This short but important message comes from one of my favorite websites, Messianic Good News. It’s important because there still continues to be many within the body of Christ who don’t understand this truth. I know, because of letters received from readers here.
May I share one of the greatest joys which has come from having this blog? Almost a year after starting it, a reader left a comment–a lengthy one at that, filled with obvious joy after reading something put together and posted, which was similar to this. While I won’t go into all of it, suffice it to say the person had been struggling with questions concerning the Church, believers, modern-day unbelieving Israel, and the Hebrew Roots teachings. The reader said the post had confirmed what the Spirit of God had been showing them in the Word.
I recall praying, telling the Lord if this blog never accomplished one more thing then that one person receiving confirmation and freedom, I considered this blog worthwhile. Don’t know why, but that came back to me tonight…
The latest misconception spreading within the ‘Messianic’ and ‘Hebrew Root’ movements is that Gentile Christians are being grafted into an ethnically defined, and predominantly unbelieving, ‘Israel’ at the present time – rather than historically, into the faithful remnant described in Romans chapter eleven. YHVH spoke of Israel as an olive tree whose branches would be cut off and thrown into the fire (Jeremiah 11:16). In Romans eleven, Paul used the imagery of Jeremiah’s prophecy to describe the reconstituted Israel under the New Covenant, on the criterion of faith in Messiah. Two processes took place concurrently:
- Firstly, those Jews who rejected the Messiah (the Prophet like Moses) were cut off from Israel and ceased to be part of that nation. (The same were ‘in danger of being burnt’ unless they repented and were grafted in again.)
- Secondly, Gentile believers were being joined in with the faithful remnant, and became part of Israel.
As under the Old Covenant, the Lord’s faithful are instructed to keep themselves separate – for the same reason as given under the Law, namely to avoid the contaminating influence of the unbeliever.
‘Do not be yoked together with unbelievers … For what fellowship is there between light and darkness, and what harmony between Christ and the Devil?’ (2 Cor. 6:14).
For a Christian to be yoked together with unconverted Jews is no less sinful than for a Jew under the Old Covenant to join himself with Moab. Nor is the contamination that enters the Camp of the Righteous through such an unholy union any less destructive!
Ironically, Paul warned Gentile believers that they were ‘grafted in’ on account of their faith in Messiah, but could just as readily lose their privileged position and be cut off again. Those who unbind themselves from the body of Messiah to stand in solidarity with unbelievers are clearly victims of such an apostasy.
Those of us moved by the love of God to labour for the salvation of the apostle Paul’s ‘ brothers after the flesh,’ must preserve our integrity and put forward a faithful witness of the hope that stems from our New Covenant faith. Those who think they can achieve Jewish salvation by participating in the religious observances of the Talmudic faith simply add credibility to that system, and can never – by the flattery of imitation – provoke anyone to jealousy. Only the new life by the Spirit of God, which manifests itself most profoundly through simple obedience, self-sacrifice, and by its fruits (Gal. 5:22), will produce such a result.
Kevin Daly – What were Gentile believers grafted into?
What, exactly, are “the religious observances of the Talmudic Faith?” And what is inherently evil or wrong about them? Would they include the High Holy Days observed by Jesus? And what, pray tell, is so pure and unsullied about the religious observances of the Christian faith? Are they all within the pale of orthodoxy and completely based on biblical commandments? There are many ways one can provoke an unbeliever into jealousy. I smell the musty, familiar odor of supercessionism on Kevin Daly. He seems to want to build another “mechitzah” (dividing wall) within the Body of Messiah.
ahahaha! That’s funny Yehuda. Especially when taking into consideration what this ministry does and who runs it:
You and i have went round and round in the past concerning the dangers and heresy connected with the hebrew roots movement, to no avail.
If you don’t see it, i don’t know what else to tell you.
No Yehuda it is those who wish to add observance of the Mosaic law to the finished work of Christ who wish to resurrect the wall of separation between Jew and gentile.
And if you’d like to know what is evil about observing the Talmudic faith I will tell you.
According to the Talmud Jesus was the illegitimate offspring of a prostitute and a Roman soldier.
According to the Talmud Jesus was an idolater who practiced sorcery and led others astray
According to the Talmud, Jesus currently resides in hell – the specifics of his place in hell are too disgusting for me to mention here.
According to the Talmud the teachings of the Rabbi’s supersede the written Torah when they are in conflict.
According to the Talmud it is a crime to teach the Torah to non Jews
The “Talmudic faith” is exactly what Jesus condemned in the Pharisees when He told them they had made their traditions equal to the word of God thereby making the Word of God ineffective.
“…that they may all be one. Just as you, Father, are united with me and I with you, I pray that they may be united with us, so that the world may believe that you sent me. The glory which you have given to me, I have given to them; so that they may be one, just as we are one.”
Any thing, person, ministry or movement that hinders this request of our Savior is anathema. I’m sure there are those in both the church and in the “Hebrew roots movement” who legalistically interpret scripture and cause apostasy. Lets not condemn everyone who happens to have a heart for true “Biblical” Judaism. I want to be a bridge builder and a peace maker. Our time is too short for anything else.
The faith is not a smorgasbord. You either practice Judaism or Christianity.
Tell that to the over 250,000 Messianic Jews around the world and in Israel who love, adore and worship the same Jesus you worship. Those poor Apostles and their early followers must have really had trouble finding little white churches with steeples. All through the book of Acts they continued worshipping in Synagogues. Maybe they were just having a temporary identity crisis…since they hadn’t yet run into you.
Yehuda, i don’t know what or who you follow…and that’s the truth. I tried figuring that out in past discussions we’ve had on similar topics.
But i will say this: whatever or whoever you follow, you are a bad example of it. I would not want anything which produces such bitterness and such a sarcastic tongue.
I sincerely hope you come to know the Jesus of the bible someday.
Sarcasm and bitterness are not my normal attitudes. They are a last resort in overcoming your invincible ignorance of Judaism and your perpetual belief that Messianic Jews and Messianic Gentiles really aren’t valid and should not exist. Forgive me if I hurt you. We are in polarized disagreement on this issue. Perhaps we can work it out in heaven. I know we will both be there. LETS BUILD BRIDGES—NOT WALLS!!
someone needs to go study Acts chp 15……you need those smilly face things on here so we can make a bigger impact with what we say….not. hahaha