Y Not I

Continuing on with my exploring Post Missionary Messianic Judaism and in my reading of the book. I got to talk to Dr. Michael L. Brown a few weeks ago as he spoke at our congregation. I asked him about PMJ and of course he was against the idea (of course because it is well known that he is, not because it is an obvious choice). He mentioned that later i the year that there was talk of a panel getting together to further discuss or I guess to debate the issue.

I am in Chapter 5 right now and there are some things about the book that are good and very well done. He starts the chapter saying:

We have argued so far that the New Testament affirms the validity and importance of Jewish practice for all Jews and importance of the covenant between God and the Jewish people.

He has argued that and effectively. I think this is something all Messianic Jews can take away from this, that the book is very detailed in showing how Jewish our faith in Yeshua is. Of course most of us know that, so it is another resource, but a very good one for that.

Next he writes:

We have also argued that the New Testament bears witness to a bilateral ecclesiology in solidarity with Israel that follows naturally from these first two affirmations.

This I can also see, but not as strongly. It certainly appears that there are differences between Gentile believers and Jewish believer, but I do not know if that necessarily means Jews should keep Torah and Gentiles should not. I think it does mean that a Gentile does not need to become a Jew to become a believer. It seems the process to join was a simple one, rooted in Acts 15:1-29, however to me it seems also possible that after that point that the Gentile believer could be trained in the ways of righteousness, but it is something that I admit to not be sure about. However it is possible. I certainly see nothing wrong with a Gentile that wishes to follow the Torah. I do not care for ones that feel a need to do so in a so called Jewish way, which means by the following of the Rabbinic traditions set forth by Rabbi’s who reject Yeshua as Messiah. This seems foolish to me.

Here is where I think I am going to veer away from agreeing with Kinzer and PMJ. I am not at the end yet, but I know that his conclusions include the coming under the authority of the Rabbi’s and the Rabbinic tradition. It is foolishness for Gentile and it is foolishness for Messianic Jews. That is something that is important to grasp. These traditions are part of who we are as Jews. When we put on a yarmulka we are taking part in that tradition, and I think the reason we do it is an association of where we come from and with those people, who we are. However, to take that yarmulka or any other part of the tradition and put it up as something that is incumbent upon us, that is crossing the line. The wearing of the yarmulka is a totally optional thing. Many of the ways we practice things are totally optional, because they are based upon these traditions. They are traditions and nothing more. We are not under an authority for our traditions. The way we celebrate our Holy Days is not something that needs explanation further than what Scripture lays out. Leviticus 23:23-26 lays out the standard for Rosh Hashanah. The new year and the apples and honey and the traditional reading are just that traditional. You want to have a ceremony without those things go ahead. The opinions of the Rabbis of the Mishnah and Talmud means little to a Messianic believer. We will take what we want and leave what we don’t, for the conclusions of those Rabbis is not our conclusion and thus their reasoning on these things is just as faulty.

After my dealings the past few days and hearing some things about Hebraic Roots organizations I think it is clarifying for me a problem with too much emphasis on Rabbinic tradition. I say this to Jew and Gentile. There is little reason to read the Mishnah and the Talmud. Stay away. These are certainly not books for a young believer to read. These books argue passionately against faith in Messiah and argue passionately for justification by works. That is what they are all about. They call this Torah, but this is not Torah, this is tradition, this is replacement of what is no longer here, the Temple and sacrifices with a new model. Without Yeshua, this is all they have, for it is all empty without it. Celebrating Shabbat cannot be joyous without the Messiah, so this tradition was built up to fill in the gaps, and thus it is joyous. It is man filling the God shaped void inside in his own ways. For Messianic Jews to come up with their own halakha is one thing, but to say that we need to accept and come under the authority of those who reject the Messiah for a part of our rightstanding before G-d is, once again, foolish.

I will keep reading and I will report back what I see. As always you are free (and encourage to comment). It is obvious by now that this is a so-called series that will take awhile to complete. I get busy on other things and the book goes down for a time. However I will get through it and I will keep working it out here.

B”H