Like the popularizers of Eastern Religion in the 1960s and 1970s, the New Age Kabbalistic teachings tend to focus on what “sells” most easily to the consumer. Here are a few of the commonly cited principles of Kabbalah and some witnessing tips and Scriptures to help you in your witness.
Stress the accessibility of the Scripture in its plain meaning.
The Kabbalists teach: There is a “code” encrypted in the letters of the Hebrew Scriptures that, once deciphered, reveals the hidden truth of God.
The Scripture says: “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4).
Stress the authority of the Messiah and His role as the “image of God” among us.
The Kabbalists teach: Everything that exists, exists within man. Man is a microcosm of all Creation. This is part of being created in the “image of the Divine.”
The Scripture says: “He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist” (Colossians 1:15-17).
Stress the “superiority” of the Messiah’s person and His teaching.
The Kabbalists teach: Kabbalah is the oldest and most influential wisdom in all of human history.
The Scripture says: “In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:1-3).
Stress the uniqueness of Messiah and His ministry.
The Kabbalists teach: The spiritual light of the Zohar banishes all forms of darkness from our world. The study of Kabbalah has influenced Abraham, Moses, Muhammad, Shakespeare, Freud and Jesus.
The Scripture says: “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life'” (John 8:12).
Stress that faith in Messiah is the “Way” to eternal life.
The Kabbalists teach: The way to become one with the Infinite Being is to struggle to be moral and spiritual while in this world, amidst a sea of temptations and challenges.
The Scripture says: “Jesus said unto him, ‘I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me'” (John 14:6).
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Part of an effective witness is to identify “points of contact” with those with whom we are sharing the Gospel. Such people are “seekers,” and we should be respectful of them, gently and prayerfully steering them to Messiah.
Although there may be nuggets of wisdom in Kabbalistic teaching, nothing that deflects us from the authority of Scripture and our need for the Messiah should be trusted as a measure of truth.
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