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Dismantling Legalism in the
Messianic Jewish Movement
Messianic Jewish Movement
by Marshall Beeber
The greatest threat to the Messianic Jewish Movement in the 21st Century is the de-spiritualization of it's ranks by legalism in the form of obligatory Torah observance. I believe the reason for "Torah observant legalism" overtaking the "gospel of grace" is from unbiblical compromise and conformation to a false spirit of religiosity among Messianic Jewish leaders. To make the situation worse, grace oriented Messianic or Christian Jewish leaders have themselves been polarized by various secondary issues.
Let me take some time to explain why legalism in the form of Torah Observance has successfully overtaken the correct doctrine of gracious freedom. The Messianic Jewish Movement grew out of opposition towards Protestant Christian missionary programs which did not understand the needs of Messianic Jewish believers. Doctrine was oriented towards grace, with oversight that would prevent believers from professing and teaching Torah observance. Such programs only perpetuated a "second class" citizenry within Protestant denominations, causing Messianic Jewish worshippers to mistrust their leadership. In response to the mistrust within the church many Messianic Jewish believers formed their own associations and Messianic Jewish congregations in the mid 70s. In the late 70s through the 80s the Messianic Jewish movement teaching in most congregations was still largely grace oriented, accompanied with some Torah observance. This form of worship and daily practice though mostly holding to gracious freedom was soon to give way to a more radical theology.
In the mid-1990’s David Stern’s revolutionary book , "The Messianic Jewish Manifesto" started turning belief towards strict Torah Observance. I believe that Stern’s intent was that of dismantling the "Pauline" teachings of gracious freedom, to revert back to the Law. He and other supportive Messianic Jewish teachers perceived the grace teachings of the Apostle Paul to be the greatest stumbling block to evangelizing the Jewish people. He therefore intentionally rebelled against New Covenant doctrine believing that Jews would not accept any Gospel except one that was Torah observant. In doing this, he and other supportive teachers adopted a dangerously heretical course. Strict to moderate Torah observance has now become the standard in many parts of the Messianic Jewish movement. Stern's book adopts a "Cultural Marxist" form of deception by promoting an erroneous historical portrait of Paul to conform to his religious and social agenda. Cultural Marxist deceit justifies promoting the "big lie" if it serves to promote the continuity of their social cause.
In developing a deceptive historical portrait of Paul that would accept Torah Observant legalism, these Messianic Jewish teachers had to take an approach that would disregard the accurate history of Paul in his evolution from "Saul of Tarsus" persecutor of the Church in Israel and the Diaspora, to the "Apostle Paul", church founder, teacher and evangelist to both Jew and Gentile alike. They would have to sell to their flock the idea that "Rav Shaul" remained Torah observant, even while ministering to the Gentiles in the Greco/Roman provinces of Asia Minor. They also had to assert that the proselytes of Rav Shaul were Torah observant. The task of selling this "spin" was simple for most of the devoted believers within the Messianic Jewish movement, but much less so for those educated in Church history and New Covenant teachings. Today, most Messianic Jews and Messianic Gentiles have accepted Anti-Pauline doctrine unknowingly by believing in a distorted historical portrait of Paul.
In the mid-1990’s David Stern’s revolutionary book , "The Messianic Jewish Manifesto" started turning belief towards strict Torah Observance. I believe that Stern’s intent was that of dismantling the "Pauline" teachings of gracious freedom, to revert back to the Law. He and other supportive Messianic Jewish teachers perceived the grace teachings of the Apostle Paul to be the greatest stumbling block to evangelizing the Jewish people. He therefore intentionally rebelled against New Covenant doctrine believing that Jews would not accept any Gospel except one that was Torah observant. In doing this, he and other supportive teachers adopted a dangerously heretical course. Strict to moderate Torah observance has now become the standard in many parts of the Messianic Jewish movement. Stern's book adopts a "Cultural Marxist" form of deception by promoting an erroneous historical portrait of Paul to conform to his religious and social agenda. Cultural Marxist deceit justifies promoting the "big lie" if it serves to promote the continuity of their social cause.
In developing a deceptive historical portrait of Paul that would accept Torah Observant legalism, these Messianic Jewish teachers had to take an approach that would disregard the accurate history of Paul in his evolution from "Saul of Tarsus" persecutor of the Church in Israel and the Diaspora, to the "Apostle Paul", church founder, teacher and evangelist to both Jew and Gentile alike. They would have to sell to their flock the idea that "Rav Shaul" remained Torah observant, even while ministering to the Gentiles in the Greco/Roman provinces of Asia Minor. They also had to assert that the proselytes of Rav Shaul were Torah observant. The task of selling this "spin" was simple for most of the devoted believers within the Messianic Jewish movement, but much less so for those educated in Church history and New Covenant teachings. Today, most Messianic Jews and Messianic Gentiles have accepted Anti-Pauline doctrine unknowingly by believing in a distorted historical portrait of Paul.
Today most dissenting teachers have been ostracized from the movement. Those that remain but disagree have learned a certain "politically correct" posture to take regarding legalism and have therefore been neutralized. Major ministries like Jews for Jesus and Chosen People Ministries spend little effort in combating this legalism, despite their grace oriented teaching. They have both largely capitulated their efforts in maintaining basic doctrinal integrity within the MJM as a whole. It looks like the battle against legalism is being lost! But the legalistic leaders were soon to face the repercussion of their folly just a few years later when a new movement of Hebrew Roots disciples that based much of their theology on the earlier teaching of Messianic Jewish leaders flooded the ranks of most Messianic Jewish congregations. Today, most Messianic congregations are over 95% Gentile and the vision of the Messianic Jewish Movement was lost due to their leaders own folly. Now, some fifty years after the MJM began, many Jewish believers are considering leaving Messianic congregations for "One New Man" churches. It is my intent to structure a logical and persuasive campaign to help build this Spirit led movement of Messianic Jews to return to Protestant "One New Man" churches..
Lastly, for those Messianic Jewish ministries that profess to be grace-oriented and also offer Torah observance, it is of the utmost importance that doctrinal teaching supporting the freedoms taught in the Pauline Epistles are stressed over that of Torah observance. Otherwise a preoccupation with Torah observance will continue to exist in those ministries which would quell New Covenant freedoms and Spiritual growth.