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Messianic Good News is a non-profit organisation proclaiming the good news of salvation in Jesus the Messiah to Jewish and other seekers, primarily in the written format.
Our origins and background
Our ministry originated in Hamburg, Germany in the late 1800’s with the conversion of a young Jew named Arnold Frank. Frank had a burden to share the gospel with the many Jewish emigrants who passed through Germany hoping to find a better life in the New World. He published and distributed gospel literature and also responded to their dire physical needs by establishing a soup kitchen, a hospital staffed with compassionate Christian nurses and the Mission House, ‘Jerusalem’ to accommodate and disciple the many Jewish enquirers who were responding to the gospel. In 1938, at the age of 79 he was forced to flee to Ireland to escape arrest by the Nazis. By this time his monthly publication ‘Zion’s Freund’ had reached a circulation of 4000, with a deep reach into Central and Eastern Europe, and also in its Danish translation, into Scandinavia. The mission property was confiscated, but Frank continued to minister in Ireland for a further 26 years until his death at the age of 106. (Read more on the life of Arnold Frank.)
Although the Nazis put an end to Dr. Frank’s work in Europe, his legacy lives on through the labours of those whom he led to the Saviour. One of those was John Düring, who also fled Germany in 1938. Düring was a citizen of Cologne where he came to believe the gospel and received Jesus as his Messiah. After his father disowned him for his faith, he stayed for a while with Moritz Weissenstein, who was a missionary under the auspices of the West-German Society and also one of Arnold Franks’ disciples. With the help of Dr. Frank he travelled to Liverpool in England and from there to Cape Town, South Africa. Düring continued to publish the ‘Neuer Zion’s Freund’ and in 1950, with Dr. Frank’s support and blessing, registered the ‘Good News Missionary Society’. Düring established a strong witness to the Jewish people through the excellent literature produced by the society. After Düring’s death in 1979 Sean O’Sullivan took over the responsibility for the work, ably assisted by his wife Eva. Sean was raised in the Jewish orphanage, Arcadia, and was well versed in the Talmud. (Sean’s testimony can be found here.)
In 2000 the society was renamed ‘Messianic Good News’ and continues to publish and distribute literature proclaiming the good news of Messiah. (For more on this see our article MESSIANIC GOOD NEWS – What’s in a name? Sean O’ Sullivan emigrated to the USA in 2000 with his second wife Flora. After Sean passed away after a short illness on 25th December 2001, Flora has continued to represent MGN in the USA, organising the printing and distribution to American readers as well as the translation of articles into German. Peter Cohen took over responsibility for the society in South Africa and together with Kevin Daly has contributed much of the literature and Bible studies that are published on this website. Through their joint efforts the ministry continues to engage in Jewish-Christian polemics through the publication and circulation of articles, which has now been expanded and adapted to take advantage of digital media.
Peter Cohen took over responsibility for the society in South Africa and together with Kevin Daly contributed much of the literature and Bible studies that are published on this website. Through their joint efforts the ministry continued to engage in Jewish-Christian polemics through the publication and circulation of articles. Peter Cohen went to be with the Lord in May 2020, but Kevin Daly continues to devote time to researching and producing new material, particularly with regard to biographies of Rabbis who have believed in Jesus through the ages.
The aim of much of our literature has been to present the gospel in its Jewish context and to answer Jewish objections to the claims of Jesus. For example, ‘Rabbis meet Jesus the Messiah’ is a collection of biographies and testimonies of Rabbis who came to faith in the Messiah, compiled in response to the claim that only Jews who are ignorant of Judaism would believe in Jesus. It has been translated into German, Hebrew and Russian and is available in Israel.
Apart from the books and tracts we publish for outreach, our Messianic Good News quarterly explores the Old Testament root of our New Covenant faith, upholding Messiah as the fulfilment of all things.
Our focus on sharing the good news with Jewish people has also led us to a critical examination of many of the popular teachings concerning the salvation of Israel. In the process we have had to revise some of our own views and have come to the conclusion that the popular teaching that is defined as “dispensationalism” is a gross distortion of the gospel. By holding out a future hope and a different gospel for the Jews that does not depend on present faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah, it unwittingly undermines the good news of what was accomplished on the cross – the work of which our Saviour declared, ‘it is finished.’
Our invitation to you
The purpose of a Christian teaching ministry is to equip believers for the works that God has prepared in advance for them to do (2 Tim. 3:17, Eph. 2:10).
If you find the teachings on this website beneficial, consider yourself as a channel of God’s grace and prayerfully pass them on to others. We also encourage you to spread our tracts and polemical materials to Jews, Muslims and other seekers. We permit duplication, republication and distribution of these materials without any need for specific permission, provided it is not for commercial gain and that Messianic Good News is given credit as the source of the material. Some of these materials are available as booklets and can be ordered from our office in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Most of our materials are distributed free of charge and we depend on voluntary support.