Questions & Answers

The following question was given to us by a Pastor. I felt it might be one on many believers' minds. Following are responses to address it. I hope you will use these as a springboard of discussion. Please let us know how you have addressed it corporately, as well as individually. If you have further questions on the issue, please send them in.

The question is, "How do we today make practical application “to the Jew first?”

What does “to the Jew first” look like; or, Why should we care about “to the Jew first”?

The Word says in 1 Corinthians 13:9, "For we know in part and we prophesy in part.” I believe that Mom, Valerie, and myself each have a part of the puzzle. When you put the pieces together and sit back and look, you get a more complete picture. Here is my part.

“To the Jew first” can take many forms. The problem is, for the most part, the approach of the Church has been “to the Jew not at all!” Why should we care about bringing the gospel to the Jew? Well, like it or not, God elected the Jewish people and they hold a special place in His heart. Let’s see what the Word says about God’s feeling for the Jews:

Deuteronomy 32:9-11
For the LORD's portion is His people; Jacob is the place of His inheritance. He found him in a desert land And in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye. As an eagle stirs up its nest, Hovers over its young, Spreading out its wings, taking them up, carrying them on its wings.

Zechariah 2:7-8
Up, Zion! Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon. For thus says the LORD of hosts: "He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.

Joel 3:2
I will also gather all nations, And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; And I will enter into judgment with them there On account of My people, My heritage Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; They have also divided up My land.

God call the Jews the “apple of His eye”, “My people”, and “My heritage Israel”. God also set up something in Genesis 12:

Genesis 12:3
I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

So blessing the Jews brings with it a blessing. What greater blessing could we give to them than the understanding of Yeshua as their Messiah? Plus, God gave Gentile believers a mandate in Romans:

Romans 11:11
I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles.

The Gentiles were to provoke the Jew to jealousy, make the Jew want something that they had. Instead, the Gentile church has become a symbol of hostility to the Jew. Nearly every atrocity committed against the Jewish people in the last 2000 years has been done in the name of Jesus Christ. That brings us to our first point.

When talking to Jewish people, refrain from using the names “Jesus” and “Christ”. Jews who survived the Nazi concentration camps tell stories of the soldiers beating them and saying, “We’re beating you because Jesus told us to! He hates you!” and similar messages. The label of “Christ-killers” has followed Jews for centuries. Instead use “Yeshua” and “Messiah”, or “Mashiach” (Hebrew for Messiah).

Now in order to use your newfound vocabulary, you have to be around Jewish people. If you have Jewish neighbors, invite them over for coffee or something. Get to know them. Go visit a temple on a Friday night. Show an interest in their way of life. Your first mission is to make a friend. Don’t hit them over the head with the gospel. They’re expecting it and on guard for it.

Before you run right out and invite your Jewish neighbor or co-worker over, take some time to learn more about their culture, like diet and social customs. They will vary depending on whether they are liberal, conservative, orthodox , or something in between. Just as there are many denominations within Christianity, the same can be said for Judaism. Customs will also vary depending on whether their roots are Ashkenazi (Eastern European/Russian), or Sephardic (Middle Eastern). If you’re inviting them over for a meal and you’re not sure what to prepare, ask them. There’s no harm in admitting you don’t know. They may even be impressed that you cared enough to be sensitive to their lifestyle. Of course, there are some obvious things like, no baked goods made with lard, no pork chops, etc., but again, when in doubt, ask!

Take some time and research Jewish social customs. If you come in contact with orthodox or ultra-orthodox Jews like the Chasids, there are strict social rules about male and female interaction. It is better to be aware of these rather than offend them, or be offended by their behavior. Offense can put up a tremendous wall that is hard to overcome, no matter how loving you are. Let’s not make it easy for the enemy to interfere with reaching God’s people.

It says in Romans that the Gentiles were to “provoke them (the Jews) to jealousy”. When you’re jealous, you want something the other person has. The problem is that we don’t have anything the Jewish people want. The body of Messiah has gotten so far from its roots, there is nothing familiar to the Jew. For the most part, the “Christ” of Christianity bears little resemblance to the Messiah prophesied about in the Tanakh. We, as believers, need to get a handle on our roots. The early Church was Jewish. The authors of the New Testament were almost entirely Jews, Luke not withstanding. When you begin to look at the text of the New Testament with a Jewish mindset, it takes on new light.

For centuries, Jewish people have been looking for their Messiah to come. If you’re going to show them that He is already here, and when next He walks the earth it’s over, then you are going to have to understand the Messianic prophesies of the Old Testament.

You probably won’t be able to share the Gospel of the New Testament with your Jewish friends right away. You more than likely will be able to discuss the Old Testament with them. Ask them questions. Their insight and perspective may surprise you and show you something you didn’t see before. Plus, asking them questions shows them that you are teachable, that you don’t claim to know everything. It shows your humility. Humility opens many doors that would otherwise be closed.

You must be ready when an opportunity presents itself to show them the scriptures pointing to Yeshua in the Old Testament, prophesies that were fulfilled in the New Testament. Yeshua said in Matthew 5:17 - "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” We need to stop looking at the Old and New Testaments as two separate stories, but rather see the New Testament as the continuation of the foundation laid in the Old Testament.

We also need to see the Bible though the lens of its Jewish authors. To that end, let me recommend “The Complete Jewish Bible”, or a similar text. Get to know the Bible from the original Jewish perspective.

So, how do we practice “to the Jew first”? The first step is simple. Go make a friend!

Dave

Romans 1:16 (AMP)
For I am not ashamed of the Gospel (good news) of Christ, for it is God’s power working unto salvation (for deliverance from eternal death) to everyone who believes with a personal trust and a confident surrender and firm reliance, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

First, let me point out that salvation was offered to the Jew first -- in the first covenant through temple sacrifice, and in the new covenant through Messiah’s sacrifice. The history of God's election of the Jews is related to us in the Tanakh, or Old Testament. There we read He gave them His Presence, His prophets and His law. In the New Testament, Jesus stated He was sent only to “the lost sheep of the House of Israel" (Matt.15:24). He sent the twelve out only to that House (Matt. 10:6). After His resurrection, Peter was the first one sent to the Gentiles (Acts 10:9). We can therefore look at "to the Jew first" as a statement of fact. However, we must also see it as, what Sid Roth calls, “The Law of Evangelism". God set the pattern, to the Jew first. So how do we now continue that pattern in a practical way? How do we, the 21st century Church, respond to what Paul says in Romans 11:11

“So I ask, have they stumbled so as to fall (to their utter spiritual ruin irrevocably)? By no means! But through their false step and transgression salvation (has come) to the Gentiles, so as to arouse Israel (to see and feel what they forfeited) and so to make them jealous.” (AMP)

Well, if in the beginning Jesus was only sent to the Jews, how did they know who He was? They recognized Him because He fulfilled the prophecies of the Torah and the Haftarah (law and prophets). So, it seems to me, if we are going to reach Jews today, that is where we must start. We have to understand the Tanakh. We need to know Jesus in the context of His Jewishness, for he presented himself as a Jew to His people. He presented himself as a Jew to the world. He kept the feasts. He taught in the temple. He thought with a Jewish mindset.

I believe if we are going “to the Jew first”, we need to see the Word of God through the biblical Jewish understanding. For example, when Jesus had a problem with the Jewish leaders, it was because of their interpretation of oral law, or Mishnah, not the observance of Torah, or the written law. It was an "in-house" argument. Jesus never told the religious leaders to stop observing the Teachings of Moses. His concern was with their persistence that everyone adhere to the latest rabbinical "flavor of the day", not a requirement of the original 613 commandments.

If we are going to open the eyes of the Jew to see Yeshua as Messiah, we need to show them He is their Jewish Messiah. If we are going to draw them back to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we need to demonstrate His love for them by how we interact with them. Let the Holy Spirit shed abroad His love in our hearts. We need to walk beside them in humility and respect of their call as the ancient covenant people of God!

In our first edition, I shared a little about my friends in Tulsa. Let me give you some details of how they have answered to the Jew first.

On Friday night, a group of Gentile Believers gather for a traditional Shabbat. They light the candles, recite all the blessings and sing songs of celebration. They have a meal to which each family contributes. They rotate homes each week. The group can be as large as 28 people, including the children. After dinner, there is a lively discussion of the Torah portion for the week (parshah) through the eyes of Yeshua.

My eyes were opened to so much during these discussions. I guess I never really thought about where Jesus got his message. My thought was that He is God’s son and the truth He taught was from His divine understanding. I learned that He quoted the Torah and Haftarah. Much of the Sermon on the Mount is from the Torah. The Torah, of course, is divine understanding right from the Fathers heart, and Yeshua only did what He saw his Father doing. I just never made the connection before. To show you my ignorance, the other day I was reading in Deuteronomy 8:3, "Man does not live by bread alone.” A light went on. I knew Jesus said, “It is written” to Satan in the wilderness (Matt. 4:4), but I did not really make the connection that it was written in the Torah. Jesus, our Jewish Messiah, taught the words the Jews would know.

Here's an interesting fact I learned at a Shabbat study. Did you know it was widely believed in the Jewish community that the spittle of a first borne son had healing in it? Perhaps when Jesus spit on the blind man's eyes and the man was healed (Mark 8:23), He was announcing to the crowd, "I am first borne of my Father, my Heavenly Father." There is such a richness of understanding we are missing because we have cut ourselves off from our heritage.

This group of individuals has become a respected part of the Jewish community in Tulsa. Some attend Hebrew lessons at the Jewish community center and attend services at Temple. One member sings in one of the Temple choirs. The relationships that have been born have produced much fruit. One family now has a surrogate Jewish Grandpa to their children. Their Jewish friends attend the Shabbat service in their home. There is no deception. The after dinner discussions clearly lift up the name of Yeshua, but as the Jewish Messiah that they love. One member of the group, who has for years nurtured many relationships with Jewish families and individuals God brings in her path, told me that one friend commented, “I am so touched watching all these years, receiving love, and seeing the respect of my Jewishness."

Recently, I had a phone conversation with a dear friend here in Michigan. She told me she was thinking about how, when she first read the scripture to the Jew first, she wasn’t at all sure what she should do. Rather than do nothing, she went through the phone book, found names that sounded Jewish and sent them tracts. We both laughed as she related her story; but the fact is, she did something with what she read.

Would that we all were doers of the word, and not hearers only!

Joan

To the Jew First

If you read Confucius, you will gain an understanding of China, as his philosophy permeates the very fabric of that society. Great novelists like Dostoevsky and Tolstoy will teach you much about the events that impacted and shaped Russia. Victorian England is seen through the eyes of Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and Thomas Hardy. We can read these authors, but if we try and explain the actions, events and conclusions in these novels through eyes coloured by North American, western thought, we will certainly not grasp the essence, the "guts" of what these people were writing. Interpretation and understanding of these books depends on keeping them in the culture in which they were written. One must step into the world which produced these works.

An understanding of the Bible is no different. For the most part, the Church has managed to keep the Scriptures from being interpreted within the culture that it was written. The faith was born in Israel - "to the Jew first". The Greeks philosophized the faith, and the Romans institutionalized it. By the 4th century CE (common era), the Jewish "heart" had been ripped out of the Body. Anything Jewish was considered pagan and unacceptable by the non-Jewish practitioners of the faith. It's hard to imagine that the tallith (prayer shawl) wearing, payoth (side curls) toting, non-pork and shellfish eating Jewish Messiah and Apostles would have been totally misunderstood and blacklisted in that environment.

Yeshua is a Jew. The disciples, early Church and authors of the Scriptures were all Jewish. Okay, the jury is still out on Luke, but let me ask you. My son, the doctor, is a Gentile???? (I hope you're laughing.) We must keep these men and women within the culture they lived. They believed that the God of the universe was the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. They were a covenant people. They lived by the laws given to Moshe by the LORD God of Israel, Himself. They celebrated the LORD's appointed times as taught in Leviticus 23. There were certain foods they didn't eat, as proscribed in the Levitical law. They conducted themselves in a very definite manner. They were Jews. They were Jews before they meant Yeshua. And yes, they remained Jews after they meant Yeshua. After all, He was the Jewish Messiah, the Promised Redemption of Israel! The Scriptures, therefore, must be read and understood from within this context. Gentile believers would do well to read commentary on the Bible written by Jews. Find out what the rabbis of old thought. Names like Hillel, Rashi, ibn Ezra, and Maimonides should become part of the Bible student's vocabulary. You don't have to agree with what is said, but the Jewish frame of mind will help you understand the Book better. I'm quite sure you don't all agree with everything that is written in your Bible commentary of choice. For example, Dwight J. Pentecost may be a good resource, but if you are not a pre-millenial, pre-tribulation dispensationalist (like some of us on this planet), you might think the man a heretic. Eat the meat; spit out the bones; but, gain an understanding of the Jewish mindset.

As well, non-Jews need to read novels by Jewish writers. One of Canada's great authors, Mordechai Richler, tells tales of growing up Jewish in the francophone city of Montreal, Quebec. Two of his book are, "The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz" and "Joshua Then and Now". The protagonists in Chaim Potok's novels, an American author, struggle to balance Orthodoxy with life on the "outside". Books like, "The Chosen" and "My Name is Asher Lev" are rich with Jewish culture and life.

Another practical way to acquire knowledge of the Jewish mindset is to subscribe to a Jewish newspaper or periodical. Get a handle on how Jews think today. Find out where the "three Jews / four opinions" statement comes from. The Jerusalem Post is on the internet at www.jpost.com. The famous Jewish Daily Forward (originally written in Yiddish) is available in a lot of major U.S. cities, as well as the internet. In Canada, we read the Canadian Jewish News. Learn what is important to our Jewish people, locally and abroad.

Get to know the Jews in your city and/or neighbourhood. We don't bite. (Well, not without just cause. J) "He has shown you what is good. This is what the LORD requires: Do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God." The prophet Micah (6:8) is quoted often. Remember, justice and mercy are as Jewish as they are Christian. Become part of political and social discussion groups. Work together with the Jewish people on issues of public life. Work together to bring about justice and righteousness in the greater society. Realize we want the same things for our children and the world.

 

Akin to getting to know the Jews in your neighbourhood is being aware of what is happening to them. Anti-Semitism is on the rise. Most of these incidents do not make the newspaper or TV news. Many synagogues are being defaced. Many Jewish cemeteries are being desecrated and damaged. I've been to many reconciliation services. Everyone appears to be remorseful about the past, but few seem to be able to take this remorse into the present and the future. Churches/individuals need to show support for their Jewish neighbours. Get a group together and help put back those gravestones that have been defaced and knocked over. Help remove the derogatory remarks spray painted on synagogue walls. Write letters of support to the local newspapers. Write to/telephone your local TV station. Show that you care in a very definite way. Let your Jewish community know that they are not alone in this fight.

"To the Jew first". It's a biblical mandate; however, few through the centuries have taken it to heart. The Gentile church needs to have this mandate in their mission statements. The only denomination, to my knowledge, to have done this early on in its history is the Lutheran church. Jewish evangelism has always been an important part of their mission thrust (despite Martin Luther's anti-Semitic outbursts). Within the last year, the Southern Baptists issued a statement on evangelism, stating that sharing the good news with the Jewish people was a priority. God bless them!! Needless to say, they took a lot of flack from both sides. Jews don't want to be "targeted", and not wanting to "offend" the Jewish people, many "Christians" will say nothing at all about Yeshua's atoning sacrifice. Evangelicals are bound by Yeshua's command to go out into the world, share the gospel, heal the sick, raise the dead and cast out demons! One of the greatest forms of anti-Semitism is NOT to share this with the Jewish people! Rabbi from Tarsus and ultimate missionary to the non-Jews, the apostle Paul was willing to forfeit his own salvation, if it meant the salvation of his beloved Jewish people (Romans 9:3).

"LORD, hasten the day when the Gentile church grasps Paul's heart for Israel and the Jews!"

How do we put into practice "to the Jew first"? Let me finish with a real-life story. It's perfect for this holiday season.

A couple of years ago, a Gentile believer came to me and asked me how to reach her Jewish neighbours. Her family had just moved into an area with a significant Jewish population. My only response to her was, "Just love them." She then said, "No, really." And I said, "Yes, really. Just love them." This woman is an intercessor with a heart to see Jew and Gentile worshipping side by side in the Body. I knew she'd be praying, and I encouraged her to prayer walk her streets. I told her to hand-deliver cards at Rosh HaShanah, Hannukah and Pesach (Passover). I suggested she bake cookies at Sukkot. Because of kashruth (food laws), they may or may not eat them, but the gesture was the important part. I explained that several centuries of persecution and expulsion from practically every nation on the planet had made us not too trusting of people, especially the non-Jewish kind. We've been smiled at and then found ourselves the brunt of malicious humour and treachery. We can spot a phony a mile away and know when we are in the presence of danger. "Perfect love casts out fear". That's what the Word teaches us. Few people practice it, so we haven't seen the end result in great measure.

Time has passed. This mother of two has been involved in her children's schools, so she meets the Jewish teachers and parents there. Her children have been invited to bar (son) and bat (daughter) mitzvahs. They bring Jewish friends home after school. This woman has been faithful to "just love them". After Christmas last year, she came up to me with great excitement, telling me she had an incredible story to share. On Christmas morning, she and her family were sitting at home when the phone rang. It was one of her Jewish neighbours. The father of the household had woken up and decided he wanted to bake a holiday bread. He then wanted to give it to this woman and her family for Christmas. The phone call was to see if the family was home and if it was convenient to bring the bread over. The coffee was put on and a few minutes later the doorbell rang. Three Jewish faces stood there, a beautifully decorated holiday bread in hand. The family was ushered into this Gentile Christian home and they proceeded to have a wonderful time together. This, I was told, was the BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER!!

"To the Jew first …" The possibilities are endless! Who knows? Maybe next Christmas …….

VvdB