About Phileo Yeshua Friends

What is PYF - Phileo Yeshua Friends?

This is simply a place where Christians (and indeed non-Christians) can begin to explore the claims of the Gospel of Yeshua (Jesus) and seek to acquire an understanding (however limited) of the Jewish, or Hebraic, aspect of our Christian faith. Not all churches are able to offer any guidance in this area and accordingly some Believers may find themselves unsupported in their search for the Biblical Yeshua (Jesus).

We can explore what PYF is, by stating what it is not! It is not a church or even a para church. It is not the last word in understanding Hebraic things. It is not a new religion and it is not a call to become Jewish!

PYF provides a network for individual Christians who yearn for something more. As time goes by we hope to introduce the opportunity for public meetings and seminars, and worship events.

PYF should be a 'place of safety' for those who want to explore the Hebrew dynamic. It is also a launching point for any who want to go deeper and one way Christians might want to go deeper is to obtain and read some of the steadily growing range of popular books in this area. These books should encourage us all to go back to the Bible! In fact we will have failed in one sense if PYF friends do not find themselves drawn back to Scripture and to take a fresh delight in Scripture.

PYF is also an obvious starting point for church leaders who sense a call to exposure in this area but are unsure quite how to begin..

So PYF is a resource, a meeting point - and for some, the first step in a journey..

PYF's basic understanding / principles

PYF's basic starting point is simply to recognize that the Christian church emerged from Judaism and is the outcome of the New Covenant. The fact that Christianity emerged from Judaism is not a coincidence - it is part of God's overall plan for Mankind..

Generally, Christians believe that the epoch of the New Covenant began at the first coming of Yeshua (Jesus), Who began His ministry with the words "the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15). The New Covenant (along with the concept of the Kingdom of God) defines and describes the ongoing relationship between Christian believers and God. The New Covenant will be in full fruition after the second coming of Yeshua; that is, it will not only be in full fruition in believing hearts, but in the external world as well. Christians believe that Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant, and that His blood shed at the crucifixion is the required seal of the covenant. As with all covenants between God and Man described in the Bible, the New Covenant is considered a bond (in blood) sovereignly administered by God. The connection between the blood of Jesus and the New Covenant is seen at the Last Supper where Yeshua instituted the rite of Communion (an adaptation of the Passover Meal) saying "this cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood". (Luke 22:20)

The New Covenant does extinguish the Old Mosaic Covenant but leaves the other Covenants in place. (The Abraham Covenant, The Noah Covenant, the David Covenant and the Messianic Covenant). The New Covenant is seen to enlarge upon the older covenants, extending to all Mankind the blessings promised to the Hebrews.

The principles adopted by PYF are:

  1. We rejoice in the in-grafting of the wild olive to the Hebrew root
  2. We seek to learn from and to absorb Hebrew thinking in a way reminiscent of the way our Lord learned and absorbed this style of thinking
  3. We do not seek to 'Judaize' the church but we do seek the blessing associated with praying for the Hebrew people in all their travails and needs

PYF's vision

To provide a resource for understanding and to encourage Believers to rejoice in being part of One New Man - redeemed humanity, Jew and Gentile alike, saved by Yeshua (Jesus).

PYF's mission

To encourage all Believers to see Yeshua Ha Massiach (Jesus the Messiah or Jesus the Christ) as a Jewish Man within His Hebraic hinterland, as well as the better known Saviour of all Mankind. To encourage all Believers to recognize that there are implications in the Greek mindset that is our natural cultural mindset (and our inheritance especially in the Western world) and that those implications can be a source of conflict with the Gospel, causing us to rationalize rather than trust, and adopt worldly standards. To help Believers to understand that acknowledging the Hebraic dynamic of the Christian faith blesses our life of worship and witness.

PYF's basis of faith

God

We believe in one God, who is Creator of all (Deuteronomy 6:4; Colossians 1:16), who has revealed Himself in three distinct Persons-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14), yet who is one in being, essence, and glory (John 10:30). God is eternal (Psalm 90:2), infinite (1 Timothy 1:17), and sovereign (Psalm 93:1). God is omniscient (Psalm 139:1-6), omnipresent (Psalm 139:7-13), omnipotent (Revelation 19:6), and unchanging (Malachi 3:6). God is holy (Isaiah 6:3), just (Deuteronomy 32:4), and righteous (Exodus 9:27). God is love (1 John 4:8), gracious (Ephesians 2:8), merciful (1 Peter 1:3), and good (Romans 8:28).

Yeshua Ha'Mashiach (Jesus Christ)

We believe in the deity of the Lord Yeshua Ha'Mashiach (Jesus Christ). He is God incarnate, God in human form, the expressed image of the Father, who, without ceasing to be God, became man in order that He might demonstrate who God is and to provide the means of salvation for humanity (Matthew 1:21; John 1:18; Colossians 1:15).

We believe that Yeshua Ha'Mashiach (Jesus Christ) was conceived of the Holy Spirit and was born of the virgin Miriyam (Mary); that He is truly fully God and truly fully man; that He lived a perfect, sinless life; that all His teachings are true (Isaiah 14; Matthew 1:23). We believe that Yeshua Ha'Mashiach (Jesus Christ) died on the cross for all humanity (1 John 2:2) as a substitutionary sacrifice (Isaiah 53:5-6). We hold that His death is sufficient to provide salvation for all who receive Him as Saviour (John 1:12; Acts 16:31); that our justification is grounded in the shedding of His blood (Romans 5:9; Ephesians 1:17); and that it is attested by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Matthew 28:6; 1 Peter 1:3)..

We believe that Yeshua Ha'Mashiach (Jesus Christ) ascended to Heaven in His glorified body (Acts 1:9-10) and is now seated at the right hand of God as our High Priest and Advocate (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25).

The Holy Spirit

We believe in the deity and personality of the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4). He regenerates sinners (Titus 3:5) and indwells believers (Romans 8:9). He is the agent by whom Messiah (Christ) baptizes all believers into His body (1 Corinthians 12:12-14). He is the seal by whom the Father guarantees the salvation of believers unto the day of redemption (Ephesians 1:13-14). He is the Divine Teacher who illumines believers' hearts and minds as they study the Word of God (1 Corinthians 2:9-12)..

We believe that the Holy Spirit is ultimately sovereign in the distribution of spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:11). We believe that the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, while by no means outside of the Spirit's ability to empower, no longer function to the same degree they did in the early development of the church (1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 2:20; 4:7-12).

The Bible

We believe the Bible, comprised of the Old Witness and New Witness (usually known as Old Testament and New Testament, or even Old Covenant and New Covenant), to be the inspired, infallible, and authoritative Word of God (Matthew 5:18; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). In faith we hold the Bible to be inerrant in its original writings, God-breathed, and the complete and final authority for faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:16-17). While still using the individual writing styles of the human authors, the Holy Spirit perfectly guided them to ensure they wrote precisely what He wanted written, without error or omission (2 Peter 1:21).

Humanity

We believe that humanity came into existence by direct creation of God and that humanity is uniquely made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27). We believe that all humanity, because of Adam's fall, has inherited a sinful nature, that all human beings choose to sin (Romans 3:23), and that all sin is greatly offensive to God (Romans 6:23). Humanity is utterly unable to remedy this fallen state (Ephesians 2:1-5,12).

Salvation

We believe that salvation is a gift of God's grace through faith in the finished work of Yeshua Ha'Mashiach (Jesus Christ) on the cross (Ephesians 2:8-9). Messiah's (Christ's) death fully accomplished justification through faith and redemption from sin. Messiah (Christ) died in our place (Romans 5:8-9) and bore our sins in His own body (1 Peter 2:24)..

We believe salvation is received by grace alone, through faith alone, in Messiah (Christ) alone. Good works and obedience are results of salvation, not requirements for salvation. Due to the greatness, sufficiency, and perfection of Messiah's (Christ's) sacrifice, all those who have truly received Messiah (Christ) as Savior are eternally secure in salvation, kept by God's power, secured and sealed in Yeshua (Jesus) forever (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 38-39; Ephesians 1:13-14; 1 Peter 1:5; Jude 24). Just as salvation cannot be earned by good works, neither does it need good works to be maintained or sustained. Good works and changed lives are the inevitable results of salvation (James 2).

The Church

We believe that The People of the Way, those disciples of Yeshua Ha'Mashiach (Jesus Christ) - often called the Church, are the Body of Messiah (Christ). The church is a spiritual organism made up of all believers of this present age (1 Corinthians 12:12-14; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:25-27). We believe in the ordinances of believer's water baptism, ideally by immersion, as a testimony to Yeshua and identification with Him, and the Lord's Supper as a remembrance of Yeshua's death and shed blood (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42, 18:8; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26). Through the church, believers are to be taught to obey the Lord and to testify concerning their faith in Messiah (Christ) as Saviour and to honour Him by holy living. We believe in the Great Commission as the primary mission of the Church. It is the obligation of all believers to witness, by word and life, to the truths of God's Word. The gospel of the grace of God is to be preached to all the world (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 5:19-20).

Angels and Demons

We believe in the reality and personality of angels. We believe that God created the angels to be His servants and messengers (Nehemiah 9:6; Psalm 148:2; Hebrews 1:14).
We believe in the existence and personality of Satan and demons. Satan is a fallen angel who led a group of angels in rebellion against God (Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:12-15). He is the great enemy of God and man, and the demons are his servants in evil. He and his demons will be eternally punished in the lake of fire (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10).

PYF's leadership

PYF is a group of Christian and Messianic Jewish Friends. There is no leadership 'structure'. Those who can contribute will do so as the Lord enables. There are no financial contributions from Friends - being a Friend should always be a no-cost experience!