Posted by: Nick Norelli | October 20, 2007

Messianic Judaism vs. Gentile Christianity

I just read a blog post from those pyro-whatever-they-call-themselves guys that was guest-written by a Jewish believer named Steven A. Kreloff in which he critiqued/criticized Messianic Judaism.  I suggest reading it for yourself, but I just want to comment on it briefly.  The main thrust of the argument was that Messianic Jews are somehow in danger of what Paul warned against in Galatians and Hebrews.  Going back to the law and making Christ of no use, yada, yada, yada.  But he said something that struck me as strange, he said:

The Apostle Paul told the Ephesians that Christ has reconciled both Jews and Gentiles in one body through the cross (2:16). Through His death on the cross Jesus Christ abolished all the Old Testament ceremonial laws that made Jews distinct and separated them from Gentiles (2:15). As a result He has “made both groups (Jews and Gentiles) into one” by removing all spiritual distinctions between believers (2:14, 15). While maintaining ethnic and social differences, the Bible declares that “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). By encouraging messianic synagogues, Messianic Judaism promotes division in the Body of Christ that is contrary to the teachings of the New Testament.

I don’t know how many Messianic Jews this man knows or how many Messianic synagogues he’s been to, but I can tell you that from my experience, Gentiles are not only welcome in the Messianic synagogues, but in some (even many) areas, they comprise the majority of those who fellowship in them!  But he continues and says:

Rather than establish a distinct Jewish assembly, local churches should bring together both Jews and Gentiles in membership. To remove Jewish believers from Bible-believing churches is to essentially rob the Church of the richness of fellowship God intends Jews and Gentiles in Christ to enjoy. All spiritual fellowship should be based upon our relationship with Christ—not our former religious backgrounds.

Why not argue that to remove Gentile believers from Bible-believing synagogues is to essentially rob the Church of (fill in the blank)?  Historically speaking it was the Jews who let us in, not the other way around.  I wonder if he takes this positions with all of the various denominations within the body of Christ — did the reformers rob the Church of its richness of fellowship that God intended when they left the Roman communion?  How about the Wesleyans when they left the Methodist Episcopal Church?  The list could continue for quite some time, but I’m just curious as to how far Mr. Kreloff would push this argument.  I’m also curious as to whether or not he’s asserting that Messianic synagogues are somehow not Bible-believing congregations (churches/εκκλησιας)?

And I think the main point he’s missing in his last statement is that Messianic Jews don’t view their Jewishness as a ‘former religious background’ — rather they view their relationship with the Messiah as the natural evolution of their Jewishness — as Michael Brown often says: “what could be more Jewish than believing in the Jewish Messiah?”  Imagine if Paul thought in the terms that Mr. Kreloff is suggesting!  Paul even after his conversion claimed to be a Pharisee (Acts 23:6), an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin (Rom. 11:1), circumcized the eighth day, a Hebrew of Hebrews (Phil. 3:5)!

Are we to imagine that regenerated Jews just left behind their heritage because they became believers in their Jewish Messiah?  I would venture a guess that the early Jewish Church continued to go to Jerusalem yearly for שׁבעות/Shavu’ot (Pentecost), בחג המצות/Chag HaMotzi (Unleavened Bread) and סכות/Sukkot (Tabernacles).  We certainly know that it Paul’s custom to go to the synagogues on the Sabbath in order to preach Jesus to both Jews and Gentiles (Acts 17:2; 18:4). 

I just find it peculiar and a bit disingenuous that so many people think true Christianity somehow only resembles Reformation Protestantism — I submit that from its inception the body of Christ has taken various forms (which makes sense seeing as how it is composed of many members, 1Cor. 12:12, 20) and despite the differences, we’re still united in fellowship in Messiah/Christ.  I no more fault Messianic Jews for their style of worship and service and their decision to assemble with like-minded believers than I do Reformed Baptists for theirs or Charismatic Pentecostals for theirs.  We have liberty in Christ to do such! 

B”H

Posted in Apologetics

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Responses

this is very interesting and enlightening. I just broke off a friendship with a lady who is messianic. she says she is not christian,but Messianic. I have read a lot about Messianic being related to atheism. but, my main problem with her ,is that she keeps critisizing my Catholicism, instead of concentrating on her own beliefs. this due to the fact that her boss is her mentor and she believes, blindly, everything he says. They do not believe in churches.They meet at some one’s home,for what they call bible study.and, they send me hate mail!!!!

By: Janet lyon on November 9, 2007
at 10:13 am

Janet,

I think something that we need to remember is that Jewish believers didn’t originally refer to themselves or their sect as ‘Christians’ — They were first called ‘Christians’ in Antioch (Acts 11:26). I think a lot of Messianic believers wish to stay in touch with their Jewish roots, and since ‘Christian’ is a Greek term they prefer to be called ‘Messianics’ (from the Hebrew משׁיח/Mashiach).

Also, I think you’ll find that a lot of non-Catholics have a problem with Catholicism, this isn’t limited to Messianic Jews alone — Her believing everything her boss/mentor says without question is definitely a problem if in fact true, I think we need to question everyone (I’m curious [and I don't intend this to be taken as an attack], but as a Catholic do you question the teaching Magisterium of the Church in the same way you’d expect her to question her leader?)

And I find it disturbing that anyone would send you hate mail — that certainly is not something that the Messiah would approve of. As far as meeting in homes goes, I don’t see such a big problem with that — that’s the way a lot of churches/synagogues start off and that was the common practice in early Christianity.

In the end I’d say this… don’t judge all Messianics by this lady alone — they’re as diverse as the next group and are bound to have a few bad apples.

Thanks for your comments! :-)

By: Nick Norelli on November 9, 2007
at 10:32 am

There are lots of crazy Gentile ladies in the MJ movement. (No debate; that’s an empirical fact.) I could write a book on this.

By: Sean on November 9, 2007
at 11:30 am

Most Messianics I have come across have actually been Gentiles which is what made the blog post I was responding to really scream inconsistency. This guy is claiming that Messianic synagogues are robbing the church of richness of fellowship… I know a pastor in Delaware who has an entirely Gentile Messianic congregation. Go figure :-|

By: Nick Norelli on November 9, 2007
at 12:14 pm

Shalom Nick,

Nice website! You are right that most Messianics would cry “foul” and note the inconsistancies in the article. Sadly, many of the replies to the blog indicate that the post was the best assessment of the issue they have seen–and yet it article is superficial at best.

To generalize about the issue in general, I think we gravitate toward seeing Christianity through our own eyes and anything different is inherently wrong. The problem with this approach is that it (a) doesn’t give a fair hearing to the body and (b) is devoid of a historical context. For example, would the author paint the same broad brush the Jerusalem Christians who had faith in Yeshua but were also zealous for the law (Acts 21:20; see also Rev. 12:17, 14:12)? The issue is quite complicated–hence the plurality of thought on the issue in Christendom–and goes beyond, “Gentiles only need observe the 4 issues in Acts 15″ for even a surface reading of Paul shows his frequent appeal to the Hebrew Bible for instruction, correction, and teaching.

Would we argue then that Paul is teaching some form of justification through our own merit? Of course not! Yet that is exactly the (il)logical leaps the author is making.

The real issue is one of continuity and discontunity within the covenants and the implication for covenant members. This isn’t a “Messianic versus Christian” debate but a general issue in Christianity (a good introduction to the issue, if not on the shallow end, is Zondervan’s “Five Views on Law and Gospel”). It is impossible to pin Messianics to any one position (as it is a movement, not a denomination) but the general view is one of more continuity. This is a very difficult area for Christians to dialogue about because of the various gridworks imposed on the text (e.g. tripartate division of the commandments into Moral/Ceremonial/Civil, the “we only observe what is repeated” method, the “we observe everything not abolished” method, etc) that allow little interaction outside a philosophical framework.

Yet no one taking a position that “life in the body of Christ” has a natural response to live a holy lifestyle (based on one of the above methods mentioned) is trying to use the law as a means of justification. Yet this is the simplistic, and unfair, criticism casted toward Messianics. Further, because we disagree on a number of interpretational points (e.g. Col. 2:14 appears to me to be the nailing of sins [document of indebtedness] to the cross; the implications of 4QMMT on “works of the law”; Tim Hegg’s ETS presentation on Eph. 2:14f argues that the wording is invoking the barriers of the oral law and not the Torah, and so forth) that relate to continuity and discontunuity doesn’t mean we are holding to “old rituals” as a means of justification or focus of our faith. Most Messianics would argue we see celebrations of the Torah as pointing directly to the person, life, and work of Yeshua the Messiah.

Messianics have problems. They lack an abundance of quality teachers (most Seminaries won’t accept us anyhow) and the movement is divergent. It is dispised by Judaism and there has been an unfair criticism among Protestants that either charge us violating the neat and tidy “Jews & Christians” end time program or, worse, casting off faith in Yeshua for obediance to the law.

The tension between grace and obedience is a central one Christian scholars continue to struggle with. There are those who will continue to view the law as antithetical to grace and those who take a more positive approach to some elements of the law (not just Messianics, but those with a Reformed background or positions like that of Walter Kaiser) will continue to be accused of diluting the gospel for a righteousness that comes through person works.

My hope is that as time progresses and Messianics develop more quality teachers that there can be better clarity and communication on these issues. The reality is, though, we are part of a larger debate and struggle that is often terse and spiteful. Yet if Messianic Judaism serves one purpose, it is a reminder that the earliest believers were not your typical Protestant. We need to stop reading them as such and appreciate that, for what ever reason, that many continued to observe not only the law but many (but not all) of the traditions of the Judaisms of their time.

By: Joshua on March 31, 2008
at 5:14 pm

Joshua: Thank you for your comment. I know that you are new to the blog, but in light of recent events, I have stated my desire for short and succint comments to my posts. I’m sure that you have not come across that post yet, so you couldn’t have known. I find your comment to be relevant to the topic of this post, well-reasoned, and well-informed. For those things, I thank you. I only ask that if you continue commenting here that you limit the length. Thanks. :)

By: Nick Norelli on March 31, 2008
at 5:23 pm

Sorry about that Nick! Now that I know the “law” I will be sure to abide by it ;) Thanks for the kind warning.

By: Joshua on April 6, 2008
at 8:52 pm

Joshua: Haha! Touché. ;)

By: Nick Norelli on April 6, 2008
at 9:04 pm

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