Messianic Predators

[alon]

 There are a lot of predators out there trying to fly the Messianic flag. In part because we are a fairly new phenomenon that has gained traction lately. Partly because there are so many attracted to it that don't have a good grounding and are thus easily led astray into heresies. And partly just because there are many out there who want to appear wise in their own eyes and others. It doesn't matter. The end result is a lot are driven away from MJ, while others are worse off being drawn away into cults, heresies, and doctrines of demons. Some are organized, bringing in huge profits in donations that otherwise might go to Godly works. Others don't seem to be organized, but make the rounds nonetheless.

2 Timothy 4:1-5 (ESV) I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:  preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.  For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,  and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.  As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

We need to be aware of these, not only so we do not fall into their traps, but so we can help others to avoid them as well. SO if you know of any, or suspect any and have questions about them, please share them so we can discuss and learn about them. Because I guarantee you will run into some of these along the way.

Dan C

[alon]

I'll start with one I just ran into. In an apparent take off on the "Jesus was married" heresy, we now have the "Paul was married" version. The ultimate goal seems to be to prove Paul was married, then say he abandoned his wife and children to become an apostle and missionary to the Gentiles. After catching flak for making that statement, the guy backed off. Here's some of what he said:

The context of agamos in 1 Corinthians 7:8 is dominated by Paul’s instructions to those who are married or who have been married.
1 Corinthians 7 divides into two sections: 7:1-24 and 7:25-40. In the first section, Paul addresses those who are or have been married.
7:1-7 – Addressed to those who are currently married
7:8-9 – Addressed to “widows”
7:10-16 – Addressed to husbands and wives concerning desertion and divorce
Only in the second section does Paul address the “virgins”—those who have never been married. This strongly suggests that agamos in verse 8 also refers to those who have been married at least once. Since Paul identifies himself as agamos, this suggests that he too was once married.

The word “unmarried” translates the Greek word agamos.
In wider Greek literature, agamos refers specifically to an unmarried male, whether a bachelor or a widower. 5). The term agamos only appears four times in all of the New Testament. All four uses are from Paul, and all four appear in the seventh chapter of 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians 7:8, 11, 32, 34.
3. Paul uses the term agamos to refer to those who have been married but now are no longer married.
1 Corinthians 7:11 “If she does leave, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband.”
1 Corinthians 7:34 “An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit.”
Notice that 7:11 refers to a woman who has been separated from her husband. Notice also that 7:34 contrasts an “unmarried” woman with a “virgin”—thereby contrasting someone who was formerly married with someone who was not. In both cases, the “unmarried” refers to the once-married not the never-been-married.
4. The context of agamos in 1 Corinthians 7:8 is dominated by Paul’s instructions to those who are married or who have been married.
1 Corinthians 7 divides into two sections: 7:1-24 and 7:25-40. In the first section, Paul addresses those who are or have been married.
7:1-7 – Addressed to those who are currently married
7:8-9 – Addressed to “widows”
7:10-16 – Addressed to husbands and wives concerning desertion and divorce
Only in the second section does Paul address the “virgins”—those who have never been married. This strongly suggests that agamos in verse 8 also refers to those who have been married at least once. Since Paul identifies himself as agamos, this suggests that he too was once married.

The Greek word for “widower” was used rarely during the Koine period.
There was a word in Greek that specified “widower” (cheros), but it does not appear in biblical literature and only rarely outside of it. It is not surprising, therefore, that Paul might use a term like agamos in its place .
6. The word for “unmarried” appears to be the masculine word for someone who has lost a spouse.
In 1 Corinthians 7:8, agamos is parallel with “widows,” which strongly suggests that Paul is addressing both the men and the women who have suffered the loss of a spouse. This is in keeping with the rest of this section in which Paul addresses explicitly both husbands and wives concerning conjugal relations (7:1-7) and desertion/divorce (7:10-16). In 1 Corinthians 7:8, therefore, Paul is saying to widows and widowers that it is good for them to stay unmarried just as he does. If they do not have self-control, however, he tells them it would be better for them to marry.
7. As a good Pharisee, it is highly unlikely that Paul would have been single his entire life.
Elsewhere, Paul says that he was a Pharisee, a “Hebrew of Hebrews” (Philippians 3:5), and “extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions” (Galatians 1:14; cf. Acts 22:3). Marriage was the norm for Pharisees, and it was required for rabbis (Paul was likely considered a rabbi). Paul could hardly have set himself forth as an exemplar of Pharisaical piety had he not been married (Fee, 288, n. 7; see also Harvey McArthur on “Celibacy in Judaism at the Time of Christian Beginnings”).
The cumulative case, therefore, strongly suggests that Paul was a widower. He was once married. But in calling him to Christ, God gave Paul the gift of celibacy (“a genuine gift of freedom from sexual need,” ). Paul desires for everyone with this gift to use it as he has for the sake of the kingdom.

Sounds knowledgable, even impressive. Right?   

1Co 7:8 I say G3004 therefore G1161 to the unmarried G22 (ἄγαμος ágamos) and G2532 widows, G5503 (χήρα chḗra) It is G2076 good G2570 for them G846 if G1437 they abide G3306 even G2504 ➔ as G5613 I. G2504

So he is wrong about vs 8, which uses agamos as "unmarried." So his entire argument about Paul's married status falls apart right from the start. Further he refers to widows as χήρα chḗra, an obvious form of the word cheros which he said was not ever used in biblical literature. So he lied. But it is easy to just accept this because he seems so knowledgable. He also makes several false claims that sound like they COULD be true, however there is no scrptural or historical evidence for those.

One such claim is that to be a Rabbi or a member of the Sanhedrin, and even to be a good Pharisee one had to be married. This sounds plausible because today in some sects a Rabbi must be married. The problem is this was 2000 yrs ago, and things were diffferent. Moreover the term Rabbi has over the centuries undergone several changes in meaning. Today a Rabbi is a Jewish cleric. This came about in the 4th and 5th centuries when Rabbinical Judaism gained the upper hand. Before it was possibly one with his own school or following, or just a knowledgable one. A sign of respect for a teacher. Even sages were at one time given this appellation. And there was no requirement for any of these to be married.

He appeals to tradition, but tradition is not law. "Traditionally" most men in most societies do get married. Some do not. The problem here is that in contemporary Judaism "tradition" has taken on the significance and consequence of law. So we tent to juxtapose the meaning. But there is not recorded any "tradition" given as a mitzvah of a Pharisee or an apostle being required to marry. 

Say for a moment however we give him this point, and allow that a Pharisee and/or an apostle had to be married. Wouldn't that mean when his frst wife died he'd have to remarry? A tradition is after all a tradition, a law is a law, and if you must be married then send your pick from the catalog to Russia and get a new one, because you must have a replacement wife! 

This blatant attempt to discredit Rav Shaul, making him out to be a liar or worse is, I must say one of the more ingenuous new attacks I've come across. teer clear of those who preach this heresy. But understand how to attack and destroy it when you hear it, because someone who does not know is surely listening if they are preaching.

Dan C 

[alon]

Sacred Names Heresy

Let’s look at a more common heresy, the “Sacred Names Movement.” Usually you’ll find this one attached to any number of other heresies, as it draws peoples attention away from the lies as they try desperately to learn all the nuances of how the name of Yeshua is pronounced. And every group seems to pronounce it differently. What makes it so bad is this is a type of legalistic theology, as what these disparate groups have in common is most say if you don’t pronounce the “name” exactly right when you ask forgiveness, you are not saved. Problem is none of them can agree just what is the right way to say it.

They usually quote: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12 KJV)

So if you call on the wrong name, you are not saved, right? Wrong. I think Boreh Ketzot HaAretz, Creator of the Ends of the Earth (Is 40:28) is smart enough to know just who you are addressing. Even so, if they were correct then their silliness would be such an affront you certainly won’t be saved using their overly complicated and totally fabricated pronunciations. Just a few I’ve heard or seen:

Yeshua ישוע, meaning Salvation. This was a common name in the 1st cen as everyone was looking for Messiah. This spelling is correct. I can’t teach you how to pronounce it because our rules say no (mostly to avoid the SN heresies and endless arguments). This is about the only name you won’t hear a SNM person teach.

Yeshu ישו. This is a diminutive form of Yeshua and/or Yehoshua (Joshua). While correct, we don’t use it because it can be both a sign of affection or one of contempt. Sometimes taught by SNMers, it is not taught as the name used for “salvation.”

Yehoshua יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, actually meaning Joshua. Often used by those other than SNMers, and actually accepted here but not encouraged. A questionable variant is יְהוֹשֻׁוֹע, and not acceptable because that extra vav is used to promote all kinds of heretical pronunciations. Then we get into the eally wierd variants.

Yehohoshua יְהוֹהוֹשֻׁוֹעַ, and again, the permutations, transmutations, and alterations here are endless. I once had contact with a group of SNMers because I was trying to rescue a brother from their clutches (which I was able to do). But one of them spent over 1/2 hr trying to teach me to say this j-u-u-u-u-st right; until I stoped him saying we’d take it up later. We never did, so I suppose my soul is damned … oh well.

Some may even use יוחן Yochan (John), יוחנן Yochanan, or more likely the expanded יהוחנן Yehochanan. This is not even a variant on Yeshua, and their teachings on the connection are too confusing to follow. But this is not the name by which we are saved, as it refers to Yochanon the Immerser (John the Baptist). And  Yehochanan is not even a word found anywhere I am aware of! Neither is immersion required for salvation. Tevilah is required as an act of obedience if you can possibly do it. 

The thing is, nowhere in the sacred texts or any other place are any of the variants written! These are made up, taught as some kind of ancient knowledge that only that group possesses. That should be a red flag, right there! But people are drawn into these heresies all the time, to the extent many times these variants are used by people not in the SNMovement. They are becoming a blight on Messianic Judaism, turning many away who see through the nonsense and think that is what we are about. Then only the foolish are attracted to us; those gullible enough to fall into other heresies without doing their due diligence and checking out what they hear.

The SNM crowd even has their own version of the Bible:

isr-messianic.org/publications/the-scriptures.html
(Disclaimer_ I am NOT recommending this Bible! In fact, I recommend you NOT buy it. Just be aware it is out there and what it represents)

Note the term “Messianic” in the address. They do spell the covenant name of HaShem correctly, but even it is tortured when the SN crowd teaches how to say it. And they advocate using the Name (which they “restored”) all the time, so that it becomes common. But note they don’t tell how they spell the name of Yeshua. I gave my copy away to a Rabbi as a reference long ago, but I recall they added at least one וֹ vav to His name. 

And here is another problem. Often you’ll find this heresy creeping subtly into even well meaning assemblies. Ha’satan is nothing if not subtle, and like the writeup on that page which withholds the critical spelling of our Savior’s name it can slip into the d’rashot of one influenced by it.

Another variant is not connected to this movement, but still prevalent in many assemblies. I heard one Messianic Rabbi who had a near pathological hatred for Christianity teach if you pray in the name of Jesus, “you might as well be talking to Harry or George or Frank.” Really? It is the most commonly used name for Yeshua, and again I think He knows who it is you are addressing. We don’t encourage this name either except when talking to those new in MJ or who are looking at it closely. Like Rav Shaul, we meet people where they are at; where they are comfortable. But it is an acceptable name, and one we absolutely do not profane.

Note that while I speak of these variants as wrong because they profane the Name, I in no way mean it to reflect badly on the one they speak of. Should anyone come here and use one of these variants we should gently correct them at first, telling them the use of that variant is prohibited. Then notify staff and we’ll talk with them. But in no way should we speak disrespectfully, remembering who it is they are talking about!

That is good advice in our everyday lives. But this is one heresy we should all know about, because if you are in MJ long enough it is highly likely you will come across it somewhere.

Should you encounter a SNM type or group, please share your experience with them here. 

[alon]

The Ebionim

The Ebionites are an ancient sect still around. Today's Ebionites believe they are the same today as they used to be. They also say they are the true Messianics. Neither is true, but they have a very strong appeal to those who are searching out the Hebrew roots of their faith. Ebionites are generally very smart, and they have some very persuasive arguments. Many Messianics have defected into Ebionism, and they typically do not come out.

There is much confusion about the original Ebionites due in large part to the early church fathers misunderstandings and confusion concerning them and the Notsarim. Scholars even today often mistakenly believe if they could understand the early Ebionites, they could successfully define the sect of the Nazarenes. Their mistake is in believing the Ebionites claim to be the direct heir of the first Jewish Apostolic Messianic Community. It’s a lie. Some scholars categorize the ancient Ebionites as Christian or Jewish-Christian. That description is also a lie. There is no such thing as a Jewish-Christian, and early and later Christians eschewed Ebionite theology.

Church father Epiphanius (320 – 403 CE) names 80 early sects which split off the Nazarenes, many mixing Judaism and Christianity: Cerinthians, Basilidians, Carpocratians, Hypsistarians, Symachians, Audians, and the Elkesaites to name a few. So studying the early church and the sect of the Notsarim can get confusing.

Ebionim, means “poor ones.” Some scholars believe that all early believers were called Ebionim. They quote from Epiphanius: the name Ebionite "...was at first ...a common name for all Christians“ (Adv. Haer., xxix. 1). Epiphanius is likely mistranslated here, because he speaks of the sect of the Nazarenes as if they were a separate group who were also followers of Yeshua (Epiphanius; Panarion 29). According to Paul, followers of Yeshua called themselves Jews, the sect of the Nazarenes- a sub-sect of the Pharisees. So all the first believers were NOT called Ebionites. Early on there was a power struggle and the Ebionites split from the Notzerim.

Many other church fathers see the Ebionites as complete heretics. The Ebionites believed in “Adoptive Christology,” the study of Christ being adopted. They taught Yeshua was a mere man until God adopted him when He was given tevilah by Yochanon the Immerser (John the Baptist). This was a huge difference between the Ebionite and Nazarene belief. We know the talmedim didn’t believe this, so Ebionites cannot be the same as the Nazarenes. Irenaeus wrote: “They use the Gospel according to Matthew only, and repudiate the Apostle Paul, saying he was an apostate from the Law.” They discarded three of the gospels, as well as Rav Shaul’s writings, about 2/3rds of the rest of the NT.

Some main theological points about the ancient Ebionites:
They didn’t believe Yeshua is G-d
They didn’t believe Yeshua was born of a virgin
They threw out 3 of the Gospels and all of Paul’s writings
They even had their own gospel, the Ebionite Gospel

Only portions of this gospel have survived, but the beliefs persist, and there are some big differences from our Bible. Here are a few examples:

“How, then, had he still need to partake of a tree, that he might know what is good and what is evil, if he was commanded not to eat of it? But this... senseless men believe, who think that a reasonless beast was more powerful than the God who made all these things.” (Gen 3). What the Gospel of the Ebionites is saying here is that Adam never fell. He never ate from the tree.

“Then Peter answered: "Assuredly, with good reason, I neither believe anything against God, nor against the just men recorded in the law, taking for granted they are impious imaginations. For, as I am persuaded, neither was Adam a transgressor, who was fashioned by the hands of God; nor was Noah drunken, who was found righteous above all the world (Gen 7:1)

“...nor did Abraham live with three wives at once, who, on account of his sobriety, was thought worthy of a numerous posterity; nor did Jacob associate with four--of whom two were sisters-who was the father of the twelve tribes, and who intimated the coming of the presence of our Master; nor was Moses a murderer, nor did he learn to judge from an idolatrous priest--he who set forth the law of God to all the world" (H 2:52).

When you split off from the ordained group, you tend to slide off into strange doctrines. But they’ve split many times since as well, and their theology has infected many in the Messianic movement today. Just because someone doesn’t call themselves Ebionites, doesn’t mean that’s not what they are. Many hate the term and become angry when you point out that’s what they are. They prefer to be called Messianic because it is then easier to convince others of their heresy.

The Unitarian Church, started in 1568 in Cluj-Napoca, Transylvania, Romania believes in most of their tenets.Unitarians do not see themselves as Ebionites, but that’s exactly what they are. Most cults and religions today aren’t new.

Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons have also embrace the main theme of the Ebionites. They do not believe that Yeshua is God. They may accept all the gospels and Paul’s writings, but stripping Yeshua of His deity is Ebionistic. However Ebionites do not claim the Mormons, Unitarians, JWs or any denomination they see as Christian. Nor do these denominations claim Ebionism. But the Ebionist influence is clearly there.

There are different sects or branches of Ebionites. For the most part they consider themselves Jews or Messianic Jews, though they have little in common with Judaism or Messianism. They are a heretical cult as well as those heavily influenced by their heresies. But the one defining characteristic of Ebionism is the denial of the deity of Yeshua while claiming apostolic origins.

In my region there are more Ebionite groups than true Messianic fellowships. But my eperience with all of them is they are liars. They will not come out and tell you they disbelieve the deity of Yeshua, sometimes even not when asked directly. They try to suck the unsuspecting believer into their web of deceit before springing that little issue on you.

Watch out for these heretics. They are out there, they are persuasive, and they are dangerous. Know what you believe, who you believe in, and why. And once you expose them, break off all contact and especially fellowship with them.

Here are just a few of the scriptural arguments they use:

Matthew 24:36 (ESV) “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.
Footnotes:
Matthew 24:36 Some manuscripts omit nor the Son
Ebionites will tell us there is a distinction between what Yeshua and the Father knows. They won’t tell you that not all manuscripts make this distinction, so there was some tampering with the verse at some point. Regardless, yes there was some knowledge Yeshua did not have while here on earth as a man. If He knew everything the Father did, how would He have to depend on the Father? How then could He be our goel?

Matthew 26:39 (ESV) And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
Shows Jesus will and the Fathers are autonomous, right? Wrong. Yeshua willingly went to the tree to die for us. He always knew He’d have to do this. Had His will been to circumvent that of the Father He’d have accepted ha’satan’s last temptation and taken possession of the earth on his terms. He didn’t. This was a cry of anguish at the coming ordeal Yeshua knew He must bear.

John 5:30 (ESV) “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.
Jesus relied on the will of the Father. They say this along with the previous verse show the wills of Father and Son to be separate. Again, while on earth He was a different entity, entirely human and our perfect example. So yes, He followed the will of the Father, just as we should do. This does not mean an infinite Elohim could not invest a part of Himself in human form to live among us; or that that person could not have His own will which He perfectly subjugated to the Father. Had He not withstood this test, He could not have been our perfect sacrifice.

Mark 10:18 (ESV) And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.
Ebionim say this is an emphatic statement Jesus and God are different. More like this was a teachable moment, Yeshua made the point man is not good compared to God.

Matthew 6:9 (ESV) Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Footnotes:
Matthew 6:9 Or Let your name be kept holy, or Let your name be treated with reverence
They’ll say He didn’t tell His disciples to pray “Our Father who is standing before you,” but “Our Father in heaven.” Cute. But cute doesn’t make it right, it only makes the lie slide by easier. While Yeshua was here, the Father was in heaven! And He still is today. How else should Yeshua teach them to pray? Ebionits also ignore the second half of that same verse which says to keep His name reverenced. While here Yeshua could not allow Himself to be worshiped, nor prayed to for that matter.

They also twist scripture to lie:

Hebrews 4:15 (ESV) For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

James 1:13 (ESV) Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.
So they take these 2 vss out of context and say “If Jesus was tempted, and God cannot be tempted, then Jesus cannot be God!” Yeshua, as completely human could be tempted. And as completely God He could absolutely resist those temptations. This is what qualified Him as the perfect sacrifice, one who was tempted but remained spotless. That first verse is talking about His qualifications as our redeemer. The second talks about HaShem as El Tsaddik, the Righteous God (Isaiah 45:21).

Ebionim have many more false but convincing arguments if you do not know and understand scripture. That in fact is your only defense against them is to be in the Word and understand what it truly says. Otherwise, the adversary lies in wait with them, and you are the prey.

[alon]

Polygamists

Messianic cults based on polygamy have plagued our movement since it became a movement. Our focus on the authority of the “Old Testament” made this unholy marriage of doctrines perhaps inevitable. Form the Holy Echad Marriage website:

I have become deeply impressed by an undeniable truth: namely, that Yahwah our Father in Heaven is using the holy practice of Christian/Messianic Polygyny not just to bring untold blessings to those who believe and implement this doctrine in their lives but to actually sift out those who will be true from those who will not.

So for the unwary wishing to prove they will be “true” as well as for the reprobate minds this holds some attraction.

Certainly there were men in Biblical accounts, some of them Godly men, who had multiple wives: Jacob had two wives: Rachel and Leah, and their handmaidens Zil’-pah and Bil-hah, all of whom bore him sons. He also had one of the most dysfunctional families ever recorded. Esau had three wives: Mahalath, Basemath, and Oholibamah. Esau also bears the dubious distinction of being one of the few men God said He hated, and his wives were a source of grief for his mother. Other notable Old Testament men with multiple wives were King Saul, who died apart from God; King David, whose sins with his wives caused him and the nation much grief; and King Solomon with his 1,000 wives and concubines, who fell from the wisest of men to a pitiful idolator because of his wives.

So the case for polygamy based on the Biblical record is dubious. And it is in fact prohibited in scripture:

Deuteronomy 17:17 (NASB) He shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself. 

Polygamists claim this means simply that a man should not have too many wives. Too many for what? Where is the standard for “too many wives” given in scripture? In actuality the Hebrew states, “And not shall he multiply to himself wives.” That is an undeniable proscription. Yet polygamy still holds some strange attraction for some in the Messianic movement.

“Rabbi” Philip Sharp, whose rabbinic ordination from the International Alliance of Messianic Congregations and Synagogues was revoked is one who has no problem finding adherents, especially in his native UK. How does he find women willing to go along? He says he met most of the women through his network of Messianic synagogues. He claims his intent is to protect them.

“There were a lot of women in my congregation, some of them single mothers who were needy of a man. As a papa, I asked how I could look after them, and began to get in touch with my responsibility as a man to women. The more it came to me, the more Jewish it [seemed]. The Torah states that to be truly religious is to look after widows and orphans. The deeper I got into it, the more I could see the halachah is clear: a woman is never outside of covering by her father, brother, kinsmen. I began to say, how do we implement this? I could see I needed to take on more than one wife.”

So this predator looks for women who are alone, in trouble with nowhere else to go. And using congregational funds to support this “ministry to women” he takes them into his bed.

Another international group was “Messianic Evangelicals/Mishpachah Lev-Tsiyon,” a small, polygamous religious cult out of Arvika, Sweden, led by a self-styled apostle/prophet. They were investigated and (apparently) shut down. Most of their recruitment was done through the internet, with a smaller amount done word-of-mouth by members in other areas of the world. They focused on Christians, Messianics, and ex-Mormons. Men and married women were typically internet-only members participating in their internet message boards and internet chat Single women however were sometimes targeted for recruitment into the core group as one of the wives of the cult leader.

As we’d expect, the use of the internet to reach a large audience and separate out the weak is a problem. We can find their message many places on the web. From one website:

Heterosexual polygyny is permitted and sanctioned by YHWH in only two situations:
(i)   In times of war or other circumstances, for the general population, where there is a surplus of women who, being unable to find husbands, are either forced into the sin of harlotry, to marrying unbelievers, or into a celibate condition against their wills; or
(ii)  In times when YHWH calls honourable and spiritually mature men (like Abraham, Jacob and David) with the resources to do so, provided they do not outrageously multiply wives as did Solomon.
(iii) Specifically, these are a small minority of wise and loving men with a shem (Is.4:1), not in the worldly sense, but in YHWH's eyes who may bring Him glory in living this way. Furthermore, according to our understanding of the Seven Festivals and their deeper spiritual meaning, this would exclude those who have not received Torah, thus excluding antinomian Evangelicals from this practice, as this is strictly a sanctioned practice within Torah-observant Israel itself where the practice may be righteously regulated and the parties held to strict accountability.

(i) Where in scripture did God say He permitted polygamy because of a surplus of women?
(ii) Here we see the “do not outrageously multiply wives” clause, previously debunked.
(iii) And of course these men are those of the chosen minority.

This practice is a blight on Messianic Judaism. It profanes the name of the Most High, and places us in the minds of many as being right alongside Mormonism.

[jimmie]

(i) Where in scripture did God say He permitted polygamy because of a surplus of women?

Isaiah 4:1 And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.

The above is the scripture I hear most quoted for having more than one wife. But I never hear them read what it took to get to that point.
Isaiah 3:24 And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty. 25 Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war. 26 And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.
Here is another one often used:
@ Samuel 12: 8And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.
But again they fail to read further:
9Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. 10Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. 11Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.
The following is often look at as a go ahead for multiple wives.
Exodus 21: 10If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.
However the next verse makes this passage about divorce.
11And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money.
Of course divorce was only granted because of the hardness of men’s hearts. In other words God places restraint on men taking more wives because of the hardness of their hearts. So if you refuse to cleave unto your wife you come under the restrictions of this law. Just like you come under the curse of death if you murder someone.

[alon]

The Ephramite movement, also known as Two-house Theology- The belief that Gentiles are actually Jews by blood line. Ephramite Theology has a few variations, but it’s all aimed at making Gentiles not Jewish by faith or genetics into Jews. There’s no problem with Gentiles becoming Jews by faith, as long as they do what proselytes are supposed to; start keeping God’s Law. We’re all supposed to be like Yeshua, who’s faith was Judaism, and He kept Torah. Gentiles should be like Ruth, becoming part of Israel, worshiping the God of Israel as He said, and keeping His Laws.

We’ll first go through some men and ministries that are 2-house. They teach the Ephramite doctrine, often mixing this heresy with others. Some Ephraimites do have some good teachings, but that makes them particularly dangerous:

Revelation 3:9 (NKJV) Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.

Accusing someone of being of the Synagogue of ha’satan is a very serious charge. Anytime someone is trying to make Gentiles into Jews, watch them carefully. Likely they are false prophets, of the Synagogue of ha’satan.

Ephraimites teach that you're a Jew because the “lost tribes” settled Europe. One recent movement, particularly violent towards Jews says they settled west Africa, and so all blacks are the true Jews. They probably are closer to the truth than the European theory, but a little better lie is still a lie. All teach you don’t have to keep God’s Laws. None of these are Jews by faith nor bloodline. Some may have a bit of Jewish DNA, but as I always say, “Having a few genes in the pool does not make you a Jew.”

Jim Staley- Passion for Truth Ministries- He blows a Shofar and wears a Tallit, says Yeshua, and pretends this makes him Messianic. But there’s a lot more to being a Messianic than blowing a Shofar or using Hebrew names. It should be insulting to us when people reduce the entire movement into just a few outward trappings, as we’re that shallow.

Just because Staley talks a good game and seems to have an understanding of Hebraic Roots does not make him a Messianic. It says on his website that he brings a “Spirit-led, and down-to-earth style to his teachings.” If he’s so Spirit led why does he instruct Gentiles that they don’t have to be Torah observant? In essence, teaching them they don’t have to obey God.

On his video at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v= BTx5tjNQEvw&feature=player_e mbedded
he says “all 12 tribes were at the foot of Sinai” then he asks “how many of those tribes were Jews? Only one.” This is classic Two-House Theology. They first have to get rid of some Jews so they can “discover” the others, and lo and behold it’s them! Same when they track the so called “lost tribes:” “imagine that, it’s us!”

All of the tribes at the foot of Sinai were Jews. They were either Jewish by blood line or they were once Gentiles who converted to Judaism (a “mixed multitude” left with the Jews during the Exodus). But make no mistake, they were all Jews.

Staley's website says he’s a Christian apologist. That much is true. And some of his teachings are very interesting. But “a little leaven leavens the whole loaf.” It’s difficult to find he’s Two-House. He hides that fact, prefering subterfuge to entrap the unwarry before springing that litte morsel on them. It’s not on his website. Why hide it? Put it bold letters if it is good doctrine.

Brad Scott of Wild Branch Ministries is also Two-House. He seems very Messianic at first glance. From his website:

The WildBranch focus is to restore the ways of our Creator to His people by teaching the Old and New Testaments from the language and culture of the people who penned them. The New Testament is crammed full of idioms, phrases, and concepts known to the observant Jew (Yehudim) living in the time of Yeshua's ministry, but unfamiliar to modern readers. The Scriptures must be read through the eyes and minds of the culture in which it was written.

But not only is he two-house, he belongs to the “Prophecy Club.” They charge you exorbitantly to teach you how to prophecy and heal the sick. It is a scam. The prophecy club just about went under when its leader Stan Johnson prophesied America would collapse due to the Y2K debacle. But people forgot about it and he’s back on the rise.

Brad Scott is part of the Prophecy Club’s Crusades. There’s a thing called integrity. People are afraid of this word; thinking if they practice it that others will call them self righteous. Avoiding con artists and exposing scams and false doctrine is not self righteousness, it’s integrity, and it’s something to aspire to.

Rico Cortez is Two-House. Rico says he’s a Sephardic Jew by blood, but there is some question. A new thing going around the Spanish community is if you have a last name that ends in ez or es, you’re automatically of Jewish lineage. It’s not true. One can have a Jewish last name and not be genetically Jewish. Jewish parents may adopt, and those kids are not Jewish by blood. Some have married into Jewish families and they're not Jewish by blood either. And having a common Spanish name doesn’t make anyone Jewish.

Rico veers heavily into Cabala as well. In one of his videos he says “Did you know that the Hebrew language emits frequencies and tones that literally have the power to create?” This is straight out of the Zohar! The Cabalistic view of the letters in the Hebrew alphabet is that they represent the 22 "gates" or "pathways" between the ten spheres of emanation. Thus letters can be used to create things in the physical realm. Anybody who’s been involved in witchcraft will recognize that line of thinking. There are some great studies out there concerning the Hebrew language, but this is not one of them. This is something you should run from- it’s heresy and divination.

Monte Judah of Lion and Lamb Ministries is also Two House. He’s a very well known Messianic. You can go to this link and hear him talk all about his belief in Two- House theology:
www.nazarenemedia.net/uploads/ 8/1/0/5/8105580/http___www.israelnet. tv_radio_asx_monte_monte2_monte2x- 128k.asx.mp3

It’s not easy to find, but it’s there. He even uses the word Notzerim. He’s not forthright about his belief in the Ephramite doctrine, but if you ask him he’ll tell you.

Torah Institute is managed by a man named Lew White. He’s written a few books. He wrote the Torah Zone, Fossilized Customs, the return of Yeshua. He owns and operates a head shop. He sells drug paraphernalia, graven images of idols which are Egyptian, Hindu, and Wiccan. Profits are used for the work of his ministry.

Lew White is a Two-House theology proponent who claims that he has "never tried to hide" that he owns and operates a drug paraphernalia store. Yet hundreds of believers testify that they would NEVER have supported him had they known.

Messianic clown Michael Rood puts his own spin on Replacement Theology with a Two House/Ephramite theology. He is also heavily into the Lost Tribes nonsense. His act consists of going to Israel, dressing like a bad B-grade movie costume of a 1st cen. Hebrew, then preaching in front of a model of the Mishkan. I say preaches, because he claims several titles ranging from Baptist minister to Kairite Rabbi. His only actual ordination seems to be from “The Way International,” a diploma-for-sale school. He changes much of his theology with the wind, so it can be difficult to pin him down on what he actually believes. But those things he holds pretty steady on. His teachings are short on grace, long on legalism, and his statement of faith says nothing about Yeshua. He also claims to be not only Jewish, but a Levite and a prophet!

Dr. David Stern, interpreter of the Complete Jewish Bible is Two-House. 

Colossians 21:16 “Don't let anyone pass judgment on you in connection with optional matters.” That is a very poor translation! But he says Gentile believers are free to observe or not to observe “Jewish holidays.” Like any Christian commentator he states clearly there are two sets of rules, one for the Jews and another for the Gentiles. He says Gentiles can eat anything (pork, shellfish, etc.), and they don't need to take heed to the commandments because they were given to the Jews. This is absolutely unscriptural.

Many Messianic groups teach that Gentiles need not concern themselves with Torah, because it was given to the Jewish people- thus making two bodies. However the Bible declares there is one body, one Lord, one faith, one baptism for all.

There are many other Two House theologians and writers. Here’s a list of some:.
Eddie Chumney
Angus Wooten (Ephramite granddaddy)
Batya Ruth Wooten
Cam Rea
James Tabor
Jill Hulley
Shelley Gauld
J.G. Messervy-Gordon
Ephraim Frank
Psalms 119 Ministries
David Liebe (G-d’s Appointed Times Ministries)
Tony Robinson
John McKee
David Pavlik
Terry Swedlund
Ben Cloud
Avi Ben Mordechai

The Two-House movement is growing quickly. There are over 30 Ephraim- style groups in Ohio alone. The Ephramite movement threatens to make huge inroads into Messianism.

Ephraimites are another take on Replacement Theology. What they are saying is “those aren’t the Jews, we are!” That concept goes back to Esau. He wanted the blessing of being the chosen peoples patriarch, so he tried to steal it. You can hear Replacement theology in Wooten’s words; “In 1948, instead of naming this Jewish state ‘Judah’ they named it Israel. Now, in one fell swoop, the Jews grabbed the title back.” Wooten is appalled, these Jews had the chutzpah to name their country “Israel” when those of ‘his tribe” knew it was theirs!

So, how can one know if someone they are following is part of this theology:
Ask them if they are Two-House. If they don’t say “No!” then you should be suspicious.
See who they align themselves with. “Birds of a feather flock together.”
Another way to spot two-house folks is to see if they are aligned with other heresies; Sacred Names is a popular one.

There are many different Sacred Names groups. They differentiate themselves by various spellings and tortured pronunciations of the names of HaShem and Yeshua. They go from broadly encompassing differences to extremely vigilant, breaking fellowship with any who don’t spell or pronounce the names exactly as that particular group of Sacred Namers do.

Ralph Messer- whose bio reads “Internationally acclaimed Bible teacher, author, conference speaker, and Spirit-filled minister, Rabbi Ralph Messer is the President and Founder of Simchat Torah Beit Midrash – a congregation and school based in Colorado. With an Apostolic and Evangelistic anointing, Rabbi Messer actively teaches the Hebrew Roots of the Faith to various denominations, cultures and groups worldwide, fulfilling the great commission." 

That’s the guy who wrapped Paula White, Benny Hinn’s mistress, in a Torah Scroll. He also wrapped Bishop Eddie Long in a Torah Scroll. Bishop Eddie Long was accused by 5 different men for having abused them sexually when they were young and in his care. The Jewish community was abhorred. But that’s the kind of people the adversary wants the world to think of as Messianic.

Also notice who he aligned himself with: Kenneth Copeland, one of the main promoters of the prosperity doctrine.

You can tell a lot about someone by who they align themselves with. This isn’t just with famous people either. We can look at our own lives and who we hang out with. Do we associate with those keeping Torah? Are we with people who love G-d’s Laws, or do we prefer those who change Scripture to fit their own desires?

Walking in Torah is a great joy, but with great joy comes great responsibility. It’s your responsibility to seek out the predators and to discern the word of truth. There are many other Messianic predators out there. This was just a few, but hopefully now we can all start our own predator track.

[jimmie]

All of the tribes at the foot of Sinai were Jews. They were either Jewish by blood line or they were once Gentiles who converted to Judaism (a “mixed multitude” left with the Jews during the Exodus). But make no mistake, they were all Jews.

That concept goes back to Esau. He wanted the blessing of being the chosen peoples patriarch, so he tried to steal it.

These two statements are confusing to me. Please expound.

[alon]

Mar 16, 2020 12:27:01 GMT -8 jimmie said:

All of the tribes at the foot of Sinai were Jews. They were either Jewish by blood line or they were once Gentiles who converted to Judaism (a “mixed multitude” left with the Jews during the Exodus). But make no mistake, they were all Jews. The "mixed multitude" went out with the Hebrews (Ex 12:38). Those were other people, probably mostly Egyptians who went out with Israel when they left. Those still with the Jews at Sinai had probably converted to Judaism, since before HaShem spoke to the people they were consecrated to Him (Ex 19:10-15). So when Staley, in his twisted interpretation of scripture makes the ridiculous claim only 1 tribe at Sinai were Jews, he's been smoking the good stuff! With predictable bad results. All 12 tribes were Jews/Israelites/Hebrews/non-Gentile type people. There may have still been some Gentiles with them, I don't know. But if they were, they probably had their tip-sniped and were dunked in a mikvah, because when The Almighty says "consecrate yourselves, I'm going to talk to you," He means it!

That concept goes back to Esau. He wanted the blessing of being the chosen peoples patriarch, so he tried to steal it. Remember Esav traded his birthright for a pot of red stew. The part he despised and that Ya'akov wanted was spiritual, the one that included the patriarchship and the being in the lineage of ha'Moshiach. He later begged and cried for it (or at least for the blessing of being spiritually accepted by HaShem), but it was lost to him:

Hebrews 12:16b-17 (NASB) ... godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.

Ephriamites want the blessings promised the Jews. More than that, they want the status of being the Chosen People! But they do NOT want to obey that pesky Torah! I can understand not taking on all the traditions and rituals and obeying all the fences just like they too were Torah. I do with those I find value in, and I search them continually for understanding. I am working on some of the prayers that correspond with the last parashah we did, and may even go back and list them as commandments. I need to read and study more first. So I don't disregard them, but I do not feel obligated to follow any of the mitzvah just because they are listed by Rabbinical Judaism. So we don't have to do everything the Jews do. But if God aid it, He meant it! And we do it; Amen? I might start doing Shelichot, Minchah, and Ma'ariv. But I don't yet know what they would be for a Messianic. I'll have to get out my Siddurim and see what they say. The point is these were based on the Temple sacrifices. We cannot sacrifice today, however we do say we try to worship HaShem as He commanded us to do it, and these were commanded times of worship. But I need more research.

LOL, I asked God how to become closer, to know Him better. I should have known He'd tell me! The point is we don't get spiritual blessings without spiritual effort. And we don't get to be grafted onto Israel without obedience. And we do not get to be Jews by wiping out 11 tribes just to make room for all those Gentiles! Technically only Judah/Yehudah are the Jews, yes. But the term has long been applied to al the chosen people. All 12 tribes were genetically and spiitually Jews there at Sinai. All accepted God's Torah when He asked. In fact, they accepted it before they'd heard all the terms. I think if a voice boomed at me from the heavens I'd just say "OK, I accept! Where do I sign?" Whatever He wants me to do, it can't be scarier than being yelled at by the Almighty! But they all took on His Torah, all 12 of them. So if you want to be a Jew, whether by replacement (oy, vavoy), recruitment, grafting or otherwise, you must take on Torah. And you must study it with an eye to perfecting what you do, and doing everything you should; not with a mindset of finding excuses not to obey. 

These two statements are confusing to me. Please expound. I hope that explained them. If not, let me know.

[jimmie]

If I understand you correctly you are using Jew and Israel as interchangeable terms, since both the Jews and the other 11 tribes received the exact same law and there was no differences in their manor of worshiping of God. Thus no two house then nor now.

As for Esau trying to steal the blessing that most christians teach that Jacob stole in the first place, it is difficult to turn the concept around. but if you think about it, Esau was seeking something that was no longer available, thus he was coveting his brothers possession of the blessing.

[alon]

Orthodox Judaism

I must apologize to Judaism as a whole, and the Orthodox in particular for listing them as “predators.” Truth be told the predator is in our own minds. We often lose good Messianic believers to Judaism, and Orthodox Judaism in particular. This forum lost a very good moderator to Orthodox Judaism. Few ever return.

In order to understand why the attraction, perhaps it will be instructive to look at how Judaism views conversion. Within Orthodoxy it is halacha to discourage proselytizing, and those wishing to convert are discouraged as well.

Christians proselytize because they believe salvation depends on the belief in the same things they do (or at least in the same core doctrinal issues). However Judaism believes in accordance with the Talmud (Sanhedrin 105a), righteous Gentiles have a place in the Olam Haba, the World to Come. Accordingly there’s less reason for Jews to encourage conversion.

According to Rabbi Michael Myers, Dean of the Hebrew Theological College in Illinois, before Christianity there was “a tremendous interaction between Romans and Jews and it’s estimated that there were thousands of converts from Romans to Jews.” In any event, when Paul began preaching Christianity [Paul never preached Christianity, but he believes he did, ed.], many of those who’d converted to Judaism joined him. This caused the Rabbis to worry about whether converts’ commitments could be trusted, and at that point they began actively discouraging proselytizing.

Excerpted from an artical on Chabad:

There is a Jewish belief that Judaism is not just good for the Jewish soul, it’s natural for the Jewish soul. The soul feels at home when it says Hebrew prayers, experiences a Shabbat table, or puts up a mezuzah. These acts are what makes the Jewish soul comfortable. A Jew has an innate affinity towards Judaism.

So, why do so many Jews not seem interested in their religion? Because there is another Jewish belief that every energy has a counter-energy. If the Jewish soul is attracted to Judaism, there must be an equal and opposite force that drives the Jew away from Judaism. Materialism, cynicism, laziness, apathy—all these, and more, conspire to drive the Jew away from connecting to his or her Jewishness. In fact, the more powerful the Jewish soul, the more intense this resistance will be.

And it must be this way. Otherwise the spiritual life would be too easy—a Jewish soul would just naturally fall into Judaism. And G‑d wants us to be challenged. When Jews engage in Judaism, they are taking upon themselves the lifelong challenge to overcome these internal obstacles and find their deeper self.

When a non-Jew approaches Judaism, it is a whole different story. He or she has no “baggage,” and is open to what Judaism has to say. He may be attracted, he may not be—but he doesn’t have the emotional resistance that a Jew does. This is why many non-Jews come to respect Judaism when they actually study it. They are coming with an open heart, unlike the Jew, who has an automatic resistance to anything Jewish.

This is fine—until the non-Jew considers conversion. She may feel that Judaism has a depth and warmth that she seeks; she may feel good going to synagogue and celebrating festivals; and this may lead her to think that it would be so easy to just become Jewish and make it her spiritual home. But there is one factor that she’s not aware of.

Now it all seems so nice and comfortable, because you’re just visiting. It's not yours yet, so you can look at it objectively and just enjoy it for what it is, without any resistance. But the minute you become Jewish, everything changes. Conversion means that not only do you receive the Jewish soul, but you also receive the Jewish baggage that weighs you down and tries to hold you back from being an active Jew (again, in order to retain balance and give you a challenge).
This is one reason why we push away converts. We set obstacles in their way so they can taste what it’s really like to be Jewish. So that it should be clear from the outset that a Jewish life is not an easy one. There will always be obstacles. The only difference is, before conversion the obstacles are from without—stubborn rabbis who tell you, “Don’t bother with Judaism.” After converting, those same rabbis will welcome you with open arms, and there will still be a voice telling you not to bother—but then it will be a voice from within you.

If you can overcome the resistance set up by the rabbis, then you have a good chance of being able to overcome the inner resistance that is the struggle of every Jew.

For those who’ve converted to Messianic Judaism, does any of this sound familiar? It should. I fight this all the time (and not always successfully), and as a Gentile/pagan/Baptist convert the pull away from even the basics is great. Worse, I am left struggling to find what I really should be doing as a Messianic and not a Rabbinical convert to the Jewish faith! A faith almost every Jew gives no credence to.

Yet still there is that draw, away from the truth we have in Messianism and toward mainstream Judaism. And this is instilled in many of us in the way we converted to the Messianic faith to begin with. We were all unsaved once, then most “accepted (the) Christ as our savior” in a Christian church. But we saw problems, and looking around we found Hebrew Roots or one of the watered down “Messianic light” congregations, which of course tasted great, but were less filling. Further we were seeing more error than truth. And we desired to be filled with knowledge and with His Spirit! Not the emotional filling so many experience in church, but a real filling and a closer walk with HaShem. So we kept on looking, and we found true Messianic Judaism. Those first couple of years were like being continually dunked in a mikvah of truth! We were amazed at what all we were learning, and it just kept coming! But then, when it was time to wean us off the milk the lessons came slower and were more difficult to understand. We wanted more; more laws, more instructions, more ritual, a more established congregation, and more learning like we had before.

Up to now, our journey has been a process, one step leading to another. And if more is what you are looking for, the next logical place to go is Orthodox Judaism. I have a friend who used to attend synagogue where I went. He had converted from Orthodox Judaism to Messianic Judaism, and still dressed like the Ultra Orthodox, still had his peyas, and still practiced like an Orthodox Jew, but one who’d accepted Yeshua. His depth of knowledge was incredible! I used to pick his brain every chance I had. But sadly our Rabbi seldom got much past the milk stage of teaching, even as the congregation matured. So my friend is now back in Orthodoxy. But if you want to have to learn a lot of mitzvoth, ritual, and halacha, Orthodox Judaism is your ticket! They have Torah, they have the TNK, they have the Talmud, they have Caballah, they have other writings as well, and more Rabbi’s saying more things than you can imagine. They also have tradition and ritual enough to shame any Catholic! Presbyterians cringe at the mention of Orthodox Judaism!

But what happens when the learning there gets harder? And it does, much harder. Where do you go? Some stay with it, but many just fall away. This is the problem with looking at our conversion as a series of steps. There are only so many steps, then you are faced with the question: stay, go back, or just step over the edge and freefall? Few return to Messianism, most just step into the void. Some find cults, but then discover those are just like black holes existing in the void. The void is cold and lifeless- death. And it is too big to be filled by any ersatz religion. Some may find Islam, and their hate can seem like it fills the void. But hatred just collapses in on you until you implode- another black hole, and perhaps the blackest. I know what it is to hate, and when you hate others you also begin to hate even yourself.

Others find eastern style meditation- live in the moment, find truth in yourself. Trust me, if you can’t live in a space with Peleh, Yoetz, El Gibbor, Avi Ad, Sar Shalom- Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Father Of Eternity, Prince Of Peace (Is 9:6), you’ll do little good in the void with just yourself. I tried it and didn’t like who I found there, namely me. Believe it or not, I even managed to move my qi (chi) energy around with meditation. No, no chi balls to throw at people (I wish!). But I thought I’d messed myself up for sure! Spent over 6 hrs walking around, and my body literally felt like it was giving off sparks! So close, and so many people I still hated and in definite need of a chi-ball enema! Oy vey iz mir! (And before I’m inundated with hate mail, there are no chi balls, only the energy you can transmit to an opponent by hitting him harder; and I was not actually giving off sparks, but my bodies electrical system felt that way).

As Meshiachim we study a lot about Judaism. There is a lot there to be admired, much even to be emulated. I don’t mean doing things just because the Jews do. But ours is an older form of Jewish faith, and they have been doing this for 3500 yrs now. Whatever we may think about some of the things some Rabbonim say, these were (and are) very studious and Godly men. Our entire Bible was written by Jews, for Jews. And it was intended to be understood by Jews, not necessarily by Gentiles. You speak to your audience in their language. So it would be foolish to dismiss out of hand what these men had to say. Now some we can dismiss as being wrong (teachings from Caballah or Zohar, for example). Some we can dismiss as traditions we see no value in keeping. Some we can dismiss as the natural antipathy of Judaism to their Christian oppressors. But a lot is worth understanding, and much is worth keeping. Not necessarily the outward trappings, but the deeper understanding they often bring to scripture:

Romans 3:1-2 (NASB) Then what [is the advantage of the Jew]? Or what is the benefit of circumcision?  Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.

But the danger is real in all this, especially if we are looking at it as the next “step” in our journey. I’m in this for the truth. As long as I keep that focus, I can resist the pull into Orthodoxy- Jewish or Catholic. There is still some pull back into Christianity, and Eastern Orthodoxy seems like a comfortable place for an ex-Baptist/Messianic convert. I doubt I could stay there long, but that counter impulse Chabad spoke of is an unthinking beast. And it can pull hard at times. We must keep our focus on Yeshua. Those truths I want are HIS truths! That is what my walk is all about- a relationship with Him based on what He said to do. A relationship based on understanding, and a deeper abiding love for His Judaism: the Judaism of the 1st cen Notsarim.

[alon]

Baptists in Tallit’s

I was raised Southern Baptist, so I take a lot of liberties. But really this could be any Christian denomination. The Messianic movement has grown much too fast for any qualified schools to keep up with training either congregants or especially leaders. Too many time a Christian pastor eschews the problems he’s seen, takes up the call for keeping Shabbat, then dons a tallit, takes the title Rabbi: and continues teaching what he learned in Baptist (or other) seminary.

This is a problem because he made himself an expert, and people then won’t give him the courtesy of allowing him to say “I learned I was wrong about this.” People also like what is comfortable, so they go to the same service, only they feel great because they can greet each other with “Shabbat Shalom!” And didn’t the “Rabbi” look nice in his tallit; although it kept slipping …”

They’d love to have you in their congregation, just don’t be so rude as to point out anything that makes Rabi look like he doesn’t know. But the ones they’d really like are the “real Jews.” Boy, what a coup that would be to land one of those!

This attitude is a real problem for us because many Jews fear that’s all we are- another way to proselytize them. A way to drag their children into Christianity. Think of how many of us view religions like Mormonism, and you have some idea how they view us. In fact, to most Jews we are still Christians and lumped in with Mormons, JW’s, Adventists … you name it, if they name the Christ, we and they are one in Jewish eyes. These so called “Messianics” who actually ARE trying to proselytize Jews do little to help.

In truth though it is not Jews who are most often the target. Because so many of us are ex-Christian living in a Gentile world, most of who we know are Christians and unsaved Gentiles. Great, no problem speaking with them and witnessing to those who want to hear what we have to say. But far too many synagogues focus only on convincing Christians of our message, never taking that message to the lost. Sometimes this is just easier, but often it is done out of a deep seated antipathy for Christianity. I was angry with Christians when I first came here to the forum, but I got over it. A leader should have this one whipped before he ever takes up the mantle.

This group can have so many faces, it would be futile to try to break it into representative groups in any but the broadest sense. But you will know them by the details in their doctrines. Anyone who has spent much time here should have a good idea of what is good doctrine and what is false. Ask questions, and if they are evasive, especially on key doctrines like salvation, grace, and especially the eternal deity of Yeshua and Two House/Two Torah doctrines, then my advice is don’t walk away; run!

There is another problem that can manifest in these groups, and that is a studious, and usually charismatic “Rabbi” who actually does have a lot of knowledge, and he tries to “out-Jew” the Jews. Resplendent in white, adorned with a tallit, flanked by fresh flowers, this type has a smile that gleams, and teaches pure poison. He gives the Talmud, Cabalah and Zohar, books like Enoch and the extra books of Esther the same weight as Torah and the 66 book Bible. He’ll find all kinds of variations to make him look intelligent, like alternative Hebrew calendars. Everyone wants to learn of some special knowledge others don’t have, so that is what he teaches. He will insert himself into the prospective proselytes life, but once he discerns that person to be so dangerous as to question him or think for himself, he’ll cut you off and instruct the congregation to shun you. Can’t risk losing tithes paying congregants because you asked questions. Someone has to pay for that image he projects.

That brings us to the “traveler.” This man teaches you all he knows while establishing your synagogue, then it’s off to see the rest of the world. Now you are expected to help finance his travels. This is different from normal evangelism, where a congregation sends out missionaries or the leader goes once in a while to help evangelize a people. This guy- pastor, Rabbi, etc.- abandons family and flock to travel the globe. And he may do good work, taking the word to people who are hungry for it. But his real interest is in establishing synagogues that will send a portion of their income to him. The only real way to spot him unless he slips and gives himself away is to check on his history.

Now some people are legitimately evangelists, and if they are up front about this then great. But once established, do they have some mechanism in place to help you grow past the milk stage they feed you to get started? A resource to ask questions? Further training in the moedim, the scriptures, the real purpose for extrabiblical studies? Because people do not stagnate. You will either move ahead with your studies, or you’ll fall away. Often when a person studies on his own he becomes a threat to the leader. Sometimes because his knowledge has surpassed that of the teacher. The teacher then must always be checking what is said to find if it is true. That’s a lot of work. Other times it’s because some or all of what the congregant is learning is false. This bad or even heretical doctrinal teaching can spread in the congregation and become a huge problem.

If a teacher/pastor/rabbi is teaching and helping you grow, he can expect that you won’t go too far off the reservation looking for answers. You will follow his teaching. But if he is off establishing more synagogues and leaves you with nothing for long periods, my opinion is he has nothing to say when you find other teachings. And if you are not growing where you are, it’s time to leave.

I’m sort of winging it with this one. All these are either ones I’ve run into in person or on the internet. The point is there are a lot of sel-styled rabbonim out there. Most have a good line and something special to share. But there are others who may not know it all, but they admit this up front. They’ll admit when they taught something wrong, which happens because they are always studying; always learning. They actually dig for the deeper knowledge, and share what they find. Not gimmicks or tricks or something no one else has. They want what everyone should have! And they try to make sure this is the case. Those are the ones you want to learn from.

[alon]

Messianic Judaism

Odd, to say we prey on ourselves. But it is true.

Being a relatively new movement, Messianism has attracted a host of crazies, all flouting their own version of Messianc Judaism:

Old Knowledge:

In satanic circles, “old knowledge” is always considered the best, the most potent and useful. It is not surprising that ha’satan would infest Messianism with this hogwash. You want “old knowledge.” How much better than to go to the Ancient of Days, HaShem Himself! Instead, these people go for anything that touts itself as such. 


They study pseudepigraphic works such as the book of Enoch, a proven fake. There was such a book at one time, but only fragments remained in the 200 yrs after the Christ, the period of time in which it was written. From it and other false works they get such things as altered calendars. Dates are important. Many of these groups want to convince us to move the dates of the moedim, including Shabbat. This puts us out of step with all Judaism, especially Messianism. More importantly, it changes both times (dates on the Hebrew calendar) and Torah itself:

Daniel 7:25a (ESV) He shall speak words against the Most High,
    and shall wear out the saints of the Most High,
    and shall think to change the times and the law;

It wears down believers, causing them to chase down complicated proofs with more bearing in mythology than in Torah.

Then there are those pesky Nephilim. Those guys; giants, Titans, or big people. A nine foot person today would be called a giant. All kinds of craziness though is built up around them, and all with its basis in Enoch. But consider in a tribal society as in pre-flood days large, powerful men would take control, and take what they want. Including women:

Genesis 6:1-4 (ESV) When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them,  the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.  Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not contend with man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”  The Nephilim [giants] were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.

Thanks to the book of Enoch, these powerful men were given the status of giants:

“…And they became pregnant, and they bare great giants, whose height was three hundred ells: Who consumed all the acquisitions of men. And when men could no longer sustain them, the giants turned against them and devoured mankind. And they began to sin against birds, and beasts, and reptiles, and fish, and to devour one another’s flesh, and drink the blood…”

Common sense would tell us that women could not bear them children, nor could mankind sustain their appetites for any length of time at all. But according to the above excerpt from Enoch, they did, at least for a while. Had demons been mating with women, and the women survived childbirth, the face of the earth would have been suddenly covered with these giants.

There is no biblical evidence that malachim (messengers/“angels”) were ever able to mate with women. Nor that they were ever so inclined. The “Sons of God” in this context were men. Not demons. But there are many synagogues which use the book of Enoch as scripture. And there are many other false claims in this pseudepigraphic work:


“…And Azâzêl taught men to make swords, and knives, and shields, and breastplates, and made known to them the metals of the earth and the art of working them …”

Azazel if you recall was the scapegoat, one of the two goats sacrificed on Yom Kippur. One was slain on the altar, representative of Yeshua’s self sacrifice later. The other, the scapegoat was turned loose to Azazel. To most, the demon of the desert. However if we think about it, it was Yeshua who carried away our sins. And He never sacrificed to a demon. Many believe this to be the name of a demon, in part because of this foul book. However it is more likely both goats represent Yeshua and what He would do for us.

But this demon is said to have taught men many things. How to find and use metals, how to make the instruments of war, and how to make war. But Cain needed no tutor when he slew Abel with a rock. Man is pretty ingenious when it comes to learning new ways to kill other men.

One last point: some of the additions to the Book of Enoch were almost certainly made after Yeshua. In fact, most or all of it were probably done after the life of Yeshua. So this idea that demons can do what God did when He created His Messiah is a particularly foul bit of heresy. It makes what the Ruach did both common and dirty, comparing it to the supposed work of demons.


Noachides:

This one comes to us from Judaism, but it is adopted by many wanting to be called Messianic. The so-called Noachide Laws, the Seven Laws of Noah are Talmudic laws originating in ancient Babylon. They proscribe idolatry, sexual immorality, theft, murder, blasphemy, eating living animals. They also mandate the establishment of courts. That is all we (supposedly) are responsible for, and to do more is (supposedly) sin.

Judaism and Noachides (those saying all a Messianic is responsible for) say it is wrong for a Gentile to take on Torah unless first formally converting to Judaism.

We, the true Meshiachim say we are responsible for the entire Torah. We hold Torah was not just meant for those born Jewish. We also hold that neither Christianity nor Judaism today accurately and completely upholds Torah. We strive to do just that, acknowledging that we will make mistakes, and that a lifetime of study is not enough to completely understand the Word of our Elohim. But certainly a list of seven things, albeit one rooted in scripture in various places is not all required of anyone! If that were so, you’d think the Almighty would have said something!


Latent Christians:

There are many out there who just cannot let go of things they learned in church. Some will rail at Meshiachim, trying to convince us that we are wrong to abandon those beliefs they cannot come to see as wrong. Others are well meaning Christians who just want to be in touch with their “roots.” They think because they study about Torah, but do not apply it, they are Messianic. Obviously, I disagree.


Messianic Rabonim:

This one is tough, and certainly I would not include every Messianic Rabbi in this category. But many are drawn to ministry because they want control. This is true in churches and synagogues everywhere, and in every sect and denomination. All commit the logical fallacy of “appeal to authority.” They say they are the authority, so they are right. But this does not always follow.

Some rabbonim try to use the Jewish model, where the students sit at the masters feet and walk in his footsteps (usually figuratively). They are expected to hang on his every word, and not go outside his teaching for answers. This worked in the day when most or all learning was oral. But today we have so many resources, not all of them good. So I can see it to an extent. However when you do come across some pure gold and it is rejected by the “Master,” just because it did not come from him, that is not good. If I couldn’t use other resources when we get back to doing the Parashot, I might as well hang it up; quit trying. Part of the joy of doing them is to dig deep, then read what others say. That is why I used to list sources at the end of each parashah. If I read them and their ideas contributed to my understanding and work, they should be listed. But if I only regurgitated what my rabbi said, there’d be no use in doing it. I wouldn’t have learned, and neither would those I read it to in shul. And frankly, the Rabi often learned something new when I submitted them for approval.

Not all rabbis allow new material. Whether protecting their position as dispenser of all wisdom and knowledge, or self conscious because someone knew something they didn’t, or for whatever reason, these men (or sadly, sometimes women) stifle their congregations growth.

And don’t get me wrong, they do need to have control over what is presented to their congregation. My parashot were always submitted well in advance and scrutinized by my Rabbi before I was allowed to read them. And personally, if I am wrong about something, I prefer not to spread it around. I like to know sooner rather than later; before I say something I may later have to retract. WhicH brings up another point- everyone can and will be wrong at some point. A teacher or leader who cannot come back later and say “I was wrong” is not worth following.


There are many other Messianic predators. There is no way I can list them all, however if you have a type you’d like to talk about, feel free to put him/her/them up for discussion. The point I want to make is be aware. Just because they say they are Messianic doesn’t mean they are. And even if they are, it doesn’t mean you should follow them. Use discernment, and if you find you’e made a mistake joining a particular congregation or following a particular teacher, then leave!


[alon]

Just when you think you've heard it all: I came across another take on Messianism. This guy says we are all responsible for the written Torah, but only genetic Jews and those proselytes wishing to take on the entire Torah should keep the Oral Torah. He basically sees Messianics as one very short step above Christians. We do not see ourselves as "above" anyone! That would imply we are just a better version of something. Messianic Judaism is not Christianity, contemporary Judaism, nor any other religion. We stand alone as our own sect/group of believers in a Jewish Messiah and His congregation.

Of course the "Oral" Torah is now codified, written down and itself, including all the fences now a part of Jewish "Law." However we know Torah says in several places "The same law shall apply to both the native and the foreigner who resides among you.” Exodus 12:49 No provision is made for us to do less, or any one group to do more. Don't get me wrong, as long as what they do does not contradict the written Torah there is nothing wrong with doing more. But it is wrong to put more "Laws" on believers than HaShem did.

The so called "Oral Torah" we have today is nothing like what they would have had in Yeshua's time and before. There always was an Oral Torah, going all the way back to Adam. But the Oral Torah given to Moshe would have looked nothing like the instructions given to Adam. And the Oral Traditions (another name for these instructions) of Moshe and the Hebrews in the desert would have been vastly different to those when they entered ha'eretz. The Oral Torah was always meant to change, making the written Torah, which is immutable relevant to all men in all times and all places. It was not meant to be codified into law.

However the Rabbonim of the Roman diaspora were afraid their traditions would be lost in the scattered population, so they wrote it down( actually in more than one volume, the Talmud Yerushalami and the Talmud Bavli- the Jerusalem and Babylonian Talmuds being most popular (these are what are passed down to us today). So now we have the 613 mitzvoth (among other things) being made law as well. And those include many fences; in some cases fences on the fences. 

The idea of a fence is if you are careful not to violate the fence, you won't come close to transgressing the law. Except now the fences too are law. This was all handed down by the rabbonim, Parushim (Pharisees) who survived and were dispersed. That is why it is given the name "Rabbinical Judaism."

As Meshiachim, we are not bound by the tenets of Rabbinical Judaism. The Judaism they created is nothing like that of all Jews in the 1st cen CE and before. But since there is "one law" for everyone, neither would all those Rabbinical Laws apply to any Jews converting to MJ. Many still keep them as part of their cultural heritage, and that is OK; as long as they understand they are free to discontinue any they feel go too far or violate Torah. We are however bound to obey Torah, the 5 Books of Moses.

This one is easy to fall for, as it is close to what we believe. Just that issue of requireing one group to keep one thing the rest do not have to do is all that makes this heritical.

Dan C

[alon]

This sort of goes with my "Baptists With Tallitoth" category, but is unique in its own way. I have a friend who is Eastern Orthodox; a very good person and tries to be Godly; and within the constraints of his own faith he is very knowledgable. Therein lies the problem. The EO's tend to be very well versed, and often don't "miss the mark" by much. But whenever I am shooting or when I used to do contact martial arts there is a saying; "A miss is a miss, whether by a foot or a fraction of an inch." To be close but wrong is, well, still wrong. But his priests, and by extension he think they have the true understanding of all scripture. Problem is, they don't. For example I have tried to explain to him several times there were other Sabbaths besides the weekly one: Christmas, easter ... NO_NO_NO ... sorry, that was him. However the shalosh regalim (which was important to our discussion), and even the land got a Shabbat every 7 yrs.

At any rate, because of our talks he has become very interested in MJ. The problem is he is asking his priests after we talk, and takes whatever they say as authoritative! So he started his own sort of blog/forum and is saying it is MJ. But right now he is pushing the idea that First-Fruits is this weekend (4th of Jul: do I need to go into why this is wrong here?). The point is use discernment. Just because they sound knowledgable and say they are MJ do not take them at their word. A lot of crazy out there, and much well meaning but bad doctrine. And a lot of priests, pastors, and others who should stick to their own heresies and leave us to what they think are ours.