Winter 2009 Vol. 33 No. 3 from the President the Gospel and the Jewish People

Winter 2009 Vol. 33 No. 3 FROM THE PRESIDENT The Gospel and the Jewish People n our last issue of Kindred Spirit we considered God’s heart for the Arab people and promised to follow that Dallas Theological Seminary’s mission discussion with a look at God’s heart for Jewish people. is to glorify God by equipping godly I servant-leaders for the proclamation The issue you hold in your hands explores that very topic. A boy inserts a prayer of His Word and the building up Several months ago I joined a number of other of the body of Christ worldwide. request into the Wailing Wall evangelical leaders in considering what Scripture reveals in Jerusalem. KINDRED SPIRIT as God’s heart for the Jewish people and how evangelicals Winter 2009 Vol. 33, No. 3 should view Jewish-Christian relations. In the end I joined an esteemed group ISSN 1092–7492 of leaders in signing a public statement prepared by the World Evangelical © 2009. All rights reserved. Alliance. Here’s what we affirmed: Published three times a year by Dallas Theological Seminary As evangelical Christians, we want to express our genuine friendship 3909 Swiss Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75204 and love for the Jewish people. We sadly acknowledge that church Dr. Mark L. Bailey, President history has been marred with anti-Semitic words and deeds; and that at Dr. Mark M. Yarbrough, Vice President of Communications times when the Jewish people were in great peril, the church did far less Sandra L. Glahn, Editor-in-Chief than it should have. Keith D. Yates, Director of Creative Services • We pledge our commitment to be loving friends and to stand against and Publications Dr. Roy B. Zuck, Copy and such injustice in our generation. At the same time, we want to be Theological Editor transparent in affirming that we believe the most loving and scriptural Debbie J. Stevenson, Production Manager expression of our friendship toward Jewish people, and to anyone we Kelley M. Mathews, Copy Editing Service Israel photos from iStock call friend, is to forthrightly share the love of God in the person of Jesus Christ. SUBSCRIBE Subscriptions are free of charge • We believe that it is only through Jesus that all people can receive to addresses in the United States. eternal life. If Jesus is not the Messiah of the Jewish people, He cannot Call 800-DTS-WORD or 214-824-3094 and ask for the Kindred Spirit subscription be the Savior of the world (Acts 4:12). office, sign up online at www.dts.edu/ks, We recognize that it is good and right for those with specialized or write to the address below. knowledge, history, and skills to use these gifts to introduce individuals EMAIL to the Messiah, and that includes those ministries specifically directed For information about Dallas Seminary’s to the Jewish people (1 Corinthians 9:20–22). graduate degree programs: [email protected] To correspond by email: [email protected] • We deplore the use of deception or coercion in evangelism; however, To submit articles, request reprints, or we reject the notion that it is deceptive for followers of Jesus Christ who make comments: [email protected] were born Jewish to continue to identify as Jews (Romans 11:1). DONATIONS • We want to make it clear that, as evangelical Christians, we do not For information on how you can wish to offend our Jewish friends by the above statements; but we are support the ministry of Dallas Seminary call 214-841-3720. compelled by our faith and commitment to the Scriptures to stand by these principles. It is out of our profound respect for Jewish people KS ONLINE/SUBMISSIONS To download writers’ guidelines or to view that we seek to share the good news of Jesus Christ with them, and Kindred Spirit online visit www.dts.edu/ks. encourage others to do the same, for we believe that salvation is found POSTMASTER only in Jesus, the Messiah of Israel and Savior of the world. Email address changes to This is just one of many examples of the church reaffirming her [email protected], or send to: commitment to her own roots. Dallas Theological Seminary Kindred Spirit 3909 Swiss Avenue Dallas, Texas 75204. As my friend, the late Dr. Harold Hoehner, said, “The gospel is for all—Jew or Gentile. We want Jews to see the Messiah has Unless noted otherwise, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, come to save them from eternal separation from Him and to New International Version, © 1973, 1978, enjoy Him forever.” God’s heart for Israel is the same as His heart 1984 by International Bible Society. for all people: that they might know Jesus Christ and make Him Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. known. n —Dr. Mark L. Bailey 2 Dallas Seminary C ONTENTS Winter 2009 VOL. 33, NO. 3 God’s Heart for Israel God’s 4 Listen in as DTS president Dr. Mark Bailey, Heart for the late Dr. Harold Hoehner, and Jewish Christian Dr. Darrell Bock discuss Jewish the Jewish evangelism and a biblical perspective on People the nation of Israel. “God has not Embracing the Jewishness in rejected His 10 people, has He? your Congregation Jewish Christian Steven Ger talks about May it never be!” ways the church can celebrate the contin- —Romans 11:1 ued existence of the “remnant of Israel” as a wonderful example of God’s grace and faithfulness. An Uncommon Friendship 14 A Jewish teen and a middle-aged Gen- tile living in Israel describe their journey together as friends and ultimately as brothers. Kindred Spirit Online www.dts.edu/ks Coming in December: Also Coming in December: “My Advice This Christmas” Link: by Dr. Charles R. Swindoll To the DTS Dialogue on Jewish Evangelism Today Article: “Coping with Grief,” by Dr. Roy B. Zuck Coming in January: Book Excerpts: “To the Jew First in the New Millennium,” from To the Jew First, by Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum “Coming to Terms with Faith and Values,” from Your Intercultural Marriage: A Guide to a Healthy, Happy Relationship, by Marla Alupoaicei Coming in February: Article: “Israel: Encounter God as Storyteller II,” by Sandra Glahn Kindred Spirit 3 Last year before Dr. Harold Hoehner’s untimely death, DTS president Dr. Mark Bailey sat down God’swith him and Dr. Darrell BockHeart to talk about God’s Israel heart for Jewish people. The conversation included a discussion about Jewish evangelism as well as having a biblical perspective on the nation of Israel. Dr. Hoehner served on the board of Jews for Jesus. Dr. Bock, who is of Jewish descent, served—as he continues to do—on the board of Chosen People Ministries. Both organizations focus on reaching Jewish people. The complete conversation is available in audio on the DTS website. Here are some highlights of that discussion. 4 Dallas Seminary for Dr. Bailey: Some people believe the Jews do not The attempt is to keep these separate. This is a need to be evangelized. Why is that? popular view in a lot of European theology. Also when it comes to Jewish matters, a shadow of Dr. Hoehner: Part of it goes back to the the Holocaust hovers. There is a large collective God’s HeartHolocaust. People wonder,Israel “What right do you guilt—and, I might say, a justified guilt—over how have to try to tell us about Jesus when you did a largely “Christian” Europe handled the Jewish such a terrible thing to us as a Jewish people?” people. There’s a desire to avoid repeating the same The second factor is the era of pluralism. mistakes, so out of respect, people have backed off proselytizing in Jewish communities. Dr. Bailey: So from the Jewish perspective, they don’t think they should be, or need to be, Dr. Hoehner: Dr. Ottfried Hofius at Tübingen evangelized by Christians. In a Christianity Today University doesn’t like the dual covenant because article Rabbi Yeheil Poupko is quoted as saying, it looks like a “special way.” But he says, “What we “The basis of interfaith conversation must be have to realize is that all Israel will be saved in the mutual, sacred rejection—a clear understanding future,” based on Romans 11:26. “Therefore, we of the irreconcilable differences between the faith don’t need to witness to them today.” I call his view communities.” Yet in terms of pluralism some not the “special way” but the “special day” view. recent movements are saying we don’t need to It’s the idea that we’re not responsible to witness to evangelize the Jews. the Jews. Yet I would argue that it’s not that we’re singling them out. Every person, of whatever nation, Dr. Bock: Some try to give a theological needs to be evangelized. explanation, saying God made a dual-covenant commitment with His people. First, God made Dr. Bock: Right. No single group is being “targeted.” the original covenant with the Jews, put in place We all need what Jesus has to offer. The gospel goes permanently as reflected in the Mosaic Covenant, to all nations, Jew and Gentile included. What’s odd and feeding back into the Abrahamic Covenant of about the dual-covenant view is that if it were really Genesis 12. Second, there is the outreach to the held by the early church, why did Paul enter cities Gentiles through Jesus Christ. continued Kindred Spirit 5 and go straight to the synagogues? He could’ve just God has revealed through Jesus Christ a way for headed to the agora and evangelized all the non- all people.

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