Shadows and Substance: The Truth About Jewish Roots and Christian Believers

By Neil Silverberg

A Comprehensive Study Written About Jewish Roots and Christian Believers 

Rapidly growing worldwide, the Hebrew Roots Movement promises to help believers (especially non-Jewish believers) discover the Hebrew (Jewish) roots of their faith. However, while promising to bring followers to their Jewish roots, they instead bring them into O

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: Dec 17, 2021
• ISBN: 9781637696514

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Shadows

and Substance

The Truth About Jewish Roots

and Christian Believers

Neil Silverberg

Shadows and Substance: The Truth About Jewish Roots and Christian Believers

Trilogy Christian Publishers

A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Trinity Broadcasting Network

2442 Michelle Drive Tustin, CA 92780

Copyright © 2021 by Neil Silverberg

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked HCSB are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. Public domain.

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Trilogy Disclaimer: The views and content expressed in this book are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect the views and doctrine of Trilogy Christian Publishing or the Trinity Broadcasting Network.

Manufactured in the United States of America

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ISBN: 978-1-63769-650-7

E-ISBN: 978-1-63769-651-4

Dedication

I dedicate this work to the churches in Masterbuilders

with whom I shared many of these things

and from whom I have learned so much.

A special mention to the leadership team

who saw the value in this book

and continually encouraged me to complete it.

I owe them a debt of love and gratitude.

Acknowledgments

I want to thank two people whose love and support, not to mention their tireless work on this project, made it possible: Patty King and Grant King. They both took many hours reading the manuscript and helping to get it in its final form. I also want to mention the elder team at Trinity Community Church, who encouraged me to pursue this work when I wanted to give up. Thanks for supporting and believing in me.

And last (but actually first), as I have in all of my other books, a special thanks to my wife, Shelly—a true helpmate that encourages me to pursue all that God calls me to do. Her love, patience, and belief uphold me with strength when I need it most. Thanks for being who you are, Shell.

Table of Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Endorsement

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1: Understanding the Hebrew Roots Movement

Chapter 2: Hebrew Roots of the Early Church

Section 1: The Churches of the Gentiles

Chapter 3: The Jerusalem Conference: What It Meant for the Churches

Chapter 4: Did Constantine Change Everything?

Chapter 5: Entering His Rest

Chapter 6: Let Us Keep the Feast

Chapter 7: All Things Loss

Section 2: Jesus the Jew

Chapter 8: The Jewishness of Jesus: What’s in a Name

Chapter 9: Destroy or Fulfill

Chapter 10: Did Paul Invent Christianity?

Section 3: Hebraic Roots or Jewish Roots?

Chapter 11: For the Sake of Tradition

Chapter 12: Why the Attraction?

Section 4: The Key That Unlocks the Door

Chapter 13: A Mistaken Hermeneutic

Chapter 14: The Letter to the Hebrews and the HRM

Section 5: Protecting the Flock

Chapter 15: Kill the Spider Before the Eggs Hatch

Chapter 16: Safeguarding the Church Through Gospel Preaching

Endnotes

Bibliography

Free for the Taking

Books by Neil Silverberg

Endorsement

"I’ve waited years for a book like this to be published. Neil Silverberg has provided for us a thoroughly biblical and pastorally wise evaluation of the Hebrew Roots Movement that I can wholeheartedly endorse. He tethers his conclusions to the Word of God and demonstrates the life-transforming glory of how Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the Old Testament.

While contending that the HRM is a dangerous trend among many today, he does so with pastoral concern and a love for both the Old Testament and the Jewishness of Jesus. If you’ve encountered people in the HRM and are confused by their claims, this book is for you."

—Sam Storms, PhD

Bridgeway Church, Oklahoma City, OK

Preface

In a certain sense, I have lived with this book for the entirety of my walk with Jesus, the Messiah. Except for a short time after my initial conversion when I was superficially involved with Messianic Judaism, I have spent the majority of my spiritual journey in the Church. I tried to fit into a messianic congregation early in my walk. However, after a dynamic encounter with the Lord, while planting a church in New York City with my brother, God opened my eyes to His intention to create out of both Jew and Gentile one new man (Ephesians 2:15). As a result of this experience, I was (as they say in the South) ruint. I knew God called me to spend the remainder of my days with both Jew and Gentile in the Church, the body of the Messiah.

It was not until many years later, while attempting to help a local church deal with aberrant Hebrew Roots teaching tearing it apart, that I conceived this book. But as often happens, the busyness of life and the pressures of ministry crowded out that initial impression, and the planned book was put on hold. It was actually several years later that I began to put pen to paper (fingers to keyboard).

Like previous works, as I began working on this project, it developed in unexpected ways. Several chapters not in the original plan are now a part of the book. It took a long time to get the manuscript in its present form. Such is the nature of writing books; you start with a general idea but are carried by the wind of the Spirit as the project grows.

Some readers will undoubtedly wish I had spent more time dealing with topics only touched upon superficially. Instead, I chose to focus largely on the core issues defining the Hebrew Roots Movement. Those other issues are important, but to include them would have required a much larger book. For example, I could have said much more about Messianic Judaism in this work but deliberately limited myself to theological matters and practices pertaining to the Hebrew Roots Movement. Besides, there are already excellent works dealing with Messianic Judaism for those readers who are interested.

Throughout the book, I address the theological beliefs of much of the Movement while avoiding attacking people. I respect those who grapple with these things, even though I disagree with much of what they teach. I have quoted many well-known Hebrew Roots Movement teachers not to disparage them but to set forth their theological convictions in the light of what Scripture teaches. One would expect such quotations in a book dealing with a topic like this.

Last of all, I hope the reader understands that I have a deep love for the Lord of glory and the body of the Messiah, where I have lived the entirety of my life. May these words encourage a generation to love the Lord and help perfect a bride as she is adorned for her husband.

— Neil Silverberg,

Knoxville, Tennessee, 2021

Introduction

The Hebrew Roots Movement (hereafter identified as the HRM) is a generic term for a worldwide movement sharing in common two main theological premises. First is the belief that the Christian Church has veered from its original Jewish root system and, as a result, has embraced paganism. According to this view, the only way to reconnect to the original root system is to renounce its pagan practices and return to the original faith by practicing such things as the weekly Sabbath and the Jewish Feasts.

The second is the belief that Jesus never abrogated the Law but expected his followers to obey it. Many HRM teachers quote passages such as Matthew 5:17 as the basis for the belief that all believers, both Jew and Gentile, are still under the Law. Beyond that, the movement is widely divergent as to what it practices and believes. These two things remain at the core of what most in the HRM believe.

The HRM differs from Messianic Judaism, which consists largely of Jewish believers who continue living a Jewish lifestyle after becoming believers in Jesus as the Messiah (although there are many non-Jews in most messianic synagogues). The HRM is mostly comprised of Gentiles who have embraced the view that the Church has veered from its original root system and that to live out the faith properly, they must reject the paganism practiced in most Protestant churches and return to biblical faith.

Whenever I’ve mentioned I was writing a book dealing with the HRM, people have asked why a book like this was necessary. Aren’t there already two books in the New Testament, Galatians and Hebrews, dealing with that topic? some have asked. While I agree that these two New Testament books address some of the issues raised by the HRM, I still think a book like this is needed. As is the case with other heresies, the HRM have their predetermined answers to these biblical books. People get in the habit of reading them through the lens of their teachers. If for nothing else, it exposes their faulty attempts to explain away the theology of those twin New Testament books.

There is another reason I believe such a book is needed. It exposes much HRM teaching as simply another form of legalism perverting the Gospel of grace. While this book deals specifically with the legalism of the HRM, its message applies to any form of legalism resulting from a failure to understand and believe the Gospel. Legalism is the belief that something other than what God has already done through the work of the Jewish Messiah is needed to bring sinful human beings into a relationship with God. In that regard, this book not only deals with the legalism of the HRM, but it also goes a long way in exposing other forms of legalism plaguing the Church today.

Incidentally, the fact that this book deals with legalism explains why it took so many years to write. For the last three decades, I have been enrolled in a life course that can only be described as Gospel 101; nothing less than a total reorientation of life from the perspective of the Gospel of grace. It combines learning Gospel theology with the application of it to life and ministry. And learning the Gospel of grace has been the best preparation for learning how to spot legalism whenever it raises its ugly head. Just as Secret Service agents study genuine currency until they are so familiar with it they can spot the counterfeit, becoming aware of the truth of the Gospel has only heightened my ability to recognize its distortions. Even though I have had limited time to study all the features of the HRM, growing in my understanding of the biblical Gospel has given me the needed tools for discerning the errors in much of it.

This book was written with two audiences in mind. First, it is written for Christian leaders who are responsible for protecting their flocks. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to talk with many such leaders who have had to deal firsthand with HRM teaching. I have heard the horror stories of the damage it has done to both churches and families. It has solidified my conviction that leaders would benefit from a single volume, which provides both an understanding of the main theological components of much HRM teaching as well as equips leaders to practically know how to deal with it. The two chapters in the last section of the book address them (leaders) directly.

I also have another audience in mind in writing this book—non-Jewish (Gentile) believers who have some idea that the roots of their faith extend back to Judaism and are desirous to learn more about it. This has made them curious about the HRM and its claim to teach the Hebrew roots of the faith. Some have become acquainted with HRM teaching through visiting various websites, while others have attended small home groups where self-appointed HRM teachers have taught it. What they have heard has begun to make sense, and they are beginning to embrace it. My hope is that this book will serve as a guide so as to be better informed as to whether or not to get more deeply involved with it.

As stated previously, this book addresses much of the theology of the movement. The HRM is based on certain theological presuppositions and interpretations of Scripture that must be carefully analyzed if it is to be properly understood. Take, for example, Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount referenced earlier; that He did not come to "abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but rto fulfill them" (Matthew 5:17b). Any book attempting to understand the HRM must examine this vital statement since much of its theology is derived from it. But this book isn’t limited to grasping the theology of the movement but addresses a whole host of practical issues as well. Nevertheless, understanding the theology which fuels the movement is critical to being adequately prepared to deal practically with HRM teachers and teaching. That is why so much of this book is theological in nature.

I have arranged the material in this book into five sections, each dealing with a key issue regarding the HRM. First, there are two chapters preceding these five sections foundational to understanding the HRM. The first chapter, Understanding the Hebrew Roots Movement, provides a brief overview of what the HRM is. This is followed by a chapter entitled The Hebrews Roots of the Early Church. Not everything the HRM teaches is dangerous; after all, the roots of Christianity are deeply imbedded in Judaism. This chapter describes five things the Church should learn by understanding the Hebraic roots of our faith.

The five chapters in Section 1, The Churches of the Gentiles, examine what first-century apostles taught Gentile believers when it comes to Jewish beliefs and practices. This section includes a chapter dealing with the outcome of the Jerusalem Conference in Acts as well as one addressing the changes Emperor Constantine implemented when he took the throne of the Roman Empire. This chapter challenges the common view taught by many in the HRM that the churches of the first three centuries were essentially Hebraic in belief and practice until Constantine took the throne and extricated the Church from its Hebrew root system. While there is some truth to that, it has been grossly exaggerated. Then there is a chapter dealing with the Sabbath and the HRM teaching that Gentiles are under obligation to observe it. This is followed by a chapter addressing whether believers should observe the Jewish Feasts rather than the Christian holidays (Christmas and Easter). That section concludes with a chapter dealing with Paul’s letter to the Philippians. I included it because it is probably the only letter written to a mostly Gentile congregation. As such, it gives us a firsthand look at what the apostle Paul expected Gentile believers to observe when it comes to Jewish practices.

Section 2, Jesus the Jew, deals with the Jewishness of Jesus and what it means for Gentile churches. It includes a chapter regarding Paul and the claim of many in the HRM that he invented the religion of Christianity. The two chapters in Section 3, Hebraic Roots or Jewish Roots? deals with the difference between the Hebraic roots of the faith derived from the Hebrew Bible and Jewish roots derived from Rabbinic Judaism and Jewish tradition. Many in the HRM fail to distinguish between them, calling people to rabbinic belief and practice rather than biblical Hebraism.

Section 4, entitled The Key that Unlocks the Door, deals with the importance of interpreting the Old Testament in the light of the revelation given to the apostles in the New. Last but not least, the two chapters in Section 5, entitled Protecting the Flock, were written with leaders in mind, primarily those with teaching responsibilities in local churches. They deal largely with how leaders should be proactive in protecting their flocks from unbiblical Hebrew roots teaching.

This book will not be appreciated unless the reader understands my zeal to ensure that the Gospel of the grace of God is protected from distortion. I believe that many in the HRM, under the guise of discovering their Hebrew roots, are deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel (Galatians 1:6b). Paul doesn’t view the Galatians’ embrace of Judaism as a boon to their spiritual development, but desertion of the God who called them by His grace. While many in the HRM believe they have discovered the true roots of their faith, in actuality, they have gone back under the Law. I pray that this book will be used by God to reclaim a new generation of those who are strangers to the Gospel of grace. I long for all who read these pages to grow in love for the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, and for the Gospel of the grace of God. To Him, be the glory forever.

Chapter 1

Understanding the

Hebrew Roots Movement

The pressure in the room was palpable as I entered the sanctuary. My heart beat nervously as I made my way in and began cordially greeting those who were there. I tried to be cool