Defending the Hebrew Roots Movement: Part 1

April 4, 2010 at 4:56 pm · Filed under Commandments/Mitzvot, Instruction/Torah, Tuesday Night Study and tagged: grace-oriented, Hebrew Roots movement, Law Keepers, Sacred Name movement, Torah study

by girlfortorah & cndllighter

Last Tuesday at the Torah study we read a post about ” Law Keepers” written by someone with a “grace-oriented” perspective of the completed work of Christ at the cross, who did in-depth research online about the Hebrew Roots Movement and concluded that Law Keepers are wrong in what we teach. So far, we’ve covered five out of ten points.

POINT #1: Law Keepers minimize what Jesus did at the cross
“Many Law Keepers believe that Jesus died for past sins, not that there is grace for all sin, which is why they need to keep the ‘instructions’ on how to live. They rely on the Law for sanctification, having it take the place of the Holy Spirit. Law Keepers dismiss the radical change in worship and practice in the New Testament Church after Jesus accomplished what He came to do! The do not recognize the Cross as being a definite dividing line in history, delineating the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.”

RESPONSE: We rely on the Law for sanctification (being set apart) but not salvation. G-d’s Torah is exactly what makes us different from the world! We do believe that the Holy Spirit, to a degree, is what enables a believer to keep the Torah. I think the writer has a misunderstanding of just “what happened at the Cross”. Nothing changed. The crucifixion symbolized the covenant that G-d made “before the foundations of the world.” It is not a dividing line in history. [cndllighter]

POINT #2: A subtle, though sometimes outright denial of the Trinity
“Pagan sun worship has its gods in sets of three, and Law Keepers extrapolate from there that the Catholic church applied that pagan concept of G-d to their doctrine and came up with the Trinity.”

RESPONSE: I think our writer has gone too far with internet research. Depending on the interpretation, we believe whole-heartedly in the Trinity. The difference can lie solely in the metaphor. My favorite example is the egg vs. water. G-d has been represented before as an egg. It has shell, white, and yolk (separate parts); yet it is one egg. I think a better understanding can be found in water. Just as water can appear as gas, liquid, or solid (same substance), G-d can appear as the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit. He is echad (one). [cndllighter]

POINT #3: Some Law Keepers deny the deity of Jesus
“Law Keepers believe that Jesus is G-d, yet when you take their doctrine to the eventual end, they remove the power of G-d from the Messiah. What Jesus did is not enough. It is not complete. They in effect remove the G-dly characteristic of omnipotence from Messiah, since their belief system is a ‘Jesus+Law’ equation.”

RESPONSE: I think we’ve all been told our belief is Jesus+Law, but is it true? May it never be! In truth, this short point was almost skipped, since the title is almost a joke. Of course we believe in the deity of Jesus! He is G-d made flesh – that is a fundamental of our faith. [cndllighter]

POINT #4: Mandatory use of the Sacred Names
“Almost universal among Law Keepers, and similar to the ‘Sacred Name Movement,’ some believe that there is one true name for G-d and He requires that we use it or we are in violation with the third commandment.”

RESPONSE: The writer goes on to say that there are so many different variations on the “true name” of Messiah, that it is impossible to know which is the “right one.” While we are not part of the Sacred Name movement, we know that our Messiah has a Holy Name. Out of reverence, we use titles like ‘HaShem’ (the Name) and ‘Adonai’ (L-rd) instead. This is called circumlocution. Referring to HaShem with dignity and respect, no matter which variation you use, has nothing to do with the third commandment. [cndllighter]

POINT #5: A tremendous emphasis on the understanding of the scriptures through the lens of a Hebrew thought and of the Hebrew language
“Most believe that the entire bible was originally written in Hebrew, and that the New Testament was translated into Greek from its original Hebrew. During the translation, they believe ALL New Testament writings were contaminated and corrupted with Hellenistic thought.”

RESPONSE: Yes! We do believe this. To truly know what something means, you need to go back to the original language. Looking through a “Hebrew Lens” is what brings insight and clarity to our faith. So much becomes clear when seen in historical context. It’s true that “translator bias” sometimes results in scriptural inaccuracy. There’s some debate about the original language of the Apostolic Writings – we believe they were written in Greek, the common language of the times, but the authors were Jewish men with Hebrew mindsets.  [cndllighter]

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