There shall
be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him
shall the Gentiles trust. Rom.
15:12.
Getting to the root of the Roots:
From the mass reaction of e-mails in regards to
our HRM exposure updates, it is obvious we have touched on something
important. Also, because of the many people who have misunderstood or
misconstrued us in regards to these articles, I feel it is important we clear up
a few points before we move onto other subjects through our "Without the Camp"
newsletters series ... hence, "Which Root" Update 8:
Disclaimer:
The Trinity:
Yes, we believe in the Triune Godhead expressed through three Persons of the trinity, of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. In that order. Each Person being individual of the other yet the same Person ... hence, the mystery of the Godhead. The Holy Spirit making Jesus real to the believer, with Jesus in turn pointing us to our Father in Heaven.
One of the characteristics of a cult is the
denial of the Trinity (which the HRM does), along
with the denial of the divinity of JESUS (which the HRM does), which is Christ, who came in the flesh.
The 'Jesus Only' Cult:
Yes, this cult does exist but is nothing to do
with us. We don't legalistically teach or endorse that unless "the name of
Jesus" is specifically mentioned when you pray, or do a good deed, then it is
not of God. The Lord's Name can be interchanged with other biblical titles
of His Name such as Emmanuel, Wonderful, Son of God, Lamb of God, Prince of
Peace, and so forth! But should be used both scripturally and
intelligently, and not glibly, faddishly, or as mere gimmickry.
Can God use other languages?:
Yes!! The Authorized Version has been the
largest version of the Bible that has been translated into hundreds of other
tongues and dialects over the great missionary period of England and America,
bringing the Gospel to multitudes across the four corners of the
earth.
Has other bibles carried the word of God other than the King James Version?:
"Both Tyndale and Wycliffe translated the bible into English before King James's day from the Received Text (the Textus Receptus, God's preserved New Testament in Greek), before they were both burnt at the stake by the Church for supplying the word of God to the common folk in the street. When James of Scotland became the first king of the new Great Britain, being a God fearing man (contrary of what we have been taught), and like myself, encouraging relationship and accountability to God only, produced the first public bible for the man in the street, the Authorized Bible (also based on God's preserved Received Text).
Other bibles that were
translated from the Received Text prior to the KJ were: Beza's 1604,
Bishops 1568, Geneva 1560, Stephen's 1550, The Great Bible 1539, Matthew's 1537,
Coverdale 1535, Luther's 1534 (not the corrupt Lutheran Bible of today),
Tyndale's 1525 (as already mentioned), Erasmus 1522, and Wycliffe's 1382 (as
already mentioned)."
Copied from "The
Infallible Book", "The
Radical Pilgrim" web site.
Righting off members of the HRM or Scared Name Movement?:
No way!! We all err from time to time or
make mistakes. Like us all, much of what I have done in my life has been
in ignorance so why not make allowances for others. Just because someone
writes G-d for God, or uses Yahweh doesn't mean to say we cut them off. We
are exposing the false doctrine not attacking people.
Replacement Theology:
Replacement Theology is the teaching which states "because the nation of Israel rejected Jesus God has rejected Israel and is therefore finished with Israel (written it off), and all His purpose has now switched and is focused on the Church (the bride of Christ) which has replaced Israel".
We certainly don't go along with this teaching which takes Hosea 4:6 to extreme without the balance of other scriptures:
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
Although God does reject those who reject Him (as He excepts those who except Him and honours those who honour Him), this still does not rule out God granting another chance and showing mercy on those who are willing to humble themselves before Him with repentant hearts.
Scripture shows the Lord will have mercy on the
nation of Israel again, when they turn from their wicked ways and call out to
Him, as Israel will be the nation where (Messiah) Jesus will rule from during
the Millennium.
Discerning the right Root:
Rom. 11:16-18. For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
One of the main reasons for the HRM to have had so much sway in Christendom has been due to the misconception of Romans chapter eleven. This has been because of a misinterpretation of the olive tree in relation to Abraham's seed, a long with a wrong interpretation of the tree's roots.
Abraham is our father according to faith not the flesh. He is our father according to the promise not circumcision, tithing, sabbath keeping, or any other law observance. The olive tree we are grafted into is not natural Israel of the flesh (the present political / geographical regime) but the spiritual tree.
The Jewish people have been cut off for rejecting their Messiah, and the Gentile believers have been grafted in. However, this is not an excuse for Gentle believers to be cocky as Jews are being grafted in again as they too find Jesus as Messiah. This way we can all enjoy the benefits and nourishment of the tree together, as one new man.
Now for the crunch! ... the root of the tree is not Jewishness at all, but Jesus:
Rev. 5:5. And one of
the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the
Root of David (the line going
back to Abraham), hath prevailed to open the book,
and to loose the seven seals thereof.
Rev.
22:16. I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto
you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning
star.
The false teachings of the HRM say we need to get back to the Jewish root/s to literally understand the N.T. scripture. Not so ...
...if the root be holy, so are the branches.
The root/s can't be Jewishness because the root/s are holy and no one is holy save Christ. If we (Jew or Gentile ) be connected to Him (Jesus) then we become holy branches enjoying the benefits of the promise. If interpretation of scripture relies on Jewishness and not God's Holy Spirit, this would put the Jewish teachers in a place of monopolizing scripture, placing them on the same hierarchical plane as the Orthodox Clergy and Roman Catholic Institution who place the Church, not individual revelation, in charge of interpretation.
As the late Keith Green (a Jewish Brother in Jesus) said in his song:
"We are de branches and He is de
vine!"
Private interpretation or individual revelation:
Scripture speaks for itself ... it teaches against claiming private interpretation (no group monopolizing the truth):
2 Peter 1:20-21. Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
Therefore, no one group, race, organization, or fraternity, can claim authority or the position of being a guide, or interpreter. The New Covenant presents the priesthood of all believers under Jesus our High Priest. It presents revelation to the individual direct from the Throne Room of God:
Rom. 16:25-26. Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
From the risen glorified Christ in Heaven, to our hearts by the Holy Spirit:
Gal. 1:12. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
The fact that God choose the Jewish nation had nothing to do with them being a superior or better people, but because it was part of God's over all plan. Therefore, the Jewish people were a privileged people. They spoke Hebrew therefore the O.T. books (God's word) where written in Hebrew. The N.T. obviously wasn't written in Hebrew because this would give the Jewish people claim over the new faith, lording it over the Gentiles. The N.T. was written in the common language of the day Koine Greek, breaking down the partition which divided the two peoples (Jews and Gentile) giving them both equal status as heavenly citizens in the new Commonwealth of Israel.
Just as the Lord choose a Gentile (universal)
language for His word at the opening of the church age will He choose a Gentile
(universal) language at the closing of the church age. This of course
would be English (and as I'm not English, I'm not being biased). This is
nothing to do with race superiority but to do with God being a sovereign God Who
calls the shots. He could not choose the present form of English as a base
because it has lost its purity (virtue) of moral absolutes, unlike when it was
at it's purest in 1611. Again, this was nothing to do with English being a
superior or perfect language, but because God foreseen it would be the language
that would transcend cultural and political barriers in this age of Globalism,
bringing his word as a light to all the nations.
The end result:
Granted, there is different degrees in being ensnared by the Hebraic Roots / Sacred Name Movement, just as there is with any spiritual deception. The HRM at it's best (if we can use this scenario) is luring believers back under the law, whereas at it's worse, is occultism introduced by the Cabbala (as revealed by Barb Aho in Update 8).
However, in order to deal with this 'falling away' we first need to go beyond nipping it in the bud, before it takes root, and deal with the root:
Luke 3:9. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
We need to deal with it now (as with all deception) that Christ would be the right tree in our lives bearing the right fruit at the end of the age. Going back under the law with it's obsolete observances doesn't produce fruit, but brings about striving in the flesh, and produces a complex belief system (religion) with a complicated false gospel.
Heb 9: 9-12. Which was a figure (the Old Covenant) for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
Eph. 2:15. Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain (Jew and Gentile) one new man, so making peace ...
Col. .2:14. Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us (the law was our teacher pointing us to Christ), which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross ...
The Old is dead, a white elephant ... can't be resurrected, reformed, taken out of moth balls, or stitched up:
Mark 2:21. No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.
When the Old Covenant was brought to an end, it was completely and absolutely, once and for all, replaced by the New. The New wasn't simply a purification of the Old one. Nor was it a rehash. When scripture says new, it means brand spanking new. Being in Christ means we have a new heart, a new start, a new life, a new hope, as ... all things become new. Even the geography becomes new ... a new house, a new city, a new country. This world (with its various races, nations, beliefs, politics and cultures) is not our home ... we're only passing through! Why put importance on the present! Jesus is coming back very soon!!