World Religions

by Craig Branch –

In earlier issues of Areopagus Journal we have covered the history and beliefs of most of the major world religions and provided apologetic responses to them that may hopefully draw their followers to Jesus Christ. We have covered Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Confucianism, Taoism, and Roman Catholicism. In this issue we address Judaism.

God’s word tell us, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes—to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (or Gentiles) (Rom. 1:16). God began and evolved the one true faith of Christianity in and through the everlasting covenant He made with the Jewish people and the truth he revealed to them. Jesus Christ, that is, is the seed of Abraham promised millennia ago in the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 17:1-9; Rom. 1:1-6; Gal. 3:6-9, 16-17, 28-29).

Evangelism to the Jews is a too-often neglected calling among Christians. We lack com- passion, zeal, knowledge, and commitment. It is just not a priority. Yet, what is the truth God has given to us? Paul said, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ,” and “These things you have heard from me…entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (1 Cor 11:1; 2 Tim 2:2). Even more germane, He inspired Paul to say, “Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their [the Jews’] salvation. For I testify that they have a zeal for God but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the completion, the fulfillment, of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Rom. 10:1-4).

Notice that Paul says it is his “hearts desire” for his Jewish brethren to know Christ, stating he has unceasing grief and great sorrow for them, even saying that if it were possible, he would take their place (Rom. 9:1-5). Now these passages also apply to all those outside the faith, but he focused here on the Jewish mission field. Paul writes to us that we like him have a “stewardship,” a calling, a responsibility, even if it is against our fleshly wills, to make ourselves a servant or slave to all in order to reach Jews and Gentiles with the gospel (1Cor. 9:15-23). And Paul gives us the methodology in this passage as well. He says, “To the Jew, I became as a Jew,” as well as to the various Gentiles (those without the law), he became as a Gentile to win them to Christ (1Cor 9:19- 21). He means for us to learn how to enter into their world and learn how to best communicate the truth of Christ and the gospel in ways to which they can relate—even demonstrating their error in relation to God’s truth. He “does all things for the sake of the gospel” (vs. 23). This is God’s desire and calling for all believers. Is it yours? It begins by our decision to love God with all our heart and also to love our neighbors. It means making this a priority—a decision. Then comes an investment of time to pray, to initiate relationships, and to gain basic and apologetic knowledge that we can apply. During this process, we will experience the Holy Spirit giving us a new heart for the Jewish people, and be more transformed into the image of Christ.

L e t ’ s begin  this process. The first article in this issue is by Probe Ministry’s Patrick Zukeran who covers a brief history of Judaism, its modern expressions and its practices and beliefs. He also provides one method of sharing Christ with Jews. In part of his discussion, Zukeran describes the three major branches of Judaism which have evolved: Orthodox, Conservative, and Reformed. There are also several smaller groups that are less familiar, some more significant than others. For example, Hasidic Judaism is composed of several groups of ultra-orthodox Jews characterized by a very strict observance of the Torah and Mosaic Law. In addition there is an American offshoot of the Conservative branch called Reconstructionism characterized by ongoing adaptations of traditional theology with modern culture and religious humanism. The last Jewish groupings are secular Jews, atheists and agnostics.

According to the 1993 American Jewish Yearbook, in 1991 there were 12.8 million Jews. Of those, there were 4.1 million living in Israel and 5.8 million in the U.S. In 2010 the number had grown to 13.4 million worldwide with 6 million in Israel (42% of the entire Jewish population), and 5.3 million in the U.S. According to the 2001 National Jewish Population Survey, of the 5.3 million Jews in the U.S., 578,000 are Orthodox, 1,297,000 are Conservative, 1,714,000 are Reformed, and 108,000 are Reconstructionists.

Since the evangelization of Jews is very much a calling and a need, our second article deals with Jewish apologetics: “Christianity’s Ongoing and Unique Challenge,” written by a Jewish convert and theologian, Dr. Michael Brown. Dr. Brown and I realize that one concise journal can only cover the basic foundations of Jewish evangelism. So, for further study, we highly recommend Brown’s five volume set, Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus published by Baker Books, as well as other references in this article. Dr. Brown begins with the premise that only about 10% of Jews worldwide are “observant” Jews. So he begins with numerous examples of practical encounters and applications. But he also points out that because of the internet and Jewish apologetics websites, Jews will likely find these sites when engaged by Christians. Dr. Brown offers nine “general considerations” in response to Jewish objections or apologetics.

I remember my first evangelistic encounter with a Jewish man and his wife many years ago. I was a tennis professional for 12 years and continued to play competitively after going into ministry. My wife and I played at a tennis club and there was a Jewish doctor from New York who also played at our club. We decided to befriend him and his wife and started playing tennis regularly. He and I eventually teamed up to play competitively in doubles matches.

We invited them to come down for a weekend at the end of our vacation on the Gulf Coast beach, and they accepted. We prayed often that God would open a door for us to share Christ. They arrived late Friday night and his wife went to bed but he and I stayed up a while to eat a snack. After about thirty minutes he suddenly asked, “Now Craig, what is it that you believe about Jesus?” I would say that was an answer to our prayers!

I pulled out my Bible and read Isaiah 53 to him. I asked, “Who is that speaking about?” He immediately said, “Jesus.” I responded, “I am reading from Isaiah, over 900 years before Christ was even born, and this prophesy is from God about the mission of the Messiah!” He came over and just stared at the passage. That began our conversation over the weekend. This Jewish doctor has not become a Christian yet but I know there are seeds planted.

The third article in this journal, “To Be (Messianic) or Not to Be?” is written by Baruch Moaz, a converted Jew. Baruch received theological and biblical training and authored 13 Reformed theological and expositional books in Hebrew. He began and pastored a church from 1976 to 2009. He currently lives outside Tel Aviv and teaches at the Israeli College of the Bible. His article provides some understanding of differing and sometimes controversial attachments to what is commonly referred to as the “Messianic Movement.” Baruch begins by describing it as various “indigenous efforts on the part of Jewish believers in Jesus to express their faith in terms of national culture, with the primary view of reaching their people with the gospel.”

Messianic groups differ in terminology, worship content, religious practice, and degrees of incorporation or separation from “Gentile” Christian congregations. Some go so far as to be heretical in their doctrine. Another differentiating factor has to do with the theological perspective from which one views the place of modern Israel in eschatology, especially those of a Reformed theological perspective verses a Dispensational one.

Baruch’s article focuses on the more extreme or heretical Messianic Movements. He also is coming from a Reformed theological perspective. For a thorough systematic exposition and analysis of these movements we recommend Baruch’s two books, Come Let Us Reason published by Presbyterian & Reformed, and Judaism is Not Jewish, Christian Focus Publications. Another excellent resource is the book To the Jew First: The Case for Jewish Evangelism in Scripture and History, edited by Darrell Bock and Mitch Glaser (Kregel, 2008). This book provides point – counterpoint articles on the place of Israel today, on Jewish evangelism and missiological implications, from Dispensational and Reformed perspectives.

Lastly, we include an article by Dr. Jason Hiles of Louisiana College entitled, “Is Salvation Possible through Non-Christian Religions?” He does not discuss Judaism in his article, but he does address an important topic that often comes up when Christianity is compared to other religions be it Judaism, Islam, or any other non-Christian faith. Religious Pluralism is the view that salvation may be found in all religions. They are all equally legtimate pathways to a right relationship with God (or the “Ultimate” or the “Real”). Dr. Hiles shows that such pluralism is logically and practically incoherent. He also critiques a view called inclusivism that has become popular among some evangelical Christians. The inclusivist believes that, although Christianity alone is true among the world’s religions and Jesus is the only Savior, people who have never heard the gospel (including followers of other religions) may nevertheless be saved by Jesus’ atoning work. Hiles shows, however, that the Bible clearly teaches that salvation is only possible for those who have explicit faith in Jesus Christ.

We hope that this issue of Areopagus Journal helps to equip you to reach the Jewish community with the gospel of Jesus Christ so that they can know the Messiah God promised to Israel so long ago.

Craig Branch is on staff with the Apologetics Resource Center, Birmingham, Alabama.

(First published in Areopagus Journal Vol. 12 No. 4 – Judaism)