MATTHEW 23:15 WAS JUDAISM A MISSIONARY RELIGION?

Before dealing with the question above, an explanation of some of the terms that appear in this verse is in order:

    “Cross sea and land” may refer to their “extensive effort rather than geographical movements.” (Kostenberger)

    “Proselyte, or convert” – This Greek word also appears in Acts 2:10; 6:5; 13:43. In those passages, it refers respectively to converts from Rome, Antioch, and Antioch of Pisidia.

    “Twice as much” should be translated “as much a” according to Beale. It only appears elsewhere in the NT in I Timothy 5:17 and Revelation 18:6.

    “Son of destruction” can refer to their character or their destiny (also found in John 17:12).

    “Gehenna” = the place of punishment in the next life, hell.

    “Godfearers” Although this term does not appear in this verse, its definition is important in understanding some of the theories regarding this general subject. It basically meant a Gentile who attended the synagogue services and followed the ethical teachings of Judaism. However, they stopped short of becoming actual Jews and did not become circumcised, perform ritual immersion for purification, or give the requisite offering to the temple.

Some sites on the internet state with certainty that Judaism was never a religion that believed in outreach to others even though they did welcome Gentiles into the synagogue. R.T. France is closer to the truth when he states: “There is considerable disagreement about how extensive and how successful Jewish attempts to gain proselytes were at this period...” To get an idea of the scope of uncertainty regarding this issue, here are some comments taken from various scholars.

    Goodman: This may refer to a mission to Jews to convert them to the Pharisee sect.

    McKnight: They were trying to convert Godfearers to Jews. The initiative usually lay with the Gentiles.

    Bietenhard: “In the pre-Christian era and up to A.D. 70 the Jews, particularly the Hellenistic Jews, carried out a strong propaganda and missionary activity, or to be more precise, proselytism (Philo). Matthew 23:15 indicates that this was also true of the Palestinian Jews. Josephus, Seneca, Dio Cassius and others bear witness to the great success of this propaganda...The number of Jews in the Roman Empire was as a result of this propaganda disproportionally high, viz. Some 6-8% of the population.” But after A.D. 70, “Those who wanted to become proselytes had to come of their own initiative, though they were received in a friendly manner.”

Kosterberger: “The inclusion of Gentiles in the orbit of God's salvation was not expected until the end times, as a special work of God, which prevented intertestamental Jews from active outreach to Gentiles.”

Cohen: “Josephus narrates that in the middle of the first century C.E. the royal house of the kingdom of Adiabene became Jewish under the tutelage of itinerant Jewish merchants...There is no evidence for an organized Jewish mission to the gentiles, but individuals seem to have engaged in this activity on their own.”

Ellison mentions only one convert who actually became a Pharisee: Nicolaus of Antioch (Acts 6:5) and perhaps the Ethiopian eunuch as well (Acts 8:27). However, he does not give his source for such conjectures.

Albright: “But none of this kind of effort would have commended itself to the extreme legalists here castigated by Jesus.”

Hendricksen: The conversion intended was from Gentile Godfearers to actual Pharisees in belief.

Blomberg: “This probably does not refer to large numbers of new converts but to the earnestness with which 'God-fearers' among the Gentiles were encouraged to become full-fledged Jews...”

France: These attempts were carried out in the diaspora, but there is little evidence that they took place in Palestine. It probably refers to Godfearers becoming full Jews.

Whatever the exact nature and extent of such missionary efforts, some possible implications of Jesus' words are given below:

Ellison: “This principle holds also for the person more concerned to win a convert for a denomination than for Christ.”

Blomberg: “Strong warnings appear here for those with great evangelistic fervor in any age. Such people had better be preaching the true gospel.”

Hill: “Possibly the words are intended simply to suggest, in a dramatic way, that converts tend to be even more zealous than their converters!”

Barbieri: “The problem with this was that by their actions they were condemning many individuals to eternal damnation. By imposing external restrictions of Rabbinic traditions on their converts, they were preventing these people from seeing the truth. In fact, such a convert became...more pharisaic than the Pharisees themselves!”