Beliefs of Messianic Congregations

Messianic congregations believe that Jesus Christ, or Messiah Yeshua, was the messiah and that salvation is attained by believing that Yeshua is the Savior foretold by the Old Testament prophets. This means that salvation can’t be earned through good deeds. Instead, Messianic congregations teach that any person, Jew or Gentile, who believes that Yeshua is the Messiah is forgiven of all sins and becomes a child of God.

While some denominations of Christianity believe in a Trinity of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, Messianic congregations do not fully embrace the doctrine of the Trinity. They believe that God is one entity, but has manifested Himself in three separate Persons; therefore, God does not consist of a Trinity. Instead, He is considered a Tri-unity, a single entity who fills three different roles. He is God the father, ruler and creator of mankind and all of nature. Messianic tradition teaches that God became man, in the person of Yeshua, and was fully human and fully divine. Finally God has also manifested himself as the Holy Spirit. Messianic congregations teach that God became each of these roles -- one entity manifesting Himself in different ways, not three separate entities that unite as one. Therefore, Messianic congregations do not traditionally invoke God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit as separate divine forces. Instead, God is one deity who rules over all creation, that once walked upon the Earth as Yeshua, and who speaks to people as the Holy Spirit.

Messianic congregations believe in the Old Testament, the Torah, and the New Testament, or the New Covenant. This means that Messianic churches believe all 66 books of the Bible are authoritative and truly are the word of God.

Messianic congregations do not practice the Law of Moses, which is still followed to varying extents by many factions of Judaism. Messianic Jews respect the Law of Moses as part of their faith’s heritage and believe that the Law can teach believers much about the Jewish way of life. The Messianic tradition teaches that Yeshua, as the Messiah, has fulfilled the law, and therefore believers are no longer obligated to follow Mosaic Law. However, there is no doctrine that prevents believers from keeping any aspect of the Law, as long as it does not violate the New Covenant.