My Conviction about the Biblical Priority of Jewish Evangelism

My conviction about the biblical priority of Jewish evangelism in Scripture (below) can sound very self serving, I know. After all, I was raised in a Jewish family from infancy. I grew up in a Jewish neighborhood. My two best friends growing up were Jewish, I attended Hebrew school (although against my will), but one thing folks may not know about me is that I was adopted (along with my two sibling sisters).

In other words, I'm kind of Jewish, but I'm kind of not. I carry in my heart the best of both worlds and because of that I believe I may have just a tad more objectivity when approaching this very sensitive subject of the biblical priority of Jewish evangelism.

And yes, my experience after many years in Jewish ministry is that much (not all) of the resistance to this concept, "to the Jew first" comes from Christian leaders. This does not make anyone a bad, it just means that we all have blind spots, me first.

My central message "to the Jew first" is simply because G-d loves the nations. It was always His purpose to bless and lift up the Gentile people and so He chose a particular nation to be the vehicle of His love to them. Honestly, it's really not even about the Jewish people, it's about the God of the Jewish people and His love for the world!

~ Rabbi Nathan Puro

Is there a biblical priority for Jewish Evangelism?

Is there a biblical priority for Jewish Evangelism? I think there is. I believe the biblical pattern for the Great Commission is set in Romans 1:16 and 11:11. All Scripture is to be weighed in light of other texts. One would be surprised to know where the greatest resistance to this comes from.

Apart from these few texts, however, there is a strong biblical pattern for bringing the gospel to the Jew first (I'd love to explain why I believe Romans 1:16 still has contemporary application). We see it in Jesus' personal pattern first. Second, we see it in the fact that Jesus passed on this pattern. We also see that Paul personally followed this pattern even though he was called primarily to the Gentiles. Finally, we see it in God's passion in Scripture.

Again, this is not because the Jewish people are better or more important than other people groups, but they are more strategic in God's plan for world redemption.

One might ask, "Isn't there something different about today though?" Yes. What is different about today is that God has joined the Church to Israel's saved remnant so that there's a real partnership of Jew and Gentile in fulfilling Israel's original irrevocable calling to be a blessing to the world. That's what's different, but the original goal of Israel being the instrument of blessing has not changed, its just been reinforced with the Church.

~ Rabbi Nathan Puro

RESTORE!

It occurred to me following this year's Tikkun Conference entitled RESTORE that I'm truly a Restorationist. I"m not necessarily an optimist. I believe that the world will grow darker and colder, however, simultaneously (as if one causing the other to happen) I believe that the body of Messiah (the Church) will grow warmer in love, unity, and power in these last days.

Imagine a parent telling his/her child, "You'll never amount to anything." How terrible that is! Well, on a corporate level that's exactly what one of two major theological systems (Dispensationalism) in our western world has told us. They espouse a "Low Ecclesiology." They've told us that the Church will end in failure---dismal failure. In fact that failure is needed to bring about the next dispensation which also ends in failure.

But this is not in accordance with Yeshua's words in John 17, that "we may be one even as He is one,,, that the world might believe." This was His dying prayer for His Church. This is what was most deeply on His heart before His death. Imagine a prayer on the Son of God going fulfilled!

I'm not a Post-Millennialist---I don't believe that through human effort alone we will bring the Kingdom on earth. I'm a Pre-Millennialist---I believe that Yeshua's return is the primary factor in bring the Kingdom, however, the Church hastens this by her unity.

Consider in the book of Revelation that Satan doesn't just decide, "O, I think that this is a good time to attack the body of Messiah." No, he's on the defensive! As one theologian said, "We smoke him out." He has to respond because of the fervency of the church.

Yeshua even says that that His glory is given to us that "they may be one." His glory is given to the Church for this very reason, that we might fulfill His purpose and continually grow in unity and love in these days. This unity among the Church will set in motion end-time events and will have an impact on the world "that the world may believe that You sent Me."

~ Rabbi Nathan Puro

The Church... in ADDITION

One third of our Bibles is what we call the New Testament. The word "testament" and "covenant" are synonyms. They essentially mean "a promise; a contract." Covenants are set in motion through mutilated flesh and shedding of blood. In Exodus 24 the Mosaic Covenant was ratified when Moses sprinkled the blood over the alter and scrolls. Likewise it was Yeshua's death that set in motion the New Covenant with all of its blessings. It's similar to a last-will-and-testament---it's only effective after a person dies.

Where in the Bible does God speak of a new covenant? In Jeremiah 31. Notice that this covenant is made with the "house of Israel and the house of Judah." Let's not do violence to the text by reading it as having a primary spiritual application for the Church. Certainly it applies to the Church, but a sound hermeneutic means that we must treat the text respectfully. 

The essential difference between the old and new covenants is that the new covenant is essentially an inward work in the heart. The older covenant was a covenant of outward rules and laws that govern our lives. This was important because we still need a universal standard of right and wrong, but it left us with no power with which to walk out God's standards.

Question: If the new covenant was made with Israel, how, then, does the Church enter into all of the blessings of the new covenant? They enter through their connection to Israel (brought into the commonwealth of Israel; grafted into a Jewish olive tree) through Jesus who is the Jewish Messiah. The Church inherits all of the blessings and promises given to Israel through their connection to Israel through Jesus. Let's get this right---the Church in addition to Israel, not in replacement.

~ Rabbi Nathan Puro

Jewish Evangelism

Every Church in Pittsburgh is called to Jewish Evangelism, either through direct witness, support of Jewish Ministries, or prayer. The biblical pattern for the Great Commission is always to make Israel jealous (Romans 11:11) through one's witness to whichever people group one is called to.

There is no other people group (other then the Jewish people) in Scripture where God promises that with the salvation of that people group it will result in revival for the rest of the world; it will bring world transforming implications and promises (Romans 11:12, 15).

If Pittsburgh pastors are serious about changing the world they must revisit Romans 1:16 and recognize that Paul is speaking in the present tense---the logic is clear. If the gospel is still the power of God and it is still unto salvation, than it's still to the Jew first---not because the Jews are more important than any other people group or more valuable, however, they are more strategic in God's plan for world redemption.

Just as God had a strategy in building His ancient Tabernacle (God was very methodical in building His ancient Tabernacle in the desert), so does He have a strategy for building His Tabernacle on earth; His living Tabernacle, His Church.

The principle is 1 to 10. Every one Jewish person who gets saved results in ten from the nations coming to faith---the principle is found in Zechariah 8:22123.

~ Rabbi Nathan Puro