This page contains links to articles that I think can very helpful to the reader in understanding some of the issues focused on here at JGIG.
For instance, the Hebrew Roots/Messianic Judaism Movements are actually a re-organization and re-compilation of old false doctrines, with a few original doctrines thrown in for good measure. As God’s Word so wisely forewarns,
“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9)
While some articles linked to here may not seem like they have anything to to with the HRM, read on, you’ll begin to see the connections. Other articles will be ones which I find offer excellent teaching in shoring up sound doctrine – specifically as they reinforce sound doctrine in relation to the aberrant teachings found in the HRM. Once in a while, there might just be a really good, encouraging word, or even something fun =o).
While I may not agree with every viewpoint expressed in every article, it is my opinion that the overall value of articles posted here outweigh any minor disagreements that I may have within those articles or with their authors.
In other words, most articles posted here will align with the core, indisputable matters of the Christian faith as relayed in my Statement of Faith page, though there may be some variances when it comes to the disputable, secondary matters of the faith.
There are a few articles here from Hebrew Roots/Messianic Judaism sites/blogs, to demonstrate the debates occurring within the movements themselves.
Articles will be alphabetized by title and/or subject below and some articles found here may be posted on JGIG. Just click on the article title to be whisked by your marvelous computer to where you want to go. Links will also be posted at each article’s end of those articles posted on the home page here at JGIG referencing its original source.
May God grant you wisdom and discernment as you consider all of these things.
– JGIG
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- Ancient Heresies & Discredited Theories Which Have Been Taken Up by the Cults & Sects
- Are the Biblical Documents Reliable?
- About The Way International – Like the Worldwide Church of God (Armstrongism), teachers and teachings from The Way International have made their way into the Hebrew Roots Movement. Some would even say TWI has had a foundational influence on the HRM with teachers such as Michael Rood. Site contains articles, history, and links. Will also post in the Good Links section.
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- Bible Reading and Study; Where is YOUR Focus? – “The Old Testament was never intended to be an end in itself. It certainly explains many things, gives many warnings about the consequences of human failings, makes the matter of sin very clear, yet there remains a lack, a lack which leaves that parching dryness at the back of the throat. . . . Time and again I have seen people go off the spiritual rails by being too Old Testament-focused. To spend many hours wondering how an obscure verse in Leviticus can be obeyed by the modern Christian is to show an amazing lack of understanding. Such people are often passionate about picky legalistic instructions even when they struggle to remember the first sentence or two of the sermon on the mount. Their biblical priorities are wrong. They think they know about Jesus but struggle to get the full import of the New Covenant and its ramifications.” Great article.
- (The) Bible Delivered to Us Today
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Better Understanding ‘Pleroo’ (Fulfil)… – ” . . . when those of a legalistic frame of mind find this word used in Matthew 5:17-18 they immediately seek to distort/exaggerate it’s meaning, not allowing the simple and obvious meaning.” Great, short article.
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BEWARE of the ‘New Perspective on Paul’ (NPP) – An examination of this paradoxical approach to Paul’s writings by N.T. Wright and others being latched onto by Law ‘keeping’ sects.
- Blood Moons and Mark Biltz – Will Lunar Eclipses Cause Four Blood Moons in 2014 and 2015? – False teachers and date-setting regarding the end-times often go hand in hand. This article brings the claims of Biltz ‘down to earth’ and takes a realistic look at the data.
- British Israelism – True or False? – The Hebrew Roots Two House/Ephraimite doctrine has its roots in British/Anglo Israelism, just with an Hebraic twist. ESN does a great job of sorting out the beliefs/errors of this particular stream of thought.
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- Can You Explain Ezekiel’s Temple? – “There are numerous cults and sects out there who teach that Ezekiel was writing about a coming “millenium” (that is, a thousand year reign of Christ on earth), in which Old Covenant law will be fully restored, this to include a new temple at Jerusalem, a restored priesthood, with new daily sacrifices etc., everything that looked forwards to Christ having been restored. We really have to say right here and now that to adopt that particular explanation is to pretty much ignore about 90% of New Testament teaching” Another great article from UK Apologetics.
- Confession, Conviction, Confusion!
- Confessions of A Former Sabbath Keeper
- Covenants of God With Man – A really good outline of covenants found in the Scriptures, with a great side-by-side comparison of the Old Covenant with the New Covenant.
Christmas Articles
- A New Relationship With Christmas
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Christmas Considered Celebrationally – An historical study of the various features that have become a part of the religious and cultural celebration of Christmas.
- Christmas Wars: Then and Now
- Is Christmas Pagan? Putting the “Bug” back in “Humbug”
- Rediscovering the Beauty of Christmas
- “Should We Have a Christmas Tree?”
- The War on Christmas (no, not that one)
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Defining Spiritual Abuse: An Index – From Under Much Grace. A great resource.
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Dispensational Theology, Covenant Theology, and Christocentric Theology – Excerpt: “We must not revere theological systems. The systematization of ideologies into well-defined theologies produces additional “isms” which capture men’s imaginations and cause them to interpret Scripture and their relationship with God through a colored lens, an imperfect “grid.” Ideological reasonings must not become idolatrous objects of reverence. Theological constructions must not become deified as “gods” to be worshipped and defended with vitriolic vehemency. Those who have received the risen and living Lord Jesus Christ by faith can and must remain one in the “unity of love” despite different theological reasonings. This can be accomplished by allowing Jesus Christ to be the center of our thinking, our theology and our lives.” Highly Recommended.
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Easter Article – The Nicene Council Concerning Easter
Articles regarding The Two House/Ephraimite Doctrine
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British Israelism – True or False? – The Hebrew Roots Two House/Ephraimite doctrine has its roots in British/Anglo Israelism, just with an Hebraic twist. ESN does a great job of sorting out the beliefs/errors of this particular stream of thought.
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Ephraimites or Ephra I am nots? – A somewhat humorous look at the ‘Two House’ movement within the HRM.
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The Ephraimite Error – This article is from a Messianic Judaism site, but gives a good overview of the Two-House issue and disagreements within Law keeping sects. Read with caution and discernment.
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The “Ephraimite Error”: Critical Errors – From the author of an HRM site. The other side to this controversial view found in some Law keeping sects. Read with caution and discernment.
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A Brief Assessment of Two House Theology – From a Messianic Judaism site. A comprehensive critique of the Ephraimite/Two House doctrine
- Hebrew Roots Movement – Believers are Grafted Into and Become Israel? Um . . . No. – A post here at JGIG that addresses the practical issues regarding the Two House/Ephraimite doctrine.
- Gateways into the Hebrew Roots Movement – An Examination of ‘Identity Crisis’ and Related Teachings of Jim Staley – Addresses the Staley version of the Ephraimite/Two House doctrine.
Exit and Support Network Articles
Many, many doctrines found in the Hebrew Roots Movement/Law ‘keeping’ sects come straight from the Worldwide Church of God, aka ‘Armstrongism’. While the Hebrew Roots/Messianic ‘style’ and structure vary from the WCG, you will find familiar issues addressed at Exit Support Network’s ministry website. Highly recommended. Will also post in the Good Links section. Specific links of interest follow (in no particular order):
- Did Herbert Armstrong Distort Historical Church Documents?
- The Nicene Council Concerning Easter
- The Law of Moses and the Grace of God
- Let Go of Days, Take Hold of Christ
- Questions about the Law, Works and Salvation (Highly Recommended)
- Where Do I Find the “One True Church”?
- Twenty-Five Ways To Suppress Truth: The Rules of Disinformation
- British Israelism – True or False?
- How Do People Get Out of Religious Cults?
- Sabbath and Sunday – Common Arguments & Misunderstandings
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- Exhortation – Re-Invigorating the Christian Ministry of Exhortation – What exhortation is and is not. Great teaching.
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Fallacies – Common logical fallacies that you may encounter in your own writing or the writing of others. The handout provides definitions, examples, and tips on avoiding these fallacies.
- What is a Logical Fallacy, Exactly? – Defines not only Logical Fallacies, but also Cognitive Biases and Factual Errors. You can click on an alphabetical list of an expanded list of logical fallacies in the left-hand sidebar of the site. Interesting resource!
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A List of Fallacious Arguments – Another list of logical fallacies with more in-depth descriptions and examples. Good to study as a means for avoiding logical fallacies yourself in the course of debate and identifying and dealing with logical fallacies lobbed your way during debate. ***Not an endorsement of the site itself. The author does a particularly good job of listing fallacies and giving good examples of how they’re used.
- Fallacies – A Visual ‘Taxonomy of Logical Fallacies’ – Poster format. Your cursor becomes a zoom feature; click on image to enlarge.
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False Spiritual Warfare Teachings: How the Church Becomes Pagan – Some in the HRM are teaching a version of shamanism. This is a must read if you’re being told you have ‘unclean spirits’ attached to you.
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- Gateways into the Hebrew Roots Movement – An Examination of ‘Identity Crisis’ and Related Teachings of Jim Staley – On site article by JGIG.
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[1/6/19 – The following links to the Embrace Hebrew Roots series and the FAQ do not currently work. I’ll leave the links below for a time in case the site is temporarily down. A search of the Embrace Hebrew Roots articles below showed no current results. I’ll check back periodically to see if the site is back up.] Gobs of good information is available in the following series, but please read with discernment. Please note that I’m not fond of the author’s “expose’ style” and tendency to find fault with so many across the board. That said, the author does offer a lot of very well-researched information unavailable anywhere else regarding the HRM. Therefore I do find value in referring you, the reader, to the information regarding the HRM at the following site with the aforementioned caveat:
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To Embrace Hebrew Roots: Part IX – Talismans & Masters of the Name
- Hebrew Roots FAQS & Myths – Scroll down ’til you reach this section in the index. Section under construction, but has LOTS of good information already available.
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- Hyper-Grace: 20 Differences between the Mixed- and Hyper-Grace Gospels – A comprehensive chart – Simple and highly recommended!
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- Identifying and Responding to False Teachers
- I’m a Better Christian Than You (by The Holier Than Thou Committee)
- The Impeccability of Christ – Could Jesus sin? Or did He avoid sin by keeping Torah Law? Law-keepers like to say that Jesus was our example because He kept Torah (which He did), but is that why He avoided sinning, or is it because He is God in the flesh and cannot sin? It’s actually an important distinction to make, because Torah folk like to say we should ‘walk as Jesus walked’, in their paradigm meaning that if you walk by Torah Law you can avoid sin, but only God in the flesh could do that (hearing echoes of ‘and you shall be like God’ – the Big Lie from the serpent in Gen. 3:5), not because of Torah, but because of His Godhood and an inability to sin. “God is Light and in Him is no darkness at all!” (1 John 1:5) For a short study on how we are to walk as Jesus walked click HERE and see 1 John 4:13-21.
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Law and Grace Exemplified (In light of the parable of the Prodigal Son)
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Let Go of Days, Take Hold of Christ (Highly Recommended)
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Might As Well Face It, You’re Addicted to Law – “If you want to make people mad, preach law. If you want to make them really, really mad preach grace.”
- More on the ‘New Perspective’ – ‘The New Perspective on Paul’ is often referenced by those in the HRM to lend credibility to their belief system. An examination of the work by NT Wright and others.
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(The) New Covenant – Audio Teaching – Highly Recommended!
- New Covenant or “Renewed” Covenant?
- New Or Renewed Covenant Part 2
- Covenants of God With Man – A really good outline of covenants found in the Scriptures, with a great side-by-side comparison of the Old Covenant with the New Covenant.
- On Heresy and Messianic Fragmentation – A look into the fragmentation occurring in the HRM/MJism
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- Old Testament Believers and New Testament Christians – Addresses the issue of how OT saints were ‘saved’ vs. how NT saints are saved, i.e. what salvation meant and how it was obtained before and after the actual work of Christ on the timeline. It clarifies several points that we see Law keepers bring up in debate over and over again as they misapply the phrase from Scripture, “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” and couple that with the claim that the Church (ekklesia, Body of Christ) also existed in the Old Testament. It did not, and this article clarifies the difference between OT believers and NT Christians. Excellent study. Highly recommended.
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- (The) Perversion of Repentance
- Predestination – This is a really good, common sense teaching on what election and predestination mean Biblically, and takes away confusion (and a tendency toward elitism!!) about the issue. Audio teaching with study notes, about 23 minutes long. Highly recommended.
- The Prodigal – Law and Grace Exemplified – The HRM has several weird twists on this parable. This article puts it in proper perspective on a number of levels.
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Reading Skills
The following two articles provide good parameters and keys to critical thinking as you read articles, teachings, books, etc. Many of the concepts can be applied to listening to or watching theological teachings or sorting out political rhetoric. Short and to the point, good resources!
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- Religion Mythbusters – One of my favorite songs when I was growing up was Don Fransisco’s “He’s Alive” and was blessed and strengthened by it. I did not know that he has a website until recently, and have found it to also be a big blessing. This link goes to but one of the pages, including free downloads of Don’s music. Enjoy!
- Repentance – Teaching on 1 John 1:9 – 1 John 1:9 is a staple verse in Law ‘keeping’ sects about how when we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us. Who was John talking to in that passage? If God is faithful to forgive us for our sins, why would we keep asking Him to do something He has already done? Audio teaching with study notes, about 41 minutes long.
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Sabbath Articles
- Bible Translator’s Problem – A profound look at the Law and other cultures.
- Confessions of A Former Sabbath Keeper
- They Changed the Sabbath to Sunday
- Was the Mosaic Sabbath Eternal and Unchangeable?
- Sabbath and Sunday – Common Arguments & Misunderstandings
Sacred Names
- What is the original Hebrew name for Jesus? And is it true that the name Jesus is really a pagan corruption of the nameZeus? – by Dr. Michael Brown. Not a Dr. Brown fan, but this is a good article using good language/translation practice. Dr. Brown is not Hebrew Roots, but has Pentecostal Holiness leanings with issues of legalism and conditional security. While I do recommend this particular article, I do not recommend Dr. Brown overall as a teaching resource. He gives a very mixed message of Grace and Law.
- What is the Sacred Name Movement? – The ‘Sacred Name’ is an element of the Hebrew Roots Movement, though rarely as dogmatic as in the related Sacred Name Movement. The Sacred Name Movement has a longer history than the HRM, and which Sacred Name is the right Sacred Name is often an issue of worshipping the right or wrong god! The site linked to above examines the ins and outs of the Sacred Name Movement and is a good resource for understanding the errors therein.
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- Series Page (compilation of posts at JGIG regarding the Hebrew Roots/Messianic Judaism movements)
- Should we as Christians celebrate the Jewish feasts of the Old Testament?
- The Social and Historical Impact of Christianity – Amazingly enough, Christianity has been a source of a lot of good stuff throughout history and not the evil bunch the HRM would have you think! While far from perfect, the Body of Christ, even with her flaws and impersonators, has been a good influence in the world overall.
- Statements Admonishing Gentile Believers Not To Seek Torah Observance
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- “Two House Theology” or Ephraimite Doctrine articles found under letter “E” above.
- The Torah of Messiah – From Messianic Good News. Effectively differentiates between the Law of Moses and the Law of Messiah (Christ), showing how one can live under only one of those covenants after the Cross.
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- What is the Hebrew Roots Movement – A good, condensed look at the HRM. Check out their ‘Related Topics’ at the bottom of the page for related reading.
- When Leprosy Makes You Clean – A must read. Very thought provoking and an excellent case made for what ‘lukewarm’ really means.
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- JGIG’s Take on Zechariah 14 – A response to a commenter. I’m not an expert on prophecy – this is just the way I see it.
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Other articles of interest:
- Millennial Prophecy – Measuring Unrevealed Prophecies in Light of Revealed Truths
- Tzit Tzit For the Believer In Christ?
- 12 Undeniable Truths That Drive Law ‘Keepers’ Crazy
For more resources regarding the Hebrew Roots/Messianic movements see the Post Index and the Articles Page. General study helps, discernment, and apologetics sites can be found HERE. Good, foundational studies with a special emphasis on Old Covenant/New Covenant Truths can be found HERE. Be sure to check out the Testimonies Page, as well. Make use of the tabs with drop-down menus found at the top of this site – there’s tons of info there, and it’s very navigable.
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Joyfully Growing in Grace 