People & groups
Proselyte
A person of non-Jewish origin who formally joined the Jewish faith community.
Also called · Convert to Judaism
What it means
In the New Testament, the term refers to someone of non-Jewish origin who has converted to Judaism. Acts 2 includes both Jews and proselytes among those who hear the disciples at Pentecost.
Acts 6 identifies Nicolaus of Antioch as a proselyte. He is one of the seven chosen to oversee the daily service after a complaint that widows were being neglected. The apostles pray and lay their hands on these men.
How it appears in the Bible
In Matthew 23, Jesus criticizes the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees, saying that they travel by sea and land to make one proselyte. The term in this passage refers to a convert to Judaism.