Is the Messianic Jewish movement authentic Judaism or is it just another form of Christianity? Since most "Messianic congregations" consist mostly of non-Jewish members, you need to be aware of what it is and isn't.
Packaging, Presentation and Deceptive Marketing
In the retail business we know that packaging and presentation contribute a large part to the success of a product. A product with low sales volume can suddenly turn around and generate high sales after re-packaging.
So what does marketing have to do with this? In an attempt to convert Jews to Christianity (G-d forbid), it has been re-packaged and falsely presented as a form of Judaism. Non-Jews seeking to learn about Judaism are also vulnerable.
The movement consists of several different groups and factions, but they do have a lot in common with each other. Their leaders are often called "rabbi", they use the word "synagogue" instead of church and their vocabulary is sprinkled with words and phrases such as "completed Jew" and "Hebrew Christian".
Christianity and Judaism are two entirely different religions. "Messianic Judaism" is not authentic Judaism. The differences in beliefs go much further than just the "identity of the messiah" issue.
At www.OutreachJudaism.org, Rabbi Tovia Singer addresses these differences in his Let's Get Biblical series of lectures. They are available free to download or you can order them on cd's. He also has an in-depth study guide you can purchase.
Please listen to these lectures, it will be well worth your time.
To hear the entire series, visit www.OutreachJudaism.org
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