The Hebrew Roots Movement

   This article is going to be quite a bit different than most of my other articles, mainly because it is one that I have been genuinely reluctant to write. On the one hand, I have wanted to write to address this issue for quite some time. Yet I have also wanted to avoid stirring up arguments and “foolish discussions” (Titus 3:9-11), so I have avoided the topic of the Hebrew Roots Movement, and have alluded to it only briefly in some of my previous articles. 

   That being said, I have been in prayer about the topic for quite some time, and have sought council on whether or not I should even get involved. In the end, however, my desire for unity in the church and peace among all the followers of Christ has compelled me to write this article. Know that I do not harbor any ill-will toward those who would call Jesus Christ their Lord and yet continue to follow the traditions of their Hebrew ancestors. Nor do I wish to condemn anyone. What I say, I say gently out of a genuine concern for my brothers and sisters in Christ. 

   If you have read any of my other articles you will know that the matter of unity among the believers is something that is very important to me, as is discerning between what is true and what is not. I have lost several close friends and family members to false teachers and to the errors of human reasoning over the years, so the topic of false doctrine is something that hits very close to home for me personally.

    In light of this, I want to point out that even though the Hebrew Roots Movement originated in the early 20th century, its core teachings are nothing new. In the first century AD, a sect of Jewish converts to Christianity known as the Judaizers, taught that the Gentile believers must also be circumcised, observe their Jewish traditions, and follow the Law of Moses in order to be justified before God. However, much of the New Testament addresses this teaching directly—the most obvious example being the Book of Galatians. 

  

   Other examples of this can be found in Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Hebrews, and James. The Judaizers' teachings were also addressed twice in the Book of Acts; first in Acts 15:1-31, and again in Acts 21:15-25. 

   Now, as I stated before it is not my intention to stir up arguments, as the Scriptures condemn this, but rather to gently instruct those who's faith may be wavering. (1 Timothy 6: 2b-5, 2 Timothy 2:14, 23-26) 
   That being said, if you know someone who is a part of the Hebrew Roots Movement; or if you are curious about it; or if you are a follower yourself; then I strongly recommend that you read the books of Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, Hebrews, and James—as well as the verses referenced above. Investigate God's Word for yourself. Meditate on it. Pray and ask the Lord to give you guidance and wisdom. 

   If you are investigating a teacher to see if he is telling the truth, remember that Satan can quote the Bible, too. Just because someone quotes a verse correctly and that verse happens to agree with the doctrine they're teaching, which happens to sound like the truth, doesn't mean that that person is from God. Nor does it mean that what they're teaching is true. Remember, the best lies are seasoned with just a pinch of truth—it makes them easier to swallow. Which is why it is so important to test everything against God's Word. If someone quotes the Bible, check the context to see if what they're teaching is true—read the entire book if you have to! You can never be too careful when it comes to searching the Scriptures for truth. (Acts 17:11)
  That being said, if you still feel that God has called you to observe the Jewish Traditions and the Law of Moses after investigating God's Word, then by all means, do whatever you feel led to do. I can't condemn you for following your convictions any more than you can condemn me for following mine. (Romans 14) But if following a new doctrine—Hebrew Roots or otherwise—causes you to look down on your fellow believers; or if it stirs up division, malicious gossip, and slander among you, then have nothing more to do with it! Such a teaching is contrary to God's Word. It is destructive and harmful to the body of Christ, and is therefore a false teaching. (Titus 3:10-11, Romans 16:17-18, 1 Corinthians 1:10, Galatians 5:19-20)
   But whoever you are and wherever your circumstances may be, it is my sincere hope and prayer that God will give you wisdom in discerning whatever path He has laid out before you. 

"Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened."
~Matthew 7:7-8 New Living Translation (NLT) 

   May the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 

   

Holiday or Heresy: Should Christians Celebrate on Pagan Holidays?

It is no secret that the issue of holidays, and whether or not those who are in Christ should celebrate holidays, has been a topic of heated debate for many years. The reason for this debate generally stems for the belief that many of the days and traditions we generally associate with Christian celebrations are, in fact, rooted in paganism: most notably the traditions surrounding Christmas and Easter.

    December  17^th -23^rd was originally Saturnalia, a Roman festival dedicated to the worship of Saturn; during which time it was common for the acceptable social norms of Roman society to be completely overturned, resulting in wide-spread hedonism and general debauchery for the duration of the carnival.  Likewise the Christian celebration of Easter has been associated with numerous festivals devoted to various pagan gods and goddesses. As one would expect, these pagan fertility celebrations—observed on or near the spring equinox—also involved a good deal of debauchery, as well as the usual rituals and sacrifices common to pagan cultures of the day.

   That being said, there is a growing movement among believers that condemns the observance of these holidays, as well as many others. But nearly two millennia of tradition is hard to ignore, and so the question remains: should Christians celebrate holidays?
    While I cannot speak for all Christians, I personally feel that choosing to celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25^th and his resurrection on Easter Sunday is perfectly acceptable. It does not matter on what day these world-changing events took place. All that matters is that they did. Furthermore, we know from Scripture that the so-called "gods" who used to be worshiped on or near these days are not really gods at all. (1 Corinthians 8:4-7, Galatians 4:8)  
    That being said, I also acknowledge that there are many Christians out there who feel convicted about celebrating God on days that may be linked to pagan festivals, and the Bible makes it very clear that neither I nor anyone else are to judge them or do anything to cause them to stumble. (Romans 14:10-13, 1 Corinthians 8:7-12) So if you are one of these individuals, then I would encourage you to do whatever you feel God has called you to do. If you feel that it is wrong to celebrate holidays that may have pagan origins, then you are well within your rights to choose not to celebrate them. I cannot, in good conscious, tell you that you are wrong. After all, the Bible says in Romans 14:23 that if you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.

    However, we do have freedom in Christ. Our God is the God who redeems. He bought us all with his blood and freed us from both sin and the law through his resurrection. (Galatians 3:19-29, 4:8-12, Romans 3:21-22, Hebrews 8:7-13, 9:1-10, etc.) My God is greater than the pagan "gods", and he is greater than "their" festivals. So I feel that I am free to worship God on the days He has redeemed—including Christmas and Easter. If we were not allowed to celebrate what God has done for us on the days pagans use to worship their deities, then we would never be able to celebrate Him at all—the Brahman religion alone would see to that. After all, there are more Hindu gods than there are days in a year! Therefore, it stands to reason that there are pagan holidays and rituals going on somewhere in the world 24 hours a day, 7 days a week 365 days a year. Which, if we’re completely honest with ourselves, doesn’t leave much room to worship the True God.

    Ultimately however, the decision to celebrate holidays comes down to personal conviction. I feel that I am free to celebrate holidays based solely on the fact that I have been made holy through the blood of Jesus Christ. I cannot condemn anyone who disagrees with me. Nor can they condemn me. (Romans 5-6, 14:1) We are all brothers and sisters in Christ, fellow travelers on the road of life. Our destination lies before us, and it is our duty to help each other along. If we allow our personal convictions to divide us we succeed only in hurting ourselves and weaken the body of Christ as a whole.

“So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud, and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it.

  “You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.”

~ Colossians 2:16-23 New Living Translation (NLT)

See Also:

What Should Christians Do?

Should Christians Pay Taxes?

Women and the Bible: Is the Bible Sexist?

Submission: The “S” word.

In the English language, the word submission conjures up all sorts of negative images. Images of slavery, bondage and abuse. This is especially true in western countries like America and the UK, where freedom and the rights of the individual are held in the highest regard.

It is no wonder then, that many progressive individuals are offended by what the Bible says in passages like Ephesians 5:22-24.

“And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.”

~ Ephesians 5:21-24 New Living Translation (NLT)

Many people take the first half of this passage by the Apostle Paul and instantly accuse Christians of being sexist, male chauvinists, or worse. This however, is completely untrue. The Bible never says that women are supposed to be subservient to men—in fact it never tells them to be subservient at all! Women are instructed to submit to their husbands only, not all men. (Colossians 3:18)

Furthermore, the Greek word used for “submit” in the passage is actually indicative of “respect,” and is used elsewhere in antiquary to speak of the voluntary submission of soldiers to persons of a higher rank. This meaning becomes even more apparent as you read the rest of this passage.

“As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. 

For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. And we are members of his body.

“As the Scriptures say, ‘A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”

~ Ephesians 5:24-33 New Living Translation (NLT)

Look closely at verse 33. 

“So I say again, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”

Where is the word “submit” in Paul’s summary? It's obvious from the context of this passage that respect was the idea that Paul was trying to convey to the early church, not submission. Furthermore, “wives respect your husbands in everything” leaves a lot less to the volatile 21st century imagination than “wives submit to your husbands.”

Another key point I want to make is that while this verse does address women first, it doesn't end there; it addresses men too, and commands them to “Love their wives just as Christ loved the church.” 

And what is the definition of love? 

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” 

~ 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 New Living Translation (NLT)

Jesus loved the Church so much that he was willing to sacrifice himself for us, his “bride.” So the question is, men: are you willing to lay down your life for your wife; sacrificing yourself daily to care for her needs? Because that is exactly what the Bible commands us to do.

Love is sacrificing your own needs, wants, and desires in order to put another person’s needs above your own. “Submission” is respecting the husband’s role as head of the home and willingly sacrificing your own authority to allow him to lead. This does not mean that women are to be subservient to men. It also does not mean that a man can do whatever he wants to his wife. God’s command for men is that they love their wives, not abuse them and treat them like property. 

Jesus is the standard—the example of how men are to treat their wives. If what they are doing does not line up with Christ’s example, and they see this passage of scripture as justification to use and abuse their wife, then they are not loving their wife. Love and respect are both sacrificial—putting another person’s needs above your own. 

In that regard, a husband’s love and a wife’s submission are not at all dissimilar. Men want to be respected—respect is how they feel loved. They want to feel like they are Super Man to their wives, not Clark Kent. Likewise women want to be loved and cherished, to feel secure both physically and emotionally.

Ephesians 5:22-33 is not a passage justifying spousal abuse or male-superiority. It is a passage that clearly outlines the deepest desires of both sexes—even if some people try to deny it. It is a passage that presents guidelines for godly marriage in an attempt to prevent spousal abuse and sexism in a society and culture where both were commonplace.

So then, is the Bible sexist?

Not at all.

The Bible is a book of equality, not division or superiority. Jesus is the great equalizer. No one is better or worse than anyone else. Everyone is equal before God: Sinners in need of His mercy.

As the Bible says:

“There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.” 
~ Galatians 3:28 New Living Translation (NLT)

What Should Christians Do?

Should I drink alcohol?

Should I watch TV?

Should I listen to secular music?

Should I let my children play video games?

Should I only eat organic food?

Should I read the NIV or only use the King James Bible?

Is it okay for Christians to date, or should we use courtship instead?

These are just some of the questions Christians are asking these days. And, as you can probably guess, the answers are not going to be found in the Bible.

So what should Christians do when they encounter a problem that isn’t spelled out for us in the Scriptures?

The Apostle Paul has the answer for us in 1 Corinthians 8.

“Now regarding your question about food that has been offered to idols. Yes, we know that ‘we all have knowledge’ about this issue. But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church. Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much. But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes.

“So, what about eating meat that has been offered to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is not really a god and that there is only one God. There may be so-called gods both in heaven and on earth, and some people actually worship many gods and many lords. But for us, there is one God, the Father, by whom all things were created, and for whom we live. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created, and through whom we live.

“However, not all believers know this. Some are accustomed to thinking of idols as being real, so when they eat food that has been offered to idols, they think of it as the worship of real gods, and their weak consciences are violated. It’s true that we can’t win God’s approval by what we eat. We don’t lose anything if we don’t eat it, and we don’t gain anything if we do.

“But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble. For if others see you—with your “superior knowledge”—eating in the temple of an idol, won’t they be encouraged to violate their conscience by eating food that has been offered to an idol? So because of your superior knowledge, a weak believer for whom Christ died will be destroyed. And when you sin against other believers by encouraging them to do something they believe is wrong, you are sinning against Christ. So if what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live—for I don’t want to cause another believer to stumble.”

~ 1 Corinthians 8  

Now I’m going to assume that idol worship is not an issue in your life—but it may be, depending on your culture. That being said, the principle here remains the same.

We have freedom in Christ. So if something is not listed as openly sinful in the Bible, then it probably isn’t. However, if you personally feel that God wants you to live a certain way, or wants you to abstain from certain activities, then do what ever you feel He has called you to do. You have that freedom as well.

But we should all be considerate of one another, lest we cause a brother or sister to sin against their conscience. (1 Corinthians 8:9-13, Romans 14:13) And above all, we should remember not to judge others based on our own standards. If they love Jesus, then that is enough. Let God judge their actions.

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.

“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.”

~ Matthew 7:1-5