Messianic Judaism is Not Christianity: A Loving Call to Unity

I was happy to send this book to my wife's friend who, per her own words said leaving her last MJ group was like leaving a cult. Her constant use of Yeshua in complete english conversations was annoying, completely unbiblical and very telling. In the few times we met I overlooked it and smiled. Yet it wasn't like the few Jews I knew who got born again and attended the Holy Spirit filled non denominational Jesus people Church I went to. Upon further research I found out why. This word for her was prayerfully created and custom made by a seventy one year old street preacher who so loves his Precious Savior. Even if heeded it may take long years to weed out the roots of religion and some never get free. But whom the Son sets free is free indeed. The greek N.T. explicitly written in koine greek under divine inspiration or God breathed boldly declares you shall call His name Jesus, Matthew 1:21. In fact on the road to Damascus when Saul had his encounter with the Lord, Saul even asked Him who are you and, " He replied I am Jesus whom you are persecuting", Acts 9:5. Later in Acts Luke refers to him as Paul. The point being that here even the Lord calls Himself Jesus. (Iēsous ) Isnt it interesting that the Bible says Jesus called him by his jewish name Saul, yet proclaimed He was Jesus . Clearly if He wanted to be called Yeshua this would have been the perfect time, yet He didn't. The Bible is God breathed and Jesus knows who He is here. Using Yeshua in a completely english conversation is just more incorrect ethnic elitism and why Paul wrote there is neither Jew nor Greek in the Church in Galatians 3:28 . Rather than following a cultural identify we are commanded to follow Jesus Christ and Him alone. Never are we asked to understand the New Testament in light of the Old Testament but the other way around. Reading the prologue to Stans book it is very clear he understands this. The Church and those who follow Jesus Christ are not under the law. God said in Romans 6:14, " For sin shall no longer be your master, because YOU ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW, but under GRACE " .Those who want to impose the traditions of men, religion or the law remain under a curse Paul said. Paul who wrote 3/4 of the New Testament boldly declared he was the Hebrew of Hebrews and yet he said "Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ. Philippines 3:8 In Ephesians chapter 2:11 -16, God clearly states that in the Church the two groups have been made one, the Jews and Gentiles. He also clearly states that the law has been abolished. This also is in line with his statement in the Church there is neither Jew nor Gentile. "Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity."The word abolish in the greek is katargéō and it means:to render idle, unemployed, inactivate, inoperativeto cause a person or thing to have no further efficiencyto deprive of force, influence, powerto cease, to pass away, be done awayto be severed from, separated from, discharged from, loosed from any oneto terminate all intercourse with one to cause to cease, put an end to, do away with, annul, abolish.Now God did not abolish His moral law for that would be against His immutable attributes. He fulfilled it in Jesus Christ. We can fulfill it also when we abide in Christ and obey Him. Jesus took the letter of the Ten Commandments down into the heart. He said you commit adultery when you lust in your heart for another mans wife. He also said you commit murder when you are angry with another. So he distilled the ten commandments into two when He said you fulfill them all when you, ( 1 ) love the Lord with all your heart, soul ,strength and mind and ( 2 ) love your neighbor as yourself. So God fulfilled the ten commandments and gave us a way through abiding in Jesus to fulfill them perfectly. This is something the Jewish religion of law keeping could never do. Then He abolished the rest of the law completely so that there was no longer Jew nor Gentile but one new man that reside within the Church. In closing we must trust, believe and obey Gods word. It really isn't a matter of debate either because Gods word is emphatically clear on the whole issue. In Romans 10:12 God said, "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him." Once again the Greek is explicit and the word distinction is " diastolḗ ". It means a distinction, or difference.It is often used to describe illustrate the vast difference between organs in the human body. So no distinction means exactly that. Paul went even further in the Greek and uses the absolute negative particle ("ou") - under scoring boldly absolutely no distinction ! God is impartial . Once again the language God uses here was is a reason and is perfectly exacting . Gods chosen people in the Old Testament looked forward to the cross and Gods chosen people in the New Testament look back to the cross. Yet all who come to saving faith are His chosen people in Jesus Christ. God declared this in Ephesians 1:4, " Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him in love." Chosen before the world was ever made, that's rather revealing now isn't it.. The Church has taught and believed this for 2000 years. Messianic Judaism on the other hand started roughly 62 years ago and is not the ecclesia of God. Ecclesia or those that are called out, which is the Church, comprised of the one New Man ( both jew and gentile - slave and free ) . Messianic Judaism is a works based religion whereas Christianity is a relationship. The Christian life is a relational journey out of ourselves into Jesus Christ and is a narrow path. One that crowds us to forsake and let go of the baggage of religion . We are not under the law for it was fulfilled and abolished in Jesus Christ.As we approach the end of the age, the Church is going to be removed from the scene. It's called the blessed hope in scripture. The coming tribulation then will be a time of Gods judgment upon a Christ rejecting world. During this time the unbelieving world and the jews who rejected Jesus will be dealt with.. Out of the great tribulation 1/3 of the jews will be saved after going through Gods judgement. This is recorded by Zechariah the prophet in Zechariah 3:19 where it says ," This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold.They will call on my name and I will answer them;I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’” Paul speaks of this also when he says " He made known to us the mystery of his will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ." Ephesians 1:9-10.When we read Acts 7 we see the history of the Jewish people and its filled with complete failure . We see a people that ended up in a legalistic religion of law keeping. That by its very nature can only create pride and hypocrisy. So much so that they rejected Jesus Christ and had Him killed. Part of Gods rejecting the Jewish system and religion was to keep the people of the New Covenant free from such influence. To become a Christian all people, of all cultures and ethnicity need to come to Jesus repenting of sin, accepting Him in faith believing He paid it all, which He did. This is also one reason God chose Paul to deliver that message and write 3/4 of the New Testament. He knew in a way no other Jew could what it was to be the Hebrew of Hebrews and yet to count it all dung that he may gain Christ. For the Jews this is a humbling experience for many still feel they are special when in reality Messianic Judaism simply cant be found in the New Testament. Pauline theology doesnt make room for it at all. God knew before the world was ever created He would choose all who come to faith in the Son that they would be His chosen people. Within the Ecclesia of the living God there really is neither Jew nor Gentile. The 614 laws regarding Jewish religion are gone and the 10 commandments were fulfilled in Jesus. Unless Jews get saved now the next time they will encounter the Savior is during the tribulation. When God will judge the unbelieving world of all races for rejecting His Son. Of those Jews 1/3 will put their trust in Jesus Christ. Then Jeremiah 31 will come to fruition for them just as it has for the Jews that find Christ today.As the Jewish leaders heard Stephen full of the Holy Spirit say these words, " You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.” they picked up stones took him outside of the city and stoned him to death. Acts 7:51-53

I learned a lot about the background of the divide between Jews and Gentiles and providing scripture to support its conclusions for how to better support the church's mission.

Stan Telchin is a Jewish believer, former pastor, and long time supporter of Jews for Jesus who is well informed and well qualified to speak on the topic of Messianic Judaism. This work provides a poignant, first-hand account of what it means to be a Jew in America and a brief overview of the origin and development of Messianic Judaism. Theologically, Telchin writes from a main-stream, dispensational perspective, however Torah-observant individuals who follow Covenant Theology will still find his observations very informative and his questions worthy of consideration.Telchin's main thesis is that Messianic Judaism is an ineffective method for evangelizing Jews and that it is a divisive and spiritually unhealthy influence within the larger Christian community. He claims that the leaders of Messianic Judaism want to be accepted by a Jewish community that has largely rejected God and His Word. He points out that most Jews do not regularly attend a synagogue (62), but those who do are strongly opposed to Christianity (104) and abhor Messianic Judaism (70). Only 4 percent of Jews were evangelized by a Messianic congregation, while most Jewish believers are converted by a Gentile friend, and they attend churches (66).Telchin also observes that the leaders of Messianic Judaism are more focused on maintaining Jewishness than they are on maintaining the integrity of Scripture. As a result, they are separating themselves from the rest of the body of Christ (98). While a church should reflect the culture of its people, most American Jews are assimilated and outwardly indistinguishable from American Gentiles (116). Yet, Messianic Judaism has created a liturgy that never before existed and is forcing it upon Jews and Gentiles alike (68). Rather than creating a comfortable place for Jewish believers to worship, most of the people attending Messianic congregations are Gentiles, who are being encouraged to wear head coverings, prayer shawls and fringes. Often, Jewish believers find this environment to be artificial, contrived and unappealing (83-84).Telchin is concerned that Messianic Judaism is catering to Jewish elitism, pride and separatism (154). A kind of reverse anti-Semitism exists in the form of anti-Church sentiment (85). The actions and attitudes of their (primarily Gentile) followers seem to indicate a belief that if Jewish people really are saved, they should belong to Messianic synagogues and follow rabbinic form. Therefore, Telchin concludes that Messianic Judaism has lost sight of the fact that God has not called us to an ethnic identity and that He has called Jews and Gentiles to a spiritual identity as one new man (150).Even if you don't agree with Telchin's point of view, his criticisms are worthy of consideration. Rather than lashing out, Messianics should see if there is room for improvement.

This has a misleading title.

As a gentile believer in Christ, I have become dismayed over what I have seen as an exodus from a faithless church to the false promise of fulfillment in a Messianic Judaism direction. Mr Telchin describes a movement which looks more like the “seeker-sensitive” movement found in latter day Western Christianity, and which is failing just as epically to reach its target group. He affirms my long-held belief in the One New Man, placing Faith in God and His Christ well before race, gender, national or economic status or any other human consideration. I once heard a black evangelist of some notoriety state he wasn’t first a black man, he wasn’t first a man, he was a first a Christian. The first requirement by God to the nation seeking healing of its land in the often mis- or only partially-quoted verse in 2 Chronicles is that we humble ourselves. Much pride stands between the healing of the gentile Christian and the Messianic Jew and must be repented of before we become the One New Man, one Body, one Spirit, one Faith. Thank you for this book.

For so long, I’ve been challenged why we don’t celebrate our roots. Now I need to question what my faith is about... following specific works or Jesus. I know the answer is clear.

Great. Informative and refreshing

Was unable to put this book down, it answers all the questions that were running amok in my head over the Messianic meetings. Rev 2:9.

I did not order this blinking book! But been charged for it. I do not have a kindle device! Why would I want to order this. But you try and get help to cancel something you did not order, this is impossible!