In this video, I want to show you how Paul’s idea of the Messiah differs from the traditional Jewish one. Judaism expects a human, Davidic leader who restores Israel, but when I look at Paul, I see a very different figure: a divine‑human Messiah at the center of faith itself. God’s presence, which Judaism understands as dwelling in the whole people, becomes focused in one person.
This shift also changes how Paul sees the Torah. In Judaism, the Torah is eternal and the main way of relating to God. Paul, however, treats it as temporary—something whose purpose is fulfilled in Christ. That’s why he talks about “righteousness through faith,” whereas Judaism understands righteousness simply as living faithfully within the covenant. Because of this, Paul also reimagines redemption. Instead of a concrete, historical restoration—the end of exile and return to the land—he speaks of a new creation, a new humanity, and a universal family of God that includes Gentiles without requiring them to become Jews.
Finally, I’ll show how Paul reads the Hebrew Bible as pointing toward Christ, while Judaism insists that the world is still unredeemed and that the prophetic promises of peace and justice remain unfulfilled.