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Messianic Judaism is any of a group of loosely related religious movements, all claiming a connection with Judaism but predominantly evangelical Christian in their beliefs, believing Jesus to be the Messiah, and using the New Testament as scripture. The groups range from those comprising mostly of Jews to those which are mostly gentile in membership; the majority are mixed. Perhaps the best known of the Messianic groups, although certainly not the largest, is the controversial Jews for Jesus. Its stated aims are to educate Evangelical Christians concerning the Jewish origins of their Christian faith, and to convert Jews to Christianity.
Most Jewish converts to Christianity do not consider themselves "Messianic Jews". Many Protestant and Catholic churches have Jewish converts among their members, but these members self-identify as Christians. They also sometimes are referred to as Jewish Christians, Hebrew Christians, or Christian Jews. The term "Messianic Jew" is used only to refer to those affiliated with organizations and/or congregations that claim to be specifically part of the self-described Messianic Jews movement.
Messianic Jews commonly use the name Yeshua, which is the Hebrew name for Jesus. Some Messianic Jews do not consider themselves "Christians," preferring to call themselves Messianic or "Torah-Observant" Jews.
While many Messianic Jews are ethnically Jewish (and as such would be considered Jews even by Orthodox Jewish standards), Messianic Judaism is not seen as a legitimate form of Judaism by any recognized Jewish organization or leaders, apart from a handful of dissenting voices among the Reform and Reconstructionist Jewish movements.
Messianic religions in general
The use of the term "Messianic" is not new. Diverse religious groups have messianic beliefs which are not compatible with what has come to be commonly referred to as Messianic Judaism. Most notably, Rabbinic Judaism, including all the modern Jewish denominations, have a variety of beliefs about a future messianic era. Some Jewish groups whose beliefs stress the messianic aspects are known in the literature as "messianic Jews", but that is not the topic of this article.
Organization and beliefs
The organized Messianic Movement consists of approximately 200 congregations in the United States, with approximately one hundred thousand members. Global membership is more difficult to quantify; Messianic groups claim considerable growth in the past five to ten years in Russia, Ukraine, and even in Mexico, but accurate statistics are difficult to come by. Estimates of the number of ethnic Jews who worship Jesus as the Messiah generally put the global figure at around a million, but only a minority of these are affiliated to any organized Messianic organization.
The Messianic Movement comprises many streams, each with its own views and emphases, but in general all consider it important to express their belief in Yeshua in a way consistent with their Jewish culture. The Messianic Movement as a whole can be seen as a mixed-continuum, with some Messianic organizations drawing more heavily from Jewish tradition, and others from Christian sources, in varying degrees.
The "Torah"-pole
Some within the Messianic movement make a determined effort to cling not only to Jewishness but also to Judaism, with the addition of Jesus. Adherents of this religion often consider Gentile Christianity to be an irrelevance; except on the question of who Jesus is, they regard themselves as having more in common with Judaism than with Christianity. They strictly observe the Sabbath and the dietary laws of the Tanakh (Kashrut). Many of them ignore, and even oppose, celebration of such Christian festivals, having been originated in Gnosticism and Paganism as Christmas and Easter.
Most Christians justify their nonobservance of such biblical feasts as Pesach (Passover) based on their belief that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Jewish festivals. "Torah" pole Messianic Jews hold otherwise, noting Jesus' word in Matthew 5:17: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have not come to abolish, but to complete, because I am telling you that neither Heavens nor earth will pass, until a yut (a Hebrew letter) nor the crown (the upper part of that letter) of a yut will pass away from the Torah until all of this will be accomplished." In the next verses Jesus calls "very small ones indeed" those who think that the Torah will be abolished "or whoever teaches that."
Aside from differences over the necessity of Torah observance, some of these groups have also adopted views of Jesus and the Trinity that would not be acceptable to most Christian/Messianic groups. For example, movements like the Netzarim movement and Messianic Renewed Judaism believe that Jesus was the Messiah, but do not accept that he was God, or part of a Trinity, nor that he ever intended to found another faith (Christianity). Other movements, such as Talmidaism, go further, accepting Jesus only as a human prophet, not as Messiah or God.
The major Messianic organizations reject those holding these positions, but are in turn criticised by these movements for pulling Jews away from Torah.
The Evangelical pole
Other Messianic believers are much more comfortable with the Evangelical Christian tradition, although they express it with a Jewish flavor. Jews for Jesus is one such group.
Perhaps the best known of the Messianic groups, although certainly not the largest, is the controversial Jews for Jesus organization, officially founded by the Baptist minister Martin Rosen, who prefers to be called "Moishe" Rosen, in 1973. Its stated aims are to educate Evangelicals concerning the Jewish origins of their Christian faith, and to convert Jews to a belief in Yeshua (Jesus), as the Messiah promised in the Jewish scriptures.
Their theology, as reflected in their statements of faith, is solidly within the ambit of Evangelical Christianity. They believe in the inerrancy of the New Testament, salvation by grace through faith in Jesus alone, the divinity of Jesus whom they believe is Christ, and the Trinity. Apart from Jewish terminology and cultural practices, believers of this school have a much closer affinity to Evangelical and Pentecostal Christianity than to any recognized branch of Judaism. They regard observance of the Sabbath and the Jewish dietary laws as entirely optional, although many of them do in fact try to observe them as an expression of their Jewish identity. This stream of Messianic Judaism has much in common with the beliefs of Hebrew Christians, although they regard themselves part of the organized Messianic Movement, whereas Hebrew Christians, for the most part, do not.
Most Jewish converts to Christianity do not consider themselves "Messianic Jews". Many Protestant and Catholic churches have Jewish converts among their members, but these members self-identify as Christians. They also sometimes are referred to as Jewish Christians, Hebrew Christians, or Christian Jews. The term "Messianic Jew" is used only to refer to those affiliated with organizations and/or congregations that claim to be specifically part of the self-described Messianic Jews movement.
Messianic Jews commonly use the name Yeshua, which is the Hebrew name for Jesus. Some Messianic Jews do not consider themselves "Christians," preferring to call themselves Messianic or "Torah-Observant" Jews.
While many Messianic Jews are ethnically Jewish (and as such would be considered Jews even by Orthodox Jewish standards), Messianic Judaism is not seen as a legitimate form of Judaism by any recognized Jewish organization or leaders, apart from a handful of dissenting voices among the Reform and Reconstructionist Jewish movements.
Messianic religions in general
The use of the term "Messianic" is not new. Diverse religious groups have messianic beliefs which are not compatible with what has come to be commonly referred to as Messianic Judaism. Most notably, Rabbinic Judaism, including all the modern Jewish denominations, have a variety of beliefs about a future messianic era. Some Jewish groups whose beliefs stress the messianic aspects are known in the literature as "messianic Jews", but that is not the topic of this article.
Organization and beliefs
The organized Messianic Movement consists of approximately 200 congregations in the United States, with approximately one hundred thousand members. Global membership is more difficult to quantify; Messianic groups claim considerable growth in the past five to ten years in Russia, Ukraine, and even in Mexico, but accurate statistics are difficult to come by. Estimates of the number of ethnic Jews who worship Jesus as the Messiah generally put the global figure at around a million, but only a minority of these are affiliated to any organized Messianic organization.
The Messianic Movement comprises many streams, each with its own views and emphases, but in general all consider it important to express their belief in Yeshua in a way consistent with their Jewish culture. The Messianic Movement as a whole can be seen as a mixed-continuum, with some Messianic organizations drawing more heavily from Jewish tradition, and others from Christian sources, in varying degrees.
The "Torah"-pole
Some within the Messianic movement make a determined effort to cling not only to Jewishness but also to Judaism, with the addition of Jesus. Adherents of this religion often consider Gentile Christianity to be an irrelevance; except on the question of who Jesus is, they regard themselves as having more in common with Judaism than with Christianity. They strictly observe the Sabbath and the dietary laws of the Tanakh (Kashrut). Many of them ignore, and even oppose, celebration of such Christian festivals, having been originated in Gnosticism and Paganism as Christmas and Easter.
Most Christians justify their nonobservance of such biblical feasts as Pesach (Passover) based on their belief that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Jewish festivals. "Torah" pole Messianic Jews hold otherwise, noting Jesus' word in Matthew 5:17: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have not come to abolish, but to complete, because I am telling you that neither Heavens nor earth will pass, until a yut (a Hebrew letter) nor the crown (the upper part of that letter) of a yut will pass away from the Torah until all of this will be accomplished." In the next verses Jesus calls "very small ones indeed" those who think that the Torah will be abolished "or whoever teaches that."
Aside from differences over the necessity of Torah observance, some of these groups have also adopted views of Jesus and the Trinity that would not be acceptable to most Christian/Messianic groups. For example, movements like the Netzarim movement and Messianic Renewed Judaism believe that Jesus was the Messiah, but do not accept that he was God, or part of a Trinity, nor that he ever intended to found another faith (Christianity). Other movements, such as Talmidaism, go further, accepting Jesus only as a human prophet, not as Messiah or God.
The major Messianic organizations reject those holding these positions, but are in turn criticised by these movements for pulling Jews away from Torah.
The Evangelical pole
Other Messianic believers are much more comfortable with the Evangelical Christian tradition, although they express it with a Jewish flavor. Jews for Jesus is one such group.
Perhaps the best known of the Messianic groups, although certainly not the largest, is the controversial Jews for Jesus organization, officially founded by the Baptist minister Martin Rosen, who prefers to be called "Moishe" Rosen, in 1973. Its stated aims are to educate Evangelicals concerning the Jewish origins of their Christian faith, and to convert Jews to a belief in Yeshua (Jesus), as the Messiah promised in the Jewish scriptures.
Their theology, as reflected in their statements of faith, is solidly within the ambit of Evangelical Christianity. They believe in the inerrancy of the New Testament, salvation by grace through faith in Jesus alone, the divinity of Jesus whom they believe is Christ, and the Trinity. Apart from Jewish terminology and cultural practices, believers of this school have a much closer affinity to Evangelical and Pentecostal Christianity than to any recognized branch of Judaism. They regard observance of the Sabbath and the Jewish dietary laws as entirely optional, although many of them do in fact try to observe them as an expression of their Jewish identity. This stream of Messianic Judaism has much in common with the beliefs of Hebrew Christians, although they regard themselves part of the organized Messianic Movement, whereas Hebrew Christians, for the most part, do not.