INTRODUCTION

When I first saw the title of my father's latest book, I was stunned. In fact, I had to do a double take convinced that I had misread.  I did do a double take - then a triple take. When I realized I had read it correctly, I was left baffled and bewildered.  Why would my father write such a divisive book? I thought to myself. My father IS A Messianic Jew. He works for Jews for Jesus who actively and publicly support Messianic Jews and congregations. Our family in the early years found stability in our new Christian faith because of a Messianic congregation. 

If you have read my response to my father's book Betrayed!, you will understand that I do not support or agree with my father's public ministry. This latest book he has authored is yet another extension of his ministry and I am doubtful that he should have written it and I am doubtful God called him to write it. In my opinion, my father has no business writing a book and issuing a public loving call to unity when in fact his own family is so horribly torn apart over his ministry as described in my response to Betrayed! I seriously question that any wisdom can be found in stating that a whole group of believers in Jesus Christ is not involved in God's way of doing things.

My father practices a faith that has proven to be toxic to his own family relationships.  While he certainly can espouse a Biblical standard in public, it is a standard that I have not seen practiced in his own life with our family.  In his latest book, I see that toxic faith rearing its ugly head again. I have often suspected that those who practice a toxic faith do so from some place of spiritual narcissism. Toxic faith is arrogant and ugly and essentially says my faith is how you should live your life but not how I should live mine. Toxic faith is quick to judge and point out everything that is wrong with everyone else. Those who practice toxic faith believe somehow they are commissioned by God directly. There is a lack of accountability and where there is no accountability, there is no humility.

On page 28 of my father's book, he states,

"Heretofore I have not publicly opposed Messianic Judaism. But now I do. Why? Because I sense that my instructions have changed... I feel it is now God's will that I stand alongside other Jewish and Gentile leaders who see the dangers of Messianic Judaism and share my concerns."

There are two key words my father uses in that quote: sense and feel. These are emotional words - not words of conviction or words that arise out of a Scriptural standard.  What my father feels and senses is irrelevant and not the proper grounds upon which to write a book and divide the Body of Christ. What is relevant is what the Bible says! If we all ran around pontificating about what we sense and feel... well, what a mess the church would be! I suspect my father maybe confused about his own identity. I believe my father's spirituality arises out of a deep place of narcissism. He truly believes he is God's annointed spokesman and that God has charged him to personally rise up and let the world know that the Messianic Jewish movement is doctrinally corrupt and involved in things that are not God's will or God's way. My father's spiritual arrogance was further demonstrated in a November 15, 2004 radio program that aired on national radio and hosted by Janet Parshall. During this program, "Janet Parshall's America," my father said regarding his latest book; God has uniquely set me up to address these issues. While on one hand I found his comments to be laughable, on the other hand I found his comments to be truly sad. When we reach a place where we believe God has set us up uniquely and apart from all others to point the finger at our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, not only are we on dangerous ground but truly we are self deceived. I can assure every Christian that my father has not been charged personally by God to write the book he did. The book is my father's own narrow minded, angry and vindictive opinion. It is not based in Scripture and it is not reflective of the inclusive love of Jesus Christ. It is a testament to the hatred that I have known my father to have towards Messianic Jews since the early 1980's. It is a contempt and hatred I have never understood.

My father also dedicates his new book to my deceased mother, Ethel. I was so very close to my mother, and I can assure the public, that my mother would not have agreed with or supported this book. My mother loved Messianic Jews and what my father espouses in his latest book is so contrary to what my mother believed and loved, that had she been alive she would not have allowed my father to write what he did. I really do want the public to know that while the book is dedicated to my mother, my mother would have nothing to do with it and would disavow it. More remarkably, my father knows this and in dedicating the book to my mother, my father yet again is using his family to perpetuate an image that is not true.

In short, I think my father's latest book will hardly make for any unity.  It will, instead, divide people and put people on the defensive.  That is too bad but, predictably Telchin. Messianic Judaism Is Not Christianity: A Loving Call To Unity will not even dent the modern Messianic Judaism movement which in the US is composed of hundreds of congregations and over 100,000 adherents. It won't dent it and I can't imagine will change too many minds.  The book, I can only imagine, will sure make people angry.

I could write hundreds of pages about Messianic Judaism Is Not Christianity: A Loving Call To Unity. I will not. Instead, I want to tell you why I support Messianic Judaism....

MESSIANIC JUDAISM - AN ESSENTIAL TOOL OF ASSIMILATION

Messianic Jews were instrumental in my family's life after we came to the Lord.  Without the Messianic Judaism movement, I doubt we would have ever found an anchor in our new faith.  My father and our family owes a huge debt of gratitude to all Messianic Jews. It was the Messianic Jews who received us because THEY KNEW HOW to receive us. It was Messianic Jewish believers who played that critical role in helping us, as new Jewish believers, to retain our Jewish identity. Without men such as; (the late) Manny Brotman, Bernie Rubenstein (a marvelous Cantor), Sid Roth and several other men and women from Beth Messiah in Rockville, Maryland, it would have been very difficult, if not impossible, for Stan Telchin as a brand new Jewish believer to assimilate straight into a Christian church environment and still feel that he could hold on to his Jewish identity.

For my father to now turn on the very Jewish people who were so key in assimilating us into the Christian faith is, in my opinion, a harshly hypocritical thing to do. Messianic Jews should be received with open arms in a loving spirit as Christ received them.  On behalf of the Telchin family, I offer my heartfelt apologies for my father's latest book.

MESSIANIC JUDAISM - OUR FELLOW BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST

Messianic Jews are our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ - or Y'shua as Jewish people refer to Jesus.  They have accepted Christ as their personal Savior as I have - and as many Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, etc., have too.  What's next? Will my father write a book titled Southern Baptists Aren't Christians: A Loving Call To Unity? You may not agree with everything found in Messianic Judaism, but what is not to be questioned is the fact that Messianic Jews celebrate Christ as THE Messiah. That is our common bond - Y'shua THE Messiah.

MESSIANIC JUDAISM - PREACHING CHRIST AS MESSIAH 

Messianic Jews practice a theology that is really in line with conservative Protestantism.  There are some differences just like there are differences with the Baptists, Presbyterians, Charismatics and Pentecostals.  Still, on the core issues of the faith, Messianic Jews are on target and there is no mistaking but that they believe with all their hearts that Jesus is THE Messiah. I think my father is likely to be surprised at how many Messianic Jews there will be in heaven. For my father to say that he has no doubt  that Messianic Jews are involved with doctrines and actions that are inconsistent with God's Word and that are contrary to God's will for His Church (page 133) is to this reader of his book, utterly arrogant, shocking and plain wrong. I think my father needs reminding that such far reaching statements of damnation against others are really best left to the Holy Spirit. My father may well believe what he wrote and he is entitled to believe anything he wants.  As Christians, we are not called to dispose of whole segments of the Body of Christ.

I fail to understand how my father's book constitutes a loving call to unity. In my opinion, it is a viscious testament of division and frankly, one of the most anti-semitic things I have read in a long, long time. My deepest and most heartfelt prayer is that no new Jewish believer in Jesus Christ will read my father's latest book. I fear a young Christian Jew would be left confused and deeply hurt.

MESSIANIC JUDAISM - THE POWER OF REACHING JEWS FOR CHRIST

A reader of Messianic Judaism Is Not Christianity: A Loving Call To Unity, recently wrote in response:

"I shudder at the title and the premise of this book, even if Telchin is using hyperbole for shock value. The primary aim of Messianic Judaism is to bring Jews to Christ. To accomplish this, there is some semantical separation from the broader church, but this is to remove those historical hot buttons that cause Jews to harden. Thus, cross becomes tree; Jesus is Yeshua; church is congregation; Holy Spirit is Ruach haKodesh; Bible is Scriptures; Christian is Believer. Other than that, the only way they disassociate from the rest of the church is in their fervent desire to incorporate practices with Christianity. Meanwhile, someone in this country is wearing a WWJD bracelet (What Would Jesus Do?). Among other things, he went to Jerusalem three times a year, he kept Kashrut laws, he wore a tallit (prayer shawl), he spoke in synagogues; and He did all of this while insisting that all the hallowed Jewish traditions were finding their fulfillment in Him alone. This is the fact that has been craftily hidden from the Jews for centuries. And that is what Messianic Judaism, above all else, is trying to bring back to their people. The primary aim of Messianic Judaism is to bring Jews to Christ."

Messianic Jews are reaching the Jewish people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ like no other group. Who better to reach a Jewish person with the message of faith in Christ then a Jewish person who has accepted Christ? I believe with all my heart that the great advances in Jewish evangelism can be traced directly to the Messianic Judaism movement.

The Messianic Judaism movement today is proving to be a powerful platform to reach many people for Christ and Messianic Jews are indeed part of the larger Body of Christ. Messianic Judaism has served to build bridges of understanding between Judaism and the Christian church.

MESSIANIC JUDAISM - KEEPING THE HISTORIC ROOTS OF CHRISTIANITY

Messianic Judaism has so much to offer all Christians regarding the roots of and the cultural aspects of our faith.  I think every Christian should visit a Messianic congregation from time to time and take in the various symbols and practices of the Jewish faith (Passover, Succot, Hannukah, Yom Kippor etc.) that have been lost in today's Christian culture.  Because of its composition and intent to remember its place of origin, Messianic Judaism seeks to help the church rediscover its Jewish roots.  I believe every Christian church from time to time should have a competent Messianic Jew visit and teach the historical background of the Christian faith.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, Messianic Judaism is a movement that will continue to grow and mature. Nothing will stop it. Why? Because it is centered on Christ. For far too long, the Christian church has viewed Christianity and Judaism as mutually exclusive faiths.  There still remains much suspicion on the part of many who simply cannot fathom a Jew embracing Jesus as Messiah.  Many in the Jewish community feel threatened by Messianic Jews who embrace Jesus as Messiah and then wear prayer shawls and call their congregations 'synagogues'.  There is no need for such suspicion and hostility in the Christian community to their fellow brothers and sisters in the Messianic Judaism movement for the reality is that for so many Jews, the Messianic Judaism movement is the only realistic alternative for committed Jews who claim Y'shua as Messiah.

Messianic Jews seek to bless all of us.  We should bless them too understanding that we are one and the same in Christ. We ARE in unity one with another. Stan Telchin does not need to issue a public loving call to unity as Y'shua has already unified us by the power of His love and sacrifice.

I am proud to call myself a Messianic Jew and I fully embrace Messianic Judaism as a credible and important part of the greater Body of Christ.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

My response to my father's latest book, Messianic Judaism Is Not Christianity: A Loving Call To Unity, is my opinion. What is your opinion? I would be interested in hearing from any readers of the books and what your response to it might be. Please feel free to e-mail me your thoughts by going to the 'Contact Page' and e-mail me.

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