Emet HaTorah is a Hebrew phrase which means “The Torah of Truth.” It is based off of Psalm 119:142, which says, “Your righteousness is righteous forever, and your Torah is true.” Emet HaTorah exists to educate and encourage Believers in Jesus, the Messiah of Israel, towards personal study and discipleship to their Master from a Messianic Jewish perspective. Because unfortunately, we have a world f
illed with believers in Jesus, but very few disciples of Jesus. We have lots of fans of Jesus, but very few committed, sold out disciples who have invested their lives for the Kingdom. Christianity is on the decline and is not showing any signs of a rebound. For too long we have been conveying a message that says a person can be a believer, without being a disciple — that somehow discipleship is optional. We, however, believe that discipleship is not optional in regard to being a follower of Jesus. We have a core belief that drives us to do what we do. I would like to share this core belief with you. Here it is:
We believe that every disciple is equipped and has the ability to change the world. And if every Christian were a disciple we couldn’t help but follow the apostles’ lead and “turn the world upside down.” (Acts 17:6) We believe that with God’s help we can affect the world in regard to discipleship. But where does it begin? It begins with you and me. Here’s our plan…
First, we want to continue the work that has been started by many other ministries over the last several years of restoring the Jewishness of Jesus, the Messiah of Israel. We believe that by helping believers understand the connection between a rabbi and his disciples we will help them understand their obligation to the ultimate Rabbi. We also believe placing him back into his Jewish context will help us be less likely to misconstrue his mission and his message. Second, we want to restore the authentic and full Gospel Message. For too long the Gospel both Jesus and the disciples preached has been reduced down to a salvific formula. Although the message of personal salvation is a crucial component of the Gospel Message, this is not the totality of the Good News Jesus or his disciples preached. The result of this dilution of the Gospel Message has resulted in the exponential production of converts, but at the expense of producing true disciples. Restoring the fullness of the Gospel will result in more Kingdom-minded disciples who labor wholeheartedly for the Kingdom. Third, we want to equip Believers to trust in the validity of the Holy Scriptures and hold to their full authority. This is desperately needed in a post-modern culture which esteems moral relativism over truth and personal freedoms over responsibility. Unfortunately, truth is no longer absolute, but subject to interpretation. When believers are able to defend the biblical text and live out its imperatives, hypocrisy will give way to discipleship and the body of Messiah will be strengthened. Last, we want to help undo the untold damages of Replacement Theology — a theology that says God has rejected Israel and replaced her with the church — through a proper understanding of Scripture, clearly defining God’s plan for both the church and the Jews. We believe that true disciples of Jesus have a heart for the Jewish people and will live lives that help Israel to know their Messiah, rather than continue in their rejection of him. The rejection of Replacement Theology is the starting point for this.