This is mostly a reference article for those enquiring about what Talmidaism is. Today there are several communities, sects and denominations that have come together to form the broader Talmidi community, both Jews and Gentiles, and the following beliefs are what binds us together in common fellowship. The earliest modern, revived Ebionite communities have been around since the 1980s.
These are the defining features of Talmidaism (‘The Way’), both ancient and modern. The first 12 are defining features that have been with us since the beginning:
1. Belief in One, Indivisible God, YHVH, who is Creator, has no equal or opposite, and has no physical form, never has and never will (we are therefore theologically unitarian, not trinitarian); YHVH alone is our Saviour and Redeemer – no one and nothing else is
2. We ground our basic theology on the Hebrew Bible, the Miqra (and not on rabbinic authority or the Talmud); consequently, the way we practise the festivals is biblical – how Yeshua and his followers would have observed them – and therefore is different to modern rabbinic Judaism
3. We follow the ethical teachings of Yeshua of Nazareth, and believe him to have been a fully human, Jewish prophet (we don’t accept his divinity or the virgin birth); he did not die to save us from our sins (his death was as a prophet and Jewish martyr); Talmidi faith is centred on his teachings and emphases, not on him (we actually do our best to try and live out his teachings in our lives)
4. We accept Yochanan the Immerser (‘John the Baptist’) as a Jewish prophet of God in his own right; prophecy did not end with Malachi
5. We do not accept the authority or teachings of Paul of Tarsus, nor that he was an apostle
6. The religious tradition we descend from spiritually is that of the community led by James the ‘brother’ of Yeshua, and the 14 Nassees (Hebrew: נָשִׂיא nasi, ‘religious president’) who came after him, leading the Council of Elders (העצת הזקנים ha-ʽatsat ha-zqenim) in Jerusalem (i.e. not from Paul and his Christian community – we are not Christians)
7. Expiation of sin is brought about, not by the blood or death of ‘Christ’, but by the fire of God’s Glory (genuine repentance enables us to come safely before the Presence of God, so that the fire of God’s Divine Radiance can purify, cleanse and heal us of the blemish of sin)
8. Salvation for both Jews and Gentiles is by following the Will of God, and adherence to God’s ethical commandments, teachings, principles and values (i.e. not by faith alone but also by works). Each person is accountable for their own choices; no one’s guilt or righteousness can be transferred to another
9. Ethics matter more than dogma and ritual; emphasis is on the internalisation of God’s teaching; internal piety and inner holiness matters, rather than external ritual; religion is practised with compassion and humility before God, not with hypocrisy, pride, vanity or religious arrogance
10. Core mission is to spread the ways (i.e. the just and peaceful values) of the Kingdom of God, to be a light to the Nations, even to people of other religions and of none, and to play our small part in helping God to bring the Kingdom to its fulfilment at some point in the future; the future is entrusted to YHVH, not unhealthily obsessed over, with hope focused on moral restoration, reconciliation, and the healing of the world (tikkun ʽolam), while being ever watchful of trends which can divert humanity off-course.
11. Our faith is built on God’s compassion, mercy and love, not on threats, fear or coercion; Love of God and love of neighbour are seen as the interpretive centre of all commandments and teachings. Our God is a loving and compassionate God, a caring and responsible Parent, not an authoritarian tyrant. Faith is therefore chosen, not imposed; we don’t enforce conformity, or control belief. Practising one’s religion with hatred and anger desecrates the Holiness of God, and violence in religion is considered blasphemy
12. Our community consists of both Jews and Gentiles; what binds us together are our beliefs and our system of ethical values and ideals as followers of the Prophet Yeshua bar Yosef. Talmidi Jews are fully Torah-observant, Gentile Talmidi Godfearers observe what they feel able to of the Sinai Torah, and Gentile Talmidi Yahwists live according to the beliefs and ethics of the Hebrew Bible, and the ethical teachings of Yeshua, but do not observe Torah custom or ritual.
The following two are aspects that have evolved across modern Talmidaism, inspired by the early Yahwist approach to religion (especially in the time of David and Solomon, expressed in books such as Proverbs and Ecclesiastes), and we hope that most non-denominational Talmidis will honour these too:
13. Reason and Conscience, together with Wisdom and Knowledge, are important components of the practice of an honest and responsible religious faith; without them, we risk presenting an image of a God who is limited in knowledge, detached from the real world, and with limited sovereignty (to put it bluntly: if we teach and believe stupid and illogical things, we effectively portray God as stupid; we have a responsibility not to be an embarrassment to the holy reputation of God)
14. Ethical and compassionate Interpretation of Scripture – Scripture is read through the revealed moral nature of YHVH, honestly and responsibly, rather than resorting to rigid literalism or forced harmonisation. Most Talmidis value scholarly and learned research in their study of Scripture
Some Thoughts from a Massorite Talmidi Perspective
Talmidaism is a different way of practising religion; it is a mature, adult, responsible and compassionate way of practising religion that does not bring disrepute to the Holy Name of YHVH. In my own life, it has been a true liberation, and has brought me so much closer to YHVH. I hope that Talmidaism will help you to see that there exists a different way of practising faith – as a glory to our living God, which is different to the religions you might have been brought up with.
Just as the wanderings in the wilderness were intended to take the Egypt out of Israel, so too leaarning about Talmidaism is, in a sense, to take Paul of Tarsus, his Christianity, and his style of practising religion out of you.
On the one hand, there is practising religion by focusing on doom and gloom, the destruction of the world, fear and threats, Satan and demons, darkness and distress. That is the style of Paul’s religion. It has ended up producing generations of broken and traumatised souls.
Talmidaism focuses instead on the teachings of the Prophet Yeshua. Talmidaism focuses on hope and light, wisdom and knowledge, inner peace and holiness, cooperation and good-neighbourliness, justice and mercy. Our hope is for generations of healed souls which project YHVH’s light to the world.
Paul’s way of approaching religion is to make it only about what God can do for you, so that religious faith becomes all about the ‘Me’. As a result, what God wants is merely incidental at best. Most people start their quest by saying, “This is what I want”. It is only the exceptional souls, whose hearts are for God, who start by saying, “I want to discover what God wants.”
Talmidaism is about what we can do for God’s Kingdom, by following God’s gracious and holy Will.
There are many religious people in the world who behave as if they themselves are the arbiters of God’s will. However, what comes out of their mouths effectively proves they live according to their own human will. Talmidaism encourages you to seek YHVH, to know YHVH as a living Being, a living God, so that we are able to finally live the faith Yeshua taught – the faith that enables our heavenly Father to truly dwell among us.
Talmidaism, like the Israelite faith, is focused on living so that YHVH’s Presence will choose to dwell among us, so that we are blest in our lives. With YHVH among us, we are given the strength and courage to deal with whatever comes our way. With YHVH’s Glory and Holiness among us, there is nothing that we cannot achieve.
There are also religious people who act in such an obnoxious way, and who project such a distasteful image of God and religion, that the good and holy reputation of YHVH is sullied, and the spirit of YHVH is far from them. Talmidaism encourages us to walk the ethical path that enables a portion of YHVH’s spirit to dwell with each and every one of us. By taking care of the good reputation and Name of YHVH, and ensuring we don’t disgrace it, YHVH lives with us.