http://www.shofar.org/betdin.htm
This is a website for Messianic Judaism (Jews who believe in Jesus - Yeshua - as the Messiah), with regard to the concept of a Jewish religious tribunal known as the Bet Din. The Bet Din is a council of three rabbis which settles disputes and hears cases of wrong doing committed by members of the congregation. The Bet Din originated in the days when Judges were appointed in the land of Israel to handle judicial matters.
I had an eerily familiar feeling when I read the following information on their website and realized what was being described were what JWs call a "Judicial Committee". It's amazing to me that JWs claim that Jesus came to do away with the Law, that they carry on so of the practices they claim to repudiate.
Anyway, read on, and tell me if you don't get the same sense out of it that I did.
Love, Scully
By Roger A. LudingtonIt is not persecution for an informed person
"Judgement shall begin in the House of the Lord."The messiah will return and judge the whole earth and set up his righteous kingdom, ruling and reigning from Jerusalem. What kind of order will he have? A new order? No - if God is the same yesterday, today and forever, then the order God has always had will be re-established. The restoration of that order, or system of justice, will begin in the season just preceding the return of the Messiah. Truth and light will come and we'll see righteous congregations working in biblical order. The Torah taught of the House of Judgement (Bet Din). Yeshua spoke about the importance of establishing the Bet Din in the body of believers; even Apostle Paul (Rav Shaul) admonished the people to appoint judges from among the congregation. While establishing the church at Corinth, Paul taught against taking the believers' disputes "...before the ungodly for judgement instead of before the saints....the saints will judge the world. Are you not competent to judge trivial cases?" ( I Cor. 6:1-2)But these thoughts were ingrained in Paul even before he became a believer. The place of the Bet Din in Jewish history is well documented. There are three types of Bet Din in Israel. The lowest, which was found in almost every town, consists of three judges with the authority to adjudicate civil cases. The second, or the small Sanhedrin, is a higher court where there are more than 120 in city. It consists of 23 judges, empowered to judge criminal cases. The highest is the Great Bet Din or the Sanhedrin.(Taken from the Encyclopedia of Jewish Religion) Now, don't look at the Sanhedrin in the days of Yeshua and condemn the whole concept. The Sanhedrin was established in the days of Ezra, and was a righteous and Godly court. The Sanhedrin was corrupted by the Romans. Instead of continuing down the Levitical line, one priest after another, the Romans appointed high priests in the court. They had no right to do this and there was corruption in the high court at the time of Yeshua, in the first century. Yet Apostle Paul respected God's order and the high priest in the book of Acts so much that when he spoke out against the man, a guard smote him on the cheek and said, "You dare to insult God's high priest?" (Acts 23: 4 & 5). Paul apologized -- repented because he knew he was not supposed to speak out against the leader of the people. Even though the judgement against him was not correct. In modern times the Bet Din refers to an ecclesiastical court dealing with religious matters such as divorce and supervision of dietary laws, etc. It is also a court of arbitration. The jurisdiction of the court of three judges is civil, generally, including the absolution of vows and the imposition of fines. The decision of the court of 3 judges is required for the conversion of all non-Jews.
After discouraging a conversion at the first and second request, citing the burden of the laws, etc., on the third request, if you really want to follow the God of Israel and Torah, they will help you by explaining the lifestyle and teachings. (Taken from the Encyclopedia Judaica) This should also hold true in a messianic congregation. Rather than having people bouncing from congregation to congregation, people should be made aware of what the congregation believes in, and once it is determined that there is a full understanding and desire to follow a messianic lifestyle, the formal "conversion", or acceptance into the community, can take place. As a synagogue member in Israel, there is a place where you can take your problems before the leaders, and they will take the scriptures (the Torah) and give you a workable answer to the best of their ability. It is a forum for arbitration, family counseling and the settlement of spiritual questions. The Bet Din is the system that God has set up. The origin of Jewish law is Torah. Before there was Torah there was very little law on earth. The strongest prevailed. Every country who has laws not founded on this structure is about the same -- anarchy, corruption and deceit. It can be seen today in some newer countries, especially those with military leadership. Yeshua's message didn't come from the nations; it came from the Torah. From Moses, and from God through Moses. In Exodus 18:13, Moses was serving as judge for over one million people, seeking God's will for them from morning till evening. Jethro saw that the work was too heavy for one man and advised Moses to appoint judges over the people, and have only the difficult cases brought to Moses.
In Deuteronomy 1:9, Moses tells the people to "Choose some wise, understanding and respected men from each of your tribes and I wll set them over you." That didn't stop with Moses and Joshua; it continues until today. It continued through the days of Yeshua, and He taught His kehilat the same thing. The judges had to be able, God-fearing men of truth and wisdom, hating unjust gain. They were charged to hear cases between brothers and judge righteously, whether Israelite or alien, rich or poor. Not to be partial in judgement, but to hear the small and the great alike. There is accountability for those that transgressed. Deuteronomy 17:2-7 tells us that, if someone does evil in the eyes of the Lord, breaking His covenant and worshiping other gods, it must be investigated thoroughly. If it is true and has been proved, take the man or woman to the city gate and stone that person to death. On the testimony of two or three witnesses, never one. In the New Covenant as well, we must have proof from the mouths of two or three witnesses. In the day of Grace, you are not put to death, but you still must get the sin out of your life and out of the camp. The hands of the witnesses must be the first to put him to death. Then the hands of all the people. That is what Yeshua taught as well. You must purge the evil from among you.
Once into the land of Israel, and with the passing of Moses, the Bet Din were established in the cities. One was to go to the priests and to the judges; inquire of them and they will give you a verdict. "You must act according to the decisions they give you at the place the Lord will choose. Be careful to do everything they direct you to do. Do not turn aside from what they tell you, to the right or to the left." (Deut. 17:10,11)For your part, you must follow the order and be subject to it. They are responsible for the judgement they give, and you are responsible to follow them. This is part of the restoration; the government of the restoration. We must build according to the Torah in the messianic movement. Accountability also means accepting the ruling of the House of Judgement. Many today would say, "I'm spirit-filled -- don't judge me." That attitude will never fit in a congregation with Yeshua as the head of the body. We have problems in our messianic congregations today that need the righteous judgements of a Bet Din. There must be a forum for accountability. Many denominations in Christianity have such a forum. For example, if you are going from one congregation to another, the leaders will send a letter of introduction and recommendation. There needs to be righteous movement of members from place to place. The appointment of Judges was the same in the Old Covenant as it is in the New Covenant. It presupposed the "semikhah" or the laying on of hands by the appointer upon the appointee. Semihkah passes on an order or a commission to someone else.
In Numbers 27:22, Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and laid hands on Joshua in front of Eleazar the priest and all the people and commissioned him. This continued on through all of Israel's history. In the days of Yeshua the priests were laying on hands and commissioning them to do certain works. This is valid still today. At the close of Yeshua's commission on this earth, in Matthew 28 He spoke, "All authority on heaven and earth are given to me, therefore, go and make disciples of all nations ...teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you and surely I am with you always to the end of the age...."Many places, including Matthew 18, Yeshua teaches us how to take care of problems and differences in the congregation. In Matthew 16:13, "Yeshua asked, "Who is the son of man?" After Simon's answer, Yeshua said to him, "Blessed are you Simon, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my father in heaven. Upon this revelation I will build my congregation." He also says, "I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven."
What are the keys? We receive them as we understand the true teachings of this Jewish rabbi, as He opens up the understanding of the Torah, and reveals the secrets of God which have been hidden through the ages. "If your brother sin against you...show him his fault between the two of you...." Matthew 18If this is unsuccesful, bring one or two along so that in the testimony of two or three witnesses (a Bet Din), the brother can be brought to repentance. If he refuses to listen, tell it to the whole congregation, and if he refuses to hear them, then treat him as a pagan. "Whatever you bind on earth..." That doesn't mean devils or spirits, that is how you bind the problems and hold together as a congregation. You bind the trouble maker who runs from city to city and from congregation to congregation.
This is that what Apostle Paul followed. He relayed Torah instructions to the goyim as the Apostle to the nations. Forgive after repentance -- as in the parable of the unmerciful servant in the settling of the accounts. When the forgiven man's friend begged forgiveness, the ungrateful servant would not forgive him. Forgiveness follows repentance. It is our duty to do what the scriptures say in all cases, says Yeshua. And that means submission to God and the Torah!
Without the civil laws in our cities, people would be breaking your doors down and stealing your things, and the same way spiritually speaking; people would tear down the House of God for their own selfish pleasures. There must be an establishment to preserve the house of God. In the Jewish community it is a Rabbinic Bet Din and in the Messianic community there also must be a place to which we must be accountable, governed by the Torah. We recognize it to be -- "A Messianic Bet Din."*** An interesting note -- according to the Encyclopedia Judaica, "the laying on of hands ceased about the middle of the 4th century." A lot of things ceased, including Sabbath worship and passover. There was an abrupt end to the Messianic Jewish movement in the days of Constantine, 325 C.E.
to expose a certain religion as being false. - WT 11/15/63
A religion that teaches lies cannot be true. -WT 12/1/91