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REVISED EDITION
POSTED 30 DECEMBER, 2003
Introduction to Things Messianic
by
J.K. McKee
editor@tnnonline.net
In studying the Bible, many Christians unfortunately find
themselves only reading the New Testament or the Apostolic
Scriptures.
Although these important Scriptures speak of the gospel message,
testify to the works of our Lord Yeshua (Jesus), and speak of
issues that the First Century Believers had to contend with,
these writings comprise less than one-third of the Bible. Those
whose focus is almost exclusively in this part of the
Bible can have an unbalanced approach to our Creator and His
plan for the ages.
Although the Messianic Scriptures were written in Greek,[1]
their very nature is Hebraic. The man who authored more than
half of these writings was the Apostle Paul, a Rabbinical
scholar who studied under Gamaliel (Acts 22:3; Philippians 3:5),
a revered sage of Judaism to this day (b.Megillah 21a).
Our Messiah Himself was a Hebrew, as are many of His expressions
and sayings. Consider the following examples:
“If
your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from
you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your
body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell”
(Matthew 5:29).
“The
eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your
whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your
whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is
in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” (Matthew 6:22-23).
The above quotations are just two examples of the Hebraic nature of
our Savior’s teachings. In theological studies they are
generally referred to as Hebraisms or Semitisms in the Biblical
text. For centuries, scholars have debated verses such as those
above. Many have been confused. Do they require such a literal
viewpoint that demands a physical “plucking out of eyes”? Not at
all. To a First Century Jew, the eye can mean more than just an
organ with which one sees. It can be a person’s mind, emotions,
will, or good sense, depending on the context. There can be a
very deep meaning to Yeshua’s statements when one understands
that there is an Hebraic nature behind them. This is where the
Messianic movement steps in and where a First Century Jewish
perspective of the Scriptures is crucial.
Although the Messianic movement is composed of people from many
theological traditions: largely Conservative and Reform Judaism,
and evangelical Christianity, the emphasis concerning the
Hebraic Roots of our faith in the Messiah is very important
concerning the times in which we live. Several decades ago, if
one uttered the name “Yeshua,” very few would have known who, or
for that matter, what the person was talking about. However,
many Christians today are aware of the fact that
Yeshua ([Wvy) is the original Hebrew name of the
Messiah.[2]
Why has this come about? Because many now realize the fact
that understanding the Hebraic Roots of our faith is important.
Why is it important to understand the distinctive Hebraic Roots of
our relationship with God? Yeshua the Messiah is returning to
Jerusalem and the gates of New Jerusalem are named after the
Twelve Tribes of Israel (Revelation 21:10-12). The Apostle Paul
himself says that if you are in the Messiah, you are a part of
the Commonwealth of Israel (Ephesians 2:11-12) or the Israel of
God (Galatians 6:16). Our faith in Messiah Yeshua is undeniably
connected to Israel and to the Jewish people, because it did
start as a sect of Second Temple Judaism (cf. Acts 24:14).
Knowing about the origins of our faith is imperative if we are
to return to truly having an “Apostolic” theology.
Knowing about “things Messianic” and distinctively Hebraic is the
first step toward new enrichment of our faith from Genesis to
Revelation. By understanding the Hebraic origins of our faith,
many of the obscure parts of the Apostolic Scriptures (New
Testament) begin to become clear and take on a new depth, as we
consider their background and the lifestyle practices of the
first Believers in Yeshua. They lived out the missional
expectations of the Tanach or Old Testament in evangelizing the
ancient world (Exodus 19:6; Deuteronomy 4:6; Isaiah 42:6; 49:6),
something that we are to surely continue today.
J.K. McKee
(B.A., University of Oklahoma; M.A., Asbury
Theological Seminary) is the editor of TNN
Online (www.tnnonline.net) and is a Messianic
apologist.
He is a 2009 recipient of the Zondervan Biblical
Languages Award for Greek.
He
is author of
numerous books, dealing with a wide range of
topics that are important for today’s
Messianic Believers. He has also written many articles on
theological issues,
and is presently focusing his attention on Messianic commentaries
of various books of the Bible.
NOTES
[1]
There is the belief among some in the
Messianic movement that the Apostolic Scriptures were
written in Hebrew. This view, however, is not based in
historical fact. For a further analysis, consult the
publication
Scripture Under Scrutiny: Was the
New Testament Really Written In Hebrew?
by TNN Press.
[2]
The most public usage of the name
“Yeshua” I have seen to date was during Pastor Rick
Warren’s prayer at the inauguration of President Barack
Obama, 20 January, 2009.
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