Messianic Jewish Theology - Core Doctrines

Core Doctrines

• God: Messianics believe in the God of the Bible, and that he is all-powerful, omni-present, eternal, exists outside of creation, and infinitely significant and benevolent. Some Messianics are open to trinitarian views of God, while others insist upon strict, unitarian monotheism.
• The Messiah: Yeshua (Jesus) is believed to be the promised Jewish messiah. The mainstream movement accepts Yeshua as God in the flesh, and as the Torah made flesh. This view is Messianic halakhah, although some small offshoots exist which deny Yeshua's divinity. These groups are rejected by mainstream Messianic Jews.
• Written Torah: Messianics, with some exceptions, consider the written Torah (Pentateuch), the five books of Moses, to remain fully in force and a holy covenant, to be observed both morally and ritually, by those who profess faith in God. They believe that Yeshua taught and re-affirmed the Torah, rather than doing away with it. This means that most Messianic Jews do not eat foods such as: shrimp, lobster, crab, oysters, clams, or pork. They also will not work on Friday nights or Saturday days (the traditional Jewish Sabbath). This adherence to the biblical Law is where Messianic Judaism differs from most Christian denominations.
• Israel: It is believed that the Children of Israel were, remain, and will continue to be the chosen people of the God of Jacob and are central to his plans. Virtually all Messianics (whether Jewish nor non-Jewish) oppose Replacement theology.
• The Bible: The Tanakh and New Testament (sometimes called the B’rit Chadasha) are usually considered the established and divinely inspired Biblical scripture by Messianic Judaism. Messianics are much more open to criticism of the established canon of the New Testament, since there was not considered to be a standard canon until the Gentile Church established one in the 4th century, when many Jewish sects devoted to the teachings and messiahship of Jesus were on the decline.
• Eschatology: Most Messianics hold all of the following eschatological beliefs: the End of Days, the Second Coming of Jesus as the conquering Messiah, the re-gathering of Israel, a rebuilt Third Temple, a Resurrection of the Dead (and that Jesus was resurrected after his death), and the millennial sabbath.
• Oral Torah: Messianic Jewish opinions concerning the "Oral Torah" (the Talmud) are varied and sometimes conflicting between individual congregations. Some congregations are very selective in their applications of Talmudic law, or do so for the sake of continuity with tradition, while others encourage a serious observance of the Jewish halakha. Virtually all Messianic congregations and synagogues believe that the oral traditions are subservient to the written Torah.