Jewish Christian Seminary Inc

A Torah Observant Messianic Seminary

200 Knuth Rd. Boynton Beach, FL 33436 (561) 306-6933
georgeparker@JewishChristianBibleSchool.org

Statement of Faith

  • G-d the Father caused the universe to come into existence and either caused or permitted everything since that time.
  • Jesus/Yeshua of Nazareth, is the Jewish Messiah, both the suffering servant Messiah of Isaiah 52:13 to 53:12 and the Great Messiah who brings future world peace based upon Isaiah 2:1-4.
  • Jesus/Yeshua is both human and the Lord. David and Paul say in Psalm 110:1 and Romans 5:17:
    • The Lord [Father G-d] says to my lord [Jesus/Yeshua]:
      “Sit at my right hand,
      till I make your enemies your footstool.”
    • If, because of one man’s trespass [Adam], death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of rigtheousness reign in life through the one-man Jesus/Yeshua, the Messiah.
  • The definition of sin is disobeying the Torah. Romans 3:20c and 1 John 3:4 respectively say:
    • “Through the law comes knowledge of sin.”
    • “To commit sin is to break G-d's law: for sin is lawlessness.”
  • Jesus/Yeshua of Nazareth lived the Law of Moses in a perfect manner. Therefore, he is the guide and example to follow when attempting to live life in accord with the Hebrew Scriptures. His perfect life allowed him to be an atoning sacrifice for the sins and trespasses of the remainder of humanity. Scripture says in Isaiah 53:5-6:
    • “But he was wounded for our transgressions,
          he was bruised for our iniquities;
      upon him was the chastisement that made us whole,
          and with his stripes we are healed.
      All we like sheep have gone astray;
          we have turned everyone to his own way;
      and the Lord has laid on him
          the iniquity of us all.”
  • Faith and repentance are necessary to receive G-d’s spirit and to become the temple of G-d. Repentance involves confession, turning away from sin, and living according to G-d’s commands. Hebrews 11:6, 1 John 1:9, 2 Corinthians 6:16 and Matthew 19:17b-23 respectively:
    • “Without faith it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
    • “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
    • “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? You are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
    • Jesus/Yeshua said, “If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which?” And Jesus said, “You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “All these I have observed; what do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions. And Jesus/Yesua said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.”
  • The Holy Spirit sent from G-d, the Holy Scriptures, and everyone's conscience are the earthly guides for those who follow the true teachings of G-d. As it says in John 14:15-17 and John 16:13-14 respectively.  
    • “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you.”
    • ”When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me.”
  • Studying and applying Scripture transforms the life and attitude of people, causing them to live lives which more closely align with God’s approval. Romans 12:2 and 2 Timothy 3:16-17 respectively say:
    • “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
    • “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
  • God delivered accurate timely messages to select followers. The Scriptures contain these messages which together form the inspired Scriptures. Additional knowledge is gained from the sciences and other sources of truth. All sources of truth, do not conflict with the truths in Scripture. Scientific research and discovery help us to understand the Scripture better. Scripture tells us the principles and points of view of G-d, but science, history, and other fact based sources of truth provide us additional information and details. Romans 1:19-20 reads: "For all that can be known of G-d lies plain before their eyes; indeed G-d himself has disclosed it to them. Ever since the world began His invisible attributes, that is to say His everlasting power and deity, have been visible to the eye of reason, in the things He has made." For example, not all scientific theories to include biological evolution are accurate. However, the facts upon which those theories are based are accurate, so the theory of intelligent design over an extended time frame is suggested. It explains these facts and generally fits with Scripture.
  • Jesus/Yeshua died by crucifixion, but was able to return to active living, as stated in the gospels.
  • All the Ten Commandments (utterances by G-d) in Exodus 20 are applicable today, even the command that says the seventh day Sabbath is special.
  • Jesus/Yeshua and his original followers practiced Torah. G-d desires Christians in this era to be followers of Torah as indicated in both Acts 15 and 1 Corinthians 7:17-18. Gentiles are given lienency in this regard but are permitted to convert to the Judaism practiced by Jesus/Yeshua according to Acts 2:10-11 and Acts 6:1 which says: "During this period in which the disciples were growing in number, a grievance arose on the part of the Goyim Jews against the Hebrew Jews. They complained that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution."
  • Hebrew Scripture observant followers of God get greater rewards in the afterlife, based upon Matthew 5:19
  • An evil being known by several names, Serpent, Satan, and Lucifer, is the enemy of both God and those human beings who are followers of God.
  • Based upon Genesis 1:26, Human beings are made in the image of God, and they are responsible for the earth and all living beings, both plants and animals, on the earth.
  • The faithful followers of God will be rewarded for their service, (See Hebrews 11:6, Matthew 5:19, and 1 Corinthians 3:13-15). Other people will be judged based upon their deeds, (Revelation 20:11-15).
 
  • Yeshua and his original followers obeyed the Law of Moses (Matthew 5:17) and communicated the belief system of Yeshua primarily to other Jewish people (Matthew 15:24 & Matthew 10:5-6). The Apostle Paul indicates HaShem desires people who grew up in Torah practicing homes, circumcised people, to continue practicing Torah after coming to faith in Messiah Yeshua. Still, people who grew up in a non-Torah practicing environment do not need to begin following Torah for Salvation. In 1 Corinthians 7:17-20, he writes,

“However, that may be, let each of you lead the life that the Lord has assigned, to which HaShem called you. This is my rule in all churches. Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing. But obeying the commandments of God is everything. Let each of you remain in the condition in which you were called.”

The church council described in Acts 15:1-29 settled the dispute about whether one must obey the Torah for Salvation. According to Acts 15:28-29, the apostles said gentiles only need to observe the portion of the Torah written to gentiles except for Mitzvot. Leviticus 17:8 to 18:30 is the portion of the Torah written to gentiles. Of that only Leviticus 18:1-5 concern the Mitzvot. The council concluded by summarizing that passage: “For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to impose on you no further burden than these essentials: That you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell!” Notice the final word: Farewell! Following this council ruling, the Jewish Torah followers separated themselves from the non-Torah following gentile Christians. The Torah followers, including James, remained Torah followers. In addition, note that some gentiles had previously converted to the Judaism practiced by Yeshua according to Acts 2:10 and Acts 6:1. These gentiles had a special calling for Torah living, which Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians 7:17-20. If you have this particular calling, HaShem (G-d) wants you to also be Torah observant followers of Yeshua.

 

For the Torah observant followers of Yeshua, Salvation is described in Matthew 19:16-26, previously quoted, and James 2:14-26, which reads:

“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, keep warm and eat your fill,’ and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So, faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ show me your faith apart from your work, and I, by my works, will show you my faith. You believe that God is one. Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was brought to completion by the works. Thus, the scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God.’ You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. Likewise, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another road? For just as the body without the Spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.” (James 2:14-26).

Obeying Torah to include the commandments and faith in HaShem and Yeshua is essential for both people reared in Torah-obedient households and others who have a special calling to live this lifestyle. Yeshua said: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17). Fulfill means to bring us to the point of having a complete understanding of how to live the Torah perfectly by following his teachings and example. He continued in Matthew 5:19, saying: “Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Greater reward in the afterlife is not surprising since John says: “Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness. Sin is Lawlessness” (1 John 3:4). Therefore, understanding the commands of HaShem in the Torah, as explained by Yeshua, is the way to understand what sin is. Paul said: “Through the law comes knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20c).

Yeshua indicates we are to be working at pleasing HaShem. Matthew 5:20 says: "For I tell you unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

Does this mean that everyone who follows the Torah according to the teachings of Yeshua must live a perfect life to qualify for entrance into heaven? James 3:2 says: “For all of us make many mistakes.” Therefore, it is impossible to get into heaven by living a perfect, mistake-free life and obeying the Torah in an ideal manner. James 2:10 says: “For whosoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.” Therefore, all persons capable of decision-making have fallen short of G-d's expectations, so a righteous G-d could judge all of humanity as sinful. However, the great love of G-d has caused Him to provide a means of salvation for humanity, which each person accepts or rejects. Yeshua/Jesus is "the way, the truth, and the life." Salvation is through Him. He died a sinless sacrifice so that everyone who believes and trusts in Him is granted salvation for their eternal soul. 

What does it mean to believe and trust in Him? Scripture says, "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling."

James 2:12-13 explains how the followers of Yeshua/Jesus are to be judged: “So, speak and so act as those who are judged by the LAW OF LIBERTY. For judgment is without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” Yeshua and Paul often taught this principle:

  1. Matthew 5:7 – “Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.”
  2. Matthew 6:12 – “And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
  3. Matthew 7:1-5 – “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.”
  4. Galatians 6:7-8 – “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”
  5. Ephesians 6:7-8 – “Render service with enthusiasm, as to the Lord, and not to men and women, knowing that whatever good we do, we will receive the same again from the Lord, whether we are slaves or free.”
  6. Matthew 18:34-35 – “And in anger, his Lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. So, my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
  7. Matthew 25:40,45,46 – “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me. … Then he will answer them, ’Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment but the righteous into eternal life.” 

The principle that what you sow is what you will reap explains it. The way one treats other people will be the basis for the manner in which they are judged. Those who benefit others in the manner prescribed by HaShem benefit from the Law of Liberty and will themselves be treated in the manner they treated others. In this way, their mistakes are overlooked due to their love for others.

Both Yeshua and John taught that repentance and confession are needed. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). Yeshua's death was necessary for justification (Luke 18:9-14). James says: "My brothers and sisters if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner's soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins." 

In addition, Paul proclaims the way of Salvation for uncircumcised people. In Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul wrote: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing. It is the gift of HaShem – not the result of works so that no one can boast.” The works referred to here are Torah and rabbinic customs, laws, and traditions which gentiles were not commanded to obey. Some of them are listed in the document entitled “Some Works of the Law,” known as Dead Sea Scroll fragment 4QMMT. That document was a letter sent by the leader of the Essene Jewish Group concerning Great Temple worship, the priests, and temple sacrifices, and it contradicts the teachings of Jesus/Yeshua, who said he is greater than the Great Temple (Matthew 12:6-7). Yeshua taught that he replaced the temple priests and temple sacrifices of the covenant of Moses (See Hebrews 9:1 to 10:18) and initiated the new covenant of Jeremiah 31:31-34.

Paul says in Ephesians that gentiles have a duty to live a life of good works. (Ephesians 2:10): "For we are what he has made us, created in Messiah Yeshua for good works, which HaShem prepared earlier to be our way of life."