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Mar 02
2009
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Recently I received a letter inquiring about my views on Torah observance for Gentiles, and Gentile participation in Messianic Jewish congregations. Here is an edited version of what I said.
Although the Torah has applications for Gentiles in the moral realm, and in terms of principles of life, clearly the Torah was given to Israel. As Deuteronomy states, "Moses charged us with a law, A possession for the assembly of Jacob” (33:4). (See also Ps 147:19-20; Dt 4:5-9). Acts 21:17-26 demonstrates that first century Jewish Yeshua believers assumed they, and not Gentiles, had a responsibility to keep Torah, and Paul associates Torah keeping with those who are ritually circumcised, that is, Jews (Gal 5:3). Richard Bauckham, professor of New Testament studies at St. Mary's College, University of St. Andrews, Scotland, and an expert on Yeshua’s family, states, “As far as we can tell, the vast majority of Jewish Christians in the NT period continued to observe the whole law, taking for granted that they were still obligated to do so.” This was not so of Gentile Christians, a fact ignored by proponents of Torah observance for Gentiles.
My congregation is a family-friendly community of Jews and Intermarrieds. Gentiles not intermarried who are members of my congregation are a distinct minority, and must be people with a demonstrated calling to and involvement with the Jewish people, and not just those who "love the feasts," who want to keep the Sabbath and Torah.
When Gentiles presume that Torah is as much given to them as to the Jews, it fosters a reverse supersessionism: if everyone is a de facto Jew, then the Jews lose their distinctive and disappear as a distinct people. This is contrary to the Bible and to the will of God. It is also contrary to the liturgy of Jewish prayer which highlights the distinctiveness of the descendants of Jacob. Congregations that are majority Gentile, with Gentiles who keep Torah in their fashion, cease to be a sign, demonstration and catalyst of God's consummating purposes for the descendants of Jacob. Jews find such congregations cultish.
Recently I heard a leader whom I respect suggest that the following questions be used with Gentiles who seek membership in Messianic Jewish congregations. These questions reflect his conviction that most Gentiles who want to bond with the Messianic Movement do so out of unresolved conflict with the Church, or out of a naive assumption that Messianic Judaism is the more perfect religion for all.
1. Do you believe in the basic legitimacy of the Church, in its many varieties, when it confesses the historic creeds; that its celebrations and sacraments are legitimate?
2. Do you believe that Gentiles have a different relationship to the Torah than Jews and are not responsible as Jews for the Jewish patterns of life within the Mosaic revelation but only responsible for the universal ethical teachings of Torah as also expressed an applied in New Covenant teaching?
3. Do you believe that as a Gentile believer in Yeshua, joining a Messianic Jewish congregation, you have a special calling to the Jewish people but reject the view that the Messianic Jewish congregation is a more ideal form of congregational life for all?
What do you think?
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why have you erased all the comments that where here? i understand this is your website and can do what you want, i just dont understand? i thought we had a lovely discussion going on here. i truly believed this was edifying to those searching this subject. i am sorry the see all the reply's that i am sure wherre well thought out and took people time to type out, i am sad to see all the energy waisted :(
especially sense it was energy spent trying to better know Hashem, and His word and what he wants from us on and individual and communal bases'. but perhap the "pro-torah observance for gentiles" idea was winning out? i dont see a reason for someone completely erasing any blog on this subject(or any other really) sinse the whole point of a blog is for people to read and come to, and even submit their own conclusions, unless the person who started the blog felt like his main opion, the opinion that started the blog in the first place was losing out to a better theology? i mean lets face it, if the "anti-torah observance for gentiles" had been winning the day, i doubt very much you would of had erased you own writtings. someone, did NOT want others to read this blog, why? obviously it is not because your opinions are wrong(at least in your own mind) it is obvious you did not want people to hear the flip side of the coin. perhaps it was to compelling, or even i dare to say, MORE TRUTHFULL! we gentiles who love Hashem's torah are not robbing you of you identity, but are sharing in it with you as a distinct people made up og jewish and gentile believers, who in which the new testament call's Israel, the jews being the native born and the gentiles being the grafted in, the adopted sons and daughters. these two becoming one! a distinct people set-apart from the rest of the world because of their undying faith in Yeshua! i am very sad to see how people try so hard to seperate, when Yeshua died so we might be unified as ONE NEW MAN. DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER, I COME TO YOU THIS DAY, IN THIS FORUM, TO ASK OF YOU IN yESHUAS' NAME, DO NOT LET THOSE WHO ARE TRYING TO REBUILD THAT OLD WALL OF PARTITION, TO ACCOMPLISH THEIR WORK. IN YESHUAS, GREAT AND HONORABLE NAME, AMEIN!
sorry to see all the good discussion gone, i am sure you will delete this as well.
many blessings, peace and love to you all, no matter what side of the fence you put yourself on, in Yeshuas' name, amein!
sincerely james.
I'm curious as to what your view is concerning the idea that non-Jews who are "grafted-in" thru faith in Mashiach, can no longer be counted as Gentile (alien, heathen, pagan, outsider). Is not the grafting-in no different than Ger Toshav? Is it possible there remain various degrees of attachment to greater Israel? Goy,God-fearer, Ger, Ger Toshav, Ger Tzaddik, Jew? What about all the non-Israelites who were at the base of Sinai and also recieved the Torah? What about Ruth? Are you creating a false seperation where there should be none? I understand distinctiveness, but from the perspective that a true believer in Mashiach can logistically no longer be counted a "foreigner" to the faith, culture, and community of Israel, therefore cannot be labled a "Gentile"...what are your perspectives on this strain of logic, and why?
THERE IS NEITHER JEW NOR GENTILE, SLAVE OR FREE BUT ALL ARE ONE IN MESSIAH YESHUA! MESSIAH JESUS SET OUT TO GRAFT US AND THE NATIONS INTO A ONE NEW MAN! PAUL EVEN STATES THAT A GENTILE BELIEVER NEED NOT BE PHYSICALLY CIRCUMCISED WHEN HE COMES TO FAITH! AS PAUL STATES THAT ONE WHO COMES TO MESSIAH IS TO COME IN THE STATE IN WHICH HE WAS CALLED! HE THAN STATED THAT THE CIRCUMCISION WAS MEANINGLESS AND GAVE EXAMPLES OF THOSE FROM AMONGST US HEBREWS WHO WERE AND HOW WE STILL WENT AWAY FROM TORAH!++ ++++++HE THAN CONTINUES AND SAID THAT ONE CAN BE FULLY TORAH OBSERVANT WITHOUT BEING CIRCUMCISED! THE WHOLE CONVERSION THING WITHIN THE UMJC IS EXTREMELY DISGUSTING AND GOES AGAINST THE COUNCIL OF JERUSALEM AND THER PLACES IN THE WORD OF G-D! I AM JEW BY BIRTH BUT ONE NEW MAN AND TORAH OBSERVANT THROUGH MESSIAH YESHUA AND THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THIS IS THE ESSENCE OF MESSIANIC JUDAISM! WHAT YOU ARE DOING IS DISGUSTING! JUST LIKE THE WHOLE THING TO DO WITH RABBI! MESSIAH YESHUA IS THE ONLY RABBI, I REFER YOU TO MATHEW 23!
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