Source needed: Synagogue/Church relationship

A post made me wonder - in the earliest years of the Christian Church:

Did Gentile Christians attend synagogue services after conversion?
When did Jewish Christians quit attending synagogue services?

Unfortunately, my knowledge of early worship practices starts a bit later than this period which is sparsely documented. Sources that speculate are gratefully accepted.

Find more posts tagged with

Comments

DMB

Just chatting, I think you'd have to qualify your question?

- One finds the Fathers getting angry over mixed jewish-Christian behaviors. Fairly late.

- Where and define Christians? Referring to 'the Poor', which surprisingly survived pretty late.

- Jewish services? Synogogues were often quasi-community centers (as 'ours' is).

Sort of greys mixed with greys. Commentaries like to date John, relative to a hard separation.

Resource-wise, I'm away from my Mac, but several titles Jews and Christians in detail, that paint greys.

Your question cost me money!

https://www.logos.com/product/7907/nazarene-jewish-christianity (the Poor)

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1242817#Comment_1242817

I think you'd have to qualify your question?

The post that made me seek this information was an unqualified assertion regarding a related topic. What I suspect is that this reflects one of the first cultural changes within the church. But, as the answer will be gray, I wanted to ask the question in a fuzzy manner to obtain the broadest possible array of hints. And now you've cost me money - thank you.

David J. Wilson

Good questions!
Suggested sources: (You may already have these in your Logos Library)
- "A Short History of the Early Church", Harry Boer, Page 21 (Part of Logos 8 Lutheran Starter and many others)
https://www.logos.com/product/7286/a-short-history-of-the-early-church and
- "Worship in the Early Church", Ralph P. Martin https://www.logos.com/product/7284/worship-in-the-early-church

Did Gentile Christians attend synagogue services after conversion?
Probably not unless they had converted to Judaism as part of their conversion to Christianity; common in Judea even after the Council of Jerusalem where the need was debated. In the Diaspora not so clear based on Paul's teachings. However as pointed out in Ralph Martin's book, Christians were considered by Jews as being a party within broader Judaism initially and groups of 10 or more such Jewish Christians could form their own synagogue and still be recognized as Jewish, and there is likely no record of whether any gentiles might have attended any of these synagogues established by this new Christian party (as opposed to other synagogues where their attendance would likely have been challenged..
When did Jewish Christians quit attending synagogue services?
According to Harry Boer's book: stopping attendance at Synagogues in Judea and Galilee probably happened around the time the Jewish Revolt against Roman rule got started:
"The Christian Jews had to choose whether or not they would support such a rebellion. They took the side of those who opposed revolt. About the same time, James, the Lord’s brother and leader of the church in Jerusalem, was killed. In 66 the Christians decided to leave Jerusalem. They migrated to Pella, a Gentile city across the Jordan, where they remained until after the fall of Jerusalem. They were never again regarded as true Jews. In about A.D. 84, the Jewish leadership in Palestine sent out word to the synagogues everywhere that Christian Jews were to be excluded from their assemblies. A Jewish Christian could therefore no longer both hold his Christian faith and retain his membership in the Jewish community."
Boer, H. R. (1976). A short history of the early church (p. 21). Eerdmans.

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1242819#Comment_1242819

Thanks - I'll follow up with these.

Thomas Pape

Yeshua: A Guide to the Real Jesus and the Original Church ??

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1242828#Comment_1242828

Thanks - not familiar with this resource at all