Hebrew Roots/Messianic Christian Zionism Warning -Part 1 To Embrace Hebrew Roots: Part I There is a growing movement within Christianity, which contends that Christians need "to return to their Hebrew Roots." The leaders of this movement purport to be teaching believers the "Hebrew Roots of Christianity" through the study of the Jewish foundational teachings. Having been enjoined to study "Hebrew Roots", it is only reasonable that one must take a close look at the teachings of the Messianic and Hebrew Roots movements, as well as the Hebrew faith itself. We are reminded in Colossians 2:6-9: "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him: Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." Is the Hebrew Roots, as some might suggest, merely the study of the Old Testament, which Christians already study in light of the New Testament? What do the Hebrew foundational teachings expound with regard to the New Testament, the Messiah, the divinity of Jesus Christ, the Persons or Manifestations of God, the Bible and the character of God? I could never accept the concept of being spoon-fed answers to my questions from those promoting the movement or belief that is questionable. To embrace the Hebrew Roots theology without a full review and understanding of its teachings, would be blindness on our part and lead to ignoring the many warnings we find in the Word of God. 2 Timothy 3:13-17 : "But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them: And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be throughly furnished unto all good works." We know that many of the Hebrew Roots ministries are connected with each other and with various other types of ministries. This obligates us to investigate them even more thoroughly. By examining the HR teachings, those of the Jewish faith and it's mystical exponent, Kabbalism--which is indeed the concerning root of the Hebrew Roots movement--we will then see if what is taught upholds the Word of God. Anti-Semitism? Those who have challenged the Hebrew Roots teachings in the past have been dealt with swiftly and with the utmost hostility. For example, a response was forwarded to me that came from one of the Hebrew Roots leadership. This retort was in response to information sent out by another person on various Hebrew Roots issues. This well-known leader, who incidentally, never addressed any of the issues, attacked with the words: " You have to be one of the most arrogant/ignorant *** on this earth!!!! You are a total danger to society and to God Himself. Your day will not be what you think it will be!! I would not wish to be in your shoes. You are a deceiver and liar!!!!! You pervert the facts and you totally distort the truth. May God one day forgive you of your stupidity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" This is hardly what one would expect from a "man of God," who claims to belong to Jesus Christ. Paul admonished Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:24 , that: "And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient." In James 3: 17,18 we are reminded: " But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace." In James 3: 8-10 we see: "But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be." Scripture tells us in Matthew 12:37 : " For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." Those who question this movement have often been accused of anti-semitism. Does the presentation of various Jewish doctrines obtained from Jewish sources constitute anti-Semitism? It seems unreasonable to conclude that the facts, presented objectively, are inherently anti-Semitic. Moreover, this writer has no bias against the Jews, but looks forward to the salvation of any through Jesus Christ. This is a search for truth. The information that will be used is from the very beliefs and teachings that we are being asked to embrace. John 3:20-21 "…For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." Promoters of Hebrew Roots This search for truth must test all those involved against such passages as: James 3:13-16: "Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness and wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work." It seems fitting, then, that we examine the teachings of prominent leaders such as Peter Michas of Messengers of Messiah, Avi ben Mordechai of Torah Talk & the B'ne Torah Movement; Jacob Prasch of Moriel, Larry Rowland of Messengers of Truth and James Trimm of the Society for the Advancement of Nazarene Judaism. We must consider these and the many groups linked to them which are advocating the Hebrew Roots cause. Not all of the individuals and groups mentioned are claiming connections to the Messianic or Hebrew Roots movement, and these distinctions will be noted. For example, Avi ben Mordechai, a "Nazarene (messianic) halacha" teacher, as stated on his website, (www.millenium7000.com/halacha.htm) in the article Halacha, is very influential within the Hebrew Roots and Messianic leadership. Mr. Mordechai made this pronouncement in an email to Mr. Ed Tarkowski, dated May 8, 1998: "…I am not a proponent of the "Jewish Roots" or "Hebraic Roots" movement as you or they define the terms. I am a proponent of Torah observance for both Jews and non- Jews which takes "Jewish Roots" information and engages it to become a lifestyle. In other words, it's not Jewish information that I'm teaching in and of itself; It's Jewish information with an associated lifestyle that I uphold …" "I am an Orthodox Sephardic Jew. I believe fully in the written and oral Torah of Moshe and of Y'shua, hence the term, the "Mesorah of Y'shua HaMashiach." Furthermore, I am not connected to the Messianic movement which generally (and I say GENERALLY) only accepts the written Torah and usually rejects the oral Torah and then makes the written Torah optional equipment for the faith which is fully counter to Y'shua's and Sha'ul's teachings." " Nor am I connected to the Christian church which outright rejects both the written and oral Torot as being replaced with new Mesorah (traditions) that also violate the very heart of Y'shua HaMashiach's teachings. Rather, I am connected to the B'ne Torah movement which is a fast-growing sect of Judaism that happens to believe that Y'shua is HaMashiach, Ben Elohim and our Mesorah perfectly lines up with Moshe, Y'shua, and Sha'ul in their teachings of the Torot, oral and written." For More on Avi ben Mordechai see: Avi ben Mordechai & Millennium 7000 In promoting their cause, Hebrew Roots leaders give us many reasons why we must or should become involved. For example, Larry Rowland of Messengers of Truth believes that the Bible is a book about the Jewish people, and should be studied as such: "…In order to correctly understand the Newer Testament, it is beneficial to have a working knowledge of the world from which it was birthed. Most of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation was written by Jews, for Jews, about Jews, or with Jews in mind. Even the Gospel of Luke and part of the Book of Acts, while probably written by Gentiles, nonetheless addressed Jewish issues and concerns on behalf of an early Jewish Church." " Today, a travesty is occurring within the body of Christian believers. The Church, as well as Christians themselves, have a lack of knowledge concerning their Jewish heritage. Without that knowledge, Christians are burning their bridges at an alarming rate. They have forgotten the foundation on which their faith was originally founded." "Only the knowledge of our Hebraic Roots, will allow us, as Christians, to span the bridge of time linking yesterday to today; allowing us to understand the full richness of Scripture. Remember, what you miss, don't see or comprehend in Scripture you can't have and Yeshua's desire was that we, as believers in Him .