Frequently Asked Questions About Hebraic Roots
I love getting questions from my audience and try to answer all of them to the best of my ability. With a worldwide audience, many of the same questions are asked, so I put my answers all in one post to help you find the answers you’re looking for. If you don’t see your question here, add it in the comments or send me a message, and I’ll do my best to answer you.
Here are the most frequently asked questions, not necessarily in any order.
How do I find a Hebraic congregation?
The most common question is, “Is there a Hebraic congregation near me?” The answer can be complicated because many congregations don’t make their information public, and some are small congregations that lack the resources to advertise when and where they meet.
These congregations can be challenging to find. A partial solution lies in the online directories to connect people with a congregation in their area. I’ve compiled the directories I know of in one post, How to Find a Hebraic Congregation, and I included options for an online community in case you cannot find a live one near you.
What do I do if my spouse disagrees with my spiritual beliefs?
Whether or not this is your question, I’m sure you’d be surprised at how often I get this one! Very often, spouses don’t have the same level of conviction in pursuing a more Hebraic faith walk. This differing conviction is a sensitive issue and can be heartbreaking, but it’s not unlike many other differences in marriage. Many Christians I know are in different places spiritually than their spouse but still maintain a successful marriage, despite that hardship.
Aside from differences in individual situations, I almost always recommend what was recommended to wives of unbelievers in 1 Peter 3.
Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct.
1 Peter 3:1-2, (NASB)
I don’t think nagging or arguing will cause the Spirit to convict your spouse. But I believe the positive change in your actions and attitude from your spiritual growth will be evident and contagious.
As you make changes in your faith and life, weigh each change you make for the impact it will have on your marriage. For example, you may want to attend a more Hebraic congregation, but your spouse is comfortable at your current church. Could you find a Hebraic Bible study (see the next section) or an online community instead? If you feel strongly about not working on the Sabbath, maybe you could make it your day off and focus on Bible study or another Sabbath activity rather than on your spouse working that day.
In summary, respond to the Spirit’s conviction that has moved you in the Hebraic direction, but don’t make it a wedge between you and your spouse if possible. Be in constant communication with God about your words and actions and how they will affect your relationship with your spouse and God. Be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading as you balance the battles that must be fought (if any!) and those of lesser importance.
What do I do to observe the Sabbath?
As we realize how precious the Sabbath should be to God’s people, we explore different options for using the time on the Sabbath day. Keeping the Sabbath is not only the fourth of the Ten Commandments; the Bible says it’s a sign that we’re God’s people. I wrote this post in response to the question of what to do on the Sabbath: What DO We Do on the Sabbath?
The Sabbath should be a day set apart from the other days of the week, but not just by taking time for ourselves. We should rest and enjoy this day off from our regular work, but we should also set it apart for God. That means we replace our priorities on that day with His, more than we try to on other days of the week.
Although the Sabbath looks different in every family, here are some things my family includes in ours.
Physical rest
Bible study
Family time
Time with our fellow Believers
What do you call yourselves?
One of my best friends and I have this conversation a lot, and I know many of you do too! Naming Hebraic believers can be confusing! For example, I consider myself a Hebraic Roots believer, but if you scour the internet for what that means, you’ll come up with many different things, and among them are a few beliefs I disagree with 100%! In saying this, I’d like to point out that there are many types of Hebraic Believers with varying belief systems. People also hold differing beliefs in traditional Christianity, but it’s not as easy to assume what a Hebraic Roots Believer believes.
In my faith community, we lean more toward Messianic Judaism. We have some Messianic Jews in our congregation and also generally agree that Messianic Jewish resources and worship traditions tend to be the most Biblically solid. Other communities I’ve visited are less traditional, even though we hold very similar beliefs. Those of us who lean more toward Messianic Jewish teachings and traditions often refer to ourselves as “Messianics.” We can’t say we’re Messianic Jews because we’re not Jewish, even though we worship with Jews. We’re technically “Messianic Gentiles,” but I hesitate to use that term because many Christians object to being referred to as “Gentiles” (even though that’s what we are).
So, why don’t we just call ourselves “Christians”? Well, this is where things get a bit messy. If you define a Christian as someone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah and that he has authority over your life, Hebraic believers fit under that title. However, belief in Jesus isn’t something all people tend to associate with the term “Christian.”
Traditional Christians generally believe that the Law (commandments in the Old Testament) have been done away with due to Jesus’s atonement for sin. They follow the Gregorian calendar instead of the Biblical calendar, and their main holidays are Christmas and Easter instead of the Biblical Holy Days. Whether you agree with these beliefs and practices or not, most people around the world identify these as “Christian.” Because of this, some Hebraic believers find it misleading to call themselves “Christian” and instead call themselves “Messianic” or whatever term they find to be a better fit. Not calling themselves Christian doesn’t mean they deny Christ, just that they believe differently than most Christians.
Do Messianics believe in grace?
The short answer is yes! We believe that Jesus’s death on the cross paid the price we could not for our sin and that our sin has been fully atoned for through him.
Now for the long answer. Once you have this saving faith, your actions and beliefs will change as you grow in your faith, and you’ll increase in holiness. This process is referred to as “sanctification.” Our actions naturally follow when we honestly turn our hearts toward following Jesus. Most Christians agree with this, and this idea is Biblically supported.
The point Messianics and traditional Christians disagree on is what we’re responsible for once we’re saved. Traditional Christians would usually say that we’re responsible for obeying the 10 Commandments (Ex. 20), the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19), and loving our neighbor (Lev. 19:18), among other commands found in the Bible.
But many Hebraic believers believe that, as a grafted-in part of Israel, the best way to live is the way God laid out for His people from the beginning of Creation. We take Jesus at his word when he says he didn’t come to abolish the Law. We take seriously his warning that whoever annuls (also translated as “breaks,” “nullifies,” and “relaxes”) one of the commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt. 5:17-19). We conclude from Jesus’s quote here and others that Jesus takes the Commandments of the Torah seriously and teaches his followers to do so as well.
We don’t believe that grace and works are mutually exclusive but must both be present in genuine and mature faith, as stated in James 2:14-26 – “faith without works is dead.”
Isn’t this cultural appropriation?
What I find most interesting about this question isn’t that it’s asked, but who asks it! I get this question only from either non-Jews or people who are Jewish by heritage but don’t practice Judaism. And they usually aren’t just asking; they’re aggressively condemning me for following traditions they do not hold dear. They bring up historical situations where Christians committed violence against the Jewish people and claim that non-Jews embracing Jewish traditions are committing that same violence.
Because they make this claim, it’s clear that they don’t know any Messianics personally. We do the exact opposite of violence against Jews. We hold the Jewish people high because God says they are His Chosen people. Instead of erasing their traditions, we want them to be revered and valued. We honor them in our congregations and our families, not because we hate them but because we see the value in worshipping God in the way He desires, which many of these Jewish traditions have done for thousands of years.
The other exciting thing about this topic is the support this movement has from observant, non-Messianic Jews. Some have contacted me personally to thank me for what I do to help bring the truth from God’s Word to the Christian community, and one was even happy that I pointed out the Jewishness of Jesus!
Are you Jewish?
Nope. Not as far as I know. In addition to asking if I’m Jewish, people also ask if I think I’m becoming Jewish by embracing these traditions. I don’t believe that doing traditionally Jewish practices can make a Gentile into a Jew; however, I find Jewish traditions tend to be true to the Bible. Because of that, they’re also valuable to Christians – especially those aiming to return to their faith’s Biblical roots.
When I first started attending Messianic Jewish services, I realized that many of their traditions are Biblical. I learn even more about these Biblical foundations as I discover more about Jewish traditions. Some I even see Jesus participating in as I study the New Testament (one example: Luke 14:16, where he participates in synagogue services by reading from the Torah). The more I learn about them, the more I love these traditions as they bring glory to God through His Word and even to our Messiah!
What is the Law?
What the Law includes is, unfortunately, a big misunderstanding between traditional Christians and Messianic believers. You’ll get various answers if you ask a conventional Christian what the Law is. Some say it’s the 10 Commandments. Some say the only laws are “Love God and Love People,” and some consider the Great Commission a law.
But the answer is much more straightforward than this. “The Law” is all of the commands God gave to His people in the Torah (the Bible’s first five books). Wise Jewish rabbis have scoured the Torah to find all God asks of His people and have devised a collection of 613 Laws. You can read them and where they’re located in the Bible here.
“Wow,” you say. “613! That’s a lot! How could God possibly expect us to keep that many laws?!”
Well, not only does He expect us to (Lev. 22:31, Rev. 14:11, and so many others), He says we’re capable of keeping them and that they’re not too much to ask of us (Deut. 30:11, 1 John 5:1-5).
To go even further, the Bible says that we’re to love God’s laws (Ps. 1:2, 19:7-14, 119, Prov 29:18, Rom. 7:22, and others).
And if you’re wondering how Jesus feels about the Law, here are a few of his quotes:
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
Matt. 5:17-19 (NASB)
“And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
Matt. 19:16-17, (NASB)
“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”
John 14:21, (NASB)
“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”
John 15:10, (NASB)
Now, to reiterate what I said in the section on grace, we DO NOT believe that keeping the Commandments is what saves us. However, we know that God laid out a specific way to live as His people, and Jesus upheld this prescribed way to live in his teachings. Once we attain salvation, we begin the sanctification process- becoming more like God and our Savior.
What are good Hebraic Bible translations?
Which translation is best depends on who you ask, but I’ll provide some options since I get this question sometimes.
This one is listed first because it’s my favorite. It’s easy to read but an excellent translation for those whose faith leans toward the Hebraic direction.
The Institute for Scripture Research developed this literal translation, keeping some of the original words in Hebrew, such as the name of God, יהוה.
Translated by David Stern, this Bible translation speaks to both Jewish and Christian believers through the connecting of the Old and New Testaments.
The Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
This Bible adds the context of the ancient culture of the Bible. It includes beautiful maps and diagrams to bring the Bible to life through your studies.
What Hebraic Bible studies do you recommend?
A growing number of these are out there, which is terrific for believers on this path.
This study is my absolute favorite. I’ve learned so much from Tom Bradford. His teachings are solidly based on the Bible, and his teaching method is clear.
First Fruits of Zion has a Bible study from a Messianic Jewish point of view. Although they have books you can purchase, most Torah Clubs meet in person weekly worldwide.
Studying the Bible through the Torah Portions is a great way to get the whole picture of the big story throughout the New and Old Testaments. It’s my favorite way to study the Bible, and my family and I repeat it yearly, learning new things each time!
My favorite Torah portion study is Daily Bread for Busy Moms. I also use it with my kids!
Where can I learn Hebrew?
Since I know some are wondering why we think Biblical Hebrew is so important to our faith, you can read my response here: 7 Ways Learning Hebrew Benefits Your Christian Faith.
If you’re an absolute beginner, you can start learning the letter and vowel sounds and basic reading on my website. You’ll enjoy the free printable flashcards! There’s some additional information on Hebrew words and the language as well.
Dr. Anne Davis is a retired professor of Biblical studies who offers her Biblical language courses on Udemy. They’re high-quality college-level courses and include Reading Biblical Hebrew for Beginners, Intermediate Biblical Hebrew, and Advanced Biblical Hebrew. Donating partners get a discount on courses.
This website has a lot of information on the Hebrew language, as well as study cards and explanations of Hebrew letters, vowels, and grammar.
This pack has all you need to go from a beginner to an advanced Hebrew student and beyond! The best thing about it is that you can do the entire course at your own pace and in your own home.
Where can I learn more about the Hebraic faith?
Right here on this website! Looking for something in particular? Visit the home page and search for what you’re interested in. You can also get the “book version” of the instructional info on my website here: Bring Shalom to Your Home by Holly Eastburg.
But there are other great resources out there as well. Here are some others.
John Parsons explains the traditions of Messianic Judaism and provides many resources for learning Biblical Hebrew. His website has so much useful information!
This website is a wealth of information about Biblical and Jewish traditions. They also have teachings on each Torah portion and more!
Those are the most frequently asked questions I’ve encountered recently. I may update this article if I find other common questions in the future.
Have another question? Ask in the comments!
