We would caution our readers to stay away from Ministries which pretend to help acquaint anyone with Jewish Roots, if those teachings involve change or contradictions to the Bible and to its historic Christian teachings.

 

We are not referring here to obvious and plain honest representatives of Judaism (with which we respectfully disagree - concerning their conclusions and their salvation by faith). These should be responded to simply in love with the Gospel of Jesus Christ as found in the Bible.

 

We are referring instead to those “Hebrew Roots” ministries or movements which seek to somehow attempt to 1) authenticate or 2) validate the Experiences in their ministries, using the guise or cover of “Hebraic Roots” simply to spread False Teachings, Errant Theology, and teachings which contradict the Bible.

The reader should be mindful that there are many false teachings and false doctrines.  Most false teachers are attempting to teach doctrines1)  which depart from the Bible 2) which are not what the Christian Church has historically believed 3) which attempt to shift the faith of an individual away from the Completed work of Jesus Christ already accomplished on the Cross (through his Death and Resurrection) to a faith based in one’s own works.

There are false ministries that are teaching that “the heritage that once gave Jewish believers an "inside track" with God - is something which exists today, which can be revealed by the “Special” or “Annointed” or “Apostolic” ministry. This is not true. This would be a false teaching.

 First, the only reason why Jews had an inside track with God to begin with, is because God chose Abraham and his descendants. Therefore, this “inside track” is a reflection only of the sovereignty of God, not of the merit of man.

Second, the only inside track given to Jewish Believers by Jesus Christ and His Apostles is to be found in what those Apostles wrote in the books of the New Testament of the Bible. There you have it. That is all of it. There is nothing more, but there is enough there to last a lifetime.

Ministries which attempt to “sell” their audiences on the concept of “additional teachings” or “special revelations” about the Jewish Faith or anything else are usually teaching New and False Teachings.

It is the responsibility of Each believer to evaluate for himself/herself what the Bible teaches about a particular concept/doctrine/idea and then to measure that idea against what the Bible teaches. The Bible Teaches that true Christians need to have Biblical knowledge and discernment:                

 

The importance of Doctrine (i.e. meaning “right teaching”) is well emphasized in the Bible: 

Romans 6: 17  But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

18  Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

 

Ephesians 4: 14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

 

1 Timothy 4: 6  If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.

7  But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

8  For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

9  This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.

10  For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

11  These things command and teach.

 

 1 Timothy 4: 13  Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

14  Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.

15  Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.

16  Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

 

1 Timothy 5:17  Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.

 

1 Timothy 6: 3  If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;

4  He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,

5  Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

 

2 Timothy 3: 14  But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

15  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.

16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

17  That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

 

2 Timothy 4:1  I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

2  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

3  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

4  And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

 

Titus 1:7  For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;

8  But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;

9  Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

 

2 John 1:9  Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

10  If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:

11  For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

 

Beware of false teachers who offer to make use of teachers who can show you  "how it used to be" in the early, open Hebrew-Christian community. This is most likely someone trying to trick you. We already know how it used to be in the early Hebrew-Christian community. Their work and ministry is described in the New Testament all over the place, and all we need to do is to read it for ourselves and we will find out what those days were like. 

 

 

Tests for those who claim to want to take you back to your Hebraic Roots:

 

These are questions for your consideration, for you to be aware of, or for you to ask those ministries which claim to be able to take you back to their roots:

 

1. Do the teachings of the particular group or ministry agree with the regular teachings of the

traditional Christianity, as found in the Bible ?

 

2. (Would you - the reader - know what those teachings are, and how to find them ?

The easiest answer is that you would know if you read your Bible regularly and are very familiar with its contents, especially the New Testament concerning doctrine. )

3. Does the ministry claiming to take you back to your Hebrew Roots have a detailed personal knowledge of either a) Current Secular everyday Hebrew and/or b) Biblical Hebrew ? Are they willing to prove or demonstrate this ?

 

4. Does the ministry claiming to take you back to your Hebrew Roots have a detailed statement of Faith, which is a written statement that you can take away with you, and simply read at your convenience away from the group itself or the group environment ?

 

5. Does the ministry claiming to take you back to your Hebrew Roots believe that the Church of today is the substitute for the Jews (Traditional Christianity does not believe this, and this believe in the Substitution of the Church for the place of the Jewish people is contrary to Biblical Teachings).

 

6. Does the ministry claiming to take you back to your Hebrew Roots affirm/confirm that the Jews living in Israel today are the Legitimate Jews and the Descendants of the Jews in the Bible ?

Most Bible-believing ministries will have no problem affirming this. But those that seek to lead Christians away from their faith will have more trouble affirming this.

 

7. Does the ministry claiming to take you back to your Hebrew Roots teach that God has

abandoned the Jews ?

 

God has not abandoned the Jews and in fact end-times prophecy will confirm this. The book of revelation is only the 70^th week of the unfolding of prophecy, as first found in the O.T. Book of Daniel (for more information on this, see the book Things to Come by J. Dwight Pentecost)

 

8. Does the ministry claiming to take you back to your Hebrew Roots have a history of following trends and fads ? Does this ministry attempt to help others learn in-depth about how to study the Bible for themselves ? Does this ministry teach the methods of learning how to discern between the Holy Spirit and Demonic Spirits who would deceive Christians (read the N.T. book of 1 John for more information).

 

9. Does the ministry claiming to take you back to your Hebrew Roots have a history of being part either of the work & ministry of C. Peter Wagner and/or of the Kansas City Prophets ? If so, it is most likely a source of false teaching (more on this to come soon). The Kansas City Prophets usually have teachings which are contrary to what the Bible teaches. Most of the Kansas City Prophets were under the mentorship/tutoring of Paul Cain, one of the Disciples of the False Prophet William Branham.

Branham taught that a person could heal through the power of the Holy Spirit, without being first saved. Branham claimed that he was teaching what he taught because a Spirit Being would appear to him onstage and force him to teach false doctrines. The false spirit which appeared to Branham was only visible to Branham himself. Branham became so filled with false doctrine that the Assemblies of God repudiated him in the 1950s as a false teacher. Willliam Branham denied the doctrine of the Trinity/Godhead. When Branham died, his body was left out in the field for 40 days - because he taught his followers that he would rise from the dead. After 40 days, his followers concluded maybe that would not happen - after all. {Those followers were regrettably followers of William Branham, not followers of Jesus Christ and the Bible. If they would have studied the Bible for themselves they would have identified the false teachings of Branham and realized that his teachings were false }.

 

10. It is great to want to learn more about one’s roots. There is a strong need for this - in view of the “Killing of History” which some sections of society & the media have been consciously attempting. However, there is not a need for the church to return back to its “Hebraic Roots” in order for the church to be more “Biblical” or “closer to God”.  Remember, it was the Hebraic roots of the Church and following those ways that Paul rebuked Peter for choosing:

 

Galatians 2: 11 “But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.

12  For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.

13  And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.

14  But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?”

 

Also remember that the Jews of Jesus’ time did not return to their Hebraic Roots. They used those roots to demonstrate who Jesus was and the Truth of His claims, but the Apostles did not go farther (than proving the claims of Jesus Christ) into Judaism. On the contrary, they forsook almost all of Judaism, with the possible exception of not offending some of the Messianic Jews in their own day (Romans 14).

Many of the leaders of ministries today do not know how to teach people how to be closer to God. They do not know how to teach church-goers how to study the Bible for themselves. So they substitute their own lack of knowledge for fads, and experiences, which sound great but have no spiritual power. They sound great, and look good for a moment, but they have no lasting value. True and deep study of the Bible produces lasting value.

 

History and the Claims of those who claim to know about secret Jewish-Christian teachings

 

Most people today do not even know that many Jewish communities were eviscerated (destroyed) by the pagan world in which they lived, until the End of the Roman Empire, and even long after. Those that survived were often persecuted by fake Christians, who rather than proclaiming a gospel of love toward their fellow-neighbors, sought instead to make their lives worse. Most of the Jewish Communities were legally obligated to live in their own sections of a city or a particular district, and most were segregated from other inhabitants of the lands or nations in which they resided.This was still the case until the later 1800s.