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By Rabbi
Loren
Revised September, 2006
I am Messianic
Jew. I’ve known and served the Lord for
30 years, during which time I’ve interacted
with thousands of individuals and pastors from
many Christian denominations. There are, today,
many different denominations teaching many different
doctrines. I am going to tell you what I believe,
and also what I don't believe, and who and what
we need to avoid.
Basic
Doctrines
I believe
in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven
and Earth, and in Messiah Yeshua, His only Son,
our Lord, who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius
Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He
descended into Sheol (not Hell. Hell is different
from Sheol). The third day He rose from the dead.
He ascended into Heaven and sits at the right
hand of God the Father Almighty; from there He
will come to judge the living and the dead. I
believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy universal
Church, the communion of the saints, the forgiveness
of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the
life everlasting.
I believe
that the Holy Scriptures are divinely inspired
and are inerrant and infallible. I believe that
the Bible is only composed of the Old and New
Testaments, and not the Apocrypha.
I believe
in interpreting the Scriptures from a grammatical
historical perspective. The most important rule
for interpreting the Scriptures is: “If
the literal sense makes sense, seek no other sense.”
From this one principle, everything else derives.
I believe
in the Trinity God the Father, God the Son and
God the Holy Spirit. I believe that God is Three
Persons and yet One in name and nature, deity
and essence, character and attributes, yet distinct
as to their Persons. God the Son is not God the
Father. While the Three Persons are one in name
and nature, deity, essence and character, there
is a hierarchy of position and authority within
the Trinity. God the Father is greater than God
the Son in position and authority.
I believe
that Messiah Yeshua is the Son of God and the
Son of Man, and is fully God and fully Man.
I believe
that the Holy Spirit, while incorporeal (without
a body), is a Person who has mind, emotion and
will. He is not an impersonal force.
I am
concerned by those in the Messianic Jewish Community
who equivocate or refuse to use the term “Trinity.”
They argue that it is not Jewish enough, or it
doesn't sound Biblical, or are afraid that it
offends the non believing Jewish community. But
“Trinity” is a good term that accurately
reflects what the Bible teaches on the Three In
One nature of God. The Church, over decades, closely
looked into this doctrine, and then properly elaborated
the truth about the Trinity, which is found in
the Holy Scriptures. The Church got it right.
If a doctrine is right and found in the Scriptures
of the prophets, apostles and Messiah of Israel,
then it is Biblical and “Jewish” and
we don't need to be embarrassed by it.
There
are some within the Messianic Jewish Movement
who deny the Trinity and the deity of the Son
of God. This is a serious departure from the truth,
and those people should be shunned.
I believe
that unregenerate mankind is alienated from the
Creator, who is the Source of life, goodness and
happiness. Humanity is fallen, lost, far from
God, perishing, without eternal life, headed to
the Second Death and Hell, and in the most desperate
need of the salvation provided by God and Messiah
Yeshua.
I believe
that atonement is exclusively through God's grace
when we place our faith in God and Messiah Yeshua.
I believe in salvation by grace alone, and through
faith alone.
I believe
in Eternal Security and the Perseverance of the
Saints.
Doctrines
Concerning Israel
I believe
in Dispensationalism, and that the Lord has revealed
different requirements for different peoples at
different times. I believe Israel is not the Church,
nor the Church, Israel (and yet I have fellowship
with Reformed Theologians). I believe that the
Church is made up of Jews and Gentiles, but Jews
remain Jews, and Gentiles remain Gentiles.
I believe
in the future restoration and salvation of the
nation and the land and the people of Israel.
I believe that all of God's promises to the Jewish
people will be literally fulfilled. I believe
in a Millennial Kingdom here on Earth, during
which King Messiah will rule over Israel and the
nations for 1,000 years. I believe that the modern
state of Israel is not a mere accident of history.
God allowed the rebirth of Israel, and has protected
it against overwhelming forces, all according
to His Word. I believe that nations, as well as
individuals, who want to please God should stand
by Israel. I believe that the rebirth of the State
of Israel is a work of God, and that while the
nation is imperfect (as is the Church, as are
individual believers), Christians should be as
supportive of Israel as possible.
I believe
that the Jewish people are still the Chosen People,
but that being part of the Holy Nation does not
automatically save anyone. Non Messianic Judaism
is based on a broken covenant that cannot save
us. There is no Temple and there are no sacrifices
by which we can be brought near to God and experience
genuine atonement. I believe that Romans 1:16
still applies: that the Church should bring the
Gospel the true, God ordained Message of Salvation
to the Jewish people first.
Tragically, there are some Messianic Jewish leaders,
especially among the Union of Messianic Jewish
Congregations, who are teaching that Jewish people
don't need to place their faith in Yeshua in order
to be saved that non Messianic Judaism can save
them. These confused souls, in their determination
to have the approval of the non Messianic Jewish
Community, are downplaying the need to accept
Yeshua, and over emphasizing the importance of
rabbinic style Jewishness. But bold evangelism
is at the core of our mission. It characterizes
the true followers of Yeshua. Evangelism is part
of our armor. It's part of our protection. We
are to be fitted with the readiness to proclaim
the Gospel. If we are not living with the desire
to tell others about the salvation available through
the Messiah, we are lacking part of our armor.
We are exposed and unprotected. Any individual,
congregation, or denomination lacking focus on
evangelism is, by definition, unhealthy. Those
who think that by being more Jewishly orthodox
in practice and less evangelistic we will be more
acceptable to the Jewish Community are deluded.
Even if such a model were effective (which it
isn't), they would still be wrong for putting
the approval of men before the approval of God.
It
doesn't take a doctoral degree in theology to
know that Messianic synagogues should be fully
supportive of bold evangelism, and Jewish ministries
and missions should be helpful toward good Messianic
Jewish congregations. The proper attitude should
be one of mutual support and appreciation. It
is the leadership and the influence of the Paul
Saals and the Mark Kinzers that are the obstacles
and should be dismantled.
Dispensationalism
I believe
in Dispensationalism. While the word “Dispensationalism”
doesn’t appear in the Bible, the concept
is taught. Dispensationalism is based on the Greek
word oikonomia (sounds like economy or economics,
since it is related to it). A combination of oikos,
“house,” and nomos, “law,”
oikonomia means the law of the house, the arrangement
of the house, or administration, or management
or dispensation (the way things are dispensed).
Dispensationalism views the world like a household
that is managed by God. Dispensationalism sees
a progression in salvation history, a progression
in the revelation of God’s will. It recognizes
that God has made different demands of different
peoples at different times. If we are to avoid
theological and Biblical confusion, and properly
understand, correctly handle and apply the Word
of God, it is important to understand that God
has different requirements for different people
in different ages.
Dispensationalism
is based on two main principles. First, it is
based on a consistent, normal, literal meaning
of the Word of God. The basic interpretative rule
in Dispensationalism, known as the Golden Rule
of Interpretation, is this: If the plain sense
of Scripture makes sense, seek no other sense.
Take every word in its primary, usual, normal
meaning unless the facts of the immediate context,
studied in the light of related passages and fundamental
truths, clearly indicate otherwise.
The second
key principle of Dispensationalism arises from
the first: There is a consistent distinction in
the Scriptures between Israel and the Church.
Although there is a relationship between Israel
and the Church, Israel and the Church are distinct.
Therefore, Israel means Israel and the Church
means the Church. The Church does not mean Israel,
nor does Israel mean the Church. Israel and the
nations, Jews and Gentiles, together make up Messiah’s
Holy Community. Jews remain Jews in the Body of
Christ, and Gentiles remain Gentiles. The Jewish
people form the root of the Church. Gentiles are
grafted into the Jewish Olive Tree of salvation
and blessing, which is uniquely our “own
olive tree.” Messianic Jews serve a dual
function. We are the bridge that connects Israel
and the Church. We are part of Israel - the faithful
remnant within Israel, and we are also part of
the Church. We should strive to be part of our
people as much as possible, yet never compromise
our bold testimony. And we should be involved
in the larger Body of Messiah, yet without assimilating
our Jewish identity.
Currently,
we are in the dispensation from the First Coming
of the Messiah to the Second Coming of the Messiah.
At His First Advent, Messiah made a New Covenant
with the House of Israel and Judah. That agreement
also includes Gentiles. The previous dispensation
lasted from the Exodus from Egypt and the Covenant
made at Mount Sinai to the First Coming of the
Messiah. That dispensation dealt primarily with
Israel. The Lord was forming a new nation that
would be a light to the other nations. The Lord
raised up Moses to deliver Israel out of Egypt.
The Lord, working through Moses, created our constitution.
He gave many new laws to Israel. The laws provide
the framework for Israel’s national life.
The Temple at Jerusalem, along with the Levitical
priests and the God-ordained sacrifices, which
could only be offered at the Temple, provided
the means of atonement. Meanwhile, the other nations
were still operating under the covenant made with
Noah, but also with a new command - that they
learn from and bless Israel.
The
Relationship Of Messianic Jews
To The Laws Of The Previous Dispensation
- The covenant upon which much of the Torah
is based is a broken covenant (there is no Temple
and therefore no sacrifices by which we may
draw near to God and obtain eternal life). It
is impossible to keep all the laws of the Mosaic
Covenant today. In addition, most Jews live
outside of Israel, and many of the laws only
apply to life within Israel.
- The laws that are part of the covenant mediated
by Moses are still extremely valuable and relevant.
The Torah continues to inform and guide the
life of the Jewish people. It teaches us the
right things to do and gives us a good way to
live. It helps us live an authentic Jewish lifestyle.
It helps us remain part of the Holy People.
The issue of assimilation is a major problem
for Messianic Jews. Historically, Messianic
Jewish families that make no effort to live
a Jewish lifestyle or to be involved in Jewish
evangelism will almost always assimilate and
lose their Jewish identity within a couple of
generations. The issue of assimilation is something
that is addressed in the New Testament. Rabbi
Paul commands Messianic Jews to not become uncircumcised
(1 Corinthians 7:18), which means not to seek
assimilation into the prevailing Gentile culture,
but to continue their Jewish way of life.
- The Torah is more than the Mosaic Covenant.
All of the Word of God, including the New Covenant,
is “Torah” (literally, “teaching”
or “instruction”).
- The early Messianic Jews had a favorable view
of the Torah, and many were zealous to live
in accordance with it (see Acts 21:20 26). History
documents that Messianic Jews continued to live
a distinctly Jewish, Torah based lifestyle for
centuries after the arrival of Messiah Yeshua.
There is no incompatibility with being "zealous
for the Torah" and being a Messianic Jew.
Therefore:
I am pro Torah, while recognizing that the Covenant
made at Sinai is a broken covenant. I am pro-Torah,
valuing the great wisdom that is found in the
Torah. I am pro Torah, recognizing that all Believers
are in some sense to fulfill the Law (Romans 8:4),
but that not all of us are obligated to fulfill
the same requirements of the Law (for example,
Gentiles need not be circumcised). I am pro-Torah,
recognizing that nobody (Jewish or otherwise)
can be saved by the works of the Law. I am pro
Torah, recognizing that Messiah’s teaching
helps return us to the Torah's original intent
regarding issues such as a man being married to
only one woman. I am pro-Torah, understanding
that one of the main purposes of the Torah is
to point us to Messiah. I am pro Torah, accepting
the fact that Messianic Jews who choose not to
keep every aspect of the Law, particularly the
ceremonial laws, do not lose their salvation.
My personal experience is that I have become
more observant over time, but it was a process
that took years. Therefore I encourage Messianic
Jews to identify with and embrace their Jewish
heritage, which in large part is based on the
Torah; and I encourage Messianic Jews to be gracious
to each other regarding others' level of Torah
observance.
As
Messianic Jews work out their salvation with fear
and trembling, we need to be gracious to each
other in the area of practice. Those Messianic
Jews who want to live a life that is more Torah-observant
have the freedom to do so, but they can’t
demand that others live the same way. Those Messianic
Jews who want to keep the customs and traditions
of our people are free to do so, provided those
customs and traditions do not contradict the teaching
of the Word of God. Many rabbinic customs and
traditions are profound and a blessing to Jewish
life. But, there is a danger. Jewish traditions
and practices and forms can be over-emphasized,
so that Orthodox Judaism is unduly elevated in
the minds of our people. The result is that non-Messianic
Judaism starts being wrongly perceived as more
genuine, authentic and authoritative. Then some
go on to abandon Messianic Judaism and deny their
faith in Yeshua altogether. Also, the forms and
traditions can become so important that Yeshua
is crowded out, and He becomes little more than
a bystander in our services, or a footnote in
our prayer books. Another consideration: Far from
attracting more Jewish people, such models of
ministry are a turn-off to most Jewish people
in the United States and Israel, most of whom
don’t want long Orthodox-style services.
A recent study shows that only 9% of Jewish people
living in the United States in the 30-39 age group
consider themselves Orthodox, and 16% of Jews
aged 18 29 now identify themselves as Orthodox.
I love
the Messianic Jewish Movement and am committed
to it! I want to see many healthy Messianic congregations
with strong Jewish identity and commitment. I
want our synagogues to identify with Israel and
the Jewish people, and also with the entire Body
of Messiah. I want to see Messianic Jews taking
more of a leadership role in the Christian Church.
I want to see us committed to world evangelism,
fulfilling our calling to be a kingdom of priests
and a light to the nations. I especially want
to see our synagogues committed to bold evangelism
among our own people (including partnering with
Jewish missions organizations). I long for the
new wine of modern Messianic Judaism to be Yeshua-centered,
with Spirit-directed, bold evangelism as its centerpiece.
I want our congregations to creatively adapt to
their time and communities, mixing old and new,
the best of Judaism and the best of Christianity,
so that it resonates with the souls of the current
generation.
The
Relationship Of Gentile Christians
To The Laws Of The Previous Dispensation
Messiah’s
Holy Community of Jews and Gentiles, while having
much in common with Israel, is not identical to
Israel. The New Covenant is not the same as the
Old Covenant. Jews who enter the New Covenant
remain Jews, and Gentiles who enter the New Covenant
remain Gentiles. Gentile Believers are not
the same as the Gentile foreigners who lived in
the nation of Israel under the Old Covenant.
Gentile Christians have an elevated status compared
to the aliens who lived in the nation of Israel
under the Old Covenant. They are fully co heirs
of the Kingdom with the Jewish saints. Being grafted
into Israel doesn't mean that Gentile Believers
become Israel or are required to live the same
way as the Jewish people. Jews and Gentiles
are one because of our One God and Father of all:
“One Lord, One Faith and One Baptism.”
We share equally in the Spirit of God, who lives
in all of us, and have the same hope of living
forever in the New Jerusalem. Being one doesn’t
negate the differences in roles and calling and
lifestyle between Jews and Gentiles.
Keep
in mind that most of the laws of the Torah were
directed specifically to the Jewish people and
not to the other nations. The laws form Israel’s
constitution. The laws were meant to keep Israel
distinct from the other nations. So what relationship
does the Gentile Christian have to the 613 laws
of the Torah? The book of Acts records that Messiah's
Emissaries (the Apostles) and the Elders of Messiah's
Holy Community met to decide this very issue.
In the Messianic Jewish community we commonly
refer to this meeting, recorded in Acts 15, as
"the First Jerusalem Council." According
to the binding, Holy Spirit inspired decision
issued by the Emissaries and Elders, apart from
saving faith in Messiah Yeshua, only four essential
practices are necessary for Gentile Christians:
abstaining from food dirtied by idolatry, from
sexual immorality, from eating blood and from
the meat of animals that have been strangled -
see Acts 15, especially verses 19 20, 28 29. In
addition to these Four Essentials, obedience to
the Moral Law (for example, not stealing, not
murdering, not committing adultery and not bearing
false witness) is required. The Creator has written
these moral laws on everyone's heart (see Romans
2:14 15).
Apart
from these Four Essential Practices and the Moral
Law, everything else - including the Sabbath,
holidays and dietary laws - is non essential,
and comes under the area of Christian freedom
and liberty. If someone wants to observe a
Biblical holiday or custom, there is freedom,
but no obligation, to do so. Gentile Christians
have the freedom to celebrate the Sabbath and
the Jewish holidays, or not observe them. If someone
says, "Messiah is my Passover and I don't
need to celebrate a Passover Seder" that’s
fine. If someone says, "Messiah is my Sabbath,
and I'm resting in Him, and therefore I don't
need to rest on the Sabbath" that's OK. If
someone wants to observe the first day of the
week as a day of rest and worship, he has every
right to do so. If someone says, "I want
to observe the Sabbath and celebrate the Passover
to help me better remember and appreciate Messiah
my Passover Lamb" that's fine too.
This
does not make the Torah useless or irrelevant
for Christians. The Torah is full of great
wisdom. In the Torah are found the principles
for salvation, atonement and God-ordained ways
of worship. The initial prophecies and God-ordained
qualifications for the Messiah are found here.
True history, the history of the Creation, the
Fall, the Flood, the origins and dispersing of
the nations and their languages, the foundation
and calling of Israel, the covenants made with
Noah, Abraham and Moses, are all contained in
this great book. Basic laws of morality and justice,
and principles for godly living - principles that
can be applied to the life of every nation and
every Christian - are found in the Torah. Every
Christian should be well-versed in the Torah.
There
are those within the Messianic Jewish movement
who teach that Gentile Christians should keep
all the laws of the Mosaic Covenant that are capable
of being observed today. Those who adopt this
position might not go so far as to teach that
trying to keep the laws is necessary for salvation,
but they pressure people to be Torah-observant
in another way. They will say that keeping these
laws is necessary to receive many of God’s
blessings, and is necessary to live in a way that
really pleases God (Implied: if you don’t
you are being disobedient and will miss out on
God’s blessings - and who wants that?).
But applying pressure that coerces Gentile Christians
to live like the Jewish people amounts to legalism.
The error committed among the Galatian community
involved not only the issue of salvation, but
also the issue of sanctification - the way Christians
are to live. The great Rabbi from Tarsus made
it clear that Gentiles did not need to live like
Jews, either to be saved or to be holier or more
pleasing to the Lord.
The
Issue Of Conversion
There
are those in the Messianic Jewish movement who
are going even further than pressuring Gentile
Believers to live like Jews. There are those who
are “converting” Gentiles into Jews.
This type of “conversion” is wrong
for many reasons:
-
It violates the clear command
of Scripture: “Was any man called
when he was already circumcised? He is not
to become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called
in uncircumcision? He is not to be circumcised
... Let each man remain in the calling in
which he was called” (1 Corinthians
7:18-20). Messiah came to bring peace between
Jews and Gentiles, and to unite the two -
but not by turning Gentiles into Jews, nor
Jews into Gentiles.
-
It encourages Gentiles
who are dissatisfied with who God made them
to be, to despise their God-given identity.
God specifically ordained that each human
being come from the parents, people and nation
they came from. The God of Israel is a God
who created much diversity, and Messiah’s
Holy Community was designed to be made up
of Jews and people from every nation, people
and language group.
-
It arouses envy and encourages
Gentiles who are envious of the Chosen People
to deal with their envy in the wrong way -
by attempting to become Jews, rather than
realizing that all of us who are joined to
the Messiah are complete. Jews and Gentiles
have equal access to the God of Israel. He
is equally our Heavenly Father. All of us
are His sons and daughters. We are brothers
and sisters. We are fellow citizens of the
New Jerusalem and co-heirs of eternal life.
We all share His Spirit! What more does anyone
need?
-
It creates different classes
of Christians and fractures the Body of Messiah.
It fosters a subtle form of elitism - elevating
the perceived status of those who “convert”
and creating an artificial divide between
them and those who don’t.
-
The focus of the Judaizers
is wrong. Instead of focusing on being filled
with the Spirit of Yeshua, preaching the Gospel
to all nations, and loving one another, the
focus becomes one’s own ethnic identity.
I love the Jewishness of the Messiah and the
New Testament, and am committed to Messianic
Synagogues and Messianic Judaism; but I
am very concerned about those who, while initially
interested and enthusiastic about the Jewish
Roots of Christianity, take their eyes off
of Messiah, focusing instead on themselves
and trying to become more Jewish. They
are perpetually discontented with who God
made them.
I’ve
seen Gentiles drift away from Yeshua, leave the
Faith, renounce the Lord and convert to non-Messianic
Judaism. I’ve seen Gentiles start living
like orthodox Jews, and make an orthodox lifestyle
their new mission in life. Focusing on Christianity’s
Jewish Roots is no substitute for knowing God
and being filled with the Spirit! Knowing
about the Jewishness of Christianity won’t
sustain your spiritual life! Christianity is about
Messiah. He Himself is the substance. In Him we
are complete. He is the vine, and we are the branches
who must abide in Him for our spiritual life to
prosper. We need to fix our eyes on Yeshua. We
need to concentrate on Messiah, and Him crucified.
In
this age, as the Gospel returns to the Jewish
people, from whom it first went forward, we need
to remember that Christianity is meant to be transcultural.
The requirements are minimal (just four - see
above discussion), so that it can easily adapt
to other cultures. The focus is not on practices,
ceremonies, rituals, traditions, Sabbaths, holidays,
what we eat, drink or wear, but on mankind being
reconciled to God, loving Him with all our heart
and soul, and loving our neighbors as ourselves.
It’s about embracing Messiah’s Mission,
preaching the Good News about salvation, serving
and loving others, and putting their needs ahead
of our own.
Some
Messianic Synagogues, in their desire to retain
what they regard to be an authentic Jewish identity,
go to the opposite extreme. They don’t
convert Gentiles, they simply exclude them from
their worship services altogether (perhaps not
absolutely forbidding, but certainly discouraging
them from involvement in their congregations).
I believe that every congregation should be open
to anybody the Holy Spirit sends its way. God
declared through the prophet Isaiah, “My
house shall be called a house of prayer for all
the peoples” (Isaiah 56:7). Not all
Messianic Congregations will have the same percentage
of Jews and Gentiles. In Israel, the majority
of the population is Jewish, and not surprisingly
the concentration of Messianic Jews is high. But
the situation for many Messianic Congregations
outside of Israel is different. For example, the
Metro Detroit area has about 3 million people,
which includes 100,000 Jewish people. We number
about 3 percent of the population. Why should
we expect the majorities in our congregations
to be Jewish? Messianic Congregations don’t
need a majority of Jewish Believers to be “authentic.”
Attitudes
Toward The Church
I am displeased
by the attitude of those within the Messianic
Jewish Movement who are overly critical of the
Church. There are too many within the movement
who seem to delight in fault-finding with the
Church and Christianity at every opportunity.
They rarely have a nice word to say about the
great things that God has accomplished through
the Church. Given the fact that most Messianic
Jews have Gentile believers to thank for their
own salvation experience, I consider such prideful
and disdainful attitudes inexcusable. Despite
its imperfections (as though we ourselves had
none!), there is so much about the Church that
is good, and for which we should be thankful.
We need to love, support and identify with
the Evangelical Church as much as we identify
with the Jewish people.
I am increasingly
upset by those who accuse the Church of being
pagan. I don't for one moment believe that those
who celebrate Christmas or Easter, or who make
Sunday their day of assembly and worship, are
guilty of engaging in paganism. Did you know that
a book of the Bible is named after Ishtar, a goddess
of sexuality? But now the name "Esther"
is used by Jewish people and Christians with the
highest regard. Did you know that one of the Jewish
Biblical months is named Tammuz, after an ancient
Babylonian god? Did you know that the name of
another Jewish hero of the Faith, Mordecai, most
likely comes from another pagan deity, Marduk?
But Mordecai is now a name that is used by the
Jewish people with the greatest respect. Do you
really suppose that by using the names Esther,
Mordecai and Tammuz, that the Jewish people are
pagans? No? The Jewish people have taken pagan
names, and over time removed the original pagan
connotation. Should it bother us that a Christian
holiday (Easter) is also called by this name?
I don't think so.
I do
not believe that a good evangelical Protestant
church, worshiping on Sunday, and celebrating
Christmas and Easter, is pagan. The early
Christian leaders understood that they were not
required to live like Jews. They understood the
decision of the First Jerusalem Council, and that
the demands placed on them were kept to a minimum.
What they tried to do was to remove paganism from
their culture by replacing false gods with the
true God. They tried to bring Christ into their
culture. Instead of Sunday being the day of the
Sun, they made it a day for the Son of God, who
is like the Sun of Righteousness. Instead of a
holiday dedicated to Saturn near the winter solstice,
they replaced Saturn with Messiah, the Light.
Instead of a day devoted to Ishtar, they focused
on the resurrection of Messiah. I don’t
believe these early leaders sinned. I believe
they did well! I believe that Christmas, Easter,
and Sunday worship are legitimate traditions,
and that people have a right to observe traditions
that are meaningful to them, without being derided
for it - as long as the traditions don’t
contradict the Word of God. Messiah Yeshua Himself
observed some extra-biblical Jewish traditions
- like drinking more than one cup of wine at the
Last Supper, which was a Passover Seder, and like
His celebrating Chanukah (see John 10).
There
are some pagan practices that do stand in contradiction
to the Word of God and should not be used at all.
For example, many pagans had shrines with idols
in which they prayed to their gods, including
a mother goddess figure. Instead of giving up
this idolatry, some nominal Christians simply
renamed them Mary and the saints. Praying to fellow
human beings who have died, or using statues and
icons as part of worship, are practices that are
incompatible with Biblical worship. I also find
the "Sacrifice of the Mass" and the
doctrine of Transubstantiation to be pagan if
it is taught that the literal body and blood of
the Messiah are being eaten and drunk, since the
Torah forbids cannibalism and the consumption
of blood.
I don’t
believe that Messianic Synagogues are any purer
or better than any good Evangelical Church.
In fact, I would far prefer people attend a healthy
Evangelical Church than an unhealthy Messianic
Congregation. It is the presence of the Holy Spirit,
making people holy and transforming them into
the image of Messiah, that purifies. Messianic
Judaism is not a superior type of Christianity.
Through Messiah, everyone is made complete. Yes,
there are some beautiful truths in the holidays
and other aspects of Jewish culture, but there
is also great wisdom in good Christian theological
books and commentaries and in the Church. And
of course, Yeshua Himself is our supreme source
of wisdom. There is a depth of wisdom that is
in Him that can satisfy any Christian or Messianic
Jew.
I don’t
believe that every Christian would be better off
joining a Messianic Congregation. It takes
a unique (though by no means superior) calling
to be part of a Messianic Synagogue. Messianic
Synagogues exist primarily to strengthen Messianic
Jews (as well as Gentile Christians who come to
us with the right motives) and to be a witness
to the Jewish community.
Charismatic
Issues
While
I believe that God can and does perform miracles
today, and can supernaturally empower people with
the charismatic gifts mentioned in the Scriptures,
in actual practice very few of the prophecies,
tongues, visions, dreams or healings that are
claimed to be from God - at least those I’ve
witnessed - were genuinely from God. I am open
to the genuine, but I want to be wise and discerning,
and not easily manipulated. The gifts of the Spirit
can’t be taught. They are supernaturally
given by God according to His will. It
is illegitimate to attempt to manipulate or pressure
someone into speaking in tongues. It is absurd
to have “schools of the prophets”
if the purpose is to teach someone how to be a
prophet. In the Scriptures, the “school
of the prophets” simply meant the disciples
of the prophets.
I want
to avoid false prophets, even though they may
be doing genuine miracles. It is a very serious
thing to claim that God is speaking or acting
through you. Those who claim that God is giving
them a word, vision or language when He is not,
and who seek to influence others by their claim,
are in dire trouble and should be shunned.
Those
who base their faith on outward phenomena or esoteric
experiences (as opposed to the firms truths found
in the unfailing Word of God and the simple spiritual
disciplines like reading and studying the Scriptures,
praying and fasting, committing oneself to regular
fellowship, serving, giving and witnessing) are
more prone to theological error and are susceptible
to manipulation by false teachers. Because,
for most, there is no real power or gifting, and
the experience is based on the flesh and human
manipulation, the “charismatic” experience
soon runs out of excitement. Then people look
for the next wave, the new stream, the next phenomenon.
For that reason many went from the Charismatic/Pentecostal
movement into the bizarre manifestations that
accompanied the “Toronto Blessing.”
Further,
many have fallen prey to the corrupt Prosperity
Teaching and followed false teachers such as Benny
Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Kenneth Hagin, T.D. Jakes,
Paul Crouch and their “Word of Faith”
crowd. I loathe the vile Prosperity Teaching.
The purpose of the Gospel is not to make us
healthy and rich, but to save us for the true
riches and bliss of an eternity with our gracious
God. Our focus must not be material prosperity,
but spiritual prosperity and bringing the Gospel
of salvation to others - as the Lord and His Apostles
exemplified. The Prosperity Teaching isn’t
about “faith” - it’s about materialism,
greed and worldliness - but disguised with Christian
terminology. If the Prosperity Teaching is true,
why are the poorest sinners in the United States
generally better off materially than the holiest
saints in many underdeveloped countries? The
spiritual get-rich-quick scam of the Prosperity
Teachers doesn’t work - except perhaps for
themselves!
What
is true prosperity? Being in a right relationship
with the Living God; having a job that provides
enough food, clothing and shelter to meet your
needs, and leaves you with something extra to
help others, support your congregation and other
good works. Do you want material prosperity?
It comes from delaying present gratification in
order to save for future benefits. Material prosperity
is the result of working hard, making good investments,
bettering yourself, pursuing a good education,
and living in a nation that is at peace and is
politically stable - and even all those things
combined are no guarantee of prosperity! Wealth
tends to make itself wings and fly away - fast,
out of reach and for a long time!
I suspect
that the days of the popularity of the Prosperity
Teachers will soon come to an end. I think
we are due for difficult economic circumstances
which will make the absurdity of the Prosperity
Teaching obvious. As a nation, we have violated
sound economic principles. We have created too
much debt/credit/paper money not backed by gold
and silver. The government and far too many American
citizens and companies are tremendously in debt.
We have embraced an inherently unstable fractional
reserve banking system. There are hundreds of
trillions of dollars’ worth of derivatives
that have never been tested in a tumultuous economic
environment. The government, for too long, manipulated
artificially low interest rates which caused a
housing bubble. The government has over-extended
promises of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid
and other kinds of insurance. I would not be surprised
if we entered into a Second Great Depression because
of persistent violation of the laws of economics
- and that would speed the end of the false Prosperity
Teaching.
So,
when it comes to charismatic phenomena, I would
prefer to err on the side of caution. I agree
with Art Katz, who wisely said that “it
is the path of wisdom to keep our distance from
all questionable phenomena and teachings, trusting
that whatever we might be missing is not greater
than what we are protecting. The Lord is not offended
by a carefulness that would rather err in the
direction of His holiness than risk subverting
what has already been given as pure and true and
reliable and trustworthy. Don't throw away what
is proven, that which you know is true, that which
is precious and dear for that which is questionable.
Let us not be so greedy for new spiritual experiences,
new teachings, empowerments, releases, anointings,
signs, wonders, miracles or revivals that we entrust
ourselves to questionable personalities and ministries
who have caught the public fancy with overnight
popularity.” If we will simply draw near
to God, remain close to Messiah, avoid evil, and
focus on the basics, we will recognize God’s
voice and discern the true from the false. Then
and only then will He entrust us with real power,
real miracles and a real anointing.
Other
Issues
I believe
in two ordinances for the Church - Baptism, and
the Lord’s Supper. I believe that ideally
baptism should be done by full immersion to someone
who has made their own decision to follow Messiah
(but that does not prevent me from having fellowship
with those who sprinkle, and engage in infant
baptism). The Lord’s Supper is a memorial,
a symbol of our union with the Risen Lord, who
is united to the Father. Transubstantiation is
error, but that does not prevent me from having
fellowship with those who believe in Consubstantiation.
I do not believe in Baptismal Regeneration. I
believe that baptism is symbolic of the inward
renewal that takes place at the moment that saving
faith is generated in a human heart, and the Holy
Spirit is given to that individual. Baptism is
the first thing that should be done after a person
comes to a saving knowledge of the Lord. It shows
commitment, and public identification with the
God of Israel, and with Messiah Yeshua, and with
the New Covenant Community. Baptism is the initiation
of our life with God. The Lord’s Supper
helps us sustain our life with the Lord and maintain
unity with His people. Therefore, a person must
be baptized before they are allowed to participate
in the Lord’s Supper. I believe that the
community of believers can observe the Lord’s
Supper as often as they assemble, or when they
choose to do so. Our community celebrates the
Lord’s Supper once a month, on the first
Sabbath of the new Jewish month. I believe that
the bread can be either leavened or unleavened
bread (except during Passover, when we will use
matza).
I believe
that circumcision is an ordinance for the Jewish
people, including Messianic Jews, but that it
is not necessary for Gentile Christians. The covenant
that God made with Abraham and His descendants
is still in effect, and circumcision is our responsibility
if we want to be part of that covenant.
I believe
that the “Two House/Ephraimite” movement
is based on bad interpretation of the Bible and
bad history and should be rejected.
I believe
that those involved in the “Sacred Name”
movement are confused and should be avoided altogether.
Their theology is based on a false premise, that
we must use the right pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton
(the Four Letters - the Yud Hay Vuv Hay) otherwise
we aren’t “calling on the name of
the Lord” properly; and, if we are to “call
on the name of the Lord” to be saved, we
won’t be saved if we don’t use His
name. When the Bible speaks of the "name
of the Lord," it is primarily referring to
the character of God. God's name tells us who
He is. God's name refers to His essence, His character,
His reputation, His power and authority. When
we praise or give thanks or confess or do anything
in the name of the Lord, it means we are dealing
with who the true God really is. It’s about
knowing who He is, and reflecting His character
- not about pronouncing the correct syllables.
Furthermore, we really don't know how the ancient
Hebrews pronounced the Tetragrammaton. But even
if we did know, that misses the point. In a similar
way, in the New Testament the emphasis is on the
name of Yeshua. Praying "in the name of Jesus"
doesn't mean adding “in Jesus' name, amen"
at the end of every prayer. To pray in the name
of Yeshua means to pray as He would pray, petitioning
God in a way that is consistent with Messiah’s
teachings, and in accord with God’s will
and purposes. One doesn't have to add "in
Jesus' name” to pray in the name of Yeshua!
I don't think any of the prayers in the New
Testament end with, "in Jesus name."
Even "The Lord's Prayer," which is a
model prayer for us, does not end this way. Similarly,
when we are baptized in the name of Jesus, or
do anything in His name, it is because we are
committing ourselves to follow Him, and embracing
His Lordship, mission and values.
Issues
Regarding Gender
I am against
women being in the position of pastors and rabbis
or being in positions of spiritual authority over
men. It’s clearly unbiblical. There was
nothing ambiguous about Rabbi Paul’s words
to Timothy: “A woman must quietly receive
instruction with entire submissiveness. But I
do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority
over a man, but to remain quiet” (1
Timothy 2:11-12). “An overseer must
be the husband of one wife” (1 Timothy
3:2). God created an order among human beings.
The man is the head of his family, even if his
wife is smarter than he is. God’s Word,
not our talent, is the determinative factor in
family leadership or spiritual leadership.
Being
the leader of a congregation is similar to being
the leader of a family. A congregation is
like an extended family. Leading a congregation,
like being a good father, can be very difficult
at times. I’ve been a rabbi for almost 20
years, and I am telling you that being a good
pastor is tough work. It is often discouraging.
There are times when it is burdensome. Duties
include disciplining and confronting and correcting
those who are doing wrong - women and some strong
men. It involves receiving criticism - sometimes
deserved but often not. It involves disappointing
people. It involves speaking publicly about controversial
and unpopular issues. All this takes a certain
toughness and aggressiveness. Being a pastor is
rough, hard work - if it is done well. These responsibilities
are not for the gentler sex. Just as the man
is the head of the home, and a home functions
properly when the man is the leader, so the Church
functions properly in the same way. The Church,
for 1900 years, rightly didn’t allow women
to be leaders. Several years ago our synagogue
made it a policy that none of our representatives
speak in a church that had a woman pastor in a
position of authority over men.
Our sexuality
is an integral part of who God made us to be,
and it must not be perverted. Homosexuality defies
the laws of nature and the laws of God. Homosexuality
is a sexual perversion, harmful to those who engage
in it and destructive to the society that encourages
it. It is a very serious sin, and is treated as
such in the Tenach and the Brit Chadasha (the
Law, the Prophets and the Writings; and the New
Covenant). It is regarded as toh-ay-vah,
an abomination, something that is extremely repugnant
and detestable to the holy God. It is such a serious
sin, that unless it is turned from, it results
in loss of the Kingdom of God.
Homosexuals
are not to be mistreated, but instead shown compassion
and love. But they also need to be told the truth
- that they are misusing their sexuality, and
unless they turn away from this serious sexual
sin which nature and God forbids, they will go
to Hell. Our attitude toward homosexuals should
be to love the sinner but hate the sin. We
are to be tolerant towards homosexuals, but tolerance
does not mean that you accept all ideas, religions,
philosophies, worldviews, opinions, lifestyles
and practices as being equally true, valid, or
beneficial. The Church must never declare
that homosexuality is acceptable to God or to
the Church. Those who do so, as have most of the
Episcopal churches in the United States, have
left the Faith.
Major
Errors That Afflict The Body Of Messiah
Theological
Liberalism has been one of the main enemies of
the Faith for the past 150 years. It developed
in the 1800s during the trend toward deifying
human reason, science and anti-supernaturalism.
It excludes the supernatural from the Faith; discounts
clear Biblical teaching such as a six-day Creation,
the Flood, prophecies, miracles; and often denies
Messiah’s virgin birth, His resurrection,
and the existence of Hell. It teaches that Genesis
1-11 is not real history with real people and
real events. But it is not possible to dismiss
the supernatural aspects of the Word of God and
leave intact the Faith that was “once for
all delivered to the saints.” Paul wrote
to Timothy to avoid those who “hold to a
form of religion but deny its power” (2
Timothy 3:5). The Bible is a supernatural book
about a supernatural God who supernaturally intervenes
in human history.
Theological
Liberalism teaches that the Bible is not divinely
inspired by God, is not inerrant, not accurate,
and not written by those whom the Bible itself
says wrote it. Many liberal/apostate/heretics
embrace the false “Documentary Hypothesis”
- the teaching that Moses didn’t write the
Torah. Instead, they claim, there were various
schools of people over hundreds of years who wrote
it. According to this error, Deuteronomy was written
hundreds of years after Moses died! The idea that
Moses didn't write Deuteronomy (except perhaps
for the last few statements), falls outside of
the Faith. The Torah itself repeatedly affirms
its Mosaic authorship. The infallible Son of God
said that Moses wrote it (see Matthew 8:4, 19:8,
Luke 24:44). There is no evidence for the claim
that some unnamed group of men wrote Deuteronomy
around 600 BC (900 years after Moses!). Those
who deny that Moses wrote the Torah, in order
to explain away the supernatural nature of predictive
prophecy, generally also teach that there were
multiple Isaiahs, and assign a late date for the
book of Daniel. The multiple authorship of Isaiah,
and a late dating for Daniel, must likewise be
rejected by those who hold to the truth.
In their
effort to eliminate the supernatural from the
Bible, theological liberals undermine faith in
God and confidence in the Bible. Francis Schaeffer
observed, “Liberal theologians don’t
believe in content or religious truth. They are
really existentialists using theological, Christian
language.” Liberalism has, in fact, destroyed
the faith of millions and ruined entire denominations
(particularly mainline churches, including many
United Methodist, Episcopalian and Presbyterian
churches). The liberal churches are losing members
and shrinking - as they should. I like the way
Jackie Alnor put it: “Theological liberalism
is under a curse for having taken away from the
Word of God.” Perhaps she based that statement
on the following verses: You shall not add
to the word which I am commanding you, nor
take away from it (Deuteronomy 4:2).
If anyone takes away from the words of
the book of this prophecy, God shall take
away his part from the tree of life and from the
holy city (Revelation 22:19). In other words,
those who accept the anti-Biblical tenets of Liberalism
have denied the Faith. Theological Liberalism
is apostate and heretical and must be rejected.
I believe
that the Roman Catholic Church is a corrupt religious
institution. I identify it as the woman who sits
on the beast (see Revelation 17-18). It is connected
to a great city that exercises political control
over kings and nations. It is full of abominations
and immorality, outwardly rich, politically powerful,
having exercised great political control over
many governments. It is a persecutor of the real
saints, and religiously corrupt. The Gospel it
offers has been perverted, and consequently will
not save its adherents. It has added to the Word
of God by acknowledging the Apocrypha as part
of the Holy Scriptures. It has added to the Word
of God by elevating Catholic traditions, laws
and decrees to the same status as the Word of
God!
In addition,
it has arrogantly declared the bishop of Rome
to be the infallible leader of the entire Church.
It invented the doctrine of a non-existent place
called Purgatory. There is no Scriptural support
for traditions and practices such as the sacrifice
of the mass, transubstantiation, prayers and masses
for the dead, indulgences, the worship of Mary,
prayers to the saints, adoring a piece of bread,
the use of icons in worship, holy water, rosary
beads and scapulars, a Roman Catholic priesthood,
the demand of celibacy from these priests and
nuns, and confession to priests to obtain absolution.
It has developed a complicated system of salvation
based on works and man-made teachings mixed with
Scripture. It does not teach salvation by grace
alone by faith alone based on the finished work
of Messiah. Therefore it teaches “Another
Gospel,” which is a false gospel.
If
there are genuine Christians within the Catholic
Church who are born-again, it is in spite of the
Catholic Church, not because of the Catholic Church.
Those Catholics who may be saved, as they read
the Scriptures and point out the errors in the
Catholic Church to their friends and family, priests
and fellow parishioners, will eventually be asked
to leave the Catholic Church. One of the historical
distinctives of Evangelical Christianity is that
it stood in opposition to these serious errors
within Catholicism, which for many centuries now
the Roman Church has resolutely refused to reform.
I am terribly disappointed with those involved
with “Evangelicals and Catholics Together”
and want to keep my distance from them. I don’t
want close fellowship with Evangelicals such as
Billy Graham and Chuck Colson, who deceive themselves
into thinking that the Catholic Church is okay.
Abortion
Abortion
is the supreme moral issue of our day. Each day
4,000 human beings in their mothers’ wombs
are murdered in the United States. Christians
and Messianic Jews must rise up against this murderous
practice. Christians must not support or vote
for candidates who are pro-abortion. If you claim
to be a Christian or a Messianic Jew, and claim
to follow God and His ways, and you vote for those
who are sympathetic to and supportive of the murder
of our children, I don't want to have fellowship
with you! The Word of God tells us not to associate
with any so called brother, who claims to be a
Christian, if he is an immoral person (see 1 Corinthians
5:9). Being supportive of abortion/murder is the
epitome of immorality! I don't want to eat with
those who support murder, and those who elect
them to office. I don't think the Lord will welcome
you at His table either! Conventional wisdom in
American politics says, "It's the economy,
stupid!" But if you believe in God, economic
issues don’t come first. Righteousness does!
We must vote for what is right, even if it hurts
us economically. We must sacrifice our economic
interests in favor of the interests of morality
and righteousness. Seek first the Kingdom of God
and what...? Money? No! Righteousness! You can't
serve God and money. The Holy Scriptures teach
us that "righteousness (not economic policy)
exalts a nation"! We must place morality
and righteousness before our pocketbook. Don't
vote your pocketbook! Vote the Holy Book! Vote
righteousness!
Origins
and Endings
I believe
that history had a beginning, has a middle and
will have an end. I believe that Genesis 1-11
is an accurate historical record. I believe that
the creation days of Genesis are literal twenty-four
hour days, and there are no good linguistic or
theological reasons to believe otherwise. I believe
that the Earth was cursed because of man’s
sin. I believe the Genesis narrative of a cataclysmic
worldwide Flood is true. I believe that the universe
was created about 6,000 years ago, and the scientific
body of evidence for a young universe is very
strong (see Impact Article #384, Evidence
for a Young World by Dr. Russell Humphreys,
at the Institute For Creation Research website;
also see The Young Earth by John D. Morris,
1994, Master Books). Billions of years are unnecessary
to explain the origins of the universe and life
in it.
Evolution
is not only bad science (see Unlocking
The Mystery Of Life, an excellent film
on VHS or DVD, available through Congregation
Shema Yisrael), but it contributes to bad theology.
Either you believe Yeshua when He said that Adam
and Eve were there at the beginning of creation
(not several billion years after the beginning
of creation - see Mark 10:6), or else you’re
left to conclude that the Son of God was grossly
mistaken or a liar. Henry Morris wrote: “The
Lord Jesus, who was actually the Creator of all
things and who therefore knows how it was, completely
rejected the long-age notion of the ancient evolutionary
philosophers (Stoics and Epicureans)” (The
Young Earth, page 5). If you insist on accommodating
the Genesis account to Evolutionary Theory, you
would then have to say that there was death before
Adam’s sin entered the world, even though
the Bible tells us that death came as a result
of Adam’s sin.
Dr. John
Morris helps us understand why believing in Creation
and a young Earth is important: “In the
Bible they (editor’s note: “they”
meaning Christians) read that God created all
things in six days. They’ve come to know
the Lord and love and trust His Word, but they’ve
heard that ‘all educated people know that
evolution has been proven.’ And so, they
find themselves in a dilemma. Creation or evolution,
the Bible or science? ‘Since science is
true, and since it disagrees with the Bible, then
Scripture must be untrue,’ they think. Several
options present themselves. A frequent response
is to believe in creation at the appropriate times,
but to believe evolution at other times, and try
not to think about the inconsistency. Or maybe
the two are somehow compatible. Maybe God used
evolution to create. Maybe the days of Genesis
are long periods of time. Maybe evolution occurred
in a ‘gap,’ then that original world
was destroyed, and God re-created in six days.
Maybe, maybe - ‘well I’m just not
going to think about it. I’ll stay in the
New Testament.’ But those doubts. Where
do the dinosaurs fit in with Scripture? Where
did Cain get his wife? Where did the races come
from? What about the ice age? How did all those
animals fit in Noah’s Ark? Where did all
the water come from to cover the mountains? And
where did it go? Reasoning from an evolutionary
mindset, there are no good answers to these questions.
And so, many think, maybe Scripture has errors.
Maybe it can’t be trusted. Maybe even the
New Testament can’t be trusted. The result:
a weak church, with weak, doubting Christians.
Young people from Christian homes and good churches
who go off to college and come back doubting and
defeated or worse. Pastors who don’t teach
the whole Scripture. Denominations that go liberal.
Seminaries that teach a smorgasbord of ideas”
(The Young Earth, pages 7-8).
I believe
that in the future, a one-world government, headed
by an evil dictator, the anti-Messiah, will come
to power. I believe the true Messiah, Yeshua,
will literally and physically return to Earth,
destroy the anti-Messiah and his forces of wickedness,
and set up His Kingdom, which will be centered
in Jerusalem and last for 1,000 years. I believe
in a real, not symbolic, Millennium, and that
God will literally fulfill the many promises He
made to Israel (such as Ezekiel 40-48; Zechariah
12-14; Isaiah 2:1-4, 65:18-25; Jeremiah 33:19-22)
- but that does not prevent me from having fellowship
with Amillennialists.
I believe
that after the Millennium, this universe will
be destroyed. That event will be followed by the
Day of Judgment. At that time, every human being
will give an account of the things they have done,
and the things they wrongly left undone.
I believe
in a literal Heaven and Hell, and in the subsequent
creation of the New Heavens, the New Earth and
the New Jerusalem. I differ from the traditional
view of Hell that teaches that Hell is a place
of eternal, excruciating and conscious torment
for every human being who is sent there. I believe
the Bible teaches the unrighteous will be resurrected,
judged and punished in Hell for a period of time
proportional to their sins, and then most will
suffer destruction of both body and soul in Hell.
The really evil, like the Antichrist and False
Prophet, and perhaps others like the Hitlers and
Stalins of this world, will suffer forever in
Hell (see Revelation 20:10). My reasons for believing
this, in short, are:
The human
soul is not immortal. The Torah teaches us that
in the beginning man was banished from the Garden
of Eden and forbidden to eat from the Tree of
Life, so that he would not live forever, so that
he would not be immortal. Mankind is headed toward
death - the first death, followed by the Second
Death. He is not, by nature, immortal. In 1 Timothy
6:15 16, Paul says that God alone possesses immortality
- not us. In 1 Corinthians 15:53 the great Rabbi
teaches that the redeemed will not become immortal
until the time of their resurrection. “For
this perishable must put on the imperishable,
and this mortal must put on immortality.”
In other words, immortality is a gift of God which
He gives in His grace to the redeemed at the time
of their resurrection. In 2 Timothy 1:10, Paul
states that because of the appearing of our Savior,
Messiah Yeshua, He has abolished death and brought
life and immortality to light through the Gospel.
It is Yeshua who brings immortality to those who
receive the Message of Salvation that He alone
offers. There is no need to believe that most
human beings will suffer eternally in Hell if
the human soul is not intrinsically immortal -
and it isn't.
Hell is
described as "the Second Death" (see
Revelation 2:11; 20:6,14; 21:8). How can Hell
be a "Second Death" if it consists of
a kind of ongoing life, an eternal existence of
conscious torment? Is the Second Death just another
kind of life? Or, is the Second Death a cessation
of spiritual life, like the first death is a cessation
of physical life? Isn’t death a cessation
of life?
Hell is
a place of destruction (Matthew 7:13). Messiah
revealed that in Hell, both soul and body can
be destroyed (Matthew 10:28). Destruction of both
body and soul seems to mean the total destruction
of the entire person. Likewise, in 2 Thessalonians
1:9, Paul says that those who do not obey the
message of salvation "will pay the penalty
of eternal destruction."
Hell
is a place of eternal punishment, but there is
a difference between eternal punishment and eternal
punishing. It is one thing to experience a punishment
that is eternal in its consequences; it is another
thing to experience eternal punishing. The
Bible also speaks of eternal judgment (Hebrews
6:2), but it is not a judgment that continues
eternally, rather a judgment that comes to an
end that has eternal consequences.
The punishment
must fit the crime. It does not seem right that
trillions of years of torment, and more (since
that would only be the beginning of one’s
torment), await those who committed crimes for
a few years here on Earth.
The doctrine
of eternal torment goes against Biblical examples
of how God punishes the wicked. The Lord’s
punishments took place quickly and without undue
suffering. Sodom and Gomorrah was punished with
fire - but it took place suddenly. The Lord destroyed
Noah's evil generation with water - but the Flood
came quickly. The Lord ordered the Canaanites
to be killed - but they were to be killed swiftly.
In the Torah there was no provision for long jail
sentences, where a person suffered in jail for
years and years. Torture was never allowed. Punishments
for violation of the Law consisted either of restitution
or death. Even animals were to be spared suffering.
They were to be killed as quickly and painlessly
as possible.
I believe
that there is room within orthodoxy for this position
on the nature of Hell. Both Jewish and Christians
scholars have held to this position in ancient
and modern times. One’s understanding about
the duration of Hell is not a matter of cardinal
doctrine, like the doctrines of the Trinity, or
the deity of the Messiah, or salvation by grace
alone and by faith alone, or the authority of
the Holy Scriptures alone. This is an issue of
eschatology, the study of the Last Things; and
sincere, godly believers may study the same Scripture
passages about Hell and come to different conclusions
about the issue of its duration. Our varied viewpoints,
arrived at through earnest and godly study, should
not be allowed to cause division or rancor in
the Body of Messiah.
For more
information on the nature of Hell, I recommend
the March 2006 edition of the Lamplighter
Magazine, produced by Lamb and Lion Ministries
(from which much of this teaching on the nature
of Hell is taken). Also, Edward Fudge’s
superb and masterful book, The Fire That Consumes,
is an outstanding resource on this subject.
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