With a mission to Jewish people taking place in London in the summer, en interviewed Richard Gibson, Director of Ministry for Christian Witness to Israel (CWI), about the need for Christians to share Jesus with Jewish people.
en: Evangelism to Jewish people can be controversial for some Christians, so tell us a little bit about that, and why we shouldn’t shy away from doing it.
RG: Witnessing to Jewish people can be controversial. Not just for Jewish people who, after centuries of mistrust of Christians and persecution carried out ‘in the name of Jesus’, object to any and all evangelistic efforts, but also, sadly, for many Christians.
Some Christians misguidedly believe that, following the horrors of the Holocaust, the church has lost the right to share the gospel with Jewish people and should effectively leave them be. Jewish people may ask: ‘Why are you keen to save souls when the church did so little to save 6 million Jewish bodies?’ and some Christians respond by shying away from evangelism.
For others, Jewish people are seen as the End Times battlefield which Christians fight each other on. Still others mistakenly associate Jewish people with conflict in the Middle East and, due to political bias, imply that Jewish people do not deserve to hear the gospel. Saddest of all, however, is the historically-ingrained antisemitism prevalent within sections of the church which claims that Jewish people, as ‘Christ-killers’, are beyond the reach of the gospel and that God has quite simply given up on them.
What we think and teach about Jewish people has consequences. The recent tragic shooting at a synagogue in Poway, California was carried out by a young man who had been brought up in an evangelical church. While the teaching he received at church would not have caused him to go on a killing spree of Jewish people, views such as those outlined above would not have persuaded him from carrying out such a wicked act either.
The church must see Jewish people as people – created in the image and likeness of God. When viewed in this biblical light, such controversy fades away. Any theology or idea which limits the scope of the preaching of the gospel by excluding Jewish people ought to be seriously questioned. The Great Commission does not exclude Jewish people. Our worldview must be Kingdom-driven and not politically biased. If we have the love of Jesus for people, we will not shy away from sharing the good news about him with anyone, Jewish people included.
en: How can I reach out to Jewish people I know in my neighbourhood? Won’t they be offended if I start talking about Jesus?
RG: Many Jewish people view all evangelicals as missionaries and would expect us to want to share Jesus with them at some point. It is important to find a natural way to share our faith, while at the same time being sensitive about theirs. Jewish people put their trust in a range of beliefs from atheism, to New Age philosophies, to strict adherence to Old Testament and/or extra-biblical laws, as well as religious tradition. As Christians we need to be winsome and show our Jewish friends their need of the Saviour and that Jesus is for them. It is our job to help them experience the real Jesus through us.
It also helps to assure Jewish people that our motivation is grounded in a love for them. We must stress that our desire for them to know Jesus personally, as their promised Messiah, is not rooted in one culture triumphing over another, but rather the triumph of the cross over sin and its eternal consequences, as clearly evidenced in the scriptures.
Christian Witness to Israel is here to help. Why not arrange a meeting with your Jewish friend or colleague and invite a CWI missionary along?
en: You are planning an outreach event in London this year. How can my church help?
RG: From 27 July to 10 August we will be telling Jewish people in London about Jesus. Building on almost two centuries of witness to Jewish people in London, we are bringing an international team of CWI missionaries and volunteers to reach out to London’s Jewish community.
Please pray for all the preparations that are being made and for those who will be joining our summer outreach team. You can sign up to receive the latest updates on the Jewish people we meet during the outreach at www.cwi.org.uk.
If you have a heart to reach Jewish people with the gospel, you are welcome to join us either the whole fortnight or for as many days as you can manage. There will be specialist Jewish evangelism training given throughout the outreach by our team of experienced CWI missionaries.
