OUTREACH THROUGH MESSIANIC JEWISH CONGREGATIONS



OUTREACH THROUGH MESSIANIC JEWISH CONGREGATIONS

A HISTORY AND INSIGHT FOR TODAY

By David Sedaca

Executive Secretary of the International Messianic Jewish Alliance

In this post modern world, the concepts of evangelism and outreach seem to be from another era. At a time when religious tolerance is preached in every corner, evangelism is not considered to be politically correct. Nevertheless, if we are to hold on to biblical principles and teachings, evangelism and outreach are unavoidable.

The question is how to reach out to the Jewish people with the Gospel at a time when, for the Jewish person, missions is equal to “conversion” and outreach is made to be as unattractive as the Inquisition. But the fact remains that the command to preach the Gospel to all nations, particularly to the Jewish people, is as relevant today as it was when Yeshua said it. Moreover, the Apostle Paul, emphasizes in his letter to the Romans (1:16) that the proclamation of the Gospel is based not in human comprehension but in the power of God, and that God’s power is effective to reach out to the Jewish people. If we hold Paul’s statement as true, then we must ask ourselves why it seems that Jewish evangelism has lost strength. The answer must be that, either the Gospel has lost its power or there has to be a better way to make that power more effective.

I strongly believe that the problem does not reside in God’s power, but rather in the way in which that power is put into effect by those proclaiming the Gospel. This paper suggests that the modern day Messianic Jewish congregation is the place and the channel to bring the Gospel “to the Jew first.”

The early church; a model for Jewish outreach

The miraculous way in which the early followers of Yeshua were able to proclaim his message gives us an indication of how and where the power of the message was used. Following Yeshua’s command, the disciples didn’t act independently from each other but became part of a unifying body, known as the church. There is ample evidence that the first century church was eminently Jewish in character, composition and structure. It was what we may term today a Messianic Jewish congregation. The early church emphasized fellowship among believers, help to those in need, and most importantly, the proclamation of the Gospel.

The book of Acts depicts how the Apostles and other disciples sought to expand the teachings of Yeshua, first in Jerusalem, and then beyond Israel’s borders. The book of Acts starts in Israel but ends in Rome, having passed through the main Greek cities. When the evangelist is Paul, his method is to teach at the local synagogue in order to reach first and foremost Israel’s household. What transformed a band of bewildered disciples into bold evangelists was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The experience of Pentecost resulted in the first mass acceptance of Yeshua’s messiahship, in other words, an evangelism explosion. It is noteworthy that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit did not manifest itself in the act of worship, neither was its purpose to comfort their troubles hearts, but it became evident through the bold proclamation of the Gospel.

Later on, as the Gospel is preached in other parts of the Empire, the Apostle Paul reminds the believers of what constitutes the basis of the Gospel. Thus, in his first letter to the Corinthians he writes:

Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,..” (1 Cor. 15:1-4)

From the reading of this passage we can assert that the success of the early church in proclaiming the Gospel was the combination of three elements: First, the clarity and non-ambiguity of the message preached. Secondly, those who accepted the Gospel took a stand for what they had believed. Thirdly, they shared with others what they believed and experienced. We may safely conclude that the combinations of these three factors resulted in the rapid spread and acceptance of the Gospel, first by the Jews, and later on, by the gentiles. The rapid success experienced by the early church in the proclamation of the Gospel couldn’t have been the result of a more accepting society, a less intellectual audience or more skilled evangelists. We may safely conclude that it was the consequence of the proper application of the power of the Gospel made available to them through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

As time went by the power of the Gospel began to dwindle, not because God’s power decreased, but because men changed God’s power with the power of the state religion. In addition, while in the first two centuries evangelism and outreach was the work of every believer, by the beginning of the third century the work of evangelism is taken from the laity and placed on the hands of professional clergy. Thus, in the following centuries, outreach became “cultural conversion” and evangelism a tool of the political forces within the Greco-Roman church. As the Western world entered into a period known as the Dark Ages, the Jewish presence in the Christian church almost disappeared. The historical church, misunderstanding the meaning of the messiahship of Yeshua, made his message alien to the Jewish mind. For all practical purposes, a Jewish person had to become a gentile if he were to accept the Gospel of Yeshua.

The Birth of Jewish Missions

Although there was never a time when there were no children of Israel who accepted Yeshua as their Messiah, it wasn’t until the 18th century that Jewish outreach was revived. From the adoption of Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire to the Reformation, Jewish acceptance of the Gospel was either by forced conversion, or these were isolated instances. The Decree of Expulsion from Spain of 1492 and the Actos de Fe that followed are examples of the Church’s efforts to force Jews into its fold.

The obscurantism of the Dark Ages began to give way to enlightenment, as men broke away from the intellectual shackles imposed on them by the official church. The corollary of man’s new freedom of thought is the freeing of the Bible from yoke of Church control. As man is free to study and interpret the Bible, a new understanding of the Gospel and its message reappears. There is a renewed vision for reaching out to other cultures through the preaching and practice of the Christian faith. The Protestant Reformation led to the evangelical movements, which in turn led to a fresh understanding of the role of Israel’s in God’s plans. As the churches focused on prophecy, it became clear that Israel’s rejection of the Gospel is part of God’s plans for the nations, more than that, the ultimate destiny of the church is linked to Israel’s spiritual restoration.

In the 17th century, the Dutch led the way by founding the first Jewish mission. In Germany, Esdras Edzard established himself “an apostle to the Jews” who according to the historian Hugh Schonfeld, “led more Jews to Christ than any other single person.” He was followed by John Henry Callermberg, who in 1728 founded the Institutum Judaicum. In England, Oliver Crowmwell, considered the readmission of the Jews into the kingdom as a means by which “…they can be taught the truth, and not to exclude them from the light.” In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Puritans in England and the Reformed Churches throughout Europe made substantial efforts towards the evangelization of the Jews.

Noticeable progress in Jewish outreach didn’t actually occurred until Jewish believers themselves established missionary societies. Joseph Samuel Frey (1771-1837) and Ridley Herschell (1807-1864) were the driving forces behind the founding of London Society and the British Society for Promoting Christianity among the Jews. By the end of the 19th century there were almost one hundred missionary societies working among the Jewish people in different parts of the world. It is worth of special note the Hebrew Christian Testimony to Israel, founded in 1893 by David Baron and C. A. Schönberger in London. What makes this ministry different from others is the fact that this work wasn’t associated to any Christian church or denomination, rather it stressed the testimony of Jewish believers who had accepted Yeshua as their Messiah.

As waves of Jewish immigrants arrived to the New World, Jewish missions followed. Mark John Levy, in 1907, addressed the General Assembly of the Episcopal Church of the US, in which he pleaded for “the restoration of the original Hebrew Christian branch of the church.” Leopold Cohen, founded the Williamsburg mission to the Jews, now Chosen People Ministries, and together with Friends of Israel, Messianic Testimony, the Christian Jew Foundation, and later on Jews for Jesus, led the work in the US through good part of the 20th century. Leaders like Jacob Pelts, Richmiel Frydland, Victor Buksbazen, Jacob Gardenhouse, Arthur Kac and many others, to name just a few among many, continued keeping Jewish outreach alive in the United States.

After World War II, perhaps as result of the horrors of the Holocaust, the whole concept of missions changed. Modern sociologists, political scientists and even theologians, argued against the idea of one religions imposing its beliefs upon other peoples. Mainline denominations began preaching a new message of tolerance and inclusiveness. Missionary activity had negative connotations and conversion was as attractive as the Inquisition.

Against this backdrop a new idea began to take shape. The question that many Jewish believers asked themselves was “Why do I have to forfeit my Jewishness if I want to follow Yeshua as my Messiah?” This question, unimaginable for the early Jewish followers of Yeshua, had been the main stumbling block that prevented Jews from accepting Yeshua for almost nineteen centuries. Jewish believers in Yeshua rejected the then prevailing principle that, for all practical purposes, a Jew who accepted Yeshua had to become a gentile, be part of a Christian church that was alien to the Jewish mind, and relinquishing his Jewish identity. Traditional Hebrew Christianity was now transforming itself into Messianic Judaism.

The Rise of Messianic Jewish Congregations

In the early 1970’s a new phenomenon appeared within Messianic Judaism, the Messianic Jewish congregation. These are biblically based congregations, while at the same time, maintain Jewish traditions. In most cases, their orthodoxy is founded in the New Covenant, and their orthopraxis is rooted in the Jewish milieu from where they came. Today, there are about 400 hundred Messianic Jewish congregations world-wide, most of which are located in the United States. These congregations are becoming the gravitational force towards which the Messianic Jewish movement is moving to. Traditional Jewish missions, such as Chosen People Ministries and Jews for Jesus, are endorsing the establishment of such congregations. The same is the case with Christian denominations, such as the Southern Baptist Convention, that under the auspices of its North American Mission Board is fostering the Fellowship of Messianic Jewish Congregations.

Today’s Messianic Jewish congregation is similar to the first century Jewish church in that most of its members come from a Jewish background and are rooted in Jewish customs and traditions. But in spite of its appeal in attracting Jewish people, congregations have not obtained the level of success in reaching out to the Jews as they could have. In a way, it seems to attract more gentiles who are drawn towards Messianic worship and lifestyle than it attracts traditional Jews. Nevertheless, as it was in the early church, it seems logical that Jewish outreach ought to be the primary endeavor of the Messianic Jewish congregation.

Probable reasons why Messianic Jewish congregations are not carrying out Jewish evangelism to its fullest potential.

1. One of the main reason for the existence of the Messianic Jewish congregations is to identify themselves with the Jewish community. While this in itself is a worthy cause, it has had as collateral effect the reluctance to promote evangelism. The congregation is always careful not to do or say anything that might endanger its relationship with the outside Jewish community.

2. Similar, but not equal, is the reluctance of the Messianic Jewish congregation to promote any event or program that might be misunderstood by the outside Jewish community as doing “missionary” work or proselytizing. The overriding fear is that if the congregation is viewed as a “missionary” agent, it might forfeit its chances to win acceptance into the Jewish community.

3. Typically, the Messianic Jewish congregation has a particular worship style. The combination of Jewish worship, Israeli folklore and a strong spiritual content resulted in what is known as Davidic Praise and Worship. Its vitality and spirituality made it to be the heart of the worship service. But a strong emphasis on praise and worship practices subordinates the core of the congregation’s beliefs to how these beliefs are expressed. A case in point is the fact that Messianic Jewish congregations will frequently feature and promote Messianic musicians and dance groups, while one rarely sees the setting up of a special program to hear a Jewish evangelist.

4. With some exceptions, today’ Messianic leaders lack the necessary training to carry out Jewish evangelism efficiently. This was not the case at the beginning of the Messianic movement, when most leaders were part of or came from Jewish missions.

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Messianic Jewish congregations are uniquely fitted for Jewish outreach.

Because of its own composition, vision and nature, the modern day Messianic Jewish congregation is uniquely qualified for Jewish evangelism. Some of the reason for this can be found in the following facts:

1. It provides a “non-threatening” environment where to preach the Gospel. Indubitably, it is easier to invite a Jewish person to a Shabbat service at the local Messianic congregation than to a Christian church.

2. Since the congregation expresses its beliefs within a Jewish context, for a Jewish visitor, the fear of “conversion” seems to disappear.

3. Since one of the goals of the Messianic movement is to restore the Jewishness to the Gospel, the Messianic Jewish congregation can teach the Gospel from a Jewish standpoint. The congregations are uniquely qualified to present the Yeshua as the “Jewish” Messiah. A good example of this is the celebration of the Jewish festivals, such as Passover and Yom-Kippur, with a Messianic perspective.

4. Messianic Jewish congregations encourage their members to live a Jewish lifestyle; a lifestyle to be lived daily, not just on Shabbat. As long as this lifestyle is genuine, Jewish people will not fear Messianic Jewish believers as being “missionaries.”

5. Different from traditional Jewish missions, whose main goal is to preach the Gospel to the Jews, and from traditional churches, who present the Gospel from a gentile perspective, the Messianic Jewish congregation can provide not only the Gospel but also the environment where the new Jewish believer can grow spiritually and mature.

Developing the evangelistic capacity of the Messianic Jewish congregation.

Considering the tremendous potential for outreach and evangelism that the Messianic Jewish congregations have, a few conscious decisions might enable them to become more effective in their evangelistic endeavors. Among these we can mention the following:

1) The congregation needs to develop a genuine Messianic Jewish identity. A biblically sound Messianic Jewish congregation must be fully aware of its biblical mandate. The congregation needs to be recognized by its beliefs, not by its worship style. What it believes and stands for needs to be more important than how these beliefs are expressed.

2) The Messianic congregation of today is the true heir to the early Jewish church, as such, it must look for and put into practice the same things that made the first century church effective in reaching out to the Jewish people with the Gospel.

3) Congregations need to prioritize the biblical mandate and its commission. A renewed understanding of passages such as Acts 1:8, Romans 1:16 and 10:4 will give a renewed thrust to Jewish outreach. Although no one can deny the value of maintaining Jewish traditions an expressing support for Israel, the New Covenant gives clear indications of what is important and what is secondary. In the Gospel, acceptance, political restoration or security are never given priority over witnessing and the proclamation of the Gospel.

4) Messianic Jewish congregations must make Jewish evangelism and integral part of its vision. There are practical steps that might help to establish a dynamic outreach ministry:

• Training Messianic leaders for the work of evangelism. Leaders of Messianic Jewish congregations do not necessarily have the skills to carry out the work of evangelism. Only when the leaders are committed to outreach will the congregation as a whole will acquire an evangelistic vision.

• Evangelism is sometimes viewed as a general goal. If the congregation is to fulfill its calling of reaching out to the Jewish people with the message of Yeshua, them it must implement specific objectives.

• Whatever programs for evangelism and outreach the congregation chooses to implement, these must be reachable, measurable and reasonable.

• Congregations should appoint individuals who will be responsible, together with their spiritual leaders, to carry out and maintain outreach programs. I Corinthians 12 teaches that the Lord has imparted different spiritual gifts to different people within the Body of Messiah to fulfill specific tasks. It is the congregation’s responsibility to look for those whom the Spirit has appointed to carry our the work of evangelism and to empower them to fulfill their calling.

Messianic Judaism is not a fad that will fade away and the Messianic Jewish Congregation is not an experiment to be tested. Today’s Messianic Jewish congregations are God’s appointed tools for the salvation of the lost and for the development of spiritual lives. As such, they are uniquely qualified to proclaim the Gospel of Yeshua to the Jewish people.

The modern day Messianic Jewish congregation is the heir to the first century church. As the first century congregations were effective in proclaiming the Good News of the Messiah so today’s congregations can achieve the same level of success by imitating their commitment to reaching out to the unsaved.

Messianic Jewish congregations provide a genuine environment where the message of the Jewish Savior can be safely shared with the Jewish people, and give its people the legitimate voice to proclaim it.

Copyright © (2003), David Sedaca, IMJA and LCJE-NA

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