For our purposes here on the Home page, we are just basically listing five very “key” spiritual character traits and attributes emphasized in the RCS (my shorthand for Renewed Covenant Scriptures; a much much more accurate term than “New Testament”, based on the Greek of Lk. 22:19-20, as we explain in our teaching).
These are things that Orthodox Judaism also puts great emphasis on. Typically these are not emphasized either by the Western Tradition Religious System, or by those from Conservative or Reform Jewish backgrounds, or unfortunately by those in today’s “Hebrew Roots” movement. While Conservative and Reform Judaism do some teaching on these, there is typically much more emphasis on the Festivals and Judaica.
This is why Gentiles and well-intended Jewish Brothers, who are either not from Orthodox Jewish backgrounds or have not spent substantive time in Orthodox Jewish space, typically don’t teach – or certainly do not emphasize – these key attributes and character traits, as the truly essential part of the real Hebrew Roots and real Jewish Roots of following Yeshua.
Even with the very best of intentions, you simply cannot teach what you either don’t know or have not been exposed to.
A bit of a Hebrew/Jewish type analogy; meaning speaking of something in physical or concrete terms rather than conceptual terms.
This is why Yeshua speaks in terms of oil, lamps, fruit, etc. It is also – very much – why Paul the Hebrew (2 Cor. 11:22 etc.) uses the olive root analogy in Romans 11.
Why will I never have a mathematics website? To this day I still don’t know how I passed high school geometry! If I had to take math in college I’d still be there! I never studied calculus, trigonometry etc. Therefore obviously even if I wanted to, I can’t possibly teach on those subjects!
If all one knows or was exposed to about mathematics was addition subtraction and division, that’s what you would think math consists of.
You’d never think of the importance of calculus, trigonometry, or teach on those because you were never expose to them – and don’t know them.
It’s the same when it comes to the Hebrew and Jewish Roots of the Bible and following Yeshua! One simply cannot teach what one has not learned.
It will no doubt be shocking: Yeshua does absolutely no teaching on the Festivals or on Judaica; least of all for Gentiles!
Following Yeshua is not a jumping off point for my dear Gentile brethren to pursue Hebrew & Jewish things Yeshua does not teach. For that matter neither does Paul nor the other – and all Jewish – Letter writers teach or certainly emphasize, the Festivals and Judaica for Christians.
In short for here, please cf. Mt. 5-7:28, Mt. 25:31-46, Yochanon (“God is gracious”, ” John’s” original Hebrew name) 13-16. Cf. Acts 1.
In the same way Yeshua does no teaching – whatsoever – on “lalein glossai” “speaking tongues” – or pursuing individualistic ecstatic experiences. Yeshua not once not twice – but three times – tells his fellow Jews of the Galil (“Galilee”) not to be like the Gentiles or pursue the things the Gentiles do. Matityahu’s (” Matthew’s” Hebrew name) Greek twice uses not “ethnos“, ” Gentiles” but instead “ethnikos“, “pagans”. Cf. Mt. 5:47.
Since Hebrew has no separate word “pagans”, I believe Matityahu uses “pagans” to drive the point home was strongly for his Jewish audience.
Cf. most esp. Mt. 7:21-24.
(Note: the only reference to “tongues” in the Gospel is in the longer ending of Mark. Technical Greek texts “double bracket it”. Meaning it is a passage regarded by the editors of the Greek text as a later addition, but is of evident antiquity and importance.
In short, for technical reasons I don’t include the longer ending of Mark.
Regardless, even if we include it, there was only – and again it’s technically dubious – one reference to “tongues” in the Gospel. In Greek it is “speaking tongues” not “speaking in tongues”.
By comparison in Yochanon (“God is gracious”, “John’s” original Hebrew name), there are dozens of uses and emphasis on the teaching of Yeshua about love!
In short: the real Hebrew and real Jewish Roots of following Yeshua consist of acquiring and actualizing, i.e., “being & doing” the following:
Those are known in Hebrew as:
– Godly character traits and integrity. Mt. 5-7:28, 12:36-37, Mk. 12:28-34, Yochanon (“God is gracious” “John’s” original Hebrew name) 13-16; cf. Phpns. 3:17, Col. 3:1-5 v. 2, 2 Tim. 2:21-22, 1 Pet. 2:12, v. 17, 2 Pet. 1:3-12 etc.
– Spiritual level. Mt. 5:48, 6:8-10, Mk. 14:36, Lk. 5:8, 9:57-62, 12:29-31, Yochanon 12:24-26, 15:12-14 “greater love”; cf. 1 Cor. 3:1-5, 12:31, 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1, 8:8, vss. 10-11, Gal. 5:22, Eph. 4:11-13, Phpns. 3:17, Col. 3:1-3, cf. 1 Pet. 2:9-12.
– Ethics, morals, discipline, commitment; a striving for personal perfection in serving God by serving others. Mt. 5:46-48, 6:31-33, 1 Cor. 6, Eph. 4:32-5:1, Col 3:8-12, 1 Yochanon 3:16-18
– Serving God out of the sheer joy of it, serving without any thought of Self or reward for serving (part of the deeper meaning of the Hebrew simply translated piety). Mk. 10:40-45, Yochanon 13:34-35, 2 Cor. 2:17, 5:13-16, 3 Yochanon v. 7, Rev. 12:11, 14:12-13
– Love. The words for love not in the physical sense are found almost 350 times – 350 – in the Renewed Covenant Scriptures. Yochanon 3:16, chpts. 13-16; cf. esp. 13:34-35, 1 Cor. 13:3-8 et al.
Lastly dear one, we very much encourage you to read and study one of Scripture’s greatest – and unfortunately seemingly completely overlooked – teachings on following Yeshua:
2 Peter 1:3-13
As a quick note: commentators point out that both of Peter’s Letters emphasize and teach moral conduct by Yeshua’s followers.
The 2 Greek words for love not pertaining to physical love are used about 350 times in the Renewed Covenant Scriptures (as we point out in our teaching; based on Luke’s Greek in Lk. 22:19-20, a much much more accurate term than “New Testament”).
Of the four Gospel writers, we believe it very significant that Yochanon – far and away – emphasizes and speaks of Yeshua’s teaching on love. Yochanon uses the words for non-physical love much more so than the writers of the Synoptics (Matthew, Mark, Luke). 1 Yochanon, the last multi-chapter Letter, is replete with teaching and encouragement on love!
Why do we believe Yochanon’s heavy use of love is particularly significant? Yochanon writes under inspiration of the Ruach Hakodesh (original Hebrew name of the Holy Spirit; please be sure to see our Glossary further down on the Home page). Thus we believe: what is it that the Ruach Hakodesh wants to be sure that we do not miss when it comes to following Yeshua?
Love! Love! Love! We must quickly emphasize: Yeshua not only teaches on God’s love, but also very very much emphasizes love between brethren! Yeshua’s very last extended recorded teaching is immediately after the last Passover Seder. Cf. Yochanon 13-16; cf. chpt. 12 also. Yeshua very very very much emphasizes love – for one another!
The problem His beloved Taught Ones (the original Hebrew meaning underlying what’s translated “Disciples”) had was not that they had tremendous love for one another, but not enough for God. Clearly our wonderful Master Yeshua knew – as we point out on our teaching ‘know’ in Hebrew means by experience, intimacy, personal relationship – that what the Twelve lacked enough of was love for one another!
As we explain in our teaching, love has nothing whatsoever to do with Self. Love in Hebrew means desiring the best for the other, a desire to draw the other close, a willingness to give in; to breathe after someone or something.
Yeshua in fact gives as a commandment that the Taught Ones are to have reciprocating love for one another cf, Yochanon 13:34-35. We point out in our teaching that commandment in Hebrew more deeply means fulfilling of which leads to fullness of life, delegation of authority while the LORD retains control and like being assigned to a (military) post.
Yeshua teaches that reciprocating back and forth love is how the world will know – we just explained what ‘know’ in Hebrew means – not that they have been sent by Yeshua, but rather that they have been taught by him.
By that we mean that a taught one in first-century Israel is someone who gave up everything to follow the life the words the teaching of the teacher.
So Yeshua’s way that the world would know that his taught ones had given everything up to follow the life, the words, the teaching of the teacher, would be not by making intellectually compelling arguments – like a Greek. Rather, it would be when the world experienced that his followers loved – each other – not in concept but in back-and-forth love in action!
If Yeshua gives as a “fulfilling of which leads to fullness of life” having to do with the Festivals or Gentiles running around with Judaica, where – exactly – is this? We should know that at the very end of Matityahu (” Matthew”), Yeshua tells his beloved Taught Ones to teach the Nations whatsoever he had commanded them. We explained above what he meant and what they understood the Hebrew commandment means.
Where are today’s so-called Hebrew Roots movement especially, and Jewish Roots movement, pursuing love towards one another in the way Yeshua taught and emphasized it?
Books of course could be written on the meaning and tremendous significance of love. Let us please quickly point out that what is always seen as the highest action to aspire to do? Love. In the Torah, cf. Dt. 6:4-4 cited by Yeshua Mk. 12:28-34 vss. 28-30. Cf. Yochanon 3:16, Paul in 1 Cor. 13:13, 2 Pet. 1:7.
Lastly for here: what is the most cited verse of the Torah in the RCS (my short hand for Renewed Covenant Scriptures; again, please see our Glossary further down on the Home page)?
Leviticus 19:18 … love – desire for the best for the other, willingness to give in, desire to draw the other close; to breathe after someone – to/for/ direction towards your neighbor like, as a divine model, yourself,
A Greek text lists it as being used 10 times in the RCS; again, more than any other verse of Torah.
If you are seriously looking for your “lost Hebrew & Jewish Roots” and want to know what they in fact truly are? Want to know what is pleasing to the Father and Yeshua? Dear one, there are your real, true “Roots”….