Thread: Should Christian missionaries be preaching the gospel to Jews in Israel?

As many people know, evangelism of Jews in Israel is ilegal.
Israel's Messianic Jews Under Attack - TIME

Over the 10 years or so since becoming a Christian I have met missionary organisations which aim to reach Jews.

However, I dont think I have ever met a missionary organisation who is actually actively seeking to bring the gospel of Christ to the Jewish people.

The main reason being 1) Its illegal 2) It will result in persecution. (If anyone knows of a group please let me know).

It seems, to me, most 'missionaries' or 'missions' comply with the law. However this seems a far cry from 'missions' in the N.T where preaching in the name of Jesus was also outlawed.

Here is how the apostles responded to being told not to preach Jesus by the authorities.

Acts 4:18Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. 20For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."

There are Southern Baptist Missionaries in Israel. It is illegal. Follow God not man. Most of the mission work in the 10/40 window is illegal.

I don't know of any of the organizations you seek, John. But I also didn't know that evangelizing is illegal in Israel. It really brings a deeper meaning to "Jesus came to His own people, but his own people did not receive Him." So tragic...

You want to carefully word your thread.

If you are really asking should the Gospel be preached to all (including people with some Jewish ancestry in Israel), see Matthew 24:14.

It may be "illegal" in many parts of the world to worship God Almighty, but that is not really our criteria.

There are missionaries from many Reformed denominations that are preaching the gospel in Israel. They just don't like to broadcast it for obvious reasons!

My Denomination supports Christian Witness to Israel which is a reformed missionary organsiation that traces its roots to the saintly Robert Murray M'Cheyne.

Welcome to Christian Witness to Israel

I would not believe any of the nonsense that people spout about witnessing to Jews being illegal, they are just looking for excuses and as you point out even if it where so what.

Being a Scot you should love this organisation, being non denominational it states that it believes in:

The Holy Scriptures as taught by the Protestant churches, and delineated in the historic confessions of the Reformation, namely:

The Belgic Confession (1561)
The Thirty-nine Articles of
the Church of England (1562)
The Heidelberg Catechism (1562)
The Westminster Confession of Faith (1647)
The Savoy Declaration (1658)
The Baptist Confession of Faith (1689)

Try China - very illegal. But it is done all day, every day. Punishment ranges from deportation to imprisonment to worse (foreigners usually get off with the first, or maybe the second in unusual cases with extenuating circumstances).

It's not illegal for Israelis to preach, thanks in part to Baruch Maoz (a reformed Baptist pastor living there) and others.

Baruch Maoz

From what I understand, local churches are allowed, but foreigners are regulated. I think if you really want to help evangelize, the local churches are a good place to start because they have their feet on the ground.

It is also illegal in Greece, how that is compliant with European law is beyond me.

I have a friend who does evangelism for a living all over the usa. She is also doing this in Israel. Here is her link to her site. She actually has organizations/people who donate to her so that she doesn't have to have a "normal" job and can devote herself to this.

Originally Posted by sjonee

I have a friend who does evangelism for a living all over the usa. She is also doing this in Israel. Here is her link to her site. She actually has organizations/people who donate to her so that she doesn't have to have a "normal" job and can devote herself to this.

thanks sj

If they're not preaching the gospel to Jews in Israel, then they shouldn't be there.

Persecution always nips at the heels of one proclaiming the Gospel. The only question is: in what form?

As far as being "illegal"....this is a case where we will obey God, not man.

Originally Posted by victorbravo

It's not illegal for Israelis to preach, thanks in part to Baruch Maoz (a reformed Baptist pastor living there) and others.

Baruch Maoz

From what I understand, local churches are allowed, but foreigners are regulated. I think if you really want to help evangelize, the local churches are a good place to start because they have their feet on the ground.

My late uncle, a 25+ year BP missionary to Bethleham, would (if he were able) beg to differ.



-----Added 3/2/2009 at 10:23:00 EST-----

BTW he left Palestine becase his work *with local* churches was a specific target of the IDF.

Why would you NOT take the gospel to all nations, tribes and kindreds?

Originally Posted by AThornquist

I don't know of any of the organizations you seek, John. But I also didn't know that evangelizing is illegal in Israel. It really brings a deeper meaning to "Jesus came to His own people, but his own people did not receive Him." So tragic...

This is one of the major flaws I see with Voice of the Martyrs, an organization I otherwise greatly appreciate. They refuse to label Israel as a "restricted nation" on their annual "Map of the Persecuted Church." I have taken to coloring in the representation of Israel on that map with the color associated with the "restricted nations" every year.

I'm not going to assume that they don't want to label it as such because of dispensational tendencies in the organization - I don't know it well enough - but it's aggravating that they won't openly recognize the truth of the situation there.

Originally Posted by Kevin

Originally Posted by victorbravo

It's not illegal for Israelis to preach, thanks in part to Baruch Maoz (a reformed Baptist pastor living there) and others.

Baruch Maoz

From what I understand, local churches are allowed, but foreigners are regulated. I think if you really want to help evangelize, the local churches are a good place to start because they have their feet on the ground.

My late uncle, a 25+ year BP missionary to Bethleham, would (if he were able) beg to differ.



-----Added 3/2/2009 at 10:23:00 EST-----

BTW he left Palestine becase his work *with local* churches was a specific target of the IDF.

Kevin, I'm all ears! No need for the can 'o worms icon. I understood the situation was simmering for a number of years, but in 1997 it came to a head and the proposed law against local Christian churches was defeated. But I'm always open to better info.

All I know is Baruch has been faithfully and openly preaching there for more than 30 years (he recently retired). He's had tremendous struggles, to be sure, but he hasn't been arrested for a crime.

I believe there are messianic synagogues in Israel.

Their very existence is "interesting" in terms of prophesy.

Originally Posted by Eoghan

I believe there are messianic synagogues in Israel.

Their very existence is "interesting" in terms of prophesy.

I guess.

Are they Christian assemblies, or Jewish groups looking for Messiah (having missed him)?

There are organisations whose mission statement is to pray for and evangelize those on Palestine, both Jew and Arab alike. Some of them get too caught up in looking at end times prophesy and working out what will happen next, rather than concentrating their efforts on the spreading of the gospel. As far as it being illegal... it will likely be illegal in the UK given a short amount of time as it already feels like a police state here as it is. that wont prevent the gospel being shared though.

I do not think it is illegal in Israel given there are organized mission trips to Israel that include some street evangelism.