One of the ugliest aspects in the history of Christianity is the presence of anti-semitism. The four gospels are thoroughly Jewish documents. The controversies between Jesus and the “scribes and chief priests” do no reflect a rejection of Judaism but an effort to define what is authentically Jewish. St. Paul, while always very convinced of the validity of the Christian mission to the gentiles (non-Jews) does not want to cut the Christian movement off of its Jewish roots: theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; theirs the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, is the Christ. In other words, if we don’t appreciate how God was acting throughout history toward the Chosen People we won’t understand Christ. In another place Paul reminds us that God does not change the divine mind, the Chosen People are still chosen! If we don’t understand where we come from, we don’t understand who we are.
