by Rod Thomas | Mar 9, 2015 | Blog
Standing Up to the Christian Bullies Part 1
Commentary on “Hebrew Roots Heresy” Facebook Page
One of the posts on this site rails upon Hebraic Roots advocating Christian believers being Torah Observant. This post went out of its way to insist that the New Testament commands that Christians NOT observe Torah, which they site Col. 2:16-17:
16 ¶ So don’t let anyone pass judgment on you in connection with eating and drinking, or in regard to a Jewish festival or Rosh–Hodesh or Shabbat. 17 These are a shadow of things that are coming, but the body is of the Messiah. (Col 2:16-17 CJB)
I have a hard time seeing how anyone can derive an abolition of Torah observance by believers in Yeshua Messiah from these two verses. I guess if you are coming at this from a western perspective or mindset and with a twist of pre-existing bias against Torah observance, then Shaul’s admonishment could be taken as an denouncement against Torah Observance.
But let’s do some simple investigation into exactly what was going on in Colossae at the time of Shaul’s writing and what Shaul’s message to the Colossians was. Colosse (aka Colossae in certain MS) was a city in Phrygia. The Colossian assembly was overwhelmingly Gentile in composition–NAS Colossians 2:13 And when you were adead 1in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He bmade you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, (Col 2:13 NAS). All indications are that Shaul did not establish the Colossian assembly as he had established the assemblies of Corinth and Thessalonica, but it was most likely Epaphras–as mentioned by Shaul–NAS Colossians 1:7 just as you learned it from aEpaphras, our bbeloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on 1our behalf, (Col 1:7 NAS). Early in the Colossian epistle we can clearly see that Shaul was counteracting some form of Jewish false teaching. Consequently, fundamentalists stop here and simply assume that the Jewish false teaching is Torah or the Law. Case closed. But is this indeed the case?
The passage in question–as put forth by our friends on Facebook–speaks to festivals (Jewish was added by the author of the CJB), Rosh Hodesh or Shabbat. Now we know that Judaizers were far far from being strict Torah followers. Their focus was on the oral tradition and many sects delved into Jewish mysticism that seems to have made it way into Messianic Judaism even today. Thus, inquiry reveals that Judaizers held to teachings on the new moon (rosh hodesh), sabbath days (not necessarily the weekly Sabbath) and specific practices to be adhered to during the Feasts of Yehovah. As just mentioned, these same Judaizers were adding into the mix what Jameson-Fascet-Brown describe as “…oriental theosophy and angel worship and ascetism.” This crazy mix was being foisted upon the unsuspecting Colossian gentiles as required initiation rites to the true Faith being delivered. Theosophy and theosophists believed that they had “insight into the world of spirits and understood and taught pathways to heavenly purity and intelligence.” (JFB) Some scholars contend that these same Judaizers were teaching the Colossian gentiles Greek philosophy from the Philo School of philosophy and were combining their beliefs and practices with Rabbinical theosophy and angelogy which are simply precursors to Kabbalah.
But wait, there’s more. Remember that Colossae was a city of Phrygia where worship of Cybele was a mainstay of everyday life. Cybele worship was considered one of the Mystery Religions of the Near East. According to Wikipedia–
Cybele is Phrygia‘s only known goddess, and was probably its state deity. Her Phrygian cult was adopted and adapted by Greek colonists of Asia Minor and spread from there to mainland Greece and its more distantwestern colonies from around the 6th century BCE. In Greece, Cybele met with a mixed reception. She was partially assimilated to aspects of the Earth-goddess Gaia, herMinoan equivalent Rhea, and the Harvest-Mother goddess Demeter. Some city-states, notably Athens, evoked her as a protector, but her most celebrated Greek rites and processions show her as an essentially foreign, exotic mystery-goddess who arrives in a lion-drawn chariot to the accompaniment of wild music, wine, and a disorderly, ecstatic following. Uniquely in Greek religion, she had a transgender or eunuch mendicant priesthood. Many of her Greek cults included rites to a divine Phrygian castrate shepherd-consort Attis, who was probably a Greek invention. In Greece, Cybele is associated with mountains, town and city walls, fertile nature, and wild animals, especially lions.So very early on, we can see quite clearly the mess that Shaul was having to clean up in Colossae. We can also conclude this early on that the problems Shaul was addressing was not the Colossian assembly practice Torah and that Torah was an anathema to the true Faith being delivered.
The problem facing Hebraic Roots as well as churchianity is this concept of seeing the writings of Shaul through the lenses of Shaul and the assemblies he is addressing in his various writings. Churchianity only sees a series of colorful sound bites which are then used individually (in most situations) as the basis for doctrine and foundational belief systems and structures. As we can clearly see in this passage of Colossians, verse 16 cannot be taken alone or as a single sound bite. Why? Because Shaul begins verse 16 with the word “so.” So implies that this is a “carry-on” of sorts from a previous set of verses. When you and I are talking with one another, we typically use the term “so” to carry-on the conversation from something that was explained or discussed earlier. Starting any conversation with “so” and then moving on to substantive content would only serve to cause the listener a lot of confusion. I know when I’m at work and someone comes to my office to talk to me about something and they start off the conversation with “so,” it usually means that they are expecting me to be able to make a connection with the content they are about to spill out to me. “So Rod, about the investigators’ schedule…” says to me that the speaker is going to talk to me about the schedule and I should know what it is they are going to be talking to me about prior to them getting too deep into their dissertation on the schedule. Otherwise, by the time they get half-way through their dissertation, I will be totally confused or lost and will have to get them to provide me some background on what they are talking to me about…and believe me, this happens more times than not…they begin telling me about something, starting out with “so,” but I know nothing about what they are talking about. This may prove somewhat embarrassing to the individual trying to talk to me about the issue at hand and they are then required to get me up to speed on what it is they are there to talk to me about.
In the above passage of Colossians, the “so” is a crossover or conjunction for verses 8-15 of that same chapter 2 which speaks to the Colossians avoiding the trap of philosophy (the precursor of Gnosticism that would soon hit the first century Church) and human traditions:
8 ¶ Watch out, so that no one will take you captive by means of philosophy and empty deceit, following human tradition which accords with the elemental spirits of the world but does not accord with the Messiah. 9 For in him, bodily, lives the fullness of all that God is. 10 And it is in union with him that you have been made full – he is the head of every rule and authority. 11 Also it was in union with him that you were circumcised with a circumcision not done by human hands, but accomplished by stripping away the old nature’s control over the body. In this circumcision done by the Messiah, 12 you were buried along with him by being immersed; and in union with him, you were also raised up along with him by God’s faithfulness that worked when he raised Yeshua from the dead. 13 You were dead because of your sins, that is, because of your “foreskin,” your old nature. But God made you alive along with the Messiah by forgiving you all your sins. 14 He wiped away the bill of charges against us. Because of the regulations, it stood as a testimony against us; but he removed it by nailing it to the execution-stake. 15 Stripping the rulers and authorities of their power, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by means of the stake. (Col 2:8-15 CJB)
From what we’ve gathered so far, Shaul was not likely speaking out against the discipline of philosophy per se, but more so, “The Philosophy” and that Philosophy was the likely precursor to Gnosticism. The Philosophy here that is mentioned is NOT Torah and if one is true to heart and soul, they must concede this point and not simply default to anti-Semitic–anti-Torah rhetoric. But we must be called to stick to the facts and not denominational hogbosh.
The Traditions of men in this section seems to apply to Rabbinical traditions as well as the appendages of acetism/gnosticism that we spoke to earlier.
The Rudiments of the World” likely speaks to (adhering to the rules of context) legal ordinances that were taught to Jewish children throughout their childhood. These are Jewish practices that are in many cases contained in the Talmud.
Thus, the traditions of men, the rudiments of the world, and the Philosophy spoken of by Shaul seems to have been focused upon the carnal and worldliness of everyday life while setting aside the focus which should have been on Faith in Yeshua Messiah and being His worthy disciples.
The whole point to Hebraic Roots is that the true Believer in Messiah Yeshua must look at the content contained in our bibles from a Hebraic context. Notice that I did not say from a Jewish context. Simply put, if our Bibles were written in and through a Hebraic context, doesn’t it make perfect sense to read, understand and apply these messages contained therein in the same spirit and vein of being Hebraic based? It’s entirely asinine to think and do otherwise.
Case in point: White America could never understand the plight of Black America unless they themselves saw and understood life from a black perspective. And the same could be said in reverse.
In the case of these folks who are behind this Facebook page who go out of their way to villainize the Hebraic Roots Movement with enough venom and hatred to put the most di-heart racist to shame -they are so entrenched in seeing the Bible from a westernized, Pauline mind set and perspective that anything, any sect, and writing, any thoughts that suggests viewing and understanding the the Bible otherwise is heresy to their ears. I can’t discount either that the enemy has a huge stake in this fight as well; so he no doubt works overtime to further the cause of damaging the reputation of the Hebraic Roots Movement.
The funny thing is: the fundamentalists’ iron grip on understanding and interpreting the Bible from a western-Pauline perspective only leads them to a complete misunderstanding and misinterpretation of many of the passages of the Brit Hadashah (aka the New Testament), including the one I just mentioned. Unless you understand what was going on in Colossae and the Colossian Assembly–truly understand–as much as possible that is–you just might come to the grossly erroneous conclusions that traditionalists have come to with regard to this passage. The simple fact of the matter is that Judaizers (even precursors to Kaballah) had established a foot-hold in the Colossae Assembly and they set upon a mission to inject various mystical Jewish traditions into the Gospel message and into the everyday life of the Christian Colossian. Today, as in first-century Colossae, certain Jewish sects practice a form of Judaism that is built upon man-made practices. Although these practices are framed upon and around Torah, they are far from the intent and beauty that is Torah.
The one thing that I’ve come to appreciate and understand about Hebraic Roots/Messianics is our insatiable hunger and thirst for knowledge and understanding about the contents contained in our Bibles. Churchianity has taught her adherents to be lazy. Lazy in the sense of: don’t search; don’t dig; don’t worry about the true meaning of what you’re reading. That is criminal my friends. Criminal in this day and age because the truth and the information is out there for all to see and possess. But the believer must want to gain that knowledge and understanding. Churchianity has taught its adherents to rely upon its pastors, ministers, evangelists, teachers and the like to provide them all the answers they think they need. Thus, there is no need for the believer to search out the truth for themselves…it’s automatically fed to them from pulpits each and every Sunday.
Picture this: when our bank statements or even our cell phone bills don’t match what we think the charges should be (i.e, we suspect erroneous charges), we will dig and hunt to the point of exhaustion to prove that those charges are invalid–in many cases, simply to save a couple dollars. But when it comes to our eternal life and our walk with Messiah Yeshua, we rather leave that to the experts (i.e., our church leaders). How many times have you tried to share some truth from Hebraic Roots with a family member, friend or acquaintance, only to be told by said family member, friend or acquaintance–I don’t know; let me ask my Pastor first? What?! Why can’t we simply tap the resources that are out there that are right at our finger tips (in many cases) and find out the truth for ourselves? Because we’ve been taught to be lazy and dependent upon those who have assumed authority over our spiritual lives. That laziness has the potential, however, to lead so many millions down a road to destruction.
But back to verses 16 and 17. With all that we’ve covered on this topic, what was Shaul saying to the Colossian assembly? Shaul was admonishing them not to get “caught up in the midst of a spiritual quagmire” and not allow folks to pass judgment upon them in connection to these “optional matters” (practices surrounding feasts and sabbaths and the like)–and I’ll add to the CJB commentary’s treatment on this passage in Colossians–and avoid these Kabbalisitic beliefs and traditions that would naturally supplant the truth of the Gospel message. Shaul did NOT command the Colossians to abandon Torah. Contrary to the Facebook people, Shaul gave the Colossians permission to either observe or not observe the man made rules surrounding dining and feast days as long as they kept everything in proper spiritual perspective and kept first things first–Faith in Yeshua Messiah and being His proper obedient disciples. Shaul did add that there is value in the Feasts of Yehovah for they, according to Shaul, were shadow pictures of good things to come. These Feasts must be looked upon and treated as rehearsals and nothing more. They can not be treated as an end unto themselves as so many in the Messianic and Hebraic Roots communities have done. In other words, avoid at all costs being bound legalistically to the festivals.
Thus, the owners and contributors of the Hebrew Roots Heresy Facebook page (I refuse to post the link to their page–if you are interested simply Google it) have in their post, addressing Colossians 2:16-17, failed to prove their contention that Shaul taught it was heresy to observe and practice Torah. Not only did they fail, have placed themselves in a precarious situation from which they must repent and make right–not only with Yehovah, but with their fellow fundamentalist Christian readers who are trusting them for the truth. The Master said Himself–NAS Matthew 5:19 “Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and so teaches 1others, shall be called least ain the kingdom of heaven; but whoever 2keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Mat 5:19 NAS)
In closing, let me say: let us not grow weary in doing what it is we are compelled to do as disciples of Yeshua Messiah. Let us not be discouraged by the fundamentalists who seek to damage our Faith. Let us remained focused and NAS Philippians 3:14 … apress on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Phi 3:14 NAS)
by Rod Thomas | Mar 6, 2015 | Blog
Happy Purim!
Well, here we are in the Month of March which translates to the 12th Biblical Month or the Month of Adar as recorded on the Rood “Astronomically and Agriculturally Corrected Biblical Hebrew Calendar.” At the time of this post it will be the beginning of the 14th—day of the 12-Biblical Month, otherwise known as Purim. Yes Purim: to the uninitiated and Semitically-biased among us, it will simply be a repeat of another Jewish holiday. Certainly not something for Christians to even have the slightest inkling to get involved in. No indeed, the Church triumphant has but a few more weeks before the advent of one of her holiest of feast days—Easter. Thus there is no room for such bognosh as those Jewish or Hebrew Feasts. Right? Funny though: Purim comes just before the Christian horror-day of Easter, but Purim entails the story of Esther. Again, to the uninitiated, most would never make the connection between the two names. However, the truth of the matter is that the name Esther (the name given to the Jewish-girl Hadasah who Yehovah would use to save His people from utter annihilation by the evil motives of an agagite) and the title of the Catholic-created horror day of Easter are one in the same names—the name given to Semiramus, the presumed wife of Nimrod and mother of Tammuz. Indeed, the name comes directly out of Babylon and it is Babylon where the story of Purim actually takes.
Certainly fundamental Christianity would frown terribly upon any believer admitting that he or she even thought about celebrating Purim (or for that matter any of the Feasts of Yehovah). It seems that anything having to do with the Jews or the Hebraic Roots of the Christian Faith frightens to death the average card-carrying Christian believer. Indeed, the general consensus interpretation of the Pauline Epistles condemned any celebration, acknowledgment or even leaning towards acknowledging that our beloved Christian Faith was entirely birthed from her Hebraic foundations. It’s almost as if the cognitive reality that the Christian Faith is of Hebraic origins is likened to one having a drunken, whoring, worthless father that one simply wants to forget and never mention again in conversation or in thought. Certainly the enemy has done a superb job in masking the connection. More so, the enemy has done an even greater job hiding the significance the Feasts of Yehovah has for each and every believer in Yeshua Messiah.
Purim is not one of the seven-mandated Feasts of Yehovah. Like Hanukkah, however, it is what I choose to call, an ancillary Feast of Yehovah, that provides another layer of prophetic shadow pictures related to our redemption and the end of the age. For me, it wasn’t until well after I came in to a modest knowledge of the Hebraic Roots of our Faith that I came to appreciate the ancillary feasts of Hanukkah and Purim. I was introduced to the significance of these two feasts through the ministry and teachings of Michael Rood of “A Rood Awakening International.”
The 2-Secrets
Secret One: Purim provides for the believers of Yeshua Messiah a prophetic shadow picture of the end of the age. Two major events in the end times are foreshadowed by the Purim story: (1) modern Israel and the Jews who reside there will be in a position of being almost entirely annihilated just as she was back during the Nazi-driven holocaust and potentially so by the works of Haman the Agagite. Ezekiel 38 and 39 speak to a time when the modern nation of Israel will be invaded and the inhabitants brought to the verge of extinction. Daniel 9:27; 12:1, 11; Zech. 11:16; Matt. 24:15, 21; Rev. 12:13 also speak to this period in the end times when the enemies of Yehovah will march in to Zion and attempt to utterly destroy the Jews just as Hitler attempted to do in the middle of the 20th century. But just as He did in the Purim story, Yehovah will intervene on behalf of the Jew and the nation of Israel will be saved. (2) Hadassah was selected from 100’s of fair maidens throughout the Medio-Persian Empire to be the Bride of Xerxes. This honor (if one could actually refer to it as an honor after being forced into the process) was not awarded without Hadassah having to go through a year of work-up that included oil, cosmetics, myrrh and spice application and etiquette training. Upcoming completing this rigorous regimen, Hadassah still had to appeal to Xerxes heart which she apparently did. Thus she became queen. This scene provides the believer in Messiah with a shadow picture of the redeemed of Yehovah attending the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (reference Rev. 19:7-10). Contrary to that which traditional, fundamental, orthodox Christianity teaches, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb will not be an all inclusive event whereby every individual who professes to be a Christian will be snatched up to attend. Oh heck no! Only those who are deemed Saints and whose “righteous acts” serve as their “bright, clean fine linen.” Like Hadassah, if we are to participate in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, there is a preparation process that we are compelled to complete and that process is life–Torah Living; living by Faith; being led by the Ruach Kodesh; living righteous lives worthy of our chosen status. It will be at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb that we are bound together with Yeshua Messiah and thus we will reign with Him for eternity.
Secret Two: This secret is a little strange, but I find the shadow picture with the story of Purim to be quite compelling. Esther 8:15-17 speaks to Mordecai being exalted in the land by Xerxes and Queen Esther upon the decree that went forth throughout the empire to allow the Jews to defend against those who would follow Haman’s edict to destroy the Jews. The Jews in the empire provided those non-Jews throughout the empire with such a witness as to their calling as God’s people, that “many among the peoples of the land became Jews” (vs. 17). We, the chosen of Yeshua Messiah, through our love for the Master through obedience and leading of the Ruach Kodesh, have the opportunity to live lives that will call “many among the peoples of our land to become Messianic Believers in Messiah.” It then behooves us to live lives commensurate to our chosen state. The fields are ripe as more and more people are leaving Christianity and Christian Churches by the 10’s of 1000’s each year. If we exude the right spirit and are obedient to Yehovah, people will naturally wonder about our Faith and some may even seek to affiliate.
There are other secrets contained in the story of Purim. I ask you this Purim, to prepare yourselves for that great day of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and pray for the peace of Yerushalayim. I’m dedicating my life to putting the word out this year that the Hebraic Roots of the Christian Faith is the true Faith once delivered to the first century Saints. It’s one thing to put out words in the hope that one or two might be convinced and come on over. It’s an entirely different thing to live and walk out the Hebraic Roots of the Christian Faith, which is what we need to focus on this Day of Purim. Shalom. Be most bless fellow Saints.
by Rod Thomas | Feb 25, 2015 | Blog
Why Hebraic Roots
The Messianic/Hebraic Roots of the Christian Faith focuses on what the Father truly has to say to us. Thus, in order to understand what it is the Father has to say to us, it is vital that we somehow come to a place in our lives, existence, etc., where we can hear what the Father has to say to us without having the noise of the world distort or hinder what it is that the Father has to say. Have you ever been in a crowded forum or any place where there is a lot of noise and people activity, and someone is trying to talk to you about something that you’ve deemed is important to you; or talk to you about something that peaks your interest? With the surrounding noise and distractions, it is often difficult to gain a true understanding of what the other individual is saying to you. Often, throughout the course of the conversation, you may find yourself asking that individual to repeat him/herself. Furthermore, throughout the conversation, you may find that your focus is divided: instead of hearing every word that proceeds from that interesting person’s mouth, you hear something that pulls your attention over to what another person is saying; or someone walks by you and your eyes wonder away from the person of interest to follow that passing individual or even another set of conversations draws your attention from the individual you are conversing with. Thus the conversation becomes quite a disjointed mess and the fullness of content that you’d naturally gain from a private conversation with that individual of interest may be distorted, received and understood incorrectly by you, or the depth of the content missed entirely.
The Problem is Denominationalism
Denominational Christianity is somewhat similar to holding a conversation with the Almighty in the midst of a noisy gathering. The true believer (that is the individual whose heart is in the proper place and who truly seeks to know the Father’s will for their lives and is willing to do whatever is necessary to conform to the image of Yeshua Messiah), while trying to hold an honest conversation with the Father through the pages of their Bible, through prayer and meditation, is inhibited from gaining a true understanding of what the Bible (i.e., the Father) literally has to say to them. Why? Because the “noise” of denominationalism drowns out the truth. The mainstays (i.e., the doctrines, teachings, beliefs and traditions) of that believer’s denomination is always overshadowing him or her. Thus, everything that believer reads in his/her Bible is filtered through the lenses of his/her denomination. Not to mention the impediments that strongholds in the believer’s life may cause in the interpretation process (i.e., cultural, societal and sinful processes and fortresses that have developed in the believer’s life) will most certainly muddy the spiritual waters in a believer’s life even more. The only cure is for one to remove the denominational glasses from their eyes and with a willing heart, open mind and the leading of the Ruach Kodesh, find themselves in a quiet place in their lives where they can hear from the Father. It’s not easy, but it is more than doable. I’m speaking from experience, although from time-to-time I still struggle with the stronghold and denominational noises around me, but I’m slowly getting better at simply removing myself from the fray and seeking spiritual solitude. It’s all about getting down and dirty with the Hebraic Roots of the Christian Faith. Seeking out and walking this Faith in the purity and spirit of its first century manifestation. I love it beyond measure and my life has profoundly changed for the better. My relationship with the Father is markedly better than at any time in my life. I know that I am on the right path that leads to life. My concern and my sorrow, however, is for my brothers and sisters who are bound by the noise of the world, their denomination and the strongholds in their lives that prevent them from seeing the truth and having a true relationship with the Father. I will continue to do the work of the Gospel and advocate for every professing Christian’s adoption of the Hebraic Roots of the Faith. Will you join me?
by Rod Thomas | Feb 19, 2015 | Blog
Don’t cause grief to God’s Ruach HaKodesh, for he has stamped you as his property until the day of final redemption. (Eph 4:30 CJB)
It comes down to us simply giving in to the leading of the Ruach Kodesh in every aspect of our lives. Things are not always going to go our way and frankly, things shouldn’t necessarily always go our way. Our way is often self-serving and ill-advised. The Ruach’s influence in our lives will always lead us in the proper direction. When we ignore that direction, we frustrate that Spirit and after a time, we degrade that influence in our lives simply because we have taken control or taken over the driver’s seat and are now steering the bus. Isaiah recorded the fact that our example, the nation of Israel, vexed Yehovah’s Spirit on one too many occasions and it reached to such extents that Yehovah fought against them (Isaiah 63:10). I don’t interpret that Yehovah physically fought against His children, but fought against them in the sense that Yehovah lifted His eternal protection from them and withdrew the blessings that were inherent to Israel’s obedience of Torah (Deut. 28). What makes us think that we are any different? When we find ourselves in frustrating situations and we choose to handle them our own way, failing in the process to following the direction and leading of Ruach Hakodesh, we stand to lose the Ruach’s precious influence over our lives and the inherent blessings that come with having the Father’s Spirit in our lives. Oh how often I default to my own carnal nature to address the issues that crop up in my life, only to come to the end of the day realizing that I’ve frustrated the Spirit. I feel a let-down within my own spirit to such a degree that I’m embarrassed to acknowledge my stupidity before the Father. But our Father is long-suffering and our Mediator continues to advocate on our behalf. Thus, we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and start this walk all over again. But this time, a bit more wiser and hopefully a bit more cognizant that it’s His Ruach that must steer our life’s bus.
by Rod Thomas | Feb 17, 2015 | Blog
Doctrine of Baptisms
Having just posted the latest episode of Sabbath Thoughts and Reflections where my focus was on baptism or the Doctrine of Baptisms as mentioned in Hebrews 6, a full day later I’m just as fired up about this topic as I was when I recorded and posted it yesterday. I just can’t get past this inkling that there is more to this foundational part of our Faith. The simple fact that Yeshua, having no sin whatsoever in his life and thus having no conceivable need or requirement to be baptized (or as many of the Messianics call it–mikvehed), humbled Himself nonetheless and went through with this most personal and solemn rite of our Faith. Which for me speaks ever so loudly that if the Master felt such a compulsion to be baptized (or mikvehed) by Yochanan, as the Ethiopian Eunuch said to Phillip on the road leading from Yerushalayim to Gaza, “here’s some water! Is there any reason why I shouldn’t be immersed?” (Act 8:36 CJB)
Baptisms on the Jordan River
Certainly, traditional Christianity has formed much of our understanding and individual perspectives on the subject of baptism. I would venture to guess that the vast majority of traditional Christians out there if asked about baptism would contend that baptism is a one-time deal that must be done at the outset of one’s conversion experience and entering into Christianity. Heck, I once held such a staunch view up to recently (oh, about a year or so now). It wasn’t until I heard teachings from Arthur Bailey and Michael Rood that my understanding and perspective on subject of baptism was changed. Who knew? I never took into consideration the possible reasons behind Yochanan ben Zecharyah’s (John’s the Immerser’s) employment of immersion people in water for the purpose of addressing sin in their lives. I always thought that Yochanan was the brain-child behind this “sacrament” of the “church” that Jesus and His disciples (soon to be apostles) would adopt and carry on to its fullest employment and ultimate meaning in the Faith. But like everything else I’ve experienced since transitioning over to the Hebraic Roots of the Christian Faith, everything has a Hebraic origin and there is always a rich and beautiful meaning behind the things we often take for granted in our Faith. Baptism (or as Michael often calls it–Mikveh) is simply one more example of this broader background contained in the Hebraic Roots of the Faith.
The Doctrine of Baptisms Examined
So baptism, the practice employed by Yochanan at the Yarden (aka the Jordan) and later Yeshua’s disciples and apostles, seemed to focus on the immersion of one into water for the remission of sins. By virtue of who was conducting the baptisms at the time, those adherents became identified with that baptizer or immerser. Thus, hundreds of adherents became identified with Yochanan and later even hundreds more became identified with the Master. Ultimately, it became the practice of baptizing adherent in the name of Yeshua and thus all adherents would ultimately be identified with Yeshua Hamaschiach. But there was an even greater nexus involved in the practice of baptisms in the first-century church, with the same ramifications for us today. Along with the baptism new adherents experienced related to the remission of sins and repentance and identification with the Master, by virtue of their identifying with Yeshua, there was almost certain suffering to be had by all involved. Fox’s Book of Martyrs is a classic and heart wrenching compendium documenting the sufferings of the first-century Saints. These, simply by virtue of their conviction and identification with the Messiah, upcoming coming out of the water, had their individual fates sealed in blood. These would endure unimaginable sufferings and deaths at the hands of unrepenting Jews and Romans. This is a baptism that for the millions of Christian adherents in the world today reject. Why? Because the doctrine, belief and teachings on a secret rapture that is coming to sweep the believer away to paradise cannot possibly contain any hint of suffering, tribulation or persecution. Sadly, these same millions, looking into the skies for the return of Yeshua and their swift snatching away from this earth, will be in for a “Rood Awakening.”
I am appalled and ashamed that churchianity has so blinded the masses to think that they are immune to tribulation, persecution and martyrdom, primarily in the West. The Holy Writ no where documents a promise that the redeemed of the Most High will escape the baptism of suffering that is promised and inherited by all believers in Yeshua Messiah. How dare we take on such a pompous attitude and belief that we are somehow greater than the Saints of the first-century church and that we are immune to persecution, tribulation and martyrdom. What makes us think we are so much more privileged than these? This is even more aggravating when we consider that the nominal Christian of today lives their lives more so in the world than they do in the Faith. The nominal Christian of today has no problem going to their respective churches on Sunday morning and then returning to a life of carnality and secularism, even on their way home from the service. For the majority of us, there is no baptism of suffering to be imagined, to say the least, no baptism of identification with Yeshua. It’s a fools game believers are playing in the 21st-century. There is coming a baptism of suffering that all would-be believers in Christ must endure, unless these elect to turn in their Christianity in exchange for protection and safety from the tribulations to come.
The true believer in Yeshua Messiah, by virtue of undergoing a baptism of repentance and identification and present and future suffering, will experience a baptism of fire. It is us who are experiencing, through daily prayer, meditation, study, fasting and obedience to the Torah Lifestyle, that those areas of our life that inhibit or damage our relationship with the Father are purged and cut away from us; and these none fruit producing areas of our lives are tossed into the unquenchable fire by Ruach Hakodesh. It is this baptism of fire that purifies us from all unrighteousness and we become as pure gold in the sight of the Creator. This is a unique baptism that Christianity has relocated to a simple imputation and not so much a process. This erroneous ideology is one of the reasons why Christians are so prone to hold on to their secular lives and reject Torah. Torah living, by nature, requires a total surrender to the Father and a subsequent make-over, in part by imputation, but also through the working of the Ruach Kodesh in our lives to assist us in living Torah and living holy lives, acceptable to the Father in Heaven. This baptism is the most enriching as well as one of the most painful experiences that any believer will experience. This couples with the baptism of the Ruach Kodesh, that helps us live Torah the way Yeshua Hamaschiach taught to live. It is this baptism that brings all that we learn through the Father’s anointed teachers and from our study of the Bible to our thoughts and memory when necessary. It is this baptism that gives each of us the courage to proclaim the Master’s message of repentance and the Message of the Kingdom to a dying and lost world without hesitation, trepidation, fear or confusion. The televangelists have hijacked this baptism to sway the minds of would be contributors that they will be healed and gain riches by simply sending them money. These same televangelists will put on quite a show and call upon the Holy Spirit to move the hearts of all to send in money to support their operations and of course many heed this call. These millions are duped into thinking that they can not harvest the power and might of the Ruach for themselves and realize and experience the exploits spoken of by the Master Himself to His chosen apostles. We’ve remained babies, unable to provide and care for ourselves, requiring God’s so-called anointed to pray and intercede for us. We are hopeless. But this is one of the greatest tricks of the enemy; to blind us into thinking that the baptism of the Ruach Kodesh is for us and the power of the Spirit is at our disposal.
Then it is our direct relationship with the Father that should cause us to always be concerned about our state of being before Him. Are we, as stipulated in Torah, in a perpetual state of purity and holiness; acceptable to the Father? Or have we by our own negligence or simply because of life’s situations, entered into a state of impurity. Simply because Yeshua, who was without sin, died for each of us and that act nullified the penalty of death that would be levied upon us because of our sin, doesn’t change the simple fact that we continue to sin and we often enter into states of impurity that the Father has indicated that He does not accept. If we know better, shouldn’t we do better? Is there a baptism of purification that is efficacious for each of us? Is there a way that we can emerge from an impure state to one of purity and acceptability before the Father. Could the fact, in part, that traditional believers hold to a one-time fits all mentality related to baptism be the reason why believers have no qualms holding so tightly to the world? Simply look at the movies and television shows we watch; the social activities we participate in; the books we read; the conversations we enter into; the things we do that are in opposition to Torah (i.e., adultery, idolatry, fornication, lying, stealing, etc.)–all these things put us into a state of impurity (although those acts that diametrically oppose Torah such as idolatry, adultery, murder and the like must be addressed from a full-on repentance standpoint and not just from a purity standpoint).
Where Do You Stand on the Subject?
So I ask you, as I’ve asked myself throughout this past week: what significance does baptism (or mikveh) hold for the true believer in Yeshua Messiah? Well, I ultimately answered my own question from the reasoning I just completed. Indeed, baptism is everything to the believer. Yeshua, who was without sin, chose to be baptized. What reason did He give Yochanan for submitting to baptism? The Master saw baptism as a righteous act. And being a righteous act, it seemed to Him reason enough that He be a part of it. Which stands further reason that if the Master stands behind and supports the doctrine of baptisms, who are we then to think otherwise?
Be most blessed fellow Saints in Training. Shalom.
