When the Apostolic Writings speak of “God,” they generally mean the Father of Messiah Yeshua—not Yeshua himself, nor an essence that Yeshua shared with the Father and the Spirit. Christian tradition diverged from this usage in order to guard its confession of the deity of Yeshua and the Oneness of God. While this linguistic development may have been necessary, it was also problematic.

Israel was chosen to be a priestly nation, the representative and vanguard of all creation in the worship of God. As its High Priest, Yeshua empowers Israel to fulfill its vocation of worship, and enables those from the nations to share in that vocation.

The letter to the Ephesians captures succinctly this work of the Messiah: “So he [Yeshua] came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off [i.e., Gentiles] and peace to those who were near [i.e., the Jewish people]; for through him both of us [Jews and Gentiles] have access in one Spirit to the Father” (Ephesians 2:17-18). The goal is universal worship of the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit.