MESSIANIC JUDAISM vs CHRISTIAN HELLENISM
Andre Widodo
© ORI
Shalom,
What is MESSIANIC JUDAISM?
* MESSIANIC JUDAISM is a movement among the Jewish people and the Gentiles who are grafted in to them who believe that Yeshua is the Messiah of Israel, the Lord, Ben Elohim and the Savior of the world. Yeshua is the most Jewish of Jews. Yeshua was a descendant of both Abraham and King David, He was raised in a Jewish family and went to synagogue. He perfectly kept the entire TORAH. He taught that He came to make the TORAH complete, He did not abolish the TORAH (see Matthew 5:17-19). He was a Rabbi who performed unparalleled miracles, bringing great blessing to the nation of Israel. All His early disciples also lived very Jewish lives. The Messianic movement is entirely Jewish, and continued to exist as an authentic Jewish movement for 700 years after Yeshua’s death and resurrection. Messianic Jews have not stopped being Jewish. On the contrary, we remain strongly Jewish in our identity and lifestyle! The Tanakh (the Hebrew Scriptures) provides the foundation of our Jewish faith, and the New Covenant Scriptures (which were also written by Jews) the completion of our Jewish faith.
The New Covenant brings the Good News / Gospel that we can observe the TORAH in Yeshua's definition. Not by other rabbis definitions. This is the Good News.
Since in MESSIANIC JUDAISM we do not abolish the TORAH, we observe the Shabbat and all the Biblical FEASTS. All of these are about Yeshua the Jewish Messiah and the Savior of the world.
We observe the TORAH because we love Y-H-V-H and love Yeshua our Messiah, Ben Elohim (see John 14:15 and John 14:21). We do NOT observe the TORAH for salvation.
We believe in Yeshua's death and resurrection. He died and rose again to atone for our sins, so that we can enter into His Covenant relationship with God. We believe that Yeshua ascended to the right hand of God the Father and is coming back to Earth to reign from Jerusalem over Israel and all the nations of the world in MESSIANIC Kingdom. At that time the fullness of the His Covenant will be realized.
We believe that YESHUA is the LIVING TORAH. We believe that RUACH HA'KODESH is Spirit of Y-H-V-H. The teaching of RUACH HA'KODESH is never against the teaching of TORAH, the LIVING TORAH. In fact, RUACH HA'KODESH will remind all the teaching of the LIVING TORAH (see John 14:26-27).
We believe the authority of the Hebrew Scripture and the New Covenant. We believe that Rabbi Sha'ul of Tarsus is a good Rabbi who follow the footstep of YESHUA the Messiah. All the teaching of Rabbi Sha'ul is never against the TORAH, in fact he established the authority of the TORAH.
"Do we then make void the TORAH through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the TORAH." (Romans 3:31).
We always be careful to study the writing of Rabbi Sha'ul, because if we miss intepret it, it will bring destruction.
"As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction." (2Peter 3:16).
What is CHRISTIAN HELLENISM?
*CHRISTIAN HELLENISM is a movement among the Gentiles who mix Hellenistic philosophy and CHRISTIANITY. It refers to the complex interaction between Hellenistic philosophy and early CHRISTIANITY during the first four centuries AD.
As CHRISTIANITY spread throughout the Hellenic world, an increasing number of church leaders / church fathers were educated in Greek philosophy. The dominant philosophical traditions of the Greco-Roman world at the time were Stoicism, Platonism, and Epicureanism. Stoicism and particularly Platonism were readily incorporated into CHRISTIAN ethics and CHRISTIAN theology.
CHRISTIAN assimilation of Hellenic philosophy was anticipated by Philo and other Greek-speaking Alexandrian Jews. Philo's blend of Judaism, Platonism, and Stoicism strongly influenced CHRISTIAN Alexandrian writers like Origen and Clement of Alexandria, as well as, in the Latin world, Ambrose of Milan.
One early CHRISTIAN writer of the 2nd and early 3rd century, Clement of Alexandria, demonstrated Greek thought in writing,
"Philosophy has been given to the Greeks as their own kind of Covenant, their foundation for the philosophy of Christ ... the philosophy of the Greeks ... contains the basic elements of that genuine and perfect knowledge which is higher than human ... even upon those spiritual objects." (Miscellanies 6. 8)
The Church historian Eusebius suggested, essentially, that Greek philosophy had been supplied providentially as a preparation for the Gospel. Augustine of Hippo, who ultimately systematized CHRISTIAN philosophy, wrote in the 4th and early 5th century,
But when I read those books of the Platonists I was taught by them to seek incorporeal truth, so I saw your 'invisible things, understood by the things that are made' (Confessions 7. 20).
They do NOT observe the TORAH, they believe the TORAH was nailed and destroyed in the Cross. They do NOT observe the Shabbat and do NOT observe the Biblical FEASTS.
But on the other hand, they observe the pagan feast of Good Friday, Easter, Christmas.
They do NOT observe KASHRUT or the Biblical Diet.
As they always say, they are flowing with the spirit, and they are revelation oriented rather than Scripture oriented. They never double check the revelation of the spirit with the Scripture, and as a result, there are many denominations.
They promote FEEL GOOD theology rather than TORAH.
Now, what are you?
Andre Widodo
© ORI
Shalom,
What is MESSIANIC JUDAISM?
* MESSIANIC JUDAISM is a movement among the Jewish people and the Gentiles who are grafted in to them who believe that Yeshua is the Messiah of Israel, the Lord, Ben Elohim and the Savior of the world. Yeshua is the most Jewish of Jews. Yeshua was a descendant of both Abraham and King David, He was raised in a Jewish family and went to synagogue. He perfectly kept the entire TORAH. He taught that He came to make the TORAH complete, He did not abolish the TORAH (see Matthew 5:17-19). He was a Rabbi who performed unparalleled miracles, bringing great blessing to the nation of Israel. All His early disciples also lived very Jewish lives. The Messianic movement is entirely Jewish, and continued to exist as an authentic Jewish movement for 700 years after Yeshua’s death and resurrection. Messianic Jews have not stopped being Jewish. On the contrary, we remain strongly Jewish in our identity and lifestyle! The Tanakh (the Hebrew Scriptures) provides the foundation of our Jewish faith, and the New Covenant Scriptures (which were also written by Jews) the completion of our Jewish faith.
The New Covenant brings the Good News / Gospel that we can observe the TORAH in Yeshua's definition. Not by other rabbis definitions. This is the Good News.
Since in MESSIANIC JUDAISM we do not abolish the TORAH, we observe the Shabbat and all the Biblical FEASTS. All of these are about Yeshua the Jewish Messiah and the Savior of the world.
We observe the TORAH because we love Y-H-V-H and love Yeshua our Messiah, Ben Elohim (see John 14:15 and John 14:21). We do NOT observe the TORAH for salvation.
We believe in Yeshua's death and resurrection. He died and rose again to atone for our sins, so that we can enter into His Covenant relationship with God. We believe that Yeshua ascended to the right hand of God the Father and is coming back to Earth to reign from Jerusalem over Israel and all the nations of the world in MESSIANIC Kingdom. At that time the fullness of the His Covenant will be realized.
We believe that YESHUA is the LIVING TORAH. We believe that RUACH HA'KODESH is Spirit of Y-H-V-H. The teaching of RUACH HA'KODESH is never against the teaching of TORAH, the LIVING TORAH. In fact, RUACH HA'KODESH will remind all the teaching of the LIVING TORAH (see John 14:26-27).
We believe the authority of the Hebrew Scripture and the New Covenant. We believe that Rabbi Sha'ul of Tarsus is a good Rabbi who follow the footstep of YESHUA the Messiah. All the teaching of Rabbi Sha'ul is never against the TORAH, in fact he established the authority of the TORAH.
"Do we then make void the TORAH through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the TORAH." (Romans 3:31).
We always be careful to study the writing of Rabbi Sha'ul, because if we miss intepret it, it will bring destruction.
"As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction." (2Peter 3:16).
What is CHRISTIAN HELLENISM?
*CHRISTIAN HELLENISM is a movement among the Gentiles who mix Hellenistic philosophy and CHRISTIANITY. It refers to the complex interaction between Hellenistic philosophy and early CHRISTIANITY during the first four centuries AD.
As CHRISTIANITY spread throughout the Hellenic world, an increasing number of church leaders / church fathers were educated in Greek philosophy. The dominant philosophical traditions of the Greco-Roman world at the time were Stoicism, Platonism, and Epicureanism. Stoicism and particularly Platonism were readily incorporated into CHRISTIAN ethics and CHRISTIAN theology.
CHRISTIAN assimilation of Hellenic philosophy was anticipated by Philo and other Greek-speaking Alexandrian Jews. Philo's blend of Judaism, Platonism, and Stoicism strongly influenced CHRISTIAN Alexandrian writers like Origen and Clement of Alexandria, as well as, in the Latin world, Ambrose of Milan.
One early CHRISTIAN writer of the 2nd and early 3rd century, Clement of Alexandria, demonstrated Greek thought in writing,
"Philosophy has been given to the Greeks as their own kind of Covenant, their foundation for the philosophy of Christ ... the philosophy of the Greeks ... contains the basic elements of that genuine and perfect knowledge which is higher than human ... even upon those spiritual objects." (Miscellanies 6. 8)
The Church historian Eusebius suggested, essentially, that Greek philosophy had been supplied providentially as a preparation for the Gospel. Augustine of Hippo, who ultimately systematized CHRISTIAN philosophy, wrote in the 4th and early 5th century,
But when I read those books of the Platonists I was taught by them to seek incorporeal truth, so I saw your 'invisible things, understood by the things that are made' (Confessions 7. 20).
They do NOT observe the TORAH, they believe the TORAH was nailed and destroyed in the Cross. They do NOT observe the Shabbat and do NOT observe the Biblical FEASTS.
But on the other hand, they observe the pagan feast of Good Friday, Easter, Christmas.
They do NOT observe KASHRUT or the Biblical Diet.
As they always say, they are flowing with the spirit, and they are revelation oriented rather than Scripture oriented. They never double check the revelation of the spirit with the Scripture, and as a result, there are many denominations.
They promote FEEL GOOD theology rather than TORAH.
Now, what are you?
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