Most of the converts to Messianic Judaism are not Jews but Christians.

To some it is attractive to speak of Yeshua‘ hamm eshîach (“Jesus the Messiah”) rather than “Jesus Christ” of habb erîth hach adāshāh rather than the “new covenant” of their “rabbi” rather than their “minister.”įifth, Messianic Judaism is appealing because it is similar to Christianity. People are always interested in something new (Acts 17:21), and the novelty factor of Messianic Judaism is significant to most Christians. Fourth, Messianic Judaism is appealing because it is different. Even after the admission of the Gentiles into the church certain Jewish restrictions were still imposed (Acts 15:19-21). James refers to the church as a “synagogue” (James 2:2, ASV), and it is clear that the observance of circumcision and Levitical dietary restrictions presented no problem until Peter’s vision (Acts 10:9-16). Third, the New Testament reveals that the earliest Christians were Jewish and lived in accord with the Mosaic Law. 3 If we are to be like Jesus, does it not stand to reason that we too should live as He did? Would this not mean accepting the Law of Moses, adopting Jewish customs and beliefs, and speaking as He spoke? Jesus was a Jew and lived a perfect life under the Law of Moses (Galatians 4:4). 2 Second, the appeal of Messianic Judaism is its seeming authenticity. This is exemplified by the Nostra Aetate declaration of Pope Paul VI which erases some of the most censorious anti-Semitic statements in Catholic tradition. First, the atrocities of the Holocaust made the Western world in general more sympathetic to Jews and Judaism. Messianic Judaism has attracted a great deal of attention in recent years. Although there is great variety in the beliefs and practices of Messianic Jews, this article shall attempt an overview of at least the key tenets of this movement. A modern movement, known as Messianic Judaism, seeks to return to these ancient ways. The tendency of some Christians to adopt the Mosaic Law, in part or in totality, has not faded with the passage of time. For example, Paul writes to the Galatians, “You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law you have fallen away from grace” (Galatians 5:4, ESV). The existence of these groups should not surprise us since the New Testament already contests those who seek to impose the Mosaic Law on Christians. 1 The writings of the church fathers, in fact, regularly featured comments about early Christian sects who continued to observe the Mosaic Law. 345-430) characterized the “Nazareans,” one of the early Jewish-Christian groups that observed the Law of Moses while claiming faith in Jesus. “They wish to be both Jews and Christians, but are neither Jews nor Christians.” This is how the church father Jerome (ca.

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