D. Thomas Lancaster's "Restoration" and Messianic Judaism/Hebrew Roots

[ChristianReadYourBible]

Hello brothers and sisters! I'm hoping this is the right forum to post this in...

Within the last few years, an individual from my wife's side of the family began delving into the Hebrew Roots movement. I didn't hear about it until about a year ago when we visited my in-laws for a week and they stipulated that all meals exclude pork, since the aforementioned individual had introduced them to HR and they were convicted by some of its teachings on dietary laws. In particular, they pointed to the book Restoration by D. Thomas Lancaster (https://ffoz.com/restoration-book.html). They actually bought my wife and I a copy, and I have begun studying it to properly understand the position and refute any unbiblical points. In the introduction, the author describes the purpose of his work as being "an easy-to-read book that could introduce readers to the ideas behind Messianic Judaism and the Jewish Roots movement in Christianity."

Do any of you have experience with Messianic Judaism and/or Hebrew Roots, or perhaps even this particular author or work? If so, what passages from Scripture best refute their positions? Any resources you could point me to that may help?

Thanking you all in advance!

 

[RamistThomist]

Messianic Judaism is a completely separate movement. The author is trying to sneak in under MJ. Messianic Judaism is a way for Jewish converts to follow Yeshua without having to eat pork cracklins. It's completely legit as long as they don't force it on Gentiles. Hebrew Roots on the other hand is a cult.

Michael L. Brown has some great stuff on Messianic Judaism themes.

Hebrew Roots people are almost uniformly clueless on how Hebrew works. In any case, ask them if we have to circumcise in the New Covenant. If they say no, then they are simply LARPing. If they say yes, then they are accursed and cut off from Christ.

 

[Contra_Mundum]

I thought of MichaelBrown myself, but a look at several websites connected to him (searching those sites) I could find only a couple glancing references to HRM which are portions of podcasts. Unless you research specific questions of interpretation or doctrine, presently I'd have to conclude he has nothing specific to refuting HRM.

There is a little bit directly on the HRM on various Messianic Jewish and similar ministry websites. I think this (and the MB observation above) is a sign that this movement barely intersects with religious Jews or Messianic Judaism. It hardly registers on their radar. It is a distinctly Christian heresy, and their "Judaic" connections seem pretty fanciful.

There are quite a few blogs and apologetic websites and church-connected sites that have researchers and pastors responding at various levels to certain HRM claims. Some people write in the comments how this or that is wrong in the article, others say that they too have family or friends in the grip of HRM delusion. I can't recommend any such because I won't vouch for the quality of the work, or their full positions on this or that. Read with discernment.

I'm not sure there's a book out there that will solve the dilemma of a go-to resourse for you; but there does appear to be a good bit of less-formal treatment on the internet. One thing that was repeated a few times is that the HRM is not monolithic; there are many variants as different parties accept this or reject that position held by whoever proselytized them.

 

[RamistThomist]

I thought of MichaelBrown myself, but a look at several websites connected to him (searching those sites) I could find only a couple glancing references to HRM which are portions of podcasts. Unless you research specific questions of interpretation or doctrine, presently I'd have to conclude he has nothing specific to refuting HRM.

Correct. He mentions it a few times in his radio show, but nothing systematic.

 

[arapahoepark]

If I recall correctly @greenbaggins had something on his blog a few years ago or so.

 

[ChristianReadYourBible]

Messianic Judaism is a completely separate movement. The author is trying to sneak in under MJ. Messianic Judaism is a way for Jewish converts to follow Yeshua without having to eat pork cracklins. It's completely legit as long as they don't force it on Gentiles. Hebrew Roots on the other hand is a cult.

Michael L. Brown has some great stuff on Messianic Judaism themes.

Hebrew Roots people are almost uniformly clueless on how Hebrew works. In any case, ask them if we have to circumcise in the New Covenant. If they say no, then they are simply LARPing. If they say yes, then they are accursed and cut off from Christ.

I had thought that the conflation of MJ and HRM was erroneous. I am certainly curious to see if this author will give hints as to what his Christology is. This seems to be the most obvious place where the HRM would go astray into apostasy, but as @Contra_Mundum stated, HRM is not monolithic, so it might be difficult to pin something down to refute the movement holistically.

Thanks for your response brother, and I appreciate your many contributions to PB!

 

[ChristianReadYourBible]

I thought of MichaelBrown myself, but a look at several websites connected to him (searching those sites) I could find only a couple glancing references to HRM which are portions of podcasts. Unless you research specific questions of interpretation or doctrine, presently I'd have to conclude he has nothing specific to refuting HRM.

There is a little bit directly on the HRM on various Messianic Jewish and similar ministry websites. I think this (and the MB observation above) is a sign that this movement barely intersects with religious Jews or Messianic Judaism. It hardly registers on their radar. It is a distinctly Christian heresy, and their "Judaic" connections seem pretty fanciful.

There are quite a few blogs and apologetic websites and church-connected sites that have researchers and pastors responding at various levels to certain HRM claims. Some people write in the comments how this or that is wrong in the article, others say that they too have family or friends in the grip of HRM delusion. I can't recommend any such because I won't vouch for the quality of the work, or their full positions on this or that. Read with discernment.

I'm not sure there's a book out there that will solve the dilemma of a go-to resourse for you; but there does appear to be a good bit of less-formal treatment on the internet. One thing that was repeated a few times is that the HRM is not monolithic; there are many variants as different parties accept this or reject that position held by whoever proselytized them.

We appear to have the same thought that perhaps this author is attempting to legitimize the HRM by attaching it to Messianic Judaism. I was hoping that perhaps there was some kind of go-to work out there to refute HRM, but it appears we arrived at the same place in our research. Thank you for taking the time to look around and to formulate a thoughtful response Reverend!

As a side note: is it just me or does every heresy refuse to be monolithic?

 

[ChristianReadYourBible]

If I recall correctly @greenbaggins had something on his blog a few years ago or so.

I think I found it: https://greenbaggins.wordpress.com/2014/01/07/matthew-517-20-the-smoking-gun-of-the-hrm/

Solid exegesis @greenbaggins . Thank you for the lead brother Trent!

 

[alexandermsmith]

Christianity doesn't have Jewish roots. Judaism is a man made religion. Its relation to the Bible is only as a system which distorts and perverts the teachings of Scripture. Judaism was the system which Christ opposed when He was on Earth.

"Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders..?" Mark 7:5.
"For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men..." Mark 7:8
"And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition." Mark 7:9
"Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered..." Mark 7:13

Who was Christ's greatest opponent? Who was it who orchestrated His death? The Jewish leaders. Judaism and Christianity are in direct opposition to each other; they are enemies. Do not allow anyone to tell you that Christianity has Jewish roots, or that we should return to an "authentic, Jewish" Christianity. There is no such thing. Judaism- the religion of the Talmud- is of Satan: "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do." John 8:44


As to the dietary laws they are not Jewish in origin, they are Isrealitish. Whether or not they are still required, they are, overall, very sensible.

 

[greenbaggins]

A Nail in the Coffin of the Hebrew Roots Movement

I came across a very curious passage in 1 Corinthians that I thought shed a lot of light on Paul’s relationship to the ceremonial law. Here it is in the ESV (1 Corinthians 9:19-23): For thoug…

greenbaggins.wordpress.com

Gentle-Hardness with the Hebrew Roots Movement

by Reed DePace O.k., I’ve been admonished twice now that I may be speaking too harshly, without proper biblical gentleness, in some of my comments on the Hebrew Roots Movement (HRM). O.k., acknowle…

greenbaggins.wordpress.com

The Hebrew Roots Movement

There is a movement afoot (small, but rather persistent) to return to the Old Testament way of doing things (and they would argue that the New Testament changes pretty much nothing). This (usually)…

greenbaggins.wordpress.com

Hebrew Roots, Unhelpful Fruits

by Reed DePace I first was compelled to examine the Hebrew Roots Movement (more broadly, Messianic Christianity) because of a beloved Christian father in my circles who had a relative drifting into…

greenbaggins.wordpress.com

Is the HRM Legalistic?

Is the Hebrew Roots Movement (also known as the Messianic Jewish movement) legalistic? One has to acknowledge that there are a variety of views on particular aspects of the law even within the HRM.…

greenbaggins.wordpress.com

Of Tzitzits, Tallits and Traditions

by Reed DePace Those involved in the Hebrew Roots Movement (HRM) take great pains to note that they are only calling Christians to a greater consistency with God’s word. To give them all the benefi…

greenbaggins.wordpress.com

Feasts For All Times?

One argument from the Hebrew Roots Movement (HRM) that I have heard goes something like this: God does not change, therefore none of His laws will change, and therefore none of the feasts are abrog…

greenbaggins.wordpress.com

In addition to the previously named post. Several of these are written by Reed DePace, who has many excellent thoughts on the subject.

 

[ChristianReadYourBible]

The previous article I looked up was very helpful, and I look forward to perusing these as well. Thank you @greenbaggins for your work in addressing this issue!