I hold to one underlying approach in the study of Scripture; one "technique" that I feel minimizes human error. Using this technique, the ONLY error that may enter into the study is scribal or translator error. This technique can be summed up by a common sense answer to the question, "What sayeth the Scriptures?" This approach is in direct opposition to the "mystery" or "mysticism" approach that Christianity has used for over 1700 years. Strangely, as the heat is turned up which proves the Trinity to be wrong, Traditionalists are crying for a renewed embrace of the "mystery"! They are literally saying one should accept what is unprovable instead of what is easy to prove! DUH!? I have long felt the false god presented by Traditional Christianity and its modern daughter, counterfeit (not to be confused with True) Messianic Judaism, needed to be opposed. After waiting for it to happen, I decided to stop shirking MY responsibility. I decided instead of cursing the darkness I would light a candle. I make no claims to that candle being perfect, but simply hope it will light a path for you that will lead to further knowledge of our Messiah and his Elohim (God).
I have become increasingly dismayed at the apparent need of some to venture far beyond the inspired Written Truth (Tanakh) and delve deeply into extrabiblical material for many of their "proofs", as they seek to proclaim their understanding of truth. This is particularly troublesome to me within "Messianic" circles. In fact, these unhebraic, Christianized Messianic groups are worse than Traditional Christian organizations. At least within Traditional Christianity the disagreements center upon ONLY the Bible; therefore, there is common ground from which to discuss. However, the Messianic groups have opened up the discussion to volumes of extrabiblical material - even mysticism - in which the PURE Truth (Tanakh) of Scripture is all but lost.
I truly fear the Messianic movement is drawing ever closer to becoming a CULT (in some cases already is) headed by many self-anointed "rabbis" and "Kabbalistic mystics"! The misuse and distortion of the Talmud and Kabbalah (Zohar) among these counterfeit Messianics is often more common than the use of pure Scripture! I sometimes wonder if the leaders of this new Christianized counterfeit Judaism want to wash away their audience in a sea of Oral Torah (Talmud) as though they hope that by showing their "knowledge" of these references, it somehow will prove they also know Scripture, despite the fact quotes from Scripture are often difficult to find amid their quotes from the Talmud and other uninspired traditions of men. Even more alarming is how often they succeed in intimidating others with their apparent "knowledge" into thinking they must be correct. This greatly disturbs me, and I would like to present my argument as to why the use of "Common Sense" combined with ONLY the Pure, Written Word, is the best - indeed the ONLY - way to approach ANY Biblical study. I have grown to realize that common sense may be in shorter supply in many Messianic groups than it is in Traditional Christianity, especially those addicted to the hallucinogenic drug of their unique and twisted version of Kabbalah. I BELIEVE IN DRINKING ONLY PURE WATER. THEY PREFER TO DRINK WATERS POLLUTED WITH UNINSPIRED TRADITION, SPIRITUALISM, AND MYSTICISM!
What has happened to common sense? What has happened to just accepting what the majority of Scriptural evidence proves? As long as the Scripture is correctly translated why can't we just take the clearly stated evidence as truth? What is it with all this need many feel of having to swamp the student with uninspired traditions of men and bias interpretations of Kabbalah when the passage itself is often very clear? What difference does it make what the Talmud, Zohar, or writings of the church fathers say, when the facts are clear in Scripture? If someone chooses to reject the clear Scripture, so be it. That is a signal to wipe the dust from your feet, leave their eternal soul in the hands of the Almighty to judge for their rejection of truth, and move on.
I am always suspicious of those that throw out clouds of traditional chaff in situations when all that is needed is for one to accept what the passage says. For those that are unfamiliar with chaff, it is used to confuse radar so that your opponent will either not see you coming or will not be able to successfully defend by intercepting your approach. It is also used to prevent or frustrate the necessary missile lock on your aircraft during air-to-air or ground-to-air missile engagements. Chaff is composed of small metallic strips which, when shot into the air by the attacker, make it difficult for the enemy to properly identify or track the incoming aircraft. Chaff is often used in conjunction with decoys or, as is most often the case, electronic countermeasures that are tuned to the frequencies of the radar and can actually be termed electronic chaff. When combined, these intentional attempts to "deceive (decoys)" or "confuse (chaff)" the radar allows the enemy to slip right on in and destroy the target. Chaff, decoys, and complicated forms of electronic countermeasures are indispensible aids to both the offensive and defensive efforts of militaries the world over.
Well, quite frankly, what I am seeing more and more today is "chaff" and "decoys" within the world of Christianized Messianic Judaism as Messianic "rabbis" flood the internet and libraries with torrents of Judaic traditions, Kabbalistic Mysticism, and other sources that are ALL totally outside the realm of the Scripture! The result is a "confusing" (chaff) and "deceptive" (decoys) mix that leaves the reader full of information that is - in actuality - often either useless, irrelevant, or downright harmful, ESPECIALLY since ALL that is needed is a simple reading of the Holy Scripture!
Throughout church history AND Rabbinic Judaism's history, this method of drowning truth in a sea of wordiness and tradition has been used to great success in confusing truth, and now I see the same technique becoming the de-facto standard within the world of counterfeit Messianic Judaism. The ONLY difference is that within this new Jewish dressed Christian spinoff the sea of wordiness and tradition comes from rabbinic sources instead of the church creeds and writings of the church fathers. Indeed, the "chaff" within Christianized Messianic Judaism has become a huge and growing cloud of confusion and vanity that threatens to destroy all credibility of the movement and DOES drive many away that may otherwise heed the TRUE pro-Torah Message (vs. the Torah of counterfeit Messianics which still zealously promote idolatry). It is often a struggle to find the point amid many of the articles on these sites, since they spend so much time within Talmudic (Jewish oral tradition) or Kabbalistic (Jewish Mysticism) discussions.
First, let me clarify my position. I DO feel there is a great need, especially for Christians, to understand the HISTORIC Hebraic worldview. I present an article that discusses that issue. Without an understanding of BASIC Hebraic thought, it is impossible to properly understand Scripture, particularly the New Testament. I often refer to Hebraic foundations in many of my articles as do others, whose articles I present on this site. A perfect example of this is seen in my article, "Preexistence of Messiah?", in which I present the HISTORIC Hebraic concept of preexistence.
So, what is the difference between what I present and what is presented by the sites that cause me such alarm? Well, the difference is that my references are generally with regard to BASIC Hebraic understandings of issues. Counterfeit Messianics go far beyond this and present scattered, specific understandings that are often applicable ONLY within the venue of Rabbinic Judaism, which is NOT the Judaism that existed prior to, or during, the first century. I can supply information regarding this if you wish, but in a nutshell, Rabbinic Judaism (as it exist today) was birthed after the destruction of the 2nd Temple and is based FAR more on post-Yeshua Rabbinic opinion than are the HISTORIC references I utilize. Judaism underwent a dramatic restructuring following the Temple destruction, primarily as a result of the loss of the Temple. As a result of that restructuring, the WRITTEN Torah was diminished and the ORAL Torah rose (in my opinion) to actually supercede it. Christianity, of course, committed precisely the same error with their superceding of the Truth of the Tanakh (Older Testament) with gross UNHebraic misinterpretations of the New Testament that, by the way, was written entirely by Hebrews with a Hebraic mindset.
Also, though I may make LIMITED reference to BASIC and TRADITIONAL understandings from Kabbalah, the modern counterfeit Messianics take Kabbalah and twist it into an unrecognizable shape for use in their efforts to "prove" the deity of Yeshua. The use of their distorted version of Kabbalah is generally NOT limited, and usually their entire case for the deity of Yeshua is based upon their Christianized, Kabbalistic ramblings! They often delve deeply into a world of outlandish mystical, highly speculative insanity. As I mention in another article, trying to have a Scriptural discussion with one of these Kabbalistic distortionists is like talking to a tree stump or a drug addict on an LSD trip. In some cases the demonic force of deception guiding them is easily discerned, or their self-exaltation is obvious as they take upon themselves a "guru" status.
I realize it may be hard to grasp my meaning and may appear I am splitting hairs; however, there is actually a difference between the basic Hebraic WORLDVIEW or MINDSET, and the more opinionated Rabbinic Traditions. In contrast to my limited use of Hebraic/Judaic references, those groups to which I refer when I express alarm are often dominated by Rabbinic and Mystic teachings, which they distort to align with their Christianized bias. They seem addicted to anything with the scent of Judaism, because they know they can twist it into a counterfeit form many naive people will gladly mistake as truth. IN A VERY REAL SENSE, MANY MESSIANIC "RABBIS" ARE CREATING AN ENTIRELY NEW FALSE RELIGION. Sadly, many Messianics fail to see the danger in this newly developed, hybrid mix of Rabbinics, distorted mysticism, and traditional Christianity.
These same Messianic "rabbis" often do not fully explain to their audience the tremendous complexities and widely varying opinions that are found in the Talmud and Kabbalah. One can find support for almost ANY position within the vast Babylonian Talmud or the mystical caves of Kabbalah. In short, I see great value and need in the presentation of BASIC, FUNDAMENTAL Hebraic truths which pre-dated Yeshua because the argument over Yeshua's Messiahship does not influence those references. However, I do NOT consider it useful - indeed I feel it confuses the issues - to present purely Rabbinic Traditions from Ibn Ezra, Rashi, RAMBAM, and others that are VERY much influenced by the Messiah question. Where these more modern Sages present HISTORIC, GENERAL Hebraic positions, I reference them, but when they venture into specific, more opinionated teachings, I believe they are best left alone. I have a separate article on my vehement opposition to Kabbalah and invite you to read it if you wish to know why I feel it is terribly wrong to interject Mystic traditions of men into ANY discussion of the Holy Scriptures. I will not waste time refuting those that desperately venture into mystic, UNSCRIPTURAL tradition for "proofs" of Yeshua's deity - proofs that are virtually absent from the Pure Word! It is also a fact that there is speculation, even within Judaism, of Kabbalah.
Even as I promote knowledge of the Hebraic worldview, I do so with caution. Also, I do so ONLY to show contrast with the Alexandrian, Roman, pagan worldview Constantinian Christianity adopted as it intentionally and brutally divorced itself from the Hebraic worldview that ALL writers of the Bible AND Yeshua held. The primary reason for my alarm is the explosive and "popular" promotion of Kabbalah (mysticism) within Messianic circles, and secondarily the promotion of Rabbinic opinion. Neither of these necessarily present the foundational Hebraic mindset of Scripture. Ultimately, I feel THE greatest enemy to the advancement of simple Scriptural truth is Tradition. Be it Christian or Rabbinic, tradition is the enemy of a common sense interpretation of the easily understood Word of the Eternal One. The unbridled use of Rabbinics - ESPECIALLY Kabbalah - within the counterfeit Messianic world today is truly chaff thrown up to confuse the spiritual radar of those that would otherwise be able to see the simple Truth clearly on their screen.
I plead for a halt to the confusion of the Word that seems to be in full swing, and a return to the SIMPLE, COMMON SENSE APPROACH of just accepting what the verses say! Of course, common sense and Scriptural context have ALWAYS been the enemy of Traditional Christianity, and now it is an even more powerful enemy to the false, unhebraic, mystical Messianic movement. Quite simply, the leaders of this New-Age, Christianized Messianic movement despise common sense approaches because they know the deception will be removed as soon as people begin to accept what the Scriptures say within the context it which it is said.