How Jewish Is Christianity?: 2 Views on the Messianic Movement

Counterpoints

by Louis Goldberg (Editor), Stanley N. Gundry, Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum (Contribution by)

Diverse perspectives about the messianic movement — from six contributors.

Are Messianic congregations necessary or should Jewish believers be incorporated into the Gentile church? This is the topic of the latest volume in the Counterpoints series. The question of how Christian Jews relate their Jewish practices and customs to the church has been an issue within Christianity since the first century. Contemporary contributors who have lived and wrestled with this issue present informed arguments and counter-arguments. The book concludes with a chapter on the future for Messianic Jews and a directory of messianic movement organizations.

Contributors include:

• John Fischer (ThD, California Graduate School of Theology, PhD, University of South Florida) is a rabbi of Congregation Ohr Chadash and Chairman of Judaic Studies at St. Petersburg Theological Seminary.

• Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum (ThM, PhD, New York University) has served with the Chosen People Ministries and Christian Jew Foundation in the past and is now the founder and director of Ariel Ministries.

• Gershon Nerel (PhD, Hebrew University, Jerusalem) has served as “Israel Secretary” for the International Messianic Jewish Alliance and has also been a member of the executive committee for the Messianic Jewish Alliance of Israel.

• David Stern (PhD, MDiv) is the translator of the Jewish New Testament from Greek to English to express its Jewishness; his version of the Tanak is the Complete Jewish Bible.

• Will Varner (EdD, Temple University) servers as professor of biblical studies at the Master’s College, CA, and the director of the Israel Bible Extension campus of this college in Israel.

The Counterpoints series provides a forum for comparison and critique of different views on issues important to Christians. Counterpoints books address two categories: Church Life and Bible and Theology. Complete your library with other books in the Counterpoints series.

Genres: Theology, Christianity

208 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2003

About the author

Dr. Louis Goldberg is the former Professor of Theology and Jewish Studies at the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL. He received his B.S. from the University of Southern California, a B.D. and Th.M. from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, an M.A. from Roosevelt University, and a Th.D. from Grace Theological Seminary. He also completed postdoctoral work in Jewish studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
At the Moody Bible Institute, Dr. Goldberg’s Jewish background provided him with incredible insights into the Old and New Testament texts. Raised in an orthodox Jewish home, Dr. Goldberg held an important place in Christendom for years where he was able to preach, teach, and write from a Messianic perspective. From 1962–1965, he was a professor at Temple Baptist Theological Seminary in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he taught while pastoring local churches. Later, he became a faculty member at the Moody Bible Institute (1965–1994) where he served the local community and fine-tuned his gifting as an expert teacher in the Bible, theology, and world missions. Dr. Goldberg was awarded the prestigious Faculty Citation award from the Moody Bible Institute Alumni Association in 1977, and he spent his summers touring and teaching in the Holy Land and preaching to Jewish congregations around the globe. Following his work at Moody, Dr. Goldberg taught at the Russian Bible Institute in Brooklyn, New York.
In addition to teaching, Dr. Goldberg’s research on Judaism and modern Israel studies were recognized globally. In 1968, Israel government invited him to document the Israel people. He spent more than 30 summers interviewing political, social, and religious leaders in an effort to understand and catalogue the Jewish culture. Throughout, Dr. Goldberg maintained a pastor’s heart serving at various churches in Illinois, Iowa, New York, and Tennessee. He was on the advisory board of the American Messianic Fellowship and was the secretary/treasurer of the American Association for Jewish Evangelism. Dr. Goldberg was an active member of the Evangelical Theological Society where he was a frequent speaker and presenter. In 1983, he was honored to serve as the President of ETS. Dr. Goldberg also left an indelible mark on Jews for Jesus, a ministry he served for more than five decades. In 1994, the Jews for Jesus named him Scholar in Residence. Later, upon his death, the ministry renamed its official headquarter’s library in New York City in Dr. Goldberg’s honor. He was officially hailed as a “man of peace” by the Jews for Jesus founder Moshe Rosen.

Reviews

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

AN INTERESTING DIALOGUE ABOUT THE "MESSIANIC MOVEMENT"

In the Preface to this 2003 book, editor Louis Goldberg (1923-2002) wrote, "this book... reflects the views of five believers about how Messianic Jews can articulate and live out their faith. One contributor is a non-Jewish person and four are Messianic Jews... Two major views are considered: The first ... articulates a powerful plea that we do not need the Messianic congregation... Four contributors respond ... from diverging viewpoints." The contributors are John Fischer, Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Louis Goldberg, Gershon Nerel, and William Varner.

Here are some quotations from the book:

"I would especially agree that 'those practices that some Messianic Jews emphasize so strongly are the very things that can often lead to self-righteousness and actual loss of the real knowledge of the Messiah.' I have frequently observed this myself." (Pg. 67-68)
"Also agreed on is the fallacy that 'Messianic synagogues are a more effective witness to the Jewish community.' This has not been true historically. Now that the Messianic congregations have been around for about thirty years, it is still not proven that this is the most effective way of winning Jewish people to the Messiah." (Pg. 68-69)
"There are blacks in predominantly white churches, but there are blacks who prefer to be in predominantly black churches with their own ethnic expression entering into the style of worship." (Pg. 73-74)

[G Walker · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read this to pay my dues reading Dispy authors... especially 'the Frucht" as he is affectionately referred to by his followers. See my notes elsewhere on Fruchtenbaum... the guy is a "reverse" racist... This book was interesting only from the perspective to see how this ghetto has grown and flourished in the West, especially by those ridden by post holocaust guilt or those otherwise prone to cults. Overall a waste of time.