What is
Torah Pursuant?

• The Torah Pursuant believe they are to pursue as much of the Torah as they can, believe in Yeshua HaMashiach as revealed in the New Testament,  and walk in the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) both in baring good fruit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and self-control) and ultimately developing and using the gifts of the Spirit as revealed in the New Testament.

 

• As a Hermeneutical (interpretive) method, Pursuing the Torah means discovering a Mitzva (Instruction) in the Torah, and then pursuing (discovering through study) its adaptation through the New Testament, the Great Rabbis and Church Fathers, through the centuries of development into the 21st century, and then discerning the options revealed by the work of the Ruach HaKodesh within the community, and finally, adopting what the Holy Spirit reveals as the personal or community practice, and, doing this as a way to fulfill the Torah and to demonstrate our loving G-d in the way that G-d wants to be loved, through keeping His commands.

Further explanation:

The Excluded Middle: Navigating Faith in a Post-Christian, Post-Jewish World
 

It’s no secret—our world feels different. Look around, and you’ll notice fewer people filling pews in churches and fewer congregants in the synagogue. Many folks today feel disconnected, not because they don’t care about G-d, but because they sense they don’t quite fit into the "rules" (or "Halachah") of Judaism or the culture of mainstream Christianity. But what if there’s another way forward? Some of us have found ourselves yearning to return to the foundations of faith—not necessarily the identities of "Jewish" or "Christian," but something that reaches back to the Torah and looks forward to Messiah’s return.
 

So, here we are: not exactly Jewish, not exactly Christian. Instead, we live in the "Excluded Middle" a space that honors the roots of our faith while also stepping toward the future, the hope of the Messiah’s coming and yet currently "excluded" in that neither Church nor Synagogue want us as part of their fellowship.

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Terms to Know: Torah Observant, Messianic Jewish, and Torah Pursuant

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The Torah Observant, Messianic Jewish, and Torah Pursuant communities all share this foundational connection to the Torah and Yeshua, but they each have their way of following G-d’s commands. Let’s unpack what sets them apart, while holding onto what connects them, too.
 

1. Torah Observant
   Those who identify as Torah Observant keep to traditional Jewish law, or Halachah, which includes both the Written and Oral Torah (think of these as foundational texts and the centuries-old interpretations that Jewish tradition has preserved). These followers are committed to the framework of Jewish law, interpreting G-d’s commandments as they’ve been passed down. It’s worth noting that traditional Torah Observant Jews do not typically believe Yeshua is the Messiah; at most, they may see Him as a rabbi or prophet from the first century. For them, keeping halachah is a way to live faithfully under G-d's covenant, in line with Jewish history and teaching.
   
   Gershom Scholem (Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism. Schocken Books, 1995) reflects on how keeping the Halachah is seen as a way of bringing a divine structure into daily life, emphasizing that this devotion binds Torah Observant Jews not only to G-d but to shared communal rhythm.
    

2. Messianic Jewish
   Messianic Jews share this deep respect for Jewish practice and belief but approach it with the understanding that Yeshua is the promised Messiah who fulfills the Hebrew Scriptures. They bring together Jewish traditions and the belief that Yeshua's teachings and life complete G-d’s promises. By following this path, Messianic Jews often celebrate Shabbat and observe the festivals, but with an added recognition of Yeshua's life and teachings.

   
   Scholar Darrell L. Bock (Studying the Historical Jesus: A Guide to Sources and Methods. Baker Academic, 2002) notes that for Messianic Jews, Yeshua's role as Messiah does not replace Torah but rather brings new depth to its observance. They find the Torah’s meaning expanded, fulfilling ancient prophecies while keeping close to their Jewish identity.
    

3. Torah Pursuant
   The Torah Pursuant group is where many of us might find our footing. Those who follow the Torah Pursuant path hold to the Torah as their foundation and turn to Yeshua as an example of living out these commands. But unlike the other groups, they don’t fully align with either Jewish halachah or mainstream Christian teachings. Instead, they see the Torah as something alive, something pursued not through tradition alone but through prayerful, "Spirit-led" exploration. They seek out meaning in G-d’s Word across all Scripture, looking to the Tanakh and New Testament, writings of ancient rabbis, and even the insights of Church Fathers. With guidance from the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit), they ask for understanding and a way to apply these teachings today.
   
   As N.T. Wright (The New Testament and the People of God. Fortress Press, 1992) suggests, that pursuing Torah through study, prayer, and community interpretation allows for a uniquely personal faith that embraces both the Tanakh and New Testament, with trust that the Messiah’s future coming will clarify and correct our paths.
    

In short, the Torah Observant follower may turn to a rabbi to explain a command, and the Messianic Jew might do the same, sometimes looking to a Christian source. But the Torah Pursuant seeks wisdom directly from the Torah and its extensions across time, asking the Holy Spirit for insight and adapting their practice with an awareness that the coming Messiah will reveal where our understanding needs refining.

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Each of these ways of faith expresses a commitment to G-d’s commands, aiming to live a life that honors His guidance. We, the Torah Pursuant, walk this path together, each of us committed to searching, applying, and walking out the Torah as best as we understand it—and always with humility, trusting that Messiah’s light will illuminate our journey when He returns.

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Compare Torah Observant, Messianic Jewish, and Torah Pursuant.