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'''Messianic Judaism''' is any of a group of loosely related religious movements, all claiming a connection with [[Judaism]], and all of which consider [[Jesus]] to have been the [[Messiah]].
'''Messianic Judaism''' is any of a group of loosely related religious movements, all claiming a connection with [[Judaism]], and all of which consider [[Jesus]] to have been the [[Messiah]].


Revision as of 19:03, 26 January 2006

Template:TotallyDisputed

Messianic Judaism is any of a group of loosely related religious movements, all claiming a connection with Judaism, and all of which consider Jesus to have been the Messiah.

Messianic Judaism began in the 1800's, as Jewish converts to the Church of England began to organize into smaller groups. This was paralleled by a growth of missions to the Jewish people. By the 1860's, the first Messianic umbrella organization, the Hebrew Christian Alliance, had been formed through the Church of England with the primary goal of evangelizing the Jewish people.

Beliefs and practice range from evangelical Christianity to a Christian adaptation of many Jewish holidays and customs, while accepting Jesus to be the Messiah (and God) and using the New Testament as scripture. The groups range from those comprised mostly of people claiming to be Jews to those which are mostly gentile in membership; the majority are mixed. While the controversial group Jews for Jesus espouses the Messianic beliefs, Jews for Jesus is an evangelical organization, not a religion or a denomination. Its stated aims are to educate Evangelical Christians concerning the Jewish origins of their Christian faith, and to convert Jews to Christianity.

Most Jewish converts to Christianity do not consider themselves "Messianic Jews". Protestant and Catholic churches may have Jewish converts among their members, but these members self-identify as Christians. They are also sometimes referred to as Jewish Christians, Hebrew Christians, or Christian Jews. The term "Messianic Jew" is used only to refer to those affiliated with organizations or congregations that claim to be specifically part of the self-described Messianic Jewish movement.

While many Messianic Jews are ethnically Jewish (and as such would be considered Jews even by traditional Jewish standards), Messianic Judaism is not seen as a legitimate form of Judaism by any recognized Jewish organization or leaders whatsoever. Many Messianic leaders are ordained clergy of various Christian denominations and a number of the Messianic clergy have no ethnic connection to Judaism. A growing list of Christian denominations, such as the Southern Baptist Convention and the Assemblies of God movement, actively plant Messianic congregations as part of their efforts to evangelize the Jewish people. At the present time, more than ten different Christian denominations count Messianic congregations as members of their denomination.

Messianic Jews commonly use the name Yeshua, which may have been Jesus' Hebrew or Aramaic name. Some Messianic Jews do not consider themselves "Christians" (although by definition, they are), preferring to call themselves Messianic or "Torah-Observant" Jews. The vast majority of Jews, however, find the latter label a misnomer and highly offensive.

Messianic religions in general

The use of the term "Messianic" is not new. Diverse religious groups have messianic beliefs which are not compatible with what has come to be commonly referred to as Messianic Judaism. Most notably, Rabbinic Judaism, including all the modern Jewish denominations, have a variety of beliefs about a future messianic era. Some Jewish groups whose beliefs stress the messianic aspects are known in the literature as "messianic Jews", but that is not the topic of this article. For messianic beliefs within traditional Judaism, see the entries on Jewish eschatology and Jewish Messiah.

Organization and beliefs

The organized Messianic Movement consists of approximately 200 congregations in the United States, with approximately one hundred thousand members. Global membership is more difficult to quantify; Messianic groups claim considerable growth in the past five to ten years in Israel, Russia, Ukraine, and even in Mexico and Argentina, but accurate statistics are difficult to come by. Estimates of the number of ethnic Jews who worship Jesus as the Messiah generally put the global figure at around a million, but only a minority of these are affiliated to any organized Messianic organization.

The Messianic Movement comprises many streams, each with its own views and emphases, but in general all consider it important to express their belief in Yeshua in a way consistent with their Jewish culture. The Messianic Movement as a whole can be seen as a mixed-continuum, with some Messianic organizations drawing more heavily from Jewish tradition, and others from Christian sources, in varying degrees.

The "Torah"-pole

A minority within the Messianic movement make a determined effort to cling not only to Jewishness but also to Judaism, with the addition of Jesus. Adherents of this religion often consider Gentile Christianity to be an irrelevance; except on the question of who Jesus is, they regard themselves as having more in common with Judaism than with Christianity. They strictly observe the Sabbath and the dietary laws (Kashrut) of the Tanakh. Many of the number that follow this mindset ignore, and even oppose, celebration of such Christian festivals as Christmas and Easter because of their origination in Gnosticism and Paganism.

Most Christians justify their nonobservance of such Biblical feasts as Pesach (Passover) based on their belief that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Jewish festivals. "Torah" pole Messianic Jews hold otherwise, noting Jesus' word in Matthew 5:17: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have not come to abolish, but to complete, because I am telling you that neither Heavens nor earth will pass, until a yud (a Hebrew letter) nor the crown (the upper part of that letter) of a yud will pass away from the Torah until all of this will be accomplished." In the next verses Jesus calls "very small ones indeed" those who think that the Torah will be abolished "or whoever teaches that".

Aside from differences over the necessity of Torah observance, some of these groups have also adopted views of Jesus that would not be acceptable to most Christian/Messianic groups. Some small movements believe that Jesus was the Messiah, but do not accept that he was God. Some do not accept the Trinity as they do not believe that the Holy Spirit was a being but rather a force, while others also believe that Jesus was the Father in the flesh, though these are in the minority. They also tend to believe Jesus never intended to found another faith (Christianity). Others go further, accepting Jesus only as a human prophet, not as Messiah or God, which is not truly Messianic Judaism.

Another small group is the Two-House Movement. These are Messianics that claim to be mostly blood decedents from the Ten Lost Tribes. They form this belief from the claims of Ephraim mixing with many gentile groups and the prophecy that states Ephraim will become a multitude of nations. One notable verse is Deuteronomy 1:10-11 which says "YHWH, the God of your fathers, make you a thousand times as many as ye are, and bless you, as he hath promised you!". There are different degrees of Torah observance in this group as well with some bordering more towards Christianity like MIA (Messianic Israel Alliance) while others are closer to Orthodox Judaism like YATI (Your Arms to Israel).

The major Messianic organizations reject those holding these positions, but are in turn criticised by these movements for pulling Jews away from Torah.

The Evangelical pole

The vast majority of Messianic believers are much more comfortable with the Evangelical Christian tradition, although they express it with a Jewish flavor. Jews for Jesus is one such group.

Perhaps the best known of the Messianic groups, although certainly not the largest, is the controversial Jews for Jesus organization, officially founded by the Baptist minister Martin Rosen, who prefers to be called "Moishe" Rosen, in 1973. Its stated aims are to educate Evangelicals concerning the Jewish origins of their Christian faith, and to convert Jews to a belief in Yeshua (Jesus), as the Messiah promised in the Jewish scriptures. Many of the mainstream Messianic movement do not consider the Jews for Jesus to be an actual Messianic organization.

Their theology, as reflected in their statements of faith, is solidly within the ambit of Evangelical Christianity. They believe in the inerrancy of the New Testament, salvation by grace through faith in Jesus alone, the divinity of Jesus whom they believe is Christ, and the Trinity. Apart from Jewish terminology and cultural practices, believers of this school have a much closer affinity to Evangelical and Pentecostal Christianity than to any recognized branch of Judaism. They regard observance of the Sabbath and the Jewish dietary laws as entirely optional, although many of them do in fact try to observe them as an expression of their Jewish identity. This stream of Messianic Judaism has much in common with the beliefs of Hebrew Christians, although they regard themselves part of the organized Messianic Movement, whereas Hebrew Christians, for the most part, do not.

The mainstream Messianic movement

Within the Messianic movement, both of the positions described above are widely regarded as extremes, but they demarcate the two poles of a continuum. Most Messianic believers see themselves as lying somewhere between the two extremes. The two largest Messianic organizations, the Messianic Jewish Alliance of North America (MJAA) and the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations (UMJC), accept from both Jewish and Christian sources anything they see as scritpurally verifiable. The writings of theologians Dan Juster, and Paul Liberman two of the founders of the UMJC, have helped shape the direction of the mainstream Messianic Movement: solidly Evangelical/Pentecostal in doctrine, with an uncompromising belief in the Trinity, but drawing heavily on Jewish sources to interpret the New Testament as well as the Tanakh (Old Testament).

Messianic Jews share with most Evangelical and Pentecostal Christians a belief that Yeshua will someday return to the earth and establish his kingdom here. Much more widespread among Messianics than other Evangelicals, however, is the belief that the return of Yeshua is dependent on his acceptance by the Jewish people. Many Messianics (though not all) interpret Matthew 23:39 ("I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord'") to mean that the Jewish people, or at least a very significant number of them, must believe in Yeshua as the Messiah before he can come back.

A growing interest among some streams of Messianic Judaism is evangelism among Gentiles, as well as Jews, in order to fulfill what they believe was God's original purpose for the Jewish people, to be God's model people and reveal the knowledge of the true God to the whole world. This also reflects an increasing attraction on the part of Gentiles to the Messianic movement. Some are attracted because they are in a relationship with a Jew and feel the movement is a "compromise" between Judaism and Christianity, but many are devout Christians who feel that the movement is a way to better appreciate the Hebrew roots of Christianity while still maintaining their faith.

Religious practices

The following practices are common among Messianic Congregations. They reflect an effort to express their faith in Jesus as messiah within Judaism.

  • Many Messianics do not use the "Christian" label. Some make this choice because of its negative connotations to the Jewish community and some because they prefer to label themselves in a manner that reflects their Jewish identity. Still others reject this label because their worship, practices, and observances bear little resemblance to those of Christianity.
  • Although individual Messianics who have Christian relatives may celebrate Christmas, Easter, etc., to preserve family harmony, holidays added by the gentile Church are not officially recognized by Messianic Judaism.
  • They call their places of worship congregations, ke-hi-lot (Hebrew for congregations), synagogues, shuls, or Beit Knesset rather than churches.
  • Many recognize that the Bible is a book in continuum, not a book divided into two sections, one of which called "old", while the other is called "new". They see the whole book as vibrant and relevant to modern life. In order to relate this, many use the term "Hebrew Scriptures" for what is called the Old Testament, and the term the "Apolistic Writings" or the Hebrew term "Brit Chadasha" (meaning "New Covenant")
  • They use Hebrew Torah scrolls in their services.
  • They recite or cant (see cantillation) traditional Jewish prayers such as the Shema, Amidah, Aleinu, Kaddish, Kiddush, Motzi, Shehecheyanu, Adon Olam, Avinu Malkenu and the Birkhat-HaKohanim, also called the Priestly Blessing or the Aaronic Benediction.
  • Many wear kippot (Jewish head coverings), prayer shawls and tzitzit.
  • They call their clergy rabbis or teachers or "Congregational Leaders" rather than priests, ministers or Reverends.
  • They perform the brit milah (covenant of circumcision) for Jewish male babies.
  • Unlike Catholicism and some Protestant denominations, they practice "believers only" baptism (no infant baptism) and only by immersion, not sprinkling or pouring. They recognize a prior Christian immersion baptism if the person was a believer when baptized. They sometimes refer to Baptism by the erroneous term mikvah, which is a Jewish practice unrelated to Baptism.
  • They refer to Jesus and to apostles by what they believe to be their Hebrew names. Thus, Jesus is called Yeshua (Y'shua), John is called Yochanan, Paul is called Sha'ul, James is called "Ya'akov", Peter is called "Shimon". etc.
  • Many Messianic Jews observe the Jewish dietary laws (kashrut). Among some Messianic groups (but not all), this is compulsory; it is held that the laws of kashrut are still God's will for Jews today. It is argued that faith in Jesus should make them more Jewish, not less. Other Messianic groups, however, are less dogmatic about this. There is debate about the applicability of 'kashrut' for gentiles.
  • Circumcision is not required for men to join (see Acts 15), but the question of gentiles becoming Jews within/after joining Messianic Judaism is widely debated. Such conversions (?), where conducted, require circumcision.
  • Some Messianic congregations scrupulously avoid many traditional Christian terms that evoke negative emotional reactions among Jews and substitute neutral terms, e.g., Christ (Messiah), church (congregation, ke-hi-lah, shul), Cross (tree, execution stake), crucifixion (death, execution), crucified (executed, put to death, nailed to the tree, hanged on a tree) Jesus (Yeshua), Old Testament (Tanakh), New Testament (Brit Chadasha), Trinity (triunity), Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh), Jehovah (Hashem), gospel (good news), evangelize (tell the good news). Other congregations use both Christian and Messianic terminology in roughly equal amounts.

Messianic Judaism or Hebrew Christianity?

Messianic Jews consider their primary identity to be "Jewish" and belief in Jesus to be the logical conclusion of their "Jewishness". They try to structure their worship according to Jewish norms, and generally follow some parts of Jewish law. Many (but by no means all) do not use the label "Christian" to describe themselves.

Hebrew Christians identify themselves primarily as Christians. They are (mostly) members of Protestant and Catholic congregations, generally do not practice any aspects of Jewish law, and are typically assimilated culturally into the Christian mainstream, although they retain a strong sense of their Jewish identity which they, like Messianic Jews, strongly desire to pass on to their children. Though the boundary between the two movements is blurred, because of their differences they are often treated separately.

Critics of the Messianic movement

All mainstream Jewish denominations and organizations hold that Messianic Jews are not practicing Judaism, but Protestant Christianity. Messianic Judaism is held to be non-Jewish by Reform, Orthodox, Conservative, and Reconstructionist Judaism. Most Jewish groups consider the movement to be an evangelizing tool created and supported by larger Christian denominations.

The relationship between the Messianic Movement and organized Christianity has been patchy, too. Many Evangelical and Pentecostal groups have welcomed and supported the movement and some have actively founded "Messianic" congregations. These congregations almost by definition begin at the far evangelical pole (if they can be considered Messianic at all), but often move towards the Torah pole. Some Christians, mostly liberal, feel that Messianic groups are guilty of false advertising. In 1977, for example, the Board of Governors of the Long Island Council of Churches (New York) accused Jews for Jesus of "engaging in subterfuge and dishonesty," and of "mixing religious symbols in ways that distort their essential meaning." The Jews for Jesus organization filed a lawsuit, which was ultimately rejected, against the 600-member council in the New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan. (The New York Times, July 2, 1977). (In New York State, a Supreme Court is a general trial court equivalent to a District Court in most other states.)

Another organization critical of the Messianic Movement is the Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington. In 1997 this group, comprising liberal Christian, as well as Jewish and Muslim leaders, put out a strongly worded statement, condemning the proselytization efforts of the Messianic Movement. Most Evangelicals reject the criticism and defend evangelism among Jews.

Some Evangelicals, however, have criticized the Messianic Movement on entirely different grounds. Some consider the movement to be "too Jewish" for holding on to parts of the Old Testament that many Christians believe are not applicable today. This criticism is not widespread in Evangelical circles, but appears to be growing, especially as the movement defines itself as a Judaism.

Supporters within secular Judaism

Some individuals, especially humanistic Jews, hold that messianic Judaism should be considered a viable approach to Judaism, but that view is generally not reciprocated, and they themselves are rejected by mainstream Judaism. Reconstructionist Rabbi Carol Harris-Shapiro wrote in her book Messianic Judaism that it could be considered an authentic branch of Judaism. Reform Rabbi Dan Cohn-Sherbok, editor of Voices of Messianic Judaism: Confronting Critical Issues Facing a Maturing Movement, also regards it as a valid form of Judaism. However, their work has failed to win any acceptance among their denominations, or among the wider Jewish community, and indeed, their work has provoked sharp and widespread criticism within Judaism. Currently, they appear to stand alone in the mainstream Jewish denominations with this view.

Parallels to Baal Teshuva

These efforts to convert Jews to Christianity, and the receptiveness of some Jews to it in the past few decades, are a parallel phenomenon, although in an obviously different context, to the Baal teshuva movement that has witnessed a vigorous outreach effort by Jewish Orthodox institutions to reach out to Jews alienated from, or ignorant about, the Jewish faith.

Orthodox Jews are conscious of the fact that they are competing with the Messianic movement for the same audience. Specific organizations, such as Jews for Judaism and Outreach Judaism are devoted to keeping Jews out of any Christian movements, and particularly Messianic congregations. The widespread fascination with Hinduism and Buddhism, and a willingness to join these movements, by previously secular young Israelis and American Jews, is seen as part of the same phenomenon. What all share in common here is the fact that a "market" exists for all these efforts, which in turn is indicative of a strong receptiveness to religious and spiritual notions, and a willingness to "buy into" an alternate religious experience and a radical new way of life, leaving many secular Jews mystified by the success of religion-based outreach and recruitment.

See also

Articles

Messianic websites

Counter Messianic websites

Some Essays About Messianics by Non-Messianics

Books on Messianic Topics

Brown, Michael L., Ph.D. (publisher: Baker Books)

  1. Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus: General and Historical Objections (January, 2000), ISBN 080106063X
  2. Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus: Theological Objections (November, 2000), ISBN 0801063345
  3. Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus: Messianic Prophecy Objections (March, 2003), ISBN 0801064236
  4. (Per Brown, a fourth Answering Jewish Objections volume is in preparation)


Cohn-Sherbock, Rabbi Dan, ed.; Voices of Messianic Judaism: Confronting Critical Issues Facing a Maturing Movement pub. Messianic Jewish Resources International (June, 2001); ISBN 1880226936

Feher, Shoshanah "Passing Over Easter: Constructing the Boundaries of Messianic Judaism" pub. AltaMira Press (1998); ISBN 0761989536; 0761989528 Fischer*, Rabbi John, ed.; The Enduring Paradox: Exploratory Essays in Messianic Judaism pub. Messianic Jewish Resources International (July, 2000); ISBN 1880226901

(* Earned degrees: B.S. in Bible, M.S. in Communications, M.A. in New Testament, B.J.S. in Jewish Thought, Ph.D. in Education/Religion--Dissertation: The Development of a Core Curriculum for a Messianic Jewish Yeshiva, Th.D. In Judaic Studies--Dissertation: Messianic Services for Festivals and Holy Days)

Juster, Daniel, Th.D.; Growing to Maturity: A Messianic Jewish Guide pub. Union of Messianic Congregations; 3rd ed. (1987); ISBN 0961455500

Kinzer, Mark Ph.D. (publisher: Brazos)

  1. Postmissionary Messianic Judaism (November 2005), ISBN 1587431521

Stern, David H., Ph.D., M.Div. (publisher: Messianic Jewish Resources International)

  1. Messianic Jewish Manifesto (May, 1988), ISBN 9653590022
  2. Jewish New Testament Commentary (October, 1992), ISBN 9653590111
  3. Complete Jewish Bible (June, 1998), ISBN 9653590154
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