Messianic Judaism is a religious movement that
differs from mainstream
Christianity
and from
Judaism by combining elements of
each into a single faith.
Like other Christians, its adherents believe that
Jesus of Nazareth, whom they call
Yeshua, is the
resurrected Messiah and often the
Divine Savior.
Messianic Judaism adds to this some observance of Jewish Law, which
is not generally practiced (and often discouraged) in Christian
churches. These observances include observing Jewish
Shabbat, abstaining from pork, shellfish, and
other foods banned by Jewish law, and observing Jewish holidays. As
of 2003, there were at least 150 Messianic
synagogues in the U.S. and over 400 worldwide. By
2008, the number of Messianics in the United States was around a
quarter million.
The number of Messianic Jews in Israel is
reported to be anywhere between 6,000 and 15,000 members, including
the mainly Messianic Jewish village of Yad HaShmona
, near Jerusalem
.
Although some Messianic Jews are ethnically Jewish, and argue that
Messianic Judaism is a sect of
Judaism, the
various streams of Judaism are unanimous in their rejection of
Messianism as a form of Judaism, and both Christians and Jews
consider Messianic Judaism to be a form of Christianity. Messianic
belief in the divinity of Jesus is seen by the great majority of
Christians and by Judaism as being the defining distinction between
Christianity and Judaism.
This is also the opinion of the Supreme Court of
Israel
which ruled that the Law
of Return should treat ethnically Jewish individuals who
convert to Messianic Judaism the same way it treats Jews who
convert to Christianity.
Identity
Adherents to Messianic Judaism are described as
Messianic
Jews,
Messianic Believers, or
Messianics for
short.
Although terms used to identify adherents of Messianic Judaism are
frequently disputed, the terms used generally describe someone who
holds to the belief that
Jesus is the Jewish
Messiah, and who lives in obedience to the
Scriptures, including the
Torah, and
Halakha, and who
believes such a lifestyle of obedience is the proper expression of
faith.
Messianic Judaism is a relatively new term, coined
as recently as 1895 to help separate the practices of its followers
from those of common
Christianity as a
whole, and in order to more closely align its faith with that of
biblical and historical
Judaism.
The Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations defines Messianic
Judaism as "a movement of Jewish congregations and groups committed
to Yeshua the Messiah that embrace the covenantal responsibility of
Jewish life and identity rooted in Torah, expressed in tradition,
and renewed and applied in the context of the New Covenant."
"Jewish life is life in a concrete, historical
community.
Thus, Messianic Jewish groups must be fully part of the
Jewish people, sharing its history and its covenantal
responsibility as a people chosen by God.
At the same time, faith in Yeshua also has a crucial
communal dimension.
This faith unites the Messianic Jewish community and
the Christian Church..."
Messianics believe that the first followers of Jesus of Nazareth
were called
Nazarenes (in
Hebrew, Notzrim;
" ") or
simply "Followers of the Way."
Messianic Jews practice their faith in a way they consider to be
authentically
Torah-observant and
culturally Jewish.
History
The Messianic Judaism movement of today grew out of the
Hebrew-Christian movement of the 19th
century. Hebrew-Christian congregations began to emerge in England;
the first of these was Beni Abraham, in London, which was founded
by forty-one Hebrew-Christians.This led to a more general awareness
of their Jewish identity for Christians with a Jewish background.
In 1866, the Hebrew-Christian Alliance of Great Britain was
organized, with branches also existing in several European
countries and the United States. A similar group, The Hebrew
Christian Alliance of America (HCAA), was organized in the U.S. in
1915. The International Hebrew-Christian Alliance (IHCA) was
organized in 1925 (later becoming the International Messianic
Jewish Alliance). Additional groups were formed during subsequent
decades.
Modern Messianic Judaism emerged in the 1960s. A major shift in the
movement occurred when Martin Chernoff became the President of the
HCAA (1971-1975). In June 1973, a motion was made to change the
name of the HCAA to the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America (MJAA)
and the name was officially changed in June 1975. The name change
was significant as more than just a "semantical expression;" as
Rausch states, "It represented an evolution in the thought
processes and religious and philosophical outlook toward a more
fervent expression of Jewish identity."
When the movement began to become larger, new organizations such as
the
Messianic Israel
Alliance and the Coalition of Torah Observant Messianic
Congregations arose. These organizations disagreed with UMJC's
stance over the issue of Gentile observance of the Torah, and
whether it is obligatory, or not.
Theology
Messianic Jewish theology is the study of
God
and
Scripture from a Messianic Jewish
perspective. Many Messianics affirm the
Trinity - creator God,
Yeshua
the son who entered human form in accordance with
Scripture, and the
Holy
Spirit - being three representations of the same divinity;
others leave it deliberately obscure.
Canon
Messianic believers commonly hold the
Old
Testament to be divinely inspired. Theologian
David H. Stern
in his "Jewish New Testament Commentary" argues that
Paul is fully congruent with Messianic
Judaism, and that the
New 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
Gospel writers.
Often, the emphasis is on the idea that the Old Testament is the
only scripture the early believers universally had, and that,
except for the recorded words of Jesus, the New Testament was meant
to be an inspired commentary on the Old Testament. This agrees with
non-Jewish views of scripture, and the complete canon of accepted
books is the same as that of the Protestants.
Canon:
- Torah [ ] meaning one or all of: "The
Law"; "Teaching"; "Instruction". Also called the Chumash [
] meaning: "The five"; "The five books of Moses". It is the
"Pentateuch".
- Nevi'im [ ] meaning: "Prophets"
- Ketuvim [ ] meaning "Writings" or
"Hagiographa".
- Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and
John
- Acts
- Pauline Epistles
- General Epistles of James,
Peter, John, and Jude
- Revelation
Stern has produced a Messianic Jewish version of the Bible called
the
Complete Jewish Bible, a
translation using more Hebrew idioms and
loanwords (such as
shalom instead of
peace), and using Hebrew transliterations of names (for example,
Miryam and Yosef for Mary and Joseph).
Torah
"Torah" refers to the first five books of the Bible, also called
the Pentateuch, Books of Moses, or Books of Law. The word
translated most commonly as laws is probably more rightly
translated as teachings. The Torah contains the 613 laws of the
Covenant between God and Israel. For Jews, whether they are
Messianic or not, observance is covenantal. For Messianic
believers, the Torah is held as the foundation for "teaching,
rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man
of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." .
Scriptural commentary
Some Messianic communities believe that the rabbinic commentaries
such as the
Mishnah and the
Talmud, 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 who call rabbinic commentaries such as
the
Mishnah and the
Talmud "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.
There are a number of Messianic commentaries on various books of
the Bible, both Tanakh and New Testament texts, such as
Matthew,
Acts,
Romans,
Galatians, and
Hebrews. David H. Stern has released
a one-volume Jewish New Testament Commentary, but it overlooks many
of the issues of composition, history, date and setting, and only
provides select 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; 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).
Core doctrines
This section lists some of the main beliefs and doctrines
present in Messianic Judaism
- God - Messianic Jews
believe in God (Adonai of the Bible), and that
he is all-powerful, omni-present, eternal, exists outside of
creation, and is infinitely significant and benevolent. Messianic
Jews believe in the Shema ("Shema Means 'hear' and is the
quintessential Jewish text from Dvarim/ .: 'Hear, O Israel: The
LORD our God is one LORD' showing the uniqueness of the God of
Israel. Israel didn't require many gods (like harvest gods,
fertility gods, fire gods) The God of Israel is unique and infinite
-- He alone is sovereign. The Shema is a confirmation in Torah that
Adonai/God is a compound unity ('echad') not as is commonly
misunderstood.") Many Messianic Jews are open to trinitarian views
of God; some demand strict monotheism.
- Yeshua the Messiah - Jesus (Yeshua) of
Nazareth, is believed to be the Jewish
Messiah in Messianic Judaism. The mainstream movement accepts
Yeshua (Jesus) as "the Torah (Word) made flesh" (John, 1:14), and
believe he is HaShem. Some small offshoots exist outside the fringe
of the movement which deny Jesus's divinity entirely. These
however, are rejected by mainstream Messianic Jews in the same way
that some Christian groups reject groups with differing
Christologies, such as the Jehovah's
Witnesses.
- Written Torah - Messianics, with few
exceptions, consider the written Torah
(Pentateuch), the five books of Moses, to
remain fully in force and they therefore believe that it is a holy
covenant, which 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.
- Israel - It is believed that the Children of Israel were, remain, and will
continue to be the chosen people of the God of Jacob, and are
central to his plans for existence. Virtually all Messianics (whether Jewish
or non-Jewish) can be said to oppose supersessionism (popularly referred to as
replacement theology), the view
that the Church has replaced
Israel
in the mind and plans of God.
- The Bible - The Tanakh
and the Apostolic Writings (sometimes
called the "B’rit Chadasha") are usually considered to be the
established and divinely inspired Biblical scriptures by Messianic
Jews.
- Biblical Eschatology - Most Messianics hold
all of the following eschatological
beliefs: the End of Days, the Second Coming 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 Sabbath.
- Oral Law - Messianic Jewish opinions
concerning the “Oral Torah”, encoded in the Talmud, are varied and sometimes conflicting between
individual congregations. Some congregations believe that adherence
to the Oral Law, as encompassed by the Talmud, is against Messianic
beliefs and outright dangerous. Other congregations are selective
in their applications of Talmudic law. Still others encourage a
serious observance of the Jewish Halakha.
Virtually all Messianic congregations and synagogues can be said to
believe that the oral traditions are subservient to the written
Torah. It is important to note that Jesus
followed some oral traditions (such as the observance of Hanukkah),
but opposed others.
Additional doctrines
- Sin and atonement - Messianics define sin as transgression of the Torah (Law/Instruction) of
God (1 John 3: 4-5). Some adherents continue practices intended to
atone for their sins - usually involving prayer and rituals
relating to repentance—that is,
acknowledgment of wrongdoing and seeking forgiveness for their sins
(esp. on Yom Kippur, the Day of
Atonement). Other Messianics disagree with these practices,
believing that all sin (whether committed yet or not) is already
atoned for because of Jesus's death and resurrection.
- Faith and works - Messianics draw on Jewish
rather than Protestant tradition. In Hebrew there is one word for
both faith and faithfulness: Emunah. Most adherents to Messianic
Judaism believe in a showing of their faith through righteous works
(Jacob 2: 17-26; James 2: 1-26), defined by the Torah. Few Messianics believe that faith and works are
mutually exclusive or polarized; most believe that faith in God and
righteous works are entirely complementary to each other, and that
the one (faith) naturally leads to the other (works) - much like
some Christian thinking. Some say that righteousness with God is
solely by grace through faith and then acknowledge that works are
still very important.
People of God
According to the 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."
Jews are those who are born of a Jewish mother or have undergone
halakhic conversion to Judaism. An exception is also made for those
born of Jewish fathers only if the individual claims Jewish
identity, similar to the Reform position. 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 from FFOZ 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 Theology comes from the
idea that the "
House of Judah" in
scripture refers to Jews, and the "
House
of Israel" refers to the
Ten Lost
Tribes of Israel, or
Ephraim. 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 Yeshua 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 America and
Union of Messianic
Jewish Congregations have opposed the Two House teaching and it
continues to be a sensitive issue among Messianic
congregations.
Eschatology
Issues of Creation and Eschatology are not central to Messianic
Judaism with the following exception: the idea that one age is
ending, as the fullness of the Gentiles has been reached, and the
next age beginning, where we shall see the fullness of Israel. The
wording is a reference to Romans 11, "Again I ask: Did [the Jews]
stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because
of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make
Israel envious. But if their transgression means riches for the
world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much
greater riches will their fullness bring! ... For if their
rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their
acceptance be but life from the dead? ... I do not want you to be
ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be
conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the
full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be
saved." The "fullness of the Gentiles" might be said to refer to
the Great Commission, which is complete. The rebirth of the nation
of Israel, the re-establishment of Jerusalem as its capital, the
return of Jews from Russia, "the nation to the north," and the
return of Jews worldwide to greater observance are all seen as
signs of the beginning of the age of Israel. Messianics believe
that when the fullness of Israel is reached, the Messiah will
return and the world will see the resurrection of the dead.
The majority of Messianics believe, as does traditional Judaism, in
a literal 7,000 year period for the human history of the world,
from Adam to the Judgment, and many Messianics believe that we are
the final generation that will experience the Biblical
apocalypse.
Most Messianics believe that the Messianic Kingdom, or
Millennial Sabbath, will literally be for a period of a
thousand years, after the collective resurrection of the dead, with
Jesus the Messiah ruling from Jerusalem. Many believe that we are
living in the final days, or “End Times”, before the physical
return of Jesus to Jerusalem.
Messianics
also contend that no serious study of the End
Times should ever leave out the significance of God's appointed
times—the major Jewish Festivals in
the Torah—and their fulfillment as prophetic events as it relates
to the person of Jesus and to Israel. Many
Messianics believe that just as the Spring Festivals (
Passover,
First Fruits,
Shavuot) were literally fulfilled to the day
at Jesus's first coming, the Fall Festivals (
Yom Teruah,
Yom
Kippur,
Sukkot) will be literally
fulfilled to the day at Jesus's second coming, and that all of the
moedim, indeed the entire
Torah, intrinsically hints at the Messiah.
Overview of issues
Traditional Christianity affirms that the Torah is the word of God,
though some Christians deny that all of the laws of the
Pentateuch apply directly to them as Christians.
The New Testament suggests that Jesus established a
new covenant relationship between
God and his people (Heb 8; Jer 31:31–34) and this new covenant
speaks of the Torah being written upon the heart. Various passages
such as Matthew 5:17-19, Matthew 28:19-20, 1 John 3:4 and Romans
3:3, as well as various examples of Torah observance in the New
Testament, are cited by Messianics in suggesting that the Torah was
not and could not have been abolished.
Many Messianics believe that it is absurd to assume that any of the
613 Mitzvot would be abolished simply
because certain commandments are or are not repeated or reaffirmed
individually in the New Testament, proclaiming the belief that such
was never the job of the Apostles in the first place, and that the
Torah has always been immutable. Messianics sometimes challenge
Christians by arguing that if they believe Jesus is the Messiah,
then according to the Torah itself Jesus could not have changed the
Torah.
As with
Orthodox Judaism, capital
punishment and animal sacrifice are not practiced because there are
strict Biblical conditions on how these are to be practiced,
requiring a functioning Temple in Jerusalem with its Levite
priesthood.
Most Messianics believe that observance of the
Torah brings about sanctification, not salvation,
which was to be produced only by the Messiah.
Like so many other elements of Messianic Judaism, the issue of
Torah observance varies widely across the movement. The following
subsections attempt to explain the differing opinions regarding
Torah observance within Messianic Judaism as a whole.
Law and grace
Some believe that the Torah is separated into moral, ceremonial,
and civil commandments, and that only the moral laws are necessary
to be observed by believers today. Others consider such a
partitioning of the Torah to be a man-made and deliberate attempt
to avoid serious observance of the whole Torah.
Others among the Messianics hold that both Jesus and Paul taught
and commanded Jews to remain obedient to all the laws found in the
Torah. (See
New Perspective on
Paul)
Most Messianics believe Jesus himself said that he came not to
destroy the Law or Prophets but that he came to fulfill [to fill up
to the full]. Matthew 5:17-19 17 " Do not think that I came to
destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to
fulfill. 18 "For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth
pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law
till all is fulfilled.
Jewish Paul
Messianics understand (as supported by modern scholarship) that
Paul the Apostle (who is often
referred to as Sha’ul, his Hebrew name) remained a Jewish Pharisee
even as a believer until his death (see
Paul of Tarsus and Judaism). 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
Gamaliel, 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 Paul is important in Messianic Judaism.
Messianic Jewish Conversion
Messianic perspectives on "Who is a Jew" vary. The Jerusalem
Council, a global Messianic body, defines a Jew as one who is born
of a Jewish mother or father, or who is a convert to Judaism. It
should be noted that the Jerusalem Council recognizes as a convert
to Judaism, in addition to Orthodox halakha, anyone who is a
follower of Jesus who has gone through a mikvah of conversion to
Messianic Judaism. Circumcision is seen by the Jerusalem Council
not as a means by which one is recognized as a Jew, but rather as a
measure of continued obedience to the Torah
after
conversion.
The Messianic Jewish Rabbinical Council, a Messianic halakhic body
submitted to the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations, instead
promotes developing a process of conversion by which "non-Jews" may
be circumcised and then only afterwards be recognized as
Jewish.
None of the mainstream Jewish movements view a Messianic conversion
as valid.
Comparisons
Judaism
Jewish theology rejects the idea that the messiah (or any other
person) is a
divinity, and such an idea has
often been regarded as idolatrous. Nor does Judaism view the role
of the messiah to be the salvation of the world from its sins (an
idea widely accepted by Christians and messianic Jews). Judaism
does not accept Jesus as the biblical messiah, nor does it assign
him any religious role at all.
Christianity
Historically, Christianity has featured
supersessionism in which the
Mosaic Covenant of the First Testament is
superseded by the
New Covenant of Jesus
, wherein the merciful grace of God and not obedience to the
Torah is required for salvation. This is
sometimes complemented with God moving the status of "God's people"
from Israel, as the First Testament announces, to the Christian
Church. Messianic Judaism, in varying degrees, challenges both
thoughts. Israel, though it has rejected Jesus (by majority) has
not forfeited its place as God's chosen people. They quote Romans
11:29 which says "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 mitzvoh may or may not
be necessary, most are still followed, especially keeping Sabbath
and other holy days. Some believe that Jews can still find favor
with God through the Torah without accepting Jesus, as did Moses,
David, and the Prophets.
Ethnic Jews who are Christians
Being Jewish can refer to a religious identity or an ethnic
designation, or usually both. Christians who were born Jewish do
not necessarily identify as Messianic Jews; Christians with a
Jewish heritage may follow Christianity in exactly the same way
that any other Christian does. More confusing, some Messianic
believers are actually of non-Jewish ethnicity, but attend Shul and
follow the teachings of Messianic Judaism.
Jews for Jesus
Some Messianic believers do not consider
Jews for Jesus to be a Messianic Jewish
organization.
Jesus
The place of Jesus in Messianic Judaism is usually clearly defined.
Contrary to Judaism, 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 . Instead of merely a physical Messiah who would save
Israel from occupation and restore the Davidic Kingdom, Jesus first
rescued the world from spiritual bondage – paving the way for true
understanding and application of the Torah. The Messiah will return
again – only this time he will indeed 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" who they call
Yeshua.
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
Trinity
vary),
Jesus is believed to be the
Jewish Messiah though views on his divinity
vary),
written Torah (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 (
Tanakh and the
New
Testament are usually considered the divinely inspired
Scripture, though Messianics are more open to criticism of the
New 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.
People of God
There exist among Messianics a number of perspectives regarding who
exactly makes up 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.
Eschatology
Many Messianics believe that all of the
moedim, indeed the entire
Torah, intrinsically hint at the Messiah, and thus no
study of the
End Times is complete without
understanding the major
Jewish
Festivals in the larger prophetic context. To these believers,
Passover,
First
Fruits, and
Shavuot were fulfilled in
Jesus's first coming, and
Yom Teruah,
Yom Kippur, and
Sukkot 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
The issue of Torah observance is a contentious one within Messianic
Judaism. Generally, "Torah observant" congregations observe Jewish
Law, biblical feasts, and Sabbath, although they do not teach that
Gentiles need observe Torah. While most traditional Christians deny
that the ritual laws and specific civil laws of the
Pentateuch (though still affirming that
Torah is the word of God) apply directly to
themselves, passages regarding Torah observance in the
New 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
Torah brings about
sanctification, not
salvation, which was to be produced only by the
Messiah.
Religious practices
Organizations
Many Messianic organizations exist that address issues concerning
Messianic religious practice.
The vision of the Jerusalem Council, a new organization, "includes
the hope of re-appointing a
beit din for
Messianic believers worldwide, to be called the Jerusalem Council,
or Beit HaDin HaYerushalmi, modeled after the original, and
submitted to the new Jewish Sanhedrin in issues that do not
contradict obedient faith to Messiah Yeshua or his teachings." It
is in the process of publishing a set of Messianic halakha that the
"majority of orthodox Messianic Jews accept."
Another organization, the Messianic Jewish Rabbinical Council (many
of whose members are affiliated with the longstanding Union of
Messianic Jewish Congregations) has published its standards of
Messianic Torah observance at its website, ourrabbis.org.
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.Many Messianic
Jews do not observe the Christmas holiday and those who do observe
do not keep a Christmas tree.
Dietary laws
The dietary laws of Judaism are a subject of continued debate among
Messianic Jews.
Culture
Messianic music
There are recording artists who consider their music to be
Messianic in message including
Joel
Chernoff of
Lamb,
Paul Wilbur, and
Marty
Goetz. Many of these artists have been influenced by
Jewish music and often incorporate Hebrew
phrases into their lyrics. Other Messianic artists, such as Ted
Pearce and Chuck King, are not Jewish in heritage but have begun to
lead a new generation of scripture-based Messianic-style
music.
Jewish objections
Jewish objections to Messianic Judaism are numerous and often begin
with objections to the term "Messianic Judaism" itself: It is
objected that Judaism is a messianic religion, but that its messiah
is not Jesus, thus the term is misleading.
Use of "Judaism" in the term is also considered misleading and as a
subversive tactic used for missionary purposes.
Messianic Jews are
only considered eligible for the State of Israel
's Law of Return if
they can also claim Jewish descent. An assistant to one of
the two lawyers involved with an April 2008 Supreme Court of
Israel case explained to the Jerusalem Post that Messianics were "entitled
to automatic new immigrant status and citizenship precisely because
they were not Jews as defined by the Law of Return, but rather
because they were the offspring of Jewish fathers".
Several anti-missionary organizations, such as
Outreach Judaism and
Jews for Judaism oppose Messianic Judaism
on theological grounds, usually from an
Orthodox Jewish perspective. In recent
years these organizations have noticeably shifted their focus from
countering the missionizing of Jews in the name of Christianity to
countering the spread of Messianic Judaism. The Jewish
anti-missionary organizations view the latter (Messianic Judaism)
as a more threatening and subversive form of apostacy than the
former (openly missionizing in the name of Christianity).
Denominations and organizations
All denominations of Judaism, as well as national Jewish
organizations reject Messianic Judaism being a form of Judaism,
often on the grounds that Messianic Judaism is a form of
Christianity, and that Christianity isn't Judaism.
According to the
Central Conference of
American Rabbis (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."
Concerning Christian-Jewish
reconciliation and Christian missions to the Jews, Emil Fackenheim wrote:
"…Except in relations with Christians, the Christ of
Christianity is not a Jewish issue. There simply can be no dialogue
worthy of the name unless Christians accept — nay, treasure — the
fact that Jews through the two millennia of Christianity have had
an agenda of their own. There can be no Jewish-Christian dialogue
worthy of the name unless one Christian activity is abandoned,
missions to the Jews. It must be abandoned, moreover, not as a
temporary strategy but in principle, as a bimillennial theological
mistake. The cost of that mistake in Christian love and Jewish
blood one hesitates to contemplate.
…A post-Holocaust Jew can still view
Christian attempts to convert Jews as sincere and well intended.
But even as such they are no longer acceptable: They have become
attempts to do in one way what Hitler did in
another."
According to a 1998 Audit of Antisemitic Incidents issued
by Canadian B'nai Brith,
"One of the more alarming trends in antisemitic activity in Canada in 1998 was the
growing number of incidents involving messianic organizations
posing as "synagogues".
These missionizing organizations are in fact
evangelical Christian proselytizing groups, whose purpose is
specifically to target members of the Jewish community for
conversion.
They fraudulently represent themselves as Jews, and
these so-called synagogues are elaborately disguised Christian
churches."
Suggestions of Jewish legitimacy
Jews believe that Messianic Judaism is not a form of Judaism, and
that the very name of the movement itself is deceptive. However,
two non-Messianic Jewish scholars have suggested re-approaching the
subject:
- University of Wales, Lampeter
, Theology and Religious Studies Professor Dan Cohn-Sherbok, also an American
Reform rabbi, has suggested
in his book Messianic Judaism that there should be a
consideration of the place of Messianic Judaism within the
contemporary Jewish community and outlines three alternative models
for understanding the relationship between Messianic Judaism and
the modern Jewish world.
- Reconstructionist
rabbi Carol Harris-Shapiro has
posited that Messianic Judaism is a form of Judaism, while simultaneously a form of Christianity. She also asserts why and how both
Christianity and Judaism reject Messianic Judaism
Israeli Citizenship
The state of Israel grants Aliyah and citizenship to Jews, and
to those with Jewish parents or grandparents who are not considered
Jews according to halacha, 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 Court decision in 1989 ruled that Messianic Judaism
constituted another religion. The Israeli government
therefore rejected as a matter of course applications from
Messianic Jews under the Law of Return.
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.
Persecution of Messianic Jews
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 Ariel
, in the
West
Bank
, which severely wounded the son.
See also
References
Further reading
- Cohn-Sherbok, Dan.
Messianic Judaism, Continuum International Publishing
Group (1 February 2001), ISBN 0-8264-5458-5
- Cohn-Sherbok, Dan, ed.
Voices of Messianic Judaism: Confronting Critical Issues Facing
a Maturing Movement, Messianic Jewish Resources International
(June, 2001), ISBN 1-880226-93-6
- 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
- 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.
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. Growing to
Maturity: A Messianic Jewish Guide, Union of Messianic
Congregations; 3rd ed. (1987), ISBN 0-9614555-0-0
- Juster, Daniel. 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
- Maoz, Baruch. Judaism Is Not Jewish - A Friendly Critique
Of The Messianic Movement, Mentor, (2003), ISBN
1-85792-787-7
- Nadler, Sam. The Messianic Answer Book, Word of
Messiah Ministries (2000) ASIN: B0006E8QO2
- Nadler, Sam. Messianic Wisdom. Word of Messiah
Ministries [10902]
- Pearce, Tony. The Messiah Factor, New Wine Press,
(Spring 2004), ISBN 1-903725-32-1
- Prill, Patrick. Expectations About God And Messiah,
Yeshua Publishing LLC (2004), ISBN 0974208604
- Rausch, David A. Messianic Judaism: Its History Theology
and Polity, Mellen Press, (December 1982), ISBN
0-88946-802-8
- 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. 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
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