NT Messianic Jewish Church - is NT first century Christian church - It evangelized gentiles and Jews

[BobRyan]

While I am not a member of a Messianic Jewish denomination strictly speaking -- it does appear to me that the NT church is in fact a Messianic Jewish denomination as we see in

1. Acts 1 as they choose the 12th apostle
2. Acts 15 as they address a crisis that affected the entire Christian church. - headquartered in Jerusalem.
3. Acts 21 as they address Paul's form of evangelism from Christianity's headquarters in Jerusalem. They affirmed continued support for certain Jewish customs and ceremonies
4. Gal 2 - Paul reports that when "certain men from James" came from Jerusalem to Antioch everyone was falling in line with what they thought the Jerusalem church would want - to the extent that even Peter made some changes that went a bit too far according to Paul.

Josephus informs us that the Jews already had a canonized OT text that had been unchanged for over 300 years and was kept in the Temple as what we have today for the Hebrew Bible and called the "Old Testament" in Christian Bibles today.

What is more they were accepting NT teaching and letters "as the Word of God" (see 1Thess 2: ) not just the OT text as scripture.

1 Thess 2: 13 For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of mere men, but as what it really is, the word of God, which also is at work in you who believe

1. In Heb 3 Paul quotes the OT saying in that letter "The Holy Spirit said"​

2. In Acts 17:11 "they studied the scriptures daily to SEE IF those things spoken to them by the Apostle Paul -- were SO" indicating the OT was a continued source of authority for the NT church and in this case - it was non-Christian Jews and gentile converts to Judaism doing that Bible study to test Paul's teaching.​

In other words - they were not waiting for another 200 or 300 years for church council to tell them what to read.

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I bring this up because sometimes on the Sola Scriptura threads the question is asked - "How did the NT saints know what to accept as scripture" - and noticing this bit of history - helps to answer that question easily.

 

[BobRyan]

So when studying the NT text - and applying the objective methods of exegesis in rendering the text - we need to keep that context in mind.

 

[Soyeong]

Jesus came as the Messiah of Judaism in fulfillment of Jewish prophecy and he practiced Judaism by setting a sinless example of how to walk in obedience to the Torah, which we are told to follow (1 Peter 2:21-22). In Acts 21:20, they were rejoicing that tens of thousands of Jews were coming to faith who were all zealous for the Torah, which is in accordance with believing in the Gospel message (Matthew 4:15-23) and with believing in what Jesus accomplished through the cross (Titus 2:14). So Jews coming to faith were not ceasing to obey the Torah, which means that there was a period of time in between the resurrection of Jesus and the inclusion of Gentiles during which all Christians were Torah observant Jews, so Christianity at its origin was the form of Judaism that recognized Jesus as its prophesied Messiah, which is also known as Messianic Judaism. Furthermore, in regard to prophesies of the reign of Messiah, the only religion described being practiced is a form of Judaism that recognizes Jesus as its prophesied Messiah, which again is Messianic Judaism.

In addition, in 1 Timothy 4:13, Paul encouraged him to devote himself to the public reading of Scripture, which could only be referring to OT Scripture. In 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Paul said that everything spoken by God is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, equipped to do every good work, which again could only be referring to OT Scripture. The Psalms contain extremely high praise for the Torah and NT authors considered to them to be Scripture, so they should be interpreted as though they were in complete agreement with everything said about the Torah in the Psalms.

 

[BobRyan]

Jesus came as the Messiah of Judaism in fulfillment of Jewish prophecy and he practiced Judaism by setting a sinless example of how to walk in obedience to the Torah, which we are told to follow (1 Peter 2:21-22). In Acts 21:20, they were rejoicing that tens of thousands of Jews were coming to faith who were all zealous for the Torah, which is in accordance with believing in the Gospel message (Matthew 4:15-23) and with believing in what Jesus accomplished through the cross (Titus 2:14). So Jews coming to faith were not ceasing to obey the Torah, which means that there was a period of time in between the resurrection of Jesus and the inclusion of Gentiles during which all Christians were Torah observant Jews, so Christianity at its origin was the form of Judaism that recognized Jesus as its prophesied Messiah, which is also known as Messianic Judaism. Furthermore, in regard to prophesies of the reign of Messiah, the only religion described being practiced is a form of Judaism that recognizes Jesus as its prophesied Messiah, which again is Messianic Judaism.

Good point. And Paul says that he belonged to what the Jews called "A sect" (of Judaism) known as "The Way" according to Paul. Later in Antioch they came to be known as Christ-believers Christ-followers "Christians".

So all that much more amazing so see some Christians today arguing that Christians should reject the teaching of Christ found in the Gospels since this was what Christ said during His Gospel ministry on Earth before the cross.

In addition, in 1 Timothy 4:13, Paul encouraged him to devote himself to the public reading of Scripture, which could only be referring to OT Scripture. In 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Paul said that everything spoken by God is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, equipped to do every good work, which again could only be referring to OT Scripture.

Also True - however both Paul and Peter claim that the NT teaching they were proclaiming was also being accepted as "The Word of God"

The Psalms contain extremely high praise for the Torah and NT authors considered to them to be Scripture, so they should be interpreted as though they were in complete agreement with everything said about the Torah in the Psalms.

Agreed. They were not at war with what Christ calls "The Word of God" in Mark 7:6-13

 

[Guojing]

So all that much more amazing so see some Christians today arguing that Christians should reject the teaching of Christ found in the Gospels since this was what Christ said during His Gospel ministry on Earth before the cross.

Also True - however both Paul and Peter claim that the NT teaching they were proclaiming was also being accepted as "The Word of God"

Agreed. They were not at war with what Christ calls "The Word of God" in Mark 7:6-13

Do you reject the teaching of God found in the OT scripture, just because you believe that the OT does not contain instructions for you to follow directly?

 

[Yusuphhai]

From the tradition of Antioch, Gentile believers were called “Christian”, Jewish believers were called “Messianic Jew”. Both were united in Jesus’ body. Unfortunately, Nicene Congregation drove Messianic represents, and Christianity became a religion which had no relationship with Judaism. Messianic had to meet in secret. In modern days it is still hard to rebuild the relationship between general Christianity and Messianic Judaism.

 

[Grafted In]

I have a deep love for both the types and shadows of Christ in OT Scripture and NT.
He is the same God.
Yet when I try to reach out to Mesianic Jews I am usually met with disdain and a refusal to allow me to put forth my thoughts.
I did not choose my forum name by mistake. I understand.

 

[Grafted In]

I'm not quite sure I understand your message to me.
Have I offended you? If so, talk to me. I want to become a better person.
And God can prepare a new believer for meat whenever He so chooses.