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Hebrew Roots Movement Redefining Words - Messianic Literary Corner

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The Hebrew Roots Movement
And Their Redefining of Words
.
An Introduction
Ever   wonder why it is so hard agreeing upon the meaning of some of the most   commonly used Biblical words like;  “grace”, or “freedom” or even   “truth” to a Hebrew Roots Movement (HRM) or Torah observant Messianic member? It’s like the person doesn’t even speak your language! In fact,  you are mostly right in that assumption.  Their  incomprehension of  Biblical word meanings is due to the age old  psychological ploy of  “redefining words”, or in modern jargon “flipping  words”.  This  bit of  linguistic deceit has been practiced since ancient times and has   recently been successfully adopted by the “Political Left” and not so   surprisingly “religious cults”.

As an example  of "redefining words in ancient times, during the Greek wars around 400  BC, Thucydides writes:  "They  even changed the agreed-upon meanings of  words to the opposite of the  right ones. Rash impudence was called  “courageous loyalty”; careful  deliberation, “specious cowardice”….

King   Solomon, knowing man's sinful nature and his ability to go to great   lengths to deceive his fellow man stated in Ecclesiastes 1:9 "What has been done is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun"

Just   like in ancient times and in modern "Leftist" politically correct   wordage, Hebrew Roots Movement (HRM) wordage often means the opposite  of  its commonly perceived meaning.  Once  psychologically reinforced,  as the HRM person reads or hears a word  that has been redefined, it's  commonly perceived meaning is “flipped” in  that person's mind to be the  redefined word meaning.  It's  amazing how easily a person can be  deceived with just a few changes in  the meaning of language.  The  motivation for redefining the meaning of  Biblical words is to nullify  the gospel's "gracious freedom" so  eloquently taught in New Covenant  writings, replacing it with a false  gospel based on a loosely observed  Mosaic Law narrative.  Through  experience I have found that arguments  based on the meaning of  particular Biblical passages are almost  useless, but to intellectually  challenge them on the meaning of their  "redefined" or "flipped" words  may be more successful in getting them  to think about what they have  accepted as the truth.  Such arguments  addressing the way they redefine  words may indeed be their "Achilles'  Heel", but not necessarily for  those fully indoctrinated , but more so  for those who still have a sense  of intellectual curiosity. It is often  easier to be aware of deceit in  the corruption of language than to  find error in a Biblical passage.  From my experience, HRM devotees will  say the language was corrupted by  early Church writers and they state  that they have corrected it,  but  such an argument does not hold water  since they have corrupted even  those word meaning that have long been  accepted by most Jewish scholars,  not just Christian ones.  You will  note this evidenced in the list of  corrupted word means listed below
Redefining Words
Below   is a list of  HRM “flipped words” that Dirk Yount helped me compile   with their corrected meaning. Dirk is experienced in the manner which   HRM and Torah observant messianics redefine words to fit their  theology.

Flip #1
False Meaning: Truth = Torah
True   Meaning: Biblical truth encompasses both the Law of Moses and New   Covenant gracious freedom, although the word flip has metaphorically   redefined the meaning of Biblical truth to only encompass the Law, thus   nullifying gracious freedom. See "Word Study" of NT use of "truth" at   https://ekklesia4him.net/Truth_study.pdf

Flip #2
False Meaning: Grace = Law
True   Meaning: Grace is a pardon from the punishment of disobedience to the   Law. Grace existed thru the Sacrificial System in OT times, although   with Jesus atoning sacrifice, the requirements of the Law was  fulfilled,  nullifying the need for animal sacrifice. Therefore in this  current  "Age of Grace" both Jew and Gentile are justified by faith in  Jesus  alone and the Law of the Spirit, not the Law of Moses. See NT  "Word  Study" of "grace" at   https://www.logosapostolic.org/greek-word-studies/5485-charis-grace.htm)

Flip #3
False Meaning:  Renewed Covenant redefines New Covenant (HRM teachings refutes the existence of a New Covenant)
True   Meaning: HRM falsely claims the word "New Covenant" was mistranslated   from the word "Renewed Covenant", thus asserting the Renewed Covenant  to  be based on the Mosaic Law rather than gracious freedom of the New   Covenant. This of course is absurdity since both OT prophets prophesied  a  New Covenant and NT books of Acts and numerous Epistle passages  support  New Covenant gracious freedom.  See study on "Refuting Renewed   Covenant" at   https://kjcword.wordpress.com/2018/05/04/hebrew-roots-refuted-new-covenant-or-renewed-covenant/

Flip #4
False Meaning: Freedom = Torah
True   Meaning: An obvious word flip, since the Law forbids much of the   freedom granted in the New Covenant and condemns such freedoms as   licensciousness, whereas the Pauline Epistles defends those freedoms.  To  consider "freedom" and "Torah" synonymous would nullify all New   Covenant freedoms.  See NT word study on "freedom" at   https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/freedom-bible-verses/

Flip #5
False Meaning:  Lawlessness = Being without the Law of Moses
True   Meaning:  The above flip implies that those under "Grace" and not  under  the "Law of Moses" are lawless and subject to judgment.  Whereas  the  gospel of grace and freedom clearly states those who by "faith  alone in  the atoning sacrifice of Yeshua" are saved from eternal  judgment.  See  study on "lawlessness" at   https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/bakers-evangelical-dictionary/lawlessness.html

Flip #6
False Meaning: Word = Torah ("Word" as referred to in John chapter 1)
True   Meaning:  Word does not = Torah (since "Word" is referring to Yeshua   (Jesus) as being God in John chapter 1, not Torah or Five Books of   Moses. See study on the use of "Word" in John chapter 1 at   https://carm.org/bible-studies/bible-study-on-gospel-of-john-chapter-1/)

Flip #7
False Meaning: Word = Tanakh ("Word" as referred to in John chapter 1)
True   Meaning: Word does not = Tanakh (since "Word" is referring to Yeshua   (Jesus) as being God in John chapter 1, not Tanakh (Tanakh = Five Books   of Moses, Psalms, Proverbs, Major and Minor Prophets. See study on the   use of "Word" in John chapter 1 at   https://carm.org/bible-studies/bible-study-on-gospel-of-john-chapter-1/)

Flip #8
False Meaning: Word = Whole Bible ("Word" as referred to in John chapter 1)
True   Meaning: Word does not = Whole Bible (since "Word" is referring to   Yeshua (Jesus) as being God in John chapter 1, not the entire Bible.  See  study on the use of "Word" in John chapter 1 at   https://carm.org/bible-studies/bible-study-on-gospel-of-john-chapter-1/)
Summary
To   say the least, HRM theology presents an "all out" assault on New Covenant truths and must be opposed in a manner consistent with Biblically motivated reason and love. Remember that your Hebrew Roots  or Torah observant Messianic person may be so thoroughly indoctrinated   with these or other “redefined words” that explaining to them how they   have been “linguistically blinded” will be a challenge. It would only  be  by the power of the Holy Spirit and your prayer that they understand   the true meaning of those words and “re-flip” those word meanings back   to open their minds and hearts to understand the “Gospel of Gracious   Freedom”.
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