The first challenge for this study will be to explore the significance for our time of the commandment of the Lord to begin fulfilling the Great Commission in Jerusalem. I will be using two basic perspectives.
1.) Starting from the beginning looking forward to the end.
2.) Starting from the present looking back to the beginning and then forward to the end.
Before any other considerations, I will be asking the question, What is the actual nature of the Good News which is to be preached to the ends of the earth beginning at Jerusalem? What is the relationship of the Lord, his death and his resurrection, to Jerusalem and to the nations of the world?
The first perspective I have mentioned raises the whole issue of the relationship of Jewish Messianism and Gentile Christianity. There are various important aspects to this. Some of these are:
1.) The relationship betwee the branch of Jewish Messianism that led to the time of Yehoshua (Jesus) but then went in a different direction and the branch of Jewish Messianism that led to the time of Yehoshua which then proceeded to follow him.
2.) The relationship between "Messianic Judaism" today and original Jewish Messianism and the two directions which it split into. How did original Jewish Messianism produce "Messianic Judaism"?
3.) The relationship of Gentile Messianism (Christianity) with these different aspects of Jewish Messianism. How did original Jewish Messianism produce Gentile Messianism (Christianity)?
The second pespective raises the following issues:
1.) Should contemporary Messianic Judaism seek to go back and start all over from the beginning? Or should it seek to start by understanding and accepting the present reality and working from there to re-create a link to the beginning? How would it do either of these? In what sense is it trying to do either or both of these? How does the commandment to begin the great commission from Jerusalem affect this question?
2.) Should Gentile Messianism (Christianity) seek to go back and start all over from the beginning in any sense at all? How was the Protestant Reformation an attempt to do this? It the Protestant Reformation complete? How was the Anabaptist Reformation an attempt to do this? Is the Anabaptist Reformation complete? How does the commandment to begin the great commission from Jerusalem affect this question?
