Introduction Over the years, many believers have debated these issues with Messianic friends and leaders. There are valid ways to be Messianic without falling into Judaizing, and a Jewish background can legitimately help illuminate biblical passages. Rabbi Jason Sobel (Fusion Global) stands out as one of the strongest and most balanced examples—deeper and less sensationalistic—while Rabbi Jonathan Cahn offers another voice in this space.
Part one here
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However, I want to address the practical worldview problems that arise when this perspective is pushed strongly in an ideological direction—beyond the obvious concerns we already see when reading the New Testament.
3) The Role of the Martyr (Taken from “Church of Martyrs” by H.G. Bishop Youssef)
Let’s look at the origin of the term “martyr.”
The risen Lord Jesus Christ said, “You shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
As He sent out His disciples, they were to be His witnesses. The Greek word for “witness” is martys (μάρτυς). We can be witnesses for the Lord Jesus Christ by the way we live, by setting a good example, and by showing His love. But we may also be called to follow our Lord all the way to the Cross—willingly giving our lives rather than abandoning our loyalty to Him.
The early Church saw this kind of death as the complete and final act of witnessing. Thus, the term “martyr” came to mean one who bears witness for the Lord Jesus Christ by dying for His holy Name.
That essay is one of my favorites because it touches so many areas of the faith: witnessing, ecclesiology, church history, spiritual gifts, and the fruit of the Spirit. It also connects deeply with 1 Timothy 3:15:
“…that you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”
We have the Bible and the Gospel today because of faithful people who refused to compromise in the face of danger, pain, and even death. Unfortunately, many who strongly advocate One Covenant theology tend to downplay or deny this reality (often because they view Torah-keeping as mandatory for all believers). They essentially claim to know better than those who were actually there as eyewitnesses in the ancient church.
4) Aletheia – The New Testament Word for Truth
I am often bothered by how much some assume about the ancient Church. At times this touches on the area of epistemology. It reminds me of something I observed decades ago in the Charismatic movement: many were drawn to messages that “preach well” but were not always factually accurate. They would share uplifting thoughts and important Scriptures, yet often played loose with historical facts and context in order to deliver a more compelling or “gung-ho” message.
This same tendency appears frequently among One Covenant theology advocates and similar Protestant groups that promote Torah observance as essential for Christians.
To repeat a point from my earlier section on ecclesiology: it concerns me that proponents of this view rarely ask whether their idealized model ever actually existed in the real world. They assume ancient Messianic synagogues were widespread. When confronted with a lack of evidence, they often blame it on antisemitism and persecution. It appears they are reading later history (the Holocaust, Spanish Inquisition, Russian pogroms) back into the ancient church. Many of their other assumptions like Torah for sanctification are likewise refuted by systematic study of scripture.
While antisemitism certainly existed in the ancient world, there was also significant anti-Gentile sentiment in some circles, and historical records show that some Jewish groups assisted in the persecution of Christians under Rome, Persia, and later Islamic rule.
This is why the New Testament word for truth—aletheia (ἀλήθεια)—matters so much. It refers to objective truth, facts, and reality. It harmonizes beautifully with the Hebrew concept of emet (אֱמֶת), which speaks of truth as something that makes us structurally strong and stable—like the foundation in Jesus’ parable of the wise and foolish builders (Matthew 7:24-27).
As a side effect of this worldview, both ideas of truth often get challenged or compromised. The result is instability, unnecessary drama, and a tendency to play loose with the facts.
Part one here
The Many Factual and Logical Problems of One Covenant Theology, Part1
Over the years, many have debated these issues with Messianic friends and leaders. There are valid ways to be Messianic without falling into Judaizing, and Jewish background can serve as a legitimate resource for illuminating biblical passages. Rabbi Jason Sobel (Fusion Global) stands out as one...
www.christianityboard.com
However, I want to address the practical worldview problems that arise when this perspective is pushed strongly in an ideological direction—beyond the obvious concerns we already see when reading the New Testament.
3) The Role of the Martyr (Taken from “Church of Martyrs” by H.G. Bishop Youssef)
Let’s look at the origin of the term “martyr.”
The risen Lord Jesus Christ said, “You shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
As He sent out His disciples, they were to be His witnesses. The Greek word for “witness” is martys (μάρτυς). We can be witnesses for the Lord Jesus Christ by the way we live, by setting a good example, and by showing His love. But we may also be called to follow our Lord all the way to the Cross—willingly giving our lives rather than abandoning our loyalty to Him.
The early Church saw this kind of death as the complete and final act of witnessing. Thus, the term “martyr” came to mean one who bears witness for the Lord Jesus Christ by dying for His holy Name.
That essay is one of my favorites because it touches so many areas of the faith: witnessing, ecclesiology, church history, spiritual gifts, and the fruit of the Spirit. It also connects deeply with 1 Timothy 3:15:
“…that you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”
We have the Bible and the Gospel today because of faithful people who refused to compromise in the face of danger, pain, and even death. Unfortunately, many who strongly advocate One Covenant theology tend to downplay or deny this reality (often because they view Torah-keeping as mandatory for all believers). They essentially claim to know better than those who were actually there as eyewitnesses in the ancient church.
4) Aletheia – The New Testament Word for Truth
I am often bothered by how much some assume about the ancient Church. At times this touches on the area of epistemology. It reminds me of something I observed decades ago in the Charismatic movement: many were drawn to messages that “preach well” but were not always factually accurate. They would share uplifting thoughts and important Scriptures, yet often played loose with historical facts and context in order to deliver a more compelling or “gung-ho” message.
This same tendency appears frequently among One Covenant theology advocates and similar Protestant groups that promote Torah observance as essential for Christians.
To repeat a point from my earlier section on ecclesiology: it concerns me that proponents of this view rarely ask whether their idealized model ever actually existed in the real world. They assume ancient Messianic synagogues were widespread. When confronted with a lack of evidence, they often blame it on antisemitism and persecution. It appears they are reading later history (the Holocaust, Spanish Inquisition, Russian pogroms) back into the ancient church. Many of their other assumptions like Torah for sanctification are likewise refuted by systematic study of scripture.
While antisemitism certainly existed in the ancient world, there was also significant anti-Gentile sentiment in some circles, and historical records show that some Jewish groups assisted in the persecution of Christians under Rome, Persia, and later Islamic rule.
This is why the New Testament word for truth—aletheia (ἀλήθεια)—matters so much. It refers to objective truth, facts, and reality. It harmonizes beautifully with the Hebrew concept of emet (אֱמֶת), which speaks of truth as something that makes us structurally strong and stable—like the foundation in Jesus’ parable of the wise and foolish builders (Matthew 7:24-27).
As a side effect of this worldview, both ideas of truth often get challenged or compromised. The result is instability, unnecessary drama, and a tendency to play loose with the facts.
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