Sunday, 5 January 2020

Messianic Jewish Theology

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Question of the day: Why is Romans 9, 10, and 11 even in the Bible?

Answer: This is the heart of Messianic Jewish theology. Paul devotes these 3 chapters (I doubt they were chapters when he wrote them) to explaining the place and value of Jewish followers of Yeshua.

We know that God values all cultures. Let me rephrase that. God values what is valuable in every culture. Is the Jewish culture just another culture to God? Read the Bible. Find any page (there are a few, but very few) that does not deal with Jewish culture. Jewish culture is the apple of God's eye. Jewish culture is the culture that God chose to introduce Himself into the World.

Read Genesis 12-18 and you'll start to understand the basis of my comments here. Jewish people are not just another people group to God. And we have this ... Romans 11:29 "for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable."

Today, the vast majority of the Christian world is not Jewish. That was not so in the beginning. In the beginning, all the followers of Yeshua were Jewish. But Paul lived in a day when the growth of the body of believers was among non-Jewish people groups. In fact, Paul calls himself the apostle to the gentiles.

So he writes 3 chapters to help the Romans (mostly non-Jewish) to value His own people who are the apple of God's eye and have an irrevocable calling. Romans 11:28 "Concerning the Good News, they are hostile for your sake; but concerning chosenness, they are loved on account of the fathers".

In Messianic Judaism, our calling is to participate with God's plan to make Israel jealous. How do we do that? By having more fun (I want to explain this word "fun" below) with Jewish things than Jewish people do.

Rabbi Trail: What do I mean by "fun?" Perhaps enjoyment and pleasure would be better words. Perhaps blessing and especially miracles would be even better. End RT.

So, when Israel fulfills her "irrevocable calling" that will be "life from the dead" which is a good way to describe worldwide revival. How exciting! Let's get after it!