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Christianity in Hebrew speaking countries
Messianic Judaism is a religious movement whose adherents believe that Jesus of Nazareth, whom they call Yeshua, is both the resurrected Jewish Messiah and their Divine Savior.
The central characteristic defining the Messianic Jewish movement as Christian, rather than Jewish, is its belief in the divinity of their Messiah, Jesus. This central tenet of belief is seen by the great majority of Christians and Jews as being the defining distinction between the two religions. This is also the opinion of the Supreme Court of Israel regarding immediate and automatic eligibility for Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return.
Similarly, Messianic Judaism differs widely from mainstream Christianity in adherents' observation of Jewish Law which is often discouraged in churches. These observances include observing the Jewish Sabbath, abstaining from pork, shellfish, and other foods banned by Jewish law, and observing Jewish holidays.
As of 1993 there were 160,000 adherents of Messianic Judaism in the United States and 350,000 worldwide. As of 2003, there were at least 150 Messianic synagogues in the U.S. and over 400 worldwide. By 2008, the number of Messianics in the United States was around a quarter million. The number of Messianic Jews in Israel is reported to be anywhere between 6,000 and 15,000 members.
Although many Messianic Jews are ethnically Jewish and argue that Messianic Judaism is a sect of Judaism, the various streams of Judaism are unanimous in their rejection of Messianism as a form of Judaism. Christians and Jews consider Messianic Judaism to be a form of Christianity.
Messianic Jewish Conversion
Messianic perspectives on "Who is a Jew" vary. The Jerusalem Council, a global Messianic body, defines a Jew as one who is born of a Jewish mother or father, or who is a convert to Judaism.[53] It should be noted that the Jerusalem Council recognizes as a convert to Judaism, in addition to Orthodox halakha, anyone who is a follower of Jesus who has gone through a mikvah of conversion to Messianic Judaism.[54] Circumcision is seen by the Jerusalem Council not as a means by which one is recognized as a Jew, but rather as a measure of continued obedience to the Torah after conversion.
The belief that a mikvah of conversion for gentiles who believe Jesus is the Messiah, makes them Jews, without requiring circumcision first, is not only deeply offensive to the Jewish community, but is also deeply offensive to some Messianic Jews in the two larger Messianic Denominations, the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America and the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations.[citation needed] It should be noted, however, that the Jerusalem Council expects converts to get circumcised as well as keep the rest of the Torah as a result of their conversion, making note that Abraham wasn't circumcised until after he was first reckoned as righteous by God.
The Messianic Jewish Rabbinical Council, a Messianic halakhic body submitted to the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations, instead promotes developing a process of conversion by which "non-Jews" may be circumcised and then only afterwards be recognized as Jewish.
http://www.messianicjewishonline.com/
Messianic Jewish Online: Statement of Faith
We affirm with perfect faith:
Anachnu ma'aminim b'emunah shleymah:
That the entire Bible, the Tanach and Brit Chadasha (Old and New Testaments) is the only divinely inspired, infallible, and eternal Word of God, which applies to today's world as at the time of its creation. (II Timothy 3:16; I Peter 1:20-21)
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That the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is One, Echad, a complex unity that exists and has revealed Himself to mankind as our Father in Heaven; Yeshua Ha'Moshiach, His Son; and the Ruach Ha'Kodesh, the Holy Spirit. (Is. 48:16; I John 5:7)
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That Yeshua is the Messiah of Israel; is the Word of God revealed to mankind in the flesh; was born of a virgin; had a ministry on earth; died on a tree for our sins; was resurrected three days following His death; and ascended to Heaven to intercede on our behalf to the Father. (Zech. 14:9; Luke 24:44-47)
read further:
http://www.messianicjewishonline.com/page1002.html
A SCRIPTURAL VIEW OF MESSIANIC JUDAISM
Exposing the heresy of the Messianic Jew movement
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