Should Christians Follow the Old Testament?

A relatively new religious movement has grown to over 200,000 members in the US and 20,000 in Israel. This collective group proclaims that Christians must embrace the Jewish characteristics of the early church, particularly the Torah (the Law of Moses). The Messianic Jews, or Messianics as they are also called, aim to keep the Sabbath, observe the Jewish festivals, use Hebrew and Aramaic words, and call their leaders rabbi. They lament that so few believers have studied the Old Testament even though Christians claim that both testaments are the word of God. They rightly deny the common Protestant claims that the Old Testament law was the root of legalism, is opposed to grace, or that it does not reflect God’s character. At the same time, they also accept the New Testament and Christ as the Messiah. In this way, Messianics view themselves as the enlightened bridge between Evangelical Christianity and the Jews. In this book, Douglas Jacoby addresses:

• The Roots of Messianic Judaism

• Messianic Jewish Terminology

• Is Torah Really for Today?

• Jesus Fulfilled the Law

• Is the Old Covenant Still in Effect?

• Are Israel Still God’s People?

• The Rejection of Israel

• Will All Israel Be Saved in the End Times?

• The Sabbath Circumcision, Keeping Kosher and the Temple

• Romans, Galatians, the Jew-Gentile Controversy and “the Israel of God”