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Frequently
Asked Questions
Yes, we do believe unity can exist if we put away any notion to
proselytize or to hold any replacement theology rhetoric, but instead
accept the promises of G-d that we, Jews and Christians, are His people
and will be with Him in the World-to-Come. We
seek unity, not
homogenization. Consider the fact that Christians are united through
faith; however, that does not mean are all identical, just as the body
has many different parts. This Scriptural analogy is appropriate
because it illustrates the many different parts of the body with each
having an important function. In the same way Christians see Jesus as
the Messiah and await His return whereas Jews see the promise of Moshiach ben
Dovid
(Messiah,
son of David) to reunite the kingdom and bring peace after conquering
all enemies. Didn’t
Paul write that
keeping the Law undermines Christ? or
Actually Paul taught circumcision (Gal. 5:11) but was against the
relying upon the Law for salvation. Thus, “Judaizers” are those
who demand observance of a ritual before being accepted as
“saved,” such as those who did demand Gentiles be
circumcised prior to being accepted among G-d’s
chosen people. Nowadays
we see Christians doing
this very thing with regards to baptism. However, the Catholic Church
recognizes that people can be saved without baptism, as found in the
catechism [1260]: “Every man who is
ignorant of the Gospel of Christ and of His Church, but seeks the truth
and does the will of G-d in accordance with his understanding of it,
can be saved. It may be supposed that such persons would have desired
Baptism explicitly if they had known its
necessity.” Did
not Christ fulfill all the
Laws?
For
every Christian the law has been fulfilled but that does not nullify
the essence of the law. Again, consider that Christians still follow
the Ten Commandments, and that Christ further stated in Matthew 5:
“But new wine must be
put into fresh wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine desires
new; for he says, ‘the old is better (good).”
Lk.5.39 Consequently,
it can be reasoned
that the Laws of Torah, though good and true, can be a burden to those
coming unto faith in Christ. However they are not a burden to those
raised in the law as “If
you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you
compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?” We
perceive this as stating,
“If you Peter, a Jew, raised in Jewish home can’t
abide the Laws of Kashrus (Dietary laws) when you hang out with
Gentiles due to peer pressure (cf
Lk.22.31-34, 54-62, and Jn.21.20-21), how can you compel Gentile
believers to abide these same laws when they lack your background and
upbringing, and furthermore, they are in that Gentile environment all
the times?” We
suspect this view is also
supported by the understanding we saw in the Catholic Encyclopedia
which explains the Church lifted the Laws on the blood because
Catholics were no longer living around Jews; therefore, they had no
support for removing the blood or any experience into what is involved
to abide these laws (Mitzvos).
Are
you not just trying to
convert more Jews?
Absolutely not! We are not attempting to convert Jews or anyone who
believes in the G-d who created the heavens and the earth and all that
is within them, seen and unseen. We only seek to develop
closer relationships among believers in this same G-d as well as
promote a greater relationship with G-d for He alone will guide any and
all to where He desires that person to be. Isn’t
there a risk of
converting even though you do not seek to proselytize?
Yes, there is a risk and that is to be expected. With any bridge that
connects two sides, there can be crossings from either direction.
However, if we truly show respect for one another and keep faith in the
promises of G-d, then we really should not have any issues about
whether a person is Jew or Christian.
Consider the parable of the prodigal son in which the younger brother
demands his inheritance and then squanders it. He ceases to
be connected to his father and brother, but then one day realizes his
father’s providence is far better than anything he can get on
his own. As a result, he returns home and his father greets
him and orders a robe and ring for him.
We see this younger son representing E’phraim who ceased to
be a people and a nation but was called back to the father’s
providence through Christ Jesus. When he responded to the call, the
Father went out and ordered majesty (robe), protection for the Gospel
(sandals for the feet), and authority (ring) to be given to him. This
we see as the Church, her call to reach out the Gospel, and her
authority under the Father.
Yet, when the eldest son learns of all that transpired he becomes angry
that his younger brother is greeted so highly while he received nothing
extra. We see the eldest son as Judah who is unaware of all that
transpired with his younger brother. But when he does learn what
happened and that the Father gives so many blessings upon him, the
eldest becomes angry and reasons that he has done everything the father
has requested but never so much received a goat for his friends. |