People are funny beings.
While many Nicene Christians believe that every positive mitzvot (commandment) and statement in the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) is theirs for the taking while few of the negative or restrictive mitzvot apply to them, some people who are seeking the Hebrew roots of Rebbe Y'shua's teachings seem to believe that every negative and restrictive mitzvot applies to them while most of the positive ones do not!
Oy Vey! (to turn a phrase). There is so much confusion but its really not that difficult if one simply reads the texts with understanding!
As Messianic Jews we can resolve such issues quickly:
We are Jews too.
What applies to other Jews applies to us.
It is true that the Torah does place a few restrictions on the Goyim (Gentiles) that do not apply to Israelites (Jews) and some prohibitions on Jews that do not apply to Gentiles. However most of the verses cited concerning these restrictions are out of context and divisive interpretations rather than actual prohibitions.
For example consider these two verses about Pesach (Passover):
Exodus 12:43 ADONAI said to Moshe and Aharon, "This is the regulation for the Pesach lamb: no foreigner is to eat it.Seems clear enough right? The English translation appears to bar Gentiles (foreigners) from observing Pesach and eating of the Pascal lamb. However now consider this next instruction:
Numbers 9:14 If a foreigner is staying with you and wants to observe Pesach for ADONAI, he is to do it according to the regulations and rules of Pesach - you are to have the same law for the foreigner as for the citizen of the land.Is this a contradiction? No!
Exodus 12:43 forbids a foreigner -- a "bane nay-kawr" or one who is a stranger to the Ways of Adonai and His people from taking part, whereas Numbers 9:14 allows a foreigner -- a "ger" (or gare, a ger tzadik as Noahides (Gentiles who worship the God of Israel in terms of the Covenant established with Noah became known later), to partake. There is a difference between a "bane nay-kawr" and a ger tzadik! Both are Goyim or Gentiles but one worships HaShem while the other does not. The later were the original Judaizers. The term was later applied to Messianic Jews by the Catholic Church as a negative.
So what then is the biblical requirement for one who would observe Pesach in honor of HaShem and His people? He must be a worshiper of HaShem -- whether a Jew or a Gentile.
This is in complete accordance with Rebbe Y'shua's Passover rite that came to be known as "Communion" or "the Lord's Supper":
I Corinthians 11:28 So let a person examine himself first, and then he may eat of the bread and drink from the cup;
29 for a person who eats and drinks without recognizing the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself.
30 This is why many among you are weak and sick, and some have died!
31 If we would examine ourselves, we would not come under judgment.Anyone can partake of the Lord's Supper, as long as that person is a worshiper of HaShem and has faith in Cohen Gadol (High Priest/Mediator) Y'shua.
Such observances and rites are specifically set in place by HaShem to and for those who worship Him in spirit and in truth. Unbelievers are not to take part in such observances.
Likewise it would be clearly wrong for one who does not accept the God of the Bible as Creator and Deliverer to observe His Shabbat (Genesis 2:1-3) while it is incumbent upon all those who do -- whether one is a Jew or a Gentile.
In the same way Messianic Jews should not partake in the Communion services of Trinitarian Christians (II Corinthians 6:16) because we affirm the Oneness of God.
Isaiah 56:1 Here is what ADONAI says: "Observe justice, do what is right, for my salvation is close to coming, my righteousness to being revealed."
2 Happy is the person who does this, anyone who grasps it firmly, who keeps Shabbat and does not profane it, and keeps himself from doing any evil.
3 A foreigner joining ADONAI should not say, "ADONAI will separate me from his people"; likewise the eunuch should not say, "I am only a dried-up tree."In verse 2 the English word "person" translates the Hebrew word en-oshe (enosh) or "mortal." In other words, Happy is the human being (not just the Jew)... who keeps Shabbat.
Those rabbis who seek to forbid us from obeying Torah and keeping Shabbat, Pesach and so on are seeking "to keep us separate from Adonai" and this is their grave error as the Tanakh makes clear.
An added consideration applies to those Noahides who have embraced the B'rit Hadashah or New Covenant implemented by Rebbe Y'shua. Such former Gentiles have now been "grafted into the Tree of Israel" and adopted into Judaism (Romans 2:28 etc). As Messianic Jews we have the same rights, responsibilities and privileges as all other Jews. Of course, not everyone who says "Lord Lord" is actually a Messianic Jew (Matthew 7:21). Messianic Jews are Jews, not Nicene Christians as we discuss elsewhere at JewToo.org.
At the same time, devout Nicene Christians do intend to honor HaShem and they also, to be consistent, should obey His Torah to the best of their abilities as as Ger tzadikim, including Shabbat observance.
If you are interested in authentic Messianic Judaism we invite to enroll in our free in-line school, Yeshiva Beth HaShem.
Romans 2:25 For circumcision is indeed of value if you do what Torah says. But if you are a transgressor of Torah, your circumcision has become uncircumcision!
26 Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the Torah, won't his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision?
27 Indeed, the man who is physically uncircumcised but obeys the Torah will stand as a judgment on you who have had a b'rit-milah and have Torah written out but violate it!
28 For the real Jew is not merely Jewish outwardly: true circumcision is not only external and physical.
29 On the contrary, the real Jew is one inwardly; and true circumcision is of the heart, spiritual not literal; so that his praise comes not from other people but from God.Shalom,
~ Messianic Rabbi Yochanan
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