Ask Re’uben
Does a Jew stop
being Jewish when they believe in Jesus?
S H A L O M !
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A MESSIANIC JEWISH SCRIPTURAL VIEW _______
Biblical Question:
Does a Jew
stop being Jewish when they believe in Jesus? Our Question:
T. H. from Denver asks: Dear Pastor Reuben, Recently I was
told by a rabbi and several other people that I was no longer a Jew because
of my having accepted Yeshua (Jesus) as Lord & Savior. As a
Believer in Jesus as Messiah I know they are wrong but, can you help me? Pastor Reuben's Answer:
Dear T.H., shalom, First let us
understand that people are born by the flesh into one cultural ethnic group
or another due to no choice of their own. Second, a spiritual faith
system is something a person chooses for themselves. A Jew does not
give up their Jewish Heritage, culture and identity when they accept the
Messiah Jesus. Rather, they gain important Jewish values; atonement as
described by Moses, Israel's promised Messiah, and a personal relationship
with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. So they do not give up; they
gain. They do not lose their Jewishness, they
intensify it in a Biblical way. They become a Messianic Jew, a Jewish
follower of the Jewish Messiah promised by the Jewish Scriptures.
Remember the Jewishness of the Biblical faith. (see John 4:22; Romans 9:4-5;
and 11:11-27; Acts 26:6-7) The authors of Scripture were Jewish, as
were Jesus and the apostles. And they all, including the "Jew of
Jews" Paul, retained their Jewishness. (Acts 2:26, 3:1, 21:21-26,
22:3; 28:17; I Cor. 7:18) This does not
mean that a Gentile becomes a Jew when he believes in Jesus, but neither does
a Jew stop being Jewish when he accepts the Messiah. Source and
reference: Questions are welcome from ALL readers at ALL levels and
Forums, from everyone. Questions of general interest will be considered for
inclusions in this column. Those of a more personal nature will be keep
confidential and we will answer via e-mail; always state your name, To submit a question,
etc. please address it to reuben@menorah.org ask.....ask......ask
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