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Christianity began as a movement within Second Temple Judaism, but the two religions gradually diverged over the first few centuries of the Christian Era. Today, differences of opinion vary between denominations in both religions, but the most important distinction is Christian acceptance and Jewish non-acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah prophesized in the Hebrew Bible and Jewish tradition. Early Christianity distinguished itself by determining that observance of halakha was not necessary for non-Jewish converts to Christianity. Another major difference is the two religions' conceptions of God. The Christian God consists of three persons of one essence, with the doctrine of the incarnation of the Son in Jesus being of special importance. Judaism emphasizes the Oneness of God and rejects the Christian concept of God in human form. While Christianity recognizes the Hebrew Bible as part of its scriptural canon, Judaism does not recognize the Christian New Testament.
Judaism is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the Middle East during the Bronze Age. Modern Judaism evolved from Yahwism, the religion of ancient Israel and Judah, by the late 6th century BCE, and is thus considered to be one of the oldest monotheistic religions. Judaism is considered by religious Jews to be the expression of the covenant that God established with the Israelites, their ancestors. It encompasses a wide body of texts, practices, theological positions, and forms of organization.
Jews for Jesus is an international Christian missionary organization headquartered in San Francisco, California that is affiliated with the Messianic Jewish religious movement. The group is known for its proselytism of Jews and promotes the belief that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God. It was founded in 1970 by Moishe Rosen, as Hineni Ministries, before being incorporated under its current name in 1973.
Messianic Judaism is a modernist and syncretic movement of Protestant Christianity that incorporates some elements of Judaism and other Jewish traditions into evangelicalism.
Jewish religious movements, sometimes called "denominations", include different groups within Judaism which have developed among Jews from ancient times. Today, the most prominent divisions are between traditionalist Orthodox movements and modernist movements such as Conservative, Reform Judaism, and smaller others.
Carol Harris-Shapiro is a lecturer at Temple University in the Intellectual Heritage Department. She has written a controversial book on Messianic Judaism, a belief system considered by most Christians and Jews to be a form of Christianity, adhered to by groups that seek to combine Christianity and Judaism.
A number of religious groups, particularly Christians and Muslims, are involved in proselytization of Jews: Attempts to recruit or "missionize" Jews. In response, some Jewish groups have formed counter-missionary organizations to discourage missionary and messianic groups such as Jews for Jesus from using practices that they say are deceptive.
Chosen People Ministries (CPM) is an evangelical Christian nonprofit organization which engages in proselytization of Jews. It is headquartered in New York City and currently led by Mitch Glaser, who was raised Jewish and converted to Christianity.
There are a number of episodes in the New Testament in which Jesus was rejected. Jesus is rejected in Judaism as a failed Jewish messiah claimant and a false prophet by most Jewish denominations.
The Hebrew Roots movement is a religious movement that advocates adherence to the Torah and believes in Jesus, whom they refer to by the Hebrew name Yeshua, as the Messiah. The movement emphasizes and promotes the belief that the Torah was never abolished by Jesus, but was instead meant to be permanent . However, they do not embrace obedience to the Talmud.
The Messianic Jewish Alliance of America (MJAA) was founded in 1915 as the Hebrew Christian Alliance of America, changing its name in 1975. It follows on from the International Hebrew Christian Alliance between the Hebrew Christian Alliance of Great Britain and that of America.
The Hebrew Christian movement of the 19th and early 20th centuries consisted of Jews who converted to Christianity, but worshiped in congregations separate from denominational churches. In many cases, they retained some Jewish practices and liturgy, with the addition of readings from the Christian New Testament. The movement was incorporated into the parallel Messianic Jewish movement in the late 1960s.
Ignatz Lichtenstein was a Hungarian Orthodox rabbi who wrote "pamphlets advocating conversion to Christianity while still officiating as a Rabbi." Though he refused to be baptized into the Christian faith his whole life, he ultimately retired from his Rabbinical post at the age of 68 in 1892 due to failing health. A biography of him appeared in the Methodist Episcopal missionary magazine The Gospel in All Lands in 1894. The Jewish historian Gotthard Deutsch, an editor of the Jewish Encyclopedia, in an essay published 3 February 1916, mentions him, fallaciously, in the course of refuting a claim by the Chief Rabbi of London that no rabbi had ever become a convert to Christianity. Followers of Messianic Judaism mention him as an example of a turn of the 19th century "Jewish believer in Jesus." Speaking of his first contact with the gospel, he said: "I looked for thorns and gathered roses."
The Church's Ministry Among Jewish People (CMJ) is an Anglican missionary society founded in 1809.
Penina Taylor is an international Jewish inspirational and motivational speaker, life coach, and author. She became well known for the story of her spiritual journey, but now speaks on topics related to personal growth and marriage, as well as spirituality. Penina is the Executive Director of the Shomrei Emet Institute for Counter-Missionary Studies, and the founder of Torah Life Strategies. Shomrei Emet was briefly affiliated with the counter-missionary organization, Jews for Judaism, Jerusalem, during 2008.
Christian observances of Jewish holidays is a practice evidenced since the time of Christ. Specific practices vary among denominations: these holidays may be honored in their original form in recognition of Christianity's Jewish roots or altered to suit Christian theology. Symbolic and thematic features of Jewish services are commonly interpreted in a Christian light: for example, the Paschal Lamb of the Passover Seder is viewed as a symbol of Christ's sacrifice.
The American Board of Missions to the Jews was during the 1930s and 1940s the largest Christian mission proselytizing to Jews in America. In 1984, the organization changed its name to Chosen People Ministries.
Israel College of the Bible, also known as ONE FOR ISRAEL Bible College is a private Hebrew-speaking Messianic Bible college in Netanya, Israel. It is an independent academically accredited institution.
References
- ↑ Rich Robinson, Rich Robinson and Naomi Rothstein The Messianic movement: a field guide for evangelical Christians p56 - 2005 p198 "JEWISH MISSIONS UMBRELLA GROUPS The Fellowship of Christian Testimonies to the Jews (FCTJ) was formed in the early 1950s by Fred Kendal and Emil Elbe. Kendal was General Director and founder of a Jewish mission called Israel's Remnant "
- ↑ Missions U.S.A. Earl Parvin - 1985 "The Fellowship of Christian Testimonies to the Jews was established with four objectives: 1. To promote fellowship in order to improve, strengthen, harmonize, and expand the ministries of the individual and collective membership in the ..."
- ↑ Peter J. Tomson, Doris Lambers-Petry The image of the Judaeo-Christians in ancient Jewish and Christian p292 2003 "From outside the movement hostile criticism of Messianic Judaism was voiced by such bodies as the Fellowship of Christian Testimonies to the Jews. At their annual conference from 16 to 19 October 1975 a resolution was passed condemning ..."
- ↑ Dan Cohn-Sherbok Messianic Judaism 2000 p68 "From outside the movement hostile criticism of Messianic Judaism was voiced by such bodies as the Fellowship of Christian Testimonies to the Jews (FCTJ). At their annual conference from 16 to 19 October 1975 a resolution was passed ..."
- ↑ Yaakov Shalom Ariel Evangelizing the chosen people: missions to the Jews in America, 2000 p232 "It read: Inasmuch as many within the modern movement of Messianic Judaism publicly declare themselves to be a fourth branch of Judaism, we of the Fellowship of Christian Testimonies to the Jews at our annual meeting held at America's ..."
- ↑ The Jewish spectator: 40-41 School of the Jewish Woman (New York, N.Y.) - 1975 "In October 1975 the Fellowship of Christian Testimonies to the Jews, composed of representatives of the independent Jewish missions, passed this resolution of condemnation : Inasmuch as a segment of the modern movement of Messianic ..."
- ↑ Eugene V. Gallagher, W. Michael Ashcraft Introduction to New and Alternative Religions in America: African 2006 p199 "Their initial reaction is epitomized by that of the Fellowship of Christian Testimonies (FCTJ) to the Jews, the umbrella organization of missions to the Jews at the time. In the missionaries' eyes, Messianic Judaism represented ..."
- ↑ David A. Rausch Communities in conflict: evangelicals and Jews 1991 "Messianic Judaism is Old Hat," AMF Monthly 80 (November and December 1975). On October 18, 1975, the Fellowship of Christian Testimonies to the Jews concluded: "BE IT RESOLVED, therefore, that the FCTJ stand apart from and in ..."