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Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God.
Digging up Hebrew Roots - is this the faith once delivered?
I would have liked more details. That said looking for meat in 40 pages was perhaps too optamistic.
It provides a summary of five different types of groups (p33, 34) which appear to represent five stages in the spiritual journey of some (p37) from Christianity to Orthodox (circumcised) Judaism. At this point it would appear that 36-38 have been taken from the website Field Guide to the Wild World of Religion. So if you want to save some $ visit the website first.
He does quote from Brad Youngs book "Jesus the Jewish Theologian" and challenges his interpretation of the wineskins. This seems to be the only actual citation from Hebrew Roots proponents. The other references are to websites which makes me feel the book is a little lightweight (I know what do you expect for 41 pages!).
The matter of the Oral Law v the Written Law is dealt with but agin there are no Messianic/Hebrew Roots sources cited.
The benefit of studying first century Judaism is mentioned but not elaborated on. I would have liked some examples here lest the baby be thrown out with the bath water. The terms "binding" and "loosing" for example make much more sense with the Hebrew background. Yet for all that,the meaning is still fairly clear in the Greek. This is something the Hebraic Roots movement seems to overlook. Yes, the Hebrew background helps in understanding the text but it does not fundamentally alter the greek translation. Rather than discuss specific examples a conspiracy theory that the RC church suppressed the "original" Hebrew text is discussed. This seems very much like a straw man - no references being cited!
The practice of some southern baptists chnging from "Billy Bob" to "Ben Abraham" as their ministry takes on a Hebraic Roots emphasis is stated. Yet without any specific case cited this appears more polemic than fact.
Having just finished a book on the Bar Kochba Revolt I would have liked to see the development of Rabbinic Judaism spoken of more clearly as a responce to the destruction of the Second Temple. This Rabbinic Judaism developed AFTER the founding of the Church although the elements were present in Jesus time (Pharisees and Scribes)but these are my thoughts and require more information to be better informed.
All in all a good place for those unfamiliar with Hebrew Roots to start but it lacks a bibliography to follow up on.
This may be a slightly different topic, but many Jewish believers in Christ are rightly critical of what is called Messianic Judaism because it involves mixing Christianity with Judaistic elements. Messianic Synagogues in America apparently consist of 60% Gentiles, because some Christian Gentiles want to get in touch with the Jewish roots of their faith and then get carried away by Judaistic fables and nonsense.
This book is by a Reformed pastor, who is Jewish and lives in Israel. He was over a congregation (non-Messianic) of Christian Jews in Israel until his recent retirement.
Take ANYTHING Ronald Dart says with a huge grain of salt. He is a denier of the Trinity, and more than that, a denier of the personhood of the Holy Spirit, and is carrying on in the grand tradition of Herbert W. Armstrong. He teaches a scary blend of Judaism and Christianity... so I wouldn't trust anything he has to say on any topic that covers the connections between Judaism and our faith.
Originally Posted by Richard Tallach;
[url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/Messianic-Judaism-Not-Christianity-Loving/dp/0800793722/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1245885225&sr=1-8
Messianic Judaism is Not Christianity: A Loving Call to Unity: Stan Telchin: Amazon.co.uk: Books[/url]
The above book is by a converted Jew who believes Messianic Judaism is going in the wrong direction.
This book is by a Reformed pastor, who is Jewish and lives in Israel. He was over a congregation (non-Messianic) of Christian Jews in Israel until his recent retirement.
Currently reading this one which arrived today. A much better book so far but still in chapter 1. Will review when I finish
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