Messianic Jews, in a very real sense, are “completed Jews.” They have seen and their faith has grasped how the shadowy types in the Torah point toward their fulfillment in the great antitype, Yahushua, the Messiah. As such, the richness of spiritual beauty has opened before them and they love much as they see they have been forgiven much.
Nevertheless, some of their beliefs are still entwined with errors that have been handed down for centuries. Following is a short list of some of the errors held by Messianic Jews from which Heaven is calling them.
- Like the rabbinical Jews, Messianic Jews begin their seventh-day Sabbath at sundown on Friday and close the Sabbath at sundown on Saturday. This practice of observing the seventh-day Sabbath from sundown to sundown is based on ancient Jewish tradition, not Scripture. Leviticus 23:32 states: “From even unto even, shall ye celebrate your Sabbath.” This instruction, however, is given for the Day of Atonement only. Throughout the rest of Scripture, the combined weight of evidence reveals that weekly Sabbaths begin at dawn and end at dark.
- Messianic Jews teach that circumcision is still a necessary part of the covenant agreement between Yahuwah and mankind. Some go so far as to refuse to fellowship with those they know are not circumcised. Not only is such a harsh spirit antithetical of Yahushua, but the belief itself is based on a misunderstanding of what part circumcision played in the covenant agreement between Yahuwah and Abraham. Circumcision, which involved a minor “shedding of blood” was part of the sacrificial system. As such, it was a type that pointed forward to the great anti-type: the Lamb of Yah that taketh away the sins of the world. While certainly there is nothing wrong with circumcision for health reasons, doing so as a religious requirement does despite to Yahushua’s death on the cross as fulfilling the blood requirements of the law.
- Some Messianic Jews have fallen for the deception of a triune godhead. The doctrine of the Trinity cannot be supported from Scripture, which states: “Hear O Israel, Yahuwah our Eloah is one!” (Deuteronomy 6:4) The idea of a three-in-one godhead comes straight from ancient paganism, not Scripture. The Bible makes plain that Yahushua, while born of a virgin, is a human being - not a diety.
- Some Messianic Jews embrace speaking in tongues as a sign of Spirit baptism. Yahuwah has certainly demonstrated His ability, both in apostolic times and modern times, to gift people with the ability to speak in foreign languages. The majority of modern instances, however, do not fit the Biblical criteria for the genuine gift of the Spirit. Paul gently explained the difference between the true “speaking in tongues” versus the unintelligible gibberish so prevalent today: “He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself.” (1 Corinthians 14:4) To “edify” or “build” oneself is contradictory to the example of Yahushua who was “meek and lowly in heart.” (Matthew 11:29)
Yahuwah calls upon all Messianic Jews to step free of inherited errors and continue on in the path of truth.
