Why Jewish denominations and national organizations reject Messianic Judaism?

Question

Why all major Jewish denominations, as well as national Jewish organizations, reject that Messianic Judaism is a form of Judaism?

Answer 1

My understanding is that once a Jewish person believes in Jesus as the messiah, other Jewish folks consider that person to have become a Christian, and no longer Jewish.

Answer 2

Call it "game rules". Just as one cannot get a "touchdown" when playing "baseball", so too Orthodox Judaism rejects any claim that one who follows Yeshua as Messiah is practicing Judaism.

The majority of Judaism follows that position. The one exception that I can think of is Rabbi Dan Cohn-Sherbok who authored a book on Messianic Judaism:
http://www.amazon.ca/Messianic-Judaism-Dan-Cohn-Sherbok/dp/0304707309
He is a Reform rabbi, and does not accept that Yeshua was the Messiah. But, these days, you look at the syncratism of the Jewish Renewal Movement and their odd mixture of Judaism, Sufism, Buddhism and the like; and you would have to question exactly how they are somehow an acceptable form of Judaism, while Messianic Judaism is not.

As to those who would claim that Jews who believe Yeshua to be Messiah suddenly stop being Jews, that is not in keeping with halachah. The Lubavitcher Rebbe correctly (obviously!) states the halachah in this footage:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4462924665331442133
A Jew is always a Jew in spite of any aberrant belief or practice. If he should repent of belief in a false Messiah there is no requirement for a recircumcision or reconversion. He is always a Jew even in an aberrant belief.

Answer 3

it is not as simple a question as it sounds. For one, if a person is born to a Jewish mother he is always considered Jewish no matter what he believes. However, for a person to be Jewish by conversion, it requires a person to strictly adhere to the rules of Judaism as defined by a rabbi, who orchestrates the conversion process. Since believing that Jesus is the Messiah is not part of Judaism at all, a convert who believes in this opinion would never be approved by a legitimate rabbi. It is a bit of a cop out answer, but simply put, the official opinion of Judaism is that Jesus was not the messiah, and since converts only have a claim to Judaism by belief and not birth, the two cannot simultaneously exist.

Answer 4

Contrary to the first answerer, Messianic Jews are just that -- Jews, not gentiles. While there are some Messianic congregations that are mixed (Jew and gentile), a gentile attending a Messianic Jewish congregation is not properly called a Messianic Jew, since he or she is not, nor ever will be, Jewish.

Jews who reject Jesus as Messiah rely upon the First Commandment (Exodus 20:3) and Deut. 6:14 and Deut. 13, among others, to explain that belief in Jesus is the worship of "another god." Since they do not believe Jesus is God, they believe a Messianic Jew has apostacized into another religion. As such, they are considered no longer to be Jewish.

EDIT: "BlueKnight," actually the "shema" supports the concept of the Trinity. Do a detailed study of the meaning of the Hebrew word "echad" used in Deut. 6:3; compare it with the other usages in the OT, such as Gen. 1:5 & 2:24, Ezra 2:64 (where "echad" is translated "together" in the KJV) and Eze. 37:17. "Echad" is not a word that implies an "absolute one," it implies a "compound one." On the other hand, the word "yachiyd" firmly states an ABSOLUTE ONE. See Gen. 22:2, for example. The word "Elohiym" (translated as "God" throughout the Tanakh) literally means "Gods" (pleural).

Answer 5

Perhaps you need to better define what you mean by Messianic Judaism. Do you mean Jews who are looking for the Messiah? Or, I presume, you mean Jews who accept the Jesus of the Christian scriptures as their Messiah (and as God).

I am Gentile and Christian, but I am sympathetic to Judaism and its need to preserve its identity and defend itself from abuse. I think that mainstream Judaism does not recognize "Messianic Judaism" (i.e., Judaistic Christianity) as Jewish. A person may be racially Jewish, observant of the Torah, and worship in a synagogue with other Jews, but if he accepts Jesus as God, he has excluded himself from being Jewish by not worshipping the God revealed in the Tanak (Old Testament). Trinitarianism is excluded as an option in the Torah. The Shema clearly states, "Hear, O Israel, Adonai (YHWH) is our God, Adonai (YHWH) is One [or, Adonai alone]." This is Deuteronomy 6:3. How can someone who believes that a human being (Jesus) is God also claim to be Jewish and worship the God of Abraham, Moses and David?

I know that Messianic Jews want to be recognized as fully Jewish and not something else. See the writings of David Stern (The Jewish New Testament, and The Jewish New Testament Commentary). Despite his ardent defense of Messianic Judaism, I am not convinced. I remain too much a friend and defender of mainstream Jews to accept his (and, apparently, your) arguments that Judaistic Christianity be accepted as a branch of Judaism.

Lastly, are you aware of the efforts of Herbert W. Armstrong to reform (mainly Gentile) Christianity into worshipping on the sabbath and observing the Jewish festivals, not the Christian holidays (many of which are derived from paganism)? Armstrong did a great deal to muddy the waters between Messianic Judaism (composed of people ethnically Jewish) and Gentile (but strongly reform minded) Christianity. His ministry has resulted in many people with strange ideas, even some who call Jesus "Yah-shua" (rather than the proper Hebrew "Yeshua"). Much chaos has arisen among the multitide of groups all wanting to call themselves Messianists or Messianic Jews.

Answer 6

Because Messianic Judaism is Christian not Jewish.

Answer 7

In Messianic Judaism (Christianity) they suspect all and sundry can call themselves Jewish, climate they have been one or no longer. they do no longer carry the comparable ideals as actual Judaism. So whilst it comprises the question of who's Jewish, it is seen irrelevant to them because of the fact as long as someone announces them self as a Jew then of their eyes that makes the guy Jewish despite in the event that they have been on no account born, raised or known with the aid of the actual Jewish community as Jews. in my opinion Messianic Judaism undermines and undercuts actual Judaism. And it is merely yet another attempt at attempting to apply alternative theology so as that they are able to wipe the Jewish human beings out, spiritually. with the aid of asserting that genuine Jews are not accomplished and "saved". in component of certainty as quickly as a Jewish person converts to Christianity they are actually no longer Jewish. the comparable is going for the different person from yet another faith changing to Christianity. Jew + Christianity = Christian Muslim + Christianity = Christian Buddhist + Christianity = Christian there is no such subject as a Jewish-Christan, Muslim-Christian, Buddist-Christian, etc. because of the fact faith and race are 2 extremely some issues and being Jewish is approximately being a factor of Judaism (the religion) merely like being a Muslim is approximately being a follower of Islam, etc. Jews are actually not a race (because of the fact there are black Jews, white Jews, etc.) and neither is being a Muslim, or a Buddhist, etc. # # # Worshiping a guy or something different than G-d is against the commandments. Deuteronomy 5:7 Thou shalt don't have the different gods in the past Me. And G-d stated that he's not a guy. Numbers 23:19 G-d isn't a guy that he ought to lie; neither the son of guy that he ought to repent. G-d on my own saves you. Isaiah 40 3:10-13 Ye are my witnesses, saith the L-rd, And my servant whom I even have chosen; that ye might comprehend and have self assurance and comprehend that i'm He; in the past me there became no G-d formed, neither shall any be after Me. I even i'm the L-rd; and beside me there is no savior. I even have declared, and that i've got saved, and that i've got introduced, and there became no unusual god between you; consequently ye are my witnesses, saith the L-rd, and that i'm G-d. Yea, because of the fact the day became i'm He, and there is none that can furnish out of my hand; i visit artwork, and who can opposite it?

Answer 8

Because the Messianic Jews have accepted Jesus as the Messiah, and the Jews reject Him. It is really that simple.

Answer 9

Messianic Judaism is any of a group of loosely related religious movements, all claiming a connection with Judaism. Beliefs and practice range from evangelical Christianity to close to Orthodox Judaism, while accepting Jesus to be the Messiah (and God) and using the New Testament as scripture. The groups range from those comprised mostly of Jews to those which are mostly gentile in membership; the majority are mixed. ...

Answer 10

i dont know if any one on here is a jew ..........and if they are not they really shouldnt answer.......but they believe in jesus and all other jews do not it may still be considered sometimes...but mostly not.....