Statement of Faith of B’nai Shalom

Anachnu Ma’aminim (We Believe)

1 › ADONAI is One, Echad. As it is written, “Shema Yisrael, ADONAI Eloheinu, ADONAI Echad” - “Hear O Israel, YHVH our God, YHVH is One.”¹ He is the God of Avraham, the God of Yitzchak, and the God of Yaakov, the Eternal One and Only God Who lives. He is the Creator of heaven and earth, that which is seen and that which is not seen. He is ADONAI.

2 › According to the Scriptures, Mashiach ben Yosef was born during Second Temple days of a woman who had “not known a man” - Miryam, of the House of David. He was named Yeshua by the angel of ADONAI for, according to the Scriptures, He would save His people from their sins. By His obedient life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection He fulfilled the prophecies in the Tanakh (Torah, the Prophets and the Writings) which speak of Mashiach’s first coming. According to the Scriptures, one day soon, He will return as Mashiach ben David to rule and reign from Yerushalayim. As it is written, “I, Myself have installed My King on Tziyon, My holy mountain.”² And though He tarry, yet will we wait for Him. Yeshua is the Memra/Dvar ADONAI (the Word of God), the divine Mashiach, the fullness of the God of Yisrael in bodily form.³

3 › ADONAI is Ruach (Spirit) and “those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.”⁴ He reveals Himself as Abba (Father) and The Word (Dvar, Ben, Son). He pours out His Ruach Kodesh (Holy Spirit) upon all followers of Mashiach, encouraging and enabling them to bring forth the fruit of righteousness and distributing gifts that lead to the building up and yachad (unity) of the Body of Believers.

4 › The Almighty, blessed be His Holy Name, is a covenant-making and covenant-keeping God. He created man in His own image and desires to be in covenant relationship with him.

5 › Mankind’s disobedience (sin) to ADONAI’s revealed will, His holy Torah, causes a separation between ADONAI and mankind that leads to spiritual death.

6 › The ONLY provision ADONAI made for reconciling man to Himself is through teshuvah (repentance - turning from sin and to ADONAI’s instructions) and blood atonement, for “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”⁵ Yeshua is “the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.”⁶ The blood that poured out from His body while He hung on the execution stake is the offering for sin in fulfillment of Tehillim (Psalms) 22 and Yeshayahu 53. Avinu Shebashamayim (our Father in Heaven) accepted the sacrifice as evidenced by Yeshua’s bodily resurrection from the grave.

7 › All who make teshuvah, accept ADONAI’s redemption (the purchase price) through Mashiach Yeshua and begin to follow His mitzvot (commandments) are born from above. Redemption is obtained by emunah (trusting) in Yeshua’s atoning work as a free gift from ADONAI through His chesed (grace).

8 › As we cross over into the Kingdom of Heaven we are to pass through the mikveh (ritual immersion pool). Tevilah (immersion) as commanded in the Torah, symbolizes the death of the “old” person and rebirth into newness of life as a “new creation.”⁷

9 › Those who have placed their trust in Yeshua as Mashiach and ADONAI are born into the community of ADONAI. This includes both Jews and non-Jews. Non-Jews, being “wild branches,” who have been grafted into “the good olive tree”, along with Jews, being “the natural branches”, who have received the promise of the God of their Fathers.⁸

10 › The Bible - both the Tanakh and the Ketuvim HaShlechim (the writings of the Apostles) - is the only God-breathed, authoritative Word of ADONAI. In its original language and context, it is inerrant.

11 › ADONAI gave the Torah (Five Books of Moshe) for moral instruction and righteous living for all generations. It reveals His plan of redemption and salvation which He has made available to all mankind. ADONAI’s Word is the same yesterday, today and forever. Yeshua did not come to abolish Torah, but to correctly interpret it.

12 › ADONAI chose Bnei Yisrael to be a blessing to all nations. The return of Bnei Yisrael to Eretz Yisrael is a fulfillment of Bible prophecy. The day will come when Yisrael, as a nation, will accept Mashiach Yeshua. As it is written, “…and they will look upon Me whom they have pierced…”⁹ Mashiach Yeshua will return bodily to establish His holy community here on earth. According to the Scriptures, the Word of ADONAI will then go forth from Tziyon to establish His worldwide rule from Yirushalayim.¹⁰

13 › We are a part of the nation of Yisrael. We are called to be a witness to the faithfulness of ADONAI, embracing our Biblical and cultural Jewish heritage.

¹ Devarim (Deuteronomy) 6:4

² Tehillim (Psalms) 2:6

³ Colossians 2:9

⁴ Yochanan (John) 4:24

⁵ Ivrim (Hebrews) 9:22

⁶ Yochanan (John) 1:29

⁷ 2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 6:15, Romans 11:17-26

⁸ Bereshit (Genesis) 22:18, Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 31:31-34

⁹ Z'kharyah (Zechariah) 12:10

¹⁰ Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 2:3

This Statement of Faith was adopted by the Board of Directors of B’nai Shalom on November 14, 2007.

You may download a PDF version as adopted by the Board of Directors of B’nai Shalom by clicking here