In Depth:  Jewish evangelism

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Compassion in the face of unbelief

Compassion in the face of unbelief
Ziggy Rogoff
Ziggy Rogoff

I once had a conversation with an Orthodox Jewish man who told me he would not discuss Jesus with me. His words were striking: “Speaking to you is like speaking with a Holocaust denier. Would you listen to a Holocaust denier? For the same reason, I won’t listen to anything you have to say.”

For this man, the resurrection of Jesus seemed to belong in the category of outrageous falsehood, unworthy of consideration.

Ten questions with Charles Gardner

Ten questions with Charles Gardner
en staff
en staff

Charles Gardner is a South African-born journalist and volunteer with CMJ (Church’s Ministry among Jewish people) living in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, and married to Linda, who teaches Christianity in primary schools.

  1. How did you become a Christian?
    I was staying with my Jewish grandmother in north London when a friend from university athletics days in South Africa shared how Jesus had come to give us life in all its fullness.

    I had become aware of a lack of direction or purpose, especially after failing to finish a marathon for the first and only time! Brian Jackson, a top athlete who was training for the Anglican ministry at Oxford, encouraged me to invite Jesus into my life and insisted I attend the evening service at All Souls Langham Place, the next day. I never looked back.

  2. What lessons have you learnt since that you would want to pass on to a younger Christian version of yourself?
    Though I understood perseverance as a marathon runner, it took me a long time to learn patience, along with the importance of faithfully waiting for answered prayer, and for ordinary things like buses.

  3. How would you describe your prayer life?
    Though I find myself communicating with the Lord on an almost continual basis as my absolute dependence on Him grows deeper, disciplined prayer times come in fits and starts.

  4. Which two or three Christian books apart from the Bible have most influenced your faith?
    Appointment in Jerusalem by Derek and Lydia Prince and R.T. Kendall’s God Meant it for Good (re-released as Total Forgiveness), both published by Kingsway. Both helped cement my calling to the Jews.

  5. Who or what have been your biggest Christian influences?
    The profound teaching of John Stott, our beloved pastor at All Souls, along with the leader of his ‘nursery class’ for new believers, Helen McIntosh, who always referred to herself as a ‘completed Jew’. It was through a sermon Stott preached on being salt in the world that I felt God’s call into journalism.

  6. What are the main challenges you believe Christians face today?
    Staying true to the gospel in the face of growing antagonism from the liberal left’s unholy alliance with jihadism sweeping across the West like a tidal wave; and standing with the Jewish people as they face the potential of another Holocaust. The alternative is to cave in to antisemitic pressure by remaining silent, as the German church of the 1930s did to its shame.

  7. What encourages and what discourages you?
    I love inspiring testimonies, which is why I founded the New Life evangelistic tabloid 43 years ago. I am discouraged by indifference to what I perceive as vital issues.

  8. What makes you laugh?
    Only Fools and Horses and other great comedians like Morecambe and Wise. I love a good joke but am hopeless at telling them, though having a beer with friends is usually a recipe for much laughter.

  9. What would you want to say to the wider evangelical world?
    Avoid being straitjacketed by a totally inflexible doctrinal position for which you believe there is no possibility of error. Be always open to guidance from the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth. Avoid being a know-it-all and don’t put Christian “celebrities” on a pedestal; they are not the final arbiter of faith. That honour belongs to God’s Word.

  10. Which Biblical person (other than Jesus) do you most look forward to meeting in glory and why?
    The prophet Isaiah. It must have been so hard to have been called to proclaim the gospel with no prospect of being taken seriously. “Who has believed our report?” (Isa.53) he lamented. As a journalist, I can identify with that. But thanks to him (and others), we can rejoice at the glorious outcome of what he prophesied. The Lord has often used Isaiah to encourage me and even call me to proclaim good news to Zion, telling them that their God reigns (Isa. 52v7)!

Moments of grace in Jewish evangelism
a Jewish Christian perspective

Moments of grace in Jewish evangelism
Joseph Steinberg
Joseph Steinberg

I am so thankful to God for what has been a very busy and fruitful summer of outreach to Jewish people.

In my last column I wrote about the plans our mission (IMJP.org) had for summer outreaches in Budapest, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, and London. Now, with these behind us, I am thrilled to share the fruit of those efforts. Once again, God is faithful!

Jewish identity: Ethnicity first, religion second

Jewish identity: Ethnicity first, religion second
Ziggy Rogoff
Ziggy Rogoff

Jewish people are a diverse people.

Some are assimilated and live much like their neighbours. Others wear black clothes with distinct black hats and preserve what they call a Torah-observant life. There are Liberal Jews, Conservative Jews, Charedi Jews, atheist Jews, and every kind of Jew in between. Some are very religious, others not at all. But they are all Jewish.

Loving our Jewish friends in the wake of tragedy

Loving our Jewish friends in the wake of tragedy
Ziggy Rogoff
Ziggy Rogoff

This week (7 October) marked two years since the world witnessed, with horror, a modern-day pogrom, events that shocked the modern conscience. And just last week, two British Jewish men were shot dead outside a synagogue in Manchester. How must the Jewish community be feeling?

This moment is not only about the fear and loss of the present; it’s also a reminder of deep, generational wounds.

Wait... Jesus was Jewish?

Wait... Jesus was Jewish?
Daniel McIlhiney
Daniel McIlhiney

I want to share a story with you that emphasises the importance of understanding Jesus’ Jewish context when speaking to your Jewish friends about Him.

I recently met with an elderly Jewish woman whose daughter was being baptised and she wanted to understand why. “How could she?” she asked me as I sat down. “How could she give up on her identity like that? I could never do that!”

Jewish tradition and radically different interpretations of the Bible

Jewish tradition and radically different interpretations of the Bible
Ziggy Rogoff
Ziggy Rogoff

Jewish tradition is rich with interpretation, layers of meaning passed down through oral teachings, commentaries, and midrash.

Many modern Orthodox Jews hold these traditions in high regard, often giving more weight to the oral interpretations than to the written text of the Bible itself.

Encouragements in Jewish evangelism
a Jewish Christian perspective

Encouragements in Jewish evangelism
Joseph Steinberg
Joseph Steinberg

I am encouraged by so many good news stories coming from the world of Jewish evangelism.

In my role as the International Coordinator of the Lausanne Consultation on Jewish Evangelism, I have the privilege of interacting with evangelistic organisations and missionaries to Jewish people from all over the world and hearing all the good that the Lord is doing right now among Jewish people.

Stop asking Jewish believers when they 'converted'

Stop asking Jewish believers when they 'converted'
Daniel McIlhiney
Daniel McIlhiney

Two days before writing this from sunny North Carolina, a well-meaning friend asked me, “so, when did you convert?” This question still makes me bristle. Perhaps it shouldn’t.

I answer him, of course, and took it as the well meaning question that it was intended to be, but that word “convert” is not a word that I, or any other Jewish believers in Jesus that I know, feel comfortable with.

Rediscovering the Jewish roots of the Gospels

Rediscovering the Jewish roots of the Gospels
Ziggy Rogoff
Ziggy Rogoff

In today's world, where Christianity is seen as distinct from Judaism, it's easy to overlook the profound Jewish roots of the New Testament. Yet, understanding the Gospels through a Jewish lens can transform our evangelism when speaking to Jewish people.

The Jewish identity of Jesus and His message

One of the most common objections to Jesus being the Messiah is that His message doesn’t seem Jewish. But Yeshua (Jesus) isn’t just Jewish; He is the Jewish King. The gospel is a message for all people but especially for Jewish people, as they were the recipients of God's promises. This good news remains as relevant for Jewish people today as it was in the first century, when 3,000 Jewish men received the Holy Spirit during the Jewish festival of Pentecost. Understanding that the gospel is rooted in Jewish culture will help you approach your Jewish friends with confidence, knowing that Jesus' message speaks directly to what it truly means to be Jewish.

How odd of God...
a Jewish Christian perspective

How odd of God...
Joseph Steinberg
Joseph Steinberg

British journalist W.N. Ewer wrote: “How odd of God to choose the Jews” and in response are the words: “But not as odd as those who choose a Jewish God and hate the Jew.”

Christian antisemitism is confounding. It is a terrible self-harm on the part of the church. In Genesis 12 the Lord chose Abraham and cut a covenant with him (Gen. 15) so that “through your offspring all the nations on earth shall be blessed.” (Gen. 22:18) What does God’s intended blessing to the nations via the Jewish people look like? It looks like the days of the early church!

Jewish people still come to Jesus

Jewish people still come to Jesus
Ziggy Rogoff
Ziggy Rogoff

There is something undeniably powerful about a personal testimony. It’s real, it’s living, and it carries the undeniable mark of God’s hand at work.

Recently, I had lunch with some Jewish friends who do not recognise Jesus as the Messiah. Instead of debating theology or trying to construct the perfect argument, I simply shared a testimony — Oli’s story. I didn’t have to persuade, argue, or convince. The testimony did the work for me, and it can for you too.

Three reasons to pray before evangelism

Three reasons to pray before evangelism
Daniel McIlhiney
Daniel McIlhiney

In our Jewish scriptures, the Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh, we read about a series of men who speak on behalf of God. These are the prophets.

The prophets’ job was to communicate on behalf of God to people. A common motif at the start of these prophetic careers is the moment of commissioning - the moments when the prophet first encounters God in a unique way (often accompanied by a “vision”, e.g. Isaiah’s vision of God on His throne or Ezekiel’s vision of God on His chariot) through prayer. Each and every prophet spoke first with God before speaking with the people. Why was Isaiah in the temple after the death of Uzziah? To pray!

Sharing Jesus with your Jewish friend

Sharing Jesus with your Jewish friend
Ziggy Rogoff
Ziggy Rogoff

You are an evangelical wanting to share the gospel with your Jewish friend.

Last year, you invited them to the carol service at Christmas, but they didn’t want to come. In January, you tried again to open a conversation about Jesus at the water cooler, and they shut you down with the answer, 'But I’m Jewish; this is not for me!'

To the Jew first
a Jewish Christian perspective

To the Jew first
Joseph Steinberg
Joseph Steinberg

As a leader in Christian mission to Jewish people, I often hear people quote Romans 1:16 where Paul writes, ‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile.’

But recently I was asked to speak from Paul’s corresponding words a few verses later in 2:9 where he writes: ‘There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.’

Israel: How outreach is changing

Israel: How outreach is changing
Luke Randall
Luke Randall

A Ukrainian-born Jewish missionary says his evangelistic approach to Jewish people has changed since the attacks on 7 October 2023.

Misha Vayshengolts, who works for International Mission to Jewish People and lives in Tel-Aviv (interviewed by en last year), revealed that he has had to change how he communicates with Jewish people since Hamas attacked and killed over 1,200 Israelis.

Antisemitism is on the rise

Antisemitism is on the rise
Daniel McIlhiney
Daniel McIlhiney

Antisemitism is on the rise. We all know it; you know it and your Jewish friends certainly know it. In the first half of last year, there were a reported 1,978 antisemitic incidents (compared with 964 in the same period of 2023).

We have just had the festival of Hannukah, a festival which commemorates (amongst other things) the victory of the Jewish Maccabean rebels over the forces of the Seleucid Emperor, Atiochus IV Epiphanes. The revolt was prompted by the antisemitism of this deranged Emperor’s forces and, as Jews across the UK gathered to celebrate God’s provision in those days, conversations would have turned to antisemitism today.

'What do you mean?': The most important question in mission

'What do you mean?': The most important question in mission
Ziggy Rogoff
Ziggy Rogoff

When sharing the gospel, we seek to contextualise without compromising, so that people can better understand concepts of sin, salvation and Messiah without being waylaid in unfamiliar ‘Christianese’. But we also remember that it is God who works through these interactions, and only He can save.

People bring their own attitudes into gospel interactions, ranging from hostile to friendly, and while their response is beyond our control, our commitment to godliness remains unwavering as we strive to make Jesus known. In fact, when people get mad with us it means something in their heart is moving.

Do we need to become conversant in Judaism?

Do we need to become conversant in Judaism?
Daniel McIlhiney
Daniel McIlhiney

There are as many kinds of Jews as there are people. Some are religious and some are not, but like all other people Jews will bring assumptions to the reading of Scripture, to the concept of God and to the claims of Yeshua, Jesus.

For a Jewish person, religious or not, these assumptions are likely influenced, directly or indirectly, by the Tanakh, the Jewish Hebrew Bible. These are also the assumptions that Jesus Himself, along with His followers, held.

Reaching our Jewish friends with the gospel

Reaching our Jewish friends with the gospel
Ziggy Rogoff
Ziggy Rogoff

I work with the charity Jews for Jesus. I live in a Jewish area. My neighbours are Jewish, the clubs I attend draw many Jewish people, and those I meet along the way are Jewish. However, all this said, most Jewish people hear the gospel from a gentile.

So, the first thing I encourage you to think about is, how do I go about meeting Jewish people? Do you meet Jewish people in your neighbourhood, or at work or on holiday?

Not ashamed
a Jewish Christian perspective

Not ashamed
Joseph Steinberg
Joseph Steinberg

As someone who has been in missionary work in the UK for over 35 years, I have noticed that the church and Christians have grown less confident in sharing Jesus with those around them.

Many fear being ridiculed by identifying themselves as Christians. This is nothing new; Christians have often suffered a fear of rejection because of their faith, thus the Apostle Peter’s exhortation in 1 Peter 3:15 to always be ready to give an answer to anyone who enquires about the hope you have within you.

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