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You Bring the Bagels I'll Bring the Gospel: Sharing the Messiah with Your Jewish Neighbor
This “how-to-witness-to-Jewish-people” book is an orderly presentation of everything you need to share the Messiah with a Jewish friend. Includes Messianic prophecies, Jewish objections, words to avoid.
253 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
4 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
About the author
Barry Rubin
88 books21 followersBarry Rubin is an American-born Israeli expert on terrorism and Middle Eastern affairs.
Barry Rubin is director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center, editor of the Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA), and a professor at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) in Herzliya, Israel. He is also editor of the journal 'Turkish Studies'.
Barry Rubin is director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center, editor of the Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA), and a professor at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) in Herzliya, Israel. He is also editor of the journal 'Turkish Studies'.
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June 18, 2025
A MESSIANIC RABBI TELLS HIS STORY, AND OFFERS SUGGESTIONS FOR SHARING
Barry Rubin has been Rabbi of Emmanuel Messianic Jewish Congregation in Maryland for more than 35 years; he previously worked with Jews for Jesus and Chosen People Ministries.
He wrote in the Preface of this 1989 book, “You are about to read this book because you care about the Jewish people. You have experienced new life in Jesus and you want to share this Good News with a Jewish person you know… You want to tell him or her the Gospel message… The news that God has provided atonement for sin. Perhaps you have known this person for years, but have not been able to discuss the Messiah. This book was written to help you share the love of Jesus with His own Jewish people. I will be discussing the principles I have taught as both a college teacher of communications and the director of several missionary training programs. My testimony is woven throughout the book to illustrate many of the principles you will learn.”
He says of himself, “My own ‘misdirected zeal’ led me down a confusing and dangerous path until God set my feet on solid ground. Since I was not a very religious Jew, I was not particularly concerned with keeping the laws and traditions of my people; I leveled my sights toward the lofty pursuit of Truth. I spent my young adult life engrossed in psychology books, philosophy books, and the study of the religions of the world. Finally I became initiated into the newly packaged ancient art of transcendental meditation, or T.M., a disguised form of Hinduism… So with customary Jewish zeal, I dove into the practice of transcendental meditation… I discovered that the second-in-command to the Maharishi was a Jewish man. I, along with thousands of other Jewish people, found myself heading intently toward a religion terribly foreign and diametrically opposed to the faith of our fathers.” (Pg.. 27-28)
He recounts, “Soon after I was first confronted with the message of the Messiah I struggled with a dilemma. I found myself beginning to believe the Gospel. This frightened me, because I knew if I professed belief in Jesus, it would change the course of the rest of my life… On top of this, I already suspected that although my parents and friends might not disown me, they certainly would dissociate from me. To some extent this happened. (This is not unusual for Jewish believers…) (Pg. 82-83)
He cites ‘Some Useful Messianic Prophecies,’ and comments about Daniel 9:26, “Verse 26 knocked me over. It said that in connection with this period the Messiah would be cut off ---killed. Then, after the Messiah’s death, the city (Jerusalem) and the sanctuary (the Temple) would be destroyed. Both Jerusalem and the Temple had been destroyed in 70 C.E.! This meant that Messiah had to have died BEFORE 70 C.E.” (Pg. 83)
He advises, “To a Jewish person, Christ conducted the Crusades, invoked the Inquisition, and prompted the persecution of Jews over the last twenty centuries. To a Jewish person, Christ is the first part of the term used by those who use the accusation of deicide: ‘Christ-killers!’ …Connotatively, ‘Christ’ does not equal ‘Messiah’ in the mind of a Jewish person. Jewish people are more comfortable with the term ‘Messiah,’ even though most Jews do not embrace a Messianic hope… So, if you are talking about the anointed One, the Christ, why not say it the Jewish way---Messiah! It makes for more effective communication.” (Pg. 89)
He continues, “Christians use other semantically ‘loaded’ terms in witnessing. Some terminology can be replaced with language that is less offensive, less ambiguous, and still makes the same point, only better… I urge you to consider learning and using those words that are less offensive to Jews and that, at the same time, clearly communicate biblical truth.” (Pg. 90)
In the final chapter (‘Putting It All Together’), he summarizes and illustrates his complete approach: *Be Willing (to Witness); *Create Interest; *Be Timely; *Speak to Needs; *Establish Credibility; *Open Up the Scriptures; *Introduce Salvation. (Pg. 177-193)
In the Epilogue, he tells of the days of his formal conversion, and notes, “It was later that I discovered how many people had been praying for me in Baltimore, Washington, and all over the country! From time to time I still meet people who were praying for me back in 1972. One of those people who was praying was a nice Jewish girl originally from the Bronx named Steffi. She and I met a few months after I received Yeshua. We were married two years later and God blessed us with two lovely daughters. You want your Jewish friend to meet the Messiah. Start to pray, ask others to do the same. We are engaged in spiritual warfare; our most powerful weapon is heartfelt prayer. So have your neighbor bring the bagels. You bring the Gospel. And I fervently believe that God will bring many new children into His everlasting Kingdom.” (Pg. 196)
At times, Rubin’s recommended techniques seem more like a ‘sales pitch’ than a simple sharing of his own faith. (Remember that 1 Peter 3:15 tells the Christian to be ready to “make a defense to everyone WHO ASKS YOU to give an account’; this doesn’t necessarily endorse the Christian initiating such a conversation…”
At any rate, this book will appeal to certain types of ‘Messianic’ believers.
Barry Rubin has been Rabbi of Emmanuel Messianic Jewish Congregation in Maryland for more than 35 years; he previously worked with Jews for Jesus and Chosen People Ministries.
He wrote in the Preface of this 1989 book, “You are about to read this book because you care about the Jewish people. You have experienced new life in Jesus and you want to share this Good News with a Jewish person you know… You want to tell him or her the Gospel message… The news that God has provided atonement for sin. Perhaps you have known this person for years, but have not been able to discuss the Messiah. This book was written to help you share the love of Jesus with His own Jewish people. I will be discussing the principles I have taught as both a college teacher of communications and the director of several missionary training programs. My testimony is woven throughout the book to illustrate many of the principles you will learn.”
He says of himself, “My own ‘misdirected zeal’ led me down a confusing and dangerous path until God set my feet on solid ground. Since I was not a very religious Jew, I was not particularly concerned with keeping the laws and traditions of my people; I leveled my sights toward the lofty pursuit of Truth. I spent my young adult life engrossed in psychology books, philosophy books, and the study of the religions of the world. Finally I became initiated into the newly packaged ancient art of transcendental meditation, or T.M., a disguised form of Hinduism… So with customary Jewish zeal, I dove into the practice of transcendental meditation… I discovered that the second-in-command to the Maharishi was a Jewish man. I, along with thousands of other Jewish people, found myself heading intently toward a religion terribly foreign and diametrically opposed to the faith of our fathers.” (Pg.. 27-28)
He recounts, “Soon after I was first confronted with the message of the Messiah I struggled with a dilemma. I found myself beginning to believe the Gospel. This frightened me, because I knew if I professed belief in Jesus, it would change the course of the rest of my life… On top of this, I already suspected that although my parents and friends might not disown me, they certainly would dissociate from me. To some extent this happened. (This is not unusual for Jewish believers…) (Pg. 82-83)
He cites ‘Some Useful Messianic Prophecies,’ and comments about Daniel 9:26, “Verse 26 knocked me over. It said that in connection with this period the Messiah would be cut off ---killed. Then, after the Messiah’s death, the city (Jerusalem) and the sanctuary (the Temple) would be destroyed. Both Jerusalem and the Temple had been destroyed in 70 C.E.! This meant that Messiah had to have died BEFORE 70 C.E.” (Pg. 83)
He advises, “To a Jewish person, Christ conducted the Crusades, invoked the Inquisition, and prompted the persecution of Jews over the last twenty centuries. To a Jewish person, Christ is the first part of the term used by those who use the accusation of deicide: ‘Christ-killers!’ …Connotatively, ‘Christ’ does not equal ‘Messiah’ in the mind of a Jewish person. Jewish people are more comfortable with the term ‘Messiah,’ even though most Jews do not embrace a Messianic hope… So, if you are talking about the anointed One, the Christ, why not say it the Jewish way---Messiah! It makes for more effective communication.” (Pg. 89)
He continues, “Christians use other semantically ‘loaded’ terms in witnessing. Some terminology can be replaced with language that is less offensive, less ambiguous, and still makes the same point, only better… I urge you to consider learning and using those words that are less offensive to Jews and that, at the same time, clearly communicate biblical truth.” (Pg. 90)
In the final chapter (‘Putting It All Together’), he summarizes and illustrates his complete approach: *Be Willing (to Witness); *Create Interest; *Be Timely; *Speak to Needs; *Establish Credibility; *Open Up the Scriptures; *Introduce Salvation. (Pg. 177-193)
In the Epilogue, he tells of the days of his formal conversion, and notes, “It was later that I discovered how many people had been praying for me in Baltimore, Washington, and all over the country! From time to time I still meet people who were praying for me back in 1972. One of those people who was praying was a nice Jewish girl originally from the Bronx named Steffi. She and I met a few months after I received Yeshua. We were married two years later and God blessed us with two lovely daughters. You want your Jewish friend to meet the Messiah. Start to pray, ask others to do the same. We are engaged in spiritual warfare; our most powerful weapon is heartfelt prayer. So have your neighbor bring the bagels. You bring the Gospel. And I fervently believe that God will bring many new children into His everlasting Kingdom.” (Pg. 196)
At times, Rubin’s recommended techniques seem more like a ‘sales pitch’ than a simple sharing of his own faith. (Remember that 1 Peter 3:15 tells the Christian to be ready to “make a defense to everyone WHO ASKS YOU to give an account’; this doesn’t necessarily endorse the Christian initiating such a conversation…”
At any rate, this book will appeal to certain types of ‘Messianic’ believers.
July 13, 2021
This is one of the most offensive books I have ever read. The author, a Jewish convert to Christianity, is part of the so-called "messianic Jewish" sect. This Christian sect asserts that "true" Judaism accepts Jesus as the messiah, but that rabbis have done their best to suppress this "truth." It is deeply, classically anti-Jewish, in the tradition of the classic Christian supersessionism that has been responsible for the persecution of Jews and Judaism for two millennia. I have no objection to Jews who decide that Christianity is their true spiritual path, though I feel sad that they could not find a spiritual home in their own tradition. But Jews like Rubin are like those medieval Jewish apostates who were responsible for centuries of Christian persecution of Jews, because they told lies about Judaism.
March 27, 2018
I enjoyed this book. Barry Rubin did a good job (in my limited experience) in explaining the culture of the Jewish people. He answered some questions and began some new ones but it has helped me understand why conversations with my Jewish friends have gone certain directions and how to help them see the answers. I appreciate his heart in writing this book and know may need to read it again in a few years.
August 11, 2020
An excellent, concise and encouraging guide to Jewish evangelism
You Bring the Bagels, I’ll Bring the Gospel is a beginner’s guide to Jewish evangelism that leaves no stone unturned. It helps Christians deal with some of the biggest challenges and deepest wounds in the history of ministry to Jews. At the same time, it helps you see that Christians can in fact learn much about their own faith from the Jewishness of Yeshua himself and the New Testament, or B’rit Chadashah. To aid in this, Rubin cites the Complete Jewish Bible in most of his verse references, a translation geared towards showing the Jewish culture and language often missed in English translations.
The first step to effectively witness to Jews as a Gentile, says Rubin, we must first establish credibility. This is done by learning about the Jewish faith, history and culture. We must truly be interested in the people to whom we are trying to witness. Second, we must get to know our audience. Rubin reminds his readers that just as every attender in any given church can be plotted on a diverse spectrum of beliefs, so also can Jews. Though there are four general groups (Orthodox [also Ultra-orthodox], Reformed, Conservative and Reconstructionist), Jews do not necessarily ascribe to all the beliefs and practices of the group to whom they belong. Generally speaking, Jews are united by their religion—centered around study of the Torah and the Talmud—and their culture. To be able to empathize and communicate effectively means doing a deep study of both. Attend a Shabbat service, celebrate a Jewish holiday like Passover or Purim, accept your Jewish friends invitation to his wedding or his sons Bar Mitzvah—be interested, but most importantly, be a friend. Though many may live among and look like your fellow Americans, they often have very different traditions and cultural experiences, sometimes involving persecution.
In the final section of the book, Rubin deals with various barriers Jews have to belief in Yeshua. To start, he deals with handling questions. Inquisitive and natural debaters, Jews ask keen questions. In this section, Rubin equips his audience in how to handle four types of questions that they might be faced with. This chapter is useful not only for Jewish evangelism, but evangelism in general. For each type of question—challenge, trap, false and test—Rubin shows how Yeshua himself effectively handled these in the New Testament.
The final chapters of the book deal with some of the historical, theological and personal barriers to the Gospel Jews often have. Christians must acknowledge the centuries of anti-Semitism that scares our histories and be willing to admit their inability to explain events such as the Holocaust or the Spanish Inquisition. They must also be willing to confront their Jewish friend’s belief that since he is chosen, he is therefore not in need of substitutionary atonement. They must also be willing to help their Jewish friend see that following the Messiah Yeshua does not mean losing one’s Jewish identity, though it may mean they get ostracized by their family. Dealing with these issues doesn’t always require answers. It does require friendship.
The overall tone of Rubin’s book is one of earnest encouragement. As a Messianic Jew himself, Rubin longs to see his people come to faith in their promised Messiah, and he wants to include fellow Christians in this effort. Thanks to the work of people like him, the number of Jewish believers in Jesus has been growing steadily worldwide for decades. Christians today must join in this effort to reach what is still largely a lost people group. As with any other group from another culture with whom we live, we must recognize our mission, one which once belonged to Jews and now belongs to all believers in the Messiah: to be a light to the nations.
You Bring the Bagels, I’ll Bring the Gospel is a beginner’s guide to Jewish evangelism that leaves no stone unturned. It helps Christians deal with some of the biggest challenges and deepest wounds in the history of ministry to Jews. At the same time, it helps you see that Christians can in fact learn much about their own faith from the Jewishness of Yeshua himself and the New Testament, or B’rit Chadashah. To aid in this, Rubin cites the Complete Jewish Bible in most of his verse references, a translation geared towards showing the Jewish culture and language often missed in English translations.
The first step to effectively witness to Jews as a Gentile, says Rubin, we must first establish credibility. This is done by learning about the Jewish faith, history and culture. We must truly be interested in the people to whom we are trying to witness. Second, we must get to know our audience. Rubin reminds his readers that just as every attender in any given church can be plotted on a diverse spectrum of beliefs, so also can Jews. Though there are four general groups (Orthodox [also Ultra-orthodox], Reformed, Conservative and Reconstructionist), Jews do not necessarily ascribe to all the beliefs and practices of the group to whom they belong. Generally speaking, Jews are united by their religion—centered around study of the Torah and the Talmud—and their culture. To be able to empathize and communicate effectively means doing a deep study of both. Attend a Shabbat service, celebrate a Jewish holiday like Passover or Purim, accept your Jewish friends invitation to his wedding or his sons Bar Mitzvah—be interested, but most importantly, be a friend. Though many may live among and look like your fellow Americans, they often have very different traditions and cultural experiences, sometimes involving persecution.
In the final section of the book, Rubin deals with various barriers Jews have to belief in Yeshua. To start, he deals with handling questions. Inquisitive and natural debaters, Jews ask keen questions. In this section, Rubin equips his audience in how to handle four types of questions that they might be faced with. This chapter is useful not only for Jewish evangelism, but evangelism in general. For each type of question—challenge, trap, false and test—Rubin shows how Yeshua himself effectively handled these in the New Testament.
The final chapters of the book deal with some of the historical, theological and personal barriers to the Gospel Jews often have. Christians must acknowledge the centuries of anti-Semitism that scares our histories and be willing to admit their inability to explain events such as the Holocaust or the Spanish Inquisition. They must also be willing to confront their Jewish friend’s belief that since he is chosen, he is therefore not in need of substitutionary atonement. They must also be willing to help their Jewish friend see that following the Messiah Yeshua does not mean losing one’s Jewish identity, though it may mean they get ostracized by their family. Dealing with these issues doesn’t always require answers. It does require friendship.
The overall tone of Rubin’s book is one of earnest encouragement. As a Messianic Jew himself, Rubin longs to see his people come to faith in their promised Messiah, and he wants to include fellow Christians in this effort. Thanks to the work of people like him, the number of Jewish believers in Jesus has been growing steadily worldwide for decades. Christians today must join in this effort to reach what is still largely a lost people group. As with any other group from another culture with whom we live, we must recognize our mission, one which once belonged to Jews and now belongs to all believers in the Messiah: to be a light to the nations.
May 20, 2015
Excellent introduction into how Gentiles should bring the good news of the Messiah to their Jewish friends. Highly recommended!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews