The Errors of the Ephraimite Error

It's about Integrity
It's about Relationship
It's about Honor
It's about Time
Time to clean up old business so we can get on with the new
Who's ready to take out the trash?

We are blessed to be living in truly historic times, where biblical truths and kingdom realities are being realized amidst global changes and uncertainties. The finish line is just coming into view, and even in our weariness we are finding new strength and determination for the final push as we seek to line ourselves up with the eternal standards given to us by the Spirit and Word of YHWH. As the “last leg” in the generational relay race of human redemption, we have unique opportunities and responsibilities to make up for any stumbling or failures of teammates who went before us and to see past wrongs made right as we thunder down the final stretch and finish the race we were born to run.

Yet, even as our spirits fill with expectation for what is ahead, we cannot be fully free to run until we’ve laid aside the weights that would hinder us. This is the time to examine ourselves and clean up any areas of the heart that could even remotely be used to disqualify us for the prize. We are warned in 2 Timothy 2:5 that it is a dangerous thing to overlook the rules of the race we are running. It doesn’t matter how fast we run or how good we look doing it, if we are running an “unlawful race,” that is, dealing with issues or each other in any other way than by what we’ve been given in Scriptur eas the ground rules, we might as well save ourselves the trouble—it will be a futile effort in the end.

One of the oldest and heaviest weights that needs to be dealt with and finally put away in the Messianic communities is the 15-year old roadblock called The Ephraimite Error, a document published and distributed by The Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations (UMJC). A campaign borne in misrepresentation and fueled by ignorance and/or rejection of the facts, The Ephraimite Error controversy must be treated like any other infection in the Body—to be addressed and cleaned out in order to restore full health and vitality so we can run the last miles together in unity and strength.

The Errors of the Ephraimite Error, was written by Sandy Bloomfield, a Jewish Believer, to bring this shadowy issue to the light for accountability and reconciliation purposes. Grieved by the adversarial spirit being used to encourage division and wounding in the Body, she speaks for many others who desire to walk together in biblical unity. Presenting the situation in a simple chronology along with the main points of contention, she reveals the doctrinal “straw man” for what it is, refuting point-by-point the false accusations, misrepresentations, and outright lies of The Ephraimite Error paper.

This easy-to-read booklet openly confronts the sinat chinam (baseless hatred) The Ephraimite Error paper has produced over the years. More importantly, it recognizes that we are all charged with maintaining peace with the brethren, and so offers an olive branch and a plea for unity in hopes that its error-based days might finally come to an end; that we might collectively dispose of it and begin to see the importance of placing unity above non-essential differences in interpretation.

The goal of exposing the errors of The Ephraimite Error is to bring forth the historical facts of the situation, to make peace with all involved, and to step up to a new level of commitment to one another despite our differences so that we stop grieving the heart of our heavenly Father on this matter. Judgment and sanctification always begin in the house of YHWH, and we must make sure our hearts and hands are clean regarding these issues to be able to ascend (to go up, or make aliyah) the mountain of the Lord. Everything we do should be in the direction and service of building up rather than tearing down the Body of Messiah.

The truth will set us free, but as Paul pointed out: “How will they hear without a herald or a messenger (Romans 10:14)?” We need your help in getting this message out. You can be a minister of reconciliation, one of the messengers Paul talks about, bringing Good News of Good Things — you can help distribute the message of The Errors of the Ephraimite Error.