More Questions and Answers about Messianic Judaism
What is Messianic Judaism?
How
does Messianic Judaism differ from traditional Judaism?
How does Messianic Judaism differ from traditional Christianity?
How do Messianic Jewish synagogues meet the needs of Jewish People?
Why do Gentiles join
Messianic Synagogues?
Why do both Jews and Gentiles feel welcome in Messianic Synagogues?
Messianic Judaism is not a new
movement. It is the modern resurgence of a very old movement. Messianic
Judaism was the movement (also known as "The Way") of the
Shliachim and the
community of Jewish and non-Jewish believers who were the followers of
Yeshua the Messiah for the first three centuries of the Common Era.
Messianic Judaism is regarded by its followers as
the latest stage in the development of authentic biblical Judaism. It is
the faith and form of worship followed by Moshe, King David, and the Nevi'im. It was
brought to fulfillment through the coming of Yeshua the Messiah.
Traditional Judaism teaches
that the
Tanakh and the
Talmud are G-d’s
Eternal Word. However they believe the
B'rit Hadashah
lacks this authority, and that Yeshua is not the Messiah of Israel.
Messianic Judaism teaches that the
Tanakh and the
B'rit Hadashah
together are G-d’s Eternal Word, and that the
Talmud lacks this
authority. Messianic Judaism also proclaims that Yeshua is the
Messiah of Israel and the world.
Traditional Christianity
teaches that Yeshua came to establish a new religion. They do not view the
B'rit Hadashah
as a continuation of the
Tanakh. The teachings
of the Gentiles take over the blessings that G-d bestowed on
Israel.
Messianic Judaism teaches
Yeshua did not come to establish a new religion but to fulfill an
ancient one as written in Mattit'yahu (Matthew) 5:17:
"Don't think that I have come to abolish the Torah or
the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete."
Messianic Judaism upholds the
view that the
B'rit Hadashah
is a continuation of the
Tanakh as written in
2 Timothy 3:16:
"All scripture is G-d-breathed and is
valuable for teaching the truth, convicting sin, correcting faults and
training in right living;"
Messianic Judaism emphasizes
G-d’s love and faithfulness to the Jewish people.
In that case, I say, isn't
it that God has repudiated his people?" Heaven forbid! For I myself am a
son of Isra'el, from the seed of Avraham, of the tribe of Binyamin. God
has not repudiated his people, whom he chose in advance. ... It's the same
way in the present age: there is a remnant, chosen by grace. ... What
follows is that Isra'el has not attained the goal for which she is
striving. The ones chosen have obtained it, but the rest have been made
stonelike, ... In that case, I say, isn't it that they have stumbled with
the result that they have permanently fallen away?" Heaven forbid! Quite
the contrary... if Isra'el's being placed temporarily in a condition less
favored than that of the Gentiles is bringing riches to the latter - how
much greater riches will Isra'el in its fullness bring them! ...
Now if the hallah offered
as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole loaf. And if the root is holy, so
are the branches. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you
[Gentiles] - a wild olive - were grafted in among them and have become
equal sharers in the rich root of the olive tree, then don't boast as if
you were better than the branches! However, if you do boast, remember that
you [Gentiles] are not supporting the root [Israel], the root {Israel] is
supporting you [Gentiles]. So you will say, "Branches were broken off so
that I might be grafted in. "True, but so what? They were broken off
because of their lack of trust. However, you keep your place only because
of your trust. So don't be arrogant; on the contrary, be terrified! For if
God did not spare the natural branches, he certainly won't spare you! ...
Moreover, the others, if
they do not persist in their lack of trust, will be grafted in; because
God is able to graft them back in. For if you were cut out of what is by
nature a wild olive tree and grafted, contrary to nature, into a
cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be
grafted back into their own olive tree!
For, brothers, I want you
to understand this truth which God formerly concealed but has now
revealed, so that you won't imagine you know more than you actually do. It
is that stoniness, to a degree, has come upon Isra'el, until the Gentile
world enters in its fullness; and that it is in this way that all Isra'el
will be saved. As the Tanakh says, "Out of Tziyon will come the Redeemer;
he will turn away ungodliness from Ya'akov and this will be my covenant
with them [Israel], . . . when I take away their sins."
With respect to the Good
News they are hated for your sake. But with respect to being chosen they
are loved for the Patriarchs' sake, for God's free gifts and his calling
are irrevocable. Just as you yourselves were disobedient to God before but
have received mercy now because of Isra'el's disobedience; so also Isra'el
has been disobedient now, so that by your showing them the same mercy that
God has shown you, they too may now receive God's mercy. ... (Romans
11:1-36
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Messianic Judaism teaches
Gentiles share, NOT TAKE OVER the blessings that G-d
bestowed on Israel.
They were pleased to do it,
but the fact is that they [Gentiles] owe it to them {Israel]. For if the
Gentiles have shared with the Jews in spiritual matters, then the Gentiles
clearly have a duty to help the Jews in material matters. (Romans
15:27.
Read This Chapter)
Messianic Judaism emphasizes
that Jewish people who follow Yeshua do not convert to
another religion, but remain Jews.
Yeshua, the one called
Justus, also sends greetings. These three are among the Circumcised; and
among my fellow workers for the Kingdom of God, only they have turned out
to be a comfort to me.
(Colossians 4:11.
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For it is we who are the
Circumcised, we who worship by the Spirit of God and make our boast in the
Messiah Yeshua! We do not put confidence in human qualifications, even
though I certainly have grounds for putting confidence in such things. If
anyone else thinks he has grounds for putting confidence in human
qualifications, I have better grounds: b'rit-milah [circumcised] on the
eighth day, by birth belonging to the people of Isra'el, from the tribe of
Binyamin, a Hebrew-speaker, with Hebrew-speaking parents, in regard to the
Torah, a Parush [Pharisee], in regard to zeal, a persecutor of the
Messianic Community, in regard to the righteousness demanded by legalism,
blameless. [Rabbi Sha'ul (Paul) refers to his being a Jew in the
present tense, not in the past tense.] (Philippians
3:3-6
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The Jewish people are called by
G-d to be a distinct and enduring people according to
Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 31:35-36.
This is what ADONAI says, who gives the sun
as light for the day, who ordained the laws for the moon and stars to
provide light for the night, who stirs up the sea until its waves roar --
ADONAI-Tzva'ot is his name: "If these laws leave my presence," says
ADONAI, "then the offspring of Isra'el will stop being a nation in my
presence forever." (CJB,
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It is important for Messianic Jews to maintain
their Jewish identify and pass their heritage to the next generation.
A special characteristic of
Messianic Synagogues through out the world is the significant number of
members who are not Jews.
The non-Jews share in all their
Jewish brothers' spiritual blessings (Romans 15:27, above) and are full
participants in every aspect of Messianic life:
So then, you are no longer
foreigners and strangers. On the contrary, you are fellow-citizens with
God's people and members of God's family (Ephesians
2:19
Read This Chapter).
By worshiping with Jews,
non-Jews return to the historical and spiritual roots of their
B'rit Hadashah
faith. Finally, by joining Messianic Synagogues, they are able to bless
the people whom G-d used to bless them.
Messianic Synagogues provide a
community context in which gentiles can be received into the congregation
of Israel.
Messianic Synagogues provide
life cycle services.
Messianic Synagogues provide
leadership that imparts vision, knowledge, wisdom, discernment, and
counsel in regard to Biblical faith and Jewish lifestyle.
Messianic Synagogues follow an
annual cycle of events referred to in the Tanakh as
Moadim, or "the appointed festivals of the Lord"
in Vayikra (Leviticus) 23.
Messianic Synagogues encourage
members to keep biblically Kosher.
Messianic Synagogues provide an environment where
men can wear Kippa, tzitzit, and tefillin.
The world needs the depth of
Torah and the depth of life presented through understanding Torah. We need
a way of learning which bores so deeply into the root of Torah that it
flows together with the root of our life. This is the river, the river of
living water, which will flow out of Yerushalayim to revive the world.
Discover for yourself the
profound beauty and Gift of the TORAH lifestyle, the celebration of the
Biblical Shabbat, and participation in G-d’s appointed times.
Your eyes will be opened to another dimension of faith and your ears will
eagerly receive truth. As a Biblical scholar you are not intimidated by
truth. Consider restoration to TORAH. Weigh it, pray about it, and decide
to live a TORAH observant lifestyle.

Scripture quotations are from
The
Complete Jewish Bible
The
Complete Jewish Bible - Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern.
Published by
Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc.
Distributed by
Messianic Jewish Resources Int'l.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
For usage information, please read the
Complete
Jewish Bible Copyright Statement.
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