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My Response | |||
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Judaism: A religion developed among the ancient
Hebrews and characterized by belief in one transcendent |
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[9] Since when is Webster's Dictionary considered an authoritative source for theological definitions? [Return to Note 26]
In the first place, Judaism is absolutely not “a
religion developed among the ancient Hebrews.” That definition could only be
accepted by someone who denies the authority of the Bible [ergo, Ms.
Nero obviously rejects the authority of the Bible, and thereby also rejects
the
“Judaism,” if correctly understood, is a covenant
relationship between the Creator and His chosen people, the descendants
of Avraham, Yitzhak, and Ya'akov! It was not “developed” by ancient
Hebrews—rather, it's very form was given by direct revelation to Israel by
The term “Judaism” goes far
beyond the narrow definition cited here, and absolutely does not
necessarily include “rabbinic tradition or Jewish rites, ceremonies, and
practices.” Under present Israeli law, as defined by the council of rabbis
(the modern version of the Sanhedrin), a person is a Jew (and therefore
“Jewish”) as long as his or her mother can be identified as a Jew, totally
regardless of whether or not that person conforms to rabbinic tradition,
Jewish rites, ceremonies, or practices. A person can believe anything he or
she wants to, including a total rejection of the |
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To say that the rituals and traditions of Judaism are needed in The Church for Jewish people believing Jesus is the Messiah is unfounded.[10] Judaism inhibits the Holy Spirit,[11] whereas the Holy Spirit is uninhibited in The Church of Jesus Christ because without Him, there is no Church. Jesus’ Church is with power. Should the Holy Spirit, whose initial duty is to regenerate, seal, indwell, and fill all who believe and are baptized into Christ (The Church), be shackled and bound by the traditions and rituals of Judaism,[12] He will not operate – He cannot operate.[13]
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[10] Nobody that I know of claims that “the rituals and traditions of Judaism are needed in the church” for either believing Jews or believing Gentiles. What Messianic Judaism claims is that an apostate Gentile “church” needs to repent of its anti-Semitism and paganism, and return to the purity of the true Faith as it was taught and practiced by all those, both Jew and Gentile, who believed in and followed Messiah in the first century. Messianic Judaism also claims that an apostate Judaism needs to repent and return to her Messiah as did the multiple tens of thousands of Jewish Messianic Believers in the first century of the common era (Acts 21:20), and that there is absolutely no reason to give up their “Jewishness” to do so. Messianic Judaism also holds that any non-Jew who wishes to do so is entitled to observe that form of worship that was practiced by both Jewish and non-Jewish Believers in Messiah from the day of the Resurrection until it was abolished by the apostate Roman cult in the fourth century. What Messianic Judaism offers to Jews and non-Jews alike is exactly what the true “First Century Church” looked like. In fact, any “church” that calls themselves a “first century church” is mistaken unless they practice a “Jewish Synagogue” form of worship as was practiced by the Messianic Community in the first century. [11] There was not even a single Gentile mentioned in Scripture as being in Jerusalem on the day of Shavuot (Pentecost) when Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit) was given, and 3,000 Torah-observant Jews came to the knowledge of Mashiach in one day. Does the following passage sound like Ruach HaKodesh is inhibited by Torah-observant Jews? “Now there were
dwelling at Yerushalayim Yehudim [Jews], devout men, from every nation under
the sky. … Then those who gladly received his [Kefa/Peter's] word were
immersed. There were added that day about three thousand souls. They
continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the
breaking of bread, and prayer. Fear came on every soul, and many wonders and
signs were done through the apostles. All who believed were together, and had
all things common. They sold their possessions and goods, and distributed
them to all, according as anyone had need. Day by day, continuing steadfastly
with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their
food with gladness and singleness of heart, praising In fact, the Roman Centurion Cornelius was the very first non-Jew mentioned in Scripture upon whom Ruach HaKodesh fell, and that was at least months, perhaps even years, after the original Pentecost experience. Additionally, if “Judaism inhibits the Holy Spirit” then the entire Bible is only a human invention, because every single page of Scripture, both the Tanakh and the B'rit Chadasha, flowed from the pen of a Torah-observant Jew! [12] In what respect may the following core of Jewish thought and practice be considered either shackles or bondage? Hear,
Yisra'el: ADONAI is
our One of them, a
lawyer, asked Him [Yeshua] a question, testing him. “Teacher, which is the
greatest mitzvah [Godly instruction] in the Torah [Hebrew
Bible]?” Yeshua said to him, “‘You shall love ADONAI your
Ms. Nero has obviously never attended a Messianic worship
service. I grew up in the Christian Church- Churches of Christ until I was 22
years old, was a member and leader of charismatic Christian fellowships (Full
Gospel and Assemblies of
[13] … and she has the audacity
to presume to tell Ruach HaKodesh what He can and cannot do. To my mind, that
is sheer blasphemy! |
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