Congregation Beit Mashiach

    If you were to share with a group of believers that you were choosing to become Torah Observant it would be interpreted in a different way by each individual.  The meaning of the phrase ‘Torah Observant’ is elusive in that there is not one clear definition to that term.  For us it is clear that this term does not mean that we follow the practices and traditions of Rabbinic Judaism.  The Apostle Paul made it very clear that the Jewish believer is to remain Jewish; whereas the Gentile believer is to remain a Gentile (I Co. 7:18).  The term itself lends to its meaning, in that the Torah becomes our focus, allowing the Hebraic roots and understanding of Scripture to shape our manner of daily living.  This does not mean that we form communities that imitate the synagogal system of Judaism.  Our focus is to return the believer in Messiah to honour and cherish the truth of the Torah as our Lord and his disciples did in the era of the Early Church (Luke 24:44, 45; Acts 17:11; II Tim. 3:16, 17).  Once again the entire body of Scripture must be seen as the complete revelation given by HaShem to his people for today.  As a Torah Observant believer we embrace the Torah as the seedbed of truth, which is progressively unfolded in the rest of Scripture.  As we study the Scriptures, HaShem’s promises obtain a greater sense of clarity as we progress through Torah, Prophets, Wisdom Literature and the Brit Hadashah (New Covenant).  The New Covenant is not ‘new’ in the sense that what was before is no longer relevant, but rather that the seed of truth found in the Torah is more fully developed in what should be seen as the Renewed Covenant.  The core of Scripture’s truth is founded in the verse of Genesis 3:15 in the promise of the Messiah, who is Yeshua of Nazareth.  Because of Messiah’s pivotal position in our belief system we cannot align ourselves with Rabbinic Judaism who dismiss Yeshua’s relevance.  Our place as believers in Messiah is in the midst of His Bride, which is the Church.  Our focus is not the traditions of man, but the written word of our Lord which finds its beginnings in the Torah.  Yes we are to practice the Hebraic traditions found in the written Word, but the traditions of man are not required to be part of our daily practice.  Being Torah Observant really stresses the importance of applying the complete Word of God to our daily living and practices. 

1.  HaShem’s approach of dealing with mankind has been primarily continuous.

2.  Promise Theology views divine revelation more similar to the growth of a tree from a seed, to a seedling, to a young tree, and then to a fully grown tree.

3.  Promise Theology upholds the idea of progressive revelation in that HaShem’s revelation gradually increases in definiteness, clarity, and fullness as it is revealed over time, even as a tree increases its girth and root and branch structure over time.

4.  HaShem’s Promise (covenants) serve as the central organizing concept within Promise Theology.

5.  Promise Theology through the concept of progressive revelation, possesses a true sense of continuity while allowing the obvious progression of revelation to carry the ever-maturing message.

6.  Within the study approach of Promise Theology any given text is seen from the perspective of the entirety of Scripture (Genesis through Revelation) and is not an island unto itself.

7.  Promise Theology affirms that the promise of the Messiah is the central cord which binds the whole of Scripture and the divine plan of the ages together.

8.  Within the scope of Promise Theology the written Word of God is our sole source of authority as to how we as believers are to conduct ourselves.

9.  Promise Theology views every word of Scripture as having a divine origin and absolutely authoritative (unquestioned) in every area in which they speak.

10.  Within the practise of Promise Theology the Bible is to be interpreted by the same methods used to interpret all literature that is seeking Scripture's literal meaning.

11.  Promise Theology seeks the author’s intended meaning of the text, which implies that any given text has a single meaning.  This singular meaning, however, does not limit the text’s practical application, which is referred to as its Significance.  The Significance of a passage is that universal principle that can be discovered in consultation with the rest of the corpus of Scripture.

12.  Within Promise Theology our objective is to place Scripture within its historical and cultural setting endeavouring to uncover the author’s intended meaning.  Which may require of the interpreter the discipline to step back from traditional interpretations of the given text and allow it (the text) to speak from within its unique Hebraic cultural context?

  Within the Masoretic text of the Hebrew Scriptures the sacred name, of the God of Israel, is written in Hebrew as YHVH for a total of 6,828 times.  Intense discussion and controversy has been stirred up within the Messianic and Torah Observant movements lately over the use and pronunciation of the sacred name.  Much of the heated discussion has its genesis in Christian communities who lack an adequate knowledge of the Hebrew language and traditions.  This has resulted in many practices which have no linguistic legitimacy and pronunciations of names that in reality have never existed.

  Our practice in Congregation Beit Mashiach follows that which the Jewish community has exercised for over two thousand years.  When the name YHVH appears in the text we follow the practice of expressing this name according to the Masoretic vowel pointing of another divine name that is written below the consonants pronouncing it as Adonai (LORD) or merely saying HaShem (The Name).  This is done to avoid mispronouncing YHVH and thus using the name in vain (Ex. 20:7).  As we approach the name in this manner our intent is to demonstrate our reverence to the God of the Scriptures, honouring Him as one whom we approach with awe.

  It is our practice to refer to Jesus of Nazareth with His Hebrew name Yeshua which means salvation or the Lord saves (Matthew 1:21).  We view the name Jesus as merely an anglicized form of the Hebrew Yeshua.  The use of the name Jesus is neither disrespectful nor addressing another god as some have suggested, but rather expressing Yeshua's name in our own native tongue.

   For an in depth understanding of Congregation Beit Mashiach’s stance as to the use of the Sacred Name we suggest that you read the book, “Hallowed Be Your Name: Sanctifying God’s Sacred Name” published by First Fruits of Zion.