I
found “Messianic Judaism” intriguing from the start because they seemed to take
the whole bible seriously. They have a love for Israel and Jewish people as I
did, and still do. It was wonderful to learn traditions and customs for a year
and a half, but I started to notice theologically they have a lot of errors.
While they will tell you that it is all about Jesus or Yeshua as they make it
clear you should call Him, and they say that salvation is only earned through
Him. The longer you are apart of this “movement” the more you see their
application and living on the rock of Christ is not exactly what they profess.
Jesus
is not the central focus, what is central focus is what they call “Torah
Observance” another area they are theologically weak in. They also seem to not understanding the
true concepts of “original sin” that man
is naturally wicked not good and that Christ is our fulfillment. What is
interesting is that at least 80% of the people in the “movement” are not even
Jewish, most are gentiles who just have a love for the Jewish people and Israel
but they get sucked into placing traditions and Jewish customs above the rock
of our foundation CHRIST.
Don’t
get me wrong, I understand Jesus was Jewish, and I think it is important to
understand context and history along with customs of the times…what I am not
interested in is becoming Jewish or taking gentiles and dressing them up as
something they are not. Further more there is such a fear at mentioning Jesus
as the be all end all because they are trying to attract Jewish people, they
try very hard not to offend them instead of glorifying and edifying Christ
which will naturally offend EVERYONE. I honestly find Messianic Judaism more
offensive in their hiding of Christ to attract Jewish people, playing a role of
being Jewish when most of them are not, instead of just being who G-D made them
to be and being unashamed as Gentiles in Christ. How do we drive the Jewish people
to jealousy(Romans 10:19) that we are now apart of the “tree of life” if we essentially
become them with just a sugar coated message of “Messiah”??
I
love Jewish people and love the rich culture and biblical history, that they
were chosen for G-D to work through and took care of His Torah. In the end this
will mean a lot more to them because I am not trying to be Jewish nor do I
profess to be. I’m just a gentile who loves, and I only have this love because
of Christ that is in me….and I will not be ashamed of Him.
The following is a video from a respected Messianic "outreach" called Psalm 119 Ministries. Video shows theological error in not understanding Christ as end goal and not understanding that the law's main purpose is to show our sinfulness and unworthiness of the grace G-D bestows through Christ.
(I attempt to answer each question they ask below)
First of all a lot of the questions out of the 25 are
repetitive, and some are actually nonsensical. Also what seems to be missed is
the fact that the laws main purpose is to point us to Christ who is the author
and finisher of our faith(Hebrews 12:2) because without Him the law was never
and could never be kept perfectly even by the patriarchs of the faith. There is
a severe error in the talmudic age from Rabbi's on the thought of original sin
in thinking that "man is sinless by nature"(my source for this is in
the book "Everyman's Talmud" page 96) if one misses the concept of
original sin one misses the whole concept of fulfillment in Christ. They're
also working off the assumption that when most Christians use the term
"laws have changed" that they literally mean that there are new
different laws when what they usually mean is certain laws have been done away
with. None the less I will try to answer each of the questions.
Question#1
If the Law of G-D is perfect quoting (Psalm 19:7) how can we
seriously say "perfect" has been made better?
Answer: If you read the whole verse it
says: The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the
LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
That is the point of the law...is it not? to convert the soul, to make one
humble in the fact that they are utterly hopeless to keep it without Christ.
That it is Christ who fulfills the law on our behalf(Romans 10:4). The law is
perfect, and it hasn't been changed or made better, it is perfect in doing its
job in conviction and causing us to look unto Christ so we can walk in newness
of life.
Question#2
If
the Law of G-D is freedom...how can "liberty" be "bondage"?
Answer: The law of G-D can become bondage if
we miss the point that it is by the grace of G-D and His kindness that causes
us to keep it. Grace in the fact that He sent His son to atone for what we
could never fully keep(Romans 8:3)(Galatians 3:24). A question right back would
be, if G-D expected us to keep the law and Moses and the people to keep the law
perfectly why make a way for atonement through sacrifices.
Question#3
Can
what is declared to be true... not be true?
Answer: Um..in simple terms...yes. I could
say I'm African American and that it's true and that would be not true at all.
If we are asking can what G-D declares to be true not be true..than of course
not... but I don't think anyone would argue the law is true or not so it seems
like a pointless question.
Question#4
Can
the ways of righteousness, change?
Answer:
Again...pointless question. Righteousness doesn't change, Christ is beginning
and END, He was always the end goal and fulfillment of RIGHTEOUSNESS...we are
made righteous not because we have kept the law but because HE HAS.
Question#5
Can
the ways of G-D...become a different way?
Answers: The question misses the fact that
HIS ways are higher than our ways and His whole purpose and plan for the law
was to bring it into fulfillment through Christ's atoning work on the cross and
his ressurection that defeated SIN/Death. A question right back is Ezekiel
36:26 not in itself something different that G-D proclaimed?
Question#6
If
the Law of G-D is forever, when did forever become temporary?
Answers: It is not so much that it is
"temporary" as it is that the law has been completely fulfilled in
Christ. This doesn't give us the freedom to do whatever we want, but it gives
us grace in the areas of the law where we will fail...grace wouldn't be grace
if we could fulfill the law on our own. The law has been kept and has been
completely fulfilled through Christ for our past, present, and future and we
now seek to walk in the Spirit keeping His commandments of loving Him above all
things (even though each of us fails at this) and loving our neighbors like
ourselves...as Christ summed up the commandments as (Matthew 22:40)
Question#7
If
breaking the law of G-D is sin....can what is defined as sin suddenly become
good?
Answer: No..but again the laws purpose is to
cause total dependance upon Christ. Now if you are defining SIN as all 613
commandments G-D has ever given I think that is a grave mistake. Is it a sin to
shave sides of your head or shave your beard? to not put tefillin on arm? to
not have a Mezuzah on door post? to not have tzitzit on your garments? to touch
your wife when she is on her period? Is every command ever made for every
person on earth and if they don't keep it are living in sin? or are some
commands just commands given for a certain time and had nothing to do with
"sin persay"..that is a better question.
Question#8
If
the law of G-D is light, can light stop being light?
Answer: no, and I feel I have already
answered this
Question#9
If
the law of G-D is life...can it no longer be life?
Answer: Again this is answered
Question#10
If
G-D is the word(John 1:1) and G-D does not change(Malachi 3:6) How can we say
the Word changed?
Answer: The short answer is we can’t say
the word has changed, but we can say it has been fulfilled. Jesus is the Word,
Jesus is the living breathing Torah. It is not about the Word has ch
anged
because the Word I.E Christ has always been.
Question#11
If
we are to delight in the law of G-D when did it stop being a delight?
Answer: Again are we talking about what
Jesus summed up the law as or are we talking about the 613 commandments as all
law? By the way this question was answered in Question #2.. the law of G-D
becomes a burden when we take our eyes off of Christ and legalistically try to
do it all ourselves.
Question#12
If
we are told to walk in G-D's law(Deuteronomy 10:11-13)
and
Christ walked in the law of G-D, and we are to walk as He walked(1 John 2:5-6)
and
Paul said to follow Christ's example...(1 Corinthians 11:1)
Why
would we walk differently?
Answer: Of course we are to look at Christ
as the example of how we are to live, because He is the ultimate fulfillment of
EVERYTHING. We are to seek to walk in new life producing spiritual fruit, which
can only come from the Spirit He has put in us, that Spirit causes us to walk.
What example did Christ give on how to live? Again what did Jesus sum up the
commandments as? (Matthew 22:40) Again the issue is one of the heart are we
seeing the purpose of the law was to break us and cause us to look unto Messiah
or are we looking at the law as something that we ritually keep. The law didn't
change and Christ was always the one going to fulfill it to bring grace and
truth to the full potential and purpose of the law(John 1:17, Romans 3:19-20,
Romans 13:9, 1 Timothy 1:5). The law was always a heart issue, as G-D looks at
our hearts as it says in 1 Samuel, and in Hosea 6 where G-D said He desires
mercy not sacrifice. What is the motivation in keeping the law? and by keeping
the law in a psalm 119 ministry way
which is considered in a "torah observant way"? What is the
application in life of keeping Shabbat, wearing Tzitzit, beards, candle
lighting and Jewish feast days??...what is the application in legalistic
observance? is it producing fruit with all glory to Christ in His fulfillment
of EVERYTHING? or is it producing arrogance in your observance? again..better
questions.
Question#13
If
Christ is the Word in the Flesh(John 1:14)...and the word of G-D(Rev. 19:13)
and some of the Word of G-D is now abolished like some propose...did Christ
abolish part of Himself?
Answer: This is a nonsensical question.
Christ is the Word in the flesh because He is the application, the walking out
of the Word the fulfillment of it. The "old testament" was always
pointing to Christ, and He and only He kept G-D's law perfectly hence our eyes
are on HIM in FAITH and TRUST that it is HIS righteousness and not our own.
Again this is looking at the law as something you are to keep ritualistically,
and it is assuming that a true Christian is one who conforms himself to jewish
customs as if we have to become Jewish. We are Gentile and Jew together as one
IN CHRIST, A Jew isn't suppose to become a gentile nor is a gentile suppose to
become a Jew neither side is ever justified by the law alone (Galatians
2:14-16)
Question#14
If
the law of G-D is how we are to love...does how to love G-D and others change?
Answer: No it doesn't change and it never
has. Can we express love towards G-D in its purest form without Christ? better
question, and to answer that...NO...no we cannot. (John 5:42-43) Where Christ
essentially says the pharisees don't love G-D because they don't love Him. You
would think if legal observance was the way to go, Jesus certainly wouldn't
have been so harsh towards pharisees.
Question#15
If
the law is intended to be good for us, and bless us...then why would He take it
away from us?
Answer: The law is ultimate holiness and
righteousness it is perfection, it is the greatness of our G-D. It is to humble
us into not thinking we can do anything apart from Him, it is not about being
done away with but about us now with our eyes on Christ that He is our central
focus. His goodness will lead us to repent I.E turn and walk because once again
HE IS THE FULFILLMENT..
Question#16
If
keeping all of G-D's commandments is the whole duty of man...is that no longer
true?(ecclesiastes 12:13)
Answer: I feel this is already answered a
few times...so...If we can keep all the commandments than why send Christ?
see..I can ask silly questions too..
Question#17
If
all scripture is instructions in righteousness(1 Timothy 3:16) and we are to
practice righteousness (1 John 2:23, 3:7, 3:10) why not practice all scripture?
Answer: First of all the scripture in the
video they are digging deep for is 2 Timothy not 1 Timothy which says in
CONTEXT:
"But
as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing
from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with
the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through
faith in Christ Jesus."
In
effect the "sacred writings" meaning the "old testament"
makes you wise or KNOWLEDGABLE in the fact that salvation is through faith in CHRIST and then it
continues saying:
"All
Scripture is breathed out by G-d and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for
correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of G-d may be
complete, equipped for every good work."
It
is making the declaration that all scripture is breathed out by G-D and has
purpose and use for what main purpose? for the purpose for the wisdom and
knowledge of salvation through FAITH in Christ Jesus. If all scripture is
literally instructions on righteousness in the aspect that Psalm 119 ministries
is taking it...that we are to practice ALL scripture. Then do you go to Israel
to offer animal sacrifices? how about offer sacrifices at all? do you sleep in
the same bed as your wife during her "time of the month"? Observe the
new moon? (read Galatians 3:10) this is the problem when you do not see
ultimate righteousness in Christ, you get this false sense that you can live by
613 commandments when you can't even keep the 10 commandments without Christ.
Question#18
The
law can not change till heaven and earth pass away (Matthew 5:17-18) and anyone
teaching such will be least in the kingdom(Matthew 5:19) Why is it taught that
the law has changed despite what our Lord said?
Answer: AGAIN..The law is in effect in the
aspect that G-D requires it for holiness...and our flesh is continually at war
with it HOWEVER thanks be to G-D for Christ Jesus who perfected it on our
behalf. As Christ said He didn't come to abolish the law...BUT TO FULFILL...
meaning He came to perform and live it in its full measure because we could
not! The law is in use to show us our inadequacy and cause us to deny ourselves
and put all hope in Christ.
Question#19
When
Christ said to "Observe and do" what is taught from Moses
seat(Matthew 23:1-3) and what was taught from Moses seat was the law of G-D as
written by Moses (Exodus 18:13) Why refuse to do what Christ said?
Answer: Might want to read all the way
through to verse 10 in Matthew 23. If you just read all of verse 3 for goodness
sakes it is talking about not doing the works of the pharisees and how
hypocritical they are. Really grasping at straws with this pulling of
scripture.
Question#20
If
Paul said he taught and practiced what Moses wrote...(Acts 21:20, 26;
24:13-14;25:8) and Paul taught no difference between Jew and Greek(1
Corinthians 12:12-14; Galatians 3:27-29; Colossians 3:10-12) How is Paul
against the law and for the law?
Answer: Firstly Paul taught no difference
between Jew and Greek in the fact that they need Christ's atonement and that
only through Christ are Gentiles and Jews ONE. Paul knew the purpose of the law
was to point us to Christ...but never taught that Jews had to forsake their
customs. He also never taught that gentiles had to become jews for that matter.
Question#21
If
we are to love G-D by keeping His commandments...(1 John 5:2-3) as a response
to Him loving us (1 John 4:19) why would we only keep some of His commandments?
Answer: Interesting they leave out the
reading of the first verse in 1 John 5 and the verses that follow verse 3.
Context is pretty important folks..and how do we keep His commandments?
CHRIST...look unto CHRIST. Again...we cannot keep all the commandments, and no
that doesn’t give us freewill to break them all but to act like you can even
keep the 10 commandments is ludicrous when you can't even keep the first 2. Let
alone live by Jewish customs that try to adhere to 613 commandments.
Question#22
“Those
who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one in the
midst, eating pig’s flesh and the abomination and mice, shall come to an end
together, declares the LORD."- Isaiah 66:17
talking
about the return of the Lord in Isaiah 66, If G-D cared about eating pig then,
why would we assume He doesn’t care now?
Answer: This verse has eschatological
implications, and it could actually just be talking about a certain group of
people that will come to an end describing a people who eat pig flesh but not
exactly everyone on earth that eats pig flesh.
Question#23
And
it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came
against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD
of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.- Zechariah 14:16
Why
would we be expected to celebrate tabernacles before the cross, but not after
the cross, but then celebrate it again when the Lord returns?
Answer: Because CHRIST is our literal
Tabernacle who is over us, and than when HE returns we shall rejoice and
celebrate because the tabernacle has returned...doesn't sound complicated to me
at all.
Question#24
If
Christ is the Word of G-D...(John 1:14, Revelations 19:13) and He is the same
yesterday, today, and forever...(Hebrews 13:8) then how is it that the Word of
G-D is not the same yesterday, today, and forever...??
Answer: Christ is the same yesterday, today
and forever as in He is the fulfillment of our transgressions for yesterday,
today, and forever.. this is another repeated question.
Question#25
Peter's
warning about Paul and the law:
and
consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is
salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to
him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these
things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and
unstable people twist to their own
destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. You therefore,
beloved, since you know this
beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led
away with the error of the wicked; 2 Peter 3:15-17
Paul
is the very person that Peter warns us not to use to teach against the law of
G-D? Why would anyone use him?
Answer: Again Psalm 119, as they have done
with much scripture, juxtaposes that this is what the scripture is saying or in
this case Peter is saying. It is also interesting that they do not quote the
last verse of this text which states: "but grow in the grace and knowledge
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be
the glory both now and forever. Amen.-" notice it does not say grow in the
knowledge of the law, because it is assuming that you already have a
relationship with Christ and know that the law's purpose is to bring you into
submission and show your absolute need for CHRIST.
In
the end there are two things that need to be understood
1.
the more your focus is on law the more you will fail, the more your eyes are on
Christ and what He has done the more you will be walking in the Spirit.
2.
focusing on law doesn't bring change and sanctification, it doesn't bring
transformation. However the more you are focused on the grace of G-D through
Christ the more transformation.
None
of what I said means I am saying "do what thou wilt" what I am saying
is to understand Christ has fulfilled it all and it is completely finished. I
am also not saying that you can't celebrate Jewish feast days or wear tzitzit,
eat kosher and keep Shabbat. I eat kosher and keep Shabbat(none legalistically)
but my focus is on Christ not the "doing of things";
1.
I can't earn anything more than what has already been earned through Christ.
2.The
laws very purpose is to cause us to be dependent upon Christ.
I
will never claim to be "torah observant" by what I keep, I am
"torah observant" because of what Christ kept and now when the Father
sees me He sees the Son because I'm covered by His blood.
