WHO IS A JEW? – PART III

THIS IS HOW YOU KNOW WHO THE JEWS ARE.

When King Louis XIV asked Blaise Pascal how he could prove the existence of God, Pascal reportedly responded:

“Why, the Jews, Your Majesty—the Jews.”

Who was Blaise Pascal?

Blaise Pascal (1623–1662) was a French mathematician, physicist, inventor, philosopher, and theologian. He was born on June 19, 1623, in Clermont-Ferrand, France, into a Catholic family. His father, Étienne Pascal, was a respected judge and mathematician, and his family adhered to Catholic traditions.  A child prodigy, he made groundbreaking contributions to mathematics, including probability theory and geometry, and invented the Pascaline, an early mechanical calculator. He also advanced the study of fluid mechanics and pressure. Later in life, Pascal turned to theology, becoming a key figure in Jansenism and writing influential works like Pensées, which explored faith and reason. His legacy spans science, philosophy, and religious thought.

What Did Pascal Mean?

Pascal was pointing to the existence, survival, and unique history of the Jewish people as the most compelling proof of God. His reasoning can be broken down into several key ideas:

1. The Jewish People Fulfill Biblical Prophecy

Pascal believed that the history of the Jews was supernaturally foretold in the Bible. Scripture predicted their suffering, exile, and eventual preservation despite immense persecution. He saw this as evidence of divine intervention because no other nation had survived with its identity intact through such trials.

  • Deuteronomy 28:64-65: “The LORD will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other… among those nations, you shall find no ease.”
  • Jeremiah 30:11: “For I am with you to save you, declares the LORD. Though I make a full end of all the nations among whom I have scattered you, I will not make a full end of you.”

The Jews were exiled, scattered, and oppressed, yet unlike other ancient nations (e.g., Babylonians, Hittites, Philistines), they were never fully destroyed.

2. The Jews’ Survival Defies Natural Explanation

Pascal observed that the Jews had faced centuries of exile, persecution, and attempts at annihilation, yet they remained a distinct people. No other nation in history had survived similar circumstances without assimilation or extinction.

  • The Babylonian exile (6th century BCE)
  • The Roman destruction of Jerusalem (70 CE)
  • The Medieval expulsions and persecutions
  • The Holocaust in the 20th century

Despite all of this, the Jewish people remained intact, continued to practice their faith, and eventually returned to their land. This, to Pascal, was a miracle.

3. The Jews as the Custodians of Divine Revelation

Pascal saw the Jewish people as the bearers of divine truth—they were entrusted with the Scriptures and prophecies about the Messiah. The Old Testament, written by Jewish prophets, contains numerous prophecies about the coming of Christ, which Pascal, as a Christian, believed were fulfilled in Jesus.

  • Isaiah 53: Describes a suffering servant, which Christians interpret as referring to Jesus.
  • Daniel 9:24-27: Gives a prophecy of the coming of the Messiah.
  • Micah 5:2: Predicts the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.

The fact that the Jewish people preserved these prophecies and yet, for the most part, did not accept Jesus as the Messiah was, in Pascal’s view, another divine mystery proving God’s hand.

4. The Jews and the Evidence of Divine Law

Pascal admired the moral and legal system given to the Jews, seeing it as evidence of divine authorship. The Torah’s laws on justice, sabbath, dietary restrictions, and ethics were radically advanced for their time and formed the foundation for modern legal and moral systems.

  • Nations that opposed them rose and fell, but the Jews remained.
  • Kingdoms persecuted them, but the Torah endured.

Pascal saw this as proof that God had preserved His people and His Word.

Pascal’s Conclusion

By pointing to the Jews as the proof of God’s existence, Pascal was making a historical, prophetic, and existential argument. The Jewish people should have disappeared, yet they survived exactly as the Bible predicted. Their very existence, according to Pascal, was the greatest evidence of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

His answer was simple but profound: If you want proof of God, look at the Jews.

The claim that the only true Jews are those who believe in Yeshua (Jesus) is a theological assertion made primarily by some Christian groups, particularly those influenced by Replacement Theology or Messianic interpretations of Judaism. However, a careful examination of both the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) and the New Testament shows that this idea is not explicitly supported by Scripture. Instead, the Bible presents a more nuanced view of Jewish identity.

1. The Tanakh (Old Testament) Affirms Jewish Identity is Based on Covenant and Lineage

The Hebrew Bible establishes Jewish identity through God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Genesis 12:1-3, Genesis 17:7-8).

  • Genesis 17:7 – “I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you.”
  • Exodus 19:5-6 – “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you shall be My treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”

These passages define Jewish identity through divine election and covenant, not belief in the Messiah.

The Torah never states that a Jew ceases to be a Jew if they do not believe in a particular figure. Even when Israel was rebellious or idolatrous, they were still called God’s people. Being Jewish is tied to lineage, covenant, and obedience to the commandments, not faith in Yeshua.

2. What Does the New Testament Say?

The New Testament acknowledges that Jewish identity continues even among those who do not believe in Jesus.

A. Paul Still Recognized Non-Messianic Jews as Jews

Paul, a Jewish believer in Yeshua, still recognized the Jewish people as God’s covenant nation—even when they rejected Jesus.

  • Romans 3:1-3 – “Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much in every way. To begin with, they were entrusted with the oracles of God. What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means!”

Key points from this passage:

  • Jews who do not believe in Jesus are still Jews.
  • Their unbelief does not cancel God’s promises to them.
  • They remain the people entrusted with God’s Word.
  • Romans 11:1-2 – “Has God rejected His people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew.”

Here, Paul affirms that Israel remains God’s people even in their unbelief. If Jews who reject Jesus were no longer Jews, Paul would not have referred to them as still being Israel.

B. The “True Jew” in Romans 2:28-29

A common verse used to claim that only believers in Jesus are true Jews is:

Romans 2:28-29 – “For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter.”

Some interpret this to mean that only Christians (or Messianic believers) are true Jews. However, Paul’s point is that true covenantal faithfulness comes from the heart, not just physical identity. He is not saying that ethnic Jews cease to be Jews—rather, he is emphasizing spiritual faithfulness over external ritual.

This verse does not say that Jews who do not believe in Jesus stop being Jews. Instead, it is part of Paul’s argument that Jewish identity should not be reduced to external rituals but should include an inward commitment to God.

C. The Future Redemption of Non-Messianic Jews

Paul explicitly teaches that Jews who do not believe in Yeshua are still part of God’s plan and will one day be restored.

  • Romans 11:25-26 – “A partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved.”

Key takeaways:

  • Israel as a nation is still recognized even when many reject Yeshua.
  • “All Israel” (not just believing Jews) will eventually experience redemption.
  • If only Jewish believers in Jesus were “true Jews,” this passage would not make sense, since Paul speaks of a future redemption for Israel.

3. Jewish Identity in Jewish Tradition

In Jewish thought, a Jew is a Jew, regardless of belief.

  • Talmud, Sanhedrin 44a – “A Jew, even though he has sinned, is still a Jew.”
  • Even Jews who abandon faith are still considered part of the Jewish people.

If Jewish unbelief in Yeshua nullified their Jewishness, then:

  1. Paul would not have still called them Jews.
  2. God’s covenant promises to Israel would be broken (which Paul denies in Romans 11).
  3. The concept of Jewish peoplehood would contradict thousands of years of Jewish tradition.

4. The Error of Replacement Theology

The idea that only Jews who believe in Jesus are “true Jews” comes from Replacement Theology, which claims that the church has replaced Israel as God’s chosen people. However, this doctrine contradicts both the Old and New Testaments, which affirm Israel’s ongoing covenant role.

  • Isaiah 49:15-16 – “Can a mother forget her nursing child? Even if she could, I will not forget you. See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands.”
  • Jeremiah 31:35-36 – “Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for light by day… If this fixed order departs from before Me, then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before Me forever.”

God’s promises to Israel remain intact, even when they do not recognize Jesus.

Conclusion: What the Bible Actually Teaches

The claim that only Jews who believe in Yeshua are true Jews is not biblically supported. Instead:

  1. Jewish identity is based on lineage and covenant, not belief in Yeshua.
  2. Jews who do not believe in Jesus are still called Jews in the New Testament.
  3. Paul affirms that God has not rejected the Jewish people, even in unbelief.
  4. The idea that non-believing Jews stop being Jews contradicts Scripture and Jewish tradition.
  5. God’s covenant with Israel is eternal and does not depend on individual belief.

While faith in Yeshua is central to the New Covenant, the Bible does not teach that Jews cease to be Jews if they do not believe. Rather, Jewish identity remains intact, and God’s plan for Israel is still unfolding.

WHO IS A JEW ? – PART IV