Are Messianic Jews really Jews, or are they actually Christians?

Are Messianic Jews Jewish?

No. A Jew who accepts Christianity might call himself a “Jewish Christian,”

but he is no longer a Jew[1]. He can no longer even be counted as part of a

Jewish congregation[2].

Conversion to another faith is an act of religious treason in Judaism. It is one of

the worst possible sins that a Jew can ever commit. Along with murder and

incest, it is one of the three cardinal sins which may not be violated even

under pain of death. [3] It’s a big deal.

Rabbi Moses Isserles demanded a formal conversion back to Judaism for those who converted out of Judaism but who then wanted to return to Judaism. (One who practices idolatry denies the whole of the Torah.)[4]

He demanded ritual immersion (mikveh) and repentance before a court of three (beit din). You will see this also in other Responsa literature: Radbaz, Responsa III, 415; Moses Isserles to Yoreh Deah 268.12; and Hoffman, Melamed Leho-il II, 84.

Maimonides himself wrote that if a Jew converted to Christianity, he or she was no longer a Jew (Yad, loc. cit. 2:5.). Also see Maimonides, Hilchot Mamrim Perek 3, Halacha 1-3, as well as in Maimonides's Mishnah Torah, Avodat Kochavim 2:5.

Note the following Biblical Passage:

I Kings 18:21. Elijah the prophet asked Jews who were beginning to slip into the worship of the idol, Baal, "How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the God of the Jews is God, follow Him! but if Baal is God, then follow him!" Elijah told the Jews, one or the other, not both! You cannot believe in two opposite, mutually exclusive ideas simultaneously. Judaism and Christianity believe in opposite, mutually exclusive ideas, and you cannot be a Jew and a believer that Jesus was the Christ at the same time. We are supposed to prefer death over the practice of Christianity [5].

This is not to say apostate ex-Jews are not welcome back!

Rabbi Moses Isserles demanded a formal conversion back to Judaism for those who converted out of Judaism but who then wanted to return to Judaism. He demanded ritual immersion (mikveh) and repentance before a court of three (beit din). You will see this also in other Responsa literature: Radbaz, Responsa III, 415; Moses Isserles to Yoreh Deah 268.12; and Hoffman, Melamed Leho-il II, 84.

Indeed, the Tanakh says…

“As I live, says G-d, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but

that they turn from their way and live.” (Ezek. 33:11).

“When the wicked turns from his sin, and does what is lawful and

right, he shall live thereby.” (Ibid. 33:19).

“That every man shall return from his way, and I will forgive him.”

(Jer. 36:3)

“If they return to You, and confess Your Name, and pray ... then You

will hear in Heaven, and forgive their sin.” (1 Kings 8:33, 34)

Even a Jew who has embraced another faith is given another chance. He can still return to Judaism and be reaccepted by G-d. However, he must sever all ties with the faith he converted to (in this case, the Christian or “Messianic” faith).

Source(s):

1) Yad, loc. cit. 2:5.

2) Pri Megadim, Eshel Avraham 55:4.

3) Sanhedrin 74a.

4) Sifri on Num. 15:22 and Deut. 11:28; Yad, Avodas Kochavim 2:4. Cf. Horios 8a.

5) Tshuvos Rivash 4, 11, Tshuvos Rabbi Yosef ben Lev 1:15.

• Harries, Richard (August 2003). "Should Christians Try to Convert Jews?". After the evil: Christianity and Judaism in the shadow of the Holocaust. New York, NY: Oxford

The vast majority of "messianic jews" have zero connection to Judaism aside from belonging to their missionary movement. A tiny percentage have a tenuous conneciton but would not be considered Jewish by Jewish standards and something like 1% were actually considered Jewish before converting to "messianic judaism".

The simple reality is, that even if they did have a connection prior to converting to Christianity (whether they want admit it or not, "messianic judaism" is just another Christian sect) once they converted they lost any connection that they had. The Torah is clear in Shmot (Exodus) Chapter 12 v43 that the Jew who converts to another religion is no longer a part of the Jewish community. This ruling is seen in the Talmud in masechta Sanhedrin where it is stated that an apikoros is not counted as a Jew and loses their place in the world to come (in other words, they are punished with kares (spiritual excission)). This same Mishnah is repeated at the start of masechta Avot in the Mishnah. Thi cutting off in this world and the next is reflected in rulings by the Rema in the Shulkhan Aruch (Yoreh Deah 268:12), Rambam in Hilchos Avodat Kochvim- and in the modern era in rulings by both HaRav Moshe Feinstein zs"l in Iggeros Moshe and the Satmar Rebbe (unsure of the exct reference for this last one).

Being ignorantof Judaism, the "messianic jews" try to counter this by taking a comment in the Talmud masechta Sanhedrin out of context- in reference to a passage in Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah)- the sages state that even when Israel sins, it remains Israel and does not loose its covenant with G-d. sadly, their simplistic understanding of the text, and ignoring context and the rest of the law on this matter, leads them into a serious error here. How so? Yes- they remain Jewish- and if they do not repent they are PUNISHED! In other words this remaining Jewish is a two edged sword- on the one hand, if they repent they can return to Judaism (how easy we should make that return is debated and subject to differing rulings by various authorities), bu if they do not repent, then, as per the Mishnah in masechta Sanhedrin and Avos, they are punished with the most servere punishment possible! It doesn't matter that a non-Jew in the same religion doing exactly the same thing as them might be considered righteous, the Jew is judged and punished as a Jew, not as a non-Jew!

They are Christians, of course. They never stopped being Christians when they decided to begin calling themselves "messianic Jews". They never renounced their belief in and love for Jesus and they never took up Jewish beliefs and they never were converted by anyone other than by Christian ministers who fraudulently call themselves "messianic rabbis". To put it mildly, they are blatant liars. What else would you call them?

If you are really a Christian as you profess to be by your profile, you would instantly realize that these "messianic Jews" are Christians like you.

Jesus did not fulfill any of the prophecies to be considered the jewish messiah. All jews are messianic because they expect messiah in the future. If somebody believes Jesus was the messiah he or she is a christian, not a jew.

First, you need to define who are the Jews. It's not as simple as someone saying they are. Who God's chosen people are, are those of the direct bloodline of Jacob. After all these centuries, it's gotten all mixed up. People may think they are Jews because they and their ancestors practiced it. But who knows if someone in the family some several hundreds of years ago didn't simply convert to Judaism, and the family now may not even know if they're of the bloodline or not. But God knows. So, a bloodline descendant of Jacob will always be among the Israelite family. A Jewish person who believes in Christ may still be Jewish, or may never have been Jewish at all. Just as a Christian may very well be of the bloodline and not know it. After all, the original Christians were all Jews of the bloodline.

http://www.aish.com/jw/s/48931382.html

http://www.aish.com/jw/s/48884377.html

http://www.aish.com/sp/ph/48918997.html

http://www.aish.com/sp/so/82882642.html

These articles will give you a clear picture of who they are.

In short: Not Jewish

The Jews the Christian group ensnare are not considered Jews by Jewish law the second they "convert."

They believe in the deity of Christ; that's a Christian belief.

NEWSFLASH!

In December 1989, the Supreme Court of Israel set a legal precedent when it denied the right of return to Gary and Shirley Beresford, Messianic Jews from South Africa.

In rejecting their petition, Supreme Court Justice Menachem Elon cited their belief in Jesus.

* In the last two thousand years of history the Jewish people have decided that Messianic Jews do not belong to the Jewish nation.

That's in Israel. We live in the USA. Anyone here who doesn't like the God Given and Constitutionally protected right for someone to call themselves a Messianic Jew can go back to Israel.

We live in a Democracy here. Isn't that why you're here in the first place?

OMHO

Christians pretending to be Jews.

If they follow the Torah, celebrate the Jewish holidays, and practice the customs, then they would be Jews who believe Jesus is the Messiah.

Christians for the most part don't follow Jewish customs and practices.

To the guy above me, Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies. The 23 prophecies from the Jews today aren't supported biblically. The most important prophecies of the Messiah are black and white in the Bible, and fulfilled by Jesus.