Mike Parsons
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When people get drawn into deceptive teachings, it can completely distort their understanding of God. But the truth is, the very nature of God is love. Just think about it—some claim that if someone uses a different name for Jesus, or a Hebrew version, they’re going to hell. It’s absurd. But that’s the level of deception and depth of religious programming some people fall into.
Take the Hebrew Roots movement, for example. It’s just as deceptive as the Judaizers in the first century, who tried to pull followers of Jesus back under the law of Moses. Jesus warned us about the leaven of Herod and the Pharisees—the political and religious spirits. And sadly, that same spirit has infiltrated some mystical Christian groups today.
There’s a growing narrative that says you must understand Hebrew, take Hebrew classes or grasp the Hebrew language to understand God. But God is not Hebrew—God is God. Hebrew was simply the language of a people He chose for a time to demonstrate His desire for relationship. That doesn’t make it the one true language of divine understanding. In fact, many of the religious leaders in Jesus’ day—Pharisees, Sadducees, and others—had a deeply flawed understanding of God, and Jesus came to correct that.
Much of that misunderstanding came from syncretism. When the Jewish people were exiled in Babylon, they began to incorporate foreign beliefs and customs into their system. The same happened later under Greek influence. This led to writings like the Talmud—an oral tradition passed down and eventually written. Some of its content is shockingly harsh, treating non-Jews as lesser beings. It became equal in status to the Torah for many, yet it’s a book that contains things Jesus clearly came to oppose.
Jesus came to reveal who God truly is—a God of love. The Hebrew Roots movement, though, seeks to drag people back into a law-based, old covenant mindset. When people get into it, you often notice a lack of love in their attitudes. They become harsh, critical and defensive—clear signs of deception. Paul addressed this in his letter to the Galatians when he said, “Who has bewitched you?” They started with grace and were being tempted to go back under the law. But no one could keep that law, and that was the whole point.
Christianity is not Judaism plus Jesus. Jesus didn’t come to start a religion—He came to invite us into a new covenant relationship. He is the fulfilment of every old covenant promise and every feast that pointed to something greater. So why go backwards? Why follow the Jewish calendar or wear religious garments like kippahs or prayer shawls to seem more spiritual? It’s just mixing covenants and returning to bondage. And again, it often shows in how little love these teachings produce in people.
Some insist we must use the Hebrew name for Jesus. But God speaks to us in our own language. He’s spoken to me about Jesus using that name, because He meets us where we are. I’m not Hebrew—why should I feel compelled to use a Hebrew name? Unfortunately, many who fall into this movement become zealous, dogmatic and, sadly, unloving. They act as if God will condemn people for using the “wrong” name, which is utterly absurd. But that’s indoctrination. There’s a religious spirit behind it, trying to pull people out of the freedom found in Christ and back into bondage through law-keeping.
The Hebrew Roots movement, at its core, aims to reintroduce legalism. There’s even a wider agenda pushing something called the Noahide laws, attempting to bring the whole world under a religious legal system. But we’ve been called to freedom—not to religious control.
Mike’s latest book, Unconditional Love, is out now as an ebook on our website and will soon be available to order in paperback from your local or online bookseller.
More details at eg.freedomarc.org/books
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