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《伊索寓言》有一則有名的故事，它的主角是一隻想吃羊的狼。有一天，這隻狼逮到了等待已久的機會，找到一張羊皮，把它披在身上偽裝成羊，混入羊圈。一隻本來在吃草的小羔羊注意到了這隻新來的“羊”，就好奇地跟在他後頭走。不幸狼一轉身，就狠狠地把小羔羊吃掉了。剛好，那一天牧羊人正想來一碗香濃的羊肉湯，竟把羊圈裡的狼誤認為羊，而將它宰來吃了。這則故事的頭半部就是要警告我們，很多時候，我們看到的外表是虛假的，是本質的掩蓋，若不小心提防就很容易會被哄騙；故事的後半部則警惕我們，無論騙人手法有多高明，做壞事遲早會被人發現的。
相信當熟悉聖經的讀者看到這則故事時，都會聯想到耶穌在馬太福音7：15同樣的教導：「你們要防備假先知。他們到你們這裡來，外面披著羊皮，裡面卻是殘暴的狼。」耶穌教導眾人要小心那些傳授扭曲真理的假先知，因為假先知會用神聖的外表去迷惑人（馬太福音24：24），用花言巧語叫人跌倒 （羅馬書16： 17 -18），若不小心防備，唯恐被誤導離開正道（提摩太前書4：1）。
基督徒非常在意分辨正道。其實光在基督教裡面，宗派和神學論述就已經包羅萬象，讓剛入教的基督徒看得一頭霧水、眼花撩亂，不知要從何開始選擇教會。根據2021年統計，全球有超過 45,000 種基督教的教派，而更多的獨立教會與福音派新教仍不斷地在增加。難怪“分辨真道指南”的書多得不勝枚舉；相同的，檢舉異端的書也是比比皆是。隨便上網一查，就會看到各種基督教網站教導信徒如何防衛異端的滲透。其實這種防衛異端的行為早在2000年前就已經有了（參部落格:特土良與異端）。目前被台灣教會列為異端比較常見的有：耶和華見證會、摩門教、科學神教（又稱“山達基教”)、安息日會、真耶穌教、統一教（現改名為“世界和平統一家庭聯合會”）、東方閃電（又稱“全能神教會”）等。在大陸還有哭重生派、靈靈教、呼喊派、冷水教等，真是不盡其數。
基督徒透過教會、屬靈書籍（參部落格:參考書）和社交媒體，不斷認真學習分辨是非，如何看穿“冒牌貨”，唯恐被對方的伎倆引上勾。他們想知道如何「靈巧像蛇，馴良像鴿子」──有技巧的從異端逃劫，卻仍能保存基督徒該有的純潔與廉正（馬太福音10：16）。約翰一書 4：1說「一切的靈，你們不可都信，總要試驗那些靈是出於神的不是，因為世上有許多假先知已經出來了......」。這些“邪教”會趁你在無防備心之時，一點一滴、有技巧性地將你引進他們的圈子裏。當然，這些“引誘者”都是受過相當的訓練。你是靶，他們是箭，他們知道如何擊中你弱點的靶心。他們就是「披著羊皮的狼」。
我們暫時先把這個現象轉移到另一個宗教團體──猶太教。
假設，一個猶太人家庭搬到你的社區。這個猶太家庭雖不怎麼認真研讀塔納赫（參閱部落格:舊約聖經=希伯來聖經=塔納赫？），但他們會守傳統猶太人的節日，如：安息日（Shabbat）、割禮（Brit Milah）（參閱部落格:閹割了吧!）、成人禮（Bar Mitzvah 給男孩 ；Bat Mitzvah 給女孩）、逾越節晚餐（Seder）（參部落格二文:逾越節的羔羊 及“無酵餅）、猶太新年（Rosh Hashanah；參部落格：吹角節）、贖罪日（Yom Kippur參部落格：贖罪日）七七節（Shavuot）; 和光明節（Hanukkah）；而你是一位虔誠的基督徒，你很盼望這個猶太家庭能信耶穌。你知道如果唐突邀他們到教會絕對行不通，於是你用友誼做前奏：他們孩子病了，你的水果籃馬上送上府；他們老母親過世時，你的慰問卡與花束代表了你對他們無限的關懷。他們被你的誠懇打動，對你的信賴也日漸劇增。你很清楚“耶穌”的名字是猶太人的過敏原，“教會”更是令他們產生反感──有如道教徒若邀請你去寺廟跟他膜拜佛祖菩薩一樣，你絕不會考慮的。於是你決定邀請你的猶太人朋友去參加彌賽亞猶太會堂（Messianic Synagogue）。
彌賽亞猶太教（Messianic Judaism）是什麼呢？他們和正統猶太教（ Orthodox Judaism）有許多不同，最主要的不同是﹕他們信耶穌是三位一體神格的第二位，是救世主彌賽亞。講白一點，它的實質是基督教，但掛用猶太教的頭銜；講粗俗一點，就是“掛羊頭賣狗肉”的基督教會。彌賽亞猶太教拓展的對象是猶太人。猶太人有濃烈的民族信仰意識，就算一步都沒有踏入過猶太會堂的猶太人，也絕不輕易放棄他的根與身份，去皈依別的宗教及所認同的猶太文化與傳統。他們深以自己的身份為榮，這份特殊的身份對他們具有深重的意義。2000多年以來，基督徒費盡心思、千方百計地想說服猶太人信耶穌，他們卻漠然不動。因此基督徒在不知所措之餘，只好為猶太人貼了一個標籤，說他們是「......硬著頸項、心與耳未受割禮、常時抗拒聖靈」的人（使徒行傳7 ：51）。甚至連馬丁路德──16世紀的宗教改革先驅，在苦口婆心勸誘猶太人信耶穌不成之後，憤怒地在他所著《 猶太人及其謊言 》一書裡用尖酸的言語疾聲詈罵猶太人，把他們說得連畜生都不如，還咒詛說他們的和他們的會堂都應被燒毀，投擲入硫磺和瀝青、地獄之火......（參部落格：馬丁路德）
為什麼基督徒對傳福音給猶太人如此積極、如此堅決呢？又為什麼對猶太人之無動於衷感到如此憤怒呢？簡單來說有五點。基督徒認為：
1. 猶太人是上帝的選民。
「就著福音說，他們（猶太人）為你們（外邦人）的緣故是仇敵；就著揀選說，他們為列祖的緣故是蒙愛的。因為神的恩賜和選召是沒有後悔的。」（羅馬書11：28-29）
2. 他們是聖經的守護者。
保羅說：「猶太人有什麼長處？......凡事大有好處：第一是神的聖言交託他們......」（羅馬書3：1-2）；換句話說，上帝通過摩西和眾先知給以色列人特別的啟示和應許。
3. 彌賽亞（耶穌）是猶太人。
「......按肉體說，基督也是從他們（猶太人）出來的，他是在萬有之上，永遠可稱頌的神。」（羅馬書9：5）
4. 救恩來自猶太人，我們因信與亞伯拉罕所立的約而得救。
「因為救恩是從猶太人出來的。」（約翰福音4： 22）
5. 猶太人將首先進入最後的審判和最後的祝福。
「將患難、困苦加給一切作惡的人，先是猶太人，後是希利尼人；卻將榮耀、尊貴、平安加給一切行善的人，先是猶太人，後是希利尼人。」（羅馬書2：9-10）
總而言之，基督徒的講法是：神既然與猶太人立了約，祂就照著應許，對人類有救恩的計畫，讓彌賽亞（耶穌）從猶太人而出，那麼福音勢必優先傳給神起初立約的選民。這個救恩計畫在新舊約有清楚的教導：「神不偏待人」（羅馬書2：11），因此猶太人既然得到了福音的特殊優先權，他們將來也會先受到審判；相對的，拒絕皈依的猶太人就變成了基督徒的威脅，因為猶太人之不信，會導致基督救贖與再來受到延遲，甚至無法實現，這嚴重的影響到基督徒對他們屬天榮耀日的盼望和時機。
過去幾十年來，基督徒一直把“猶太人優先”的信念做為傳福音策略修改與檢討的測量點，他們知道要把耶穌“推銷”給猶太人是一項極艱鉅的工作。如果傳福音的策略不改變（參部落格：佈道策略），猶太人不可能願意信耶穌。所以他們決定徹底地改變他們的方針。從事銷售業的人都明瞭，賣方一定要讓買方感到你的產品有價值感、值得他的投資。買了之後，不但保證滿意，並且生活會更好；相同的，基督徒必須讓猶太人覺得信了耶穌之後，他們感到更提升、更有意義才可能被你吸引。因此基督徒用盡各種手段，不管是在外觀、造型、品味、用詞或氣氛上，都得讓猶太人參加他們聚會時感到寬心。除此之外，基督徒更要用心考量另一個相當敏感的問題，就是當猶太人願意進入基督徒設計的“圈套”之後，他們可能會經歷“叛離”猶太人身份的內疚與罪惡感。這種罪惡感很可能會成為他們不願意投入或反悔的阻力。
於是基督徒展開了一套全新的戰略。他們告訴猶太人：「其實基督教是猶太人的教。你千萬不要以為你成為基督徒後就不再是一個猶太人了；你成為基督徒後，不僅能保有自己原有的猶太人身份，甚至能進一步成為一個更充實、更真實的正統猶太人！」基督徒知道他們絕對不能用一般教會的名稱來稱呼他們的聚會場所。於是他們在改頭換面、重新包裝後，一開始是以Hebrew Christian (希伯來基督教）來展示他們的新面目，但是"基督教"這個名詞對猶太人來說還是太刺耳，所以最終用 “Messianic Jewish Synagogue”（彌賽亞猶太會堂）來稱呼這種“教會”。每一所彌賽亞猶太會堂都會取一個非常有猶太韻味的名字，如： Baruch HaShem Messianic Synagogue（希伯來文譯：感謝神彌賽亞猶太會堂） Kehilat Ariel Messianic Synagogue（譯：猶大之獅子）Adonai Roi Congregation (譯：神是我的牧者）等等。這些會堂的標示一定都有希伯來原文的字樣。這種迎合猶太人口味的做法，剛好符合現代社會著重“包容性”和“文化敏感”的做法，譬如：為了迎合猶太人守安息日的習俗，他們特別把聚會時間改成週六，而且會堂裡絕對不擺十字架，更不會有教堂常見的彩色鑲嵌玻璃。除了掛了一張以色列國旗、大衛之星（註：大衛之星是由兩個三角形疊加而成的六角星，是猶太教的標誌）之外，旁邊還會擺設一個模仿出埃及記第25章，摩西以杏花形狀製作七個分支的金燈盞。所有你在最正統的猶太會堂裡面會看到的陳列物品，彌賽亞猶太會堂裡一樣都不缺，如：妥拉捲軸（Torah Scroll ）、誦經臺（Bimah）、 猶太祈禱書（Siddur ）妥拉捲存櫥櫃（Ark） 。跟猶太教會堂一樣，他們不稱呼傳道人為“牧師“，而叫猶太教的教師──“拉比“。參加聚會的人也大多數會戴上祈禱披肩（prayer shawl 或作 “tallit 塔利特披肩“）
、頭巾或圓頂小帽（kippa）。 所有猶太人遵守的節日、儀式、傳統都保存不變。為了排除猶太人對耶穌名字的排擠性，他們甚至連耶穌的名字都改用希伯來文“約書亞”──Y'shua (ישוע）來稱呼。彌賽亞猶太會堂除了上述之種種 “門市包裝” 的擺設之外，最重要的就是他們傳講的主旨。他們告訴猶太人，他們眼裡有鱗片，唯靠主“約書亞”的亮光，用正確的“眼睛”去看希伯來聖經（參部落格：舊約聖經=希伯來聖經=塔納赫？），這些鱗片才能剝落（使徒行傳9：18），瞎眼重見光明（參部落格：誰才是瞎子），就會看到所有的舊約預言都是指向“約書亞”。
到底基督徒要做到什麼地步才能真正“收買”到猶太人的心，讓這些猶太人安安心心地坐在會堂裡聽基督教的福音呢？哥林多前書9章22-23節說：「向軟弱的人，我就作軟弱的人，為要得軟弱的人。向什麼樣的人，我就作什麼樣的人。無論如何，總要救些人。凡我所行的，都是為福音的緣故，為要與人同得這福音的好處。」若套上保羅的公式，就是：「向猶太人，我就作猶太人，為要得著猶太人。」
以下是一位套用保羅公式──“現代保羅”的真實故事。這位“保羅”現居耶路撒冷，以下為一些與他相關的新聞標題：
「舊戲重演──隱藏身份的彌賽亞基督教傳教士再度被指控」“New Allegations about Another Covert Messianic Christian Missionary”（ Jerusalem Post 耶路撒冷郵報 2021年5月27日）
「臥底基督教傳教士被揭穿」“Undercover Christian Missionary Unmasked”（The Jewish Chronicles 猶太紀事報 2021年5月6日)
「以色列假拉比」“Fake Rabbi in Israel”（New York Post 紐約郵報 2021年5月3日）
過去15年來，這位“現代保羅”天天過著「做猶太人」謊言的雙重生活：從外貌看，他留著黑鬍鬚和側捲髮，帶著傳統猶太黑禮帽。他不但精通猶太文本和傳統，還是一位令人景仰的麥克·艾克漢猶太拉比（Rabbi Michael Elkohen）；但他的真名其實是麥克·艾克（Michael Elk）。艾克先生是一位火熱的美國基督教宣教士 (參部落格：佈道策略），他的使命就是到聖地去幫助猶太人皈依基督教。
這位“假拉比”自稱是「克漢」“Kohen”──聖經裡大祭司亞倫的後裔 (註：Kohen 為猶太人祭司的意思）。他每天穿扮著正統猶太拉比的衣裝，忙著幫猶太人舉行婚禮、割禮和其他神聖的猶太儀式。 他甚至被受僱撰寫摩西五經捲軸──一項通常保留給最虔誠和訓練有素的文士之任務。艾克漢拉比的五個孩子都就讀於極端正統的猶太學校，他的太太則是一位盡責的母親。因她極善於交際，社交圈很廣，她主持一個知識份子的節目。透過這個節目，她與其他猶太女性討論如何藉由與周圍世界的互動發揮至關重要的作用，並影響個人對世俗、性別角色和現代性的信念。她得癌症時，猶太人社區的人熱心去醫院陪她，除了為她醫療籌集食品之外，還募了大筆美元的醫療款。當她去世時，所有認識她的人都痛不欲絕，並把她埋葬在猶太人專屬的墓地。誰知她離世之後，騙局才被揭曉，她朋友感到被背叛的傷痛遠超過當年對她哀悼的悲痛。
艾克漢拉比夫婦藉由美國宣教機構的協助，用偽造的文件，非法移民到以色列，成功地展開了他們進攻猶太人的福音策略。為了傳福音的緣故，他努力的協調在以色列的傳教工作，甚至還創立了一所希伯來神學院（ Yeshivat Yarim Ha'Am ）。在這所學校內，他悄悄地傳播“猶太化”版本的基督教，並訓練更多跟他同樣的“基督教拉比”精兵，攜手共戰，進一步傳播福音。
近年來，類似艾克漢拉比這種福音派基督徒，做秘密傳教事工的趨勢不斷增長。目前估計，在以色列大約有 30,000 名基督教傳教士，300 個致力於向猶太人傳福音的組織。然而，用這種冒充猶太拉比的手段，是「向什麼樣的人，我就作什麼樣的人」嗎？還是一種偽裝、不誠實與欺騙？當艾克漢拉比被控告時，他是「為義受逼迫」呢（馬太福音5：10）？還是謊言被揭穿？他傳福音的做法是依照提摩太後書4：2「務要傳道，無論得時不得時......」的教導呢？還是“不擇手段”？
近年來，呼籲基督徒廣傳福音的聲音越來越遠響亮了。他們說：「天國近了！」當基督教宣教師從全世界各個角落蜂擁而至以色列，哈利路亞的頌讚聲此起彼落之時，有一群誠心信賴基督徒的猶太人，頓悟到自己陷入了“網羅”，被好友背叛而感到極度的悲哀與憤怒。基督徒卻認為“收割”這些猶太人，得來不易，流淚撒種的必歡呼收割（詩篇126：5），尚且，主「不願有一人沉淪，乃願人人都悔改。」（彼得後書3 ：9）最終，還是有基督徒仍會繼續支持艾克漢冒牌拉比之作法，因為他們認為為要拯救靈魂，可以不惜代價。這些被救贖的人雖“暫時被騙”，但遲早會感激他們的；也有一些基督徒強則烈譴責這種不光明正大的做法，認為要傳福音就應心懷坦白，有話直說，不需要偷雞摸狗，走後門來完成使命。
試問：
有沒有任何宗教，會因為基督徒不願意皈依他們的教，而被像馬丁路德這樣的宗教領袖，罵得狗血噴頭，說基督徒因為不歸依他們，就是是；「魔鬼的糞便...像豬一樣在裡面打滾、是妓女、是蕩婦...」？（參部落格：馬丁路德）
試問：
如果今天一位伊瑪目（註：“Imam” 是穆斯林的教長）為了要讓伊斯蘭教人口增加，決定穿著基督教神職人員的白領黑衫、胸前掛著十字架、手拿聖經，友善的邀請你去一間叫做「福音堂」的清真寺，然後趁在聚會的時候，把他們的真主阿拉介紹給你，這種做法正當嗎？
試問：
如果今天你發覺你的摯友跟你關係這麼好，你鄰居動不動就烤蛋糕給你吃，是因為他們背後有個人動機，為了達成他們的秘密使命。你會有何感受？
己所不欲勿施於人，將心比心。或許基督徒可以想一想，應該提防披著羊皮的狼進入自己的羊圈呢？還是應該檢討自己有可能就是那隻走進別人羊圈的狼呢？
Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
"In Aesop's Fables," there is a famous story featuring a wolf who wants to eat a lamb. One day, this wolf finally got the chance he had been waiting for. He found a sheepskin and disguised himself as a lamb, sneaking into the sheepfold. A little lamb, who was originally grazing, noticed the "new lamb" and curiously followed him. Unfortunately, the wolf turned around and viciously devoured the little lamb. Coincidentally, that day, the sheep owner was planning to make a hearty lamb stew and mistook the wolf in the sheepfold for a lamb, so he slaughtered and ate it. The first half of this story serves as a warning that many times, what we see on the surface is deceptive, hiding the true nature, and if we're not careful, we can easily be deceived. The second half of the story reminds us that no matter how cleverly someone deceives, their wrongdoing will eventually be discovered.
When familiar Bible readers encounter this story, they will likely think of Jesus' similar teaching in Matthew 7:15: "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves." Jesus taught people to be cautious of false prophets who distort the truth because false prophets use a holy appearance to deceive people (Matthew 24:24), use smooth words to lead people astray (Romans 16:17-18), and if not carefully guarded against, may lead them away from the right path (1 Timothy 4:1).
Christians are very concerned about discerning the right path. Even within Christianity, there are countless denominations and theological discourses, making it bewildering and confusing for newcomers to the faith, not knowing where to begin when choosing a church. According to statistics from 2021, there are over 45,000 Christian denominations globally, and independent churches and evangelical Protestantism continue to grow. It's no wonder there are numerous books guiding you on how to find the “true path”, similarly, there are countless books on denouncing heresies. A quick internet search reveals various Christian websites teaching believers how to defend against the infiltration of heresies. In fact, this defense against heresies has been in practice for over 2,000 years (Please read my blog post “Tertullian and Heresy” ). Commonly recognized as heretical are groups like the Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Church of Scientology (also known as 'Scientology'), Seventh-day Adventists, True Jesus Church, Unification Church (now renamed as the 'Family Federation for World Peace and Unification'). In China, there are groups like Eastern Lightning (also known as 'The Church of Almighty God'), the 'Shouters,' 'The Local Church,' 'Born Again,' and 'Cold Water Sect,' among others; the list is endless."
Christians continually learn to discern right from wrong through church, spiritual literature (please read my blog post :Reference Books), and social media, fearing that they might fall into the tricks of the other side. They want to know how to “be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” - skillfully escape from heresy while preserving the purity and integrity of a Christian (Matthew 10:16). 1 John 4:1 says, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world…” These cults will gradually and skillfully draw you into their circle when you are unguarded. Of course, these ”enticers” are well-trained. You are the target, and they are the arrows; they know how to hit the bullseye of your weaknesses. They are the wolves in sheep's clothing.
Now, let's temporarily shift this phenomenon to another religious group - Judaism.
Suppose a Jewish family moves into your community. Although this Jewish family does not seriously study the Tanakh (Please refer to my blog post "What is the Difference between the Old Testament, the Tanakh, and the Hebrew Bible?"), they observe traditional Jewish festivals such as Shabbat (Sabbath), Brit Milah (Please refer to my blog post "Go Emasculate!") Bar Mitzvah for boys, Bat Mitzvah for girls, Seder (Please refer to my 2 blog posts “Passover” and “Unleavened Bread”), Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur (Please refer to my blog post: Yom Kippur), Shavuot, and Hanukkah. And you are a devout Christian, hoping this Jewish family will come to believe in Jesus. You know that inviting them to church abruptly won't work, so you start with friendship: when their child is sick, you immediately send a fruit basket; when their elderly mother passes away, your condolences card and bouquet represent your boundless care. They are touched by your sincerity, and their trust in you grows day by day. You are well aware that the name “Jesus” is a trigger for Jews, and “church” is something they find distasteful - much like how you, as a Christian, would never consider going to a temple to worship Buddha when invited . So, you decide to invite your Jewish friends to attend a Messianic Synagogue.
What is Messianic Judaism? How does it differ from Orthodox Judaism? The most significant difference lies in their beliefs. Messianic Judaism, or Messianic Jews, believe that Jesus is the second person of the Holy Trinity and the Savior, the Messiah. In simpler terms, its essence is Christian but it carries the title of Judaism. To put it more crudely, it's like a “wolf in sheep's clothing” Christian church. Messianic Judaism targets Jews. Jews in general have a strong sense of ethnic and cultural identity. Even if a Jew has never set foot in a synagogue, they will not easily give up their roots and identity to convert to another religion and the associated Jewish culture and traditions. They take pride in their identity, and it holds deep meaning for them. For over 2,000 years, Christians have tried every means possible to convince Jews to believe in Jesus, but they have remained unmoved. Therefore, Christians, feeling helpless, have resorted to labeling Jews as “...stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!” (Acts 7:51). Even Martin Luther, the 16th-century religious reformer, after fervently trying to persuade Jews to believe in Jesus without success, angrily used sharp words to vilify Jews in his work “On the Jews and Their Lies.” He portrayed them as worse than animals and cursed that their synagogues should be burned, and they should be cast into sulfur and pitch, the fires of hell..." (Please refer to my blog post “ Martin Luther”).
Why are Christians so eager and resolute about evangelizing to Jews, and why do they feel so angry when Jews remain unmoved? In simple terms, there are five reasons:
1. Christians believe that Jews are God's chosen people:
"As far as the gospel is concerned, they (the Jews) are enemies for your (Gentiles') sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable" (Romans 11:28-29).
2. Jews are the guardians of the Bible:
Paul says, "What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew?... Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God" (Romans 3:1-2); In other words, God gave Israel special revelations and promises through Moses and the prophets.
3. The Messiah (Jesus) is Jewish: "Their (the Jews) is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them, as far as human descent is concerned, is the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen" (Romans 9:4-5).
4. Salvation comes from the Jews, and we are saved through faith in the covenant with Abraham: "Salvation is from the Jews." (John 4:22)
5. Jews will be the first to enter final judgment and blessings:
"There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile." (Romans 2:9-10)
In summary, the Christian perspective is that since God made a covenant with the Jews and promised a salvation plan for humanity through them, with the Messiah (Jesus) coming from among the Jews, the Gospel must be given priority to the chosen people who were initially part of the covenant. This salvation plan is clearly taught in both the Old and New Testaments: "God does not show favoritism" (Romans 2:11). Therefore, since the Jews received the special privilege of the Gospel, they will also be the first to face judgment in the future. Conversely, Jews who reject conversion become a threat to Christians because the unbelief of Jews can lead to a delay or even a failure of Christ's second coming, significantly affecting Christians' hope and timing for their heavenly glory.
Over the past few decades, Christians have continuously used the belief in "Jews first" as a benchmark for modifying and reviewing their evangelization strategies. They know that selling Jesus to Jews is an incredibly challenging task. If the evangelization strategy remains unchanged, it is unlikely that Jews will be willing to believe in Jesus. Therefore, they have decided to fundamentally change their approach. Those in sales understand that the seller must make the buyer feel that the product is valuable and worth their investment. After buying, not only must satisfaction be guaranteed, but life should also be improved. Similarly, Christians must make Jews feel that believing in Jesus will elevate and give more meaning to their lives. To achieve this, Christians use various means, whether in appearance, style, taste, language, or atmosphere, to make Jews feel comfortable when attending their gatherings. Additionally, Christians must carefully consider another sensitive issue: when Jews are willing to enter the "trap" designed by Christians, they may experience guilt and a sense of wrongdoing in leaving their Jewish identity behind. This guilt can become a significant resistance to their commitment or even lead to their turning back.
So, Christians have embarked on a completely new strategy. They tell Jewish people, "In fact, Christianity is the Jewish faith. You must not think that becoming a Christian means you cease to be a Jew. After becoming a Christian, not only can you retain your original Jewish identity, but you can also become an even more fulfilled and authentic Orthodox Jew!" Christians know that they absolutely cannot use the typical church name to refer to their meeting places. So, after a makeover and rebranding, they initially presented their new face as "Hebrew Christian," but the term "Christianity" was still too harsh for Jewish people. Eventually, they adopted the term "Messianic Jewish Synagogue" to describe these "churches." Each Messianic Jewish Synagogue brand itself a very Jewish-sounding name, such as Baruch HaShem Messianic Synagogue (Hebrew translation: Blessed is God Messianic Synagogue), Kehilat Ariel Messianic Synagogue (translation: Congregation of the Lion of Judah), Adonai Roi Congregation (translation: God is my Shepherd), and so on. These congregations' signs invariably include Hebrew script.
This catering to Jewish tastes aligns with contemporary societal emphasis on "inclusivity" and "cultural sensitivity." For example, to accommodate the Jewish custom of observing the Sabbath, they specifically changed their meeting times to Saturdays. Inside the synagogues, you won't find any crosses, and certainly not the colored stained glass commonly seen in churches. Besides displaying the Israeli flag and the Star of David (note: symbol of both jewish identity, and Judaism and Its shape is that of a hexagram the compound of two equilateral triangles), they also set up a golden lampstand modeled after Exodus 25, where Moses created a seven-branched menorah shaped like almond blossoms. All the items you would find in the most Orthodox Jewish synagogues, such as Torah Scrolls, Bimah (platform), Siddur (Jewish prayer book), and Ark of the Covenant, are present. Just like in Jewish synagogues, they don't refer to their preachers as "pastors" but as Jewish teachers ,"rabbis." Most of the attendees wear prayer shawls (tallit) or head coverings, and some wear small round caps (kippa). All Jewish holidays, rituals, and traditions are preserved without alteration. To eliminate the exclusivity of the name "Jesus" among Jews, they even use the Hebrew name "Y'shua" (ישוע) instead of Jesus. In Messianic Jewish Synagogues, in addition to the various "storefront packaging" decorations mentioned above, the most important thing is the message they preach. They tell Jewish people that they have scales over their eyes and that only by the light of the Lord "Y'shua" can they see correctly with the "eyes" to read the Hebrew Scriptures (Torah; (Please refer to my blog post "What is the Difference between the Old Testament, the Tanakh, and the Hebrew Bible?"). Only then will these scales fall off (Acts 9:18), and they will go from blindness to sight (John 9), recognizing that all the Old Testament prophecies point to "Y'shua." (please refer to my blog post: Who is Blind?”)
So, what exactly do Christians need to do to truly win over the hearts of Jewish people, allowing them to comfortably sit in the synagogue and listen to the Christian gospel?
1 Corinthians 9:22-23 says, "To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings." Applying Paul's formula, it can be stated as: "To the Jews, I became a Jew, to win the Jews."
Here's a real-life story of a "Modern Paul" who applied this formula. This "Paul" currently resides in Jerusalem, and here are some news headlines related to him:
- New Allegations about Another Covert Messianic Christian Missionary (Jerusalem Post, May 27, 2021)
- Undercover Christian Missionary Unmasked (The Jewish Chronicles, May 6, 2021)
- Fake Rabbi in Israel (New York Post, May 3, 2021)
Over the past 15 years, this "Modern Paul" has lived a double life of deception, pretending to be Jewish every day. In appearance, he sports a black beard and side curls and wears a traditional Jewish black hat. Not only is he well-versed in Jewish texts and traditions, but he is also a respected Rabbi named Michael Elkohen, a name he invented for himself. However, his real name is Michael Elk. Mr. Elk is a passionate American Christian missionary, and his mission is to help Jews convert to Christianity.
This "fake Rabbi" claims to be a "Kohen" – a descendant of Aaron, the High Priest mentioned in the Bible (Note: Kohen means Jewish priest). He dresses in the attire of an Orthodox Jewish Rabbi every day, busy officiating Jewish weddings, circumcisions, and other sacred Jewish rituals. He has even been hired to write Torah scrolls, a task usually reserved for the most devout and highly trained scribes. Rabbi Elkohen's five children attend extremely Orthodox Jewish schools, and his wife was a devoted mother. She was highly skilled in socializing, with a wide social circle, and hosted an intellectual program. Through this program, she and other Jewish women discussed how they play a crucial role in engaging with the world around them and influencing personal beliefs about secularism, gender roles, and modernity. When she got cancer, members of the Jewish community enthusiastically visited her in the hospital. Apart from collecting food for her medical needs, they raised significant amounts of money for her treatment. When she passed away, everyone who knew her was devastated, and she was buried in an exclusive Jewish cemetery. Little did they know that the deception would only be revealed after her death, leaving her friends feeling far more betrayed than they had mourned her.
In the past 15 years, the Rabbi Elkohen couple, with the assistance of an American missionary organization, illegally immigrated to Israel using forged documents and successfully initiated their gospel strategy aimed at Jewish people (Please refer to my blog “Evangelical Strategies”). For the sake of spreading the gospel, they worked tirelessly to coordinate missionary efforts in Israel, even establishing a Hebrew Theological College called "Yeshivat Yarim Ha'Am." Inside this school, they quietly propagated a "Judaized" version of Christianity and trained more "Christian Rabbis" like himself to join forces and further spread the gospel.
In recent years, the trend of evangelical Christians engaging in secret missionary work, similar to Rabbi Elkohen, has been on the rise. It is estimated that there are around 30,000 Christian missionaries in Israel, with 300 organizations dedicated to evangelizing Jews. However, is the use of impersonation as Jewish Rabbis a case of "becoming like the people to win them over" or is it a form of deception and dishonesty? When Rabbi Elkohen was exposed, was he "persecuted for righteousness' sake" (Matthew 5:10), or was his deceit revealed? Is his approach to spreading the gospel in line with the teaching of 2 Timothy 4:2, "preach the word; be ready in season and out of season," or is it a case of "by any means necessary"?
In recent years, the call for Christians to spread the gospel has become increasingly loud. They say, "The kingdom of heaven is near!" As Christian missionaries flock to Israel from all corners of the world, the hallelujahs resound. However, a group of sincerely believing Jews in Christianity has awakened to the realization that they have fallen into a "trap" and feel extreme sadness and anger at being betrayed by their friends. Christians believe that "reaping" these Jewish souls is not an easy task, and those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy (Psalm 126:5). Moreover, the Lord "is not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). Consequently, some Christians continue to support Rabbi Elkohen's deceptive tactics, as they believe that saving souls justifies any means. These redeemed individuals may have been "temporarily deceived," but they will eventually be grateful. Meanwhile, some Christians strongly condemn such dishonest methods, arguing that spreading the gospel should be done with transparency and honesty, without resorting to subterfuge or backdoor tactics.
Questions to Consider:
1. Has any religion ever been vilified by Christian leaders like Martin Luther, who referred to Jews as "full of the devil’s feces… which they wallow in like swine" because they did not convert to Christianity? (Please refer to my blog post “Martin Luther”)
2. If today an Imam (an Islamic religious leader) in an effort to increase the Muslim population decided to dress like Christian clergy, wear a cross, and hold a Bible while warmly inviting you to a "Gospel Mosque" during a meeting to introduce you to their Allah, would this approach be considered legitimate?
3. If you discovered that your close friend, who frequently bakes cakes for you and is very friendly, had hidden motives behind their kindness and was working undercover for a secret mission, how would you feel?
Perhaps Christians can reflect on the principle of treating others as they would like to be treated and put themselves in the shoes of those they are trying to convert. Should they be cautious about wolves in sheep's clothing entering their own flock, or should they examine whether they might be the wolves entering someone else's sheepfold?
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