The Weslyan Quadrilateral: Four Sources of Authority
 

The Wesleyan Quadrilateral is a framework used in Christian theology to understand and discern God’s truth through four key sources: Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience. Developed by John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, this approach offers a balanced method for interpreting faith and practice.
 

1. Scripture (Primary Authority): Scripture holds the highest place of authority in the Wesleyan Quadrilateral. The Bible is seen as the inspired and inerrant Word of God, providing the foundation for all doctrine, teaching, and spiritual guidance (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Scripture is the final rule of faith and practice, and all other sources are measured against its truth.
    

2. Tradition: Tradition encompasses the teachings and practices of the historical Church, including creeds, liturgies, and the writings of Church Fathers. It represents the collective wisdom of past generations and provides continuity with the historical faith. Tradition helps believers understand how foundational doctrines, such as the Trinity and the Incarnation, have been interpreted and lived out through the ages.
    

3. Reason: Reason is the God-given capacity for critical thinking, logic, and discernment. Wesley believed that faith should not contradict sound reason and that believers are called to engage their minds in understanding God's revelation. Reason helps interpret Scripture and apply its teachings to contemporary issues while maintaining doctrinal integrity.
    

4. Experience: Experience refers to the personal and communal encounter with God through the Holy Spirit. It includes the transformative effects of salvation, the witness of the Spirit within the believer, and the tangible fruits of a life changed by God's grace (Galatians 5:22-23). Experience serves as a practical test of faith, demonstrating how biblical truth is lived out in the life of a believer.

The Wesleyan Quadrilateral encourages a holistic approach to theology, where Scripture remains the ultimate authority while tradition, reason, and experience provide valuable context and insight. This balanced method helps believers navigate their faith journey with both conviction and compassion, allowing room for growth, understanding, and application in a diverse and ever-changing world.

Why We Are Neither Jewish Nor Christian: A Teaching Authority Committed to the Academic Quest for Truth

At ATorahPC, we pursue truth with an academic and spiritual rigor that draws upon four foundational sources of authority: Scripture, Reason, Experience, and Tradition. Our unique approach sets us apart from both traditional Judaism and mainstream Christianity, providing a distinct path for those seeking a Torah-pursuant life in the light of Messiah Yeshua.
 

1. Scripture as Our Primary Authority
   We prioritize Scripture—the Tanakh (Old Testament) and the B’rit HaDashah (New Testament)—as the ultimate and infallible source of truth (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Our community adheres to the belief that the Torah remains relevant and instructive for all believers in Yeshua, guiding us in a lifestyle of obedience and holiness (Deuteronomy 8:3, Matthew 4:4). While we share a reverence for Scripture with both Judaism and Christianity, our interpretation and application of biblical teachings differ significantly. We seek to reconcile the full counsel of God’s Word, embracing both the Torah's instruction and the revelation of Yeshua as Messiah without the constraints of rabbinic or church traditions.
    

2. Reason as a Tool for Discernment
   We value reason as a God-given gift that allows us to study, question, and explore the truths of Scripture with intellectual honesty and integrity. Our academic approach encourages critical thinking and an openness to new insights, always measured against the Word of God. While mainstream Christianity and Judaism also value scholarship, our quest for truth is uniquely free from denominational dogma and traditional interpretations, allowing us to evaluate Scripture with fresh eyes and a balanced perspective.
    

3. Experience as a Living Witness
   Experience plays a vital role in our faith journey. We believe in the active work of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit), who empowers, teaches, and leads us into all truth (John 16:13). Our community experiences the transformative power of God through the gifts and fruits of the Spirit, and we hold that a personal and communal walk with Yeshua provides a living testimony of God’s truth. While traditional Christianity often emphasizes experiential faith and Judaism emphasizes communal practice, our approach blends the personal and the communal within a Torah framework that embraces the Messiah.
    

4. Tradition as a Resource, Not a Rule
   While we respect the traditions of both Judaism and Christianity, we do not hold tradition as an authoritative source in itself. Instead, we use tradition as a resource to enhance understanding, while remaining cautious not to elevate human traditions above biblical truth (Mark 7:8-9). Rabbinic Judaism relies heavily on oral tradition and the Talmud, and mainstream Christianity often upholds creeds and councils as authoritative. In contrast, we carefully weigh traditions against Scripture, accepting those that align with God’s Word while setting aside those that do not.
    

A Unique Path Between Traditions
 

We are not Jewish because we do not adhere to the rabbinic interpretations or the halachic (Jewish legal) frameworks that define Jewish identity and practice. We are not Christian in the traditional sense because we do not subscribe to many of the theological constructs and liturgical practices that have developed within the historical Church, including doctrines that diverge from a Torah-based understanding of faith. Instead, we stand in the "Excluded Middle," providing a place for believers who seek to honor the Torah and follow Yeshua without the confines of established religious traditions.

Our identity is rooted in a Torah-pursuant lifestyle, led by the Spirit, centered on Yeshua, and committed to teaching and living out God’s truth. We strive to be a light to the nations, restoring the original faith and practice of the early followers of Yeshua, and equipping believers to walk faithfully in the path of righteousness (Isaiah 58:12, Matthew 28:19-20).

Fully Aligned Movements (Torah-Pursuant and Yeshua-Centered)
 

Modern Movements Fully Aligned

Torah-Pursuant Believers in Yeshua – These communities include a diverse and decentralized range of groups and fellowships who believe Yeshua (Jesus) is the Messiah and pursue a Torah-observant lifestyle as led by the Holy Spirit. They do not identify as Christians or Jews in the traditional sense but rather as a unique assembly seeking to restore the faith of the early followers of Yeshua. These believers uphold the authority of Scripture as the primary guide, engaging with rabbinic insights where they align with Scripture, while rejecting the binding authority of both mainstream church traditions and rabbinic law.
 

This movement is known by various names, including “Messianic Torah Pursuant,” “Scriptural Israelites,” and “Followers of The Way.” Members typically observe the Seventh-day Sabbath, biblical festivals (Passover, Sukkot, etc.), dietary laws, and other Torah practices. However, they believe that while Israel is obligated to keep the whole Torah, Gentiles may adopt Torah practices as led by the Holy Spirit. They distance themselves from traditional Christian holidays (e.g. Christmas, Easter) and from Talmudic/rabbinic authority, aiming to emulate the faith practice of Yeshua and his first-century disciples. They uphold a covenantal understanding that participation in the biblical community, rather than genetic lineage, defines one's covenant relationship with God.

Examples include: Independent Torah-pursuant congregations, online ministries such as 119 Ministries, Torah Sisters, and other grassroots networks.

“Nazarene Israel” Revival (Modern Netzarim)

A subset of the Torah-pursuant community, the modern “Netzarim” explicitly aim to restore the faith and practices of the early Jewish believers known as the Nazarenes. These believers maintain a Torah-based lifestyle and recognize Yeshua as the Messiah, rejecting later institutional doctrines and denominational controls. They often establish their own governing bodies or networks outside both traditional church and synagogue structures, maintaining independence from external religious authorities. The Netzarim emphasize a return to original apostolic practices, balancing Torah observance with the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the teachings of Yeshua.
 

Examples include: Fellowships and organizations that identify as “Nazarene Israel,” “Netzarim,” or “The Way,” which uphold Yeshua and Torah without adherence to Orthodox rabbinic or traditional Christian systems.

Historical Groups Fully Aligned

Early Nazarenes (1st-Century Followers of Yeshua)

The original Nazarenes were the earliest sect of Yeshua’s disciples, who emerged in Jerusalem and Judea. These believers accepted Yeshua as the Messiah while continuing to observe the Torah’s commandments. Historical records, including writings by early church fathers, describe them as Torah-observant believers who upheld the authority of the apostles, including Paul’s teachings to the Gentiles. Unlike later Christians who moved away from Torah observance, the Nazarenes maintained a lifestyle that honored the Sabbath and biblical laws while recognizing the distinct roles of Israel and the nations within God's covenants.
 

The Nazarenes functioned as a distinct community that neither fully aligned with mainstream Judaism nor with emerging Gentile Christianity. They provide a historical precedent for modern Torah-pursuant believers who seek to live out the faith of Yeshua’s original disciples while remaining free of later rabbinic or church traditions.

Other Historical Remnants

Throughout history, small groups have emerged that blended a Yeshua-centered faith with Torah observance. Examples include certain “Judaizing” Christian groups in the early centuries, the Subbotniks in Russia (Sabbath-keepers, some of whom accepted Yeshua), and elements of Ethiopian Christianity that maintained Old Testament practices within a Messiah-focused faith. While these groups were often independent and rejected by both mainstream Jewish and Christian authorities, they demonstrate an enduring undercurrent of believers who sought to integrate Torah commands with the teachings of Yeshua, maintaining distinct identities as Gentiles or Israelites under covenant.

Partially Similar Groups and Their Key Differences
 

1. Messianic Judaism (Mainstream)

Similarities: Belief in Yeshua as Messiah and respect for Torah. Differences: Authority of Rabbinic Tradition & Application of Torah to Jews and Gentiles.

Mainstream Messianic Judaism incorporates elements of both Judaism and Evangelical Christianity. While they honor the Torah and believe in Yeshua as the Messiah, many Messianic congregations embrace rabbinic customs and liturgical traditions as valuable parts of their practice. They often adhere to a “bilateral ecclesiology,” teaching that Jewish believers are obligated to keep the Torah, while Gentile believers are encouraged to respect Torah principles but are not required to observe all commandments.

This approach contrasts with the Torah-pursuant perspective, which sees Torah observance as a matter of the Holy Spirit’s leading for Gentiles, without making it a universal obligation. Messianic Judaism often aligns with mainstream Christian theological fundamentals and seeks to build bridges with both the Jewish community and the broader church, whereas Torah-pursuant believers prioritize Scripture over tradition and do not identify with Christian or Jewish labels.

2. Christian Sabbatarian Churches

Similarities: Value Old Testament principles such as the Sabbath and dietary laws. Differences: Limited scope of Torah observance and retention of mainstream Christian theology.

Groups like Seventh-day Adventists observe the Seventh-day Sabbath and maintain biblical dietary practices. However, their observance is typically framed within a Christian eschatological narrative and does not extend to broader Torah observance (such as biblical festivals or covenantal commandments). These denominations often remain within traditional Christian structures and doctrines, including the Trinity and salvation by grace alone, differing from Torah-pursuant believers who pursue a holistic biblical lifestyle led by the Spirit without aligning with traditional church governance.

3. Non-Messianic Jewish Groups (Orthodox & Karaite Judaism)

Similarities: Torah observant (Sabbath, feasts, dietary laws). Differences: Rejection of Yeshua as Messiah and differing sources of authority.
 

Orthodox Judaism adheres to both the Written and Oral Torah, granting authority to rabbinic traditions and rulings, while Karaite Judaism follows only the Written Torah, rejecting rabbinic authority much like the Torah-pursuant perspective. However, both groups do not accept Yeshua as the Messiah and apply Torah observance exclusively to Jews, maintaining a clear distinction between Jews and Gentiles. Torah-pursuant believers, by contrast, honor Yeshua as Messiah and apply the Torah through covenantal relationships guided by the Holy Spirit, allowing Gentiles to participate in Torah observance as led.

4. Historical “Torah + Yeshua” Sects with Doctrinal Differences

Groups like the Ebionites in early Christianity sought to maintain a Torah-observant faith while recognizing Yeshua. However, they rejected Pauline teachings and held a low Christology, seeing Yeshua as a righteous human rather than divine. Unlike the balanced approach of modern Torah-pursuant believers, who accept the full New Testament and recognize Yeshua’s divine role, the Ebionites deviated from apostolic doctrine. This historical example highlights how integrating Torah and Yeshua can lead to divergent theologies depending on the acceptance of the New Testament and the role of the Holy Spirit.
 

In Summary

At ATorahPC, we walk a unique path that honors both the Torah and the Messiah, Yeshua. Our community holds to Scripture as our highest authority, embracing both the Tanakh (Old Testament) and the B'rit HaDashah (New Testament) as the inspired Word of YHWH. We believe in a life led by the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit), striving to live out a Torah-pursuant faith with humility and integrity.

We see covenantal relationships as grounded in biblical community, not genetics. Israel remains distinct, with a covenantal obligation to the whole Torah. Gentiles are invited to pursue Torah observance as the Spirit leads, respecting the differences in covenantal roles. We are not bound by rabbinic or church traditions but value them when they align with Scripture.

Our mission is to share the Good News of Yeshua, live a Torah-centered life, and prepare the way for His return by building a spiritual highway between Torah-pursuant communities and Israel. We seek to restore the original faith and practices of Yeshua's first-century disciples, walking in love, mercy, and truth as we follow the path of righteousness.