In the introduction to Postmissionary Messianic Judaism, Mark S. Kinzer challenges the common belief that Christianity and Judaism are two separate religions. He explains that his focus is on the relationship between the church (the ekklesia) and the Jewish people, especially in light of rejecting supersessionism — the idea that the church has replaced Israel. This rejection creates a theological tension: Christians affirm that Yeshua mediates all covenant relationship, yet also acknowledge that the Jewish people remain in covenant with God. Kinzer proposes that this tension can only be resolved through what he calls postmissionary Messianic Judaism — Jewish believers in Yeshua living faithfully Jewish lives — who serve as a living bridge between Messiah-centered faith and Israel’s ongoing covenant identity. Through this framework, he calls the church to rethink its relationship to Israel and to recognize the enduring Jewish identity of the risen Messiah.

In Chapter One, Ecclesiology and Biblical Interpretation, Mark S. Kinzer explains how our understanding of the church shapes the way we read Scripture, and how our interpretation of Scripture shapes how we understand the church. He shows that many Christians read the New Testament through traditions that separate Christianity from Judaism, often projecting later divisions back onto the earliest believers. Kinzer emphasizes that theology must be evaluated not only by biblical interpretation but also by the kind of life it produces, highlighting Yeshua’s command to love one’s neighbor as a key guide for interpreting Scripture. He also argues that God continues to reveal Himself through history, leading the church to reflect theologically on major events such as Jewish survival, Christian anti-Judaism, the Holocaust, the modern State of Israel, and the rise of the Messianic Jewish movement. Together, these factors challenge the church to rethink its relationship to Israel and to pursue a more faithful, non-supersessionist reading of Scripture.