Our History and Background
Congregation B'nei HaMelech is a Messianic congregation where
Jews and Gentiles worship and study Torah together. The middle wall of partition has been
broken down and we are now echad b'Mashiach, one in the Messiah. We were initially
organized as Family Bible Church, an independent, non-charismatic,[1]
orthodox[2] Christian fellowship
not affiliated with any denomination or ecclesiastical organization. Those of us who began
this fellowship did so because we were unable to find in our area a congregation in which
the “whole counsel of G-d” was being faithfully taught. What we did find was a lot of:
-
denominational traditions being given
authority equal to or greater than than the authority of the Bible;
-
the clear teaching of the Bible being
“watered down” to make it “less offensive” and “more inclusive” of Gentiles, while being
“more exclusive” of Jewish people because of an unbiblical “replacement theology” which
declares that “the Church” has replaced Israel in G-d’s plan for humanity;
-
solid Biblical teaching being replaced by
emotionalism, charismatic excess, and “showmanship” — providing “worship services” that
may look good and feel good, but which provide neither glory and honor to G-d nor
edification of the Body;
-
congregations being run as democracies in
which “majority rule,” not the teaching of Scripture, determines faith and practice;
-
congregations being run as “pet projects”
of those who are the greatest contributors, where the threat of removing their financial
support “keeps the pastor in line”;
-
corrupt pastors and influential
congregation members using their position and/or their pulpit for personal gain and to
manipulate and wield mismanaged power and inappropriate authority over their
congregations;
-
corrupt denominational organizations
effectively stealing resources from the local congregation for the inappropriate and
excessive personal benefit of area administrators; and
-
well-intentioned but misguided pastors
who don’t have time to minister to G-d’s people because they are too busy managing their
“programs.”
Although we originally chose to refer to
ourselves only as orthodox “Christians,” doctrinally we were for all practical purposes an
historical “Baptist” congregation. This does not mean that we were “Baptist” in the sense of
any organizational affiliation, but only in the sense that this is an historical term that
has for centuries been used to refer to Christians who are neither Protestant nor Catholic
and who, like we, subscribe to a system of Bible interpretation which results in a form of
doctrine and polity that predates both the Protestant Reformation
(sixteenth century) and the formation of the Roman Catholic Church as it exists today (late
third through early fifth centuries). Five cardinal convictions which traditionally have
distinguished Christians as “Baptists” are:
-
the absolute authority of Scripture alone
(sola scriptura),
-
the priesthood of all believers,
-
the total independence of the local
assembly,
-
the absolute liberty of each individual
congregation of believers to decide for themselves on all
matters of faith (doctrine) and practice (procedure), and
-
the immersion of regenerate
(“born-again”) adults as the only biblical form of baptism (from whence comes the term
“Baptist”).
We now also differ significantly from most
traditional “Baptist” congregations, in that we prefer to maintain the “Jewish
distinctiveness” that was practiced and taught by the Shliachim (Apostles) and which
characterized the true Miqra (the Body of Messiah, falsely translated “church” in the
English “New Testament”) for most of the first two centuries of its existence. We are firmly
convinced that neither Yeshua nor the Shliachim ever intended to start a “new religion,” but
rather presented the true and completed form of Judaism, which was accepted and embraced by
tens of thousands of faithful Israelites before it was ever presented to the Gentile world.
Unlike most Christian denominations, we
cannot point to any individual in history and say “this is our founder” … except Adonai
Yeshua HaMashiach (the LORD Jesus Christ) Himself. We believe that there have
continuously been, in fact, those who followed this form of faith and practice since the day
of Pentecost when Ruach HaKodesh came to permanently indwell the Body of Mashiach. We
believe that our understanding of the Holy Scriptures is that which was taught by the
Shliachim long before the various church councils began formulating creeds and confessions.
We believe also that the purest form of expression of that faith is to be found in the
worship practices of the Messianic Synagogues of those who followed the “Apostolic Faith” or
“The Way” well into the second century.
Messianic Congregation B’nei HaMelech is
founded upon the conviction that the Bible (including both the Tanakh and the B’rit Chadasha),
as the literal written Word of G-d, is sufficient for all matters of faith (doctrine) and
practice (procedure), and that the answers to all questions of organizational policy and
procedure are to be found in its pages. We therefore hold the Bible, and the Bible only, as
our only true defining document (Constitution). Any “doctrinal statements” that we may
prepare are intended only to summarize what we believe is the “whole counsel of G-d” (as
revealed through a systematic, literal, grammatical, and historical interpretation of the
Bible) on any particular subject.
The
Messianic Restoration movement is many things, but one of its many key elements is the
work to restore the lost Hebraic nature of scriptural faith. Sometimes this is called
returning to our Jewish roots and so, in part, it is. But it is more. The Most High
gave an eternal style to our ancient faith that would be unmistakable in the world as
belonging to Him. His people were to be His own and to be His unique witness to the world.
We are to be a chosen people, a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.
One of the worst things that could happen
to the people of Adonai is to assimilate into the world’s fashion: to think like the world
thinks and to follow the world’s lead. Our purpose is to lead
the world to worship and obey the Almighty. With such a task before us we
must be assimilation proof. We must reflect the ancient ways He gave us, else how
can we show that we have something different and better to offer the world.
Please join us in the effort to remain a
holy, unique people for the glory of Adonai. Let us together peaceably fight the good fight
against assimilation by this evil world system.
Thank you and shalom.
Notes:
1. We do not routinely practice the
so-called “sign gifts” as part of our worship experience, and we do not believe that the
Bible teaches any “second work of grace” by Ruach HaKodesh. We believe that the Bible
teaches that Ruach HaKodesh is given fully and permanently immediately upon one’s coming to
a saving faith in Yeshua HaMashiach, and that the Gifts of the Spirit are available to all
believers today as they are needed to accomplish G-d’s purpose. [RETURN]
2. The term orthodox simply means “correct
worship” — that form of faith and practice which is determined by the clear teaching of the
Scriptures alone. [RETURN]
What we believe about:

http://familybible.org/About/History.htm
was last revised at
05:59 PM on
Thursday, 11 September 2008 |