A Jewish Perspective

on the "Messianic Jew"

Contents

Introduction

The "Messianic Jew" was born of two missiological considerations. Firstly, it is well documented that Jews cling to their Jewish identity long after the members of other similar groups have given up. So even in the case of Jews with only a tenuous connection with the organised Jewish community, the perceived loss of Jewish identity has long proved a serious barrier to Christian conversion. In addition, at least in Christian societies, an important idea in the Jew's self-conception is, "Whatever else I am I am not a Christian".
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Missiological considerations

In the late 1950s a professional missionary to the Jews working in California named Duff-Lawrence adopted the term "Messianic Judaism" as a way of making Christianity seem less hostile to potential converts. Since then a new terminology has swept through Christian missions to the Jews. So now it is out with the "cross" and in with the "tree"; out with the "church" and in with the "messianic synagogue"; out with the "Old Testament" and in with the "Tanach"; out with the "New Testament" and in with the "Brit Chadasha" and so on. Even Jewish liturgy is not safe from the attentions of the missionary. Thus plagiarised versions of Judaism's most sacred ceremonies are now available in "Messianic/Christian Jewish" form.

The foregoing approach is not without its dangers as was shown in a British BBC2 television programme concerning the Church in India. To overcome the reluctance shown by the locals to convert, missionaries assured them that they could become "Christian Hindus" (this term was not specifically used in the programme but it was obvious what they were referring to). This way the potential convert would not lose his/her caste privileges. Consequently some sections of the Indian Church are currently still riven with serious discrimination based on Hindu caste.
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Life in a Post-Colonial World

The second boost to the "Messianic Jew" came after WWII with the rapid growth in post-colonial societies. Foreign missionaries working in such situations were faced with an increasing intolerance for what some locals characterised as "cultural genocide" (e.g. in Venezuela). The need thus arose for a "culture-free" means of sharing the Gospel. This gave rise eventually to the notion of "contextualisation". That is the setting of the Gospel in the cultural context of the missionary's target population. For a discussion of some of these ideas and how they might be applied (with specific reference to the Jewish community) by a committed Evangelical Christian visit: http://www.gwenhwys.demon.co.uk/barry/homunit.html and check out Donald McGavran's "homogeneous unit" theory of church growth.
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An Alternative Christian "Jewish" Community

As a result of the enthusiastic application of ideas derived from the foregoing considerations we have today what amounts to a rival Christian version of the "Jewish" community growing internationally. This is greatly boosted by the many ordinary Christians who now style themselves "Messianic Gentiles".

This is a "Jewish" community grounded in distinctly Christian notions of "who is a Jew" and which in effect, showcases the "Jewish" community that some Christians (maybe all in their hearts) consider that the Jewish community ought to have been had it not rejected "Christ".

The main issues.

There are probably three major problems I have with the "Messianic Jew" idea: Back to top of page 

The Denial of Jewish History

Personally, I do not see Christianity as the daughter of Judaism. I think that it is more realistic to see these two communities of religious thought as separate and distinct developments of certain trends in the milieu current in the Middle East some two millennia ago. I think of them as being like two great streams of spirituality that burst forth from the same soil of ancient Israel. Today we have two very different religious communities sharing certain texts that both regard as sacred. However, sharing the Hebrew Scriptures masks the very fundamental differences between Judaism and Christianity. Finally, so as not to mislead anyone, I see Judaism as more than what is usually meant by "religion".

The "Messianic Jewish" movement appears to me to be a denial of the reality of the last two millennia of Jewish history. "Messianic Jews" are portrayed as though they are no different from the messianic Jews of Jesus' day. One is constantly referred to the fact that Paul claimed still to be a Jew without taking the intervening history into account. My belief is that when deciding whether a Jew can convert to Christianity without lose of his or her "Jewishness" one must deal with today's realities and set personal theological desires to one side. Two thousand years of Jewish history and spirituality cannot just be swept aside as though it does not matter or indeed has never existed.
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Christian Confusion

I have debated the subject of Judaism and Christianity with various Christians over a number of years. A regular practice among some Christians in these debates is to refer to Christianity as "real or authentic Judaism". It is as though Judaism just disappeared two thousand years ago. Adding to the confusion, I am often told that Christianity is "Messianic Judaism" (i.e. biblical Judaism that correctly identified Jesus as the Messiah of Israel). Constantly, I meet Christians who will happily accept that modern Judaism and modern Christianity are radically different and separate religions, but who subsequently claim that a Christian convert from Judaism is a "Messianic Jew" in exactly the same sense that a Jew who followed Jesus might also be called a "Messianic Jew".
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Acknowledging Judaism's Place in the Sun

Only by acknowledging the full impact of the separate developmental histories of Judaism and Christianity can there be any hope of an honest debate about the nature of the "Messianic Jew". Only when Christians generally acknowledge Judaism as a separate and vibrant expression of the will of a Living God, rather than just a now defunct prelude to their own faith, will real progress be made towards genuine understanding. I see the "Messianic Jew" idea as a chauvinistic denial by some Christians of modern Judaism's very existence as a living faith.
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Two Separate Concepts of Jew, One Racist, One Not

The "Jew" in "Messianic Jew" is grounded in social "race" mythology, which in its current form owes much to 19th century "scientific racism". It is relatively easy in the context of supposedly Jewish associations to demonstrate the difference between the "Jew" of Jewish culture, religious tradition and law and the "Jew" of popular racial myth by answering just two questions.

Question 1. Setting aside the grounds on which individuals are excluded from membership of a supposedly Jewish association, are those individuals otherwise qualified for membership?

The case of a Christian association of "Messianic Jews"
If one applies the foregoing question to a typical Christian association of "Messianic Jews" e.g., the "International Messianic Jewish Alliance", the answer is that any mainstream Protestant Christian in the world is qualified for membership. Thus anyone (from a Jewish background or not) wishing to join the IMJA as a full or an associate member must, according to section III, para. 3 of its constitution:

See "International Messianic Jewish Alliance" for more details.

The case of a regular Jewish association.
If we apply question 1 to a typical Jewish association of regular Jews, say, a real Jewish synagogue, a non-Jew is simply not qualified for membership on any grounds. S/he would be no more qualified for membership than, say, a non-doctor would be qualified for full membership of the British Medical Association.
Question 2. Can the excluded person, at least in principle, ever become qualified for membership?

The case of a Christian association of "Messianic Jews".

It is impossible for a "non-Jewish Christian" ever to become qualified to join the IMJA as a full member in his/her own right. No matter how hard s/he might try a non-Jew can never qualify as a member of the "Jewish race". In reality, the IMJA and other racist Christian associations like it are profoundly anti-Jewish.

The case of a regular Jewish association.
In principle, any non-Jew can convert to Judaism and be free (indeed welcome) to join any authentic Jewish association anywhere in the world without prejudice as to "race" or ethnicity. This principle has even been recognised in British law when PC Paul Thomas (a convert to Judaism) was recently allowed to take action under the Race Relations Act 1976 as a Jew against the antisemitism he suffered at work (he went on to win his case). A convert to Judaism can even immigrate to the State of Israel as a Jew (i.e. contrary to what antisemites claim - including some in the Church - Israel is not a racist state).
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Contrasting the Essential Distinctives.

Ordinary Jewish associations are never racist. Anyone of any "race", ethnicity or gender can become a full Jew without prejudice. In contrast, Christian associations like the IMJA that style themselves "Jewish" are invariably racist. Racism is intrinsic to the very concept of a "Christian or Messianic Jew". It is an inescapable fact that, in contrast to the values and beliefs of the regular Jewish community, "Christian/Messianic Jew" only makes sense if "Jew" is regarded as a term of racial classification.

Associations like the IMJA are exclusively Christian with regard to their theology and values. They are also funded exclusively by Christians motivated, if the IMJA's fund-raising appeals and advertisements are to be believed, by a strong desire to convert Jews to Christianity. They differ from most other regular Christian missions to the Jews only in their two tiered structured (i.e. full and associate membership). They are fronted exclusively by Christians but ones who are self-styled "Christian/Messianic Jews". Racial discrimination is used to give support to the already mentioned two tiered structure and thus (it is claimed) "Jewish" credibility to a Christian mission.
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Two Types of Christian

In my debates with Christians concerning the "Messianic Jew" idea I detect roughly two typical groups of opinions. Firstly, there are those who regard "Messianic Jew" as an oxymoron. These Christians are usually the ones who also interpret "Jew" as a non-racial term (e.g. as a religious or cultural term). In contrast, most Christian supporters of the "Messianic Jew" idea interpret "Jew" as a term of racial classification. These range from Christians who would probably feel quite at home (with respect to "race") should they be transported back to, say, 19th century London, to Christians who know that the Jews are not a biological "race", but feel that some form of "race" is the only way to explain the connection between Judaism and Christianity.
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Racial Discrimination is not a Jewish Institutional Problem

If Christian associations, supposedly representing a particular group of Christians from a certain background, wishes to practice racial discrimination, let them do it in the name of Christianity and make no bones about. I know of no "denomination" of Judaism or any Jewish institution that does not unreservedly condemn racial discrimination and I see no reason why the Jewish community's name should be abused in this way.
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Christian Chauvinism Leads to Oppression

The organisation and funding of what amounts to alternative "Jewish" communities that express the desires of Christian hearts as to what some Christians clearly think the Jewish community ought to have been where it not for "the scandal of the Jewish rejection of Christ" gives expression to Christian chauvinism at its current worse. In countries where the Christian community is greatly superior numerically to the Jewish community and especially where it is the dominant spiritual force locally, this practice amounts to the organised oppression of Jews by their Christian neighbours.
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