The answer to this question depends on whom you ask and on how you define “rabbi.” According to virtually all Jewish leaders who do not believe in Jesus as Messiah, it is downright deceptive for Messianic Jewish leaders to call themselves rabbis, since the title “rabbi” refers to a leader in the religion called Judaism, not Christianity. And in the eyes of most Jews who do not believe in Jesus, “Messianic Judaism” is a misnomer, since it is not really Judaism at all but rather just another form of Christianity. In addition to this, some Messianic Jewish “rabbis” are not even Jewish, while many others do not have a strong background in Hebrew and/or Jewish studies. All the more reason, then, it would seem that the term rabbi is not fitting for a Messianic Jewish leader.[264]
But it is not that simple. Messianic Jews would argue that Yeshua did not come into the world to establish a new Gentile religion called Christianity but rather to fulfill what was written in Moses and the Prophets. What could be more Jewish than that? Jesus Himself was called “Rabbi” (see #36), and He spoke to His followers about their leadership role in Israel’s future restoration: “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28).
Paul taught the Gentile believers in Ephesus that they had become part of the greater commonwealth of Israel (see Ephesians 2:11–22) while explaining to the Gentile believers in Rome that they had been grafted into Israel’s spiritual tree (see Romans 11:13–21). Of course, this does not mean that Gentiles who put their faith in Jesus become Jews (see #53), but it certainly follows that Jews who put their faith in the Messiah of Israel remain Jews. (See Romans 11:24, where Paul writes, “After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!” It is natural for a Jew to return to the God of Israel and put his faith in the Messiah of Israel!)
In the days of the apostles, the question was this: Can you remain a Gentile and become a follower of Yeshua, or do you have to become Jewish in order to follow Him? (See Acts 15 for the full discussion.) Over the centuries, that perspective changed radically, to the point that it was often assumed that for a Jew to follow Jesus, he or she had to become Gentile. In fact, many Messianic Jews can tell you about their own experience as new believers when they were given pork to eat to “prove” the genuineness of their faith. I kid you not. (For the horrific baptismal confessions that Jewish converts to Catholicism were required to recite in the Middle Ages, see Our Hands Are Stained with Blood, 95–97.)
So, Messianic Jews would state that they are simply recovering their biblical Jewish roots and reclaiming the authentic Jewishness of faith in Yeshua. They would also emphasize that the term Christian, which occurs only three times in the New Testament (see Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16), does not refer to the follower of a non-Jewish religion but rather to someone who was associated with this Jesus who was called Christ. (In other words, a “Christian” was a “Christ-one,” or, as rendered in the Jewish New Testament, a “Messianic.” Most scholars agree that the term was originally coined in an insulting way, as seen in the larger context of 1 Peter 4:16.)
It should also be pointed out that a substantial and influential segment of right-wing Orthodox Jews does not believe that non-Orthodox rabbis (referring to Reform and Conservative rabbis) should be recognized as legitimate Jewish rabbis. This was made clear in a major Orthodox Jewish statement issued in March 1997, parts of which declared:
The Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada (Agudath Harabonim) hereby declares: Reform and Conservative are not Judaism at all. Their adherents are Jews, according to the Jewish Law, but their religion is not Judaism.
The Agudath Harabonim has always been on guard against any attempt to alter, misrepresent, or distort the Halacha (Jewish Law) as transmitted in the written and oral law, given by G-d through Moses on Sinai. It has, therefore, rejected recognition of Reform and Conservative movements as Judaism, or their clergy as Rabbis. It has publicly rebuffed the claim of “three wings of Judaism.” There is only one Judaism: Torah Judaism. The Reform and Conservative are not Judaism at all, but another religion.[265]
To this day, religious authority in the State of Israel is under the control of the Orthodox Rabbinate, to the point that even weddings performed by non-Orthodox rabbis are not recognized by the Orthodox leaders.[266] And they have no intention of letting this change: “[It] is imperative,” they stated, “to support Israel’s government in their refusal to change the status quo regarding the exclusive Orthodox Rabbinic authority. Even non-orthodox political leaders recognize that unless Jewish religious family law remains under the authority of the sole Rabbinate, the Jewish nation would be hopelessly divided.”[267]
So, in the eyes of many traditional Jews, not even Reform and Conservative rabbis are really rabbis, let alone Messianic Jewish rabbis. Yet this lack of recognition from a significant sector of Judaism does not stop Reform and Conservative Jews from training and ordaining their rabbis. Why then should lack of recognition from the larger Jewish community stop Messianic Jews from training and ordaining their rabbis? (In all this, I am not offering my personal opinion on whether Messianic Jewish leaders should or should not be called rabbis; I am simply discussing the relevant issues involved.) I’m also reminded of the comment made to me years ago by a Messianic Jewish leader who did not call himself rabbi. He was speaking of an elderly Jewish woman who had just come to faith in Yeshua and was now attending his Messianic congregation. “To her,” he explained, “I’m ‘rabbi’—and I’m not about to tell her otherwise.”
What about the question of the lack of training of many Messianic Jewish rabbis? In the interest of the integrity of the Messianic Jewish movement, it definitely makes sense that those who want to be called rabbis would get some kind of proper training—this is becoming an increasingly common pattern in the movement—always bearing in mind that our ultimate qualifications are primarily spiritual and practical in nature. As for Gentile leaders being called “Messianic Jewish rabbis,” I will leave that for others in the Messianic movement to decide.
What about Yeshua’s words in Matthew 23? There He told His followers,
But you are not to be called “Rabbi,” for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth “father,” for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called “teacher,” for you have one Teacher, the [Messiah]. The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Matthew 23:8–12
This raises a very good question, and putting all the previous discussion aside, is it right to call anyone rabbi? I remember hearing this passage from Matthew cited in the Italian Pentecostal congregation where I became a believer, and it was based on this passage that our church taught that Catholic priests should never be addressed as “Father” (“And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father”; I should point out that most of the members of that church came out of a Catholic background).
I have no argument with those who are consistent in applying this passage, accepting no titles of any kind for their roles as spiritual leaders—not rabbi, not father, not teacher, not pastor, etc. On the other hand, a good case can be made for a different interpretation of the Lord’s words—otherwise, it could be argued that a father should tell his own children not to call him Dad, while Paul could be questioned for telling the Corinthians that they did “not have many fathers” aside from him (1 Corinthians 4:15).
Consider these comments from Messianic Jewish Bible scholar David Stern:
The Hebrew Christian scholar Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum holds that this passage prohibits Messianic Jewish congregations from calling their leaders “rabbis.” . . .
My view is that a literalistic approach here is inappropriate, since Yeshua also warns against being called “father” or “leader,” terms everyone uses. The context leads me to believe that Yeshua here is prohibiting believers from accepting unearned honors, rather than outlawing three titles. A leader is to be humble, a servant (20:25–28); if he is given any title at all, he is not to become puffed up. Others in the community are to guard against making invidious distinctions between “clergy” and “laity” by bestowing titles.[268]
Stern, however, has some misgiving about the use of the term rabbi in some Messianic Jewish circles:
My own objection to the use of the title “rabbi” today is not theological but ideological and practical. What should a “Messianic rabbi” be? A pastor under another name? I think the term “rabbi” sets up Jewish expectations which ought to be fulfilled. A Messianic Jewish congregational leader who accepts the title “rabbi” without having training adequate to qualify him as a rabbi in a non-Messianic Jewish setting is accepting honor which he has not earned and to which he is not entitled; and this does violate Yeshua’s injunction.
Should a Messianic rabbi have s’mikhah (ordination . . .)? If so, should it be Messianic or non-Messianic? If Messianic, who is qualified to grant it? Messianic Judaism at present [writing in 1992] has very few ordained rabbis and no accrediting agency. At present, in order not to embarrass the Messianic Jewish movement, I urge leaders without rabbinic training to resist letting themselves be called “rabbis.”[269]
Having said all this, I would point out that in Israel, the leaders of Messianic congregations do not call themselves rabbis for a number of reasons, including: (1) as Jews living in the Land, they have no need to “prove” their Jewishness; and (2) the title “rabbi” is associated with Orthodox Judaism, and it is Orthodox Jewish rabbis who most strongly oppose Jewish faith in Yeshua. Outside of the land of Israel, leaders of Hebrew Christian congregations tend not to use the title “rabbi” (see #55 for the semantic difference between “Hebrew Christian” and “Messianic Jew”), while a significant minority of Messianic Jewish leaders choose to use other titles, such as “congregational leader” or “Messianic pastor.” Those Messianic Jewish leaders who do choose to be called “rabbis” should have a solid answer to Matthew 23:8–12 and should be able to defend themselves ably against the charge of deception.