from FFOZ on this subject and perhaps this wasn’t the place to start if I was looking for an outline on how to study, live, and believe. This is a very good book and quick read. It took me three Sabbaths to read it because I reserved it for Sabbath study only. I could have easily read it in a single session but I have children and read fiction during the week.
I will absolutely pour over the FFOZ site and purchase more books. I think what I have read from them best sums up what I believe based on everything I’ve read in the Bible. Perhaps FFOZ does provide some kind of community for gentiles caught between the Church and Jewish conversion, like I am.
This book is well researched and contains some valuable insights into Jewish perceptions of Gentiles. I felt this book leans Noahide. I think Gentiles, particularly those who wish to be a part of Messianic Jewish communities need something more prescriptive. This, by and large, is the issue facing the Noahide movement as well. There doesn’t seem to be any prescriptive way for a Gentile to worship and live in the fullness of God. Mainstream churches teach replacement theology which is chock full of antisemitism and Judaism doesn’t seem to want much to do with gentiles, can you blame them?
As I stated at the beginning of this review, I’m left with more questions than answers. At least I have good questions to ask but I am unsure of where to find the solutions. I think the biggest question I have is what does Jesus’s sacrifice mean? What does it mean if no one is set free of the law as Paul cryptically wrote? What does it mean if some humans have no law or very few? How are we to pray and when? What does God want from the non-Jew? This book very clearly explains that non-Jews who follow God have been around since the beginning of time but I still don’t understand how we can integrate within the greater body of Christ.
I am sure there is more material to read from FFOZ on this subject and perhaps this wasn’t the place to start if I was looking for an outline on how to study, live, and believe. This is a very good book and quick read. It took me three Sabbaths to read it because I reserved it for Sabbath study only. I could have easily read it in a single session but I have children and read fiction during the week.
I will absolutely pour over the FFOZ site and purchase more books. I think what I have read from them best sums up what I believe based on everything I’ve read in the Bible. Perhaps FFOZ does provide some kind of community for gentiles caught between the Church and Jewish conversion, like I am.
January 9, 2018
Audiobook: 4h.19m.
At the core of this book is a conviction that, by severing its ties with historically practiced Judaism, modern and mainstream Christianity is missing out on many beautiful and important religious practices. God Fearers outlines the first-century expectations for gentile (non-Jewish) converts to Christianity, emphasizing the passages of New Testament Scripture that wouldn't have made sense to readers unless they were familiar with (and actively participating in) some of the formal, Old Covenant commandments that the Church has since abandoned. As I understand it, Messianic Jews aim to revive the version of Christianity that was practiced by the disciples of Christ.
This was an interesting, challenging journey through history, and I've been left with much to think about. Because my research in this area is in its fledgling stages, it's hard to speak with confidence regarding historical / interpretation accuracy, but I didn't instinctually disagree with any arguments put forward by the author. I'd recommend this for people who want to better understand the relationship between our now-ancient Jewish spiritual heritage, and our place as Christian worshippers in the world today.
At the core of this book is a conviction that, by severing its ties with historically practiced Judaism, modern and mainstream Christianity is missing out on many beautiful and important religious practices. God Fearers outlines the first-century expectations for gentile (non-Jewish) converts to Christianity, emphasizing the passages of New Testament Scripture that wouldn't have made sense to readers unless they were familiar with (and actively participating in) some of the formal, Old Covenant commandments that the Church has since abandoned. As I understand it, Messianic Jews aim to revive the version of Christianity that was practiced by the disciples of Christ.
This was an interesting, challenging journey through history, and I've been left with much to think about. Because my research in this area is in its fledgling stages, it's hard to speak with confidence regarding historical / interpretation accuracy, but I didn't instinctually disagree with any arguments put forward by the author. I'd recommend this for people who want to better understand the relationship between our now-ancient Jewish spiritual heritage, and our place as Christian worshippers in the world today.
March 20, 2017
A really challenging read. I'll definitely be revisiting this in the future.
July 8, 2023
The 'light' version of Restoration
July 4, 2012
It's great to see a contemporary book, that's also from a Messianic Jewish perspective, on this subject. Janicki has done a lot of research, so hopefully he keeps publishing on this topic. We can all learn from others who are expressing the definition of God-fearer differently. The target audience seems to be people who are already familiar with the basic issues surrounding Gentiles within the Messianic Jewish movement. I really enjoyed reading this book and will pursue a connection with the author.
October 24, 2016
Interesting overview of the Gentile role in first century Christianity/Judaism and the implications for messianic believers today. Seems well researched with a lot of references in second temple time period and early church fathers however the author frequently makes arguments based on source material with multiple possible interpretations and fails to justify the conclusion he came to. This weakens the overall strength of the book. Furthermore, the book was originally a series of loosely-related articles in periodicals and thus lacks a strong sense of overarching structure.
August 18, 2012
Haven't read this yet but its NEXT! Can't wait!
Read
March 24, 2016Excellent Book
January 23, 2015
Very good book. Covers the blurry and confusing line of gentiles in a Jewish-based faith both ancient and modern.
October 26, 2022
An excellent introduction!
October 31, 2018
okay...in the pivotal points the book fails to convince, however
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews