Israel May 24
By bock - Posted on May 24th, 2009
I am in Israel in Netanya at a meeting of messianic Jewish leaders who are discussing messianic Jewish Israeli identity issues here. They are being introduced to a theological forum and how to have what can be a difficult discussion. I was asked to come and help them set up their meeting. So I have been in consultation with the steering committee helping them to get ready for this event. The papers start in a few hours. The conference runs through tomorrow. It should be a fascinating time. The issues here are not unlike those of the first century chruch, running from believers who are heavily Jewish (even working with rabbinics) to those whose practice differs little from what we see in the States. I expect to learn a lot about what is happening here and why. It should be an interesting few days.
![Jewish Museum](http://blog.bible.org/bock/files/images/JewishMuseum "Jews Not Served Here"_2.thumbnail.jpg "Jewish Museum")
Dr Bock.
Does the meeting also provide the website ?. I think it's very interesting meeting. Some (not many) churchs in our country practiced their traditions.
Regards
Ivan
Ivan: Sorry, there is no web site.
dlb
Hi Darrell,
Having been in Israel a month ago teaching some of the people who should be at your conference, I hope they were there! The community there is very polarized, and slanderous denunciations are flying fast and furious, especially against those who are positive about Jewish life, which some there unwisely and inaccurately are terming "the leaven of the Scribed and Pharisees." I will be astonished if your Conference truly represented a cross section of the people who should have been there because the level of intolerance, slander, and acrimony has been so high.
Would love an email on the matter.
With higher than usual curiosity.
Stuart
Stuart:
The sides were represented at the Conference. It was a civil discussion with only a few, very brief breakdowns. The conference was well planned and managed. I had conversations with people on all sides of the discussion. I return later tomorrow. I will contact you then. Send me an email with contact info.
that's truly amazing; i'll be sure and say a prayer about this; God bless
Prof. Bock,
I've been following this thread with much interest. I would be very grateful to read about the outcome of this conference!
David:
This theological forum was not the kind of an event that had an outcome. It was not structured that way. It was a dialogue between various points of view, which were clearly aired. The discussion is between those who want Jewish believers to live in a Jewish manner in Israel (observe Sabbath, feasts, dietary laws, etc) and those who think such a move is a distraction (if not a distortion) from the message of the gospel. We know from Acts that some Jewish believers in the early generations were very Jewish in their observance. So the question is whether that option is live today. A book that makes the case for this from a Jewish practice perspective is David Stern's Messianic Judaism. Other than this meeting having been a forum for dialogue, there is the likelihood of future meetings to come on specific topics in the discussion.
Post new comment