We believe that God created all things for His glory and that God doesn't make mistakes. This means that we believe in treating all people, all cultures and all beliefs with dignity and honor.
We believe that every person, regardless how big or small, old or young, learned or simple, has a perspective from which we can learn. Our discussion, regardless if we end up agreeing or not, is of value to the entire community. We invite the opportunity to share. We believe that the Bible (39 books of the Hebrew Tanakh and 27 books of the New Testament) are the final authority of Truth. Well... lots of people believe that. But we believe that this element of common ground provides us an opportunity to grow together as a community. We believe that the Torah, the first five books of the Bible (Genesis through Deuteronomy), is the foundation that the remainder of Scripture rests solidly upon. All instruction and doctrine is contained in the Torah. Joshua through Revelation is commentary and application, inspired by God, to provide us a mosaic of understanding by which we can draw closer to God. We believe that the purpose of the Bible is to provide us with tools for growing closer in our relationship with God. Since God created man in His image, and since He loves and cares for His creation, the Bible equally teaches us how we are to love others. The Bible is not a weapon to exalt ourselves above others but the mechanism that draws us closer to God. |  |
 | We believe that the language and context in which the Bible has been given to us is relevant to our interpretation. Interpretation without considering who was the original audience and how the original message would have been likely received often misses the intent of the message and thus leads to false or incomplete teachings. We, thus, believe that the Bible is intrinsically Jewish: given, preserved and interpreted from a Jewish point of view. Where the biblical Text seems obscure, Jewish tradition and understanding fills the gaps, rather than creating new dogmas based upon personal opinion or cultural conformity. We believe the manners and customs that our Messiah would have participated in during His life in Israel, or how He would most likely participate today based upon what He said and did, are appropriate for us to continue as we follow His example. We believe that the Messiah has come and been manifest before us with overwhelming proofs, testified by multiple witnesses, verified in both biblical and historical evidences. We believe that Scripture teaches of two advents of the Messiah: in the first He has come to pay the penalty for our short-comings and made possible a way of salvation for those how align themselves under His leadership and according to His teaching. He shall return to establish His kingdom over the entire world from the throne of David, re-instituting biblical worship at the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, repatriating the Promised Land as the Jewish State, and establishing world peace according to the Laws given through Torah. |
Frequently Asked Questions
The above doctrinal statement is purposefully vague. This is because we want to be a community that is inclusive, allowing people to develop and grow in their faith, not require them to immediately see things the way that I personally see them. If I seem a bit glib in my responses... well.... get used to it. We tend to take ourselves way too seriously, and God not nearly serious enough. Messianic groups are often plagued with an arrogant posture that is blinded by our own feeling of enlightenment. Paul nailed us so perfectly when he warned us that knowledge puffs up. So, a lot of people stop by and visit us who have some preconceived notions as to what we should or shouldn't believe or do. Sometimes we match up to those ideas and sometimes not so much. I'm hoping that this section will help avoid some disappointment.
Do you believe that both Jews and gentiles are obligated to follow Torah?
No. We believe that neither Jew nor gentile is obligated to follow Torah; but that Jew and gentile are equally blessed and benefited by walking in obedience to God's instructions. We believe that Torah is the foundation from which the rest of biblical Text extends and that our interpretation of the rest of the Bible is based upon our acceptance and understanding of the Torah, just as the New Testament writers would have understood the Torah to be, at the time, their Bible: the Inspired Word of God.
Do you believe in the Trinity?
We believe that the nature and character of God transcends our cognitive ability to define Him. We understand that when people use terms like "Trinity" they have an established definition of that term that may or may not match a biblically defensible understanding of God's identity. We thus tend to avoid the usage of such terms. A better question may be, "Do you believe in the deity of the Messiah?" The honest answer is that some of us do and some of do not. But, our faith in the sacrificial atonement provided through Messiah Yeshua is not dependent upon our intellectual grasp of His identity one way or another. He did place the requirement upon us to recognize Him as God in the Text. We believe that it is our mission to grow in our understanding and in our relationship with God, not establish our theological platform before embarking on the journey. We want to maintain an environment that allows each person to develop their own appreciation for who is God and who is the Messiah, not simply accept one common view assumed by the majority.
Do you follow the Aviv-Barley Hebrew Calendar?
No. We follow the traditional Jewish calendar for Holy Days and Jewish celebrations. Torah specifies that it is the duty of the elders of Israel to establish the days and seasons that schedule our worship... not some guy who takes a simplistic look at a few passages in the Tanakh. The debate over the calendar process goes back millennia and it's certainly not going to be answered here. There are actually four distinctive interpretations of how the calendar is to be determined, all claiming that they have the right answer and that it is so simple that anyone should be able to figure it out. History records, instead, a very arduous mathematical process that the ancient leaders of Israel would undergo in order decide conclusively the accurate dates. The traditional Jewish calendar cycle, no doubt, has its problems. However, the purpose of the calendar events is to build unity among Israel, not fracture us into isolated corners. There are a number of elements to our worship that cannot be fully realized until Messiah comes again. The calendar, itself, is among them.
Do you speak the Sacred Name of God?
No. We follow the traditional rule that His Sacred Name (the annunciation of the Y-H-V-H) is held more reverent by not speaking it. This traditional understanding extends far back into the the earliest days Old Testament Israel and would have been the practice of the Messiah and His first Century disciples. There is no place in the New Testament that suggests any deviation of this understanding. In fact, Paul, in 1st Thessalonians 2:14, encourages the gentile believers in that they have become followers (imitators) of the traditions of the Jewish believers: not developed their own new practices based upon a gentile gentile interpretation of the Text. There have been a few teachers that have gained popularity in some Messianic circles that demand we speak only specific syllables that identify uniquely the God whom we serve. This teaching is designed to cause division and isolation rather than draw people together as they grow in their understanding and appreciation of who is the God of the Bible.
Do you believe that both Jews and gentiles are obligated to follow Torah?
No. We believe that neither Jew nor gentile is obligated to follow Torah; but that Jew and gentile are equally blessed and benefited by walking in obedience to God's instructions. We believe that Torah is the foundation from which the rest of biblical Text extends and that our interpretation of the rest of the Bible is based upon our acceptance and understanding of the Torah, just as the New Testament writers would have understood the Torah to be, at the time, their Bible: the Inspired Word of God.
Do you believe in the Trinity?
We believe that the nature and character of God transcends our cognitive ability to define Him. We understand that when people use terms like "Trinity" they have an established definition of that term that may or may not match a biblically defensible understanding of God's identity. We thus tend to avoid the usage of such terms. A better question may be, "Do you believe in the deity of the Messiah?" The honest answer is that some of us do and some of do not. But, our faith in the sacrificial atonement provided through Messiah Yeshua is not dependent upon our intellectual grasp of His identity one way or another. He did place the requirement upon us to recognize Him as God in the Text. We believe that it is our mission to grow in our understanding and in our relationship with God, not establish our theological platform before embarking on the journey. We want to maintain an environment that allows each person to develop their own appreciation for who is God and who is the Messiah, not simply accept one common view assumed by the majority.
Do you follow the Aviv-Barley Hebrew Calendar?
No. We follow the traditional Jewish calendar for Holy Days and Jewish celebrations. Torah specifies that it is the duty of the elders of Israel to establish the days and seasons that schedule our worship... not some guy who takes a simplistic look at a few passages in the Tanakh. The debate over the calendar process goes back millennia and it's certainly not going to be answered here. There are actually four distinctive interpretations of how the calendar is to be determined, all claiming that they have the right answer and that it is so simple that anyone should be able to figure it out. History records, instead, a very arduous mathematical process that the ancient leaders of Israel would undergo in order decide conclusively the accurate dates. The traditional Jewish calendar cycle, no doubt, has its problems. However, the purpose of the calendar events is to build unity among Israel, not fracture us into isolated corners. There are a number of elements to our worship that cannot be fully realized until Messiah comes again. The calendar, itself, is among them.
Do you speak the Sacred Name of God?
No. We follow the traditional rule that His Sacred Name (the annunciation of the Y-H-V-H) is held more reverent by not speaking it. This traditional understanding extends far back into the the earliest days Old Testament Israel and would have been the practice of the Messiah and His first Century disciples. There is no place in the New Testament that suggests any deviation of this understanding. In fact, Paul, in 1st Thessalonians 2:14, encourages the gentile believers in that they have become followers (imitators) of the traditions of the Jewish believers: not developed their own new practices based upon a gentile gentile interpretation of the Text. There have been a few teachers that have gained popularity in some Messianic circles that demand we speak only specific syllables that identify uniquely the God whom we serve. This teaching is designed to cause division and isolation rather than draw people together as they grow in their understanding and appreciation of who is the God of the Bible.
