The Shema is central to the New Testament. Jesus says the Shema is the most important commandment and uses the Shema to make claims about his identity. He also wears ritual objects associated with the Shema, like tzitzit. The Shema is also central to Paul's theology about the community of Messiah and it was used in early liturgy of the Jesus-following community. For more on this topic: Lori Baron, The Shema in John's Gospel Erik Waaler, The Shema and the First Commandment in First Corinthians Richard Bauckham, “The Shema and 1 Corinthians 8:6 Again,” in One God, One People, One Future: Essays ..read more

Michael Jones, from one of the largest Christian apologetics YouTube channels, Inspiring Philosophy, interviewed us on the topic: "Is the New Testament Antisemitic?" This message is particularly timely, given the increasing prevalence of Jew-hatred worldwide. Sadly, Christian antisemitism is also a reality, and in this interview, we address the challenging passages that antisemites cite to argue that the New Testament promotes Jew-hatred. We cover Matthew 27:24–26; John 8:44; Revelation 2:9; 3:9; Matthew 23:33; 1 Thessalonians 2:14–16; and Philippians 3:2. Make sure to check out ⁠Inspiring Ph ..read more

At the MJAA Messiah Conference, Erik presented on a panel entitled, "Reaching Our People" with David Brickner, Janet Forman, and Chantel Winograd. Erik shared stories of how he has shared the gospel with young people who care about truth and those who don't. He finishes his speech by sharing an important way the Messianic Jewish community can not only reach our people, but keep our people. Enjoy! ______________________    You can watch more on our ⁠YouTube channel⁠     Follow us on Social Media:      ⁠Facebook⁠⁠ Instagram⁠ If you are looking for a way to supp ..read more

Did Jesus do away with the Jewish dietary laws? Many Christians point to Mark 7.15-19 to say that he did, which is understandable, considering the common translation of Mark 7.19, “Thus he [Jesus] declared all foods clean.” In this video, I present five reasons why it is implausible that Jesus eliminated the Jewish dietary laws and then offer a reading of Mark 7.15-19 that makes better sense of Jesus’s argument in its Jewish context.     Note: Between 25:03 and 25:24, I mention that "pork is not in itself unclean" and that defilement comes through a Jew's disobedience to God's ..read more

At the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America (MJAA) Messiah Conference 2022, Jonathan gave a presentation responding to arguments for replacement theology put forth in Pastor Andy Stanley’s book, Irresistible: Reclaiming the New that Jesus Unleashed for the World.    Questions this presentation covers include:    - What does replacement theology mean for the Jewish people? - Did Yeshua teach that he came to end God’s covenant with Israel, to make the Torah obsolete in Matthew 5.17? - Did the destruction of the Temple signal the end of Judaism and God’s covenant with Israel ..read more

This week is the Jewish holiday of Shavuot which is also known as Pentecost. In Jewish tradition, Shavuot commemorates the giving of the Torah. In Christian traditions, Pentecost commemorates the Holy Spirit descending after Jesus ascended to heaven. In Messianic Judaism, we commemorate both! Join us in exploring how Shavuot provides an occasion to see how Paul was both Torah-observant and Spirit-Led simultaneously. Did Paul Teach Against Torah in Acts 21?  ___________________________ You can also watch on our YouTube channel Follow us on Social Media: Facebook Instagram If you are lookin ..read more

In Deuteronomy 13, we learn that false prophets can perform miracles. From this point, counter-missionary, Rabbi Michael Skobac reasons: “miracles don’t prove anything.” If he is right, then Jesus’s resurrection does not prove he is the Messiah. But is Rabbi Skobac right? In this video, I argue that when we understand Deuteronomy 13 in light of Passover and with the help of Maimonides, we see that contrary to what Rabbi Skobac says about it, Deuteronomy 13 is actually the foundation for why Jesus’s resurrection would be evidence that he is the Messiah!    For a presentation of Ortho ..read more

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