Messianic Judaism is a syncretic
religious movementReligion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
that arose in the 1960s and 70s. It blends
evangelical ChristianEvangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
theology with elements of
JewishJudaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
terminology and ritual.
Messianic Judaism states that
JesusJesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
is not merely a man, but the
Jewish MessiahMessiah, ; mashiah, moshiah, mashiach, or moshiach, is a term used in the Hebrew Bible to describe priests and kings, who were traditionally anointed with holy anointing oil as described in Exodus 30:22-25...
and "
God the SonGod the Son is the second person of the Trinity in Christian theology. The doctrine of the Trinity identifies Jesus of Nazareth as God the Son, united in essence but distinct in person with regard to God the Father and God the Holy Spirit...
" (one
personIn Christian theology, a hypostasis or person is one of the three elements of the Holy Trinity.In Christian usage, the Greek word hypostasis means beneath-standing or underpinning and, by extension, the existence of some thing...
of the
TrinityThe Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
), and that salvation is only achieved through acceptance of Jesus as one's savior. Any
Jewish lawHalakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
s or customs that are followed are cultural and do not contribute to attaining salvation. Belief in the messiahship and divinity of Jesus, which Messianic Judaism shares, is viewed by many
Christian denominationA Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
s and Jewish religious movements as being a defining distinction between
ChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and Judaism.
Some members of the movement are ethnically Jewish, and some of them argue that Messianic Judaism is a sect of Judaism. Jewish organizations and religious movements reject this, stating that Messianic Judaism is a Christian sect. The Supreme Court of Israel has ruled that the
Law of ReturnThe Law of Return is Israeli legislation, passed on 5 July 1950, that gives Jews the right of return and settlement in Israel and gain citizenship...
should treat Jews who convert to Messianic Judaism the same way it treats Jews who convert to Christianity. Mainstream Christian groups generally accept Messianic Judaism as a form of Christianity.
From 2003 to 2007, the movement grew from 150 Messianic houses of worship in the United States to as many as 438, with over 100 in Israel and more worldwide; often congregations are members of larger Messianic organizations or alliances. In 2008, the movement was reported to have between 6,000 and 15,000 members in Israel.
Pre-19th century
Efforts by converted Jews to
proselytize JewsChristian mission to Jews, or evangelism among Jews, or proselytism to Jews is a subset of Christian mission activity aimed specifically at practising believers in Judaism.-The primitive church:...
go back to the first Century when Paul preached first at the synagogues in each city he visited. However preaching to Jews in the early centuries that followed, as for example in
Epiphanius of SalamisEpiphanius of Salamis was bishop of Salamis at the end of the 4th century. He is considered a saint and a Church Father by both the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Churches. He gained a reputation as a strong defender of orthodoxy...
' account of the conversion of Count Joseph of Tiberias, or
SozomenSalminius Hermias Sozomenus was a historian of the Christian church.-Family and Home:He was born around 400 in Bethelia, a small town near Gaza, into a wealthy Christian family of Palestine....
's accounts of Jewish conversions, does not mention converted Jews playing any leading role in the conversions. Notable converts from Judaism who themselves attempted to convert other Jews are more visible from at least the 13th century, when Jewish convert to Christianity
Pablo ChristianiPablo Christiani , a figure of the thirteenth century, was born to a pious Jewish family, with the name Saul. He became a Christian convert and Dominican friar....
attempted to convert other Jews. This activity, however, typically lacked any independent Jewish-Christian congregations, and was often imposed by force.
In the 15th and 16th century, Jewish Christians occupying professorships at the European universities began to provide translations of Hebrew texts. Men such as
Paul Nuñez CoronelPaul Nuñez Coronel was a Spanish Hebraist, and professor of Hebrew at the University of Salamanca...
,
Alfonso de ZamoraAlfonso de Zamora was Spanish Rabbi who converted to Roman Catholicism. He was baptized in 1506; died 1531.He revised the Hebrew text for Ximenes's Polyglot Bible, translated the Chaldee paraphrase in it, and added the sixth volume...
, Alfonso de Alcalá,
Domenico GerosolimitanoDomenico Gerosolimitano, originally Rabbi Samuel Vivas of Jerusalem, was a notable ecclesiastical censor of Hebrew books. His Sefer Hazikkuk, played an important role in the censorship of Hebrew books in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries."...
and
Giovanni Battista JonaGiovanni Battista Jona, originally Judah Jonah of Safed, , was a Hebrew writer at the Vatican. Along with the censor Domenico Gerosolimitano he was one of two converted Jewish Scriptens at the Vatican who each produced translations of the New Testament into Hebrew.-References:...
were actively engaged in spreading Jewish learning.
19th and early 20th centuries
In the 19th century, some groups attempted to create congregations and societies of Jewish converts to Christianity, though most of the early congregations were short-lived. Early formal organizations run by converted Jews were: the Anglican London Society for promoting Christianity among the Jews of Joseph Frey (1809), which published the first
Yiddish New TestamentBible translations have been made into 2,572+ languages, one of the two Testaments in 1,668 languages, and the full Protestant Canon of the Bible in 457 languages as of May 2011....
in 1821; the "Beni Abraham" association, established by Frey in 1813 with a group of 41 Jewish Christians who started meeting at Jews' Chapel, London for prayers Friday night and Sunday morning; and the London Hebrew Christian Alliance of Great Britain founded by Dr.
Carl SchwartzDr August Ferdinand Carl Schwartz was a leading Hebrew Christian clergyman and minister of the Free Church of Scotland in Amsterdam, then Free Church minister in London....
in 1866.
The September 1813 meeting of Frey's "Beni Abraham" congregation at the rented "Jews' Chapel" in
SpitalfieldsSpitalfields is a former parish in the borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London, near to Liverpool Street station and Brick Lane. The area straddles Commercial Street and is home to many markets, including the historic Old Spitalfields Market, founded in the 17th century, Sunday...
is sometimes pointed to as the birth of the semi-autonomous
Hebrew Christian movementThe Hebrew Christian movement of the 19th and 20th centuries consisted of Jews who converted to Christianity, but worshiped in congregations separate from denominational churches. In many cases, they retained some Jewish practices and liturgy, with the addition of readings from the Christian New...
within Anglican and other established churches in Britain, though the non-Anglican minister of the chapel at Spitalfields evicted Frey and his congregation only three years later, and Frey severed his connections with the Society. A new location was found and the Episcopal Jew's Chapel Abrahamic Society registered in 1835.
In Eastern Europe,
Joseph RabinowitzJoseph Rabinowitz, also Rabinovich was a member of a Jewish Christian congregation in Russia.- Biography :...
established a Hebrew Christian mission and congregation called "Israelites of the New Covenant" in Kishinev, Ukraine in 1884. Rabinowitz was supported from overseas by the Christian theologian
Franz DelitzschFranz Delitzsch was a German Lutheran theologian and Hebraist. Born in Leipzig, he held the professorship of theology at the University of Rostock from 1846 to 1850, at the University of Erlangen until 1867, and after that at the University of Leipzig until his death...
, translator of the first modern
Hebrew New TestamentBible translations have been made into 2,572+ languages, one of the two Testaments in 1,668 languages, and the full Protestant Canon of the Bible in 457 languages as of May 2011....
. In 1865, Rabinowitz created a sample order of worship for Sabbath morning service based on a mixture of Jewish and Christian elements. Mark John Levy pressed the Church of England to allow members to embrace Jewish customs.
In the United States, a congregation of Jewish converts to Christianity was established in New York City in 1885. In the 1890s, immigrant Jewish converts to Christianity worshiped at the
MethodistMethodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
"Hope of Israel" mission on New York’s
Lower East SideThe Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
while retaining some Jewish rites and customs. In 1895, the 9th edition of Hope of Israel's Our Hope magazine carried the subtitle “A Monthly Devoted to the Study of Prophecy and to Messianic Judaism”, the first use of the term "Messianic Judaism". Hope of Israel was controversial; other missionary groups accused its members of being
JudaizersJudaizers is predominantly a Christian term, derived from the Greek verb ioudaïzō . This term is most widely known from the single use in the New Testament where Paul publicly challenges Peter for compelling Gentile believers to "judaize", also known as the Incident at Antioch.According to the...
, and one of the two editors of Our Hope magazine, Arno C. Gaebelein, eventually repudiated his views, and, as a result, was able to become a leader in the mainstream Christian evangelical movement.
Missions to the Jews saw a period of growth between the 1920s and the 1960s. In the 1940s and 50s, missionaries in Israel such as the
Southern BaptistsThe Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
adopted the term meshichyim (משיחיים "Messianics") to counter negative connotations of the word notsrim (נוצרים "Christians", from "Nazarenes"); the term was used to designate all Jews who had converted to
Protestant evangelical ChristianityEvangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
.
The Messianic Judaism movement, 1970s
Messianic Judaism itself arose in the 1960s and 70s. In the 1970s, a growing number of young Jews who had converted to Christianity were committed to maintaining a culturally Jewish lifestyle, in the mode advocated by Rabinowitz in the 19th century. Going against the thinking of the older members of the Hebrew Christian movement, they believed that different methods of evangelism of Jews were needed. They looked to and adopted some of the evangelizing techniques of
Jews for JesusJews for Jesus is a conservative, Christian evangelical organization that focuses on the conversion of Jews to Christianity. Its members consider themselves to be Jews – either as defined by Jewish law, or as according to the view of Jews for Jesus. Jews for Jesus defines “Jewish” in terms of...
. According to Hocken (2009) "the new thrust that turned Hebrew Christians into Messianic Jews was distinctly charismatic." This reflected the influence of the
charismatic Jesus movementThe term charismatic movement is used in varying senses to describe 20th century developments in various Christian denominations. It describes an ongoing international, cross-denominational/non-denominational Christian movement in which individual, historically mainstream congregations adopt...
at the same period. These younger members pressed the HCAA to change the "outdated" name of the Hebrew Christian Alliance of America (HCAA) to the
Messianic Jewish Alliance of AmericaThe Messianic Jewish Alliance of America was founded in 1915 as the Hebrew Christian Alliance of America.-History:The Hebrew Christian Alliance of America began in the early 19th century as missions by churches to Jews...
(MJAA). In 1915, when the HCAA was founded, it had "consistently assuaged the fears of fundamentalist Christians by emphasizing that it is not a separate denomination but only an evangelistic arm of the evangelical church", and insisted that it would be free of these Judaizing practices "now and forever". Martin Chernoff, who was president of the HCAA from 1971 to 1975, led the effort to shift the organization's focus. In June 1973, a motion was made to change the name of the HCAA to the
Messianic Jewish Alliance of AmericaThe Messianic Jewish Alliance of America was founded in 1915 as the Hebrew Christian Alliance of America.-History:The Hebrew Christian Alliance of America began in the early 19th century as missions by churches to Jews...
(MJAA), and the name was officially changed in June 1975. According to
David A. RauschDavid A. Rausch is a former Professor of Church History and Judaic Studies at Ashland Theological Seminary, a seminary associated with The Brethren Church and part of Ashland University in Ohio. Rausch has written hundreds of articles and over 20 books....
, "The name change, however, signified far more than a semantical expression—it represented an evolution in the thought processes and religious and philosophical outlook toward a more fervent expression of Jewish identity". The Messianic Israel Alliance, an organization of over 130 Messianic congregations and ministries, was formed in 1999.
Theology and core doctrines
As with many religious faiths, the exact tenets held vary from congregation to congregation. In general, essential doctrines of Messianic Judaism include views on God (omnipotent, omnipresent, eternal, outside creation, infinitely significant and benevolent—viewpoints on the
TrinityThe Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
vary), Jesus is believed to be the
Jewish MessiahMessiah, ; mashiah, moshiah, mashiach, or moshiach, is a term used in the Hebrew Bible to describe priests and kings, who were traditionally anointed with holy anointing oil as described in Exodus 30:22-25...
though views on his divinity vary), written
TorahTorah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
(with a few exceptions, Messianics believe that Jesus taught and reaffirmed the Torah and that it remains fully in force), Israel (the Children of Israel are central to God's plan, replacement theology is opposed), the Bible (
TanakhThe Tanakh is a name used in Judaism for the canon of the Hebrew Bible. The Tanakh is also known as the Masoretic Text or the Miqra. The name is an acronym formed from the initial Hebrew letters of the Masoretic Text's three traditional subdivisions: The Torah , Nevi'im and Ketuvim —hence...
and the
New TestamentThe New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
are usually considered the divinely inspired Scripture, though Messianics are more open to criticism of the
New TestamentThe New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
canon than is Christianity), eschatology (similar to many evangelical Christian views), and oral law (observance varies, but virtually all deem these traditions subservient to the written Torah). Certain additional doctrines, including sin and atonement and faith and works, are more open to differences in interpretation.
The Trinity
Many Messianics affirm the Holy Trinity (ha-shilush ha-kodesh השילוש הקדוש)—the
God the FatherGod the Father is a gendered title given to God in many monotheistic religions, particularly patriarchal, Abrahamic ones. In Judaism, God is called Father because he is the creator, life-giver, law-giver, and protector...
(Elohim ha-Av אלוהים האב);
God the SonGod the Son is the second person of the Trinity in Christian theology. The doctrine of the Trinity identifies Jesus of Nazareth as God the Son, united in essence but distinct in person with regard to God the Father and God the Holy Spirit...
(אלוהים הבן Elohim ha-Ben) and God the
Holy SpiritHoly Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
(Elohim ruakh ha-kodesh אלוהים רוח הקודש)—as three representations of the same divinity.
- God—Messianic Jews believe in God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
(Adonai, LORD, or Yahweh of the Bible), and that he is all-powerful, omni-present, eternal, exists outside of creation, and is infinitely significant and benevolent. Messianic Jews affirm the Shema Some who call themselves Messianic profess only a Jewish view of monotheism, but this is not common. Most Messianic Jews affirm a triune (trinitarian) view of God, believing that God is a complex being.
- Jesus as Messiah—Messianics, in line with mainstream Protestant Christian theology, consider Jesus to be the Jewish Messiah and God, and God the Son
God the Son is the second person of the Trinity in Christian theology. The doctrine of the Trinity identifies Jesus of Nazareth as God the Son, united in essence but distinct in person with regard to God the Father and God the Holy Spirit...
. They also consider Jesus to be their "chief teacher and rabbi" whose life should be copied. Many English-speaking Messianic Jews prefer to refer to Jesus with the Hebrew name "YeshuaYeshua, was a common alternative form of the name Joshua "Yehoshuah" in later books of the Hebrew Bible and among Jews of the Second Temple Period...
" rather the English name "Jesus". Any congregation that does not ascribe divinity to Jesus as the human-born son of the Spirit of God (such as those that consider him a man who only became Messiah) is outside mainstream Messianic Jewish belief. This belief is supported through links between Hebrew bible prophecies and what Messianics perceive as the prophecies's fulfillment in the New Testament,
- Holy Spirit—The third person of the Trinity is the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
(ha-ruakh ha-kodesh הרוח הקודש). According to Messianic Jewish Trinitarian belief the term "Spirit" (ruakh רוח) found in the Old Testament as co-creator (Genesis 1:2) and inspirer of prophets (I Sam 19:23-24, II Sam. 23:1-3). According to the teachings of Messianic Judaism, in the earthly life of Jesus, the Holy Spirit was the dove at baptism (Matt 3:16) and the giver of tongues in Acts 2.
Jesus
The place of Jesus in Messianic Judaism is usually clearly defined. They affirm his Jewishness and that of all the original disciples. Messianic Judaism asserts that Jesus is the word of God become manifest (John 1:1;14), a belief that is identical with normative Christian doctrine regarding the nature and identity of the son of God. Furthermore, Messianic Judaism generally asserts that the Messiah has a dual aspect as revealed in Scripture. Messianics believe Jesus' first role as Messiah was first to rescue the world from from spiritual bondage, and that he will return again to rescue the world from physical oppression and establish his unending Kingdom—again, a belief that is identical to the normative Christian view of the Messiah. George Berkley writes that Messianics "worship not just God but Jesus" whom they call Yeshua.
The Bible
Written Torah—Messianics, with few exceptions, consider the written
TorahTorah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
(Pentateuch), the five books of
MosesMoses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
, to remain fully in force. They believe it is a continuing covenant that is to be observed both morally and ritually by those who profess faith in God. They believe that Jesus taught and re-affirmed the Torah, rather than did away with it.
The Bible—The
TanakhThe Tanakh is a name used in Judaism for the canon of the Hebrew Bible. The Tanakh is also known as the Masoretic Text or the Miqra. The name is an acronym formed from the initial Hebrew letters of the Masoretic Text's three traditional subdivisions: The Torah , Nevi'im and Ketuvim —hence...
and
the Apostolic WritingsThe New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
(sometimes called the "B’rit Chadasha") are usually considered to be the established and divinely inspired Biblical scriptures by Messianic Jews.
Mishnah and Talmud
Some Messianic communities believe that the rabbinic commentaries such as the
MishnahThe Mishnah or Mishna is the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah". It is also the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism. It was redacted c...
and the
TalmudThe Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
, while historically informative and useful in understanding tradition, are not normative and may not be followed where they differ from the messianic scriptures. Other Messianic believers call rabbinic commentaries such as the
MishnahThe Mishnah or Mishna is the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah". It is also the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism. It was redacted c...
and the
TalmudThe Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
"dangerous". These people believe that followers of rabbinic and halakhic explanations and commentaries are not believers in Jesus as the Messiah. Furthermore, Messianic believers deny the authority of the Pharisees, believing that they were superseded, and contradicted, by Messianism.
Oral Law—There is no single interpretation on the use of Talmud by Messianic congregations. Most Messianic congregations and synagogues can be said to believe that the oral traditions are subservient to the written
TorahTorah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
, and where there is a conflict between Torah and Talmud, the plain interpretation of Torah take precedence. Some congregations believe that adherence to the Oral Law, as encompassed by the Talmud, is against Messianic beliefs, since Talmud was not written until after the whole of the affirmed canon (begun 70 CE, completed approx 500 CE). A few congregations believe that adherence to the Talmud is outright dangerous. Other congregations are selective in their applications of Talmudic law. Still others encourage a serious observance of the Jewish
HalakhaHalakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
.
Messianic Bible translations
Messianics take the
Christian biblicalA Christian biblical canon is the set of books that a Christian denomination regards as divinely inspired and thus constituting the Christian Bible...
as sacred scripture. Theologian
David H. SternDr. David Harold Stern is an Israel-based theologian. He is the third son of Harold Stern and Marion Levi Stern.Stern's major work is the Complete Jewish Bible, his English translation of the Tanakh and New Testament...
in his "Jewish New Testament Commentary" argues that Paul is fully congruent with Messianic Judaism, and that the
New TestamentThe New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
is to be taken by Messianic Jews as the inspired Word of God. This is the mainstream view within the movement, although—as with many religions—there are several schools of thought. A very few Messianic believers are troubled by the writings of Paul and may reject his writings, holding them in less esteem than those of the other
GospelA gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
writers.
Messianic publications
There are a number of Messianic commentaries on various books of the Bible, both Tanakh and New Testament texts, such as
MatthewThe Gospel According to Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels, one of the three synoptic gospels, and the first book of the New Testament. It tells of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth...
,
ActsThe Acts of the Apostles , usually referred to simply as Acts, is the fifth book of the New Testament; Acts outlines the history of the Apostolic Age...
,
RomansThe Epistle of Paul to the Romans, often shortened to Romans, is the sixth book in the New Testament. Biblical scholars agree that it was composed by the Apostle Paul to explain that Salvation is offered through the Gospel of Jesus Christ...
,
GalatiansThe Epistle of Paul to the Galatians, often shortened to Galatians, is the ninth book of the New Testament. It is a letter from Paul of Tarsus to a number of Early Christian communities in the Roman province of Galatia in central Anatolia...
, and
HebrewsThe Epistle to the Hebrews is one of the books in the New Testament. Its author is not known.The primary purpose of the Letter to the Hebrews is to exhort Christians to persevere in the face of persecution. The central thought of the entire Epistle is the doctrine of the Person of Christ and his...
.
David H. SternDr. David Harold Stern is an Israel-based theologian. He is the third son of Harold Stern and Marion Levi Stern.Stern's major work is the Complete Jewish Bible, his English translation of the Tanakh and New Testament...
has released a one-volume Jewish New Testament Commentary, providing explanatory notes from a Messianic Jewish point of view. Other noted New Testament commentary authors include: Joseph Shulam, who has written commentaries on Acts, Romans, and Galatians; Arnold Fruchtenbaum of Ariel Ministries, who has written commentaries on the Epistles, Judges & Ruth, and Genesis, and 7 systematic doctrinal studies; Tim Hegg of TorahResource, who has written commentaries on Romans, Galatians, Hebrews, and is presently examining Matthew; Daniel Thomas Lancaster, who has written extensively for the First Fruits of Zion Torah Club series; Stuart Sacks, author of Hebrews Through a Hebrews' Eyes; and J.K. McKee of TNN Online who has written several volumes under the byline "for the Practical Messianic" (James, Hebrews, Philippians, Galatians, and both a Tanach and Apostolic Scriptures Survey).
Attitudes to Paul
Messianics understand (as suggested by some recent scholars) that Paul the Apostle (who is often referred to as Sha’ul, his speculative Hebrew name) remained a Jewish Pharisee even as a believer until his death (see
Paul of Tarsus and JudaismThe relationship between Paul of Tarsus and Second Temple Judaism continues to be the subject of much scholarly research, as it is thought that Paul played an important role in the relationship between Christianity and Judaism as a whole...
). This is based on Acts 23:6, detailing events after Paul's acceptance of Jesus as Messiah. "But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men [and] brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question."
Messianics cite the cutting off of Paul’s hair at Cenchrea because of a vow he had taken (Acts 18:18), references in passing to him observing the Jewish holidays, the frequent mistranslations of his writings in many Bibles, and his consistent good standing with his Rabbinic master
GamalielGamaliel the Elder , or Rabban Gamaliel I , was a leading authority in the Sanhedrin in the mid 1st century CE. He was the grandson of the great Jewish teacher Hillel the Elder, and died twenty years before the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem...
, to show that he was wholly in continued observance of the laws and traditions of Judaism. They maintain that Paul never set out to polarize the gospel between faith and righteous works, but that one is necessary to maintain the other. The
New Perspective on PaulThe "New Perspective on Paul" is a significant shift in the way some scholars, especially Protestant scholars, interpret the writings of the Apostle Paul.-Description:Since the Protestant Reformation The "New Perspective on Paul" is a significant shift in the way some scholars, especially...
is important in Messianic Judaism.
Sin and atonement
Messianics define
sinIn religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
as transgression of the Torah (Law/Instruction) of God (1 John 3: 4–5). Messianics hold to a belief that all sin (whether committed yet or not) is already atoned for because of Jesus's death and resurrection.
Evangelism and attitudes to Jews and Israel
Evangelism—Messianics believe God's people have a responsibility to spread his name and fame to all nations (Psalms 96:3, Ezekiel 3:18–19)
Israel—It is believed that the Children of Israel were, remain, and will continue to be the chosen people of the God, and are central to his plans for existence. Virtually all Messianics (whether Jewish or non-Jewish) can be said to oppose
supersessionismSupersessionism is a term for the dominant Christian view of the Old Covenant, also called fulfillment theology and replacement theology, though the latter term is disputed...
(popularly referred to as replacement theology), the view that the
ChurchThe Christian Church is the assembly or association of followers of Jesus Christ. The Greek term ἐκκλησία that in its appearances in the New Testament is usually translated as "church" basically means "assembly"...
has replaced
IsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in the mind and plans of God.
People of God
There exist among Messianics a number of perspectives regarding who exactly makes up God's
chosen peopleThroughout history and even today various groups of people have considered themselves as chosen by a deity for some purpose such as to act as the deity's agent on earth. In monotheistic faiths, like Abrahamic religions, references to God are used in constructs such as "God's Chosen People"...
. These are covenant membership, and halakhic definitions. Most commonly, Israel is seen as distinct from Ekklesia; Messianic Jews, being a part of both Israel and Ekklesia, are seen as the necessary link of the 'Gentile' People of God to the commonwealth of God's people of Israel. The two-house view, and the one law/grafted-in view are held by many identifying as Messianic, although some Messianic groups do not espouse these theologies.
According to the (Messianic) Jerusalem Council, "the people of Israel are members of the covenant HaShem made with Avraham, Yitzhak, and Ya'akov. Covenant membership is extended to converts to Judaism from the nations, as well as to the descendants of covenant members. Israel is a nation of nations and their descendants, or more specifically a people group called out from other people groups to be a people separated unto HaShem for his purposes. HaShem's promise of covenantal blessings and curses as described in the Torah are unique to Am Yisrael (People of Israel), and to no other nation or people group. The bible describes an Israelite as one descended from Ya'akov ben Yitzhak ben Avraham, or one who has been converted or adopted into that group by either human or spiritual means."
According to Messianic Judaism, Jews are those which one or both parents are Jewish, or have undergone halakhic conversion to Judaism. Those who have Jewish fathers only are considered Jewish if the individual claims Jewish identity, similar to
Reform JudaismReform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the...
. The statement of the Messianic Jewish Rabbinical Council on Jewish identity is often disputed among Messianic believers who either don't find it necessary or discourage halakhic conversion by believing the Romans 2:29 teaching (that a "Jew" is not one who is one "outwardly" but is one who is a Jew in his heart). They also believe that by accepting Jesus into their hearts and confessing that he is Lord, salvation is received.
Messianic believers from the nations are also considered a part of the People of God. Depending on their status within various Messianic Jewish groups, such as the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations, an allowance for formal conversion is made based on their understanding that Messianic converts are not automatically considered Jewish. The reasoning for this variance is as follows: While Titus may have been the norm in the epistles, a Gentile not converted to Judaism, Paul nevertheless made an exception for Timothy, whom he circumcised and brought under the Covenant, probably because though Timothy's father was Greek, his mother was Jewish. According to the statement of the Messianic Jewish Rabbinical Council regarding Conversion, converts to Judaism do not in any way have a higher status within Messianic Judaism than the Messianic believers who are considered by the UMJC to still be gentiles who are attached to their communities.
One Law theology
One Law theology teaches that anyone who is a part of Israel is obligated to observe the Covenant and its provisions as outlined in the Torah. Dan Juster of Tikkun, and Russ Resnik of the UMJC, have argued against One Law theology's insistence on Gentiles being required to observe the entirety of Torah in the same way Jews are. Tim Hegg responded to their article defending what he believes to be the biblical teaching of "One Law" theology and its implications concerning the obligations of Torah obedience by new Messianic believers from the nations.
Two House theology
Two House TheologyThe concept of Two House Theology is found in the Hebrew Scriptures and primarily focuses on the division of the ancient Kingdom of Israel into two kingdoms, Israel and Judah...
comes from the idea that the "House of Judah" in scripture refers to Jews, and the "
House of IsraelThe House of Israel is a Jewish community in Ghana. This ethnic group claim to be one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.-History of Jews in Ghana:...
" refers to the
Ten Lost TribesThe Ten Lost Tribes of Israel refers to those tribes of ancient Israel that formed the Kingdom of Israel and which disappeared from Biblical and all other historical accounts after the kingdom was destroyed in about 720 BC by ancient Assyria...
of Israel, or
EphraimEphraim ; was, according to the Book of Genesis, the second son of Joseph and Asenath. Asenath was an Egyptian woman whom Pharaoh gave to Joseph as wife, and the daughter of Potipherah, a priest of On. Ephraim was born in Egypt before the arrival of the children of Israel from Canaan...
. Where scripture states the House of Israel and Judah will again be "one stick" , it is believed to be referring to the End Times, right before Jesus returns, that many of those descended from Israel will come back to Israel. This theology postulates that the reason why so many so-called gentiles are coming into Messianic Judaism is that the vast majority of them are really Israelites and just don't know it yet. They believe a majority of the people who considered themselves as gentiles coming into Messianic Judaism are those of the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel. Like One Law groups, the Two House movement appears at first glance to have much in common with Messianic Judaism because of their belief in the ongoing validity of the Mosaic Covenant. While much of the Two House teaching is based on interpretations of Biblical prophecy, the biggest disagreements are due to inability to identify the genealogy of the ten lost tribes. Organizations such as the
Messianic Jewish Alliance of AmericaThe Messianic Jewish Alliance of America was founded in 1915 as the Hebrew Christian Alliance of America.-History:The Hebrew Christian Alliance of America began in the early 19th century as missions by churches to Jews...
and Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations have opposed the Two House teaching
Supersessionism
Historically, Christianity has featured
supersessionismSupersessionism is a term for the dominant Christian view of the Old Covenant, also called fulfillment theology and replacement theology, though the latter term is disputed...
(replacement theology), which implies or outright states that Christianity has superseded Judaism, that the
Mosaic CovenantThe Mosaic Covenant or Sinaitic Covenant are terms used for the biblical covenant between God and the Israelites...
of the First Testament is superseded by the
New CovenantThe New Covenant is a concept originally derived from the Hebrew Bible. The term "New Covenant" is used in the Bible to refer to an epochal relationship of restoration and peace following a period of trial and judgment...
of Jesus, wherein the merciful grace of God and not obedience to the
TorahTorah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
is required for salvation. This is sometimes complemented with God moving the status of "God's people" from Israel, as described in the Hebrew bible, to the Christian Church. Messianic Judaism, in varying degrees, challenges both thoughts, and instead believes that although Israel has rejected Jesus, it has not forfeited its place as God's chosen people (Matthew 5:17). Messianic Judaism cites Romans 11:29: "for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable." The core of supersessionism, in which the First Testament covenant is canceled, is less agreed upon. Though the
mitzvotThe primary meaning of the Hebrew word refers to precepts and commandments as commanded by God...
may or may not be necessary, most are still followed, especially keeping Sabbath and other holy days. Some followers of the movement believe that Jews can still find favor with God through the Torah without accepting Jesus, as did Moses, David, and the Prophets.
Generally, Messianic doctrine opposes supersessionism / replacement theology.
Eschatology
Biblical eschatology—Most Messianics hold all of the following
eschatologicalEschatology is a part of theology, philosophy, and futurology concerned with what are believed to be the final events in history, or the ultimate destiny of humanity, commonly referred to as the end of the world or the World to Come...
beliefs: the End of Days, the
Second ComingIn Christian doctrine, the Second Coming of Christ, the Second Advent, or the Parousia, is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven, where he sits at the Right Hand of God, to Earth. This prophecy is found in the canonical gospels and in most Christian and Islamic eschatologies...
of Jesus as the conquering Messiah, the re-gathering of Israel, a rebuilt Third Temple, a Resurrection of the Dead (and that Jesus was resurrected after his death), and the
Millennial SabbathMillennialism , or chiliasm in Greek, is a belief held by some Christian denominations that there will be a Golden Age or Paradise on Earth in which "Christ will reign" for 1000 years prior to the final judgment and future eternal state...
.
Many Messianics believe that all of the moedim, indeed the entire
TorahTorah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
, intrinsically hint at the Messiah, and thus no study of the
End TimesThe end time, end times, or end of days is a time period described in the eschatological writings in the three Abrahamic religions and in doomsday scenarios in various other non-Abrahamic religions...
is complete without understanding the major Jewish Festivals in the larger prophetic context. To these believers,
PassoverPassover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
,
First FruitsFirst Fruits are a religious offering of the first agricultural produce of the harvest. In classical Greek, Roman, Hebrew and Christian religions, the first fruits were offered to the temple or church. First Fruits were often a primary source of income to maintain the religious leaders and the...
, and
ShavuotThe festival of is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan ....
were fulfilled in Jesus's first coming, and
Yom TeruahRosh Hashanah , , is the Jewish New Year. It is the first of the High Holy Days or Yamim Nora'im which occur in the autumn...
,
Yom KippurYom Kippur , also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue...
, and
SukkotSukkot is a Biblical holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei . It is one of the three biblically mandated festivals Shalosh regalim on which Hebrews were commanded to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem.The holiday lasts seven days...
will be at his second. Many Messianics believe in a literal 7000-year period for the human history of the world, with a Messianic Millennial Sabbath Kingdom before a final judgment.
Torah observance
There is a variety of practice within Messianic Judaism regarding the strictness of Torah observance. Generally, "Torah observant" congregations observe Jewish Law, biblical feasts, and Sabbath. While most traditional Christians deny that the ritual laws and specific civil laws of the Pentateuch (though still affirming that
TorahTorah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
is the word of God) apply directly to themselves, passages regarding Torah observance in the
New TestamentThe New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
are cited by Messianics that Torah was not abolished for Jews. They point out that in Acts 21 we find that the Jewish believers in Jerusalem are "zealous for Torah" and that Paul himself never stopped being observant. Most Messianics believe that observance of the
TorahTorah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
brings about
sanctificationSanctity is an ancient concept widespread among religions, a property of a thing or person sacred or set apart within the religion, from totem poles through temple vessels to days of the week, to a human believer who achieves this state. Sanctification is the act or process of acquiring sanctity,...
, not
salvationWithin religion salvation is the phenomenon of being saved from the undesirable condition of bondage or suffering experienced by the psyche or soul that has arisen as a result of unskillful or immoral actions generically referred to as sins. Salvation may also be called "deliverance" or...
, which was to be produced only by the Messiah.
Messianic organizations
- The Messianic Jewish Alliance of America
The Messianic Jewish Alliance of America was founded in 1915 as the Hebrew Christian Alliance of America.-History:The Hebrew Christian Alliance of America began in the early 19th century as missions by churches to Jews...
(MJAA)
- Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations (UMJC)
- Chosen People Ministries
Chosen People Ministries is a religious organization that melds Judaism with evangelical Christian faith and engages in evangelism to Jews. It supports development of congregations of adherents to Messianic Judaism, which it describes as "faith communities that stress the Jewish context of the...
(CPM)
- Coalition of Torah Observant Messianic Congregations (CTOMC)
- Union of Nazarene Yisraelite Congregations
The Union of Nazarene Yisraelite Congregations is a religious organization that was founded in 2000 by Rabbis Moshe Koniukowski, Edward Nydle, and Thomas Mitchell. It is made up of more than 60 Congregations. The main congregations are B'Nai Avraham, Ottumwa, Iowa; B'Nai Yeshurun, Kittanning, Pa....
(UONYC)
- Union of Conservative Messianic Synagogues (UCMJS)
- The International Alliance of Messianic Congregations and Synagogues (IAMCS).
- HaYesod ("the foundation") is a discipleship course that respectfully explores the Jewish foundation of Christianity. There are currently 259 HaYesod study groups of 5 or more members.
- The Jerusalem Council, an organization seeking to become a ruling council for Messianic believers worldwide. It is in the process of publishing a set of Messianic halakha that the "majority of orthodox Messianic Jews accept."
- The Messianic Jewish Rabbinical Council, many of whose members are affiliated with the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations, has published its standards of Messianic Torah observance.
Affiliated organizations
Organizations sympathetic to Messianic Judaism which remain outside the mainstream Messianic movement.
- Jews for Jesus
Jews for Jesus is a conservative, Christian evangelical organization that focuses on the conversion of Jews to Christianity. Its members consider themselves to be Jews – either as defined by Jewish law, or as according to the view of Jews for Jesus. Jews for Jesus defines “Jewish” in terms of...
is an evangelizing organization that does not create or sponsor Messianic congregations.
- The Church's Ministry Among Jewish People
Church's Ministry Among Jewish People is an Anglican missionary society founded in 1809.-History:...
, founded 1809. http://www.cmj.org.uk
Religious practices
The movement has attempted to "eliminate the elements of Christian worship that cannot be directly linked to their Jewish roots".
Holiday observances
Worship services are generally held on Friday evenings (Erev Shabbat) or Saturday mornings. The Messianic Jewish Rabbinical Council recommends the observance of Jewish holidays. Most larger Messianic Jewish congregations follow Jewish custom in celebrating seven key holidays (Pesach or
PassoverPassover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
,
ShavuotThe festival of is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan ....
,
Rosh HashanahRosh Hashanah , , is the Jewish New Year. It is the first of the High Holy Days or Yamim Nora'im which occur in the autumn...
,
Yom KippurYom Kippur , also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue...
,
SukkotSukkot is a Biblical holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei . It is one of the three biblically mandated festivals Shalosh regalim on which Hebrews were commanded to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem.The holiday lasts seven days...
,
HanukkahHanukkah , also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE...
, and
PurimPurim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people in the ancient Persian Empire from destruction in the wake of a plot by Haman, a story recorded in the Biblical Book of Esther .Purim is celebrated annually according to the Hebrew calendar on the 14th...
). Celebration of other holidays is less widespread.
Dietary laws
The dietary laws of Judaism are a subject of continued debate among Messianic Jews. Some Messianics keep kosher purely for the purposes of evangelism to Jewish people. Most avoid pork and shellfish, but there is division on more strict adherence to kosher dietary laws.
Conversion to Messianic Judaism
Messianic perspectives on "Who is a Jew" vary. The Messianic Jewish Rabbinical Council, (West Haven, CT, 2006) a global Messianic body, acknowledges a Jew as one born to a Jewish mother, or who has converted to Judaism. Copying from the Reform stream of Judaism, the Council also recognizes as a Jew one who was born to a Jewish father (but not a Jewish mother) on the condition that the family of the child (or the individual as an adult) has undertaken public and formal acts of identification of the individual with the Jewish faith and people.
Large numbers of "Messianic Jews" are not of Jewish descent, but join the movement anyway as they "enjoy the Messianic Jewish style of worship." The MJAA views conversion for Gentiles an unbiblical practice, but accepts them into the congregations.
Baptism
Messianic Jews practice
baptismIn Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
, calling it a mikveh ("cistern", from Leviticus 11) rather than the term hattvila ("baptism" הטבילה in the
Hebrew New TestamentBible translations have been made into 2,572+ languages, one of the two Testaments in 1,668 languages, and the full Protestant Canon of the Bible in 457 languages as of May 2011....
).
Circumcision
Some within the Ephraimite movement seek to convert themselves for identification with Israel, but most Messianic governing bodies acknowledge the presence of gentiles in the congregations, and do not see a need for them to convert to worship in the Messianic style and understanding. When conversion is sincerely desired by a Gentile Messianic believer in Jesus, Messianic Jewish halachic standards (including circumcision) are imposed to maintain integrity among the world Messianic Jewish community.
Use of Hebrew names and vocabulary in English
The movement prefers to maximise the use of Hebrew terms in English. The New Testament term tsalav ( צלב "cross") is avoided. Messianic Jews take the opposite approach from the
Sacred Name MovementThe Sacred Name Movement is a movement within Adventism in Christianity, propagated by Clarence Orvil Dodd from the 1930s, that claims to seek to conform Christianity to its "Hebrew Roots" in practice, belief and worship. The best known distinction of the SNM is its advocacy of the use of the...
regarding the name of God. The name
YahwehYahweh is the name of God in the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Jews and Christians.The word Yahweh is a modern scholarly convention for the Hebrew , transcribed into Roman letters as YHWH and known as the Tetragrammaton, for which the original pronunciation is unknown...
is rarely used, nor the New Testament "Lord", but HaShem, "The NAME". Messianic Jews take the same approach to the
Sacred Name MovementThe Sacred Name Movement is a movement within Adventism in Christianity, propagated by Clarence Orvil Dodd from the 1930s, that claims to seek to conform Christianity to its "Hebrew Roots" in practice, belief and worship. The best known distinction of the SNM is its advocacy of the use of the...
for the name "Yeshua".
Music
There are recording artists who consider their music to be Messianic in message, such as
Joel ChernoffJoel Chernoff is an American Singer-songwriter and a founding member of the music group Lamb.-External links:* - official website of Lamb and Joel Chernoff...
of Lamb, Paul Wilbur, Marty Goetz, Ted Pearce and Chuck King. Many of these artists have been influenced by
Jewish musicJewish music is the music and melodies of the Jewish People which have evolved over time throughout the long course of Jewish History. In some instances Jewish Music is of a religious nature, spiritual songs and refrains are common in Jewish Services throughout the world, while other times, it is...
and often incorporate Hebrew phrases into their lyrics.
Reception among other Christians
In America the emergence of the Messianic Jewish movement created some stresses with previous Jewish-Christian and proselytzing organization; the
Fellowship of Christian Testimonies to the JewsThe Fellowship of Christian Testimonies to the Jews was formed in the 1950s by Fred Kendal, founder of a Jewish mission called Israel's Remnant and Emil Elbe as a Christian mission to Jews. In 1975 the body condemned the Messianic Judaism movement....
(FCTJ) in 1975 condemned several aspects of the Messianic Jewish movement.The use of Hebrew vocabulary, and often dietary practices and festivals, can meet with a mixed reception among other Christians in America.
In Israel, where all Hebrew-speaking Christians use Hebrew vocabulary the distinctions between "Messianic Jews" and generic Christians is less clear, and the name "Messianic" (Meshiyhiy משיחי) is commonly used by churches anyway, in preference of the secular government administrative term for Christian, "Nazarene" (Notsri נוצרי). The Israel Trust of the Anglican Church (ITAC) based at
Christ Church, JerusalemChrist Church, Jerusalem is an Anglican church located near the Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem.It is the oldest Protestant church in the Middle East. Three architects planned the church, first William Curry Hillier , then James Wood Johns, who was dismissed and replaced by Matthew Habershon in January 1843...
, although ecumenical, and running an inter-faith school in Jerusalem gives some social support to Messianic Jews in Israel.
Specific response to "Messianic Judaism"
Jewish objections to Messianic Judaism are numerous, and often begin with objections to the term "Messianic Judaism" itself: They state that while Judaism is a messianic religion, its messiah is not Jesus, and thus the term is misleading. Use of "Judaism" in the term is also considered misleading and as a subversive tactic used for missionary purposes.
All denominations of Judaism, as well as national Jewish organizations, reject Messianic Judaism being a form of Judaism, often on the grounds that belief in Jesus as the Messiah is an insuperable dividing line between Christianity and Judaism.
According to the
Central Conference of American RabbisThe Central Conference of American Rabbis , founded in 1889 by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, is the principal organization of Reform rabbis in the United States and Canada, the CCAR is the largest and oldest rabbinical organization in the world....
(Reform):
"For us in the Jewish community, anyone who claims that Jesus is their savior is no longer a Jew and is an apostate. Through that belief she has placed herself outside the Jewish community. Whether she cares to define herself as a Christian or as a 'fulfilled Jew,' 'Messianic Jew,' or any other designation is irrelevant; to us, she is clearly a Christian."
Canadian B'nai Brith considers messianic activities as antisemitic incidents.
Several anti-missionary organizations, such as Outreach Judaism and
Jews for JudaismJews for Judaism, established by Rabbi Bentzion Kravitz in 1985, is an international organization designed to counter Christian missionaries whose evangelistic efforts are directed toward Jews. They aim to help Jews strengthen and rediscover their Judaism. It is the largest counter-missionary...
oppose Messianic Judaism on theological grounds, usually from an
Orthodox JewishOrthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
perspective. In recent years these organizations have noticeably narrowed their focus from countering the missionizing of Jews in the name of Christianity in general to countering the spread of Messianic Judaism in particular. The Jewish anti-missionary organizations view the latter (Messianic Judaism) as a more threatening and subversive form of missionary activity than the former (openly missionizing in the name of Christianity).
Jewish leaders dispute the Jewishness of the movement.
Rabbi Tovia SingerTovia Singer is a rabbi, and founder and director of Outreach Judaism.-Outreach Judaism:Singer is the founder and director of Outreach Judaism, a Jewish counter-missionary organization...
, founder of an organization dedicated to
opposing Christian efforts to convert JewsA number of, particularly Christian and Muslim, religious groups are involved in proselytization of Jews, attempts to recruit, or "missionize" Jews to abandon Judaism...
, noted of a Messianic rabbi in Toledo: "He’s not running a Jewish synagogue ... It’s a church designed to appear as if it were a synagogue and I’m there to expose him. What these irresponsible extremist Christians do is a form of consumer fraud. They blur the distinctions between Judaism and Christianity in order to lure Jewish people who would otherwise resist a straightforward message." Religious leaders across the Jewish spectrum have all declared that Messianic Jews are not Jews.
Generic response of Judaism to Christianity
In Judaism—
- God is unitary: Belief in the Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
, or shituf is a term used in Jewish sources for the worship of the God of Israel in a manner which Judaism does not deem to be monotheistic. The term connotes a theology that is not outright polytheistic, but also should not be seen as purely monotheistic...
(association with God) is considered idolatrous for Jews.
- The Messiah is not divine: Jewish theology rejects the idea that the messiah, or any human being, is a divinity
Divinity and divine are broadly applied but loosely defined terms, used variously within different faiths and belief systems — and even by different individuals within a given faith — to refer to some transcendent or transcendental power or deity, or its attributes or manifestations in...
, and consequently the majority Christian teaching of the Trinity has always been regarded as idolatrous. Further, Judaism does not view the role of the messiah to be the salvation of the world from its sins, an integral part of Christian theology.
- Jesus is not accepted as the Messiah: Judaism does not accept Jesus as the Messiah of the Hebrew Bible, but generally considers him as one of many false Jewish Messiah claimants
The Messiah in Judaism has a number of interpretations, including any king chosen by God; a holy king who will lead Israel; and someone who will usher in an idyllic age of peace and justice...
. Judaism rejects Jesus as a messiah, because—
- Jesus did not fulfill the messianic prophecies of Isaiah
Isaiah ; Greek: ', Ēsaïās ; "Yahu is salvation") was a prophet in the 8th-century BC Kingdom of Judah.Jews and Christians consider the Book of Isaiah a part of their Biblical canon; he is the first listed of the neviim akharonim, the later prophets. Many of the New Testament teachings of Jesus...
, EzekielEzekiel , "God will strengthen" , is the central protagonist of the Book of Ezekiel in the Hebrew Bible. In Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Ezekiel is acknowledged as a Hebrew prophet...
, and Zachariah.
- Jesus did not embody the personal qualifications of the Messiah:
- Jesus was not a prophet, prophecy having ended with Malachi
Malachi, Malachias or Mal'achi was a Jewish prophet in the Hebrew Bible. He had two brothers, Nathaniel and Josiah. Malachi was the writer of the Book of Malachi, the last book of the Neviim section in the Jewish Tanakh...
approximately 350 years prior to Jesus' birth.
- Jesus was not a scion of the house of David, as tribal affiliation in Judaism is solely patrilineal, and Jesus is claimed to be the son of God, not man.
- Jesus did not lead the Jews back to full Torah observance, instead contradicting the Written and Oral Laws in the New Testament.
- Biblical verses "referring" to Jesus are mistranslations, including those relating to virgin birth and suffering servitude.
- Jewish belief is based on national revelation, not on miraculous events performed for small groups, and there was no mass revelation similar to the one at Sinai.
Response of Israeli government
Messianic Jews are only considered eligible for the State of Israel's
Law of ReturnThe Law of Return is Israeli legislation, passed on 5 July 1950, that gives Jews the right of return and settlement in Israel and gain citizenship...
if they can also claim Jewish descent. An assistant to one of the two lawyers involved with an April 2008
Supreme Court of IsraelThe Supreme Court is at the head of the court system and highest judicial instance in Israel. The Supreme Court sits in Jerusalem.The area of its jurisdiction is all of Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories. A ruling of the Supreme Court is binding upon every court, other than the Supreme...
case explained to the Jerusalem Post that Messianics who are not Jewish according to Jewish law, but who had sufficient Jewish descent to qualify under the Law of Return, could claim automatic new immigrant status and citizenship despite being Messianics.
The state of Israel grants
Aliyah (right of return)The Law of Return is Israeli legislation, passed on 5 July 1950, that gives Jews the right of return and settlement in Israel and gain citizenship...
and citizenship to Jews, and to those with Jewish parents or grandparents who are not considered Jews according to
halachaHalakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
, e.g. people who have a Jewish father but a non-Jewish mother. Specifically excluded were any “person who has been a Jew and has voluntarily changed his religion.” An
Israeli Supreme CourtThe Supreme Court is at the head of the court system and highest judicial instance in Israel. The Supreme Court sits in Jerusalem.The area of its jurisdiction is all of Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories. A ruling of the Supreme Court is binding upon every court, other than the Supreme...
decision in 1989 ruled that Messianic Judaism constituted another religion. However, on April 16, 2008, the Supreme Court of Israel ruled in a case brought by a number of Messianic Jews with Jewish fathers and grandfathers. Their applications for Aliyah had been rejected on the grounds that they were Messianic Jews. The argument was made by the applicants that they had never been Jews according to halacha, and were not therefore excluded by the conversion clause. This argument was upheld in the ruling.
The International Religious Freedom Report 2008, released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor in the US states that discrimination against Messianic Jews in Israel is increasing. Some acts of violence have also occurred such as incident on March 20, 2008, a bomb concealed as a Purim gift basket was delivered to the house of a prominent Messianic Jewish family in
ArielAriel is an Israeli settlement and a city in the West Bank. Ariel was established in 1978. Its population at the end of 2009 was 17,600, including 7,000 immigrants who came to Israel after 1990. It is the fourth largest Jewish settlement city in the West Bank., after Modi'in Illit, Beitar Illit,...
, in the
West BankThe West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
, which severely wounded the son.
The bombing was eventually traced to
Yaakov "Jack" TeitelYaakov "Jack" Teitel is an American-Israeli Orthodox Jew arrested in October 2009 for his alleged connection to various acts of domestic terror. Teitel moved to Israel in 2000, and has been living since then in the West-Bank settlement of Shvut Rachel.Teitel lived in Israel for several months in...
, an "alleged Jewish terrorist" who immigrated to Israel from the United States has been arrested in connection with several bombings, murders and attempted murders in Israel.
This antagonism has led to harassment and some violence, especially in Israel, where there is a large and militant Orthodox community. Several Orthodox organizations, including
Yad L'AchimYad L'Achim is an Orthodox Jewish organization operating in Israel focusing on outreach, counter-missionary and anti-religious intermarriage activity...
, are dedicated to rooting out missionary activity in Israel, including the Messianic Jewish congregations. One tactic is to plaster posters asking Israelis to boycott shops where Messianic Jews are owners or employees; another is to report Messianic Jews to the Interior ministry, which is charged with enforcing an Israeli law forbidding proselytizing. In another incident, the mayor of Or Yehuda, a suburb of Tel Aviv, held a public book-burning of literature passed out to Ethiopian immigrants. He later apologized for the action.
Response of US government
The US Navy made a decision that Messianic Jewish chaplains must wear as their insignia the Christian cross, and not the tablets of the law, the insignia of Jewish chaplains. According to
Yeshiva World NewsYeshiva World News ', is an Orthodox Jewish online news publication. It also has multiple services catering to Jews all over the world....
, a website covering stories of Jewish interest, the Navy Uniform Board commanded that Michael Hiles, a candidate for chaplaincy, wear the Christian insignia. Hiles resigned from the program, rather than wear the cross. Rabbi Eric Tokajer, a spokesman for the Messianic Jewish movement, responded that "This decision essentially bars Messianic Jews from serving as chaplains within the U.S. Navy because it would require them to wear an insignia inconsistent with their faith and belief system."
See also
- Apostasy in Judaism
- Christian Kabbalah
The Renaissance saw the birth of Christian Kabbalah/Cabbalah , also spelled Cabbala/Cabala...
- Judaism's view of Jesus
Jews have traditionally seen Jesus as one of a number of false messiahs who have appeared throughout history. Jesus is viewed as having been the most influential, and consequently the most damaging, of all false messiahs...
- Judeo-Christian
Judeo-Christian is a term used in the United States since the 1940s to refer to standards of ethics said to be held in common by Judaism and Christianity, for example the Ten Commandments...
- List of messianic movement leaders
Ancient Christian movements of Jews
- Ebionites
Ebionites, or Ebionaioi, , is a patristic term referring to a Jewish Christian sect or sects that existed during the first centuries of the Christian Era. They regarded Jesus as the Messiah and insisted on the necessity of following Jewish religious law and rites...
- Nazarenes
The Nazarene sect is used in two contexts:* Firstly of the New Testament early church where in Acts 24:5 Paul is accused before Felix at Caesarea by Tertullus of being "a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes."...
Syncretic religions adopting elements of Judaism
- Alternative Judaism
Alternative Judaism refers to a variety of groups whose members, while identifying as Jews in some fashion, nevertheless do not practice Rabbinic Judaism.-Variety:...
- Frankism
Frankism was an 18th-century to 19th-century Jewish religious movement centered around the leadership of the Jewish Messiah claimant Jacob Frank, who lived from 1726 to 1791. At its height, it claimed perhaps 50,000 followers, primarily Jews living in Poland and other parts of Eastern Europe...
- Sabbateanism
Further reading
- Cohn-Sherbok, Dan
Dan Cohn-Sherbok is a rabbi of Reform Judaism, a Jewish theologian and a prolific author on religion. He is Professor Emeritus of Judaism at the University of Wales, Honorary Professor at the University of Abersystwyth, Visiting Professor at St Mary's University College, London, York St John...
, ed. Voices of Messianic Judaism: Confronting Critical Issues Facing a Maturing Movement, Messianic Jewish Resources International (June, 2001), ISBN 1-880226-93-6
- Eisenbaum, Pamela Is Paul the Father of Misogyny and Antisemitism? http://www.crosscurrents.org/eisenbaum.htm
- Feher, Shoshanah. Passing Over Easter: Constructing the Boundaries of Messianic Judaism, AltaMira Press (1998), ISBN 0-7619-8953-6; 0761989528
- Fieldsend, John. Messianic Jews – Challenging Church And Synagogue, Monarch Publications/MARC/Olive Press, (1993), ISBN 1-85424-228-8
- Fischer, John, ed.; The Enduring Paradox: Exploratory Essays in Messianic Judaism, Messianic Jewish Resources International (July, 2000), ISBN 1-880226-90-1
- Fruchtenbaum, Arnold, ThM, PhD.; "Messianic Christology" ISBN 0-914863-07-X
- Fruchtenbaum, Arnold, ThM, PhD.; "Hebrew Christianity: Its Theology, History & Philosophy" ISBN 0-914863-01-0
- Fruchtenbaum, Arnold, ThM, PhD.; A Passover Haggadah for Jewish Believers" ISBN 0-914863-04-05
- Goldberg, Louis, ed. How Jewish Is Christianity? Two Views On The Messianic Movement, Zondervan, (2003), ISBN 0-310-24490-0
- Gruber, Daniel, The Church and the Jews: The Biblical Relationship (Springfield, MO: General Council of the Assemblies of God, Intercultural Ministries, 1991)
- Gruber, Daniel, Torah and the New Covenant—An Introduction (Elijah Publishing 1998) ISBN 0-9669253-0-0
- Harris-Shapiro, Carol
Carol Harris-Shapiro is a lecturer at Temple University in the Intellectual Heritage Department. She has written a controversial book on Messianic Judaism, a belief system considered by most Christians and Jews to be a form of Christianity, adhered to by groups that seek to combine Christianity...
. Messianic Judaism: A Rabbi's Journey through Religious Change in America, Beacon Press, 1999, ISBN 0-8070-1040-5
- Hefley, James C. The New Jews, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (1974), ISBN 0-8423-4680-5
- Hegg, Tim. The Letter Writer: Paul's Background and Torah Perspective, First Fruits of Zion, (2002), ISBN 1-892124-16-5
- Juster, Daniel
Daniel Juster is an author and advocate of Messianic Judaism. He has served in the Messianic Jewish movement since 1972. He has had various leadership roles including: pastor for over 27 years, the founding President and then General Secretary of the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations ,...
. Growing to Maturity: A Messianic Jewish Guide, Union of Messianic Congregations; 3rd ed. (1987), ISBN 0-9614555-0-0
- Juster, Daniel
Daniel Juster is an author and advocate of Messianic Judaism. He has served in the Messianic Jewish movement since 1972. He has had various leadership roles including: pastor for over 27 years, the founding President and then General Secretary of the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations ,...
. Jewish Roots – A Foundation Of Biblical Theology, Destiny Image; 3rd ed. (1995), ISBN 1-56043-142-3
- Kinzer, Mark. Postmissionary Messianic Judaism, Brazos, (November 2005), ISBN 1-58743-152-1
- Liberman, Paul. The Fig Tree Blossoms Fountain Press, Inc. (July 21, 1976) ISBN 978-0893500009 http://www.amazon.com/Fig-Tree-Blossoms-Messianic-Judaism/dp/0893500003
- Mayhew, Eugene J. Mapping Messianic Jewish Theology: A Constructive Approach Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Sep 2010; accessed through bnet, the CBS Interactive Business Network
- Pearce, Tony. The Messiah Factor, New Wine Press, (Spring 2004), ISBN 1-903725-32-1
- Robinson, Rich, ed. The Messianic Movement: A Field Guide For Evangelical Christians From Jews For Jesus, Purple Pomegranate Publications, (2005), ISBN 1-881022-62-5
- Schiffman, Dr Michael. Return Of The Remnant – The Rebirth Of Messianic Judaism, Lederer Books, (1996), ISBN 1-880226-53-7
- Scholem, Gershom. The Messianic Idea in Judaism and other Essays on Jewish Spirituality, (1971), ISBN 978-0805210439
- Stern, David H.
Dr. David Harold Stern is an Israel-based theologian. He is the third son of Harold Stern and Marion Levi Stern.Stern's major work is the Complete Jewish Bible, his English translation of the Tanakh and New Testament...
Messianic Jewish Manifesto, Messianic Jewish Resources International, (May, 1988), ISBN 965-359-002-2
- Telchin, Stan. Messianic Judaism is Not Christianity, Chosen Books (September, 2004), ISBN 0-8007-9372-2
General
Denominations
Hebrew roots
Criticism