English Dictionary------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Judaism |ˈjo͞odāˌizəmˈjo͞odēˌizəm| nounthe monotheistic religion of the Jews.• the Jews collectively.For its origins Judaism looks to the biblical covenant made by God with Abraham, and to the laws revealed to Moses and recorded in the Torah (supplemented by the rabbinical Talmud), which established the Jewish people's special relationship with God. Since the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in ad 70, the rituals of Judaism have centered on the home and the synagogue, the chief day of worship being the Sabbath (sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday), and the annual observances including Yom Kippur and Passover.
The Judaizer's were a faction of the Jewish Christians, both of Jewish and non-Jewish origins, who regarded the Levitical laws of the Old Testament as still binding on all Christians.[1] They tried to enforce Jewish circumcision upon the Gentile converts to early Christianity and were strenuously opposed and criticized for their behavior by the Apostle Paul, who employed many of his epistles to refute their doctrinal positions.[1][2][3][4]
The term is derived from the Koine Greek word Ἰουδαΐζειν (Ioudaizein),[5] used once in the Greek New Testament (Galatians 2:14),[6] when Paul the Apostle publicly challenged the Apostle Peter for compelling Gentile converts to early Christianity to "judaize".[7][8] This episode is known as the incident at Antioch.
Most Christians believe that much of the Old Covenant has been superseded, and many believe it has been completely abrogated and replaced by the Law of Christ.[9] The Christian debate over Judaizing began in the lifetime of the apostles, notably at the Council of Jerusalem and the incident at Antioch.[2][3] It has been carried on parallel to continuing debates about Paul the Apostle and Judaism, Protestant views of the Ten Commandments, and Christian ethics.