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Overview
Yeshua and his Jewish followers began a new movement--Messianic Judaism--2000 years ago. In the twentieth century, it was reborn, and now, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, it is maturing. The Enduring Paradox is a collection of essays from some of the top contributors to the theology of this vital movement of God.Whether you are a Messianic Jew, a non-Messianic Jew involved or merely interested in Messianic Judaism, this book will challenge your thinking, guide your practices, and clarify any misconceptions you may have. You will find that Messianic Judaism is not a paradox after all.
Synopsis
Yeshua and his Jewish followers began a new movement--Messianic Judaism--2000 years ago. In the twentieth century, it was reborn, and now, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, it is maturing. The Enduring Paradox is a collection of essays from some of the top contributors to the theology of this vital movement of God.
Whether you are a Messianic Jew, a non-Messianic Jew involved or merely interested in Messianic Judaism, this book will challenge your thinking, guide your practices, and clarify any misconceptions you may have. You will find that Messianic Judaism is not a paradox after all.
The authors of the essays in this volume are united in their desire to see a firm biblical foundation developed for the benefit of Jewish people who are or may be coming to faith in the Messiah. They also desire to clarify the biblical issues involved in the relationship between Jewish identity, the New Testament, and Israel. They come to their tasks from diverse perspectives. Hopefully, this diversity will enable a balanced theological perspective to come into focus. Our hope for soundness and balance comes from our fidelity to the Scriptures.
Our authors unite around these broad tenets:
1. That complete biblical faith must consider the life, death, and resurrection of Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah. He was a Jew as were all of his first followers. Thus, it would seem that expressions of the New Testament faith, that are more in keeping with the original cradle of that faith, are valid and appropriate, especially for Jewish people. 2. That the unity of all believers in the Messiah as taught in the New Testament does not call for all individual and cultural differences to be dissolved into one amorphous group. Unity and love in the Messiah are challenges to accept while appreciating diversity. 3. That Israel is God's national people, a chosen nation. Participation in the one people of God through the New Covenant does not and should not cause Jewish people to lose their identity as part of Israel. Thus, we look warily at the assimilation of Jewish believers into a gentile Christianity wherein this identity is often lost. Such loss of Jewish identity is detrimental to evangelism among Jewish people and is contrary to God's desire for Israel's salvation. Moreover, it is not God's will that the Jewish people disappear.
We are agreed that a theological foundation for Messianic Judaism is a necessity. Issues need to be explored; many of these explorations will challenge traditional interpretations. Yet, we will only succeed if we submit to the light of the Scriptures.