Why do people choose to follow Messianic Judaism?

[Kouyate42]

I’m quite confused as to the actual point of this hybrid religion, or why someone would choose to be part of it.

To myself, the word ‘Judaism’ signifies a specific set of beliefs and a certain group of people in the world. It signifies belief in HaShem, His Torah and in the covenant He established with Moses, the people of Israel, and the oservance of the Law.

It also seems to run contrary to the teachings of the Christian churches as a whole, as it places some emphasis on observance of Jewish practices, including keeping kosher and wearing the tallit, practicing circumcision etc.

I also find it as someone sympathetic to Judaism that such practices and religion is quite a mockery of the Jewish people by robbing them completely of their true, divine meanings. There’s also some issues with some of my Jewish friends that such a religious group is prosletysing by the back door. The Jews reject Jesus for their own reasons, but converting them shouldn’t mean forcing CHristian practice onto their beliefs.

Any thoughts?

 

[glamourdollxoxo]

I got sucked into this for a few months and the main way they suck you in is by claiming they have truth. They use a lot of OT quotes and go off the verses (I cant remember which ones) that Jesus didn’t come to abolish law and that we need to keep all of his commandments.

 

[GEddie]

My understanding of this (and I was never part of it) is that it is more Protestant than Jewish, and was introduced as a means of bridging the two religions.

 

[Rascalking]

My friend said it best. She (a jew) said it’s for people who want to be “down” with “Jewish thing”. It’s for people who want to be hip or gain cred.

She’s a brilliant woman who makes a good point.

 

[CompSciGuy]

I got sucked into this for a few months and the main way they suck you in is by claiming they have truth. They use a lot of OT quotes and go off the verses (I cant remember which ones) that Jesus didn’t come to abolish law and that we need to keep all of his commandments.

In other words, Messianic Judaism is Seventh-Day Adventism.

 

[glamourdollxoxo]

In other words, Messianic Judaism is Seventh-Day Adventism.

That would be the more appropriate name. It drives me nuts and I find it disrespectful to those who are truly Jewish when they prance around wearing talits and other sacred Jewish items and do with them as they please.

 

[OrdinaryMelkite]

My understanding of this (and I was never part of it) is that it is more Protestant than Jewish, and was introduced as a means of bridging the two religions.

I don’t know too much about it, but I DO know that it is way more related to Protestantism than Catholicism. Their worship services also tend to lean more to the protestant side. They occassionally pop up here in programs in the local Protestant Evangelical Channel here.

Hope that helps.

 

[Janet1983]

That would be the more appropriate name. It drives me nuts and I find it disrespectful to those who are truly Jewish when they prance around wearing talits and other sacred Jewish items and do with them as they please.

I wouldn’t see it that critical. I actually know a Messianic congregation. Some of them were raised Jewish and some were not.
The general consensus in that congregation is that those who were raised Jewish are still obligated to follow all of the commandments and that the Gentiles in the congregation are invited, but by no means obligated to do so.
You’ll find Jewish believers who live a Jewish life and know what they are doing (including the Rabbi) and Gentiles who merely join them in what they are doing.
On the other hand you will see Jewish members of the Jewish congregation on-post who will not wear a tallit…
It’s a grey area, but I don’t feel offended by their efforts. I keep kosher, but many of my Jewish friends don’t or don’t always keep kosher.
I think it is important to distinguish between Messianic congregations that are just Christians with a Jewish touch and those that are Jewish with a Christian touch.
To put the blame on all would be wrong I think.
There are congregations out there that are engaging in back door evangelism, but that’s not all of them by far. I can’t stand groups like Jews for Jesus. They are severing the link between Jews and their ancestors… but I will and cannot fault Jewish congregations that believe that Jesus was their Messiah, though I do not follow their reasoning considering messianic prophecy.

 

[kirkdickinson]

Hmm… weren’t the Apostle Paul and all the Disciples “Messianic Jews”??

 

[Janet1983]

Hmm… weren’t the Apostle Paul and all the Disciples “Messianic Jews”??

They weren’t the only ones either… there were other claimants within Judaism that claimed to be the Messiah, one of them leading his followers to the Bar Kokhba revolt. History has proven this guy wrong and as a result he was dropped like the others.
Sabbatai Zevi still has followers to this day…

I like what Rabbi Shmuley has to say about it: Klick
I like his position on this.

 

[SteveVH]

Hmm… weren’t the Apostle Paul and all the Disciples “Messianic Jews”??

Yeah, I thought they were just Jews who have come to recognize the fulfillment of Judaism in Jesus Christ. They recognize Jesus Christ as the Messiah as opposed to Jews who do not. The Jews are our elder brothers and sisters in the faith.

 

[SwissGuard25]

They believe Jesus died for the Jews. So they follow Jewish tradition.

They couldn’t be any farther from the truth. Jesus died for all sins all we have to do is accept that he died for our sins, and do good works.

 

[glamourdollxoxo]

I wouldn’t see it that critical. I actually know a Messianic congregation. Some of them were raised Jewish and some were not.
The general consensus in that congregation is that those who were raised Jewish are still obligated to follow all of the commandments and that the Gentiles in the congregation are invited, but by no means obligated to do so.
You’ll find Jewish believers who live a Jewish life and know what they are doing (including the Rabbi) and Gentiles who merely join them in what they are doing.
On the other hand you will see Jewish members of the Jewish congregation on-post who will not wear a tallit…
It’s a grey area, but I don’t feel offended by their efforts. I keep kosher, but many of my Jewish friends don’t or don’t always keep kosher.
I think it is important to distinguish between Messianic congregations that are just Christians with a Jewish touch and those that are Jewish with a Christian touch.
To put the blame on all would be wrong I think.
There are congregations out there that are engaging in back door evangelism, but that’s not all of them by far. I can’t stand groups like Jews for Jesus. They are severing the link between Jews and their ancestors… but I will and cannot fault Jewish congregations that believe that Jesus was their Messiah, though I do not follow their reasoning considering messianic prophecy.

The ones I’m referring to are the Christians who throw in a Jewish touch, but their entire group are Christians yet call themselves Jewish. This is largely due to the “Hebrew roots” and “Torah Christian” movements that have been increasingly popular in the last few years. The ones that I knew of their congregations were made entirely up of Christians many who were former baptists. I understand being culturally Jewish, but the Christians who throw in a touch of Jewish doesn’t feel right to me like appropriating Jewish traditions in a way and calling themselves Jews.

 

[Kouyate42]

I understand being culturally Jewish, but the Christians who throw in a touch of Jewish doesn’t feel right to me like appropriating Jewish traditions in a way and calling themselves Jews.

Sometimes a Jewish ceremony or tradition can be done by a Christian congregation with reverence and respect. Many churches I know do Passover meals, and my old church Passover meal actually had an Orthodox Jewish group attend without any sign that holding such a meal in such a setting was an issue.

I think the problem is that the Messianic Jews are practicing many of the Jewish traditions with close to no belief in the original intentions of those practices. Messianic Judaism purports to follow Jesus, who abolished the Law, whilst holding to the practices of that Law.

With regard to the Passover example I use, the opposite is true, as most churches recognise, acknowledge and respect the intentions of that particular festival.

They need to choose a side…

 

[kirkdickinson]

Messianic Judaism purports to follow Jesus, who abolished the Law, whilst holding to the practices of that Law.
.

Jesus did no such thing.

Mat 5:17
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

 

[Kouyate42]

Jesus did no such thing.

Mat 5:17
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

As far as my understanding of theology goes, and this is something I’ve heard in MANY churches, the old Mosaic Law can be divided into moral (stuff like not murdering or blaspheming God0 and ceremonial law (commandments to wear a tallis, keep kosher etc). Jesus abolished the ceremonial Law as this was merely a shadow of what he was to achieve (hence the passage that you quote) and in this he fufilled that particular part of the Law. But he in his own words often reaffirmed the moral teaching of Mosaic Law. Christians may not eat kosher or wear tzitzit (tassels) on their clothes, but they DO hold to much of the moral teachings of the Mosaic.Law.

I could be wrong, but my knowledge of Torah is better than my knowledge of the New Testament.

 

[defenderoftruth]

If they were honest with themselves they would admit they are Galatians.

 

[katherine2001]

Sometimes a Jewish ceremony or tradition can be done by a Christian congregation with reverence and respect. Many churches I know do Passover meals, and my old church Passover meal actually had an Orthodox Jewish group attend without any sign that holding such a meal in such a setting was an issue.

I think the problem is that the Messianic Jews are practicing many of the Jewish traditions with close to no belief in the original intentions of those practices. Messianic Judaism purports to follow Jesus, who abolished the Law, whilst holding to the practices of that Law.

With regard to the Passover example I use, the opposite is true, as most churches recognise, acknowledge and respect the intentions of that particular festival.

They need to choose a side…

I think a lot of them are looking for traditions–that is something that Evangelicals are missing. However, instead of looking at ancient Christianity, they look at Judaism.

 

[Kouyate42]

I think a lot of them are looking for traditions–that is something that Evangelicals are missing. However, instead of looking at ancient Christianity, they look at Judaism.

…and the result is that they end up insulting Jewish traditions and completely missing the point of Christian teaching.

I would personally love to see all Messianic Judaism followers convert either to Judaism if they truly feel the need to attach themselves to the Law, or at least follow the New Testament teaching, whether this is right or wrong.

 

[MartyrForJesus]

…and the result is that they end up insulting Jewish traditions and completely missing the point of Christian teaching.

I would personally love to see all Messianic Judaism followers convert either to Judaism if they truly feel the need to attach themselves to the Law, or at least follow the New Testament teaching, whether this is right or wrong.

Sorry, but is there actually a difference between Messianic Judaism and Seventh day Adventism?

Just wondering.

God Bless.