22
want to justify past mistakes, but neither should we associate past writers with crimes of which they were
simply not guilty. They need to be studied on their own.
When we do study them on their own, we come up with a mixed response of criticism and
appreciation. This is in part due to the Christian proponent's viewing the Holy Scriptures in a different
way altogether from his Jewish antagonist in the debate. Some balanced observations in this regard are
made by Williams at the conclusion of his masterful overview of the Adversus Judaeos literature.
The treatises we have considered show a sincere desire on the part of the writers to use the
evidence of the Old Testament as well as they knew how, according to the light of their time.
Their weakness lies in estimating the Jewish use of the Scripture wrongly. They never understood
the mind of the Jews. Christian writers . . . blamed the obstinate Jews for not accepting the
evidence which seemed to them so strong. But, in reality, this was only because they themselves
misconceived the case. A passage in the Old Testament may be a very valuable illustration, and
may even bring out the principle underlying some important Christian truth, and yet be quite
worthless if it is used as definite proof in the usual and strict meaning of the term.
45
It is obvious even from these brief personal comments that more study is vitally needed in many
of these areas such as the difference between Jewish and Christian hermeneutical methods during this
period. What led to the two "debaters" being so far removed from each other on the subject of the identity
of the Messiah? If the two did share a common ground the books of the Christian Old
Testament/Jewish Tenach why were they so far apart on the correct way to read those same scriptures?
And what role does theological/spiritual predisposition play?
The Jewish-Christian "dialogue" has not ended. It has continued into the twenty first century,
although with a different tone and setting. May the current participants learn from these past efforts some
important lessons on how (and how not) to continue that dialogue.
45
Williams, Adversus Judaeos, 417.