Hebrew Roots Movement, Armstrongism, And Their False Assumptions

The Whole Bible? YES! 

The Hebrew Roots Movement? NO! 

Paul's Ethnic Gospel? Yes and No!

Herbert Armstrong and his followers often scolded traditional Christians for their focus on the New Testament and their apparent disregard for the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). He and his followers bragged that they used the WHOLE BIBLE - NOT just a small portion of it. Now, while we should all be willing to acknowledge that traditional Christianity's use and understanding of the "Old" Testament has often been woefully inadequate, other folks (like Armstrong and his followers) have swung to the opposite extreme and have over corrected for the insufficiency of their more traditional brothers and sisters in the faith!

These folks point out that the early Church was entirely Jewish in nature, and that the only Scriptures available to Christ and his apostles were those of the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament). Once again, while I would not characterize this observation as inaccurate, I would point out that it doesn't represent the WHOLE story of First Century Christianity! Unfortunately, in their attempt to correct how more traditional Christians have used and understood Scripture, they have often ignored the work and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth and his disciples in the New Testament! To put it more bluntly, they have effectively placed themselves under the terms of God's Covenant with Israel! (Armstrong adopted Torah Sabbath and festival observance, clean and unclean meats, tithing, etc.)

In this connection, notice these statements taken from a website of the Hebrew Roots Movement:

The Hebrew Roots Movement is a general term used for an emerging grassroots spiritual awakening taking place worldwide with Christians returning to the original first century faith, beliefs, and understanding of the Scriptures as taught by the Messiah, Early Church and Apostles. Hebrew Roots is not a denomination or church, but rather a mindset seeking to emulate Jesus (Y'shua) as much as possible.

Hebrew Roots Christians are often called "Whole Bible Believers" due to our teaching of and obedience to the Word of God (All of It). We follow the first-century foundation of the faith: that every disciple of Jesus (Y'shua) is to walk (live) just as he did, in obedience to the Old Testament laws and commandments of God.

The 1st Century Church and apostles, in following the example of the Jesus (Y'shua), also obeyed and taught the Torah as the foundation to the walk of every disciple. This included the Apostle Paul as seen in Acts 24:14, Romans 2:13, Romans 2:20, Romans 3:31, and Titus 2:13-14. Hebrew Roots Christians do not obey God's laws to be saved, they obey God's laws because they are saved. They have a deep love and passion for God (1 John 5:3) which produces a deep desire to live their daily lives in a way that is pleasing to God - that is, in a way that attempts to live without sin (without offending God).

See - Hebrew Roots of Christianity (above quotations)

See - The Hebrew Roots Movement: What It Is and What It Isn't

In defense of these teachings, like Armstrong, they employ a number of "proof-texts" (some of the same ones used by Mr. Armstrong and his followers):

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. - I John 3:4, KJV

Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.- I John 3:4, ESV

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. - I John 5:3, KJV

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. - I John 5:3, ESV

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets...Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. - Matthew 5:17-19, KJV

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. - Matthew 5:17-19, ESV

The problems with both the Hebrew Roots Movement and Armstrongism originate in a bunch of false assumptions which are NOT rooted in Scripture or the history of early Christianity:

1. They assume that the provisions of Torah represented the eternal and universal manifestation of God's Law - instead of the terms of God's Covenant with the ancient Israelites.

2. They assume that because Jesus, his apostles, and the Jerusalem Church observed the Sabbath and Holy Days that all Christians are obligated to follow that example.

3. They assume that the New Covenant is really only a slightly modified/enhanced/updated version of the Old Covenant.

4. They assume that their devotion to Torah identifies them as the obedient of God and is proof that they revere ALL of the Bible, not just some Proverbs, Psalms, and the New Testament (like those poor misguided Traditional Christians).

5. They assume that the original teachings of Christ and the Apostles were corrupted over time, and that most of the visible Church adopted pagan customs and celebrations and strayed from obedience to God's Law.

Now, as this blog has pointed out in many different posts over the years, ALL of these assumptions are FALSE! The TRUTH is that they are guilty of the very thing which they accuse Traditional Christianity of doing! They cherry-pick the Scriptures and history to support their teachings about Torah observance - instead of reaching conclusions based on an objective evaluation of ALL of the evidence. Consider the following (think of this as an abbreviated summary of a number of the past posts on this blog):

1. Over and over again, the commandments and rituals of Torah were addressed to the Children of Israel! (Exodus 12:3, 47, 50, 19:3-5, 20:1-2, 25:2, Leviticus 4:2, 12:2, 23:2, Numbers 5:6, 6:2, 27:8, Deuteronomy 1:1, 4:1, 5:1, etc.)

2. Jesus, his apostles, and the Jerusalem Church were all practicing Jews (including Paul). Hence, we would EXPECT to find them observing the provisions of Torah! Moreover, as Christ came to this earth to fulfill the Hebrew Scriptures (Torah, Prophets, and Writings), we would EXPECT to find him doing just that!

3. Once the Church finally began to carry Christ's Gospel to the Gentile world, the great Jerusalem Council decided that Gentile Christians would NOT have to become Jews and observe the provisions of Torah! (Acts 15:1-35 and Galatians 2, 3)

4. The Old Testament makes very clear that the Children of Israel repeatedly violated the terms of God's Covenant with them, and that he eventually divorced and disowned them! (Isaiah 50:1, Jeremiah 3:8, 11:10, 31:32, Hosea 8:1, Zechariah 11:10) Likewise, both testaments make plain that God intended to make a NEW Covenant with the people of Israel and the other nations of the earth. (Jeremiah 31:31, Hebrews 8:1-13, 12:24)

5. If we truly accept Jesus as the Messiah/Christ, we must believe that he represented the fulfillment of the Hebrew Scriptures. We must believe that he came to this earth to fulfill them, and that he accomplished that mission. Indeed, this is the basis of the Christian faith: that Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled the symbolism AND requirements of Torah perfectly, and that he offered himself as an innocent - an entirely righteous individual - to pay the penalty for OUR SINS! (Isaiah 53:1-12, Matthew 1:21, 5:17, Mark 15:28, Luke 4:16-21, 24:44, John 1:29, 45, 13:18, 17:12, 19:24, 28, 36, Acts 5:31, 13:38, 28:23, Romans 3:21, Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 1:14, 2:17) I have also written a number of posts demonstrating that the Hebrew Scriptures pointed to Christ (especially Torah).

6. Christ identified two of the commandments of Torah as encompassing the whole of the Law: Love for God, and each other. Christ identified these commandments as the ones to be written on the hearts of his followers, and the things that would identify them as his disciples to the world. (Deuteronomy 6:5, Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 7:12, 22:34-40, Mark 12:28-31, Luke 10:25-28, John 13:31-35, 15:9-17, Romans 13:9-10, I Corinthians 13, James 2:8-13, I John 2:7-11, 3:1-24, 4:7-21) Please note that the Two Great Commandments summarize the Ten Commandments given to Israel, and the Ten summarize all of the 613 individual commandments of Torah which reflected the terms of God's covenant with Israel. In other words, ALL of the other commandments of Torah are elaborations of the TWO! Why did Israel need such a detailed list of commandments? Because they were mostly a carnal people who did NOT have access to the Holy Spirit!

7. ALL of the practices of the early Christian community reflected an emphasis on Jesus of Nazareth and his work (including the celebration of the Eucharist, Resurrection, repentance, baptism, fellowshipping, gift of the Holy Spirit, birth of Christ, his mother, works and writings of his apostles, prayers, songs, healings, exorcisms, etc.). Indeed, history reflects the fact that Christianity was very effective in almost completely eradicating paganism and supplanting it with faith in Jesus as Messiah! In other words, the narrative that paganism eventually swallowed up and supplanted Christianity is the exact OPPOSITE of what history reveals on this subject!

Now, having said all of that, more traditional Christianity has tended to neglect the Hebrew Scriptures. Indeed, many of them seem to have forgotten that those writings ALL pointed to Jesus Christ, and that the apostles and early Church employed them to teach about him! Nevertheless, they have generally understood that Christ has fulfilled the requirements and meaning of Torah for them. Likewise, they have generally understood that they will NOT be justified or rewarded by/for obeying the commandments of Torah! (Romans 3:20, Galatians 3:11, 24)

Now we come to the question of Paul's Ethnic Gospel (a post by James Wood about a book by Jason Staples for First Things. Wood writes:

According to Staples, Paul’s gospel represents not an abandonment of Israel’s ethnic identity but its restoration—accomplished paradoxically through the incorporation of Gentiles. The inclusion of Gentiles is not a detour from Israel’s story but a key to its fulfillment. Paul proclaims not salvation from ethnicity, but rather an ethnic salvation. His gospel is steeped in the “restorationist” hopes of Second Temple Judaism. In this historical-theological framework, a distinction emerges: “Jews” designates the descendants of the southern kingdom of Judah, whereas “Israel” refers to the full twelve tribes, especially the lost northern tribes who were exiled and assimilated by Assyria. The northern tribes’ exile constituted an “ethnic death,” as these Israelites were scattered among and absorbed by the Gentiles—a process Staples calls “gentilization.” Their recovery required not merely return but resurrection. And this resurrection, Paul proclaims, occurs through the in- gathering of Gentiles—its partial accomplishment during Paul’s lifeand its future complete fulfillment. Since Israel has been scattered among and assimilated by the nations, her salvation depends on salvation’s coming to Gentiles (Rom. 11:11–26). God, in his providence, uses this dilemma to accomplish his original promise for his chosen people: that the blessing of Abraham should come to all nations (Gal. 3:14; cf. Rom. 11:12). As Staples provocatively puts it, “Where Israel had become gentilized, now Gentiles were effectively being Israelitized, transformed from one ethnicity to another and integrated into the ethnic people of Israel.”

Yes, Paul certainly did teach that Gentiles had been transformed into Abraham's descendants and coheirs of the promises made to him (Romans 2:28-29 and Galatians 3:5-9). He also taught that There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. (Galatians 3:28-29, ESV) And, in that same epistle to the saints at Rome, he wrote: For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (Romans 8:14-17, ESV) In other words, whether we are Israelites or Gentiles, our faith in Christ (and what he has done for us) makes us God's children and co-heirs with Christ of the promises made to Abraham.

We must never forget that both Abraham and his physical descendant(s) were chosen to bring the blessings of God to all of humankind, NOT because they were special, or the sole object of his attention and affection! In a sense, Paul's teaching is that God has used the Israelites to bless humankind, and humankind will be employed to bless the Israelites - and BOTH are SAVED through Jesus Christ! What do you think?

 Miller Jones/Lonnie C Hendrix