In the books of the New Testament, it becomes apparent that there are significant differences between the traditions of the Jewish community and those of the newly formed Christian community. Indeed, the divisions between the two religious traditions are so meaningful because they speak to the fundamental philosophical differences in their belief systems. They are carefully laid out in the First and Second Letters of Paul to the Corinthians, as Paul himself explains the true teaching of Christianity and how it differs from Judaism. Firstly, Christianity endorses a more egalitarian approach to inclusion in the church, as opposed to the Jewish community which operates on a rather rigid social hierarchy. Secondly, the Christian community believes that man can attain salvation through grace alone, while the Jewish community contends that one must perform good works and adhere to the Jewish law in order to be saved. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Christianity is based upon the idea that Jesus Christ's resurrection after his death signifies eternal life for all mankind, thus making one's sacrifices on earth worthwhile. The Jewish community, however, does not subscribe to the notion of resurrection, or the veracity of Jesus' resurrection itself.
During the time of Jesus, Judaism was ordered by a fairly rigid social structure, which meant that the Jewish community was not truly open to all persons. Indeed, if one was not born Jewish, then they found themselves at the bottom of the hierarchy, and non-Jews were not considered to as spiritually pure as Jews. Christianity, however, adhered to the principle that it was one's belief in the message of Jesus Christ that determined his/her 'purity.' In this sense, the Christian community was more inclusive, and drew a wider range of persons. In Corinthians 1, Paul addresses his message to all "awho have been consecrated in Christ Jesus and called to be a holy people, as ...