 FAQ's
(Frequently Asked Questions)
Questions
About AMFI
Questions Jewish people ask about
Christianity
Questions Christians ask about Jewish
People & the Jewish Faith
Questions about
AMFI
- What is AMF?
- What does "AMF"
stand for?
- Who founded
AMF?
- How
is AMFI financed?
- May I duplicate
your materials for my own use?
- What is the significance
of the AMFI logo?
- Can I
get that cool logo on jewelry, T-Shirts, etc.?
- May I use
the logo for my own purposes?
- Why
do you care if Jewish People believe in Jesus?
Questions Jewish people ask about
Christianity
- What's with the
Fish Symbol?
- Don't Christians
really believe in three Gods?
- What's the difference
between an "evangelical" and Christians in general?
- Why do
you care if Jewish People believe in Jesus?
- If Jesus is the Messiah,
why didn't he fulfill all the Messianic prophecies?
Questions Christians ask about
Jewish People & the Jewish Faith
- What's
the difference between Yiddish & Hebrew?
- Why don't the Jewish
people believe in Jesus?
- Don't the Jewish
people believe in salvation by works?
- Do the Jewish
people believe in the resurrection of the dead?
- How does the Jewish
Bible differ from that of the Christians?
- Why is the meaning
of the skull cap?
- Why is the meaning
of the Star of David?
- What can Jewish people
eat and not eat?
- What is written in
the Mezuzah?
Questions about AMFI
What is AMF?
AMF International, formerly American Messianic Fellowship, is
a conservative evangelical ministry committed to seeing the Lord's
purpose fulfilled by building bridges of understanding between
Christian and Jewish communities.
As an extension of the local Church, our emphasis is on taking
the gospel to the Jew first, and seeing Jewish and Gentile believers
made one in Messiah. We seek to mobilize the Church to take the
gospel back to its source ... the nearly 13 million descendants
of Jacob.
What do the
letters 'AMF' stand for?
AMF International was formerly known as American
Messianic Fellowship. We have since outgrown the
term "American", but retain the letter 'A' for the sake
of recognition.
Who Founded
AMF?
William E. Blackstone is generally considered the Founder. (See
"Who We Are")
How
is AMFI financed?
AMFI is supported by donations from individuals and churches
who believe in its cause. AMF International is a member of
CrossGlobal Link.
You can find the CrossGlobal Link website at www.ifmamissions.org
to see the standards to which we are held accountable, including
in the financial arena. Like EFCA, CrossGlobal Link financial standards
require an annual outside audit. (You may contact the CrossGlobal Link
home office if you have questions of their requirements.)
We do make available our financial statements upon request.
Since both CrossGlobal Link and ECFA require membership dues, we have
elected as a ministry to exercise good stewardship and only
join one oversight group. CrossGlobal Link offers more to us than just
financial accountability standards, and we are pleased with
the benefits we have received since joining in 1979.
If you wish to share in AMFI's ministry through giving, click here
or send your check (payable to AMF International) to
PO Box 5470, Lansing, IL 60438. All gifts received by AMFI will
be used under the direction of the Board of Directors to further the stated ministry purposes.
May I use
the articles from this web site to give to friends or to use in
a Bible Study group?
Yes! Except where specifically noted otherwise, all the material
on the AMF International web site may be duplicated without limit
for distribution at the user's discretion. We only ask 1) that
the material be kept intact, (that is, that the content not be
altered in any way) and 2) that credit is given to AMFI and the
specific author, if given, and a link back to www.amfi.org
if the document is to be posted on the Internet. In the case of
translation, we would be pleased to see a copy of the translated
version, and if the translation is to be posted on the Internet,
the URL
Some materials (such as the L'Chaim tract) are already available
in printed form from AMF International, which may be more convenient
than copying and printing from the Internet. (See Order
Form)
What is the significance of the
AMFI logo?
The Star of David represents the Jewish People, while the fish
represents Christianity. (Click here
for a more detailed explanation).
Can I get that cool logo
on jewelry, T-Shirts, etc.?
Yes! We have begun producing items and so far have pendants,
pins and tie-tacs available for order. Click
here for more information and order form.
May I use
the logo for my own purposes?
The AMF International logo blends the
Star of David with the Christian "fish symbol" to represent
our mission of "building bridges of understanding between
Jewish and Christian communities." Since 1991 we have invested
our identity in this unique design through its continual use in
literature, media, on the web, and other items. Because of this
investment, in 1998 we applied for and received legal trademark
protection for the logo as the servicemark of AMF International.
Therefore, use of the logo is restricted to purposes undertaken
and authorized by AMF International. We appreciate your cooperation
in this matter.
Questions Jewish people ask about Christianity
What's with the Fish
Symbol?
A common symbol representing Christianity is the "ICHTHYS,"
or "fish" symbol. ICHTHYS* is the Greek word for fish,
and forms an acrostic: Iesous CHristos THeou Yios Soteros, meaning
"Jesus Christ God's Son Savior." The fish concept itself
fits well with Jesus' words to his fisherman disciples: "I
shall make you fishers of men." (It may or may not be significant
that the Fish was considered a symbol of Eretz Israel at that
time). The symbol is supposed to have been used by early Christians
as a way of identifying themselves to one another.
*(The letter "y" here
represents a sound similar to the u in French "but")
Don't Christians really believe
in three Gods?
Christians believe in One God (Deut. 6:1) in three persons: Father,
Son and Holy Spirit. Yeshua spoke of the Father as a distinct
entity, yet also affirmed "I and the Father are One."
The Holy Spirit is also spoken of as God. For a fuller discussion
of the Trinity, click here.
What's the difference between
an "evangelical" and Christians
in general?
The word "evangelical" comes from the Greek word
euangelion,which means "Good News," or "Gospel."
To the evangelical, the Gospel is summed up in the words of
I Corinthians 15:3-4:
"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also
received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the
Scriptures, and that hew as buried and that he rose again the
third day according to the Scriptures."
Briefly stated, an evangelical is a Christian who believes, lives
and wants to share this message.
Questions Christians ask about Judaism
What's the difference between
Yiddish & Hebrew?
Yiddish is fundamentally a Germanic language written in Hebrew
characters used by the Jews of Central and Eastern Europe. The
vocabulary is enriched with a great many borrowings from Hebrew
and other languages, particularly Polish. The word "Yiddish"
itself is Yiddish for "Jewish" ("Yid" means
"Jew")
Hebrew, on the other hand, is an ancient Semitic Language, related
to Arabic, Aramaic and Akkadian (Babylonian). The Bible was written
in Hebrew. Use of Hebrew as the language of everyday living seems
to have died out about the time of the destruction of Jerusalem
in 70 A.D. (later than was once believed), although it continued
to be used by the Jewish community as a liturgical and literary
medium. With the rise of the Zionist Movement in the 19th century,
Hebrew was resurrected as a living language and used by Zionist
settlers in the Holy Land as their everyday tongue. In this way
Hebrew was ready to assume its role as the national language of
the modern state of Israel when the Jewish State was reborn in
1948.
How does the
Jewish Bible differ from the Christian Bible?
The Christian Bible consists of two parts, typically labeled
"The Old Testament" and "The New Testament."
Although the New Testament is quite Jewish by origin and subject
matter, when Jewish people say "Bible," they usually
mean what Christians call the Old Testament. In Jewish parlance,
the Bible is also called "Tanakh," a Hebrew acronym
for Torah, Nebi'im and Ketubim, or The Pentateuch (the five books
of Moses), the prophets, and the Writings (Psalms, Proverbs and
everything else). The textual content is exactly the same, although
the ordering of the books is different, and the numbering of the
verses sometimes varies slightly.
"Why
do they wear those beanie things on their heads?"
That "beanie" is properly called a yarmulke,
or kippah. In Jewish tradition Jewish males are expected
to cover their heads when they pray. It is said to be a reminder
of the presence of God above. The origin of the word "yarmulke"
is obscure, but some see it as as an acronym of the Hebrew
phrase "YARe MeELoQim" -- Fearer of God. When exactly
this tradition began is difficult to say, but since it is
never mentioned in either the Bible or the Talmud, it seems
likely to be of more recent origin. It may have something
to do with the fact that in many parts of the Diaspora, under
both Christian and Muslim rule, Jews were expected to mark
themselves with distinctive clothing, including headgear.
What is the origin of the Star
of David?
The "Star of David" is known in Hebrew as Magen
David (or Mogen David in Yiddish), which literally
means "shield of David," apparently from the popular
notion that the Beloved King of Israel wore this symbol on
his shields, although there is no evidence that this is true.
It is unlikely that either David or Solomon ever knew it.
The symbol was used in Israel in Roman times (it can be seen
in the remains of the synagogue at Capernaum), but it appears
to have been nothing more than an architectural motif at that
time. It seems to have become associated with Judaism in
particular only in later centuries.
According to one source, earliest attested use by a Jewish person
is from 7th century BC but it assumed importance as a distinctive
Jewish symbol only from 17th century AD.
Why don't the
Jewish people believe in Jesus?
There are many, many personal, theological, and pragmatic reasons
Jewish people may have difficulty in seeing Jesus as their Messiah.
The following is only a sample:
- a man cannot be worshipped as God.
- unmet Messianic expectations. Messiah is supposed to bring
about an era of peace.
- the Christian concept of Messiah as Redeemer is considered
unnecessary.
- mistrust of the New Testament (Not written in Hebrew, perceived
antisemitic tone)
- certain individuals (Jewish and otherwise) are disillusioned
with God and religion in general owing to personal experiences
- fear of being rejected by family and the Jewish community
at large may discourage a would-be believer in Yeshua.
- simply not knowing anything about Jesus except that he is
"for them" not "for us".
- for centuries the surrounding "Christian" culture
has alienated the Jewish people. The Inquisition, the Crusades
and the Holocaust were all carried out in the name of "Christ."
Don't the
Jewish people believe in salvation by works?
"Salvation", in the sense it is known to Evangelicals
(personal redemption from sin, leading to eternal life), is an
alien concept to most of Judaism. Although Jewish tradition acknowledges
the afterlife, it is not a basic tenet of Jewish faith.
Teaching in traditional Judaism varies as to who is eligible for
eternal life: Some say all will be raised, some say all Jews will
be raised, some say only the righteous.
Do the Jewish people believe
in the resurrection?
In Jesus' day, the Pharisees, who were in large part the forerunners
of rabbinic Judaism, definitely did believe in physical resurrection
of the body. The orthodox/conservatives still maintain this position,
though Reform movements do not take resurrection literally. The
departed may be said to "live on" in the memory of the
living.
What
can Jewish people eat and not eat?
Food is considered
"kosher" or not kosher based on the guidelines laid out in the
Torah. According to Leviticus 11:3, the criteria for four-footed
animals are that they must have divided hooves, entirely cloven
feet, and chew the cud. That means sheep, goats and cattle
are among the kosher meats, but pigs, horses and camels are
not. Fish are okay as long as they have both fins and scales.
(Leviticus 11:0) No other kind of seafood is allowed.
Most kinds of fowl
commonly eaten in western cultures are kosher, including chicken,
turkey, pheasant, duck, goose and quail. The biblical list of
forbidden birds is essentially a list of scavengers and birds
of prey. Eagles, hawks, vultures and the like are out.
Creatures which do
not fit neatly into one of these categories are generally unkosher.
Lizards, snakes, rodents, bats and most insects are not kosher.
The only kosher insects are certain kinds of locust.
Another important
dietary rule in rabbinic Judaism is that meat and dairy products
may not be eaten together, so don't offer you observant Jewish
guest a cheeseburger. Where does this rule come from?
The Bible never explicitly gives such a rule, but it is derived
from an obscure verse in Deuteronomy which says not to boil
a kid in its mother's milk. (Deuteronomy 14:21).
Anything found already
dead is unclean.
During the week of
Passover, there is another rule. During the Feast of Unleavened
Bread, all traces of leaven must be removed from the home.
What
is written in the Mezuzah?
A real mezuzah contains a tiny handwritten
scroll on which are written Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 11:13-21.
Both of these passages mention writing the precepts of God and
the doorposts. The mezuzah is a way of fulfilling this
literally.
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