The History and Origins of Messianic Judaism
In Acts 1, Jesus’s followers stood around him as he ascended into heaven. The group would, forty days later, receive power from on high to be witnesses for him (see Acts 2:1-41). Jesus (Yeshua) made it clear that the purpose of this empowerment was for them to be his witnesses, beginning in Israel and going to all the world. One thing is true of this group: each of the first witnesses, apostles, preachers, and martyrs was Jewish. Scholars tell us that the first 50,000 followers of Jesus were Jewish. In fact, we do not read of the first gentile convert until Acts 10, approximately seven to ten years after the ascension of Yeshua. The Jewish believers were the leaders of all Jesus-followers throughout the text of Scripture.
The Jerusalem Council and Cultural Identity
When a dispute broke out among Jews about what was required of gentiles who came to the faith, a council convened in Jerusalem. During this council, the Jewish leaders decided, based upon the work of God among the gentiles and the words of the prophets, that gentiles did not have to convert to Judaism to be full covenant partners with the Jewish believers. The Jews, however, continued to practice Jewish customs. In fact, Paul instructed believers to “remain in the condition in which he was called” (1 Cor. 7:20). Jews were to remain Jews, and gentiles were to remain gentiles (see 1 Cor. 7:17-20). Scripture also reveals that the early gentile believers were grateful that the Lord used the Jewish people to minister the Gospel to them.
The Distinction of the Nazarenes
There is bountiful evidence that Jewish believers continued to follow Yeshua and live as Jews after the first century. Epiphanius, a fourth-century Church Father, said of the Jewish believers of his day that they did not call themselves Christians, but Nazarenes. He noted that they remained wholly Jewish and nothing else. Their theological distinctions were as follows:
- Agreement with Jews: They do not agree because of their belief in Christ.
- Agreement with Christians: They do not agree because they are trained in the Law, in circumcision, the Sabbath and the other things.
Historical Shifts and Religious Pressure
During the first few centuries AD, as gentile believers outnumbered Jewish believers, things began to change. Especially significant was the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70. Some gentile believers came to interpret the destruction of the Temple as the Lord casting off the Jewish people. Saint Ignatius of Antioch said in 110 AD, “It is absurd to profess Christ with the lips and at the same time to practice Judaism.”
Once Constantine came to power, it became virtually impossible for Jews to believe in Jesus and maintain their Jewish identity. In fact, it was punishable by death to profess faith in Jesus and practice Jewish customs. Therefore, there is little evidence of Messianic Judaism after the fourth century AD. There has, however, been a continuous remnant of Jewish believers in Jesus across the span of history from the first century AD until today. They sacrificed their Jewish traditions and communities and assimilated into the larger gentile culture.
The Reformation and the Move Toward Restoration
Three significant societal changes paved the way for things to shift: the Reformation, the revolution of Bible translation, and Gutenberg’s printing press invention. All of these changes occurred around the sixteenth century and allowed people to read the Bible in their own language instead of only learning from priests in Latin. The result was a transformation in Bible interpretation. Not long after these innovations, in the 18th century, Count Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf became convinced that Romans 1:16 provided the right framework for world missions: that the gospel should go to the Jew first.