8.12.2017 SHARE THE NEW LIFE WITH A JEW (1976) by Moishe and Ceil Rosen (founders of Jews for Jesus

5  Prologue  the material in this booklet is derived from lectures that I prepared for  seminar on 'How to Witness to Jews' which was given in scores of churches across the country. this book is not designed to be a manual for the full-time missionary worker among the Jews, but rather it is for the dedicated christian of ordinary abilities who has possible contact with a few Jewish friends and desires to share the messiah with them.
I am indebted to my wife, Ceil, for rewriting my original material and for adding her insights. her reserve keeps her from joining me in some of the bolder activities that are required of a professional missionary to the Jews, such as street meetings and tract passing, but in her own right she has been a very successful personal evangelist. it was through her testimony as a Hebrew christian that I was first seriously confronted with the Gospel. God used her quiet witness to bring me to Christ  and to play a significant role in bringing both of our daughters to the saviour. her life has been a quiet but consistent testimony to family and neighbors. therefore, this book is especially dedicated to those quiet christians, who because of a deep conviction that they ought to witness to the Jewish people, do manage to win some of us.  Moishe Rosen.
Preface  the history of what might be termed 'modern Jewish evangelism' is only about 300 years old. the early church was Jewish; but once christianity was brought to the Gentiles, fro apostolic times until the end of the 1700s, when the Swedish Lutheran Church made attempts to reach Jewish people and all during the 1800s, when the German Lutheran Church won many to the Lord through their evangelistic efforts, nothing significant had been attempted or accomplished along these lines. even so, in every generation there have been individual Jewish people  who have believed in the claims of Jesus Christ and have received Him as Lord and Saviour. the roster would include many notables, as well as common people who 'hear Him gladly. Mr, 12.37 among such well-known names are those of the great British statesman, Benjamin Disraeli;  English theologian and writer, Alfred Edersheim and the famous German composer, Felix Mendelssohn.

why Jewish evangelism?

we must begin by recognizing the spiritual needs of the Jewish people. we believe in the integrity of the Jewish religion as it was revealed in the Old Testament. every Jew, no

8  matter what he believes, is evidence of the existence of God. he is an indication that the Holy One of Israel is real and that He keeps His Word. the preservation of the Jewish people against all the destructive forces which have been unleashed against them throughout history is not  merely a sociological phenomenon; it is a modern-day miracle.

however, even though the Jews are evidence of God's faithfulness, this does not mean that each individual Jew has a knowledge of God and enjoys the grace, love and eternal life which god intended. if we take the Bible seriously for all people. there is no salvation outside of Christ for anyone (Jn. 14.6;  Acts 4.12), and that includes the Jews. many Jews are agnostics as far as religion is concerned. they seek causes because they do not have the cause of Christ. they are a nation of missionaries without a mission, a messenger people without a message. they need the Lord Jesus Christ in order to become completed Jews. the sons of Abraham by birth must become the sons of Abraham by faith.
in the past, the Church has been willing to send missionaries to people with whom it could share some worldly  benefit and this is right. we have been able to show the love of Christ through medical missions, agricultural missionaries and missionary teachers. however, the Jewish people do not need these things from the christian church. the Jews have made significant contributions to the world in the fields of medicine and science; the average Jew has 2.5 more years of education that his Gentile counterpart; as far as agriculture is concerned, what has the church to tell people who have made the desert bloom and have developed an industrialized society with little or no raw materials?  the only thing that we, the church, have to give to the Jews is Christ.

satan's lie is that god is through dealing with the Jews and it is no use trying to witness to them because they are predisposed not to listen.
9  but the evidence of the past few years including the very substantial Jews for Jesus movement which is becoming more and more prevalent throughout the world speaks to the contrary.

the Scriptures teach,  'even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace,. Rom. 11.5 while it is true that in this age Israel as a nation will not believe, there are and will continue to be many individual Jews who will hear the gospel and receive it gladly. it is our duty as God's children to proclaim the Gospel to all people and that includes the Jews. it is not that the Jewish soul is more highly valued than that of the Asian or African or South  American, but the Jews are equally in meed of salvation. therefore, if we decline to preach the gospel to the Jews, it must be either because we consider our gospel unworthy of the Jews, or the Jews unworthy of the gospel. in the first instance, we would be failing to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and only Saviour of the whole world, and in the second instance, we would be guilty of the most subtle form of anti-Semitism.
Jewish people Are coming to Christ and this should be an encouragement to those who know that it is God's desire that they should witness to their Jewish friends and neighbors, but approach the subject with some degree of fear and uncertainty. the harvest of Jewish souls is not such that it can be cut with a scythe. rather, in the field of Jewish evangelism, the laborer must extend a Christ-gentled hand to pick the fruit which is ripe unto harvest.

What Makes Jewish Evangelism So Difficult?

in radio days, a well-known comedian had a routine wherein as a salesman he would approach the door of an intended customer, nervously right the doorbell and say to himself, 'there's nobody home, I hope, I hope, I hope! if the door was opened the clumsy salesman would begin, 'You don't want to buy a -, to you?
10  and of course, he was right. the would-be customer never wanted to buy! many christians approach Jewish evangelism the same way. they expect defeat, so they're not disappointed. they expect Jews to refuse Christ, so they make an uncertain approach if they dare to make one at all.

the radio comedian's salesman made 3 fatal errors: he lacked faith in his product, he was unaware of the customer's needs and he did not believe in his own ability to present that which was to be sold.

salesmanship is no substitute for a Spirit-led ministry, but there is something to be learned and applied here by those who would follow our Lord's command to preach the Gospel to every creature. the first hurdle, that of not having faith in what we are presenting, should be one which has already been overcome by the witnessing christian, or he wouldn't be wanting to share the 'product' with others. second, we know that the client needs the product, even though he himself may be unaware of his need. and third, we should have confidence in our ability to 'sell the product' because Christ promised that we would be given power through the Holy Spirit to preach the Gospel to every creature, in obedience to His command.
why, then, do many feel that it is so difficult to witness to God's ancient people? upon examining this question, we discover 3 barriers which are common roadblocks in communicating the Gospel to the Jews.
they fear creating an unpleasant situation. they fear that their Jewish friends will misconstrue their efforts at communicating the Good News as an aggression against their religion and that this may destroy the friendship. if the person to whom they would witness is not in the 'friend' category, they nevertheless are intimidated by the possibility of a hostile reaction from a stranger.

they don't know where or how to begin. they may feel awkward and doubt that they can initiate the testimony in a respectable, effective manner.
11  they have a sense of inadequacy in handling the Scriptures. many christians believe that all Jews have a deep, scholarly knowledge of the Old Testament, and they feel unprepared and timid to discuss the Bible with someone whom they suppose to be so well versed on the subject.

the following pages contain simple procedures and a basic orientation which can help evangelical christians overcome some of he barriers which might discourage hem from trying to share their faith with their Jewish friends.
remember, though, no procedure, no technique, no human effort, will make a person secure for eternity. only when the Spirit of God directs, can we be sure of the correct motivation.  (Zech. 4.6)  then the correct and basic missionary methods, adapted to the Christian's own personality and to the situation in which he finds himself, will bear fruit.

Chapter 1 - Defining Basics

13  if you are a christian, you have entered into a relationship with the God of Israel which came through the Jewish people through whom God gave the Bible, the prophets and the Messiah. it is the duty of every christian to present the claims of Christ to an unbelieving world, including the Jews. indeed the apostle Paul writes in Romans 1.16 that the Gospel of Christ which is the power of God unto salvation is 'to the Jew first'.
What is the Gospel?

we use the term Gospel in everyday religious jargon, early always without thinking it through, as an adjective or band name. we talk of Gospel songs, Gospel preachers, Gospel believers and Gospel bookstores it is important to know for a certainty just what the Gospel really is before you attempt to share it with others. as usual, the best definition can be found in the Bible:

moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you... that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. I Cor. 15.1-4
Who's Who?

all the people in the world today fall into one of 3 categories:

14  Jews
ask any 4 Jewish people who or what a Jew is and you are likely to get 5 different answers. but for scriptural purposes, let us consider a Jew to be anyone who is a member by birth of the people with whom God established covenants.

Gentiles
a Gentile is Any non-Jew. the word is derived from the Hebrew Goyim, which means 'nations'.

Christians
a christian is Anyone who has entered into the new birth through personal acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. a Christian may be a Gentile or a Jew and neither has more esteem or privilege than the other. however, the distinction remains; just as there are Christian men and christian women, so there are christian Jews and christian gentiles.

the important point to remember in witnessing to anyone is to witness to the individual. thus, do not witness to the Jews. but, rather, to a Jewish person. 

2  Basic Judaism

there are 3 major branches of Judaism: Orthodox, Conservative and Reform christians and many Jews, view the Conservative and Reform movements as merely lesser quantities of he same religion. each of the branches of Judaism adheres to a certain set of tenets and each has its own emphasis.  but the major differences arise in liturgical practices rather than theology.

Orthodox Judaism
..maintains as much as possible the ancient religious observances and the traditions of the Fathers. the Orthodox rabbi would teach that through strict adherence to the traditional liturgy of Judaism, the Jew is enabled to live a live based upon good ethics. the truly O Jew makes a valiant attempt to keep the Law of Moses, but will readily admit that the task is almost an impossibility;  however, when confronted with the inevitable failure , he maintains that the important thing is the heart's desire to perform the duties, rather than the actual success in doing so.

Reform Judaism
...on the other hand, no longer employs most of the liturgy which is traditional to European Jewry. less of the worship service is conducted in Hebrew; much of the traditional
16  has been discarded; emphasis on the supernatural has been deleted. ...places maximum emphasis on ethics and self-realization and minimum emphasis on the liturgy of Judaism. they feel that it is not important to keep the traditional laws and customers of their ancestors, which are often treated as superstitions. Reform Jews seek to adapt the practices and objectives of their religion to the changing times. recently  a poll showed  that less than 10% of all Reform rabbis believe in a 'personal God' in any traditional sense.
Conservative Judaism
...would say that it seeks to achieve a balance between ethics and liturgy. this branch of Judaism considers it wrong to overemphasize either the liturgical or the ethical aspects. C Jews retain those elements which they feel have become antiquated in modern day life. they employ much of the Hebrew worship service,but seek to update it through English translations  and a few modern innovations which their more Orthodox brethren would not consider appropriate, at the same time, there is a strong tendency to deemphasize the supernatural. C Judaism has approximately one and a half million adherents in the US and is the fastest growing of the three major movements most C synagogues or temples are found in the suburbs, to which many Jews are moving.

Minor Offshoots

in addition to these three..there are minor offshoots:

Reconstructionist Movement
..a branch of the C movement, advocates that since Judaism is a culture and

17  way of life as well as a religion,it is a religious civilization requiring constant adaptation to contemporary conditions so that the Jews can identify more meaningfully and readily with the Jewish community.
Chassidic Movement
..is ultra-orthodox and they are strict in every aspect of their religion, especially in keeping the Law of Moses. because of its mystical qualities and missionary zeal, Ch is growing, especially among young Jews. the Ch movement is essentially separatist and avoids social relationships with non-Jews.

Zionism
...is sometimes mistaken to be a religious movement, but it is essentially a political movement, concerned with a return to the land of Israel rather than with any religious ideology.

an easy way to remember the Jewish denominations is to compare Orthodox Judaism with Roman Catholicism or the Greek Orthodox Church, both of which place great emphasis on traditions. then Reform J can be compared to Unitarianism, with an emphasis on humanism, and Conservative J would be like modern liberal Protestantism, with more emphasis on form rather than doctrinal content. there is on Jewish equivalent to the fundamentalist or evangelical christian churches, which emphasize a personal relationship with God in accordance with the Bible. Orthodox J is sometimes mistakenly seen that way, but it is more concerned with living in a traditional way according to the precepts and interpretations of the Rabbis, who are doctrinally related to the ancient Pharisees, than with a personal relationship with God.

Difference in Witnessing
does it matter, in witnessing to a Jewish person, to which branch of Judaism he belongs?
18  it can be a small factor, but generally it will not be as important as the denominationally oriented Gentile might believe. this is because it is not necessarily true that a person who identifies himself with a particular synagogue holds strictly to the tenets of that denomination. for the most part, the Jew of today joins a synagogue for reasons other than doctrine, such as proximity to his home, the fact that his friends or relatives attend there or his admiration for the eloquence or social outlook of the local rabbi.
 in an article published in a popular Jewish magazine, it was stated by one rabbi that most of those persons who attend a synagogue do not take the teachings seriously. he said that there is little intersect in Talmudic ethics or philosophy of religion, but, rather, what is being sought by those who attend is the pragmatic value of some religious affiliation and the accompanying peace of mind which they hope it will produce. he pointed out that ideological differences are of little concern to the average worshiper. 

Witnessing Principles

all of this should help to establish certain principles in witnessing to a Jewish person. deal with the individual and not with his denomination or affiliation. don't categorize those Jews whom you know; chances are you will be wrong. don't be surprised if the Jewish person does not have any denominational orientation. many Jews are not affiliated with any synagogue or temple, and, of those who are, most attend infrequently.
Jewish people are confused between religious obligation and moral imperatives. relatively few Jews would hold to the view that the Scriptures are the Word of God and that they have an obligation to study them in order to determine what God would require of them as individuals. there are many Jews who give nominal assent the Bible but do not believe that they have any incumbent obligations. they do not question the truthfulness
19  of the Scriptures,  but if they keep the Sabbath and do not eat pork or shellfish, it is not because they feel that God commands it,  but rather because this is part of their heritage as Jews.
then there are those Jews who hold an antisupernatural view of the Bible. the record of miracles and revelations is merely fables to them; yet, they feel they must maintain the moral and ethical teachings of the Old Testament. they go through the Bible like someone in a supermarket, selecting from the shelves only what they want and bypassing the rest.
many Jews claim to be atheists or agnostics and are anti-religious. because of their cultural heritage, they, like most of their Jewish brethren, become deeply involved in contemporary causes. because they have accepted the moral-social justice. for the most part, they would admit that they are somewhat confused about religion, since even the rabbis often contradict one another's views. to this kind of Jew, it seems that there might or might not be a God, but he doubts that he or anyone else has the ability to know. consequently, concepts of God and His will are moot questions to him. nevertheless, there is still something of the Jewish mystique which binds all Jews together in such a way that they cannot forsake their Jewishness.
the important factor in your witness will be what views your Jewish contact holds. does he believe the Bible is a book of myths? does he consider it to be partially true? does he consider it to be the revealed Word of God?  what role does he assign to God, the Bible, and religion in his own life?

a christian witness can only begin when the individual comes to the realization that there Is a God and that He requires something from him. this fact must be demonstrated and accepted before the witness can proceed.

Chapter 3 - Understanding Sensitivities

20  do not make the mistake of thinking that 'Jews are just like anybody else. Jews do not see themselves that way. they do not respond to the Gospel 'just like anybody else.  to them, Christianity is 'the religion of the Gentiles' and Gentile motives toward Jews are under suspicion.
a well-known Jewish author, Herman Wouk, portrays this feeling that most Jews have about Gentiles: that underneath it all, most non-Jews have about Gentiles:  that underneath it all, most non-Jews harbor a tinge of resentment against Jewish people. in his book, This Is My God, he puts it this way:
     'get 2 non-Jews confiding in each other, after cautiously finding that they have enough common ground not to mistake each other for the kind of mental defective called an anti-Semite and they are likely to agree that notwithstanding all
21  this liberal talk Jews tend to be brash, pushing, sharp in business, vulgar in manners, loud in public and so clannish that they band in a knot against the christian world. they will also agree that they know Jews who are different and that they number such Jews among their valued friends. there are, of course, many christians who will take no part in such an exchange. but the reader will recognize the commonplaces. 
Wouk might be surprised to find out that non-Jews in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina spend very little time thinking about the Jewish people many have never met a Jew; most are not even very curious. however, because Jews spend a great deal of time thinking. it will be a help to you and your witness not only to read such books but also to be alert to newspaper and magazine articles about the Jews.
the Jewish people are unique in history, culture and outlook. because of these differences, Jewish evangelism must be different, because it must speak to a people who live within a certain cultural framework.  Jewish culture is different from all other non-christian cultures, inasmuch as it is based on a religious framework of God-given holiday celebrations, dietary laws and the Bible.

Jewishness Is a Way of Life
but Jewishness is more than a religion: it is a way of life;  it is a way of relating one to another. it is good to read the writings of the rabbis, but when you compare them with the writings of contemporary Jewish novelists, you will realize that there is a wide gap in thinking between the ideals of the rabbis
22  and the real life of the Jewish people of today. the common Jewish viewpoint on religion is far removed from that of the Jewish clergyman, although there do remain some points of agreement.

christianity is a redemptive religion, concerned first with the problem of sin and salvation and subsequently with how to live the christian life;  but present-day Judaism is a Moral Religion, concerned with how to live and maintain the Jewish identity. Jewish religious thinkers and the Jewish man on the street tend to presume redemption or salvation. the Jewish person is not anticipating gaining eternal life and avoiding hell. if he thinks about sin at all, he thinks about it in terms of evil deeds, wherein he has wronged his fellowman, even if he has failed to observe the Sabbath or has broken the dietary laws, he is more concerned about letting his grandparents down than he is about offending God.
the average Jew is not likely to attend religious services as frequently as the non-Jew. he regards the temple or synagogue as the fountainhead of his religion, but he might not personally feel the need for religion. what, if anything, the Jewish person is primarily seeking from his religion, is a discovery of his own identity and help in working out some of the mysterious belongs within him which can only be accounted for by the fact that he is Jewish.

Jews Presume a Standing with God

the Jew presumes a standing with God by virtue of his ancestry
23  thing. but he might choose to do the Jewish thing through organizations other than religious institutions .  the synagogue might help to define imperatives and develop a sense of Jewish consciousness, but, after all, the individual has so many options, such as charities, social causes, etc., within the Jewish community, that he can only follow a few. and he might well decide to follow some of these other options outside of the synagogue.

most Jewish people think in a we-they relationship with regard to the christian community. this is because the Jewish person assumes that all Gentiles are christians. he does not realize that there is a distinction between the truly committed follower of Jesus and the Gentile persecutors of the Jews down through the ages. to him, Hitler, the leaders of the Spanish Inquisition and Billy Graham fall into the same category; they are not Jewish, so they must be christians. therefore, he reasons, to believe in Jesus Christ is to go over to the side of the 'enemy'.

the basic point that christians must understand is that even though the Jewish person may not be able to define what it means to be a Jew, he feels an obligation of loyalty to his people, an obligation to Always Remain A Jew. his honor and personhood depend on it. he's been taught from the cradle that Judaism and christianity are mutually exclusive categories that when a Jew accepts Christ, he has deserted his people and is no longer a Jew. therefore, he feels he must resist the claims of Christ.

Chapter 4 - The Fence of Offence

in general, there are several areas where christians unconsciously and unintentionally offend Jewish people. this may be due in part to differences in culture, or to a lack of sensitivity to Jewish thinking on certain matters. whatever the cause, the effect is to raise a barrier instead of building a relationship where communication can begin. 

Christians Appear Puritanical

one such cultural stumbling block is that evangelical christians appear to the Jewish eye to be somewhat dour and puritanical. picture the average christian wedding reception: well-groomed but conservatively dressed wedding guests mill about or gather in small groups, nibbling the traditional wedding cake, assorted salted nuts and pastel-colored mints. they sip coffee or punch as they greet friends and occasionally the low murmur of conversation will be punctuated by polite laughter or the squeals of a few excited teenagers. the most boisterous occurrence is the departure of the newlyweds amid showers of rice or confetti and the whole thing is over in an hour or two.

contrast this scene in your mind with the typical Jewish wedding reception: elaborately dressed friends and relatives raise their voices in cheerful greetings above the din of an orchestra, which is alternately playing hora (note. - fast-paced music for Israeli folk dances) tunes and

25  contemporary music, waiters in formal attire nimbly skirt the dance floor as they serve a seven course sit-down meal or endlessly refill hot and cold buffet dishes. the festivities and music continue for hours, only to be interrupted from time to time by the master of ceremonies as he tells a joke, reads aloud an newly delivered telegram or proposes a toast. can you begin to see the wideness of the culture gap?
while basic morals and ethics remain the same, there is a larger area which does not involve what is right and wrong,  but, rather, what is considered good or bad taste. in Jewish circles, people tend to be more sophisticated and worldly in their outlook.  I think of a particular instance where a christian who wanted to show his concern for the Jewish people attended a Jewish funeral. he was somewhat puzzled by the Jewish tradition where after the services the funeral party comes back to the home of the deceased and the family prepares a quick meal for the mourners. there is a small ceremony to sanctify the occasion which involves the drinking of a cup of wine. this Christian had scruples against using alcohol as a beverage and did not realize that he was in the midst of a ceremonial situation. he refused the wine which was handed to him with the declaration that he as a christian felt that all drinking of alcohol was wrong and he cited several bible verses. it would have been far better if he had just touched the glass to his lips and put it back on thee tray, rather than to try to preach to the bereaved family about christian separation.
many Jews have been repelled by the all too apparent austerity of some christians, because, to a degree, it does violence to Jewish sensitivities. a good example in the cultural differences might be seen in the matter of dress. christian good taste calls for modesty and neatness, whereas generally Jewish people would consider attractiveness to be foremost. christians might consider Jews to be ostentatious, while Jews might consider Christians to be too plain.

christians tend to be too effusive in declaring love. many

26  Evangelicals make the mistake of telling Jewish people, 'we love the Jews. this is a startling declaration, since Jews are very mindful of anti-Semitism. one well-meaning christian woman said, 'we love the Jews because they gave us the Bible and the Saviour. her listener simply could not identify with this. he personally did not intend to give the Bible to anyone; and as far as the Saviour was concerned, he didn't believe that Christ was the Saviour.  and so, this declaration of love found no response in the heart of the hearer. do not tell Jewish people that you love them; show them your love by your actions of kindness and consideration!
Certain Words are Offensive
the way that you address people in your conversations is important, too. sometimes a christian will make the mistake of speaking in the second person, plural:  'you Jews are still looking for the coming of the Messiah. not all Jews are looking for the coming of the messiah, and the hearer resents the term, 'You Jews. he wants to be dealt with as an individual rather than as a class or race of people. when speaking bout the Jewish people, it is always better to speak in the third person. talk about 'the Jewish people'  rather than 'you Jews'.
another area of offense is the tendency to refer to the female gender as a 'Jewess'.  this is a patronizing
(def - condescending) and demeaning term, even though some Jewish people might describe themselves with it. the better term is 'Jewish girl' or 'Jewish woman'.  when speaking of the Jewish people in general, say 'the Jewish people' rather than 'the Jews',  and when speaking about a male Jewish person, use the term 'Jewish man' or 'Jewish boy'.  rather than talk about 'a Jew I was talking to', say  'an acquaintance of mine who is Jewish'.  the term Jewish as an adjective should never e sued to describe anything other than the people, land , religion, or language. if you are talking about 'Jewish money', Jewish bankers' or 'Jewish control of newspapers',   you might well be guilty of anti-Semitic attitudes.
27  do not use words like 'missionary' or 'mission'. these words are associated in the minds of Jewish people with the dregs of society who need a rescue mission, or a primitive people who need medical or technological help or worse yet, with people or groups who get paid to snatch unsuspecting souls away from their own faith.
you must also be aware of the fact that certain other words, which are Christian jargon, have a negative emotional valance.  avoid using hymnbook language and metaphors and stick with the kind of language that can be found in the everyday newspaper. some of the christian terms which draw a negative response are: born again, blood of the Lamb, holy trinity, cross, church, convert, christian, Saviour, saved. to a christian, the cross might be the symbol of god's love,  but to the Jew it is a symbol of an alien religion which has often persecuted Jews in the past.

you will surely be suspected of being anti-semitic if you tell Jewish jokes to Jews. Jewish people do tell many jokes about themselves, but they do not know how to react to these jokes when they come from non-Jews. the 'Rabbi, Priest, and protestant Minister' stories usually have the rabbi behaving in a stereotype manner and talking with a heavy Yiddish accent and by telling these kinds of jokes to Jews, you may cause them to think that you are ridiculing them.

Leaders Should Not be Criticized.

Never, under any circumstances, criticize Jewish leaders. this does not mean that leaders in the Jewish community are above criticism. however, do not make that sort of statement, nor accept criticism of Jewish leaders from a Jewish person. he might be testing you to see if his expression represents your sentiments. for example, if your Jewish friend says, 'the rabbis are only interested in money and what they can get',  do not let that remark pass without letting him know that you disagree. otherwise, he might think that you feel that way yourself
28  and that you generally hold Jewish people in low esteem.

another important factor in being sensitive to Jewish people and Jewish thinking is that you should not confuse polite interest in hearing your testimony with deep spiritual hunger. at times, the Jewish person might appear to be subjectively interested in considering Christ, when he is merely curious. to some christians, his has been a frustrating experience as they tried to answer a casual inquiry with intense and persuasive efforts to present the Gospel. usually when christians become overbearing, it closes the channels of communication.
because of centuries of persecution perpetrated by people whom the Jews mistakenly identify as christians, Jews are naturally defensive in varying degrees. the foremost rule for sensitivity in Jewish evangelism is to remember that most Jews are suspicious of and defensive toward christianity. they must be brought to see the Gospel, the person of Christ and true Christianity in a different light.

Chapter 5 - You Think it's True, But -

some commonly held notions about witnessing to Jews are generally not true. these wrong ideas about the people or the very nature of evangelism can keep you from being effective in your witness because they will lead you to speak or deal with your contacts unrealistically. 

The Fallacy of Formula

there are those who think that proper witnessing consists of following a number of precepts or principles, like so many stepping-stones along the path which leads to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. but those who follow formula evangelism, like those who seek the pot of gold, may find themselves lost in the wilderness.  the worst thing about formula evangelism is that it often uses manipulation in order to secure consent. perhaps the weak-minded or the weak-willed can be so guided by another that they will consent to repeat the words accepting Christ. but there are very few Jews who are that susceptible to manipulation; and even if there were, those who would consent without the reality of the experience would fall away just as easily, as soon s they were confronted by opposition or enticements from another manipulator.
all communication does involve a process of presenting a point and having it accepted before introducing another ( ie.  it would do little good to present the lord Jesus Christ as Saviour from sin unless the hearer first understood that all men
30  are guilty of sin and need a savior).  but the problem arises when we invest too much confidence in one particular method or process. it makes us insensitive and unresponsive. then, if it fails, we get the false notion that we are using the wrong technique or formula and all we need do is find another formula which will then automatically produce results. I have been a missionary of Jewish people since 1956 and hundreds of my Jewish brethren have come to Christ as a result of my ministry, and I certainly did not follow the same procedure with each.
the fallacy of using a formula was brought home to me early in my ministry. I was then always careful to use only the prescribed language i had been taught in a certain Jewish evangelism class. I always referred to the Saviour as Yeshua Hamashiach  (the Hebrew translation) rather than 'Jesus Christ' and the hymnal we used in our meetings was in Yiddish, with English translations on the opposite pages. one lady was very faithful in attending our weekly meetings over a period of 6 months. she loved singing the Yiddish songs, but I don't think she ever read the English translations she even stood up in the meeting and told how much she love Yeshua. then one day she found out the Yeshua meant Jesus and she never came back! now, I am not against using the name Yeshua  as a missionary technique, but the Jewish person must understand that we are talking about Jesus! the point is that to rely on special Jewish language, special steps of presentation, or any other method as the only 'right way' is fallacious.
often the would -be evangelist feels that the key  to successful evangelism must be in some magic formula. he thinks,  'If I can be wholly dedicated to the Lord and really live for Him, if I can become thoroughly familiar with how Jewish people think, and if I can learn just the right language and the right Scriptures to quote then I'm bound to succeed every time.  there is no magic formula. and even if there were, who could live up to all those things all of the time.

this does not mean, however, that you should not be aware of the wrong methods and avoid them. don't rely on God to pull your chestnuts out of the fire if you do a sloppy, thoughtless job. but it is a comfort to know that He can overrule unintentional mistakes.I think of the testimony of a stately older Jewish woman,whose husband was the president of his synagogue. she came to Christ through the most clumsy witness imaginable. I was horrified to hear that when she began to consider spiritual matters because a tactless christian neighbor approached her on the street one day and said, 'You're such a nice woman; it's a shame that you are going to hell because you don't believe in Jesus! there's no worse way to begin a witness to anyone; yet the Holy Spirit used that occasion to begin a work of grace in that woman's heart and she was saved.
to sum it all up, then, it's not a matter of learning proper techniques. repentance and conversion are brought about by a moving of the Holy Spirit and though this book might present a certain formula,it is only one of many that could be suggested. the real key to success in Jewish evangelism is two-fold: a willing spirit and much patience.we must proclaim the message to many, that  few might be saved.

The Fallacy of Love

one of the most common fallacies among witnessing christians is that all we must do  is show enough love and a person will be won to Christ. Jewish people, in particular, need to see this love from christians, for the history of Jewish-christian relationships has been written in blood and punctuated with violence. there has been enough of an unloving attitude on the part of the identifiable Church to cause a deep-seated resentment, or, at least, a feeling among the Jewish community that 'they (the Gentiles) don't understand us and don't care enough to try. 

however, it must be realized that extending love for the purpose of evangelizing a people is not love at all, but merely
32  bait. love which has qualifications is just a posture and a pose.  Christians must be willing to show Jews that they love them as Jews, whether or not they believe in Christ. and the Jews need the actions of love, not merely words.
a common fallacy with regard to love is that 'love conquers all'.  we cannot love people to Christ. even when christian love is shown, not all Gentiles will believe, nor will all of the Jews come to Christ. after all, God showed His love to the infinite degree at Calvary and His love has not obtained uniform and consistent results in the hearts of inconsistent men.

there is the matter of what each Jew construes as his own personal integrity, because even to contemplate accepting Christ is to plot spiritual treason.

if a child were raised in a neglectful home which did not meet his needs nor give him the appreciation, approval, acceptance,and growth factors he needed, he would be wanting. nevertheless, if there were a neighbor who was willing to take him in, this does not mean that the child would necessarily be able to accept the offer . he might feel duty bound to remain the child of his parents. so it is with the Jewish person; sometimes even the offer of love from another place, particularly when that love and attention are deeply needed, will only cause inner conflict.

frequently the world uses the word 'love' and declares 'love' because a certain response is desired. but 'love' conditioned on response is not love at all, but seduction. real love is given graciously, whether or not a person responds. 
the thoughtful  christian will not be covetous of Jewish souls. he will want to relate as a person to Jewish people. he will not be  spiritual scalp hunter, going after souls for the glory of God, but he will be a faithful witness. his love will not be bait, but genuine. the reason he will preach Christ is because he knows it is God's way for Jew and Gentile, he will continue preaching in love, even if there is no apparent response to his message.

33  The Fallacy of Impact

in evangelical circles we often talk in terms of 'gospel impact'. impact, in a physical sense, cause pain and sometimes injury. in the past, thoughtless christians have approached the Jewish person without properly appraising their message or the capacity of their contact to receive it. often the Church is talking At the Jews instead of talking To them. the difference is obvious. think of the Gospel message as a baseball. if you throw the ball At a person, you set your aim, velocity and trajectory for impact and his most logical reaction would be to duck in order to avoid getting hit!  on the other hand, when you throw a ball To a person, you set the aim, velocity and trajectory so that he  may reach out and receive it. the message of God's love and redemption must be preached To the Jews and not At them to carry the analogy further, you must be prepared to be involved in 'the game' through prayer and conditioning of your spiritual muscles;  you must be able to discern whether or not the other person is willing to be on the receiving end and you must use the proper equipment. you can't play baseball with a gold club or tennis with a volley ball.
how does all this apply  to witnessing to Jews? BE SURE YOUR CONTACT IS AGREEABLE  to being on the receiving end, and adapt your message to language the Jewish person can readily understand and identify with. above all, DON'T PUSH him FASTER THAN  HE WANTS TO GO. show love and understanding, don't rely on any one method or approach, but do BE MINDFUL OF AREAS OF OFFENSE.

Chapter 6  - Where is the Jewish Community?

if the aim of our Gospel ball is to the Jewish community, we must first define 'community'. just about every christian who has attended church for a length of time has heard a sermon or at least a short admonition on  'witnessing to our own community'.  this does not refer to a geographic location or specific neighborhood. but, in this instance,  'community' is used in a broader sense.

at one time, a christian who wanted to witness to Jewish people knew that he could find a specific part of town where most  of the Jews lived and direct his efforts there.  today Jewish people live everywhere. the ghetto days are over and if there  are some who have a tendency to concentrate in certain neighborhoods, there are many others who do not. you, as a witnessing christian, must understand this wider view of what actually comprises the Jewish community. 

no christian is part of the Jewish community, even if he is living in a 'Jewish neighborhood'.  on the other hand, many Jews who do not live in a Jewish neighborhood are, nevertheless,part of the Jewish community. 'community' is not the same as 'neighborhood'.  there are social and psychological elements which bind Jews together. these people might live in entirely different parts of a city and seldom, if ever, see one another; yet, they are part of the same community.

the following elements comprise the Jewish community.

35  Commonality

in this way only, some christians live in a Jewish community. commonality is the sharing of the same residential area, the same schools, civil services and commercial enterprise. it is the only element of the Jewish community which is ever shared by non-Jews.

Constitution

these are the entity-establishing institutions that serve to separate Jews from other people and identify them together.  the Jewish community is constituted to be together. there is a whole plethora of organizations with which Jews identify.  these include more than the synagogue or temple. there are Jewish community centers, Jewish free-loan societies, Jewish counseling services, Jewish relief organizations, Jewish social clubs, et cetera. these organizations are constituted to reinforce the Jewish identity.

Communication

here in the United States, almost all Jews speak English;  but words vary in connotation. as mentioned earlier, words which bring forth positive emotional valences from christians, such as 'cross' or Church', do not mean the same to the Jews. to the christian, the church is his spiritual home;  to the Jew, it is the Gentile agency of persecution. to the christian, the cross is the symbol of God's love;  to the Jew, it has often been raised as a symbol of hostility.

a zealous christian once tried to talk to her Jewish neighbor.  her speech  was effusive and filled with devotional adjectives. in describing what the Savior had done for her, she kept referring to 'our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ'.  in exasperation, the Jewish woman finally said, 'Let's get one thing straight.  to you, He's 'our blessed Lord Jesus Christ',  but to me, He's not! He's yours, not mine;  don't include me in the 'our'. Second, He's not blessed as far as I'm concerned. even your people use His

36  name as a swear word, and He's not brought anything but anguish to the Jews.  third, He's not 'Lord' to me. we Jews believe in one Lord and it's not Jesus. fourth, He's not 'Christ' to me. if I really believed in my own Jewish religion, I would believe that the Christ is still to come and you believe that he already came. to them, He's simply 'Jesus'!
to illustrate further, christians speak warmly of evangelism as the church's main endeavor; Jews use the word 'proselytism' (def - change from one religion to another),  which has a negative connotation. Jews like to be considered 'worldly' because it means the same as 'wise' to them; christians don't want to be 'worldly' because to them it means 'unspiritual'.

it's not only in theological language that Jews and christians fail to communicate. on the surface, values appear to be the same;  but Jews have a whole meaning of their own, and a complete experience, which is beyond Gentiles and cannot be communicated, just as christians have an experience in Christ which is difficult to describe to one who has not been born again.

it's no secret that, for the most part, the Church is talking to itself in a language which it accepts. but until christians understand the meaning of the Jewish experience and can communicate within the framework of that experience, much of its talking will continue to be at the Jewish people. instead of To them.

Culture

every community has its own culture. christians often fail to recognize that they have their own cultural frame of reference. here in the United states, the evangelical church has taken on extrabiblical values. in certain churches, the preacher is not considered spiritual unless he proclaims his message in a loud voice with strong emotional tones;  and the congregation is not thought to be reacting in a spiritual fashion unless it responds with loud, approving 'amens' and 'hallelujahs'.  to show reverence in praying, christians have adopted the practice

37  of bowed heads, closed eyes, clasped hands and perhaps kneeling. the Jews have seen these same postures of prayer in all idolatrous systems. Jews pray standing, with eyes open and heads covered, to show their reverence.
because of racial experience, Jewish humor tends more toward irony. a rabbi and a pastor speak quite differently from the pulpit.  the rabbi will strive to have an assured tone of voice.  he will cite only a little Scripture in his sermon, an occasional illustration and many opinions of the rabbis. on the other hand,  a christian sermon is replete with Scripture and illustrations. it contains few, if any, opinions from other churchmen, ans is delivered in a proclaiming tone of voice.

the  rabbi wants to be eloquent and appear wise; the preacher wants to be both relevant and urgent. synagogue services usually last longer than a church service and allow the worshiper the freedom to come and go in the middle, as he pleases. the Scripture reading in the synagogue is much longer (as much as 6 chapters at a time) than in the church service. but most of the congregation does not understand it because it is read in Hebrew as part of the liturgy.

Jews have more celebrations than christians. the celebration of a circumcision or confirmation is an occasion for which a family might even mortgage their home and, as mentioned before, weddings are often very lavish. modern Jews do not make much of the Sabbath, but they do celebrate religious holidays in an elaborate manner. to the Jew, christian events often seem sterile, preachy and ceremonial. he always feels like outsiders when they attend  Jewish celebrations.

Jews tend to be more liberal in their political persuasions than their Gentile socioeconomic counter-parts. perhaps this is due to the emphasis on social justice given by the prophets or to centuries of being an oppressed minority.  they also tend to seek causes and projects that will elevate man socially, educationally and economically.
39  always be outside of the Jewish community. many of us who are Jews who believe in Jesus will not be allowed to be part of the Jewish community, even though we maintain this commitment. each Jew has a commitment to remain Jewish.  this maintaining of the Jewish identity is the most crucial issue in Jewish evangelism. those Jews who don't believe in Jesus want to be able to say that those who do believe have forsaken their commitment to Judaism. as construed by most Jews, commitment means to accept the destiny, continue in the culture, and share the benefits and responsibilities for Jewish institutions. Jews may interpret this commitment in a variety of ways,  but each one feels a sense of imperative to maintain his Jewish identity.
no, christians do not live in a Jewish community, nor could they.  we don't witness to the Jewish community; we witness to members of the Jewish community if we lovingly apply ourselves to the skills of communication.

Chapter 7 - Get in Starting Position

40  for many who would like to share their faith with a Jewish person the big problem seems to be: where and how do I begin? once the approach has been made and the conversation is pointed toward spiritual matters, things become easier. the following are some ways to pass this bottleneck.

Witness Only to your Friends

make it your policy to limit discussion of serious spiritual matters to those Jewish people with whom you have a friendly relationship. you would probably not react warmly to a stranger who began a conversation by asking intimate questions. even so, most Jewish people consider religion a personal matter which is not to be discussed lightly with strangers. if you want to witness  to a person whom you do not know, form a friendship first. as little as 5 minutes of pleasant conversation can be the basis of a lasting friendship. let your Jewish contact know that you like him as a person. if it takes all of the first meeting to cultivate a friendship, this will not be time wasted.  don't be too eager; you can't catch a fish until it nibbles. if the person resists being steered into a conversation about spiritual matters, don't give up. the opportunity may arise the next time. just be sure to record the person's name and address for future contact.

you might, ask,  'How can I form a friendship with a Jewish

41  person? it shouldn't be any harder than making friends with a Gentile. show by your conversation and actions that you are interested in him as a person.  seek out interests, such as hobbies, employment or neighborhood activities as a basis of conversation. anyone is usually pleased to talk about his family, his achievements or his pet interests. encourage your Jewish friends to talk and be a good listener. even if you are only able to do 10% of the talking, it's not how much you say, but what you say during your allotted time that counts.
a good gesture of friendship is to remember to send greeting cards to your Jewish friends at Jewish holiday times like Passover, the Jewish New Year and Hanukah. they will greatly appreciate the fact that you respect their religion.

Move to Sacred Topics

once you are past the hurdle of initiating a friendship, the next problem will be how to move from secular topics to sacred topics. often the fear of ruining a cordial relationship has kept Christians from sharing their faith with Jewish friends. although it is possible to destroy a friendship by heated arguments over religion, this need not be the case if you  are careful to approach the matter in a positive way and respect the dignity of the individual. God has commanded us to confess Christ before men, not to convert them. if we are faithful to our task,  He will cause the seeds we sow to flourish and bear fruit. most Jewish people will admire your strong personal faith and will not be offended if you tell them what Christ has done for you.

if you have known the person for a number of years, your task will be easier because he will know you and respect your viewpoint. establish at the outset that you know that he is Jewish and that the things you are saying are based on that knowledge. otherwise, he will listen politely, then tell you that what you are saying is very nice for you, but it doesn't apply to him because he is Jewish.

42  Find Out if He is Jewish

if the individual is a new acquaintance, you might begin by asking if he is a Gentile. by immediately asking if he is Jewish you would set him on guard against you. in the face of anti-Semitism, Jewish people often have been singled out for unfavorable attention and they will respond defensively to such a direct question.
case in point: when i was 9 years old, I decided, in the spirit of adventure, to explore beyond my own very Jewish neighborhood. I walked a mile or so past all the familiar landmarks until I found 3 boys about my age, digging in an empty lot. it looked like thy were having fun making a carve, so I edged closer and closer, hoping they would see me and invite me to join them. after a few minutes, they did notice me. one of them set down his spade and said, 'Hi, do you live around here?

I shook my head. 'Uh-uh, I'm just taking a walk.
'where do you go to school?  do you go to Ashland?
'No, I replied. I go to Cheltenham.
'Where do you live?
I told him my address.
by then he had walked closer to me.
he cocked his head and raised an eyebrow.
'That's over in Jew-Town,  isn't it?

I  was bewildered because I  had never heard my neighborhood described that way before. while I was puzzling over how to answer that, another of the boys shouted out, 
'Are you Jewish?
i didn't have to puzzle over that one.
'Yeah, I am.

upon hearing this, the second boy came over and spat in my face.
'We don't like Jews and we don't want any of you  coming around. Get outa here!
then there was pushing and shoving and kicking from all three to emphasize the point. I decided that discretion was the better part of valor and since I was outnumbered, I made a hasty retreat. they pelted me with clods of dirt until I was out of their range.

43  after that, I stayed in my own neighborhood, and if anyone asked me,  'Are you Jewish?  I always replied,  'Why do you want to know?

Extend Friendship

after your contact affirms through your tactful inquiry that he is Jewish, extend some gesture of friendship to assure him that you do not consider his Jewishness a liability to his social status. the first person who witnessed to me aroused my curiosity by saying,  I'M SO GLAD TO MEET YOU EVERY JEWISH PERSON I MEET HELPS TO INCREASE MY FAITH IN GOD AND THE BIBLE, THAT HE IS REAL AND THAT HE KEEPS HIS PROMISES.  Imagine my surprise to hear this from a Gentile  at a bus stop. I had always thought that the Christians considered the existence of the Jewish people an insult to their religion. your friend will be equally amazed at such a  statement and will ask you to explain. then you can relate how God has promised certain things about the Jewish people and Israel, and as you see these things coming to pas, it bolsters your confidence in the truth of the whole Bible.

Ask Sympathetic Questions

the best way to engage a person's mind with yours is to ask a sympathetic question and be genuinely interested in the answer. the question will make your Jewish friend  think about the things you have on your mind. don't ask questions which allow yes or no answers, but rather ask about his opinions,  which will encourage him to talk. some good questions might be:

1. do you attend a synagogue near here? ( or specify one that you know in the neighborhood.)
2. would you tell me a little about the services in the synagogue?  how would it be different from a church service?
3. can you tell me about this next Jewish holiday I  have read about (or the one which has just passed?
44  4.  What are the distinctions between the various Jewish denominations?

be interested in and sympathetic to Jewish problems and causes.  rad widely enough to be conversant in matters of interest to the Jewish people the following might be good questions about Jews and their contemporary problems:
1. how does an American Jew look at Israel?
do you think that the restoration of Israel as a homeland for the Jewish people is prophesied in the Bible?  there are many christian who believe this.
2. do you think that the June 1967 war (Or Yom Kippur War) shows that god is working actively in Israel's history?
3.  how do Jewish people today feel about intermarriage?

when you feel secure enough with the person, you might try some politely  pointed questions:
1. do you think it is possible to establish a unity of Jews and Gentiles?  how would it best be accomplished?
2. have Jewish people changed their thinking much with regard to the person of Jesus Christ?
3. I am a person who speaks to many others regarding matters of Christ and the Church. if you as an individual Jewish person wanted all Christians to know one thing about Jews, what one thing would you like to tell them?
4. recently I have heard that a number of young Jews are believing in Christ and that there is a movement called Jews for Jesus. have you heard of it and what do you think?

good witnessing should be a dialogue. if you engage your friend in a stimulating conversation, he will be thinking about those things which were discussed. encourage the person to ask  a question in order that you might answer it with something that you want to say. this is the method that the Lord Jesus often used.
here are a few helpful suggestions on initiating the testimony:

45  1. as a rule, it is preferable for a person to witness to someone of the same sex - man to man, woman to woman.
2.  it's best to talk as one person to another, that is privately, not while other members of the family or other Jewish friends are around.
3. don't give your jewish friend too much spiritual food for thought all at once. he might get spiritual indigestion.
4. keep up the conversation only as long as he or she is interested; otherwise you will become a bore.

a good way to find if he is still interested is to change the subject. if he is becoming bored or uncomfortable, this is a graceful way out. if he is still interested, he will bring you back to the topic at hand.
5.  always be courteous and respect the wishes of the person to whom you are speaking. be careful not to raise your voice, even if you are excited.
6. Never get into a heated argument, even if you know you are fight. no person has ever convinced another in anger.

Chapter 8 - Building a Case - Constructive Argument

46  it is the rare Jewish person who does not enjoy a good argument! polite Anglo-Saxon society makes no distinctions between the terms 'argument' and quarrel'.  therefore, most Gentiles think they should avoid any 'argument' and 'quarrel'.  therefor, most Gentiles think they should avoid any 'argument' for fear of offending. but to the Jewish person, it is like a game of chess that you play to win. a better word than argument is 'debate'.  willingness to debate is a good sign; it might well be an indication that your friend is not completely convinced that he has the final answer to the needs of his inner life. you should realize, however, that he will not capitulate easily.  you must play the game earnestly in order to win.

Jewish Traditional Teaching

there is a Jewish tradition of teaching called pilpul, whereby facts are established through orderly dispute.  the Talmud records much of the pilpul between the ancient rabbis, where questions were raised which to an outsider would seem like quibbling. in the Socratic method the teacher asks questions of the student;  in pilpul, one teacher questions another teacher who has stated a precept, then the first teacher tells the second one that his answer is wrong because  - the logic of pilpul is gracious debate, which allows for more than one answer.

the story is told of a Gentile who came to a rabbi with the declaration that he wanted to study 'in the way that the Jews
47  do, so that he might understand the Jewish people. the rabbi tried to dissuade him by telling him that he could never understand,  but the Gentile was insistent. finally the rabbi agreed to give him an oral test.
'I will ask you some questions, he said, to see if you can logically come to the right answers.
2 men fell down a chimney. one was dirty and the other was clean. which one washed?
'the dirty one, of course, replied the Gentile.
'wrong! exclaimed the rabbi.
'the dirty one looked at the clean one and thought to himself,
Amazing! We Didn't Get Dirty By Falling Down The Chimney.
but the clean man saw the dirty man, presumed that they were both dirty and immediately went to wash up.
the Gentile smiled. 'Oh, I see.
'No you don't, said the rabbi.
'let me ask you the second question: two men fell down a chimney; one was clean and the other-'.
the Gentile was puzzled.  'You already asked me that question, he said.
'No, contended the rabbi.  'the other one was dirty. which one washed?
 'the clean one, said the Gentile.
'Wrong again, said the rabbi. it was the dirty one.
he looked at the clean man and said to himself,  'it's amazing that he should fall down the chimney and remain clean,
whereupon he looked at his own hands and realized that he was dirty and went and washed.
'and now, for my third question.
two men fell down a chimney; one was dirty and the other was clean
which one went and washed?
the perplexed Gentile shrugged.
'I don't know whether to say it was the dirty one or the clean one.
'Neither! said the rabbi.
the whole question is ridiculous!
how can two men fall down a chimney together and one come out dirty and the other come out clean?
in pilpul,  it is not uncommon for the teacher to contradict his own basic proposition.
I have often used pilpul tactics in witnessing in witnessing to fellow Jews.

when I was teaching a Bible class on the campus of the Univ. of California at Berkeley, frequently Jewish students would wander in to these unofficial sessions. on one such occasion, a Jewish student challenged christianity by saying,  'how can you believe in the Trinity?
I asked him if he knew what the word 'infinite' meant.
'certainly, he said. it means immeasurable or uncountable.
I took up a piece of chalk and drew the symbol for infinity on the blackboard.
'now, I said, according to Jewish belief and what you maintain, how many Gods are there?
'one, he replied and recited in Hebrew:  'Shema, Yisroel, adonai elohenu, Adonai Echad (hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is One Lord)
'Only one? I asked.
he was emphatic.  'Only one!
I walked over to the blackboard again and drew the numeral '1'
'I just counted God, I said.
'how can you say that He is infinite? there is the number on the blackboard.
he knit his brow in confusion.
I went on: 'If you say that God is but One, I will declare that He is Three;
if you say that I said He is Three, then I will tell you that He is only One.
belief in the Trinity is necessary for me to know that God is truly infinite!

in Aristotilian logic, which doesn't allow for contradictions, this does not make sense;
but in pilpul, it does.

Discussion Despite Disagreement

what, then, is the difference between discordant arguing and constructive debate?
it the willingness to continue to discuss a subject where there is disagreement -
saying what you have to say and listening to what the other person says -
knowing when and where to stop.

1. before you enter into a constructive argument or debate, be sure of the facts and logic of your case.
2. carefully analyze your case and eliminate everything you are inclined to say which does not go toward proving your point.
49  3. do not state the obvious.
4. do not use your strongest argument of proof first. you might need it for a clincher.
5. always understate your case, rather than overstate it.
6. rather than argue as to whether something is true, show that it Could  be true.
7. never interrupt your friend as he is stating his case. 
8. if you don't completely understand what kind of argument your friend is setting forth, ask questions until you do.
9. you can usually refute an opponent's argument by taking his generality out to the particulars. that is, get him to offer evidence to prove his point and then make him offer evidence of who that his primary evidence is valid,  etc.
10.  offer documentation of whatever you allege and make the other person do the same.
11. after you have stated your case, do not try to get your friend to admit verbally that you are right. be gracious and allow him to 'save face'.
12. always close on a friendly note and tell your friend how much you enjoy discussing these things with him.
after any witnessing discussion, make a note of the subjects you discussed so that you may have a basis for future contact and conversation.

Chapter 9 - Tell It Like It Is

50   now you  have formed a friendly relationship with your Jewish contact; you have shown him by word and deed that you appreciate him as a person. he knows that you are interested in the Jews as the people of God, believe the whole Bible to be God's truth and revelation to all mankind, and want to share with him what God has done in your own life. how can you be sure that in your discussions  with him you are operating on the same wavelength?

Teach Through a Jewish Frame of Reference

in order to engage the Jewish person's mind,  it is necessary for you to be aware of and used the 'Law of Apperception' -  teaching the unknown and /or rejected through that which is known and accepted.  that is, Christian concepts should be taught through a Jewish frame of reference.  therefore, whenever possible, especially in the beginning, you should use Old Testament Scripture rather than New Testament. 
likewise, consider your own concept of Jesus. do you picture Him as the Jewish Messiah, born to olive -skinned mediterranean people, or do you see Him as a tall, blond, blue-eyed man who ate fish (not the Passover lamb) at the Last Supper,  and who would be uncomfortable at a synagogue service?  you must learn to think of Him as He really was: a Jewish Messiah who spoke mainly to Jewish people in Jewish surroundings in a very Jewish frame of reference.

51  it is important that you become somewhat familiar with Jewish customs and traditions and essential that you become thoroughly familiar with those Old Testament passages that speak of the messiah. at the end of Chapter 10 there is a list of many such passages and the New Testament truths which they portray.

in presenting the Gospel to a Jewish person, you must, in effect, reeducate his thinking along certain lines. for example, most Jewish people  are surprised to learn that Gentiles must convert to Christianity.  they know that being born into a Jewish family was what made them Jewish and have the impression  that a person born into a Gentile family is automatically a Christian. they must be told that while a Jew is Jewish by birth, no one is born a christian except by being 'born again'.

the word 'convert' has a negative valence for Jewish people. they think that it means to  change one's religion.  show your Jewish friend that it really means 'to turn back' to God (Isa. 6.10)

Foundational Doctrines Must Be Clear

there will also be other foundational doctrines which will need to be made clear:

Sin
a Jewish person usually thinks of sin in terms of deeds. you must explain sin as a characteristic  of all mankind. who that the very Hebrew word for 'sin' chatah, means 'to fall short', as when an arrow shot from a bow does not have enough power to reach its mark.  (Rom. 3.23) demonstrate that the result of sin is separation from God; sin - the cause and separation- the effect, keep man from being able to know or serve God.

Salvation
most modern Jewish people do to believe in heaven and hell so they would naturally ask, 'what is there to be saved from?
52  rather than go into a lengthy discussion of the reality of heaven and hell, it would be better to show that we all need salvation away from ourselves and unto God. stress the fact of salvation in present life - that it is the power which the arrow must have in order to reach its mark - victory in day-to-day living, which God has given you.

Chapter 10 - How to Do Things by the Book

53  after you have made contact and have initiated a testimony  by sharing with your Jewish friend what God has done in your own life,, you will need a source of authority which goes beyond your own experience in dealing with eternal matters, the word of God. proper use of the Scriptures is a skill to be acquired. many use the sword of the Spirit (Heb. 4.12) as though it were a club. we are not to clobber a person on the head with the Scriptures; rather , we are to present them in such a way as to pierce the heart which had been made tender by the Holy Spirit.

the word of God  cannot  be used as a magic incantation with which to achieve instant results. chances are that your Jewish friend may not agree with you on the matter of accepting the Bible as God's Word to men. many modern Jews have never been taught to regard the Scriptures in this way. your friend may see the Bible as merely allegorical writings,  folk tales or a wise guide to living devised by the ancient Hebrews for the sake of perpetuating themselves as a people.

Make it Believable

how, then, does one witness to a person who does not accept the validity of the Scriptures?  begin by demonstrating the uniqueness of the Bible.
give a personal testimony as to how you have found the Bible to be true in your own life:  'the Bible describes the nature of man, and I have found this to be more accurate than

54  any other book written. I have found that scriptural solutions to human problems are workable where man's resources and solutions have failed.  I have received Christ and the Holy Spirit in the way that the Bible teaches and have found them to be real.

point out that the very existence of the Jewish people is a fulfillment  of biblical prophecy, thus indicating that there is a superhuman power at work, revealing Himself through the Scriptures. demonstrate that there are multitudes of fulfilled prophecies throughout the Scriptures; that modern archaeology is continually making new discoveries which affirm the historical accuracy of the Bible; that scientific accuracy of the Bible is coming to light, as in the case of the health factor involved with the dietary laws and the agricultural principles prescribed in the Old Testament (Lev. 25.1-7); that the Bible made mention of the fact that the earth is round at a time when this was an unheard of theory. (Isa. 40.22)
remind your friend that there is more disagreement among the skeptics than there is among those who view the Bible as the revelation of God. put the burden of proof upon the unbeliever. ask him what in his experience makes him doubt the integrity of the Scriptures. has he studied them and found them to be inaccurate?

Make it Available

once you have succeeded in arousing your Jewish friend's interest in the Bible,hopefully he will show some desire to read it, especially the portions that speak about Christ. a word of caution is necessary here:  Do not try to get your Jewish friend to accept a new Testament before he has been moved by the Holy Spirit to read it. if you press a Bible upon him before he is ready, he may accept it out of politeness and it will gather dust on his bookshelf. when he does indicate to you that he would really be interested in reading some of the things you have been discussing, then the  time is right to Lend him a copy
55  of the Scriptures.  he will be far less likely to wait until tomorrow to read it if he feels that you may be wanting him to return it after a time, when he does accept a copy of the Bible,  you will want to check his progress frequently to see if he is really reading it. the best way to accomplish this is by asking an indirect question:  'have you come to the place in --- where it talks about --- ?

Be Confident in Using the Bible

many christians are hindered in discussing the Bible with a Jewish friend by the fear that their contact's knowledge of the Old Testament is far superior to their own.  if you are one who feels inadequate in this way, set your mind at ease. if you were to assume that your Jewish friend knew very little or nothing at all about the Old Testament, you would probably be closer to the truth than if you presumed the reverse. in most Jewish communities, less than half of the Jewish children receive formal religious training. those who do receive such education are taught mostly about culture, customs, liturgy, the Hebrew or Yiddish language, Jewish holidays and Jewish history, rather than religious doctrine. if the Bible is taught, it is in the form of stories, or it is used as a textbook for learning hebrew.

Use These Helps in Sharing the Scriptures

the following suggestions should be of considerable help to you in sharing the Scriptures with a Jewish person.
First, a word of advice is in order. a strange thing happens to a christian when he pulls out his Bible to witness; all of a sudden he rises on an invisible pulpit and his voice rings out with authority. before  you open your Bible to begin to teach a person, be sure that he has agreed to become your student. and before you begin preaching to him, know that he is willing to be your 'congregation'.

1. when referring to the Old and New Testaments together, use the term, 'the whole Bible' to indicate its unity and completeness
56  if you refer to either Testament separately, use the terms, 'Hebrew Portion' or 'the New Testament portion'.  some Jews think that we christian call the Jewish Bible the Old Testament because we think it is obsolete.  no Jew calls the Jewish Scriptures the 'Old Testament'.
2.  when witnessing to a person in his home, use his own Bible rather than yours. you should be aware, however, that your friend's Jewish Bible will not always agree with your own translation. in Jewish homes the masoretic text is used, which gives different translations of such Messianic verses as Psalm 2.12,  Isaiah 7.14 and 9.6. wherever a variant reading was possible that gave no Messianic import to the text, the Jewish translators insisted that it was the correct reading; after  all, they weren't about to help the evangelists prove their point. (it would probably be best to avoid discussion of these texts if you are using the Hebrew translation. ) you also will find that the Old Testament is arranged differently, with the books of I and II Chronicles last, instead of Malachi and Daniel placed apart from the other prophets. before you go flipping through your friend's Bible looking for a test, check the index.
3.  the best way to use the Word of God is to employ it in making direct points. do not use a 'scatter gun' approach with the Bible. for years I taught Jewish evangelism seminars and frequently went along with some of my students as an observer while they attempted to witness to their Jewish friends. then later we would discuss what they had done right and where they had failed. one such call was with a young person.. also young in the faith, who was visiting his friend in the hospital after surgery.  the patient smiled through his discomfort and said to my student,  'If Jesus is the messiah, why don't we have peace in the world? my young protege quoted from memory John 3.16, whereupon the patient said, 'what does That have to do with it? the would-be evangelist shrugged. 'I don't know, he said, but it's the Word of God and it should speak to you!

57  the Bible must be used either to raise an issue or to speak to an issue. it should not be quoted just because it is the Bible.
4.  when citing a text, explain the context. if you quote a verse, be sure to explain any elements that the person may not understand, such as:  1. the writer of the passage;  2.  the historical setting.  3. proper nouns, names of people and places.
5. when dealing with a prophetic passage, make sure that your listener is acquainted with the date of the prophecy,  so he can see it being fulfilled hundreds of years later.
6. do not hesitate to use the New Testament portion of the Scriptures to illustrate a point or show a historical background.  it is not wise, however, to build your main argument on the New Testament.

7. occasionally put the Bible in your friend's hand and ask him to read the verse aloud. he will concentrate on it more than if he is only listening to you read.

8. don't overwhelm the person by turning to many passages in quick succession. remember that the Bible language is probably foreign to him and he needs time to understand the concepts and let them sink in slowly.
even though your Jewish friend might not believe that the Scriptures are the inspired Word of God,  do not hesitate to quote the Bible.  most skeptics are not as established in their skepticism as you are in your belief. God honors His word and the Holy Spirit can use the seeds which you sow.

Be Familiar with Appropriate Scripture

become familiar with those passages of the Old Testament which relate directly to Christ and be sure that you clearly understand their application before using them with your Jewish friends. the following are some of the Old Testament texts which can be used to prove New Testament truth.

58  TOPIC                                               OLD TESTAMENT                         NEW TESTAMENT
Messiah to be the seed of the woman     Genesis 3.15                                     Galatians 4.4

Messiah to be of the seed of Abraham    Gen. 12.3; 18.18                              Luke 3.34; Matthew 1.2
                                                                                                                          Acts 3.25; Gal. 3.16
Messiah to be of the tribe of Judah         Gen. 49.10                                        Lk 3.33; Mt. 1.2
Messiah to be the seed of Jacob              Num. 24.17,19                                  Mt. 1.2; Lk. 3.34
Messiah to be the seed of David             Psalm 132.11; Jeremiah 23.5;33.15  Mt. 1.6;Lk. 1.32-3
                                                                                                                           Acts 2.30; Romans 1.3
Messiah to be a prophet like Moses        Deuteronomy 18. 15,19                    Mt. 21.11; John 6.14;
                                                                                                                           1.45; Acts 3.22-3
Messiah to be the Son of God                 Ps. 2.7; Proverbs 30.4                        Luk 1.32; Mt. 3.17
Messiah to be raised from the dead         Ps. 16.10                                            Acts 13.35-7
the crucifixion experience                       Ps. 22; 69.21                                      Mt. 27.34-50; Jn. 19.28-
                                                                                                                            30
Messiah to be betrayed by a friend         Ps. 41.9                                               Jn. 13.18,21
Messiah ascends to heaven                     Ps. 68.18                                             Lk. 24.51; Acts 1.9
Homage and tribute paid to Messiah      Ps. 72. 10,11                                        Mt. 2.1-11

59 Messiah to be a priest like                 Ps. 110.4                                              Heb. 5.5-6
Melchizedek
Messiah to be at the right hand of God   Ps. 110.1                                              Mt. 26.64; Hebrews 5.
                                                                                                                             5-6
Messiah, the stone which the builders    Ps. 118.22-3; Isaiah 8.14-5                  Mt. 21.42-3; Acts 4.11
rejected, to become the head corner-      Isa. 28.16                                              Rom.9.32-3; Eph. 2.    stone                                                                                                                      20; I Pet. 2.6-8
Messiah to be born of a virgin                Isa. 7.14                                                Mt. 1.18-25; Lk. 1.26-
                                                                                                                              35
Galilee to be the first area of Messiah's  Isa. 9.1-8                                               Mt. 4.12-6
Messiah will be meek and mild              Isa. 42.2-3; 53.7                                    Mt. 12.18-20;26.62,3 
Messiah will minister to the Gentiles     Isa. 42.1; 49.1-8                                    Mt. 12.21
Messiah will be smitten                          Isa. 50.6                                                Mt 26.67; 27.26,30
The Gospel according to Isaiah (the       Isa. 52.13-53.12                                    the 4 gospels
 suffering Messiah brings salvation)
the New and Everlasting Covenant        Isa.55.3-4; Jer. 31.31-3                         Mt. 26-8; Mark 14.24;
                                                                                                                              Lk. 22.20; Heb. 8.6-
                                                                                                                              13
Messiah, the Right Arm of God               Isa. 59.16; 53.1                                    Jn. 12.38
Messiah as Intercessor                              Isa. 59.16                                             Heb. 9.15
Twofold mission of the Messiah              Isa. 61.1-11                                          Lk. 4.16-21
60  Messiah will perform miracles           Isa. 35.5-6                                         John 11.47; Mt. 11.3f
Messiah is called the Lord                       Jer. 23.5-6                                           Acts 2.36
the time of the Messiah is prophesied      Daniel 9. 24-6                                     Gal. 4.4; Eph. 1.10
Bethlehem to be the place of Messiah's   Micah 5.2                                             Mt. 2.1; Lk. 2.4-6
birthplace
Messiah will enter the Temple with         Malachi 3.1                                          Mt. 21.12
authority
Messiah will enter Jerusalem on a           Zechariah 9.9                                       Mt. 21.1-10
donkey
Messiah will be pierced                            Zech.12.10; Ps.22.16                           John19.34-37
Messiah to be forsaken by His disciples  Zech. 13.7                                             Mt. 26.31, 56
the coming of the Holy Spirit in the days Joel 2.28                                               Acts 2.16-8
of the Messiah
opposition of the nations                           Ps. 2.2                                                   Rev. 19.19
Messiah's final victory over death             Isa. 25.8                                                I Cor. 15.54; Rev. 7.
                                                                                                                                 17; 21.4
the glorious Messiah                                  Isa.63.1                                                 Rev. 19.11-6
Messiah as King                                         Ps. 2.6-9                                               Rev. 19.15-6
Submission of all nations to Messiah's      Isa. 2.4; Mic.  4.1-4                              Rev. 12.5
rule
the Gentiles shall seek the Messiah of       Isa. 11.10                                              Rom. 11.25
Israel

Chapter 11 - Objections - A Door to Be Opened

if an Jewish person is not taught anything else about religion, he is told early in life that, 'We Jews don't believe in Jesus. He is the god of he Gentiles. actually, there is no official Jewish position regarding Jesus Christ except this negative statement which supports 2000 years of unbelief,  but the Jewish person feels he must defend this tradition even though he may not understand why. in order to do this, he must raise intellectual barricades as a defense mechanism against the Christian message. therefore, you  must realize that many of the objections and questions you will encounter will be the result of preconditioning, rather than being based on real study of the subject and sincere conviction.

theology or doctrine is not the issue. theological liberalism is widespread among the Jews today. the orthodox Jew who keeps the Law is very rare;  even those men who consider themselves to be orthodox think nothing of shaving their beards and doing some light work on the Sabbath.  few Jewish women keep the dietary laws in homes as did their grandparents, and only a handful of modern-day Jews retain the hope of the coming of a personal Messiah.

Real Objection to Christ

the real and usually unspoken objection to Christ is that the Jewish person is unwilling to face the personal consequences of
62  believing something which will set him apart from the majority of his people and label him as a traitor. he counts the cost, and decides that the price is too high.

the best way to couter this probelm is to voice the uncpoken objection with a pointed question;
'If the Bible is true and If Jesus is the Messiah after all, are you Willing to learn the truth and believe in Him even though you decision might bring about severe personal consequences?  at this point you can remind your Jewish friend that to follow God was never the easy thing to do and that Abraham, Moses, King David and Elijah all suffered because they chose God's way rather than the accepted norm of their day.
you must be prepared to give answers for the most common objections, but keep in mind the real issue in order to avoid disappointment and frustration. be aware that after you have offered what you consider to be a logical and satisfactory explanation for a give objection, it will not necessarily follow that the person will immediately accept Christ.  however, it can mean that one more barricade has been illuminated so that the pilgrim may avoid stumbling over it as he continues his spiritual quest.

in order to being a Jewish person to Jesus, you must reach him in his fortress of defensiveness with love and understanding so that he willingly lets down the barriers. it is often a slow process over a period of months and even years, which requires much energy, patience and love, before a son of Abraham is brought to the point of welcoming Jesus into his life.

in the meantime, the questions and objections must be answered;  however, it is wise to recognize that many questions regarding christian beliefs can never be fully explained to the finite mind  (for example, the nature of the Trinity). nevertheless, there is no question or problem to which we cannot give a satisfactory answer If the person is seeking to believe.  on the other had. to one who is determined not to believe, no answer will be adequate. in any case, be prepared to answer all your

63  Jewish friend's questions and objections, even though they may not be asked in complete sincerity.
the following questions and objections are some of those most frequently raised by Jewish people.

Social Objections
1. Why do we Jews need Christ? our morals are as good as christian morals?
Answer: it's not a matter of superior morals, but of coming to God in the way that He has ordained: through Jesus, the Messiah. (Quote Jn. 14.6)
2. Christians hate the Jews. I can't go over to the side of those who have persecuted my people down through the ages.
A.  a real christian who is following the teachings of Jesus cannot hate anyone; we have great respect for the Jews because we realize that they have given us the Bible. and the messiah Himself.

3. How can we believe that we are the chose people or even that there is a God, when someone like Hitler can kill 6,000,000 Jews?
A. look at it from the other side: 6 million were killed, but 12 million were left alive. if Hitler, or Haman or the Russian Czars had had their way, there would be no Jewish people today. God has miraculously preserved the Jews through 3,800 years of continued history, while many other nations mentioned in the Bible (such as Edom, Babylon, and Ammon) have disappeared from the face of the earth.

Doctrinal Qestions

1. The Trinity: you christians  worship 3 gods, but we Jews know that God is one.

64   A.  we christians are not tri-theists. we do not believe that there are 3 gods. but rather that the whole Bible  teaches that there is a plurality in the Godhead.  (explain that the word for God in Gen. 1.1  is Elohim, which literally means 'gods'. Cite Gen. 1.26;  Isa. 48.16)  we believe in one God, who reveals Himself in 3 Persons.
2. The Incarnation: how can a man become God, as you christians teach?

A. we do not believe that a man became God, but just the opposite. God became Man in order to communicate His love toward us. if God is God, then He is great enough to do anything He wants, even become a man.
3. The Virgin Birth;  it is impossible to believe in a religion that teaches that a virgin can have a child.

A. God is supreme over His creation. he brought the laws of nature into effect and He can suspend any of them at will to carry out His purposes. look at the parting of the Red Sea, the stopping of the sun for Joshua, the birth of Isaac in Sarah's old age, the provision of the manna for 40 years in the wilderness and the many other miracles which God preformed for the israelites as recorded in the Bible.
4. Unfulfilled prophecy about the role of the messiah:  Jesus did not fulfill the prophecies which say; Messiah will bring peace on earth. we still have wars.
A. if the Jewish people had accepted Jesus as their Messiah, He would have brought about the Kingdom of God on earth at that time. nevertheless, the peace which Christ beings is a peace of heart which the Bible says passes all human understanding. even while he world is at war, we who know Jesus, the messiah,can have peace of mind and peace with one another.  there cannot be real peace on earth until people have had a change of heart so as to make

65  the Kingdom possible. eventually this will be true when the whole nation of Israel enters into this experience of the change of heart. and the time is coming when the Messiah will return to rule on the throne of David, at that time He will return to rule on the throne of David;  at that time he will establish peace throughout the world.
5. Original Sin: you christians say that all men are sinful from birth, whereas we Jews believe that man is basically good.
A. what we believe is that the sin nature pervades the whole human race. man  judges by human standards and finds some to be better and others to be worse.  but the Bible describes sin as a condition of human existence which does not pertain to a particular act, but rather an attitude which is Godlessness. the best of men, like Abraham, Moses and king David, all committed acts of sin. the prophet Isaiah said, 'all we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way. (Isa. 53.6) this righteous prophet indicated that it is only human for each man, himself included, to want self-fulfillment rather than to want to fulfill the precepts of God. King David said that his sin was a condition from birth.  (Ps. 51.5) if sin is not universally observed among the Jewish people as the most solemn of all holidays.
6. the Need of a Mediator:  we Jews go directly to God when we pray. we don't need an intermediary.

A. it is true that modern  Judaism teaches there  is no need for an intercessor. in this, it is different from the revealed biblical Judaism. Moses was an intercessor with God on behalf of Israel, and he spoke of Another, greater than he, who would be like him, who was to come. Deuteronomy 18.15
ancient Judaism not only required intercessors as priests, but there was a place of intercession in the Temple, a means of intercession in the blood sacrifices, a day of intercession
66  in the Day of Atonement. modern Judaism does not have an intermediary and this is one reason why thoughtful Jews ought to be asking whether Christ is not the God-appointed intercessor.  Heb 9.11-5
7. Paganism: we Jews have held to certain concepts of God for 3,500 years ; christianity came along later and was based on the Gentile misunderstanding of Old Testament theology and is tainted with pagan thought.
A. to  degree you are right;  the christian concept of biblical religion is often expressed in Gentile terms because that is our culture. nevertheless, it is a Bible -centered religion and deals with many of the themes of the original Old Testament revelation, which modern Judaism tends to consider primitive superstitions, in other words, the sacrificial system. much of the Pentateuch concerns itself with how to achieve oneness with God through the sacrifices, but modern Judaism without the emphasis of sacrifice and sacrificial atonement is a later , humanistic development. Biblical christianity concerns itself  with the ancient theme which seems to be most important in the Torah.

in your discussions of questions and objections, if you are not sure about an answer never be afraid to say, 'I don't know' or 'I'm not sure but I will look that up and tell you the next time we talk if you're really interested. your Jewish friend will respect your honesty.

Chapter 12 - Prayer, Your Secret Weapon

67  people have often asked me, 'which scripture passage, or which argument finally convinced you to believe in Christ? I must say that it was neither, for when I first heard the case for believing in Chirst from a Gentile friend, I  was afraid that it might be true. I counted the cost of believing and decided that I would not hear or consider anymore about it. this fellow had no encouragement from me. I made him understand that he must stop discussing religion with me if we were to remain friends and he knew enough not to press the matter.
but he didn't give up. he began to talk to God about me instead of talking to me about God!  he and his family prayed for me every day at each meal for 4 years  and at the end of that time, Go reached me by first touching the heart of my Jewish wife.  she and those faithful friends and several others who were much encouraged by her confession of faith, then turned the big guns of prayer on me. 7 weeks later I was convicted by the power of the Hold Spirit that the Bible is true and Christ is real. had they not all prayed so fervently for me. I'm sure it could have been another 7 years instead of 7 weeks before I received Christ, or maybe never at all.

Use Intercessory Prayer

the key to effective witnessing to anyone, Jew or Gentile, is the priestly ministry of the believer, intercessory prayer. this
68  is your secret weapon in the battle with Satan for the souls of men. He knows that one day the Jews will be the ones to go forth and proclaim Jesus, the Messiah, to the whole world and he will do everything in His power to hinder that. therefore, it is particularly needful, especially in witnessing to Jewish people, to seek God's help in overpowering the forces of darkness which are at work in this world.
if you lack the incentive to pray fervently for the lost sheep of the house of Israel, just pray that God will give you that burden. pray for opportunities to witness and that you will have the sensitivity and wisdom to say the right thing when those opportunities present themselves.

pray often for your Jewish friends and mention them individually by name.  rather than just pray, 'Lord, please save so-and-so, ask for specific progress: a desire to study the Bible, a willingness to speak with you about Jesus, or a softening of their hearts to some particular doctrine or scripture passage.

Ask Others to Pray

on the other hand, a more general type of prayer is advisable when involving others to help you pray. by all means, ask the people at your church to help you pray for your Jewish friends, but do not give too many personal detains, or identify them by name, because there is always the possibility that some well-meaning but insensitive christian might meet  one of them sometime and blurt out, 'Oh yes, I know who you are. we have been praying at church that you would get converted!'

in witnessing to a Jewish friend, share with him as part of your testimony your personal experiences with prayer. you might tell how God has answered some specific prayers in your life, and how you have been comforted, and how you have felt God's presence in times of crisis.

Tell Your Friend You are Praying for Him

very often a jewish person who may not yet be receptive to

69 your prophetic ministry of preaching the word, will accept the priestly ministry of prayer on his behalf. through your witnessing he may sense that you ave a special relationship with God and may want to share with  you some problems or stress he is facing. let him know that you will pray for  the specific matter of concern, such as an illness, forthcoming surgery or family crisis.  however, don't mention that you are praying for his salvation as well. that could scare him away for good!

never hesitate to say a table grace before meals when entertaining Jewish friends in your home. they will not be offended, but will be impressed with the fact that God is very real to you. you could introduce the matter by saying, 'In our home it is our custom to thank God for our food before we eat. however, keep it short and simple and by all means, avoid turning it into a 10 minute sermon on theology.
also, as a general rule, don't ask an unconverted Jewish person to pray aloud with you. Jews are accustomed to reading most of their prayers from the Jewish prayer book. your friend would  be completely unfamiliar with the extemporaneous manner of praying that christians  use and would probably be embarrassed over not knowing what to say, even if he had the heartfelt desire to join in.

O course, the obvious joyful exception to the rule is when you know that your Jewish friend  is ready to receive Christ,  and then it will be your privilege to help him formulate the prayer of faith which will bring him to that place for which you have been praying secretly all along!

13  Breaking the Church Barrier

70  once friendship and communication have been established between you, the time might be ripe to ask your Jewish friend to visit your church with you. don't be afraid to extend this invitation. frequently unsaved people, both Jews and Gentiles, respect the church as an important force for moral and ethical good in the community. maybe your Jewish friend has never been inside a church except perhaps as a wedding guest 10 years back. it's very likely that he is somewhat curious as to what a real church service is like. in such a case, he will not mind visiting your church and may even welcome the opportunity, so long as he is assured that it is Just a visit and he will not be embarrassed or pressured in any way.

Be Willing to Visit a Synagogue

along with this invitation, you ought to express your willingness to visit a synagogue with him. however, a word of caution is needed here about so- called dialogue' between the christian and Jewish communities. all too often arrangements are made whereby the local minister and the local rabbi 'swap pulpits' for a day or address each other's congregation at some social function, all in the name of 'brotherhood' and 'goodwill' and 'better understanding'. the problem with this type of exchange is that in the interests of harmony and politeness, neither side says what is really important or germane to their doctrinal position for fear of offending. much back-patting and

71  handshaking takes place;  then each party retreats to his own side of the ideological fence and they have not had any real dialogue at all.  don't let this happen between you and your Jewish friend.

real dialogue can only take place where each party has a viewpoint to express and is willing to change some of his views to harmonize with the other's so that there is agreement. for the convinced christian, Christ is not merely a viewpoint but a living relationship which cannot be denied. no genuine christian is prepared to enter a dialogue in which he is willing to admit that Christ is any less than 'Lord of lords' and 'King of kings'; and only a few Jews are willing to enter into dialogue and admit that He is. you must each be willing to acknowledge your differences and discuss them, but real dialogue  is not possible.
after you have prayerfully decided that your Jewish friend is ready for a church experience, by all means invite him. he may delight you by saying yes the first time. then, again, he may say, 'No, I can't this time, but I would like to go another time. this could be a polite way of saying no, but it might be genuine. the temporary refusal could be based on a previous commitment, or the untimely visit of a censorious Jewish friend or relative. so, ask again, at least once of twice, before you conclude that you are being turned down permanently.

Avoid Specific Pitfalls

when your Jewish friend does decide to visit your church, there are a few suggestions which could help you to avoid some pitfalls and make it a meaningful and happy experience for both of you and perhaps even  a stepping-stone on your friend's path to salvation. 

First, find out what the program will be for the particular worship service you have selected. for example, if you bring your Jewish friend to hear a sermon on stewardship, he will probably react in a negative manner; likewise, it is not a good
72  idea to bring him to a prayer meeting for the reasons mentioned in the previous chapter on prayer;  nor to a service when Communion will be observed, as he cannot and indeed, should not, participate.
church socials or seasonal musical programs are excellent services to which to bring a Jewish friend; and best of all to break the ice of attending a christian meeting are home fellowship meetings or Bible studies (but Not home prayer meetings where each person prays and one who didn't pray would feel self-conscious).
many churches plan annual or more frequent special programs which would be of particular interest to Jewish people, such as Christ in the Passover demonstrations, linking christian typology to Jewish traditions. also, there are programs available which present Hebrew christian drama  and the new Hebrew christian music, which had a distinct ethnic sound while at the same time presenting a clear Gospel message. any of these would be quite appropriate. they are usually public8ized in the local newspaper, which would  be helpful in extending the invitation. if you have Jewish friends whom you would like to bring to such a service,,  you might let your pastor know and ask him to pray about scheduling a special program which would be available from one of the Jewish missions.

Prepare for your Friend's Visit to Church

if you plan to bring your Jewish friend to a regular worship service, it is wise to come a bit late if your church participates in lengthy prayers and credal recitations with which an unsaved person could not identify or feel comfortable. in such a case,
73  it's a good idea to arrive just before the sermon and slip into an inconspicuous seat in the back of the sanctuary
most Jewish people are unfamiliar with church offerings because synagogues and temples are supported by membership fees and pew rentals. before the offering is taken, you ought to explain that although the church is supported by offerings,  this is not an 'admission charge',  that thet offering is an avenue of worship for those who  are believers and that your friend is to consider himself your guest.
as you introduce the Jewish person to your friends at church, do not identify  him as being Jewish. this might embarrass him or leave him open to the pressure of some overzealous individual who thinks he can lead anyone to Christ by talking long and earnestly. if you do see one of the church people applying this kind of 'instant evangelism' pressure, you can interrupt by saying, 'yes, Mr.   and I have been talking about those very things, but perhaps right now is not the best time to continue the discussion.
don't try to sell your friend on the superiority of your particular church or denomination. point out that all truly christian churches are in agreement on the important doctrines of the Bible with regard to God and man, but may differ in the form of service or their organizational structure.

don't be apologetic about anything, such as the length of the service, the smallness of he building or the congregation, the quality of the special music, or the newness of the pastor. why point out defects your friend may not have noticed which could make him critical? you want him to remember this experience favorably.
after the service, you may wish to entertain your friend at your home or to invite him out for coffee where you may discuss his reactions in private. hopefully the experience will open new avenues of thought about christian attitudes and doctrine which will become another step toward his willingness to accept Christ.

14   How to Be a Spiritual Midwife

74  God's harvest of souls is not always reaped by those who have sown and at times we do reap where others have planted and watered the seed. many times a Jewish person has come to me after faithful witness from a christian friend and after just a few moments of conversation confessed
Christ for the first time. on the other hand, there were times when I had carefully taught and nurtured people who attended my Bible studies for years, and then they confessed Christ by 'going forward' at a church or evangleistic meeting.if we are faithful in proclaiming  the messge, God has promised: 'my word...shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which i please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it'.  Isaiah 55.11
nevertheless, I am convinced that many Christ-loving, people-loving individuals miss the blessing of leading another person through a conversion experience simply because they fear that asking for a decision will 'turn him off '.  there is every reason to believe that if you have been faithful in your witness to many, there will be some who will want to make that decision which will bring them from death to life.

Rely on the Holy Spirit's Leading

the question arises,  'How can I know when the person is ready to make a decision for Christ? in this, you must rely on the leading of the Holy Spirit, but there is one signal that the person might be ready and that is that he receives the Word
75  of God gladly. that is, he studies the Bible with you, accepts it as being true and welcomes Bible answers to his problems and questions.
the next problem will then be how to bring up the subject.  a good approach is to say, 'have you received Christ as your Saviour yet?  if your friend says,  'No, not yet',  you can ask 'Do you think you are ready to take that step now?  if his response is negative, don't press him for a decision.

if however, he says,  'yes',  then you can proceed. point out that in order to become a christian, a Buddhist or Hindu might have to renounce his faith and all that he believed before, but for the Jewish person, coming to Christ is merely coming home to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. caution your friend that accepting Christ will not be easy. it may have serious social consequences for him and he will be expected to make certain sacrifices in order to live a life that will be pleasing to God.  at the same time, encourage him by pointing out that God will give him the strength to overcome the social barriers, and the Holy Spirit will empower him to live the christian life.

Explain how to accept Christ

you might explain that accepting Christ is like a marriage experience:
'the Lord Jesus Christ has proposed to you;
He wants to be your saviour.
all that remains for you to do is to accept His proposal and say yes.
to do this, let's go to Him in prayer together now.
then ask your friend if he would like you to help him find the right words to say.
the answer to this is usually 'yes'.

then you can lelad him to repeat  a prayer such as I, ----, come to You, Lord, acknowledging tht I am guilty of sin.
I believe the blood of Christ can cleanse me from this sin and I hereby accept Your provision in order that I might e saved from my sins.
I promise that I will earnestly try to live according to Your Word, knowing that the Holy Spirit will guide and direct me and enable me to do it.
I promise  to acknowledge You before men and thereby complete the work which You have done in my heart.
76  by this prayer, the work of the Spirit of God in my heart, I come to You and know that I am saved because of Jesus Christ and His death for me. Amen.

in order to make his decision more real to him, the next thing you should do is to encourage him immediately to confess Christ to someone, preferably a sympathetic person who will be able to rejoice with him. if there is an interested pastor or a Jewish christian friend of either of you, you might call him on the telephone and say something like,  'I'm here with ----, and he just made a very important decision that he would like to share with you.

at this time, notice the emotional state of the new christian. if he seems emotionally untouched, or says, 'I don't feel any different',  point out to him that it sometimes takes a while for the realization to sink in and even though he might not feel 'saved', his faith has accomplished tht for him.

Outline Basic Things for Him to Do

after you have prayed  with the person and he has confessed Christ to someone, you should give him some idea of what will be expected of him.  never imply that the christian life is easy; but tell him that whatever he might need to give up for Christ's sake, God will replace it with something better. outline some basic things that he should start doing right away in order to grow as a new believer.

He should Read the Bible Daily
even if he reds only for 15 minutes at a time at first, show him that as a result of the new birth which has just taken place, he is a babe in Christ and needs the milk of the Word in order to live and grow.

in our Jews for Jesus ministry, we have found that the newborn believer frequently has a greater hunger for Bible study.  in many instances we have arranged to meet with the new

77  christian every day for extensive Bible reading and discussion until this voracious appetite tapers off to a slower pace, usually after several days or weeks.  we also have found that the new believer has a high capacity for Bible memory work. many will undertake to memorize as large a number as 6 Bible passages daily at the outset. Jews for Jesus furnishes a free booklet to the newly completed Jew which provides a list of Bible memory verses. it also gives advice on such subjects as 'How to Tell Your Family'.  it can be obtained by anyone upon request to the Jews for Jesus office, P. O. Box 3558, San Rafael, California, 94902

He should Pray Daily
tell him that he should commune with God often in devotion and thanksgiving and also make his requests known. you can list things he might pray about, such as
the salvation of loved ones,
wisdom in telling others about his new faith,
guidance in daily life, etc.
remind him that God is interested in the smallest details of his life and wants to be asked, so He can give.  if your Jewish friend is still uncertain about what words to use, or what to ask for, you might show him that the Lord's Prayer is a beautiful example of how to pray. another real aid to teh prayer life of the new believer can be the standard hymnal used in any church.  the songs usually contain very meaningful devotional thoughts and sound doctrine.

He Should Be Testifying and Witnessing

show him that God expects him to confess his faith before men, as the occasion arises.  as mentioned previously, he should begin by telling at least one person immediately and then perhaps for the first few times he may seek to tell others who will be glad for him and encourage him. of course, eventually he will encounter others who might not receive the message so joyfully. he must be prepared for this, too, and understand that God will help him through the rough ones, too.

He Should have Regular Fellowship with other Believers

78  the new Jewish christian may or may not be ready to attend church immediately. but he should be encouraged right from the start to go to some type of worship service or Bible study and prayer meeting regularly. it will be helpful to him to be introduced to any other Jewish believers you may know. sometimes a new Jewish christian thinks he is the only Jewish person who has made such a decision, and he needs to know there are others. they can be a great comfort and help to him in meeting problems and situations which they have already experienced.

it's a high calling and a real blessing to be a spiritual 'midwife' at the new birth. God's new child will need much guidance and encouragement from you and it will be your joyful privilege to see him grow and mature as, by God's grace, he works out the new life which the Holy Spirit has begun in him.

15  The Four B's

79  in conclusion, think back to your own conversion. even though you may have been raised in a christian environment, your total understanding and commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ didn't happen overnight. at best, it took place as the result of many years of christian nurture and love during your formative years, and possibly you went through a period of rebellion and doubt before becoming a real child of God. remember that the Jewish person has years of conditioning to overcome, as ell as the natural inclination of man to turn away from God:
1. Be a friend.
2. Be patient.
3. Be faithful to God's Word.
4. Be prayerful.

in days gone by, it was the rare Jewish person who would darken the door of a church or open his ind to consider christian teachings. but today there is a new generation of Jewish people who have been less persecuted than their forebears. they are more informed and more broad-minded. many are beginning to realize their own spiritual hunger and are finding that these spiritual  needs are not being met by the rabbis or by the synagogue.
you, as an evangelical christian, should be heartened to see the interest that individual Jews are beginning to show in the claims of Christ, and you should be preparing to speak to the growing remnant which God is calling to Himself.