I cannot answer for others, but I can answer for Nabion. A Messianic Jew is a Hebrew who believes and understands that Jesus is the one prophesied from Moses onward, who was to come to us to redeem us. The term Nazarene is preferred here, a sect of the Hebrew people that believe.
There are those who would consider this exclusive, while there are others that would consider this far too inclusive. Thus we must delve into the controversies. Since you’ve found this page you are no doubt inquiring into “the movement.” And if into the movement, then you’ve heard about the controversies. The most fundamental one is “Who?”
The question is necessary, and not just for any shallow or snobby reason. Dozens of so-called “Messianic synagogues” or “congregations” exist where the majority are Gentiles practicing some form of modern day jive Christianity called Pentecostalism. They preach “Jewishness,” talk Yeshua, sell Yeshua, speak of “David’s greatest son” and preach and make as a condition for acceptance into their groups “the love of the Jewish people” and the “nation of Israel”-- something that not only drives mainstream Jews crazy but it is clearly not the good news of redemption. They are, in essence, Baptist and Charismatic movements trying to attract Jews entering Messianism while at the same time supposedly “teaching Christians the roots of their faith.” However, the upshot is a massive Yiddish proverb: Az mir lotz a khazer aruf ahfen bank vil er ahfen tish.
—Meaning they have proliferated until there could be hundreds of offshoots of these “Messianic Congregations.” To the unschooled these could appear to be the whole movement. Even more, thousands of Gentiles involved therewith think they are the true Israel and the true Jews. It is estimated by some that they may make up to 80% of overall “Messianism.” Jews are confused. . . .and Israel is scared.
The facts are that these “Messianic Congregations” are almost entirely made up of non-Jews, run by non-Jews, and their theology is even more non-Jewish. It is impossible to consider these “Messianic Jews.” Some simply prefer to call them “Messianics.” It is fairly easy to understand that to be a Jew is more than a few outside rituals with which these Pentecostals and Baptists robe themselves to impress upon themselves that they are learning the “Jewish roots” of their faith.
Quite frequently they are reminded of this by members of real Messianic Synagogues, that is to say, synagogues run by Hebrews along lines very similar to Conservative Judaism. Many central figures and leaders are of the first aliyah (1967), those who were raised in synagogues, had bar mitzvas, and later believed in Jesus as the Messiah. Their childhood was unquestionably Jewish. Although these synagogues don’t number anywhere near the “Messianic Congregations,” they are central in Messianic Jewish leadership, thought and association councils.
The designation of Messianic Jew, however, is far from settled. Many “Messianic Jews” subclass Hebrews worshiping in churches as less than Jewish. They are merely “Hebrew-Christians.” Many Hebrews who are worshiping in churches have no access to these Messianic Jews and their congregations. Therefore it is impossible to worship in those synagogues, and personally they may not want to worship there even if they could as they might not agree with all the doctrines either. Many, if not more, are completely unaffiliated, worshiping on their own and only on major occasions attending a traditional synagogue. But they believe Jesus is the Messiah.
Needless to say a lot of Jews don’t like being classed at all, by anybody!
On the surface, the problems seem to stem from “The Movement” and its overriding attempt to be Jewish and prove itself Jewish by the reigning Rabbinic standard of today which declares Jewish to be a religion and not an ethnic people. Thus Hebrews can be dropped but observant Gentiles are told they don’t have to convert all the way. That seems confusing. They end up relegated to the back pews. If Jew is a religion, then why don’t Gentiles have to convert all the way? If then Jew is a people, Hebrews can’t be dropped because they haven’t joined the same Club.
In Rabbinic Judaism it’s not a big deal for proselytes to be told they don’t have to convert. In fact, it is standard procedure. But in Rabbinic Judaism Gentiles also don’t read Romans by Paul of Tarsus. Thus they don’t think themselves the “true Israel” merely by believing in Jesus. When Messianic Jewry refuses to accept their interpretation of the Missionary from Tarsus, Gentiles label them “separatists” and Judaisers. There is enough confusing in Rabbinic Judaism because of the mix and match mentality of Jew is a religion but it’s also someone born of Jewish parents or just a Jewish mother. (So even there a convert has to maintain himself uprightly to remain a Jew, but the slob Shabbes Goy is a Jew automatically . . . because, basically, he’s a Hebrew.) But add together the volatile combinations of both Jews and Gentiles believing in Jesus— two very separate cultures— and religion and culture alternately blur and combat.
The first question this engenders is: How congregational does a Jew have to be to qualify? The initial answer is easy. God’s relationship with an individual, whether Jew or non-Jew, is a personal one. It is not granted by an organization; nor does any congregation have a concession on it. God has placed a restriction on Hebrews leaving the covenant, but he does not require a certain amount of synagogue attendance, peer-pressure compliance, or a particular type of synagogue. This restriction is a spiritual one. We are not to go after other gods, nor forsake the covenant and our love for him.
Biblically, Jew and Hebrew were the same thing, an ethnic people, an extended family descended from the same three patriarchs. Israel was the northern kingdom, Judah the southern kingdom. Both were Hebrews, the southern survived and Jew became synonymous with Hebrew. Thus it was logical to understand that one didn’t need to be a Hebrew (Jew) to “worship in the manner of the Jew’s religion.” Too many Jews weren’t so clever about it either, but they weren’t cut off as a result. Laws attempted to correct ignorance. Sacrifices could only be made at the temple, otherwise all these ignuts would be sacrificing to devils out in their fields. We even raised altars to Baal, thinking he was the same thing as God. Prophets were raised up to chastise the people. If Jew was just a religion then, what’s the point? God destroyed the Kingdom of Israel because of their idolatry and wickedness. What was the point? If Jew was just a religion, these Jews chose another religion and bolted. But God didn’t let them go. The point is that God swore he’d delight in destroying us if we forsook him. God’s point of view is that we are a people. We may screw a lot of minutiae up, but so long as we don’t forsake him for another god and deny the covenant, he is patient and tolerant of our shortcomings.
Therefore Nabion’s opinion is the same: Jew is a people, an extended family, no matter what.
The major problem with the Messianic Movement is its political goal. This side of it is a movement to be Jewish while at the same time retaining Jesus as the Messiah. This is the corporate goal. Those involved should not be condemned. The political need to create a corporate shield is necessary. They have made some hard decisions and have taken ridicule from the churches. They have done nothing wrong in this. What they have done is not contradictory or at odds. After all, knowledge of the Messiah is contained in the scriptures given via our prophets, of which we are the custodians. Indeed, part of the reason we are set apart was to be custodians and conduits of such information. There is no need for a Jew to divorce himself from his people.
But there must be a spiritual goal to the movement as well. It cannot simply be a Judaism that adds Jesus and then apes Rabbinic Judaism, which is itself only the evolved sect of the one sect that survived the shoah of 70 AD. It must become Judaism perfected, and thus the apex of God’s intentions. Rabbinic Judaism became the biggest Club Jew in history. Messianic Judaism cannot become but a baby brother.
None of the Hebrews worshiping in churches have forsaken their God or the covenant. Biblically, they are still Jewish, for Jew was a people, from Judah, synonymous with Israel, synonymous with Hebrews. . . .we already had the spiel. Maybe they’re not a member of someone’s particular “Club Jew,” but they are the Jewish people. Moreover, there are those silent thousands of Jews on the sideline who avoid the Messianic Movement intentionally, including this author. They worship on their own or in traditional synagogues. But they watch and they wait. They prefer to avoid so much of the controversy and sectarian Christian ideology that saturates even mainline Messianic Jewish outlook. But they are Jews and they are Messianic Jews.
This is where much of the controversy really comes in. Is this ultimately a movement for Jews to believe in Jesus and remain Jewish or a movement of Jews who believe in Jesus to remain Jewish? There is a huge difference between the two not easy to dismiss. The latter one is purely cultural/political. Many of these political members who have subclassed Hebrews worshiping in churches as beneath “Jewish” are themselves spiritually more like Baptists and Assembly of God in their theological outlooks.
Therein lies the notorious problems in mainline Messianic Judaism. Elements have funneled into it straight from Conservative and Reform Judaism, secularism, and Hebrews from within various Christian Church denominations— and Christian denominations cover a wide spectrum of views on eschatology, doctrines, legalism and liberalism. Now imagine a roomful of temper-ridden Hebrews with this kind of disparity in their backgrounds. Thus the famous contentions in the movement. Ideologies of many denominations and two religions butt heads.
A political agenda will never heal this. Only a spiritual agenda will. We come down to the Biblical standards. The standard was not how to be Jewish— that was established and assumed by birth— the instructions were in how to walk righteously. Is that not more important? And does that not include all peoples? Jew and Gentile can worship the same way and still be Jew and Gentile.
Thus the political guides of Messianic Jewry are perfectly correct. One does not have to leave Jewry to believe in Jesus. But one of the most illegitimate aspects of Rabbinic Jewry to absorb is its mindset that “Jew” as a religion. In subclassing Hebrews who go to church as “Hebrew Christians,” Messianic Judaism alienated many Hebrews who view their synagogues as legalistic.
Mainline Moving also opened itself up to problems in classifying Gentiles who keep Torah. Some of these have taken on the complete habit and outlook of a Jew, in practice and ethnic association. There are factions (Messianic coalitions) that allow these to be considered Messianic Jews. But how much is this worth? Mainstream Judaism doesn’t accept it. Some Messianic Jewish synagogues discourage it. Many, many Messianic Jews who remain unaffiliated or attend traditional synagogues think it a joke. To add injury to insult we come back to the fact that some of these Messianic associations are still saturated by sectarian Christian ideology, which even other Christian denominations don’t accept. They convert one to their brand of Jew, but what’s it worth?
Biblically, Gentiles who have turned to God are also forbidden to forsake him, or judgment will come upon them. . . .But that has nothing to due with cutting and running from a movement if they see problems. They remains genuine worshipers “after the manner of the Jews’ religion” but sometimes from afar.
Who indeed is a Jew? In the end the only answer is the Biblical answer— it is a people; it is the extended family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The restriction is that the Hebrew is not to forsake God and the covenant. Therefore in this instance the Jewish believer is not to leave his people and become absorbed spiritually or physically.
With this criterion in place, it is inappropriate for some Mainline Messianic Jews to pass judgment on Hebrews for worshiping in churches when they themselves hold theologies that qualify as nothing more than sectarian Christian views. If to be a Messianic Jew requires one to make a physical aliyah from churches, Messianic Jewry best start making spiritual aliyahs from some of its questionable doctrines. Until that time it is inappropriate to pass judgment on other Hebrews for not making physical aliyah from the churches to the movement.
Bad points don’t need to be coddled any longer. Trinity is a case in point. The only way to reach our own brethren is in the truth of Scripture, where time and time again God’s prophets impress upon us that he will walk amongst us. “Father, Son & Holy Ghost” is a Greek concept. See Arguments against Trinity.
Christianity has its good points and its bad points, just as Maimonides pointed out (See Men & Brethren); but some elements of Messianic Jewry have dropped good points and instituted bad points. Examples include the humanizing of “Yeshua” to make him sound like a Jewish guru. Many mainstream Jews will accept this as fine “like he was a Baal Shem Tov.” But is that what scripture says? The good points don’t need to be sacrificed in an attempt to prove Jewishness according to the current status quo. Biblically, a divine messiah was proclaimed in blunt language. (Messianic Prophecies)
Rabbinic Jewry is a Jewry of followers, a tailored sect that survived others after the destruction of the Second Temple period. What is the goal of Messianic Jewry? Is it to ape one sect that survived an ancient shoah? Is a successful movement one of followers or one of princes? Leaders must guide Jewry to perfection, for one day Messianic Jewry will be a Judaism of followers and the Judaism. This will not happen if leaders lead it into past nitpicking points of Judaism or bad points of Christianity.
The “Club Jew” mentality has been the most destructive thing Jewry has ever faced because it leads to assimilation, an annihilation, bit-by-bit, of Jews. Instead of dropping Hebrews, Messianic Jewry has to pick them up. . . and it will take the young with the vision to do so. The spiritual aspect of Messianic Jewry isn’t organized. But it is on the sideline of the political movement. The younger watch, and they wait. The two will merge, of that I have no doubt.
Sectarian Christian theology is the uppermost reason why “Messianics” and Messianic Jews or Nazarene Judaism are on the surface confused. Therefore it is best that Messianic Jews -- Hebrews (and genuine proselytes) -- make distinct spiritual aliyahs. Rabbinic Jews must make them, too, and realize the Messiah has come. The two can meet where only truth comes from: the words of God. The call of Elijah, as it is called, “to turn the hearts of the sons to the fathers” is being made on this site. Rabbinic Jews who become Nazarene might prefer Messianic synagogues that are more traditional. Beth HaDerech in Toronto appears to have a strongly Jewish sectarian view of Nazarene Judaism and might be a preferable step for direction. It also might be best to remain in a regular synagogue unless thrown out.
As the house of the prophets, Nabion is completely unaffiliated. The duty here is to declare the words of the LORD. To do so is to preach Jesus from the scriptures, not from Greek rationalizing. The “Mighty God” of Isaiah 9 shall be declared. Whether you are in a traditional synagogue, Messianic, Reform, or on your own trying to live peaceably and stay away from the sectarianism, you are a Jew. Nabion remains distinct and separate from all minim. It teaches of scripture, not sectarianism. If anything can bring unity, it is the teaching and proclaiming of the words of God. . . and that is what the prophets are for.
Thus browse the site and study scripture. Start with the heart. Pray deeply unto God for knowledge. Read the Scriptures, dwell on them and learn them and see the example of God speaking to us clearly of his purpose. Believe, finally, that he has come. Go, finally, and teach the nations. Do judgment and administer with mercy. Remove the yoke and declare ye the word of the LORD by his doings. Then the hope of Maimonides is fulfilled. Jew and Gentile will adhere to true teaching and see God clearly.
