Christian blasted for talking like a Christian

Former Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn.

Former Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., who is under fire for saying what Christians say – that people need Jesus – is getting some help from prominent leaders of the faith.

Bachmann recently raised hackles after she encouraged evangelism of Jews following a trip to Israel.

“We recognize the shortness of the hour, and that’s why we as a remnant want to be faithful in these days and do what it is that the Holy Spirit is speaking to each one of us, to be faithful in the Kingdom and to help bring in as many as we can – even among the Jews – share Jesus Christ with everyone that we possibly can because, again, He’s coming soon.”

Rabbi Jonathan Cahn of The Jerusalem Center/Beth Israel, author of “The Harbinger” and “The Mystery of the Shemitah,” told WND that Bachmann “simply said what every Bible says, that the gospel has to be spread to everyone.”

Cahn, a Messianic Jew and the subject of the new documentary “The Harbinger Man,” argues Christianity grew out of Judaism and observes the first Christians were Jews. He says Christians have an obligation to act like those first Jewish believers in Jesus Christ.

“To have the way of salvation and not to spread it with those who don’t have it, would be immoral,” he said. “To share it with others is an act of love. And it was the Jewish people who first spread that message of salvation with the world.”

After Bachmann’s comments recently, one Jewish leader who condemned her, Rabbi Avi Shafran of Agudath Israel, claimed Bachmann’s statements would remind Jews “that missionizing is, unfortunately, alive and well, and that we must always be on the lookout for it.”

Rabbi Shumley Boteach, a past contributor to WND, said he wanted to “respectfully correct” Bachmann. Boteach told the Blaze, “She’s a very fine woman and a great friend of Israel, but when that support comes with these seemingly strings attached – that we believe that Jews should embrace Christianity – it’s a bit of a contradiction.”

“We Jews are not going to become Christian,” he said.

But Michael Brown, a Messianic Jew who has debated Rabbi Boteach in the past over the Jewish identity of Jesus Christ, disagreed.

“I appreciate what Rabbi Shmuley is saying in calling for Jews to be loyal Jews within Judaism,” Brown told WND. “The solution to this tension is simple: Jews need to embrace ‘The Real Kosher Jesus!’ In other words, Jews need to discover that Yeshua is their Messiah, but that doesn’t mean they should convert to Christianity. It means that they embrace Yeshua as Jews and continue to live as Jews, except now in the light of the new and better covenant that God has made with the Jewish people through the Messiah.”

Brown wrote “The Real Kosher Jesus” as a direct response to Rabbi Boteach, arguing that faith in Jesus Christ is perfectly compatible with Judaism. Brown also defended Bachmann, insisting she was simply defending the gospel.

“Of course, Michele Bachmann is saying nothing new when she encourages Christians to share their faith with the Jewish people,” he said. “Paul himself said that the gospel is to the Jew first, and if Jesus is not the Jewish Messiah, then He is not the Savior of the world. That’s New Testament 101.”

However, Brown also said Christians should support Israel regardless of whether Jews accept Jesus Christ as their Messiah.

“Christian love for Israel is not dependent on Israel’s performance,” he said. “It is love for the sake of love and solidarity for the sake of solidarity.”

Joel Richardson, author of “When a Jew Rules the World: What the Bible Really Says About Israel in the Plan of God,” charged Boteach with being “out of line and actually quite hypocritical.”

“Much of Mr. Boteach’s work, while not overly harsh, has been somewhat polemical toward Christianity,” Richardson told WND. “Much of his book, ‘Judaism for Everyone’ for example, is devoted to casting modern rabbinical Judaism as superior to Christianity. If it is fine for Mr. Boteach to essentially call Christians to Judaism, then it is most certainly acceptable for Christians to invite all people – especially Jews – to faith in Jesus, or more properly Yeshua.”

Richardson said telling Christians not to share the gospel is asking them to break Jesus’ commandments.

“We are commanded to share the gospel,” Richardson said. “Simply stated, to demand that Christians do not invite Jews to become followers of Yeshua is to ask us to disobey our Master and violate our faith. It is no secret that we Christians are called to extend the invitation to follow Yeshua the Messiah to everyone.”

However, Richardson took care to explain Jews are certainly free to reject the invitation and expressed condemnation of any program of forced conversion. He also urged Christians to remember the history of Christian persecutions against Jews.

“Because of the long history of Christians persecuting Jews and seeking to force them to become Christians, such calls should be done with the greatest measure of sensitivity,” he observed. “While most Christians are rather ignorant concerning the long and brutal history of Christian replacement theologians’ interaction with the Jewish community, the Jewish community is most often quite familiar with the history of great abuse. In my most recent book, ‘When a Jew Rules the World,’ I devote two chapters to this subject. I would encourage every Christian to study this painful part of our history.”

Some of the Jewish criticism of Bachmann reflects a mistrust of conservative Christians. In response to Bachmann’s comments, Greg Rosenbaum, chairman of the National Jewish Democratic Council, stated: “I’ve always said, you’ve got evangelical Republicans supporting Israel because they are building a stairway to heaven on the backs of the Jews in Israel. We don’t get to go with them unless – as Michele Bachmann said over the weekend – all of the Israeli Jews convert to Christianity, as soon as possible.”

The Jewish Federations of North America disavowed Rosenbaum’s remarks.

Pastor Mark Biltz of El Shaddai Ministries said the burden is on Christians to recognize the Jewish roots of their faith.

“Yeshua was born Jewish, from the tribe of Judah, lived a Jewish life, died as a Jew, even with the sign written by Pilate over him, stating he was the King of the Jews,” he said.

“He resurrected and ascended as a Jew. He told his disciples that he would come back just as he left. He left as a Jew so he will come back as a Jew.

“How are Jews to see the ‘Good News’ as good news when Christians teach the Torah is done away with, the Sabbath has changed, the Feast days are ended with pagan holidays replacing them? That’s supposed to be the ‘Good News’?”

Biltz explained his desire is for “all Jews to become passionate for the Torah of the God of Israel as well as passionate for the Land of Israel that God gave them.”

However, he said Christians should also renounce “replacement theology” and “pray the Jewish people will fulfill their role in being a light to the nations as God desired.”

Biltz said his ministry has no desire to convert Jews to Christianity or Christians to Judaism and believes “the God of Israel will accomplish His purposes in His time.”

However, Richardson maintains Christians can never cease sharing the gospel with everyone, including Jews. And he told WND the debate over evangelism to Jews often ignores a critically important group of Jews – those who already accept Jesus as Messiah.

“In the land of Israel today, there are now over 20,000 Messianic Jewish believers who embrace Yeshua as Messiah, while maintaining their identity as Jews within Judaism,” Richardson stated. “It is a dynamic movement whose numbers are growing every day. Unfortunately, these Jewish believers are often treated harshly by other non-Messianic Jews.”

The Blaze reported Boteach “said it is as though Bachmann is saying that Jews deserve a national identity, but that they do not deserve a religious identity with Judaism.”

Richardson called that “absurd.”

“The assertions that embracing Yeshua as Messiah make someone less Jewish contribute to the harsh treatment of this minority group especially within the land of Israel,” Richardson charged. “I would appeal that Boteach recant his comments and apologize to Michele Bachmann.”

 

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