Beyond Our Bubble
Why Christians Should Read the Talmud (and Other Texts) to Build Gospel Bridges
Bursting with Truth
Christians don’t follow the Talmud—it’s not Scripture. And we should never treat it like it is. It’s man’s take on God’s law without Christ.
But that doesn’t mean we ignore it.
Reading other religious texts—like the Talmud, the Quran, or Far Eastern scriptures—can help us understand where others are coming from. Not to accept them as truth, but so we can speak with clarity, not caricature.
A keen working knowledge of other religions helps Christians engage with charity, not just go into faith conversations with an argument to win. We should read various faith materials to step into the other person's shoes—not to stay there, but to know the history of their worldview, and potentially use the information as a persuasive tool to carry someone forward into a future with Christ. That’s our hope in effectively sharing the gospel.
But First—A Word to the Blown Away
If reading the sacred texts of another religion makes you uneasy—hear my heart.
One of the weaknesses of fear-driven Christianity today is its tendency to isolate from anything outside our bubble. As if exposure to a false worldview might unravel the true one. But that’s not biblical courage. That’s insecurity dressed up as discernment.
Truth doesn’t need to be quarantined. It needs to be proclaimed.
The gospel doesn’t collapse under scrutiny. It isn’t propped up by your feelings or protected by ignorance—it stands on the unshakable foundation of Christ’s finished work (1 Corinthians 3:11; Hebrews 13:8). Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6)—not a truth among many, but the truth that exposes all others.
So we don’t need to be afraid of investigating, engaging, or understanding other worldviews.
In fact, Scripture calls us to it:
“We destroy arguments, and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”
—2 Corinthians 10:5
That verse doesn’t assume disengagement. It assumes deep understanding—for the purpose of confrontation and clarity.
· Paul knew the philosophies of the Greeks (Acts 17).
· Moses was raised in Egyptian wisdom (Acts 7:22).
· Daniel was educated in Babylonian literature (Daniel 1:4).
And yet none of them compromised the truth of God—they stood firm in it because they were grounded in it. There biblical worldview in Scripture was the foundation by which they examined all things.
We don’t base our faith on the other texts we read, but we don’t hide from them either. We read—not to believe, but to understand. Biblically, it is wise to be educated in how others think and believe. This way we can build bridges to Christ, not just throw stones from afar (Colossians 4:5–6; 1 Peter 3:15).
If your faith can’t withstand exposure, it’s not grounded in Christ—it’s grounded in fear. But if you’re anchored in the Word, washed by grace, and sealed by the Spirit—you have nothing to fear.
“Test everything; hold fast what is good.”
—1 Thessalonians 5:21
Test. Examine. Engage. And always hold fast to what is true. Because the truth doesn’t flinch. And neither should we.
So What Is the Talmud?
It’s its own bubble of sorts.
All that said, I want to share something fascinating from the Talmud that confirms what Romans already teaches about non-Jews (Gentiles). The Talmud says Gentiles are morally accountable to God, just like Jews are.
The Talmud lists seven basic laws for all people to follow. Break one, and you’re guilty. No covenant. No sliver of hope. According to the Old Testament and the Talmud, it is only through one's law-keeping that they receive some righteous reward or share in God's kingdom.
But the Law reveals guilt—not human righteousness—and that’s precisely the problem the gospel was always intended to solve.
“Through the law comes knowledge of sin.” (Romans 3:20)
God’s redemptive plan wasn’t an afterthought—it was foreordained in Christ before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:20; Ephesians 1:4–5). The purpose of the Law was never salvation through works, but to expose sin and drive us to our need for a Savior (Galatians 3:24).
Though many Jews today do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah, the framework for the gospel is embedded in their Scriptures—from the sacrificial system pointing to a greater Lamb (Isaiah 53), to the promise of a new covenant written on the heart (Jeremiah 31:31–34), to the hope of a coming Redeemer who would bear the sins of many (Daniel 9:26; Psalm 22).
The gospel is not a detour—it is the destination. Christ is the fulfillment of the Law and the prophets (Matthew 5:17), the cornerstone the builders rejected (Psalm 118:22; Acts 4:11). The shadow has always pointed to the substance—and the substance is Christ (Colossians 2:17). It’s not the Bible. It’s not inspired. It’s not God-breathed.
The Talmud is a massive collection of rabbinic commentary—thousands of pages of legal debates, traditions, and extra-biblical teachings compiled after the Old Testament was closed.
It’s made up of two parts:
I. The Mishnah – oral laws written down around 200 AD
II. The Gemara – rabbinic discussion on the Mishnah, compiled 300–500 AD
Together, they form the central text of rabbinic Judaism. It tells Jews how to interpret the Torah, how to live it out, and how to build a system of righteousness without Christ. And that’s the problem. The Talmud tries to make sense of the Law—without the One who fulfilled it. And without Him, it’s impossible.
What Does the Talmud Say About Gentiles?
It builds a bubble of morality—but not salvation.
Before God gave the Law to Moses (Exodus 19–20, 31:18), He gave moral law to everyone. How?
Through creation, conscience, and covenant.
I. Creation shows God’s power, order, and design.
II. Conscience bears witness—we instinctively know right from wrong (Romans 2:14–15).
III. And through Noah, God established a covenant with all humanity after the flood (Genesis 9:6–9). That’s where the Talmud says these moral laws were confirmed.
The Talmud affirms all of this.
So moral law doesn’t begin with Moses at Sinai. It predates him. It goes back to Noah, and even further—to creation, woven into who we are as image-bearers (Genesis 1:27). Long before the tablets were carved by the finger of God, before Israel received the Mosaic covenant, God had already made it clear to all the "sons of Noah" (Genesis 9:8)—to all humanity:
There is right. There is wrong. And every person is accountable to Him. That moral knowledge was never hidden. It’s been written on the heart since Eden. So Gentiles aren’t off the hook. They never were. And, the covenant with Noah wasn’t a new beginning—it was a reaffirmation of what God had already spoken to Adam.
Justice. Life. Worship. Obedience. All reaffirmed after the flood. Same God. Same standard. Same accountability.
The Seven Laws for Gentiles
In Sanhedrin 56a–57a, the Talmud lays out seven universal laws given to humanity through Noah. These are called the Noachide Laws:
I. Don’t worship idols
II. Don’t blaspheme God
II. Don’t murder
IV. Don’t commit sexual immorality
V. Don’t steal
VI. Don’t be cruel to animals (don’t eat from a living one)
VII. Establish courts or systems of justice
According to Jewish tradition, if a Gentile keeps these, they are called “righteous among the nations” and are said to have a share in the world to come.
“The righteous among the nations have a share in the world to come.” — Sanhedrin 105a
The great medieval rabbi Maimonides (Rambam)—one of the most influential Jewish thinkers of all time—confirmed this in his Mishneh Torah:
“Anyone who accepts upon himself the fulfillment of these seven mitzvot and is precise in their observance is considered one of the righteous among the nations and will merit a share in the World to Come.” (Laws of Kings and Wars 8:11)
So:
Sanhedrin 56a–57a lays out the laws.
Sanhedrin 105a affirms that righteous Gentiles are rewarded.
Maimonides formalizes this view for Jewish law.
But those same texts say: break even one, and you’re guilty. No covenant. No mercy seat. No Passover blood. Just raw justice.
It’s serious.
And they line up with Romans 2: even Gentiles who don’t have the Law still have the law written on their hearts. Their conscience will bear witness. God will judge them as righteous or unrighteous. So Gentiles aren’t lawless. God’s moral standard applies to everyone. There’s no excuse. No loophole. No Plan B.
That’s Why the Gospel Matters
The Noachide Laws might show you what’s right, but they can’t make you righteous. They can’t change your heart. They can’t justify you before a holy God.
Only Jesus can do that.
The Talmud recognizes that Gentiles will be judged. But the Bible says something even more powerful: Gentiles are invited. Not just to avoid judgment, but to be saved by grace.
Not merely to be counted as righteous outsiders—but to be grafted into One olive tree.
One Root. One Seed. One covenant people. One promise—fulfilled in Christ. Through faith alone. By grace alone.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God… and are justified by His grace as a gift.” (Romans 3:23–24)
The Law holds us all accountable. The gospel sets us free.
Bridge Building and Bigger Bubbles
Understanding the sacred texts of other religions isn’t about agreement—it’s about building bridges. When we know how others think, what they believe, and why they believe it, we can better connect the dots between their worldview and the gospel.
Most belief systems wrestle with the same core questions—origin, morality, purpose, and destiny—and by understanding how those questions are answered in other traditions, we can more clearly show how Christianity offers the true and better answer in Christ.
For example, knowing what the Talmud says about Gentile accountability helps us affirm a shared moral seriousness, while pointing to the grace only the gospel provides. We’re not looking for common ground to compromise truth, but to create a pathway for truth to be heard.
To preach Christ faithfully, we must understand where others are coming from—so we can lovingly, wisely, and clearly point them to the One who came for them.
Written in faith and with love,
D.H. Mote