Feb 9 • Evangelism
Judaism Backgrond - World Religions in a Nutshell Chapter 1 - Ray Comfort
Judaism There are approximately 14 million Jewish people in the world today, with close to 6 million living in the U.S. and about 5 million in Israel. Although Christians believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and are followers of the Jewish Messiah, we don’t have as much in common with our Jewish friends as you may think. Judaism is ranked as the sixth largest organized religion in the world, but it may surprise you to find that many Jewish people don’t believe in God. It’s amazing, but it’s true. More than half of all Jews in Israel today call themselves “secular,” and according to a recent poll, only 30% of all Jews are “absolutely certain” that God exists, 34% are “somewhat certain,” 24% aren’t sure, and 12% believe there is no God.1 So it’s possible to be secular, agnostic, and even an atheist and still be Jewish. Some Jews even believe in reincarnation. If your mother is Jewish, that makes you Jewish, no matter what you believe. So being Jewish is not the same thing as following the religion of Judaism. Being Jewish is like having a citizenship; but following Judaism is living a certain lifestyle. To Jewish people, what they believe about God and the afterlife isn’t as important as how they live. Background There are three main branches, or movements, in contemporary Judaism: Orthodox: Orthodox is the most strict form, and until 200 years ago, it was the only kind of Judaism. Orthodox or “traditional” Jews emphasize tradition and pride themselves on faithfully keeping the Laws of Moses. They make up 10% of the Jewish population in America. Reform: On the other end of the scale is the liberal or “modern” movement, called Reform. The Reform movement began in the 18th century to bring Judaism’s “old and outmoded ways of thinking” up to date. Reform Jews say they keep the good values of Judaism, but don’t have to keep strict religious laws. These are most of the Jews you’ll meet today. Conservative: In between the Orthodox and Reform are the Conservatives. Conservative Judaism arose in the 19th century, as a middle ground between the other two branches. They’re traditional but believe the rabbis can change Jewish laws to suit the times. About 30% of American Jews are Conservative. Because Judaism emphasizes behavior instead of theology, there is a wide variety of beliefs even within each of the branches. With such diversity, it’s difficult to generalize about their beliefs. Who is God? Orthodox Jews believe there is only one God. He is a Spirit who is all-knowing, all-powerful, ever-present, and eternal. Jews often recite something called the Shema: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!” (Deuteronomy 6:4) Reform Jews, however, can interpret the “God concept” however they like, and that’s still within the boundaries of their Judaism. They can be atheists, naturalists, religious humanists, but they all agree on one concept: “The truth is that we do not know the truth.” So if you want to know what Reform Jews believe about God today, it really depends on which Jewish person you ask. Scriptures Orthodox Jews (the strict believers) believe that the Torah was written by God through the hand of Moses. The Torah is the Hebrew name for the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. They also believe the rest of the Old Testament, which is called the Tanakh, but don’t give it as much authority as the Torah. There is also the Talmud—the teachings of the Jewish rabbis—which they believe has great authority. But Reform Jews (the more liberal ones) don’t necessarily believe that the Scriptures were written by God. Most believe they were merely written by men. They feel it’s a good book for preserving history and culture, and helps to live a good life, but the bottom line is, it wasn’t written by God, so it’s not binding. Heaven and Hell Orthodox Jews do believe there is life after death in the Olam Ha-Ba—the World to Come. They believe that the righteous of all nations will live forever with God in a perfect place of peace and prosperity, and that the unrighteous will suffer—but they don’t all agree on where those people will go. Some believe nothing happens when you die. Others believe you go to She’ol, or Gehenna, a place of purification (kind of like a Jewish purgatory). Then you either go directly to Paradise, or you are destroyed and cease to exist, or you continue to live in a state of unending remorse. Again, today’s Judaism leaves it open to personal opinion. In the Reform and Conservative branches, most have no concept of personal life after death. What is most important is the here and now—being a good person, and making the world a better place. Sin and Salvation None of the branches of Judaism believe in original sin. They teach that man is created in the image of God and is born morally pure. They either think of humanity as neutral—with the potential for both good and bad—or as basically good. Although men do sin, they believe that God’s justice is tempered with mercy. Many Jewish people never ask the question, “What do I have to do to get into Heaven?”since Judaism teaches that all good people from all nations will go to Heaven. And because most Jews don’t believe in Hell, they don’t think of needing to be “saved” from anything. Remember, they believe they already have a favored standing with God as His “chosen people.” Many Jews do believe that studying the Torah, praying, and doing good deeds will earn them a better place in Heaven, but they get a “Free Pass” as descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Scripture has something to say about that kind of thinking: “And do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.” (Matthew 3:9) The Messiah So, what do Jewish people think about the Messiah today? Again, it depends on who you ask. Most Jewish people aren’t waiting with anticipation for a coming Messiah.
The Orthodox Jews are still holding to that hope, but they fail to see the Messiah as divine, or as having to suffer as the Scriptures prophesied that He would. They believe that the Messiah is simply going to be a great political leader who brings peace to Israel and extends his rule over all the earth. One thing most Jewish people do agree on today is that Jesus is not that Messiah. The other branches place their hope not in a person but in a “messianic age”—a Utopian age that mankind is progressing toward. Jewish Customs It is traditional for most Jews to celebrate certain life events, such as circumcision of male newborns, and a bar mitzvah (for boys) or bat mitzvah (for girls)—which is a coming-of-age ceremony at age 13. Many also observe the Sabbath as a weekly day of rest. Most Jewish people observe at least some of the Jewish holidays, though it’s often to connect with their heritage more than for religious reasons. The most solemn are the High Holy Days: Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is when Jews fast and pray for the forgiveness of their sins. The most popular of all the holidays is Passover, which remembers the Israelites’ deliverance from slavery in Egypt.
During the week of Passover they eat matzo, which is unleavened bread, and hold a Seder, or Passover meal. How to Reach a Jewish Person First, here are some tips on what not to do as you’re talking with a Jewish person: ■ Don’t be intimidated by thinking that all Jewish people are well acquainted with the Scriptures. Although they do give the Old Testament respect, there’s a very good chance you know the Bible better than they do. ■ Unless it’s in a phrase like “Orthodox Jews,” using the word “Jews” can sound anti-Semitic. It’s best to refer to “Jewish people” instead. ■ Since they view Jewishness as a way of life, avoid using the term “convert,” which implies leaving behind their Jewishness. Instead, talk about becoming a “follower of Jesus.” ■ While it’s fine to mention “Y’shua” as the Hebrew name of Jesus, people will not realize that you are referring to the historical person Jesus of Nazareth unless you also use the name “Jesus.” ■ The term “Savior” is not understood by Jewish people, so instead speak of a Redeemer and use the word “Messiah.” Because of the Passover Seder, the concept of “redemption” is more familiar, so use that term rather than “salvation.” You can explain that as God freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, so He wants to free us from the slavery to sin in our lives. It shouldn’t surprise us that Jewish people are difficult to reach with the gospel. One reason is that many of them equate Christianity with Roman Catholicism. And why shouldn’t they? When they watch the news at Christmas or Easter, who is upheld as “the head of the Christian Church”?
The pope. They therefore believe that Christians bow down to graven images and that they worship Mary and many other saints. To them, Christianity is a false religion, and should be kept at arm’s length because it directly violates the First and Second Commandments. Many Jews even equate Christianity with Adolf Hitler
—despite the fact that biblical Christianity is soaked in love of humanity, while Hitler’s philosophy was saturated in the blood of pure hatred. Hitler infiltrated the church by installing his own leaders and Nazi “pastors,” then used the church structure to mock the Bible and teach that Jews were “children of the devil.” So in the eyes of many Jews, the evil of Nazism came directly through the Christian church. As a result, when we approach Jewish people with a New Testament in our hand, or a cross around our neck and sweetly say, “I would like to talk to you about Jesus,” to them we might as well be saying, “Hi, I represent an institution that is filled with pedophiles, bows down to idols, worships false gods, and was responsible for the murder of six million Jews.” No wonder they are reluctant to talk with us. So, how do we reach a Jewish person? Well, there are many different ways you could try. Paul said he reasoned with the Jews both out of the Law of Moses and out of the Prophets, so you could show them how Jesus fulfills the Jewish prophecies of the coming Messiah. (For just a few of the many fulfilled prophecies, see the “Messianic Prophecies” chart on the following page.) But sadly, many Jews don’t care about this evidence because they don’t have much regard for the Scriptures. And, if you have someone who esteems the Old Testament, he may argue that you’re just “reading Jesus into the Scriptures.”
Comfort, Ray. World Religions in a Nutshell (pp. 3-10). Bridge-Logos Publishers. Kindle Edition.
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Judaism Backgrond - World Religions in a Nutshell Chapter 1 - Ray Comfort
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