From: tom@tredysvr.Tredydev.Unisys.COM (Tom Albrecht)
Newsgroups: alt.messianic
Subject: Identification with Abraham
Date: 1 Sep 92 17:07:06 GMT
Organization: Unisys, Applied Technology, Malvern, PA


Messianic Jews claim to be real Jews in the tradition of Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob, that is, they claim to be both religiously and racially related
to the patriarchs.

Biblically speaking, MJs are indeed real Jews religiously because of their
identification with the new covenant established in the blood of Messiah
Jesus.  They are Abraham's children spiritually because of their
identification with the "Seed" of Abraham, Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:29).  But
then, according to the apostle Paul, so are Gentiles who are identified
with Christ also the children of Abraham.

But are MJs racially related to the patriarchs?  The answer is, maybe, but
who knows.  Unlike many of the Jews of Jesus' and Paul's day, no modern Jew
I'm aware of can trace a direct, unbroken line back to our father Abraham.
Few if any can even identify for sure which of the twelve tribes they are
descended from (if they are in fact descended from any of the twelve
tribes.)  Their lineage is based on "oral tradition," rather than
established fact.  From an objective standpoint, no MJ has any more
evidence that they are from Abraham physical seed than I do.  They only
direct claim MJs have to the title of racial Jews is based on the fact that
they are descended from rabbinic Jews.  And since rabbinic Jews have
abandoned the biblical standard of patriarchal lineage in favor of a
matriarchal one, this testimony is very shaky.

This fact gets to the heart of the NT message; who your father or mother is
doesn't make one iota of difference in the kingdom of God.  We get into the
kingdom, and received the blessings of kingdom membership, based on God's
grace, not by having the right set of genes or observing the right set of
rituals.  The early church recognized this fact, and denounced the
Judaizers who would teach otherwise (Col. 2:16,17).

Under the covenant of Abraham, identification was by the rite of
circumcision.  Abraham, his seed, and 318 "fighting men" became Jews when
they submitted to the act of circumcision, and pledged to uphold the
covenant God had established with Abraham (Gen. 14:14; 17:26,27).  Were all
the males in Abraham's household his physical seed?  No.  Were they
considered Jews when they became circumcised, and treated as his own
spiritual children.  Yes.  They same is true of the "mixed multitude" who
came with the children of Israel from the land of Egypt.

But how does one become identified with our father Abraham today?  Is it
enough to be "born Jewish?"  The NT answer is "no."  Today, one becomes
identified with father Abraham through the blood of the new covenant -- the
blood of Jesus Christ.  Identification today is through the act of baptism,
the outward sign of the inner work of the Holy Spirit.  It is our new
covenant form of circumcision (Col. 2:11,12).  All who submit to baptism,
and who baptize their children, and pledge to obey the new covenant, are
considered children of Abraham, and share in the blessing of Abraham
secured in his "Seed", Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:16).  Jews and Gentiles who
make this identification today become part of the new commonwealth of
Israel -- the body of Christ made in His image and for His glory (cf. Eph.
2:12).

-- 
Tom Albrecht