I had coffee with a friend of mine a few weeks ago and we began to discuss the Scriptures and our beliefs. I’ve only really gotten to know him over the last year or so. He is curious as to my beliefs and has approached me a few times to lovingly debate a few points of doctrine/theology. Although we disagree on many points, we have a mutual respect for each other’s faith and can speak frankly with one another without jeopardizing our relationship (a rarity). As we got into our discussion, however, I realized that he held to a position I haven’t been exposed to in a number of years. It goes something like this:
The Tanach (the Old Testament) represents a lot of stories of faith, and examples of how we should live our lives in obedience to God (in some vague way, as we will see by the next component). And the Gospels, Acts, Hebrews and Revelation are not written as a documents of instruction, therefore they are not “prescriptive” but only “descriptive” in their content, and therefore cannot have any theological bearing in the life of a believer. Wow… I was really dumfounded for a good while, as I mulled over this implications of how his theological perspective had essentially stripped out 90% of the authority of the Scriptures, relegating “prescriptive” or “authoritative” Scripture to the (misunderstood) writings of Paul and possibly the epistles of Peter, James, John & Jude (and even then I’m not sure if all of them hold equal weight with the Pauline epistles according to this theological premise).
This theological supposition seems to be heavily taught in missions-based organizations, because of opposition they have received over the years that their missionary methods were not practiced by the first believers. In other words, it’s not found in the book of Acts. I just did a quick search on the net for the phrase “book of Acts descriptive not prescriptive” and found a blog from a seminary student returning from a class on missions that said it point blank:
The book of Acts is not presented as a prescriptive book. That is, it is not presented as a manual on how a church should be run (you’ll find a lot of that in the epistles) or missions should be conducted. It describes what did happen, not what should/must/will happen in every time and culture.
I think this represents a snapshot of the theological pulse of our seminaries. It was this concept that was ingrained in my friend, and totally blocked our communication. If you’re interested, the passage of Acts in discussion was the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15) in which the Apostles presented their ruling on the minimum requirements of non-Jews entering into the faith. The gist of my argument with my friend was that the minimum level of Torah observance was put forth by the Council in Acts 15, and that we should at least be keeping these four basic boundaries as a bare minimum, whether we agreed on the whole of Torah or not. He was in total disagreement, using the argument that since Acts was not “prescriptive” but “descriptive” the ruling of the Council had no bearing in the life of a modern day believer.
Again, Wow…
Here we have a contrast as to the authority of the Apostolic Council making a strong line in the sand for the entire Yeshua faith community verses the Pauline epistles, which were written for a specific purpose (almost always a response to a specific issue) to a specific group of people. Yet this theological position supplants the authority of James, the brother of our Master (and steward of his throne at that time) and the original Apostles of our Master. [editor's note: I am not saying the Pauline epistles are not authoritative. I believe they are, and have a greater appreciation for them now than ever. I am only suggesting that "if" there was a priority, then the Apostolic Council would be first in line, rather than Paul's addresses to specific situations and specific people which do not apply to us as directly as much as the Apostolic decree.]
Does anyone else see a problem with this? Has anyone else ran into this? Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to bridge this gap in our communication?
This morning one of the most interesting emails I received was a notification that I was being followed on Twitter by someone using the name “YeshuaFilm.” I thought this was interesting enough to check out, and thus went to their Twitter page and checked their only two existing tweets. These brought me to YouTube for a teaser trailer of a documentary on Messianic Judaism that they are in the process of creating.
Turns out that this is a very non-biased look at the development of Messianic Judaism from a non-Jewish, non-Christian standpoint. It looks promising, but it also looks as if they are still needing input for the film. This is where I would like to call on all of you to action. I think they have a some good information already, but I think they need a more rounded perspective on the topic, and they are specifically asking for input from Messianics. They need to know how real this thing is. They need to know about historic Messianic Judaism. They need to know we are not just a recent phenomenon or fad. They need to know about Messianic non-Jews. They are also needing funds to complete this project. Maybe you could help out a little to show our support as well.
Below is the teaser/trailer from their documentary as well as their website where you can find out more information about them and will be able to make contact with them and give them your story or pass them on to someone you think would represent us well.
In the past years, I’ve had countless people ask me “what religion/denomination are you?” This has been a tricky question to answer in a way that people understand.
I think Daniel Lancaster had one of the best answers, when he relates in one of his messages that he talked to a guy installing carpet in his house about this question. When he was asked about what religion/denomination he was, Daniel responded, “We’re Christians who practice Judaism.” He said the carpet guy thought a little while, and then said, “You know… that makes perfect sense!” To which Daniel quipped “Even the carpet guy got it!”
Unfortunately, prior to hearing Daniel’s wisdom, I would often use the word “Messianic” in my first attempts to describe our religious persuasion. Hence, my experiences have not all been that well received. Whenever I’ve made mention of the word “Messianic,” the majority of the time it was like being on a sit-com: the world froze…all conversations immediately came to an abrupt halt, music on the overhead ceased to play in the supermarket and all heads turn in my direction, while the person who asked the question looks at me like a deer caught in the headlights. The general response is, “Messy-what?”
Well, recently, I was signing up for something online related to Christian music. I was asked to choose my “denomination” from a select list. I was sure I was going to have to choose “other” as my option. However, low and behold, there was “Messianic” in the options list. Couldn’t believe it. Evidently, Messianic Judaism is slowly garnering popularity and credibility within the Church. Although this is not an end-all, this really gave me a boost and gave me hope for our purpose of restoring of the roots of our faith among the Church. It shows me that people like myself are now beginning to be viewed with some sense of credibility, rather than some kind of fringe movement. It also shows me that we are being looked at as co-laborers in the Kingdom with our brothers and sisters, rather than a movement of opposition. This give me great encouragement and hope for the future.
May we all be united in our service to Hashem and His risen Messiah as we slowly turn the tide to help bring people into a fuller understanding of the practical applications of living out His Word.
This book is unlike any I have ever reviewed previously. The current work is a re-publishing of an out-of-print book from 1927 by a seemingly obscure author by the name of Paul Philip Levertoff. It is entitled Love and the Messianic Age. It is being published (along with an exhaustive study guide & commentary) by a new publishing arm of First Fruits of Zion, called Vine of David (www.vineofdavid.org). One of the goals of Vine of David is to resurrect Messianic voices from the last few centuries, particularly of Orthodox & Chasidic Jews who came to faith in Messiah Yeshua. Love and the Messianic Age (LATMA) is their premier release.
A brief biography of Levertoff is as follows:
“Paul Phillip Levertoff, born Feivel Levertoff, was raised in an Chassidic home. His family was Sephardic and was a descendent of Rabbi Schneur Zalman. As a child he attended cheder (Hebrew primary school) and later the prominent Volozhin Yeshiva. While studying abroad after graduating yeshiva, Levertoff obtained a New Testament. Reading it first in German, then in Hebrew, Levertoff was puzzled. The book of the Christians seemed “more his than theirs.” After this period of study, Levertoff became a fervent believer that Yeshua of Nazareth was indeed the Messiah.”1
Although a very short work, LATMA is a very thorough work comparing the mystical concepts of Chasidism to the concepts of love found in the New Testament, particularly the Gospel of John. Levertoff pulls from resources such as the Talmud, Midrash Rabbah, the Tanya, & other rabbinic & kabbalistic resources to show how the faith of Yeshua’s can be greatly enhanced by knowledge of the “mystical” concepts of Judaism. Don’t be fooled. This little book (a whopping 87 pages, which includes a 30 page prolegomenon) is no light read. Hence, the companion study guide & commentary (twice the length of the actual book) is a welcome addition for most readers.
For many people the idea of delving into the “mystical” concepts of Judaism is a bit unnerving. However, this is the beauty of LATMA. Levertoff has already “spit out the bones,” so to speak in that he only gives us that which is analogous to the concepts of our faith in Yeshua.
And, if you really would like to get the most out of this little jewel, it’s advisable to purchase the study guide/commentary along with it. It takes you nearly phrase by phrase through the book, explaining rabbinic and mystical concepts with which Levertoff takes for granted that his readership would be familiar. Mystical concepts such as the two souls of man, the weeping of the lower waters, and the divine sparks of creation are given the needed attention for the uninitiated.
LATMA is not a one-time read. If you’ve been longing for a book to really sink your teeth into, and give you lots of mileage over the years, LATMA is what your bookshelf has been missing.
I received an email from the Temple Institute with the following message:
“This month shall be to you the head of the months; to you it shall be the first of the months of the year.” (Exodus 12:2)
It was on this day, Rosh Chodesh, the first day of the month of Nisan that the creator of the world, the G-d of Israel, conferred upon His children the ability and the responsibility to make change in the world, to perfect His creation. And it was on this day, one year later, that the Tabernacle was dedicated in the desert. The Holy Temple is the very jewel in the crown of G-d’s creation, yet today the Temple Mount is desolate. The Holy Temple lies in ruins, and the Moslem Wakf has commandeered the Temple Mount, forbidding all but Moslems to approach the Mount freely and to raise their voices in prayer to G-d.
The Temple Institute has, along with other organizations, declared today, March 16, 2010, the first day of the month of Nisan, the month of our redemption from Egypt and the month of our future redemption, to be THE FIRST ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL TEMPLE MOUNT AWARENESS DAY. We have called upon all who wish to ascend the Mount, Jews and Gentiles, in accordance to Jewish law, to gather at the foot of the Mount this morning. The Israeli police have declared the Mount off limits on this day to all but Moslems, citing Arab threats to commit violence as a response to our desire to ascend the Mount to mark this holy day. The police are thereby by preventing us from fulfilling our commitment to G-d and Torah, and from exercising our inalienable rights as citizens of a democratic society.
Once again, following a decades-old pattern, the police have abandoned the task which has been entrusted to them to uphold, and rather than punish the inciters to violence, they have punished the intended victims of the calls to violence.
Nevertheless, the police cannot prevent us from performing the most important and essential task of petitioning the Prime Minister of the State of Israel, and demanding immediate change: Jews and Gentiles must be allowed to pray on the Temple Mount. Today is the day that together we can make our voice heard. Below are the telephone, fax and email contacts for the Prime Minister’s office:
Telephone number: 011-972-02-6705555
Fax number: 011-972-02-5664838
email address: bnetanyahu@knesset.gov.il
additional email address: PMO.HEB@it.pmo.gov.il
Dear Prime Minister Netanyahu,
I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the Temple Mount. As you know, the Temple Mount is the holiest site in the world for the Jewish people, yet the Muslim authorities, aided by Israel Police, systematically deny the right of religious expression on the Mount to all non-Moslems. On numerous occasions the High Court of Justice has upheld the Jewish people’s right to pray at the site, yet the police continue to prevent this. Furthermore, Jewish visitors are harassed and degraded. This discrimination is a grave trampling of civil rights. Israeli law is not recognized by the Wakf authorities; illegal digging has destroyed priceless historical remnants of Jerusalem’s Jewish history.
Please, end this travesty and allow Jewish freedom of expression at the Temple Mount. I urge you to include the Temple Mount in your “Heritage Plan” of sites significant to the Jewish people.
Sincerely,
Whether you copy and paste this message, or write your own message, please keep your words courteous, respectful and focused on one thing only:
GRANTING FREEDOM OF ACCESS AND FREEDOM OF WORSHIP ON THE MOUNT.
The Prime Minister’s office will receive and be strengthened and encouraged by our thousands of messages. We are taking a stand for our futures and our children’s futures and making a difference. Together we will perform the task which G-d bequeathed us when we left the Egyptian house of bondage and became free men and women forever.
What does this have to do with believers in Messiah? Why should we have any concern over the Temple Mount or the Temple? The short answer is that it was (and will be again) the House of God. It was (and will be again) the House of Prayer for All Nations. It was (and will be again) the place Yeshua loved, spent countless days in and called it “my Father’s House.” If nothing else, Yeshua’s love for his Father’s House should spark a love within us as well.
However, if these answers are not satisfying, then please allow the Scriptures to have a voice in the matter. Search out the prophets such as Zechariah and Ezekiel to find where Hashem will re-institute the Temple in the olam hazeh (this present age) as a means of serving Him properly. If you need still further study to help understand these passages, I highly recommend the audio series by Daniel Lancaster of First Fruits of Zion called “What About the Sacrifices?” You may order them here. Until then, may we pray:
May it be Your will, O LORD, our God and the God of our fathers, that the Holy Temple will be rebuilt quickly and in our days, and give us our portion in Your Torah, and may we server You there in fear, as it was in days long ago and in ancient times. And may the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem be sweet to the LORD, as it was in days long ago and in ancient times.
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In the past years, I’ve had countless people ask me “what religion/denomination are you?” This has been a tricky question to answer in a way that people understand.
