Messianic Judaism Quest

I believe in fact that reviewing the canon of the New Testament is in fact very much a part of the discussion in considering a mature messianic Judaism. Why? Because the fundamental document (s) distinguishing the Messianic Jew is the New Testament.

The problem lies in the fact that the books of the New Testament are so included and canonized by the very Church Fathers who at a minimum rejected the nature of an ongoing Jewish relationship with G-d and the validity of Judaism.

The adoption of supercessionist theology and the anti-Judaism of the Church Fathers is the critical issue.

How do messianic Jews address the problem presented by accepting the canon compiled and approved of, by the very individuals who did the following:

1) rejected the validity of the Jewish distinctive,

2) the ongoing relationship of the Jewish people with G-d,

3) and the validity of a Torah as the foundation of faith in G-d.

The purpose is not to throw out books from the New Testament but to realize that the politics and theology of anti-Judaism must be recognized in establishing a notion of authority in a viable messianic Judaism. The authority ascribed to certain books of the New Testament should be considered however.

The ongoing primacy of Torah as the foundational document, and to underscore a classical Jewish, that the “process” of Torah is must for a clear-headed, well articulated, Judaism that accepts the Yeshua as the Mashiach. It also provides for the view that messianic Judaism should be capable of treading its own path regardless of whether this coincides with what classical Christianity has determined is acceptable or not.

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