By Zohar Gonen
In most New Zealand Churches today, there are very few Jewish people. So, wouldn’t it be fair to ask: “Should we intentionally teach Jewish-related topics in our church?” It seems that most pastors and ministers in New Zealand would probably answer this question “No”. Teaching about Israel can sometimes seem confusing theologically and contentious politically.
To make things more complicated, many pastors have been confronted by members of their own congregation that seem to nag them to teach more about Israel and in some cases adopt dogmatic positions about Sabbath, eating kosher or observing feasts. Without a proper understanding themselves, many pastors simply resort to dismissing these issues.
Yet, if not addressed, these topics can cause disruption and broken fellowship and we quickly forget that Jesus says that we are to be known by our love for one another.
Here are four reasons why I believe Jewish-related topics should be clearly taught in our churches here in New Zealand:
This is why Celebrate Messiah is committed to serving the local Body of Christ and supporting pastors and churches. If handled well, these potentially destructive issues can deepen our faith, solidify the message of salvation by grace through faith, strengthen our confidence in the Scriptures and prepare us for the blessed hope of His soon coming return.