Monday, 15 October 2018

Jerusalem Council II

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Yesterday we discussed Jerusalem Council I.  Today we discuss Jerusalem Council II.  See the website tjcii.org

The Jerusalem Council of Acts 15 came together to answer two questions. This is the subject of their exhaustive debate. "How do we incorporate these non-Jewish people who are coming to faith in the promises through the once for all time sacrifice of Yeshua HaMashiach? How Jewish do they have to be before we can make them part of our Messianic Jewish communities?"

The answer is very specific (as I wrote yesterday), that there are just a few basic requirements for them (formerly gentiles - or JBBs) to get started. The rest of God’s righteousness they can grow into. Don;t forget Romans 8:4 so that the requirement of the Torah might be fulfilled in us (all believers), who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Ruach.

Now, 2,000 years later, we need another Jerusalem Council to answer the opposite question.

Rabbi Trail: Why didn't they answer this in the first JC? Because it was not an issue. The majority of believers then and all the early leaders were Jewish. Their issues dealt with incorporating the non-Jewish people who were turning toward God. For a more complete understanding read Don Finto's book "Your People Shall Be My People" and Coach Bill McCartney's "Blind Spots". End RT.

Today, the vast majority of believers are non-Jewish. So are all of the leaders of the major denominations of Orthodox Christianity. From my seat (as a Messianic Jewish leader) the question for today that should be asked by Christian leaders is how to we incorporate these Jewish people who are turning toward God through the message of Messiah Yeshua?

Sadly, most of them today would be happy for new Jewish believers to join their church. Why do I say sadly? Because for the body of Messiah to be both Jewish and non-Jewish, the Jewish part will have to be recognizably Jewish (I'm proving the need for Messianic Judaism). Jewish people in churches are not recognizably Jewish, nor Jewish in practice. In the rare case where that's not true, then for sure their children (raised in a church) will lose all value of their Jewish heritage.

Why am I passionate about this? Yeshua loves people groups. He values culture. His own (Jewish) people in Sunday churches are not a people group with a culture, but a homogenized group among gentiles that does not value Jewish things (Shabbat, holidays, kashrut, and much more). Messianic Judaism, done right, is not the end of Judaism, but the preservation of Judaism. That's what I'm passionate about.