Topical Bible: The First Fruits: The Jewish Church

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The concept of "First Fruits" holds significant theological and historical importance within the Jewish tradition and the broader biblical narrative. It is deeply rooted in the agricultural practices of ancient Israel and carries profound spiritual symbolism that extends into the New Testament and the early Christian Church.

Old Testament Background

The term "First Fruits" refers to the initial yield of the harvest, which was offered to God as an expression of gratitude and acknowledgment of His provision. This practice is commanded in several passages of the Old Testament. In Exodus 23:19 , the Israelites are instructed, "Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God." This offering was a tangible recognition of God's sovereignty over the land and His role as the ultimate provider.

The Feast of Firstfruits, as outlined in Leviticus 23:9-14, was celebrated during the Passover season. On the day after the Sabbath following Passover, a sheaf of the first grain was waved before the LORD by the priest. This act consecrated the entire harvest to God and was a declaration of trust in His continued provision.

Spiritual Significance

The offering of first fruits was not merely a ritualistic act but carried deep spiritual significance. It symbolized the dedication of the whole to God, acknowledging that all blessings come from Him. Proverbs 3:9 encapsulates this principle: "Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your harvest."

Theologically, the first fruits also served as a type or foreshadowing of greater spiritual truths. The Apostle Paul, in his epistles, draws on this imagery to describe Christ and the believers. In 1 Corinthians 15:20 , Paul writes, "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." Here, Christ's resurrection is seen as the first installment of the future resurrection of all believers, guaranteeing the full harvest to come.

The Jewish Church and First Fruits

In the context of the early Jewish Church, the concept of first fruits took on new dimensions. The early Jewish Christians, who were the first to believe in Jesus as the Messiah, can be seen as the "first fruits" of the new covenant community. James 1:18 reflects this idea: "He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of His creation."

The early Jewish believers were the initial recipients of the gospel, and their faithfulness laid the foundation for the spread of Christianity to the Gentiles. This aligns with the prophetic vision of Israel as a light to the nations, as seen in Isaiah 49:6 : "I will also make you a light for the nations, to bring My salvation to the ends of the earth."

First Fruits in Christian Practice

The principle of first fruits continues to influence Christian thought and practice. It serves as a reminder of the call to dedicate the best of one's resources, time, and talents to God. The early Church's understanding of first fruits as a symbol of resurrection and new life in Christ remains a powerful motif in Christian theology.

In summary, the concept of first fruits, deeply embedded in Jewish tradition, finds its fulfillment and expansion in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and the early Jewish Church. It underscores the continuity of God's redemptive plan from the Old Testament to the New Testament, highlighting themes of gratitude, dedication, and the promise of future glory.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Jeremiah 2:3
Israel was holiness to the LORD, and the first fruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come on them, said the LORD.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

A Liberal Church
... In his first letter to the church at Corinth, Paul ... Under the Jewish system the people
were taught to ... At the harvest and the vintage, the first fruits of the ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 32 a liberal church.htm

A Seeker for Truth
... of work to be entered upon by the church of Christ ... for so direct a violation of the
Jewish teachings ... of Cornelius and his household was but the first fruits of a ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 14 a seeker for.htm

The Catholic Apostolic Church (Called Irvingites. )
... to eschatology, they hold, with the Church of the ... close of the antediluvian and Jewish
dispensations, is ... ready a company of first-fruits, described (Revelation ...
/.../ 113 the catholic apostolic.htm

Practical Observations.
... Pentecost, when the first fruits were waved, was a ... of Christ's ministry, in two respects:
First, as a ... of the exclusiveness of the Jewish church; and secondly ...
/.../johnson/the new testament commentary vol iii john/practical observations 8.htm

The Foundation of the Church.
... day of Pentecost, AD33, the Church of Christ ... philosophy, and deeply versed in the
Jewish doctrines: he ... The Roman soldier, Cornelius, was the first-fruits of a ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson xxi the foundation of.htm

The Ceremonies and Discipline Op the Church as Illustrated by ...
... never taught the members of the Church of Rome to eat the Paschal lamb, for the
Jewish temple continued ... risen from the dead and become the first-fruits of them ...
/.../killen/the ancient church/chapter xii the ceremonies and.htm

The Epistle to the Romans
... he had special reference to the Jewish constituents of ... Colossian church, which was
like the church of Rome ... that Epenetus is called "the first-fruits of Achaia ...
/.../drummond/introduction to the new testament/the epistle to the romans.htm

The Doctrine of the Apostolic Church
... The Jewish ritual must have made the apostles perfectly ... that the doctrine of the
Apostolic Church is eminently ... Spirit of God, and the first-fruits of eternal ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/killen/the ancient church/chapter ii the doctrine of.htm

The Persecutions of the Apostolic Church, and Its Condition at the ...
... After the death of Nero the Church enjoyed a season ... The Jewish calumny, that they
aimed at temporal dominion ... and Sergius Paulus, one of the first fruits of the ...
/.../killen/the ancient church/chapter xi the persecutions of.htm

The Conversion of Cornelius.
... THE conversion of Cornelius, who was the first-fruits of the ... divine grace selected
to be the first among the ... from the communion of the Jewish Church, would be ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture xiii the conversion of.htm