Can I Be a Jew-ish Catholic?

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[DallasBiff]

I grew up in two separate households and in two different countries. My family is originally from Ecuador but we have Spanish ancestry and Jewish roots. For the first eight years of my life I lived with my maternal grandparents in Ecuador. My grandfather was originally Christian but converted to Judaism and my grandmother was Jewish though not particularly observant. Our Judaism consisted of occasional visits to the synagogue and the observance of a few holidays.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Can I Be a Jew-ish Catholic?

You can be whatever you want to be in your head.

Getting the rest of the universe and reality to go along with you may be a bit trickier.

[Cronos]

Yes, being Jewish is both a religious and an ethnic identity.

[Cronos]

kinsman redeemer -- Philippians 3:3–8 proves the opposite of your point: Paul declares that true circumcision (the real people of God) is no longer defined by physical descent, tribe, or law-keeping, but by worship in the Spirit and glorying in Christ alone, with zero confidence in the flesh (v. 3). He lists his impeccable Jewish credentials only to say they are rubbish compared to knowing Christ (v. 8).

There is now one new man (Ephesians 2:15), one olive tree (Romans 11:17–24), one fold and one shepherd (John 10:16), one body (Ephesians 4:4). Ethnic Israel’s privileges have been fulfilled and universalized in Christ; the middle wall is abolished (Ephesians 2:14).

[Cronos]

kinsman redeemer -- As to the book of Hebrews, this was indeed written to Jewish-background believers, to show thatthe old covenant is obsolete (Hebrews 8:13) and that Jesus is the once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 10:10–14) who has sat down forever at God’s right hand (Hebrews 10:12). It never teaches a future restoration of animal sacrifices or a rebuilt temple system (Hebrews 9:26: “He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself”).

Your “Messianic Jew is still a Jew in a separate program” idea is demolished by the very passages you cite: in Christ, the distinction is gone.

There is only one people of God, purchased from every tribe and tongue (Revelation 5:9), worshipping the Lamb who was slain, not awaiting a future earthly kingdom with reinstated old-covenant shadows that have already been fulfilled in Him (Colossians 2:16–17).

[kenmcg]

JEWS FOR JESUS!