A recent friendly exchange with @WalterAndDebbie helped bring into focus what my “problem” is with the sort of Christianity that predominates at sites such as this and why I often say I think this sort of Christianity has little or nothing to do with what the historical Jesus was talking about.
That’s right, you guessed it, I’m a Hebrew Roots guy! If you don’t know what the Hebrew Roots movement is, the reputable Got Questions site sums it up nicely (even though the article is hostile to the movement):
The premise of the Hebrew Roots movement is the belief that the Church has veered far from the true teachings and Hebrew concepts of the Bible. The movement maintains that Christianity has been indoctrinated with the culture and beliefs of Greek and Roman philosophy and that ultimately biblical Christianity, taught in churches today, has been corrupted with a pagan imitation of the New Testament gospels.
Those of the Hebrew Roots belief hold to the teaching that Christ’s death on the cross did not end the Mosaic Covenant, but instead renewed it, expanded its message, and wrote it on the hearts of His true followers. They teach that the understanding of the New Testament can only come from a Hebrew perspective and that the teachings of the Apostle Paul are not understood clearly or taught correctly by Christian pastors today. Many affirm the existence of an original Hebrew-language New Testament and, in some cases, denigrate the existing New Testament text written in Greek.
What is the Hebrew Roots movement? | GotQuestions.org
All my recent scholarly studies of early Christianity have emphasized the thorough Jewishness of Jesus and, after his death, the continuing Jewishness of the Jerusalem community headed by James, Peter and John. This, in my opinion, is the real Christianity and the real message of Jesus. Not that he didn’t intend to include Gentiles - but only in the context of his Hebrew Roots. He wasn’t trying to invent a new religion.
Hebrew Roots is a very demanding Christianity. It doesn’t mesh easily with the pursuit of the American Dream. “Friendship with the world is enmity with God,” says the Epistle of James. Unfortunately, “friendship with the world” pretty well defines most Christianity today, does it not? One’s Christianity fits pretty tidily into one’s life, scarcely demands anything, and doesn’t really interfere with one’s career, finances or pursuit of the American Dream - correct?
So am I a shining example of a Hebrew Roots guy? No, not at all, although I think I do better than most at avoiding the “friendship with the world” thing. My recent epiphany has been the realizatiion that the Hebrew Roots movement pretty well captures what my nagging dissatisfaction with modern Christianity has been.