Is Hebrew Roots Biblical?

The Hebrew Roots Movement’s Claims About Christian Identity

The Hebrew Roots movement teaches that the church has been corrupted by Greek and Roman influences and we need to get back to our Hebrew beginnings. After all, Jesus and his disciples were Jews, so to be a good Christian you must be a good Jew.

Hebrew Roots adherents, also known as Messianic Christians, believe Christ's death on the cross did not fulfill the Mosaic Covenant, but renewed and expanded it. Therefore you must keep the Sabbath on Saturday, celebrate Jewish feasts and festivals, and observe the dietary laws.

New Testament Answers to Dietary Laws and Holy Days

Boy, if there aren't scores of passages that directly respond to this. Jesus declared all foods clean in Mark 7, 19 and said it again to Peter in Acts 10, 15. In Romans 14, Paul said not to be divided over opinions about days and food.

And in Colossians 2, 16, he warned about Judaizers who passed judgment over dietary laws in Jewish holy days. These were shadows of things to come which were fulfilled in Christ. If you were to point to such verses, or the whole books of Galatians and Hebrews, you'll likely be told the New Testament you read has been corrupted.

Why Hebrew Roots Teaching Distorts Biblical Doctrine

Hebrew Roots teachers reject historical definitions of biblical doctrines. Their answers are often long-winded, full of myth and speculation and quarreling over words. They make non-essential issues essential, and teach righteousness by keeping the law.

The Glory of the Old Covenant and the Sufficiency of Christ

Not all are that extreme, but there are still serious problems with telling people to keep the Old Covenant as if it were a higher path. The Bible says the glory of the Mosaic Covenant has come to an end, but the glory of Christ is forever.

We are to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life when we understand the text.