BIBLE
The BIBLE, consisting of the Tenach (Old Covenant/Testament) and the later writings commonly known as the B’rit Hadasha (New Testament/Covenant), is the only infallible and authoritative word of God. We recognize its divine inspiration, and accept its teachings as our final authority in all matters of faith and practice (Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Proverbs 3:1-6; Psalm 119:89, 105; Isaiah 48:12-16; Romans 8:14-17; II Timothy 2:15, 3:16-17).
GOD
We believe that the Shema, “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4), teaches that God is Echad, as so declared: a united one, a composite unity, eternally existent in plural oneness [Genesis 1:1 (Elohim: God); Genesis 1:26 “Let Us make man in Our image”; Genesis 2:24 Adam & Eve were created to be as one flesh (basar echad)], that He is a personal God who created us (Genesis 1 & 2), and that He exists forever in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as mentioned in Romans 8:14-17 (Father, Spirit, and Messiah – Son) and Matthew 28:18-20 (immersing in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).
GOD THE FATHER (Abba)
He is Our Heavenly Father as shown in: John 6:27b; I Corinthians 1:3; Galatians 1:1; Revelation 3:5, 21; Jeremiah 3:4, 19; 31:9; Malachi 1:6; Matthew 6:9, 32; Luke 10:21-22; John 1:14; 4:23; 5:17-26; 6:28-46; Romans 8:14-15.
GOD THE SON (HaBen)
God does have a Son who was and is and will return (Psalm 2; Proverbs 30:4-6 (cf. Hebrews 1); Luke 12:35-37; John 1:29-34, 49; 3:14-18).
The Son, called Yeshua (Jesus), meaning salvation, came to this world born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14 (cf. Luke 1:30-35)).
The Son is God (Deity), and is worshipped as God, having existed eternally (Psalm 110:1 (cf. Hebrews 1:13); Isaiah 9:6-7; Matthew 28:18-20; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:15-19; Revelation 3:21 (Hebrews 1 – worshipped by angels); Revelation 4:8, 5:5-14).
This One is the promised Mashiach (Messiah) of Israel (Isaiah 9:6-7; 11:1; Daniel 9 (especially verses 20-26); Isaiah 53; John 1:17, 40-41, 45, 49; Mark 8:29).
He is the root and offspring of David, the bright and morning star (Numbers 24:17; Revelation 22:16).
He is our Passover, the Lamb of God (I Corinthians 5:7; Revelation 5; John 1:29).
GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT (Ruach HaKodesh)
Introduced in Genesis 1:2b: “And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”
In the Tenach, the Spirit of God came upon individuals during the times of our forefathers, like Moses, David (see II Samuel 23:1-3), and the Prophets, for the specific purposes.
In the New Covenant, the Messiah Yeshua, promised His disciples that “the Comforter” would come to them after He was gone, described as the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17, 26), who was with them and would be in them. Yeshua further declared that the Spirit of Truth, would guide us into all truth and would glorify Him – the Messiah – not Himself (John 16:13-15). He empowers us (Acts 1:8). The Spirit of God seals us (Ephesians 1:13; 4:30 (see NIV and Jewish New Testament versions)). If we have not the Spirit, we are not His (Romans 8:9). He leads us and teaches us (Romans 8:14-17). His indwelling enables us to live a godly life. Acts 2:38 says, “Repent, be immersed, and receive the Holy Spirit.”
HUMANITY AND SIN
Men and women are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27), however because of disobedience, mankind fell from the first state and became separated from God (Genesis 2:17; 3:22-24). Therefore, according to the Scriptures, all humans are born with a sinful nature (Psalm 14:1-3; 49:7; 53:13; Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:9-12, 23; 5:12).
Our only hope for redemption (salvation) is through the atonement made by the Messiah (Leviticus 17:11; Isaiah 53; Daniel 9:24-26; I Corinthians 15:22; Hebrews 9:11-14, 28; John 1:12, 3:36), resulting in regeneration by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5), which is the new birth (John 3:3-8). For by grace we are saved through faith, it is a gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9).
HUMAN SEXUALITY
Legitimate sexual relations are exercised solely within marriage. Hence, sexual activities, such as, but not limited to, adultery, fornication, incest, homosexuality, pedophilia and bestiality are inconsistent with the teachings of the Bible. Further, lascivious behavior, the creation and/or distribution and/or viewing of pornography, and efforts to alter one’s gender, are incompatible with the biblical witness. Marriage between a man and a woman has been established by God (Genesis 2:24). The Bible recognizes marriage as exclusively the legal union of one man and one woman in which such union is a lifetime commitment.
RESURRECTION AND JUDGMENT
We believe in the resurrection of both the redeemed and the lost: the former to everlasting life and the latter to eternal separation from God, a state of everlasting punishment (Job 14:14; 19:25-27; Daniel 12:2-3; John 3:36; 11:25-26; Revelation 20:5-6, 10-15; 21:7-8).
THE MESSIAH – The Anointed One and Redeemer.
The Scriptures promised two “comings” of the Messiah.
First coming:
Promised in Daniel 9:24-26. The initial coming’s purpose was to make atonement (covering) for sin (Daniel 9:24-26; Isaiah 53; Romans 3:21-31; Hebrews 9-10; John 3:16-17)—as the Suffering Messiah.
The Redeemer shall come to Zion (Isaiah 59:20-21; Zechariah 14:4).
Second coming:
The Messiah Yeshua will return to the earth as King (Revelation 19:11-16).
Upon His return, a wonderful thing will happen: He will bring with Him an army of the Heavenly hosts, and those who went on before us (Revelation 19:14) and those who are still on earth will meet in the air to receive the believers to Himself (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; John 14:1-6; I Corinthians 15:51-57).
ISRAEL IN PROPHECY/PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL RESTORATION
Israel’s spiritual redemption has always been the Heart of God (Zechariah 12:8-13:1; Romans 11:25-27; Hebrews 9:28; Jeremiah 31:31-40; the New Covenant).
Israel’s national restoration is to recover the remnant of His people Israel from the four corners of the earth, and restore the Davidic Kingdom (Isaiah 11 (to re-establish the throne and kingdom of David, which will last forever); Isaiah 9:6-7 (cf. Luke 1:30-33); Jeremiah 23:3-8].
We believe in God’s end-time plan for the nation of Israel and for the world. A central part of Messianic Judaism is the belief in the physical and spiritual restoration of Israel, as taught in the Scriptures. The greatest miracle of our day has been the re-establishment or rebirth of the State of Israel according to prophecy (Ezekiel 34:11-31; 36-39; Hosea 3; Amos 9:11-15; Zechariah 12-14; Isaiah 11; 43; 54; 60-62; 66; Romans 11:1-34) (see also Scriptures under THE MESSIAH).
MESSIANIC JUDAISM
We recognize that Jewish people (physical descendants of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob, whether through the mother’s or the father’s blood-line) who place their faith in Israel’s Messiah, Yeshua, continue to be Jewish according to the Scriptures (Romans 2:28-29). Gentiles who place their faith in Yeshua, are “grafted into” the Jewish olive tree of faith (Romans 11:17-25) becoming spiritual sons and daughters of Abraham (Galatians 3:28-29).
We observe and celebrate the Jewish Holy Days given by God to Israel, with their fulfillment in and through the Messiah Yeshua. We believe that true “Biblical Messianic Judaism,” the faith of first century believers, which we seek to practice, acknowledges the continuity of faith in the one true God, revealed throughout the Scriptures, and ultimately manifested in God’s Son, Yeshua the Messiah. We believe that salvation has always been “by faith,” and that works of law, or righteous acts, have never saved anyone (Genesis 15:6; Romans 2-6; Ephesians 2:8-9; Hebrews 11:6, 39).
We acknowledge that the New Covenant body of believers is composed of both Jews and Gentiles who have received Yeshua the Messiah as the Promised Redeemer. The “middle wall of partition” has been broken down and now we worship the God of Israel together (I Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 2:13-14
THE ERROR OF DUAL-COVENANT THEOLOGY
The premise of the Dual-Covenant Theology of salvation maintains that God has established two different, but equally valid covenants, one with His people Israel and the other with the Gentiles. This theology further puts forth that the Covenant in Moses and the Covenant in Yeshua (Jesus) are complementary to each other. This has developed into a Liberal Christian view that holds that Jews are saved for eternity by simply keeping the Law of Moses, because of the “everlasting covenant” between Abraham and God expressed in Genesis 17:13. This theology maintains that Gentiles (those not Jews or Jewish proselytes) must convert to Christianity to gain eternal life. And so, Dual-Covenant Theology maintains that there are two ways of salvation, one for the Jewish people and another separate one for the Gentiles.
Yeshua said in Yochanan (John) 14:6:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. “
Kefa (Peter), a disciple of Yeshua, said to the crowd in Acts 4: 10-12:
“… let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
THE GREAT COMMISSION
Yeshua came and talked with them. He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make people from all nations into talmidim, immersing them into the reality of the Father, the Son and the Ruach HaKodesh, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember! I will be with you always, yes, even until the end of the age.” Matt 28:18-20
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