The Shema is central to the New Testament. Jesus says the Shema is the most important commandment and uses the Shema to make claims about his identity. He also wears ritual objects associated with the Shema, like tzitzit. The Shema is also central to Paul's theology about the community of Messiah and it was used in early liturgy of the Jesus-following community. For more on this topic: Lori Baron, The Shema in John's Gospel Erik Waaler, The Shema and the First Commandment in First...

Michael Jones, from one of the largest Christian apologetics YouTube channels, Inspiring Philosophy, interviewed us on the topic: "Is the New Testament Antisemitic?" This message is particularly timely, given the increasing prevalence of Jew-hatred worldwide. Sadly, Christian antisemitism is also a reality, and in this interview, we address the challenging passages that antisemites cite to argue that the New Testament promotes Jew-hatred. We cover Matthew 27:24–26; John 8:44; Revelation 2:9;...

What similarities and differences can we notice when comparing the story of Jonah with Jesus calming the storm in Matthew 8? How does making this comparison show that Jesus was recognized as the Messiah? Join us for this Yom Kippur D'rash! Jonah 1:1-6 (1) And the word of the Lord came to Jonah, the son of Amittai, saying, (2) “Get up and go[1] to the great city of Ninevah and cry out against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me.” (3) But Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the...

Have you ever heard the claim that Saul's name was changed to Paul on the road to Damascus? Do Christians tell you that this name changed symbolized not only a dramatic personal transformation but also Paul's turn away from Judaism in favor of Christianity? I read through Acts 9 and Acts 13 to show that Paul's name was never changed from Saul and give an alternative explanation for why Luke shifts to use "Paul" after Acts 13:9. Thanks for joining and share it with your Christian friends!...

At the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America (MJAA) Messiah Conference 2023, Jonathan gave a presentation addressing the standard interpretation of Mark 7.15–19. He presents three reasons why it is implausible that Jesus abrogated Israel's dietary laws and then offers a reading of the text that makes better sense of Jesus's argument in its Jewish context. Special thanks to Dr. Logan Williams for sharing his research with us on Mark 7.18–19 for this presentation! Dr. Williams won the 2022...

At the MJAA Messiah Conference, Erik presented on a panel entitled, "Reaching Our People" with David Brickner, Janet Forman, and Chantel Winograd. Erik shared stories of how he has shared the gospel with young people who care about truth and those who don't. He finishes his speech by sharing an important way the Messianic Jewish community can not only reach our people, but keep our people. Enjoy! ______________________    You can watch more on our ⁠YouTube channel⁠     Follow us on Social...

Did Jesus do away with the Jewish dietary laws? Many Christians point to Mark 7.15-19 to say that he did, which is understandable, considering the common translation of Mark 7.19, “Thus he [Jesus] declared all foods clean.” In this video, I present five reasons why it is implausible that Jesus eliminated the Jewish dietary laws and then offer a reading of Mark 7.15-19 that makes better sense of Jesus’s argument in its Jewish context.     Note: Between 25:03 and 25:24, I mention that "pork is...

Are non-Jews expected to become Torah-observant? Is this what the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15 teaches? Many Hebrew Roots and One Law teachers read the Jerusalem Council as a decision to give non-Jewish Jesus-followers a Torah "starter pack" and expect them to become more and more observant as they learn the Torah in the synagogue each Shabbat. Is this the best way to read Acts 15? We don't think so. You can also watch on our YouTube channel  Follow us on Social Media:  ...

At the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America (MJAA) Messiah Conference 2022, Jonathan gave a presentation responding to arguments for replacement theology put forth in Pastor Andy Stanley’s book, Irresistible: Reclaiming the New that Jesus Unleashed for the World.    Questions this presentation covers include:    - What does replacement theology mean for the Jewish people? - Did Yeshua teach that he came to end God’s covenant with Israel, to make the Torah obsolete in Matthew 5.17? - Did the...

This week is the Jewish holiday of Shavuot which is also known as Pentecost. In Jewish tradition, Shavuot commemorates the giving of the Torah. In Christian traditions, Pentecost commemorates the Holy Spirit descending after Jesus ascended to heaven. In Messianic Judaism, we commemorate both! Join us in exploring how Shavuot provides an occasion to see how Paul was both Torah-observant and Spirit-Led simultaneously. Did Paul Teach Against Torah in Acts 21?  ___________________________ You can...

In Deuteronomy 13, we learn that false prophets can perform miracles. From this point, counter-missionary, Rabbi Michael Skobac reasons: “miracles don’t prove anything.” If he is right, then Jesus’s resurrection does not prove he is the Messiah. But is Rabbi Skobac right? In this video, I argue that when we understand Deuteronomy 13 in light of Passover and with the help of Maimonides, we see that contrary to what Rabbi Skobac says about it, Deuteronomy 13 is actually the foundation for why...

What do Messianic Jews believe? How do Messianic Jews live and worship? Join us on Two Messianic Jews as we share with you the definition of a Messianic Jew, the core beliefs of the Messianic Jewish community, and the common ways Messianic Jews live and worship. In the end, I share how we view ourselves within the Jewish community and within the Body of Messiah. 00:00 - Definition of 'Messianic Jew' 5:18 - What a Messianic Jew is NOT 7:52 - What Messianic Jews believe 12:12 - How Messianic...

Recently, we were sent a Times of Israel blog by its author, Rabbi Joel Hoffman, entitled, "Why Messianic Judaism is Fake." We thought this was a good opportunity to try our hand at doing a live reaction as we read it for the first time! There is much more that could have been said, and much that we could have said more clearly. Hopefully, it is edifying and entertaining nonetheless! If you'd like to see more content like this let us know!   If you'd like to hear a more careful presentation...

While Christmas is not part of the Messianic Jewish calendar we affirm the Church's celebration of this tradition as a wonderful way to celebrate the birth and incarnation of the Messiah. There are many Hebrew Roots channels that argue Christmas is steeped in paganism and that the Church should not celebrate the holiday. For this episode, we are joined by Michael Jones of Inspiring Philosophy--a channel that has had a lot of influence on us--and he shares with us his research that Christmas...

Not many people understand or have even heard of, Messianic Gentiles. Who are they? Who are they not? In this video, I define Messianic Gentiles as are non-Jewish members of Messianic synagogues who affirm the teachings of Messianic Judaism and live according to the Jewish norms of their synagogue. I then distinguish them from many groups with which they might be easily confused, particularly Hebrew Roots/One Law adherents. I also offer tips for how non-Jews can determine if God is leading...

Many Christians read Colossians 2.16-17 as validation that the Torah is obsolete, specifically the observance of Shabbat, Jewish festivals, and kosher laws. But is this Paul’s point? I don’t think so. In this video, I explain why through a careful analysis of the Greek text in its literary and historical context. I argue that Paul is exhorting the Colossians to not let ascetic critics who emphasize self-denial judge them for eating and drinking, celebrating Shabbat and Jewish festivals...

How should Messianic Jews understand the role of Torah, rabbinic tradition, and the leading of the Holy Spirit in their lives and communities? There are multiple Messianic Jewish answers to this question and today we had on Messianic Jewish scholar, Dr. Jennifer Rosner and Messianic Jewish rabbi, Joshua Lessard to discuss their book "At the Foot of the Mountain: Two Views on the Torah and Spirit" where they explore these issues from different perspectives. You can also watch on our YouTube...

Hebrew Roots and One Law teachers like Lex Meyer of Unlearn the Lies and Tim Hegg of Torah Resource frequently argue that Christians should celebrate Sukkot and all other Jewish Festivals because of the prophecy found in Zechariah 14:16-19. This is contrary to the Messianic Jewish position. I argue that Christians do not have this responsibility and appeal to Messianic Jewish leaders like Dr. David Rudolph, Dr. Daniel Juster, and Rabbi Russ Resnik in support of this position. Christians are...

Did Jesus oppose Judaism and come to replace it with his brand-new religion of Christianity? Was ancient Judaism a legalistic religion of works-righteousness? Did Jesus make the Law obsolete? Many people assume the answer to all these questions is yes. But is that true? In this video, we tackle these questions, building the case that the way Jesus teaches, lives, and debates situates him within Second Temple Judaism. Pastor Andy Stanley precisely articulates the way many Christians answer the...

Many people believe that Jesus came to replace Judaism and its Torah with something brand new. His teachings then stand in stark conflict with his Jewish contemporaries. Rabbi Matt Rosenberg essentially says, “I beg to differ” in his newly released book, Jesus Never Said Anything New. In this interview, he tackles this important subject that affects how Jews and Christians understand Jesus and live out his teachings today. Enjoy!    0:00 – Intro 0:42 – What do you mean by “Jesus never said...

Thank you All-Stars for your support and your questions! If you want to become an All-Star and submit questions for the mailbag episodes, follow this link and subscribe at any tier for early access to content and the ability to ask questions for the mailbags!  For these mailbag episodes, we want to feel the freedom to give experimental answers and test out ideas that may become future "lecture-style" videos. Because of this, we would especially like to hear your feedback! If you disagree,...

Earlier this year, Reverend Brandan Robertson came out with a Tik Tok video claiming that Jesus was a racist. In a later YouTube video with Dr. Miguel De La Torre, he elaborates that Jesus inherited his racism from his Jewish community. De La Torre makes these same claims in this video and in his sermon, “Was Jesus a Racist?” Their teaching is not just historically and exegetically wrong; it fuels anti-Semitism, which is unfortunately on the rise today. This is my response. 0:00 –...

For centuries, scholars have argued that Paul thought the Church replaced Israel as God's chosen people and that Jewish identity is erased upon the acceptance of Jesus's Gospel message. Here, I argue that when you carefully read Paul's use of the Shema in Romans 3.27-31 and use the Tanakh, Josephus, and later rabbinic literature to expand your interpretative imagination, you find Paul understood God remained the God of Israel and that Jewish Jesus-followers were to maintain their Jewish...