Paul wrote the letter of Galatians to warn against mixing faith in Christ with the Jewish religion. The letter was written to the Galatians believers who were being told by Judiazers that they needed to be circumcised to be saved. Paul's response was a sharp letter to call these believers back to faith in Christ and a walk of the Spirit.

There is a crying need for us to read this letter again and to take heed its warning. For a new wave of Judaism is a rising in the evangelical church.

This new wave of Judaism stems out of the Messianic movement. It sees Israel as the center of redemptive history. There is an emphasis all things Jewish. Believers are told the Bible must be understood from a Hebrew mindset. Thus an emphasis on the Jewish feast days and praying the Hebrew names of God, most notably the name of Yeshua.

Whereas freedom in Christ may allow for some of the above, there is an alarming trend to bind New Covenant believers under the entire mosaic code from those in the Messianic movement. Thus I must raise my voice in alarm.

There are some brotheren who are implying that New Covenant believers will even offer sacrifices when the temple is rebuilt in Jerusalem in the end time. This is a clear contradiction of the book of Hebrews which teachers that Jesus Christ is the Supreme Sacrifice for the sins of the world. He was the Lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world. To suggest Jewish sacrifices be restored is a repudiation of the cross of Christ.

Yet this teaching is permeating the body of Christ. There are some who are implying that we are under the entire mosaic code. I recently heard a brother say this. My response was then you' are throwing out the book of Galatians.

Saints we are New Covenant believers guided by the Holy Spirit. We are not under the bus a code. The center of redemptive history its not Moses and the nation of Israel. But the center of redemptive history is the cross of Jesus Christ. Our focus is not the law of Moses, but the Person and Work of Jesus Christ on Calvary.

Let us be aware of this new Judaism which will bind us to the law of Moses and not to the cross of Christ. Or if one binds himself to Moses he has fallen away from grace.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, author and perfecter of our faith.

Posted by Blaine Scogin

It has been my observation that people gravitate toward religious systems with rules for them to live by. And they want to judge others by those same rules, feeding their pride with knowing they are doing better by the rules than others.

All to keep themselves safely on a personal throne, away from the scrutiny of the Father. God can keep busy with those others, while I can do what I want without His interference. A very old model of rebellion and invisible hypocrisy, "new" Judaizers but an ancient practice.

How different a perspective from the psalmist who bathed the 119th with pure love as he extols the virtue of the Law of God.

Righteousness is loved by the Father, expected of His servants, and only proceeds from a humble heart. We have a clear picture, goes by the name Jesus...

_________________
Tom Cameron

Blaine,
you have a point if "church history" was filled with blood towards us Jews....but it is, so that when you write something like this:

Neal,

My brother my warning should not be construed as being anti Semitic or holding to replacement theology. But I am warning: those Gentile believers who are enamored with Israel and all things Jewish. In their infatuation with Israel these believers are emanating themselves to the law of Moses. Paul would describe this as a different gospel. This is what he warned about in Galatians.

I had to sound this warning what I heard a brother imply that New Covenant believers would be offering sacrifices in a rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem. This goes against the book of Hebrews who describes Jesus as the ultimate sacrifice that paid for our sins.

My brother I hope this clarifies more of what I'm trying to convey and the OP.

Blaine

Neil i really appreciated what you posted here it is a good reminder that the things we say do matter. today especially it matters how we say things.

i found what you posted about Christmas interesting. its funny to me though how many Christians say that we have no need to take part in the feast/festivals of the old testament but they take part in the tradition of Christmas every year and Easter too. Neither of which we are instructed to keep. we are told to break bread together in remembrance of Jesus but that is it.

blaine thanks for clarifying your post. you have such a big heart and am glad that you shared this info as i had no idea these things were happening. its good to know and good to know how to pray for others as well.

rdg

Blaine you're right when you said that "there are some", and with that I very much agree with you. But, there is also some really good edifying teaching in regards to a Hebraic view of the scriptures including Rabinnic teaching methods and the evolving of them during the Intertestamental periods leading into the 1st & 2nd Century Early Church. The late Dr. Dwight Pryor is one I can that I highly recommend. But to those that attempt to create proselytes out of Christians, beware.

Russ

oh, dear brother! of course I know you are not anti-Jewish......AND I know these violent men in Israel, who want to destroy the Golden Dome, re-build the "temple"...AND reconstitute the old monarchy.

to tell you how I feel about these "children", my language would be too strong and full of scorn. the very fact, that God even ALLOWED the modern state of Israel is a MIRACLE, the victory in the War of Independence (1948) ...a miracle, as well as the three other wars...won, by Israel, almost impossibly outnumbered....miracles.

I was going to post it, but go to youtube, put in "Israel's Next War"...its a Frontline, and its all about these deluded violent "children"....these "hilltop settlers"...I've been re-watching just now...., and it makes physically ill.

for so many reasons.....so, please don't think I was "rebuking" you, my heart is with the guys and girls who have to put on the uniform of the IDF day after day.....but you are right to sound a warning, God forbid they do anything foolish. sorry bro.

We once had a messianic guest preacher in our fellowship.
He commended Gentile believers to keep the sabbath and keep the other Jewish fiests. He also disdained the fact that the New Testament was written in Greek. Further he said that that the Old and New Testament should never be separated but seen as one covenant.

I openly but courteously challenged him about that in a Q&A session. He evaded my questions.

Some Gentile Christians embrace these ideas and we have some in our fellowship who keep the sabbath and abstain from non-kosher foods. Some Gentile believers have left our fellowship because we were not embracing Jewish customs. There seems to be an inward tendency in many Gentile believers to try to win acceptance by the Jews.

Paul did not recommend the Jews to abandon the law they were born under. Neither did he ask Gentile believers to follow the law that was fulfilled in Christ. We are no longer under the law but under grace.

To the carnal religious person Jew or Gentile grace is offensive and the law is attractive.

Jesus did not only die for our sins but also in order to break down the middle wall of partition and join Jewish and Gentile believers into one flock, not two, as some teach.

These teachings actually are gaining momentum and it is good that Bearmaster made us reminded us of that.

Hi brother Bear.

very good thoughts.


I would highly recommend this sermon to all :

Beware Of Dogs by David Wilkerson

https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/singlefile.php?lid=3569&commentView=itemComments

Description: Out of the 3rd Chapter in Philipians, Wilkerson preaches on false teachers and preachers in society today. This is another classic Wilkerson; sounding the alarm, message for the church. For those that defend the gospel, this is a must hear message

Hi narrowpath,

I've experienced something similar to you as well where a handful of different messianic preachers came and basically taught that we still have to keep the feasts and such. This was also something I observed during a trip I took to Israel about two years ago with a Korean tour group. There is definitely a growing trend, at least in the Korean side of things, of people overspiritualizing anything and anyone that is Jewish or has something to do with Israel. Prayer shawls, shofars, Hebrew words, or even messianic preachers are seen as somehow "more spiritual" and also this idea that if you give money toward Israel that it is somehow more pleasing in God's eyes than other things and that He will bless you financially or "be more inclined" to answer your prayers if you do. Now I love the Jewish people and the nation of Israel and firmly believe that the Lord is not done with them and has great things planned for them, but still, in my understanding, we are all equal in the eyes of God, all purchased by the same precious blood, all regenerated by the same Holy Spirit, all made members of the same household, all subjected to the same Word and that there is no difference or preference in His eyes to how one worships (as long as it is biblical) or who one ministers to, for God loves all His people, Jews and Gentiles, for we are all His creation, no one above or superior to the other.

_________________
Will