Hurdling Barriers that Prevent Christians from Witnessing to Jewish People One key to effective personal evangelism is setting aside stereotypes. Stereotyping any people hinders, rather than helps, our Gospel proclamation to them. When non-Jewish people meet Jewish people personally, they will think about and speak to the stereotypes rather than truly getting to know the person.
Jewish people are involved in all levels of society. Yet, people stereotype them by appearance, cultural or religious differences. Some say that Jewish people are moneyed or that they control financial institutions or the entertainment industry. Others say that Jewish people are close-knit and exclusive of non-Jewish people.
Evangelistic Obstacles That Prevent Christians From Witnessing
At age 15, I went with my parents to the drivers license examiner’s office, and took a written test to qualify for a learner’s permit. The first time I sat behind the wheel of my father’s 1955 Oldsmobile 98, my father sitting in the passenger seat, I noticed first how nervous he was – and how nervous I was!
Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they might be saved. – Romans 10:1
Paul's Burning Question in Romans 9–11
Paul wrote Romans 9–11 to answer this question:
If Israel is God's chosen people, and if he gave to them the sonship and the glory and the covenants (9:4), and yet by and large they have rejected the Messiah and are cut off from Christ (9:3), then has not the word of God fallen? And if the surety of God's word to Israel has fallen, how does it stand with us who hope in the promise that those whom he called he will also glorify?
This was a burning question for Paul. All his hope as a Christian, all the purpose of his apostleship, hung on this question: has God's word to Israel fallen? Have all the glorious purposes of God for this people aborted because of their unbelief?
Evangelistic Obstacles That Prevent Christians From Witnessing
At age 15, I went with my parents to the drivers license examiner’s office, and took a written test to qualify for a learner’s permit. The first time I sat behind the wheel of my father’s 1955 Oldsmobile 98, my father sitting in the passenger seat, I noticed first how nervous he was – and how nervous I was!
Hurdling Barriers that Prevent Christians from Witnessing to Jewish People One key to effective personal evangelism is setting aside stereotypes. Stereotyping any people hinders, rather than helps, our Gospel proclamation to them. When non-Jewish people meet Jewish people personally, they will think about and speak to the stereotypes rather than truly getting to know the person.
Jewish people are involved in all levels of society. Yet, people stereotype them by appearance, cultural or religious differences. Some say that Jewish people are moneyed or that they control financial institutions or the entertainment industry. Others say that Jewish people are close-knit and exclusive of non-Jewish people.
Perhaps you have a Jewish neighbor, acquaintance or friend. You may have felt, “I really can’t tell my Jewish friend about Jesus, because they’re Jewish! I don’t want to offend my friend by telling him about Jesus.” However, to begin to share your faith with Jewish people (or anyone for that matter!), here are some helpful attitudes:
Develop an attitude of willingness to tell others about Jesus.
This is key. Today many people by tradition have moved away from willingly, actively talking about their personal faith. It’s easier to talk about the weather, sports, politics or the economy. But when it comes to matters of personal faith, we tend to withdraw or to become uncomfortable. Perhaps we lack self-confidence. Maybe we lack a knowledge of Scripture or feel inferior when dealing with spiritual things. But the Lord has called us to be witnesses and He will equip us to be His witnesses. Our actions and our words are important.
Jesus wandered about the country for three years accompanied by a hand-picked group of disciples. While some of us memorized the names of the original twelve, we know that there were others who also were followers. But Jesus gave himself, his time, his involvement, to just a small band, and ultimately just to three close-in followers: Peter, James and John.
There were many leading rabbis of His day who likewise had their bands of followers, students, disciples. Unlike our modern way of training pastors where one heads off to an institution of higher learning, a disciple accompanied a teacher as he went about his regular duties and learned from first hand experiences.
What do Jewish Scriptures and traditions say about sin and its consequence? Is there a permanent solution?
Steven was raised in an Orthodox Jewish home. He went to Hebrew school, had his bar mitzvah and observed the holidays. Yet when he turned 15, his parents began to experiment with a more liberal Jewish lifestyle. Perhaps it was an act of rebellion against her own mother, but Steven's mother began making pork chops, a food previously forbidden from the family menu and alien to their palates. At the same time, and seemingly unrelated at first, his father bought a smoke alarm. In case of fire, they would be ready! But as it happened, whenever the mother made pork chops, the alarm would start to blast. Its piercing warning would upset the otherwise peaceful household. Sometimes there was even smoke accompanying the alarm. Steven's father quipped that maybe God was trying to tell them something--namely that they shouldn't eat pork. The rest of the family shrugged off the remark as a joke and the culinary experiments continued. Still, whenever pork was cooked, the alarm sounded. Eventually, Steven's father took the obvious solution. He got rid of the smoke alarm!
It is important to understand the foundation of what Jewish people believe today. There is no single answer. The term dogma, which is much better applied to Christianity, has little place within Judaism. In Judaism, the need for a profession of belief did not arise, and rabbis saw no necessity for drawing up concise formulas stressing Jewish beliefs and faith.
Theologically speaking, it is understood that Jewish people are born into God’s covenant with the people of Israel in Genesis 12:1-3:
The LORD had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.'
My wife and I were talking the other night. I asked her (yes, she is Jewish), “What do Jewish people think of Jesus?” Without batting an eyelash, her response was, “Jewish people do not think of Jesus!” Generally Jesus is given little to no thought.
Throughout the ages, the question of who Y’shua (Jesus) is has encountered a full spectrum of reactions ranging from He is a myth, fable and the New Testament is merely an assemblage of narishkeit (Yiddish for foolishness)... all the way to He is the promised Messiah, God incarnate who died for our sins and rose from the dead. Quite a spectrum, indeed.
Answering 13 Common Objections of Jewish People to Jesus as Messiah
In my personal experience as a missionary to Jewish people, I want to share with you some common objections I’ve heard throughout the years. I call it “A Baker’s Dozen” or, “Thirteen objections – with holes in them – that can be filled with the Gospel.” These are:
Loss of Jewishness
The Rabbi Doesn’t Teach it
Where is the Evidence?
No Intermediary Required
The Lord Our God is One
The Trinity
No Original Sin
The Virgin Birth
The Deity of Jesus
Not from the Line of David
Heaven and Hell
The Holocaust
Christian Persecution
When it comes to telling Jewish people about Jesus, we find that many objections raised are not necessarily new objections. A whole history of apologetics is today being reviewed and republished, all speaking against the claims of Jesus’ Messiahship.
The passport is a tool for helping you disciple someone through their early spiritual journey. We all share a common path: birth, life, death, and judgment day. What happens between birth and death makes a big difference concerning our final destination.
Consider using this tool as you reach out to fellow travelers on life’s bumpy roads.
Have you ever receive a phone call from a salesperson, political, or solicitor seeking your time and attention? What is you initial, knee-jerk reaction once you have answered? Most tell me that they want to hang up and end the call as quickly as possible.
But Wait
Perhaps there is an opportunity here for YOU to make a difference in the life of a total stranger you may never meet. Here is how.
What would happen if 80% of your members intentionally invested two hours a month for the express purpose of reaching lost people in your community? The Apple of His Eye has developed a simple plan for you that will bring specific results: 1) your members will actively share their Faith 2) their friends will hear the Gospel 3) God’s Word will not return void. Join in the movement of intentionally reaching out to the lost.
There is an old saying, “Ask three Jewish people a question on one issue and you will get five opinions!” This one question brings much heat and sometimes little light because of historic positions, attitudes and sadly, anti-Semitism.
Israel
Perhaps to untangle this question it would be best to go back a bit in history. Israel, the people, are the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the twelve tribes.
Israel is not defined by religious practices (i.e. today that would be Reform, Conservative or Orthodox Judaism) but by the covenant God established: Genesis 12:1-3 and Jeremiah 31:35-37.
These resources offer inspiration and guidance in presenting the Gospel message to a Jewish audience. The key focus is on identifying the links between scripture and Y'shua, the Messiah.
The resources here explore the typical Jewish life cycle, from birth to death. Significant life events are explored from a uniquely Jewish perspective. Knowing this perspective provides further understanding of the broad interplay that scripture (the Bible) has even in modern Jewish life.
The resources here focus on the major festivals in Jewish life. Use the Festivals Overview presentation to gain a better understanding of the overall annual festival calendar and the Biblical basis for each major festival. The Passover presentation takes a deeper look at the purpose and meaning behind Passover from both an Old Testament (Pentatuch) and New Testament perspective. The Shavuot presentation discusses the feast of Shavuot, otherwise known as Pentecost, and the significance it has in biblical history.
Many Christian theologians today, as well as many different and disparate Christian denominations, question the need to share the gospel with Jewish people. In fact, many consider attempts to do this as being insensitive and judgmental. Indicative of this is a quote from Eric Gritsch in a publication of the Lutheran Council in the USA, distributed by the ELCA. In it Gritsch states: [T]here really is no need for any Christian mission to the Jews. They are and remain the people of God, even if they do not accept Jesus Christ as their Messiah. Why this is so only God knows. Christians should concentrate their missionary activities on those who do not yet belong to the people of God, and they should court them with a holistic witness in word and deed rather than with polemical argument and cultural legislation.
The long history of Christian anti-Semitism calls for repentance, not triumphalist claims of spiritual superiority.
Reminder: The First Followers of Jesus Were Jewish
The first followers of Jesus were indeed Jewish. They went to the synagogue first and concluded from the Scriptures that the Messiah had come as promised in the Law and the Prophets. It was the norm to be involved first in Jewish culture and then to follow the Jewish Messiah. It was outside the norm for a gentile to follow Jesus.
The missiological hot-button of the day was "Can a gentile follow Jesus without first becoming Jewish?"
Most Christian clergy have studied church history without ever being introduced to this shameful aspect of the church‘s story. The Jews, however, do know about it. They know about the anti-Jewish polemics of certain church fathers; about the forced baptisms, especially of children; about the church council decree that sanctioned the removal of such children from their parents; about a papal edict encouraging raids on Jewish synagogues by the faithful; about the expulsion of all Jews from a country like Spain; about Luther‘s hate language directed against Jews when they did not convert according to his timetable; about the prohibition against Jews living in Calvin‘s Geneva; the Great Synagogue in Jerusalem set ablaze with Jewish folk trapped inside while Crusaders outside sang, Christ we adore Thee.
So What is the Church’s Stand on Jewish Evangelism Today?
It depends on to whom you are talking. Let‘s take layman John Q Smith, for example. He was born into a Lutheran family, brought for baptism as an infant, went to VBS as a child, then to confirmation class starting at age 11. Following his confirmation, he attends with his family until he heads off to college, where he is contacted by a Lutheran campus pastor and joins up for an occasional meal and service. He does not want to rock the boat, and so he never speaks openly of his faith unless someone asks; and today, no one is really asking. He is back to church for his wedding and again when his firstborn arrives, and so the cycle continues. Yes, he knows someone Jewish through school and business. But never is there a thought that he should, would, or even could speak to that person about eternal damnation due to sin and hope through faith in Jesus. That is the pastor‘s job. They have the training...etc.
Are There Two Ways to God: One Jewish and One Gentile?
Numerous questions exist today in the field of comparative religions and missiology. This is especially true when it comes to discussions concerning Christianity and Judaism. Many question the need to share the gospel with Jewish people. In fact, many consider attempts to do this as being insensitive and judgmental.
Indicative of this is a quote from Eric Gritsch in a publication of the Lutheran Council in the USA, distributed by the ELCA. In it Gritsch states: There really is no need for any Christian mission to the Jews. They are and remain the people of God, even if they do not accept Jesus Christ as their Messiah.
There is an old saying, “Ask three Jewish people a question on one issue and you will get five opinions!” This one question brings much heat and sometimes little light because of historic positions, attitudes and sadly, anti-Semitism.
Israel
Perhaps to untangle this question it would be best to go back a bit in history. Israel, the people, are the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the twelve tribes.
Israel is not defined by religious practices (i.e. today that would be Reform, Conservative or Orthodox Judaism) but by the covenant God established: Genesis 12:1-3 and Jeremiah 31:35-37.
Not for oil or money or territory, but for souls. Millions of Jewish people and billions of gentiles born in sin are facing a Christ-less eternity. If we continue the status quo of less than one adult convert per church per year, are we fulfilling our mandate to reach the world? Are we taking God at His Word by going to the Jew first or even at all? Or are we lulled into arguing among ourselves over this or that issue which has absolutely no eternal value at all? The enemy of our souls has succeeded in dividing Christians over issues of no eternal import. We must resist the enemy and proclaim the Gospel!
Excerpted from A Case for Romans 1:16...Again! by Steve Cohen
Since the Holocaust, many have shifted from Jewish missions by substituting Dialogue. Dialogue can never replace the biblical mandate to go and make disciples as some have in this post-Holocaust era..
In 1973, the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS), through an omnibus resolution, established a Task Force on Witnessing to Jewish People. Dr. Erv Kolb, then Secretary for the Board for Evangelism, was the point person. He assembled a team of well-intentioned pastors and lay leaders. They produced a Workbook on Jewish Evangelism for congregational use. One of the appendices included a horrible caricature of Mr. Stereotypical Jew—a man with a large hooked nose.
Mission strategists hold that some people groups can be reached by piggybacking the Gospel on a medical mission, an agricultural mission, an educational mission, or Bible translation.
Not so when it comes to reaching the Jewish people today. Jewish medical professionals lead in advances; Jewish people are literate; the Scriptures were given in their language, Hebrew. There can be no piggybacking. We must be lovingly direct!
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. The only strategy, if it can be called that, is to give God‘s Word a hearing that His Spirit might convict of sin and work faith in unregenerate hearts.
Excerpted from A Case for Romans 1:16...Again! by Steve Cohen
Our present day ecclesiology has muted and subjugated our mission zeal. I believe we must urgently refocus the stewardship of the saved to care for the lost through prayer, witness, and personal involvement. In 1973, one gentile reached me, a Jew. Now this Jew is urging the church to get back to the Bible and reach those who are lost before it is too late. There are great opportunities available with God‘s help!
We pray for His blessing on this important work. He has said that He would bless those who bless the Jewish people (Gn 12:3), and there is no greater blessing than the blessing of the Gospel. Never before have we needed so desperately God‘s blessing on our work. As has so often been the case, the answer may well be with how we respond to God‘s call to reach the Jewish people.
I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for this is God’s power for salvation for all who believe, To the Jew first...
Excerpted from A Case for Romans 1:16...Again! by Steve Cohen
Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they might be saved. – Romans 10:1
Paul's Burning Question in Romans 9–11
Paul wrote Romans 9–11 to answer this question:
If Israel is God's chosen people, and if he gave to them the sonship and the glory and the covenants (9:4), and yet by and large they have rejected the Messiah and are cut off from Christ (9:3), then has not the word of God fallen? And if the surety of God's word to Israel has fallen, how does it stand with us who hope in the promise that those whom he called he will also glorify?
This was a burning question for Paul. All his hope as a Christian, all the purpose of his apostleship, hung on this question: has God's word to Israel fallen? Have all the glorious purposes of God for this people aborted because of their unbelief?
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