The Gospel Way is a "Bible Online Religion Guide" offering "free Bible studies, guides, and tools, gospel resources, and online Bible lesson studies". Included in their studies is an extremely slanted article that compares Judaism to Christianity by using the same old "tired" lines about how the Jews are "under the law" and are all destined for hell because they don't believe in "Jesus". It so happens that the author of that particular article is totally "off the mark", and The Refiner's Fire therefore sent the following e-mail to The Gospel Way. The Gospel Way, to date, has not bothered to respond.

We at The Refiner's Fire have the following comments about your article, Judaism or Christianity: The Law of Moses or the Gospel of Jesus Christ? When will you figure out that articles such as yours are the exact reason why most Jews want nothing to do with your "Jesus"!

The entire article, rather than perhaps focusing on how to properly lead Jews to the Lord, is all about how the Jews are "wrong" and "unsaved" and how they should "accept Jesus today", etc. It's like one young Jewish man who recently wrote me said: When I was little, my Christian friend's mother took every opportunity to tell me that, unless I believed in Jesus, I was going to hell. I was petrified of even THINKING of believing in a mean god who would threaten me like that!"

Your teaching is only half right. Jesus was NOT a Christian who told people to adhere to the "New Testament" and forget about the "Old". The COVENANT changed; God's original teaching and instructions (Torah) did NOT! You are coming at the Jews with a "churchy" mentality which adheres to "the other half" of the Bible and which totally ignores the fact that Yeshua (Jesus' real name which means "Salvation") NEVER said He came to abolish God's Torah ("law"; original teaching and instruction). Yet Christians everywhere insist that the entire "Old Testament" was “nailed to the cross" and nothing whatsoever is required of us besides sitting in the pews on Sunday and believing Jesus died for us: "We are forgiven. We're under grace...." While that's true, there's a lot more to it. Please read Yeshua was not a Christian.

Jews adhere to the first half of the Bible; Christians adhere to the second half. The reality is, unless both Jews AND Gentiles start paying attention to the WHOLE, neither side has God's Word "right"....

Your article asks: Judaism or Christianity: Which is the true religion of God?

The Messianic response: Exactly what "religion" was God? Man came up with the concept of "religion". Judaism totally ignores Yeshua; Christianity totally ignores Torah. Christianity arbitrarily abolished the seventh day Sabbath and the Biblical feasts. Where in the BIBLE did God ever say that the first day was the Sabbath? And, if the feasts are so unimportant, then WHY has Yeshua only fulfilled the first four so far, with three more to go? See Yeshua Has Fulfilled the First Four Feasts and Jewish Feasts in a Nutshell.

Your article asks: Should Jews follow the Law of Moses or the Gospel of Jesus?

The Messianic response: God said: Proverbs 4:2 - "I give you good instruction: Do not forsake my Torah."

Matthew 5: 17 Don't think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete. 18 Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah – not until everything that must happen has happened.

Has everything happened that must happen? Have heaven and earth passed away yet? If not, then WHY are you insisting that the entire OT was abolished? Don't you adhere to the Ten Commandments? In case you've forgotten, they're OT also....

Yeshua said that God promised us a new COVENANT, not a new Torah. He never said to ignore His Torah, either, or that with the death of Yeshua His Torah would become null and void. If it weren't for Torah, none of us would know right from wrong because all God's teachings/instructions are contained in the "Old Testament".

So, the answer to the above is: Jews AND Gentiles should follow Torah AND believe in Yeshua. The "New Testament" does NOT supersede or abolish the "Old"....That is a Christian misconception brought on by the very much misunderstood teachings of Paul.

Your article asks: How should a Christian treat those who hold the Jewish faith?

The Messianic response: A Christian could start by not being condescending to the Jews and cramming down their throats that they are going to hell, or by telling them they have to give up their God altogether, along with everything they've ever learned in the Tanach ("Old Testament"). Why SHOULD Jews give up Saturday Sabbath or the Biblical feasts, and start following man-made holidays such as Christmas and Easter which are steeped in paganism? Christians should study Jewish history and figure out how to properly witness to the Jews using BOTH "testaments" rather than pompously debunking the "Old Testament" with their limited knowledge of what God actually said....

You commented, "Christians can know how to relate to Jews by following the example of Jesus and the first-century church."

The Messianic response: Yeshua was a Torah observant, tallit wearing, synagogue attending, feast-keeping, kosher Jew. Yeshua not only taught others how to live a Jewish life, He lived it Himself. The outward signs of this were such things as wearing tzitzit (tassles) on His clothing (Luke 8:43, Matt. 14:36) to serve as a reminder of the commandments (Num. 15:37-39). He observed Passover (John 2:13). He observed Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles, John 7:2, 10) and "went up to Jerusalem" (John 7:14). He observed the seventh day Sabbath, and never once attended a "church"....

Are christians REALLY following Yeshua and God's commandments? I think not. It follows, therefore, that do Christians do not have a right to "blast" Jews about their belief. Yes, do everything in your power to try to lead the Jews to Yeshua, but please learn HOW, first! Please read the articles at What is Messianic Judaism.

Sincerely,

The Refiner's Fire