Messianic Judaism is not gentile Christianity in disguise. Messianic or Christian pdf

• Messianic Jews observe traditional Jewish holidays such as Purim, Chanukah, etc. Christians do not.

• Messianic Jews observe the biblical feasts such as the Feasts of Trumpets, Tabernacles and Passover. Christians do not.

• Messianic Jews do not observe Christian holidays borrowed from paganism, such as Christmas and Lent.

• Messianic Jews worship on the biblical sabbath, i.e., Friday evening till Saturday, not Sunday.

• Messianic Jews cant the Sh'ma, and traditional Jewish blessings that most Christians have never even heard of, e.g., the kiddush and the Aaronic benediction.

• Messianic Jews cant the Torah portion in Hebrew at worship services.

• Messianic preaching is mainly from the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), although references to the B'rit Chadasha are not unusual.

• Messianic Judaism emphasizes the special relationship between G-d and the Jewish people, whereas Protestantism and Catholicism only mention it in passing.

• Messianic Judaism emphasizes Jewish traditions that do not conflict with the Bible, whereas Protestantism and Catholicism totally ignore those traditions.

• Messianic Judaism asserts that the Torah (literally, "teaching") is still in effect (as modified by Yeshua). Christianity claims that Jesus ended the Torah. See Grace or Law

  But Christians still teach the Ten Commandments and tell church members to tithe!  <g>

• Messianic Jews bar-mitzvah their sons and bat-mitzvah their daughters. Christians don't.

• Messianic Jews wrote B'rit Chadasha. Christians didn't.

• A Jewish person who converts to Protestantism is called a Hebrew Christian, not a Messianic Jew.

• Messianic Judaism and Protestantism teach the biblical doctrine that salvation is a free gift from G-d, by faith in Yeshua. Roman Catholicism teaches that Catholics earn their way into heaven by good works and that Moslems will also be saved, even though Islam denies the deity, death and resurrection of Yeshua.

Messianic Jews do not need to be evangelized into Christianity -- they already believe in Yeshua (Jesus).

Messianic Jews use the same scriptures as Protestants, including the common translations, e.g., NIV and New King James Version. (NASB-U -- The New American Standard Bible-Updated in 1995 translation is generally preferred.)

B'rit Chadasha (the New Testament) was written by Messianic Jews, not the Roman Catholic Church. Despite its claims to the contrary, Roman Catholicism did not even come into existence until around 325-400 C.E.

Contrary to common belief, there is no historical evidence that Luke was a non-Jewish Gentile.  Either he was of Jewish ancestry or he was a proselyte Jew, i.e., a Gentile who converted to Judaism--Gentiles don't hang around with itinerant Jewish preachers--Jews do.

Most adult Messianic Jews converted from traditional Orthodox or Conservative Judaism into Protestantism (i.e., became Hebrew Christians) and then went back to Judaism, while retaining their belief that Yeshua is G-d's promised Messiah.

Like about half the Protestant denominations, Messianic Jews only baptize believers and only by immersion; Messianic Jews do not baptize infants or baptize by pouring or sprinkling.

Not everyone who considers himself a "Messianic Jew" is.

For instance, for over a year I regularly attended Zola Levitt's Shalom Shalom Congregation in Dallas, Texas.  He was ethnically Jewish, he was raised Orthodox Jewish, and he definitely considered himself to be Messianic. However, theologically his beliefs were mainstream Baptist. Hence, he really was a Hebrew Christian, not a Messianic Jew. (He was an ordained Baptist minister.)  Almost all the attendees were gentile Protestants. All the staff ministers except Zola were gentiles and all were trained in mainstream Protestant seminaries.

This site is an independent site not affiliated with any congregation or organization.

This is not a general Christian or Messianic Jewish site. It is intended specifically to be a relatively small introductory site. If you want extensive information on what the Bible teaches, request it and I will e-mail a list of relevant URLs.