Post by Mark on Mar 28, 2007 4:01:29 GMT -8
Probably the most common question I am asked when I begin to describe Messianic Judaism is, "Are you with Jews for Jesus?" I amswer no; and I have some trouble controlling the measure of contempt in my voice. While it is possible that this organization may, to some extent, be responsible for most of us being here, I fear that they have done more harm than good.
About forty years ago, the Southern Baptist Convention began an outreach campaign to evangelize Jewish people. The thrust originated with the understanding that there is no conflict between practicing Judaism and living out a sincere faith in Yeshua as Messiah: thus Jews for Jesus was born. This may or may not have had deceptive motives in the onset; but the result was that, while the Sabbath service was very Jewish, the leadership was very Baptist. It wasn't long before teachings outside of the Saturday meeting involved the abbrogation of
, the changing of the Sabbath and the permission of eating unclean meats.
The response was an explosion! Many went back to their Jewish synagogues and reported that this "Messianic" thing is all a hoax to trap Jews into converting to Christianity. Some of these people are some of the most aggressive and hostile anti-missionaries today... and, to be honest, I can't say that I blame them. This is why many Jewish rabbis mock Messianics as being "Baptists for hire".
Others banded together and formed alliances based upon the original premise that brought them to the Messianic idea: that there is no conflict between being Jewish and living faith in Messiah. However, different leaders arose, based upon various slants of theological positions and developed a unique following.
Not every Messianic persuasion is a product of the J4J catastrophe. Yet, what it managed to do was create an atmosphere of communication- it may have coined the term "Messianic Judaism" to which many Jewish believers and gentiles looking for the consistency in the Scriptures could identify. It caused folks to begin asking, "Is there anyone else out there that believes like I do?"
Many would like us to believe that the Messianic Movement is simply the product of the Southern Baptist's failure gone out of control. I don't even like the term "movement". That's what old people do in the bathroom. A movement has a beginning and an end- it's a polite suggestion that our belief system is merely a fad. Yet, it doesn't take too much digging to begin to see that observant believers in the Messiah have existed among us from the very beginning. In fact, it wasn't until the mid to late 1800s that has aggressively spoken against by Charles Scofield. Even today you can find Saturday Baptists in the mid-West, Sabbath Presbyterians and others who have not gone the way of the mainstream; but have held (in some to a greater measure than others) to the consistent foundation of throughout all of Scripture.
It is exciting to see from all corners, a measure of interest in the Jewishness of the Bible. Adonai is stirring and revitalizing a love for His Word and a love for His people in the hearts of believers- though the antinomian sacred cow is a difficult thing to swallow. It is very much an uphill battle; yet, I see the tide of conviction moving and eyes being opened- it's exciting to be in front of this wave.
It's important to understand that where ever there is an eloquent teacher, there will be a following, regardless if the message has any merit or not. Many teachers have latched on to the momentum of Messianic Judaism to promote their own ideas or philosophy (in many cases, just to promote themselves). Beware of followings that cling to a specific individual rather than a doctrine- particularly if the doctrine of that individual is prone to change and the following shifts with that teacher; or if the teacher is defended by his (or her) following regardless of the teaching (or lifestyle). We have more than our share of wolves seeded among us. I'm not speaking only of the national and international levels (though are names that come to many of our minds); but even in our local communities, there are those who are seeking a following for their own gain or glory. The result is that many lives are damaged and the message of a Jewish Messiah is fragmented. This is why there are five Messianic groups withing fifty miles of me who do not communicate with each other on any level.
About forty years ago, the Southern Baptist Convention began an outreach campaign to evangelize Jewish people. The thrust originated with the understanding that there is no conflict between practicing Judaism and living out a sincere faith in Yeshua as Messiah: thus Jews for Jesus was born. This may or may not have had deceptive motives in the onset; but the result was that, while the Sabbath service was very Jewish, the leadership was very Baptist. It wasn't long before teachings outside of the Saturday meeting involved the abbrogation of
, the changing of the Sabbath and the permission of eating unclean meats.The response was an explosion! Many went back to their Jewish synagogues and reported that this "Messianic" thing is all a hoax to trap Jews into converting to Christianity. Some of these people are some of the most aggressive and hostile anti-missionaries today... and, to be honest, I can't say that I blame them. This is why many Jewish rabbis mock Messianics as being "Baptists for hire".
Others banded together and formed alliances based upon the original premise that brought them to the Messianic idea: that there is no conflict between being Jewish and living faith in Messiah. However, different leaders arose, based upon various slants of theological positions and developed a unique following.
Not every Messianic persuasion is a product of the J4J catastrophe. Yet, what it managed to do was create an atmosphere of communication- it may have coined the term "Messianic Judaism" to which many Jewish believers and gentiles looking for the consistency in the Scriptures could identify. It caused folks to begin asking, "Is there anyone else out there that believes like I do?"
Many would like us to believe that the Messianic Movement is simply the product of the Southern Baptist's failure gone out of control. I don't even like the term "movement". That's what old people do in the bathroom. A movement has a beginning and an end- it's a polite suggestion that our belief system is merely a fad. Yet, it doesn't take too much digging to begin to see that
observant believers in the Messiah have existed among us from the very beginning. In fact, it wasn't until the mid to late 1800s that has aggressively spoken against by Charles Scofield. Even today you can find Saturday Baptists in the mid-West, Sabbath Presbyterians and others who have not gone the way of the mainstream; but have held (in some to a greater measure than others) to the consistent foundation of throughout all of Scripture. It is exciting to see from all corners, a measure of interest in the Jewishness of the Bible. Adonai is stirring and revitalizing a love for His Word and a love for His people in the hearts of believers- though the antinomian sacred cow is a difficult thing to swallow. It is very much an uphill battle; yet, I see the tide of conviction moving and eyes being opened- it's exciting to be in front of this wave.
It's important to understand that where ever there is an eloquent teacher, there will be a following, regardless if the message has any merit or not. Many teachers have latched on to the momentum of Messianic Judaism to promote their own ideas or philosophy (in many cases, just to promote themselves). Beware of followings that cling to a specific individual rather than a doctrine- particularly if the doctrine of that individual is prone to change and the following shifts with that teacher; or if the teacher is defended by his (or her) following regardless of the teaching (or lifestyle). We have more than our share of wolves seeded among us. I'm not speaking only of the national and international levels (though are names that come to many of our minds); but even in our local communities, there are those who are seeking a following for their own gain or glory. The result is that many lives are damaged and the message of a Jewish Messiah is fragmented. This is why there are five Messianic groups withing fifty miles of me who do not communicate with each other on any level.
