Getting back to the truth of the Word, the divine revelation of our Creator, made flesh in Yeshua the Mashiach
September 2024 Update
It's been awhile, I know.
Most of us in the Messianic, Hebrew Roots, or Torah movements have had one goal in mind: to go back to the faith of the Apostles that was pure and void of any pagan influences. But we did so under a few false premises. First and foremost would be our own private interpretations of Scripture which may have begun with good ideas, but all too often they turned into a bad case of proof texting our existing positions (what we call "eisegesis" as opposed to "exegesis"), few of which we actually found ourselves agreeing with one another on (so much for being "one"). The second issue is thinking that our exploration of Torah and Hebrew Roots could be done so by referencing Judaism today, not realizing that Rabbinic Judaism is actually a brand new religion invented centuries after the fall of the Temple in Jerusalem as a response to Christianity. In other words, Judaism changed itself so that it would be distinct and different from Christianity as it existed after the first few Ecumenical Councils where the Doctrine of the Trinity was defined (if such a doctrine was so "Christo-pagan" as some like to say, then there would have been no reason for Judaism to reinvent itself in response). And the third issue is that we simply brought in whatever existing framework we had, whether that was Pentecostal and Charismatic influences (as in the case of the mainstream Messianic movement), Adventist ideas (as in the case of the Sacred Name movements that spearheaded the Hebrew Roots movements), or Calvinism (as exists in some corners of the One Torah movement).
My own journey and love for the Aramaic Peshitta has, in a very roundabout way, led me to see how utterly misguided all of this was, and that contrary to popular belief, there has in fact never been a cessation of full Torah Observance by followers of Yeshua. Believe it or not, a complete and proper observance of the Torah has existed for the past two-thousand years by a significant number of people who have inherited and carried on the original second temple period religion (or faith) that Yeshua the Messiah fulfilled, and that His apostles preached and established (in some cases, this has actually been the majority of all believers worldwide!). How in the world did we all miss this?? And that's just it, the worst part is that it has been right under our noses this entire time, we were just too blinded to see it, being stuck in this western mindset of Roman Catholic VS Protestant theology where we wasted our time trying to reconstruct things based on a later false religion (Rabbinic Judaism).
Let me explain by sharing a bit about my own journey...
So, Andrew Gabriel Roth in his Aramaic Peshitta New Testament constantly makes references to the Church of the East as a Semitic church free from the Greek and Latin influences so many of us talk about. In my own research, I plainly saw that the Church of the East indeed existed and developed outside of the Roman-Byzantine Empire in Persia/Mesopotamia/Babylon. Further, in tracing where all the original Jewish followers of Yeshua ended up after their expulsions from Jerusalem when the Temple was destroyed in the year 70 or following the Bar Kokhba revolt in 135, I also came to the conclusion that most of them returned to where the biggest Jewish settlements were: in Babylon with the Church of the East (not everyone came back after the Babylonian Exile, right?). So yes, the Mesopotamian region of Babylon/Persia is where the Church of the East flourished as a thoroughly Semitic Church with a Semitic text (the Eastern Aramaic Peshitta that many of us love). And other than brief and sporadic contact with the western and eastern Churches of the Roman/Byzantine empire, they remained relatively isolated since there were hostilities with Persia, making travel limited. They are also known as the church of the martyrs since they have received more persecution than any other historical church body, and yet, they nevertheless continue to exist as an independent church today, remaining the most Jewish or Semitic of all historical churches.
Now, is this the group that has not ceased to have a full observance of the Torah for the past two thousand years? Well, it's relatively difficult to find information on the Church of the East in English, and Andrew Roth likes to hint at how they at least hold to his ideas of Christology and such. Unfortunately for Andrew though, this could not be further from the truth. On top of the research I have done into the Church of the East, I decided just to ask them plainly what they believe, beginning with Shamasha Paul Younan of the Peshitta Forum (whose work Andrew took for his Aramaic English New Testament by the way [the AENT was not an original translation]). The answer I got from Shamasha Younan?
"We believe the exact same thing as the Orthodox."
You read that correctly. The Assyrian Church of the East, the independent Semitic Church that grew and developed outside of the Roman-Byzantine Empire, confesses that they believe the exact same thing as the Eastern Orthodox Churches. In other words, despite what Andrew Gabriel Roth or the Hebraic Roots movements might want you to believe, the Church of the East fully embraces the Doctrine of the Trinity, confesses the Nicene Creed every liturgy, and though they haven't officially adopted it, agree with the Chalcedonian Creed, confessing that in Messiah Yeshua there are two natures in one person (see "Exploring the Christology of the Church of the East" by His Beatitude Mar Meelis Zaia). Additionally, they hold to Apostolic Succession through their line of Bishops, and have a rich Sacramental and Liturgical heritage (check out some of their English liturgical services here, and some English sermons here).
But wait, doesn't that sound Roman Catholic? Wasn't I supposed to point you in the direction of the faith of the apostles that has full Torah Observance? None of that sounds Hebraic or Jewish!!
Don't get me wrong, the Church of Rome and the Pope, despite sharing some outward similarities, have certainly departed from the Apostolic faith (in other words, their faith is not Orthodox, or true), but before I clarify what the faith of the Apostles is, I have to hammer in why it might not seem Hebraic or Jewish to us. Once again, the answer is simply because what we know as Hebraic or Jewish today is fundamentally changed from what the actual beliefs of the second temple period were (those of the Essenes, Pharisees, Zealots, Nazarenes, etc.). This is where the Messianic / Torah teachers of today fall short, because they are basing their understanding of history and their private interpretations of the Apostolic Scriptures on a false, Rabbinic faith, and grossly misunderstanding the church fathers and their use of terms like hypostasis. So, when teachers like Andrew Gabriel Roth build their Modalist-Nestorian Christology and shy away from terms like "The Trinity", they do so in sensitivity to a false religion that they grew up with; a religion that fundamentally changed how the Tanakh was understood, and which did so in direct response to Christianity.
Now, I last updated this website eleven and a half years ago, and what I've been doing in the meantime was a deep dive into this subject matter, including a lot of foundational ground up study on an academic level. That is, I learned the Biblical languages in a post-secondary environment, took Seminary classes, and entered the larger world of Christendom to ensure that no stone was left unturned. All this to discover that:
THE RELIGION OF THE APOSTLES AND FULL TORAH OBSERVANCE HAS ALWAYS EXISTED UNCHANGED WITHIN THE HOLY EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH
I understand how shocking that statement is, but by the time I figured this out, it wasn't shocking for me at all. Those fancy Temples they have with all the iconography? Those are earthly manifestations of the heavenly tabernacle where people worship in Spirit and in Truth, entering the marriage supper of the Lamb as heaven meets earth and time ceases in the way we chronologically understand it here on earth (Wisdom 9:8; Malachi 1:11; John 4:21-24; Hebrews 8:1-5, 9:11-14, 10:22-24, 13:10-15). Those priests they have there are not Levites, but acting on behalf of Messiah Yeshua according to His priesthood (the order of Melchizedek - Hebrews 7:11-22 [see also Luke 10:16; John 20:21-23; 1 Corinthians 4:1; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:6,14, 2:2; and 1 Clement 44). And all those icons are windows into the unseen realm, just like the woven and forged icons of cherubim/angels in the Temple and Tabernacle were back under the first covenant (Exodus 25:18-20, 26:1, 36:35; 1 Kings 6:23-36; see also the Dura-Europos Synagogue, which shows that early Judaism had the same level of Iconography as Orthodox Churches, proving once again that it was Judaism that changed, not Orthodoxy). In fact, the Divine Liturgy experienced in Orthodox Churches is literally the worship and spiritual battle of The Book of Revelation in real time (Revelation 1:10, 4:1-5:14, 7:9-17, 11:15-19, 19:1-10; notice the vestments, incense, and liturgical chant, and note also that "falling on their faces" are full prostrations which the faithful do in Orthodox Divine Liturgies). Although, what is happening behind the scenes in the Divine Liturgy remains "veiled" in the sense that we usually don't see what is happening directly, other than how it may be depicted in an icon or spoken of in Scripture (there have been exceptions where some have been granted visions, not unlike when the Apostle John was caught up in the spirit during his Divine Liturgy on the Lord's Day - Revelation 1:10). Nevertheless, we enter into the spiritual warfare and experience the spiritual victory, being surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses (Psalm 103:20-21; Hebrews 12:1-2; Revelation 5:8, 7:9-10). Yes, those who die in Messiah are very much alive (Mark 12:26-27), and part of what the Scriptures call The Divine Council (Psalm 82:1, 6; see also 1 Kings 22:19-23; Isaiah 6:6-8; Luke 20:35-36; 1 Corinthians 6:1-3, 2 Timothy 2:12) which is why we can seek their intercession and aid as we fight against demons and sin (which is completely different from the forgiveness that our Heavenly Father gives us because of His great love and compassion, for we know that He is slow to anger and full of mercy). Just as Messiah worked through the physical means of mud on one's eyes, washing in a particular river, or through the hands of His apostles back then (Matthew 10:1, 28:18-20; Luke 10:16; John 20:21-23; 1 Corinthians 4:1; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:6,14, 2:2; and 1 Clement 44), so too He continues to work through various means, both visible and invisible, including the saints of the Divine Council who fight on our behalf in the unseen realm. Don't believe me? Start by learning about what all the sacrifices of the Torah really mean and how they continue in the Orthodox Church with the Eucharist (and how this is actually what worship really is; it's not just praise and adoration, which is something we all give to our spouses [see Welcoming Gifts: Sacrifice in the Bible]).
But wait!! What about the Feast Days?? Shabbat!? Kosher? The nation of Israel??? Those Pagan roots!! Not to mention the three persons of the Trinity...
Yes, yes, I know. The truth is that there is a significant amount of rewiring and relearning we all have to do, both from the Rabbinic Jewish influences we have erroneously adopted, and all of the Roman Catholic and Protestant ideas that have equally skewed our historical perception of the faith once and for all delivered to the saints. And the easiest book for beginning to answer all your questions is,
The Religion of the Apostles: Orthodox Christianity in the First Century
This book will demonstrate how Orthodoxy has kept the Torah to its fullest, far more than any sect of Judaism has, period. It will demonstrate how the faiths of the second temple period already recognized multiple hypostasis of The Eternal One, and so the doctrine of the Trinity is actually truly and fully Hebraic to the core (see Two Powers in Heaven by Alan Segal for an independent Jewish source confirming this). But, I'm sure many of you will need something more before you decide to invest in the book, affordable as it may be. I therefore commend to you the following blog posts by the very same author,
On the Torah
Is the Law Abolished or Fulfilled?
Acts 15 and the Law in the Church
Why Don't Christians Keep Kosher?
Cut Off from Among the People
Worship in Spirit and Truth
The Sacrifice to End All Sacrifices
St. Paul and the Law
Who Can Keep the Law of God?
Why the Law was Given, and by Whom
Psalm 51 and Justification
On the Trinity
The Angel of the Lord
God the Word
The Son of Man
God's Body
The Spirit of God in the Old Testament
Biblical Monotheism
One God, the Father, and One Lord, Jesus Christ
On Israel
The Election of Israel
God's People Israel
Renewed Israel
Keep in mind that this author, the Very Rev. Dr. Stephen De Young, unlike many in the Torah movement, can translate any Biblical text for you on the spot with no help, regardless of the language it's written in. He is an active pastor in a parish, and holds a Masters of Divinity, a Master of Arts, and a Ph.D in Biblical Studies, all while remaining very "theologically conservative" (which is important to mention since there is a phobia [and rightly so] of liberalism within our academic institutions). You can also listen to him and his co-host on The Lord of Spirits Podcast (episodes are conveniently categorized here) which has proven to be extremely popular since this is the truth everyone is craving. His co-host, the Very Rev. Andrew Stephen Damick, has also written an excellent book summarizing much of the content (The Lord of Spirits: An Orthodox Christian Framework for the Unseen World and Spiritual Warfare), as well as short summary of what the Gospel actually is (Arise O God).
I have a lot more to say, but let this suffice for now. I ruined a lot of good relationships and made far too many over zealous mistakes when I was a fanboy of "Netzari Judaism" and idolized the Aramaic English New Testament (metaphorically speaking). Having that said, for the role it played in bringing me to Holy Orthodoxy (and in a roundabout way, my wife as well), I am certainly very thankful. And so, for the sake of your own salvation, I implore you to go and explore what I said, because millions (yes, millions) of people are realizing this and flooding to Orthodoxy all over the world. And like me, you owe it to yourself to leave no stone unturned in your search for truth, especially if it means you can actually have a unified faith instead of constantly trying to reinvent the wheel or reconstruct things in such a way where you only end up feeling like you're cosplaying at the end of the day (and arguing with everyone else about who is cosplaying better).
As I've been busy doing this the past eleven and a half years, I have chosen to leave this website up exactly as is for reference (hoping also that it would help a few "sacred namers" here and there). I will continue to do so as a resource and a testimony of where you can end up when you don't stop looking for the truth, as radical as this change may be for someone zealous for the Torah. And yet, it was actually my zeal for the Torah that led me exactly here, for there is no single place better suited for focusing on my own repentance, and experiencing the fullness of Messiah Yeshua. Therefore, let me say that I'm sure your searching and experiences are commendable, but the fullness of the faith that you're looking for is found within Orthodoxy. Just be warned... it will seem strange... it will seem foreign... and it won't make sense at first. But, I can assure you, it will be worth giving up everything for in the end. And if a hard hearted iconoclast such as myself can make it, so can you. Further, the proof is in the pudding, because after having earnestly tried all sorts of things across the spectrum of Christendom, I can tell you that Orthodoxy is the only one that has had the right medicine for my spiritual sickness of sin that, I must admit, is quite severe. And that's why I kept looking, because more than anything else, I wanted to be truly healed of the effects of my sin. And now, instead of being an addict (you guys know what I'm talking about), I can actually call myself a recovering addict, walking in sober repentance where my heart and mind are being transformed (rather than forcing an external observance that we know is only going to hold out for so long). Nothing else worked but the fullness of our Saviour in Orthodoxy with all its various tools. I don't care who you are, overcoming sin and temptation is worth it (in case you need a reminder about that, read the seven letters in the Book of Revelation).
RECCOMMENDED BIBLES WITH COMMENTARY
For further help along the way, I wish to recommend some Bibles that may be suitable equivalents for what you may be used to (the CJB, TLV, or AENT for example). In the Assyrian Church of the East, when they speak English, they use and recommend The Orthodox Study Bible, which is what I began with thanks to them. It is an excellent standard that is as close to a complete Peshitta Bible that you can get, even though it is based on the Septuagint and Textus Receptus. I highly recommend it as a primer to start with and a standard to carry at all times.
But, if you want something more along the lines of the AENT, then you can look at The Orthodox New Testament Volume 1 and Volume 2. These are fresh and literal fundamental translations according to the Patriarchal Text that was built on The Gospel and Apostol books of Orthodox Churches used in the Divine Liturgy throughout the centuries (which means that they are the equivalent of Torah scrolls), and they have extensive commentaries in the back for all the verses. The look, feel, and style will be exactly what you are used to if you have used an AENT.
The final resource you can look at is The EOB New Testament, which is a smooth and easy to read translation (think Tree of Life Bible), also based on the Patriarchal Text, but with excellent introductory material and appendices (the appendices are only found in the paperback edition right now). A PDF edition of most of the text (the appendices are missing every second page) can be read on the Internet Archive here.
RECCOMMENDED CONGREGATIONS
If you so desire to take the plunge, for those in North America, I recommend seeking out congregations within the following canonical jurisdictions,
The Orthodox Church in America (OCA)
The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (AOCA)
The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR / The Russian Church Abroad)
OTHER RECCOMMENDED RESOURCES
In addition to that, here are a few resources that should prove to be very helpful for you, demonstrating the fundamental conservatism you're probably comfortable with, but showing how much broader and spiritually hardcore Orthodoxy actually is in just the right way.
Introductory Material
Orthodox Intro
True Faith Blog
East Meets East Blog
Know the Faith Free eBook
The Divine Council Online Discussion Group
Essentials of Orthodox Christian Belief (OCA Catechism)
YouTube and Podcasts
Orthodox Kyle
Roots of Orthodoxy
Patristic Nectar App
Patristic Nectar Films
Patristix YouTube Channel
The Lord of Spirits Podcast
Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
Double Edged Sword Assyrian Church Podcast
Heaven on Earth Worship
The Antiochian Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom in English
The Alexandrian Divine Liturgy of St. Mark the Evangelist in English
The Assyrian Church of the East Holy Qurbana of Ss. Thaddeus and Mari in English
The Orthodox Church in America Hierarchical Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom in English
Webstores
Legacy Icons
Newrome Press
Antiochian Village (AOCA)
St. Tikhon's Monastery Press (OCA)
Holy Trinity Church Supplies (ROCOR)
Theological Institutes
Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary (ROCOR)
St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary (OCA / AOCA)
Nisibis Assyrian Theological College (Assyrian Church of the East)
May MarYah guide and direct your steps as you seek out the fullness of what He has done for you, in the Name of the + Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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