AMI Position Statement 6/13/25

AMI Position Statement regarding the Oral Law:

In keeping with the Messiah Yeshua’s teachings, the Apostles’ authority, the New Testament writings, mainstream Messianic scholars and organizations and some normative Jewish branches such as Reform, Reconstructionist, and to an extent even Convervative Judaism, Apostolic Messianic International does not, nor ever has considered the Oral Law to be of divine origin and does not consider it to be transmitted from God to Moses, to Joshua, to succeedIng generations, i.e., “from Moses at Sinai” (Halachah Le Moshe MiSinai). We do not consider the Oral Law to be binding or authoritative on New Covenant believers, nor to originate with Abraham or to be from God to Moses, Joshua, etc.

AMI affirms that the only true, objective and authoritative Torah is that which is witnessed to in the sacred writings of Scripture. Such writing is a testimony of the Covenant and is physical, documentary evidence of the Word of God which was authentically given to Moses and Israel at Sinai. The claim of the “Oral Torah” as being of divine origin fails to meet the burden of proof required to prove its authenticity. In many instances it contradicts the written Word of God, including the teachings of the Messiah Yeshua who declared the Mesorah (oral transmission) to be “the commandments of men.”

AMI does acknowledge the existence of transmission called “Mesorah” or traditions passed down through generations, which the Messiah Yeshua defined as “the commandments of men”, some (but certainly not all) of which opposed the commandments of God, none of which can be considered to be positively divine in origin. AMI affirms that historically and critically, the Oral Torah originates in the two to three centuries before Messiah amongst the various Jewish sects of the Second Temple era. With this understanding AMI is not opposed to keeping Jewish traditions and in fact embraces, practices, and appreciates many of them so long as they are understood and affirmed to be non-divine in origin and non-binding upon believers, and that they are customs and practices the Jewish people have developed and evolved throughout the millenia based on various differing views.