Messianic Judaism

Definition and Meaning

Messianic Judaism is a religious movement whose adherents believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah long awaited by Israel, while seeking to preserve Jewish identity and practice. Adherents often refer to Jesus by the Hebrew name Yeshua. Their gatherings may be called "congregations" or synagogues rather than churches. Many communities worship on the Saturday Sabbath, observe Jewish feasts such as Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles, and use Hebrew prayers and songs. The extent to which the Law is observed varies from community to community. Members include not only Jews but also believers of Gentile background.

Biblical and Historical Background

The movement cites two grounds for its position. The first is that the early church began among Jewish believers. The second is that the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15), while deciding not to require circumcision of Gentile believers, did not forbid the customs of Jewish believers. The movement also appeals to Romans 11 to argue that God's promises to Israel remain in force today. It therefore rejects so-called replacement theology, the view that the church has replaced Israel.

The "Hebrew Christian" organizations formed by Protestants of Jewish background in nineteenth-century Britain and the United States are regarded as forerunners of the movement. The name "Messianic Judaism" is generally said to have come into wide use in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s. Today there are communities in the United States, Israel, and elsewhere.

Views of the movement differ. Mainstream Judaism holds that belief in Jesus as the Messiah constitutes Christianity rather than Judaism and therefore does not recognize Messianic Judaism as a branch of Judaism. Within Christianity, many evangelical organizations regard it as a form of Jewish evangelism and support it. Others, however, are concerned that currents emphasizing observance of the Law may drift into the kind of legalism warned against in Galatians.

Practice in the Korean Church

Korea has no widely known denomination that identifies itself as Messianic Jewish. The movement has been introduced mainly through Israel-focused mission organizations, pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and meetings featuring invited Messianic leaders. Some churches hold events at which participants experience a Passover meal (Seder).

Assessments differ according to theological position.

• Those influenced by dispensationalism tend to view the movement favorably, seeing the restoration of Israel as part of God's plan to be fulfilled in the last days.
• Those in the Reformed tradition who follow covenant theology understand Old Testament Israel and the New Testament church as one covenant people. Many of them reject the label "replacement theology" for this view.
• Some pastors and scholars point out that the so-called "Hebrew Roots" movement, which teaches observance of the feasts and dietary laws as essential to faith, can cause confusion among church members.