Three Reasons Why Messianic Jews Believe the Scriptures

By Rabbi Barney Kasdan

You don't have to go far today to realize that there is a resurgence of interest in the ancient book known as the Bible. One need only to peruse the local Barnes and Noble bookstore to see that there are many people from various perspectives who are intrigued in this amazing document. From the speculation of the "Bible Codes" to the "Jesus Seminar" to postmodern relativists, scholars and laymen alike are taking a fresh look at the Scriptures. Not that everyone is arriving at the same conclusions, of course. This is also evident in the diversity of opinion within the Jewish community. For some, the Bible is simply a man-made book laced with the inevitable errors of human creativity. Others (most notably the JEPD theorists) may show a measure of respect for the message of the Scriptures while calling into question much of its internal content and structure. In contrast to some of these theories is the traditionalist sentiment of Orthodox Rabbi Hayim HaLevy Donin who writes:

"However one chooses to visualize or understand or comprehend the specific nature of God's revelation to Israel and the Prophets, what stands out is that if the Torah means anything at all, it is a record of God reaching out to man, and not vice versa. If it possesses any enduring value and truth, The Torah must be seen as a record not of man's spiritual genius, but of God's will communicated to mortal and finite man. No interpretation of Judaism is Jewishly valid if it does not posit God as the source of Torah" (To Be A Jew, p.25). Needless to say, there are innumerable other "Jewish" views that fall somewhere in between these poles. With all this in mind, many might wonder where Messianic Jews fit into the debate. The short answer is that it seems unanimous in Messianic Judaism that the Tenach (Torah, Prophets and Writings) as well as the New Covenant Scriptures are surely the inspired, accurate Word of God. While this belief is greatly challenged by today's postmodern confusion, I see at least three strong reasons why Messianic Jews believe that the Scriptures are actually a message from God.

Claims of Inspiration

Surely one of the first things the casual reader of the Bible notices is how often the Scriptures claim to be a unique message from the God of Israel. From the first words of the Torah to words of strong exhortation by the prophets, the Bible clearly and consistently claims to be divinely inspired. The mere fact that the Tenach uses over 2000 times the phrase "koh amar Adonai" (Thus says the Lord) should be enough to merit every person's consideration. Our people certainly did not take such internal claims lightly but for that reason held the Scriptures in the highest regard historically. Add to these statements many other clear-cut declarations stretching across vast epochs of the biblical record. The Lord is said to have spoken to Moses (Exodus 3) in the generation of the first Passover. To the prophet Jeremiah, God is recorded as saying "Thus said the Lord, the God of Israel: Write down in a scroll all the words that I have spoken to you" (Jeremiah 30:2). What is amazing about this statement is that, while Jeremiah's generation largely rejected his message at first, they later came to respect the prophet as a true spokesman for God. The reason? His words, as politically incorrect as they were at the time, proved to be true (cf. Deuteronomy 18:21-22). The Ketuvim Writings also assume their own divinely inspired nature. Proverbs 30:5-6 says "Every word of God is pure, a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He indict you and you be proved a liar." David extols the virtues of the Scripture when he says,

"The teaching of the Lord is perfect, renewing life; the decrees of the Lord are enduring, making the simple wise; the precepts of the Lord are just, rejoicing the heart; the instruction of the Lord is lucid, making the eyes light up" (Psalm 19:7-9). Even with this small sampling of verses, it soon becomes apparent that, whether we believe it or not, the Hebrew Scriptures claim to be a divinely perfect revelation from the God of our fathers. This of course is one big reason why those on the Orthodox/Conservative end of the Jewish spectrum tend to accept the Scriptures as a message from God. It is also why Messianic Jews have a deep respect for the Tenach as the unique word of God. In fact, those in Messianic Judaism have even more reason to have such a high regard for the Holy Writ as it is confirmed time and again in the pages of the New Covenant. Yeshua himself affirmed the divine natural of the Hebrew Scriptures. In the course of his vast teaching, the rabbi from Galilee alluded many times to the Tenach and based much of his theology on the trustworthiness of the Torah. You may note that he quoted from the creation account of Genesis (Mark 13:19), believed in the flood (Luke 17:26-27), accepted the Torah's teaching about Moses and the burning bush

(Mark 12:24-28) and even spoke of Jonah's fish story as accurate history (Matthew 12:40). If you didn't know better, you might think that Yeshua actually believed the Torah!

Besides his frequent quotes of the Tenach, Yeshua also addressed the issue directly in a most profound and amazing statement. In his famous commentary on the Torah (known as the Sermon on the Mount), Yeshua says the following:

"Don't think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete. Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah-not until everything that must happen has happened" (Matthew 5:17-18). Not only does this declaration affirm the continuity between Yeshua and the Jewish Scriptures, it does so in a way that strongly confirms the divine nature of the Bible. What was known as a "jot" in Kings James English is the letter yud in Hebrew that is the smallest letter of the alef-bet. Yeshua so believed in the reliability of the Torah that not even the smallest letter could be changed or adapted. But there's more. The word "tittle" in Kings James vernacular is a translation of the Hebrew kotz, meaning thorn. This refers to an even smaller extension or stroke of a Hebrew letter that, at times, can make a significant difference in meaning. As a midrash on Deuteronomy 6:4 illustrates, if the kotz is dropped off the dalet letter in the word "echad/one", the erroneous translation becomes "The Lord is Achar/another" (Leviticus Rabba 19)! Indeed, the Torah is so divinely inspired from HaShem that Yeshua upheld every yod and kotz in the text.

Messianic Jews also see many other references in the New Covenant that clearly claim that the Bible is a supernatural revelation from God. Shaul/Paul made it clear that he, as a traditional Jew, believed in the complete inspiration of the Tenach when he wrote: "All Scripture is God-breathed and is valuable for teaching the truth, convicting of sin, correcting faults and training in right living" (II Timothy 3:16). Although Shaul would be considered out of step with many modern theories, he held to the historical view that the Hebrew Scriptures were in fact "truth" because they found their source in God himself. Shimon/Peter also believed this very strongly as he states in his letter:

"First of all, understand this: no prophecy of Scripture is to be interpreted by an individual on his own; for never has a prophecy come as a result of human will-on the contrary, people moved by the Ruach HaKodesh/Holy Spirit spoke a message from God" (II Peter 1:20-21). These verses, among many others, clearly substantiate biblical claims of divine inspiration of the Tenach. But a vital question for Messianic Jews (as well as others) is what about the New Covenant itself? The fact is that the Jewish writers of the New Covenant claim similar divine inspiration for their first century message. Yeshua, as well as the writer of the Gospels and the letters at many points claim to speak a word from the God of Israel (cf. John 8:38; Romans 1:1-4; I Peter 1:23-25). These first century Jewish believers understood that God was using them to communicate the divine New Covenant to our people and to all the nations. Shimon even confirms that, while Shaul's writings are not always easy to understand, his letters were to be considered on equal authority with the other Scriptures (II Peter 3:15-16). So the point is clearly made within the Scriptures themselves that they claim not to be the mere word of man but the divine word of God.

For some people, of course, these claims are less than convincing. After all, couldn't the Bible be fallible in some details, for example, in science or history? Yet how can we trust a book on spiritual matters that is filled with mistakes on others issues? Some may suggest that maybe it is only the concepts of the Scriptures and not the actually words which are inspired. Of course this would call into question the traditional high view of Scripture, which Yeshua summarized, that every letter is vital. Or maybe we only need to hold to the position of partial inspiration. But if that is so, who is going to decide which words are valid and which are false and on what basis? And how do we dissect the words that are so intricately entwined? Admittedly, these questions are not to be taken lightly, yet even liberal Bible scholars’ struggle with the loopholes in many of these theories, as exemplified in the words of JEPD proponent Dr. Richard Elliott Friedman:

"Still, the simple fact is that, in large part, the puzzle remains unsolved. And the elusiveness of the solution continues to frustrate our work on a variety of other questions about the Bible" (Who Wrote The Bible? P.29). Nonetheless, the Bible's self-claims of inspiration cannot be brushed off lightly. The logical implications are vast. Simply put, either the Bible is the word of man, the word of God or a mixture of both. The internal claims of inspiration are one big reason why Messianic Jews believe that the Bible is the undiluted message from God.

Diligence in Preservation

Beyond the amazing claims of the Scripture about inspiration, there is another strong reason why Messianic Jews believe the Bible. Many of us have certainly been awestruck by the meticulous preservation of the writings, especially by generations of our own people. Of course this seems to follow logically the first stated reason why we believe. After all, if the claims of the Tenach are taken seriously, then it understandable why Israel took such great precautions to accurately preserve the Holy Text. Indeed, this vital task of copying the Scriptures led to the development of a special class of scholars known as the soferim (scribes). So important was there job to the Jewish community that a whole tractate of the Talmud is dedicated to the specific job description of the copyist (cf. Tractate Megillot). To perform their sacred task, the soferim followed these highly structured procedures, much of which is still implemented to this day. The sofer, at the start of his workday, was required to take the mikveh (water immersion) as a symbol of his spiritual cleansing. Then, equipped with a feather quill and a special ink mixture, the scribe would mark out the straight lines on the kosher parchment. Because he was not allowed to rely on his memory, the sofer would consult a reliable copy of the Scriptures as his model (Tractate Megillot 18b). From there, the scribe was to first read the sentence aloud then to write what was said. Every column, every word, every letter, indeed every space was (and is) vitally important and checked with the utmost diligence. In fact, the word sofer in Hebrew can be understood as more that just a copyist. The Talmud calls them "counters" because they would check their work by actually counting the letters (Tractate Kiddushin 30.1). That is the reason, by the way, that the letter vav in the word "gachon" is enlarged in the text of Leviticus 11:42. That vav turns out to be the middle letter of the entire Torah. Such was the precise accuracy incumbent upon these scholars. If a question developed as to a scroll being kosher or not, there was a sure-fire test. A young child would be brought in to read the passage. If the child could read it accurately, then the scroll was deemed kosher for religious purposes. If, by some chance, there was found an error (e.g., chipped or smudged letter) within a parchment, the scroll was to be buried in a cemetery with the utmost respect as it still contained the holy name of God within it.

More detail could be elaborated here but we should all get the point. Such attention and concern for the preservation of the Holy Scriptures should be a strong reason for trusting in the message of the Bible. Our people historically not only believed that the Scriptures were a message from God, but they also paid the price (sometimes in blood) to insure the accurate transmission of that message. But, the skeptic may ask, are there no errors in the manuscripts? A good question to which we must answer, of course there are some. As mentioned above, even the soferim realized that they too were human and had ways of dealing with scribal errors. Out of the thousands of ancient manuscripts, we should not be surprised to discover that there are a few such errors and textual variations. Scholars in the field of textual criticism take a close look at these issues and seek logical answers. Viable answers are there if we desire them. In fact, it is a testimony to the veracity of the Scriptures that, despite the salvos of modern attacks; the Bible still stands as the rock for people of faith.

This fact has been highlighted in our day with the amazing discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran. Where liberal critics openly attacked the Tenach, the Scrolls time and again have proven to be a tough challenge to previously held notions. The amazing reality is that since their discovery in 1947, we now have scrolls of every book of the Tenach (minus Esther) which are dated some 1000 years earlier than our previous oldest Hebrew manuscripts. What has especially sent shock waves through the scholarly
community is that fact that the Dead Sea Scrolls are virtually identical, with a few minor variations, to the commonly used Massoretic text still used today. Dr. Geza Vermes, director of the Forum for Qumran Research at the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies, has captured it well when he said:

"The Qumran finds have also substantially altered our views concerning the text and canon of the Bible…In fact, some of the fragments echo what later became the Masoretic text; others resemble the Hebrew underlying the Greek Septuagint; yet others recall the Samaritan Torah or Pentateuch…It should be noted, however, that none of these variations affects the spiritual message itself. In short, while largely echoing the contents of the biblical books, Qumran has opened an entirely new era in the textual history of the Hebrew Scriptures" (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls In English, .16). A similar point has been made concerning the accurate transmission of the New Covenant Scriptures as well. With over 5300 Greek manuscripts so far discovered, many from the second century CE, it has been noted that no other document of antiquity even comes close that the number of manuscripts giving credence to the New Covenant. By way of comparison, Caesar's Gallic War (50 B.C.) has ten good manuscripts, the oldest being some 900 years after Caesar's day (F.F.Bruce, The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable, p.16). With so much manuscript evidence and the confirmed accuracy of the soferim, it should not surprise anyone that Messianic Jews consistently have a very high regard for the Holy Scriptures.

Evidence Of Confirmation

Besides the strong arguments of the inspiration and preservation of the Bible, Messianic Judaism can look to other evidence that confirms the accuracy of the Holy Scriptures. It has only been since the 19th century that the field of archaeology has become a major source of information for Bible scholars. Especially since the establishment of the modern state of Israel we now have access to incredible discoveries which throw new light on the Scriptures. Recent digs in the Middle East have revealed lost civilizations (e.g., the Hittites), controversial leaders (e.g., the Pilate stone in 1961 and Ciaphas ossuary in 1990) as well as inscriptions referring to Bible history (e.g., the Silver Scroll in 1979 and the reference to "Bet David" found in 1993). While there may always be naysayers regarding such discoveries, for Messianic Judaism these continue illustrate the historical accuracy of the Scriptures from evidence beyond the pages of the Bible. One can only wonder what still lies beneath the dirt of Israel! Many of those working in this exploding field of archaeology (including many non-believers

in the Bible's message) are being forced to objectively reevaluate the external evidence around them. Of particular interest to us are some of the conclusions reached by famous Jewish archaeologist and rabbi, Nelson Glueck. As a former president of Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, he took part in many excavations including his well-known work in the Negev. He was even known to use the Bible as a guide to find some of his key discoveries. So it shouldn't surprise us as one hears Rabbi Glueck's assessment of the relationship between the Bible and external evidence.

"As a matter of fact, however, it may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference. Scores of archaeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or in exact detail historical statements in the Bible. And, by the same token, proper evaluation of biblical descriptions has often led to amazing discoveries. They form tesserae in the vast mosaic of the Bible's almost incredibly correct historical memory" (Randall Price, The Stones Cry Out, p.323). Add to this, the capstone of biblical uniqueness; that is, fulfilled prophecy as observed in human history. I remember in 1967, as a secular Jewish kid from Southern California, being captivated by the reports of the battle in the Middle East. As I heard the news broadcast over my eighth grade class public address system, it was as if for the first time it seemed to me that there might be a God doing something! Like so many other Jews, the events of the 6-Day War certainly created a new awareness in me and, in my case, a curiosity to even read the Bible. It wasn't until several years later that I realized that these events were not just coincidences of geo-political history. I was astounded to discover that there are specific predictions in the Hebrew prophets that there was coming a day when our people would be reestablished in the Land with Jerusalem under Jewish control (cf. Jeremiah 31:1-14; Ezekiel 36:22-28). Many of us who have become Messianic Jews have come to that conviction because of this intriguing quality of the Scriptures. And Israel is not the only subject of biblical prophecy. There are hundreds of incredible predictions in the Bible that no other religious book would dare to even attempt! There are prophecies in the Tenach concerning the fate of our people (Deuteronomy 30), the fall of once powerful empires (Jeremiah 50) and even the current political situation in the Middle East (Zechariah 12).

Of special interest to us Messianic Jews are the numerous detailed prophecies concerning the coming of Mashiach. What other religious book in human history would dare to predict, hundreds of years before the fact, the exact details of their coming great leader? Buddhism is unconcerned with such historicity; Islam does not make any such claims in regard to Mohammed. Yet, in the Hebrew Scriptures, and often confirmed in the rabbinic commentaries, we find various predictions on how we as Jews would recognize the true Messiah. His place of birth is identified (Micah 5:1 in Hebrew), his miraculous works of healing (Isaiah 53:1-6), his surprising suffering before the destruction of the second Temple (Daniel 9:24-27) and his ultimate victory and kingdom (Isaiah 11:1-10). The more one studies in the Tenach about the specific predictions of Messiah, the more it sounds like the controversial rabbi from Galilee! What is especially striking is that these are not mere internal claims or subjective opinions, but such predictions can be tested by the empirical reality of human history. Certainly these confirmed evidences of history, archaeology and prophecy is one of the strong reasons why Messianic Jews (and millions of other believers) adhere to the Bible as a holy, infallible revelation from the God of the universe.

When considering reasons why Messianic Jews believe the Scriptures, these three stand out; claims of inspiration; diligence in preservation; and evidence of confirmation. In an age of growing relativism and confusion, many people think that literal belief in the Bible is a leap in the dark. It is quite the contrary for us followers of Yeshua who have found belief in the Bible to actually be a jump into the light! I suppose I should add a forth reason which is the transforming power which the Scriptures have brought into our very lives. As the writer to the first century Jewish believers testified,

"See, the Word of God is alive! It is at work and is sharper than any double-edged sword-it cuts right through to where soul meets spirit and joints meet marrow, and it is quick to judge the inner reflections and attitudes of the heart" (italics mine, Hebrews 4:12). The simple yet profound truth is that the Word of God actually works! The Scriptures are not just a "dead" historical record or merely a list of religious mitzvot. The Bible contains a living message that has dynamic power even today for those who take it seriously. Tens of thousands of Messianic Jews can personally testify to that practical reality in our day. Has it worked in your life? Have you given it a chance? There are some good reasons to believe.


Barney Kasdan (M.Div) is rabbi of Kehilat Ariel Messianic Synagogue in San Diego, California.
He is  the current President of the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations (UMJC) and is author of the popular books
God's Appointed Times and God's Appointed Customs by Lederer Publications.

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