About Moriel

Our Purpose

MORIEL is a teaching ministry to believers that stresses the need to rediscover the scriptures as Hebraic literature (as opposed to Hellenistic literature), demanding the hermeneutic models of Second Temple Period Judaism as a basis in biblical interpretation.

Essentially this means an attempt to rediscover the methods of interpretation used by the New Testament writers.

We note the Sitz in Leben of Biblical Jewish culture along the lines of various scholars, but in order to see the greater depth of contained meaning we adopt an understanding of early midrashic models in addition to conventional grammatical-historical models of interpretation.

However, we reject as Gnostic any attempts to build doctrinal theology on symbolism or typology, although we press the need to use typology and allegory to illustrate and illuminate doctrine.

• MORIEL is an evangelistic ministry to people of other faiths, beginning with the Jews and nominal (non-evangelical) Christians, such as Roman Catholics and liberal Protestants. We also hold seminars on Messianic apologetics, and on Islamic evangelism, and cult evangelism.
  
  
• MORIEL seeks to plant Messianic fellowships where none exist. These are "fellowships" and not congregations, designed to evangelize Jews and to provide a practical way for Jewish believers and those called to the Jews to preserve and express their identity in Yeshua as Messiah.
  
  
• MORIEL helps believers to plant churches in situations where bible-based congregations do not exist. We call this Misgav Ladach;a Hebrew term meaning "shelter for the oppressed".
  
  
• MORIEL will stand against serious doctrinal error where it threatens the credibility of the gospel or undermines the authority of scripture. This will be particularly true concerning areas likely to prove detrimental to Jewish evangelism - such as "Dual Covenant Theology" and "Christian Anti-Semitic", and "Anti-Zionism".

Statement of faith

• We hold to the God of Israel as the One true God; a Triune God in three persons of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He alone is to be worshipped, as prescribed in Scripture.
  
  
• We believe in the doctrinal infallibility of the
  original manuscripts of the Old and New Testaments in the original languages, and in the historicity of these Scriptures.
  
  
• The complete Bible constituting the supreme authority for our faith and ministry. We accept the Bible as the only basis of true doctrine.
  
  
• We believe in salvation through the New Birth experience by repentance and faith in Jesus alone, as the only provision for man's sin. We hold that Jesus took our sin and gave us His righteousness and we must personally accept Him and remain faithful to Him on the basis of scripture. Those rejecting Jesus will face eternal perdition.
  
  
• We believe that man is fallen and so is creation. It is impossible for man to justify himself before a perfect God.
  
  
• We hold to a pre-millennium return of Christ at which time He will establish his millennium Kingdom on earth.
  
  
• We accept that Gentiles who truly accept Jesus replace Jews who reject Him; however, these are incorporated into Israel in a spiritual sense (on the basis of Romans 11), rather than the church replacing Israel - a teaching which we hold to be error.
  
  
• God's prophetic plan for the salvation of the world is bound up with His prophetic plan for the regathering and salvation of Israel.
  
  
• We believe the gifts of the Spirit, including charismatic gifts, continue to operate in the church. However, we reject any form of charismatic or Pentecostal extremism, and reject totally any form of tradition-based or experiential theology.
  
  
• We hold to believer's baptism.
  
  
• We yearn for the unity of the Spirit, such unity seen as with other Bible-based evangelical Christians, churches, and ministries - even where we may not share all the same nonessential doctrines.
  
  
• However, we reject - as a false unity - ecumenism or unity with any form with non-evangelical versions of Christianity, having a different doctrine of salvation and a basis of doctrinal authority other than the Bible