Digging Up Hebrew Roots

Book excerpt: There is a growing movement of non-Jewish Christians who are immersing themselves in the customs, practices, and beliefs of Judaism. This trend is no longer an obscure development at the fringe of the religious landscape. Men, such as former Baptists and Methodists, have taken Jewish names, the title of "Rabbi," and started synagogues thinking that true Christianity has its roots firmly in first century Judaism. But does it? When Christians become disillusioned with this or that church, they go abroad searching for meaning to replace what they lost. We pass many dead-end byways in life. This little book is about them. It is a signpost to let you know the meaning of one road you might travel, the byway you may have taken, the pitfalls that lie in the road, and the snare that lies at the end of that road. This book will answer such questions as: Did Jesus embrace Judaism, or did Judaism reject Christ? When Jesus said, "I will build my church," did he intend it be built on Judaism or something entirely different? What does the Torah consist of? Did Jesus keep the Oral Law? What about the Apostle Paul? Was he called to restore the early Christian Church to a deeper spirituality through Judaism? Will digging up Hebrew or Jewish Roots take you to a higher spiritual level and make your worship more in tune with how Jesus intends we worship him? The purpose of this book is to examine some of these assumptions, and point out where too many sincere Christians desiring a closer relationship with Jesus Christ have been led down a very dark path.