Evangelical leaders: Jews need Jesus Christ
Posted: Tuesday, April 1, 2008, 10:43 (BST)
Dozens of prominent evangelical leaders have endorsed a statement declaring a fact that many Christians already hold to be true - that Jewish people need the Gospel and Jesus Christ to receive eternal life.
The statement, sponsored by the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), expressed friendship and love for the Jewish people, but unapologetically declared that salvation comes only through Jesus Christ.
"We want to make it clear that, as evangelical Christians, we do not wish to offend our Jewish friends by the above statements; but we are compelled by our faith and commitment to the Scriptures to stand by these principles," read the evangelical statement on "The Gospel and the Jewish People".
An ad with the statement appeared in the New York Times on March 28 and will appear in other major secular newspapers and several Christian magazines throughout April and May.
"It is out of our profound respect for Jewish people that we seek to share the good news of Jesus Christ with them, and encourage others to do the same, for we believe that salvation is only found in Jesus, the Messiah of Israel and Savior of the World," the statement continued.
Some of the key declarations made by the statement include:
• A pledge of commitment to be loving friends and to stand against injustices against the Jewish people. At the same time, affirming the belief that the most loving and Scriptural expression of friendship towards Jewish people, and anyone called a friend, is to candidly share the love of God in the person of Jesus Christ
• Affirming the belief that only through Jesus that all people can receive eternal life. If Jesus is not the Messiah of the Jewish people, He cannot be the Saviour of the World (Acts 4:12)
• Recognising that it is good and right for those with specialised knowledge, history and skills to use these gifts to introduce individuals to the Messiah, and that includes those ministries specifically directed to the Jewish people ( I Corinthians 9:20-22)
• Denouncing the use of deception of coercion in evangelism but rejecting the notion that it is deceptive for followers of Jesus Christ who were born Jewish to continue to identify as Jews (Romans 11:1)
"Increasingly, Jewish evangelism is being marginalised and even dismissed as irrelevant, inappropriate, unethical or deceptive by some segments of the church," commented Dr Geoff Tunnicliffe, international director of the WEA.
"This statement is an attempt to speak to the evangelical community about the biblical basis for sharing their faith with all people, including Jews.
"It is our hope that it will be received in the spirit it is intended by the non-evangelicals who see it," he added.
Dr Tunnicliffe explained that the statement is made out of friendship and respect for the Jewish people, as well as out of a commitment to stand with the Jewish people who have suffered mistreatment "simply for being Jewish".
"And that part of our friendship and care and respect is shown in our commitment to share the love of God in Christ whom we believe is their Saviour as well as ours," he said.
Evangelical Christian leaders who affirmed the statement include the Rev Dr Lon Allison, director of the Billy Graham Center; Dr Mark Bailey, president of Dallas Theological Seminary; Doug Birdsall, executive chair of Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization; Dr. Yonggi Cho, senior pastor of Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, South Korea; Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship; Dr Jerry B Jenkins, owner of Christian Writers Guild; Dr Haddon Robinson, president of Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary; Gordon Showell-Rogers, General Secretary of European Evangelical Alliance; and Dr Lon Solomon, pastor of McLean Bible Church in McLean, Virginia, who is Jewish.
The World Evangelical Alliance is a 162-year-old global network of evangelical churches and organisations with members in 128 nations and claiming to represent more than 420 million evangelical Christians.
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Added: Sunday, October 19, 2008, 17:04 (BST)
Its amazing. 2000 years ago a bunch of Rabbis went around converting non jews to Judiasm. The Roman gov got scarred threatened the Jewish Gov so they they both killed the guy. The Romans not able to slow down the spread of Judiasm destroyed Jerusalem, renamed the Religion, renamed all the prophets from there real Hebrew names made a Pope claimed it to a new religion, violated the sacred laws layed down by God such as changing the sabbath from Saturday, went around murdering,torturing, and slaughtering human beings in the name of "Christ" all the way to the Protestant reformation. And now the slaughter just started again. On Aug 28 sarah Palin in an interview admitted in Business magazine said that the USA invaded Iraq for there resources. The entire Evangelical community supports McCain who supported this war.What would Jesus say about a Nation who attacks another nation for there resources?What would Jesus say about religious leaders who do not speak out against this horrible madness say? Over 200,000 to 400,000 civilains died in Iraq. Children and women screaming in horror as there bodies were burned and blown apart so America can have cheap gas?? You can lie to yourself but you cant fool God.
Its gotta be the end days!!!
IT APPEARS THE MESSAGE OF JESUS HAS NOT MADE IT TO THE EVANGELICAL COMMUNITY OTHER THAN IN LIP SERVICE.
Peace
Bruce Rubin
LOST JEW
Bruce Rubin, tampa
Added: Tuesday, April 1, 2008, 21:37 (BST)
Dear Sirs:
Of course Jesus Himself, speaking to Jewish listeners, said of Himself,
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6, ESV)
Speaking to THE teacher of Israel, Jesus also said, "You must be born again". (John 3:7b, ESV)
Let us accept Jesus' words as truth, and make our decisions based upon that sanctifying truth. (John 17:17)
Sincerely in Christ,
Paul Griffin
Paul Griffin, Rocky Face, GA, USA
Added: Tuesday, April 1, 2008, 20:32 (BST)
If there is a need to evangelise the Jews (which there is), then why not Muslims also? They surely need Christ just as much as the Jews and other Gentiles, for there is one God and Saviour of all humankind - the God of Abrham, Isaac and Jacob who is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Michael Kemp, Swindon, England
Added: Tuesday, April 1, 2008, 17:07 (BST)
Dear Christians,
Please stop trying to convert us. We neither need nor want you. We don't want your "salvation." We Jews just want to be left alone to our own beliefs. If you don't like it, go try to convert some other religion, like Muslims or Buddhists. If we DO go to eternal hell be remaining Jewish, that's our business. At least WE don't have a bloody history behind us as you do.
Doesn\'t Matter, Midwest
Added: Tuesday, April 1, 2008, 12:26 (BST)
I agree entireley.... Jews need Jesus.
the problem many Jews have is not Jesus but Paul. Torah teaches that anyone who teaches Jews not to observe commands is a false prophet sent to test them. So we either need to re-look at Paul and his teachings, and conclude that he is either a false prophet or that his teachings do not teach what many think he says... i.e. circumcicion no longer required, torah observance no longer required, non-sin-offering sacrifices no longer required.
I must say I do not read Paul in the standard light. The Torah is the bedrock of the Jewish and Christian faith and it is the foundation of what Jesus taught.
The book of revelation in clear, those persecuted at the end by the devil, are those who are not only believers (i.e. keep the testimony of Jesus) but also they are Torah observant (keep the commandments of God).
Then there's the ETERNAL sabbath....... need I go on.
cyberlizard, chesterfield, UK
Added: Tuesday, April 1, 2008, 11:47 (BST)
Jews are jews since 1312 BC and will be converted !
Any attempt to do that will draw a curse from heaven upon those who initiated the process.
Safra, ISRAEL
