Don Koenig refutes Hebrew Roots works theology

An article by Rod and Hillary Thomas, quoting part of a featured article of mine, was posted on itsnotasyouperceive.com website. The website appears to be a Hebrew Roots website. These two people also founded the Qumran Family Church in Denver Colorado. My article was written to explain how one is saved. Since this is a critical salvation issue, I will respond to what they said. The full article I wrote is found here. It is in the featured article section of my website.

You might want to first get some information about the Hebrew Roots movement. The following articles should help.

https://www.thebereancall.org/content/january-2014-bewitching-believers-hebrew-roots

http://www.angelfire.com/la/jlush/dangersHRM.html

http://www.truthkeepers.com/?page_id=341

http://www.blogos.org/gotquestions/hebrew-roots-movement.php

http://www.nowtheendbegins.com/jewish-christian-exposes-hebrew-roots-movement-cult/

Hebrew Roots Movement

Wow. If you read all that, true Christian should know enough to steer clear of the Hebrew Roots movement. It appears to be people who want to emulate Hebrews. Some in Hebrew Roots insist that keeping the commandments is necessary for salvation.

The part of the article that I wrote that was quoted on the Hebrew Roots blog is below.

Of belief, Don Koenig writes: I think over the many years that I have been a believer in Jesus Christ I have heard it all on what one has to do to get saved or stayed saved. Contrary to what some preachers say the way to salvation is not rocket science. A person is saved when He believes that Jesus is the Lord of Creation and that Jesus saved them from their sins when He died and rose again.

Salvation is not achieved by reciting some words or by the obedience of being baptized in water in the name of Jesus. It is achieved by believing that God is righteous and merciful and gracious to save. It is believing that God provided a Savior for all mankind who trust and believe in Him for their salvation. Believers by confessing Jesus Christ are confessing to the actual meaning of the name of the person that God sent to save them. The name “Jesus Christ” actually means “the anointed Savior of Jehovah” The gospel of John said that God came into the world in the form of a man (Jesus) and the world did not know Him but as many as received Jesus He has given the power to become sons of God (John 1:12). So John said salvation comes by receiving Jesus.

When people say they believe in Jesus but then they describe attributes that are not those of the holy anointed Savior from Jehovah they do not know God’s Savior even if they think they believe in the Jesus that Christians confess. On the other hand, someone not hearing the name Jesus but who understands that Jehovah is righteous to save may actually know Jesus even if they never actually heard His name in the common languages of Hebrew (Yeshua) or Greek (Jesus).
I defy anyone to show me from scripture where something besides belief in God’s Savior is required for salvation (God’s Savior as defined in the Bible). The Old and New Testament are full of passages that say we are saved by God’s grace through our belief in His Savior. The biblical truth is that we are saved by God’s grace through our faith (believing and trusting) in Jesus, God’s Savior.

https://www.thepropheticyears.com/comments/How%20one%20is%20saved.htm

That is an accurate quote, but next comes the Hebrew Roots spin on what I said. Apparently what I said in the last quoted paragraph set them off. The authors think they see things in scripture that says it takes more than believing in Jesus to be saved.  What they said on the website is below in italic and indented. My response to what they said is not.

I believe Mr. Koenig’s exercise here on being a believer is an excellent example of the Traditionalists’/Fundamentalists’ understanding of what it means to believe in Jesus and in God.

There is a problem with traditionalists’/fundamentalists’ understanding or explanation of what it means to be a believer. The problem stems from their ability to understand what it means to believe and be a believer because they are looking at the whole equations through Westernized glasses and mindset.

Notice that these Hebrew Roots people think that just about everyone else in Christianity has it wrong. They think we all have to get rid of our western minds to be able to understand what the Bible actually says about salvation. Therefore, the logical conclusion is that salvation only comes to those having the correct Oriental mindset, like those rooties emulating Hebrews.

To the Westerner, to believe in something is simply to have a confidence in the truth, existence, or reliability of a person or a thing—it is more of a cognitive process than anything else, although it may affect one’s actions that are connected to the thing or person in which the belief rests.

I am certainly amused by Mr. Koenig’s statement of “I defy anyone to show me from scripture where something besides belief in God’s Savior is required for salvation.” And it is this sentiment, thinking, belief, and mindset that drives the Christian grace doctrine and that is ultimately driving millions of Christians down a road to certain destruction.

I will get into the several scriptures that they will quote later. They simply ignored the fact that I quoted at least 25 scriptures in my article that prove that mankind is saved by believing God and in the Savior that He sent. There is no way any mind, oriental, western, genius, or retarded, can come to the conclusion that believing is more than coming to believe that Jesus is the promised anointed one of God. That He came to save people by His own blood sacrifice for sin, with the proof  that was acceptable to God by His resurrection from the dead. The definition of repentance necessary for salvation is that one turns from whatever lies they once believed, to God’s truth, by trusting in the Savior that God sent.

These two Hebrew rooties claim the grace through faith doctrine is leading Christians to destruction. That statement is an oxymoron. Christians cannot be on a road to destruction. Christians are those born from above. Those born of the Spirit are saved. Those not born spiritually are not saved. In contrast, these Hebrew wannabees have a salvation by their own good works theology, and that does put them on the pseudo Christian road to destruction. They really are saying that Christians that believe that salvation comes by grace through faith in the Lord are not saved.

The Apostle James, who was also the flesh and blood brother of Jesus, made a profound statement regarding this whole concept of belief:

James 2: 17-19—Thus, faith by itself, unaccompanied by actions, is dead. But someone will say that you have faith and I have actions. Show me this faith of your without the actions, and I will show you my faith by my actions! You believe that “God is one”? Good for you! The demons believe it too—the thought makes them shudder with fear!

These 3 verses hold so much meaning to them and it was these very verses that likely almost condemned the book of James from being thrown out of the canon.

A)     True faith must be followed up by actions

B)      Believing in Jesus and in God is a wonderful thing, but the demons believe in the Father and Jesus as well. According to Koenig, the demons are guaranteed salvation because the Bible says all that’s required for salvation is belief. Does that even make any common sense

Did you notice that they just had to emphasize that James was the flesh and blood brother of Jesus? As if being the half-brother of Jesus makes James the primary authority on salvation. Rooties downplay the teaching of Paul. In rootie eyes James is the end of the theological argument. Much of Hebrew Roots theology is founded upon a faulty interpretation of James and John. They dismiss all the passages of Paul that disputes their works theology narrative.

They admit that James almost did not make it into the Canon, because some reading it thought it contradicted the salvation of grace by faith clearly taught by Paul. The early church had many of the same problems that some do today. They did not understand what James was saying. The fact that the early Church almost rejected James from the Canon, just proves that the early Church believed that salvation comes by grace through faith and not also by works as rooties claim.

The early church rejected those trying to add the requirements of keeping the Law. Yet, Hebrew Roots think they are going back to truth by embracing the Judaizers errors that Paul warned against? If people believe keeping the law saves them, they have no salvation. They denied the Faith. I will get into a little of what James said later.

It is hard to believe that these rooties would say, “according to Koenig, the demons are guaranteed salvation”. When much of my article is about why legalists cannot use the argument that “even demons believe”.  I will not repeat all my arguments here, you can read my article, but to say I could think that demons are saved by believing, is denying the arguments that I made against such teaching in my article. Do these rooties have a reading comprehension problem, or are they just dishonest?? I have news for them, dishonesty is breaking one of the commandments.

Let me just say here, that demons cannot be saved by belief in Jesus because Jesus did not come to earth to save demonic spirits. He came to save the fallen human race. If rooties are going to make the argument that salvation cannot be by belief in Jesus because “even demons believe”, at least be honest that I totally refuted any such argument in the very article that they partly quoted!

One must believe in the Savior that God sent. That is not just believing that Jesus existed, as these rooties accuse other Christians believe who might not possess their coveted “oriental” mindset. Abraham was saved because he believed God. The spiritual children of Abraham are saved because they believe God. All Christians believe in the God/man that God sent for mankind’s salvation. What they accuse the western minded Church of practicing is really nothing but a made up fabrication to rationalize and justify their legalism.

They add the Law because they do not understand grace and God’s gift to those that believe Him. Did Abraham sacrifice his son, or did God provide the sacrifice for Abraham? They want to offer their own sacrifice for sin to God’s sacrifice on the Cross. Rooties set up their own big stumbling stone and then trip over it.

If we look at John 10: 42 utilizing our Hebrew glasses, we should be able to see or rationalize what John was insinuating about those who turned to Jesus and began believing in him.

In the Asian culture, when one believes in the teachings or life of an eminent individuals such as a Rabbi, sage, scholar, or in this case John the Immerser and Jesus the Christ, their belief was manifested in their becoming disciples of that eminent individual. Becoming a disciple meant following in the ways of that eminent individual and that in and of itself constituted believing in that person.

There are many individuals on this planet who believe in Jesus Christ and God the Creator of all, yet they will be first to tell you that they are not Christians, some would even go so far as to resist being called a Christian. But does this mean that those who have knowledge of Jesus and of God and believe that they exist are by default saved? Please!

Those that believe and are saved learn to become disciples. They do not follow Jesus to become saved. This is works theology. Discipleship comes after salvation. Those that try to be like Jesus to be saved will never be saved. Nobody can become like Jesus before receiving salvation.

Please! Individuals cannot believe in Jesus if they deny who He is. One cannot willfully deny the biblical Jesus and be saved. Jesus is the Creator, as is the Father. Notice the “and” in the first sentence of the last paragraph above. These rooties make the Creator someone other than Jesus. That is because some rooties do not believe that Jesus was God.

As James so eloquently spoke, Faith, belief, must be supported by actions.

How do I know so strongly that Mr. Koenig’s sentiments are off-base: because the Master revealed to the Apostle John in His Revelation the following:

Rev. 12:17—The dragon was infuriated over the woman and went off to fight the rest of her children, those who obey God’s commands and bear witness to Yeshua.

I John 2: 3—The way we can be sure we know Him is if we are obeying His commands. Anyone who says, “I know Him but isn’t obeying His commands is a liar-the truth is not in him.

Revelation 14:12—This is when perseverance is needed on the part of God’s people, those who observe His commands and exercise Yeshua’s faithfulness.

Revelation 22:14—Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they  may right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates in to the holy city.

Over and over the first century saints taught that Faith and belief in Jesus and in God must be accompanied by commandment keeping and that it is only those who keep the commandments of the Master that will be saved in the end.

James did not say that faith unto salvation must be supported by actions. This is what rooties read into what James said. There is a difference.

James was not saying that salvation faith requires anything more than faith. He was telling believers how they ought to live in contrast to unbelievers. James was saying that faith can be identified through loving works. James was not saying that works shows that you have faith to be saved. You cannot have Holy Spirit inspired works before you receive the Holy Spirit. Works are a witnesses or a demonstration of your faith to yourself and others.

Notice these rooties call Jesus the Master. Jesus is the person rooties need to emulate to be saved. They think if they persevere by keeping the commandments as Jesus did, they will be saved. Jesus is not God to some rooties, He is just the Master. A common way of putting such a relationship is Yeshua is their religious guru. The only person that ever kept the commandments was Jesus. If Hebrew Roots people believes that salvation comes by keeping the commandments, they never were saved.

The authors quotes passages in Revelation as proof that you need to keep the commandments to be saved. Again they get the cart before the horse. You keep the commands and bear witnesses to Jesus because you are saved. One does not become saved through trying to keep the commandments. If people could keep the commandments they would not need a Savior. Besides, the Revelation prophecy they quote is about post Church Age events. It is talking about the persecution of Israel and those saved through Israel during the tribulation period. If you have wrong eschatology, you are going to get other theologies wrong.

Hebrew Roots primarily has post tribulation eschatology. Therefore, they lack understanding about the post Rapture earth. These passages in Revelation are addressing people in the tribulation. The focus of the prophecy is not the pretribulation Bride of Christ. She will depart in the pretribulation Rapture before the fulfillment of those Revelation events.

John also tells us what commandment fulfills all the other commandments of God. The great commandment is to believe on the One that God sent and to love one another (1Jo 3:23). All the commandments are fulfilled by keeping this one commandment.

These epistles of John were at least partly written in response to false teachers that were teaching Christians that Christians were free to sin. If these rooties are going to say that Christians do not sin, then nobody on earth is saved. John did not contradict John 3:16 or the other passages in the same epistles about salvation. By the way, nobody said “believe on” (Jesus) and equated it with salvation more than John. Then to say that John was saying the opposite in the same books, shows lack of understanding about what John was really saying.

I do not know where they get the idea that first century believers taught that faith and keeping the commandments would lead to salvation in the end? Other than the eye witnesses and Apostles, it really does not matter what some in the early church taught anyway. Theologies had not been formed by the first century. There were many heresies in early Christianity. There were many false teachings going around. Much of the New Testament was written to correct false teachings. We now have the New Testament scriptures to follow, the early Church for the most part did not.

One of the major problems with the Hebrew Roots movement is that they do not see the Holy Spirit working through the Church through the centuries of the Church Age. They throw out Spirit led theological babies with the corrupted visible church bath water.

The accounts in the book of Acts clearly gives examples of people believing and being saved. I have yet to see any example in the book of Acts that says if you keep the commandments then maybe someday you will be saved.  Acts makes it clear that people heard, believed and were saved. They obviously did not have all theology correct. Yet, they were saved when they believed on Jesus. Salvation does not come from knowing or following what was written in the Law, it comes from believing on the one that God sent.

I can believe that people with bad theology, even works theology, and perseverance theology, could be saved if they believe in Jesus. In contrast, some in Hebrew Roots exclude from heaven Christians that do not believe keeping the commandments are necessary for salvation. Our primary authority for what is true, is scripture rightly divided. They fail to rightly divide the word, because they reject almost all God-given teachers.

Those who teach that all you need to do in order to have salvation is have a cognitive understanding that Jesus Christ lived, died and rose again—these individuals are equal to those who teach against commandment keeping by Christians.

The Master Himself warned against those who are foolish enough to venture in to this realm: Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:19)

Thus, true Faith in the Master is NOT entirely easy, but it can be the absolute most fulfilling life endeavor ever imagined. It will require one in many cases to do opposite what others are doing:

This cognitive understanding argument is rather stupid. Hebrew rooties just make things like this up. What they say is meaningless, but it keeps rooties under their self-imposed bondage system. Those that believe Jesus lived, died and rose from the dead, do actually believe that Jesus lived, died and rose from the dead. What believers just have some cognitive understanding and do not really believe the good news that they believed in the first place to become believers?? It’s silly.

We are told to proclaim the good news of salvation so that people hear, believe and be saved. Does anyone really think that preaching keeping the Law is good news to anyone? Even Israel could not keep the commandments. People would not be believers if they did not believe the good news. Some rooties think believers are not saved because they themselves refuse to believe the good news. They add keeping the commandments to salvation. That is really pushing bad news.

Even in the example they use, Jesus did not say that those teaching others to break the commandments would not be saved. He said they would be least in the kingdom of heaven. Obviously then, they got into the kingdom. Jesus defined that keeping the spirit of the Law was primary, but these rooties want to keep the letter of the law.

For example, they think they keep the Sabbath, but they really do not fully keep that commandment. They claim most Christians teach others to not keep the Sabbath. Thus, they say we are disqualified as Christians because we do not keep the Sabbath. That is not the case, our Sabbath is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, as are all the other requirements of the Law. While theirs is a feeble failed human attempt to keep the letter of the Law rather than the spirit of the Law. Those that keep the letter of the Law, but not the spirit of the Law, will be least in the kingdom of heaven.

Going to a restaurant and everyone is ordering a dish with bacon or shell-fish in it, the true believer must  reject that dish; the true believer cannot engage in certain conversations that may go on around him or her; the true believer cannot celebrate Christmas and Easter for they are pagan holidays; the true believer celebrates and observes Saturday as the God-directed day of worship while all others observe Sunday as the day of worship; the true believer celebrates and observes the 7 mandated Feast Days of the Lord while all others around him or her scoffs that these are Jewish holidays; the true believer will search the scriptures daily for his or her spiritual substance while others will rely on pastors and teachers to disseminate doctrine to them; the true believer will raise their children in the fear and admonition of the Creator by teaching them God’s way of life.

Come out of Babylon oh weary one seeking Truth and rest for your soul.

Finally, these Hebrew roots people want to tell us what Christians can and cannot do. They think keeping certain things saves them. Frankly, if they believe that salvation comes by their works they are just keeping their religion. Religion is the number one reason why people will not accept the free gift of salvation that God gives by His grace.

These rooties say traditional Christians rely on pastors and teachers to disseminate doctrine, as if pastors and teachers were not given by God to the Church for the equipping of the saints (Eph 4 11-16). What these rooties are actually saying is don’t confuse me with the teachers that God put in the Church. I will use my own private exegesis or hermeneutic and just put on Hebrew appearances.

These rooties say to come out of Babylon. We should know what they really mean by that. They are claiming that all churches that do not teach that keeping the commandants are necessary for salvation, are of the Devil. Cultists always say that. Nobody has it correct but their little group. If you understand such theology, you can only come to the conclusion that they have another gospel, which is no gospel at all. They are bound in a legalistic bondage system of their own making.

God gives a free gift in this age of grace, but many in every generation, some even calling themselves Christians, reject the free gift. They want to believe they have what it takes to earn heaven. Other Christians fail to meet their standard. They look down on all those weak Christians who claim to have accepted God’s grace, while they flaunt their own self-righteousness to try to earn what cannot be earned.

Jesus did not have kind words for such people. Hebrew Roots is a stumbling block.  Paul warned about Jews that came in teaching that observation of the Law was necessary. Paul said, For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them (Gal 3:10).
I suggest that these rooties read and understand Galatians because what was said there also applies to them.