Teachers: the objective of this lesson is to expand the student's understanding of one of the groups who heard about and responded to the Christ. The proselytes illustrate the diversity of the first century church. Today's Christians need a distinct, factual realization that the gospel was shared with a wide variety of people.
This lesson must begin with a specific understanding. The people in the New Testament called "proselytes" were not born as Israelites. They had neither one nor two Jewish parents. They had no ancestral roots in Israel, yet they adopted Judaism as their religion.
Be certain to give your students clear, basic definitions. Members of the nation of Israel were known as Israelites in the Old Testament period and Jews in the New Testament period. The words Israelite and Jew refer to the same ethnic people, the same descendants of Abraham in the nation of Israel. A proselyte did not have a Jewish parent [at least one parent must be Jewish for a person to be considered born into the nation of Israel], but a proselyte converted to Judaism. Judaism is the name of the Jewish religion. Conversion to Judaism made a person a part of Israel. One could enter Israel by birth or by conversion to Judaism. Jews (Israelites) made no distinction between the secular and the spiritual. If a person was a part of God's convenant with Abraham, he or she was a part of the nation that came from Abraham through Isaac. For a person [who did not have Jewish parents] to be accepted into the Jewish community, he or she had to convert to Judaism. The Jewish community and the Jewish religion were inseparable.
If you wish to do an in-depth study of proselytes, an excellent beginning point is Everett Ferguson's Backgrounds of Early Christianity, Second Edition, published by William B. Eerdman's Publishing Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan [which includes footnotes and bibliography].
This source quickly directs the researcher to primary sources.
Some people who were not Israelites were attracted to Jewish synagogues. This was particularly true outside of Palestine. From the time of Judah's Babylonian exile experiences [the exiles occurred between 609 and 597 B.C.] until today, more Jews [Israelites] lived [live] outside Palestine than inside Palestine. Before Jesus' birth, Jewish people were scattered throughout the Mediterranean world. Jews living outside Palestine were known as the dispersed ones. Anywhere enough Jews lived to maintain it, a synagogue existed. Just as the Jews had a presence throughout the Roman world, synagogues had a presence throughout the Roman world. In fact, some Jews outside Palestine maintained synagogues in Jerusalem (Acts 6:9).
In the first century Roman world, some were disillusioned with the gods. For a variety of reasons, some regarded the gods as ineffective or of questionable existence. Ethically and morally, Judaism was commonly superior to other religions of a region.
Jewish synagogues were the foundation for Judaism's cultural and religious preservation outside of Palestine. Anywhere synagogues existed, they were the social centers and weekly gathering places of local Jewish communities. The local synagogue served many purposes: worship; educating people in the law; teaching children the faith; applying faith to personal conduct; serving as a hospitality haven for traveling Jews; and educating the local area in Judaism.
Some Christians conclude the existence of proselytes demonstrated an "evangelistic outreach" in first century Judaism. In the Christian concept of evangelism, that is an incorrect conclusion. Most Jews did not oppose religious interest expressed by or inquiries from people who were not Israelites. While no official policy to evangelize such people existed, serious expressions of interest were accepted. However, not all Jews felt people who were not born Jews should be accepted into Judaism. Jesus' statement that scribes and Pharisees used great effort to make one proselyte probably did not indicate evangelistic endeavors. It probably verifies their determination to indoctrinate proselytes in a proper understanding of and respect for Jewish laws and customs.
It is important to understand that evangelism as it exists in Christian concept and definition was not a part of Judaism.
The synagogue held a significant attraction for some who were not Israelites. The appeal included (a) the worship of one God, (b) high standards of personal conduct, (c) its type of worship [that centered in thinking and understanding, not in offering sacrifices], (d) the fact that it preserved and advanced a sense of community, and (e) the fact that it honored ancient, inspired writings.
The process for becoming a proselyte in the first century is not clear. Jewish writings provide evidence that not all Jews accepted proselytes as full members of the Jewish community. Jewish attitudes toward proselytes varied. Information from a period after the first century indicates three requirements for men who became proselytes: circumcision, an immersion similar to Christian baptism, and a gift to the temple.
The process used to become a proselyte in the first century is questionable. That proselytes existed is unquestionable. First century requirements to be a proselyte are uncertain. The sources stating the requirements are older than the first century.
Circumcision was a prerequisite rite for acceptance into Israel even for Jews. This rite began as a faith response to God's covenant (Genesis 17:9-14). An uncircumcised Israelite was not to be a part of Israel. A man without a Jewish parent who entered the Jewish community must be circumcised. The importance of circumcision in the Jewish community was unquestionable (see Acts 16:1-3). This requirement did not apply to women proselytes.
In Judaism, male circumcision was mandatory, as Genesis 17:9-14 states. Exodus 12:48 permitted people who were not Israelites to eat the Passover if all the males of the household were circumcised. Any male who ate the Passover must be a circumcised person, whether his parents were Israelites or not.
The role of cleansing in establishing purification before God was an ancient understanding in Judaism. In first century Judaism, cleansing by immersion was a common practice. Numerous first century Jewish cleansing pools have been discovered. Such pools were used for a variety of cleansing purposes. The cleansing of a proselyte was just one. The fact that this rite used immersion is beyond question. While the person immersed himself or herself, it occurred in the presence of Jewish witnesses as they instructed the proselyte in Judaism's commandments.
An important manifestation of Israel's holiness was expressed in the purity (cleanliness) of the Israelites. Cleanliness did not focus on health and hygiene issues, but on ceremonial activities that separated Israelites from the impure [things that separated them from their holy God or made them unsuitable for God's purposes]. While purification occupied an essential role in many matters, Israel's Day of Atonement provides an excellent illustration of the importance of purification in Israel. Note the importance of cleansing (purifying) the high priest from evil. Note the process of sacrificial atonement for Israel's sins. Note the role of the scape goat. Note the washing of the clothes and the bathing of the persons who burned the carcasses of the sin offerings outside the camp. The final act was the washing of those who destroyed the carcasses of the sin offering.
The immersion pool first century Israel used for cleansing was called mikweh.
The gift to the temple predated the destruction of the temple in AD 70. This may have been no more than exercising the privilege and responsibility of being a part of the Jewish community.
New Testament references to proselytes:
The scribes and Pharisees exerted enormous effort (no effort was regarded to be unreasonable) to prepare a person to become a proselyte. To protect the law and preserve Judaism, anyone converting to Judaism must be thoroughly instructed.
The effect of the indoctrination worsened the spiritual condition of the convert. The motivations and priorities taught the proselyte were those of the scribes and Pharisees. The motivations and priorities were not God's.
The two named groups who came to Jerusalem were Jews and proselytes.
Nicholas was a proselyte who originally came from Antioch. Nicholas obviously was filled with faith and the spirit. He was so obviously, genuinely devout that he became one of seven choices in a huge congregation. The fact that he was selected by a Jewish congregation indicates this Christian proselyte was known as a committed, fair, compassionate, spiritual man.
Paul addressed his sermon to "the men of Israel" and to "you who fear God."
It states that many of the Jews and of the God-fearing proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas.
Advantages of a proselyte when hearing the gospel: (a) he/she knew the living God; (b) he/she knew scripture; (c) he/she understood something about God's will; (d) he/she had an improved definition of evil and godliness; (e) he/she was exposed to the prophesies about the Messiah.
Disadvantages of the proselyte in responding to the gospel: (a) he/she may have been indoctrinated in Jewish prejudices that opposed the gospel; (b) he/she could resent people who were not Jews but who became God's people through grace [grace made it much easier to be God's child than did the Jewish process of becoming a proselyte].
The fact that a person became a proselyte would indicate intense personal spiritual commitment and interest. Such interest could produce great openness and responsiveness to the gospel, or it could produce great protectiveness of past Jewish responses to Judaism. Such protectiveness could easily become prejudice.
Link to Student Guide
Quarter 1, Lesson 5