The difference between Christians and Jewish theology that was most surprising was the Jewish view of human nature. The fact is that they believe humans are free to do God’s commands and it is our responsibility to align ourselves with God’s will. There is nothing inherently wrong with this statement, however, it misses the Christian teaching of original sin and the need for grace. We do have free will to choose God’s will or not, but the Holy Spirit collaborates with man’s free will to open one’s eyes to God and His gospel. The similarity is how Christians and Jews view their Holy texts. The Jews believe each word is from God, and Christians would concur with that. We hold these truths regarding the Old and New Testaments, as Paul writes: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…” (2 Tim. 3:16, ESV).
