A three-volume set commentary on the Gospels: Matthew (volume 1), Mark & Luke (volume 2), John (volume 3). This set would be published to the highest of standards as a testimony to the Messiah by presenting a bona fide, solid, and well-sourced commentary on the Gospels from an authentic Jewish perspective, written by R. Lichtenstein.

The Messianic Jewish movement suffers from a dearth of quality Jewish scholarship. Judaism has an endless wealth of commentary and literature from which to draw. Christianity has the same. Messianic Judaism is left in the middle, trying to utilize Christian and Jewish sources.

Rabbi Lichtenstein’s writings represent something uniquely Jewish and uniquely Messianic. He could be compared to a Messianic-Rashi, a brilliant mind with unquenched passion for God’s truth. Fully conversant in rabbinic literature, he deftly moved across the whole spectrum of Jewish commentary and thought and brought it all to bear on the Apostolic Scriptures. Unfortunately, his works have been out of print for nearly a century, and even when they were in print, they were accessible only to competent Hebrew readers. A careful translation of his works to English will resurrect his voice for a whole new generation of Messianic believers, and it will become an enduring asset to the entire body of Messiah.

The translation will be completed by the end of February. At that time we could begin the editing and design processes. To complete this project in 2009 we would need all of the pre-press done by the the end of July. God willing we will begin to publish these volumes consecutively spaced out by 2 months starting in December of 2009.

Update 2/25/2009: The translation of R. Lichtenstein’s commentary on Matthew-John is complete, but on reviewing the translation, we noted several instances where cross-references his own work later in the full NT commentary. For example, he will often say something like, “See what I have written on 1 Corinthians 5.” This makes for a frustrating experience since we have not yet translated the rest of the NT commentary. The reader will not have a way of knowing what he has written on 1 Corinthians 5. We decided to have our translator go to each of those cross-references and translate the relevant material for inclusion in an appendix at the end of each volume.

The funds needed for this project have been provided to complete the translation and printing of the commentaries on the Gospel.

To explain the importance of this work for our movement and the Messiah is difficult on these pages. Our heart is to restore a Jewish Yeshua in an age where he has been reshaped and reformed into something that he was not. This work is critical in repairing and restoring an authentic understanding of our Lord.

Additional funds are needed to continue translation and to publish Rabbi Lichtenstein’s works.