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“The
first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We
have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).” (John 1:41)
The
word “Christian” literally means, “one
who follows Christ”. The word “Christ” comes from the Greek Christos
which, in turn, comes from the Hebrew Mashiakh
- xyvm
“anointed one”. In Israel “Christian” is traditionally
translated Notzri
(yruwn)
meaning “a Nazarene” or one who originates from the city of Nazareth
and belonging to the Nazarene sect (See Matt 2:23; Acts 24:5). However,
the context of Notzri
(yruwn)
for most Israelis is very negative. Firstly, it means that you are now a
member of another religion (twrun
-Natzrut)
and you are no longer Jewish. Secondly, you are immediately associated
with all those who have persecuted and killed the Jews through the
generations (as far as most Israelis are concerned, Hitler was a Notzri!),
therefore it is dangerous to talk to you as you may try and
“convert” Jewish people to your “religion” and make them
“non-Jewish”. In many ways it is similar to the word “Christian”
nowadays, which to most people signifies a nominal connection with the
Church rather than a true Bible-believing faith (this is why, even in
English, we often call ourselves “Believers” rather than just
“Christians”). |
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One
Israeli congregation translates Kehilat
Meshikhit into English as
“Christian Congregation”; most others render it “Messianic
Congregation.” Born-again Israeli believers and
congregations, both Jewish and Arab, refuse to use Notzri
as their self-definition, preferring instead, yxyvm
- Meshikhi.
This has the connotation of a “born-again believer.”
The word Meshikhi
(literally: “Messianic”) is a much more accurate Hebrew description
of who Jewish (and non-Jewish) believers are. It means that you are one
who has hope in and follows Messiah Yeshua. It is a very accurate
translation of the word “Christian” (see above). Most important, it
does not have the negative “baggage” which has been attached to the
word Notzri
and will certainly be a good basis for a discussion about what we
believe. Sharing the Good News about Messiah Yeshua should certainly
make us much more sensitive to what terminology we use with those who,
like Andrew, we want to hear say of Yeshua, “We have found the
Messiah”.
Gil
Alon
(BMJA
member)
Contact Gil at : GilsMiniUlpan@bmja.net
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