Exploring Jews for Jesus

I know that for many individuals, this may be difficult or shocking to hear. Howerver, I will demonstrate that Jews for Jesus is a Christian group using information from Jews for Jesus' own website and information from other Christian group. -I will post weblinks each time so the evidence can be easily viewed.

I think that it is important that the information be from their site and other Christian sites (aside from the Neutral Parties section), so that no one can claim that any of the information is "made up" by a Jewish group. I challenge you to go through the entire web-site you will see mountains of information proving that Jews for Jesus is a Christian organization, and see the "Real Jews for Jesus" . 

Ultimately, Jews for Jesus does not necessarily even respect Judaism. Reverend David Brickner, the current Executive Director of Jews for Jesus, has been clear about this. Here is a press clipping from Connection Magazine, a Christian publication:

(AgapePress) ...David Brickner of Jews for Jesus says there is far too much religious universalism in America right now. The Messianic Jewish (Editor's Note: "Messianic Jewish" is used sometimes in place of the more common "Jews for Jesus") evangelist says Islam and Judaism should not be given the same weight as the gospel of Jesus Christ. According to Brickner, teachings in both Islam and Judaism are "anti Jesus." He says that while people with different religious views are to be respected, Christians should not give those views the same weight of truth they give the gospel and the Church of Jesus Christ.

Clearly, this is a Christian who lacks basic respect for Judaism, not an actual Jewish leader! Here is the link to the proof (under "Too Much Universalism", about two-thirds down, after the Proctor & Gamble article) Click Here

The above quote should give you a taste for the overall mentality of Jews for Jesus that will be demonstrated throughout this page. The information is grouped into topics. The topics are:

Christian Membership: A list of national and international Christian evangelical groups that Jews for Jesus has joined

The Leaders: A Review of the Christian affiliations of the Jews for Jesus leadership

Christian Workers: A review of Christians who have worked for Jews for Jesus

Jews for Jesus' Beliefs: A comparison of Jews for Jesus and other Christian groups' beliefs

Jews for Jesus and Christian Organizations: A review of Jews for Jesus' interaction with Christian groups

Christian Dollars at Work: A list of Christian organizations that fund Jews for Jesus

Can I Get a Witness: Christian groups that list Jews for Jesus in their Christian links

Jews for Jesus and Christian Advice: Advice given by Jews for Jesus that demonstrates that they are a Christian group

Why Jews Don't Believe in Jesus: Links to articles that explain why Jews do not accept Jesus

Countering the Counter Claims: A review of some of the Jews for Jesus claims and a demonstration as to who their claims are false

Countermissionary Counseling: A list of groups that provide counseling for individuals who have become involved in Jews for Jesus or other Christian groups

Questions and Answers: A review of queries that many individuals often have about Jews for Jesus

Great Sites, Priceless Information: A list of useful links

I also think it is important to note that all of the information that I will present from Jews for Jesus' site is on their "Believers" or "Friends" page. Their "Seekers" page, where they try to find people to convert, doesn't have this material. This is likely because they do not want potential converts to see their "true colors", namely that they are a Christian ministry! It is also vital to realize that Jews for Jesus missionaries will call themselves different names, such as Messianic Jews (as explained earlier), Hebrew Christians, Jewish Believers in Yeshua and Completed Jews. In the end, none of these names change the fact that they are Christian missionaries attempting to convert Jews.

Material on this site is constantly being updated, so feel free to check in again to find out about the new additions to the site! Further, feel free to e-mail me about any questions or suggestions that you may have. The link to the e-mail address is at the end of the page. As a new addition to this website, I have developed a down-loadable brief primer on Jews for Jesus, that you are more than welcome to download and copy as often as you would like.

Click Here for Brief Primer

Christian Membership

Jews for Jesus admits that it has membership/association with several Christian organizations on its own website. It admits to membership/association with:

the World Evangelical Alliance

Evangelical Alliance of South Africa

Canadian Council for Christian Charities

Interdenominational Foreign Mission Association

Evangelical Alliance of Great Britain

Evangelical Council on Financial Accountability

Lausanne Consultation on Jewish Evangelism. All of these groups are committed to the conversion of Jews to Christianity. Here is the proof link: Click Here

Here are some other Christian groups that Jews for Jesus is a member of. Each link will bring you to the website where they are listed as members

National Association of Evangelicals Click Here

Australian Evangelical Alliance Inc. Click Here

The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (under The EFC affiliated ministry organizations) Click Here

World Evangelical Fellowship Click Here

Global Connections (UK) (Notice that the UK Director is referred to as Rev., short for Reverend, designating him as a Christian minister) Click Here

Jews for Jesus operates a camp called Camp Gilgal. Camp Gilgal is a member of the Christian Camps and Conference Association. Here is a link to an invitation to join the camp. Scroll down to the bottom of the page where you will see that Jews for Jesus states their membership and has the official seal of this Christian organization-this is not exactly the membership that a real Jewish camp would have. Here is the proof: Click Here

The Leaders

Martin "Moishe" Rosen, the founder of Jews for Jesus, is an ordained Baptist minister, who has led Christian congregations. These are quotes directly from his biography on the Jews for Jesus website.

"Diploma, Northeastern Bible College, 1957; DD, Western Conservative Baptist Seminary, 1986. Ordained to ministry Baptist Church, 1957."

As you can see, it is clear that he became an ORDAINED BAPTIST MINISTER IN 1957 (Editor's note: Jews for Jesus was not created until 1969, a full twelve years after he became ordained) and he is also a graduate of two Christian colleges; Northeast Bible College and the Western Conservative Baptist Seminary!

Here is more information on him directly from their website:

"Trustee Western Conservative Baptist Seminary, Portland, Oreg., 1979-85, 86-91, International Council on Biblical Inerrancy, Oakland, Calif., 1979-89; board of directors, Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism, 1987-91. Received Hero of the Faith Award from the Conservative Baptist Assoc. of America on July 7, 1997."

Clearly, this is not the resume of a Jewish leader, but of a Christian minister! Here is the proof link so you can see all of this on THE JEWS FOR JESUS WEBSITE! Click Here

To get an idea of Reverend Rosen's thinking, I believe it helps to see where he has studied. Please read the mission section of the Western Conservative Baptist Seminary-this is a school trying to produce CHURCH leaders. Obviously, it is not a Jewish educational institution Click Here

It seems pretty obvious that a real Jewish group would not be founded by a Baptist minister!

Reverend Rosen has talked more about his ministry experiences. This is a direct quote from the Jews for Jesus website.

"So What's a Pastor Good For Anyway? By Moishe Rosen, Founder While training to become a minister, I worked part-time at Sears and Roebuck. One of my co-workers made a not-so-funny joke when he said, "I wouldn't mind being a preacher myself. All you have to do is preach two or three sermons a week, and you can spend the rest of the time playing golf." I'm sure he knew that a minister puts in more time than just the stated hours of the church service, but in all seriousness I doubt if most people have that understanding. The church needs instruction in this area from an objective source."

Again, he is quite open in this quote that he is a Christian minister. Would a Jewish leader talk about preachers and church? Here is the link where he admits this. The above quote is from the first two paragraphs of the link Click Here

Further, Reverend Rosen loves church. Here are some quotes from Reverend Rosen on his church

"I love my church! I find it sad when I meet other Christians who do not seem to love theirs. Maybe they don't know they are supposed to love their churches

I feel great loyalty to my own church in downtown San Francisco. When I am not out of town preaching, you can find me there in the pew. I like the pastor and the preaching, but I also find other elements of equal importance. Though our congregation is somewhat small, we carry on an extensive missionary program. We sponsor a Christian school. We have a Sunday morning bus ministry.

When I joined that church, I asked God to help me love the people and the pastor, and I do. I would never say that my church is perfect or that it is in any way better than the churches others belong to and ought to love. Nevertheless, because it is my church, I have made a commitment to love it and to be loyal to it."

I love my church? Great loyalty to his church in San Francisco? Clearly this is a Christian, not a Jewish leader speaking. Here is the proof. The quotes come from the 1st, 11th and 12th paragraphs Click Here

Reverend Rosen is also on the Board of Directors of the evangelical Christian group Artists in Christian Testimony! A real Jewish leader would never be a part of this organization! Here is the link to the evidence, Rosen is in the last paragraph on the page. Click Here

You will notice that the founder of this organization is the Reverend Byron Spaldin, is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Jews for Jesus! More on Reverend Spaldin, and Board member, Vernon Grounds, will be discussed later.

David Brickner

David Brickner is the Executive Director of Jews for Jesus, and like Rosen, a Baptist Minister. This is the same individual that was quoted at the top of the page who thought Christiniaty needs to be given more "weight" than Judaism. This quote is directly from their site

"Meet Our New Executive Director
by Moishe Rosen, Founder*

"It is with joy, a bit of apprehension, but mostly delight that I introduce David Brickner as the new Executive Director of Jews for Jesus! ...David has pursued an education in Jewish studies since 1978 when he enrolled at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago (note: this is a Christian School-), ....Most recently he graduated from the Fuller School of World Mission in Pasadena, California (Editor's note: this is another Christian School), with a master's degree in missiology with concentration in Jewish evangelism/Judaic studies.....During his time in San Francisco, David was ordained through the Baptist General Conference. ""

Would a Jewish group be led by someone who studied "missionology" at a Christian School? Would a Jewish group be led by an ordained Baptist minister like Reverend Brickner?  Of course not!  Here is the proof link-scroll to the 6th and 8th paragraphs for the Christian information Click Here

If you read through the entire article, you will notice the presentation of Reverend Brickner's "Jewish" roots. If you go to the Question and Answer section of this page, the first question addresses the actual "Jewishness" of Reverend Brickner (which is absolutely zero).

I think it helps to also look in depth at some of the places Reverend Brickner studied. Please read the mission and vision sections of the Moody Bible Institute-this is clearly NOT a Jewish group Click Here

Not suprisingly, the President of the Moody Bible Insitute is thrilled with the word of Jews for Jesus in trying to convert the Jews. In fact, he states:

" I am convinced that sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with our Jewish friends is of utmost importance in God's plan for the world�and all the more as we draw closer to the return of Christ. By supporting Jews for Jesus, you are doing that in one of the most effective ways possible."

Any doubts that this is a guy who is hoping to convert as many Jews as possible? Any doubts that he believes that Jews for Jesus can help him convert Jews? Here is a link to the proof: Click Here

If you noticed, you went to a Jews for Jesus page with a title "Christian Leaders". More on that webpage will be convered later on.

Back to more evidence...the Christian Fellowship of Toledo lists David Brickner and his wife as "our missionaries"! I think it is safe to say that this organization does not sponsor Jews! Here is the link to the proof (David and Patti Brickner are the third listing): Click Here

Now that we have looked at the two main leaders of Jews for Jesus, I would like to take a moment to view the Jews for Jesus attitude regarding the Christian composition of their staff. Regarding their Board of Directors, they state:

" Our independent Board of Directors is comprised of people whose Christian character is evident, whose hearts are burdened for our work and whose unique insights enable them to carry out their considerable responsibilities. Our executive director is directly accountable to them and they have legal and fiscal oversight of Jews for Jesus. Our Board includes members of the clergy (two pastors and the leader of another Christian ministry), educators (a past president of one seminary and the head of the New Testament Department from another), business professionals (a lawyer, a doctor, an accountant and an actor), as well as a mother who formerly served with a well-known campus ministry. "

Clearly, this Board could not ever be mistaken for a real Jewish Board. But it gets worse. Jews for Jesus has Christian requirements for all of its staff:

"We require every staff member to belong to a local evangelical congregation. Jews for Jesus is not a substitute for a local church; we encourage our staff to give generously to the local congregations and to be involved as much as is practical in light of their ministry commitments.

We also require a good pastor�s reference before accepting anyone, staff or volunteer, for short or long term ministry opportunities."

Any real Jewish groups require that their members belong to an evangelical church or have a pastor's reference? I thought not. Here is the link to the quotes; the first quote is from the first paragraph of "To our mission family" and the second quote is from the first two paragraphs of "To the body of Christ" Click Here

On to more of the Jews for Jesus Christian leadership.....

Roger Horwood

Roger Horwood is the leader of the Jews for Jesus in South Africa. As you can see in this brief article about one of his converts (which clearly is a Christian conversion), he is listed in the byline as both the

"Chairman of the Board for Jews for Jesus South Africa and pastor of Camps Bay United Church".

Would a Jew really be a pastor of a church? Clearly, this man is not Jewish. Here is the proof Click Here

Here is a link to the city of Camps Bay and the listing for the Camps Bay United Church. You will notice that Reverend Horwood is referred to as the Minister Rev. and that the church is evangelical! Click Here

There are obviously no real Jewish leaders who are the leaders of an evangelical church. Morever, The Sunday Times of South Africa refers to him as

"The Rev Roger Horwood of the Congregational Church in Camps Bay..."

Seems pretty clear that he is a Christian minister!

Byron Spradlin

Byron Spradlin is the President of Artists in Christian Testimony, a Christian musical evangelical organization. He is also the former Board Chairman of Jews for Jesus. Obviously a real Jewish group would not have a Christian evangelical pastor as its leader. Here is the proof link, the information is in the last paragraph: Click Here

Susan Perlman

Susan Perlman is the Communications Director of Jews for Jesus. She is also on the Board of Directors of the Dallas Theological Seminary, a Christian seminary. Jews for Jesus has a letter from the PRESIDENT of the Dallas Theological Seminary that proves this. Would a real Jewish group have one of its leaders help run an evangelical Christian theological seminary that trains Christians to convert non-Christians? Of course not! Here is the proof link: Click Here

To get a full feeling for Perlman's affiliation, here is the link to the Dallas Theological Seminary's Doctrinal Statement. As you can see, it is definitely a Christian school. Click Here

Susan Perlman is also the former President of the Interdenominational Foreign Mission Association (now known as CrossGlobal Link). This groups is an organization of evangelical Christian organizations. Again, this is not a group that a Jewish group would affiliate with. According to their organization, it is

"CrossGlobal Link has grown into a vast North American-wide association of mission agencies and churches that together field over 15,500 missionaries around the globe."

The first link is to the link the proof statement, the second link is to the IFMA/CrossGlobal website, the quote comse frm the second paragraph:

Click Here

And Click Here

Further, she is part of the Point Group at Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College (Editor's Note: Billy Graham is one of the most well-known evangelical Christian ministers in the country). Here is the link to the proof: Click Here

David Stone

Pastor David Stone is the minister of the First Baptist Church of Port Charlotte. He is also the former Director of Administration and Chief Financial Officer of Jews for Jesus and continues to work on getting people to donate money to Jews for Jesus. A Baptist minister as the Chief Financial Officer of a group claiming to be Jewish? Clearly, an actual Jewish group would not put Pastor Stone in charge of their finances. Here is the link to the First Baptist Church of Pastor Stone's bio, which lists his Jews for Jesus work: Click Here

Harold W. Hoehner

Reverend Hoehner is an ordained minister who is on the faculty of the Dallas Theological Seminary, in their Department of New Testament (Editor's note: New Testament is the Christian term for the Christian bible) Studies. As demonstrated earlier, the Dallas Theological Seminary is a major Christian training ground. According to his biography at DTS, he is on the board of Jews for Jesus. Would a real Jewish group have an ordained minister teaching at a major Christian institution on its board? Never! Here is the link to the proof: Click Here

Jim Rutz

Jim Rutz is the Chairman of the Board of Open Church Ministries. He is a freelance writer for organizations such as Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, Youth for Christ....and Jews for Jesus. Here is a link to his biography where he states this. A real Jewish group would never let him write for them-his goal is to build churches not synagogues! The information is in the 7th paragraph: Click Here

Jhan Moskowitz

Jhan Moskowitz is the Midwest Regional director of Jews for Jesus. He also is on the adivsory board of the The Midwest Christian Outreach, Inc. Journal. I think it is a safe bet that no real Jew would be on the board of a Christian outreach journal. Here is the link to the proof (Editor's note: Your computer must be able to read PDF files to access this webpage), Moskowitz is listed on the left side of page 2 under "Advisory Board": Click Here

Jim Eriksen

Jim Eriksen is the former General Counsel and Director of Planned Giving of Jews for Jesus. He is now the Senior Director of Estate Planning of Azusa Pacific University. In a nutshell, his job is to raise money for a Christian evangelical school, a job that a real Jew would simply not take. Here is a link to his bio on the Azusa website which lists his former job with Jews for Jesus: Click Here

Azusa Pacific is extremely clear that it is an evangelical Christian school. In fact, they even have a "What We Believe" section in which they bluntly point out their evangelical worldview. Here is a link to see this information : Click Here

Christian Workers

There are a number of Christian missionaries who admit to working for Jews for Jesus. This is not so odd, as Jews for Jesus has directly requested help from Christians to help in their evangelical efforts, or, as they put it

"We need local churches as well as individual believers to partner with us. "

What type of Jewish group would look for Christians to help them make Jews believe in Jesus? The answer is simple: none. Here is the proof, the quote is the first line under "Your Church as a Whole" Click Here

Jews for Jesus regularly advertise for workers on Christian websites, such as Christian Job Fair. Here is the link to the advertisement: Click Here

They have even advertised for missionaries with the Christian college organization, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. Here is the proof: Click Here

They also advertise for Christian student interns on their web-site. Specifically, they look for

"Our intern program is for Christians who are college students between the ages of 19 and 25 who have at least one year left in their college education. "

What type of a Jewish group would ever ask specifically for Christian interns? Here is the link to the proof: Click Here

Similarly, Jews for Jesus is listed Mission Profiles section of the Career Development Center of John Brown University. What is John Brown University? It is:

"John Brown University is a Christian university committed to providing top-quality academics within a distinctly Christian university community."

This is definitely not a place where a real Jewish organization would advertise! Here are the links to the proofs, the first is to the Mission listing and the Second is to the quote about John Brown University (the quote is in the middle of the first paragraph on the page):

Click Here

And Click Here

Here are just a few of the Christian evangelists who admit that they worked with Jews for Jesus to convert Jews:

Joseph Moyer

Here is a story from the Southern Baptist Convention of Joseph Moyer,a pastor who worked for Jews for Jesus. You will see in the first paragraph that not only is he a Christian minister, but his father is also a Christian minister-obviously, this man has never been Jewish. However, he has helped lead Jews for Jesus. Here is a quote from the story:

"He began working at Jews for Jesus' international headquarters in San Francisco while finishing a master's degree in Christian studies in its department of mobile evangelism, serving for two separate stints totaling four years."

Finishing a master's in Christian studies? Mobile evangelism? Not the educational path of a Jew. Here is the proof link, which also states that the man's father is also a Christian minister. The information on Jews for Jesus is primarily in the second paragraph. Click Here

Norma Grosenbach Nill

Norma is a graduate of Seattle Pacific Univeristy, a Christian college. She also was recently appointed as a "co-laborer in Messiah" by Jews for Jesus, which is a Christian group that helps Jews for Jesus to evangelize the Jewish people. Its pretty clear that Norma is a Christian. Here is the proof (under "1969"): Click Here

Alex Michel

The Reverend Alex Michel is on the staff of the Church on the Way. He also formerly worked with the Jews for Jesus youth program. Here is the evidence from his biography from the church:

Rev. Alex Michel is an Assistant Pastor and Director of Youth Ministries at The Church On The Way. Before joining our staff in 2003, Alex was a Social Studies Teacher and Student Crisis Coordinator at Millikan Middle School. His work as a youthworker here at the church and with Jews for Jesus Ministry�s youth program has displayed his dedication to discipling young people...

It is pretty clear that there is nothing Jewish about Reverend Michel-definitely not someone who would be hired to work with youth by a real Jewish organization. Here is the proof: Click Here

Ron Scates

Ron Scates is a Presbyterian pastor at the Highland Park Church in Dallas. He was thrilled to be "leading chapel" at the Jews for Jesus campaign to covert Dallas Jews, and brag about the Presbyterian attempts to evangelize Jews. Reverend Scates is definitely not a person that a Jewish group would have lead a service! Click Here

Jews for Jesus' beliefs

How about we dig a little deeper. Let's look at the Jews for Jesus statement of faith. You will notice that there is absolutely NO difference between it and any major Christian theology. It has all of the Christian aspects, e.g. belief in the Holy Trinity, the Virginal Birth, the Second Coming, etc. None of these concepts actually exist in Judaism. They only exist in Christianity. As a comparison point, the first link is to Jews for Jesus's beliefs. The second link will be to Temple Baptist Seminary, a Christian school that trains Baptist ministers. The third link is to the Canadian Convention of Southern Baptists. Note that the beliefs of Jews for Jesus are virtually identical to both of these Baptist groups.

Jews for Jesus: Click Here

Temple Baptist Seminary Click Here

Canadian Baptist College Click Here

Jews for Jesus' and Christian Organizations

Jews for Jesus is actively seeking Christian groups to help them, and have a section titled "For Pastors" , directed to Christian leaders to help them recruit. Jews for Jesus even has a "Church Relations Director." Would a real Jewish group ask Christian leaders for help? Of course not! Again, here is the link Click Here

Jews for Jesus also has a web-page for their "friends". On it, they have letters complimenting their evangelical work from major Christian leaders. These leaders are from major Christian groups whose goal is to convert Jews to Christianity. Would a real Jewish group put up letters from Christians leaders, complimenting their work in trying to convert Jews? Of course they wouldn't. Here is the link to the proof Click Here

Here are two letters from the same Jews for Jesus page, in which Christian pastors talked about being on the Jew for Jesus BOARD OF DIRECTORS! A real Jewish group would not have a Christian pastor on their board of directors! Keep a special eye for the second reference, in which Vernon Grounds, the Chancellor of the Denver Seminary (yet another Christian Seminary) states:

"I look back with gratitude on my relationship with a Christocentric organization that adhered tenaciously to the moral guidelines of Scripture."

A Jewish organization would never be referred to as "Christocentric", only a Christian group. Here are the links:

Click Here

And Click Here

Here is an article written by Reverend Lon Solomon, the senior Pastor of the McLean Bible Church, for the Jew for Jesus newletter. In it, he tries to to encourage Jews for Jesus to convert Jews, based on Christian scripture. You will note that it prominently states at the top of the letter that he is a "longtime member of the Jews for Jesus Board of Directors" Again, no real Jewish group would have a senior Christian minister on its board of directors. Here is the proof Click Here

Here is a letter from Pastor Lev Leigh, a Baptist minister, who used to work for Jews for Jesus. The first line of her letter is

"I served with Jews for Jesus for six years, from 1995 to 2000. During my time with the mission, I found Jews for Jesus to be a Christian ministry..."

It seems pretty clear from Pastor Leigh that Jews for Jesus is a Christian group. Here is the link to the proof Click Here

The President of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary,Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., congratulated Jews for Jesus in its attempt to convert the Jews. Here is the proof: Click Here

Gordon-Conwell is a missionary training ground. Here is a direct quote from its mission statement:

Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary is an educational institution serving the Lord and His Church. Its mission is to prepare men and women for ministry at home and abroad. The Seminary undertakes this task as a training partner with the Church so that what is learned on campus may be complemented by the spiritual nurture and the exercise of ministry available through the Church.

Obviously, this is not a Jewish school. Here is a link to its mission statement: Click Here

The Jews for Jesus branch in Australia takes this concept a step further. They actually have an online list of Christian church leaders who have complimented their work. It is organized by Christian denomination. Would a real Jewish group every do this? Here is the link to the list:Click Here

Christian Dollars at Work

Jews for Jesus receives money from many Christian groups to support its attempts to convert Jews. In fact, they are quite clear that they are funded by Christians. Here is a quote from them:

We trust God for the funding of Jews for Jesus, and He has provided through caring Christians.

Here is the link-you will note that 81% of their money is used for "Evangelism and other program activities" Click Here

Here are a few links to churches that admit to funding Jews for Jesus (Editor's Note: This is just a few of the organizations that sponsor Jews for Jesus. If you would like a more extensive list, just e-mail me). In many cases they list the specific missionaries that they are sponsoring

Dallas Bible Church (under "Larry and Debby Dubin") Click Here

North Hartford Baptist Church (under "Local Missions/Missionaries") Click Here

First Assembly of God in Silver Spring, Maryland (under "Miscellaneous Missions") Click Here

Covenant Life Presbyterian Church (under "National Missions and Missionaries") Click Here

Warrenton Independent Baptist Church (approximately 3/4 down the page) Click Here

Community Bible Church (approximately 2/3 down the page) Click Here

Laurel Springs Baptist Church Click Here

Bangor Baptist Church (under "California") Click Here

Stone Corral Community Church Click Here

Bethany Bible Church Click Here

Can I Get a Witness?

It is telling that you can find Jews for Jesus in lists of Christian organizations, created by Christian organizations. These are not groups interested in promoting Judaism, but converting Jews. Here are a few Christian organizations and churches that provide a link to Jews for Jesus (Editor's Note: This is just a sampling of Christian groups. If you would like a more extensive list, just e-mail me).

The Mission Station: Your Gateway to Conservative Christian Missions (please note the quote at the Jews for Jesus entry that Jews for Jesus is an "international, evangelical Christian mission agency") Click Here

In Touch Ministries (under "Christian Ministries") Click Here

St. Bonaventure University Click Here

Christian Family Radio (under "Other Handy Links"; Please note that their list is not alphabetical, Jews for Jesus in in the fourth column of the fourth row) Click Here

Association of Christians in Public Relations Click Here

The Australian Christian Network: Pastornet Click Here

Kansas State University Intervarsity Christian Fellowship (under "Missions, Ministries, Organizations") Click Here

Jesus Ontario Click Here

Christianity.com Click Here

The Internet Christian Library (under "organizations") Click Here

Driving Force Ministry (under "Ministries") Click Here

Christian Assembly of God (if you pull down toward the bottom it has its own section after "Helping Homosexuals") Click Here

St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church (listed under "Special Interest") Click Here

Faith Walk Fellowship (under "Ministries") Click Here

Waterloo Christian Fellowship (under "Ministries, Organizaion, Social Activism") Click Here

Nehemiah Center (listed under "Evangelism") Click Here

Association of Gospel Rescue Missions Click Here

NorthWest Christian Ministry Resources Click Here

Pauline Baptist Church (under "Evangelism") Click Here

Deo Gloria Trust in England Click Here

Forward Baptist Church in Toronto Click Here

Valley Hi First Baptist Church (in the "Christian super sites" section) Click Here

New Life Community Church(in the "Important Links" section) Click Here

First Baptist Church of Minden, LA (in the links section) Click Here

Mt. Airy Baptist Church (listed under "missions") Click Here

Calvary Baptist Church (in "Other Christian Links") Click Here

The Chapel in Marlboro (in "Other Organziations ") Click Here

Gospel for Belarus (under "Christian Organizations in Belarus and CIS Countries"-Editor's Note: Belarus is part of the former Soviet Union & CIS refers to other parts of the former Soviet Union) Click Here

Active-ss: A Christian organization search engine Click Here

Mt. View Baptist Church (in "Other Christian Links") And Click Here

Jews for Jesus and Christian Advice

These are a collection of advice given by Jews for Jesus. Not only are they proof that Jews for Jesus is a Christian group, but that can also be quite amusing. This is one of my favorite links. Jews for Jesus gives advice to a Christian father to try to prevent his daughter from marrying a Jew because the Jew is an "unbeliever" (with plenty of quotes from the Christian bible tossed in). Here is a quote from the page

"Nevertheless, her inclination in this matter of marriage to an unbeliever should raise some questions as to the nature and strength of her commitment. It is your duty as Christian parents to counsel her regarding what Scripture teaches on this subject. Let her know that you cannot condone such a marriage."

It doesn't take much to figure out that it is one Christian giving advice to another Christian, not a Jew giving advice. Here is the link Click Here

My second favorite section is Reverend Rosen, the founder of Jews for Jesus, giving advice as to how church members should take care of their pastor! Not quite what a real Jew would be talking about! Here is the link to the proof. Click Here

Ok, here is another of my favorites. The Catholic Church basically stated that it was no longer going to prosetlyze Jews-and Jews for Jesus is upset at them! All of the real Jewish groups were HAPPY when the Catholics said this. On a secondary note, look at the 3rd paragraph where Reverend David Brickner says "This is an attack on Jews for Jesus and other Christian groups". Using the term "other Christian groups" demonstrates that Reverend David Brickner is categorizing Jews for Jesus as a Christian group! Click Here

Why Jews Don't Believe in Jesus

There are many reasons why Jews do not accept Jesus, and the links below are some of the better explanations on this topic. Of course, if you have questions that are not covered on the links, you can always e-mail me with your questions.

An Answer from Rabbi Stuart Federow Click Here

An Answer from Rabbi Shraga Simmons Click Here

Ask the Rabbi from Ohr Somayach Click Here

An Answer from Rabbi Tovia Singer Click Here

It is important when evaluating Christian claims to keep in mind that most Christian groups use the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible, or some derivative of the King James (e.g. The American Standard Version or the Illuminated Bible). The King James Version and its derivatives are plagued with obvious errors. This is likely because it is not a direct translation from the Hebrew. It is a translation (English) from a translation (Latin) from another translation (Greek) from the original Hebrew. I would advise anyone who is serious about studying the Bible to use a better translation than the King James or its derivatives. Here is a link to the Jewish Publication Society translation of the Bible (JPS), one of the best translations ever. It is a direct translation from the Hebrew (as opposed to the King James Version). This link also provides the original Hebrew so you can evaluate the Bible in its original language Click Here .

I would also advise that you scroll down to my "Great Sites, Priceless Information" section and use those sites to evaluate Christian missionary claims. It is very common that missionaries take lines out of context or try to change the meanings of verses when they are trying to convert a Jew.

Countering the Counter Claims

Jews for Jesus attempts to answer back some of its critics, but these counter claims are easily proven false. The following is a list of claims by the UK Director of Jews for Jesus, Jonathan Bernd, in an article to the Christian Medical Fellowship, to help them convert Jews (again, something no real Jew would actually do). I will list his claims in italics and my answers will be in normal font

Claim 1:

'Jesus did not fulfil the necessary messianic prophecies - in particular to bring peace to the world.' The picture of Messiah in rabbinic Judaism today, has been systematically redefined over the centuries to exclude the possibility of Jesus being the Messiah. One way to discuss this issue is to ask where the Bible states Messiah must bring world peace. A second way is to point out that peace can only start in the heart when there is peace with God.

The answer:

Actually, there are numerous parts in the Bible that state that there will be world peace at the time of the Messiah. Perhaps the most famous is from Isaiah 2:4, which states that at the time of the Messiah: " Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore". Clearly, there was no world peace at the time of Jesus, nor has there been world peace since then. This is one of many Messianic prophecies that were not fullfilled by Jesus. The "second way" given by Bernd is an attempt to ignore facts and make it appear as if Jews are somehow lacking peace in our hearts unless Jews convert to Christianity. Not only is this categorically incorrect, but it is also insulting.

Claim 2:

Claim 2:'If Jesus is the Jewish Messiah, then why don't the rabbis believe in him?' You can point out that some rabbis have become believers in Jesus,(eg Solomon Alexander - the first Anglican bishop of Jerusalem), but the cost to a rabbi nowadays is so great that it is very hard for him to be objective and open.

As he points out, there are few Rabbis who have ever converted to Christianity. However, it is not because of any "cost". It is because any Rabbi can go and easily state why Jesus did not live up to being the Messiah. Interestingly, they cite one Rabbi who converted. The leave out the fact that he converted in 1841, over 160 years ago! It is a poweful statement when their best example occurred more than a century and a half ago, despite all of the efforts of Christianity to convert the Rabbis! On the other hand, there are a number of modern examples of Christian ministers who converted to Judaism, yet there are no missionaries in Judaism. Here are a few links to books written by Christian ministers who converted to Judaism. You will note that none of the books are from prior to 1990.

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Claim 3:

'Christians believe in three gods.' Deuteronomy 6:4 is known by most Jewish people. 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one'. You can point out that there are two words for 'one' in Hebrew - Echad and Yachid. The second means a singularity, but the first, echad, means a unity. Adam and Eve became basar echad - one flesh. You can also use messianic prophecies such as Proverbs 30:4; Isaiah 7:14; 9:6,7; Daniel 7:13,14; Micah 5:2; Zechariah 2:10,11 etc, to show that Messiah had to be divine whether or not he was Jesus.

This is one of the most common claims by Jews for Jesus. This is also a classic example of outright lying. The word "echad" is the Hebrew equivalent to the English word "one". It in no way implies a unity any more than the word "one" implies a unity in English. For example, if I say that I have one apple, I say "tapuach (apple) echad". If I say that I have one fish, I say "dag (fish) echad". Is there any unity in a fish or an apple? Of course not! There are many examples of the use of "echad" without unity in the Bible. For instance, when G-d explains the various sacrifices in Numbers 28:11, we read that one of the sacrifices is "v'ayil echad", which means "and one ram". Is there a unity in a ram? Obviously not! I could give many more examples just like this. In fact, Numbers 28 is filled with them. Further, in the example he gives, "echad" does not imply a unity of flesh. It merely answers the question, how many flesh were there? The answer: one. Clearly, Jews for Jesus has completely changed the meaning of the word. As for "yachid", it means unique or singular. It is not a counting word. For example, you would never go to the movies and say "Can I have a ticket for singular?" As for the other Messianic prophecies he attempts to point to, if you scroll down to my "Great Sites, Priceless Information" section, a number of those sites demonstrate how Jews for Jesus is clearly wrong in their use of those Biblical verses. Jews for Judaism (in its Reference: Proof Text section) and Messiah Truth (under "Know Your Orchard" section at the top of the page) are probably the most thorough in their review on these topics. In fact, Jews for Judaism has a toll-free number that you can call for help on evaluating Christian claims 1-800-4PROOF1

Claim 4:

'Look at how the Christians have treated us.' There is no option but to agree that in history the official church has often been the instigator of terrible anti-Semitism. Nevertheless, we need to point out that this course of action is fundamentally opposed to the teaching of Jesus. Challenge your friend to read the New Testament to see what Jesus teaches.

To claim that Jews do not accept Jesus as the Messiah due to anti-Semitism is absurd. If that is so, why is it that in the United States, where there is generally little anti-Semitism, that knowledgeable religious Jews still do not convert? In reality, Christianity spends millions of dollars to convert them, yet fail miserably. Jews do not accept Jesus as the Messiah because he clearly did not live up to Messianic prophecy (the world peace issue is just one of many examples that I can give).

Claim 5:

'How can you believe in God after the Holocaust?' Jewish people are still traumatised by the Holocaust. This is a heart question more than a theological question. There are survivors who have come to faith. Theologically, the Holocaust really proves that man is fallen, that evil exists and that we need a Saviour. Christians have a large number of jumping off points to witness, and can also point out the intrinsic Jewishness of the gospel. God has put you in your Jewish friend's life and your witness can be truly effective.

This is another claim that borders on the insulting. After the Holocaust, some Jews did lose faith, but many Jews also gained in faith. However, the Holocaust has absolutely nothing to do with why Jews do not accept Jesus. Jews do not accept him because he did not live up to Messianic prophecy. As for the "Savior", the Jewish people have always had a savior that we talk about in our prayers. The real Savior is G-d, not any person, past or present.

The Jews for Jesus claims come from the end of the article in the "Answering Questions" section. As for the article itself, there are numerous false claims made against Judaism in the article, so it is generally not an impressive article. I chose it because it put all of its counter claims in a reasonably short section. Here is the proof link: Click Here

Countermissionary Counseling

There are a number of groups that provide Countermissionary Counseling. Here are links to a few of them:

Jews for Judaism

Alternatively, you can call them at 1-800-4PROOF1 with general questions about missionary claims.

Torah Atlanta

Outreach Judaism

Torah Life and Living

Questions and Answers

Q1. Many of the Jews for Jesus workers claim that they were born and raised Jewish. Isn't it true that once someone is Jewish, they are always Jewish, and it is impossible to convert to another religion? Don't you just need to have a Jewish mother to be Jewish and that is all? Doesn't that make Jews for Jesus members still Jewish even if they convert to Christiniaty?

A1. No! The idea that a person cannot ever convert away from Judaism (or just having a Jewish mother is enough) comes from the Yoreh De'ah section of the Shulchan Aruch, a 16th century book of Jewish law. This is a departure from previous rabbinical law, which stated that one can certainly convert away from Judaism, and once converted are no longer Jewish. However, the Shulchan Aruch law was developed specifically for those who were forced to convert, not those who convert willingly. Remember, around the 16th century was the time of the Inquisition, where Jews were forced to convert or die (or have their family killed). Many Jews converted, but secretly practiced Judaism. They are known as Marranos, and the rabbis worked very hard to make sure that the Marranos knew that they were part of the Jewish family and could always come back home to Judaism. Anyone who willingly converts to another faith, like the Jews for Jesus members who converted to Christianity, are no longer considered Jewish. Incidentally, if you noticed from the piece where Reverend Rosen introduces Reverend Brickner, Reverend Rosen stated that Reverend Brickner's father is a convert to Christiniaty and that his mother's family converted five generations earlier. Since both of his parents are Christian (or as they put, a "Jewish believer" in Jesus, an oxymoron as already demonstrated), Reverend Brickner has been a Christian since birth, and never a Jew. Rabbi Stuart Federow has written a piece that goes into the concept of converting away from Judaism in more detail. Here is a link to read more on this topic (it is under number 9): Click Here

Q2. Is Jews for Jesus and Messianic Judaism a form of Judaism.

A2. No! Remember, Jews for Jesus was founded by a Baptist minister. It is run by, funded and organized by Christians. It is illogical to think that a Christian group can create a branch of Judaism.

Q3. Do most Christians realize that Jews for Jesus is not a Jewish group?

A3. In my experience, the answer is no. Every time a Christian brings up to the group to me, and I present the Christian basis of the organization, they are shocked. I think you average "Joe Christian" has no idea. They are told that it is a Jewish group, and since they have no expertise in Judaism or Jewish law, they just assume that the information that they are receiving is accurate. As for the Christians that are highly involved with Jews for Jesus, such as those who are on the Board of Directors of the organization, it is unthinkable that they do not know that they are Christian organization.

Q4. Can you be Jewish and Christian at the same time?

A4. No! This doesn't work for either Christiniaty or Judaism. In Christianity, you are either Christian or not Christian. There are no other possibilities. Judaism is the same-you are either Jewish or not Jewish. There is no room for blending or being "in between" in either faith. Ultimately, the two religions differ on too many issues such as their conceptualization of G-d, the Messiah, sin, forgiveness and legal obligations.

Q5. Why can't Jews believe in Jesus and still be Jewish?

A5. There are a number of reasons why Jews cannot accept Jesus and still be Jewish. First, let's be clear what is meant by "believe" or "accept" Jesus. "Believe" or "accept" means that you believe that Jesus is G-d and the Messiah. If a Jew accepts Jesus, he/she are completely changing their view of G-d. Specifically, you now believe that G-d was a human. You believe that he had a baby with a married woman by the name of Mary. The idea of a god having a baby with a woman was a common concept among pagan religions, but never part of Judaism. Further, you believe that the baby created by G-d is also G-d, who his parents name Jesus. What does it mean to have G-d as a baby? Well, it means that G-d cried to have his diaper changed, cried for food, had to be taught how to walk and put on clothing. The idea that G-d would need all of these basics taken care of does not makes sense with the Jewish concept of G-d as omnipotent. Further, since, according to Christian theology, Jesus died on the cross, you believe that G-d, or at least part of G-d, could be killed, a view that again is incomprehensible with the Jewish concept of the G-d as omnipotent. By accepting Jesus, a Jew also changes from a unitary concept of G-d to the idea of a Holy Trinity, that G-d is made up of three identifiable parts. Moreover, Jesus did not fulfill the messianic prophecies, such as bringing peace to the entire earth and bringing all of the Jewish people from around the world to the Land of Israel. By accepting Jesus, a Jew is accepting a Messiah who failed to prove himself as a Messiah. In Judaism, to be the Messiah, the individual must fulfill every single one of the Messianic promises. These are just a few examples of the major changes that takes place if a Jew accepts Jesus. This list could go on far longer, and if desired, you can e-mail me for a more complete answer of all of the changes. As you can tell, by accepting Jesus, a Jew is no longer Jewish. Their beliefs become totally at odds with basic Jewish thought.

Q6. Why are so many Christians interested in Jews for Jesus?

A6. Here is my theory on the topic. Number 1, one of the most stable findings in the psychological literature is that we are attracted to individuals that we are similar to (the idea that "opposites attract" has been repeatedly shown to be a myth). Jews for Jesus is a Christian group. They are Christians. They are going to be attracted to a group that is identical to them. Number 2, my experience is that many evangelical Christians want to make a connection to Judaism. They seem to view Judaism as their connection to early Christiniaty and Jesus. They believe that Jews for Jesus is that connection, so it is very attractive to them. Number 3, Jews for Jesus is an opportunity to get more Jews to have Christian beliefs. For many Christians, any opportunity to convert a Jew is a golden opportunity they do not want to miss. Jews for Jesus is an opportunity for them to convert Jews, so they are attracted like moths to a light.

Great Sites, Priceless Information

Here are a number of great sites that counter missionaries and explain the differences in belief between Judaism and Christianity, including addressing the Biblical verses that missionaries try to use against the Jews and explaining why the missionaries are incorrect. For the most in-depth analysis of verse by verse questions, go to Messiah Truth (sections on Counter-Missionary: Multi-media training [this can be read without being "multi-media"], Knowing Your Orchard and Judaism's Answer), Jews for Judaism (in their Reference Section (please note that the Isaiah topics tend to be under "Suffering Servant" part of the "Proof Text" section) and the Q & A section of Outreach Judaism.

Messiah Page

Messiah Truth

Jews for Judaism

Outreach Judaism

Counter Missionary Reference

Torah Atlanta

Messianic Verses in Tanach

Kosher Judaism

Escape From Counterfeit Judaism

Talking to Kids About Missionaries

Contact Me

I am more than happy to answer any questions regarding why Jews do not believe in Jesus or on Jewish beliefs in general. Feel free to e-mail me. There is no such thing as a "stupid question". E-mail me-click here