1. What my definition of HHRM is – 2. Popular but highly sketchy names in the movement – 3. Holidays, Shabbat, keeping & eating – 4. Sacred names – 5. Do believers need to keep Torah? – 6. Bad teaching that leads to apostasy – 7. what do real Jewish believers in Jesus think of this movement? – 8. How we can help people in HHRM
What is Hyper Hebrew Roots? Its a word I’ve made up, but this is my definition of what it is. This is a modern religious movement of Christians who are fascinated by Israel and Jewish people, but are confused about the roles and how this impacts them. Christian Zionism and supporting Israel is great, and making friends with Jewish people, secular, religious and believers.
Recently I have seen mention of “Hyper Grace” – Christians who believe in Grace but feel forgiveness and confession of sins isn’t needed. Grace is needed but not by compromising our need to deal with our sins.
When I see some Christians who love Israel and Jewish culture changing their worship and teaching to something new and unknown this can concern me.
I use the Hyper Hebrew Roots Movement as a separate thing from traditional Jews, Messianic Jews and Christian Zionists. Christians who are opposed to Christian Zionism who I disagreed with do have used some legitimate concerns about the Hebrew Roots movements, so I thought I’d share my criticism as someone who supports Israel.
Warning, I need to state I am completely against antisemitism and any hostility to Jewish people and nation of Israel. These criticisms are intended to people of Christian audience who may have confusion over their faith background or for who get into some unusual teaching without discernment. So, why on earth would a Christian like me who loves Israel and Jewish people who served the Jewish people talk about this on his blog?
This because all niche ministries in the Christian world can have some bad stuff. It is necessary to educate people who may get swayed by them kindly but firmly with patience. The HHRM phenomenon is not Christian or Jewish, it is a big man-made heap of religious confusion. HHRM is characterised by the three or more of the following:-
- Pretends to have understanding of Hebrew and Jewish traditions and practices but often getting them wrong
- “Sacred names”, a rigid compulsion to only refer to God and Jesus by certain words only
- Unkind words to former churches, Christian friends and pastors
- Defence of criminal actions by teachers of questionable doctrine (certain bad teachers are going to jail for fraud)
- Legalism
- Frequently gets into fights and quarrels
- Has unusual religious clothing
- Rigid ideas about food (not necessarily about kosher)
- Denial of the Trinity
- Paints the whole church as ‘pagan’ and lost
- Lacks discernment
- Does not go to any church or congregation at all
- Lives in solitude and doesn’t mix with others believers, won’t let their kids mingle with any other kids
- Little understanding of New Covenant and Jesus’s death and resurrection
- Believe someone can be saved without Christ
- Cultish behaviour
- And in extreme situations, apostasy
I love:-
- Christians who support Israel
- Dialogue between Christians and traditional Jews
- Getting to know Arab people who consider Israel their home, as well other ethnic groups in Israel such as Armenian Christians, Bedouins and Druze
- Evangelism, this needs to be done sensitively with bad ways Christians have treated Jews previously
- Supporting Israel in prayer and in physical needs
- Learning Jewish foundations of Christianity
- Learning Hebrew
- Discovering Jewish history in other countries (I went travelling around Morocco in March, a country that once had 250,000 Jews)
- Finding out about biblical history
In Israel, I love the Jewish people, I particularly love the Messianic Jewish communities. In my opinion to me they are the benchmark of what I see are the right way for Jewish people worldwide to know Yeshua, the styles of teaching will often vary greatly though. My Israeli believer friends are completely far and away from the odd teaching I see from the HHRM movement. In short, HHRM is an embarrassment to both Jews and Christians.
There are builders or tradesman there are people who will do terrible building work or take people’s money and disappear. Sometimes the ministry world is like that, there are bad people can take advantage of vulnerable people. So rather than blame the whole movement, I need to highlight some bad practices that crop up for the purpose of keeping my brothers and sisters in Jesus safe and show examples of scripture.
I’m going to talk more about what I have seen over several posts here.
1. What my definition of HHRM is – 2. Popular but highly sketchy names in the movement – 3. Holidays, Shabbat, keeping & eating – 4. Sacred names – 5. Do believers need to keep Torah? – 6. Bad teaching that leads to apostasy – 7. what do real Jewish believers in Jesus think of this movement? – 8. How we can help people in HHRM
Several times I passed this wall with bell outside. This is the door entrance to Fez’s Jewish cemetry. This is actually a part of the Jewish “quarter” of Fez’s old city. But there is nothing obvious there remaining that is Jewish apart from this and Aban Danan Synagogue.
When walking around some confusing alleyways a small child asked me I wanted to see the synagogue, I guess this was a popular place foreign visitors were looking for. After being dead set against being canvassed by beggars most of the time, I decided to give this kid a few coins and go and see where this place was.
Brit In Jerusalem 