Following
is an article that was featured recently in the "Newberry Observer"
about Emet Ministries:
Local
Ministry Seek the 'Jewish Roots of Jesus'
People
throughout the world and even here in Newberry are in search of the
"Hebrew roots" of Christianity. In an effort to return to
the original faith of the Apostles, thousands are discovering the relevance
of Jewish Feast Days, the Hebrew language, and an acceptance of the
Law of Moses. All of this combines to give a clear understanding of
the Jewish Jesus and the faith He embraced.
A recent cover story in Time magazine (March 24, 2008) listed
the
"Re-Judaizing Jesus" as one of its "Ten Ideas That Are
Changing the World." This is one of ten ideas that, according the
the editors of Time, while have impact on the future, "more than
money and more than politics "
The article reads, "This is seismic. Today seminaries across the
Christian spectrum teach, as Vanderbilt University New Testament scholar
Amy-Jill Levine says, that "if you get the Jewish context wrong,
you will certainly get Jesus wrong."
The
shift came in stages: first a brute acceptance that Jesus was born a
Jew and did Jewish things; then admission that he and his interpreter
Paul saw themselves as Jews even while founding what became another
faith; and today, recognition of what the Rev. Bruce Chilton, author
of Rabbi Jesus, calls Jesus' passionate dedication "to Jewish ideas
of his day" on everything from ritual purity to the ideal of the
kingdom of God — ideas he rewove but did not abandon.
What
does this mean, practically? At times the resulting adjustment seems
simple. Ideally, the reassessment should increase both Jewish-Christian
amity and gospel clarity, things that won't happen if regular Christians
feel that in rediscovering Jesus the Jew, they have lost Christ. Yet
one pastor finds this particular genie so logically powerful that he
has no wish to rebottle it. Once in, he says, "you're in deep.
You're hooked. 'Cause you can't ever read it the same way again."
Locally, the return to the Hebrew roots of Christianity is being led
by Emet Ministries. "Emet is the Hebrew word for 'truth.' The purpose
of our ministry is to teach and live the truth / the emet of the Bible.
We aren't trying to be Jewish. Our goal is to simply return to the faith
of our Savior. We follow the example that Jesus left us in the Gospels.
It is impossible to correctly interpret and live the New Testament without
a firm understanding of the Hebrew culture and the Old Testament. We
study the Bible with an emphasis on the and and people of Israel and
how this applies to believers today," said leader Rabbi Daniel
Rendelman.
Last week the group celebrated the resurrection of the Messiah in conjunction
with Passover. "Passover is a commanded celebration found in Exodus
12, Leviticus 23, and throughout the New Testament. Passover traditionally
commemorates the Israelite's deliverance from slavery in Egypt. It was
also the time when the Savior gave His life as a sacrifice. We recognize
the Old and New Testaments as the continuation of one divine will for
mankind. We aren't just studying Hebrew roots but actually recognizing
that we have been grafted into the vine of the commonwealth of Israel.
The feasts, commandments, and words given to the Hebrew nation are for
us today," said Rendelman.
The ministry's website has hundreds of articles, audio messages, and
study helps at www.emetministries.com "Our website is the hub of
our ministry. Visitors can search the Bible, submit prayer requests,
and learn about the original faith of the apostles. We have a new interactive
site that will be launching soon. We are constantly updating it with
new messages and study guides," said Rendelman.
Rendelman, who was ordained a "rabbi" or teacher in 2002,
leads a weekly worship service on Saturdays in Prosperity. "During
our service we have singing, teaching, fellowship, and reading from
the Bible in Hebrew. Its a very family-friendly service and all are
invited visit with us. We will help you know and understand the Hebrew
roots of Christianity," said Rendelman. The group meets at the
Word of Life building on Highway 76 at 2:30 on Saturdays. To learn more
visit www.emetministries.com
or call (803) 603-7852.
