Refuting Hebrew Root Theology

Oct 2021
We were in a small town in Ava, Missouri and went to stand outside a Hebrew root gathering place to peacefully proclaim truth. There will be a testing of  ELIYAH.com coming soon right here along with audio or video we make of our time there so stay please tuned her for that.

Disclaimer: we are NOT evangelicals nor are we part of any man made group at all.
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We at dontperish.com are biblical New Testament followers of Christ who have left the denominational man made religious world, we preach the biblical gospel, we reject the ways of the culture like TV, sports, entertainment, our ladies head cover / dress (in loose, plain dresses) men in tunics,  according to the Word of God, we reject all pagan ways like Christmas and Easter and we cling to ONLY the biblical church ways that Jesus ordained through Paul and the other apostles. We believe and will practice only holy, orderly controlled OPEN gatherings (mostly in homes or out doors) where all born again obedient men can bring what God gives them to share. No ONE man is in control but multiple men shall over see (elders) not lord over others. My wife and I now travel to preach & spreading the Lord's truth/His kingdom. We sold off most all of what we own to travel full time in our camper van preaching the gospel in the streets/events and outside religious places t build the Kingdom. We support ourselves / ministry.... and we will NOT sell any of God's truth or take money to be a burden! email me anytime to discuss this testing. 
James  / [email protected]
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The following article helps people see the heresy of this man made movement called Hebrew Roots/Torah Keeping. 

You can also go here to listen to this on John 424 radio
https://www.dontperish.com/john-424-radio-audio-page-1.html
( once there.... use control F and search Hebrew Roots and it will come up.... )

Since we have in the past and now just recently run into people who are either in Hebrew roots theology or are asking questions about it; it was time we did a post on it testing it against God's full Word. What does the Word of God tell us about those who teach we all should be keeping the Torah laws today? This movement was around back in Apostle Paul's day ( Acts 15 ) but it has really only shown up more popular about the last 2 decades or so. It is the same old lie of the devil really. The twisting of Gods Word to deceive people out of what God has already said and done! Many in the false and unbiblical Hebrew root movement (the keeping of the Torah ways today) will tell you that you must today keep what was written in the old law to be biblical. In this article, we will explore if this is true or not per God's Holy Word. 

We will make several key points to help guide us to the truth and I have listed them below as a reference:

*Can a person even keep the torah today?

*What did Paul teach once he was in Christ?

*Did the old law change, vanish or fade away into the New

*Did Jesus Himself bring us a NEW covenant?

*Is the Hebrew root "Torah" gospel biblical or accursed?

*Should we linger in the old or walk in the New covenant today?

*Is the Saturday Sabbath for today?

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As usual we are not about to interject our ideas or opinions at all. We will go to the Word that has all the answers for us amen? Let's go through each one of these in detail shall we and in the end you can pray and decide for yourself if the Hebrew root ways are valid or a deceptive lie?

****** 1) Can a person even keep all of the Torah today?

As we stated above the Hebrew root followers will tell you that we are to keep the Torah today with all of the laws and ways God gave to Israel. Do you realize there are over 600 laws God gave to Israel? ( not the gentiles ) We often ask Hebrew root people; so how many of the laws are you keeping today and we have yet to ever get even one answer back. They will usually say it isn't about keeping ALL of the laws you just need to "try your best"? "Really" we say? We then remind them that people were stoned to death for NOT keeping Torah ways and they never have a answer other then to admit; they are not in Jerusalem so they can't keep all of the law. In truth they they are hypocrites as they are teaching you to do things they don't and can't even fully do themselves. Don't believe me? It is a fact that a good Torah keeping Israelite must go to Jerusalem 1-3 times a year to visit the Temple to do sacrifices through a levitical priest and so already they have a real problem. Their is no temple and there is no priesthood today. God's Word says that if you cannot keep "all of the Torah" you are guilty of them all. James says so: For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. / James 2:10. So you see; them trying to keep the Torah today is futile as it cannot be done and so they are guilty of not keeping any of it at all. God's plan all along was for us to move on to the gospel and the New covenant in Christ which is we will show you if you read on.

****2) What did Paul teach once he was in Christ?

When one studies the topic of Hebrew root theology; the writings of the Apostle Paul stand in the way of their Hebrew root theology. They will either try to down play Paul as misunderstood or try to remind you that Paul was an Israelite and he kept the Torah ways. We will agree there is no doubt that Paul grew up in that culture and did indeed keep the Torah in his pre Christ life. For this study; what really matters to us (and what they don't teach you) is what did Paul proclaim once he was made new in Christ? (Remember that it is Jesus/Holy Spirit speaking through Paul.)  Did he teach the Torah ways or the gospel/cross of Christ? We will show you with scripture that clearly once he was made new in Christ Paul "preached the cross of Christ" and not the Torah. This will show that the idea of Torah keeping today is a Hebrew root "false theology". Do you realize there is not one verse of scripture where Paul taught gentiles to keep the old torah ways or the Sabbath? "Not one verse at all". This is VERY troublesome for them as as Paul was called by Christ to show the gentiles the way to God but no where does he call them to become like the Israelites at all. We will show you the way Paul taught is by and through Jesus Christ and NOT by Torah keeping at all. Here are some areas of scripture where Paul is teaching and he is focused on Christ and the cross; NOT the Torah / Hebrew root ways at all:

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

For it is written:
"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."
Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord  1 Corinthians 1

Did you notice he was preaching the "cross of Christ" and not Torah keeping?

Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. 12 As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!
Galatians 5

Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ.
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.  Galatians 6

Did you notice he was NOT teaching Torah circumcison which is the old law given to Israel?

and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
Eph 2

Did you see him preaching one body "in Christ" not in the old Torah ways he knew very well?
Note: Christ came to build His church and not to cling people back to the old ways He fulfilled.

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
Philippians 2

For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.  Colossians 1

having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.  Colossians 2

Over and over you can see Paul teaching the cross of Christ and not Torah keeping.

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12

Paul points to Christ (the New) and not the Torah (the old) as our main focus! Please know the entire bible is about Christ to come and now Christ has indeed come so our focus should be on Him and not the old. To miss this point you miss the entire message of the Word of God (Christ) so please consider that fact will you and ponder it? Don't be swept away by man made theology of Hebrew root torah keeping today.

*****3) Did the old law change, vanish or fade away into the New covenant?

Another tactic of the Hebrew root folks is to convince you that the old law is still in effect and they will say that "God doesn't change so the old ways cannot be gone". This is a lie and we will show you using God's Word the truth. It is indeed true God doesn't change His character and nature but how He deals with man does indeed change. For example read Genesis 2 and 3. In the beginning God didn't require clothing but once Adam and Eve sinned they were guilty and God killed a animal and covered them in robes of skin. That was a archetype of Christ covering us by the way through shed blood


God indeed changed how He dealt with man in the very beginning of His Holy Word. The Apostle Paul also clearly tells us that the old priesthood and law was changed in Hebrews 7:12 / "For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law". 

That verse deals a death blow to torah keeping by itself but there is many more such verses. In that same chapter of Hebrews 7 we see this: " For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God". 

Paul tells us here how we are to draw near to God and it is through Jesus Christ and not torah keeping that you can't fully do anyway! Just one chapter later we read this from Hebrews 8:6 " But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second". 

Paul tells us the New covenant is better then the old one and so we are to move on to it in Christ our Redeemer. Then later in chapter 8 we see this dagger in the heart of hebrew root torah keeping: "
In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away". 

These verses clearly show us that the old law did change, it was made to fade and vanish into the "New and Better" covenant that Christ brought with His blood. Praise Him

*****4) Did Jesus Himself bring us the NEW covenant?

Perhaps you are aware that God made a covenant with Israel through Moses that involved the 10 commandments along with many other laws for them to obey. When that covenant was entered into Moses said these words in Exodus 24:8 "
And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words". 

If we fast forward to the Lord Jesus in Matthew 26:28 we see Him saying this: "And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins". 

By using some of the very same words of Moses; Jesus clearly shows us His blood is a New covenant for us all today. We have a New agreement with God to keep and follow and it is in and through Jesus Christ alone and His finished work on the cross; not through the works of the old covenant via torah ways. In the old testament it was the constant killing and shedding blood of animals but it could never do what His blood did for us. As He stated above it was for the "remission of sins" that he shed His blood once and for all. On the cross he cired out; "it is finished"! We need to receive that finished work, obey the NT ways and do NOT go backwards to the old that has vanished into the New.

****5) Is the Hebrew root gospel biblical or accursed?

If you are around Hebrew root people for very long you will notice that they don't talk about the cross, the gospel or the resurrection much at all. This is because they have deleted in their theology the very central message of God's Word to the world. The cross of Christ and His gospel good news was and is THE point of the entire mass of scripture yet they have edited it out to the point they rarely discuss it, they don't rely on it and they certainly don't proclaim it as the Lord commanded we are to do to the world. What is a group of people who have deleted, minimized or altered the biblical gospel? Paul tells us this in Galatians 1: "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed". 

How can this be any clearer? If you preach another gospel you are accursed and the Hebrew root theology does indeed promote another gospel and it is Torah keeping! In Galatians 5:11 Paul says this: "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace". 

Paul did not cling to or teach circumcision that was indeed a Torah way but he did preach the biblical gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life to come. We are to cling to Christ today and not the old ways. Paul didn't cling to Torah ways for gentiles so why would you or we do that today? Do not be deceived.
Here is the biblical gospal:
http://www.dontperish.com/the-gospel.html    


*****6) Should we linger in the old or walk in the New covenant today?

It is the false Hebrew root teachers who would have you go back into what has waxed away. We as born again Christians are children of the light and the light is Jesus Christ, not the old law. This question can be answered quickly with some scripture that points the way to us all. In 1 Corinthians 1 Paul says this: "For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God".

In 2 Corinthians 11:3 we read this: " But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him". 

Paul talks again about false gospels / deception and leaving the simplicity of Christ. That is what Hebrew root theology does as it complicates what Christ has done on the cross by trying to entangled you into the old law once again. In Galatians 5:18 the message of where we are to dwell today could not be any stronger when we read this: " But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law". Do you see the pattern in all the verses here? No where do we see the Apostle Paul taking us back to the Torah but he is pushing us on in Christ and to the cross.

Colossians 2:16-23 tells us much about what was the shadow of things to come: "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. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh".  

Do you see any Torah keeping or old law being promoted here or do you see that it is ALL about Jesus Christ and what He has done! We are to walk in Him and come out of the shadow ( old law ) that He has fulfilled all for His glory. He made it all so simple for us with His two commands; love God and your neighbor as yourself! Why would anyone want to go back to the 600+ old laws when the New is simpler and a much better covenant per Apostle Paul?

**** 7) Is the Saturday Sabbath for today?

As you can see so far; Hebrew roots people really have many verses against them and they must try to twist scripture and jump though many hoops to find where Paul ever taught torah keeping to the gentiles. It just isn't there at all. If we take keeping the Sabbath as a example; Paul taught the pagan gentiles not to steal, cuss, get drunk, commit adultery and no idolatry. He also taught them how to dress and act daily in holiness and he taught 16 verses on ladies head covering alone ( 1 Corinthians 11 ) but not one verse on Sabbath keeping, why? Because it was a covenant with God and Israel and it was the shadow of the Risen Lord to come that would give His people a eternal rest.

Hebrews 4 says this: "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief". 

Today there is no special day of gathering or worship. You have the liberty to choose your own day but please know this; everyday is for the Lord if you are in Christ amen? Please click here to read an entire post about why the Sabbath is not for today.
 

Having covered those main points using God's Word; if you still need more evidence that gentiles are NOT to keep the torah ways please go to Acts 15:20 where we read this instruction for the gentiles of what to do as Christ followers: " But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood". 

That was all they told them and there was no Sabbath keeping and no vast list of Torah ways at all for the gentiles. And it gets even more convincing in verse 24 when some men were trying to tell them to keep circumcision and the law. It says this: " Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:" Another slam dunk for NO Torah keeping within the gentiles in the first century church or for us today. God's Word is true and you can trust it! 

We hope you can see how dangerous Hebrew roots theology is as they twist/omit the Holy Word of God for their own views.  They do not use correct Exegesis. 

 They even call the NEW covenant a "renewed" covenant when Jesus called it the NEW covenant Himself. (See Luke 22:20 ) Also beware as they will try to demean or twist the New writings inferring they are less important then the entire OT bible. Jesus said we live by every word out of the mouth of God in Matthew 4:4 not just the pages of the Torah alone. We have even been told by them that they will witness to Jews and they will remove the New writings from their bibles to do so. They are taking away from God's Word in this and Revelation 22:18 warns about that! 

 If you would like to see some other  simple examples of the old law changing/vanishing away involving Jesus, Paul and the Torah read on. Consider the woman with the issue of blood who touched Christ and she was healed. In NO way did Jesus feel He was then unclean when the Torah says he would indeed be unclean. (See Mark 5) Also see the woman about to be stoned for adultery which is the Torah way but Jesus says; I do not condemn you now go and sin no more. (See John 8) Did Christ break Torah by doing so or has the old been over taken by the New with Him and grace at the lead? How about Paul who didn't teach to stone false teachers which was the Torah way. He just said to not associate with them (Romans 16:17) Was Paul rejecting / breaking the Torah by teaching in this way? Well, what he was doing was moving into the New / light that is the Risen Lord and leaving the old ways behind in the shadows just as God had designed it to be.

In our time of knowing Hebrew root folks their fruit has not been good at all. All we have learned from them was their desire for the old Torah ways once given to Israel, not the gentiles. (In fact it cannot be fully followed today at all with no temple/priesthood.) They stress things like a man must wear a beard, he must wear tassels, be home by Sabbath sunset, keep all the festivals, not eat pork/lobster, he must speak Hebrew, listen to emotional Israelite music on Sabbath that makes them dance and how to butcher a goat correctly. We did not learn about being a berean, how to discern truth, greater biblical holiness, obedience to the New writings, how to live by the New Testament Word or how to proclaim the gospel/cross of Christ at all to the lost. They are lost in Torah keeping and they are quite blind in the process. Their theology cannot stand up to the FULL counsel of God's Word so it must be rejected as false. 

Colossians 2:13-14 "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.

Warning: 
It has been our experience also that some of the Hebrew root people are into mysticism and some of the occult writings/happenings as well of today's other false teachers like the New Apostolic Reformation or the Word of faith groups. It seems certain Hebrew root people are into seeking signs and wonders today so they get pulled into these other abhorrent groups that have also left God's truth in these last days. We have been told by some of them that your words (good or bad) can change water crystals and that being slain in the spirit, people vibrating or laughing/barking uncontrollably is a sign of God and this is a lie. Jesus warned about many false teachers in the last days in Matthew 24 so do not be deceived by them. Reject mysticism and the occult spirit manifestations they often dabble with as it is not of a Holy God but of satan the deceiver. (See 1 Peter 5:8 and the roaring lion who devours.)        

 In the end; what is most dangerous about the Hebrew roots ways is that they deny (don't proclaim) or do not focus on the Risen Lord Jesus Christ as they cling to the old ways, they twist God's Word, they complicate the simplicity of Christ. They down play the NEW which is all about Him; Crucified and Risen for the sins of the world. They are modern day Pharisee's with a cleaner outside cup, a cross less gospel but they are indeed just like Paul said, ........... most accursed! (Galatians 1:8) 

Please reject their theology, try to give them the gospel truth and if they reject it; don't associate with them in line with Romans 16:17 and do it all for God's glory.

Here is the biblical gospel:
http://www.dontperish.com/the-gospel.html    
Here is a 10 point biblical test:
http://www.dontperish.com/10-point-biblical-test.html  ​