JFJ Forums

I am a Christian, but am very interested in the Jewish faith. This is what has brought me to the Jews for Jesus website. I believe in Jesus as the Messiah, but have always felt there was something missing. I have been reading about Jews who become Messanic Jews, but does anyone have any suggestions about Christians becoming Messanic Jews? (For lack of a better term.)

It can't be done. A gentile can convert to Judaism only if they
give up their previous religious beliefs.
From what I have seen on most of the MJ forums, one does not
convert into Messianic Judasim. They simply follow the messianic
lifestyle, but are still gentile.
If a gentile does some how find a way to"convert" to Messianic Judaism they are still a gentile and have merely converted from one branch
of Christianity to another....

Sheitl,
You shouldn't give advice to Messianics, being that you've constantly downed the Messianic faith.

What I feel about MJ has nothing to do with this response. I am
simply telling the Dgriffin that which is generally accepted in
the messianic community- you remain a gentile if you become
involved in the messianic faith. And no branch of Judaism
accepts MJ, which is something the questioner should be
aware of...that they are not converting to Judasim.
A Christian who "converts" to MJ (if possible) does not become
a "Messianic Jew"...they remain a messianic gentile....

I am a little confused by the resposes I received. Is Queen a Messanic Jew or a Jew? I am not trying to get anyone upset, I am simply asking a question that has to do with me. I would like to ask to receive responses from the Messanic Jew community only. Thank you for your help. I am only trying to find an answer to what has been missing in my life.

Sorry to confuse you, Dgriffin. I was just trying to clarify a few things.
I am a non-messianic Jew, but a Jew remains a Jew whether messianic
or not.
You should be aware though that MJ is not part of normatitive Judasim
and you would not be welcome within the Jewish community.
Which you may have no interest in, but I have seen people hurt when
they discover this and I do not like to see people hurt. For instance,
a messianic congregation in our area closed and it's members tried
to integrate into other shuls ( I don't think any were Jewish, but
gentiles) including one into our Orthodox shul. He was very hurt when
he was not counted in the minyon, called for an aliyah, etc.He was
taught at his messianic congregation he was a Jew and now has to
face the prospect of converting. So you should just know these things.
Also, most people here are not Jewish. There is no problem of course
with being gentile, but you should know that as a whole you are not
getting responses from a Messianic Jewish perspecive, but a Messianic
gentile one. Again, no problem as well as you are aware of these things.
So I will bow out now, and wish you well on your search for
answers for what you seek....

SQ

Sheitl Queen is a non-Messianic Jew. I would advise you to take advice only from Messianic Jews and gentiles.

Are we talking about a difference between religions or cultures? It seems to me if you believe as a jew and follow the same laws and religious rites then you are (relgiously) jewish. The belief in the messiah is a jewish belief. Some just obviously believe he has come and some do not.

My next question is, if a Jew can change thier beliefs to include Jesus as the Messiah, then why could not someone who has not been raised to follow the Jewish laws and rites, come to follow them?  I have always believed that no matter where you were born or what your ancetory, Christians, Jews, and Muslims all started with the Jewish faith. I just feel I have been searching for the religion that was taken away from me when the Christians started their own religion and left behind being a Jew. I do not want to follow a religion made by men that allows pagans to change the original religion. If you are a Jew and believe in Jesus, you are still a Jew. If you believe in Jesus and want to follow the old religion, doesn't that make you a Jew? Jesus was a Jew and I want to follow his teachings.

Maybe I have answered my own question. I am just looking for people who are willing to be more welcoming and inclusive, instead of separative. Christians that I have delt with have a us and them mentality, now after incorporating so many pagan beliefs. I was hoping to find a more inclusive group here.

All I want to do is follow and worship God as well as believe in Jesus. Is there a group that believes the old can include the new (including the people)?

I think what you are facing is the difference between the Mosaic Covenant and the New Covenant. In the Mosaic covenant, there were laws which defined how a Gentile could become a member of the Jewish people. Even in the Old Covenant it was not a requirement to become Jewish in order to be a righteous Gentile but being a righteous Gentile meant you still were excluded from the people and certain practices of the law.

In the New Covenant, established by Jesus, there is no difference before God between Jew and Gentile in the practice, acceptability, and especially the way to the Father. The New Covenant was meant to include all people equally. Since Gentiles were to come to the Messiah and are a prophetic fulfillment, the NT says remain as you are, whether circumcised or uncircumcised.

1 Cor 7:17But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.

18Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.

Because of this, generally Messianic Judaism doesn't offer a 'conversion'. If you are Jewish, you remain Jewish and if you are Gentile, remain Gentile, for we are all one in the Messiah under the New Covenant.
  

You seem to be down on Gentiles alot. Do you notice that about yourself? He was asking a serious, legitimate, Semitic question. You have this anti-Gentile attitude and you seem to be like "Oh, Messianicism and Messianic Judaism are so anti-Semitic." Like I said, quit regurgitating everything your "rabbis" feed you. You need to read the Bible on your own and see why Messianic Judaism is more Jewish than mainstream Judaism.