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There a many varying trains of thought about what constitutes a "Jew", and the bottom line is, it is not an easy question to answer. According to the Scriptures, the definition of a Jew is three-fold:
(1) Jews are a nation and a people. To be considered Jewish one must be a physical descendant of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 12:1-3).
(2) The Biblical lineage is patrilineal (through the father). For example, Moses had a Gentile wife and King David's great grandmother was Ruth, the Moabitess, yet their children were all considered Jewish.
(3) The Scriptures also indicate, however, that if either parent is Jewish or if a grandparent is Jewish one can identify himself or herself as being Jewish and can claim himself as part of God's Chosen people. (After all, Yeshua was Jewish through His mother!)
(3) The Scriptures also show that people can "become Jews" through formal conversion (Ruth 1:16) - which means they have to be Torah obedient - following God's original teaching and instruction. Yahweh was perfectly clear about the activities of those who were "grafted in" to Israel:
Numbers 15: 13 "'Everyone who is native-born must do these things in this way when he brings an offering made by fire as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. 14 For the generations to come, whenever an alien or anyone else living among you presents an offering made by fire as an aroma pleasing to the LORD, he must do exactly as you do. 15 The community is to have the same rules for you and for the alien living among you; this is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. You and the alien shall be the same before the LORD: 16 The same laws and regulations will apply both to you and to the alien living among you.'"
The question as to exactly "who constitutes a Jew" is hard to describe. While Jews are an ethnic group originating in the ancient Israelites, the ethnicity is strongly related to the religion of Judaism itself - dating back to Abraham, with whom Yaweh made His original covenant. There are black, white, brown and yellow Jews, which means Jews are not necessarily a "race", although the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the 1980s that they are a race for the purposes of certain anti-discrimination laws.
Jews fall under the heading of "Family" more than anything else - in the style of, for instance, Army families who are able to form immediate bonds anywhere in the world with complete strangers who are wearing an Army uniform - simply because that uniform indicates "membership" in the same organization. Like Jews, military families have to obey strict rules and regulations; disobedience can have dire consequences which include being kicked out of the "Family". Unlike the military where being kicked out strips the person of their military identity, someone who has Jewish lineage remains Jewish, even if their family has disowned them. Their obedience to God is what's important....
Are Torah observant Gentiles who believe in Yeshua automatically Jews? No - not unless they actually go through a formal conversion process! Torah observant Gentile believers in Christ are referred to as "Messianic Gentiles", while believing Jews are called "Messianic Jews".
Some believe that everyone and anyone who believes in Yeshua and is Torah observant, automatically falls under the generic heading of "Jew". The question then remains is: If that's the case, what happens to the Scripture that tells us that the Gentiles will make the Jews jealous (Romans 10:19; 11:11, 11:14; John 1:11-12, Acts 15:14)? It's not just any Gentile that will make the Jews jealous, because most Christians erroneously denounce Torah - but it is those believers who realize that Torah's "forever" commands pertain to EVERY believer and are Torah observant believers in Christ! Those are the ones who will ultimately "make the Jews jealous".
Some people insist that Paul said anyone who was a Jew "inwardly" can consider himself to be Jewish, but there is more to it, than that!
Romans 2: 28 For the real Jew is not merely Jewish outwardly: true circumcision is not only external and physical. 29 On the contrary, the real Jew is one inwardly; and true circumcision is of the heart, spiritual not literal; so that his praise comes not from other people but from God.
In the above, Paul was not saying that anyone who believes himself to be a Jew inwardly automatically becomes a Jew. He was attempting to show people what constitutes "a Jew" according to God - and God made it perfectly clear to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that He expected total obedience to His Torah from both the Jews by birth and those who are grafted in. What we label ourselves is irrelevant; our hearts and our willingness to obey and to please our Creator is the real issue.
For more and indepth information on this subject please see Baruch ben Daniel's article Israel: The Bloodline, the Spiritual Kingdom, and Israel according to both blood and spirit.
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